I learned of Festivus on facebook yesterday. so I looked it up on Wikipedia. How depressing!
It is said that satire does not look pretty on a tombstone. The same is true of sarcasm. Neither does either look good as a holiday.
People celebrate holidays because of history and tradition. They throw themselves in them as a method of fulfillment. Festivus appears to be a way of venting about how others celebrate.
Generating positive energy for one's self by trying to suck energy out of others does not seem to be in the spirit of being an American - or at least in the traditional spirit.
For Festivus the greeting should be shooting the bird.
return to index F
Ex Libris
G K Chesterton and C S Lewis: The riddle of Joy e.Michael H MacDonald and Andrew A Tadie (Eerdmans 1989) *
* means filed in storage
* means filed in storage
A special occasion
My brother-in-law opened the bottom drawer of my sister's bureau and lifted out a tissue-wrapped package.- Ann Wells the Los Angeles Times
This, he said, is not a slip. This is lingerie.He discarded the tissue and handed me the slip. It was exquisite silk, handmade and trimmed with a cobweb of lace. The price tag with an astronomical figure on it was still attached.
Jan bought this the first time we went to New York, at least 8 or 9 years ago. She never wore it. She said she was saving it for a special occasion. Well I guess this is the occasion.He took the slip from me and put it on the bed with the other clothes we were taking to the mortician. His hands lingered on the soft material for a moment, then he slammed the drawer shut and turned to me.
Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Every day you're alive is a special occasion.I remembered those words through the funeral and the days that followed when I helped him and my niece attend to all the sad chores that follow an unexpected death. I thought about them on the plane returning to California from the Mid-western town where my sister's family lives. I thought about the things that she had done without realizing they were special. I'm still thinking about his words and how they've changed my life. I'm reading more and dusting less. I'm sitting on the deck and admiring the view without fussing about the weeds in the garden. I'm spending more time with my family and friends and less time in committee meetings. Whenever possible, life should be a pattern of experience to savor, not endure. I'm trying to recognize these moments now and cherish them. I'm not "saving" anything; we use our good china and crystal for every special event - such as loosing a pound, getting the sink unstopped, the first camellia blossom. I wear my good blazer to the market if I feel like it. My theory is if I look prosperous, I can shell out $28.49 for one small bag of groceries without wincing. I'm not saving my good perfume for special parties; clerks in hardware stores and tellers in banks have noses that function just as well as my party-going friends. "Someday" and "one of these days" are losing their grip on my vocabulary. If it's worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to see, hear and do it now. I'm not sure what my sister would have done had she known that she wouldn't be here for the tomorrow we all take for granted. I think she would have called family members and a few close friends. She might have called a few former friends to apologize and mend fences for past squabbles. I like to think she would have gone out for a Chinese dinner, her favorite food. I'm guessing - I'll never know. It's those little things left undone that would make me angry if I knew that my hours were limited. Angry because I put off seeing good friends whom I was going to get in touch with - someday. Angry because I hadn't written certain letters that I intended to write - one of these days. Angry and sorry that I didn't tell my husband and daughter often enough how much I truly love them. I'm trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that would add laughter and luster to our lives. And every morning when I open my eyes, I tell myself that it is special. Every day, every minute, every breath truly is a gift from God. If you've received this it is because someone cares for you and it means there is probably at least someone for whom you care. If you're too busy to take the few minutes that it would take right now to send this to ten people, would it be the first time you didn't do that little thing that would make a difference in your relationships? I can tell you it certainly won't be the last. I don't have to make up silly stories about people being hit by buses or crushed by falling disco balls for not sending this letter on. You've seen the result of this neglect in your own relationships that you have allowed to fade, dissolve and fall into disrepair. Take this opportunity to set a new trend. Take a few minutes to send this to a few people you care about, just to let them know you're thinking about them. It's even better if they're not the people you already correspond with every week. The more people that you send this to, the better luck you will have. And the better you'll get at reaching out to those you care about.
You've got to dance like nobody's watching, and love like it's never going to hurt.
back to commentary
Fr Bob Susann
A Missionary of laSalette
former pastor of St Ann's parish, Cobb County GA
former Faithful Friar (chaplain) of Knights of Columbus Assembly 2161, GA
chaplain Orlando International Airport
former pastor of St Ann's parish, Cobb County GA
former Faithful Friar (chaplain) of Knights of Columbus Assembly 2161, GA
chaplain Orlando International Airport
brevity
| the number of words | in/on |
|---|---|
| 272 | lincoln's gettsburg address |
| 401 | bag of lay's potato chips |
| 418 | irs form 1040ez |
| 1200 | average usa today cover story |
return to index B
aging
When you win, you're an old pro. when you lose, you're an old man. - Charley Conerly, US football player
return to index A
return to quotes A
return to index A
return to quotes A
Courage Does Not Always Roar
When life gets you down and the problems you face
are certainly more than your share.
When you run out of strength and you want to give up
because it's just too much to bear.
I want to remind you, my precious friend,
that you have what it takes inside,
extraordinary courage that may not ROAR
but it doesn't cower and hide.
It's the quiet voice inside you that says,
"Tomorrow I'll try again."
It's the courage to keep on going
to see things through to the end.
