Spring Benchmark hunting and waymarking

Did some waymarking, cache maintenaince and bench mark hunting this weekend. One of them was to find a vintage movie theatre. Another was a benchmark that was chiseled into cement. There was also the ever famous dics benchmarks. I am so glad it is spring.

It is spring

Finally it is spring. Did some maintenance on a cache in Pokagon State Park and hiked around a bit. I was tired after slogging through the remains of a snow storm but wow what a great day. I really need to get out with the gps more now that winter is giving up for the year.

Dilbert

I love Dilbert. I always have. The scary things is how much rip and read it is from real business. you can get the widget at
http://widget.dilbert.com/.

Space Shuttle Landing

I was listening to the radio and relaxing until I heard the news come on and remind me that the space shuttle was about to land. Off went the radio and on went the NASA channel. i really can't get enough of the stuff. I remember watching the Apollo missions as a kid. It was one of my earliest memories. I never have gotten tired of watching the liftoffs and landings. I have been watching the space stuff all my life and the shuttle program for the last 20 or so and it still has not gotten old for me. Hopefully it never will. Itis still magic to me.

Easter is Over

Yesterday was a lot of fun. It started off with a good service at church. The music was way above the average Sunday's level which is how it should be. (and I am not saying this just because I was playing) There was something like three instrumentalist with 4 instruments and duets, choir and soloists. It all came together to be a service filled with musical bliss. It did not hurt that we had a trumpeter for the first time in years. The service was followed by an Easter feast with a bunch of friends. What a hoot! However, having said that, I am also tired and glad the day is over. Seams like I am like that for every holiday. Really enjoy the day but am tired and glad it over when all is said and done. I would do the day over as done over in a heartbeat. I guess it is time to shift gears and get on with other things but fun it was.

Call to Activism

My posts of None of the Above Campaign and the Daylights savings posts have made look to see what resources there are to deal with the issue and actual get involved. The Indiana State Legislature has a website here. Three is section that helps you figure out who your reps are both on the state and federal levels. I believe it is time to use technology for express opinions. It is not the most important issue but it is a start.

Dalight Savings Time Debunked

I have mentioned how I disliked Daylight Savings Time before and now I am getting some data to help back my distaste for having to switch my clocks twice a year. The Wall Street journal has done an article (click here) to say that it is actually costing more energy instead saving it like the supporters have stated. I see where the claims where it is good for business. Selling more expensive energy. Great!

Some of the interesting facts from the article are quoted in the following:

• Residential electricity usage increased between 1% and 4%, amounting to $8.6 million a year.

• Social costs from increased emissions were estimated at between $1.6 million and $5.3 million per year.

• Possible social benefits -- enhanced public health and safety and economic growth -- were not studied.

We have been sold a pig in a poke. I am tired of dinking with the clocks. We need to go back and have one standard time with no further changes. Stupid politicians who can';t leave well enough alone.

The Littlleist Turner

One of our field workers at church just got an addition of a daughter to the family. I joked with the father that he will have to have gun cleaning parties whenever the little boys start coming around.They are from North Carolina so it will be interesting to finally meat their families. ONe nice thing is that they only had two false alarms. It is also nice that one of the families is helping out with watching their first child during this time. They don't have any family around so it wil be overwhelming for a while until the new routine settles in. I got a feeling that Luke will start acting up a bit when momy and daddies attention will be split. Hopefully pictures will be coming.

DST (Darn Stupid Time)

This weekend, many of us will be changing our clocks one hour further. Great! I have not fully started to enjoy the earlier rising of the sun and they are taking it away already. As much as I am ticked off by this, I am still grateful that the days are getting longer at a quickening rate.Those in favor of it say that it saves energy. I really don't see how. We have had a twenty four economy for yeas. They say it is for the safety of kids so they don't have to get on the bus in the dark. Even with the time change, it does not always help. If it truly is a safety issue, then set it for the worst of winter and leave it there. I really am annoyed by DST. I was able to live very happily without it for years in Indiana. When Indiana adopted it, it was the year before they changed the dates on the national level. Great we had to start it one year and change it the next. Besides that, they caused great confusion by letting it go county by county and it took over a year to straighten it out. Our great and wonderful governor said that adopting DST would help business. How? Can it truly be demonstrated? If any of you reading this can answer this whether it is true or just the argument behind it, please leave a comment. I would really like to know. Just because someone said so is not enough.

The None of the Above Campaign

I have been watching the US presidential campaign and have unimpressed. I wish there was a way of voting to make the parties go back and look for better candidates. Several of my friends are contemplating not voting for the lack of choice. I am hearby calling for the none of the above grass roots campaign to begin.

To show your displeasure with the choices and your support for the campaign, use one of our slogans or come up with with some political satire of your own. The one I have been using are Pat Paulson for president, Cthulhu in 2008, why settle for the lesser of evils and card carrying member of the rhino party. The aim is for laughter and not being offensive.

The next thing I suggest, it that you start educating yourself and getting involved in politics. It does not mean doing anything large and it does not have to be on the national level. Find an issue and start getting involved, volunteering, writing letters and making a difference. We are not individually able to do the same kind of things but if all go and and get involved as we are able, the nation can be changed. The power of any nation is not its army, not its leaders, not its resources but its citizens going out and making a difference.

If nothing else, get involved in the discussion. Start by leaving a comment on this post and get going from there. Get off your comfortable behind and do something. If you don't, then someone else will and you won't really have an excuse for not liking where things are going if you are not willing to help them go right. The price of freedom is eternal vigilance. Are we too busy and comfy watching American Idol or Dancing with the Stars to get involved? It's time to answer.

Blog

I have been slipping on this blog lately. Not all much going on. It has not been the most welcoming weather to get out and do stuff. I should not make excuses. It is takes discipline to write things in a blog on a consistent basis and do it well. I should have left the well part off. I don't have any illusions that this is some great tomb of insight. It is what it is. At least the weather is showing cracks of spring going through. The length of day is growing at an ever increasing rate. It actually popped to fifty today. The only downside is that is once again snowing. We did not even get rid of all of the last dump. The backyard is a combo of puddle and snow. I expecting the snow will not last long.

I am listening to CHWO and they are playing a show hosted by Spike Jones and has Bela Laguisi as a guest. Cool.