A Giant Leap...

It is hard to believe. Forty years ago today man walked on a solitary orb of rock called the Moon. It's hard to believe that three men traversed the chilly vacuum of space to land on a celestial body. It's hard to believe that what was only a dream was achieved in less than 10 years of dedicated effort. In our current times of economic turmoil, when scions of industry and technological change like General Motors can barely produce cars people want and airlines are cutting services, that we as a nation, as a united people, as a human race could join minds to invent and build countless technologies and tools to safely carry people to and from the Moon.

I note this to both highlight how exceptional an achievement the Apollo 11 mission was and to send out a message of encouragement. We can accomplish great things, overcome insurmountable obstacles, and change the way we think about the universe if we devote our time and resources to it. And, if we push the doubters, naysayers, and red-tape dispensers out of the way. Innovation and progress do not result from overseers, lawyers, judges, administrators, or politicians but from risk-takers, hard workers, and all-around bright and dedicated people. While our national leaders can set an agenda, it is for us - the everyday people - to make dreams become reality to the betterment of all mankind. We went to the Moon because we chose to. Not even the sky is the limit to our success when we choose to.

Sons of Columbia

A favorite compendium of mine is the Book of American Values and Virtues: Our Tradition of Freedom, Liberty & Tolerance. I turn to it from time to time when I need words of inspiration and a reminder of all that we as a nation have overcome. The other night, after digesting the Declaration of Independence - which you all should re-read occasionally, especially when you hear any news out of Washington - I came to a poem that resides on the opposite page. I found it remarkable in its simplicity and clarity of vision, not to mention the message conveyed. The words had an effect on my and I would like to share them with you now.

Ye sons of Columbia, who bravely have fought
For those rights which unstain'd from your sires you descended,
May you long taste the blessing your valor has brought,
And your sons reap the soil which your fathers defended.
'Mid the reign of mild peace,
May your nation increase,
With the Glory of Rome and the Wisdom of Greece;
And ne'er may the sons of Columbia be slaves,
While the earth bears a plant or the sea rolls its waves.

Let Fame to the world sound America's voice;
No intrigue can her sons from the government sever;
Her pride in her Adams-his laws are her choice,
And shall flourish till Liberty slumber forever!
Then unite heart and hand,
Like Leonidas' band,
And swear to the God of the ocean and land
that ne'er shall the sons of Columbia be slaves,
While the earth bears a plant or the sea rolls its waves.

~ Robert Treat Paine

Ne'er shall the sons of Columbia be slaves.



Update: This is only part of the poem, the first and last stanzas. The entire piece, along with a short bio of the author, can be found here.

Automotive Milestone

In case you can't tell, that's 250,000 miles on the odometer of my venerable 1992 Saab 900 hatchback. By sheer coincidence, this occurred just as I turned into a friend's driveway so I was fortunate enough to be able to snap these pics.

What's even more impressive is the minimal amount of maintenance required to get to this milestone. The only power train-related repair was the recent replacement of the crankshaft timing sensor. I'm convinced that the engine on this Saab will outlast every other part of the car. I'm expecting that some day the body will just fall apart all at once, leaving only the motor sitting on the frame. I've taken to thinking of my Saab as though she's the Battlestar Galatica at the end of the Sci-Fi series: a proud, distinguished history; well deserving of retirement yet still called to service; and always a few trips away from busting wide open.

This is the type of quality that Saab was capable of producing before the buyout by GM. In fact, it is not too uncommon for Saabs from the 80s and early 90s to reach 300,000-500,000 miles. My hope is that we will see some wonderful engineering and design work under the stewardship of the new owners of my favorite Swedish brand. Koenigsegg certainly knows how to build things that go very fast, which might pair well with the "Born from jets" heritage of Saab.

Funny Tees for Nerds

PCWorld.com has a bevy of tech-themed shirts posted today, including the two above that made me LOL. These are strictly for geeks, so get your taped-up glasses pointed over there now. Full slide show here.

Friday Fun

With the weather warming and the weekend upon us, who really wants to focus on mundane stuff like work? Therefore, I will share with you my joyful distractions for today. As I've done before, I give you otters.


Now for the really cool part. The Monterey Bay Aquarium offers a plethora of webcams to view some of their exhibits, including one for... are you ready for this... OTTERS! Actually it's 3 webcams: 1 for sea otters, 2 for river otters.

Tune in to the sea otter cam at 10:30am, 1:30pm, and 3:30pm (all times Pacific) for feeding and training sessions - includes audio commentary by the staff.

By sheer coincidence, the above picture was one of the pics that Picassa served up on the daily Explore feature that grabs a variety of images from different users to share on the main page. The guy who took the picture, Edward Rooks, has many more amazing nature shots that you should check out. This particular picture highlights the surrogate program the aquarium conducts to nurture displaced otter pups before they are released back into the wild.

The Framework

Spring is here and all the plant pods are open. That means my sinuses are closed. Therefore, because I'm feeling a bit loopy, my brain being starved for oxygen, thus putting me on par with your typical elected official, I decided it would be a grand time to lay out what I believe are the critical, necessary characteristics of any good government. This is an easy starter into the bedrock values that underpin my suggestions for the future of the nation.

