eeko77 - Eric's Blog

This Blog Has A New Home - We've Moved

2009-05-23T13:38:00.002-05:00

After a couple years here I have decided to move to my own domain home. Our new address is simply www.eeko77.com.

Come visit and join in............ eric

The World Needs Much Much More Of This

2009-05-12T20:06:00.001-05:00

This is so cool........ happiness........ enjoy

Millions Of Stars

2009-04-18T19:31:00.002-05:00

The nearest land is over 1,000 miles away at the southern tip of India. It is 2.00 am on a moonless night and our ship is running in total darkness which means no lights of any kind are on. It is so dark that you have to wear red goggles for approximately 30 minutes before going up on the flight deck so your eyes are fully adjusted.

I open the hatch and am greeted by the warm equatorial breeze of an Indian Ocean night and I step out onto the catwalk. I hear the gentle sound of the water as our ships slides through silently. We are headed to Australia after our northern Arabian Sea patrol. I climb the few steps up from the catwalk and step onto the deck and take a few steps inboard just to make sure I am not too close to the deck edge.

I can feel the deck rolling gently below my feet and feel the slight vibrations that radiate through our ship ever so slight as if she doesn't want to disturb the night. I take my goggles off as my eyes are now fully adjusted to the dark and I am greeted with one of the most spectacular sights I have ever seen.

The sky at sea at night when there is no moon is much much different than on land where you have man made light that interferes with what you see. I looked up and what I saw was truly awe inspiring. Millions of stars twinkling in every direction. Little ones and big ones, clusters and lone stars from horizon to horizon. It was as if someone took a paint brush and splattered it across the sky. There were so many stars visible I could actually see the horizon line out in the distance where the sky met the surface of the ocean.

Every few minutes I would see a flash of light as a shooting star raced across the sky. I wasn't the only one taking in the magnificant show. Others were on deck as well with their heads looking skyward. Some were even laying down on their backs looking straight up. No one said a word. What could you say? When you see a sight like this you have to wonder how people can say there is no God. Often times when you are at sea you begin to think just how small you are in the vastness of the ocean. Then when you look up at a sight like this you realize that you really are just a tiny spot in the grans scheme of things.

Everyone should be able to see this view at least once in their life. It will change then forever.

Brotherhood of Veterans

2009-04-16T22:19:00.003-05:00

I was at our local community college today for a meeting and was a little early so I sat down in the student center. As I looked around I saw quite a few students waiting for classes, studying and talking amongst themselves. I overheard one young man who looked to be about 18 or 19 talking about a friend of his older brother who had just recently came home from Afghanistan and had been in Iraq twice previously. The young man made a remark about how his friends brother had become "weirded out" and how he spent a lot of time talking to a few other veterans about their experiences. He said he thought they were crazy the way they always talked among themselves and that they must be some kind of freaks.

Well here is what I think about that young man who didn't look like he had ever had a job or a bath for that matter and was probably at school on dads coin........

The Perfect Love Song

2009-03-25T22:02:00.003-05:00

Boz Scaggs has it going on. He is just about the smoothest singer around in my opinion. Back in the 1980's he had a great hit called "Look What You've Done to Me". Remember the scene from Urban Cowboy where Bud is in the high rise with the girl that picked him up in the bar??? That's the song.

Missing The Philippines

2009-03-20T22:36:00.003-05:00

Now I remember why I miss the Philippines:

Islam - A Religion of Peace

2009-03-20T19:38:00.001-05:00

Great Progressive Music

2009-03-14T22:45:00.003-05:00

If you were a teenager in the mid 1970's and you weren't into disco then you may be remember a genre of music that was labeled as "progressive". You usually found these progessive music stations up at the upper end of the FM dial around 104 to 107. You could easily identify these stations with the 15 minute instrument rock songs heavy with keyboard and synth. Usually the DJ spoke with a low voice (probably higher than a kite of the truth were known) but it was rare that the dj spoke. A single musical set could last an hour at a time and there were very few commercials.

Tonite I am having some serious flashbacks as I have found a station on WinAmp that is as progressive as they come. It is called Stellar Attraction and their website is, you guessed it, www.stellar-attraction.com

I have my headphones on and I am taken back to 1975, sitting on my red bean bag chair with my ear covering individually volume and tone controlled Sony headphones, lost in another world. My room was often lit by either a blacklight or a large red globe light I had hanging over my bed. Yes I was the perfect 1970's "head". So here I am now at 49 years old with my modern earbuds in listening to those familiar progressive bands like Tibet, Caravan, Yes, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Pink Floyd and others.

I have always had an appreciation for music. That is one of my lifes disappointments. I have always wanted to be a musician among other things. I have played some guitar and took piano lessons for a couple years. But I suppose I am a perfectionist and if I cant get it perfect then I dont want to do it at all.

So tonite I am taken back in time to a world where there was no stress, no worries, just endless nights of teenage mind tripping to the songs and music of the minstrels of the day. Very cool

Alone With 5000 Other People

2009-03-09T20:18:00.003-05:00

Have you ever been with thousands of other people but felt very alone at the same time? I am a loner by nature. I have no childhood friends that I grew up with (military brat). I have no brothers or sisters. I never know my grandmothers and only briefly my grandfathers. I spent a lot of my childhood alone and as a result I feel very comfortable when I am alone.

It is possible to feel alone and still be near others. I was on the USS Constellation, an aircraft carrier while in the navy. We were between Hawaii and Midway on our way north to the Bering Sea in November. I was standing in the starboard side catwalk as far forward as possible on the bow. We were in transit and not flying any planes that day. The sky was a dark gray with the gray clouds hanging low. Large rolling swells of almost black water seem to stretch endlessly to the horizon as we plowed north. Our ship was big by most standards with our flight deck 80 feet from the water line and almost 1100 feet in length. With each giant swell that we came across the ship would rise high up the front of the swell then crest and ride down the back side. As the ship rose the water fell away and it seemed almost as if we were airborne but as we started to slide down the back the water rose so quickly that it seemed as if we would surely go straight in. But then at the last moment with surface of the water only 10 to 20 feet away I could feel the deck heave upward again and the water was back to 80 feet or so. Up and down we went in the gray sea where you couldnt tell the horizon from the sky.

At that moment, on a ship with 5000 other people, and me on the very front of the bow I felt alone. The wind rushing through me, the salt spray bathing me in a fine mist, the deck rolling beneath my feet was a feeling that cant be imagined. There I was facing out into the distant vastness of the northern Pacific ocean feeling all alone and feeling very comfortable at the same time.

Sometimes I long for that type of day when there is nothing in front of me but the gray empty sea.

Why Am I Like I Am

2009-03-08T21:45:00.003-05:00

I ask myself that question a lot. I realize that I am not like most people in that I am sometimes hard to figure out, let alone get along with. My life experience has been so drastically different than most of the people I know that sometimes I have a hard time relating. People tell me I should write a book about my experiences. I have been fortunate to see and do many wonderful things in my 49 years. Now as I close in on 50 I am beginning to wonder will I ever regain some of that old life.

There was a time when risk and adventure were a part of my everyday life. Taking chances was the norm and I never knew from day to day what would happen or where I would wind up. I have a good life now, don't get me wrong. My family is wonderful and I have a great job with a great group of people and all in all life is very good. But there is always that itch way down deep inside for one more whatever you want to call it. I suppose my biggest fear is I will never leave this town I live in. There is a huge world out there full of both wonderful and terrible things and fortunately or maybe unfortunately I have seen a great deal of it. I want my kids and my wife to experience what I have seen an done and with each passing day that desire gets further out of reach as my kids get older and I get older.

I'm not afraid of getting older. On the contrary I am enjoying my age. It affords me certain freedoms that were not available before........... some of you know what I mean. So what should I do? Time will tell I suppose.

