INFOSEC / Trail-Running / Military / Whatever Else I Choose

08 November 2006

Greetings from the Middle East...

...I'm not sure I want to come home.

It's the 8th of Nov., the day after the "referendum on the war" as the media is calling the recent election. It's also the day that Hamas has openly declared their intent to directly attack the US due in no small part to our support of Israel, our war on terror, and our stance against radical Islamic groups around the world (see the former). So, what will our new Democratically slanted response be? Probably nothing, which I must say is probably what our response would have been had the Dem's not garnered more power as they have. Is there really any difference between the two parties. The only real aversion one party has to the other is the fact that someone outside of their club is soaking up monies that could be theirs.

But they (our politicians) ARE making us safer...right? I mean, we (the US and her allies) may not be able to pick out Arabic individuals for additional security screening at the airport (unless they're trying to board with toothpaste), but we CAN put a stop to certain cakes and "a range of creams or purees" boarding airplanes. After all, this is just the sort of thing we've elected them to do. In 2008, I will cast my presidential vote for whomever best protects me from toothpastes, jams and jellies that are hell-bent on bringing down a 747...so long as they don't offend me. National security starts in the cupboard. You know, come to think of it when I passed through a particular middle-eastern airport as a civilian passenger recently, I was informed that I am an American. Quite an astute observation on the part of the individual holding my passport at the time. I was also forced to endure to additional screening that no one else seemed to be subjected to. How strange.

I saw a few political ads this go round and not a single one dealt with what the person blathering would do, stood for or believed. Rather, everything spoken about was what the other guy has done, slept with, paid for with tax payers money, eaten with the wrong fork, etc. Perhaps the next "referendum" should be one of politicians in which we throw them all out and start over. Where is the idea that politics is an avenue through which humble and honest men can make a sacrifice to better America. I'm sorry, but political office should be a burden. You want my two cents as it applies to Americans (politicians included)? Too bad, here it is:

We must all be willing to do our part if we are to keep America a nation of freedom and liberty. When my burden comes, be it pain or sorrow, sickness or injury, sweat or blood, trial or tears, or even death; may God grant me the fortitude to accept it with a glad heart and a head that is held high, knowing that He has smiled upon me such that I am a partaker of his bounty, and a blessing to my fellow man. I will seek neither reprieve nor deliverance, rather I will see it through to the end knowing that it has a purpose regardless of my understanding.

02 February 2006

When you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras.

The title of this entry is familiar enough, but most do not know its origin. This thought provoking phrase is a modern translation of Occam's Razor. In simple but direct terms, Occam's Razor (named after the 14th-century English logician and Franciscan friar, William of Ockham) is the basis for methodological reductionism. Don't make any explanation more complicated than it need be.

Why do I bring this up? Simple (pun intended), we as a society could learn a great deal from the long deceased William of Ockham. Running contrary to Occam's Razor is at epidemic levels in our society which hungers for the outrageous, extreme and sensational. Nothing is ever taken at face value any more, even though it virtually always should be. In the name of healthy skepticism, we look for outlandish explanations for the mundane, and when not found we often fabricate them either with intent or unknowingly.

Take the explanations for the paranormal. I recently ran across a video and detailed explanation for "Rod Phenomenon" (RP). I found it fascinating, not because I think it's supernatural, otherworldly or of Alien origin. I found it a study in human nature. You see, there are two primary camps that lay claim to understanding RP. The first are the UFO hunters, the other being ghost hunters. Strangely there is no one in the ghost hunting camp that believes that RP is of Alien origin. Likewise there is no one of the UFO ilk who would argue that RP is some sort of evidence of a ghostly presence. Those who believe in both UFOs and ghosts tend to be of the "it could be either" crowd. Perhaps of more significance is why no one devoted to either ghost or UFO hunting (or both) seem to think that RP is just a piece of debris being blown through the air fast enough to create a motion blur (which on video appears as a rod). These people set out looking for something that they could not readily explain in order to assign an outlandish explanation to it, thus defying a fundamental tenet of logic; Occam's Razor.

The paranomalists are not the only party guilty of such high crimes. Consider this list for a moment:

Those of strong religious beliefs
Those devoted to health/exercise/good diet
Those of strong political beliefs

I could go on, but let me stay with those three. I chose them because I am a member of all three, thus allowing me the benefit of first hand experience and (in some folks mind) a right to speak about them. As Christians, we have a strong tendency to be somewhat irresponsible in how we ascribe ownership to what goes on around us. If it's bad, we blame it on the Devil. If there's a decision to be made, we put the responsibility squarely on God and await a direct order. And as for miracles, the "church" is at a point where getting over a hangnail is considered a divine move of God. I don't say this to imply that God does not still perform miracles or that the Devil does not bring evil against us. Of course these things are true. My gripe is that we want to make as absolutely big a deal as humanly possible out of every thing in our life, good or bad and this is simply not honest. We lie to ourselves and to others when we do this. Democrats blame Republicans and vice versa for everything bad in our society, and take credit for everything that is good. If we cannot take or absolve ourselves from credit for those respective things we wish, then we explain how what appears to be good really isn't, and what doesn't, is. Occam would be devastated.

What if the sciences; physics, math, etc., approached the unknown with such foolishness. How many unknowns have we discovered the truth for, and how many more unknowns exist? What if doctors still practiced blood-letting in an attempt to divest the human body disease? Not all outlandish explanations are harmless. When we make decisions based on poor or no logic, bad things happen.

The rules of logic in analytic thought are a lost science. Schools used to teach logic, and the fact that they no longer do is made painfully obvious every day in the news. Logic is the foundation for every important decision, conversation and thought that you will ever have. Without logic, we are drifting in a sea of information that is of no use to us. Water water everywhere, but not a drop to drink.

11 November 2005

Sexual predators as viewed by Katie Couric.

How does an ultra-liberal media princess view sexual predators that target children? Ms. Couric shows her true colors in response to a 5 minute video teaser for the Dateline NBC special on on-line child sexual predators? The video is viewable here (scroll down and look for "Dateline investigates computer predators"). You will see several minutes of video of adult men who think they've arranged to meet and have sex with a 13 y/o boy that they've initiated contact with in an Internet chat room. One man is a Rabbi. Another a special education teacher. One man in the special strips completely naked and waits in the kitchen for the "boy" to come in. These men represent the most evil and reprehensible segment of society.

Ms. Couric introduces the video and the anchor, Chris Hansen, and the video begins. Immediately following the video, Mr. Hansen details what else will be covered in the special report. Ms. Couric then follows with her comments. What is Ms. Couric's reaction to the sickening video? Disgust? No. Outrage? No. Sympathy? Yes. But is this sympathy directed toward the untold number of victims of child molestation? NO! Her immediate reaction is sympathy for the men who were there to have sex with a 13 y/o boy! The first words out of her mouth were, and I quote, "You know just watching that kind of makes you sick to your stomach because you in some ways feel terrible for these men that they got themselves in this situation." No Ms. Couric, I in no way feel terrible for these men. How can someone have such messed up morals as to react in favor of a sexual predator instead of their prey?

The great folks over at Perverted Justice made this special possible. They run an awesome web-site and you should seriously consider supporting them. Go check them out and if you feel, as I do, that their cause is worthwhile, give them your support.

That is all.

11 October 2005

Hmmm...I wouldn't put much stock in that.

Have you ever Google'd your name? If not, you should...others are. I actually know hiring managers that do this to potential new employees as a standard practice. I Google mine periodically just to see what others see about me. For some time now, I've been getting this on my first page of hits. It seems that I am a member of the "Leadership Circle" of the Regional Commerce and Growth Association. I am? On what grounds was such an "honor" bestowed upon me? Where's my plaque...my certificate! I want something "suitable for framing" or it just doesn't seem legitimate. Seriously, where does garbage like this come from. Besides myself, I share my post with fourteen other industry leaders...I wonder if they know this. Some of these guys appear to be legitimate leaders, of legitimate businesses. Strange...and I don't even subscribe to their local industry rag. You've got to love Google.

07 October 2005

CLEP/DANTES exams in the St. Louis area (for US Military personnel only).

While this posting only applies to my fellow military members here in the St. Louis area, I believe it will prove extremely useful.

Since I am finally getting around to finishing my degree (I've never put much stock in a degree, but if someone wants to pay for me to get one, well...why not) I have been looking for ways expedite things while also saving money (even if it's not directly my money I'm saving). CLEP/DANTES tests are far and away the most efficient way to get college credit for courses that would be a waste of your time to sit through. As a member of the US armed forces (active duty, reserve, guard) a person can take CLEP and DANTES tests at no out of pocket cost. I have long known that this was possible, but no one seemed to know how to go about actually doing so. After a bit of investigation, I have all that you need to get on your way to obtaining that magic piece of paper.

Determine which CLEP exams you wish to take. I will take a CLEP for all of my needed GenEd credits (Humanities, English, History, Science/Math, Social Sciences) in cases where I don't already have college credits that apply.
Study for the exams. If you log in to NKO and click on the Education tab, you can download study guides for every CLEP exam offered. They also offer DANTES guides, practice tests, and information on credit transfers. You should find everything here that you need to prepare for the exam.
To actually schedule and sit for the exam, call the John at the Scott Air Force Base Education Office @ 618-256-3327. John was extremely friendly and helpful when I spoke with him. They offer CLEP exams on Mondays and Wednesdays at 10am as well as Fridays at 1:30pm. It costs you nothing to take the exams, but you are limited to 2 exams per month.
If you have access to a computer on a .mil domain, you can also go to the AMC web-site for a listing of CLEPS offered at Scott (note that not all CLEPs are offered at all locations). Once at the web site, you need to click on the following chain of links: Air Wing/375th Mission Support/Mission Support Squadron/Education and from there you should be able to find the CLEP listings.
As an aside, our Navy College Office (NCO) is out of Great Lakes. NCOs are assigned by UIC (ours is 87129 -- Corrected: Thanks to PO Hargrove for the correct UIC).

I hope that others find this useful in furthering their education.

