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30 Days of Tolkien – Day 13

‘I wish it need not have happened in my time,’ said Frodo.  ‘So do I,’ said Gandalf, ‘and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide.All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.’ — Fellowship of the Ring

My Take – When bad things are happening, it is a normal human reaction to look around yourself and say “I wish this wasn’t happening”.  But that is a thought that leads to nowhere.  It is difficult to do sometimes, but taking a rational look at the world, figuring out what the real problems are, and finding ways to either live through them or succeed in spite of them makes life easier in the long run.

A nation that denies that bad people exist in the world and that those bad actors want to cause harm is in denial and will pay for it.

Put another way, the people I know who use up all of their energy dealing with their own drama are the same ones who refuse to find and change the causes of that drama.

Either way, denial may be the only thing more expensive than regret.

Today in History / Today’s Earworm

In 1814, while held on a British ship during the bombardment of Fort McHenry in Baltimore harbor, Francis Scott Key wrote the poem that eventually became our national anthem, The Star Spangled Banner.

 

30 Days of Tolkien – Day 12

The one small garden of a free gardener was all his need and due, not a garden swollen to a realm; his own hands to use, not the hands of others to command. — The Return of the King

My Take – I have absolutely no ambition to power, and I have a visceral suspicion of those who do.  My power extends somewhat under the shadow of my hat, and if you ask my wife, I only control a small percentage of that.   As much as I resent those who try to run my life, I value the right of others to live their own life so long as it doesn’t interfere with mine.

Thoughts on the Evening

  • Apparently I’m leading with my left shoulder.  That’s where most of the rounds impacted tonight.

    • I really need to have someone make up a tee shirt that has a “Bruises for Freedom” logo on it.
  • Breaching charges are very loud, and do quite a number on hollow core doors.
  • A real and for true AK-47, complete with happy switch, is a real hoot.
  • If you are issued a real and for true AK-47 for firing blanks during a training exercise, please do not forget where you left it in the training area.
    • Doing so will cause the rest of us untold grief as we sit around waiting for you to find it.
    • No, I did not lose mine.  Both weapons I was issued tonight came back to the arms room with me.
  • Check the corners.  Corners kill.

30 Days of Tolkien – Day 11

I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend. — The Two Towers

My Take – I have to admit, I’m a gadget and gear geek.  And yeah, one of the nice things about going out to Fort Knox is that I get to see machine guns, explosions, and helicopters every few weeks.

But it’s not the hardware and fireworks show that draws me back.  It’s the young men and women who use the training to have a better chance to do their mission and come home safely that gets me out of my nice, climate-controlled bubble to either swelter or freeze in a quest for bruises.  Standing behind those brave souls is the ideal of my country, an ideal that many have either forgotten or never learned.  I know what our nation demands of these people, and what we get in return for their hard work and sacrifice, and that’s what gets me out there.

Today’s Earworm

News Roundup

  • From the “Oops” Department – Officials at the Democratic Party are looking into how images of the Russian navy were used as a backdrop in a tribute to veterans at their recent party convention in Charlotte.  Honestly, who can blame them?  The Admiral Kuznetsov looks so much the Enterprise that I’m sure OldNFO has landed there by mistake on more than one occasion.  At least that’s how I had it explained to me by a Democrat I know.  I guess no-one thought to have an actual Navy veteran check out the footage before it was broadcast to millions of homes nationwide.  In related news, an earlier tribute to the Pope featured footage of the Metropolitan of Constantinople, and a slide show on the success of the president’s policy toward the Arab Spring was made up of still shots from Tiananmin Square.  
  • From the “Strikes Are For Baseball” Department – The teachers strike in Chicago continues.  Union official Jethro Q. Walrustitty characterized negotiations as ‘silly’.  Parents in Chicago are reportedly scrambling to find alternate plans for the 350,000 schoolchildren who are no longer warehoused in Chicago’s public schools.  Considering how terrible their academic progress has been under the striking teachers, I will be curious to see if they do better if left to their own devices for a few weeks, or at least until the first time the teachers get a check from the union for strike pay and have union dues taken out of it.
  • From the “Big Boom” Department – Astronomers are reporting that a large explosion has occurred high in the atmosphere of Jupiter.  They believe that it was caused by a comet slamming into the planet and causing a fireball the size of Earth.  It’s either that or I finally found those illegal fireworks I misplaced a few years ago.
  • From the “Cool, But” Department – DARPA has unveiled its new robot for use by frontline troops, dubbed the L3.  It is a four-legged machine that appears to be between waist and shoulder-high on a man.  It is designed to carry heavy loads and save our soldiers from the wear and tear of dragging their equipment up and down mountains.  While I think this might be the neatest thing I’ve seen in a while, I’m pretty sure this is a problem that’s been solved already using actual mules.  At least Francis the Talking Mule didn’t require hours of maintenance and refueling all the time.
  • From the “Not Encouraging Self Help” Department – A woman in New York is facing eviction from public housing because city officials object to her installing security cameras at her building.  She says she did it in response to several robberies in the area.  Since she’s prohibited by her mayor and his ilk from owning a better crime deterrent and criminal stopping instrument, I guess a camera is better than harsh language.  At least they’ll be able to produce a grainy picture of the goblin for the 11 o’clock news.