You are not defined by this moment in time.
You are not what has happened to you.
It's the way that you choose to respond that matters
and what you decide to do.
Courage is not the absence of fear,
but a powerful choice we make.
It's the choice to move forward with a PURPOSE and joy,
regardless of what it takes.
It's the courage that's found in ordinary women
who are HEROES in their own way
exhibiting strength and fortitude
in life's challenges every day.
Valiant women of exceptional courage
with enduring power to cope
taking each problem one day at a time
and never giving up HOPE.
These brave-hearted women have great resilience
and they lift each other as well
bonded by a common understanding
each with a story to tell.
- Paula Fox
Notes:
- Caps as found in my source. Other sources have variant capitalizations.
- sometimes attributed to Bobi Seredich because she made a movie of the poem
- return to poem C
- return to poems
The Touch of the Master's Hand
'Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer
Thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But held it up with a smile.
"What am I bidden, good folks?" he cried,
"Who'll start the bidding for me?"
"A dollar, a dollar"; then, "Two! Only two?
Two dollars, and who'll make it three?
Three dollars, once; three dollars twice;
Going for three" But no,
From the room, far back, a gray-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow;
Then, wiping the dust from the old violin,
And tightening the loose strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet
As a caroling angel sings.
The music ceased, and the auctioneer,
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said, "What am I bid for the old violin?"
And he held it up with the bow.
"A thousand dollars, and who'll make it two?
Two thousand! And who'll make it three?
Three thousand, once; three thousand, twice,
And going, and gone," said he.
The people cheered, but some of them cried,
"We do not quite understand
What changed its worth." Swift came the reply:
"The touch of a master's hand."
- Myra Brooks Welch
alternate phrasing - not better but different
bio, background and another version
bio, background and a kitschy presentation
sketchy background and yakp
return to poems
Thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But held it up with a smile.
"What am I bidden, good folks?" he cried,
"Who'll start the bidding for me?"
"A dollar, a dollar"; then, "Two! Only two?
Two dollars, and who'll make it three?
Three dollars, once; three dollars twice;
Going for three" But no,
From the room, far back, a gray-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow;
Then, wiping the dust from the old violin,
And tightening the loose strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet
As a caroling angel sings.
The music ceased, and the auctioneer,
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said, "What am I bid for the old violin?"
And he held it up with the bow.
"A thousand dollars, and who'll make it two?
Two thousand! And who'll make it three?
Three thousand, once; three thousand, twice,
And going, and gone," said he.
The people cheered, but some of them cried,
"We do not quite understand
What changed its worth." Swift came the reply:
"The touch of a master's hand."
- Myra Brooks Welch
alternate phrasing - not better but different
bio, background and another version
bio, background and a kitschy presentation
sketchy background and yakp
return to poems
Myra Brooks Welch
(1881-)
(1877-1959) www.findagrave.com
wife, mother, and poet
The Touch of the Master's Hand
return to index W
(1877-1959) www.findagrave.com
wife, mother, and poet
The Touch of the Master's Hand
return to index W
project management case study #1
Note: this appears to be a broad parody of project management, academic student management, esp. at the graduate level and government disfunction
The Court of King George III
London, England
July 10, 1776
Mr. Thomas Jefferson
c/o The Continental Congress
Philadelphia PA
Dear Mr. Jefferson:
We have read your "Declaration of Independence" with great interest. Certainly, it represents a considerable undertaking, and many of your statements do merit serious consideration. Unfortunately, the Declaration as a whole fails to meet recently adopted specifications for proposals to the Crown, so we must return the document to you for further refinement. The questions which follow might assist you in your process of revision:
The Court of King George III
London, England
July 10, 1776
Mr. Thomas Jefferson
c/o The Continental Congress
Philadelphia PA
Dear Mr. Jefferson:
We have read your "Declaration of Independence" with great interest. Certainly, it represents a considerable undertaking, and many of your statements do merit serious consideration. Unfortunately, the Declaration as a whole fails to meet recently adopted specifications for proposals to the Crown, so we must return the document to you for further refinement. The questions which follow might assist you in your process of revision:
- In your opening paragraph you use the phrase "the Laws of Nature and Nature's God." What are these laws? In what way are they the criteria on which you base your central arguments? Please document with citations from the recent literature.
- In the same paragraph you refer to the "opinions of mankind." Whose polling data are you using? Without specific evidence, it seems to us the "opinions of mankind" are a matter of opinion.
- You hold certain truths to be "self-evident." Could you please elaborate. If they are as evident as you claim then it should not be difficult for you to locate the appropriate supporting statistics.
- "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" seem to be the goals of your proposal. These are not measurable goals. If you were to say that "among these is the ability to sustain an average life expectancy in six of the 13 colonies of at last 55 years, and to enable newspapers in the colonies to print news without outside interference, and to raise the average income of the colonists by 10 percent in the next 10 years," these could be measurable goals. Please clarify.
- You state that "Whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute a new Government..." Have you weighed this assertion against all the alternatives? What are the trade-off considerations?
- Your description of the existing situation is quite extensive. Such a long list of grievances should precede the statement of goals, not follow it. Your problem statement needs improvement.
