Cry Havoc! and let slip the dogs of war

I was listening to Credence Clear Water Revival song, Run Through the Jungle, and remember cousin Mike had told me how he would play music like this through the intercom on his helicopter in Vietnam...which in turn led me to think about war, and how our country, the USA has a streak going....WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm(aka Gulf War I) and now Iraq (Gulf War II) . I left out Afghanistan...I guess that falls under Global War on Terror (I never liked that term. ...why not Americas Revenge on al Qaeda?)

Makes me wonder if we as a country are envied by everybody on the planet, so they want to fight us, or if out of 2 world wars we decided to continue this giant military, and then since it was available we used it? I know thats a monsterous oversimplificiation of global political theory on use of military strength, but maybe? These words were from President Eisenhower in 1961, speaking about preserving freedom,

"Until the latest of our world conflicts, the United States had no armaments industry. American makers of plowshares could, with time and as required, make swords as well. But now we can no longer risk emergency improvisation of national defense; we have been compelled to create a permanent armaments industry of vast proportions. Added to this, three and a half million men and women are directly engaged in the defense establishment. We annually spend on military security more than the net income of all United States corporations. ...In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the militaryindustrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.

Akin to, and largely responsible for the sweeping changes in our industrial-military posture, has been the technological revolution during recent decades. In this revolution, research has become central; it also becomes more formalized, complex, and costly. A steadily increasing share is conducted for, by, or at the direction of, the Federal government.

Today, the solitary inventor, tinkering in his shop, has been overshadowed by task forces of scientists in laboratories and testing fields. In the same fashion, the free university, historically the fountainhead of free ideas and scientific discovery, has experienced a revolution in the conduct of research. Partly because of the huge costs involved, a government contract becomes virtually a substitute for intellectual curiosity. For every old blackboard there are now hundreds of new electronic computers. The prospect of domination of the nation's scholars by Federal employment, project allocations, and the power of money is ever present "

"Down the long lane of the history yet to be written America knows that this world of ours, ever growing smaller, must avoid becoming a community of dreadful fear and hate, and be instead, a proud confederation of mutual trust and respect.

Such a confederation must be one of equals. The weakest must come to the conference table with the same confidence as do we, protected as we are by our moral, economic, and military strength. That table, though scarred by many past frustrations, cannot be abandoned for the certain agony of the battlefield. "

So where are the people that can speak with this authority now in our society? Where are the people who have seen the immense sacrifice of war, and know that freedom isnt preserve at the muzzle end of a weapon?? Sure aint in Washington now...Way I see it, over the last 40 years the military-industrial complex Eisenhower warned of has come to power.

One of my friends on 360 sacastically says Hump day will now be known as Wiretap Wednesday (good one EEM).

But really, if you ever read what it is our government does "to protect" us, I think many would be shocked, and outraged.

I listened intently the other day to testimony on why we need the ability to conduct surveillance . I understand the technology they were speaking about. Because a target may use a online service based in the US to communicate( ie, network communication via a server in the United States) from one foreign site to another, we need the law changed to allow capture of the data to determine...wait a minute!!! You want to do what - Lawful Interception? oh-oh

I need some music

Coming to Grip with Aging

Today, like most days, i spent an inordinate amount of time getting ready for work.

This has become routine, and as I brush my teeth, I gaze at this person I have become accustom to seeing everyday. Its me, sans makeup. Some days I pile it on, while other days I don't. Today was in between in terms of facial augmentation

I drive to the coffee place on the way to work that has a drive thru, and get my coffee from a usually cheerful 20 something, with that sweet singsong voice my memory says was mine once. As I reach out to get the cup of steaming hot java, her wistful(and damnably young) smile coos the dreaded, "Thanks for stopping at ####, Ma'am" I am a Ma'am. I don't recall the first time I got called that, its been so long ago.

I got to work, and was thinking about this...and realized that most everyone at the plant where I am managing a project is younger than me. The plant superintendent- the system administrators (except one, and he's only a few months older than I). When I talk to people in the Technology Department, its like the wise old lady is talking.

Then there are the people on staff at my agency with me. One guy is probably my daughters age, has been a network manager in private sector, lets call him Jim; another is same age range, but not much experience; our new project oversight analyst is a few years younger than I.

I was in a meeting with some staff, and Jim is telling us about what he has in mind, and keeps mentioning that he has to go to a meeting with the Chief Information Officer (CIO)- who cares? I have had meetings with a agency secretary, the State CIO, even worked for the Governor's office once, and bumped into the governor while doing something. Point is, his whole attitute is weird...I really get riled at the fact that I mention when asked that I had a master degree in Political Science, and he quipped something about that seemed real practical in our field. His masters is in computer something or another...Maybe its me..Maybe I am becoming too sensitive to my age. But I doubt it. I know Jim is pissed i have this giant office at work. I also know that he has no desire to tackle the project I am on, or the new ones I will get soon(one is now in procurement, waiting for a contract) because my customers are pretty nice, but technology not too savvy.