Addendum:

The following was contributed by Derek "Two-Owies" Barnett --

In the Kansas City, KS area, the closest location would be Ft. Leavenworth's Education Center. They can be reached at 913-684-2496 or at web-education@leavenworth.army.mil. Also, just to point out that there is no penalty for not passing a CLEP/DANTES examination, aside from not getting the credit. If you do not pass, then you are able to take that specific examination again in six months (unless the rules have changed in the 2 to 3 years its been since I've taken my last one). Therefore, it is possible to take one on a "pre-test" level with no prior studying without fear of retribution; if you pass, then great but if not, then you have six months to study. While I would not necessarily recommend this method it proved effective when I was active duty (and there was not a two per month minimum imposed at my duty station). So if you are pressed for time and you know a good deal about the test you are considering, then what I've said is something to think about. Lastly, what Egon said about looking at your program and what you need before taking a test should be emphasized. Many colleges/universities only accept a certain number of credits awarded by CLEP/DANTES examinations. So if there are six classes you need to take that can be satisfied with CLEP/DANTES tests (for a total of 18 credits) but your college only accepts 15 credits transferred in from CLEP/DANTES, then you will probably have to take one of these classes. Make sure you check into not only which credits you need but also your university's credit transfer policies. Anyways, that just my two cents. Enjoy!

-Derek

27 September 2005

When common sense gets cancer.

Last Sunday evening after church, the young-married group had a chili supper to raise money for a retreat. Towards the end of the evening, a fellow who I'll refer to as MP sat down and struck up a conversation with me in regard to nutrition and health. He and I share a common interest in this area, but not a common view. I take a very simple approach to good health; eat right, exercise, etc. God gave us pretty much all that we need to stay healthy, all we need to do is make use of it and not pervert something healthy into something unhealthy. MP (whom I do have a great deal of respect for) believes that homoeopathy and naturopathy are the roads good health and longevity.

The conversation began with MP telling me about a new Natruopath (practicioner of naturopathy) that he visits in lieu of a physician. He said that this particular provider has a method of looking at a blood sample under a microscope and diagnosing any and all ailments by visually inspecting your blood cells. He went on to say that this provider let him know that his cells were nearly problem free, EXCEPT that the red cells were binding together a bit more than they should (never mind the fact that the blood was on a microscope slide, exposed to air). More on that whole "binding-red-cell" malady later. He then inspected MP's wife's blood. "Without any prompting" he told me, "he said, 'do you have back problems'". In amazement, MP and his wife said that she did indeed have neck problems (close enough). I replied that this seemed to be a very similar approach to what is used by psychics. I then engaged him in a pointed conversation that went something like this;

Me: "So what is the connection, or the cause if you will, in which a sore back, or ankle, or whatever, can change the shape of your blood cells?"

MP: "Well, he can tell by looking at the shape of the cells, and the cell counts."

Me: "I understand that this is his claim, but does he or anyone who makes this claim have a valid explanation as to how these maladies effect cell shape?"

MP: "Well, they can diagnose cancer by looking at your blood."

Me: "That's because there is a real and demonstrable link between cancer and your cell counts. The connection has been proven. Just as it has with types of anemia, etc. Has such medical proof been provided for these other forms of blood diagnostics."

The conversation shifted gears at that point to stomach enzymes, and the fact that after 30 we don't produce enough of our own to digest food. This is the cause of the rampant acid-reflux that so many suffer with, he told me. It seems that both of his daughters-in-law and even his wife suffer from this. The same naturopath that diagnoses sore joints and muscles by observing cell shape sells a supplement called DigestMore that fixes this very problem. Additionally, this lack of proper digestion was what had been causing MP's red cells to "bind" according to his Naturopath. I asked what was in these "completely natural pills" and MP told me that they are "vegetable enzymes". I'm not sure exactly what that means, but my next logical question was "Why not just eat more vegetables". "Oh, that's almost all we eat" he said. "Then what am I missing" I asked. Back to the beginning we went, with the whole "after 30" thing.

I basically told him in the end that I really thought that this was all quackery, but that I certainly agreed with him that proper diet and exercise was imperative, even a moral requirement and that the lack thereof is epidemic in our society and more so our church. He agreed. I went on to make the comment that I, as a relatively healthy person who tries hard to take care of myself am tired of subsidizing others poor health and nutrition habits via high insurance premiums. That was a trigger...he informed me that he had cancelled his insurance long ago, as he trusted God to keep him healthy and to heal him when he does get ill. Okay, fair enough. "Doctors want to keep us sick" he told me. Not so fair. In fact, blatantly false I would maintain. I told him that it seemed to me that he was putting more trust in magic pills and witch-doctors than in God and the very things he created for us to consume for our good.

So, in the end, we agree to disagree...mostly. I am glad that he works hard to be healthy, but the idea that you have to spend money on DigestMore and barley juice in order to be healthy is, well, not healthy. It doesn't cost "extra" to be healthy. Actually, it's usually cheaper to buy wholesome foods at the grocery as most people don't want them so the whole supply and demand effect works to your advantage. Getting off the couch and walking/running/doing jumping jacks doesn't cost a dime. God gave us skepticism for a reason. While we cannot let it get out of hand, it is important to always have a healthy skepticism as it serves to preserve us physically, emotionally and (in this case) financially. Skepticism and common sense would seem to serve as a system of checks and balances for one another. If one falls short, the other should pick up the slack. If we willfully set one aside then we are destined for disappointment. In the end, we live in a fallen and acursed world. Everyone gets sick. Everyone dies. If you are deathly ill and God heals you then rejoice, but understand that the inevitable has only been delayed and assume that it is because God has something remaining for you to accomplish. While death, sin and sickness used to hold us hostage, it is Christ's death on the cross that provided the ultimate healing in that it stripped sickness and death of their power.

21 September 2005

"Bid me run, and I will strive with things impossible." -William Shakespeare

I have spent some time lately re-reading some of my favorite running books. "Running Through The Wall", by Neal Jamison and "And Then The Vulture Eats You" (multiple authors) are two of my favorites. They are simple and succinct accounts of the "why" of trail/ultra-running by trail/ultra-runners. These books lend an important perspective on a sport that many people either do not understand, or misunderstand. For (too) many years there has been a certain mystique that has surrounded the sport which has unfortunately been perpetuated by a great many participants. The idea that trail/ultra-running is mystical, or that the people that do it have to be just a little bit crazy to be able to endure such hardship is simple fallacy. Trail/ultra-running is not an adrenaline or "extreme" sport. It is in fact the polar opposite; it is a deeply subjective undertaking that is as diverse as each person that chooses to participate in it. There are some (in the above books even) who enjoy the strange looks when they talk of running 30, 50 or even a hundred miles or more. There are those who say things like "My husband thinks I'm crazy, and I guess I'd have to be to do such a thing." Whatever. It is, after all is said and done, nothing more than running. One foot in front of the other with progress measured in hours rather than minutes and seconds. The type of people are very different than what you would find at the track or in a marathon training group. Each and every person out there is competing with the idea of finishing what they've set out to accomplish. This might include a bit of "racing the clock" if they're trying to best a previous personal record on a particular course, or if they are in fact one of the very few "best of the best" who stand a chance of winning. The reality is (as most anyone who's run even a marathon can tell you) that once you pass mile twenty or so, the competition is between the facts, and your mind.

So what? So what indeed...it is after all just running. One foot in front of the other -- just like life. Not a sprint. Not even a run that you can break into miles, but you are forced to plan, to tolerate, to accommodate, to adjust, to evaluate adversity, discomfort and yes the acceptability of failure in light of your predetermined goals. As the saying goes, "Things don't always go as planned." In anything longer than "long" things NEVER go as planned. In life or in an ultra, no amount of planning is sufficient. You have to plan up to a point, and then execute with the realization that adjustments are going to have to be made. You may have to stop and rest at some point. You may have to walk some hills. You're no good to yourself or others if you push yourself to the point of injury. Gene Thibeault is a retired Ultra-Runner in his sixties, who suffers from serious chronic injury and pain from "overdoing it". He sums it up nicely in "Running Through the Wall" when he says, "If I had it to do again, would I? Yes! But if I did, I would listen to my body more and not be so hard on myself. I would also put less focus on racing and concentrate more on the enjoyment of being with friends on the trails." Man, that says it all. Flip that from the ultra-running bucket to the life bucket and re-read it in that context. If you're going to undertake something as difficult as an ultra, or life, you have to work hard...right up to the limit. But at that point, look for those around you that are working hard with you and take some comfort and gain some support from them. Enjoy "being with friends on the trails" of life. Those people will one day limp by and find you sitting on a rock trail-side, ready to give up and give you that little bit of a push such to get you out of your funk and back on the trail. After feeling overwhelmed by the adversity of a race, ultra-runner Suzi Cope penned, "Sunrise caught me sitting on a rock letting the clock run out. Another runner walked by and said he was just doing the best he could, even if we were out of time. I realized I was not doing the best I could. So I got up and started running." Ms. Cope went on to finish the race, and in fact made up enough time to finish under the cut-off. Words are powerful things that when wielded by the good-natured can strengthen us when we've got nothing left to give.

Is there a mystery in such an endeavor as life, or an ultra? The answer is as subjective as the experience itself. Perhaps the "unknown" is what drives some to achieve while keeping others from even attempting. The drive to discover what lies past "long" is something that is either inside you or not. When viewed in retrospect, life is indeed short..."Like a vapor", but ask anyone who's in the midst of "running" it to the best of their potential and the soon-coming end is not their focus, rather just the next step...and the next, and so on.

I suppose that after "long", we quit competing with each other and compete with failure. Life is like this (well, at least if you're of a Christian belief) inasmuch as you are admonished to run the race while in the end it is between your decision to persevere or abandon the call that the ultimate winner will be named.

^{I Corinthians 9:24-27
24}Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.²⁵Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. ²⁶Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. ²⁷No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

17 September 2005

A fine day for a run.

What a beautiful day for a run! I met Miller (from my Navy Unit) at the Lone Elk trail head at 0800. The weather was outstanding with a temperature in the high 50's and a pea-soup fog. This being Eric's first run on the trail, I spent a couple of minutes describing the options for where and how long we could run. In the end, we sort of "winged" it as we went, but ended up running to the 2 mile marker (the picnic table) making for a 10 mile round trip. Conditions were great! Just enough mud to get messy. Not too many other people on the trail. No bugs to speak of. We couldn't have ordered a better day.

