42

Okay, forty-two does not quite cover this one, but it is an age old question laid to rest by science.
I came across it via Israellycool.

So... Chicken or egg? Which was first? Drumroll, please...
Forty-Two

Second thought

Okay, I'm not going to post it, but the poem 'And Death Shall Have No Dominion' by Dylan Thomas never fails to ... get me. I link it for those of you who have not read it.

Someday, I'm setting that to music.

Memorial Day

I was going to post a poem by Dylan Thomas or Robert Frost, but I thought the better of it because the dead at least rest. The living who knew them and the living torn up are the ones who pay now and the ones I pray for. So, I found an address by the Air Force Chief of Staff, General Moseley. I know it's addressed to Airmen, but up it goes. after all, my view is that of an Airman, but we can all appreciate General Moseley's thoughts from this Memorial Day address.

"To the men and women of the United States Air Force:

In a time of peace and prosperity, we remember those who gave their lives in service to our country. In a time of war, these memories are sharpened by the selfless service of those defending our freedoms daily.

This Memorial Day, we pause to honor our fallen Airmen -- active, Guard, Reserve and civilian -- who answered the call and paid the ultimate price for our country. Remember also the Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, patriots all, who displayed the resolute courage that has defined our country through the generations.

We also remember the families of those who served so well but did not come home. We hope that these families draw strength from the fact that their loved ones served a calling greater than their own self-interest. Likewise, we come together today to stand with the families of those who continue to serve, as their unconditional support is our true source of strength.

We remain a nation at war, and an Air Force committed to upholding the charge presented in the Constitution to 'provide for the common defense.' This Memorial Day, we affirm our gratitude for those who fought and made the ultimate sacrifice so that others could live and enjoy freedom in abundance. We will never disappoint their legacy of service before self."

Amen. Today was not about barbeque. To those of of you who did, though, I sincerely hope that you enjoyed yourselves. Had I not been on duty, I would have included such a great American tradition in my observances. I do ask you all, though, to remember what this is about, and to remember that we are at war and will be at war for a long time to come. When we stand in our yards at the grill or sit in our living rooms by the T.V. (for those of you who are into that sort of thing), you will probably not feel that others are fighting for you. Remember them, remember what they have done. Not to make you feel guilty or small, not to ellicit any charity from you, but to be sure... damn sure... that you know that your way of life is not in any way guaranteed. It is not defined by any right that you have, it is not secured by the fact that you have it now and want it to continue. It has been earned in the past and is secured today by people like General Moseley described.

To anyone who attended any of the many ceremonies today, I thank you. I love it when civilians come to experience just about any military observance. Please come again!

No one and nothing forgotten.

Lessons Learned

It is possible to lubricate an M-16 too much. I just found up the hard way. I never knew, I just assumed that lots of silicone lube would, like in the civilian firearms I've used, keep the rifle working smoothly and reduce fouling.

WELL... M-16s can do something called grease lock when excess lube rides into the chamber. When the round detonates, it forms a near perfect seal somehow and will not come out after firing is complete.

I was merrily shooting some control drills when I heard the gun make an odd sound. It was the sound that usually means that the bolt did not make it all the way and that a spent case is now all I have in chamber. Only thing was, I felt the rifle cycle. I went through the good old SPORTS drill and got no farther than O. I Observed that there was a case stuck in the chamber. It would not come out for anything, so the gun had to go to the Undergound Armory of Death where dark rituals had to be performed to remove the stuck case.

Here's the funny thing: I used the large ammount of lube because certain people that I need to listen to had been on me to keep my rifle cleaner. Clean apparently means not just no dirt, but THIN coats of lube. I have learned.

Even though I was the best shooter on that line (by a narrow margin, but best is still best), it did no good since my rifle went down because of me halfway through the exercise.

In Country

I've been, I guess you could say, 'in country' for the last while. It's been craziness. I think it's over, but I'm not entirely sure. Perhaps I'll finally get around to my long-planned post about equality, originally intended for *cough* February *cough*. I had some thoughts, imagine that.
New pics, too, these are getting old, except maybe the asbestos one. For some reason, I like that one.

The Critics

Seems many critics hate the Da Vinci Code... which makes me actually want to see it.
I mean, the pros must HATE this one, Rotten Tomatoes has it a 0%! The NYT reviewer apparently liked, and REALLY liked it, but he is a minority.Interestingly enough, I don't see any middle ground at all so far.
I'm a pretty contrary person (I'm getting better, though) when it comes to a lot of things, and the unbelievably negative coverage has me thinking that this must be a gem.
Incidentally, I have not read nor plan on reading the book. My reading list is far too long already...
I have a stack of books that I bought last year that I have yet to open, for example.
Hopefully I can shoehorn this film in somewhere between all the other stuff that's going on... say, isn't X-men 3 coming out soon? Hmmm, I may need to spend an afternoon at the theater...

Too Funny

You know all those annoying IQ test sites? Here's the answer!
Enjoy.

I'll see your 128...

A woman in El Salvador has just reached the age of 128, apparently (via Reuters). That is truly amazing. it's even more amazing when you consider the history of El Salvador for the last 128 years.

I got a good century ahead of me to catch her, but I'll give it a shot.

To life!

Asides

• Florence King has an increadible piece in the last National Review It's not comedic like I'm used to from her, but that's so irrelevant in the face of how smart it is. She writes about people who have no health insurance and how the natural tendancy of humans to take what ever they can get has driven health care and health insurance costs through the roof. I can pretty well sum up the artical in one sentance: A good idea applied to all will usually go bad. I didn't notice it on the general section of NRO, though. Sooo, go get National Review.
  
• I just tried this meat seasoning called Tiger Sauce, made by the Reilly Foods Company in new Orleans. It's a spicy sauce/marinade/seasoning that has a slight sweetness to it. it's almost Cajun, but has some definite oriental flavor as well. For something tasty and different, I highly recomend it. I'm hooked and it does wonderful things to fish and tofu. I have not tried it on turf-critter meat yet.
• I was too lazy to buy anything yesterday to counter protest the declared festivities. Also, I didn't really need anything. Oh well. Traffic seemed less dense, though. I enjoyed that. I hope there are more of these protests if they have this effect on traffic.
  
• Spring showed up this week, like God went 'zap' and ended winter. That fast, I do not kid. It's also possible that I didn't notice until now. In fact, that seems mmore likely.
  
• Time to swap the snowboard for the mountain bike... there shall be pictures. It does not look like I'll make Moab this year, though. Bummer.
• From my Dad... Check this out. It's called Day by Day, a comentary cartoon on politics, but also life in general. I like it. Sunday's was especially on point.
• Ever been walking in the rain at such an altitude that if you stepped up even five feet, you'd wind up in snow? It was as beautiful as it was surreal. It's amazing to have a snow line that you can bounce across at will.