Happy 150th Birthday Barney!

Old Barney is really old! January 1, 2009 marks it's 150th birthday. It is the third or fourth tallest lighthouse in the United States depending on who you ask, and was built by George G. Meade, the Civil War General that "won" the battle of Gettysburg.

After considerable delay during construction due to shifting sands, Barnegat Light was commissioned on January 1, 1859. The tower light was 165 feet (50 m) above sea level. On January 1, 2009, the 150th anniversary of its opening, Barnegat Lighthouse will reactivate its beacon for the first time since 1948. Its not too late to get your party tickets!

OCHAs Heart VA too...

As you probably know, Virginia is for Lovers is the tourism and travel slogan of the state of Virginia and has been in use since 1969. However, I bet you didn't know that Maryland has parodied this phrase with their own "Maryland is for Crabs" slogan.



At any rate, many people love Virginia - it has a lot of history - Aside from the Roanoke Colony in North Carolina, which was founded 1586, and again in 1587 and then it mysteriously disappeared (I guess that's why its also called the Lost Colony) the Virginia Colony of Jamestown and the Popham Colony in Maine are the oldest settlements in the United States, dating back to 1609. The state of Virginia had a major role in the American colonial era, the American Revolution, the frontier and rural life, and of course, the American Civil War.

There are many things to do and see in Virginia and places to go to such as Williamsburg, Busch Gardens, Kings Dominion, Natural Bridge and its Zoo, Civil War battlefields; Virginia is even the home of the American Armoured Foundation's Tank Museum.

So naturally bus companies offer tours for young and old...



Here we see a line of OCHA senior citizens investigating their options during a day trip, after using the restrooms that is...This (soon to be) famous photograph, captured by roving photojournalist LadyStyx, will be the basis of a HUGE advertising campaign, starting with a big splash during Super Bowl XLIII game to be held February 1, 2009 in Tampa Bay.

And no, it's not an ad campaign for tourism by the state of Virginia...

Inside word has it, Kimberly-Clark, the makers of "Kleenex" facial tissue, "Kotex" feminine hygiene products, "Cottonelle" toilet paper, and "Huggies" disposable diapers, will be spending millions promoting a new line of "Depends"...Depends for OCHAs! The press release says, "Depend offers a full line of incontinence products designed to help you maintain a normal lifestyle. Our incontinence pants offer moderate to heavy protection, and Depend Guards for OCHAs are custom designed to fit the conehead anatomy."

Bet you can't wait to see the commercial! I know I can't!

Happy New Years! I hope the new year brings all of you many laughs, much happiness, and lots of beautiful memories.

Cassatt and Cassatt - Iron and Pastel

Alexander J. Cassatt (December 8, 1839 – December 28, 1906) was the president of the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) from June 9, 1899 to December 28, 1906. Frequently referred to as A.J. Cassatt, his best-remembered accomplishment the project to finally give the PRR a station in New York City, which became Pennsylvania Station. This massive project included building the North River and East River Tunnels along with the towering Hells Gate Bridge. Unfortunately, Cassatt died before his grand vision was complete. Some Interesting pictures of NYC's Penn Station can be seen here.

Today, the best known "Penn Station" lies underneath the Madison Square Garden building in New York City and is but a ruin of what it once was.

"Penn Station" does not refer to a station being in Pennsylvania, but rather a station for the Pennsylvania Railroad. There are "Penn Stations" in Newark, New Jersey and Baltimore, Maryland too.

Oddly enough, the name of the stations in Philadelphia, the headquarters of the Pennsylvania Railroad itself, have strange and confusing names. The station down in the heart of center city Philadelphia is called "Suburban Station" which is where the daily commuters came and went that lived in the suburbs! The main Philadelphia station was actually on the outskirts of the city (and in the suburbs) at one time and is called 30th Street Station - which is where you go to catch the Amtrak trains to Washington DC, NYC, and Boston and other points.

A.J. lived on a horse farm called Chesterbrook which lies on the southeastern edge of Valley Forge National Historic Park - and which is now a housing development. He raised thoroughbred horses and had a number of Belmont Stake winners.



