U2

Man-oh-man do i like U2. For as long as i can remember, i've considered them my favorite band. Funny thing is i've never really listened to the what their songs are saying - i hear the words, but never have really stopped to think about the message they are sending. Back before Christmas, i was in Borders and noticed a book - The Spiritual Journey of U2 - by Steve Stockman. I put it on my Christmas list, and Susie got it for me. I read it, and believe it has been one of the most impactful books i've ever read. There were two statements in particular that really jumped out at me - i'll have to post my thoughts on those later. I was very impressed by the way that U2 has taken on causes and attacked them with all they have. It's not very often that you see someone with influence really use it for the greater good. After reading the book, i've gone back and listened to a lot of U2 - it's taken on a whole new meaning. The progression of the band's music and the progression of the causes that they have been for comes to a whole new light. I need to go back and fill in my U2 collection, and i started with How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. What a great CD - and especially when listened to with a new appreciation for the message they are spreading. I can't wait - they are supposed to release a new album this year!

Almost Friday

It's almost Friday and even better, heading into a 3 day weekend; now if only i had some great plans ... . I really want to try salmon fishing this year, but i think it's too early in the season for river fishing. I believe the fish are still in the ocean, they haven't "balled up" since we haven't had the first rain of Fall. So much to learn, so many fish to catch.

I went out on an 8 hour combo trip with some friends a couple weeks back. It was fun to be away from work for a while, but of the nine friends of us on the boat we came away with 0 salmon. Yes, a fat goose egg, bubkis, squat, zilch, a whole lot of nothing. If it weren't for the fact that we did some bottom fishing (i caught 1 Black Cod) and picked up some crab pots i would have been o-fer. Of course there was a family on the boat with us with an annoying lady and a smoking husband who pulled in two salmon and quite a few bottom fish, including a Cabazon (sp ?) and a couple Ling Cod. Bass turds.

I finished D-Day by Stephen E. Ambrose the other day. What an incredible book. WWII is so fascinating to me, i'm glad that there is a good amount of writing about it. I'll have to write my thoughts about that sometime. I'm now onto another Stephen E. Ambrose book - Undaunted Courage. I had a little harder time getting into this one just because i don't know much about the Lewis and Clark expedition and in general i think i would have been ok not reading about it. But now that i'm most of the way through the book, i'm really enjoying it and considering going back and restarting just to pick up on more details that i skimmed over.

Working with Indians cracks me up (not Native American Indians, the Indians that are in India). I think the best term i've heard is when they ask something, they request that you "do the needful". I would really like to go to India sometime. I can't help but think of Seinfeld - "don't go to India, it is the only country that still has the plague".

Alright, i think the job i was watching is heading for success - i'm going to try get some sleep, but i'd bet at least a nickel that i'll get paged at least once more tonight.

It's almost Friday ...

long time

Well, that was a long gap. I pretty much forgot i had started this blog, but then my little sister got me hooked on iGoogle, Gmail and back into blogging. I need to find something interesting to write about ... i'll see what i can come up with.

Lost in Tibet

Just finished up a book today - Lost in TIBET - by Richard Starks and Miriam Murcutt. It is a non-fictional account of 5 WWII airmen who get blown off course on a return flight from supplying the Chinese from an airbase in India. The men are forced into jumping out of the plane and the ensuing story is of their travels to return to their service.
The book is pretty interesting, but i would have liked more details on the terrain and travels through it. The book is not written by one of the airmen, but seems to be well researched. I enjoyed some of the asides, and it has a brief but interesting summary of the history of Tibet. I've seen plenty of the 'Free Tibet' bumper-stickers, but never quite grasped the significance.

On other notes, i went to my first Bass Pro Shops this weekend - the one in Katy, TX. Not too shabby, but it would have been a whole lot more fun if i could have spent some money there. Kinda hard to buy fishing gear when i'd have to take it back on the plane with me (or ship it). I hear there's a Cabella's up in Conroe, so i might have to check that out next time i'm here over a wekend.
Also made it to the Houston Hard Rock Cafe. Pretty cool place, but definitely a place to go with friends. They had the song 'Beverly Hills' by Weezer on - one of many - but it was the first time i'd seen them in a video - not at all what i expected. Love the song though ...

Flying over here

I was thinking today about my flight over to Houston. I got on the plane in Portland and shuffled to row 21F and almost freaked when i saw who i was supposed to sit by for 2 and a half hours; it was a single mom with a 4 year old boy (in the middle seat) and an 18 month old little girl (on her lap). Immediately i had visions of crying and squirming. I sat down and said hi to the little boy next to me, and he very politely told me his name and informed me that he was flying back home after being in a wedding. We 'chatted' for a little bit, with his mother filling in the gaps as he went. He proceeded to ask me to read him the signs on the back of the tray table, at which his mom encouraged him to read it himself (he was learning to read). She helped him with the difficult words, but not by just giving them to him, but making him sound them out and she didn't allow him to guess at the word. The little girl was very cute and would smile really wide when you looked at her and said stuff. Through the flight i chatted with the mom (Nicole) and she gave me a bit of her background - where she was from originally, where she lived now, what her husband did, etc. She was a wonderful person, very easy to talk to - she was also quite pretty. I really have a lot of respect for her - taking two young kids on a trip like that could not have been easy. I was also very impressed with her handling of both the kids, she was kind and loving, but she also stuck to what she said and her children obeyed her. I knew just from how the kids responded to me that they were in a good home where they were loved and respected. It was a breath of fresh air ... i'll probably never see them again, but i hope they know that i noticed them and i was encouraged by them.

movie lines i find funny

Before i head to bed, i have to post a funny movie line - this is from The Three Amigos - hilarious stuff:

El Guapo is on his way.
Someday the people of this village will have to face El Guapo.
We might as well do it now.
In a way, all of us have an El Guapo to face someday.
For some, shyness might be their El Guapo.
For others, a lack of education might be their El Guapo.
For us...
El Guapo is a big dangerous guy who wants to kill us.

(this from - http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/t/three-amigos-script-transcript-chase.html )

Start of a blog

It's 9:56 PM PST in Houston - yep, here again in H-town. I haven't done much today, just here in a class learning Linux (we're learning on Fedora Core 3.0 - although 6.0 was just released).
You ever notice how the older you get, the more you understand things you should have (or wished) you knew when you were younger; but you still don't understand the things you should understand now ... ? As i go through the class, i keep remembering things that i did when i was a HP-UX sys admin and only now understanding the importance / relevance of what i was doing. But at the same time there are so many things in my current job that i don't quite get. I guess this means i'll understand them in a few years - after i no longer need to know them.

Not sure where i'm going to go with this blog - i guess it will work itself out as i go.
Peace