In California you register your car and get your license renewed at the Department of Motor Vehicles. This is the place where you go in, fill out some forms, wait in line for ten years, step over the bodies of the people in line in front of you who died of starvation or old age, then finally get to the front in time for a surly clerk to say you filled out the wrong form, forgot some other vital paperwork, need a DNA sample to prove your identity, or leave your first born for collateral. And if you don't have a first born, decide which limb you can most easily live without.
Texas is a little different. I have yet to experience DMV, but to register your car you need to go to the local tax office. I was stuck in line as expected, but for maybe fifteen or twenty minutes. I then spoke to a pleasant woman who took care of everything, and at the end I was surprised to be handed my registration sticker and new license plates.
Having proper Texas plates will make me feel a little less conspicuous. California has a well earned bad reputation for rudeness, arrogance, and being way out of touch with reality, and I kept feeling having their plates on my car was akin to painting a target on it. I'm not sure what to do with the old plates, though borrowing my neighbor's shotgun is sounding like a good option.
My only disappointment was not being given a pair of longhorns to attach to the front of my car. But to be honest, I'm not sure longhorns on the front of a Toyota Corolla would look quite right.
Speaking of shooting, how about that amazing display by the Navy SEALS in rescuing Richard Phillips? First of all, Captain Phillips is to be commended for volunteering to be a captive so his crew could go free, and then trying to escape. That is one brave man! And then there's the SEAL sharpshooters firing three shots, at night, at a small boat that was probably bobbing in the water. The result? Three fewer pirates, one rescued hostage.
You can be almost certain there will be a movie made of this. And for once there will be no need to embellish anything, it was dramatic enough from start to finish.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
Can We Be Civil?
I stopped listening to talk radio sometime ago, and now restrict who I read for political opinions. The reason isn't because I want to stick my head in the sand and ignore the world, it's because intelligent, civil discourse is sadly a thing of the past. In an effort to grab attention and therefore ratings and sponsors, pundits of both the left and right keep lowering the bar of frothing at the mouth rants until that bar is underground.
I find the pompous, ill informed Rush Limbaugh to be little more than a boring blowhard. I've never bothered with Sean Hannity. Ann Coulter is just plain mean spirited and nasty, besides being an anorexic crone, while I will admit Michael Savage's rants are captivating in the same way as viewing a car wreck, you just can't tear yourself away. There's also the perverse interest in when one of his apoplectic ravings will result in an on the air aneurysm. The left also has their share of boorish cretins. Can anyone say Michael Moore?
My own views are mostly centrist to fairly conservative. But try to find someone who can state their views in the media no matter what their leanings are without resorting to childish tantrums and name calling. This started back when Bill Clinton was in office. One would think he had cloven hooves and had replaced the presidential seal in the Oval Office with a pentagram from listening to talk show hosts at the time. Personally I thought he did some good things, starting with actually balancing the Federal budget. The Monica Lewinsky scandal was the result of the arrogance and bad judgment that so often comes with power. He could had headed off the impeachment if he had just levelled with his family and the country at the beginning, but he foolishly fell into the trap the leaders of the Republican Party had set out.
The left got their revenge with George Bush. I still feel the Iraq war never should have been fought. The 911 attackers were based in Afghanistan, and that is the country that always should have been our military focus. I had many other disagreements about his policies, but the attacks on him personally did nothing to resolve any issues facing this country.
And now the same thing is going on with Obama. I have major reservations with his policies, starting with his assumption that the government will solve everything, especially the economy. He's only been in office for a few months, yet already pundits are openly accusing him of being a fascist and comparing him to Mussolini.
Excuse me? Obama equals one of the most brutal dictators of our time? I don't think so. He comes across as a decent guy, and he is trying, though it is way too early to tell how effective of a president he'll be. But openly hoping he will fail as Rush Limbaugh has stated is the height of idiocy. A failed presidency is a failed country.
What people are quick to forget is Obama was legally elected. If you voted for him, fine. If you didn't, deal with it. If you abstained from voting for a presidential candidate as I did, still deal with it.