A.J.'s sister, Mary Stevenson Cassatt (May 22, 1844 – June 14, 1926) was a very talented American painter and printmaker. She lived much of her adult life in France, where she first befriended Edgar Degas and later exhibited among the Impressionists including Renoir, Sisley, Manet, Cézanne, Monet and Pissarro as well as with the group's other female member, artist Berthe Morisot, who became Cassatt’s friend and colleague.



This is one of my Mom's favorite paintings.

Too Much Eggnog?

My next door neighbor is a huge fan of the inflatacrap Holiday "decoration" things. For Halloween, its 7-8 creepy-cheapies and for Christmas it is much the same...



Looking at them before dark yesterday though, I think someone is tired of the Holidays.

The red thing on the far right distance is an "red brick" arch and in the upright on one side is a a turntable with four Elves that spin around and round, and in the other upright is a Santa who has a music speaker for a mouth that plays "Its a small world after all" endlessly in a loop.

Just in front of that is a red Santa Claus.

The blue thing in the foreground is a police car with two furry "things" wearing helmets, I think they are beavers, and the light on top of the squad car roof flashes. There is a Santa with a billy club chasing them. I don't get it myself.

To the left of that is a "Chilly Willy" penguin, and a snowman beyond him/her along with one of those lattice light deers.

I think it would look much better buried in snow! :)

Bea Authur Mondays

Borrowing a page from The Wife O Riley (I promise I'll give it back!) - here is the long overdue Bea Authur Monday...



Hubba hubba hubbbbbbbbbbbaaaaaaaaaaa!!! Oh I love you long time!!!

Thank You

I want to thank everyone that left such nice comments and/or sent e-mail wishing me a merry Christmas, happy holiday, or offered me season greetings.

I enjoyed my Christmas - the whole family was together for the first time in years. I went to my Parent's place where they and my brothers and their families all joined up to talk, eat, open presents, eat, talk, eat, talk, drink, eat and talk.

The ten of us then all loaded up a couple cars and drove to my 99-1/2 year old grandfather house where my step-grandmother and her daughter had been busy cooking. My step-grandmother family was there along with a family friend and a couple neighbors - it was quite a crowd...26 people I think - in the log house they live in. The house is the oldest "frame" home in Quakertown, PA built make in the early 1700's and is reputed to be haunted. The ghost had to move out for the evening though - since there wasn't any room for them.



My parents sit by the Christmas tree with my younger brother's beagle, Jane, asleep at their feet. What a good dog she was - 26 people banging around in a little house and she curled up out of the way and slept!



For dinner there was Crackers and Cheese, Cocktail Shrimps, Turkey, Ham, Lasagna, Cheese and Broccoli, Marshmallow Yams, Mashed Potatoes, Stuffing, Gravy, two trays full of cookies, a cheesecake, a pumpkin pie, a pecan pie, an apple pie, and three pies that weren't even sliced (and I don't know what they were) with about 3 gallons of ice cream in 6 flavors.

Diabetic heaven. I was mostly good and avoided all the pies, all but one cookie and all the ice cream. I still need to get out and walk about 10,000 miles to knock off the holiday pounds.

Merry Christmas Everyone

O Holy Night

O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
'Til He appear'd and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees! O, hear the angels' voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born;
O night divine, O night, O night Divine.

Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
Here come the wise men from Orient land.
The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friend.

He knows our need, to our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend!
Behold your King, Behold your King.

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother;
And in His name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name.

Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever,
His power and glory evermore proclaim.
His power and glory evermore proclaim.

Winter at Valley Forge

With the recent onset of the cold weather I ride in each morning while the car warms up - it takes very little to remind me of how easy I really have it. Not more than a long stone throw from my home lies the Ridge Pike and down that road to the east, lies the Gulph Road, the route General George Washington and his men walked from White Marsh, near present day Plymouth Meeting, PA into Valley Forge on December 19, 1777.



Valley Forge, 25 miles (40 km) west of Philadelphia, was the campground of 11,000 troops of George Washington's Continental Army from Dec. 19, 1777, to June 19, 1778.



Because of the suffering endured there by the hungry, poorly clothed, and badly housed troops, 2,500 of whom died during the harsh winter primarily from typhus, typhoid, dysentery, and pneumonia; Valley Forge came to symbolize the heroism of the American revolutionaries.



