Monday, March 14, 2011
Lego my ego
Compare the Lego model of me to the other photograph taken some years ago when I used to hang out with Peter Griffin of the Family Guy TV show. It's actually quite a good likeness!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
U.S.S. Saratoga torpedoed on this date in 1942
The U.S.S. Saratoga was one of our first fast aircraft carriers. She was converted while building from a World War I design battlecruiser under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922. In the years before World War II the Saratoga was distinguished from her sister ship and class leader Lexington by a large black vertical stripe down her funnel and was known as "Stripe-Stacked Sara."
On January 11, 1942 the U.S.S. Saratoga was hit by a single torpedo from the Japanese submarine I-6. She limped into Pearl Harbor where a temporary patch was applied, then went to the U.S. West Coast for more extensive repairs and modifications. These included the replacement of the 8" guns by the more efficient 5"/38 guns that doubled as antiaircraft weapons.
Saratoga arrived at Pearl Harbor just too late for the Battle of Midway in June 1942, fought in the Solomons campaign later that year when she was torpedoed again by another Japanese submarine, helped the British Far Eastern Fleet in the Indian Ocean in 1944, and was damaged by kamikazes off Japan in 1945. She was sunk by atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll in 1946 and today is a popular destination for scuba divers.
On January 11, 1942 the U.S.S. Saratoga was hit by a single torpedo from the Japanese submarine I-6. She limped into Pearl Harbor where a temporary patch was applied, then went to the U.S. West Coast for more extensive repairs and modifications. These included the replacement of the 8" guns by the more efficient 5"/38 guns that doubled as antiaircraft weapons.
Saratoga arrived at Pearl Harbor just too late for the Battle of Midway in June 1942, fought in the Solomons campaign later that year when she was torpedoed again by another Japanese submarine, helped the British Far Eastern Fleet in the Indian Ocean in 1944, and was damaged by kamikazes off Japan in 1945. She was sunk by atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll in 1946 and today is a popular destination for scuba divers.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Merry Kitzmas!
Humans share common ancestry with other living things. Overwhelming evidence of many different types clearly shows this is so, but many people have been lied to about this subject and try to say evolution doesn't happen. It's just as crazy as if half the adults in the USA were to insist the earth is flat in spite of all evidence to the contrary. It really is that obvious.
This is the fifth anniversary of the decision by Judge John E. Jones III on the Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District trial. This 2005 trial clearly showed that so-called "intelligent design" is not a scientific idea because it is NOT supported by ANY scientific evidence in spite of claims by its advocates to the contrary. Intelligent Design as presented at that time was in fact a thinly disguised repackaging of so-called "scientific creationism" which is a religious belief and therefore has no place in a public school science classroom. In his decision, Judge Jones basically called the defendants liars and referred to the "breathtaking inanity" of those who push the teaching of intelligent design. This was a major victory of truth and reason over the forces of fear and ignorance.
Merry Kitzmas!
December 20 has more personal significance in my life. That date in 1978 is what I have traditionally observed as the first time I played guitar. I have been a guitarist ever since, but I did not start doing it while riding a bicycle until a few years later in the early 1980s.
This is the fifth anniversary of the decision by Judge John E. Jones III on the Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District trial. This 2005 trial clearly showed that so-called "intelligent design" is not a scientific idea because it is NOT supported by ANY scientific evidence in spite of claims by its advocates to the contrary. Intelligent Design as presented at that time was in fact a thinly disguised repackaging of so-called "scientific creationism" which is a religious belief and therefore has no place in a public school science classroom. In his decision, Judge Jones basically called the defendants liars and referred to the "breathtaking inanity" of those who push the teaching of intelligent design. This was a major victory of truth and reason over the forces of fear and ignorance.
Merry Kitzmas!
December 20 has more personal significance in my life. That date in 1978 is what I have traditionally observed as the first time I played guitar. I have been a guitarist ever since, but I did not start doing it while riding a bicycle until a few years later in the early 1980s.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Pearl Harbor day
As I write this, America was still at peace sixty-nine years ago. Oh, we had been supplying arms to Britain for a while. Our destroyers had been escorting convoys as far as Iceland. One of them had even been sunk by a U-boat. In a few hours that would change. I don't really think Roosevelt intended two thousand Americans to die as an excuse to enter the war, but I could be wrong. Politicians can be incredibly devious.
