My Jewish Pride
I am up early this Sabbath morning, early Saturday morning, May 24, 2003, looking through the Internet Jerusalem Post edition. Even conceding I am biased toward items praising my Jewish people, I find an item this morning that really brings out my Jewish pride.
Educational Column - "Hineni", here I am, ready to serve you.
Published in Saturday, May 24, 2003 Internet Jerusalem Post <http://www.jpost.com>
https://www.hineni.org/inspirations_view.asp?id=17&category=15&CatName=Jewish%20Issues
[excerpt]
THE JEW
By Rabbi Esther Jungreis
You are a Jew
You have traveled the four corners of the earth.
You have been a citizen of every nation.
You have mastered the nuances of every tongue.
You have been a part of every people, and yet you have remained a people apart.
You are a Jew
You have created civilizations
You have given birth to every ideal that has shaped mankind; justice, peace, love, dignity of man, have had all their genesis in your Torah.
But above all, you have been given the unique mission of proclaiming the one-ness of
G-d.
You are a Jew
You have traveled the four corners of the earth
You have known oppression.
You have experienced every form of persecution.
Your body has been scorched by fire.
Your memory fails
You have forgotten your past
But nevertheless, a still, small voice relentlessly calls out to you and demands that you discover your inner self
A still small voice that gives you no peace for within you courses the blood of prophets, martyrs, sages and kings of Israel.
Your roots are sunk in eternity.
You are heir to a legacy over 4,000 years old.
------
May 23, 2003
NASA Posts the First View of Earth and Moon From Mars
Posted especially for my buddy Don Kelly, who I know has a high interest in astronomy.
Having gained an almost "ho-hum" feeling when seeing the many famous photographs by astronauts of earth from the moon, it was pleasant and mildly startling for me to find that the Mars Global Surveyor mission has returned the first pictures of earth and moon taken from another planet - the planet Mars. The greater distance and thus the small apparent size of earth and moon makes me just a bit more humble as a resident of the third "speck" from the sun.
Go to:
http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04531
"Earth/Moon: This is the first image of Earth ever taken from another planet that actually shows our home as a planetary disk. Because Earth and the Moon are closer to the Sun than Mars, they exhibit phases, just as the Moon, Venus, and Mercury do when viewed from Earth." (continues)
In the picture, earth and moon are in the "half-earth" and "half-moon" phases.
######
Photograph Technical Details:
Target Name: Earth
Is a satellite of: Sol (our sun)
Mission: Mars Global Surveyor (MGS)
Spacecraft: Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter
Instrument: Mars Orbiter Camera
Product Size: 961 samples x 961 lines
Produced By: Malin Space Science Systems
Producer ID: MOC2-368
Full-Res TIFF: PIA04531.tif (2.775 megabytes)
Posted especially for my buddy Don Kelly, who I know has a high interest in astronomy.
Having gained an almost "ho-hum" feeling when seeing the many famous photographs by astronauts of earth from the moon, it was pleasant and mildly startling for me to find that the Mars Global Surveyor mission has returned the first pictures of earth and moon taken from another planet - the planet Mars. The greater distance and thus the small apparent size of earth and moon makes me just a bit more humble as a resident of the third "speck" from the sun.
Go to:
http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04531
"Earth/Moon: This is the first image of Earth ever taken from another planet that actually shows our home as a planetary disk. Because Earth and the Moon are closer to the Sun than Mars, they exhibit phases, just as the Moon, Venus, and Mercury do when viewed from Earth." (continues)
In the picture, earth and moon are in the "half-earth" and "half-moon" phases.
######
Photograph Technical Details:
Target Name: Earth
Is a satellite of: Sol (our sun)
Mission: Mars Global Surveyor (MGS)
Spacecraft: Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter
Instrument: Mars Orbiter Camera
Product Size: 961 samples x 961 lines
Produced By: Malin Space Science Systems
Producer ID: MOC2-368
Full-Res TIFF: PIA04531.tif (2.775 megabytes)
Another One Liner
"If your ship doesn't come in, swim out to it."
Jonathan Winters
I heard this quote given yesterday as advice in a one-day conference about achieving economic development in small rural communities and it has special meaning for me. Western Oklahoma and most areas of the American Great Plains are among the few places in the United States losing population for lack of economic opportunities. I've created a little stir in Weatherford by my proposal for a multi-use recreational snow area using synthetic snow matting - available 365 days a year and primarily aimed for use by youth and college students. It is a complicated project. The devil is in the details. So I've found myself swimming out to the ship.
Part of my swimming is taking a course in "Fundamentals of Marketing" this Summer at Southwestern Oklahoma State University. I am doing some homework to give the project a chance to work. A main goal is to add a quality of life improvement feature in Weatherford to create an environment making new people want to live here. It's a fun project. I've attracted enough attention to get my "five minutes of fame" in a story done on the Channel 9 Oklahoma City CBS news affiliate. So for a brief period at least, I am a TV celebrity on the streets of Weatherford.
"If your ship doesn't come in, swim out to it."
Jonathan Winters
I heard this quote given yesterday as advice in a one-day conference about achieving economic development in small rural communities and it has special meaning for me. Western Oklahoma and most areas of the American Great Plains are among the few places in the United States losing population for lack of economic opportunities. I've created a little stir in Weatherford by my proposal for a multi-use recreational snow area using synthetic snow matting - available 365 days a year and primarily aimed for use by youth and college students. It is a complicated project. The devil is in the details. So I've found myself swimming out to the ship.
Part of my swimming is taking a course in "Fundamentals of Marketing" this Summer at Southwestern Oklahoma State University. I am doing some homework to give the project a chance to work. A main goal is to add a quality of life improvement feature in Weatherford to create an environment making new people want to live here. It's a fun project. I've attracted enough attention to get my "five minutes of fame" in a story done on the Channel 9 Oklahoma City CBS news affiliate. So for a brief period at least, I am a TV celebrity on the streets of Weatherford.
April 27, 2003
Opportunity
On Friday night April 26, 2003 I attended the Chemistry Department Banquet at Southwestern Oklahoma State University. The speaker was Dr. Joe Sauer of Albemarle Corporation, a global supplier of specialty chemicals and chemical intermediates based in Baton Rouge, LA. Dr. Sauer is a SWOSU chemistry graduate.
Before getting into his topic on biofilms, Dr. Sauer passed out advice for the graduating chemistry seniors and all chemistry students present. It is good advice because it is practical "real life" advice and it brought back nostalgic memories of my own career in industrial chemistry and chemical engineering. The most memorable part for me is a quote of Thomas Edison about opportunity.
-
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."
-- Thomas Alva Edison
While not claiming to never missing an opportunity, I pride myself in being ready to put on gloves and coveralls and hard hat and go out in the field and try things out. At my chemical plant, I frequently used a 5-gallon pail to tote thermometers, pressure gauges, sample valves, wrenches, research notebooks and so on. I got a nickname of "the bucket chemist."
