Writings of the nearly extinct

Does anyone still read this thing? I've had a hankering to write but only if there's an audience out there somewhere to read it.

If you put words down in cyberspace and there's no one there to read them, did you actually write anything?

I remember when I was young, I had an old hand-me-down clock radio that was my dad's. It probably had some tubes in it because it took a few seconds to warm up when you turned it on. I would listen to WJR, 760. "The Great Voice of the Great Lakes". I listened to it because it was the station that dad listened to. J.P. McCarthy in the mornings, Budd Lynch and Bruce Martin announcing Red Wings games in the fall and winter, and Ernie and Paul Carey announcing Tiger baseball in the spring and summer. I listened to that old radio for many years. The funny thing was that I really didn't care that much about baseball; I mean, I knew as much as any lay person did about the Tigers but I didn't know their roster or who was on a streak or who was in a slump.

What I did know was Ernie's voice. There was something soothing and comforting about it. It was almost always even and calm, always in control. Even when there was a big home run that brought the Tigers from behind, his voice rose and fell as the ball went out over the field and into the seats. Ernie would comment that a gentleman from Brighton took that one home. I was always amazed how he knew these things. I asked my dad who in his own infinite wisdom and sense of humor said that Ernie had a chart of the seats with all that information on it. When a player, Tiger or opponent, would watch that third strike zip by without a swing Ernie would comment, "He stood there like a house by the side of the road and watched that one go by."

When I found out that Ernie had passed away tonight, it was as though a beloved uncle had died. I'm positive that I'm not even remotely alone in this feeling. Even as I saw another mention of his passing between periods of the hockey game, I could feel tears in my eyes. I was watching a You Tube video of his farewell address at Comerica Park and as I was watching it and listening to his still-strong voice, I heard the lawn mower outside and again I was transported back. Suddenly the old yellowed clock radio was there next to me and the sounds of the freeway were filtering in through the open window of my bedroom and in the fading light of the evening, just as tonight, the sounds of the lawn mower getting louder and softer as the path took it up and down the lawn. And there, in both places, the voice of my youth and my summers and my nights told us it was a beautiful evening in Tigertown. And in that moment, however brief it was, life was good and right and a man from New Hudson was taking home a souvenir.

Thank you Ernie. Thanks for everything.

53 year old Phil Harris, captain of the Alaskan fishing vessel Cornelia Marie and one of the most popular characters of the Discovery Channel show "Deadliest Catch" died this morning, less than a week after suffering a massive stroke.



http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/deadliestcatch/phil-harris/

May your crab pots always be full, Captain Harris.

Note: I think I've posted this on LJ before but, thanks to LJ's *awesome* (not) search feature I couldn't verify it. So I updated the information in it and (re)post it here. Enjoy.

************************

We define our interpretation of history by the times in which we live. The history of the Second World War, while remaining static in terms of the events and persons involved, is interpreted very differently today than it was in 1980. In 1980, it was different still than it was in 1960. Today's interpretation of World War II seems based primarily in the effort to portray the Nazis and Japanese as terrorists. Sound familiar?

I can't help but wonder, as I read (and read, and read) what the interpretations of World War II will be in 2020 and again in 2040. I would think by 2040 there will only be a very very small number of actual veterans left. (It seems entirely plausible that there will be World War II veterans still alive 100 years later, given the advances in health care that will occur.) Because the number will be so small, the interpretations will be through a smoked mirror. No longer will we have the direct input of the veterans to draw from. There will be an enormous corpus of information, to be sure, but there will relatively soon be no one to ask who was actually there.

According to Wikipedia there are (as of 10 December 2009) 3 verified World War I veterans (with one unverified veteran and one WW I "era" veteran) still alive. All of the veterans are from the Allied Powers. The last Central Power veteran, Franz Künstler of Austria-Hungary, died at the age of 107 on May 27, 2008. This is some 95 years after the beginning of the war in 1914. There are about 2.5 million U.S. World War II veterans living today, 68 years after the beginning of American combat activities on 7 December 1941.

But I digress. I started writing to ponder the view from the future upon the past. If we are fortunate enough to emerge from the present era in one piece and as a continuing world power, the view on the past will again reflect the situation of the contemporary time. As today we interpret WW II as largely a war on terror, perhaps the future will interpret it as a just action to allow oppressed populations facing genocidal extinction their guarantee of survival. If the United States emerges from these times as a faltering First World nation on the brink of entering Second World status, perhaps historians will interpret World War II as the last great period of American history. After that came our steady decline to secondary importance on the world's stage.