I snapped a few pictures which I thought did a pretty good job of illustrating the morning. I will close out this post with said photos. The bird in the picture is a bald eagle that I noticed flying overhead when I laid down to stretch at the end of our run (it's the best photo I could get and the quality suffers from cropping/enlarging). After I was done stretching, I continued laying flat on my back admiring the bird. After a few minutes, a fellow on a horse rode up and asked "You alright?" "Yeah" I said, "just stretching." "Okay, you just didn't seem to be moving" said the fellow. Good point. ;)

After the fog had pretty much burned off.

16 September 2005

"But you've never given anyone a free beer." -Homer Simpson

Uncle Sam isn't known for his generosity (not that he should be..."ask not" and all). In this case, however, I wanted to draw your attention to the fact that our kindly uncle's third nephew (twice removed) is in fact giving something away, and a very valuable something at that.

The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) is responsible for most regulatory aspects of Department of Defense (DoD) Automated Information Systems (AIS). They are also charged with educating people in this regard, to include education and training on information security (INFOSEC), information assurance (IA) and so on. I have done every course that DISA has put out, and most of them are quite good. I took my courses (the CBTs anyway) through the Navy as that gives me easy access to them, and I can earn retirement points for successfully completing them (fellow Navy folks can find these courses through NKO). If you do not have that option, then you can go straight to DISA and order the courses on CD and DVD absolutely free! I did so, in order to have them on hand for off-line review and for others to use, and sure enough, within about a week a shoe-box sized package arrived with a DISA return address. Inside were professionally done CD-ROM CBTs and DVD training videos.

If you're interested in obtaining your own (keep in mind that you have to work for the DoD in some capacity to qualify), just go to the link below, fill out the form and check your mail-box. You need to provide a qualifying DoD e-mail address (as that is how they confirm that you work with DoD), so don't use your personal e-mail when filling out the form. Enjoy!

Click here for the DISA order form.

On another note, if you're looking for excellent on-line Linux training, that is available for free as well. The courseware has been developed over the years by Dr. Giovanni Orlando, who recently made the decision to open it up (give it away) to the public. This is excellent training material and I would recommend it to any and all who have interest in mastering Linux. The good doctor has even included applicable e-books that are available on relevant topics. Follow the link below for more information or to begin a course.

Fast Track Linux Course Freeware

15 September 2005

"Do or do not, there is no try." -Yoda

Yeah, I quoted Star Wars. No, I'm not going to be dressing up in character and lining up days in advance at the next release. I do really like this quote however, as it summarizes my preferred approach to life. To do or not to do is a decision that is made prior to attempting something. To try is a reflection after having attempted something at which you have failed. I make a conscious decision that I "will do it". This decision takes into account a certain amount of logic and rationalization necessary to preserve life and limb, balance other obligations and responsibilities, etc. "I will do it" may not succeed, but I can guarantee that it will prove successful more often than "I will try". How often do you hear someone reply with a half-hearted "I'll try" when you ask them to commit to something? It's a natural response that leaves room for (most often) backing out of doing something that makes us uncomfortable due to the fear of failure. Over the past year or so, I've made a very conscious effort not to take such an approach in any venture. I have seen the results first hand as the frequency of success on things both "big" and "little" has increased substantially. Is it because I've become "better" in some way? No, not directly. Rather it's because I've left less room for excuses. In reality I have learned to commit to my self and not to worry about what others will think if I fail. I am my own worst critic, which can be (if kept in perspective) a healthy way to assure that I am doing my absolute best. Failure is a guaranteed occurrence in life, and should not be feared. As Michael Korda so aptly stated, "Never walk away from failure. On the contrary, study it carefully -- and imaginatively -- for its hidden assets." We live in a society in which the fear of failure and the requisite ridicule that seems to accompany it keeps many from even attempting a challenge.

I have been blessed with a wide array of very good friends from whom I have learned much. It is interactions with these friends (conversations, runs, work) that have taught me some important lessons in life. Some of those friends I see less often than others, but it seems that their wisdom more than makes up for the rarity of our encounters. One such person is my good friend Lambros. I have known him only about a year, but I have gleaned so much value from our time together that I cannot imagine not having made his acquaintance. It is from him in a great many ways that I learned to value, but never trivialize failure. Lambros spent eight years as an active duty Navy SEAL, and a number of years following as a reservist. He went on to obtain his Ph.D. and works as a civilian employee with the Department of Navy. I have worked with him on several projects during which I have learned a great appreciation for his knowledge, skills and abilities. It was during a conversation about failure that I pointed out that most people fear failure, “but not me” I said with a smile…”I value it for what I can learn from it”. He politely acknowledged my point, but added that “Sometimes and in some situations, failure is followed by funerals.” His point was simple: You can and should learn from failure and not fear it, but you should never trivialize it…it deserves a healthy respect. He had experienced a part of life that I had not, and as such his understanding of this matter was more finely honed.

The thing that I value most about Lambros is the sheer breadth of his experience, and the humility with which he shares it. I have asked for his opinion in regard to many a topic with work (the DoD can be a precarious place) and my Navy career. He always has a solid, unemotional and well-founded answer, but provides it in such a way as not to lead a person (me in this case) to a conclusion, but rather to equip the inquisitor with the necessary information to make their own decision. Anyway, back to my point. It’s a person like Lambros that gives me that little bit of knowledge that helps me in terms of valuing failure. It’s a person like my friend Col. Ratliff that sets an example of how to cut through the “squishy” periphery of a tough situation in order to get to the core so that it can be dealt with as efficiently as possible. As he so often and rightly points out, “in our line of work, efficiency saves lives” (paraphrased). These are just two of the hundreds of people to whom I owe so much. In God’s grand design, it is our parents (whom I could never thank enough) who lay a foundation that over the years we are to build upon brick by brick. It is our valuable interaction with others, our successes and yes even our failures that provide these bricks. The beauty of life is that as we obtain "bricks" from these sources, we can in turn provide them to others without relinquishing them ourselves, always being careful not to damage them in the process.

Finally, one more quote; this time from Caleb (one of a pair after whom my son Joshua Caleb is named) in the Old Testament. “Give me my mountain”. Caleb saw the risk, the probable discomfort, the potential for failure and set in his heart to “do”, not to “try”. No doubt, if there were any potential "failure inducing" circumstances that he missed, his companions (with the exception of Joshua) would have been sure to point them out. He made his heart known at the moment he uttered those few words and thus he committed to others what he had already committed to himself. While I almost daily make the same request of God, I hope that when He delivers that I will have the same confidence and determination that I do during my request. If I do, it is because of those that he has brought into my life in order to equip me and not of my own sheer strength of will.

12 September 2005

"I'm your worst nightmare. Fear me. C'mon, I said FEAR ME!" -Adam Gadahn (paraphrased)

This, my fellow humans, is the new face of terror; none other than Adam Gadahn! Don't look upon his photo too long, or you will surely parish from fright.

It seems that shortly after the "Prince of Dorkness" here had his game of D&D interrupted by the realization that someone had eaten all of his Spaghetti-Os, his rage turned him into an ultra-super-scary al Qaida terrorist who is going to blow up Los Angeles. Oh, and Melbourne too. You've been warned, now stop what you're doing and run screaming into the streets in a mindless panic. Man, he'd look great in a mullet.

06 September 2005

"Truth came to market and could not be sold; we buy lies with ready cash." -African Proverb

It's been some time since I last posted. Things have been very busy. I went for one of my best runs in a long time yesterday morning. It was pleasant enough to give me pause in my long-held belief that I am not a “morning runner”. It was a cool morning, around 68 degrees. There was a pretty substantial haze still hugging the ground in the wooded areas. The sun was out giving an almost surreal appearance where it broke through the trees, creating beams of light. It was one of the most beautiful runs that I recall. Jeremy joined me, as he often does, and we both had very good times for a seven miler on single-track.

On to a topic that has been annoying the daylights out of me for the last decade or so (yeah, perhaps I’ve let it fester too long). The general craziness that is centered around good nutrition has gone from bad to worse over the years. I will readily admit that prior to running seriously (or seriously for me anyway), I didn’t pay too much attention to what went in the ‘ole pie hole. For about the past year, I’ve been trying to learn as much as possible, a great deal of which has included experimenting. I think (personal opinion here) that a great deal of good nutrition is subjective. There are basic general truths (fiber good, simple-carbs bad) around which you can build a nutritional plan that fits your lifestyle, tastes, etc. The one fundamental truth; THERE IS NO MAGIC BULLET. It seems that everyone is looking for the secret food-formula that will “make the pounds fall off” or give you “energy and cognitive skills like you used to have”. Case in point: I was talking with some very good friends over the weekend about good nutrition. They brought up coconut oil in the conversation and talked about the miraculous properties that it has. I pointed out that it is a medical fact that coconut oil (and palm oils in general) are the worst plant fats that you can consume (akin to eating lard really). One of them insisted that I was wrong because the “Curves diet” (we’re talking the Curves exercise/weight-loss centers here) promotes the intake of coconut oil for it’s healing and weight-loss inducing properties!!!

Let’s back-up for a minute. There are lots of healthy foods out there that crazy people latch on to as being “miraculous” or “healing” or “whatever”. Green tea is a good example. Green tea is good for you. Period. It’s full of antioxidants, a bit of vitamins and the additional water that you take in when drinking it is always helpful. It’s NOT magic. It’s not an “elixir of life” as some sites promote it. I love green tea, and I drink a lot of it. Iced. Hot. In place of hot water on my morning oatmeal (which is also quite good for you, but alas not magically delicious if you get my drift). It’s tea folks…JUST TEA! So, this is one way in which foods become aggrandized…good foods that become almost mythical in their greatness.