Though the closest description of my field based on college training is "inorganic chemist," I jokingly call myself a "physical chemist." By 'physical' I mean I often use my muscles - I' m not always in the lab doing test-tube work. Also I don't care what field I use to solve problems in my assignments. At various times I've used biology, soil mechanics, hydrology, geology and on and on. The willingness to be versatile like this was another point made by Dr. Sauer to the students.
As a closing thought related to opportunity, I think of Jerry's e-mail signature quote.
-
"Engineering is the art of making what you want from things you can get."
I can brag about a number of engineering accomplishments by me that fit this dictum. And most times the way to success is putting on coveralls and doing a lot of work to get the idea into practice.
On Friday night April 26, 2003 I attended the Chemistry Department Banquet at Southwestern Oklahoma State University. The speaker was Dr. Joe Sauer of Albemarle Corporation, a global supplier of specialty chemicals and chemical intermediates based in Baton Rouge, LA. Dr. Sauer is a SWOSU chemistry graduate.
Before getting into his topic on biofilms, Dr. Sauer passed out advice for the graduating chemistry seniors and all chemistry students present. It is good advice because it is practical "real life" advice and it brought back nostalgic memories of my own career in industrial chemistry and chemical engineering. The most memorable part for me is a quote of Thomas Edison about opportunity.
-
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."
-- Thomas Alva Edison
While not claiming to never missing an opportunity, I pride myself in being ready to put on gloves and coveralls and hard hat and go out in the field and try things out. At my chemical plant, I frequently used a 5-gallon pail to tote thermometers, pressure gauges, sample valves, wrenches, research notebooks and so on. I got a nickname of "the bucket chemist."
Though the closest description of my field based on college training is "inorganic chemist," I jokingly call myself a "physical chemist." By 'physical' I mean I often use my muscles - I' m not always in the lab doing test-tube work. Also I don't care what field I use to solve problems in my assignments. At various times I've used biology, soil mechanics, hydrology, geology and on and on. The willingness to be versatile like this was another point made by Dr. Sauer to the students.
As a closing thought related to opportunity, I think of Jerry's e-mail signature quote.
-
"Engineering is the art of making what you want from things you can get."
I can brag about a number of engineering accomplishments by me that fit this dictum. And most times the way to success is putting on coveralls and doing a lot of work to get the idea into practice.
April 07, 2003
The Little Navajo Girl Herding Sheep on a Bicycle
News of the death of Pfc. Lorie Piestewa in the Iraq War is wrenching for me. Hearing she is a Hopi from Tuba City, Arizona, located on the Navajo Reservation, takes me back to the mid-80's when I camped "under the stars" in a remote area near the Monument Valley visitor center and tourist trail area run by the Navajo. I was with my best friend Tom Stott. We were far enough away, and high above the valley, so we had a panoramic view of the stunning Monument Valley rock formations - a view rarely seen - and we were away from the tourists. On the way we traveled through Tuba City and Kayenta, then took "jeep trails" away from main roads.
Now to the little Navajo girl. As we proceeded along the jeep trail, we saw a herd of sheep ahead. And when we got close, there she was riding behind the sheep on her bicycle and keeping the sheep moving, diverting strays back into the herd, and so on. In short, she was sheep herding on a bicycle and doing an extra good job of it. Our sense of respect for being on special ground, and appreciation for being treated friendly, led us not to take pictures. I don't need a picture. The little Navajo girl herding sheep is present for me every day as one of my most pleasant memories of a lifetime. And I am sad. I am very sad because I think that little girl is now about the age of Lori Piestewa. And I know that Lori is killed in war. And on my wall hangs a gold and silver plate with a dove over Jerusalem, with a "Shalom" in English on one wing, and a "Shalom" in Hebrew on the other wing - and around the plate are the words, in English and Hebrew: "Nation shall not lift sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." (Isaiah 2:4) Speaking as a member of mankind, I grieve that we are so far from this ideal. I want to go every day where little Navajo girls herd sheep on bicycles. It is so peaceful there.
News of the death of Pfc. Lorie Piestewa in the Iraq War is wrenching for me. Hearing she is a Hopi from Tuba City, Arizona, located on the Navajo Reservation, takes me back to the mid-80's when I camped "under the stars" in a remote area near the Monument Valley visitor center and tourist trail area run by the Navajo. I was with my best friend Tom Stott. We were far enough away, and high above the valley, so we had a panoramic view of the stunning Monument Valley rock formations - a view rarely seen - and we were away from the tourists. On the way we traveled through Tuba City and Kayenta, then took "jeep trails" away from main roads.
Now to the little Navajo girl. As we proceeded along the jeep trail, we saw a herd of sheep ahead. And when we got close, there she was riding behind the sheep on her bicycle and keeping the sheep moving, diverting strays back into the herd, and so on. In short, she was sheep herding on a bicycle and doing an extra good job of it. Our sense of respect for being on special ground, and appreciation for being treated friendly, led us not to take pictures. I don't need a picture. The little Navajo girl herding sheep is present for me every day as one of my most pleasant memories of a lifetime. And I am sad. I am very sad because I think that little girl is now about the age of Lori Piestewa. And I know that Lori is killed in war. And on my wall hangs a gold and silver plate with a dove over Jerusalem, with a "Shalom" in English on one wing, and a "Shalom" in Hebrew on the other wing - and around the plate are the words, in English and Hebrew: "Nation shall not lift sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." (Isaiah 2:4) Speaking as a member of mankind, I grieve that we are so far from this ideal. I want to go every day where little Navajo girls herd sheep on bicycles. It is so peaceful there.
March 24, 2003
A Subdued Jack Remembers Gemini 3
Although I try to make blog posts in the realm of non-controversial "potpourri" and away from controversial politics, world events, etc., the talk of war and actual war are on my mind. Being human, I am affected and feel subdued about making my usual light-hearted posts. Thus I have been quiet for awhile. But tonight I am prompted to write about the 1965 Gemini 3 mission. This happens after reading the original front-page story that appeared for Gemini 3 in an "On This Day" feature in the Sunday New York Times.
http://www.nthisdanytimes.com/learning/general/oy/big/0323.html#article
March 23 highlights the blast off from Cape Kennedy, and landing in the Pacific Ocean after nearly five hours in space, of America's first two-person space flight with astronauts Virgil I. Grissom and John W. Young aboard on March 23, 1965. Gemini 3 Pilot Grissom and Co-Pilot Young did pilot controlled maneuvering of a spacecraft for the first time - an ability essential to later success of Apollo moon lander missions beginning in 1969.
Mostly I enjoyed the article from the chuckles I get when I am reminded of events when the Gemini 3 capsule landed in the Pacific Ocean 50 miles away from the rescue ship - the aircraft carrier Intrepid. It took an hour before a helicopter from Intrepid rescued the two astronauts. It was scary before they were located! I remember that part quite well. But I either didn't know or I forgot that the hour spent floating in the spacecraft, heated by re-entry through the dense atmosphere, led Grissom and Young to get rid of space suits and strip down to underwear. So the first thing that took place when they set foot on the flight deck of the Intrepid was being handed Navy bathrobes. The bathrobes I somehow remember from news film, but I don't think I realized why they were needed. From this I have nostalgia for times when the space program seemed to have more impromptu procedures such as stripping to underwear.
