We Haven't Disappeared!

Sorry for the lack of posts, folks. The past couple of weeks have been somewhat chaotic – I'm currently (a) holding down my job, (b) caring for my wife who broke her arm a couple weeks ago, (c) attending and speaking at the Service-now Knowledge09 user conference, and (d) doing most of the chores at home, as they're impossible for a one-armed wife to do.

The foregoing leaves me with but little time for fun things like my blog.

But I'll be back...

P.S. Debbie's doing fine, though she had a slight setback yesterday. She went to the doctor's office to have a new cast put on, as the old one was causing problems with her elbow (pressure and chafing). The doctor removed the old cast and discovered that her bones weren't in the perfect position – so there was some (very) painful “repositioning” before the new cast was put on. Ouch! But despite that, she's actually doing just fine – her bones are in the right place now, and her new cast doesn't extend over her elbow, so the discomfort caused by her cast is completely gone...

Quote of the Day (Extended Edition)...

Read and absorb this:

And that is why we should not revert to the foreign policy of years gone by, of the world weary, the supposedly sensible practitioners of caution and expediency, who think they see the world for what it is, without the illusions of the idealist who sees what it could be.

We should remember what such expediency led us to, what such caution produced. Here is where I remain adamantly in the same spot, metaphorically as well as actually, of ten years ago, that evening in this city. The statesmanship that went before regarded politics as a Bismarck or Machiavelli regarded it. It's all a power play; a matter, not of right or wrong, but of who's on our side, and our side defined by our interests, not our values. The notion of humanitarian intervention was the meddling of the unwise, untutored and inexperienced.

But was it practical to let Pakistan develop as it did in the last thirty years, without asking what effect the madrassas would have on a generation educated in them? Or wise to employ the Taliban to drive the Russians out of Afghanistan? Or to ask Saddam to halt Iran? Was it really experienced statesmanship that let thousands upon thousands die in Bosnia before we intervened or turned our face from the genocide of Rwanda?

Or to form alliances with any regime, however bad, because they solve 'today' without asking whether they will imperil 'tomorrow'? This isn't statesmanship. It is just politics practiced for the most comfort and the least disturbance in the present moment.

I never thought such politics very sensible or practical. I think it even less so now. We live in the era of interdependence; the idea that if we let a problem fester, it will be contained within its boundaries no longer applies. That is why leaving Africa to the ravages of famine, conflict and disease is not just immoral but immature in its political understanding. Their problems will become ours.

And this struggle we face now cannot be defeated by staying out; but by sticking in, abiding by our values not retreating from them.

It is a cause that must be defeated by a better cause. That cause is one of open, tolerant, outward-looking societies in which people respect diversity and difference in which peaceful co-existence can flourish. It is a cause that has to be fought for; with hearts and minds as well as arms, of course. But fought for, nonetheless with the courage to see it through and the confidence that the cause is just, right and the only way the future of our world can work.

This is from a speech by a politician we would consider quite “liberal”, as that term is used in American politics – spoken by Tony Blair, former British Prime Minister, just the other day in Chicago.

If we had a Democrat who thought this clearly, who communicated with such clarity, who was so direct and specific, and whose view of the existential threat posed by Islamic fundamentalism was so closely aligned with mine – I'd vote for him, regardless of the many other liberal views he held that I disagreed with.

Because this is the most important thing, the threat to our very being.

And this is what scares me the most about Obama. The rest is just details...

Your Eyes Suck at Blue...

The fetching lass at right is Traci, whose entire involvement with this post is as a demonstrater model – for an interesting visual phenomenon that has some real-world implications for how we store and display photographs.

The gist of this notion is that our eyes pick up very little detail in blue. More precisely, our spatial resolution in blue is far worse than it is in green (especially) or red. This means that an image's actual quality in blue isn't very important to our perception of it – and that means there's a compression opportunity.

Check out the all the details in this excellent article.

Snow Rollers...

These are a natural phenomenon I'd never heard of before – the rare “snow roller”. In this particular case they were spotted on the Idaho panhandle.