History is subjective. It is written by the winners, to be sure. But it continues to be rewritten and reinterpreted by those who succeed -- or defeat -- the winners who came before.

The uniforms and equipment have changed but the mission remains the same as does the shared brother and sisterhood.

The Military Police of the Vietnam War from Jim Stewart on Vimeo.

I'm trying to get all my Livejournal friends' locations plotted on a map - please add your location starting with this form. Username: (Then get your friends to!)

I see nothing wrong with any of these options. Apart from the curious-passers-by syndrome that would inevitably happen, it doesn't seem like a bad thing.

Rent-free is a great bonus.

One of the best tributes, certainly the best amateur one, I've seen to The Fitz. Combines Lightfoot's song with video and stills of the boat and audio from the Arthur M. Anderson, the freighter that was 10 miles behind and the last to communicate with Captain McSorley.

detnews.com%7CThe+fateful+voyage+of+the+Edmund+Fitzgerald

Shared via AddThis

29 good men went down with the flagship and queen of the Great Lakes fleet. She was graceful and beautiful and a feather in any crewman's cap who served on her.

Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald
Music and lyrics ©1976 by Gordon Lightfoot

 

The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
of the big lake they called "Gitche Gumee."
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
when the skies of November turn gloomy.
With a load of iron ore twenty-six thousand tons more
than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty,
that good ship and true was a bone to be chewed
when the "Gales of November" came early.

The ship was the pride of the American side
coming back from some mill in Wisconsin.
As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most
with a crew and good captain well seasoned,
concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms
when they left fully loaded for Cleveland.
And later that night when the ship's bell rang,
could it be the north wind they'd been feelin'?

The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound
and a wave broke over the railing.
And ev'ry man knew, as the captain did too
'twas the witch of November come stealin'.
The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait
when the Gales of November came slashin'.
When afternoon came it was freezin' rain
in the face of a hurricane west wind.

When suppertime came the old cook came on deck sayin'.
"Fellas, it's too rough t'feed ya."
At seven P.M. a main hatchway caved in; he said,
"Fellas, it's bin good t'know ya!"
The captain wired in he had water comin' in
and the good ship and crew was in peril.
And later that night when 'is lights went outta sight
came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

Does any one know where the love of God goes
when the waves turn the minutes to hours?
The searchers all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay
if they'd put fifteen more miles behind 'er.
They might have split up or they might have capsized;
they may have broke deep and took water.
And all that remains is the faces and the names
of the wives and the sons and the daughters.

Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings
in the rooms of her ice-water mansion.
Old Michigan steams like a young man's dreams;
the islands and bays are for sportsmen.
And farther below Lake Ontario
takes in what Lake Erie can send her,
And the iron boats go as the mariners all know
with the Gales of November remembered.

In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed,
in the "Maritime Sailors' Cathedral."
The church bell chimed 'til it rang twenty-nine times
for each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald.
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
of the big lake they call "Gitche Gumee."
"Superior," they said, "never gives up her dead
when the gales of November come early!"


I recommend a trip to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point for anyone who would like to see the sometimes deadly history of the Great Lakes.

My name is Bob and I'm an addict.

I really need to stop going to Amazon. Whenever I do, I inevitably find "Yet Another Book To Add To My Wishlist". I went there tonight for *ten freakin' minutes* to look at a book on photography. By the time I finished I had seven more books on the list. How does that happen??

It wouldn't be so bad if I actually bought the darn things once in a while but I don't generally have cheap tastes in books. They totaled $109.91 before shipping. I should probably look into meth or crack; I'm thinking those are cheaper.

How is it that a company whose news reporting and personalities I despise so much consumes almost all of my TV-watching time otherwise?

Monday: House
Thursday: Bones and Fringe
Friday: Brothers and 'Til Death
Saturday: Cops and America's Most Wanted
Sunday: The Simpsons, The Cleveland Show, Family Guy, American Dad

Human Target (Wednesdays) looks intriguing and it might get a shot.

ETA: How could I forget Football? Fox has the NFC games (CBS has AFC) and my beloved and hapless Lions are an NFC team. So I watch at least one game a week there. Fox Sports Detroit carries a lot of Wings games, too.

Foooooooooox!!!!!

Thanks for the laughs, Soupy... Detroit will be forever grateful.




X-Posted to obituary

The Upper Peninsula is much preferable to almost anything else in the world.

Just sayin'

Pictures will eventually be posted.

I wonder what it says that I was more bummed by the death of Billy Mays than anyone who's died recently?


see more Lol Celebs



I'll raise a beer for you next time I'm out.