Remembering Gemini 3 makes me sad to also remember Apollo 1 which burned on the pad on January 27, 1967 killing the crew of Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee. The recent Columbia disaster brings back memories of Apollo 1 which was a stunning event for me as a 26-year old hero-worshipping kid.
Although I try to make blog posts in the realm of non-controversial "potpourri" and away from controversial politics, world events, etc., the talk of war and actual war are on my mind. Being human, I am affected and feel subdued about making my usual light-hearted posts. Thus I have been quiet for awhile. But tonight I am prompted to write about the 1965 Gemini 3 mission. This happens after reading the original front-page story that appeared for Gemini 3 in an "On This Day" feature in the Sunday New York Times.
http://www.nthisdanytimes.com/learning/general/oy/big/0323.html#article
March 23 highlights the blast off from Cape Kennedy, and landing in the Pacific Ocean after nearly five hours in space, of America's first two-person space flight with astronauts Virgil I. Grissom and John W. Young aboard on March 23, 1965. Gemini 3 Pilot Grissom and Co-Pilot Young did pilot controlled maneuvering of a spacecraft for the first time - an ability essential to later success of Apollo moon lander missions beginning in 1969.
Mostly I enjoyed the article from the chuckles I get when I am reminded of events when the Gemini 3 capsule landed in the Pacific Ocean 50 miles away from the rescue ship - the aircraft carrier Intrepid. It took an hour before a helicopter from Intrepid rescued the two astronauts. It was scary before they were located! I remember that part quite well. But I either didn't know or I forgot that the hour spent floating in the spacecraft, heated by re-entry through the dense atmosphere, led Grissom and Young to get rid of space suits and strip down to underwear. So the first thing that took place when they set foot on the flight deck of the Intrepid was being handed Navy bathrobes. The bathrobes I somehow remember from news film, but I don't think I realized why they were needed. From this I have nostalgia for times when the space program seemed to have more impromptu procedures such as stripping to underwear.
Remembering Gemini 3 makes me sad to also remember Apollo 1 which burned on the pad on January 27, 1967 killing the crew of Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee. The recent Columbia disaster brings back memories of Apollo 1 which was a stunning event for me as a 26-year old hero-worshipping kid.
March 15, 2003
Is the Universe Shaped Like a Doughnut?
I’m fascinated by a New York Times article “Universe as Doughnut: New Data, New Debate”, by Dennis Overbye, which I’ve read and reread all this week. Checking early this Saturday morning, it is still online free, along with an accompanying interactive: “Is Infinity an Illusion?” To read the full article, go to:
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/11/science/space/11COSM.html?8isc
The article tells about a new interpretation of data obtained by means of a NASA satellite, in operation since 1992, that measures the faint microwave radiation that fills the sky. “This radiation is believed to be the afterglow of the Big Bang itself, and thus constitutes a portrait of the universe when it was only 380,000 years old.” The COBE satellite (for Cosmic Background Explorer) is providing data about the early universe which leads Dr. James Peebles of Princeton to say: “Cosmologists have built a house of cards and it stands.”
But, Hey! - The universe as a doughnut? The article mentions that an early computer game called Spacewar gives a picture consistent with space shaped like a doughnut – if battling rocket ships drift off one side of the screen, they reappear on the opposite side. And it seems to me I read a science fiction story “umpteen years ago” :-) that includes the idea of space shaped like a doughnut. In fact, I have a faint notion that my good friend Jerry and I had a discussion of this idea way back when we were next door neighbors. (??)
Now rather than computer games and science fiction, new experimental developments come from the University of Pennsylvania where Dr. Angélica de Oliveira-Costa and Dr. Max Tegmark have generated a detailed map of the early universe using COBE satellite data. Based on a far from certain interpretation of the map, “... Rather than being infinite in all directions, as the most fashionable theory suggests, the universe could be radically smaller in one direction than the others. As a result it may even be shaped like a doughnut.”
Being mostly an experimental scientist and engineer myself, rather than a theorist, I find extra fascinating that a seemingly simple way exists for astrophysicists to test the theory. According to Dr. Tegmark, “There’s a hint in the data that if you traveled far and fast in the direction of the constellation Virgo, you’d return to Earth from the opposite direction.” And in the interactive accompanying the article, testing of the theory is proposed by looking at opposite ends of the sky to see if similar patterns and scales appear in the cosmic background radiation.
Wow! I like it like that! Not only is a hypothesis proposed, but a means of experimental proof is offered. That’s what Albert Einstein did with his relativity theory and experiments bore out the validity of his concepts. Thinking back to my days as a voracious science fiction reader, I wish my favorite science fiction author and science interpretation writer, Isaac Asimov, was still alive. I would love to read a column on the subject like those he used to write every month in Fantasy and Science Fiction magazine.
I’m fascinated by a New York Times article “Universe as Doughnut: New Data, New Debate”, by Dennis Overbye, which I’ve read and reread all this week. Checking early this Saturday morning, it is still online free, along with an accompanying interactive: “Is Infinity an Illusion?” To read the full article, go to:
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/11/science/space/11COSM.html?8isc
The article tells about a new interpretation of data obtained by means of a NASA satellite, in operation since 1992, that measures the faint microwave radiation that fills the sky. “This radiation is believed to be the afterglow of the Big Bang itself, and thus constitutes a portrait of the universe when it was only 380,000 years old.” The COBE satellite (for Cosmic Background Explorer) is providing data about the early universe which leads Dr. James Peebles of Princeton to say: “Cosmologists have built a house of cards and it stands.”
But, Hey! - The universe as a doughnut? The article mentions that an early computer game called Spacewar gives a picture consistent with space shaped like a doughnut – if battling rocket ships drift off one side of the screen, they reappear on the opposite side. And it seems to me I read a science fiction story “umpteen years ago” :-) that includes the idea of space shaped like a doughnut. In fact, I have a faint notion that my good friend Jerry and I had a discussion of this idea way back when we were next door neighbors. (??)
Now rather than computer games and science fiction, new experimental developments come from the University of Pennsylvania where Dr. Angélica de Oliveira-Costa and Dr. Max Tegmark have generated a detailed map of the early universe using COBE satellite data. Based on a far from certain interpretation of the map, “... Rather than being infinite in all directions, as the most fashionable theory suggests, the universe could be radically smaller in one direction than the others. As a result it may even be shaped like a doughnut.”