Despite adverse circumstances, Baron Friedrich von Steuben drilled the soldiers regularly and improved their discipline. Today the historic landmarks and monuments are preserved within Valley Forge National Historical Park. When the wind gusts and the snow flurries whirl, the Park, with its crude log huts is living history for all five senses.

While I shuffle my feet and blow on my fingers to warm them - I know I have a warm shelter, plenty to eat, and little likelihood of contracting any of the killing diseases that the patriots of Valley Forge battled.

Merry Christmas Eve George...and thank you.

More -

The Old Shoulder

I saw the Orthopedic Doctor today and looked at the MRI images with him - The good news is, he thinks he can tell what he is looking at!

He said, and I quote, "Oh...tut, tut, tut, you partially tore two tendons, here and here" pointing into the gloom. The MRI scan is on CD and its actually kind of neat - you can use a mouse to "peel back layer after layer of...well...me! (i.e., skin, muscle, flab, bone, wires, staples, old boat screws, pipe cleaners, empty soda cans and whatever else you think you see in there) and drill down into the shoulder.

The best news is no more surgery is indicated and he gave me a big shot of cortisone and another shot of something I can't pronounce or spell (but it too was a BIG needle, I thought it was going to go all the way through) and the shoulder felt so much better immediately I was nearly doing jumping jacks in joy.

Well not quite - but for now, another shot next week and lots of Physical Torture as soon as I schedule it, is the plan.

Little Iggy Goes to the Zoo

Yesterday the Pointy-Hair Boss took Little Iggy to the local zoo and they saw Tigger!

Poor Tigger...Still in the box he was bought in about a decade ago. I wonder if his tail still bounces any.

I might wrap this box with Tigger in it up and mail him somewhere. I think I know a Tigger fanatic or two.

Scientific Inquiry

Recently, someone whom we shall permit to remain unnamed asked "What's a bluetit?" and you know me, ever thirsty for knowledge, so I went looking. The first stop my mental process came to was, "remember those really horrible science films we saw back in Elementary, Junior and Senior High Schools? the black and white ones with the scientist dude always saying things like 'Neils Bohr unlocked the marvelous secret of the Atom'?"

Well, that same dude's voice was in my head saying "remember that frozen Charlie? Perhaps he can help us out."



So I asked him, "Hey Charlie? What's a bluetit?"

And Charlie replied, "Oh, that's easy, you just need to ask Charlotta!"

So I called, "Here Charlotta! Come on out!"

Oh my. Sometimes science can be...so...graphic. Poor Charlotta is a very cold squirrel...one of those bluetits has fallen off...



Oh heck...Even the science dude is cracking up.

Seriously, however, here is a picture of a Blue Tit.



Now that you know - you all can sleep well at nights...

Looking Back

I'm sorry I've not been around to comment on your blogs much of late - I'm going to make a point of doing so really soon.

In the meantime - for all you cold, buried in snow people - I just want to put up some pictures I took sometime over the past summer hoping they might warm you up a bit.



Rolph's Wharf, Chestertown, Maryland. The houseboat, The Water's Edge and fishing boat, Skimmer float placidly in the gentle Chester River near sunset waiting for Captain Bob to come by to take them out for a spin.



Captain Bob has arrived and he and I take the Skimmer down river for a quick ride. The Chester River flows into the Chesapeake Bay near Kent Narrows, so named because the bay is narrow here close to Annapolis, where its only a couple miles wide.



The River Inn at Rolph's Wharf was built back in the days when steamboats such as the Bud S. Ford of the Chester River Steamboat Company, plied the Chester River. The Bud S. Ford weighed 378 tons and was built in 1877. When steam became uneconomical, she was cut down to a barge 1936. She foundered and was lost in 1960.

Rolph's Wharf was serviced by steamboat and took the produce from the local farms to the market places in Chestertown, Rock Hall, Annapolis, and Baltimore. You can almost hear Boy George singing Karma Chameleon on the front porch on a warm summer's evening.



The tree on Rolph's Wharf Road - I walk up and down this road in the summer when I'm at the wharf and each and every time I have to admire the timeless grace of this tree.