Thought for the Day

If the two words that run through my mind when I see your photograph on the news are “probable cause”, you might consider changing either your look to something a little less conspicuous or your profession to something a little less illegal.

Personnel Review for a Barbarian

DaddyBear the Minivandian settled back into his work stool, a cup of hot witches brew in one hand and the latest scroll of knowledge in his other.  As he began reading the new incantation it contained, his magic elf box rang softly, telling him that he had a new missive awaiting his attention.

Knotting his mighty brow, the Minivandian bid the box of elven sorcery to display the message.  It appeared to be from his leader.

Minivandian, our mighty Khan, may his path be made wide and flat, has decreed that I must speak with you about your performance as the office barbarian and as a keeper of the magic elf boxes.  I desire that you should reply to this message with a listing of your mighty achievements since the day where sunlight equaled the night.  I also require that you list the goals you shall try to accomplish before the snows melt and waters run clear and cold again.   I shall expect to see you in my chamber two hours after midday.

DaddyBear thought long and hard about this, for it had been a long and contentious summer.  Finally, he breathed deep, placed his hands upon the elven board of keys, and began to list out his many adventures:

  • Exercised Exorcised many imps from magic elf boxes, including some rather ugly ones that crept in with new hardware.
  • Slayed mighty dragons on multiple occasions, which always seemed to begin their attacks during a period of rest.
  • Negotiated a treaty of good will with the masters of the flying beasts on how they will and will not utilize the magic elven boxes.
  • Refrained from defenestrating the gnomes of the middle lands when they were caught opening the magic elf boxes to evil incantations.
  • Taught the gnomes the proper incantations to prevent future danger to the magic elf boxes from such evil spells.
  • Successfully instructed a cohort of companions on the proper care and use of bladed weapons while working around the flying beasts.

The Minivandian leaned back on his stool and thought about these good times.  His summer had indeed been interesting.  Looking further into himself, he began to think of those things he wished to do and improve:

  • Refrain from cursing the ancestors of co-workers in the common tongue.
    • Cursing their ancestors in orcish, however, will be acceptable and probably more effective.
    • Current score – 2, Goal  – 1
  • Refrain from skinning vendors who sell him the wrong vials of magic blue smoke for the mystical elven boxes and using their hides to decorate the room of meeting.
    • Current score – 10, Goal – 5
  • Complete four quests with the wizards of continuing education.
    • These should be in areas outside of the ordinary, so no classes on the use of massed Berserkers or siegecraft.
    • Current score – 1, Goal – 4
  • Refrain from arguing with the guardian of the portal to the place of the flying beasts that a two-handed battle-axe is simply a necessary tool for work.
    • Current score  – 10, Goal – 7.
  • Work on people skills.  Smile more, and not the “Skin Poncho” smile either.
    • Current score  – 0, Goal  – 5

DaddyBear the Minivandian looked upon these lists, and saw that they were worthy of his leader’s review.  Just then, he heard the high-pitched keening of a co-worker who had just been tasked with slaying a wyrm.  Grabbing Gnarlthing, his mighty blade, the Minivandian strode down the corridor to help, a smile upon his mighty countenance.  He fought valiantly against the wyrm, and came back for his personnel review covered in both glory and wyrm blood.

My lord the Minivandian went on to have many quests and adventures, and when he finally laid down his sword and shield, he could look back on a good life.  But those are stories for another time.  Now, let me tell you tales of high adventure…..

30 Days of Tolkien – Day 10

“I should like to know about risks, out-of-pocket expenses, time required and remuneration, and so forth” – by which he meant: “What am I going to get out of it? and am I going to come back alive?” — The Hobbit

 

My Take – Qui Bono?  If you’re coming to me and proposing something, there better be a payoff, either material or otherwise.  Calories aren’t cheap, and if you’re asking me to expend them, you really ought to be able to lay out not only what you want, but also what you expect will be in it for those who take part in your little endeavor.  Maybe I’ll just get a good feeling in my gut from it, and that’s OK, but don’t tell me there are riches beyond my wildest dreams when I’ll be lucky to get out of it with all my teeth.

And if you’re telling me I’m not doing my part, you better be able to show me what I’m getting for the effort or expenditure.