Something different

If you have some time to spare, take a look here to view some really interesting old photographs taken as far back as the 1860's. The definition and detail in some are incredible, given the type of cameras in use at the time. Make sure you view them in full size. The one's taken in the 1920's were the most interesting to me. There are hundreds of photos to look at. Very nicely done website in my view.

What to wear to work?

Almost 30 years in the Army allowed me never having to worry about what to wear each day. The Army told me what to wear and prescribed exactly what the type uniform would be. After I left active service I was much more challenged when I dressed to go to work. When I was a town manager at a beach community in North Carolina, dressing for work was, well, very casual. But, I had two other jobs where I had to dress much more business like…one with suit, white shirt and tie, five days a week, no exceptions.

For the past seven years I've worked out of our house, doing what I do with the magazine, and so forth. Most days when I'm working in my home office, I wear PT exercise "sweats" until lunch time, after which I'll shower and change to something equally comfortable.

Because my office is downstairs, and because heat rises, it's a bit cool at times. So in the winter I usually wear a fleece jacket or vest on top of everything, plus I always have a cap of some sort on the top of my balding head. In the summer, I wear shorts and a tee-shirt every day. Barefoot at times, sandals otherwise.

Dressing for work is, for me these days, a simple process again just as it was when we were on active duty in the Army. The major difference is that I can wear my favorite hoodie in the winter and my favorite tee-shirt in the summer. Being a NASCAR fan, I often look like a neon sign advertising some product. But that's OK with me, I hardly ever have to make any decision on what to wear…it just depends on what happens to be clean.

Inspiring people

I'm in the midst of writing an article for an upcoming issue of Army Engineer magazine, including doing several interviews with women working for a truly outstanding engineering and construction company (not to be named until the article is published). To say that I'm inspired after talking with these women is an understatement. Women like them working today in what was pretty much a male-dominated profession a decade or so before, owe much to those who led the way early on.

Some came to industry after being in the military, where they also once faced many professional career challenges, such as being assigned without question to the Women's Army Corps (WAC) branch, and very much restricted to only a few occupational specialities. But, the "military" itself being a leader and innovator concerning equal opportunity programs, left an impression on those young women while they served, and that's reflected in their outstanding performance today.

This is just a "preview" of the article. It's to be included in the May-June issue.

My rant for the week

Given the obvious sad state of the economy, plus the number of job losses we've seen lately, I read today something supposedly attributed to one of the "smartest" financial analysts around, "I think people are not going to be able to spend much this year on consumer goods such as computers and electronics, and therefore the stock market will probably not be very good." Duh! This takes a degree certified, tongue wagging economist to conclude? That's like saying to a ski lift operator, "I'm pretty sure when I get to the top of the lift, I'm going to have to ski downhill."

I hate it like everyone else that the stock market isn't doing well, and that our economy is headed south. But when I'm provided with so-called expert reasoning about why this is so, along the lines of my quote above, I pretty much figure we're all screwed.

We got there…how do we return?

Army Times has an interesting read about planning now underway to examine routes and methods to withdraw the massive amount of equipment and materiel that has been shipped to Iraq since 2003. Some will probably remain, but a lot will not.

Check out the report here.

Rest Stop Ahead…or not

The Commonwealth of Virginia's Department of Transportation has decided to close a good many of the existing rest stops along interstate highways that pass through the region. Fortunately, I don't travel as much as I used to, but when I do I definitely keep my eyes open for the blue highway signs announcing "Rest Stop 2 Miles Ahead". Being a type "A"person, I can't stand having to exit the interstate to use a commercial establishment's rest rooms; but if I do make that decision, the stop HAS to include getting gas plus eating…an "all in one" stop.

The people I feel sorry for the most are the truckers…well maybe not that sorry since they often drive like they are in the Indianapolis 500. But, I'm sure closing rest stops will not be good for them, given that they really need the "rest".

These are indeed hard times. And, it's going to be hard for many travelers to resist just pulling over on the shoulder of the road, climbing over the embankment and "doing one's business". That's not good either!

And then there's Afghanistan

My last post voiced an opinion that the situation in Iraq has become much better (stable) than it's been since 2003. This is good. However, to bring us back to reality in relation to the position the United States finds itself in the world…the difficult challenges in Afghanistan await. More troops are on the way. Senior military leaders advise that very difficult days lie ahead…days that will stretch to years no doubt.

Fighting the "real" war (Afghanistan versus Iraq) was an often heated topic of debate during the last Presidential campaign. Well, here we are, and the reality of Afghanistan now being "the" war is going to test the commitment of those now in charge.

Troops in Iraq

I'm starting to read numerous press releases written by troops in the field in Iraq, that cover what they are doing in their base camps and elsewhere, that are somewhat different (fortunately) than what they were doing a year ago. With the new status agreement between the Iraqi government and the U.S. that took effect January 1st, the Iraqi's are finally taking responsibility for their own force protection, with coalition forces in a back-up role…when asked to do so.

Meanwhile, our troops are "training" in their base camp to keep their battle skills ready to go, plus are engaging in other activities that you'd expect to see in a more peaceable environment. While the danger of attack, and instances of deadly violence have not gone away, what we're seeing over there (overall) is very positive in my view.

Spring?

Not so fast. These popped up over the weekend. Last week it was in the mid to upper 60s. Today it's in the low 40s. Had a bit of snow last night…VERY slight dusting. Daffodils are perhaps the hardiest flowers ever, so I don't think any more cold weather will hurt what's up already. The thing is…in their mind it's spring. In my mind it's still winter. Whatever, they are nice to look at.

