Artistic License

Born Again American Video

2010-12-29T13:01:00.000-08:00

Born Again American from Born Again American on Vimeo.

Retiring!

2010-12-29T10:07:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is my last day on the job with my current employer. I will certainly keep busy 'doing things' in the future, no lazin' around for me. I may even do work for pay in the future, but it will be under my control, and limited. I will certainly do some volunteer work, and will try to accomplish things that are not on anyone's budget, although they probably should be.

Truth or Hillary?

2010-12-01T08:58:00.000-08:00

Recently, on the CBS Today Show, Lara Logan, CBS new Mexico City, interviewed Hillary Clinton. Mrs. Clinton said,

"We have to recognize and accept, uh, that the demand for drugs in the United States drives them north, and the guns that are used by the drug cartels against the police and the military, uh, 90 percent of them come from America."

See this YouTube video.

I will agree with Mrs. Clinton that the demand for drugs is our contribution. However, most of these drugs can be produced for pennies, so the huge amounts of money involved is the result of several governments' policy of criminalizing these substances.

As for the ridiculous claim about "90 percent of [the guns] coming from the US", the fact is that the most powerful weapons the cartels are using (rocket launchers, automatic weapons) can't be purchased in any US gun store, and there has been no case of large-scale weapon smuggling south across the US/Mexico border.

Consider this. Juarez is one of the 'murder capitals' of the world, while El Paso, Texas, just across the river, has recently been named the number 1 safest large city in the US. The difference? US citizens have the right to keep and bear arms, and can defend their own homes against criminals. Mexican citizens don't.

10 Year Anniversary

2010-11-02T09:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the 10th anniversary of my triple-bypass surgery. I've been watching my cholesterol religiously, and going to see my cardiologist every 6 months since then. My heart is in great shape.

Since then, I've (1) finished an advanced degree, (2) had a new career, and (3) attended SXSW five (5) times. I've met a ton of new friends.

I have now decided to retire, so I can pursue other creative endeavors. I have a couple of building projects in the planning, plus fence fixing and/or building, tree trimming, and assorted landscaping jobs. That's just for starters. Frankie and I want to do some traveling, and I may do some writing and painting.

Interesting use for a blog

2010-10-29T08:49:00.000-07:00

I probably should have been using this way before now, but I haven't been good.

I was reading back through my blog entries, and on the May 25th entry, I read about starting a fire on a tree stump on May 21. Then I realized "hey, this is when my current episode of back pain and sciatica started!" I've been asked that question by at least 3 doctors, and now I know for sure. (great use for a blog, tracking dates)

It always happens this way. First, I strain or stress my back, and it gets sore. Then, other things happen, and I make it worse, until I wind up flat on my back for a couple of days. That gets my attention. Then, I take aggressive action (pills, etc.) and am very careful until full function is restored. It's okay until the NEXT episode. This has been going on since 1983! I only remember 3-4 bad episodes, but maybe I'm blocking.

Since May 21, my mother passed away (June 30), we moved all her stuff out of her apartment (July 7-8), I went to my doctor (July 11), had 2 MRIs and an ultrasound (July 16), and saw a chiropractor (July 23, 25). Then I eased off on the treatment until sometime in September, when I went back to the chiropractor. My leg started really hurting during the last week in September, but I still sat up in a tree on October 2 for about 4 hours, and by October 7, I was flat on my back for two days of pure misery. I went to the emergency room on October 9, and got some prescriptions. It's only been the last three of days that I have gone off the Ibuprofen, which upsets my stomach terribly. I still have some back pain, but I'm taking it easy and doing lots of stretching, etc. I also have an inversion table, which I use daily.

I think I'm on the mend, but promise to not re-injure it more in the near future. I have been feeling so bad and tired lately that I decided to retire effective December 31, 2010. More about that later.

A Little Hitch

2010-06-08T11:24:00.000-07:00

I created myself a problem just the other day. I am using Ubuntu 10.04 GNU/Linux, and the top panel wasn't showing me what I wanted to see, so I deleted it. I thought that it would be reinstated after I logged out or rebooted, but no, it wasn't. So there I am with a blank desktop, with just the bottom panel, which shows open programs, virtual desktops, and an icon to clear the desktop. Nothing to launch programs graphically.

