The sun was a giant orange ball.

The sun was a giant orange ball just above the horizon as I left for my mourning walk. The weather has been very hot for the last few days and the humidity has been rather low. Perfect wild fire weather leaving smoke and ash all over everything! We've been lucky so far that no houses or lives have been lost. When will we ever learn how dangerous it is to build next to the ocean or in fire country. It's not a matter of IF the tragedy will occur but WHEN. So houses get built and life goes on... for now.
While perusing the weekly list of dead from Iraq/Afghanistan it occurred to me that most of those killed die from IEDs. Somehow I believe that if IEDs were the cause of a few congressional deaths a solution would be found overnight. But in far off Afghanistan? Not so much. Whose death costs the country more... Newt Gingrich or the private who died anonymously and needlessly in Iraq?
Needless deaths show that we're all on this flight together.
Dick

It is expected to be hot again today.

It was hot yesterday and is expected to be hot again today. It's days like this that I miss the San Francisco weather. took a long time for me to be comfortable in the warmer LA climate. But 100 degrees in Fullerton is too hot. Even keeping the house closed up and the upstairs insulated it gets too hot to stay indoors at these temps. In memory of days gone by I went down the patio to relax in the cool (relatively) shade.
100 degrees are 100 reasons to know that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

WWDD was explained on 7/06/2009.

Whew! I forgot to take my meds this morning before my daily walk. I ran out of gas after the first block but thought WWDD. WWDD was explained on 7/06/2009. So I cowboyed up and stumbled around the course. I'm not sure which med gives me the energy, nor do I care.
I have a new refrigerator thanks to SoCal Edison. It's the same size as the old one but uses less power (I'm told). It was free.
I'm not a big fan of Ted Kennedy but have to admit that we'll miss his dedication. I wonder if he will receive half the praise as Michael Jackson. It looks like we may lose the fight for universal health care. A national security problem, it's not recognized as such by the 'loyal' opposition. Facts seem to have had little effect on the discussion so far.
The next pandemic faced without universal health care will prove that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

The gift that keeps on giving.

The gift that keeps on giving. For those who have been paying attention, the subscribers to Southern California Gas & Electric contribute a small monthly sum to a fund which pays to weatherize the homes of seniors at no cost to the recipient. Three or four months ago on my house they weather stripped all doors and windows and insulated the 'attic' to keep summer heat to a minimum. At the time my old refrigerator was discussed but nothing happened. I didn't think it would be gracious to complain so I didn't say anything. Then last night as I was assuming the prone position for a night of TV, the phone rang. I answered to find a young woman informing me that my new energy conscious fridge would be here tomorrow (today as of this writing). After three months. What a surprise. The down side is that the delivery will be between 8am and 2 pm. Well, I wasn't planning on going anywhere anyhow. The only real heat leak left is the windows that I had hoped they would replace but what the hell. Thank you SoCal G&P and its subscribers for reducing my calorie usage. What other surprises do they have in store for m e?
Gifts to seniors show me that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

The rational use of contractions.

This morning I was writing an email and used the word 'hadn't'. I've used contractions like that all my life but until today I hadn't thought about their use. It takes just as many keystrokes to write the word as to write the contraction, if we ignore the space. Not much savings there. It must have to do with the way the words are spoken. But if it's written... why?
Nothing scheduled for the day so I guess I'll ( a savings of one letter) read and get educated.
Contractions are Natures way of saying we're all on this flight together.

Dick

I found the truth!

I found the truth! Or did I? As do we all, I have searched for the Truth in the last 78 years. As I listened to "Amazing Grace" on my walk today I found myself pondering the creation of the Universe. Although I love the music this business of 7 days doesn't thrill me, it's too short a time for all to have happened which has. And if one interprets the scripture, the way is left open to the difficulty of determining which truth is True. And the books on quantum mechanics don't answer the question. At the instant of creation all the equations go to infinity or zero. But the book I am presently reading has a hint. Being about the Big Bang it alludes to several creation myths. The one with a kernel of truth is from Polynesia.
In ancient Polynesia the sea god Tangaroa lived alone above a vast expanse of water. He threw down a stone. It became land. He sent a bird to plant a vine, which rotted. As it decomposed the maggots became people. Change 'people' to 'politicians' and it's right on target.
The duplicity of politicians is proof that were all on this flight together.

Dick

What's in a name?