- Your strategy for achieving your goal is not developed at all. You state that the colonies "ought to be Free and Independent States," and that they are "Absolved from All Allegiance to the British Crown." Who or what must change to achieve this objective? In what way must they change? What specific steps will you take to overcome the resistance? How long will it take? We have found that a little foresight in these areas helps to prevent careless errors later on. How cost-effective are your strategies?
- Who among the list of signatories will be responsible for implementing your strategy? Who conceived it? Who provided the theoretical research? Who will constitute the advisory committee? Please submit an organization chart and vitas of the principal investigators.
- You must include an evaluation design. We have been requiring this since Queen Anne's War.
- What impact will your problem have? Your failure to include any assessment of this inspires little confidence in the long-range prospects of your undertaking.
- Please submit a PERT diagram, an activity chart, itemized budget, and manpower utilization matrix.
John J. Veret
If you allow me, I would like to tell the story of a WW2 Catholic Chaplain, John J. Veret, who died living his faith in the Battle of the Bulge, 1945Jan9. I was inspired to tell about Father Veret after seeing your (Fr James Martin SJ) Tweet on Memorial Day, and your recognition of Chaplains who died in war. As far a I know, I am the only person to write the following account of the moments leading up to his death in an artillery barrage.
My father was a paratrooper in the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division at Normandy, D-Day, 1944Jun6. After the Normandy campaign the 507th was assigned to the 17th Airborne Division and fought in the Battle of the Ardennes Forest (Battle of the Bulge).
At one of the reunions of the 507th during the 1980s, my mother asked one of the veterans, "Did you know Father Veret? He married us in Alliance NE." Across the dinner table the vet replied, "Did I know Father Veret? Let me tell you about Father Veret. He saved my life!"
The vet told how he had been carrying wounded soldiers down a hill to an aid station and ambulances. Under a constant artillery barrage he carried his fellow soldiers one at a time, over his shoulders, and then went back up the hill for another wounded paratrooper. After a short time his uniform was soaked in the blood from the wounded that he carried. He was not injured himself.
On one of the vet's trips down to the ambulance, Father Veret saw him, ran up to intercept him, took the wounded soldier from him, and put him on his own shoulder to carry the rest of the way. Father Veret had seen the vet's blood soaked uniform and assumed he was wounded, also. Father Veret said, "I'll take him. You go and get yourself taken care of [at the aid station]." Of course, the vet turned and started back up the hill to get another wounded paratrooper. He turned around just in time to see Father Veret loading the wounded soldier into the ambulance. A direct hit from a German 88mm artillery shell destroyed the ambulance and killed Father Veret and all the wounded inside.
Father John J. Veret's name is on the memorial plaque at Arlington Cemetery on Chaplain's Hill, with the names of other Catholic Chaplains. Father Veret was killed in action - ministering to his soldiers and saving the life of one paratrooper in his flock who could tell the story of how he died.
- Norman Costa q.Americamagazine.org
return to index V
ao14
Cycle A: Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
http://www.patheos.com/community/deaconsbench/2011/07/02/homily-for-july-2-2011-14th-sunday-in-ordinary-time/
back to Cycle A
http://www.patheos.com/community/deaconsbench/2011/07/02/homily-for-july-2-2011-14th-sunday-in-ordinary-time/
back to Cycle A
love_a_story_by_Linda_Ellis
I recently had dinner with someone who told me that one of his best friends had been killed in a private plane crash, and something happened at the service that he'll never forget. He shared the story with me.
At the memorial service, his friend's wife walked to the podium to speak to the gathering. She said a friend had asked her the best memory she had of their life together. At the moment, she had been too grief-stricken to answer, but she had thought about it since and wanted to answer the question.
They were in their late forties when he died, and she began talking about a time in their life almost twenty years earlier. She had quit her job to obtain her master's degree, and her husband never wavered in his support.
He held down his own job and also did the cooking, cleaning, and other household chores while she studied for her degree.
One time they both stayed up all night. She was finishing her thesis, and he was preparing for an important business meeting. That morning, she walked out on their loft, looked at him over the railing, and just thought about how much she loved him. She knew how important this meeting was to his career, and she was feeling guilty that she didn't even have time to make his breakfast. He grabbed his briefcase and hurried out. She heard the garage door open and close, but much to her surprise, she heard it open again about thirty seconds later. From above, she watched her husband dash into the house and walk over to the neglected coffee table. Tracing his finger through the dust, he wrote the words,
I love you.Then he raced back to his car.
The new widow then looked out at her audience and said,
John and I had a wonderful life together. We have been around the world several times, we've had everything money can buy...but nothing comes close to that moment.Our Dash moves with lightning speed. It feels like yesterday that I graduated from college...and now thirty-eight years have passed. Although I'm very proud of my business accomplishments, in the end my life comes back to loving and being loved.
Love may not make the world go around but it sure makes the ride worthwhile.
- Linda Ellis from The Dash…Making A Difference with Your Life
www.beliefnet.com/Inspiration/Inspired-Faith/The-Dash/Love.aspx#ixzz1QgoLgHc3
dolphin
Dolphins are so smart that within a few weeks of captivity, they can train people to stand on the very edge of a pool and throw them fish.
