B'nai Mitzvah or Do You Need a Jacket?

B'nai Mitzvah
"Do you need a jacket?"
"Do you want a jacket?"
"Don't you want a jacket?"
"Aren't you cold?"
It was like no one in Virginia had seen weather below 50F in 3 years. Every time I happened to be outside or even near a door someone was concerned about the temperature's affect on me. I thought the 50F degree evenings were nice short sleeve weather. Apart from that, I had one great long weekend.
I was excited about seeing my buddy Ian's daughter Rachel becoming Bat Mitzvah. She was still cocooned inside of Nikki when we left VA for CO back in Jul1993. Thirteen years later, she's ready to be recognized as being responsible for the commandments. In the meantime, my own kids grew up.
The trip came together effortlessly. Erwin provided a crash pad, taxi & rent-a-car service & Betty provided a full-service Bed & Breakfast.
The morning of my trip saw me shovelling about 4 inches of snow off the driveway & sidewalks before I headed into work. It was one of those wet sloppy fall snows that Colorado is famous for around Hallowe'en. Tree branches were bent to the breaking point. I did notice the blue spruce in the back yard seemed to be 12 feet tall all of the sudden. I almost left the snow on to strengthen the limbs, but it was just a little to thick, so all the rabble got roused from the limbs.
Driving east to the airport later that afternoon, the roads got drier & drier, until 5 miles from the airport there was little evidence of snow. As I walked to my gate, I passed by a flight that would get into Dulles about 95 minutes earlier than my scheduled flight. I stepped up to the gate & 20 minutes later got an earlier flight & start to my vacation.
I got to my seat & was congratulating myself on being so ever crafty, when it dawned on me my checked luggage probably wasn't quite as crafty as me & that it would probably still be on the flight that got in at 1a. It mattered not. I walked out of the terminal at Dulles, Erwin was parked & waiting in front of the door. We hit a sports bar he knew nearby, caught the last part of a world series game, caught up & had a drink. 90 minutes later, we were relaxed & headed back to the airport. He pulled up to the same door, I walked right into baggage claim. None of the passengers was even to the terminal when the ramp started up & my bag came off first. I was headed back to the car before the second bag hit the carosel!
Friday, Erwin & I made it over to the new Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. What a great place! The myriad flying machines were amazing to behold, if not frightening. There was an SR-71 Blackbird (Yay, though I fly through the valley of the shadow of death, I am not afraid for I am at 80,000 feet & climbing! - Sign above the operational hanger of an SR-71) and the Enola McLuhan, er, Gay. There were biplanes, hang gliders and space capsules. The power of technology to serve man's inhumanity towards man was astounding. But the power of technology was also enough to suspend judgment while we watched an Imax movie about the Mars Rover program. We wrapped the day up with a boatload of sushi & a few brews back home from the keg-erator (Thanks Greg!)
Saturday, I headed towards the synagogue in Erwin's car, using the new Google Maps for Treo hand-held devices. The Palm app put me right on the synagogue, right on schedule. Of course, once I got there, I had no clue what to do. I finally approached the gentleman who had provided me with a program & asked about expectations regarding head coverings. He exclaimed they were a reformed congregation & only a third of the folks would be donning, so for once, I was relaxed to fit in with the majority. The service was interesting & inspiring mainly because it was let by the B'nai Mitzvah.
It was obvious Rachel & Chris had been well schooled in Hebrew, scriptural interpretation and the history of their religion. They both did a great job of reading the Torah & the prophets in Hebrew and commenting thereupon. I reflected on the 4000 year old traditions they were carrying forward. Beyond that, Rachel demonstrated grace, intelligence & wisdom. The whole time Ian & Nikki sat up on the dias & beamed. They were obviously & correctly proud. It was a moment that encompassed the future & the past with Rachel assuming responsibility for understanding both. To be honest, I think everyone was beaming!
That afternoon, I caught up with Mel, Ian's sister, Lee & finally got to meet Mort. That night, we were subjected to the manic energy of 40 or 50 12-14 year olds. I had forgotten how loud they can scream just for the heck of it! The best dancers that night were Bridget & Amy. They just appreciated a huge dance floor & couldn't care less about who was watching.
After a great party, we headed back to the hotel for good-byes. It had been a great day to celebrate friendship & history (both recent & ancient).
Erwin & I both got to the house after midnight (he had been at a jam) & slept late the following morning before heading out for a most excellent breakfast of bagels, lox, eggs & coffee. Erwin insisted throughout the entire weekend that he was picking up the tab & refused to listen to rhyme or reason. After a huge breakfast, we walked Odie again, then watched a little football. We shut the evening down with a wonderful home cooked meal with a couple of friends of his, Barbara & Steve. Barbara cooked a great spagetti meal! After dinner we started watching the Cowgirls actually win a game. I'll be glad when they get another coach & more glad when they get another owner!
Monday, I got up & headed out to see Cheryl's mother. Again with the trusty Treo Google Maps app. This time, it took me the back roads towards Charles Town WV, through Harper's Ferry & right through beautiful downtown Scrabble. I was at the river 90 minutes after leaving Reston & through some beautiful countryside to boot. Betty had lunch waiting for me. (Man! I was treated like a king this weekend!) We went for a walk at The Nature Conservancy Yankauer Preserve. We saw many birds, a tiny little field mouse, a wonderful view of the Potomac & an interesting little memorial to Zyp.
Lennie came by & we had a great visit. Just at sunset Jamie showed up! I was really happy to see him & the icing on the cake Kevin showing up a little later. We had a great dinner, talking about everything and catching up. The next morning I helped Betty with a little more work in the garage, then it was back down the back roads to civilization. Erwin & I hit a sushi buffet that made me rue the delicious breakfast Betty had cooked for me. There was a shelf with at least 30 little wooden trays of sushi! If only I had known, I would have allowed for more time to get to the airport!
I got back to Denver & was damn glad I had that big black leather jacket that hadn't been required once in Virginia! It was 30F degrees & very frosty. They laughed at my jacket in Virginia, but nodded appreciatively as we got of the jetway in Denver. I was home by 8p on Hallowe'en.
This was one of the best solo vacations I ever had! Five days of being treated like a king! Everyone I saw was glad to see me & said so! Most of them even hugged me! No schedules, no hurrying or worrying. Lots of good food, good times & most importantly good people with lots of love! It just doesn't get much better than this!
Thanks to everyone I saw in Virginia & West Virginia!