President's Day Weekend

When I was on active duty in Germany many years ago, this weekend was one of our favorites. Why? The Alps, and their numerous skiing destinations. Whether it be as a part of a local German-American ski club, or simply in a gathering of several comrades and their families, we all looked forward to getting away when ever we had an opportunity…and all three-day weekends were on the top of our list in that regard.

Few things compare to the spectacular views we had while skiing down snow covered slopes. Also, sitting in the sun, at a table in one of the Gasthaus on the way down, having a beer and brat with fresh baked bread was hard to beat.

Now, my holiday weekend consists of doing indoor stuff like writing this blog, and working on the next magazine. Oh yes, watching the Daytona 500 on TV. My skis and boots are all packed away…for good I'm sad to say. But, that's a good thing, because my body probably could never fully recover from the sorts of spills I used to have, while zooming down steep slopes.

No Fear!

You HAVE to check this video out. It shows some spectacular "wing-suit" flying in Norway. Incredible skill and shows people with absolutely NO fear. It's here.

Daytona 500

NASCAR racing season has already begun, but the "real" start is this Sunday with the running of the Daytona 500. Living as I do very close to a major NASCAR track (Martinsville Speedway) I am pretty much surrounded by racing people and racing history. This year there may not be as many fans at the tracks across the country as there have been in recent years, due to the economy, but there will still be the same numbers watching on TV or listening on the radio…especially in Virginia and North Carolina. This photo is of the main tower at Martinsville Speedway. Like at Daytona this weekend, Martinsville will soon be host to tens of thousands of fans, me being one.

Misplaced priorities?

I do a lot of "poking around" inside various blogs and group forums related to photography and computers (Apple). Sometimes I make a comment in the forum or to the blogger, but mostly I just read what others are writing. You can learn a lot that way, and often solve issues you might be having.

What I read more and more these days, however, are comments or questions pertaining to a lot of things I'd refer to as being cosmetic. "What do you think", they ask, "about the color of the new camera Canon just released?". Or, they write something like, "I'm going buy the new Apple Macbook because it's cute."

Not that there's anything wrong with folks having opinions and questions about things, I just wonder if we're seeing an awful lot of people today having misplaced priorities in relation to how they view what's going on around them.

Are newspapers dying?

I think the answer to my question depends on where you are located geographically, including the size of the metropolitan area in which you live. I'd say small town papers are not dying, mainly because their readers seek more local versus national news. In areas where there is a greater mix of readers, I'd say newspapers like the NYT or Washington Post are on borrowed time.

Why? Simple. Most people below the age of thirty get most of their news online. And, big newspapers generally have their full print available that way, for free. Also, I suspect most of those in that age group are only looking for "headline" news anyway, and may never take the time to actually read anything online from a newspaper's site.

Magazines seem to be going the same way, especially national publications such as Time or Newsweek. As advertisements decline, so do the number of pages in the magazine, and then "woof" it's gone for good.

More tightly focused magazines such as those related to sports, outdoor activities, tourism, and hobbies may not be seeing as much trouble with circulation. Certainly I hope that circulation of Army Engineer magazine does not decline. In that regard, guess I'd better get back to work on the next issue!

iGoogle

Ever once in awhile I find something trivial on the internet which, when utilized properly, can actually be more useful than at first glance. For example, I checked iGoogle today after I read a comment about how good it had become, and after some fiddling around I created a new, easily customizable "home page" for my internet browser (I use Safari). Google has created something here that has almost limitless options in terms of how you might configure your "unique" home page. For example, it has numerous "themes" you can use, like the graphic layout at the top. Mine is shown here. You may want to try it out. You'll need to set up a Gmail account (Google's) but it's simple and free, and is really good at what it does.

HUMVEE Death Trap

I read today, "Army and Marine Corps officials knew nearly a decade before the invasion of Iraq that its workhorse Humvee vehicle, was a “deathtrap” even with armor added to protect it against roadside bombs, according to an inspector general’s report". Plus, "The Pentagon didn’t field significant numbers of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles until 2007, more than three years after roadside bombings began to escalate in the Iraq war."

As a result, just as Soldiers and Marines have always done to "make it work", numerous field expedient solutions were found to provide whatever vehicle protection they could. I remember we did essentially the same thing during the Vietnam War, so the above "breaking news" did not surprise me that much. What disappoints me, however, is how long it still takes to get the right equipment into the hands of people doing the fighting. There have been some successes, but in my view way more failures.

Almost time to race

I went by the ticket office at Martinsville Speedway yesterday to pick up my tickets for the upcoming NASCAR race. Lots going on there, getting ready to welcome the fans this season. Gates were open, so I went inside and took some shots of the place. My seat is way up top in the grandstands right under the setting sun. Between turns one and two. When I took this photo I was standing at the start/finish line.

Google Street View

Today as I was out on my AM walk, I started thinking about the places we lived when I was growing up. I spent most of my early days in Little Rock, AR. I remembered my street address, so after my walk I Googled Maps for that address and whoosh, up popped the house we lived in, looking about the same, but much more run down, along with a "street view" that allowed me pan (with my mouse) all around the neighborhood, up and down the street and side streets, thus seeing sights I'd not seen for many years. I even found the school I walked to. I use Google Maps all the time, but never took the extra step to check out street view. Not all locations have it, like smaller towns and cities. Try it yourself here.