How did I get here....... I started out as a military brat moving all the time from place to place and from country to country........ 16 school changes in 12 years between two countries and 5 states. I have been to 47 countries from Europe to Asia; from Alaska to Australia and from Africa to Nebraska........ (look out South America and Rio - you are next on my list). I have been to art school, learned to fly an airplane, spent time in the navy and sailed around the world several times, worked for an interesting government organization, and a whole lot of other things. I have met several presidents, been shot at more times than I care to remember, have eaten bugs and other weird things, survived two life threatening operations, and realized that I had never done something as simple as change the oil in my car.

My wife says I am jaded. Things that should shock and bother me don't even phase me anymore. I don't know if that is good or bad. Like most military brats I feel at times like a chameleon. I can fit in any social situation whether it is jeans and a plaid shirt in the hills of West Virginia or black tie at the Royal Albert Hall in London. I am just as comfortable at a summer dirt track auto race as I am at the symphony or opera. I like baroque music and I like rap. Being like that can sometimes be a curse because you tend to lose your own identity as you try to fit in with those around you.

I suppose the only time I am truly at east and comfortable is when I am around other TCK's. (look it up if you don't know what it is). I have found myself at places in time during my short life that have given me personal views into history. I say President Kennedy in Germany as a little boy just weeks before he was killed. I was at the flightline at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington D.C. the day President Nixon made his final farewell and left on Air Force 1 after resigning. I have shook the hand of two former presidents and stepped on Sir Lawrence Oliviers foot one night in the hallway of an apartment building in London.

There are hundreds of other things I have seen and done and I suppose I need to start writing about them and that wayI can feel that a part of me will preserved for anyone who might be interested.

Why am I rambling like this? I have no idea but I might just do it some more. If you want to comment then feel free to. If you have a question ask and i'll answer as honestly as possible......... if you are a friend from the past contact me so we can hook up. If you are friend from the future on this same journey then contact me.............

hhhhmmmmmm more than I had inteneded for tonite but oh well................... later

You Know You Went To An International School When

2009-03-06T07:06:00.003-06:00

How many times have you encountered the following. Civies just don't understand us TCK's... enjoy and feel free to ad:

1) You can't answer the question: "Where are you from?"
2) You speak two (or more) languages but can't spell in any of them.
3) You flew before you could walk.
4) You have a passport, but no driver's license.
5) You run into someone you know at every airport
6) You have a time zone map next to your telephone.
7) Your life story uses the phrase "Then we went to..." five times (or six, or seven times...).
8) You speak with authority on the quality of airline travel.
9) National Geographic (OR THE TRAVEL CHANNEL) makes you homesick.
10) You read the international section before the comics.
11) You live at school, work in the tropics, and go home for vacation.
12) You don't know where home is.
13) You sort your friends by continent.
14) Your second major is in a foreign language you already speak.
15) You realize it really is a small world, after all.
16) You feel that multiple passports would be appropriate.
17) You watch a movie set in a 'foreign country', and you know what the nationals are really saying into the camera.
18) Rain on a tile patio - or a corrugated metal roof - is one of the most wonderful sounds in the world.
19) You haggle with the checkout clerk for a lower price.
20) Your wardrobe can only handle two seasons: wet and dry.
21) Your high school memories include those days that school was canceled due to tear gas, riots, demonstrations, or bomb threats.
22) You get back to the states and serously cannot remember the currency exchange
23) You think VISA is a document stamped in your passport, and not a plastic card you carry in your wallet.
24) You automatically take off your shoes as soon as you get home.
25) Your dorm room/apartment/living room looks a little like a museum with all the "exotic" things you have around.
26) Half of your phone calls are unintelligible to those around you.
27) You go to Pizza Hut or Wendy's and you wonder why there's no chili sauce.
28) You know the geography of the rest of the world, but you don't know the geography of your own country.
29) You have best friends in 5 different countries.
30) It takes 24 hours to reach home in a plane
31) You can only call your parents at 8am and 8pm
32) You never really use a seatbelt
33) School trips meant going to a different country
34) Your high school football team had to play against itself.. if it had one
35) When you were in middle school you could walk into a bar and order a drink without being questioned
36) You got sick a lot and often had food poisoning
37) It wasn't unusual to find a lizard or cockroach in your house
38) You got to go home twice a year ...thats if you're lucky
39) Home almost felt like a museum
40) You are a pro packer, or at least have done it many times
41) Living out of a suitcase, you find, has it pros
42) You bump into your old teachers all the time
43) Family photos you sent every year took months to arrive and often were in front of some exotic statue or endangered animal no one has heard of
44) Your check from your parents takes a month to reach you
45) Talking to your school office and getting signatures from your parents is a week-long event
46) When you return to the States you are overwhelmed with the number of choices in a grocery store ( I stood by the chocolate syrup for about 20 min. because there was a whole row)
47) You literally have real friends (not facebook friends) from different schools all over the nation on your friends list
48) Everyone had a 'staff'; maid, house cleaner, driver and babysitter
49) Most of the 1st graders have cell phones
50) You get excited when a relative sends a video tape of regular TV with commercials.. its in ENGLISH!
51) There was only one grocery store.. usually at the embassy that resembled the ones at home.
52) Once you get home you miss your adopted home and visa versa
53) You are never content in one place, be it city, state or country for long. You're a mover.
54) You never had a job until you reached college
55) Blackouts are quite common, yet after a while no one seemed to notice and sometimes you would find yourself doing homework to the light of your phone or flashlight
56) Class reunions.. are not at your old school.. not even close
57) Police, imported from a different country, guard your school...carrying machine guns
58) you know everyone else in this group, because he/she went to school with one of your friends
59) Your passport has more stamps than a post office
60) When the power cuts out and you sit there wondering when the generator is going to kick on... only then you realize there is no generator
61) When you carry converters because you actually realize there are different types of outlets
62) When people give you funny looks because you are a gold or platinum elite member of your airlines
63) When you constantly feel like you have to catch up with TV programs, actors and other people or songs you are not familiar with
64) You don't think its strange that you haven't talked to your best friend in a couple years, but you know you will always have a unique bond
65) You wake up in one country thinking you are in another
66) You don't feel at home at home anymore
67) When a friend talks about their dreams of traveling to across the world to a secluded country and you can give them all the best restaurants and places to visit. You're like the traveler guidebook.
68) You don't even bother to change your watch when traveling
69) You hate subtitles because you know there is someone that can make an accurate translation.. you!
70) When you have little or no contact with he locals but are best friends with people across the globe
71) When you think everyone else is a foreigner in a county foreign to you
72) When something unusual happens and it just doesn't seem to phase you as being something unordinary
73) When you speak many broken languages at once when you are drunk
74) When your friends take you to an 'ethnic' restaurant as a joke and you can read the menu, order food for them and actually stomach the meal
75) When you start introducing yourself followed by your country of origin....
76) Your yearbooks are all different; made of fabrics known to that area and have stuff like elephants on them. Its your favorite keepsake.
77) Famous people like Uma Thurman went to your school and you had no idea until you researched (AES)
78)You have to change your passport because it's full... not because it's expired... and this several times during your school years
79)Paying a cop is not considered a bribe
80)You've dated people from other countries
81)You start to keep your experiences overseas to yourself because people look at you as though you are spoiled for having the opportunity to indulge in a new culture.. sad
82) You are afraid to go back to visit your school because you know no one will be there that you used to know, they all moved
83) You have the opportunity to intern at your Embassy/Commission over summer without qualifications
84) When you have free accommodation in any city you travel to around the world because some friend from the old days lives there!
85) You're scared of going 'home' because you haven't been there in so long, and changed so much, that you think people might not like you anymore
87) You have more than one driver's license, none of which are valid at home, that, or in college, you still can't drive!
88) You always have to think which side of the road to drive on
89) When you greet someone you start bowing or kissing them on both cheeks.
90) When you you and your siblings know different languages or at least studied different ones

Obama Breaks Campaign Promise - Imagine That

2009-03-02T06:17:00.002-06:00

Did you really think Obama was going to be able to do all he said. Not even 100 days in office and he breaks a major campaign promise...... can you smell the bacon frying in Washington DC?