Wal-Mart Workers Walk Out

Wal-Mart Workers Walk Out
Many people ask me why I am so adamantly opposed to shopping at Wal-Mart. This article is just the tip of the iceberg!
If you're shopping at Wal-Mart, for any reason, at any time, you're part of the poverty problem in America!

Rich young ruler

Rich young ruler
Welcome to all of Martha's friends who might stumble upon this blog!
This looks like a pretty cool site comparing the three gospels that probably share a common source, commonly known as "Q".
I ask all visitors, when it comes to Iraq, What Would Jesus Do? Would he have done the same thing as HeBeGeeBeeToo? Before you charge to the doornail's defense, remember he doesn't think his policy in & on Iraq has been a mistake!
Too bad we can't put the ten commandments on every desk in Congress, I think they could use a little reminding! What do you think?

Alex Henes - Merely A Flesh Wound

Alex Henes - Merely A Flesh Wound
You've GOT to go check out my buddy Alex website! Not only is he an incredible person, he's got an incredible site, with incredible photos of the incredible things he's done.
OK, I think you get the point! Alex sucks the marrow out of live in a way that would humble Thoreau.
When I went to work at Level(3), I imposed upon Alex to let me rent out his basement, thinking I would be there a month or two. About 11 months later, I was finally gone. We both learned alot from each other, although I am sure I walked away the richer!
Looking at Alex' website immediately creates in me a sense of the possible. A feeling that life is incredible.
Thanks for everything, Alex!

Welcome to Dave & Jess' Big Day!

Welcome to Dave & Jess' Big Day!
d00d,

The wedding was perfect, actually, the entire day was perfect. From the minute I finally rolled out of bed, around 9a, until I fell into bed just before midnight, it was one of the most perfect days of my life.

The entire wedding party had spent Friday night in downtown Denver at the Adams' Mark Hotel. After a couple of quick run throughs of the ceremony with the dignitaries, we met up at the Spaghetti Factory. Almost 20 folks in the immediate family & wedding party, and every one thoroughly enjoyed each other's company at dinner. Jess & Dave showered everyone with thoughtful gifts. It was a perfect presage to the following day.

Later that night, I hung out with the friends of the bride & groom down at the bar. There was a pretty cool white funk band with a black lady lead singer. They were decent, but then I'm a sucker for live music. The best thing about hanging out with young folks is they haven't heard any of my jokes, so I can go on almost all night & seem really funny & cool. Or at least it seemed that way. I was in bed a little after midnight & slept like a rock, until the morning would no longer be stayed.

I went out on the 16th Street Mall for some breakfast & cash. I returned to an awakened queen with a present of her favorite Starbucks' drink: Venti Soy White Mocha, no whip. As I finished my morning ablutions, I began to sense that it was going to be a perfect day. There was no whiff of stress in the air. The day was cool & cloudy, but not cold. The air had a hint of humidity in it, unusual for Denver, but not uncommon. In fact it was a typical fall day, just 3 weeks early.

I had just finished with the monkey suit when Cheryl realized she had forgot the wine of which she wanted to share a glass with Jessica as they got ready for the wedding. It was a suggestion from a good friend of hers, who married her daughter off the year before. For a split second panic seemed ready to burst through the seams, but I remembered we were in a hotel & told Cheryl to just order room service & not worry about it. Swooooosh, serenity restored.

Chris & I met up in the hallway. He had picked out the tux style for us & the only person at the wedding that looked sharper than me was Chris. Damn fine suits! I kept flashing on Spike Lee & Denzel Washington strutin' down the street in their zoot suits at the beginning of Malcom X. I was totally jonesin' on a serious helmet, like 18 inch diameter brim, min! Man, we made those suits look good!