The second category that I’ve seen are bad foods that are “sainted”. The coconut oil scenario is just such an example. To confirm my beliefs about coconut oil, I of course referenced the decades of research on the topic available to anyone who cares enough to find out. I also asked my sister (Dr. Heidi Rand) who had already researched this in trying to educate a friend of hers who was so convinced of the “coconut connection” to good health that she was literally eating spoonfuls of solidified (hydrogenated?) coconut oil (a big spoonful of snow-cap lard anyone). Long story short, Heidi had this to say;

“This coconut oil has been a big health craze for several years. I have a friend that a couple of years ago was buying vats of coconut oil(essentially tubs of plant lard) and eating big spoonfuls through-out the day. I was horrified to learn she was doing this and tried to tell her it was not good for her. She quoted numerous studies and web sites that showed that is was great for lowering heart disease, cancer, arthritis, etc. ( I guess if you are dead from a massive heart attack it is true that you have none of these health ailments...) I checked with one of my past Vanderbilt Cardiology attendings (the director of the heart health and lipids section of Vandy cardiology) and he confirmed that the coconut and palm oils are terrible for heart health. I will forward that email he sent me, to you. I do not know any websites or online sources. I stopped looking for info once Dr. Maron responded to my email. I figured one of the foremost cardiologists in the nation on blood lipids and heart disease was good enough to sway anyone. Interestingly, my friend still eats coconut oil even though I forwarded her the same email. If you need more info, I can ask Dr. Maron. Also, any medical or cardiology text book or lipid text book would have info on the subject.”

In fact, Dr. Maron did provide some further information in the form of medical abstracts which I will link here for your perusal. I have not quoted Dr. Maron's reply e-mail here as I don't know him nor do I assume his permission to do so.

Coconut oil is used in animal studies to promote atherosclerosis. (sorry, no web link available)

TG containing stearic acid, synthesized from coconut oil, exhibit lipidemic effects in rats similar to those of cocoa butter.

The serum LDL/HDL cholesterol ratio is influenced more favorably by exchanging saturated with unsaturated fat than by reducing saturated fat in the diet of women.

The bottom line? Coconut oil is not good for you. It doesn’t ward off disease, and it will kill you over time (just as consuming too much of any type of fat will…only a tad faster than most).

The problem inherent in our society is the desire to find that elusive secret remedy to all that ails us AND that nullifies the need for exercise. Translation; we as a society are lazy…physically, intellectually, spiritually. You want some magic? Eat right and exercise for 30 days, and “POOF”, you’ll sleep better, feel better, look better, have more energy, more self-confidence, and it will compound itself. This isn’t rocket science. People often complain that “healthy foods don’t taste good”. That’s because you aren’t used to them. Eat healthy for a couple of months and then eat a big piece of deep fried whatever. I believe you’ll find that it no longer “tastes good”. Taste is subjective. So is diet. I prefer to eat the same thing every day. I eat a half-cup of oatmeal with a half-serving of healthy breakfast cereal on top of it (why? Because plain oatmeal tastes like crap) for breakfast EVERY MORNING. I eat beans (red kidney or fat-free/vegetarian) and rice (long grain brown rice) EVERY DAY for lunch (I used to it that every day for breakfast as well). Exciting? No…but I don’t take pleasure or experience excitement while eating. Eating to me is completely utilitarian. I eat that I might continue to move. I realize that this is a not even close to “everyones” meal plan but the point is that this is the "pattern" that works best for me. I also realize that poor diet is often more psychological than it is physiological. I’m not dealing with the psychology of things here, just the stuffing your gullet part. When I eat bad, I know it. This is not because I feel guilty or like I’ve “cheated”. I burn enough calories running that I could eat pie for every meal and I wouldn’t bloat. I know when I have eaten “bad” because I feel bad. My energy level, cognitive skills, endurance and accuracy all suffer in direct proportion to my garbage intake. I am physiologically driven to eat right (at a subconscious level I suppose) because as humans we don’t like discomfort and eating crap makes me physically uncomfortable. We can certainly condition ourselves to take comfort from food psychologically instead of physically, and that is how, I believe, so many become trapped in a cycle of terribly unhealthy living until they die of some related disease. That human desire for “comfort” derived from food should be focused on the physical rather than psychological. If I am hungry (physically hungry), it is because I have burned up my on-hand energy via calorie expenditures and as such, I need to eat in order to do away with that uncomfortable hungry feeling. If my body is low on something…I will have cravings as a natural response. If I am craving chocolate ice-cream…it’s a safe bet that this is NOT a physiological craving and as such should be disregarded. This "true" hunger, if I may call it that, is the discomfort that should be attended to.

Anyway, I’ll shut up since I really have no basis or professional background to be talking about any of this. I’m simply stating the obvious here as I see it. Take it with a grain of salt, just as you should ANY claim about nurtition and health.

15 August 2005

"I'm blocked up with cream and rum. Want to back off from that first thing in the morning." -Brak's Dad

Well hallelujah! Ted Turner has devised a means by which peace can be attained with North Korea. Mr. Turner (or Corpse Face as I like to refer to him) has proposed that the demilitarized zone between the North and South be turned into a nature preserve. Ole' C.F. also suggested a follow-on idea of creating a "Peace Park" in the heretofore unused space. No word on what sort of rides and shows might be there for the enjoyment of the opposing troops. Feel free to peruse the latest gushing of the liberal media over His Corpseness.

02 August 2005

"Oh man, I don't think he likes you very much." -Brak

Who has memorized the name, phone number, likes/dislikes, names of relatives, etc. of nearly every member of the communist party in North Korea? Who shot an AMAZING 11 holes in one the very first time he played a round of golf? Who writes operas and memorizes "all computer codes" that workers in North Korea are using? Just what are "computer codes"!?!? I don't know, but I'm sure Kim Jong-Il does...he knows, does and remembers EVERYTHING! All of this and more can be found in the latest column on the official State controlled web site of North Korea. It would seem that Kim is a very busy man indeed...nay, a very busy uberman. For a short article providing some highlights (in english) from this newest piece of...err...work, click here (Yahoo!). For those who just can't get enough of the Dear Leader, North Korea even has an official (read State run) english language site that you can visit by clicking here.

31 July 2005

"Yeah Buddy!" -Brak

Yesterday Carla and I did the full trail (all 14 miles of it). Though we did a lot of walking, it was very enjoyable save for that moment when an invisible tree root conspired with gravity and fatigue to introduce my full body-mass to the ground at near terminal velocity. I hit the ground so fast and with so much "umph" that I was dazed for a moment. At the instant that I hit the ground, I heard a loud pop. Since I came down hard on my right wrist, I feared the worst. After 15 seconds or so there was no throbbing pain so I figured the popping was something non-calcium related. After climbing back to my feet, Carla pointed out the stick that I had landed on and broken in two. Disaster averted. I went back out today and did a quick 5 miler from the Tyson Park end of the trail (the "harder" end). This time I was alone, and was able to run at my own pace. I ran the full 5 in 50 minutes! That's pretty good for me these days (and quite respectable on that portion of the trail). I am so looking forward to getting back to where I was (and then continuing to improve from there) but running 10's on that end for 5 miles is good progress. I also had a conversation with a fellow at a party this afternoon who clued me into another trail just across the Meramec from the Chubb trail. I'll update once I've found out a name and location. Well, I guess that's it...I hope this finds all who read it doing well.

28 July 2005

"Where there is oppression, there is bound to be resistance." -Kim Il-Sung, Kim Jung-Il's father.

I recently finished "The Aquariums of Pyongyang" by Kang Chol-Hwan, a terrifying read if ever one was written. I have, until now, never comprehended the effectiveness of totalitarian communistic rule. I now understand, thanks to Chol-Hwan's bravery and dedication, the fundamentals of such oppression and their application in North Korea. In a country of approximately 20 million people, the death rate from starvation has reached and surpassed epidemic proportions by any measure.

North Korea seems to be ignored to a great extent by the international community. Discovery Times (a British arm of the cable based Discovery Channel) aired an incredible documentary on North Korea entitled "The Children of the Secret State". I obtained a copy of this video, and watched it three times in succession. In it Ahn Chol (an assumed name), a North Korean defector who often sneaks back across the border to film the realities of NK using a hidden camera,

provides some of the most devastating footage ever seen on the current state of life in NK. His film only confirms the testimony of thousands of NK defectors who have managed to escape with their lives. Hundreds of thousands of children are orphaned on the streets, their parents having starved to death. There are scenes that, in a rare moment of vulnerability I must admit, brought me to tears. A young girl who looked so much like my beautiful daughter sitting in the mud collecting the most horrid water in an attempt to quench her thirst. Ahn Chol walks up to her in an attempt to convince her not to drink the water. He asks her name...age...home. She simply looks at her feet, to broken to communicate. To hungry to move. Lifting a plastic baggie proves difficult enough as to cause her to tremble. Adults walk past, ignoring her as they themselves try to stay alive. She is most certainly dead now...some sickform of relief to a person having had to witness her suffering.

North Korea is destitute. Their factories all closed. Their economy has shut down. The entire country is starving to death under the rule of a single crazed dictator; Kim Jung-Il, who has no qualms about being the last man standing in the entire bloody country. He sits idly by while the entire populous dies of starvation. Hunger is so bad that cannibalism is rampant. Human flesh is sold on the black market. One woman testifies in a separate documentary about her neighbor aborting her baby so that her family can eat. I am sorry to even type such a thing, but for heaven's sake, we need to understand what is happening here. We send aid in the form of corn and rice and it only makes it as far as the elites (NK is a "class society" where people are assigned a particular class and they and all generations to follow are locked into that class). Peasants will either be starved or worked to death. Anyone going to a prison camp is virtually guaranteed death. Those who survive will be assigned to a peasant class once released. Only in Pyongyang is any semblance of an intact society portrayed, and poorly portrayed at that. The thin facade of civilization is almost comical in it's inadequacy.

What can you or I do? Man...I have no idea. But I see that little girl in my dreams at night. I see my daughter in her place. Alone. Delirious with hunger and thirst. Her body riddled with disease. Her blackened toes literally rotting off of her feet. In my dreams there is nothing I can do. This is not a dream however, there must be something I can do. My God, help us help these people. All the while our world leaders meet with this maniac that is Kim Jung-Il, the people under his tyranny are dying horrible deaths at a rate that makes Stalinist Russia seem humane. Something has to happen...but what? God, take away the vision of that little girl, for it is more than I can bare.