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama will break a campaign pledge and sign a budget bill laden with millions in lawmakers' pet projects, administration officials said.
Administration budget chief Peter Orszag and White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel both downplayed the $410 billion spending bill and signaled Obama would hold his nose and sign it. Orszag said: "We want to just move on. Let's get this bill done, get it into law and move forward.
Said Emanuel: "That's last year's business."
This From Fox News - here is entire story.

I was willing to give the man a chance but now he is spending my tax money foolishly and it makes me mad. I find it somewhat amusing that CNN and MSNBC have nothing to say about all the earmarks on their websites.

There Is No I In Drunk

2009-02-20T23:43:00.003-06:00

Kentucky Ice Storm Photos - Jan Feb 2008

2009-02-10T19:16:00.008-06:00

Here are some photos from the recent ice storm that hit kentucky........ 9 days without electricity and 4 of those days with total power and telecomm infrastructure lapse......... 26 dead in Kentucky and everyone asking "Where's Obama"??????

It has been 14 days today since the storm and still about half of the population of the rural areas are still without power. The photos don't really do justice to the amount of devastation that occurred. My family was one of the fortunate ones. We only went 9 days without electricity. We managed to stay warm because of a wood burning stove in our family room. We had 6 people living in one room heated by fire in the stove. We also had gas stove for cooking and gas water heater so no cold water. We burnt a lot of wood though, especially on the nights when the temp hit 3 degrees. We lived by candle light and no tv, no internet, no phones most of the time.

There have been some tragic stories and stories of compassion and kindness displayed by many. For the first time I saw people standing in along the street clapping and cheering when on day 4 trucks from electric companies in other states started rolling in and setting up to work. I have to take my hat off to all those who came to our aid and are still working here. The death toll in KY is now at 26 with the latest being here in our area where a fire broke out because of a propane heater being used and a women died in the fire. Probably the most heartbreaking story was of an 84 year old man near here in White Plains that was found 5 days after the storm dead and hugging his hot water heater in an apparent attempt to stay warm. I have seen people share what the had and many share what they really couldnt share. It is amazing how people bond in moments of extreme hardship. It allows me to believe that there is still some humanity left.

As I get more photos I will post them. Say a prayer for those without power......... last week people were freezing to death and tonite we are under a severe thunderstorm warning and tornado watch.......just what we need.

Those Of You Who Know Me Very Very Well Will Understand

2009-01-26T22:14:00.002-06:00

Recent Craigslist Posting - Very Good

2009-01-26T06:48:00.000-06:00

To the Guy Who Mugged Me Downtown (Downtown, Savannah)

I was the white guy with the black Burberry jacket that you demanded I hand over shortly after you pulled the knife on me and my girlfriend. You also asked for my girlfriend’s purse and earrings. I hope you somehow come across this message. I’d like to apologize.

I didn’t expect you to crap your pants when I drew my pistol after you took my jacket. Truth is, I was wearing the jacket for a reason that evening, and it wasn’t that cold outside. You see, my girlfriend had just bought me that Kimber 1911 .45 ACP pistol for Christmas, and we had just picked up a shoulder holster for it that evening. Beautiful pistol, eh? It’s a very intimidating weapon when pointed at your head, isn’t it?

I know it probably wasn’t a great deal of fun walking back to wherever you’d come from with that brown sludge flopping about in your pants. I’m sure it was even worse since you also ended up leaving your shoes, cell phone, and wallet with me. I couldn’t have you calling up any of your buddies to come help you try to mug us again. I took the liberty of calling your mother, or “Momma” as you had her listed in your cell, and explaining to her your situation. I also bought myself some gas on your card. I gave your shoes to one of the homeless guys over by Vinnie Van Go Go’s, along with all of the cash in your wallet, then I threw the wallet itself in a dumpster.

I called a bunch of phone sex numbers from your cell. They’ll be on your bill in case you’d like to know which ones. Alltel recently shut down the line, and I’ve only had the phone for a little over a day now, so I don’t know what’s going on with that. I hope they haven’t permanently cut off your service. I was about to make some threatening phone calls to the DA’s office with it. Oh well.

So, about your pants. I know that I was a little rough on you when you did this whole attempted mugging thing, so I’d like to make it up to you. I’m sure you’ve already washed your pants, so I’d like to help you out. I’d like to reimburse you for the detergent you used on the pants. What brand did you use, and was it liquid or powder? I’d also like to apologize for not killing you and instead making you walk back home humiliated. I’m hoping that you’ll reconsider your choice of path in life. Next time you might not be so lucky. If you read this message, e-mail me and we’ll do lunch and laundry.

Peace! - Alex

Boxxy I'm Diggin Her and ADD

2009-01-22T00:26:00.001-06:00

This chick is out there - but I like it:

White House China at 493,000 Dollars

2009-01-10T09:38:00.002-06:00

I have been a huge supporter of President Bush through thick and thin. But I have to say that this time I am definitely speechless. I understand the importance of an image with regards to the most powerful office on earth but please............ My family could live for 10 years on the amount that set of china costs.

In today's economic climate I really think this was a huge mis-judgement. They should have put that money back into our economy some other way. I am really really offended that my tax dollars are being spent this way when I cannot afford insurance for my family.

Laura Bush you blew it..........

Go Titans Beat The Steelers

2008-12-22T23:57:00.010-06:00

What a great wife I have!! She bought tickets for the Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers game in Nashville this past weekend as an anniversary present and birthday present. It doesn't get any better than that. This was kind of difficult for me as I have been a Steelers fan since the 1970's but our proximity to Nashville has made me a Titans fan over the past couple of years. Sorry Steelers, guess I am a turncoat. Here are a few photos from the game........... enjoy.

Titans Win 31-14

Mini Bike and No Pants

2008-12-20T15:31:00.002-06:00

No pants and a mini chopper. I wonder what her story is?

Sarah Palin Still Hot

2008-12-19T20:57:00.004-06:00

I don't care what anyone says. I still think Sarah Palin is hot.

Sitting In Red

2008-12-19T18:06:00.002-06:00

I'm 15 and it's 1974. I sit in my red room with the headphones on listening to the upper end of FM around 107.9. That's where the progressive radion stations are. You remember those stations; the ones that play Yes, Pink Floyd, Argent, ELP, Eno and others. My bedroom was in red. Red carpet, red curtains, red bedspread, red bean bag chair and a hanging red light. Headphones are state of the art Sony and the stereo is cranking. Lost in the sounds of Pink Floyd.

Bikers Gone Wild

2008-12-19T06:47:00.000-06:00

Remembering A Crazy Diamond

2008-12-18T21:15:00.002-06:00

One day he took a walk across the bridge and jumped. We saw him the day before and then he was gone. ............ Shine On You Crazy Diamond

Remember when you were young,
You shone like the sun
Shine on you crazy diamond
Now there's a look in your eyes,
Like black holes in the sky
Shine on you crazy diamond
You were caught on the crossfire
Of childhood and stardom,
Blown on the steel breeze
Come on, you target
For faraway laughter
Come on you stranger
You legend, you martyr, and shine!
You reached for the secret too soon
You cried for the moon
Shine on you crazy diamond
Threatened by shadows at night
And exposed in the light
Shine on you crazy diamond
Well, you wore out your welcome
With random precision
Rode on the steel breeze
Come on, you raver,
You seer of visions,
Come on, you painter,
You piper, you prisoner, and shine!
Nobody knows where you are,
How near or how far
Shine on you crazy diamond
Pile on many more layers
And I'll be joining you there
Shine on you crazy diamond
And we'll bask in the shadow
Of yesterday's triumph,
Sail on the steel breeze
Come on, you boy child,
You winner and loser,
Come on, you miner
For truth and delusion, and shine!

Exotic Airlines and Exotic Destinations

2008-12-14T20:51:00.003-06:00

I have been very fortunate to travel around the world quite a few times. At 49 years old, I am still like a little kid when I know I am going to fly. As an avid airline traveler I have come to appreciate certain airlines for certain destinations as not just a flight to a destination but an experience to be thoroughly savored and enjoyed. Here is my list of airline and destination matchups, most of which I have experienced.