The next day, I looked it up on the Internet, and read all about moving, resizing, adding and deleting panels, and how to add items to the panel. Last night, I created a new panel, then populated it with appropriate launchers, all by pointing and clicking. One of the items you can choose is called the 'Menu Bar', and it includes three drop-down menus. Now I am back in business. I have discovered that even with small hitches like this, and the ability to totally customize everything (which sometimes leads to confusion), I still like this version of Linux wa-a-a-ay better than Windows. It is just plain fun to use, plus I can do some development work, run a local web server, etc.

New Day in Computing

2010-06-03T13:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a red-letter day for me. I ditched Windows Vista (Home Basic), and installed Ubuntu 10.04 LTS Linux as my one-and-only operating system.

I had been thinking about it for a while, trying out different programs, and working up my nerve to not use Spider Solitaire under Windows, with its cool graphics, ever again.

When I was about 97% sure I wanted to go for it, I started the process of backing up my files to a DVD. First, I was going to use the Windows Back-Up software, but it had so many restrictions on what it would back up, that almost put me at 100%. Then, I used Roxio CD/DVD Creator to make my backup, and it hung up, then wouldn't respond when asked to stop. That really pushed me over the top.

I inserted the CD of Ubuntu, and let 'er rip. Within about an hour, I had a basic, usable system. Today, I have been seeking out and installing some cool software that is not part of the basic system. You can do a lot of real work with the basics, but there are a few things I wanted. The first was GnuCash, an accounting program. I also downloaded Audacity, Gimp, a web server, a CD ripper, and some other interesting-sounding titles. When I was looking at GnuCash, I found two other "simple home banking" programs, and downloaded them, too. I plan to eventually set up a CMS package, such as Word Press or Drupal.

Week in Review

2010-05-25T07:42:00.000-07:00

My mom was sent from the hospital to a nursing home Friday. Friday evening, we took her some clothes and saw where she was staying.

I started two fires on some dead-tree stumps.

Saturday morning, two friends from work came out to pick Agarita berries. We helped them get started and tended my fires. We got cleaned up and drove to Austin to an Austin Ballet recital that our granddaughter, Emily was in. After the recital, we shopped at Sam's and ate at the Texas Roadhouse.

Sunday was a day of rest. I had to, I was so sore from working on the tree stumps.

Monday, one of my friends had a jar of agarita jelly for me. After work, we went straight to Luling to fill out paperwork at the nursing home, then met our new tenants at the mobile home we rent out. They are a very nice young couple.

This afternoon after work I have a meeting at Bedichek Middle School of our knitting class. It is a celebration and reflection on the semester we just finished.

Back Again

2010-05-18T13:03:00.000-07:00

I didn't intend to stay gone so long, but I was playing around with another piece of software and a free web-hosting site. I think I just need to write, and not worry about where things are kept, or exactly how they look.

I intend to do some writing about knitting, cycling, simple living, and probably my imminent(?) retirement (about a year away).

I have been busy with some volunteering in the public schools, and working with my land, etc. I really need to get back into writing. As I get older, I cannot do all the things I once could do, nor do I have time to do some things, but I can keep busy, I can do some things, and I can write about them. This will not be a political rant blog, so if you're looking for that sort of thing, this won't be for you.

Six of one, half dozen of another

2010-05-18T12:44:00.000-07:00

Published on another website on October 7, 2009.

Very busy month shaping up for October.

I’m involved in AIR Austin, which culminates on Oct. 24 in an all-day rally. AIR is the Accessible Internet Relay.

Last weekend, we spent one day at the antiques/junk fair at Warrenton/Round Top.

This weekend, we’re going to Houston to see the Terra Cotta Warriors exhibit at the Houston Museum of Natural Science (Sat), and the Central Texas yarn crawl (Sun).