And when I do want to read the opinions of others, I've found the best collection of intelligent, reasonable writers can be found in the Washington Post. They cover the spectrum from left to right, with most being somewhere in the middle. For outstanding writing, the best in my opinion is George Will. You often need a dictionary to decipher his expansive vocabulary, and I admit there are many times I disagree with him. But he does his research, forms his arguments logically, and states his opinons without personal attacks. He's no fan of Obama, but he doesn't think he's the Antichrist.
I find the pompous, ill informed Rush Limbaugh to be little more than a boring blowhard. I've never bothered with Sean Hannity. Ann Coulter is just plain mean spirited and nasty, besides being an anorexic crone, while I will admit Michael Savage's rants are captivating in the same way as viewing a car wreck, you just can't tear yourself away. There's also the perverse interest in when one of his apoplectic ravings will result in an on the air aneurysm. The left also has their share of boorish cretins. Can anyone say Michael Moore?
My own views are mostly centrist to fairly conservative. But try to find someone who can state their views in the media no matter what their leanings are without resorting to childish tantrums and name calling. This started back when Bill Clinton was in office. One would think he had cloven hooves and had replaced the presidential seal in the Oval Office with a pentagram from listening to talk show hosts at the time. Personally I thought he did some good things, starting with actually balancing the Federal budget. The Monica Lewinsky scandal was the result of the arrogance and bad judgment that so often comes with power. He could had headed off the impeachment if he had just levelled with his family and the country at the beginning, but he foolishly fell into the trap the leaders of the Republican Party had set out.
The left got their revenge with George Bush. I still feel the Iraq war never should have been fought. The 911 attackers were based in Afghanistan, and that is the country that always should have been our military focus. I had many other disagreements about his policies, but the attacks on him personally did nothing to resolve any issues facing this country.
And now the same thing is going on with Obama. I have major reservations with his policies, starting with his assumption that the government will solve everything, especially the economy. He's only been in office for a few months, yet already pundits are openly accusing him of being a fascist and comparing him to Mussolini.
Excuse me? Obama equals one of the most brutal dictators of our time? I don't think so. He comes across as a decent guy, and he is trying, though it is way too early to tell how effective of a president he'll be. But openly hoping he will fail as Rush Limbaugh has stated is the height of idiocy. A failed presidency is a failed country.
What people are quick to forget is Obama was legally elected. If you voted for him, fine. If you didn't, deal with it. If you abstained from voting for a presidential candidate as I did, still deal with it.
And when I do want to read the opinions of others, I've found the best collection of intelligent, reasonable writers can be found in the Washington Post. They cover the spectrum from left to right, with most being somewhere in the middle. For outstanding writing, the best in my opinion is George Will. You often need a dictionary to decipher his expansive vocabulary, and I admit there are many times I disagree with him. But he does his research, forms his arguments logically, and states his opinons without personal attacks. He's no fan of Obama, but he doesn't think he's the Antichrist.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
At Least The Wheels Were Round
I've only owned four cars in my life, a 1971 Mazda RX-2, a 1974 Mazda RX-4, a 1985 Honda Civic and a 1993 Toyota Corolla. I have a lifelong fascination with cars, but obviously when it comes to actually owning one, I don't place a lot of value on having the latest and greatest. Of the four, my favorite was the Civic. It was a hatchback with an amazing amount of space, easy on gas, (it averaged almost 42 mpg on a cross country trip), very reliable and the handling was phenomenal. Unfortunately my ex wife drove it into the ground, and with her driving style, that was almost literally.
The two Mazdas were early rotary engine models, fun to drive but reliability left something to be desired. I sold the RX-2 to my dad, who found his mechanical skills came in handy enough to keep me from being written out of the will. The RX-4 was better, though it eventually became the guinea pig for learning the basics of auto mechanics. I learned how to rebuild carburetors, (yes, cars actually came with those at one time), change brake pads, and scour junkyards for spare parts. Because I swear Mazda sold maybe nine RX-4's, most auto stores didn't stock many spare parts.
My biggest worry was coming out of a junkyard to find someone canabilizing my car thinking it was part of the trashed car collection. It's nickname was &!@#$*^ (not going to translate, gotta keep this blog at least PG rated), in its later years. I finally donated it to Salvation Army, and I swear on all that is holy only three weeks later I saw it being driven in Fremont. I just hope it hasn't followed me to Texas.
My current ride is the Corolla, which continues to perk along quite nicely. When I do finally replace it, I'll probably look at another Toyota since I've had very good luck with this one.