It is of interest to note that while some dolphins are reported to have learned English -- up to fifty words used in correct context -- no human being has been reported to have learned dolphinese. - Carl Sagan (1934-1996) astronomer and writer
...on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much -- the wheel, New York, wars, and so on -- whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man -- for precisely the same reasons. - Douglas Adams _The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_
back to index D ----------------------------------------- The information contained in this communication (including any attachments hereto) is confidential and is intended solely for the personal and confidential use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient or an agent responsible for delivering it to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you have received this communication in error and that any review, dissemination, copying, or unauthorized use of this information, or the taking of any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by e-mail, and delete the original message. Thank you
It is of interest to note that while some dolphins are reported to have learned English -- up to fifty words used in correct context -- no human being has been reported to have learned dolphinese. - Carl Sagan (1934-1996) astronomer and writer
...on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much -- the wheel, New York, wars, and so on -- whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man -- for precisely the same reasons. - Douglas Adams _The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_
back to index D ----------------------------------------- The information contained in this communication (including any attachments hereto) is confidential and is intended solely for the personal and confidential use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient or an agent responsible for delivering it to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you have received this communication in error and that any review, dissemination, copying, or unauthorized use of this information, or the taking of any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by e-mail, and delete the original message. Thank you
tomato
Although botanically speaking a fruit, in 1893 the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that tomatoes are a vegetable (and thus taxable under the Tariff Act of 1883) because of the way they are usually served. - _Smithsonian_1990Aug
back to index T ----------------------------------------- The information contained in this communication (including any attachments hereto) is confidential and is intended solely for the personal and confidential use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient or an agent responsible for delivering it to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you have received this communication in error and that any review, dissemination, copying, or unauthorized use of this information, or the taking of any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by e-mail, and delete the original message. Thank you
back to index T ----------------------------------------- The information contained in this communication (including any attachments hereto) is confidential and is intended solely for the personal and confidential use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient or an agent responsible for delivering it to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you have received this communication in error and that any review, dissemination, copying, or unauthorized use of this information, or the taking of any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by e-mail, and delete the original message. Thank you
Rule 46, Oxford Union Society
Rule 46, Oxford Union Society, London: Any member introducing a dog into the Society's premises shall be liable to a fine of one pound. Any animal leading a blind person shall be deemed to be a cat. - TFTD-L@TAMU.EDU (originally distributed 2006Mar28)
Hi,
In case this gets distributed again you may wish to note:
a) The Oxford Union Society is in Oxford not London
b) The rule referred to, as a result of a periodic update to the Union rules, is now Rule 51 and has been further broadened in scope to now read,
PS I am not a member of the Oxford Union, London or Oxford.
Received from Michael Fraser with an .uk address.
(Please note the inflation, both in amount of fine and number of exceptions. tftd)
Hi,
In case this gets distributed again you may wish to note:
a) The Oxford Union Society is in Oxford not London
b) The rule referred to, as a result of a periodic update to the Union rules, is now Rule 51 and has been further broadened in scope to now read,
RULE 51: DOGSRegards, Michael
Any Member introducing or causing to be introduced a dog into the Society's premises shall be liable to a fine of £5 inflicted by the Treasurer. Any animal leading a blind person shall be deemed to be a cat. Any animal entering on Police business shall be deemed to be a wombat. Any animal that the President wishes to exempt from the Rule shall be deemed to be a mongoose.
PS I am not a member of the Oxford Union, London or Oxford.
Received from Michael Fraser with an .uk address.
(Please note the inflation, both in amount of fine and number of exceptions. tftd)
BVS
biblio-vomatis syndrome
reservation management system code used for those individuals who had developed the capability of continuing the flow of words on both the inhale and exhale portions of the breathing cycle.
Logorrhea is much more elegant. - John Nunnikhoven (john4ns fastmail.fm) Chester VT
back to index B
reservation management system code used for those individuals who had developed the capability of continuing the flow of words on both the inhale and exhale portions of the breathing cycle.
Logorrhea is much more elegant. - John Nunnikhoven (john4ns fastmail.fm) Chester VT
back to index B
blogorrhea
a logical extension of logorrhea, for those with a keyboard grafted onto their hands.
- Barb Altman (altman.barb@gmail.com) Chelmsford MA
See also: BVS
back to index B
- Barb Altman (altman.barb@gmail.com) Chelmsford MA
See also: BVS
back to index B
John Gillespie Magee Jr
Pilot Officer Gillespie Magee
No 412 squadron, RCAF
Killed 1941Dec11
During the desperate days of the Battle of Britain, hundreds of Americans crossed the border into Canada to enlist with the Royal Canadian Air Force. Knowingly breaking the law, but with the tacit approval of the then still officially neutral United States Government, they volunteered to fight the Nazis.
John Gillespie Magee Jr was one such American. Born in Shanghai, China, in 1922 to an English mother and a Scotch-Irish-American father, Magee was 18 years old when he entered flight training. Within the year, he was sent to England and posted to the newly formed 412th Fighter Squadron, RCAF, which was activated at Digby, England, on 30 June 1941. He was qualified on and flew the Supermarine Spitfire.
Flying fighter sweeps over France and air defense over England against the German Luftwaffe, he rose to the rank of Pilot Officer.