Being mostly an experimental scientist and engineer myself, rather than a theorist, I find extra fascinating that a seemingly simple way exists for astrophysicists to test the theory. According to Dr. Tegmark, “There’s a hint in the data that if you traveled far and fast in the direction of the constellation Virgo, you’d return to Earth from the opposite direction.” And in the interactive accompanying the article, testing of the theory is proposed by looking at opposite ends of the sky to see if similar patterns and scales appear in the cosmic background radiation.
Wow! I like it like that! Not only is a hypothesis proposed, but a means of experimental proof is offered. That’s what Albert Einstein did with his relativity theory and experiments bore out the validity of his concepts. Thinking back to my days as a voracious science fiction reader, I wish my favorite science fiction author and science interpretation writer, Isaac Asimov, was still alive. I would love to read a column on the subject like those he used to write every month in Fantasy and Science Fiction magazine.
March 11, 2003
Reaping the Wind in Western Oklahoma
At the beginning of the year, I joined the Weatherford Area Economic Development Foundation (WAEDF) at the urging of a good friend who thought the foundation can benefit from more diversification in its members. Most of the present members are business people of some sort.
Well, so far I interpret my role in the foundation to include contributing an engineering viewpoint and generating fresh ideas for economic development projects. In this vein, something "jumped out at me" from an article in Chemical & Engineering News, February 24, 2003 edition (free Web access only to American Chemical Society members.) The cover story is on wind energy and a map shows active wind energy projects in the U.S. represented by the total megawatt capacity on line in each state. A startling find for me is that Oklahoma has no active wind energy projects while most of the states around Oklahoma have relatively high activity. I brought this up at a WAEDF meeting and found out to my liking that potential wind energy projects are being pursued by the foundation and by the town Economic Development Director. Also the state legislature recently passed legislation to encourage wind energy development.
Meanwhile I am having great fun! As is my habit, I got single-minded about learning all I can on the subject. I started over the weekend on an Internet search to learn more about current wind turbine technology and I got experience using the Oklahoma Legislature website to find a bill status. The bill for wind energy is in the House Appropriations Committee awaiting funding with an "emergency" priority. By Sunday I found myself ordering an expensive technical book covering up-to-date engineering aspects for large wind turbines.
In my reading I found this approximate quote: "Wind is to the American Great Plains as oil is to Saudi Arabia." Western Oklahoma is part of the Great Plains. The time is at hand to reap the wind in our region - and I look forward to playing some part, small as it may be, in getting the job done.
At the beginning of the year, I joined the Weatherford Area Economic Development Foundation (WAEDF) at the urging of a good friend who thought the foundation can benefit from more diversification in its members. Most of the present members are business people of some sort.
Well, so far I interpret my role in the foundation to include contributing an engineering viewpoint and generating fresh ideas for economic development projects. In this vein, something "jumped out at me" from an article in Chemical & Engineering News, February 24, 2003 edition (free Web access only to American Chemical Society members.) The cover story is on wind energy and a map shows active wind energy projects in the U.S. represented by the total megawatt capacity on line in each state. A startling find for me is that Oklahoma has no active wind energy projects while most of the states around Oklahoma have relatively high activity. I brought this up at a WAEDF meeting and found out to my liking that potential wind energy projects are being pursued by the foundation and by the town Economic Development Director. Also the state legislature recently passed legislation to encourage wind energy development.
Meanwhile I am having great fun! As is my habit, I got single-minded about learning all I can on the subject. I started over the weekend on an Internet search to learn more about current wind turbine technology and I got experience using the Oklahoma Legislature website to find a bill status. The bill for wind energy is in the House Appropriations Committee awaiting funding with an "emergency" priority. By Sunday I found myself ordering an expensive technical book covering up-to-date engineering aspects for large wind turbines.
In my reading I found this approximate quote: "Wind is to the American Great Plains as oil is to Saudi Arabia." Western Oklahoma is part of the Great Plains. The time is at hand to reap the wind in our region - and I look forward to playing some part, small as it may be, in getting the job done.
March 04, 2003
"Real" Computer Screen Size
My main reason for this post is to pass on to readers potentially important consumer savvy that can minimize cost when shopping for monitors. For example a "real" 15" LCD flat screen is nearly equivalent in size to a 17" (actual 16") CRT screen. In fact, this realization made me splurge. :-) I went out and bought a 15" LCD flat screen for my backup computer, a purchase not originally planned - but the price was right - and I gained larger size and reading ease at minimum cost. OK, folks, I am also justifying an impulse purchase. ;-) But so far I have no "buyers remorse."
For background, I've spent the last couple of days working steadily with my newly upgraded main computer - reloading software, working out operating idiosyncrasies, and so on. I went through a tough period with this upgrade until finally figuring out, with help from the computer shop, that a new motherboard involved with the upgrade was defective. I got it replaced on warranty, and also went to a different brand motherboard. The defect was subtle so took about a month of headaches to uncover. The new motherboard is needed for compatibility with the AMD Athalon 1700 CPU that replaces an Intel Pentium II CPU. The Athalon CPU is much faster and proving enjoyable to use.
But the real pleasure of the upgrade is a new 19" flat screen LCD monitor. In my 10 years on the Internet, I find as time passes I do more on-screen reading. I wanted to pick a new screen that minimizes eye strain, and so far I believe I've made a good choice with the large flat screen.
As mentioned, I learned that the visible part of LCD flat screens is the same as the rated size (my new 19" screen is a "real" 19") while the visible part of CRT screens is a smaller size than the rated size.
Specifically, my CRT 15" rated size is actually about 13", and my CRT 17" rated size is actually about 16" - measurements I personally made on the two CRT monitors I own. Come to find out, by marketplace custom, the actual CRT tube size is listed without subtracting the 1"-2" of the CRT case border around the screen. I think this is important for consumers to know when shopping for computer monitors, and I think many salespeople fail to mention the difference for lack of knowledge or for just not considering the difference of much importance. Caveat Emptor is in full force!
My main reason for this post is to pass on to readers potentially important consumer savvy that can minimize cost when shopping for monitors. For example a "real" 15" LCD flat screen is nearly equivalent in size to a 17" (actual 16") CRT screen. In fact, this realization made me splurge. :-) I went out and bought a 15" LCD flat screen for my backup computer, a purchase not originally planned - but the price was right - and I gained larger size and reading ease at minimum cost. OK, folks, I am also justifying an impulse purchase. ;-) But so far I have no "buyers remorse."
For background, I've spent the last couple of days working steadily with my newly upgraded main computer - reloading software, working out operating idiosyncrasies, and so on. I went through a tough period with this upgrade until finally figuring out, with help from the computer shop, that a new motherboard involved with the upgrade was defective. I got it replaced on warranty, and also went to a different brand motherboard. The defect was subtle so took about a month of headaches to uncover. The new motherboard is needed for compatibility with the AMD Athalon 1700 CPU that replaces an Intel Pentium II CPU. The Athalon CPU is much faster and proving enjoyable to use.
But the real pleasure of the upgrade is a new 19" flat screen LCD monitor. In my 10 years on the Internet, I find as time passes I do more on-screen reading. I wanted to pick a new screen that minimizes eye strain, and so far I believe I've made a good choice with the large flat screen.