I never read the conspiracy books about the attack on Pearl Harbor, but as a boy I did read much about the attack. I memorized incredible amounts of information about the ships, aircraft and people involved that I still remember to this day. My family went to Hawaii and visited the U.S.S. Arizona memorial (among other places).
My knowledge of military trivia helped me find a place to stay after I moved to Oregon. My friend Dana and I met an elderly man at a public dinner who joked about having drunk enough alcohol in his life to float the U.S.S. Arizona. I mentioned that she had been 608 feet long and a conversation ensued. He had been born in 1917, grew up in Hawaii, and had stood on the deck of that battleship as a civilian guest when it was actively representing the U.S. Navy.
In spite of his jocular comment Henry was not a drunk but a very intelligent and active senior citizen. He had held a position of responsibility during the war that involved the hiring of workers for the Pearl Harbor shipyard. Dana and I were allowed to stay in his barn for several months until we finally found a house to move into. So far as I know, that is the only time any of my tremendous knowledge of military trivia has been of advantage to me.
Let us remember the people who died this day sixty-nine years ago. By the way, I still can't watch the 2001 Pearl Harbor movie because it sucks so bad. I have tried more than once to watch this turkey and can never get more than twenty minutes into it before giving up in disgust. The older film Tora! Tora! Tora! is more historically accurate and in my opinion is a better movie in other ways too.
I never read the conspiracy books about the attack on Pearl Harbor, but as a boy I did read much about the attack. I memorized incredible amounts of information about the ships, aircraft and people involved that I still remember to this day. My family went to Hawaii and visited the U.S.S. Arizona memorial (among other places).
My knowledge of military trivia helped me find a place to stay after I moved to Oregon. My friend Dana and I met an elderly man at a public dinner who joked about having drunk enough alcohol in his life to float the U.S.S. Arizona. I mentioned that she had been 608 feet long and a conversation ensued. He had been born in 1917, grew up in Hawaii, and had stood on the deck of that battleship as a civilian guest when it was actively representing the U.S. Navy.
In spite of his jocular comment Henry was not a drunk but a very intelligent and active senior citizen. He had held a position of responsibility during the war that involved the hiring of workers for the Pearl Harbor shipyard. Dana and I were allowed to stay in his barn for several months until we finally found a house to move into. So far as I know, that is the only time any of my tremendous knowledge of military trivia has been of advantage to me.
Let us remember the people who died this day sixty-nine years ago. By the way, I still can't watch the 2001 Pearl Harbor movie because it sucks so bad. I have tried more than once to watch this turkey and can never get more than twenty minutes into it before giving up in disgust. The older film Tora! Tora! Tora! is more historically accurate and in my opinion is a better movie in other ways too.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Rosetucky on hold
My new band that started in the summer of 2009 is on hold for now. I'm not sure if the bass player Rocky and I will get back together or not. We haven't practiced regularly for some time now. The band's name Rosetucky was Rocky's idea, as he grew up in Roseburg, Oregon. More than half our songs were his original tunes. We also did a few of my originals and a couple of songs from my days with R Band back in the early 1990s. It looks like The Bicycling Guitarist is going to have to be a solo act and not part of a band, at least for now. Best wishes for Rocky.
It's too cold and wet these days for me to ride and play much. Cold and wet weather is not good for the wood of the guitar. The cold isn't too good for my fingers either. Also, when the pavement is wet the skinny tires of my vintage ten-speed bicycle can slip and skid, and braking is more difficult too when the rims are wet. At least now I have alloy rims on my Schwinn instead of slick chrome steel. It used to be I couldn't stop at all when the rims were wet!
It's too cold and wet these days for me to ride and play much. Cold and wet weather is not good for the wood of the guitar. The cold isn't too good for my fingers either. Also, when the pavement is wet the skinny tires of my vintage ten-speed bicycle can slip and skid, and braking is more difficult too when the rims are wet. At least now I have alloy rims on my Schwinn instead of slick chrome steel. It used to be I couldn't stop at all when the rims were wet!