Town Creek, Oxford, Maryland. My dad is peering into the slip that the houseboat was in before it was moved to Chestertown Maryland. The view from the back of the boat was just about unbeatable. Town Creek is home to 4-5 marinas. The OCHA marks the end of the Marine Rail, heading off to the right of the picture, where the larger boats are taken in and out of the water.

At the end of Town Creek is the Tred Avon River, which flows from Easton, Maryland to the Choptank River of Suicide Bridge fame.

Two Steps Forward Three Steps Back

Just a quick entry to let you know I'm still alive and breathing. I am having lots of trouble with the shoulder right now but will get through this "torment" some day.

I got this in my e-mail just when I was feeling rather glum about things from a lady in Chicago. As you know, the Midwest and northeast (north of here) have been getting lots of winter already, and here winter doesn't officially start until tomorrow.



I do hope this fellow is referring to hickory, walnuts, and chestnuts. There isn't any snow on the ground here today - it rained all day yesterday.

Friendship and Fellowship

As most of you know, a few of us hit a really rough spot a few days ago - and this morning I sit here in a darkened office waiting for my afternoon appointment with the shoulder Doctor, I am amazed by how words placed on a box full of silicon and iron oxide, powered by electricity connected by copper strung together across the world, can have such power...and how those words can bond together people that mostly haven't met each other - and may never meet each other.

I am also often, in fact daily, amazed by the talent, courage, persistence, knowledge, humor, friendship and just simple grace and dignity so many people have and have shared with me and others.

A case in point is this wonderful graphic -



- from the Wife o Riley
I am moved to silently say the old Voyager prayer - the Voyagers were the hearty souls that canoed through the wilderness of Canada searching for trade routes, often physically alone, but never by themselves.

For Food
For Clothing
For Life
For Opportunity
For Sun and Rain
For Water and Portage Trails
For Friendship and Fellowship
We Thank Thee Oh Lord

Amen

My Balls!

Well, I guess that got your attention huh? :)

What I'm really talking about are the Alien Space Spheres. Someone commented that they might like one (or a set) for their children (they call them nippers) to play in.



I looked at all my previous pcitures (here and here) and while the pictures are okay, they don't really show how big these things are...

So I took this picture today - I afraid the picture is a little dark but it gives some scale to these things.



So MarmiteToasty, how many do you want? Do you need time to think it over?

Meanwhile, I better check to see how many postage stamps I'm going to need.

:)

Practice, Practice, Practice

A rerun from Friday, May 9, 2008.

While we all know Christmas is many months away yet almost here and any good musician will tell you that practice makes perfect and they will soon be have been practicing the songs they will joyously play during the holiday.

With that in mind, I present you the modern version of the Twelve Days of Christmas.

On the twelfth day of Christmas,
My odd friend sent to me,



Twelve orange coneheads,
Eleven short green boxys,
Ten orange buckets,
Nine tractors rusting,
Eight round door watchers,
Seven lambs a-springing,
Six cute beef calves,
Five slender rounds,
Four striped barrels,



Three space spheres,
Two car spindles,



And a Charlie in a pear pine treeeeeeeeeeee!!

My apologizes to just about everybody.

Christmas Lights - Part 2

For me, the simple, single white candle in the window is the most magical of all Christmas lights. The soft glow of the flickering yellow flame holds back the dark of the night and reflects both on the window and on the snow on the ground outside. The scent of the melting wax and the silky-sticky feel of the evergreen bough draped on the window sill engage the other senses.

My earliest memories of Christmas lights are two-fold. When I was just a little boy, my family would travel to my grandmother's house for a great big holiday dinner - a huge turkey, mash potatoes, creamed corn, cranberry, warm dinner rolls fresh from the oven, gravy, pumpkin and mince pies as well as some (Duncan Hines) cake all served at a huge table where at least a dozen people sat enjoying themselves, the jokes and conversation, and the hardy food.

Usually, my Uncle Jim (my hero), Aunt Mary and cousin Pat, would come to this dinner. During the day, my grandfather would have set up and decorated the tree and my grandmother would have carefully placed her ceramic caroling figurines complete with gas streetlights in the fireplace on a little stage built just for them (my grandparents only once ever had a fire that I can recall!) and the room would be left darkened. When dinner was over, we all would get up and go into the room with the tree - where we would all stand together and sing Joy to the World or the Little Drummer Boy as my Grandfather turned on all the holidays lights; the window candles, the tree lights, the spotlight on the choir in the fireplace and the neatest light of them all was this rotating spot light that shone on the tree - as it turned a different colored light would shine - yellow, red, green, and blue, each in turn. The tinsel in the tree would glisten and the warmth in our tummies and the smiles on each other's faces... well... that was Christmas!