Cathay Pacific into Hong Kong
TWA into Milan
Varig into Rio de Janerio
British Airways into London
Swiss Air into Geneva
Qantas into Perth
Lufthansa into Munich
Singapore Airlines into Changi
Pan Am into Buenes Aires

If you have ever flown on any of these combinations you know what I mean. Keep the flip flops and sweat suits to Southwest Airlines. For class travel go with one of these listed airlines.

My Top 10 Albums of All Time

2008-12-10T22:00:00.002-06:00

Here are what I consider to be the top ten albums of all time. This list is in no particular order as I think each one is equally important:

The Clash - London Calling
Fleetwood Mac - Rumors
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
Eagles - Hotel California
Marvin Gaye - What's Going On
Rolling Stones - December's Children
Iggy Pop - Lust For Life
Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols
The Doors - The Doors
Led Zepplin - Led Zepplin IV

What does your top ten list look like?

John Thain Are You Out Of Your Freakin' Mind

2008-12-08T17:44:00.002-06:00

Talk about the pinnacle of arrogance. John Thain the CEO of Merrill Lynch wants 10 million dollars because he was able to secure 10 billion dollars for his company as part of the grand bailout. Is he out of his F--King mind?? You need to get in touch with reality Mr Thain.

If anything you should get your dumb ass fired for leading your company into the state it is in now. People like you really really piss me off.

Enough said..............

Favorite Place Favorite TIme

2008-12-02T20:11:00.002-06:00

My favorite time of day and my favorite type of place. I have always said when my time to pass on comes I want to be sitting by sea at sundown and as the last ray of light disappears over the horizon I am taken. (for that reason my wife forbids me to take any type of chair to the beach)

If There Is An Economic Problem I Don't See It

2008-11-29T23:15:00.003-06:00

I live in middle America. Madisonville, Kentucky to be exact. We are 45 miles south of Evansville, Indiana and about 90 miles north of Nashville, Tennessee. Things are supposed to be tough economically for regions like here. I don't see it. Gas prices are down. Food prices are down. If what I have seen at the local mall here in Madisonville as well as Evansville and the Opry Mills Mall in Nashville is supposed to represent and economic slowdown then I must be blind. 20 minutes just to find a parking place at the mall??? WalMart parking lot full???? The interstate with traffic going both ways as far as the eye can see???

Personally I think we have been sold a story. Obama says we are in an economic crisis and that Bush has wrecked the economy. Bush didn't wreck the economy, greedy people in positions of financial power did the damage, if there is indeed damage. Now, I am not a conspiracy theorist, but I am beginning to wonder why what I hear on the news doesn't match what I see out on the street.

Maybe I am just blind. What do you see where you live???

Wal-Mart Worker Trampled To Death on Black Friday Sale

2008-11-29T01:45:00.002-06:00

Should Wally World be held responsible for the death of this employee during a "black Friday" sale? I suppose in today's society we should come to expect something like this when materialism and greed take over the Christmas season. Actually I blame all the major retailers for this. They start weeks in advance getting people excited and worked up about big sales just so they can make that almighty dollar. Like the billions they earn already is not enough.

God forbid black Friday sales were ever canceled. This is just another reason I have become so dissatisfied with the Christmas season. I long for the simple holidays of my youth. I was a military brat and spent my childhood in Italy and Germany. Back then Christmas meant a lot more and I don't remember the frenzy and the craziness that we see today. It was a quiet time of reflection and family.

My wife wonders why I feel like I do. I guess a lot of my friends wonder the same thing. I really think those involved in the death of this individual at WM and those that reacted so terribly when the store tried to close do to this incident, need to take a long inward look at their lives. I certainly am not perfect and would never dare to point an accusatory finger at someone but this goes way over the line.

Let's hope nothing more like this happens........... hope against hope.

Looking For Long Lost Childhood Friends

2008-11-25T20:52:00.004-06:00

I grew up as a military brat which meant I got to see the world. It also meant I had no real roots and no real place to call a childhood home. I went to 14 schools in 12 years in multiple locations across the U.S. and in Germany. I have had some tremendous experiences, seen things that most kids had to read about in books and have some wonderful memories. All in all, I would not trade that childhood in for anything. One thing that I do lack however are childhood friends. Most military brats get used to making friends and then leaving them knowing they will probably never see them again. Now comes the world wide web and our world has gotten drastically smaller.

I would like to find some of my old childhood friends, specifically from my time at Andrews Air Force Base from 1973 to 1976. So here goes my list as best as I can remember. Most of the people in this list would be between about 43 and 50 and we all lived on Chicago Court on Andrews Air Force Base. If you see your name on this list please email contact me via the comments section with your contact info. Womens name would be maiden names as I knew them back then.

Gay Kleinman (Kleinman or Klineman)
Mike Antoskow
Mary Ann Lokatis (sp ?)
Karen Hildebrand
Tony Hildebrand
Steve Palmer (your dad was head steward on Air Force One)

There are others that I can't remember - maybe you will recognize my name, Eric Dytzel. We all went to Central Senior Highschool which was off base.

I hope this works and look forward to contacting you.......... eric

My List

2008-11-22T00:13:00.002-06:00

This came from a blog I ran across called Sheep Droppings. It looked easy enough, so I thought I’d share it with you. All you need to do is paste it into your own blog and highlight the items below that you have done. Then let me know you are posting it, so I can check out your list as well.

1. Started your own blog

2. Slept under the stars

3. Played in a band

4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity [I don't know; I think we can always give more]

7. Been to Disneyland/world

8. Climbed a mountain (hiking)

9. Held a praying mantis

10. Sang a solo

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea (from the beach)

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch

15. Adopted a child

16. Had food poisoning

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown your own vegetables

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept on an overnight train

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Hitch hiked

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a Marathon

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Seen an Amish community

36. Taught yourself a new language

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David

41. Sung karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris (level 2 top was closed)

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been in a movie

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

62. Gone whale watching

63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma

65. Gone sky diving

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp

67. Bounced a check

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten Caviar

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

77. Broken a bone

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read the entire Bible

86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chickenpox

89. Saved someone’s life

90. Sat on a jury

91. Met someone famous

92. Joined a book club

93. Lost a loved one

94. Had a baby

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake

97. Been involved in a law suit

98. Owned a cell phone

99. Been stung by a bee

Let me know if you do this so I can read.....eric

Me in 1964 Rotterdam Holland

2008-11-21T23:55:00.002-06:00

My mother and father have a huge collection of photos and "stuff" from their travels around the world. Their family room has an entire wall covered with photos, travel brochures, hotel tickets, train tickets, and all manner of collectibles. One photo they have pinned to the wall is a photo taken in Rotterdam and we came off a boat and was evidently taken by a local photographer hoping to make a sale. I was 5 at the time so that would make my parents both 30. Dad was in the air force and we were stationed in Italy at that time. Dad and mom both have serious looks on their faces and I am trying to keep from tripping. Man was I really that small? Anyway, here we are in Rotterdam, Holland......... do you have photos like this?

Question On The Use Of The Word Colored

2008-11-14T23:30:00.002-06:00

I have a question. Why has Lindsey Lohan been blasted for using the term "colored" when referring to our new president when the NAACP uses the same word? National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Just curious......

World of Warcraft Cosplay

2008-11-13T21:07:00.003-06:00

Holy Cow. How come I never see this when I take a stroll through the forest??? Maybe there is something to be said about those so called "geeks" who play rpg's all day and like to act them out. hhhhmmmmmmmm

Photo by Prince Mik

Gay People Want Tolerance But Don't Practice It

2008-11-12T19:04:00.002-06:00

Isn't it amazing how gay people expect tolerance toward their lifestyles? It baffles me beyond belief that gay people can claim to be tolerant yet be so full of anger and hate. Just watch the video below to see the level of rage that is unleashed against an elderly woman who dared to show up at a rally with a cross and peacefully practice her 1st amendment rights. Absolutely amazing!!!