Some ask if I would think of buying an American design.
Probably not.
I've had several GM, Ford and Chrysler cars for rentals over the years, and in general they do not overly impress me. GM cars especially seem to have the right pieces at least, but not enough of them. For example, I recently had a Chevy Cobalt for a week. The car had good power, decent handling and brakes, and seemed rather well built. But the seats provided little lower back support, meaning it got uncomfortable after an hour or so. GM's other idea for a small car is the Aveo, which I thought was atrocious, cheap and made no bones about it.
GM does make some good cars, and the Corvette is an institution. But a small, well built economy car that doesn't feel cheap is not one of their offerings. They are also way too slow in reacting to the marketplace. While car sales for everyone is down, companies like Toyota and Honda can take solace in knowing if sales of say the Avalon, Tundra and Maxima are off because gas is too expensive, they can fall back on the Corolla and Sentra to keep them going.
GM on the other hand keeps on churning out huge SUV's in hopes the fickle tastes of the public will change before there's too much of a glut of these behemoths on the market. And when that doesn't happen, they don't have much of a fall back plan. Now they're pinning hopes on the Volt, an upcoming plug in hybrid management is convinced will save the company. Several problems, first it's going to be expensive, average price will be close to $35,000. Second, I think it's shape is hideous. More importantly is its technology is a huge gamble and may not work that well in real world conditions. The lithium batteries it will use produce a lot of heat, so they'll have to be well shielded. Finally, no one knows yet just how economical it will be. It just may get amazing gas mileage, but that could be canceled out by the amount of electricity it'll need to be recharged at home.
Also, Toyota and Honda are also working on plug in hybrids, and could launch them in time to steal the Volt's thunder. Still it is an intriguing concept, but GM's desperation that it will be the savior of the company could leave people too cynical to give it a chance.
But even though it is very unlikely I would buy a GM product, (or Chrysler or Ford, though I love the looks of the Mustang), I want them to succeed. The ripple effects of one or more of them going under would be devastating to an already shaky economy. But it's up to the companies themselves, and not the federal government, to make the adjustments needed. That means getting products out that are more flexible in meeting the demands of the marketplace.
I'm now thinking of the future, like maybe five years from now when the merger of Chrysler and Fiat produces a redesign of the Dodge Charger... on the Fiat 500 chassis. Now that I would buy!
The two Mazdas were early rotary engine models, fun to drive but reliability left something to be desired. I sold the RX-2 to my dad, who found his mechanical skills came in handy enough to keep me from being written out of the will. The RX-4 was better, though it eventually became the guinea pig for learning the basics of auto mechanics. I learned how to rebuild carburetors, (yes, cars actually came with those at one time), change brake pads, and scour junkyards for spare parts. Because I swear Mazda sold maybe nine RX-4's, most auto stores didn't stock many spare parts.
My biggest worry was coming out of a junkyard to find someone canabilizing my car thinking it was part of the trashed car collection. It's nickname was &!@#$*^ (not going to translate, gotta keep this blog at least PG rated), in its later years. I finally donated it to Salvation Army, and I swear on all that is holy only three weeks later I saw it being driven in Fremont. I just hope it hasn't followed me to Texas.
My current ride is the Corolla, which continues to perk along quite nicely. When I do finally replace it, I'll probably look at another Toyota since I've had very good luck with this one.
Some ask if I would think of buying an American design.
Probably not.
I've had several GM, Ford and Chrysler cars for rentals over the years, and in general they do not overly impress me. GM cars especially seem to have the right pieces at least, but not enough of them. For example, I recently had a Chevy Cobalt for a week. The car had good power, decent handling and brakes, and seemed rather well built. But the seats provided little lower back support, meaning it got uncomfortable after an hour or so. GM's other idea for a small car is the Aveo, which I thought was atrocious, cheap and made no bones about it.
GM does make some good cars, and the Corvette is an institution. But a small, well built economy car that doesn't feel cheap is not one of their offerings. They are also way too slow in reacting to the marketplace. While car sales for everyone is down, companies like Toyota and Honda can take solace in knowing if sales of say the Avalon, Tundra and Maxima are off because gas is too expensive, they can fall back on the Corolla and Sentra to keep them going.