The yarn crawl is actually Oct. 9-12, so I’m going to try to visit a few of the local shops on Friday during lunch and after work, then drive out into the hill country on Sunday.

I just got a new laptop, a Dell 1545. I will never buy another HP or Compaq computer again. This Dell has them beat all over.

Tomorrow night, Oct. 8, is the annual fund-raising banquet for Central Texas Life Care, which we will attend.

I’ll probably miss Octoberfish, Oct 16-18, because we’ll be painting cabinets on the 17th.

I’m hoping that November will be a little less busy.

A Very Pleasant Evening

2009-03-17T16:59:00.000-07:00

The next few posts will be all about SXSWi, or South by Southwest Interactive 2009. I would have posted every day since Friday, March 13, but I couldn't get any connectivity at the Convention Center with the exception of the connection stations scattered around the building. I don't know why this happened, I saw many others using the wi-fi. Since I didn't get that done, I will blog about my experiences, beginning with the last very pleasant hour, and working back to the beginning, however long it takes.

What made this a very pleasant evening was not the barbeque at The Iron Works, as good as that was. No, it was a very serendipitous happenstance that placed me in the presence of a man whose writings have been entertaining and enlightening me for many years in the pages of the Linux Journal. I had dinner with Doc Searls and a friend of his, Joe Andrieu.

Doc and Joe are working together on a project to enable Vendor Relationship Management using open software and a web-based service. Sounds very interesting. This concept is to give the customer control over their relationships with the many vendors they do business with, in much the same way companies manage their relationships with their many customers. An idea whose time has come.

Doc was very interested in my story, as I was in his. We are one month apart in age, so we had a lot in common. We touched on topics as diverse as genealogy, geography, geology, social media, the Web, and Linux. He even asked me the identity of the loud obnoxious birds outside his hotel, which I recognized from his description as Grackles.

Tomorrow, I'll post some photos from SXSW, and share some of my other experiences.

Monday, Feb. 23 Dedication Ed Werland Room

2009-02-24T11:12:00.000-08:00

Monday, February 23rd, was Frankie's and my 39th wedding anniversary. It was also the day the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department named and dedicated a training room to the memory of Ed Werland. (Photo: Cindy Werland, son-in-law Louis, and daughter Vanessa)

The party was well attended, and everyone had a great time.
(Photo: Julia visits with Richard Roberts)
(Photo: Frankie visits with Carol Ann and Bobby Werland)

We carpooled over to the building at Airport Commerce Park. Frankie and I took Julia Gregory, Dyanne Cortez, and Karen Pianka.

Weekend-before-Last

2009-02-23T10:50:00.000-08:00

We had fun on Feb. 14-16. First, there was the Texas Loves Ravelry pary at The Knitting Nest in Austin. Frankie and I met Marguerite and Geoff, Julia, and Julia's neighbor Anna. We all had lunch at The Texas Roadhouse. Mmmmmm steaks. After that, we picked up Emily at her dance class.

On the way back to Lockhart, we stopped at the Airport Pulga, and Emily got to see some chickens, rabbits, pigeons, burros, etc.

Back home, we had bike-riding lessons. My brother-in-law, Paul, had found some bikes in a thrift shop for $5 each, and one was just Emily's size, so I adjusted the handlebar and seat for her, and we took turns pushing her around the yard. Then we discovered a ramp off the driveway, and she could get a start off that and head (slightly) downhill. She got to going about 30 yards at a stretch. We had another old bike (a Walmart special, got free), which I adjusted and sprayed with WD-40, and we took turns riding that one along with her.

Saturday in Austin

2009-02-21T09:44:00.000-08:00

I'm spending the day bumming around Austin, Texas. I have been at The Knitting Nest for about an hour, knitting with the regular Saturday crowd. Next, I'm going to an open house at one or two of Austin's new train stations (light rail).

The trip up to MLK, Jr. and Airport was nice. There are some really nice neighborhoods in Austin along the Pleasant Valley Blvd. corridor.