Please, if ANYONE wants to borrow this video...just ask. I will be happy to provide it. Please educate yourself. Read the book I metioned. Learn. Exercise the freedom of education that we have that so many others do not. Don't take Madeleine Albright at her word; North Korea is not a modern "Candy Land" full of happy children dancing their days away under the protecting hand of their "Dear Leader". It is a place where death reigns supreme, second only to the insane dictator that is Kim Jung-Il.

"Give justice to the weak and the orphan; maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked."--Psalms 82:3-4

26 July 2005

"I thought we agreed to stop encouraging him." -Brak's Dad

I was just doing some googling when I came across one of my own posts. How funny is that...I answered my own question a year ago. Anyway, for any of you that have Vonage Voice over IP service (which if you don't, you should)...this is a pretty cool trick that I discovered. I posted it to a security thread back in July of 2004. The original posting follows below.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
I just sent Kevin an e-mail to this effect, but for anyone else interested here's more info:

**Portion omitted**

Vonage has "fixed" their CID spoofing problem (at least in some switches), but in the process has created a new "feature". Try this:

1. Call a party. When they answer, flash over to a new dial-tone (as if to initiate a 3rd party call). Dial the new third party (who has been instructed not to answer the call coming from your phone number) and after a couple of rings hang up the phone. Rather than the initial call ringing back to you as it should, it will ring forward to the third party. A nifty way to put your friend in CA in touch with your friend in NY with no long-distance charges even when they don't use Vonage.

2. Let a party call you. Flash over to a new line and dial a 3rd party. Repeat process above and you can effectively "transfer" the call out of your phone system with no toll charges.

In both cases, your Vonage line is free to make and receive calls as soon as you hang up and you're routing the call entirely over VoIP infrastructure so there's no charges being incurred by any party including the provider.

Thanks, and keep up the great writing!!!

Egon Rinderer
--------------------------------------------------------------------

This brings back memories of the "good ole days" (mid to late 80's) when phreaking (the term commonly used to describe phone hacking) was a consuming obsession of mine. And no, "hacking" is not a bad word to describe bad people. The bad guys (that break into systems and mess things up or steal information) are called crackers. The term "hacker" was coined by the MIT Model Train Club in 1959 and was used to describe the curious types who would pick apart code or systems to figure out how they work so that they could improve or customize them. The media has taken "hacker" and bastardized it to mean "cracker". Lesson over.

ER

25 July 2005

"Lemme tell you 'bout the one joy in my life. I like to take and fill my pants up with pudding..." -Brak

Well, my AT (2 week annual Reserve commitment) is over. What a blast! I honestly believe that we have one of the best units, if not the best, at the St. Louis Reserve center. We get things done and we still manage to have fun. The past couple of weeks have included several runs at the Chubb with a number of members of the unit. Check out Slatton's blog for a handful of pics if you're interested. This was Slatton's first time out (and second time since we went twice), and I think he enjoyed it. I got a good laugh at his expense since he was wearing VERY worn out road shoes that were nearly smooth on the bottom. The lack of tread combined with the slightly muddy conditions lead to a lot of slipping and sliding as well as a few near misses. Everyone who had run the trail before seemed to have learned quickly, as they showed up this time with "Camel Packs". Wise move. When the heat backs off a bit (predicted heat index of 115 today) I've got to get back to doing the trail at least 3 times per week, as I was really feeling it when we ran the trails last week.

Slatton and I also spent a good bit of time playing with some INFOSEC tools. Given that he had no experience whatsoever with them, I was impressed with how quickly he not only figured them out, but figured out improvements to other peoples tips and "HOWTOs". We also did a bit of war driving around the base/airport just to see if there was any "leakage" from anywhere on base. Came up clean. Slatton's a very bright kid (which I can call him since he's ten years my junior) and I have no doubt that his future holds a great deal of success. Now, if I can just turn him into a runner we'll really be getting somewhere.

Well, enough babbling. Since I really don't have much else to talk about I suppose I just post some pics.

I've written about "The Hill" before, as well as the "alter" that sits atop it.
Here, my fellow runners take a break after having gained a more
solid appreciation for hill running.

I thought this was a really cool picture as it gives a great
representation of what the trail landscape is like. Under the
canopy of the forest, the vegetation is very lush.

07 July 2005

"I think he's talking to you." -Homer Simpson

As everyone is aware, London was bombed today (07JULY05). 7 devices believed to have been detonated. 2 devices failed to detonate. 40 plus dead at this time. Over 1,000 injured. Al Qaida has taken responsibility. It is now 21:30 the night of the attack, and I've yet to hear a single word of outrage, condemnation or indignation from the likes of Ted Kennedy, Barbara Boxer, Dick Durbin et al. They must have worn themselves out screaming about our "torturing" (turning off the AC, leaving the lights on all night, playing Britney Spears 24/7) those people we've captured and imprisoned that do the very thing that was done in London today. Who's worse; those who hate America and overtly attack us with bombs and guns, or those that hate America yet pretend to be concerned all the while undermining our democracy and military through the positions of power that they've oozed into?

04 July 2005

Ward Churchill advocates military personnel "fragging" their officers.

se·di·tion: Conduct or language inciting rebellion against the authority of a state.

Ward Churchill, the University of Colorado, Boulder professor who not long ago stated that the people killed in the 9-11 attacks "deserved" what they got and compared them to Nazi's is now advocating, supporting and encouraging the support of enlisted fighters "fragging" (killing with a grenade) their officers. No doubt he's referring to the two instances where just such a thing has taken place since the begining of our military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan. I will not elaborate, for lack of words. Here's a video clip from The O'Rielly Factor with the audio and transcription of Churchill's statement. Please watch, and pass it along. The direct link to the video (for copy/paste pourposes) is:
http://blindrodent.com/churchill_frag.wmv

In other news, Professor Churchill just received a 2.3% raise from U.C. Boulder.

Click here for the latest news stories on Churchill's "frag your officer" campaign.

US CODE

TITLE 18--CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
PART I--CRIMES

CHAPTER 115--TREASON, SEDITION, AND SUBVERSIVE ACTIVITIES

Sec. 2388. Activities affecting armed forces during war:

(a. continued) Whoever, when the United States is at war, willfully causes or
attempts to cause insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of
duty, in the military or naval forces of the United States, or willfully
obstructs the recruiting or enlistment service of the United States, to
the injury of the service or the United States, or attempts to do so--
Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty
years, or both.

27 June 2005

"Do my worst, eh? Smithers, release the robotic Richard Simmons." -Mr. Burns

I kind of feel like Richard Simmons is going to come popping out from behind my closet door (scarier than any monster one might otherwise envision taking up residence there) as it has been a slow road back to running at the level at which I was and there's still a long way to go. The biggest problem wasn't overcoming a minor injury, it was falling out of the habit of running. It's very easy to get out and go run when you do so regularly. Get out of the habit and look out! Tomorrow, after work, is a full Chubb; the first since my ITB problems began. I am very excited actually, though I must admit I'm dreading the feeling that I know will hit me at about mile ten (or the first big hill for that matter). In addition, I've taken to working my upper body to try to combat the aches and pains that seemed to accompany long runs (shoulder soreness, nagging mid-back pain, etc.). I believe the real cause was weakness in my upper body, causing my muscles to overwork to try to keep "things" stable on rough terrain. I have always had a VERY weak upper body (arms, shoulders, back, stomach...did I mention arms), and frankly, it's always been frustrating. I have gone through periods where I built up a lot of upper body strength (during my Judo and Arnis days for instance), but time always seemed to get the best of me and as such, any muscle tone quickly faded. I picked up a great book a year or two ago that I used for a while with excellent results. The book, "The Body Sculpting Bible for Men" is an excellent resource with a no nonsense approach to muscle toning and strengthening. It provides sound exercise routines, dietary information and presents them in an easily to stick with schedule. It also provides tips for the psychological side of things (something I've found to be very useful in running). It's not the physical exertion that's hard to tolerate in exercise, be it running, lifting, etc. Rather, it's the constant reminder coming from your brain that it would be easier to quit; and unarguable truth. Overcoming your own mind is the hardest hurdle to clear, but also the most gratifying so far as I'm concerned. Anyway, we'll see how things go. Tonight was my first night of upper body work taken straight from the aforementioned book. I began with the "Break-in" routine (for those who "may not have lifted weights before"). I could not complete it...my arms were simply worked to the point of failure in spite of using what I was sure was too little weight. On the bright side, I've nowhere to go but up, and hey...I love hills!

ER

23 June 2005

"History's like an amusement park. Except instead of rides you have dates to memorize." -Marge Simpson

James Bamford has authored two books that I've read recently; "The Puzzle Palace: Inside America's Most Secret Intelligence Organization" and "Body of Secrets : Anatomy of the Ultra-Secret National Security Agency". Both of these books are quite popular within my "circle of friends" and as such, I thought I'd address them. Mr. Bamford seems completely unable to simply write about the historical facts contained in his works and as such is forever interjecting his own political views as fact. I became disgusted at the number of sources cited as "documents that were obtained by the author" (or similar descriptions) which, while so specific as to include direct quotations from meetings involving members of the JCS, SECDEF and DIRECNSA/CIA, could not have their actual source named despite in many cases claiming that the source was "a declassified memorandum". Translation; someone wrote it down on a piece of paper for him so that he could include it in his book. Mr. Bamford has a long history as an ultra-liberal political hack, yet his books seem to garner automatic legitimacy within the community of readers who should honestly know better. While there were many interesting bits contained within, the unsubstantiated assertions and never-ending diatribe against conservatives and the military leave one with a certain inability to know what can be trusted as accurate, even in terms of the issues of levity. I'd have to recommend a pass on both works. Looking for good books in the same vein? I can strongly recommend the following:

See No Evil: The True Story of a Ground Soldier in the CIA's War on Terrorism

False Flag

The Wizards of Langley: Inside The CIA's Directorate of Science and Technology

ER

Oops...I almost forgot. Another book that I've been hearing a lot about that has to rate is one of the greatest wastes of my hard-earned (I am one of those few conservatives that work for a living according Howard Dean) money in recent time would be "Code Names" by William Arkin. Don't waste your money.

"Oh sure. Even communism works. In theory." -Homer Simpson

A little off the beaten path as far as subject on my blog are concerned, but topically relevant none the less; I find an interesting paradigm that has developed with regard to China as a national security threat to the United States. Boring? Hear me out.