So this is the kind of weird stuff i think about somedays...and then while driving home, through the canyons of steel and concrete that pass for a city, I see the young women walking to catch a train or bus, and realize, i used to be like that...pretty, I mean.

Honest, I remember walking to the bus stop when i was about 22, before i graduated college, and the cold wind blowing...I was walking down the street to catch the bus, and the wind was blowing, so I had pulled up the fake fur collar of my coat. I remember I was wearing a wool pleated skirt that looked sort of like a kilt(so I probably was wearing a sweater, my ususal combo ever today), and had these awful platform shoes that at the time i thought were wonderful. So I clunking along, and I twisted my ankle on a piece of broken sidewalk, where a tree root had caused it to buckle, and so I was standing there thinking how it hurt, and I heard this whistling, and looked across the street, and there were these workmen on a roof, and one yells, "Hey Baby, you want me to come kiss you and make it better" I think I flipped him the finger, I know they all laughed at him.. or were they?

I remember going with friends to a bar or club and people buying me drinks, and wanting to dance, and wanting more...gawd, I can remember some of the lines, "Oh, you must be an Aries aren't you?" "Has anyone told you what beautiful blue eyes you have?"

Thats all memories now...it just doesn't seem fair..but at least my mom was right, everyone gets older. I just want to know why we have to look that way? Couldn't we just look 30 forever? Then i saw Joan Rivers on TV- never mind....

Nader Daze

VOICE OF AMERICA

Ralph Nader, Launching 3rd White House Bid, Says U.S. Democracy Needs Wake-up Call

In 2000, he entered presidential politics as the candidate of the Green Party, a left-of-center political organization that shunned the policies of both the Democrat and Republican parties. Nader won nearly 3 percent of the popular vote. His campaign angered many Democrats, who blamed Nader for Vice President Al Gore's narrow loss to Republican George W. Bush. Undeterred, he announced his bid for the White House again in 2004 as an independent, saying that his focus would be on the necessities of the American people. He said the two political parties were broken. "They need a wake-up call. They need somebody to hold their feet to the fire inside the electoral arena."

Speaking to a crowd of Democratic Party supporters in 2004, former President Jimmy Carter told Nader to "go back to examining the rear end of automobiles" -- a reference to his legendary auto-safety campaigns. "Don't risk costing the Democrats the White House this year, as you did four years ago," Carter said.

President George W. Bush won re-election in 2004.

Nader is uncompromising on this issue. He puts the responsibility for the Democrats' losses in 2000 and 2004 on the candidates the party nominated, the judgment of American voters and on wealthy corporate donors, which, he says, have a stranglehold on the American political system.

Thanks Ralph, you ego centric putz...because you took 3% of the vote, states like Florida were narrowly shuttled over to the Republican side(not counting any other funny business)

Crying out loud, Ralphy's slogan 4 years ago is the same thing he said Sunday when announcing he was running, again...Ralph, YOU need a wake up call...

Entry for February 25, 2008

Old song by older version of ELO:

My favorite- Evil Woman

Best thing Jeff Lynn did post ELO

History of Travelling Wilburys Initially starting at a meal between Roy Orbison, George Harrison, and Jeff Lynne, they got together at Bob Dylan's studio at Santa Monica, California to record; Tom Petty was involved when Harrison stopped by to retrieve a guitar he had left at Petty's home; Harrison suggested "The Trembling Wilburys" as the group's name, but Lynne suggested using "Traveling" instead. Everyone agreed. Jim Keltner, the session drummer and percussionist, was not listed as a Wilbury in Volume 1 or 3; however he is in some of the music videos.

Heidelberg Germany 1978

I was looking through some pictures I had scanned about 4 years ago, that recently were transfered from my dying storage drive to a new drive. I was looking at this picture, and it occurred to me that even though I didnt say so on the file, it was with a bunch of other pictures including one with the date, June 3, 1978.

It was a Saturday, and it was slightly muggy but a nice day by German standards. My friends and i had decided to bicycle around old town, and maybe go to the top of Heidelberg Mountain Railway, and enoy the sights, and do our usual weekend binge drinking of German beer and stuff ourselves with BierGarten food...any way, this picture was taken as we started out.

I also had not really thought about it, but I think i have worn my hair the same for the last 35 plus years...geez, I am a life long hippie I guess...

Entry for February 22, 2008

Last night there was another demcratic candidate on TV, and it has been in snips on TV all day today- crimmy, it was on at lunch at work, and most people asked the cashier in the cafeteria to change it...so tonight I am living my Yahoo blast, and turning off the rhetoric and TURNING UP the music...

When I was a kid, this amazing band came over from England, and I watched them play on TV..and was immediately in love

of course it wasn't long until I found a band my parents objected to EVEN more, and this was a song I used to drive them crazy with, "CANICE!!! Turn that CRAP down, NOW!!! "

Well I am a grown up now, so here it is, TURN it up

Saturn and the bright star Regulus will line up to form a perfect triangle with the moon

My wretched camera, using maximum zoom, and manual settings, could not do justice to this shot from last night....oh, where is my digital slr camera when I need it...oh, thats right, some a**hole stole it last year....