GM on the other hand keeps on churning out huge SUV's in hopes the fickle tastes of the public will change before there's too much of a glut of these behemoths on the market. And when that doesn't happen, they don't have much of a fall back plan. Now they're pinning hopes on the Volt, an upcoming plug in hybrid management is convinced will save the company. Several problems, first it's going to be expensive, average price will be close to $35,000. Second, I think it's shape is hideous. More importantly is its technology is a huge gamble and may not work that well in real world conditions. The lithium batteries it will use produce a lot of heat, so they'll have to be well shielded. Finally, no one knows yet just how economical it will be. It just may get amazing gas mileage, but that could be canceled out by the amount of electricity it'll need to be recharged at home.
Also, Toyota and Honda are also working on plug in hybrids, and could launch them in time to steal the Volt's thunder. Still it is an intriguing concept, but GM's desperation that it will be the savior of the company could leave people too cynical to give it a chance.
But even though it is very unlikely I would buy a GM product, (or Chrysler or Ford, though I love the looks of the Mustang), I want them to succeed. The ripple effects of one or more of them going under would be devastating to an already shaky economy. But it's up to the companies themselves, and not the federal government, to make the adjustments needed. That means getting products out that are more flexible in meeting the demands of the marketplace.
I'm now thinking of the future, like maybe five years from now when the merger of Chrysler and Fiat produces a redesign of the Dodge Charger... on the Fiat 500 chassis. Now that I would buy!
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Slogans
Last Sunday my wife and I attended the German Heritage Festival in old town Tomball. This area was settled in the late 1800's mostly by German immigrants and their influence is still seen today, mostly in place names. I imagine there were some cultural adjustments when these folks found themselves in Texas though. "Ja, this strudel tastes awful with barbecue sauce, and what do you mean you're not supposed to yodel while calling out a square dance?"
We had a good time, and also got our ears talked off by a railroad enthusiast at the restored Tomball rail station. I've always dreamed of building a model railroad, but despite the house being a decent size, it would involve sacrificing a room. Plus it isn't a cheap hobby. So I'll just keep that dream only a dream.
One thing I learned is Tomball has an official slogan, "Hometown With A Heart." That's a nice slogan, and appropriate for this town. Despite rapid growth and ambitious future plans, the idea is for Tomball to be prosperous but not lose it's small town feel. That means keep the relaxed pace of life, the friendliness, and good manners people tend to show.
This had me thinking of the last place I lived in, Redwood City, California. I've never been in such a pretentious, sterile, lifeless city in my life. It's official slogan is, "Climate Best By Government Test."
What the hell is that supposed to mean? Best I could find out is it was the outcome of climate tests run by the government during World War I. Redwood City was supposed to have an ideal climate. Ideal for what was never revealed, but then we are talking about a government study and they're not supposed to make sense.
I think something more appropriate would be, "Sitting On The San Andreas Fault Waiting For The Big One," or "We Can't Have A Heart Because Larry Ellison Is Here."
We had a good time, and also got our ears talked off by a railroad enthusiast at the restored Tomball rail station. I've always dreamed of building a model railroad, but despite the house being a decent size, it would involve sacrificing a room. Plus it isn't a cheap hobby. So I'll just keep that dream only a dream.
One thing I learned is Tomball has an official slogan, "Hometown With A Heart." That's a nice slogan, and appropriate for this town. Despite rapid growth and ambitious future plans, the idea is for Tomball to be prosperous but not lose it's small town feel. That means keep the relaxed pace of life, the friendliness, and good manners people tend to show.
This had me thinking of the last place I lived in, Redwood City, California. I've never been in such a pretentious, sterile, lifeless city in my life. It's official slogan is, "Climate Best By Government Test."
What the hell is that supposed to mean? Best I could find out is it was the outcome of climate tests run by the government during World War I. Redwood City was supposed to have an ideal climate. Ideal for what was never revealed, but then we are talking about a government study and they're not supposed to make sense.
I think something more appropriate would be, "Sitting On The San Andreas Fault Waiting For The Big One," or "We Can't Have A Heart Because Larry Ellison Is Here."