The surgery went OK. I was in the waiting room longer than the surgery lasted. Glad they told me to be there three hours early... Surgery was supposed to start at 2pm and they finally brought me back around 3. Prep took an hour or so and they brought me into the OR and I don't remember much of anything after that. Except I think I was humming.

I got to come home last night and got situated. Most of today was devoted to watching TV and napping and generally getting used to this. Needless to say, it sucks.

Tomorrow will be devoted to finding a wheelchair since I'm going to have to get around a bit and/or maybe a kneeling walker. That'll be a job for Craigslist.

I have to go to the doctor on Monday or Tuesday where they'll tell me more about what's going on. I could be off my feet for up to 12 weeks. Which totally sucks.

'The Bird' Mark Fidrych Dies At Age 54

Died while working on his truck.

I remember watching him groom the mound over and over. I was fascinated by it. He got me hooked on baseball as a 10 year old back in 1976.

Bye Bird. Say hey to George Kell.

I'm the first to admit that I make grammatical mistakes. I make spelling mistakes as well (thank heavens for spell check). But here are the headlines from my "My Yahoo" news agreggator that have made me cringe today:

Oakland cop shot by parolee taken off life support (AP) {The parolee was on life support, then shot the cop when taken off?}

Obama praises shuttle, space station crews in call (AP) {Obama praised the space shuttle while the crews were on another call?}

Flames deny Red Wings's bid for Western lead {OUCH, my eyes}

Rangers D Rozsival out 7-to-10 days (AP) {hyphens much?}

I'll leave you to parse the meanings.

George Kell is a huge memory for me watching Tigers TV broadcasts in the '70s and '80s.

Detroit (WWJ) -- Former Detroit Tigers baseball player and broadcaster George Kell has passed away. He was 86.

The Hall of Famer played third base for the Tigers, Philadelphia Athletics, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, and Baltimore Orioles in the 1940's and 1950's.

Full story: http://www.wwj.com/Baseball-Legend-George-Kell-Dies-At-86/4075485

Bye, George. Now you have the best seats in the stadium.

Passed away in Phoenix today. I will miss him greatly.

CHICAGO – Paul Harvey, the news commentator and talk-radio pioneer whose staccato style made him one of the nation's most familiar voices, died Saturday in Arizona, according to ABC Radio Networks. He was 90.

The rest of the story here

Was simple and to the point.

President Obama

Is it childish that it just tickles the hell outta me when I read that? Or hear it on the news? And that hearing "Former President Bush" makes me almost as giddy?

Don't you get food stuck in it? Doesn't it itch? Do girls like it? Why do you wear so much plaid?

Now, the answers to all of your questions from my friends at Funny or Die.

BEARD SONG! - watch more funny videos

I heard on the news this morning that the temp in Jackson was colder than at McMurdo Station in Antarctica today. While that may be true, it's the exception rather than the rule.

If you were cold this morning coming in to work, just click the video below to feel a little better about it and smile that spring is only 66 days away.

Sad but she's in a better place now.

1950s pinup model Bettie Page dies in LA at 85

I'll miss you, Bettie. You made the world a much prettier place for your being in it.

From the lovely merriehaskell

1. Answer each of the questions below using the Flickr Search engine.
2. Choose a photo from the first three pages.

3. Copy the URL of your favorite photo into this site: BigHugeLabs.com
4. Share!

Questions: name, favorite food, hometown, favorite color, celebrity crush, favorite drink, dream vacation, favorite dessert, what I most want to be when I grow up, what I love most in the world, one word that describes me, my username



1. Lighthouse at Robert Moses State Park (Robert) 2. 20080329 One-Pound Prime Rib (Prime Rib) 3. New Hudson 1924 :: eu-moto 8517 (New Hudson, MI) 4. Cascade in Blue (Royal Blue) 5. Zeta-Jones, Catherine (Catherine Zeta-Jones) 6. Raspberry Iced Tea (Raspberry iced tea) 7. The Famous Wigan Pier (now on Schmapp.com) (Wigan, England) 8. IMG_6677 (hot fudge sundae with chocolate ice cream) 9. Voluntary Tax_9200 (Independently wealthy) 10. Serenity (Peace and serenity) 11. jack of all trades (Jack of all trades) 12. this is bob (Dinosaur Bob)

Thank you for your service and your sacrifice.

I was honored at my nephew's elementary school this morning. The students invited members of their families who had served to come to a Veteran's Day assembly there where we were honored for our service.