The plan was to do some more editing at the two train stations, but instead I spent the time talking to folks, taking pictures, and asking questions. It was very exciting. I finished up at the Crestview Station, Airport and N. Lamar, at 2:00, then drove out to Pflugerville, where my daughter's family lives.

We ate pizza at Conan's, then I started home at about 5:30.

Recent Activities

2009-01-13T09:59:00.000-08:00

Recently, I've been thinking about trying to get my granddaughter interested in yarn crafts, and I asked her mother if she had tried out loom knitting. No, she hadn't but was interested in it. So I did some research, and decided to buy a set of 4 circle looms to start. So last Friday, I went to Hobby Lobby to get the looms, and planned to stop at the library and get some books.

I am in a Ravelry group called "A Good Yarn", which is composed of fans of Debbie Macomber. Well, I've read many of Debbie's books, but not the one everyone in the group seems to be reading, which is Twenty Wishes. While I was at the library, I picked up Twenty Wishes, Where Angels Go, The Big Book of Knitting, and Kids Knitting.

I was casually skimming the Kids Knitting book, and it talks about kids making their own knitting needles, which, as it turns out, is not very difficult at all, and something that any child could do. Since I had some old dowels out in the garage, I decided to make a few, which I did. I now have everything from a 3.25 mm (bamboo skewer), about 5 mm (chopsticks), 3/16" (4.76 mm), 1/4" (6.35 mm), 3/8" (9.5 mm), 1/2" (12.7 mm), and 5/8" (15.8 mm) wooden knitting needles. It is fun to do, and they can be given away along with an article made on them. One of the interesting things about making your own wooden needles, is creating interesting end caps for them.

I am currently knitting a second pair of fingerless mitts, and have a hat on the circle loom.

Shameless Self-Promotion

2009-01-13T09:51:00.000-08:00

I've never been one to build myself up to others. I always figured if people got to know me and wanted me to be their friend, so be it. However, it always feels good for someone to brag on you once in a while. My friend Julia Gregory Poirier, a.k.a.Yarnmaven, recently put in a plug for me, and it felt really good. See My Friend Frank on her blog.

Pattern for Felted Netbook Bag

2009-01-07T08:19:00.001-08:00

Felted Bag for 10" ASUS computer

Finished size 11 1/2 in. x 8 1/2 in.
Materials:
1 skein of Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool
Size US 15, 10mm needles

This project is knit with two strands of yarn. Pull the inner and outer ends, and knit with them held together.
A test patch is recommended, about 8" x 8", then felted. On mine, the row shrunk about 6%, but the length across rows shrunk 23%.

Using the two strands of yarn, cast on 37 stitches (about 12 1/3 inch). Knit garter stitch until the block is 24-25 inches long, then taper.

Taper:
Row 1: k 2, ssk, k until 4 sts remain, k2tog, k 2.
Row 2: k across.
Repeat rows until 5 sts remain, bind off.

Fold 12" up from beginning and seam the sides to make a pocket.

Wash in a top-loading machine, in a bag, 15 min. on high agitation.
Allow to air dry 2-3 days. You may want to pull it into the shape you want.
Using pointed scissors, cut a buttonhole vertically in the end of the flap. Finish buttonhole.
Place button (1 1/2 in. button) on the body of the bag.

A Long Time Coming

2009-01-06T13:18:00.000-08:00

Wow! It's been a long time since I said anything here. I started knitting back in August, and shortly thereafter joined Ravelry. Since then, most of my online activity has been posting projects on Ravelry. I've also been knitting and reading a lot. I read just about everything I can get my hands on by Debbie Macomber, even some of her old stuff that has been republished.

I have knit 6 scarves, one hat, and a pair of fingerless mitts so far. Oh, I also knit and felted a slipcover for my 10" ASUS netbook (twice, since it didn't felt right the first time), and washcloth.

I have joined a mitten knit-along for the month of January, and it's a lot of fun.

Knitting

2008-08-26T07:03:00.000-07:00

I finished that first scarf, did another one (2-hour pattern) in 4 days (red Homespun), and am making good progress on a cotton washcloth.