On 3 September 1941, Magee flew a high altitude (30,000 feet) test flight in a newer model of the Spitfire V. As he orbited and climbed upward, he was struck with the inspiration of a poem - "To touch the face of God."
Once back on the ground, he wrote a letter to his parents. In it he commented,
Just three months later, on 11 December 1941 (and only three days after the US entered the war), Pilot Officer John Gillespie Magee Jr was killed. The Spitfire V he was flying, VZ-H, collided with an Oxford Trainer from Cranwell Airfield flown by one Ernest Aubrey. The mid-air happened over the village of Roxholm which lies between RAF Cranwell and RAF Digby, in the county of Lincolnshire at about 400 feet AGL at 11:30. John was descending in the clouds. At the enquiry a farmer testified that he saw the Spitfire pilot struggle to push back the canopy. The pilot, he said, finally stood up to jump from the plane. John, however, was too close to the ground for his parachute to open. He died instantly. He was 19 years old.
Part of the official letter to his parents read,
No 412 squadron, RCAF
Killed 1941Dec11
During the desperate days of the Battle of Britain, hundreds of Americans crossed the border into Canada to enlist with the Royal Canadian Air Force. Knowingly breaking the law, but with the tacit approval of the then still officially neutral United States Government, they volunteered to fight the Nazis.
John Gillespie Magee Jr was one such American. Born in Shanghai, China, in 1922 to an English mother and a Scotch-Irish-American father, Magee was 18 years old when he entered flight training. Within the year, he was sent to England and posted to the newly formed 412th Fighter Squadron, RCAF, which was activated at Digby, England, on 30 June 1941. He was qualified on and flew the Supermarine Spitfire.
Flying fighter sweeps over France and air defense over England against the German Luftwaffe, he rose to the rank of Pilot Officer.
On 3 September 1941, Magee flew a high altitude (30,000 feet) test flight in a newer model of the Spitfire V. As he orbited and climbed upward, he was struck with the inspiration of a poem - "To touch the face of God."
Once back on the ground, he wrote a letter to his parents. In it he commented,
I am enclosing a verse I wrote the other day. It started at 30,000 feet, and was finished soon after I landed.On the back of the letter, he jotted down his poem, High Flight.
Just three months later, on 11 December 1941 (and only three days after the US entered the war), Pilot Officer John Gillespie Magee Jr was killed. The Spitfire V he was flying, VZ-H, collided with an Oxford Trainer from Cranwell Airfield flown by one Ernest Aubrey. The mid-air happened over the village of Roxholm which lies between RAF Cranwell and RAF Digby, in the county of Lincolnshire at about 400 feet AGL at 11:30. John was descending in the clouds. At the enquiry a farmer testified that he saw the Spitfire pilot struggle to push back the canopy. The pilot, he said, finally stood up to jump from the plane. John, however, was too close to the ground for his parachute to open. He died instantly. He was 19 years old.
Part of the official letter to his parents read,
Your son's funeral took place at Scopwick Cemetery, near Digby Aerodrome, at 2:30 PM on Saturday, 13th December, 1941, the service being conducted by Flight Lieutenant S. K. Belton, the Canadian padre of this Station. He was accorded full Service Honors, the coffin being carried by pilots of his own Squadron.Ronald Reagan, addressing NASA employees following the tragic loss of the Challenger 7 crew on STS-51L, used the poem in a well-remembered line:
We shall never forget them nor the last time we saw them as they prepared for their mission, waved good-bye, and slipped the surly bonds of Earth to touch the face of God.return to index M
poem High Flight
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth 1
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; 2
Sunward I've climbed 3, and joined the tumbling mirth 4
Of sun-split clouds 5 - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of 6 - wheeled and soared and swung 7
High in the sunlit silence 8. Hov'ring there 9
I've chased the shouting wind along 10, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air. 11
Up, up the long delirious, burning blue, 12
I've topped the windswept heights 13 with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew - 14
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untresspassed sanctity of space, 15
Put out my hand and touched the face of God. 16
- John Gillespie Magee Jr
back to poems
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; 2
Sunward I've climbed 3, and joined the tumbling mirth 4
Of sun-split clouds 5 - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of 6 - wheeled and soared and swung 7
High in the sunlit silence 8. Hov'ring there 9
I've chased the shouting wind along 10, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air. 11
Up, up the long delirious, burning blue, 12
I've topped the windswept heights 13 with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew - 14
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untresspassed sanctity of space, 15
Put out my hand and touched the face of God. 16
- John Gillespie Magee Jr
back to poems
Supplemental
- Pilots must ensure that all surly bonds have been slipped entirely before aircraft taxi or flight is attempted.
- During periods of sky-dancing, crew and passengers must keep seatbelts/shoulder-harnesses secured.
- Sunward climbs must not be attempted above the aircraft service-ceiling.
- Passenger aircraft are prohibited from joining the tumbling mirth.
- Pilots flying through sun-split clouds under visual conditions must comply with applicable minimum clearances.
- These hundred things must not be performed in front of FAA inspectors.
- Wheeling, soaring, and swinging should not be attempted except in aircraft rated for such activities and within utility-class weight limits.