It's Official - I Am A Middle Aged White Guy

2008-11-09T19:25:00.002-06:00

I will be 49 this month. By all accounts I have had an excellent life full of adventure. I have been fortunate to see the world (47 countries at last count) and spent almost 15 years overseas from Alaska to Australia, From Singapore to Africa and from Europe to the South Pacific and just about everywhere in between. Now as I approach the half century mark, 13 months until I am 50, I have come to the stark realization I am now a middle aged white guy and I have become a stereotype.

How do I know this? I actually went out in public yesterday dressed in khakis and new balance shoes. OMG what has happened to me?????

Fall Drive In Kentucky

2008-11-09T19:21:00.004-06:00

The family went for a drive through some scenic back roads here in western Kentucky yesterday. Just a nice clear, crisp, cool day to enjoy the changing leaves. Here are a couple photos of the vibrant colors.

Paula Dytzel - My Beautiful Wife

2008-11-09T18:58:00.001-06:00

Isn't she beautiful? I am a very lucky man.

Childhood Holiday Destinations

2008-11-02T09:46:00.001-06:00

As a kid we spent a lot of time in Bavaria and in the Rhine valley areas. This is typical of the scenery of that area and brings back a lot of great childhood memories.

Dear Mr.Obama

2008-10-30T21:18:00.001-05:00

From an Iraqi Veteran to Mr. Obama

This Hurts My Sailor's Heart

2008-10-28T18:57:00.001-05:00

As a former sailor I have to say this photo hurts my heart. Better a boat rest at the bottom of the sea than to rust on the beach.

Welcome to the Socialist States of America

2008-10-27T23:14:00.002-05:00

This is my opinion of the future of America. Welcome to the Socialist States of America. This is what we will become if Obama wins the election. Government control of every aspect of our life. Socialism at it's best.

First and Second Ammendment Rights

2008-10-19T10:14:00.003-05:00

I Want Another Tattoo

2008-10-18T16:54:00.004-05:00

I would like to get another tattoo. I have one that I had done in 1985 while living in London, England while in the navy. It is about 4 inches on my left forearm - a phoenix. No, I wasn't drunk and it wasn't in the middle of the night. It was about 1030 on a Saturday morning and I had been planning on getting one for quite some time.

Now 23 years I am ready for another one. Not just a small one though. I want my entire left arm from shoulder to wrist. That's right, a full sleeve. Why would I want to do that you say??

I have been very fortunate to live a wonderful, exciting, adventuresome and overall great life. My dad was a career air force man which meant we moved around a lot. I spent the biggest part of my childhood in Europe then all over the U.S. When I was 20 I joined the navy and saw even more of the world. I have been from Alaska to Australia, from Europe to Africa, from Singapore to Seattle and everywhere in between. In fact the only place I haven't been is South America.

I have seen a lot and done a lot and have been a lot of places. I want to somehow document my life in pictures with tattoo art. I want my arm divided into three sections. The lower section from forearm to wrist I want to document my childhood in Germany and Italy with scenes such as castles and the colosseum. From just above my elbow to my forearm will be time in the navy with a ship, dragon, sunset etc... From my shoulder down would be a portrait of my family; my wonderful wife and two great kids.

Overlaying the entire thing would be a black ribbon starting at my wrist and wrapping around and around my arm up to my shoulder. On that black ribbon would the be names of all the places I have been. At last count 48 countries. I will be 49 next month and have had a great life. Maybe I will use my right arm for the next 50 or so years.

Do you think I am crazy???

Republican Women vs Democratic Women

2008-10-18T12:31:00.002-05:00

I came across this today........ this just about sums it up.

GodsGreenFields.com - A Great Daily Read

2008-10-13T22:55:00.002-05:00

GodsGreenFields.com is a new blog by a co-worker of mine by the name of Cecil. Even though this blog is only a week old, I can already tell the writing is going to be a cut above most. Cecil offers some unique insights into the word of God based his own personal experience. GodsGreenFields.com will definitely be a daily read for me and I recommend it to you as well.

Be sure to stop by and pay this new blog a visit and bookmark it. I thing Cecil is going to have a larger readership before long.

What I See At Wal-Mart

2008-10-11T20:18:00.000-05:00

I see things at Wal-Mart. Strange things. Wierd things. Rural western Kentucky things. Today I saw a man walking down the aisle at Wal-Mart flossing his teeth with a white plastic Wal-Mart bag. I wish I would have taken a photo with my cell phone cam. Really odd looking and he appeared to be totally comfortable with what he was doing.

I see a lot of wierd and off the wall and funny stuff at Wally World..... hopefully get some pics of them next time.

What is the wierdest thing you have seen at Wal-Mart

LifeAtTheHairSalon.com - My Wife's New Blog

2008-10-07T06:23:00.003-05:00

My wife has her first blog. Life At The Hair Salon is going to be a great read as she shares stories from 25 years as a hairdresser. Some are funny, some are sad, some are serious but all are real. She will also include product reviews from her experience as well as hair care tips. Everyday is something new at the salon and she has a unique way of sharing her experiences.

With that said please visite www.LifeAtTheHairSalon.com and bookmark it and enjoy some good life stories from the salon.

Travel Nursing Jobs Website

2008-10-05T17:00:00.002-05:00

If any of you that visit this blog are nurses and you are looking to break out of the nine to five, I have started a new blog for travel nursing. Basically it is a travel nursing jobs information and news website with links to agencies that manage travel nurses.

If you like the thought of traveling to different locations around the country at someone elses expense and working for a while in a new location, then travel nursing is probably a great fit for you.

For more visit www.nursingjobswatch.com

I Could Live Here

2008-10-05T08:22:00.002-05:00

As a former sailor I love all things related to the sea. With that being said, I could live here and probably be very happy. (as long as I have high speed Internet access...haha)

"Harbour of St Goustan - Brittany"

Gordon Lightfoot Concert

2008-10-01T06:20:00.002-05:00

I had forgotten just how many great songs Gordon Lightfoot had recorded over the years. I went to see him in concert at the Victory Theater in Evansville, IN last night and let me tell you it was great. The man has definitely aged over the years, but he has aged well. I first started listening to Gordon Lightfoot in the mid 70's when he was at his peak with songs such as "Sundown", "If You Could Read My Mind", "Rainy Day People" and of course his megahit "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"

This was truely a relaxing and enjoyable evening and the crowd was really great. It was kind of funny looking around the theater prior to the concert at all of the now well aged 60's and 70's era crowd. Lots of gray hair and thinning hair..........lol. Quite a few left over hippies in the crowd as well. But it was fun. Check out his fan site at www.gordonlightfoot.com for his concert schedule which is updated through the beginning of next year. I highly recommend an evening with this folk music legend.

Erin Andrews ESPN Sports - Smokin'

2008-09-26T18:34:00.005-05:00

Talk about your smokin' hot sportscaster. Don Madden she ain't. Erin Andrews of ESPN sports is undoubtedly the best looking sportscaster to ever grace television. Sorry guys but she has it hands down. Even if you don't like sports you still have to appreciate Erin Andrews. I know that may sound a little crass and certainly not P.C. Oh Well.

Click here to see bunches and bunches of photos of Erin Andrews at BarstoolSports.com

Good Bye Richard Wright

2008-09-15T21:27:00.003-05:00

The music world has a huge loss today. Richard Wright who was one of the founding members of Pink Floyd died today after a short battle with cancer at the age of 65. Tonight you sing one of my favorites "Great Gig In The Sky" and it will echo throughout the universe.

Glastonbury 2008 - The Verve Bittersweet Symphony

2008-09-15T19:40:00.003-05:00

I want to go to Glastonbury 2009. Does anyone want to send me a ticket?

Here is a video by The Verve who performed and one of my favorite songs called Bittersweet Symphony. Enjoy....

I Work Therefore I Am A Republican

2008-09-13T16:15:00.002-05:00

This just about sums it up.....