Knitting Progress

2008-08-06T11:31:00.000-07:00

My scarf is up to about 41 inches so far. I knit during TV shows in the evening. I've also started a washcloth with mercerized cotton. I have some thread that's like a lace-weight yarn that I want to knit into a filmy, loose shawl. It's something I found in a bargain bin years ago while looking for fly tying materials. I also have an idea for my next scarf. Nuff said.

New Drawings

2008-07-31T08:54:00.001-07:00

I've been adding some new drawings, such as the one above, to my Flickr account.

Progress

2008-07-07T12:27:00.000-07:00

Last week, I was able to upload data for the Public Hunt Drawing system search function on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website. This morning, I finished up 9 pages on the provisions of the new Farm Bill. The old pages were poorly formatted and not very accessible, so I updated the format and added headings for sightless navigation.

Knitting

2008-07-03T11:30:00.000-07:00

I've been doing a little knitting. Got about 5 rows so far. Some of my first stitches aren't very even, and I think some of them split the yarn.

How to get started?

2008-06-30T06:43:00.000-07:00

I just can't seem to keep any momentum at all in this blog. Part of that comes from not having a burning issue that I want to hammer on all the time. When I have the opportunity to sit down and write out an entry, I'm usually at work, and I feel guilty for doing it, even on my break. Then when I have the perfect time to do it and really feel like it, I either don't have a computer available or no Internet connection. I look around at my friends and my daughter, and their blogging at least several times a week. They're also on Ravelry and other venues.

I think from now on I'll treat this as a letter to my friends.

I'll try to upload more pictures. I have lots of good ones that I just haven't resized and uploaded to Flickr. I've been taking some baby steps into the craft of knitting.

Poison Ivy

2008-04-22T09:48:00.000-07:00

I recently found out what poison ivy looks like, and this is it.

Getting the Family Outdoors

2008-03-20T06:14:00.000-07:00

If you're anywhere near Austin or Kyle, Texas, here is an interesting event for your family, especially if you have young children. Outdoor Family Event. Getting your kids connected with nature is a cure for all sorts of ills, and produces more balanced, well-rounded individuals. Give it a try!

Padre Island

2008-03-14T07:23:00.001-07:00

Idyllic Scene

2008-03-12T12:54:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite watercolor sketches. I've done copies of it several times, no two of which ever come out the same.

Homelessness a Choice

2007-09-26T09:31:00.000-07:00

I just saw an article on the website of the City of Ft. Worth that stated that the "Homeless Czar" of the United States was coming to that city. It went on to say that Mayor Mike Moncrief would express his concerns over the "homelessness crisis" there. There are 4,000 people living on the streets of Ft. Worth.

I have seen interviews with some of the homeless, and they indicate that they have a great deal of freedom that they wouldn't want to give up for a permanent address. With our government at all levels taxing us to distraction, funding a war across the planet, and wasting money right and left, sometimes I sympathize with those we usually consider "less fortunate".

I once saw a documentary about a homeless man. The film crew arranged for him to "find" $100,000, then followed him as he spent it all in about six months, and once again moved in under a bridge. He "didn't want nobody telling [him] what to do."

Well, maybe the government can supply housing to some of them who want it, but they won't eliminate the phenomenon. And we'll have another government program to waste our money. On the other hand, if there wasn't so much government control over our lives, we would all find a place to sleep, and no one would worry about it.

Digital Millenium Copyright Act - Public Enemy No. 2

2007-09-12T08:37:00.000-07:00

The Digital Millenium Copyright Act of 1998 was the second worst piece of legislation in recent memory. It sold all the public's rights to use and modify ideas over to large media companies, and made it possible for companies such as Disney and the large recording companies to use technology to prevent their own customers from exercising the rights which we still retain. If a computer professional writes software to overcome these barriers to fair use, they are breaking the law to enforce a right. How does this make sense?