- Be advised that sunlit silence will occur only when a stall is imminent or engine malfunction has occurred.
- "Hov'ring there" will constitute a highly reliable signal that a stall has occurred.
- Forecasts of shouting winds are available from the local weather station. Encounters with unexpected shouting winds should be reported.
- Pilots flinging eager craft through footless halls of air are reminded that they alone are responsible for maintaining separation from other eager craft.
- Should any crewmember or passenger experience delirium while in the burning blue, an Irregularity Report is required upon flight termination.
- Windswept heights will be topped by a minimum of 1,000 feet to maintain minimum visual separation.
- Aircraft engine ingestion of, or impact with, larks or eagles must be reported to the FAA and the appropriate maintenance facility.
- Aircraft operating in the high untrespassed sanctity of space must maintain radio communications regardless of meteorological conditions and visibility.
- Pilots and passengers are reminded that opening doors or windows in order to touch the face of God will result in loss of cabin pressure.
Kiss The Flag
It was a big holiday and I had volunteered
to help the local school kids when the time was near
for the afternoon speeches on the city park lawn –
I was setting up chairs for the folks to sit on.
There was a platform up front and some bleachers in the back,
with folding chairs in the middle and a little snack shack
set up by the bleachers with hot dogs and pop,
and a sign that said, "Little League Dogs" on the top.
Across the back of the platform, about twenty feet wide,
Were thirteen U.S. Flags, lined up side by side –
Twenty feet straight across full of red, white and blue,
A solid rainbow of colors with the stars shooting through.
I just grinned at those flags in the bright summer sun
and felt the pride in my heart for the things we had done
in the name of our country and the things we hold dear,
and then I noticed a man climb the steps and walk near
to the flags – he reached out and took hold of the stripes,
and felt the cloth in his hand, and kissed the red, and the white.
He walked the twenty feet in silence and never saw that I was there.
I watched him touch a couple more, and he seemed to say a prayer.
Then he walked on down the other side and disappeared from view
and never said a word to me, but all too clear, I knew –
Kiss the flag for a fallen hero, touch the flag and remember a Vet.
Feel the spirit of those souls who gave their all to pay our debt.
Freedom isn’t free you know, folks say that all the time,
but it’s good to stop and think about the facts behind that rhyme.
Someone has to pay the price, ‘cause it really isn’t free.
The rights to say the things you think, and to be what you can be
were purchased with the sacrifices made for you and me.
Now you and I must pay the price to keep this nation free.
We pay it with respect for those brave troops who go to war,
and with vigilance, against the fears that spread within our shores –
the fear to rock the comfort boat, and of those who rationalize
that we don’t need to stand and fight – we all can compromise.
There is no way to compromise the payments on that debt.
Kiss the flag for a fallen hero, touch the flag to thank a vet.
Then stand and join together, keeping always in your heart
the spirit of those souls gone by, so you can do your part.
- Duke Naughton
index of other poems
to help the local school kids when the time was near
for the afternoon speeches on the city park lawn –
I was setting up chairs for the folks to sit on.
There was a platform up front and some bleachers in the back,
with folding chairs in the middle and a little snack shack
set up by the bleachers with hot dogs and pop,
and a sign that said, "Little League Dogs" on the top.
Across the back of the platform, about twenty feet wide,
Were thirteen U.S. Flags, lined up side by side –
Twenty feet straight across full of red, white and blue,
A solid rainbow of colors with the stars shooting through.
I just grinned at those flags in the bright summer sun
and felt the pride in my heart for the things we had done
in the name of our country and the things we hold dear,
and then I noticed a man climb the steps and walk near
to the flags – he reached out and took hold of the stripes,
and felt the cloth in his hand, and kissed the red, and the white.
He walked the twenty feet in silence and never saw that I was there.
I watched him touch a couple more, and he seemed to say a prayer.
Then he walked on down the other side and disappeared from view
and never said a word to me, but all too clear, I knew –
Kiss the flag for a fallen hero, touch the flag and remember a Vet.
Feel the spirit of those souls who gave their all to pay our debt.
Freedom isn’t free you know, folks say that all the time,
but it’s good to stop and think about the facts behind that rhyme.
Someone has to pay the price, ‘cause it really isn’t free.
The rights to say the things you think, and to be what you can be
were purchased with the sacrifices made for you and me.
Now you and I must pay the price to keep this nation free.
We pay it with respect for those brave troops who go to war,
and with vigilance, against the fears that spread within our shores –
the fear to rock the comfort boat, and of those who rationalize
that we don’t need to stand and fight – we all can compromise.
There is no way to compromise the payments on that debt.
Kiss the flag for a fallen hero, touch the flag to thank a vet.
Then stand and join together, keeping always in your heart
the spirit of those souls gone by, so you can do your part.