We went down to the lobby to direct the honored guests to the limousine. I asked Dave & his to be down ready to go by noon & they were there. You could tell there was a dog the previous night, but the dog just got a few nips in, no serious bites. After the second time the limo left without the boys, I was starting to feel bad. I peeled off a twenty & told the groomsmen to get a little hair of the dog that had bit them last night & they were gone like scalded cats. When Dave came back down, I told him they were in the bar & was kind enough to show him where it was. Dave ordered a short bloody mary & i ordered a single shot of my daily drinker, Maker's Mark. The bartender had already succumbed to the wiles of the groomsmen. She made Dave a 16oz bloody mary & poured me the stiffest 3-finger shot I ever saw. As the drinks came across the bar, the limo pulled up. Dave & I hit the drinks hard, but neither one of us made a dent. It was purely for show.

Chris had gone with the first load & was directing folks at the Denver Botanic Gardens. I took the next to last limo over & Cheryl made sure that all the girls were ready when the last run was made at 1:30 to bring Jess & her bridesmaids over. I tried to take pictures, be a gracious host & generally maintain. It seemed like I was maintaining, but I was sure that pretty soon folks were going to notice that my feet weren't touching the ground. No one ever said anything, so I guess no one noticed I was high! ;-)

Around 2p, I got the word that everyone was in place & Jessica was coming around the back of the venue. When I picked her up, I had a fleeting thought of meeting a blubbering, I mean a total, mascara dripping wreck. At least, I had steeled myself for that as one of several possibilities. What I found, back behind the wall, was a beautiful woman, totally in the moment. She was beaming like the sun & I suddenly understood why the sun had hidden behind the clouds that day, because Jessica could light up the world that day. I stole a quick peak at her feet & sure as shit, her feet weren't touching the ground either. I just smiled at her & she smiled at me, like so many times before, all the way back to when she smiled back up at me just 2 minutes old.

As we walked towards the venue, she observed that everyone would be looking at her. I told her that everyone would be looking at her with love & her challenge was to absorb all that love & channel it towards Dave. She hugged my arm & I walked her down the aisle & gave her away. Actually, the question was "Who presents this woman?" Which set a lot better with all three of us, Cheryl, Jess & me.

The ceremony was beautiful. Dave threw in a line that added a touch of silliness & romanticism. I thought to myself that poor Jess ended up loving most a man that had some of my strongest, yet most questionable traits. I was very proud of her. I really appreciate the man she has chosen. Not just for how he reminds me of me, but also for how different he is from me. Funny how that works.

After the ceremony, I knew I was gonna get ripped off, because like Colin, "I feel like I'm walking round, a ten feet tall". We did the picture thing & I flashed back on every wedding I had been in since Cheryl & I took each other's picture at her sister's wedding in 1976. Yeah, baby, we've been smoochin' for over 30 years! Dig that! Anyways, I followed the Higgins around & got some great shots, based on watching & mimicking the photographer. By 4p, they were exhausted & needed to catch the limo back to the hotel. They were really glad to get the F lenses out of their faces.

Chris, his friend Katherine & I rode the last ride back to the hotel & got there around 5p, just when the reception was supposed to start. Chris is an amazing man. He was totally engaged in the ceremony. He stepped up & helped where he saw opportunity. He had great ideas & he treated everyone with whom he came into contact with the greatest respect! You just can't imagine, unless you take the best of Cheryl & the best of me & mix it in with a totally repressible double dash of the weird, one dash from Cheryl & I respectively. He was totally zen-like, moving things along without pushing, making guests feel welcome effortlessly, totally surfing through the whole day. He was the essence of cool.

By the time I got to the hotel, the reception was underway. I could barely hug some of my friends, with the ten or so little details to wrap up. Nothing major, just details & I had a beer in my hand, so coo. The snackiepoos looked good, the few bites I got before I ran into the dinner room were tasty, but by then I was starvin', Marvin! We got everyone in the reception hall & seated for dinner & I realized that soon I was gonna have to grab part of my 15 minutes of fame in front of 100 of Jessica & Dave's favorite people. I was still maintaining, but my feet were back on the ground. The tux coat was starting to get a little heavy.

Dinner went well. The steak at the tasting, three weeks earlier, was not very tasty, nevertheless, when someone offers me a 2 inch thick chunk of dead kuh, I'm gonna eat it! The actual reception dinner was almost as good as a hundred dollar steak at Morton's. But as soon as I was done eating (& it didn't take long with that chunk of cow!), I knew that the toast I had been thinking about for over 2 months was about to come due. I knew I needed to come in under 5 minutes, so that ruled out any giving of advice in the toast. I avoided giving advice, but acknowledged that there just wasn't time for decent advice in the toast. All present were appreciative. I talked about the strong bond between a father & a daughter. How special it was. I recognized the ceremony we had just witnessed and encouraged the bride & groom to look to themselves, their new families, their wide group of friends to work through the years of bliss coming. Dave's parent's have been married 30 years & Cheryl & I coming up on 27. They have a powerful foundation upon which to build.