We've had the infamous DMCA for 9 years now, and there are a host of unintended consequences. Congress, in buying a bill of goods from Hollywood and the Recording Industry of America, passed the DMCA based on lies, and the results are disastrous. You really must read this article from the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

I'll Take Liberty, Thanks

2007-09-07T08:41:00.000-07:00

I heard recently that someone famous once said, "I believe that democracy is the best form for government to take, too bad it's never been tried." I don't know if I agree with that assessment. Truly democratic government would have the whole populace voting on every law and regulation, which would not only be very cumbersome, but would not guarantee good laws. Any individual's vote or opinion is heavily influenced by the news media, and "He who owns the media decides what is put in it."

So we have this "representative" form of government, and the rule of law. I really don't care if we have a democracy. I really don't care if the majority rules. My only desire is for freedom and liberty. I want the Bill of Rights to be effective, and enforced. The second amendment says that "Congress shall make no law abridging the right to keep and bear arms," yet we have over 200 Federal laws doing just that. That amendment was written so that we could protect ourselves from tyranny, in a day when any man with a rifle was just as effective as any soldier, but we lost parity with the military many, many years ago. The second amendment supports all the others.

The first amendment is supposed to guarantee free speech, but the so-called "fairness doctrine" passed a few years ago was a gag order for any American who wanted to speak out about elections, unless they were in a "camp" or in the "media". Many of our media protection laws don't apply to bloggers unless you follow a bunch of guidelines and act much like the traditional media.

The fourth amendment is supposed to protect us from "unlawful search and seizure", but now the government is spying on us all, and AT&T, who is breaking the law in collusion with this administration, may never be brought to justice, because of the political powers that be.

The Patriot Act is the worst trashing of the Bill of Rights ever enacted, yet was largely unopposed. The Department of Homeland Security is a dangerous amalgam of many smaller agencies, and cannot do what it was created for. The events of 9-11-2001, while tragic, were not as devastating to this country as they are made out to be, and 6 years later, we are not any safer. We are actually less secure, because our army is stretched to the breaking point. The *Government* cannot protect us all. As Ben Franklin once said, "Those who would give up liberty to purchase a little safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." See Neither Liberty Nor Safety, by Robert Higgs.

2007-09-06T08:41:00.000-07:00

Old barn

2007-09-05T11:40:00.000-07:00

I've always been drawn to old buildings, because of the textures on them.

Early gesture drawing

2007-09-04T13:43:00.000-07:00

All the instruction I had before doing this was "Try to get the overall shape, don't take your eyes off the subject, and don't erase!"

Extinction, Anyone?

2007-08-10T11:58:00.000-07:00

I just heard on the radio about US efforts to eradicate poppy fields in Afghanistan or someplace. Why do we want to do that? To beat the drug cartels. Why do we have drug cartels? Because the price of illegal drugs is so high. Why is the price of a naturally-occurring, cheap-, and easy-to-produce substance so high? Because the US government made them illegal, and crooks have to be well-paid for their nefarious activities to make up for the risk of prison. And because drug addicts will have their poison, no matter what it costs.

But isn't 'eradicate' something like 'to make extinct'? Has the US government decided that a plant that God created is not worth having around anymore? What happened to the Endangered Species Act? What happened to the Sierra Club, Greenpeace, and all those types? Where are they in all this?

Is there another solution to this 'problem'? What if we let the air out of the drug cartels' tires? We could do this by taking the profit out of the illicit drug trade. How? If these drugs were legal, other producers would enter the market at much lower prices. (Economics 101)

Let's attack this problem from the other end. Let's say a bunch of people have a problem. They like narcotics. Now, this is a medical problem. It could also be a moral problem, depending on your beliefs. Why also make it a legal problem? You deal with medical problems with treatment. You deal with moral problems with education. When you introduce the criminal justice system into it, then you have police, prosecutors, judges, jailers, smugglers, dealers, cartels, and a vast network of clandestine suppliers. You've created a whole new industry. An industry, by the way, which has cost the United States trillions of dollars over the past 70 years or so.

We even have a man in Washington in charge of US 'drug policy'. He probably makes a couple hundred grand a year to sit in an office and oversee the 'war on drugs', which we have been losing for 30 years or more. How many people do you know who make such a handsome salary for failure?

