In a time before time (meaning when I was much younger), I didn’t go to Sunday School but Sabbath School. It was basically the same message but had a Saturday (Sabbath) spin on it, and not a Sunday spin on it. Evidently in the Bible the fourth commandment that Moses brought down from Mount Sinai on the stone tablets that God inscribed with….????….????....that God inscribed, says that a person should keep the 7th day holy, as in reserved for God and God-like activities. My calendar had Saturday as the 7th day of the week, so it was pretty hard to argue, even for a know-it-all 10 year old.
I remember sitting there and listening to the teacher say something about “Don’t fall in with the wrong crowd, they’ll surely get you into trouble.” Even then I thought that was a great message until I realized that the teacher was talking about me to the rest of the kids there.
I was looking around the room and seeing who I thought were the bad-ass boys. Herm, Robert, and Bill were the first ones to come to mind as they were the ones that were consistently not listening to anything the teacher had to say. Meanwhile, myself, I hung on every word as I didn’t want to be forever damned to damnation. I wasn’t sure exactly what it was, as the teacher was somewhat vague about exactly where it was, but I did pick up on the fact that it was really really hot and it lasted for a really really long time. Even then as a youth I thought it may not bode well for me as I had trouble concentrating on anything for a really long time.
Considering the fact that these guys seemed to always having a lot of fun, maybe I was one of the bad-crowd and God was bestowing his blessings on these guys. After all, whenever I tried to get away with something that was remotely questionable such as taking an extra scoop of ice cream at the Saturday Night Movie Nights I was busted immediately. Meanwhile these guys would almost founder themselves on cartons of ice cream and not even be noticed. That is when I started to question the justice system and made me think, maybe I should have born one of the ‘bad crowd’ instead of just someone who had a hard time concentrating on anything for a really really long time. Most of what they did led to fun and frivolity. Most of what I did led to embarrassment, catastrophe, and shame. I had to admit whatever they were doing looked like a lot more fun than what I was doing.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Come Back Town USA
There have been a number of letters to the editor and acknowledgments about how effective the disaster plan was when it was implemented in Crescent City before, during, and after the tsunami that was generated by the earthquake in Japan.
That being said, the tsunami had a very small effect in comparison to the devastation in Japan caused by the earthquake and ensuing tsunami followed by the damage to the nuclear reactors.
I think it could be said that because of the all too common occurrence of tsunamis in Crescent City the city should never have grown here, much like building of New Orleans below the level of the Mississippi River, but because of its location it was almost necessary. I noticed while looking at the videos that have been posted, it appeared that many of the towns most devastated in Japan were behind sea walls that were built to protect the towns from just what occurred, and those cities too were built below the level of the ocean. Japan, being the most tsunami ready country on earth, thought they had prepared well but when the big one hit even their preparation wasn’t sufficient. It’s true, the earth always wins in the end.
As with many seaside towns along the coast, Crescent City has been and is very dependent on the commercial fishing industry. It is an economy in decline much like the logging industry, where the demands are increasing while the resources are dwindling. Unfortunately, like our lumber needs where we get more and more from areas out of the country where the environmental concerns are not followed, so it is with the fish that we buy where the stocks, resources, and future of the fisheries are not considered. I think certain areas of the world are somewhat like a modern day gold rush where the future of resource is not given due consideration.
In the recent past the U.S. government has bought out boats from fishermen and retired their licenses so as to not allow over-fishing and take those boats out of the fishery. This way the existing boats could have a better possibility to make a living while still harvesting a resource.
The local harbor is a real draw from a historical point of view as well as a real working harbor. The Crescent City harbor has had a history of the highest poundage of crab being landed of any harbor on the West Coast. But this is the first year that I haven’t had a least one of my students whose parents weren’t fishermen though.
As far as community involvement, this afternoon there is going to be a community cleanup of the harbor and beaches that Andrew and I are going to be taking part in. After the 1964 Tsunami there was a radio personality in town by the name of Bill Stamps that coined the phrase, “Come Back Town USA.” I think we’ll be hearing more of that phrase in the weeks and months to come.