- Duke Naughton
index of other poems
Vechta
a county/district
return to index V
- in the state of Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony) in Germany
- in the area of the former grand duchy of Oldenburg
- containing Bieste and Neuenkirchen
return to index V
Neuenkirchen
a city in the county/district of Vechta in the area of the former grand duchy of Oldenburg
See: Johann Heinrich Kübbing
return to index N
See: Johann Heinrich Kübbing
return to index N
quotes E
Every piece of knowledge must have a single, unambiguous, authoritative representation within a system. - _The Pragmatic Programmer_ q.Embedded Muse 203
back to quotes
back to quotes
quotes on design
- Good design adds value faster than it adds cost. - Thomas C. Gale
- Perfection [in software design] is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away. - Antoine de Saint-Exupry
back to quotes D
programming quotes
- Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the universe trying to build bigger and better idiots. So far, the universe is winning. - Rick Cook
back to the index of quotes P
The Day Japan Bombed Oregon
1942Sep9, the I-25 class Japanese submarine was cruising in an easterly direction raising its periscope occasionally as it neared the United States Coastline. Japan had attacked Pearl Harbor less than a year ago and the Captain of the attack submarine knew that Americans were watching their coast line for ships and aircraft that might attack our country. Dawn was approaching; the first rays of the sun were flickering off the periscopes lens. Their mission; attack the west coast with incendiary bombs in hopes of starting a devastating forest fire. If this test run were successful, Japan had hopes of using their huge submarine fleet to attack the eastern end of the Panama Canal to slow down shipping from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The Japanese Navy had a large number of I-400 submarines under construction. Each capable of carrying three aircraft. Pilot Chief Warrant Officer Nobuo Fujita and his crewman Petty Officer Shoji Okuda were making last minute checks of their charts making sure they matched those of the submarine's navigator.
The only plane ever to drop a bomb on the United States during WWII was this submarine based Glen.
1942Sep9: Nebraska forestry student Keith V. Johnson was on duty atop a forest fire lookout tower between Gold's Beach and Brookings OR. Keith had memorized the silhouettes of Japanese long distance bombers and those of our own aircraft. He felt confident that he could spot and identify, friend or foe, almost immediately. It was cold on the coast this September morning , and quiet. The residents of the area were still in bed or preparing to head for work. Lumber was a large part of the industry in Brookings, just a few miles north of the CA-OR state line.
The aircraft carried two incendiary 168 pound bombs and a crew of two.
Aboard the submarine the Captain's voice boomed over the PA system, "Prepare to surface, aircrew report to your stations, wait for the open hatch signal" During training runs several subs were lost when hangar door were opened too soon and sea water rushed into the hangars and sank the boat with all hands lost. You could hear the change of sound as the bow of the I-25 broke from the depths, nosed over for its run on the surface. A loud bell signaled the "All Clear." The crew assigned to the single engine Yokosuki E14Ys float equipped observation and light attack aircraft sprang into action. They rolled the plane out its hangar built next to the conning tower. The wings and tail were unfolded, and several 176 pound incendiary bombs were attached to the hard points under the wings. This was a small two passenger float plane with a nine cylinder 340 hp radial engine. It was full daylight when the Captain ordered the aircraft to be placed on the catapult. Warrant Officer Fujita started the engine, let it warm up, checked the magnetos and oil pressure. There was a slight breeze blowing and the seas were calm. A perfect day to attack the United States of America . When the gauges were in the green the pilot signalked and the catapult launched the aircraft. After a short climb to altitude the pilot turned on a heading for the Oregon coast.
The "Glen" was launched via catapult from a I-25 class Japanese submarine.
Johnson was sweeping the horizon but could see nothing, he went back to his duties as a forestry agent which was searching for any signs of a forest fire. The morning moved on. Every few minutes he would scan low, medium and high but nothing caught his eye.
The small Japanese float plane had climbed to several thousand feet of altitude for better visibility and to get above the coastal fog. The pilot had calculated land fall in a few minutes and right on schedule he could see the breakers flashing white as they hit the Oregon shores.
Johnson was about to put his binoculars down when something flashed in the sun just above the fog bank. It was unusual because in the past all air traffic had been flying up and down the coast, not aiming into the coast.
The pilot of the aircraft checked his course and alerted his observer to be on the lookout for a fire tower which was on the edge of the wooded area where they were supposed to drop their bombs. These airplanes carried very little fuel and all flights were in and out without any loitering. The plane reached the shore line and the pilot made a course correction 20 degrees to the north. The huge trees were easy to spot and certainly easy to hit with the bombs. The fog was very wispy by this time.
Johnson watched in awe as the small floatplane with a red meat ball on the wings flew overhead, the plane was not a bomber and there was no way that it could have flown across the Pacific, Johnson could not understand what was happening. He locked onto the plane and followed it as it headed inland.
The pilot activated the release locks so that when he could pickled the bombs they would release. His instructions were simple, fly at 500 feet, drop the bombs into the trees and circle once to see if they had started any fires and then head back to the submarine.
Johnson could see the two bombs under the wing of the plane and knew that they would be dropped. He grabbed his communications radio and called the Forest Fire Headquarters informing them of what he was watching unfold.
The bombs tumbled from the small seaplane and impacted the forests, the pilot circled once and spotted fire around the impact point. He executed an 180 degree turn and headed back to the submarine. There was no air activity, the skies were clear. The small float plane lined up with the surfaced submarine and landed gently on the ocean, then taxied to the sub. A long boom swung out from the stern. His crewman caught the cable and hooked it into the pickup attached to the roll over cage between the cockpits. The plane was swung onto the deck, The plane's crew folded the wings and tail, pushed it into its hangar and secured the water tight doors. The I-25 submerged and headed back to Japan.