Check it out!

WTF?

First, absorb this statement concerning Abdiwali Abdiqadir Muse, the sole surviving pirate of the group that hijacked the Maersk Alabama:

"I think in this particular case, there's a grave question as to whether America was in violation of principles of truce in warfare on the high seas. This man seemed to come onto the Bainbridge under a flag of truce to negotiate. He was then captured. There is a question whether he is lawfully in American custody and serious questions as to whether he can be prosecuted because of his age."

What's your reaction to that?

If you said to yourself “Yeah, why are they prosecuting this poor guy?”, then please leave my website and move to somewhere like, say, France.

If you said to yourself “I need more ammunition and less lawyers”, well, then, you're in the right place.

So far as I'm concerned, the only mistake our military made with the surviving pirate is the word “surviving”.

More SEALs, fewer lawyers.

More direct, substantive and effective action, less arrogant and effete blathering.

Oh, I guess those two statements are more or less equivalent, aren't they?

Quote of the Day (Photo Edition)...

You Go, Girl!

Susan Boyle on Britain Got Talent
by dwarthy

Quote of the Day...

From the Wall Street Journal:

The kidnapped captain of the Maersk Alabama has been rescued and is safe aboard a U.S. Navy ship.

Wonderful. Just plain wonderful.

And I can't help but love the image this projects to the world and to the cursed Somali pirates: you screw around with an American ship, not only do you not have a crew, a ship, and a cargo to ransom – you die at the hands of American warriors.

Feeling lucky, punks?

Guess not, eh?

I don't often agree with Obama on anything at all, but from what I've read he played this exactly right – especially issuing standing orders to the men on the scene to use deadly force if they felt Captain Phillips' life was in danger. No micromanagement like Carter – much to his credit, Obama left this to the pros.

And those pros pulled off something very impressive here. I can tell you from personal experience in the Navy that a lifeboat towed some 80 feet behind a warship is going to be bobbing and weaving all over the place – not an easy shot, even at the relatively short range. The three Somali pirate assholes had guns to the head of Captain Phillips, and the Seals took all three of them out before they could fire a shot. Nice work, guys. And thank you, sirs, for your service to this country.

A Little Advenure...

Debbie and I did a little four-wheeling today, in a beautiful area that was entirely new to us – to our shame, as it's very close to home! We drove through areas between Corte Madera, Skye Valley, and Lake Morena, as you can see on this map. We took a big loop, counter-clockwise from a junction called “Four Corners”.

The first part of the trip as we left Four Corners was our favorite part – from there up to Los Pinos, down to the saddle between Los Pinos and Corte Madera, and then down Espinoza Creek to the Corte Madera road. This stretch had it all: grand views (especially of Corte Madera itself), pine forests, meadows, and oak forest.

Shortly after the junction with Corte Madera Road (where we start to head down toward about 10 o'clock on our loop) we entered lands that burned in the October 2007 wildfires. While it was interesting to see the recovery, and there were some beautiful wildflowers in there, we still much prefer the unburned areas.

Here are some more photos from today:

Some Casino News...

Though I'm not entirely sure what it means... From the San Diego Union-Tribune:

The Jamul Indian band has dropped a lawsuit in which it was accusing state officials of meddling with its casino plans.

Neither side explained what was behind the joint request to dismiss the lawsuit in San Diego federal court.

A spokesman for the California Department of Transportation, or Caltrans, said he couldn't talk about the case until the judge agreed to dismiss it.

Repeated calls to tribal officials and their lawyers were not returned.

However, a lawyer for a group of neighbors opposed to the casino said the tribe agreed to submit its plans to a state environmental review.

There are several possibilities here. The one that seems most likely to me (but keep in mind that I am not a lawyer, nor do I have full knowledge of the situation) is that the Jamul Indians no longer have the financial resources to pursue this expensive litigation, and they are probably under some pressure from Lakes Entertainment to resolve the situation in such a way that some kind of profitable casino can be built, so...they reached an accommodation with CalTrans.