Yesterday I had nothing to say so I didn't.
The picture on the right is of a plane passing overhead on my walk. Just to show (and remember) what they look like.
On my walk today I considered my relationship to history and its implications. Which reminded me of an event many years ago. In the 60s, Phyllis and I played bridge with a few friends. I never did understand bridge and still don't. But back to the story. One of the couples had a boy, about 10 or 11, named John. One day as a joke I asked him how he felt being named after a bathroom. Without missing a beat he looked at me and said. "It doesn't bother me at all... dick". Since then I have been more sensitive about peoples names and how they are used.
That everyone has a name assures me that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

What could have been.

I've started a new book by the Lead Scientist for the COBE satellite. It is designed to measure the background radiation left over from the Big Bang. The writer was raised in a New Jersey suburb of New York whereas I was raised in a Long Island suburb of New York. As I read about is upbringing I was struck by how similar my life was to his. The books and magazines he read were the same ones I read. He salivated over the catalogs from Edmund Scientific and Allied Electronics as did I. He built a 4 inch reflector telescope and I never got around to it. He writes of the car sized meteorite at the Museum of Natural History. Anyone who has been there knows this chunk of metal. He elucidated the radiation left over from the Big Bang and I didn't. His upbringing was the same as mine but my vision was (and remains to be) about 15 degrees off center. What a difference goals and ambition make.
An off center vision hints that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

OK. My walk is done,

OK. My walk is done, the weather cooler than I would have chosen but it was barely T-shirt weather. Oh well, I could be in North Dakota! The litter boxes are clean and the cats fed. All is well at 808 W Wilshire.
Last week I was scanning the channels an came across a show with Ms. Amanpour. There she was on international TV interviewing... get this... Greg Mortensen! You may remember me writing of his book "Three Cups of Tea" about his program to build schools for young girls in remote mountain villages with the full support of the residents. Just prior to 9/11 he was winning the hearts and minds of the Afghan's we would later wish were our supporters. At a cost he was supporting through donations of friends, tens of thousands of $$, not millions. Anyway it was an excellent segment of TV followed by an interview with an American officer handing our candy (figuratively speaking) to the natives, a comparison that did not come off too well I'm afraid. UAVs just won't cut it unless we our goal is perpetual war.
Just the thought of perpetual war is proof that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

I was in the middle of two historical trends.

I'm back. Some days not enough happens to make it worth turning the computer on. Saturday and Sunday were just there. The only good news is that the 49ers won their exhibition football game Friday night. I explicitly state 'football' in the full realization that someone might confuse them with the State College at Long Beach teams.
I am reaching a critical point in the book on quarks. I got so involved this morning I forgot to walk. They're only missing one of the quarks.
I have realized that I was in the middle of two historical trends in the course of my life. The first was in the 60's and 70's when I was in the middle of the grandest time for particle physics. Spending time at Stanford and Berkeley I stood at the center of the physics universe being bombarded by unseen ephemeral particles of all sorts.
The second was in the 80's when attended computer club meeting with the two Steves (Jobs an Wozniac) and hadn't a clue to who they were or what was happening. I worked with the founders of Intel and several other seminal companies. I interviewed with Nobel Prize winners.
All in all a life in the middle of a whirl wind lived with a sense of having just missed the mark.
Missed the mark confuses me about how we're all on this flight together.

Dick

Again it's an overcast morning. And quiet.

Again it's an overcast morning. And quiet. The sound of peace is not normal around here.
There were two cats. The first a white with black markings strolled casually across the street as I approached. Tres elegance. And then to break the mood, a helicopter approached from east to west making the usual racket. An interesting example of how to be somewhere else and here at the same time. That cries out for a quantum mechanical explanation. But not here and not and now.
The here and now promises that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

It's overcast but a few planes are flying.

It's overcast but a few planes are flying so it can't be too bad. I saw a new cat on my walk It was a black and white long hair, he/she disappeared under a car as soon as I spotted it.
The book on quarks is really interesting. A lot of the locations mentioned are very familiar to me. At one point physicist Richard Feynmen is visiting at the Flamingo Motel which is the first motel we stayed at when we first moved to California. In addition, the book reads like a detective mystery.
Japantown is celebrating Nisei week. I'll miss the taiko drums for the first time in years. It's a stand-up walk around event that's too long for me.
The sound of taiko drumming assures me that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

Quirks, quorks and quarks.