In the past, "Red" China has been considered a major threat in the form of a communist regime. Second only to the USSR, China was the source of many a valid concerns in terms of their nuclear arsenal as well as the raw number of foot soldiers that they could field. Their ability to prop up the NVA during Viet Nam cannot be ignored, and they haven't reduced in size militarily since. An interesting thing has begun to happen in recent years, as the US and other countries have outsourced more and more manufacturing business to China. China, very slowly and steadily, has modified their form of communism into something very different that was chosen by the previous USSR. China learned by example that the purist form of communism was unsuccessful in terms of economy, productivity, etc. While China doesn't differ as significantly as many would like to think (as many are quick to laud China as the recipient of a "miracle conversion"), they did modify their practices enough to allow for economic growth. Recently, China has even begun to consider privatizing some of their largest "state" corporations allowing citizens to own stock, own entire companies even. Wow! That's great! We've defeated communism in China by slowing injecting capitalism in the form of off-shoring US production....right? Wrong (in my opinion). Here's what we've done by my estimation:

1. We have pumped untold billions of dollars into China's economy of which 2.8% of their GDP ($78 billion) goes directly into military development. Not too shabby.

2. We have had countless manufacturing facilities (and capabilities) go dark her in the US. Should we ever find ourselves in the midst of WWIII, we'd have quite a task in ramping up production to meet demand. Not only has production been hamstringed, raw materials production and supply has even shifted to China. Craziness.

3. China is not like the United States in that as we boost their economy, this money is not spread across the demographic of their society. They are still communists, and as such, as the upper echelon of society becomes wealthier and increases their production demands, the oppressed citizens of China are simply forced to work harder. More people (mostly male) = more production capability. The general populous is like a machine and is treated as such.

4. Finally, as China becomes a pseudo-capitalist power in the world economy, they have a very real opportunity to surpass the US in terms of financial leverage in the world market. What's a greater threat to us; A China that is a crazy, inefficient totalitarian nuclear power, or a China that is a crazy, incredibly wealthy totalitarian nuclear power with a huge percentage of our production capabilities and raw materials supply. I have heard the argument that all we (the US) would need do is pull all of our business out of China, back into the US and China's economy will collapse. Really? Are you sure? That seems a bigger gamble than the whole crazy + inefficient + etc. China to me. What about the issue of China owning US interests? Just yesterday China put in an $18.6 billion bid to purchase Unocal, a US oil company. Nearly $2B was recently put on the table in a bid to buy Maytag. Months ago China purchase IBMs personal computer operations (desktops and laptops). Hello? Anyone home?

So, that's it really. Just me displaying my complete ignorance of world socio-political and fiscal issues based on very limited information and a little commen sense. Here's some good reading if you're interested.

Chinese on China

China; The nuclear power

Beijing devoted to weakening 'enemy' U.S., defector says 27JUN05

Thefts of U.S. technology boost China's weaponry 27JUN05

Chinese dragon awakens 26JUN05

ER

19 June 2005

"I glued my head to my shoulder, now I have two owies." -Ralph Wiggum

Ahh...things are slowly returning to normal. Yesterday was my first day back on the Chubb Trail since my ITB injury. This time, however, I was not alone as two brave souls from my unit (Petty Officers Barnett and Croarkin(sp?)) joined me for a partial run. It was a beautiful day for a run, not too hot and very little humidity. I met the two of them at the trail head at around 1600 (I think). I had my CamelPack and loaned Barnett my spare Platypus (an off-brand hydration back-pack which will come into play in a few sentences) and finally a water bottle for Croarkin. We set off from the Tyson end of the trail (a much harder start/finish than departing from the Lone Elk end) and walked about the first quarter mile. After a short time we began a slow jog to get everyone used to running on a trail as opposed to roads as they were accustomed to. I frequently annoyed them with pointers, one of which was to "pick your feet up just a tad higher than you're used to" as to avoid tripping on rocks, roots or fallen fellow runners. About a minute later (and 3/4 of a mile into the run), Mr. Barnett learned the hard way just how high a "tad" is when he ate the trail nice and hard. Unfortunately he went down on his hands and knees and slid a good long way in said pose. Now, back to the Platypus hydration pack that he was wearing. The closure on the water bladder on this pack is like a giant, heavy-gauge zip-lock. When he went down, his lunge was sufficient to squeeze the bladder and pop open the zip-lock leading to a good half-gallon of water dumping onto his head and running down his back. After a great deal of laughter, oh...and making sure Barnett was alright of course, we continued on.

When we set out, I had told the two of them that we would run "to the second rail-crossing...that's four miles out and four miles back". Well, I was wrong (first time for everything). It's actually five miles out to the second rail-crossing but I decided that when we passed the four mile marker (which clearly says 4mi.) that I would keep them going to the second rail crossing so long as no one noticed the 4mi. marker. As we rolled past it, no one noticed and on we went. Not long before the 5 mile marker, Petty Officer Croarkin could no longer contain her femininity and had to complain just the littlest bit about the fact that we "still hadn’t turned around to head back". I commended her on her acute observation skills and assured her that it "wasn't much further". When we reached the 5mi. marker, I ‘fessed up that we had gone further than planned, but that this would only increase the feeling of accomplishment when we were finished. I must say that the trip back was VERY quiet. Not only was there no chit-chat, there was almost complete silence. I was beginning to wonder if there was a mutiny at hand. Rather quickly we made our way out of the river bottom and into the hills. I had warned them on the way out that the hills on the return trip were brutal. Luckily since no one had the energy to speak, there was very little complaining and no threats against my well-being. Before long we were back at the trail-head and ready to leave. Our 10 mile trek had taken 2 hours and 41 minutes; a respectable time considering there were two first-timers running. Since I forgot my good camera, I was forced to snap a couple of pictures with my phone as my two cohorts crossed the "finish-line". Good job guys! My hope is that every drill weekend I can get a group of people from the NAVSECGRURES St. Louis to run the trail. It's a great deal of fun, and speaking from experience, the drive to take on the Chubb Trail and "conquer it" (run the entire thing out and back without any stopping or walking) is addictive and of course it's great exercise. So, for those other members of NAVSECGRURES St. Louis who are reading this...bring your running shoes and clothes next drill weekend and join us.

Derek "Two-Owies" Barnett: Still moist but in good spirits.

Trish Croarkin: No big deal, "Let's do it again."

01 June 2005

Marge: "Homer, is this how you pictured married life?" Homer: "Yeah, pretty much, except we drove around in a van solving mysteries."

Happy anniversary to my lovely bride of 9 years! That's it. Bye. (Can you think of a better excuse to insert a favorite Homer quote of mine?)

31 May 2005

"That's where I saw the Leprechaun. He tells me to burn things!" -Ralph Wiggum

It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve been able to update things around here, so first comes the bad news. I managed to injure my right Iliotibial Band (what’s commonly called Iliotibial Band Syndrome). It’s extremely painful and debilitating, and takes some time to get over. I’m not going to focus on it because, frankly, it’s depressing to go from averaging around 60 miles per week…to none. I am starting to run again...though very slowly and only on flats. Bagh!

The good news is that I’ve had plenty of down-time to get things done and take on some little projects I’ve wanted to tackle. What I want to talk about today should be valuable to anyone with kids and DVDs (a strange mix, but stay with me).

Anyone with both of the aforementioned will sympathize with the short life expectancy of DVDs when there are small children around. The scratches seem to appear shortly after breaking the seven or eight security seals on the case when arriving home from the store. It didn’t take long before I started looking for a way to convert my DVDs (“my” being mine AND the kids) to a digital format that I can store on hard-disk for playback on any computer in the house. I don’t have much interest in simply copying DVDs to blank, writable DVDs to have backup copies, as I really want them on hard-drive for archival and playback anywhere in the house. I can always burn them back to DVD at some later date if need be. There are several steps involved in “ripping” a DVD.

First is the actual process known as ripping (in its purest sense) which decrypts the DVD contents and copies the raw video, audio, menu and subtitle files to hard-drive. While DVD’s are encrypted to prevent copying, the encryption was broken a LONG time ago and is easily circumvented. While I certainly don’t advocate the illegal copying/duplication of DVDs, I certainly advocate the DVD owners right to create backups…which is the exact and sole reason that I do rip my DVDs.
Once a DVD is ripped, you have to do something with the un-encrypted content. You could burn it to a blank DVD if you want a copy. Since most DVDs are much larger than a typical 4.7GB blank DVD-R, a direct copy isn’t possible. If you’re running a Windows machine and wish to make a copy (and make it on a regular writable DVD), then all you need is DVD Shrink which will handle the entire ripping, rebuilding (shrinking) and writing process. For me, I need to convert the DVD contents to a digital video file format, a process called transcoding. For that, the only real choice is MPEG4 which is an MPEG standard for compressed, high-quality digital video files. DO NOT go with Windows Media Video (WMV) or other proprietary file formats. In the MPEG4 world, there are several sub-standards available, but more about that later.

The two steps outlined above are best done using a “1-Step” solution. While there are numerous high-quality utilities to handle each step of the process involved, it is just that…involved. Once can spend an eternity tweaking, fiddling and cursing trying to get everything “just so” only to come out with mangled video or audio that is out of sync with video, etc. Until very recently, I have used “Super DVD Ripper” to rip/transcode my DVDs. Not only will Super DVD Ripper turn your DVDs into MPEGs, it can also copy DVDs, convert them to VideoCD, etc. It’s commercial software, but at only $35.95, it’s a bargain. It’s fast, very simple to use and I’ve never had it crash. You should know that no matter what software you use, this is a very resource-intensive process. The more processor power and RAM you have, the less “painfully long” it takes to convert.