So I'm afraid this probably increases the chances of a casino being built...but most likely it would be a casino at a much-reduced scale.

Another Dog Found!

A reader emailed me with news of a dog wandering around the area around Lyons Valley Road and Jamul Highlands Road – near the Mormon Church and just down the street from the middle school. He's a nice-looking dog, but won't let anybody approach. He must be looking for his owner!

My reader isn't sure if the dog has a collar or tags. If this dog looks familiar to you, take a look around that area. If you've got questions or need more information, write me and I can relay your questions to my reader...

Dog Found!

Amber from the Steele Canyon Veterinary clinic writes to say that a male dog has been found near the Jamul Post Office. It's currently at the clinic (behind the 7-11 at the corner of Campo Road and Steele Canyon Road). You can reach them at 619/669-7274.

This dog would like to go home – if your little guy is missing, do give them a jingle...

Criminals Prefer Unarmed Citizens!

I guess we're just counter-cultural and/or primitive out here in the sticks. Any miscreant showing his face at our home will be met with warnings, curses, and supersonic lead. But mostly supersonic lead.

Casino Pessimism...

From Sign On San Diego, an article that sounds a bit pessimistic about the prospects for the Jamul Indian Casino. From the article:

Federal recognition is required for tribes to receive federal aid and participate in government programs. It's also necessary to conduct gaming.

For a tribe like Jamul, the Supreme Court's decision “raises questions about the status of the land,” Indian law expert Kathryn Rand said.

“Those questions might ultimately be decided in favor of the tribe, but . . . they are dependent upon the particular circumstances surrounding the tribe's recognition and the land taken into trust,” said Rand, a law professor who co-founded the Institute for the Study of Tribal Gaming Law and Policy at the University of North Dakota.

Rand said she would expect state and local officials – who have battled Jamul's plans to build a casino – to raise those issues.

Good. Jamul with a casino would be forever changed for the worse...

Good vs. Evil...

Reader Linda I. sent in this photo of a 3 foot long King snake that's just about finished with his lunch: a smaller rattlesnake. The only part of the rattlesnake that's still visible is the rattles, and I'm sure those didn't last long!

Many people have such a fear of rattlesnakes that they tend to brand all snakes as vermin. The reality is that we have more good snakes (King snakes and gopher snakes, especially) than bad snakes (if you subscribe to the notion that rattlesnakes are bad). Rattlesnakes are especially good at controlling the populations of small rodents, so they're not entirely evil themselves – but if your pets or small children have the run of your yard, you might find it hard to think of rattlesnakes as anything other than a mortal enemy...

Jonny Dallo's Real Sentence...

An anonymous reader sends this word:

I just want to say about the whole Johnny Dallo situation that on your blog it says he got a year and he did but, I just want to say that at the end of it all--he didn't even serve that he barely served 2 1/2 months for killing Jodi and now he's getting married. Well just to let you know the 1 year came down to that. What ever sentence anyone gets it doesn't mean that's the time that there really going to serve it gets cut down.

Assuming this is accurate (I have no way to verify it), it gives the appearance of “justice” being purchased.

If you don't remember the Jonny Dallo case, read my previous posts on the matter. The short version: Jonny Dallo, a repeat traffic offender, was travelling down Campo Road (State 94) at around 100 MPH around 4 am on June 28, 2006. He rear-ended Jodi Burnett's pickup while she was in the left-turn lane, killing her. Jonny Dallo's father is a wealthy local businessman. Jonny was charged, but the case was plea-bargained down to a guilty plea for involuntary manslaughter and he was sentenced to one year in jail (a travesty all by itself).

Now this news.

Somehow I don't believe that I'd end up so lightly punished, were I to find myself in Jonny Dallo's position...

What's UP?

From my mom:

There is a two-letter word in English that perhaps has more meanings than any other two-letter word, and that word is 'UP.' It is listed in the dictionary as being used as an [adv], [prep], [adj], [n] or [v].

It's easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP?