My Uncle Jim lived in New Jersey just across the river from my Grandparents - and he would have all of us come for a holiday visit too. One of the highlights of this trip would be all of us piling into a big old station wagon and riding down the block from his house to a neighborhood that prided itself in burning megawatts of electricity to light up Christmas displays. I vaguely recall that there was some sort of contest - at any rate, my Uncle Jim would always stop at the winner's house where we would get out of the crowded car and just stare at all the lights, sometimes shielding our eyes from the brilliance - as they numbered in the thousands.

Only later did Chevy Chase and "Christmas Vacation" come along with the Griswold family's home lighting display, did anything looked like the winning house. You could practically hear them at the local power plant saying, "Oh guys! switch on the backup nuclear power plant! That insane guy has turned on all his Christmas lights again!!"

Photo Source

General George C. Punkn

Man in background shouts: TEN-HUT!



Be seated.

(SHUFFLING)

Now, I want you to remember...that no bastard ever made me happy...by not following some simple rules. He did it...by listening and following some really simple rules while at his Grandma's house.

Men...Here is how it's gonna be...

You do NOT sneak food into the grocery cart.

You do NOT let the pool cue powder get anywhere except your hands.

You will NOT not call each other names. Period.

You will NOT pout.

You will NOT wet your pants.

You will NOT get a can or bottle of soda to yourself.

You will NOT eat in front of the television and you will NOT walk around the house with food.

You will NOT eat ANY food without first asking MY permission, especially any candy and sweets.

You UNDERSTAND that Internet access is limited to MY approved games.

You UNDERSTAND I control the TV remote.

Now...you guys are a team. You will live, eat, sleep, and fight as a team. This individuality stuff is a bunch of crap.

Now we have the finest food and equipment...the best spirit...and the best men in the world. You know...by God, I actually pity those poor bastards we're going up against.

By God, I do.

Thirty years from now when you're sitting around your fireside...with your grandson on your knee and he asks you: "What did you do at Grandma Punkn's house?"

You won't have to say: "Well...I shovelled sh*t out of the sheep pen."

All right, now, you sons of bitches, you know how I feel.

I will be proud...to be with you wonderful guys... anytime...anywhere.

That is all.

Christmas Lights

Note: I did not take this picture! I only wish I did.
Photo Source

During the medieval period, special candles were often lit at Christmas, symbolic of Jesus role as the light of the world. The illuminated Christmas tree became established in the United Kingdom during Queen Victoria's reign, and through emigration spread to North America and Australia.

In 1882, Thomas Edison’s assistant, Edward Johnson, came up with the idea of electric Christmas lights. He lit up a Christmas tree in New York City with 80 small electric bulbs. Within 20 years, department stores were displaying electric lights and they were being mass-produced and sold to customers.

Albert Sadacca who was just fifteen years old when he first got the idea to make safety Christmas lights for Christmas trees in 1917. A tragic fire in New York City involving Christmas tree candles inspired Albert and there was no going back to candles.

San Diego in 1904 and New York City in 1912 were the first recorded instances of the use of Christmas lights outside.

So the phenomenon of outdoor Christmas lighting is relatively recent and is closely tied with the use of electricity.

The world famous Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree has had "lights" since 1931, but did not have electric lights until 1956. Furthermore, Philadelphia's Christmas Light Show and Disney's Christmas Tree also began in 1956. Though General Electric sponsored community lighting competitions during the 1920s, it would take until the mid-1950s for the use of such lights to be adopted by average households.

Fiber-optic lights and inflatable decorations came along only a few years ago.

The City of Richmond Virginia apparently has become the "center of the Christmas lighting universe" and boasts of a "Tacky Xmas Decoration Contest and Grand Highly Illuminated House Tour." which started in 1986. Even the web page is tacky!