Besides the WinTel boxes that I have, I also have a PowerMac G5 that I am quite fond of. For some time I have been looking for a similar “1-Step” tool that runs on OS X, commercial or Open Source wasn’t an issue. The G5 has a very powerful processor for the type of calculations involved in converting digital media, and it pained me to not be able to put it to work. After numerous failed attempts at Google’ing a solution, I finally struck gold the other night. There is an Open Source (i.e. free) tool named HandBrake that does everything I want, and so much more. HandBrake handles both the ripping and transcoding process with amazing speed. Most interesting is the fact that HandBrake will transcode my DVDs to H.264 format. In the past, I’ve always ripped to DIVX/XVID MPEG4 video which provides excellent (though not quite DVD quality) video with CD quality audio. This specifically is known at MPEG4-2. H.264 (or MPEG4-10) is a newer format that was developed around the HD-DVD/BlueRay high-definition DVD standards. H.264 can encode essentially any resolution up to full HD (1080p) at a quarter the bandwidth of MPEG4-2. What that means to me is that when I ripped “The Passion of the Christ” at the highest reasonable quality (imperceptible from the original DVD) the outcome was a file only 900MB in size. That’s PEANUTS! Getting a DVD quality video packed into the small a space is astounding. And remember that the movie I’ve given as an example is quite long (126 minutes) compared to the average 90 minute glurge coming out of Hollywood.

Now, some caveats. First, H.264 takes significantly longer to transcode. On my Mac (a single 1.8GHz with 512MB of RAM), HandBrake can rip to an MPEG4-2 in about 75% of the run-time of the movie. In other words, a two hour movie takes HandBrake about 90 minutes to convert. The same movie going to H.264 will take about twice that long or 150% of the movie’s run-time. This is a small price to pay, in my opinion, for lossless reproductions of my DVDs. Second, playback can be problematic. Why? Let’s use another bullet list:

When you compress a video to that extent, there’s a lot of math involved in decompressing it and playing it back. Don’t plan to watch H.264 encoded videos (high-resolution ones anyway) on a slow computer. Any newer computer should be fine, including laptops, but if you’ve got an old PC laying around that you’re hoping to turn into a video kiosk, you may want to think about purchasing a cheap Dell Dimension or something.
Because H.264 is relatively new, a lot of video players cannot handle it yet. For instance, Windows Media Player can’t play them. No fear, the excellent (and Open Source/free) VideoLan Client plays them quite happily, and is available for just about every platform in existence. On the Mac, QuickTime 7 plays H.264 natively and has the best reproduction quality that I’ve seen anywhere. One note, I’ve seen a lot of haranguing from anti-Mac bigots that H.264 is an Apple standard. This simply isn’t true, as H.264 is an MPEG (Motion Picture Engineering Group) standard and apple has standardized on it for the HD editing and production software and hardware (thus the inclusion in the new version of QuickTime player). Apple will also be releasing QuickTime 7 for Windows in the near future, but for the time being the VideoLAN Client media player is the only free player that I know of (though I’m sure there are others) that can handle H.264 on a Windows machine. I know of no plug-ins for Windows Media Player that allow it to play H.264 other than those that you have to purchase (which I might add is and insane prospect).

Finally and in closing, a couple of notes about HandBrake. First, you can tune your output file to be playback-platform appropriate. If you know you are going to need to playback your files on a slow-poke computer, tune the bit-rate down. I personally use 1000kbps (or 1Mb) which is quite high. I do this because I want top notch quality, and drive space is dirt cheap. I have read that 850kpbs is sufficient for DVD quality and that 250kbps will yield MPEG4-2 quality! Next, if you don’t have a Mac…get one. HandBrake is just that good and Macs are a bargain if you consider not only the hardware you're getting, but also the bundled software (iLife, etc.).

09 May 2005

"Ouch, my leg hurts. No, seriously...it really hurts." -Me

It was inevitable that I would eventually incur some sort of minor injury. Saturday morning Carla, the kids and I were supposed to have taken part in the "Heart Walk" to help raise money for the American Heart Associated with my good friend Kim who has a daughter (HI EMILY!!!) with "double inlet single left ventricle with transposition of the great arteries". Unfortunately Kim came down with "strep" and had to cancel, so I changed my plans for Saturday morning to a casual run on the Chubb Trail. I awoke a little before my alarm (0620) Saturday morning and headed out. The day was perfect for a trail run, and the place was packed when I arrived. Judging by the number of cars (and the percentage of those cars with bike racks) there were going to be a lot of cyclists on the trail. As I headed out, a group of 4 took off just after me and passed me on the initial down-hill (1/2 mile steep grade). I've run this trail many a time before and as such I knew that wouldn't be the last I'd see of them. As I ran I enjoyed a brisk but comfortable pace and it wasn't long until I got into some of the rougher sections of trail in the river bottom. I started my "attack". One by one I was picking off the mountain-bikers (all in good fun mind you), making a mental game of it. I chatted with them as I passed, and as they again passed me when we got to flatter areas. At the end of my "out" loop (7 miles of course) I arrived at the far trail-head about 5 minutes prior to the first finisher of the 8 cyclists (two groups of four) that I had passed. In the end, only 3 completed the full out loop. As they arrived, we chatted for a good 15 minutes, leading me to plop down, eat a trail-mix bar and drink some water. The big mistake there was the "plopping down" part as I let my legs get way to cold without stretching them to keep them loose. When we finished talking and headed back into the trail, my legs were very tight. The return trip begins with a long slow couple of miles up-hill. While I wasn't incurring any pain, I was noticing my pace was quite slow, even for an easy day. As I crested the hill I came to the picnic table, or as I've come to think of it, "the alter of salvation". Why such a dramatic term? Simple. In the Old Testament, the believers would build an alter when they had made it through a time of great tribulation or suffering. I am confident that whoever put that table there did so with just such intent. As I passed the table, a few cyclists who had just climbed the back side of the hill were "worshiping" at the alter but I ran on (I've never stopped at it actually as I'm too scared my legs will lock up). As I began my descent (about a 1.5 mile very steep descent on loose limestone shards) I noticed that I wasn't able to control my speed as well as usual. I was coming down hard and much too flat on my feet causing my knees to absorb a great deal of shock. As I ran I started getting a nagging pain on the right side of my left knee. By the time I reached bottom where I'm usually fresh and ready to run the 2 miles or so of flats, I found myself in need of a walk. The longer I walked, the stiffer my knee became.

Fast-forward to today. Interestingly, it's not the front or side of my knee that bothers me; it's the back. From what I've observed and a bit that I've read on it, I believe that the problem has been caused by several factors:

This is the same leg in which I got the hamstring "freeze" during the Nashville Marathon.
Running the number, grade and frequency of hills that I do, the muscle development in my legs is somewhat "uneven". Looking at my calves for instance, one will observe that my "lower" calf muscles are much more pronounced that the "upper" (or the one most runners normally build to a very large size).
I should never have stopped as long as I did at the far trail-head without at least stretching while I was stationary.
Finally I must say that Heidi was absolutely correct (not that I didn't believe her). My legs were less stable on the rough terrain of the trails than usual due to the residual fatigue from the marathon the previous Saturday.

So, a hearty hello to my left hamstring...we've never really been formally introduced until now. I'm sure we'll have time to spend to together in the future, but right now I'm quite busy and I'm afraid I cannot allow you to visit your un-holy wrath for too long. In all seriousness, a great deal of information is available that helps in knowing how your leg muscles work (which are responsible for what motion and how to improve their function), how to treat when over-worked (types of exercises, stretching, do's and don'ts), and what we continue to learn (like the revelation that running down-hill is harder on you than running up-hill...DUH!). Anyway, that's it for this weekend. I may post some trail pictures later if I get time.

06 May 2005

INFOSEC - Voice over IP concerns.

NIST recently released an 800 series document on voice over IP security that proves and interesting read (all 100 pages). Aside from the normal ration of gobbledygook, there are some important examples of hacks and descriptions of various vulnerabilities. Will I be turning in my VoIP router and going back to my local phone service when I return home today? Nope. But it is interesting to think what could happen. Suppose someone wants to burglarize you, or has set their sites on doing you harm in some way. In the old days they might cut your phone line outside your house so that you couldn't call for help, or so that your alarm system couldn't alert authorities. Shoot, even Vonage (my VoIP provider) is now offering home alarm systems/monitoring over VoIP. Now, rather than take such a low-tech approach as a pair of side-cutters to disable your security and telephone, the potential evil-doer need only launch a DoS attack against your DSL (or cable) modem before leaving their house to head to yours. Oh well, so long as guns are still legal, I'm not losing much sleep.

04 May 2005

"My life is a gift to me from my Creator. What I do with my life is my gift back to the Creator." -Billy Mills

My sister Heidi (a runner, marathon finisher and the best doctor I know) advised me to take the week following my first marathon off from running. I followed her advice to a tee, until today when I was going out of my mind. My conclusion? A short trail run was in order. Let me lay out a few facts before garnering the wrath of my physician and running friends out there.

I felt very good physically after the marathon.
I have had basically no residual soreness post marathon (no more than after any of my long runs). No joint pain. No serious muscle pain. No foot pain (save for one black toe-nail). Blisters are healed. You get the idea.
I find that running helps me tremendously when it comes to sleep, stress, mood, etc. Not to overstate it, but I find it therapeutic. When I don't run I don't sleep well, I feel sluggish, etc.
My legs felt fantastic, and had that "pent up" quality to them.
I had taken a disciplined approach to upping my protein intake, tapering my carbs gradually, so as to allow my body to rebuild post-race.

I began my run easy and slow on the road. It's 1.3 miles from my driveway to the main trail head near my house. While I started my stop-watch when I departed, I paid it no attention during my run. As I ran, my legs really surprised me. They felt inexhaustible (though I certainly didn't test this theory). As I headed into the trails, I made a long (1.2 mile) and steep descent to the base of the first loop and headed on to the bottom (flat) .75 mile loop. Aside from being bored by the flat...I was still feeling quite good. Back to the big loop and up the opposite side I came down I headed into the killer hills with relative comfort. I noticed that while my legs remained strong throughout, my CV performance seemed weaker than usual so I power-walked the steepest part so as not to push things too hard too soon. I don't know if this is a residual effect from the marathon or if it has to do with poor sleep the last couple of nights. At the close of my run (5 1/2 miles in 46 minutes on some wicked hills) I felt fresh; better than when I had left in fact as the cobwebs were gone. Fresh air and the beauty of God's creation does a body good. I love feeling healthy, it is in some strange way reassuring. And while I doubt anyone other than me will bother to read this post, as I told a good friend of mine the other day, I find that I learn a great deal more when I write about even the most trivial experiences of my life. It forces introspection and gives one pause to consider direction.

