Inspired

Well, it's been a while. Pull up a chair and listen to me drone on about nothing in particular. I found myself inspired by a friend to post another blog. Flattery is a great way to get people motivated. Oh, and did I mention how great you look? Have you lost weight? Regardless, enjoy!

DOG DAYS OF SUMMER

Well, another spring has come and gone and we are into the "dog days" of summer. In the middle of this past abominable winter, I told myself no matter how hot it got this summer, I would not complain. The question is, does it count as "not complaining" if I would choose to go to the dentist, the doctor, or even have an IRS audit rather than go outside and work in the garage or pull weeds? Is it "not complaining" when I hop in the truck and sit on the black leather seats and bite my lower lip while putting my fist through the roof of the truck due to the seats being 323 degrees? Is it really "not complaining" if someone says, I sure do love this hot weather after last winter, and I have to put on a fake smile and say, "Yeah, I love it! It reminds me of the tropical heat in Mexico. I just can't get enough of it."? I guess the answer is in an old adage, "Grin and bare it."

SUMMER STORMS

As you may have read in a previous post, I enjoy storms of all kinds. Whether it be a summer thunder storm or a winter blizzard, they intrigue me in various ways. By far, the most intriguing of them all is the Supercell thunderstorm. If you have lived in the great plains for any amount of time, in all likelihood you have at least heard of a Supercell thunderstorm. For those of you challenged in the meteorological sense, a Supercell is a small storm(1-6 miles wide) that packs a big punch. It is a storm that is rotating and has a great deal of updraft, or a vortex. To dumb it down even further (not that you are dumb), most tornadoes spawn from Supercells. The picture above is a text book example of a Supercell.

I did get to see a couple rotating storms this year, but I still haven't had the treat (yes, treat) of witnessing a tornado. Now, don't go reading anything into this, I did not storm chase. I am very aware of the fact that I know just enough about tornadoes to get myself killed. But the fact of the matter is, every spring, from May to July, I contemplate the prospect of happening upon a tornado. Of course, in my head the tornado I happen upon is out in the middle of no where, and I am southwest of the tornado as it travels to the northeast. It does nothing to hurt anyone and maybe hits an abandoned barn or silo just to give me a display of it's power. But, with the way things usually go in my life, I would be locked in an all glass building with no basement, directly in the path of the tornado with no where to run, no where to hide. I guess that would probably help rid myself of my storm intrigue...if I were to survive, that is.

IN CONCLUSION

Well, those are just a few thoughts off the top of my head. Maybe next time someone compliments me on my writing skillz (yeah, that's right, I said skillz) I will put fingers to keyboard once again. And yes, this is a shameless ploy to get you to shower me with praise. But don't worry I won't let it go to my head.

Facebook, the Proverbial Can-O-Worms

I am here today to talk to you about one of the dangers of Facebook. I am not going to say it's from the devil or anything like that, that for you to decide. I am no judge. But one of the pitfalls I find in Facebook is that horrible moment when you get a friend request from someone that you have major reservations about granting that friend request. The requesting "friend" comes in many forms. You have the guy/gal from school that you either don't remember or didn't like, the relative that you don't even know, the stalker from work that decided that you and he are BFF's, and of course the person that you just plain don't like, but they are unaware of this fact.

The dilemma with all of these "friends" is what to do once you get that friend request. For some, like the guy/gal from high school that you don't remember, it's easy to click that deny button. But, your third cousin on your dad's side that you met once when you were 14 and he was 8, and haven't seen since, this is a predicament. Let's say you deny this request, what happens when dad or grandma hears you dissed your own family? But then if you accept the request, what if the "cousin" turns out to be a psychopath and befriends one of your friends and then eats them with some fava beans and a nice Chianti? Yes, this is an extreme case, but I don't know this fictitious cousin from Adam. Really, isn't it just as dangerous to "friend" a cousin you don't know as it would be to "friend" a random person you find on Facebook?

Then what about the person you know but don't like that asks to be your "friend"? I have worked hard to keep the peace and not let on that I can't stand this person. On one hand I could just "friend" this person just to continue to keep the peace. But, I really don't want this obnoxious person saying something stupid on my Facebook page. Plus, I don't want him to access to my thoughts. But if I don't accept his request, he will know that I don't think that much of him. I suppose it would be wise to find some sort of middle ground. But what could that be? Oh, I got it, how about I don't accept the "friend" request, BUT, I also don't deny it. Just leave it in limbo. But, what happens when I see this person and they say, "Hey, did you see my "friend" request on Facebook?" Then what!? Maybe this is one of the reasons why I should consider not getting involved with a "Social Networking" site. It is a slippery slope, a can proverbial can-o-worms. But, hey, do what you want, I'm no judge...sinner.

Save the Planet!

As I have mentioned in a previous blog, I am enamored with the ocean. Though I have only been in contact with it a relatively minimal amount, it is something that brings me great joy. The smell, sound, wild life, and scenery both above and below it's surface is something I feel I would never grow tired of. So, you can probably imagine how the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico makes me feel. Seeing fish and sea turtles wash up on shore already, not only saddens me, it angers me. Sadly, this is just the beginning. The Gulf of Mexico is one of the richest fishing waters in the entire world. It is an incredible ecosystem. This means there are more species of aquatic life, both enormous and microscopic, than can be counted.

I don't really consider myself a "tree hugger" in the purest sense. But, I feel one of my greatest attributes and at the same time one of my biggest faults, is my ability to feel. I have been told by many a person that I wear my heart on my sleeve. Because of this, if I see injustice it cuts me to the bone. To me, things like oil rigs in the ocean, animal poaching in Africa, strip mining, deforestation, etc., these are all things that really get to me. One of my biggest pet peeves is shortsightedness, and oil rigs, poaching, strip mining, and deforestation are all things that look at what can be had now without any regard for what our children, grand children, and great grand children will be able to have. This oil spill was preventable, but shortsighted people chose vast amounts of money over protecting the ocean. As a result, one the most incredible ecosystems in the world is in jeopardy. It's been 21 years since Exxon Valdez ran aground and spilled 11 million barrels of oil into the ocean in Alaska. Today, the ecosystem in that area has yet to fully recover. So, at my age of 37 years old, I will officially be a senior citizen by the time the Gulf Coast gets close to being back to what it is today.

The bright side is the fact that the earth is a pretty amazing place. Try as man might, the earth will never be brought to ruin. Man on the other hand, well that's a different story. We may drive ourselves extinct before we get a chance to kill "Mother Nature". At that point, the earth will be just fine.

I am going scuba diving next week, and if anything, this oil spill is going to make me enjoy my visit to the ocean all the more. It's a shame man has to destroy things before we can all appreciate what the earth has to offer. But this coming week, I am going to look a little closer at the coral and the sea turtles and really appreciate what I get the privilege to see. Hopefully, someday soon, those ruining the earth, will be ruined themselves and the next generation will get to enjoy a much more beautiful world.