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Twelve O'Clock High
A few miles from me is Hooks Airport, a rather good sized municipal facility that caters mostly to private planes, but is large enough to handle corporate jets. So it's pretty common to hear planes overhead, with the occasional helicopter. I've always loved airplanes and enjoy watching them in flight. This past Saturday we had a special treat. The Collings Foundation, http://www.collingsfoundation.org/menu.htm is an organization dedicated to purchasing and restoring to flying condition rare aircraft from bygone eras. This is a group passionate about preserving aviation history, and more than willing to share it with others.
So my wife and I headed over on a chilly, overcast day to take part in aviation nostalgia. Parked at Hooks were WWII relics, a B-17 and B-24 bomber, and TF-51 trainer version of the famous P-51 Mustang. For a fee you could climb inside the bombers and be transported back in time. The weather was appropriate, as it was often wet and dreary at bases in England, where young men were preparing for dangerous missions that would make them old men by the time they got back. The two bombers were especially impressive. Though state of the art at the time, it was clear that inside they were cramped, uncomfortable and noisy.
It was something standing behind a waist gun, pointing it at the sky and trying to envision the fear of a man perhaps only a few months removed from his home, family and sweetheart While trying to steady his nerves he knew deep inside with each mission the odds were mounting against his survival. Yet he knew his job, and was determined to survive. He knew at any minute, the enemy's young men would skillfully fly nimble fighters to try to shoot his plane down. Young men who also knew their job and were determined to survive. Young men he didn't even know would be trying to kill him, young men he would quite probably enjoy the company of and become friends with if it wasn't for the insanity of their leaders inciting them.
It is possible to arrange for rides in these planes, but unfortunately the fee is out of my budget. But it's something I know my Dad would have enjoyed. Though he flew in B-29's, he knew quite well about the B-24 and B-17. I could imagine him entertaining the pilot with stories, and then announce, "Let me show you how to use the Norden bombsight." Supposedly the most accurate bombsight ever invented, it was claimed you could aim a bomb so it would drop inside a pickle barrel, though why anyone would consider that to be a target is beyond me.
Then knowing my dad's sense of humor, he would have then muttered something about arming the bombs on board then bringing out his list of various miscreants he wanted to pay a visit to.
So my wife and I headed over on a chilly, overcast day to take part in aviation nostalgia. Parked at Hooks were WWII relics, a B-17 and B-24 bomber, and TF-51 trainer version of the famous P-51 Mustang. For a fee you could climb inside the bombers and be transported back in time. The weather was appropriate, as it was often wet and dreary at bases in England, where young men were preparing for dangerous missions that would make them old men by the time they got back. The two bombers were especially impressive. Though state of the art at the time, it was clear that inside they were cramped, uncomfortable and noisy.
It was something standing behind a waist gun, pointing it at the sky and trying to envision the fear of a man perhaps only a few months removed from his home, family and sweetheart While trying to steady his nerves he knew deep inside with each mission the odds were mounting against his survival. Yet he knew his job, and was determined to survive. He knew at any minute, the enemy's young men would skillfully fly nimble fighters to try to shoot his plane down. Young men who also knew their job and were determined to survive. Young men he didn't even know would be trying to kill him, young men he would quite probably enjoy the company of and become friends with if it wasn't for the insanity of their leaders inciting them.
It is possible to arrange for rides in these planes, but unfortunately the fee is out of my budget. But it's something I know my Dad would have enjoyed. Though he flew in B-29's, he knew quite well about the B-24 and B-17. I could imagine him entertaining the pilot with stories, and then announce, "Let me show you how to use the Norden bombsight." Supposedly the most accurate bombsight ever invented, it was claimed you could aim a bomb so it would drop inside a pickle barrel, though why anyone would consider that to be a target is beyond me.
Then knowing my dad's sense of humor, he would have then muttered something about arming the bombs on board then bringing out his list of various miscreants he wanted to pay a visit to.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Readers Comments
No, not on this blog, though I've been tempted to write a bunch myself to make it look like someone is actually reading it. But then again I'm not looking for fame or fortune. My motivation for starting a blog is simply to have fun and express whatever comes to mind at the moment.
And at this moment it's some observations on online news. In particular, my favorite part of online news, reader comments on stories. In the past, the only way to express your reaction to a news article was to write a letter to the editor, then hope that editor would see fit to put your missive into print. Granted what was often published was complete nonsense, but you could then proudly point to your local newspaper and say, "See, I just made a complete fool of myself in print!"