I managed to keep the toast short & then I relaxed. My responsibilities that day were done! I had a few tips in my pocket, but the ceremony was complete! Everything had been perfect, my beautiful wife, my cool son, my beaming daughter, her happy husband, his happy friends, the grandparents, the friends, the weather, the circumstances, everything was perfect. I finally got to do my thing & work the room. I got lots of hugs from folks I knew & loved & those I knew not before. Everyone had a great time, appreciated the ceremony, loved the bride & groom & expressed their happiness. I was starting to get high again! ;-)

The next thing I knew, it was 10:30 and almost everyone was gone. I realized there were still a few beers in the keg, so I ran outside, grabbed a bunch of (25-30yo) kids & said "Gitchyer ass back in there & kill that keg, goddammit! They did & I did. We shut down & by 11:30, Cheryl & I were falling back into the tiny little queen size bed. We were sated. The day had been perfect. We knew it was perfect. We knew while it was happening it was perfect. We talked about it being perfect while we watched it being perfect. Beyond expectations. The culmination of a quarter of a century of blood, sweat & tears. It was such a beautiful day that no one cried.

Well, Jess cried a couple of times at the reception. I heard Dave was close to tears once, but he maintained! ;-) Everyone else just radiated!

It was a perfect day.

Love,
Trent

BBC NEWS | US report says Iraq fuels terror

BBC NEWS | US report says Iraq fuels terror
First the UN says torture in Iraq is 'worse after Saddam', now the National Intelligence Estimate says that the so-called war on terror is actually increasing the threat of terror! So, HeBeGeeBee2 has actually created a war of terror and a war for terror! If our pitiful Congress goes ahead with proposed legisation to exempt government employees, e.g. HeBeGeeBee2, Rummikens, et al. from the War Crimes Act of 1996, then there is really no recourse from anywhere in the world for the heart-breaking tragedy HeBeGeeBee2 has wrought upon the world. It's a sad state of affairs. Never have so few been able to wreak such destruction on so many.

Mind Hacks: Brain dissection video tutorial

Mind Hacks: Brain dissection video tutorial
I kid you not! This link is a blog I follow on My Yahoo because they track lots of interesting things about the brain. Following the link on the Mind Hacks blog will take you right to the dissection videos which are linked via little pictures from the dissection videos. Note, this is not for the squeamish, weak of heart or those who might otherwise relate more to the cadaver than the information! :-)
On the otherhand, if you wish to see a real dissection, this is the link for you! I have only been able to watch one so far, the one about opening up the spinal column.
I'll watch the brain dissection video after I get over my cold & can have a nice stiff bourbon!
In the meantime, "Beware, your brain may no longer be the boss!"

Duffy's Tavern

Duffy's Tavern
BTW, stop in when you get a chance and check out my buddy Marty's blog. It is always an interesting dialog with Marty & if he posts any pictures, that's double bonus, because he's a great photographer!

Count Down Special Comment on Bush's speech

CountDownSpecialCommentBush512K.mov (video/quicktime Object)
This guy doesn't pull any punches, but he doesn't go in for the kill either. It's nice to see that some one is actually clearly stating the abuses of power of the Bush regime on nationwide media.

It Was An Epic Day For an Epic Hike

"It was an epic hike on an epic day!" exclaimed Jackrabbit Slim for the ninth or nineteenth time on the way down from the North Arapahoe Peak. I call him Jackrabbit because he's fast up & down the trails. I call him Slim because he's not. The logical contraction J'im, is his name, so it all fits together poetically, not including the reference to Pulp Fiction.
It really was an epic day. We drove out of Boulder around 7:45 in the morning as the temperature rapidly climbed to over 100 degrees F. We managed to keep in the cool until we arrived at the Fourth of July trailhead just before 9a. We started at about 10,210 feet above sea level and hiked a little over 2 miles up to the base of South Arapohoe where we were at about 12,700 feet. More or less, for every two steps, we were stepping up almost a foot from 9 until 11:30.
The wildflowers were incredible. I saw more Columbine blooms in one day than I have ever seen in my life! We saw 16 marmots, but that was mostly on the way down. Even though it was obvious flowers were starting to die, there were signs that last weekend's two days of rain had revived every single plant on the mountain. The colors were vibrant.
The first part of the trail is below the treeline & the path through the pines was cool and shady. When we came in full contact with the sun above treeline, we were still cool and refreshed, in spite of the grade. At the end of the tundra, we were looking up at a 700 foot vertical scramble up a 1500 foot bed of talus to the top of the South Arapahoe peak at 13,397 feet above sea level. That scramble took almost another hour and we were at our first major milestone, South Arapahoe Peak. The plan was to ascend to the south Arapahoe peak and then traverse the ridge between them to the north Arapahoe peak which is at nearly 14,000 feet above sea level. (This might be a good time to mention I live in a neighborhood called "Arapahoe Ridge" and as I drive or bike into work every day, I see the Arapahoe ridge!) We left the south peak a little after 12:30p and started across the ridge. Although from my house the ridge looks fairly smooth, up close it was obvious that some real mountianeering skills might be required.
While coming up the talus base to the south peak involved choosing what might generously be termed paths, starting out around the ridge to the north peak was just walking across large rocks with the goal of maintaining or slightly increasing altitude. It was a fairly precarious hike with fairly disasterous consequences, but Jackrabbit Slim had been there before and was a conscientious, careful & concerned guide for which I regularly expressed my (literally) undying appreciation! We walked past 2 glacier fields, which are landmarks visible from where I live & work. It was a little strange standing on top of a glacier that fell away over 600 feet at a grade of over 80%, but we took each other's pictures anyways.