As mentioned, I learned that the visible part of LCD flat screens is the same as the rated size (my new 19" screen is a "real" 19") while the visible part of CRT screens is a smaller size than the rated size.
Specifically, my CRT 15" rated size is actually about 13", and my CRT 17" rated size is actually about 16" - measurements I personally made on the two CRT monitors I own. Come to find out, by marketplace custom, the actual CRT tube size is listed without subtracting the 1"-2" of the CRT case border around the screen. I think this is important for consumers to know when shopping for computer monitors, and I think many salespeople fail to mention the difference for lack of knowledge or for just not considering the difference of much importance. Caveat Emptor is in full force!
February 28, 2003
Israel's National Anthem - Hatikva
In honor of my paternal grandparents Charles and Jessie Gross Schwartz, distinguished Jewish immigrants to the United.States from Romania and Germany respectively during the late 19th Century
~~ In English and Hebrew transliteration
~~ To hear instrumental Hatikva music, and read background & explanation, go to:
http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/History/hatikva.html
In The Jewish heart
A Jewish spirit still sings,
And the eyes look east
Toward Zion
Our hope is not lost,
Our hope of two thousand years,
To be a free nation in our land,
In the land of Zion and Jerusalem
===
Kol ode balevav
P'nimah -
Nefesh Yehudi homiyah
Ulfa'atey mizrach kadimah
Ayin l'tzion tzofiyah.
Ode lo avdah tikvatenu
Hatikvah bat shnot alpayim:
L'hiyot am chofshi b'artzenu -
Eretz Tzion v'Yerushalayim
In honor of my paternal grandparents Charles and Jessie Gross Schwartz, distinguished Jewish immigrants to the United.States from Romania and Germany respectively during the late 19th Century
~~ In English and Hebrew transliteration
~~ To hear instrumental Hatikva music, and read background & explanation, go to:
http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/History/hatikva.html
In The Jewish heart
A Jewish spirit still sings,
And the eyes look east
Toward Zion
Our hope is not lost,
Our hope of two thousand years,
To be a free nation in our land,
In the land of Zion and Jerusalem
===
Kol ode balevav
P'nimah -
Nefesh Yehudi homiyah
Ulfa'atey mizrach kadimah
Ayin l'tzion tzofiyah.
Ode lo avdah tikvatenu
Hatikvah bat shnot alpayim:
L'hiyot am chofshi b'artzenu -
Eretz Tzion v'Yerushalayim
February 26, 2003
Addendum - Scientists as Poets
Checking the New York Times www.nytimes.com this morning, I find my hunch is right that the DNA double helix 50th anniversary interactive graphic is continuing online. I expect it is probably online for at least the remainder of this week which is special in its own right. As reported by Nicholas Wade in the New York Times yesterday, "Fifty years ago, on Saturday, Feb. 28, 1953, two young scientists [Watson and Crick] walked into the Eagle, a dingy pub in Cambridge, England, and announced to the lunchtime crowd that they had discovered the secret of life." This makes me wonder about the immediate response of the other lunchtime customers. :-)
Yesterday I didn't fully describe the interactive. It has six main sections:
--------
Introduction
Helix to Human (highlighted Tuesday, 2-25-03)
The First Paper (basis of my "Scientists as Poets" post yesterday)
Time Line (highlighted today, Wednesday 2-26-03)
DNA and Culture
Special Section
--------
The more I look through the information, the more impressed I am. Today the interactive graphic is a sidebar to an article "Watson and Crick, Both Aligned and Apart, Reinvented Biology" by Nicholas Wade.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/25/science/25FATH.html
Checking the New York Times www.nytimes.com this morning, I find my hunch is right that the DNA double helix 50th anniversary interactive graphic is continuing online. I expect it is probably online for at least the remainder of this week which is special in its own right. As reported by Nicholas Wade in the New York Times yesterday, "Fifty years ago, on Saturday, Feb. 28, 1953, two young scientists [Watson and Crick] walked into the Eagle, a dingy pub in Cambridge, England, and announced to the lunchtime crowd that they had discovered the secret of life." This makes me wonder about the immediate response of the other lunchtime customers. :-)
Yesterday I didn't fully describe the interactive. It has six main sections:
--------
Introduction
Helix to Human (highlighted Tuesday, 2-25-03)
The First Paper (basis of my "Scientists as Poets" post yesterday)
Time Line (highlighted today, Wednesday 2-26-03)
DNA and Culture
Special Section
--------
The more I look through the information, the more impressed I am. Today the interactive graphic is a sidebar to an article "Watson and Crick, Both Aligned and Apart, Reinvented Biology" by Nicholas Wade.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/25/science/25FATH.html
February 25, 2003
Scientists as Poets
In my own career in science and engineering, and continuing in retirement, I have moments of creativity that make me feel no different than a poet, an artist, a composer and so on. We approach the 50th anniversary of the April 25, 1953, paper to Nature by Dr. James D. Watson and Mr. Francis Crick proposing the now-famous double helix structure for deoxyribose nucleic acid (DNA). In a New York Times interactive graphic, the "anatomy" of this first of two Watson-Crick DNA structure papers to Nature, and a portion of the second paper, is presented.
Now about poetry. The writers of the interactive graphic point out that in the second paper, certain information is transformed into a poetic form "almost like a couplet" by Watson and Crick
Writing in the first paper, Watson and Crick describe pairs of connecting bases that connect the double helix strands of DNA as such:
----
"If it is assumed that the bases only occur in the structure in the most plausible tautomeric forms (that is with the keto rather than the enol configurations) it is found that only specific pairs of bases can bond together. These pairs are: adenine (purine) with thymine (pyrimidine), and guanine (purine) with cytosine (pyrimidine)."
----
The refined wording of Watson and Crick in the second paper, including the "poetic couplet," is:
----
"We believe that the bases will be present almost entirely in their most probable tautomeric forms. If this is true, the conditions for forming hydrogen bonds are more restrictive, and the only pairs of bases possible are:
adenine with thymine;
guanine with cytosine.
Beautiful!
Reference:
The New York Times interactive graphic - "DNA Double Helix - Helix to Human - DNA And the Body" - is a sidebar to today's New York Times Article - "DNA, The Keeper of Life's Secrets, Starts to Talk". <http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/25/science/25HELI.html>
While I cannot say for sure, I expect the interactive graphic will be available at www.nytimes.com for an extended period of time in connection with the 50th anniversary of the first Watson-Crick paper.
In my own career in science and engineering, and continuing in retirement, I have moments of creativity that make me feel no different than a poet, an artist, a composer and so on. We approach the 50th anniversary of the April 25, 1953, paper to Nature by Dr. James D. Watson and Mr. Francis Crick proposing the now-famous double helix structure for deoxyribose nucleic acid (DNA). In a New York Times interactive graphic, the "anatomy" of this first of two Watson-Crick DNA structure papers to Nature, and a portion of the second paper, is presented.