First, any government should be effective. While it should be obvious that we as a people would want any organization formed for our benefit to be able to efficiently and functionally accomplish its chartered mission, recent history in particular has shown that this is not obvious (see any federal department/bureau/agency, excluding the military).

Second, any government must be simple. By this I mean easily accessible to the average person. Laws, statutes, and regulations should be written as plainly as possible so that every literate individual can be engaged with his or her government and understand what their representatives and agents are doing. A great example would be the federal tax code. Presently, the tax code is 80,000+ pages long. Armies of lawyers and accountants are currently employed to both write and decipher it, which inevitably leads to numerous different interpretations and loopholes. (Also leads to tax "oversights" by supposedly intelligent and informed people like House Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel and Treasury Sec. Tim Geithner. Those would be the guys responsible for respectively writing and overseeing enforcement of the tax code. Ooops!) A simple tax code would be 1 or 2 pages, consisting of such "complex" language as "multiple your income by 0.15. That is your tax responsibility."

Third, good government must be transparent. Transparency dictates that everything the government does, aside from what is related to national security, is open to inspection by the public. It also requires a simple and effective (see above) process for accessing government records, publications, and proceedings. Again, transparency enables the average citizen to remain engaged and knowledgeable about what the government is doing. It can also work to keep politicians and bureaucrats honest (I know, oxymoron.) because everything they do is open to the light of day. Except for the Pentagon, every government office should be a metaphorical clear glass building.

Fourth, good government should be small and limited in powers and scope. This could be two criteria, but I'll treat them as one since they are so closely related. If you consider it for a moment, you will see that small and limited are absolutely necessary qualities if government is to be effective, simple, and transparent. Really, it's intuitive - the larger and more complex something becomes, the less efficient, simple, and easily understood that thing becomes. Does anyone who has every been on the phone with tech support think Windows is simple and effective? Furthermore, I firmly and absolutely believe that you know best for your own life and have the right to the opportunity and power to make those decisions for yourself. Put another way, the closer to you the power is, the more likely that you will achieve the outcome you want. Conversely, the further away from you the power resides, the less likely that decisions will be made that best represent your wants and needs. In practice, your local and state governments should retains as much power as possible while the federal government looks after several critical functions. But at all levels of government, power needs to be clearly deliniated and as as limited as possible. Small and limited government keeps people who don't know you, or answer to you, from making important decisions for you. It also contrainsts ambition, corruption, and greed; and, when government is also simple and transparent, you will readily perceive when those in power are misusing their position. Then you can take action against the transgressors.

Now, some would argue that you cannot have an effective government if it is simple and small. I reject these claims. Such arguments presume that the government knows better than individual citizens and should thus have a wider, deeper role in the affairs of the country. They also assume that the government can do many things better. Beyond several key functions, such as national defense and a justice system, this is laughable and demonstrably false. Think of your own life. Don't you achieve more and get more done when tasks are well defined and you have a simple method to do it? Of course you do! That applies to any organization, including government. The less they have to do, and better defined those tasks are, the more effectively, quickly, and inexpensively can they do it. And, the better you can judge success or misuse of power.

Hopefully, it is clear to you, dear reader, that these 4 characteristics of good government were all instituted at the time of the founding and ratification of the Constitution. These are not radical changes for our nation; quite the opposite. They all exist to one degree or another still. Rather they are a framework for evaluating how well our government is representing us and how healthy our republic is. Unfortunately, our national problems today can be traced to a steady creep away from effective, simple, transparent, and small and limited government. Especially at the federal level. We The People must demand from our government a steady return to strict adherence to these qualities.

A (Red) Banner Day

It is May Day, comrades! And what a glorious day for the proletariat is it. Those vile capitalist corporations General Motors and Chrysler are now securely in the hands of the State and the unions, just as it should have been all along. Dear Leader Obama has justly redistributed the means of production from the guilty financial pigs who took money from the masses and enriched the hapless heads of these vital national industries. If not for these brave moves by the State, the proud workers, whose labor is the root of all production, would have been left robbed of their entitled place in the factory.

Now, the unions, which tirelessly strive for the benefit of the common worker, will direct the activities of the auto giants. In addition, "our friends from Italy" at Fiat will ensure that the latest socially responsible policies from Europe are enacted, and that no trouble is caused by bourgeois provocateurs. Yes, Fiat, which has been slandered by agents of the West with the moniker "Fix It Again Tom" will help bring culturally progressive transportation to the people. Indeed, the compassionate State and its enlightened partners have "fixed it".

Additionally, the banks, which once sought only profit - the evil of all mankind - now follow the will of the State, ensuring efficient transfers of wealth to the unions. The auto makers never need worry about "money" again, leaving them free to maintain proper employment levels that will give a living wage to all workers, regardless of skill or seniority.

Soon, new cars will be rolling off the line. Cars that reflect the glory of the State in ushering forward a future of social equality. Of course, consistent with goals of the progressive society, cars will be distributed fairly, without callous regard for income or status. We can all be assured that the great and wondrous State and the unions will make excellent design selections. These will be cars that you will have no choice but to drive - literally.