With the advent of the Internet, most online newspapers now allow anyone to make a comment. The beauty of this is you don't have the agony of spending hours writing a letter to the editor then never seeing it because let's face it, a newspaper receives hundreds of these letters each day, and can only print a few because of space limitations.
A comment could also be made about the space limitations between the ears of many letter writers, but that's besides the point. Now, thanks to technology, it is possible for a single story to have hundreds of comments. Meaning every crackpot and cynic can now share his or her opinions with the world.
Which is why reader comments are usually the most entertaining part of reading the news.
Today the Houston Chronicle has a story on Russia possibly basing bombers in Venezuela and Cuba. Considering most of the bombers left in their inventory are old, slow and lumbering, but still impressively large, it looks like if this happens it will be for political and propaganda reasons. In other words, nothing to lose sleep over. However, a couple of readers had an interesting exchange:
America's day of reckoning is underway... it obvious to anyone whom has been in military intelligence that the Russians are restaging another invasion of America.
Am I missing something or did I sleep through the last Russian invasion of America? The next commenter set things straight:
Hey, take your Yankee butt back home no true Texan would be worried if Russia Invaded it would be an opportunity for target practice.
Only a real Texan can cut to the chase like that.
And at this moment it's some observations on online news. In particular, my favorite part of online news, reader comments on stories. In the past, the only way to express your reaction to a news article was to write a letter to the editor, then hope that editor would see fit to put your missive into print. Granted what was often published was complete nonsense, but you could then proudly point to your local newspaper and say, "See, I just made a complete fool of myself in print!"
With the advent of the Internet, most online newspapers now allow anyone to make a comment. The beauty of this is you don't have the agony of spending hours writing a letter to the editor then never seeing it because let's face it, a newspaper receives hundreds of these letters each day, and can only print a few because of space limitations.
A comment could also be made about the space limitations between the ears of many letter writers, but that's besides the point. Now, thanks to technology, it is possible for a single story to have hundreds of comments. Meaning every crackpot and cynic can now share his or her opinions with the world.
Which is why reader comments are usually the most entertaining part of reading the news.
Today the Houston Chronicle has a story on Russia possibly basing bombers in Venezuela and Cuba. Considering most of the bombers left in their inventory are old, slow and lumbering, but still impressively large, it looks like if this happens it will be for political and propaganda reasons. In other words, nothing to lose sleep over. However, a couple of readers had an interesting exchange:
America's day of reckoning is underway... it obvious to anyone whom has been in military intelligence that the Russians are restaging another invasion of America.
Am I missing something or did I sleep through the last Russian invasion of America? The next commenter set things straight:
Hey, take your Yankee butt back home no true Texan would be worried if Russia Invaded it would be an opportunity for target practice.
Only a real Texan can cut to the chase like that.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Randomness
... which explains my thought process much of the time. While it is possible for me to concentrate on the task at hand, (or in the case of my latest hobby project, building Revell's immense and impressive U.S.S. Constitution, the task is bits and pieces that mysteriously vanish when I need them, more on that later), quite often I find my mind drawn off in tangents. I've always had a vivid imagination, and many times wanted to either daydream of engage in some activity such as writing, painting, or model building rather than what I was doing at the time. Since the task interfering with what I really wanted to be doing was usually work or school, my flights of fantasy were hardly practical.
When I was working evenings and weekends were looked forward to with great enthusiasm as it meant the time and freedom to pursue more creative ventures. Now that I'm retired, I view each day with the same enthusiasm. Yet even now there is a balancing act. After the first month, I started feeling an emptiness, that I had outlived my usefulness in some capacities. When I was at EPA, I was a database administrator and ran the show. I had national recognition, respect, and truly enjoyed my work.
Once that was gone, I felt adrift in some ways, as my career was something I had built on my own, and it gave me a badly needed focus. Fortunately, I've found new activities, one of which is a continuation of my career, to fill that void. I started my own company to contract out my data management services, and just a week ago signed my first contract. It's a good feeling to be continuing the work I liked, and of course getting paid for it is also good motivation! I'm also taking a class in 3D modeling at Lonestar College in town. I love computer graphics, and while I can manipulate preset models to my liking, I've always been interested in creating my own from scratch.