I'm Diggin' the Zutons

2008-09-12T06:45:00.008-05:00

Last weekend I was watching a new channel on our local cable system called Palladia which is a music channel. There was coverage of the Glastonbury Music Festival from England which looks like a very very good time. (i wanna go). Anyway there was a band that really caught my ear.

The Zutons are from Liverpool and they call themselves a "bluegrass rootsy stompy" music band. They really do have a unique sound and I think you will like it. Check out their website and here is a video of one of their songs called "You Will You Won't"

Their website is very very good as well....................

We Were United Once For A While

2008-09-12T06:40:00.001-05:00

We were united once for a while on Sept 11. Then politics got in the way. We were one for a while then it became business as usual as personal ambition got in the way of a better good.

So now we are divided again. It is sad.

Unbelievable Hypocrisy With Liberals

2008-09-07T08:59:00.002-05:00

First of all let me say I am throwing my full support behind John McCain and Sarah Palin. After seeing the lies and hypocrisy being shown over the last 2 weeks by the liberals and Obama not doing anything to stop his supporters from these lies, why would I want to have him as my President.

Here is an excellent article on the hypocrisy being shown by the women of left - Unbelievable

The hypocritical, woman-hating left
Posted: September 03, 2008
1:00 am Eastern

© 2008

"There is a special place in hell for women who do not help other women," former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright once remarked.

Where, then, are the liberal women when it comes to Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin?
Read Entire Article Here

Grand Rivers KY Arts and Crafts Fair

2008-08-31T11:10:00.010-05:00

We braved the heat yesterday and went to Grand Rivers KY on Kentucky Lake for an Arts and Crafts fair and to just generally get away since a long weekend vacation is out of the question with gas prices. Here are a few photos from throughout the day. The gourds were unbelievable craft works....... anyway.........enjoy a few pics from Kentucky.

The World Is Back In Balance - Football Season Is Here

2008-08-30T10:27:00.003-05:00

The world is back in balance as of today. College football today and Pro football on Monday. Things in this world have been a little off kilter for the last 6-7 months, but now the planet is back in alignment. I know, I know..... I am a just a teeny weeny bit of a football fan. WVU Mountaineers and Tennessee Titans........... woo hoo

Friends From Long Ago

2008-08-26T20:15:00.002-05:00

Talk about a blast from the past. Thanks to the power of the Internet I have recently been in contact with a couple friends from my navy days 22 years ago while I was stationed in London England. What a great time that was. Some call the 80's the decade of excess........ I call it the best time of my life.....especially 84 to 86 when I lived in London. We were a great group of friends...... we worked hard and we played hard and have a lifetime worth of memories to prove it.

It is going to be great getting reaquanted with these old friends after all this time. It will be interesting to see how we have all changed over time. So to Pam and Ann and Frank........welcome back into my life... it has been way too long.

More to come...........cheers.........eric

Camping in Jesolo Italy Circa 1967 - On The Beach 30 Minutes From Venice

2008-08-18T20:29:00.008-05:00

I was very fortunate as a kid to grow up in Europe courtesy of the U.S. Air Force. My father was a career USAF man and other than a short 10 month stay in Louisiana, I spent the first 10 years of my life living in Germany and Italy. One of my favorite memories was when I was about 8 years old and our family decided to take 30 days and drive from the Adriatic coast of Italy near Venice across Italy to the Italian Riviera and onto the French Riviera to Nice, San Tropez, Cannes and then back home to Germany. And we were going to camp the whole time. In the 60's the Europeans had some excellent campgrounds.

Well, we made it to Jesolo Italy which is about a 30 mintue drive up the coast from Venice. We set up our tent at the Motel-Camping Adriatico Campsite and proceeded to start our month long journey. It was great. Nice and warm.... and we wound up staying there for 3 and a half weeks.... haha, so much for our great journey. I can't remember a better summer as a kid though. All the time the ocean breeze sounded through the pine trees in the campground and in the background the ever present sound of the surf hitting the beach.

At that time I was fluent in German and Italian as well as American (too bad I am no longer like that). I remember playing Bocce Balls with other kids and flying kites on the beach. At night the smell of little food cooking from campsites as well as the deli at the campground wafted through the air. It was alway very cool at night and I would snuggle down in my sleeping back for a great nights sleep. In the morning it was up and a mad dash to the beach. I had a flat top haircut at the time and I remember after the first couple of days telling my mom I had a headache. She looked through my thin white hair and noticed I had sunburned the top of my head so it was a floppy hat and Nivea skin cream on my nose for the rest of the time we were there.

We did make a couple trips down to Venice for some site seeing and we were only about 40 miles from Vicenzia where where we lived befor moving to Germany and we visited with old neighbors and friends.

All in all it was a really great summer vacation. My mom and dad now have an entire wall in their family room with things from their travels around the world hanging including the original brochure from the campground in Jesolo Italy. Opening that brochure brought back a flood of memories........enough to write for days. Over the coming weeks I am going to scan in things from that wall and write about them. They also have 2 footlockers full of stuff like that....... going to be some fun times coming up.

Here are a couple photos of that beat up brochure from the summer of 1967

For current information on Jesolo Italy click here

If you are a military brat click here and here

Navy Boot Camp - 28 Years Ago Today

2008-08-06T06:15:00.003-05:00

28 years ago today I spent my first full day at RTC Great Lakes, on the shores of the great lakes in Chicago, better known as U.S. Navy Bootcamp. What a shock that was.....haha. Arrived about 2.00 in the morning and no matter what we did it was wrong. The first 48 hours were mind blowing but once you figured out it was a mind game it was a lot easier to handle. My company commander was Petty Officer Willet who after my dad is probably the most influential man in my life. Boot camp was a life changer and a confidence builder. I learned I could do what I thought was impossible. I learned how to fold my clothes and say yes sir. I learned how to fight fires and how to fight the enemy. I learned how to be a team player and how to be a strong individual. I learned respect, honor, courage and commitment.

I am proud to say I served in the U.S. Navy and 28 years ago today that time of my life began. What a great time it was. I saw the world from Alaska to Australia, from Africa to Europe, from Asia to America and everywhere in between.

Moonlight by Starbuck

2008-08-05T22:32:00.002-05:00

Listening to a 70's station on Winamp and and old classic that brought back some great summertime high school memories comes on. Remember the song "Moonlight" by Starbuck?

What a great song that wraps up what it was like to be alive and enjoying the free spirit of the summer of 1975. Unfortunately they aren't around anymore but the song Moonlight will be around forever.

For those who remember and those that have never heard, here are the lyrics to that great anthem of the 70's

The wind blew some luck in my direction
I caught it in my hands today
I finally made a tricky frech connection
You winked and gave me your ok
I'll take you on a trip beside the ocean
And drop the top at Chesapeake Bay
Ain't nothing like the sky to dose a potion
The moon'll send you on your way, ha, ha
Moonlight feels right, moonlight feels right

We'll lay back and observe the constellations
And watch the moon smiling bright
I'll play the radio on southern stations
'Cause southern belles are hell at night
You say you came to Baltimore from Ole Miss
A class of '74 gold ring
The eastern moon looks ready for a wet kiss
To make the tide rise again, ha, ha
Moonlight feels right, moonlight feels right

We'll see the sun come up on sunday mornin'
And watch it fade the moon away
I guess you know I'm givin' you a warnin'
'Cause me and moon are itchin' to play
I'll take you on a trip beside the ocean
And drop the top at Chesapeake Bay
Ain't nothing like the sky to dose a potion
The moon'll send you on your way
Moonlight feels right, moonlight feels right

Scarlett Johansson Is The Most Beautiful Woman On Earth

2008-08-03T23:20:00.002-05:00

Short and to the point. Scarlett Johansson is the most beautiful woman on earth (after my wife)

Hello Again - I'm Back

2008-08-02T09:37:00.006-05:00

Its been a few days since I last posted. No I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. I have been really busy the last couple of weeks helping to finalize the launch of a new business in the digital signage market. Had a whirlwind overnight trip from Kentucky to Birmingham Alabama as well.