30 April 2005

Nashville Marathon

My first "official" marathon. 26.2 miles, 3 Elvis impersonators and no mud!

First things first. What gives Earl?!?!? I used my GPS on the drive to Nashville just for grins, the same GPS I loaned you last week. When I went to reset everything (odometer, avg. speed, max speed) I had to take notice of the 133MPH max speed that was recorded. Man alive amigo...were you in a hurry or what!

Well, it's over. I signed up for the half-marathon and I ran it...and then some. As I promised Scot, we ran at his pace and we really enjoyed ourselves. I felt GREAT. My legs were warmed up and felt fresh with no stiffness after mile three. There were just shy of 18,000 people running this year (as of last night at least). Somewhere around mile 8, my legs were aching to stretch out. As Scot and I chatted, I asked him if he'd mind if I went on at the eleven mile marker (the 11 mile mark is where the half-marathon breaks-route from the full). He said he didn't mind and that was that. I made a quick stop at a "Jonny on the Spot" in order to dissect my bib number (my number said "Nashville 1/2 Marathon" in giant print...that just wouldn't do). A few swipes of my pocket knife (the same trusty piece that cut the vine only a week earlier) and I was no longer a 1/2 Marathoner, but a full. As we ran to the 11 mile marker, Scot and I shook hands and parted ways. I felt like a million bucks and reveled in each "hill" that we came to while admittedly taking some pleasure in others suffering (though not outwardly). After running trails with hills that require the use of hands to ascend, the hills that Nashville presented were an opportunity to stretch my legs a bit and take some satisfaction in gaining some ground. I was hoping to catch the 4 hour group, though I didn't think this a reality since they passed Scot and I at mile-marker 6. I was happy to just be running. As time passed, I felt no more tired and experienced no cramps etc. I made several phone calls (Tim, Kim, Carla) and received a few. I tried to snap some photos though most of them blurred (I'll include a few that are "so-so"). I met Carla and the kids as well as Scot, Heidi and Peter at the 22.6 mile mark where I had to shed my thick socks (too much splashing in the puddles which I also took great joy in to the wonderment of those around). After we parted I ran about half a mile when my left hamstring seized completely. I believe it was caused by coming to a complete stop long enough to take my socks off. A quick bit of stretching, and I was on my way again. By mile 24, I was still feeling quite good. I decided to try and run 7 minute miles for the final two. I gradually started picking up speed but forget to mark my split at 24 (good move dummy). At 25 I marked it and took off. I must attribute what happened next to mass quantities of endorphins in my bloodstream and a bit of God's grace as I am not a fast runner. As I began to speed up, I felt stronger...and stronger. The faster I went, the more people rooted me on. Even the other runners were cheering me onward and encouraging me to "stretch it out" and "finish strong". As the mix of "runners high" and kindness of those around me combined, I passed the 26 mile mark. Two-tenths of a mile remained and I was completely oblivious to my surroundings and in what felt like an effortless dead sprint. I may have looked insane as I ran, but I felt like I was covering several yards with each step as I launched as high and far as I could from each step (I had this picture in my mind of a gazelle bounding, though I probably looked for like a fool than an animal). Through my tunnel vision, all I saw was the finish-line and before I knew it I was across. That was it...it was over just like that. As I passed the folks handing out the medals, the gentleman that handed me mine sort of looked at my bib number, smiled and said "here, you need one of these". I appreciate his kindness as he didn't have to give me one since I was registered for the half-marathon. I honestly felt great when I was done as I walked around for a few minutes until I found everyone and we headed for the car. I would like to stress that the support from the volunteer staff as well as the thousands of residents who came out to watch and cheer everyone on was invaluable. I was a bit disappointed that over the course of 26.2 miles I found no mud to stomp around in (just kidding), but I had a great time none the less. I must say that I still like the trails better.They're much harder, but I feel more at home there...and they have real hills.

0445 hours (4:45am) the morning of the run. Just me, my coffee and, well, lots of blue dry-weave.

One of the locals out to "cheer" us on. She was very sweet.

Another local with a big smile and some kind words.

For lack of a phone booth, I had to duck into a porta-potty to undergo my transformation from half-marathoner to full-marathoner...luckily the requisite outfit is the same for both...lots of blue dry-weave.

29 April 2005

It must be the shoes.

It is my understanding and my belief based on experience that every runner has a favorite shoe. If that is true for "flatlanders" (those that runs on smooth paved surfaces), then it is gospel for trail-runners who tolerate terrain that will shred a normal shoe. After ruining more than one pair of regular running shoes by subjecting them to trails (are you reading this Lt. Col.), I invested in a pair of Vasque Velocity Trail Runners (click on the image for more information).

They have received very good ratings from several sources, and I found them on sale for $54 (normally around $90). After my first run in them I was extremely impressed. After my third run, I was enamored. These shoes are amazing to say the least. If you're looking for a trail shoe and don't need Goretex, I can't recommend the Velocity highly enough. I just ordered two additional pair for myself and a pair of women's for Carla. We'll get her opinion after she's put them through their paces. I hope that someone finds this helpful.

28 April 2005

This is what it's all about.

This past Saturday, Carla and I planned to head out to the Chubb Trail (a 14 mile trail a short drive from the house) for her first "real" trail run/walk. The day started very dreary and cold, but by 3pm when we arrived at the trail, the clouds were starting to abate. The trail winds around through the hills and limestone cliffs along Hwy 44 for some time until it dives down into the Meremac River valley. Given the amount of rain lately, we were figuring on the valley (and a portion of the trail) being impassable, but we decided to run until we had to turn back. Carla set the pace and we set off on intervals of speed-walking and jogging as her legs allowed (keep in mind, for those of you who haven't been on this trail, the hills are brutal. For most of the readers, walking the entire trail would be impossible). As we tooled along, we came to our first mile-marker sign. Carla was none too pleased that we had only covered 1 mile as it "felt like 3". Yes....indeed. As time passed, we enjoyed the scenery and took pleasure in the fact that the sun had come out from behind the clouds entirely. As we descended into the river valley we traversed a long low field, crossed our first rail-road crossing and headed into the woods where the trail runs along the river. At this point the trail splits into a "high-water" and "low-water" route. It was obvious (from the splashing rapids) that the low-water route was not an option so we cut right onto the high-water. About a hundred yards down the high-water trail, I stomped directly on a very large (and subsequently very unhappy) snake of some sort. He wasted no time in departing, and I wasted no time in commenting that there were probably hundreds in the fields due to the flooding. Carla was delighted. As we ran on, I spotted two enormous Great Blue Heron about 75 yards inland from the high-water trail. Not a good sign, since Heron feed in swampy areas. Indeed, the high-water trail was under several feet of water. The trail at this point is sandwiched between the river and the rail-road tracks that we had crossed earlier. We (well, I say we, but it was probably more me) decided that rather than turn back we would find a way to go around the flooded part of the trail. The rail-road tracks represent the highest ground in the area, and we (again with this we stuff) decided to forge our way to them to get around the flooding. As we tread through knee high grass with an inch or so of water, even I grew concerned about snakes (as the area is well known for it's "Cottonmouth" population) so I grabbed a stick and "troubled the waters" in front of where we stepped. Finally we reached the trickling stream that is between the trail and the rail tracks (just at the base of the embankment on which the tracks run). Though the water in the stream wasn't flowing, it was no longer a stream. We went up and down it looking for a place to cross with no luck. At it's narrowest point it was about 10ft. across. We couldn't determine the depth aside from Carla grabbing a long stick and shoving it toward the bottom without touching to determine that it was "really deep". Then, genius struck. I spied a large (3" in diameter or so) vine hanging from a very healthy tree placed perfectly so as to be "tarzaned". I took out my pocket knife and started cutting. After a few minutes (to my surprise) I had gnawed through it successfully. Carla wished me luck and I swung across to a perfect landing on the opposite bank. I threw the vine back across to Carla and she followed with an equally painless arrival. We marked the spot with a trail marker and in my GPS (which is a good thing since we missed it completely on the way back) and headed down the service road along the tracks until we reached the main trail again where it re-crosses the tracks. We traveled with great speed to the end of the trail (and the 7 mile marker). We took a short break and then headed back the way we came. A few miles (and another snake) later, we came back to our "river crossing" (with the help of the GPS) and found our vine where we had left it wrapped around another vine. This time Carla wanted to cross first so that she could snap a picture with my digital camera of me swinging across. I handed her the vine and the camera and away she want. As she reached the other side, she landed exactly where she had intended...on a bunch of floating sticks. Needless to say, they didn't support her...it was more of a breaking/sinking action and her feet got wet...followed by her legs, torso, upper body and finally hair. Keep in mind that the river water in Missouri in April is somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 degrees (actually it was 47 degrees that day according to the US Army Corps of Engineers), and the air temp (minus the steady 20mph wind that had been blowing all day) was around 58. As I fished her out of the creek (and admittedly chuckled a bit) she was not pleased. I would later comment that it was unfortunate that we didn't have a bicycle with us as that's all that she lacked for a triathlon. We got her back on her feet and got a sweatshirt on her and decided to find a quicker and drier route back to the car. It was still about 4.5 miles, but we got her back in one piece. The real downer is that we STILL don't know how deep that creek was as she never did touch bottom. I guess next time we'll have to take a longer stick.

PS. Carla's a good sport, and she's looking forward to the next time we go on the trail. She has also apologized for laughing at me when I fell and got the tar beat out of me on the same trail a couple of months ago, just in case this was a karmic thing.

Her first attempt at the water crossing was not only successful, it was fun (as demonstrated by the smile on her face).

Me. Looking especially sporty I might add. Kind of disappointing how the "steps" in the background look like their very small and at about head height.

Again, scale is tough to judge. The "steps" that you see mid-way up this hill are about 50 feet up from where I'm standing.

Somewhere under all that water (the flooded Meramec River) is the high-water trail. I'd estimate it's about 15 - 20 feet under water.

We had to take a detour around the main trail as even the "high-water" trail was under about 20ft. of water.

I thought this little waterfall was pretty enough to snap a picture of. It's tought to judge scale in pictures like this, though this is quite small.