Let us give thanks to our benevolent leader Obama and his deputies, and to the people's servants the unions. With our support they will surely extend their wise policies to every other industry. Already we see their efforts in the energy and health care sectors. Hope and Change are upon us! An illustrious May Day. Let us sing...

Would You Want This Guy as Your Boss?

A major public corporation was in need of a new CEO. One candidate was a young executive who had been with the company less than 2 years and had never before served as chief executive of any company. However, the search committee and the Board of Directors found him quite charismatic and full of potential. He had excellent rapport with employees, too. The young exec wooed the Board with ideas for increasing employee morale and productivity, boosting sales, and making the firm a true industry leader. This was music to the ears of the Board as their corporation had recently experienced financial trouble and was seen by some in the public and press as out-dated and uncaring toward employees and other stakeholders.

The young exec was eventually appointed CEO and expectations from all quarters were high. The Board hoped that soon their stock price would rise and the company's image would improve as the energetic and eloquent CEO set out to promote the corporation. At a "town hall" meeting with employees, the new CEO stated his vision for the company but offered few details about what strategies would be implemented. He then told the workers that the company was making products that were of questionable quality and safety and that some employees were making too much money.

Next, at the CEO's first major appearance, at an industry conference, he used most of his speech to highlight what he considered the past mistakes of the company. He apologized for these and even indicated that his enterprise had too much market share. Then, rather than note some of the soon-to-launch products of the company, the CEO talked vaguely about products that had so far proven unpopular and unprofitable.

A while later, the CEO announced that the company would be acquiring several businesses in various industries completely unrelated to the corporation's core products. Moreover, these would be hostile takeovers, the existing managers at these firms would be fired, and the CEO and his deputies would take over strategic decision-making for them. This latest move was unnerving to investors because the CEO knew nothing about these new businesses.

Then, the CEO sent out a memo that some managers would be docked pay and denied promotions because the he simply didn't like the opinions they offered on a special task force under the old CEO.

At this point, if you were on the Board of this company, wouldn't you want to know what the hell the CEO was doing? Wouldn't you question what the CEO actually liked about the corporation and why he really wanted to be its leader? If you were an employee or manager, would you want this guy as your boss?

Mull this over and come back in a day or so for the rest of the story.

The Experts Agree

I'm not the only one who thinks that fundamentals are critical to success. Read the advice one well-respected teacher/blogger offers to another.

Fiction is Life

I know, I am behind on my Back to Fundamentals, America! pep blogging. Admittedly, I am still a little glum over the end of Battlestar Galactica on the SciFi channel. Not in the same way that Soprano fans were bummed by that series finale. Quite the opposite; I liked the BSG finale. And maybe that is why I feel a longing for more. Quite timely, fiction author Alexander McCall Smith publishes a piece on the "intense personal relationships readers form with characters". He intelligently observes:

Although we eventually learn to distinguish between the world of make-believe and the real world, I suspect that many of us continue to experience fictional characters and events as being, in some way, real. This is because the imaginative act of following a story involves a suspension of disbelief, as we enter into the world it creates. When Anthony Minghella showed me a moving scene that he had just filmed for the pilot of "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency," I found myself weeping copiously, right there on the set. I felt rather embarrassed -- it was only a story, after all -- but he put a hand on my shoulder and said that was exactly what he had done over that particular scene.

A great story, whether fiction or not, touches us in personal ways that we might not fully understand or appreciate immediately.

Now, there was one element of the BSG finale that really tugged at me for some time after watching the episode ... the "life transition" of Kara "Starbuck" Thrace. As I watched Kara announce her time in this plane of existence had come to an end and then vanish I thought it a cinematographically beautiful shot and a fantastic decision by the director. But then my analytical brain kicked in. Wait, she's gone? Does that mean she really did die in the previous season? Is she an angel? I felt there was something unresolved about the character's plot line; moreover, I felt personally unfulfilled. As I spent perhaps a little too much time for a well-balanced person considering this, It slowly dawned on me that this was an appropriate end. It reflects the way people enter and exit our own lives, leaving us wanting more of them after they are gone, but happy for the time we had together. It provokes the question that we ask ourselves (and whatever god you believe in) what role that person plays/played in our own lives.

So, yes, I want more of Kara Thrace. Her exit deprives me of the opportunity to continue the storyline on my own, as Mr. Smith states we consumers of fiction are apt to do. (Of course, in science fiction, anything is possibly, and Starbuck could return - again - but if you are familiar with the BSG universe you know that would not fit with its style.) Yet, at the same time, Starbuck's absence redirects me to focus on the importance of real life family, friends, and acquaintences and what they mean to me. That's good fiction informing real life. As Starbuck's dear friend Lee says upon her sudden and unexpected vanishing, "You will not be forgotten." So it should be with all of us.


Entirely divergent, it seems to me that Ron Moore and the BSG writers are Ozzy Osbourne fans, based on the final scenes of Kara and her husband together in the CIC. Don't know what I'm talking about? Watch the series, starting at the beginning. It's well worth your time. In the meantime, listen to Ozzy.