I still walk like I’m wearing a sidearm, i.e. very little motion in my right arm which is always further away from my body, and I still open doors with my left hand. Old habits are hard to break.
I assume that people tell me what they want me to believe, not necessarily what they believe to be the truth. With a little effort I find out the truth which will tell me what is being hidden. Then you have to find out why. Normally it’s a petty reason, but occasionally it can be interesting.
“Situational awareness” is the only way to safely drive a car in the US. I’m always scanning for an exit path because I know the other drivers aren’t paying any attention at all to what they are doing. Nature’s way of thinning the herd.
]]>Another rule he taught me was “Cover your own ass first!” A wise man… I discovered that the company wasn’t quite what it seemed at the time, and he wasn’t simply an MD of a company… These discoveries eventually led me to war and working in the Intel biz. I learned what was very probably my most valuable lesson: Very little is what it seems, especially on the surface. Especially where the World of big biz and the Intel biz and even the Military are concerned, it’s more akin to an onion. Many layered, and once you’ve peeled away the layers, which is the real one? Or are they all real in a way? When you peel an onion, all you are left with are onion layers. 🙂 I’ve been called a cynic many times because I refuse to take things at face value. And I’ve been right more often than not. 😉 I am sure you know this also Bryan. 🙂
I was reminded of something a few days ago with a comment that was made to me I’ve heard before. When I walk down streets, I always take in the surrounding area and my eyes dart everywhere. Some people notice and ask why I do that. They also notice sometimes that I avoid walking close to walls, especially past a dark doorway or alley, and always check the *high ground* first. Truth is, I’m not actually aware that I am doing it until it’s pointed out. I was trained in *situational awareness*, and it’s stuck with me. It’s helped me a few times. Old habits ARE hard to break, especially when they have saved your life once or twice, or so. 🙂
]]>We can’t seem to figure out that you should mess in your own nest.
]]>The sad thing for me Steve, is that the loss is *everyone’s* loss. But sadly, most people don’t see it that way. LadyMin has seen the beauty and majesty of the area around Marysvill, and has commented that she’s never seen another place like it. Every place is unique in some way, has it’s own *magic*. People she tells about it will never be able to experience it for themselves now. And I and others won’t be able to see the parkland that you say was beautiful, and I assume had it’s own *magic*. And that’s our loss as well as yours. Of course, some of these disasters are not really preventable and are part of the continuing evolution of the Earth. And they will create other places of beauty and magic for future generations. But we humans have made things much worse and have much to answer for.
I just saw the 2008 remake of “The Day The Earth Stood Still”, I’ve been putting off watching it because I really liked the original 1951 classic. 🙂 Thankfully, they didn’t try to make this a clone, but a modern day equivalent. One memorable (for me) line is when Klaatu says “If the Earth dies, you die. If the human race dies, the Earth survives.” Still, the movie was disappointing somewhat. It could have been better, it seemed rushed and incomplete in parts and trying to please everyone.
I read somewhere that the musical score (which was good I thought) was by ‘Tyler Bates’. Any relation Steve? 😉
]]>I regret that I agree about one thing: we’re going to see more of this in the coming years.
(Now it’s back to filling boxes with years of accumulated stuff…)
Steve Bates´s last blog post..Will Los Angeles Stop Cussing?
]]>I fear that this is the new “normal” and settlement patterns based on the “old normal” aren’t going to work. We are still getting wildfire warnings, when there is currently no way in hell anything will burn in the pine forests as we are soggy.
]]>Meteorologist have a strange sense of humor. I like it. 😉 LOL
Sorry to hear about the loss, Steve. Same as loosing the forests around Marysville and the Black Spur here. Will take hundreds of years to replace what was lost. *sigh*
]]>We have had 30 times as much rain as is normal in February, while agricultural areas in the northern half of the county have had a less than normal month. These storms are tracking at least a hundred miles South of their normal path.
The rain is worthless down here, you can’t grow anything in our sugar-white quartz sand. If you want a lawn you have to install sod with its own dirt and water like crazy, or haul in real dirt from somewhere else.
It looks like we are going to get all of the worst parts of the 1930s, including the Dust Bowl.
]]>Steve Bates´s last blog post..Obama Fulfills A Pro-Choice Promise
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