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Local folks cheer me
I just rode my bicycle to the local convenience market, playing guitar while I ride as I am famous for. There were many people out in front of their houses because the weather is fairly nice today, and I was cheered by many people and groups of people as I rode by them.
Some people hadn't seen me before. I heard one guy say that to his companions with a big grin on his face. Other people were smiling and laughing because they had seen me before. Either way, I cheer them even as they cheer me. One of the best things about bicycle guitaring is bringing smiles to people's faces.
Encouraged, I went back out a short time later along the same route but this time with my battery-powered Pignose amplifier attached to the rear rack of the bicycle. As I passed one of the groups of people a woman said "Groovy." I said, "I haven't heard that for a while," and circled back around to chat with these people. Then she said, "Psychedelic."
I asked them if they wouldn't mind my playing a song for them, and they didn't. In keeping with the theme of the woman's remarks, I played the Beatles song Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. A younger woman there sang along, then asked me if I could play any Pink Floyd, specifically asking for Wish You Were Here (the title track of their 1975 album).
I happen to know that song at least well enough to fake it, and played that while she sang along to that one too. Then I played an original instrumental tune of mine for them, and finished by playing my Evolution song.
I hope I made new friends: Taylor, Melinda ("Groovy") and Alexa ("Wish You Were Here").
Some people hadn't seen me before. I heard one guy say that to his companions with a big grin on his face. Other people were smiling and laughing because they had seen me before. Either way, I cheer them even as they cheer me. One of the best things about bicycle guitaring is bringing smiles to people's faces.
Encouraged, I went back out a short time later along the same route but this time with my battery-powered Pignose amplifier attached to the rear rack of the bicycle. As I passed one of the groups of people a woman said "Groovy." I said, "I haven't heard that for a while," and circled back around to chat with these people. Then she said, "Psychedelic."
I asked them if they wouldn't mind my playing a song for them, and they didn't. In keeping with the theme of the woman's remarks, I played the Beatles song Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. A younger woman there sang along, then asked me if I could play any Pink Floyd, specifically asking for Wish You Were Here (the title track of their 1975 album).
I happen to know that song at least well enough to fake it, and played that while she sang along to that one too. Then I played an original instrumental tune of mine for them, and finished by playing my Evolution song.
I hope I made new friends: Taylor, Melinda ("Groovy") and Alexa ("Wish You Were Here").
Thursday, September 23, 2010
R.I.P. Werner Voss
I think of Werner Voss every September 23. Werner Voss was one of the greatest of the World War One German flying aces. He was a better pilot than the Red Baron even though the Red Baron was a better leader and teacher. On this date in 1917, Werner Voss was killed in one of the epic dogfights of that war when he fought alone against a flight of some of the best pilots in the British Royal Flying Corps.
Voss was in one of the prototype Fokker triplanes with a whimsical face painted on the engine cowling. He could have gotten away more than once in the prolonged combat, but always dove back in to engage them. All the British machines were damaged, but eventually something happened where Voss's triplane flew straight long enough for Lieutenant Rhys-Davids to shoot it down.
According to the Wikipedia article on Werner Voss, after a head on pass against the British ace McCudden, the side of Voss's triplane was hit by a machine-gun burst by Hoidge and Voss took a bullet in his lungs before Rhys-Davids came in from behind and below him. I just read this a few minutes ago and it is the first time I heard these details of the end. I will do some checking to see what sources they found that I hadn't seen before.
Voss was in one of the prototype Fokker triplanes with a whimsical face painted on the engine cowling. He could have gotten away more than once in the prolonged combat, but always dove back in to engage them. All the British machines were damaged, but eventually something happened where Voss's triplane flew straight long enough for Lieutenant Rhys-Davids to shoot it down.
According to the Wikipedia article on Werner Voss, after a head on pass against the British ace McCudden, the side of Voss's triplane was hit by a machine-gun burst by Hoidge and Voss took a bullet in his lungs before Rhys-Davids came in from behind and below him. I just read this a few minutes ago and it is the first time I heard these details of the end. I will do some checking to see what sources they found that I hadn't seen before.
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