Now about poetry. The writers of the interactive graphic point out that in the second paper, certain information is transformed into a poetic form "almost like a couplet" by Watson and Crick
Writing in the first paper, Watson and Crick describe pairs of connecting bases that connect the double helix strands of DNA as such:
----
"If it is assumed that the bases only occur in the structure in the most plausible tautomeric forms (that is with the keto rather than the enol configurations) it is found that only specific pairs of bases can bond together. These pairs are: adenine (purine) with thymine (pyrimidine), and guanine (purine) with cytosine (pyrimidine)."
----
The refined wording of Watson and Crick in the second paper, including the "poetic couplet," is:
----
"We believe that the bases will be present almost entirely in their most probable tautomeric forms. If this is true, the conditions for forming hydrogen bonds are more restrictive, and the only pairs of bases possible are:
adenine with thymine;
guanine with cytosine.
Beautiful!
Reference:
The New York Times interactive graphic - "DNA Double Helix - Helix to Human - DNA And the Body" - is a sidebar to today's New York Times Article - "DNA, The Keeper of Life's Secrets, Starts to Talk". <http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/25/science/25HELI.html>
While I cannot say for sure, I expect the interactive graphic will be available at www.nytimes.com for an extended period of time in connection with the 50th anniversary of the first Watson-Crick paper.
February 24, 2003
Recipe for German Delicacy - Vareniki
On February 1st, I went to the annual "German Feast" sponsored by the Mennonite community of Corn, Oklahoma about 10 miles south of Weatherford. There was an especially big crowd because Corn is also celebrating its Centennial. The 1903 Mennonite settlers came down from central Kansas to claim plots still unclaimed after the Cheyenne-Arapaho land run of April 19, 1892. Supposedly the area where Corn now sits was the least desirable land. The Mennonites made good farm land out of it, a talent they are known for.
Anyway - back to the "German Feast" - the featured German delicacy, in addition to sausage, sauerkraut, etc., was vareniki. It is the first time to my knowledge I've eaten vareniki and it was delicious. It reminds me of food I've eaten in Jewish dairy restaurants on the Lower East Side in New York City (when it was still predominantly Jewish.) I've enclosed a vareniki recipe I found on the Internet.
-- Jack
PS - If it isn't apparent from reading the vareniki recipe, the finished vareniki are essentially a cottage cheese filled kreplach. For the vareniki made at the Corn "German Feast, " the dough circles after adding filling are pinched into a triangular shape. So the finished vareniki has an appearance like hamentaschen. a traditional pastry delicay for the Jewish festival of Purim.
------------------ recipe -----------------------
Post-Gazette.com Magazine: "Out of This Kitchen" Column
May 13, 1999
http://www.post-gazette.com/food/19990513cmbook4c.asp
Vareniki
Dough:
2 cups sifted flour
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons water (a misprint, we used 10-12 tablespoons water)
Filling:
1 cup dry cottage cheese
1 egg
Salt and pepper to taste
Dough: Mix together flour, egg yolk and water to form a dough. Knead well for 8 to 10 minutes until dough is elastic. Cut in half and roll thin on a floured surface. Cut into 4-inch rounds.
Filling: Mix cottage cheese, egg, salt and pepper to taste. Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of each dough circle. Bring edges of dough together and pinch tightly. Drop into boiling salted water. When done, they will rise to the top (a minute or two). Serve hot with sour cream. Makes 2 dozen.
Martha Ermakov, McKeesport, in "Out of This Kitchen"
Thursday, May 13, 1999
On February 1st, I went to the annual "German Feast" sponsored by the Mennonite community of Corn, Oklahoma about 10 miles south of Weatherford. There was an especially big crowd because Corn is also celebrating its Centennial. The 1903 Mennonite settlers came down from central Kansas to claim plots still unclaimed after the Cheyenne-Arapaho land run of April 19, 1892. Supposedly the area where Corn now sits was the least desirable land. The Mennonites made good farm land out of it, a talent they are known for.
Anyway - back to the "German Feast" - the featured German delicacy, in addition to sausage, sauerkraut, etc., was vareniki. It is the first time to my knowledge I've eaten vareniki and it was delicious. It reminds me of food I've eaten in Jewish dairy restaurants on the Lower East Side in New York City (when it was still predominantly Jewish.) I've enclosed a vareniki recipe I found on the Internet.
-- Jack
PS - If it isn't apparent from reading the vareniki recipe, the finished vareniki are essentially a cottage cheese filled kreplach. For the vareniki made at the Corn "German Feast, " the dough circles after adding filling are pinched into a triangular shape. So the finished vareniki has an appearance like hamentaschen. a traditional pastry delicay for the Jewish festival of Purim.
------------------ recipe -----------------------
Post-Gazette.com Magazine: "Out of This Kitchen" Column
May 13, 1999
http://www.post-gazette.com/food/19990513cmbook4c.asp
Vareniki
Dough:
2 cups sifted flour
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons water (a misprint, we used 10-12 tablespoons water)
Filling:
1 cup dry cottage cheese
1 egg
Salt and pepper to taste
Dough: Mix together flour, egg yolk and water to form a dough. Knead well for 8 to 10 minutes until dough is elastic. Cut in half and roll thin on a floured surface. Cut into 4-inch rounds.
Filling: Mix cottage cheese, egg, salt and pepper to taste. Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of each dough circle. Bring edges of dough together and pinch tightly. Drop into boiling salted water. When done, they will rise to the top (a minute or two). Serve hot with sour cream. Makes 2 dozen.
Martha Ermakov, McKeesport, in "Out of This Kitchen"
Thursday, May 13, 1999
February 21, 2003
May the Road Rise to Meet You!
A favorite Irish lyric in both Gaelic and English - In honor of my Irish grandfather, Tom Dougherty, who fought in the Civil War.
~~~ Background Music: Red is the Rose
~~ Music and Lyrics Courtesy of Vivian & Jack.
~~~ To hear music, go to: http://www.irishpage.com/roadrise.htm
Go n-éirí an bóthar leat
Go raibh an ghaoth go brách ag do chúl
Go lonraí an ghrian go te ar d'aghaidh
Go dtite an bháisteach go mín ar do pháirceanna
Agus go mbuailimid le chéile arís,
Go gcoinní Dia i mbos A láimhe thú.
May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again
May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.
A favorite Irish lyric in both Gaelic and English - In honor of my Irish grandfather, Tom Dougherty, who fought in the Civil War.
~~~ Background Music: Red is the Rose
~~ Music and Lyrics Courtesy of Vivian & Jack.
~~~ To hear music, go to: http://www.irishpage.com/roadrise.htm
Go n-éirí an bóthar leat
Go raibh an ghaoth go brách ag do chúl
Go lonraí an ghrian go te ar d'aghaidh
Go dtite an bháisteach go mín ar do pháirceanna
Agus go mbuailimid le chéile arís,
Go gcoinní Dia i mbos A láimhe thú.