About halfway there, I had to ascend a slab of rock about 10 feet high with no casually discernable or significantly useful outcroppings. It was basically just a 10 foot high slab of granite. I still don't understand how Jackrabbit Slim got up there, but when he offered to pull me up, I grabbed his hand, pulled with all my might, got a knee up on the rock (scraping & scuffing) and sat down beside him. I was intensely aware of my rate of breathing. Between altitude & adrenaline, I was grateful for every molecule of oxygen sweet mother earth could provide. And speaking of sweet mother earth, I realized I was over 13,400 feet above sea level on a rock platform about 6 feet wide and 9 feet long and it wasn't completely level. There was a patch on the west end of the platform, about 4' x 6', that was sittable, so I sat there and announced my decision that I wasn't going any further. That decision came from some deep and primeval part of my brain. There was no logic or rationality associated with that decision. As I looked north towards the next steps and saw big boulders with a drop of indeterminite height on a knife edge of 80% on one side down glaciers and 65% on the other side down a boulder field, the logical parts of my brain confirmed the decision and I continued to sit.
Jackrabbit Slim had talked for years about this hike and it was a big one for him. He had only gone across the ridge successfully once before, having been turned back by thunderbolts & lightning (very, very frightening!) and having to scamper back down. I knew how big it was for him to get to the north peak, so I told him to go on, I would wait right there. I had previously informed him that I would only go as far as I was comfortable and I had gone significantly beyond that point! He promised to be to the north peak in 30 minutes, eat his PBJ (with Udi's bread) and then head back across. I repeated my promise to wait right there and encouraged him to reach his goal. He walked, almost hopped, down the big boulders and out of site. He reappeared on the knife edge and within minutes had completely disappeared from sight.
While the rational side of my mind was fully committed to sitting right there (right there!), it was exerting every Jedi mind trick in the book to prevent the primeval part of my brain from running away, literally.
Here was the mind-body instance of Trent sitting on the continental divide which was really just a rock pedastal 10' above it's supports, the aforementioned 80% & 65% slopes to the east & west respectively. There was only one short way down and that was down a 10 foot, 85% slope slab of granite. Fortunately, the intellectual side of my mind won control of my body and I continued to sit, for the entire 2 hours it took Jackrabbit Slim to get back. I moved occassionally: I got food out of my Camelback, I put a windbreaker over my crossed legs when I felt the sun beginning to bake them, and I occassionally turned to look in a different direction, although I wanted to keep an eye on Jim, in case I had to start down by myself.
His 30 minute trek to the north peak took almost an hour, with interminible 10-20 minute chunks out of my line of sight, although from my vantage point I could see for scores of miles in almost every dicection. When I looked at the map and realized my butt crack was pretty much exactly on the continental divide, it was only the rational side of my mind that was able to acknowledge the signicifance of my position and that the emotional side of my mind would eventually appreciate that fact, once it (my emotional side) had been resuscitated, nay resurrected.
Jackrabbit Slim took his own sweet time (seemingly) and was back at my perch at 3:30ish. In the interim, I had come to strong grips with my acrophobia (fortunately) and was now prepared to figure out how to get off my perch. (Much later, literary referencial capability returned to my brain & I was able to compare my position to that of Drool Rockworm at the beginning of Lord Foul's Bane). Once again, Jim excelled as a guide and a friend, descending first and either offering advice as to placement of limbs or actually placing them, a literal lifesaver! Back on the large rocks at the base of my platform, I was very disconcerted to realize that finding the path back was almost as difficult for Jim as it was for me. But after an hour of painstaking pathfinding, we were back at the South Arapahoe peak and this time, we had it all to ourselves! The summer afternoon thunderheads had not yet developed and we had a very close sun (pity the fools down only a mile high and 100 degrees) and a very cool breeze. It was 4:30pm and we had to scramble down 700 feet of much more than less trail-less rock. I managed to get way below the trail, and it was only Jim calling to me that led me to maintain enough altitude to avoid disaster (only the slightest of exaggerations there)! Finally, by 5:30 we were back on the tundra and a real discernable trail! As my literary sense began to return, I decided tiggers don't like honey & trents don't like scrambling!
The walk down was great, although the sun baked my calves. As previously mentioned, there were marmots galore. Some were brave, others correctly cautious, but all were fat with beautiful pelts. It made me think back that over 150 years before, the mountains were full of beavers. The flowers were still spectacular as we walked down, although many had closed up shop for the evening, pulling in their petals like awnings in a hot middle eastern village. We were back to the trailhead a little after 7p, and Jackrabbit Slim said for the tenth or twentieth time: "It was an epic day for an epic hike!" I heartily concurred!