That being said, the tsunami had a very small effect in comparison to the devastation in Japan caused by the earthquake and ensuing tsunami followed by the damage to the nuclear reactors.
I think it could be said that because of the all too common occurrence of tsunamis in Crescent City the city should never have grown here, much like building of New Orleans below the level of the Mississippi River, but because of its location it was almost necessary. I noticed while looking at the videos that have been posted, it appeared that many of the towns most devastated in Japan were behind sea walls that were built to protect the towns from just what occurred, and those cities too were built below the level of the ocean. Japan, being the most tsunami ready country on earth, thought they had prepared well but when the big one hit even their preparation wasn’t sufficient. It’s true, the earth always wins in the end.
As with many seaside towns along the coast, Crescent City has been and is very dependent on the commercial fishing industry. It is an economy in decline much like the logging industry, where the demands are increasing while the resources are dwindling. Unfortunately, like our lumber needs where we get more and more from areas out of the country where the environmental concerns are not followed, so it is with the fish that we buy where the stocks, resources, and future of the fisheries are not considered. I think certain areas of the world are somewhat like a modern day gold rush where the future of resource is not given due consideration.
In the recent past the U.S. government has bought out boats from fishermen and retired their licenses so as to not allow over-fishing and take those boats out of the fishery. This way the existing boats could have a better possibility to make a living while still harvesting a resource.
The local harbor is a real draw from a historical point of view as well as a real working harbor. The Crescent City harbor has had a history of the highest poundage of crab being landed of any harbor on the West Coast. But this is the first year that I haven’t had a least one of my students whose parents weren’t fishermen though.
As far as community involvement, this afternoon there is going to be a community cleanup of the harbor and beaches that Andrew and I are going to be taking part in. After the 1964 Tsunami there was a radio personality in town by the name of Bill Stamps that coined the phrase, “Come Back Town USA.” I think we’ll be hearing more of that phrase in the weeks and months to come.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
The new svelte me!
Sandi and a friend of ours went together a bought a new treadmill. Of course it has an incline adjustment, a calorie counter, a speed adjustment, and basically a lot of things that are probably very impressive. When you turn the machine on it’s even more impressive. It even has a beer holder
I used it tonight for the first time. I put on my walking shorts (since I didn’t plan to run, otherwise I would have put on my running shorts) and went out to get fit. I looked at the machine and marveled at everything it could do. Since Sandi set it up in front of the TV in the little house (we had to take out the bed) there weren’t too many excuses left for not using it. It even had a jack where you can listen to music on an MP3 player or iPod.
I stared at it for about five minutes deciding what I wanted to do and closed my eyes imaging my svelte body when I was done working out. I punched every button on the front and nothing worked. Just to be on the safe side I turned the TV off and on to no avail.
Finally, after about six minutes I had to go in the house and ask Sandi how to turn it on. I jumped on it and walked for 20 minutes. I figured that should be enough of a workout the first time out. I wouldn’t want to lose too much weight too quickly.
I have to say for the first time it was a very successful workout. I worked up a sweat, my endorphins were elevated, and my heart rate was working at the performance level.
I think I’m going to like this workout thing. I may even plug it in tomorrow.
I used it tonight for the first time. I put on my walking shorts (since I didn’t plan to run, otherwise I would have put on my running shorts) and went out to get fit. I looked at the machine and marveled at everything it could do. Since Sandi set it up in front of the TV in the little house (we had to take out the bed) there weren’t too many excuses left for not using it. It even had a jack where you can listen to music on an MP3 player or iPod.
I stared at it for about five minutes deciding what I wanted to do and closed my eyes imaging my svelte body when I was done working out. I punched every button on the front and nothing worked. Just to be on the safe side I turned the TV off and on to no avail.
Finally, after about six minutes I had to go in the house and ask Sandi how to turn it on. I jumped on it and walked for 20 minutes. I figured that should be enough of a workout the first time out. I wouldn’t want to lose too much weight too quickly.
I have to say for the first time it was a very successful workout. I worked up a sweat, my endorphins were elevated, and my heart rate was working at the performance level.
I think I’m going to like this workout thing. I may even plug it in tomorrow.
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