So we go out and try to 'eradicate' the plants that some really poor farmers in Afghanistan are raising so they can feed their families. You know this has been tried before, don't you? You know it failed before, don't you? And if we were able to eradicate all the poppy flowers, and all the coca trees, and all the marijuana plants in the world, we would have fewer species left in the world, and addicts (kids, too) would turn to synthetic drugs made in homemade labs. Oh, yeah, they've already done that.

Gun Rights the Answer to Crime

2007-08-09T06:38:00.000-07:00

We just heard about a tragedy in Newark, NJ, where 4 young adults were lined up and shot during a robbery.

The mayor said a lot was being done to round up fugitives and help ex-convicts reintegrate into society. Both of these are fine things to do. However, if a single law-abiding citizen had been in the vicinity carrying a concealed weapon, this tragedy could have been stopped. If more law-abiding citizens were armed, these criminals would think twice about doing this.

Let's face facts. If New Jersey insists on keeping the vast majority of its population unarmed, the gangs and other criminals will feel safe to kill whomever they want. The police can't be everywhere. The largest deterrent to crime is the feeling among criminals that the next house they break into could lead to their death.

This is related to the 911 mentality. Many Americans are willing to give up all their civil rights so that the government can protect them. What they don't realize is that the government, the police, the Department of Homeland Security, cannot protect us all. Never have, never will. Self-defense is a fundamental human right in all societies.

You all need to wake up and smell the coffee.

Wow, is this guy ever going to write?

2007-07-31T09:29:00.000-07:00

It's been a really long time since I've published. What with work being crazy, trying to do some drawing and painting, and scanning all my old sketchbooks into digital form, writing has been really far down my priority list. I'm going to start posting some sketches soon.

It's been raining almost every day for over a month. I lost track of how much we've had, buy my pond has been running over for a long time. We've just got out and mowed the pasture for the first time this year (still not finished - hay, just getting started) The flowering plants are as tall as the rear tire on my tractor in places, about 4 ft. or so. I was going to try to cut a dead tree off the back side of my tank dam, haven't been able to get near it. I think a machete and an ax are called for.

A friend of mine, Yarnmaven, turned me on to Mustang grape jelly, so I went out to the county road near my house and picked 4 gallons. We've made three batches of jelly.

Interesting

2007-07-31T09:28:00.001-07:00

Your Life Path Number is 6

Your purpose in life is to help others

You are very compassionate, and you offer comfort to those around you.
It pains you to see other people hurting, and you do all in your power to help them.
You take on responsibility, and don't mind personal sacrifice. You are the ultimate giver.

In love, you offer warmth and protection to your partner.

You often give too much of yourself, and you rarely put your own needs first.
Emotions tend to rule your decisions too much, especially when it comes to love.
And while taking care of people is great, make sure to give them room to grow on their own.

What Is Your Life Path Number?

Not Enough Time

2007-06-11T07:04:00.000-07:00

There's never enough time to do all the things you want to do, plus the things you need to do, plus the things someone thinks you should do. Right now, my desk at home is piling up with bills and bank statements waiting to be entered. The cows need to be fed, the llamas need to be sheared, the hay man will be over in about a week, and dead wood is laying around my pasture. I need to catch some fish out of one of my ponds and transfer them to another pond, but usually it's too hot or I'm too tired. I've really gotten back into the flytying thing. I spent some time yesterday gathering up tools and door prizes for my classes. Saturday I spent some time at our local fair, and helped with a chili cook-off. That plus playing with our granddaughter, eating out Friday night, and watching a couple of movies, and it was a very full weekend.

As we get older, we realize how little time we have to do more things with less energy. There must come a point where we start to jettison some of our activities. It is a clarifying experience. I pity those who never reach that point.

Flytying class

2007-06-08T06:13:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday I taught a flytying class for Camp Coca-Cola, to some 7-9th graders. Although teaching kids to tie flies is rather tedious and way less fun than teaching fly casting, it was curiously enjoyable. I think it was a combination of the drive, getting out of the office, the setting, and the young people. They were very nice.