Overcast and it's getting darker when I get up. Fall is on the way. I am eagerly anticipating the changes of the Fall colors. I've been waiting 59 years and no joy (that's airplane talk).
I saw a new cat on my walk this morning. It is black and mostly white. I didn't want to take a pic because he/she was right below a picture window and I didn't want to get arrested for being a peeping Tom.
Quirks, quorks and quarks. I love the sound of those words, even when they're written down. Those fundamental particles we know as quarks were discovered as a result of a quirk in the observed data so they were initially called Quirks. Then the name was changed to Quork as a play on words. Finally it was changed and became known as Quarks after the James Joyce novel "Finnegan's Rainbow". The book on quarks continues to fascinate me.
Scientific books-for-the-masses indicate that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

Could quarks really be just wiggling loops of nothing?

Yesterday I brought home a book from the library titled, "The Search For the Quark". When I went to school we were taught that the fundamental particles were protons, neutrons and electrons. It turns out that the nucleus of an atom is made up of quarks! I tell you that to tell you this: At the time of the search for the quark I was a working at a start up company based in the Stanford Industrial Park. The search was being conducted primarily at the nearby Stanford Linear Accelerator. See the connection? We developed a close relationship with the Stanford people even to the point of putting a sign on our instrument "Odd Quark Detector". I still think the name 'quark' is humorous. The book was written 1988 which was just prior to the revelation of string theory. Could the quarks really be just wiggling loops of nothing? Any way it should be an interesting trip through history.
One of the things that the book brought to mind was how recent we, and by extension quantum mechanics, really is. The universe is about 14 billion years old (or 7 days whichever you believe) and the earth is about 4 billion years old (or 7 days whichever you believe). The early days of understanding the atom is 0nly 100 years old (no matter what you believe). Before that science was mostly myth. Maybe it's a reminder of how ephemeral our existence really is.
Remember Hiroshima and Nagaski. May it never happen again.
Things I don't understand show me that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

The happiest citizens live in the Nordic states.

Overcast again. August gloom. Don't let it get you down.
I saw another cat that looks like Budda. But his 'boots' are much less, more like shoes. Again, near the start of my walk. What is the universe saying here?
I can't stand listening to the 'debate' on health care. There are more lies and misrepresentations going on than I can stand. I'm beginning to understand why some people get violent. We pay as a Nation twice as much for our health care as other advanced civilizations and are 29th out of thirty in child survival rates. In spite of the cost we suffer similar rates for other health measurements. Where does all that money go if it doesn't contribute to better health care? The countries that have the happiest citizens live in the Nordic states, all with universal health care. Why do we drag our feet on the way to the 21st century.
Health care for all would prove that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

My typing skills have deteriorated .

When I first saw this cat I tho ught it was Budda.
(( 've seen hmcatty corner acrss the blck n whhich I live s all lhe wou ld have to do is cross two naigihbors yarads and voila!)). I include this original part 'as typed' to show how much my typing skills have deteriorated . A demonstration of what takes to get this properly edited. This is probably the most disturbing effect of the "Parkinson's.
I've seen him catty corner across the block on which I live. All he would have to do is cross two neighbors yards and voila! He kept his distance but wouldn't come any closer than you see here.
The sky was dark when I left this morning for my walk. Darker than usual when there is an overcast so it must be thick. That will hold off the hot weather as long as possible.
Hot weather shows that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

The morning overcast.

The morning overcast is in place but I expect it to burn off soon. The forecast is for the temp to be in the high 80's today when the sun does shine.
It seems that the ants are out in full force crossing the sidewalk numerous places but tomorrow they'll be gone.
It's becoming harder and harder to stop the shaking from the Parkinson's. Even when I meditate. Up til now the shaking would stop when I meditate but lately it doesn't work. I suppose that's the natural progression of the disease. I can consider myself fortunate that the shaking occurs only in my right arm.
The overcast will soon be gone revealing that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

EAA Chapter One meeting at historic Flabob Airport.

OK OK so I missed yesterday. Everything started out normally but after the meditation I fell asleep. I woke up at 10 am but couldn't get anything done so I went back to bed for a nap at 11. I woke up at 1:30 but still couldn't get my engine started with any zeal. I fell asleep watching TV. At about 7pm it seemed wise to go to bed, so I did. NOTHING got done all day.
The photo is of an antique plane through the trees at historic Flabob Airport. The Chapter One Hangar is out of sight to the right.
Today is Saturday and I'm up and about. I've nothing planned but to pay some bills. Tomorrow is the EAA Chapter One meeting at historic Flabob Airport. It will be about the week at Oshkosh so it should be pretty interesting. Maybe I can work up the energy to pump up the front tire on my bike so I can take it to historic Flabob Airport in order to reconnoiter for terrorists while I'm there.
Historic Flabob Airport and historic EAA Chapter One assure me that we're all on this flight together,

Dick

I've had reason to examine my daily meds.

