Blast from the Past–Ringwraiths

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My first softball team, The Ringwraiths.  I was a fanatic for the game for a dozen years of so, until my travel schedule at work made team sports unrealistic.  I had a nice run though, playing on some championship winning teams in far flung venues from Southern Cal, to Arizona, to Arkansas.  Truth be told, I still miss those glory days…

Of those pictured I can only recall the names of Jim Meehan (66), Rod Headlee (13), Larry Raemakers (6), Doug Price (35) and my brother Keith (22).  I’m wearing #7.  Photo was taken in 1973 or 1974.

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Yoja of the Week

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Well, I’ve finally got around to watching the television series “Lost”.  I’m up to episode 20 of Season 1 thus far.  I’m going to reserve judgment till the story develops a little more (assuming it will).  Suffice to say up to this point, Ms. Kim Yun-jin is the best thing about the show…

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Anyway, thus far it’s been fun to see some of the stereotypes of Koreans portrayed on American television.  I’ve heard the two Korean characters will develop into more than caricatures as the series progresses. 

Another aspect I’ve enjoyed is that Lost was filmed in Hawaii and I’ve been spotting some of the places I visited during my vacation there this year.

 

Blast from the Past–Bad Ass

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I reckon this to be sometime in the fall of 1974.  It was during the Barstow to Las Vegas dirt bike race in which my pal Rod Headlee was competing.  This was at a gas stop in some desolate desert burg after the race had started. We were on our way to meet the riders at the finish line in Vegas.  The handsome dude in shades and hat would be me, the guy in the middle with the wild hair is my brother Greg.  The rude guy with his finger extended?  A friend of a friend whose name is lost to history.  I also have no idea who snapped the photo, but it was with my 110 Instamatic Kodak…

Worst case scenarios…

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Things have been pretty quiet here on the Korean peninsula.  Maybe too quiet.  Although there was a slight thrill Sunday morning.  I’m laying on the couch watching Season 4 of House when all the sudden this air raid siren goes off.  At first I thought it was coming from the TV, but that didn’t make sense.  So, I get up and go to the balcony looking for incoming artillery but it all seemed normal outside.  After a couple of minutes the siren stopped.  I’m told that Sunday was the Korean memorial day.  Well, geez.  I can think of better ways to recognize fallen war heroes than blasting an alarm during a period when tensions are running high with the whacko’s up north.  Ah well.

Anyway, Popular Mechanics  brings us the three things to fear should war break out in Korea.  Oddly enough, my dying is not among them (although I guess that is implied).

1.  North Korea already knows our war plan.  Hmm, no surprise there.  This country is thick with spies and hackers.  ROKDrop has a post up about the female spies who trade sex for secrets, like Won Jeong-hwa:

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She’s no Natasha, but…

2. North Korea uses its vast chemical weapon arsenal.  Well, I do have a USFK-issued gas mask in the closet.  Maybe I’ll even be at home if I ever need it.

3.  Flash floods become weapons.  Well, I’m kinda up on a hill, so of the three scenarios this is the one I could most likely “live” with the best.

Anyway, in all seriousness I’m not worried. Much.

80 days to go.

I got two shoes…

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and one new husband.

Well, since she changed her Facebook status, I guess it is okay to announce to the vast readership of LTG that Jenn of I Got 2 Shoes fame has done gone and got hitched.

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Jenn and her man Fahid.

Had a nice visit with the happy couple last weekend while they were in town taking care of business at their respective embassies.  Jenn has finished her contract at the hagwon in Ulsan and will be flying home to Canada later this month.

Good luck and much happiness to you both in the future!

Duke’s girl

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Congrats to Duke and Ji Young on the birth of their beautiful baby girl Kyla Kim.

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Now, Duke didn’t pass along any vital statistics like date of birth, weight and length, how long Ji Young was in labor etc.  So all I know for sure is that the baby has an amazing head of hair and the good fortune of having her mother’s good looks!

Vindication

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Well, it’s been awhile since I’ve weighed in on the whole global warming global cooling climate change issue.  And no, I’m not going to get snarky and mock Al Gore’s marriage woes.  I’ve noticed that the alarmists have been oddly quiet of late (hey, less hot air is a good thing right?).  And it’s no wonder given recent events.

All I’ve ever argued was that the science was far from settled.  So, with this I’ll consider myself vindicated.

Britain’s premier scientific institution is being forced to review its statements on climate change after a rebellion by members who question mankind’s contribution to rising temperatures.

The Royal Society has appointed a panel to rewrite the 350-year-old institution’s official position on global warming. It will publish a new “guide to the science of climate change” this summer. The society has been accused by 43 of its Fellows of refusing to accept dissenting views on climate change and exaggerating the degree of certainty that man-made emissions are the main cause.

The society appears to have conceded that it needs to correct previous statements. It said: “Any public perception that science is somehow fully settled is wholly incorrect — there is always room for new observations, theories, measurements.” This contradicts a comment by the society’s previous president, Lord May, who was once quoted as saying: “The debate on climate change is over.”

Maybe now I won’t have to die a slow and painful death from cancer, right Jacob? (heh, I see Jacob has sent his blog posting down the memory hole.  Not as sweet as an apology and admission he was wrong, but sweet just the same).

Conflicted…

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Ok, it is no secret that I’m a federal civil servant.  Have been working for my Uncle Sam for over 33 years.  And I have another 89 days to go until I retire.  At the tender age of 55.  And I’ve earned a comfortable pension that I hope to collect for at least the next 20 years.

So, I guess this video is directed at me.

I think I’ve made some valuable contributions over the years and done generally very good to excellent work in public service.  In other words, I think I’ve earned my salary (or at least kept my end of the of the employment bargain of “a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay”).

But yeah, the disparity between the government sector and the private sector is pretty shocking.  Makes me glad to be gettin’ out while the gettin’s good, because I expect there is a reckoning out there on the horizon.

So, I guess this makes for a classic case of cognitive dissonance.

Oh, and I used to work at the U.S. Department of Education.  It was cool to see the old building at the end of the video.  Although I can’t believe those crappy red school house structures are still there.  They were originally built as temporary structures to protect folks from falling marble from the buildings facade.  But they became a minor tourist attraction.  I used to stand out there and smoke and be amazed as tourists posed for photos in front of the plywood sheds.  No joke.