"Cargo Cult Science" - by Richard Feynman

"Cargo Cult Science" - by Richard Feynman
So here's one of the smarter guys of the 20th century attempting to explain the difference between science and information. Science is asking questions about what we can observe and interact with and being scrupulously honest about the answers, even if the answer is not profitable! Information then is just about what we can tell others with limited or no scrupulous honesty involved, e.g. religion (no two religious experiences are alike, can't test them, they fight each other to the death, etc.) politics (for flat out lying check out the Nazi aggression in the late 1930's or the American aggression towards Iraq & Afghanistan!) or even science (reflexology, Intelligent Design, stem cell research).
I've read a couple of Feynman books and they were greatly enjoyable. Feynman has that natural Occam's Razor like mind that really pisses people off! Be sure to read the commander's response to Feynman repeatedly demonstrating he could open every officer's safe at the Manhattan Project. A typical bureaucratic, military response! He's lucky they didn't have a Predator drone to take him out!

State Tracked Protesters in the Name of Security - Los Angeles Times

State Tracked Protesters in the Name of Security - Los Angeles Times
State Tracked Protesters in the Name of Security
Officials say they have stopped monitoring antiwar and political rallies. The practice violates civil rights, Atty. Gen. Lockyer says.

By Peter Nicholas, Times Staff Writer
July 1, 2006

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's office in charge of protecting California against terrorism has tracked demonstrations staged by political and antiwar groups, a practice that senior law enforcement officials say is an abuse of civil liberties.

The Times obtained reports prepared for the state Office of Homeland Security in recent months that contain details on the whereabouts and purpose of a number of political demonstrations throughout California.

The source of the information is listed in some cases as federal law enforcement agencies, including the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, an investigative arm of the U.S. Homeland Security department.

The source of the information is listed in some cases as federal law enforcement agencies, including the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, an investigative arm of the U.S. Homeland Security department.

Trent's Thoughts
I really wish I hadn't read George Orwell's 1984 so recently! I reread it when Chris read it for school. It's frightening to see the actions we associate with a totalitarian state being accepted so blithely by Americans. How is it that one strike against America seems to justify throwing away all of the hard won civil liberties our fathers and grandfathers fought so hard to preserve?
Another thought spurred from 1984 has to do with the internet as a historical source. Once most print media is gone, will jobs like Winston Smith's actually exist, where people go back into the "internet" and change "history" to meet the current political expediencies? Will we even be able to tell when it starts?

John Toland Interview with Don Swaim

John Toland Interview with Don Swaim
This is a great interview with John Toland, author of Adolf Hitler and Rising Sun: The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire 1938-1945, the two books that I've been plowing through. After reading Toland's biography of Dillinger, I thought I was up for the Pulitzer prize winning work. Instead, it turns out my brain is full of European WWII & I've got to make room for the Asian WWII stories.
Toland is very unassuming in this interview, but obviously a stickler for detail. It's fun to listen to him (if you've read & enjoyed his books!)
The quote I like best from him so far is "History doesn't repeat itself, human nature repeats itself."
That pretty much sums it up!

Adolf Hitler : The Definitive Biography

Amazon.com: Adolf Hitler : The Definitive Biography: Books: John Toland
p. 1150 "Genius is a will o' the wisp, unless it is founded on perserverance and fanatical determination. That's the most important thing in human existance."
A. Hitler

p. 1180 "To the average German, the Fuehrer was more than a man, he was a supernatural phenomenom. They held positive believe in his invulnerability."
J. Toland

p. 1204 "The greater area of responsibility of the individual, the greater necessity for obedience."
A. Hitler

Toland does a superlative job of describing Hitler. He details the fanatical determination of a brilliant and deliberately evil man. Toldand writes of a man who studied and learned to manipulate crowds in person, who demanded complete and unquestioning obedience, yet was beset by doubt & flagging self-confidence. Toland reveals an asectic vegetarian and pitiful farter that was capable of ordering the deaths of millions: Jews, Russians, Germans, to meet his own megalomanaical and patriotic beliefs.

While Toland paints a painstakingly detailed portrait of Hitler, he scarely mentions the critical interconnections that allowed Hitler to be so successful, such as his party henchmen, Goebbels, Bormann, Goering, Heydrich; or the German capitalists and industrial leaders who funded and enabled his massive spending on public works and re-armament. Toland does describe well all of the people with whom Hitler dealt with, including intimates, direct reports, and foreign diplomats.

Toland however leaves ambiguous how Hitler was able to motivate so many to action. Very little of Hitler's actual speeches are quoted, although Toland does describe their effect on the German populace as being positive and profound. Toland describes how Hitler was able to lie to himself as well as the public. Toland describes how Hitler was able to craft a speech in a speech: to those who knew about the Final Solution, there were plenty of references to what was happening and encouragement to continue; to those who did not know the Final Solution meant extermination of people despised by Hitler (mainly Jews, Russians and Eastern Europeans in general) they only heard vague promises which justified, vindicated and satiated their prejudices.

Toland does an excellent job of describing Hitler's manipulation and domination of the National Socialist German Workers Party (Nazi), including the thugs and gangsters which came along with the party members. During his rise to power, Hitler's brownshirts were used to silence any opposition or debate. Hitler would not tolerate being questioned by others.

Toland does not however describe how an Army corporal, a self-educated artist & historian, a self-doubting, woman fearing weakling was able to manipulate politicians, diplomats, military professionals, capitalists, heads of state as well as a huge percentage of the German population to wage an evil and hate-filled war against so their neighbors. That is to say, Toland does not completely describe the context that enabled a man like Hitler to wield power so deftly. Toland does however describe the process of that manipulation, inspiring wonder and awe (& profound disappointment) in the large mass of people that followed and practically worshipped him.