So far the results are not exactly world beaters, but I'm learning the basic concepts and will be able to pick up more and more with experience. The only down side is the software I'm learning on, Autodesk's 3DStudio Max is very capable, but if I want my own copy it will cost four thousand big ones. I'm looking for cheaper alternatives naturally.
I also got back into model building. I had built several wood model ships when I was back in California, but didn't have the space to build or display any aircraft or anything else. So now that I have that room, I've gotten back into what unfortunately is a shrinking hobby. Too few youngsters these days have the patience or desire to build anything. But I still enjoy it. One of my prize possessions from the past was the Constitution. My Dad built one years ago and thoroughly enjoyed the challenge. I yearned to try it myself, then finally got up the courage to try. It was frustrating at times as the kit has a multitude of tiny parts, plus being plastic it was fragile. Plus it is easy to warp the masts when rigging.
But it was a great lesson in concentration and perseverence. I kept my random thoughts while working on it to fantasies of leading it into battle. Alas, I ended up leaving it behind when I moved out of my townhouse in Fremont, and I can take for granted it did not last long afterwards. So shortly after moving to Texas I mail ordered a new one, and relived the pleasures, and patience trying frustrations, of building it again. And it is turning out rather well. It'll never win any competitions, but I'm satisfied with it. The only sad part is wishing I could once again call my Dad to share our experiences in building it.
After it's finished, I'll take a break from ships to tackle some airplane projects. Of course I'll have to discipline myself to do this at an appropriate time, while working on a paying customer's project is not a good idea if I plan on staying in business.
But there is one other item I must add, the most important part of my life, the constant encouragement, stimulation, and love from my precious wife.
When I was working evenings and weekends were looked forward to with great enthusiasm as it meant the time and freedom to pursue more creative ventures. Now that I'm retired, I view each day with the same enthusiasm. Yet even now there is a balancing act. After the first month, I started feeling an emptiness, that I had outlived my usefulness in some capacities. When I was at EPA, I was a database administrator and ran the show. I had national recognition, respect, and truly enjoyed my work.
Once that was gone, I felt adrift in some ways, as my career was something I had built on my own, and it gave me a badly needed focus. Fortunately, I've found new activities, one of which is a continuation of my career, to fill that void. I started my own company to contract out my data management services, and just a week ago signed my first contract. It's a good feeling to be continuing the work I liked, and of course getting paid for it is also good motivation! I'm also taking a class in 3D modeling at Lonestar College in town. I love computer graphics, and while I can manipulate preset models to my liking, I've always been interested in creating my own from scratch.
So far the results are not exactly world beaters, but I'm learning the basic concepts and will be able to pick up more and more with experience. The only down side is the software I'm learning on, Autodesk's 3DStudio Max is very capable, but if I want my own copy it will cost four thousand big ones. I'm looking for cheaper alternatives naturally.
I also got back into model building. I had built several wood model ships when I was back in California, but didn't have the space to build or display any aircraft or anything else. So now that I have that room, I've gotten back into what unfortunately is a shrinking hobby. Too few youngsters these days have the patience or desire to build anything. But I still enjoy it. One of my prize possessions from the past was the Constitution. My Dad built one years ago and thoroughly enjoyed the challenge. I yearned to try it myself, then finally got up the courage to try. It was frustrating at times as the kit has a multitude of tiny parts, plus being plastic it was fragile. Plus it is easy to warp the masts when rigging.
But it was a great lesson in concentration and perseverence. I kept my random thoughts while working on it to fantasies of leading it into battle. Alas, I ended up leaving it behind when I moved out of my townhouse in Fremont, and I can take for granted it did not last long afterwards. So shortly after moving to Texas I mail ordered a new one, and relived the pleasures, and patience trying frustrations, of building it again. And it is turning out rather well. It'll never win any competitions, but I'm satisfied with it. The only sad part is wishing I could once again call my Dad to share our experiences in building it.
After it's finished, I'll take a break from ships to tackle some airplane projects. Of course I'll have to discipline myself to do this at an appropriate time, while working on a paying customer's project is not a good idea if I plan on staying in business.
But there is one other item I must add, the most important part of my life, the constant encouragement, stimulation, and love from my precious wife.
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