I promised someone I would write about the magic of Christmas lights and how they stir the wonder and awe in a little kid's heart - and I will do that tomorrow.

Wait a second!

Originally built for United Airlines in 1938, and one of the few DC-3s not pressed into service during WW2 by the US Army Air Foirce, this DC-3 sits at the Massey (Maryland) Air Museum, of which I am card carrying member #70. Massey is only a few miles from Chestertown, Maryland. I see my OCHA friends all standing there admiring the plane too.

2008 gets extended by timekeepers

With a brutal economic slowdown, 2008 may feel as if it will never end. Now the world's timekeepers are making it even longer by adding a leap second to the last day of the year.

Along with the economy, the Earth itself is slowing down, requiring timekeepers to add an extra second to their atomic clocks to keep in sync with Earth's slightly slowing rotation. So an extra second will be tacked on to Dec. 31 after 6:59:59 p.m. and before 7 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

That extra second will make 2008 — already long with an extra day on Feb. 29 — the longest year since 1992.

The decision to add an extra second was made by an international consortium of timekeepers, whose American arm announced it Monday. World commerce and digital technology depend on accurate to-the-second timekeeping, said Geoff Chester, spokesman for the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, responsible for one-third of the world's atomic clocks.

Most cellular phone providers and computer operating systems check with the world's atomic clocks and update their time to add the leap second automatically, he said.

The world started adding leap seconds in 1972, sometimes twice a year. This is first leap second since Dec. 31, 2005. This is the fourth year to have a leap day and a leap second.

At the Naval Observatory they have a party at 6:59:60 p.m.

"We watch the clock and make sure nothing breaks," Chester said. "It's an early New Year's celebration." A brief one.

Source of News Story

Calvin And Hobbes

"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us."

-----------
The metric system made easy...

10^12 dactyls = 1 teradactyl
10^18 stentials = 1 exastential
10^21 piccolos = 1 gigolo
10^18 minations = 1 examination
10^15 coats = 1 petacoat
10^12 bulls = 1 terabull
10^12 microphones = 1 megaphone
10^12 pins = 1 terrapin
10^9 lows = 1 gigalow
10^9 antics = 1 gigantic
10^9 questions = 1 gigawhats
10^6 bicycles = 2 megacycles
10^6 airs = 1 millionaire
2^10^3 millinaries = 4 seminaries
2x10^3 mockingbirds = 2 kilomockingbird
10 cards = 1 decacard
10 decor = 1 hector
10 dence = 1 decadence
10 halls with boughs of holly = decahalls with...
10 rations = 1 decoration
3-1/3 tridents = 1 decade
1 centipede/second = 1 velocipede
1/2 Soviet press agency = 1 demitasse
10^-1 mate = 1 decimate
10^-2 mentals = 1 centimental
10^-5 dollars = 1 Millicent
10^-6 fish = 1 microfiche
10^-6 scopes = 1 microscope
10^-9 goats = 1 nanogoat
10^-12 boos = 1 picoboo
10^-15 fatales = 1 femtofatale
10^-15 bismol = 1 fepto bismol
10^-18 boys = 1 atto boy

Source

Herman Is My Man!

Need I say more?

I was recently given a book titled, "The Book of Totally Useless Information" by Don Voorhees and as you can probably imagine, I'm thoroughly enjoying it! Here is a sample I thought you might enjoy.

Why is "posh" a word to describe something elegant or fashionable?

"During the Victorian era, the British Empire was at its apex, with colonies all around the globe. Thus the old saying, "The sun never sets of the British Empire". India was a popular destination for the wealthy British traveler. The only practical and luxurious way to get to India was aboard a cruise ship. The journey from London to Bombay or Calcutta was a long one. Ships had to follow the west coast of Africa down around the Cape of Good Hope and up the east coast of Africa toward India. Much of the trip was through hot, humid, tropical climates."

"The only cool air one might expect was from ocean breezes and fans. Cabins tended to be hot and stuffy, so opening the portholes was the way to get ventilation. On the trip out [to India] the port side [left side]of the ship faced land and on the way home, the portholes on the starboard side [right side] faced land. Portholes facing land were considered more desirable for ventilation, shade, shelter from bad weather, and viewing purposes."