While we have no parallels with Hitler in the 21st century, the glimpses of the Nazi party provide frightening parallels with Republican party's actions in this century. The willingness to bend & break the law to imprison those who would dare disagree with the party; the tendency to spy on anyone for the welfare of the state; the complete disregard and disdain held for the "enemy"; all of these things have parallels between the 1930's and the 21st century, but orders of magnitude in difference of effect, so far.

I think the most frightening parallel between then & now is the willingness of a populace to believe a leader based on that leader's image and vague generalizations about an "enemy of the state" which allowed the willing minded to apply their own prejudices and thereby support an immoral and illegal war.

Well, it was a rough 1200+ pages, especially since I knew how it ended! I was never so glad to see someone put a pistol to their temple & pull the trigger! Next, I'm onto Toland's book The Rising Sun, The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire. I have every expectation it shall be just an frighteningly illuminating as Hitler's biography was. Who says things are less scary with the lights on!

Father's Day at Poppy's Pizza and Grill, Estes Park, CO

Poppy's Pizza and Grill, Estes Park, CO
Here's what makes Father's Day worthwhile: A beautiful day for lunch with Kent & Linda, on the Big Thompson River in Estes Park. The daddies are happy because Jess & Dave are happy!

Altitude in Summer: Coney Lake, Beaver Reservoir Trailhead, Indian Peaks Wilderness & James Peak Wilderness

ProTrails: Coney Lake, Beaver Reservoir Trailhead, Indian Peaks Wilderness & James Peak Wilderness
Saturday started off blustery and managed to maintain that attitude until we left. We started from the Coney Flat trail head at 8:45 on the almost 7 mile trek up to Buchanan Pass, with the intent of summiting Sawtooth Mountain at 12,304 feet above sea level. Buchanan Pass is the saddle or low point between Sawtooth & the peak just to the north (right) of Sawtooth. Walking up to Sawtooth would have put us just east of the Continental Divide.
It was interesting to note that just a few months earlier, Jim had gone cross country skiing on the same rocky road we were hiking. Apparently, a couple of feet of snow makes a big difference! Still, there was a 5-15 foot drop off on the right side of the road in some places!
We made it to the Buchanan Pass trail head about 2 hours later. We had been protected from a lot of the wind whilst in the trees, but we were coming up to the tree line. The hike started around 9230 elevation, so after a couple of hours of hiking up, the trees had started to thin out. Not to mention that shortly after leaving Coney Flats on the Buchanan Pass trail, we soon lost the trail in the large snow banks. 3 days away from summer and we were walking across acres of snow. Fortunately, we did very little postholing, and just a few more fall down spills. Nobody went hurtling to the end of the snowbank unintentionally, although I did glissade down about 25 feet to avoid the next 25 yards of crossing the snow bank.
We crossed a field of boulders, then crashed through some low evergreens, crossed a swollen stream & voila! there was the trail. Finally, three hours after Coney flats, five hours after embarking, we got to the last ridge before Buchanan Pass. We were at 11,662 feet elevation. There was a large snowfield blocking our way to Buchanan Pass. We could try to walk across it, but slipping meant a long slide down the side of a mountain! Who knew how deep the snow was, feet or inches? We had gotten within 900 feet of the 12,304 foot peak of Sawtooth, a wonderful place to be so close to summer, although the peak would have felt like the dead of winter!
So we declared victory, had a bite to eat, gloried in the blustery beauty of alpine elevations in Roosevelt National Park, and started on the trek down. Slowly but surely, the oxygen became more plentiful. Headed east, we lost the trail again in a snowbank, but didn't get as far off track this time!
We finally got back to the car at around 5:15, making it an 8:45 min day, but far better than the best day at work!
The wildflowers were blooming, but not in vast numbers. There were a few big patches of Columbine just below 11,000 feet, including some huge yellow daisy like flowers over 3 inches in diameter & some tiny little white & purple flowers, maybe one-quarter inch in diameter. We didn't see much wildlife, save for a whistle pig on the way down.




All in all, Jim, Rob & I had a great hike. Next week, we'll try the Arapahoe peaks, but I think the saddle is still snow covered.

Marshall Mesa - City of Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks

Marshall Mesa - City of Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks
This was a nice long hike for Glenn & me. We were out on the trail for about 4 hours, covering around 7 mi or so. We saw a coyote. Glenn saw him pounce & chomp on something. It was gone in a bite or two, so it was probably just a mouse.
The weather was supposed to be 60 degrees, but it barely got over the low 50's. Still, a lovely day for a hike. Although I did flash on Last of the Summer Wine when Glenn & I sat on the side of a hill & looked north across Boulder to share the sight with Jack & Mary.
I'm glad the wind wasn't blowing yesterday like it was today! It seemed like the gusts were 60 mph today!

Public Misled on Air Quality After 9/11 Attack, Judge Says - New York Times

Public Misled on Air Quality After 9/11 Attack, Judge Says - New York Times: "In her ruling, Judge Batts decided not to dismiss the case against Mrs. Whitman, who is being sued both as former administrator of the E.P.A. and as an individual.