Hit an out of this world barbecue restaurant in Decatur AL called Big Bob Gibson's Bar-B-Q. You can see photos and read a review at www.bbqhub.com

Will have some new photos here before long. Did I mention it's hot here in Kentucky? It is not just hot, it's damn hot with a heat index today of 105 and my wife is having a yard sale. I feel guilty sitting in here in the AC writing but then again........... oh never mind.

Kentucky Morn'

2008-07-16T21:06:00.004-05:00

A morning photo from the back deck of my mother in law's house in Campbellsville, KY.

Vacations At The Platterhoff Hotel - Garmisch Germany

2008-07-15T22:23:00.008-05:00

As a military brat (read dependent of career military man) I was very fortunate to travel a lot. Most of my childhood until age 11 was spent in Italy and Germany. We did a lot of traveling and one of our more common destinations was Garmisch and Berchtesgarden in the Bavarian Alps. The U.S. military had several places that had been converted into hotels for both officers and enlisted men and their families. One of those places was the Platterhoff Hotel later renamed the General Walker Hotel in the mountains of Obersalzberg.

This one time retreat of the Nazi elite had survived WWII although heavily damaged in bombing raid. The area was eventually rebuilt and in the late 50's through the late 90's and served as an R and R stop off for American troops and their families.

As a kid the place was both great and eerie at the same time. Wide open views of the German Alps were seen from virtually every spot in the hotel. But at the same time the hotel sat under the shadow of the Eagle's Nest, Hitler's mountain hideway. Walking down the long corridors with antlers mounted the entire length definitely gave the place an old world "huntsman" feel. At night you could sit on the terrace and see lightening off in the distance. Looking down over the ledge were the ruins of the SS barracks.

One of my memories is of an old Bavarian zither player in the restaurant who would sit a full large bottle of beer on his head and play his zither while rocking back and forth. Why that has stuck in my head after all these years is beyond me. I have found a few photos online of the Platterhoff Hotel which are included here. They came from www.USArmyGermany.com and www.ThirdReichRuins.com

I will have to dig deep in our footlocker of memories and see what I can find to scan in and show here.

Listening To

2008-07-15T21:20:00.002-05:00

My favorite all time song just came on. You will probably think I am crazy but the song is also the soundtrack for my favorite movie. Lulu is singing "To Sir With Love"

This song brings back some very very serious memories of my childhood living in Italy and Germany.

When Air Travel Had Class

2008-07-14T22:44:00.003-05:00

What has happened to air travel? What I really mean to say is what has happened to air travelers? Putting aside all the added security procedures at airports, I wonder what has happened to the experience of traveling by airline.

I remember as a child flying from New York to Milan on a TWA 707 - To this day, almost 45 years later I can remember the people dressed in suits and ties and dresses. Men and women dressed up when they took to the skies. It was a special event. I suppose air travel has become so commonplace that we take for granted. I recently took a trip to Las Vegas and on the return trip I sat behind a young man in sweat pants, flip flots and a t-shirt. It just didn't seem right. It seems like more and more when you look around the airport you see people who looked like they just rolled out of bed.

How about an "air travel dress code"? Men in suites and tie. Women in dresses with pearl necklace and white gloves. HHHMMmmmmmmmmmmm I know I know. Just dreaming.

In my opinion TWA was the pinnacle of class in air travel.

Listening To

2008-07-14T21:56:00.002-05:00

Listening to SKYFM on WinAmp Oldies 50's 60's and 70's

Seasons in the Sun by Terry Jacks. Brings back some serious high school memories.....

Friday Night Live Photos 2

2008-07-13T21:02:00.005-05:00

Friday Night Live Photos

2008-07-13T20:59:00.004-05:00

They Came From The Deep

2008-07-13T20:34:00.003-05:00

Master Divers in the making. New scuba masks for the water kids..

C.C. Deville - Life Changes

2008-07-11T22:12:00.003-05:00

C. C. DeVille. Lead guitar for Poison. Iconic guitar player. Flamboyant to the extreme. User of mass amounts of hair spray. Follower of Christ. That's right............ you heard correctly. In a day when it seems so many in the church are pointing their fingers at people and making judgements and proclaiming others to be unfit, Christ himself appears in a place where most "traditional" Christians wouldn't be found dead.

But then again, Jesus always went against the flow of the religious people. Imagine the surprise when Pete Wilson, the pastor at Cross Point Church in Nashville, TN got a call from C.C. DeVille asking for advice and inviting him to a Poison concert. You see, C.C. DeVille has proclaimed his faith in Christ. Visit Pete Wilson's blog at WithoutWax.TV to read this incredible story and watch the video.

To you C.C. DeVille - God bless you. Your courage to proclaim your faith is and inspiration.
To you Pete Wilson - Good for you in letting yourself be available to C.C. DeVille and not automatically condemning him for he is or was.
To you Jesus Christ - Your grace is never ending and your love unimaginable.

Congrats to C.C. - May God richly bless you and those around you.

Crazy Crazy Crazy

2008-07-04T23:46:00.003-05:00

Is this guy out of his freakin' mind or what? You can tell how high he is by the hight of the street light on the bottom left. Taken at an extreme sports event coupled with a Luis Palau crusade in Nashville TN last summer. Click on Luis Palau's link and I think you will be suprised............not your standard evangelistic crusade.

Happy Independence Day America

2008-07-04T01:21:00.001-05:00

Happy Independence Day to the greatest country on Earth.

Two New Blogs From Japan Added To My Favorites

2008-07-04T00:47:00.002-05:00

I have added two new blogs to my list of favorites. Both blogs come out of Japan and both give a great view of life in that wonderful country.

Neil Duckett is an Australian living in Japan giving blogging about life as a Gaijin in Japan. Neil provides us with a great view of life in a country other than our native one with all the differences one can encounter.

I Rub Your Brog is a blog by a 38 year old male (nationality unknown) who also provides insight into life in Japan. Here is what he says in his user profile: "I Rub Your Brog is a visual narrative of life and the music scene in and around Tokyo.."

Take some time to check in on these two periodically. They make for a great read and before you know it an hour will have gone by.

Sunglasses

2008-07-03T17:54:00.006-05:00

I was checking out BradRuggles.com yesterday and his post "Rocking Our Sunglasses" made me think of a photo of my daughter taken last summer..... here she is in all her sunglassed glory..... haha

Random Photos Of A Wannabe Photographer

2008-07-02T22:34:00.004-05:00

I have always been fascinated with photography. I suppose you could call me a wannabe photographer. I do like to try and capture interesting subjects. What I would really like to do is to take candid photos of people. I think when you photo a person who is not aware of what you are doing, a very interesting photo can be had. Here are a few of my amateur photos.

My Church - Victory Church Madisonville KY

2008-07-01T17:37:00.003-05:00

Just a quick post to say how much I like my church. About 8 years ago our church was going very very well and then we had some problems. Two splits later and a lot of hurt people, Victory Church had survived. I was involved in one of those splits.... I regret that time in my life. Now 8 years later I find myself back at Victory Church in Madisonville KY and very happy. They have a great kids program as well which my son is starting to enjoy. Nothing for my 12 year old at the last church and he was developing a very bad attitude toward it all. Anyway........ just wanted to share with everyone where I go on Sundays and Wednesdays......... If you are ever in Madisonville KY and you are looking for a place to worship then visit us at Victory Church

Weekend Trip to Campbellsville KY

2008-06-30T22:54:00.011-05:00

As I mentioned earlier I went on a road trip this weekend to Campbellsville KY to a family reunion. It wasn't all that exciting but I did take some photos. Before the photos thoug be sure to visit http://www.bbqhub.com/ aqnd read about the Smoke Pit BBQ restaurant in Campbellsville.........mmmmm goooood.

Here are a few photos from local landscape and sites of interest (at least to me).

Spiderman In Retirement

2008-06-30T22:40:00.004-05:00

After a long life of fighting the forces of evil........... Spiderman enjoys retirement.