I wasn't exactly late, but I wasn't early, and that cut into class time just for setting up tables, etc. I had planned to do some knot-tying, but skipped that. We finished one fly and then I rushed to give out door prizes. I think they all enjoyed it, and I got rid of some of my boodle. (Boodle - the stuff you collected years ago, and no longer have a need for. I don't know if that's a real definition, or I just made it up.)

The leaders of the camp were very nice, also, and after I signed out and was walking out the door, they gave me a "Camp Coca-Cola" baseball cap. I think I might do it again.

Save the Internet

2007-06-07T07:27:00.000-07:00

I just wrote another letter to the FCC about the Internet. You can read my letter at http://www.savetheinternet.com/yourstory/280382. You should write one, too.

May happenings

2007-05-30T08:36:00.000-07:00

It's been almost a month since I wrote. I felt that this might happen when I started this thing, but I will strive to do better. Since my May 4 post on disablism, I have:

planted a lawn
attended AccessU, two days of training in web accessibility issues
held accessibility/usability meetings on a web application I've been developing
had lunch with my old Tai Chi instructor, who has moved
taught flycasting at a kid's fishing event at Palmetto State Park
gone fishing a couple of times.

Many thoughts have passed through my mind, never to be recovered in their entirety. I've had a lot of fun with flickr. I've been a photo buff for many, many years, and this new thing is just a great way to share. I've got some great slides for my screensaver and my computer desktop, too. I don't feel that this is a misuse of the fair use doctrine for copyrighted works. I don't sell photos I've downloaded, and cycle them off my computer periodically. One of the great things about the Internet and flickr is that you never have to become bored with your space.

Disablism

2007-05-04T10:24:00.000-07:00

A bunch of people were blogging against disablism on May 1. I missed it by a couple of days, but here goes. I'm not disabled right now, but you never know when something may happen and change that.

My pet peeve a few years ago was ramps. My college campus was very hilly, with stairs everywhere in the sidewalks. They had installed some ramps, but you had to go around the building to use them. They were only wide enough for one wheelchair at a time, and some had several switchbacks in order to negotiate the hillside. This meant that the ramp was one way at a time. The ramp to the library was way out of the way, but they did have a "basement" door which could be used if you were actually in a wheelchair.

At the time, I was an older student, taking computer science courses. Now, they make computer science books really thick and heavy. I couldn't walk around all day with a load of books, especially after the open-heart surgery, so I used a luggage cart. Thus, I was a regular user of the ramps. The aforementioned library door wasn't accessible to me, since I wasn't actually sitting in a wheelchair. It is in cases such as this where some provision is made for the disabled, but is not legal for all disabled persons.

Another pet peeve is the disabled parking. It is fine for persons with a sticker, hang-tag or special license plates, but what if you hurt your leg that morning getting out of the tub? It doesn't matter how far you have to limp to get into the store. But I have seen many individuals get out of a specially tagged car and walk into a store with no problems. Well, the system isn't perfect, and I don't want to have camera surveillance in parking lots (any more than we already do), but by creating more and more of these special slots, the stores (by government decree) encourage abuse of the system. And they don't all have to be the first ones in front of the door. Many disabled persons just need an extra roomy slot so they can get their scooter out of the car. The distance from the door is irrelevant.

First Post

2007-04-20T07:01:00.000-07:00

I've been contemplating having a blog for literally months now. Every once in a while, something happens that I just want to shout about. The latest big thing is the tragedy at Virginia Tech.

Now there is going to be a blogging event about the barriers to people with disabilities, and it will happen next Tuesday, May 1. I just decided it's now or never, and just Did It.

I chose the name in about 1 minute. I called my blog Artistic License, because I like to do artistic things and try to be creative, and no matter what I write about, it'll be covered by artistic license. Choosing the web address was much harder, since a lot of URLs similar to artistic, artistic-license, etc. were already taken. The auto-generation genie wanted me to put my name in there, but I just didn't want to, so it took a bunch of tries before I settled on one.