As a legal matter, the ruling established that the suit's charges were well-documented and troubling enough to meet a legal standard to go forward. But Judge Batts also criticized Mrs. Whitman's performance in the days after the collapse of the towers unleashed, by the E.P.A.'s estimates, one million tons of dust on lower Manhattan and beyond.

'The allegations in this case of Whitman's reassuring and misleading statements of safety after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks are without question conscience-shocking,' Judge Batts said. "

Once again, the cronies of the Bush administration have demonstrated unbelievable incompetance. From the Department of Defense's lack of proper prior planning (resulting in the emergency action on the part of the National Guard & in thousands of military & civilian casualties), to the extreme mismanagement of FEMA, to the industry shill mis-management of the Mine Safety & Health Administration (sic), and countless others, the Bush administration has clearly demonstrated its lack of concern for the safety and well-being of Americans and others.
Congress, both Democrats & Republicans are completely complict in this dismantling of the government which was proscribed by the Constitution as being "of the people, by the people and for the people."
We are but a sad pale shade of what our forefathers hoped for.

CBS News | Lying In The National Interest | January 28, 2006�12:34:26

CBS News | Lying In The National Interest | January 28, 2006�12:34:26: "Lying In The National Interest

Jan. 28, 2006
Has President Bush been covering up his intentions with Iran? (CBS)

Quote

“No president should ever take a military option off the table.”
Vice President Dick Cheney


(Christian Science Monitor) This column was written by Daniel Schorr.One of the inherent powers of the president, apparently, is the right to lie in the perceived national interest.

In 1960, President Eisenhower had the State Department announce that a plane shot down over the Soviet Union was on a weather mission. He was left red-faced when the Russians produced the U-2 spy plane and its CIA pilot.

In 1962 President Kennedy cut short a trip to the West Coast and flew back to Washington from Chicago, suffering, it was announced, from an upper respiratory infection. The real reason for his hasty return was newly acquired photographic evidence that the Russians were putting nuclear missiles in Cuba – prompting the Cuban missile crisis.

In 1981, the Reagan White House condemned Israel for bombing the Osirak nuclear facility outside Baghdad saying, “The unprecedented attack would add to the tense situation in the Middle East.” Left unsaid was that the CIA director, William Casey, had visited Israel and agreed to cooperate in the attack, using American-made planes and American reconnaissance satellites to pinpoint the target.

So now, 25 years later, once again we face the introduction to the nuclear waltz and the question of how far the administration will go in keeping Americans posted on the gathering storm. What we have heard so far leaves a lot to the imagination. "

It's a shame lying has come to be expected from every administration for the last half-century. The lies of the current administration are far beyond the pale of anything we have seen before. Our expectations should be higher & we should vote our conscience!

Public Parks - Rabbit Mountain

Public Parks - Rabbit Mountain
Rabbit Mountain hike, 28Jan2006, Glenn, Jim & Scott. After the traditional fast breaking at the NBC, we drove northerly on US-36 up to Lyons & Rabbit Mountain. It was a beautiful Colorado spring day in the middle of winter. We began our hike at 5500' above sea level at about 11:30. The temp was in the upper 50's even the mid-60's at times. The sky was blue & cloudless until about 1p when a cloud bank began to build up just east of the Flatirons & by 3p had obscured the sun, plunging the temp down to the lowest of 50's.
We took turns helping Jim carry far more than his fair share of the conversation burden. The pace was generally rapid, though rabid would not have been wise on Rabbit.
The view is from the farthest north we could see from the top of Mt. Sanitas, a few weeks ago. The Boulder Valley is huge from the perspective of Lyons, 20? mi to the north of the city of Boulder. At the top of Rabbit Mountain, the views of Long's Peak & Mt. Meeker are astounding. The north face of Mt. Audobon is visible belying the western view of a smooth sloping mount with a rocky and broken profile.
We hiked for almost 4 hours, reaching a peak of about 6180' above sea level. The trail seemed much rockier than the Mt. Sanitas trail. That perception could have just been a function of brand new orthotics, as my ankles were very tired by the end of the hike. Nevertheless, it was a great hike: good conversation, good weather, good exercise, good whiskey: great friends!

Pentagon Study Links Fatalities to Body Armor - New York Times

Pentagon Study Links Fatalities to Body Armor - New York Times: "The Army, which has the largest force in Iraq, is still deciding what to purchase, according to Army procurement officials. They said the Army was deciding among various sizes of plates to give its 130,000 soldiers, adding that they hoped to issue contracts this month."

They HOPED to issue contracts this month?????

One could only fondly imagine the drill sargeant from Full Metal Jacket reading that "military official" the riot act with enough f-bombs to melt the idiot's brass right through his skin!

Three years in theatre & they are hoping to issue contracts for armor? I guess if you're comfy in the pentagon, there's few worries, eh?

Can we bring 'em home yet?

AlterNet: 2005 Media Follies!

AlterNet: 2005 Media Follies!

In spite of the accused left-wing liberal bias of the "press" it seems that once again, they have focused on the inane, trivial and distracting whilst allowing the important stories to languish in the backwater reporting of the internet. Thank god for the internet!