Five airplanes passed overhead on my walk this morning. It must be the clear air and warmth that gets them up and about. It seemed as though they were all flying in different directions. One cat on a porch and Ben the white fuzzy friendly dog were there.
I've had reason to examine my daily meds this week. Better that than get pissed off at the politics of my country right now. Yesterday I mentioned Flexeril without identifying it as a serious muscle relaxant. Now I've identified it and it really screws with my mind. Every morning an hour before my walk take a Vicodin, one ibuprophen, a baby aspirin and a Metoprolol. Just before I leave on the walk I take one hit thanks to California's medical marijuana law. At night before bed I take one Vicodin, one Metoprolol and a Zocor.
The baby aspirin is a blood thinner used by old folks to reduce the possibility of heart attacks. The Metoprolol was given to me during recovery from the incident. It is used to lower blood pressure. I can probably stop taking it now that George Bush is out of office but I'll talk with the doctor first. The Zocor is because the doctor feels my cholesterol is slightly high. The Vicodin is to cut the pain of the arthritis in my right knee when I walk and one at night so I can get to sleep without being distracted by the pain in my knee. If I do a lot of walking during the day (airshow, music festival, etc. ) I rarely take one more through the day (as needed). I've used it the same way for the last five years.
The MJ helps with my knee and generally reduces discomfort. The prescription is for the arthritis. It is interesting that the side effects, for which MJ is noted, are not present when taken for medical reasons. It has to do with pain and pleasure centers in the brain. Apparently the pain centers are serviced before the pleasure center is affected.
Better things through chemistry hints that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

Who represents 71% of Americans?

Another beautiful day in Paradise! Warm and clear but it will get hot later. Oh well, take the good with the bad.
Yesterday's mail brought a membership card to the NRA with my name on it. I have no idea where that came from. The accompanying letter was signed by Wayne La Pierre. I operated the teleprompter for him a few times and each time I came away with the impression that he was nuts. Another right wing nut job. But his money was green.
I've never been a big fan but now I'm giving up on the 'left wing' of the Democratic party. They've adopted a position as Republican lite. Nothing but a bunch of wimps. Who needs them? Even with a majority in both houses of Congress and the Presidency in hand they won't pass a progressive agenda. More slaves to the corporate oligarchy. In the latest poll 71% of the American public want a public option for the health care reform to keep the for profit companies honest. Who represents that 71% of Americans? But no luck. Obama's poll numbers have dropped slightly since the start of the 'debate'. That's with no public option being discussed. Why do we need for profit health care anyway?
And kudos to Bill Clinton for bringing home the two journalists.
When I join the NRA you'll KNOW we're all on this flight together.

Dick

Ouch!

Lately I've noticed that I have painful tension in my shoulders that I assume is related to the Parkinson's. In the past I would have taken a Flexeril (?) and be done with it but then I realized what Flexeril does to me. I feel dopey enough without adding to it with that stuff. I can relieve the tension while I meditate but that doesn't help the rest of the time. This morning I fell asleep during my meditation. That's OK but it doesn't add to my meditative time. I've recently taken to taking a short nap in the morning anyway.
I usually am pretty conscientious about reading my email, Left wing and others but of late I've been getting behind and yesterday I erased two pages of unread emails after being certain I wasn't erasing anything of importance. I've never done that before. How liberating that was.
Erasing emails in bulk is an indicator that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

Things have been slow at 808 W Wilshire.

The brick shown is a commemoration of the first flight of the plane I built (and totalled). It is located in front of the EAA Chapter One hangar at historic Flabob Airport.
Things have been slow at 808 W Wilshire over the week end.
Commemorative bricks show that we're all on this flight together.

Dick

Two inches of unsightliness.

Another overcast day holding off the heat for a few hours.
The picture is of the back of my neck through which the surgeons put me back together after the incident. Not very pretty but what confuses me is that believing the surgeon would want the best thought of his work that the most visible vestige, the scar would be minimal rather than two inches of unsightliness. Since I can't see it, it doesn't have much influence on my daily life except to wonder once in a while why it couldn't have been beautified at the time of the operation.

Scars are reminders that we're all on this flight together.
Dick