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Wizard of Changes -- ©cdozo 2004 to 2011
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| Tilting At Windmills |
[Jan. 1st, 2020|12:00 am] |
| [ | The river is |
| |  quixotic | ] |
I'm going to start unlocking my journal now.
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| Spaceport America! |
[Sep. 24th, 2011|07:15 am] |
I want to go.
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| With Thanks to Everyone Who Signed |
[Jul. 4th, 2011|08:48 am] |
IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident:
That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his assent to laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his governors to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his assent should be obtained; and, when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of representation in the legislature, a right inestimable to them, and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved representative houses repeatedly, for opposing, with manly firmness, his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the legislative powers, incapable of annihilation, have returned to the people at large for their exercise; the state remaining, in the mean time, exposed to all the dangers of invasions from without and convulsions within.
He has endeavored to prevent the population of these states; for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migration hither, and raising the conditions of new appropriations of lands.
He has obstructed the administration of justice, by refusing his assent to laws for establishing judiciary powers.
He has made judges dependent on his will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies, without the consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the military independent of, and superior to, the civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our Constitution and unacknowledged by our laws, giving his assent to their acts of pretended legislation:
For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us;
For protecting them, by a mock trial, from punishment for any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these states;
For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world;
For imposing taxes on us without our consent;
For depriving us, in many cases, of the benefits of trial by jury;
For transporting us beyond seas, to be tried for pretended offenses;
For abolishing the free system of English laws in a neighboring province, establishing therein an arbitrary government, and enlarging its boundaries, so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these colonies;
For taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuable laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our governments;
For suspending our own legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated government here, by declaring us out of his protection and waging war against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burned our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation, and tyranny already begun with circumstances of cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow-citizens, taken captive on the high seas, to bear arms against their country, to become the executioners of their friends and brethren, or to fall themselves by their hands.
He has excited domestic insurrection among us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers the merciless Indian savages, whose known rule of warfare is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes, and conditions.
In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms; our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have we been wanting in our attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them, from time to time, of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity; and we have conjured them, by the ties of our common kindred, to disavow these usurpations which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too, have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity which denounces our separation, and hold them as we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace friends.
We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name and by the authority of the good people of these colonies solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British crown and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved; and that, as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do. And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.
[Signed by] JOHN HANCOCK [President]
New Hampshire
JOSIAH BARTLETT,
WM. WHIPPLE,
MATTHEW THORNTON.
Massachusetts Bay
SAML. ADAMS,
JOHN ADAMS,
ROBT. TREAT PAINE,
ELBRIDGE GERRY
Rhode Island
STEP. HOPKINS,
WILLIAM ELLERY.
Connecticut
ROGER SHERMAN,
SAM'EL HUNTINGTON,
WM. WILLIAMS,
OLIVER WOLCOTT.
New York
WM. FLOYD,
PHIL. LIVINGSTON,
FRANS. LEWIS,
LEWIS MORRIS.
New Jersey
RICHD. STOCKTON,
JNO. WITHERSPOON,
FRAS. HOPKINSON,
JOHN HART,
ABRA. CLARK.
Pennsylvania
ROBT. MORRIS
BENJAMIN RUSH,
BENJA. FRANKLIN,
JOHN MORTON,
GEO. CLYMER,
JAS. SMITH,
GEO. TAYLOR,
JAMES WILSON,
GEO. ROSS.
Delaware
CAESAR RODNEY,
GEO. READ,
THO. M'KEAN.
Maryland
SAMUEL CHASE,
WM. PACA,
THOS. STONE,
CHARLES CARROLL of Carrollton.
Virginia
GEORGE WYTHE,
RICHARD HENRY LEE,
TH. JEFFERSON,
BENJA. HARRISON,
THS. NELSON, JR.,
FRANCIS LIGHTFOOT LEE,
CARTER BRAXTON.
North Carolina
WM. HOOPER,
JOSEPH HEWES,
JOHN PENN.
South Carolina
EDWARD RUTLEDGE,
THOS. HAYWARD, JUNR.,
THOMAS LYNCH, JUNR.,
ARTHUR MIDDLETON.
Georgia
BUTTON GWINNETT,
LYMAN HALL,
GEO. WALTON.
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| Better Now |
[Jul. 2nd, 2011|04:33 pm] |
I had a miserable migraine this morning - bad head pain along with a stomach ache and nausea, but I didn't puke. I had to wake G up to tend to the cats. He was nice about it and stayed very quiet so I could continue to try and sleep.
I'm better now. I had a tiny cup of coffee and am thinking about eating. I have the usual post-migraine exhaustion, but overall I feel fine.
Here's a picture taken during my recent trip to NYC. It's of Nancy and George on the High Line. The High Line is a park built on an old set of elevated railroad tracks. It has lots of native plants and is very beautiful and fun.