Gotta say, it was the best thank you I ever had for being a vet. The kids gave us all hand-made cards and flags. Makes it all worthwhile.

I'm admiring this guy more and more and more.



From the blog of jj_maccrimmon

The previous link in the chain is from divinedemon

Grab the nearest book.

* Open the book to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post the text of the sentence in your journal along with these instructions.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the cool book, or the intellectual one: pick the CLOSEST.

"These people did not die by accident, alone in the bogs, since a number of skeletons were accompanied by various items which seem to have been deposited with them."

-Earthly Remains: The History and Science of Preserved Human Bodies" Pearson, Michael and Chamberlain, Andrew T. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.

Link to Amazon here.

Nowwww do it!

From bangping. I wish -- oh how I wish -- I could write about things this well and pointedly.

Here's the link to her post:
http://bangping.livejournal.com/143915.html

Go there, read, nod in agreement.

( Consider the last Illinois politician who became President after only two years in Congress. )

Y'know, I really do understand people for whom pain is such an overwhelming part of their lives that they choose to end it. If I had the choice between being in constant and unrelenting pain or spending my days in a drug-induced fog, I'm pretty sure I know which path I'd take.

But it seems like there may be a positive development on the horizon, at least as it applies to me and my arthritic spine. I know I've joked about it many times to many people: "Just pull out my spine and toss a new one in there." but it seems that the time is coming where that very thing is -- to some extent, at least -- possible.

It's called TFAS®, the Total Facet Arthroplasty System® and it was created by Archus® Orthopedics, a private company in Redmond, Washington, specializing in orthopedic implants. TFAS is a patented spinal implant that replaces worn facets of the spine.

Facets are joints at the back of each vertebra that articulate with each other and allow independent movement. The facet joints, like the hip and knee joints, are surrounded by synovial fluid that enables their frictionless movement.

The whole thing, including the above quote, is right here: Get yourself a new spine, right here!

And it seems like a very valid game to be playing.

As seen in jj_maccrimmon's blog

Found this out today:

Bestselling Author of Artemis Fowl Series, Eoin Colfer, Tapped To Write The Sixth Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Last update: 1:30 p.m. EDT Sept. 17, 2008
NEW YORK, Sept 17, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Ellen Archer, President and Publisher, announces today that Hyperion will publish the next book in the beloved and world-famous Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. Eoin Colfer, author of the bestselling Artemis Fowl children series, will continue the legacy of Hitchhiker's, originally created and written by Douglas Adams, who passed away in 2001. The new book is titled And Another Thing . . . will be published in October 2009.

The whole article here:
HHGTG rises again

I'm gonna have to read these Artemis Fowl books and see how the humor stacks up. Douglas Adams had a very particular sense of humor and wit so it'll be very interesting to see a comparison.

Seen first at 's pad.

Caution: Seething commentary inside.




Olbermann is very critical of Senator McCain here and it seems that he has a good basis in his reasons. He gets a little emotional but I understand that he lost friends on 9/11 so that's understanding.

P.S. Yes, I'm alive.

( Fuck or Pass )

( Cut to protect those for whom my typical TMI descriptions are really TMI )

Actually, pretty flippin funny:

See more Paris Hilton videos at Funny or Die

From CNN.com:

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania (AP) -- Randy Pausch, a Carnegie Mellon University computer scientist whose "last lecture" about facing terminal cancer became an Internet sensation and a best-selling book, died Friday. He was 47.
Pausch

Randy Pausch emphasized the joy of life in his "last lecture," originally given in September 2007.

Pausch died at his home in Virginia, university spokeswoman Anne Watzman said. Pausch and his family moved there last fall to be closer to his wife's relatives.

Read the whole CNN story here.


It's kind of sad that we have to wait until death stares us in the face to find the courage to do those things that we've always wanted to do but were too nervous/scared/worried about what other people think to do them.

The Last Lecture. It's 75 minutes long but very worth watching.

Why yes... as a matter of fact, I *am* that bored.

( Click here to see just how bored. )

The Grand Traverse Lighthouse has been nominated by Jeld Wen windows to receive free windows.

It is one of 12 lighthouses nominated. They allow one vote per email address.

Please spread this to your friends and ask them to vote for the Grand Traverse Lighthouse.

To vote go to http://www.jeld-wen.com/lighthouse

To read more about the whole project, click here: Rock The Vote For Lighthouses

Don S. Davis was known to millions of fans as Major General Hammond on Stargate SG-1. He died on Sunday June 29 of a massive heart attack. Yes, I'm a Stargate geek.

http://gateworld.net/news/2008/06/don_s._davis_1942-2008.shtml

crossposted to obituary

I can't help but wonder where MY Drexel Dragons sweatshirt is.... Being that I too made a long trip -- doing the Dragon's share of the driving.