This event ,which caused no damage, marked the only time during World War II that an enemy plane had dropped bombs on the United States mainland. What the Japanese didn't count on was coastal fog, mist and heavy doses of rain made the forests so wet they simply would not catch fire.
Fifty years later the Japanese pilot, who survived the war, would return to Oregon to help dedicate a historical plaque at the exact spot where his two bombs had impacted. The elderly pilot then donated his ceremonial sword as a gesture of peace and closure of the bombing of Oregon in 1942.
- Norm Goyer
Note: There is a Memorial Plaque located in Brookings OR at the site of the 1942 bombing.
The only plane ever to drop a bomb on the United States during WWII was this submarine based Glen.
1942Sep9: Nebraska forestry student Keith V. Johnson was on duty atop a forest fire lookout tower between Gold's Beach and Brookings OR. Keith had memorized the silhouettes of Japanese long distance bombers and those of our own aircraft. He felt confident that he could spot and identify, friend or foe, almost immediately. It was cold on the coast this September morning , and quiet. The residents of the area were still in bed or preparing to head for work. Lumber was a large part of the industry in Brookings, just a few miles north of the CA-OR state line.
The aircraft carried two incendiary 168 pound bombs and a crew of two.
Aboard the submarine the Captain's voice boomed over the PA system, "Prepare to surface, aircrew report to your stations, wait for the open hatch signal" During training runs several subs were lost when hangar door were opened too soon and sea water rushed into the hangars and sank the boat with all hands lost. You could hear the change of sound as the bow of the I-25 broke from the depths, nosed over for its run on the surface. A loud bell signaled the "All Clear." The crew assigned to the single engine Yokosuki E14Ys float equipped observation and light attack aircraft sprang into action. They rolled the plane out its hangar built next to the conning tower. The wings and tail were unfolded, and several 176 pound incendiary bombs were attached to the hard points under the wings. This was a small two passenger float plane with a nine cylinder 340 hp radial engine. It was full daylight when the Captain ordered the aircraft to be placed on the catapult. Warrant Officer Fujita started the engine, let it warm up, checked the magnetos and oil pressure. There was a slight breeze blowing and the seas were calm. A perfect day to attack the United States of America . When the gauges were in the green the pilot signalked and the catapult launched the aircraft. After a short climb to altitude the pilot turned on a heading for the Oregon coast.
The "Glen" was launched via catapult from a I-25 class Japanese submarine.
Johnson was sweeping the horizon but could see nothing, he went back to his duties as a forestry agent which was searching for any signs of a forest fire. The morning moved on. Every few minutes he would scan low, medium and high but nothing caught his eye.
The small Japanese float plane had climbed to several thousand feet of altitude for better visibility and to get above the coastal fog. The pilot had calculated land fall in a few minutes and right on schedule he could see the breakers flashing white as they hit the Oregon shores.
Johnson was about to put his binoculars down when something flashed in the sun just above the fog bank. It was unusual because in the past all air traffic had been flying up and down the coast, not aiming into the coast.
The pilot of the aircraft checked his course and alerted his observer to be on the lookout for a fire tower which was on the edge of the wooded area where they were supposed to drop their bombs. These airplanes carried very little fuel and all flights were in and out without any loitering. The plane reached the shore line and the pilot made a course correction 20 degrees to the north. The huge trees were easy to spot and certainly easy to hit with the bombs. The fog was very wispy by this time.
Johnson watched in awe as the small floatplane with a red meat ball on the wings flew overhead, the plane was not a bomber and there was no way that it could have flown across the Pacific, Johnson could not understand what was happening. He locked onto the plane and followed it as it headed inland.
The pilot activated the release locks so that when he could pickled the bombs they would release. His instructions were simple, fly at 500 feet, drop the bombs into the trees and circle once to see if they had started any fires and then head back to the submarine.
Johnson could see the two bombs under the wing of the plane and knew that they would be dropped. He grabbed his communications radio and called the Forest Fire Headquarters informing them of what he was watching unfold.
The bombs tumbled from the small seaplane and impacted the forests, the pilot circled once and spotted fire around the impact point. He executed an 180 degree turn and headed back to the submarine. There was no air activity, the skies were clear. The small float plane lined up with the surfaced submarine and landed gently on the ocean, then taxied to the sub. A long boom swung out from the stern. His crewman caught the cable and hooked it into the pickup attached to the roll over cage between the cockpits. The plane was swung onto the deck, The plane's crew folded the wings and tail, pushed it into its hangar and secured the water tight doors. The I-25 submerged and headed back to Japan.
This event ,which caused no damage, marked the only time during World War II that an enemy plane had dropped bombs on the United States mainland. What the Japanese didn't count on was coastal fog, mist and heavy doses of rain made the forests so wet they simply would not catch fire.
Fifty years later the Japanese pilot, who survived the war, would return to Oregon to help dedicate a historical plaque at the exact spot where his two bombs had impacted. The elderly pilot then donated his ceremonial sword as a gesture of peace and closure of the bombing of Oregon in 1942.
- Norm Goyer
Note: There is a Memorial Plaque located in Brookings OR at the site of the 1942 bombing.
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