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| No Nothing |
[Jun. 17th, 2011|12:47 pm] |
Austin's Fourth of July celebration has been completely canceled due to the drought. No sitting on the First Street bridge in our comfy lawn chairs, no fireworks, no 1812 Overture with real cannons, no Austin Symphony music and no city-wide party. I'm sad and disappointed. G and I have gone to the celebration most years and we've always had a great time. We will have fun, but it won't be the same.
Stupid weather.
Scenes from a few years ago:
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| NWS Weather Alert Definitions |
[Jun. 16th, 2011|12:33 pm] |
I can never get these sorted out. I'm posting them here so I can look them up when I get confused.
Watch: A Watch is issued when the risk of hazardous weather has increased, but its occurrence, location, and/or timing is still uncertain.
Warning: A Warning is issued when hazardous weather is imminent, occurring or has a high probability of occurrence.
Advisory: An Advisory is issued for conditions that are less serious than a warning, may cause significant inconvenience, but could also threaten life and/or property if caution is not exercised. |
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| Random Kerrville Ramblings |
[Jun. 14th, 2011|03:00 pm] |
Kerrville was great. I ran for a position on the the board of directors for the ranch and lost. I joined the Kerr History crew. I fell afoul of a very rude security guy and found it to be quite amusing. I made sure he got feedback from his boss and his bosses boss that his behavior was inappropriate. If I had my way, he'd be off of security. But at least he knows he screwed up. The funny part is that I was very much in the wrong and if he had been Kerrtious I would have changed my evil ways (at least for the evening). But because he acted like such a bullying jerk, I waited until he was done and then I wandered off and went back to continue my flagrant violation of the all-important campground rules.
G is still on the Mixmaster crew (the same crew as the afore-mentioned jerk) and is a very reliable and responsible worker. He worked the morning shift and I never had to wake him up or remind him to go to work.
Staff food was mostly good and occasionally great.
It didn't rain the entire time and the dust was all over everything.
Liz and I went swimming in the pool at the Y.O.
Shannon down at Camp C.A.L.M. revived bawdy songs night and it went fairly well and hopefully it will pick up steam from there. I played Baby Kittens and lots of people sang along. There were some good songs. My favorite was a funny song about a guy who "Woke up and went downtown with a Woody...Guthrie hat on." It went on to make more Woody jokes such as how the girls admired his Woody...Guthrie T-shirt. I hope this is the beginning of a Bawdy Song Night revival.
G was helpful setting up and taking down camp.
We got home in time to see X-Men: First Class at the Alamo with Rich. It was a fine movie. G liked it more than I did, but I did like it. I might have enjoyed it more if I hadn't been so tired. I actually fell asleep a couple of times.
I wish I was back at the ranch, but it's nice to be home.
photo by GHC II |
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| Keep That Rain Coming! |
[May. 12th, 2011|09:34 am] |
Oh the Lord is good to me,
And so I thank the Lord,
For giving me the things I need,
The sun and the rain and the apple seed,
The Lord is good to me.
I wake up each morn,
I'm happy as can be,
Because I know that with his care,
The apple trees will still be there.
The Lord is good to me!
Hallelujah! |
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| The Darkest Hour... |
[Mar. 26th, 2011|07:45 pm] |
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Don't forget that Earth Hour is tonight -- turn off your lights tonight from 8:30 to 9:30 Austin time. |
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| Me Flying |
[Mar. 19th, 2011|12:48 am] |
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| Up In The Air Junior Fly Mom! |
[Mar. 17th, 2011|01:30 am] |
G and I are going to take introductory flying lessons on Friday. The plane is small, so we will go up separately -- me first, so G can hear about my mistakes, and then G. I have an aversion to flying lessons in small planes due to a crash I worked at as a firefighter and some other stuff, so I'm a bit nervous. But I'm also really excited. I don't expect to actually get much of a chance to pilot the plane because the flying part will only be half an hour. But just riding around in a small plane will be fun.
OK -- I just watched some first flying lesson videos on youtube and they made me so nervous that the souls of my feet are sweating.
But it will be fun...really... |
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| West Coast Tsunami Warnings and Advisories |
[Mar. 11th, 2011|04:23 am] |
From http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/2011/03/11/lhvpd9/05/wwareaslhvpd9-05.gif:
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| Hawaiian Tsunami Watch |
[Mar. 11th, 2011|02:50 am] |
There has been an 8.9 earthquake off the coast of Japan. Parts of Japan have been hit by a large Tsunami and Hawaii is under a tsunami watch with evacuations underway. You can see a live news feed from a Hawaiian TV station by clicking here.
From http://www.weather.gov/ptwc/:
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| Nature, Red In Tooth and Claw |
[Mar. 10th, 2011|08:29 am] |
This is Not Safe For Work! But it is well worth watching.