Of course, I'm sure it's just delayed in the mails.

From and like him, I am:

Your result for The Monty Python Movie Trivia Test...

Sir Lancelot

You scored a 83% knowledge on the Monty Python Trivia Test.

Take The Monty Python Movie Trivia Test at HelloQuizzy

The Challenge:

- Post 3 things you've done in your lifetime that you don't think anybody on your friends list has done.
- See if anybody else responds with "I've done that."
- Have your friends cut & paste this into their journal to see what unique things they've done in their life.

1. Driven from Michigan to Florida and back in 40 hours.
2. Observed Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Pluto, and Neptune in a single night. (through a telescope) (We also observed the Earth through a different one, just to cover all nine)
3. Attended the last-ever Tigers game at Tiger Stadium in 1999.

I'm on my Civil War Battlefields class trip, where I've visited Gettysburg, Antietam, the Library of Congress, Sharpsburg, Fredricksburg, The Wilderness Battlefield, and Spotsylvania/Chancellorsville. Tonight I blog from Richmnd, VA. Richmond was the capitol of the Confederate States of American for much of the war, situated about 80 miles from Washington, D.C.

That was then. This is now. I'm reminded of my last trip to Richmond, wherein I was denied a Mac iBook by the Henrico County Schools. For my new friends, the entire ordeal can be read here:

http://dinosaurbob.livejournal.com/38132.html
http://dinosaurbob.livejournal.com/38469.html
http://dinosaurbob.livejournal.com/39822.html
http://dinosaurbob.livejournal.com/41356.html
http://dinosaurbob.livejournal.com/42806.html

Hopefully this time I'll not have such tales of amused woes to relate. Tomorrow (Sunday) we visit the civil War museum of medicine and Appomatox Courthouse, where the surrender treaty was signed.

Now it's off to bed.

Taken from the nerddom of jj_maccrimmon:

What Be Your Nerd Type? Your Result: Literature Nerd   Does sitting by a nice cozy fire, with a cup of hot tea/chocolate, and a book you can read for hours even when your eyes grow red and dry and you look sort of scary sitting there with your insomniac appearance? Then you fit this category perfectly! You love the power of the written word and it's eloquence; and you may like to read/write poetry or novels. You contribute to the smart people of today's society, however you can probably be overly-critical of works. It's okay. I understand.
Science/Math Nerd
Drama Nerd
Gamer/Computer Nerd
Social Nerd
Anime Nerd
Musician
Artistic Nerd
What Be Your Nerd Type? Quizzes for MySpace

Thanks guys! You made for a great season!



1935–36, 1936–37, 1942–43, 1949–50, 1951–52,
1953–54, 1954–55, 1996–97, 1997–98, 2001–02,

2007–08

So long, Harvey... thanks for the laughs. Mel Brooks was right: This is a more serious world without you in it. Enjoy a couple of scenes here and remember him with a smile.

He's why I got interested in weather in the first place. He's still on WWJ AM-950. I found this video celebrating his 50 years in broadcasting and thought I'd share.

Due to various and sundry distractions, I seem to have washed my cell phone last night.

If you're trying to get hold of me via that method, you won't.

Email will likely work best for now.

That is all.

Via email from my friend Jen.

You can only type ONE Word! Not as easy as you might
think. Now copy or forward, change the answers to suit
You and pass it on. It's really hard to only use one
word answers. You can only type one word. Send it to
3 people including the person that sent it to you.



1. Where is your cell phone? car

2. Where is your significant other? somewhere

3. Your hair? greying

4. Your mother? dead

5. Your father? dead

6. Your favorite thing? peace

7. Your dream last night? lacking

8. Your dreams/goals? stalled

9. The room you're in? office

10. Your hobby? reading

11. Your fear? blades

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? teaching

13. Where were you last night? home

14. What you're not? happy

16. One of your wish list items? travel

17. Where you grew up? Michigan

18. The last thing you did? drove

19. What are you wearing? jeans

20. Your TV? off

21. Your pet? dogs

22. Your computer? dell

24. Your mood? tired

25. Missing someone? yes

26. Your car? tiny

27. Something you're not wearing? thong

28. Favorite store? Borders

29. Your summer? long

30. Love someone? yes

31. Your favorite color? blue

32. When is the last time you laughed? yesterday

33. Last time you cried? unknown

34. Who will resend this? nobody