May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again
May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.
February 20, 2003
When You Come to a Fork in the Road ... Take It. -- Yogi Berra
The death of country singer Johnny PayCheck at age 64 brings a world of significant life-event feelings for me and reflection on choices made, good and bad. Johnny was born almost exactly one year before me. In one story from the AP wire, Johnny is described as the hard-drinking hell-raiser best known for his 1977 working man's anthem "Take This Job and Shove It, ..." <http://www.salon.com/ent/wire/2003/02/19/paycheck/index.html>
Johnny spent some time in prison. The story reports that: "He and another ex-convict, country star Merle Haggard, performed at the Chillicothe Correctional Institute in Ohio while PayCheck was imprisoned there."
Now that gets close to home for me. Merle Haggard and I are about the same age, we are both from Oklahoma and while I was spending time being an honor student at Oklahoma University in Norman, OK, Merle was spending time as an inmate in the Oklahoma State Prison at McAlester, OK. Now look where we both are after nearly 50 years. Merle is a multi-millionaire country singer recording star living in the Redding, California, area. And Jack is a retired chemical engineer of modest means living in Weatherford, Oklahoma.
Now don't get me wrong. I wouldn't trade places with Merle. I just find it fascinating that what seemed to be a "losing" start for Merle evolved into a career path that made him fabulously famous and rich. And what by all reckonings was a "winning" start for me resulted in an enjoyable career - and I am quite comfortable but, well, I am also of quite modest means. And so far I have not even seen the minimum "15 minutes of fame" we all supposedly are destined to have.
I'm not complaining. It just makes a fun story to tell from time to time; for example, at class reunions. A story about two boys growing up the same time in Oklahoma, taking much different forks in the road and now knowing the interestingly different outcomes for each of the boys.
The death of country singer Johnny PayCheck at age 64 brings a world of significant life-event feelings for me and reflection on choices made, good and bad. Johnny was born almost exactly one year before me. In one story from the AP wire, Johnny is described as the hard-drinking hell-raiser best known for his 1977 working man's anthem "Take This Job and Shove It, ..." <http://www.salon.com/ent/wire/2003/02/19/paycheck/index.html>
Johnny spent some time in prison. The story reports that: "He and another ex-convict, country star Merle Haggard, performed at the Chillicothe Correctional Institute in Ohio while PayCheck was imprisoned there."
Now that gets close to home for me. Merle Haggard and I are about the same age, we are both from Oklahoma and while I was spending time being an honor student at Oklahoma University in Norman, OK, Merle was spending time as an inmate in the Oklahoma State Prison at McAlester, OK. Now look where we both are after nearly 50 years. Merle is a multi-millionaire country singer recording star living in the Redding, California, area. And Jack is a retired chemical engineer of modest means living in Weatherford, Oklahoma.
Now don't get me wrong. I wouldn't trade places with Merle. I just find it fascinating that what seemed to be a "losing" start for Merle evolved into a career path that made him fabulously famous and rich. And what by all reckonings was a "winning" start for me resulted in an enjoyable career - and I am quite comfortable but, well, I am also of quite modest means. And so far I have not even seen the minimum "15 minutes of fame" we all supposedly are destined to have.
I'm not complaining. It just makes a fun story to tell from time to time; for example, at class reunions. A story about two boys growing up the same time in Oklahoma, taking much different forks in the road and now knowing the interestingly different outcomes for each of the boys.
Old College Memories - Respect for Turkish Soldiers
If I am in combat with Turkish soldiers present, I want them on my side!
Perhaps surprisingly, I came by this feeling as part of my college education.
When I attended the University of Oklahoma in 1955-1960, I had many Korean War veteran friends attending the university on the GI Bill and living in the dormitory with me. I got along good with them in large part because they were older and more mature. For example, when they asked for help in chemistry, math, etc., they were sincere and appreciative - not always the case with other students. And they helped me. In general, they were serious students and I learned a lot about good study habits from them. Also, most veterans were trustworthy and what they spoke could be earnestly believed.
Well, some times it's funny what brings back memories. The news of negotiations for a multi-billion dollar U.S. aid package in return for U.S. use of military facilities in Turkey reminds me of stories told by many of my Korean War veteran friends of the fierce Turkish soldiers who fought in Korea as our allies under aegis of the U.N.
It is told that North Korean and Chinese units made special efforts to stay out of the way of Turkish units because of their earned respect as fierce fighters.
And what I remember most vividly is stories of how the Turks were legendary for resisting the "psychological warfare" applied by North Korea to prisoners of war. Training for resisting "psychological warfare" was lacking for U.S. troops and overall their resistance to it was poor. Later when I went in the army in 1960-1962 after graduation from college and ROTC, "psychological warfare" training was intense - and very realistic! I got terrified a couple of times during the training. Fortunately, I never needed to make use of the training as an actual POW.
I have since carried with me the highest respect for Turkish soldiers and an overall good feeling about having Turkey as an ally. And I hope we treat Turkey fairly in the negotiations for use of their military facilities and maintain good relations with them whatever the outcome of the negotiations.
As I said at the start - If I am in combat with Turkish soldiers present, I want them on my side!
If I am in combat with Turkish soldiers present, I want them on my side!
Perhaps surprisingly, I came by this feeling as part of my college education.
When I attended the University of Oklahoma in 1955-1960, I had many Korean War veteran friends attending the university on the GI Bill and living in the dormitory with me. I got along good with them in large part because they were older and more mature. For example, when they asked for help in chemistry, math, etc., they were sincere and appreciative - not always the case with other students. And they helped me. In general, they were serious students and I learned a lot about good study habits from them. Also, most veterans were trustworthy and what they spoke could be earnestly believed.
Well, some times it's funny what brings back memories. The news of negotiations for a multi-billion dollar U.S. aid package in return for U.S. use of military facilities in Turkey reminds me of stories told by many of my Korean War veteran friends of the fierce Turkish soldiers who fought in Korea as our allies under aegis of the U.N.
It is told that North Korean and Chinese units made special efforts to stay out of the way of Turkish units because of their earned respect as fierce fighters.
And what I remember most vividly is stories of how the Turks were legendary for resisting the "psychological warfare" applied by North Korea to prisoners of war. Training for resisting "psychological warfare" was lacking for U.S. troops and overall their resistance to it was poor. Later when I went in the army in 1960-1962 after graduation from college and ROTC, "psychological warfare" training was intense - and very realistic! I got terrified a couple of times during the training. Fortunately, I never needed to make use of the training as an actual POW.
I have since carried with me the highest respect for Turkish soldiers and an overall good feeling about having Turkey as an ally. And I hope we treat Turkey fairly in the negotiations for use of their military facilities and maintain good relations with them whatever the outcome of the negotiations.
As I said at the start - If I am in combat with Turkish soldiers present, I want them on my side!
February 17, 2003
.... An old African parable states:
Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows that it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows that it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death.
