Ups and Downs of the week.

 Clarksville, TN – Nice place. I’m visiting my nephew who is stationed at Ft. Campbell. I was stationed there 30 years ago and today I stood in the same office where I worked back then. My nephew is the First Sergeant of the unit occupying those same buildings.

  Ice storm – The ice storm that hit southern Illinois and Kentucky last month wreaked havoc on the trees here. Check out the damage just along I-24. (Excuse the somewhat poor shots. I shot these while driving without really aiming.)

 Bugout Gear – Nice equipment. I bought a black backpack today that can be expanded for a weeks’ worth of clothes and all my electronics or collapsed for just carrying overnight stuff. Very versatile stuff.

  Stomach woes – Still suffering from frequent sour stomach. Blech.

 Dad – Walking a bit. Now he just needs to be able to stand up by himself and he can come home.

Ups and Downs of the week.

  Buffalo plane crash – What a tragedy.

   Stimulus package – Here we go. Some of the Republican-backed changes look sensible, but who knows. It could all backfire.

 Warmer weather – I was in Chicago Tuesday and it was 63 degrees. Nasty ride on the way home, though. Major rain and wind bad enough to overturn trucks.

  Winter is still here. – Possibly and inch or two of snow this weekend.

 Dad – Eating full meals now. Stronger every day.

  Outrageous pricing – Hotels and airlines have been overcharging businesses for so long that it’s become natural. Is a first class seat on an airliner really worth 8 or 10 times a coach fare? Is it really necessary for hotels to charge $10 for a glass of wine from a bottle you could buy for half that? Are bagels in hotels really worth $6? Coffee and a bagel for $10 at a hotel or $4 at the Starbucks across the street. I foresee businesses cutting down on travel expenses and eliminating or curtailing expense accounts. What will the hotels and airlines do then?

Ups and Downs of the week.

   Good news/Bad news – The good news is, Chris Bangle is leaving BMW. Bangle is the designer responsible for the worst change in design direction (IMHO) ever made by a car company. The 5, 6, & 7 series BMWs all went from sleek, unique, instantly recognizable thoroughbreds to overweight, plain-Jane, run-of-the-mill tubs. The bad news (well, maybe) is that his protégé, Adrian van Hooydonk is taking over. Let’s hope he doesn’t follow in Bangle’s footsteps and that his designs look better than his haircut.

  Stimulus package – I guess you can’t make everyone happy, but this plan seems to have settled on making everyone unhappy. I hope they know what they’re doing.

  Warmer weather – Finally. The snow will be gone after this weekend and next week’s forecasts are predicting (dare I say it?) near 60 degree temps.

  Economy – The bads news continues to pour in.

  Dad continues to improve. – He took a few steps this week and is eating more kinds of food. His voice is much stronger now, too.

Caught this guy snoozing down in the woods behind my house this morning. Strange to see a fox sleeping in such an open area.

Today was one of those days that make winter miserable. It was only in the low teens with a fierce wind out of the northwest and bitter cold blowing snow. Even the sunset looks cold.

Ups and Downs of the week.

 Blago is gone!! – About time! On his way out the door he couldn’t help but make more of a fool of himself. Listen to him whining to the legislature.

  Business a usual in D.C. – These idiots just don’t get it!!!! Enough with the idiotic pork-barrel stuff. The stimulus package is so full of bullshit, it’s drawing flies. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) cannot possibly stimulate the economy. Support for STD treatment cannot either. Both these could be considered worthy causes in a time of prosperity, but now is not that time. Obama already trimmed out the ludicrous mall resodding project and the equally inane contraceptive funding, but there is still way too much pork and not enough direct action. We need money to support infrastructure projects which will put people to work. If a proposal will not add a substantial number of jobs, it should be scrapped. Congress is whining about Wall Street not listening to the people when they’re just as deaf. STOP THE PORK!!!! (Clear enough?)

  Celtics – Back to their winning ways.

  Winter – 9″ of snow this week. I’m so in need of a warm day or two. Now that I have a ragtop waiting for me, the winter days are dragging by endlessly.

  Dad continues to improve. – Today they had him standing up straight (with a little help) and next week he’ll start learning to walk again using parallel bars. The docs are amazed at his progress, but we’re not. He’s a determined man. Always has been.

Ups and Downs of the week.

 New Toy – 2006 BMW Z4. Quick pic here. More to follow.

  Blago – He continues to thumb his nose at the very people who elected him. He’s a sociopath who refuses to acknowledge he did anything wrong and his obstinate refusal to step down is going to run this state into bankruptcy. He’s nothing but a curse and a burden on this state now.

  President Obama – I like what I see so far, but the really tough decisions are still ahead.

  Dad is doing better – Sitting up straight for longer periods. Standing (but not walking yet) on his own. Starting to eat just a little. And best of all, his attitude is great and he’s getting a little stronger every day.

Every now and then it hits me that a paradigm shift has occurred and we’ve taken it for granted. One such shift is the amazing technology we so casually carry around in our pockets. A couple of decades ago the thought of owning a tiny device which allowed us to talk to each other, send each other messages, take a picture, or even record a short video was the stuff of Star Trek or other sci-fi. Today we have the cell phones we accept as a normal part of life. Even very capable cameras capable of 10 megapixel images can be easily carried inside a tuxedo or stashed in a small handbag. This image below of our new President and First Lady dancing at an inaugural ball shows what I mean. It took me a second to realize what all the little blue lights were. You would not have seen them at Bill Clinton’s inaugural ball. Funny how quickly we adapt.

Ups and Downs of the week.

  Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger III – One hell of a pilot. Incredible skill and grace under extreme pressure. Amazing.

  Economy - Still tanking and showing signs of worsening. Circuit City going under with more stores to follow for sure. Bad news. 

  Kevin Youkilis – 4 more years with the Red Sox. Very cool indeed.

  Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ10 – Nice little camera. It’s now in my glovebox so I can grab images during my commute. See below.

 

  Winter Sunset – Cold but beautiful.