Once the Peninsular and Orient Steam Navigation Company started accepting reservations for such cabins - "it became trendy for the wealthy to pay for the privilege of staying in port side cabins on the way out and starboard side cabins on the trip home. The acronym P.O.S.H. (port out, starboard home) was stamped on their baggage and eventually evolved into the word "posh," which came to mean elegant or fashionable."

To which, I feel like adding the old Ripley's "Believe it...or not!"

Red Bird and Red Berries

Since March 28 of this year I've been on the lookout for a Cardinal. Not just any Cardinal, but a bright red one in the wilds of Valley Forge National Historical Park.

I wasn't actually trying to get a picture of one, I just wanted to see one that wasn't just a flash of feathers flying by. it took me seven months, which is far less time than it took me, err...I mean the Iggy Impersonator...to get a good Charlie picture.



I apologize for the great length of this entry...I find what I am trying to say complicated and difficult and the words I have to use very cumbersome.

On Saturday, I woke up and dragged myself to the local train station and decided that if I was going to walk, I should take the train to another station down the tracks a ways and thereby forcing myself to walk the whole way back. I ended up walking nine miles that day as I worked through a number things in my head.

The matter most pressing was determining what I thought about something - and how I would respond...I'm not religious in a church-attending sense, but rather feel I should try to live the way I believe. The trouble with this is there are some gaping holes in my "what do I believe" system, and at times I have to stop and think and piece together a rational framework; a framework in which some is temporary and may need tearing apart and rebuilding at a later time and others parts that are time-tested foundation beams.

I have spent nearly my entire life questioning my role and my reason for being. I've explored a great many religions seeking; looking for an answer that would satisfy me - on a deeply personal and spiritual level. And even now, at middle age, I am still seeking. What I have found is, that for each of us, the answers are as varied and numerous as there are people - but each answer is equally valid.

And I try very hard to be tolerant - the root of the tolerance stems from coming to grasp with the humbling "I do not know - and I may not ever know or understand the whole" - I do not know how the world began, nor why it exists nor why things are the way they are. At times, this "not knowing" overwhelms me - and at other times it brings a deep and very warm awe to my inner being.

The unknowable - is mysterious and breath-taking. The ebb and flow of the tide, the changing phases of the moon, the regular pulse of the seasons, even the 17-year cycle of the cicadas, while the mechanics can be explained - their timeless beauty and unknown purpose can leave me slack-jawed in wonder.

I have also found that "[e]very religion emphasizes human improvement, love, respect for others, sharing other people's suffering. On these lines every religion had more or less the same viewpoint and the same goal." - The Dalai Lama

Religious groups differ greatly in their concepts of deity, other beliefs and practices. But there is near unanimity of opinion among almost all religions, ethical systems and philosophies that each person should treat others in a decent manner. Almost all of these groups have passages in their holy texts, or writings of their leaders, which promote this Ethic of Reciprocity.

The most commonly known is the Golden Rule. It is often expressed as "Do onto others as you would wish them do onto you." It is my opinion that one of the failures of organized religion is its inability to convince their followers that the Ethic of Reciprocity applies to all humans, not merely to fellow believers.

And I had lost sight of this - "Do onto others as you would wish them do onto you." It is my opinion that this rule is so over-arching it can be applied to just about any human situation.

Someone, who is very ill and begging for help - lied to me and a lot of others and in doing so, caused a lot of hurt - for me, the others, and as they will find out, for themselves. Unable to sustain or live with that lie led them to finally apologize for their deception and they asked for forgiveness. And therein were a couple problems -

Forgiveness is defined as the process of ceasing to feel resentment, indignation or anger for a perceived offense, difference or mistake, and ceasing to demand punishment or restitution.

But what of the loss of trust? Can one truly forgive someone without first regaining that trust? Or is forgiveness - ceasing to feel the loss of that trust? I knew not how I wanted to address this conundrum and it took a few miles of pondering to come to grips with...what might be viewed as an issue of semantics.

Trust is both an emotional and logical act. I trust you because I have experienced your trustworthiness and because I have faith in human nature. We feel trust. Those emotions associated with trust include companionship, friendship, love, agreement, relaxation, and comfort.

The degree to which someone trusts another is a measure of belief in the honesty, benevolence and competence of the other person.