No Root Beer at A&W

2008-06-30T22:33:00.001-05:00

I was in Campbellsville KY this past weekend at a family reunion. After a lond day at the lake my wife and I decided to stop at the local A&W to get a root beer float. Guess what - They were out of root beer. How the heck can A&W Root Beer be out of root beer??? HHmmmmm the end of the world must be near.

Cool Memories in Hot Weather

2008-06-26T18:57:00.001-05:00

Now that it is a zillion degrees and the humidity is approaching one billion percent (not really but you get the picture) I thought I would dig out this "cool" picture of my 12 year old son from this past winter......... good lookin' kid isn't he......... and a West Virginia Mountaineer fan to boot. Summertime means we are halfway to winter and I really like winter.

Villiage Tavern in Alpharetta GA

2008-06-26T18:12:00.003-05:00

Just a quick entry as a follow up about my whirlwind trip to Atlanta. We had lunch yesterday at the Village Tavern in Alpharetta GA about 10 miles north of downtown Atlanta. I highly recommend this place. The services was super and fast. The food was great and the atmosphere very nice. If your are looking for a place for a business lunch I highly recommend the Village Tavern.

Dinner at The Cheesecake Factory

2008-06-24T20:59:00.011-05:00

We decided to eat at the Cheesecake Factory this evening in Alpharetta. WOW...what a great meal. The weather today has been perfect so we opted to eat outside....... I had a side salad which was absolutely huge........the biggest side salad I have ever had. For my main course I had their CLASSIC BURGER A Gigantic Old-Fashioned Chop House Hamburger.Served with a Slice of Grilled Red Onion, Lettuce, Tomato and Fries. It was excellent ..... It was also huge.... I couldn't finish it which is rare for me. The waitress we had was spot on and I give her a big thumbs up. Overall our eating experience was very very good and I highly recommend them for a great meal. Total tab for two was $59.00 and that was with a 9 dolloar long island iced tea and aa 4 dollar beer.

Road Trip to Atlanta

2008-06-24T20:42:00.008-05:00

Had to go to Atlanta on business..... 5 1/2 hour drive one way from Madisonville KY to Nashville TN to Chatanooga TN to Atlanta GA. Met with client this afternoon and then went to Alpharetta just north of Atlanta for the night. Have another meeting tomorrow afternoon with another potential client then back to Kentucky.

Just some out of the window photos from today....

Tennessee Titans Stadium in Nashville TN

Heading through Nashville to Chatanooga on the way to Atlanta

Heading east to Chatanooga

What A Great Scenic Drive Through The Appalachian Mountains

Turning South Toward Atlanta

Sign of the Times - Out of Gas

2008-06-24T20:37:00.002-05:00

A sign of the times.......... I was trying to stretch my tank of gas and guess what? I ran out.....haha. Wonder how many more will run out and sit on the side of the road?

On the Road

2008-06-23T07:05:00.006-05:00

I will be doing some traveling this week. Heading from my home in Madisonville KY to Atlanta and then up to Alpharetta and back on Tue and Wed on a quick business trip. Should be some good photo opportunities, especially in the mountain areas around Chattanooga. This is my first time to Atlanta other than making a flight connection about 25 years ago so it should a good trip. Then at the end of the week will be heading to Campbellsville KY to a family reunion at Green River Lake........that should be a fun couple of days as well if the the weather cooperates. So, I hope to have some good photos over the next several days............. have a great day............

A Slice of Americana - Western Kentucky

2008-06-22T11:59:00.008-05:00

Took a road trip through western Kentucky just to do some site seeing here in my own state. We stayed off the interstates and parkways and stuck to the two lane roads. What a great drive. Too often in our rush to get somewhere on the interstate we miss a lot of everyday slices of life. I took this photo on KY Hwy 31W north of Bowling Green KY. I can't remember the name of the town......... I was at the intersection and just thought about the days gone by and the stories of all the people who had frequented the Corner Cafe and Market (formerly Fred's Market)

A Refreshing Blog

2008-06-21T16:31:00.002-05:00

I was doing some good old fashioned blog surfing today and wound up on a blog at www.BradRuggles.com .... What a refreshing blog......... very uplifting and a nice, pleasant read. So many times when blog surfing I wind up on a growing number of extreme blog with subjects ranging from ultra liberalism to anti-God to porn to whatever other fringe lunacy is out there.

Brad's blog has none of that. Just a good clean read by a self professed geek slash church pastor.

I recommend this one and add it to my list of reads..................eric

Earth Girls Are Easy And The Price Of Gas

2008-06-19T19:11:00.002-05:00

I was channel surfing earlier today and flipped by a channel that caught my eye. It wasn't the big chested platinum blond that made me take notice. It was the .89 cents a gallon gas on the gas pump in one of the scenes. I checked the date on the movie, "Earth Girls Are Easy" and it said 1988. 19 years ago and gas has risen over $3.00 a gallon.

Plain Coffee At Starbucks - Employees Can't Function

2008-06-18T21:23:00.005-05:00

I stopped in Starbuck's the other day to have a cup of coffee. When I placed my order I think I put the young man behind the counter in a state of shock. He seemed as if he could not comprehend my order. I even though I heard several gasps from those in line behind me. Silence fell about the place and an eerie dark cloud descended and covered the coffee shop in a sickly gray hue. (not really)

But the guy behind the counter did stop for a second to think about what I said.

"I'll have a straight up black coffee, nothing added"

God How I Miss My Days In The Navy

2008-06-16T22:47:00.009-05:00

I was surfing through some navy oriented websites this evening and a flood of memories came back. What a great time that was......... 8 years with 5 of them at sea aboard the USS Constellation and the USS Enterprise. I made three WestPac / Indian Ocean deployments during the 1980's with each cruise lasting approximately 9 months.

Who can forget Subic Bay Philippines, Singapore, Perth, Mombassa and of course day after day after day after day on Gonzo Station. I miss my former shipmates. I miss the camaraderie.

I wish I had those days back. So many memories.........both good and bad but all never forgotten.

Rough Seas - South China Sea

Calmer Seas Somewhere in the Indian Ocean

Leaving Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

Underway in the Straits of Malacca Between
Singapore/Malaysian Penninsula and Indonesia

Inport Subic Bay Philippines

Fashion Gone Terribly Wrong

2008-06-16T20:08:00.003-05:00

Taken at Little Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis KY last summer. Event is coming up again next month. Maybe I will dedicate a posting to fashion statements gone wrong.

Digital Signage - New Company

2008-06-16T14:58:00.003-05:00

I have been working with a start up over the last 3 months that involves some really exciting stuff. Digi-AdServices Network is a digital signage advertising solutions company. That is a mouthful but what it boils down to is this: our company provides a network of high definition large format (42-47 inch) monitors to businesses to advertise their products and services.

Each monitor is set up in a high traffic area and advertisers can market their business with multiple high def full color or animated frame sets. Digital signage is perfect for niche marketing in that it allows you to place your advertisements and marketing material in front of the right eyes at the right time and in the right place. This is great for point of sale information in department stores or general advertising in vacant store fronts etc.............

Check us out at http://www.digi-adservices.com/

Shorpy.com - The 100 Year Old Photo Blog

2008-06-15T09:05:00.004-05:00

Was just surfin' a few blogs this morning and came across this gem. It is Shorpy.com - The 100 Year Old Photo Blog. Take a peek into history with this blog dedicated to old photographs. Each photo seems to tell a story of the things that made this country great. However you interpret history or whether or not you agree with it, this blog opens the door to a different America.

483 pages to date of historic 100 year old photos. (actually some of the photos aren't quite 100 years old, but still very very good)

Imagine life without cell phones

Support Your Local Hell's Angels Defense Fund

2008-06-14T13:07:00.003-05:00

Every year I attend the Little Sturgis motorcycle rally in Sturgis Kentucky. ( July 17-20, 2008) Not to be confused with the other Sturgis rally........ this one is kind of small..... only about 15,000 people having a great time in the hot humid Kentucky summer heat. I thought this was pretty interesting........ Hell's Angels have come a long way since the movie persona of the late 50's and early 60's.