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| I Took A Ton Of Tests And All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt |
[Mar. 1st, 2011|04:25 pm] |
I'm exhausted. I spent the morning getting tests done for the UT medical study that I'm in. Today I totally earned the $100 they will pay me when the study is over. It was an intense morning.
First of all, I had to go there without having my morning coffee. That was tough in and of itself. Though actually I didn't feel that bad. I had gotten up early and had a shower, so by the time I got to UT I was pretty wide awake.
The first test was easy. I sat in a chair and they took my blood pressure and an EKG while I blew in a tube a few times. The odd thing was that I had a tiny blood pressure cuff on my finger. It squeezed my finger in a tiny way and it felt funny.
Then I moved to the exam table where they started by taking more blood pressures and doing an ultrasound of one carotid artery while measuring the pressure in the other.
Then they put a frame on my head to hold the ultrasound device so they could take an ultrasound of the blood in my brain while they tormented me with weird breathing activities while I had to lie very still. I had to breathe through a mouthpiece like one on a scuba regulator except it was flimsy and didn't fit right. They plugged my nose with a nose clip and had me breath air with carbon-dioxide added to it. I think they switched between CO2 and regular air a few times. Then I had to hyperventilate for about 20 seconds. They used a metronome and I had to breathe in on one beat and out on the next. I ended up quite dizzy. By this time the frame thing was hurting my head, my shoulder hurt from lying so still, my nose itched and I really had to pee. But, instead of getting the frame-thing off, moving my shoulder, scratching my nose and going to pee, I had to lie still while they did the whole thing over again. Fortunately the folks doing the tests are funny and nice. So it actually wasn't that awful. But I was really glad when they took off the frame-thing and the nose clip and I was free to pee.
Next they put three BP cuffs on my right arm. The tiny one on my finger, a little one on my wrist and a regular one in the usual spot above my elbow. They inflated the wrist cuff enough to cut off pretty much all the blood to my hand and had me squeeze a hand exercise device that measured how hard I could squeeze. Then they deflated that one and inflated the one above my elbow to cut off the blood supply to my lower arm. After about ten minutes my arm had really bad pins and needles. Then they had me squeeze the exercise thing up to a certain level about ten times. Then they tightened the wrist cuff and released the arm cuff. Then they released the wrist cuff. The whole time they were doing this they had a very sensitive loop of wire with mercury in it measuring how much my arm swelled up. This test was uncomfortable, but not as bad as the breathing thing where I had to be totally still.
Then they moved to my left arm and did more cutting off of my circulation and taking of ultrasounds, but it was easy and uneventful compared to the breathing and the hand exercise tests.
After that I moved to the treadmill. They put a heart monitor on me like the ones that runners use. It broadcast my pulse to a watch-like wristband which they monitored. They put the nose clip back on and I breathed through a tube attached to a machine that monitored my oxygen use. I walked briskly on the treadmill while they increased the incline about every three minutes. I was supposed to go until I got so tired that I couldn't continue, but they stopped the test after fourteen minutes. I was trying to go for fifteen minutes, but I was very happy to stop at fourteen. They were impressed at how efficiently I used oxygen. I'm guessing that's left over from when I used to swim regularly.
That was the last of the tests. By then I had a pretty bad headache and felt pretty crummy. I had planned to stop for coffee on the way home, but instead I just wanted to get home and lie down. So I drove home, and dozed for a bit. Then I had some broth with pasta in it and rested some more. After that I took some headache medicine and had some coffee. Now I feel fine.
I will have to repeat these (and all the other) tests at the end of the study too. But at least now I will know what I am getting into.
On the plus side, one of the techs had a cool t-shirt on. So I asked where I could buy one and the head test guy gave me one for free. It didn't make up for the hassle, but it is kind of cool.
I will write about the MRI test soon. But this day was really complex, so I wanted to write about it now so I wouldn't forget. |
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| The Way It Is |
[Feb. 28th, 2011|09:52 am] |
I got this via my friend Dan Gallagher on Facebook.
A unionized public employee, a member of the Tea Party, and a CEO are sitting at a table. In the middle of the table there is a plate with a dozen cookies on it. The CEO reaches across and takes 11 cookies, looks at the tea partier and says, "look out for that union guy, he wants a piece of your cookie." (Thanks Tara Orris) |
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| F*king Magnets, How Do They Work? |
[Feb. 18th, 2011|08:53 am] |
Magnetic fields are as close to magic as it gets. They are invisible; they can reach across distance and pass through solid objects. They are wonderful.
Today I am going to get an MRI for the UT exercise study I am in. The idea of being enveloped in such a strong magnetic field is really exciting and fascinating to me. I know that I probably won't feel a thing, but it's just plain cool.
This video is great, but it's Not Safe For Work.
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| Good Morning |
[Feb. 16th, 2011|07:32 am] |
| [ | Tags | | | video | ] |
| [ | The river is |
| |  awake | ] |
Head's up! -- This song is Not Safe For Work.
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