A failure in trust may be forgiven more easily if it is interpreted as a failure of competence rather than a lack of benevolence or honesty. That is, "forgive me, it was an accident" is easier done than "forgive me, I knowingly hurt you."

In the end, I decided that I could not quickly or simply forgive, but I could and would try to work towards the day when I can...and for all that, I decided that forgiveness wasn't necessary as a condition to continue to apply the golden rule the best I can. I know I will fail to do this and fail far more times than I wish; it's the very nature of being a (very) flawed human. I can and will continue to care and will hope that this troubled person overcomes their illness and finds their way to a better place.

The holiday season may be the only time for many to express their thanks to their "God" and to each other - as limiting as that might be - I found myself standing in the cold, tired from the walking and by myself, thinking that despite the shortness of the season, it was definitely a time for cheer and to relish in reaffirmation of one's fellow persons. In doing so, I felt the soul-warming blanket of that cheer and that love and affirmation of my family, and you my friends, wrap around me and for that, I am eternally thankful. May the blessings of the season be with all of you - throughout the year.

Last Entry For A While

Tonight, I took my walk in the cold darkness and not even the Christmas lights could bring me out of the crummy state of mind. For over a couple weeks now I've been trying to keep the chin up - but today after the company holiday party the depression monster took over. I have tried dandelion breaks and even tree hugging - but nothing has seemed to work and the four or five things that are bothering me simply won't let ago.



Ordinarily, the sight of an eight foot tall Santa standing next to a Mickey Mouse holding a green Christmas ornament would bring some sort of cheer but today I looked at this odd combination and thought, "I don't get it...Santa and Mickey Mouse?"



Surely an irrepressible smiling snowman should make someone crack a smile? I waved weakly back at this fake snowman - there hasn't been snow enough to make a snowball, let alone a towering snowman.



A couple years ago - this setting with the reindeer simply lit in clean pure white light awed me... the deer are placed in a small wooded glade. Tonight I looked at them I couldn't decide if they were reindeer or all male deer...and I guess I thought after a few years running, I was no longer awed with this scene.

Depression is more than occasionally feeling blue, sad, or down in the dumps, though. Depression is a strong mood involving sadness, discouragement, despair, or hopelessness that lasts for weeks, months, or even longer. It interferes with a person's ability to participate in normal activities.

Depression affects a person's thoughts, outlook, and behavior as well as mood. In addition to a depressed mood, a person with depression can also feel tired, irritable, and notice changes in appetite.

When someone has depression, it can cloud everything. The world looks bleak and the person's thoughts reflect that hopelessness and helplessness. People with depression tend to have negative and self-critical thoughts. Sometimes, despite their true value, people with depression can feel worthless and unlovable.

Because of feelings of sadness and low energy, people with depression may pull away from those around them or from activities they once enjoyed. This usually makes them feel more lonely and isolated, making the depression and negative thinking worse.

Nobody wants to see entries like this...so I won't write any more of them until I feel more like the old self.

Holiday OCHAs - Photos from LadyStyx

A Note on Braille

Braille is writing system which enables blind and partially sighted people to read and write through touch. It was invented by Louis Braille (1809-1852), a French teacher of the blind.

It consists of patterns of raised dots arranged in cells of up to six dots in a 3 x 2 configuration. Each cell represents a letter, numeral or punctuation mark. Some frequently used words and letter combinations also have their own single cell patterns.

There are a number of different versions of Braille:

Grade 1, which consists of the 26 standard letters of the alphabet and punctuation. It is only used by people who are first starting to read Braille.

Grade 2, which consists of the 26 standard letters of the alphabet, punctuation and contractions. The contractions are employed to save space because a Braille page cannot fit as much text as a standard printed page. Books, signs in public places, menus, and most other Braille materials are written in Grade 2 Braille.

Grade 3, which is used only in personal letters, diaries, and notes. It is a kind of shorthand, with entire words shortened to a few letters.

Braille has been adapted to write many different languages, including Chinese, and is also used for musical and mathematical notation.

Source



Merry Christmas Tori! (in Braille)

Source of the Braille translation

If you'd like to send someone special a card where you write a note and it's printed in Braille and sent to them directly... You might want to look here.