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There's been a lot of discussion recently about America's future in space. NASA is, of course, first on the let's-cut-it list during these difficult times. I could talk about short-sightedness, but there are those who could just as easily counter by saying that I am short-sighted for not fully believing that cap-and-trade is needed immediately. So I won't talk about short-sightedness, but I will bring up two points in all of this that, while simplistic, still express my opinion fairly well.
1. The space program and its related technological developments will be a boon for spin-off technologies well into the future. Perhaps we don't discover some incredible new element or other material as a direct result of flying off to the Moon or Mars or some asteroid nearby. The benefits from all of the tremendous technological innovations and expenditures required to make that happen will benefit all of mankind.
2. Talk all you want about not having goals or going anywhere, but let's keep in mind that the REAL goal of human space exploration was best stated by Captain Kirk himself: "To boldly go where no man has gone before." If we're not doing that, then what ARE we doing? What more needs to be said?
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In my busy-ness over the past week or two, I neglected to post anything about Julianna's amazing first birthday. She's such an awesome little girl. Here's a picture of her enjoying her cake:
And here's her cake in full, which Heidi spent a great deal of time putting together (nice work, babe):
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JULES!!! I LOVE YOU!!!
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We're noticing a disturbing trend, however, one that I really hope doesn't continue next year. When Julianna was born, we were recovering from a huge ice storm. In fact, I had to drive Heidi to the hospital on the rather treacherous roads. This year, as Julianna's birthday approached...yep, you guessed it, ANOTHER ICE STORM. If we get another one next year, I'm going to be really mad.
Oklahoma has had two of the stormiest and coldest winters on record, in fact. So let's recap: we had a horrible ice storm last year. We had some huge stuff two years ago. We had a horrible, uncharacteristic cold snap in the middle of the fall. And now, two big snow-and-ice storms just within the past month or so. I gotta be honest here...forget the claims of man-made global warming, you're going to have a lot of trouble convincing anyone around here that any global warming claims are legitimate these days.
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I'm kind of tiring of all the talk about how "lifestyle change is required" for America and how we're supposed to start "sacrificing" the things we "don't need". So on that score, I'm writing a post in which I defend my choice of vehicle, and why it does indeed fit my needs (in spite of others' claims, who obviously know my own life better than I do). It dovetails nicely with a great post over at one of my favorite blogs, Car Lust, that just came out yesterday. They must have been reading my mind.
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I am the first to admit that I generally don't waste much time watching NFL football. Yes, yes, I know this is odd for someone who enjoys football as much as I do, but frankly, there's just nothing compelling in it for me. It's a bunch of guys running the same plays over and over, playing for nothing in particular. (At least in the college game, the players are looking to the future, or merely playing for pride or the love of the game, since 99% of college football players will simply graduate and move on with their lives.)
But all the noise surrounding this just-past Super Bowl really has me confused. What on Earth was so interesting about Indianapolis vs. New Orleans? It apparently wasn't even all that good, as it turned into a 31-17 blowout. Really, if anyone out there can explain what made this Super Bowl so much more compelling than any of the 40-something others, there's a Comments section on this blog, so feel free to use it.
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One of the great things about working in IT is that it has allowed me to do some interesting things that I never would have expected. You might think we IT folks just sit around on our duffs all day, playing with computers or typing in boring commands. Yes, there's a lot of that, but there are other things we do, too. I've been on roofs several times. I've been in elevator shafts and steam tunnels and over hanging-grid drop ceilings. I've gotten to travel a fair amount, even some to Canada. And now, I've gotten to use a scissor lift 25 feet in the air. Here I am on it, running cable for one of my father's clients, a new Hyundai dealership in Ardmore:
And here's Dad, in a different area (I needed a break):
Sorry for the marginal quality of the photos, I took them with my Pre, as it's the only camera I keep around.
Scissor lifts are not all that difficult to drive and use...they're kind of like a tank with a platform on it. I will say, though, that when you get up pretty high, it's kind of disconcerting, because it does sway sideways a little bit. You get used to it, but you never quite lose the tense realization that if you're careless, you could easily tip the thing over. It's lots of fun, though, to zip up and down on that thing. I was up probably a few hours all told. Maybe one day I get to drive a bulldozer or something...not quite sure how that could be directly related to IT work, but you never know.
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Finally, we got a new addition to the family on Sunday. A little Jack Russell terrier named Charlie who was found abandoned in Arkansas and brought back here by a very nice family who just couldn't keep another dog. Charlie is a good little dog, very active and playful. He's been really good with the kids, too, which is the key.
That's it for today...another post is coming soon.
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