At a meeting, why does a topic come UP ? Why do we speak UP, and why are the officers UP for election and why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report? We call UP our friends and we use it to brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver, we warm UP the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen. We lock UP the house and some guys fix UP the old car.

At other times the little word has a real special meaning. People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses.

To be dressed is one thing but to be dressed UP is special.

And this up is confusing: A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP.

We open UP a store in the morning but we close it UP at night. We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP!

To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP, look the word UP in the dictionary. In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes UP almost 1/4 of the page and can add UP to about thirty definitions.

If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of the many ways UP is used. It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don't give UP , you may wind UP with a hundred or more.

When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP. When the sun comes out we say it is clearing UP. When it rains, it wets UP the earth. When it does not rain for awhile, things dry UP.

One could go on & on, but I'll wrap it UP, for now...my time is UP, so time to shut UP!

It all makes sense to me!

Local Burglaries...

Kimberlee Quarles, who is a neighbor of ours, wrote to make us aware of some burglaries occuring in the area. An excerpt from her blog post, with recent incidents:

INFORMATION REGARDING SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY AND BURGLARIES IN JAMUL
AS OF MARCH 18, 2009

Prior to March 10

A man was knocking on doors in the neighbor hood asking for work. He gave one of them a flyer that supposedly had his name (James Merson) and contact information. This man spoke with [a resident of Jamul Highlands] for some time and claimed to have worked for a local contractor. When the resident checked with that contractor they were told noone of that name had ever worked there. Both the resident and I called the phone number on the flyer, 619-342-8964, and it is not in service.

The home at 14782 Olive Vista was robbed twice in the week before March 10. Eleven guns, jewelry, tools, etc. were stolen.

There has also been strange activity at the end of Jamul Highlands – men fiddling with the lock on the gate up there, unknown vehicles hanging out, and groups of illegals coming through.

Tuesday, March 10

Our home at 2875 Jamul Highlands was burglarized sometime between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. I have been told there were a total of four burglaries that day, but the only address I have for another home is 3028 Jamul Highlands. The woman at that home told me she was only gone from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and the house was broken into during that time.

Thursday, March 11

A Hispanic male in camouflage clothing and a lime green hat with several large bags obviously full of items was observed hanging around near 3025 Jamul Highlands. I called it in. The deputy responded quickly but the man was gone. I believe the deputy spoke to the woman there.

In the afternoon an attempted burglary occurred at 3191 Jamul Highlands Road .

Friday, March 12

Late in the afternoon two Hispanic males (probably in their 20's) with shaved heads in a white Silverado truck, lowered and with rims, went aft er a young teenage boy who lives on our street, chasing him on his expensive “50" dirt bike (so close they almost ran him down) from the dead end of Jamul Highlands all the way down the road and then chasing him on foot when he went off onto the dirt road near 3025 Jamul Highlands. A young man at a nearby house intervened and asked the men what they were doing, but apparently they did not respond and instead got back into the truck and took off. The young man followed them up Lyons Valley Road and was able to get their license plate number, which is CA 7W49564, and went home. This same truck was seen on Jamul Highlands shortly after but left when they saw they were being observed by the same young man.

I have been told that the Sheriff’s Department checked the plate and the vehicle belongs to someone in Valley Center . I checked with the neighbors at the end of the road and they do not know anyone or have anyone visit their home of this description. There seems to be no reason why these individuals would be in the area (especially several times) or why they would chase a boy, other than possibly to stea l his dirt bike. Someone at the dead end of Jamul Highlands can watch the comings and goings of our neighborhood from that vantage point.

Monday, March 16

I have been told that as of this date, there was a third attempt to break into a home at 14782 Olive Vista.

Read Kimberlee's entire post for all the details.

Command-Line Fu...

Here's a site that any geek will love: Command-line-fu. It lets anyone post their favorite command line hacks, and then the readers vote (up or down) on them, or comment on them. The idea is to organically find the most useful hacks, and to let you find the hack you want very easily.

Cool stuff, in a very geekly way...

Photo Contest Finalists...

From the Sony World Photography Awards. See them all here.