It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle: When the sun comes up you had better be running.
----
I've been intrigued by this bit of wisdom from Africa since reading it in the February Lion's Club monthly magazine. It appeared in the context of urging Lion's Club members to get up every day running to be active as volunteers in their community service projects - part of the lifeblood of a small communities such as Weatherford. This is especially so for small communities in the north-south tier of states from Texas to North Dakota, all of which are losing population in areas that encompass the High Plains - roughly between the 97 deg. meridian (west of I-35 in Oklahoma) and the Rocky Mountains.
Being a High Plains Oklahoman, there is a love of the land not easily put into words that is brought to mind by this African parable. Residents of Oklahoma were hit uniquely hard by the Great Depression and the "Dust Bowl" in the 1930's. Drought, wind and depressed economy made many "Okies" run for survival - like gazelles - traveling Route 66 westward to California. The novel "Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck tells what this was like. The gritty, strong remaining folk are like lions clawing out a living from a harsh land - and they continue clawing to this day. It shows dramatically in the faces, mannerisms, talk, body language, etc., of the elder generation. And to a large degree it shows in the younger generations. Just as dramatic to me are the high moral and ethical standards prevalent among these folk. And there is pride in high standards of providing education for young people. I could go on. I can sum up by saying "I am proud to be an Oklahoman!"
Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows that it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows that it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death.
It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle: When the sun comes up you had better be running.
----
I've been intrigued by this bit of wisdom from Africa since reading it in the February Lion's Club monthly magazine. It appeared in the context of urging Lion's Club members to get up every day running to be active as volunteers in their community service projects - part of the lifeblood of a small communities such as Weatherford. This is especially so for small communities in the north-south tier of states from Texas to North Dakota, all of which are losing population in areas that encompass the High Plains - roughly between the 97 deg. meridian (west of I-35 in Oklahoma) and the Rocky Mountains.
Being a High Plains Oklahoman, there is a love of the land not easily put into words that is brought to mind by this African parable. Residents of Oklahoma were hit uniquely hard by the Great Depression and the "Dust Bowl" in the 1930's. Drought, wind and depressed economy made many "Okies" run for survival - like gazelles - traveling Route 66 westward to California. The novel "Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck tells what this was like. The gritty, strong remaining folk are like lions clawing out a living from a harsh land - and they continue clawing to this day. It shows dramatically in the faces, mannerisms, talk, body language, etc., of the elder generation. And to a large degree it shows in the younger generations. Just as dramatic to me are the high moral and ethical standards prevalent among these folk. And there is pride in high standards of providing education for young people. I could go on. I can sum up by saying "I am proud to be an Oklahoman!"
February 16, 2003
Hey Folks, I'm back from a "breather." Certainly no one will accuse me of "spamming" you all with blog posts. :-) So what better way to resume posting than to talk about Spam luncheon meat and its place in the evolution of the word "spam" for junk e-mails.
First - Happy 2003 to all my fine readers! My last post was on November 18, 2002. Suffice it to say I got very busy and I was further distracted by a computer upgrade that has not gone smoothly, but is gradually "getting there." I am using my backup computer for over a month now.
With a little Web searching I find that Spam luncheon meat is just two years older than me - the first can was produced by George Hormel & Co. in 1937 (it was invented in 1936.) Spam was a new "treat" of its time and I see it now as a forerunner of the many "convenience foods" of today. My mom often served Spam in various dishes and sandwiches, and I still like Spam. And - Oh Boy! Was it really good in the World War II era C-Ration kits when eating in a foxhole during Army ROTC field training in 1959 at Ft. Hood, Texas. In one case a rattlesnake tried to share the Spam. But that is another story. ;-)
And I guess I am not the only Spam fan - the six billionth can of Spam was produced by Hormel Company in Austin, Minnesota in July 2002.
Now to e-mail spam. I recently found a website to my liking - www.word-detective.com - and there I find the evolution of the word meaning of spam from "spiced ham, a.k.a. Spam," to spam as computer jargon for crashing a computer by overloading it with too much data, to an incident in 1994 involving two lawyers;the two lawyers, named Canter and Siegal, dumped obnoxious ads into every usenet discussion group on the internet. "The resulting ruckus popularized an expanded sense of the computer jargon use of spam - it became a slang term meaning "dumping unwanted and/or provocative junk all over the place."
The full www.word-detective.com explanation for spam is found at:
<http://www.word-detective.com/061300.html#spam>
In closing, I find interest in the trend of Internet servers providing filters to keep e-mail spam out of customer e-mail mailboxes - but in so doing causing rejection of much wanted e-mail. I am involved in a close-to-home example case. Last year I joined the Weatherford Chamber of Commerce and came up with a need to send e-mail to the Chamber Director. Yup! At first my e-mail was rejected as spam. So I hand carried a copy of my first e-mail the few blocks away to the Chamber office. The problem is since corrected. The Chamber people decided I am not a rascal spammer. :-)
First - Happy 2003 to all my fine readers! My last post was on November 18, 2002. Suffice it to say I got very busy and I was further distracted by a computer upgrade that has not gone smoothly, but is gradually "getting there." I am using my backup computer for over a month now.
With a little Web searching I find that Spam luncheon meat is just two years older than me - the first can was produced by George Hormel & Co. in 1937 (it was invented in 1936.) Spam was a new "treat" of its time and I see it now as a forerunner of the many "convenience foods" of today. My mom often served Spam in various dishes and sandwiches, and I still like Spam. And - Oh Boy! Was it really good in the World War II era C-Ration kits when eating in a foxhole during Army ROTC field training in 1959 at Ft. Hood, Texas. In one case a rattlesnake tried to share the Spam. But that is another story. ;-)
And I guess I am not the only Spam fan - the six billionth can of Spam was produced by Hormel Company in Austin, Minnesota in July 2002.
Now to e-mail spam. I recently found a website to my liking - www.word-detective.com - and there I find the evolution of the word meaning of spam from "spiced ham, a.k.a. Spam," to spam as computer jargon for crashing a computer by overloading it with too much data, to an incident in 1994 involving two lawyers;the two lawyers, named Canter and Siegal, dumped obnoxious ads into every usenet discussion group on the internet. "The resulting ruckus popularized an expanded sense of the computer jargon use of spam - it became a slang term meaning "dumping unwanted and/or provocative junk all over the place."
The full www.word-detective.com explanation for spam is found at:
<http://www.word-detective.com/061300.html#spam>
In closing, I find interest in the trend of Internet servers providing filters to keep e-mail spam out of customer e-mail mailboxes - but in so doing causing rejection of much wanted e-mail. I am involved in a close-to-home example case. Last year I joined the Weatherford Chamber of Commerce and came up with a need to send e-mail to the Chamber Director. Yup! At first my e-mail was rejected as spam. So I hand carried a copy of my first e-mail the few blocks away to the Chamber office. The problem is since corrected. The Chamber people decided I am not a rascal spammer. :-)