Sunday, February 26, 2012

Old Man, She Said

"Old man," she said, "have you lived so long and forgotten so much that you dont remember anything you ever knew or felt or even heard about..........?"

Tomorrow I will be 67 years old. I was raised on a farm till 14. Then a small town. I escaped to college under the guise of being a missionary which was the only acceptable reason for going except teaching and everybody knew I couldn't do that. I have been in 16 countries and lived in three of them. I have been a farmer, electrician, crop duster swamper, waiter, newspaper printer, editor, soldier, intelligence analyst, linguist, hunter of men, student, teacher, a bureaucrat, consultant, civil rights advocate, geographer, husband, and father. Some other stuff too. I have been to every State in the United States. Most of them multiple times. As a young man I have actually flown 75% around the globe. I have over a thousand hours of inflight time and I now refuse to get on airplane. I take a total of 22 doctor prescribed pills each day for seven different systems that are malfunctioning. I read, I write, I make things, I fix things. I watch over and take care of those I love.

Although I am statistically beyond the median life span of in-country Vietnam veterans, I plan to live much much longer. So i highly recommend to my children that they each construct an outside house or facility where I can live that portion that chose to live with them when i am not traveling.

I am 67 tomorrow.

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Combat Infantry Badge

When I was in Nam attached to the First Infantry Division as part of an ASA company (aka Radio Research) that wasn't there, one thing I coveted was the CIB Badge: Combat Infantry Badge. Hell I'd been in two fire fights, dodged god knows how many mortars and rockets, even tried to dig VC out of tunnels (me, from the outside mid you). I wore the Big Red One patch but because of who we were and where we weren't I could never qualify for the CIB, maybe rightfully so. I only lived it some little of the time, the grunt lived it 24/7/365 until they died or went home.

Sorry as I get older these things, among others, slip out. I guess it was because I was explaining to people about protecting those grunts from the zealots in Afghanistan with an Obama apology. The only way we can share these wars like we need too is to reinstate the draft, but without defferement or frivolous exception like GW Bush, Dick Cheney, & Bill Clinton got.

The Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) is the U.S. Army combat service recognition decoration awarded to soldiers—enlisted men and officers (commissioned and warrant) holding colonel rank or below, whopersonally fought in active ground combat while an assigned member of either an infantry or a Special Forces unit, of brigade size or smaller, any time after 6 December 1941.

There are specific criteria to earn a CIB and to get it listed on your DD-214. Some Units in recent wars are said to give them out like candy. I doubt that. Maybe some, but not many. It doesn't matter really, If you have a CIB and have not earned it you know it.

God bless the Grunts who have.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

The Shepherd's Beaked Whale

Those days when something completely new comes into view are good days. This is a good day.

SYDNEY, February 23, 2012 (AFP) - Australian researchers Thursday revealed they had filmed a pod of extremely rare Shepherd's beaked whales for the first time ever.

The Australian Antarctic Division team was tracking blue whales off the coast of Victoria state last month when they spotted the reclusive mammals, which are so rarely seen that no population estimates of the species exist.

Voyage leader Michael Double said the black and cream-coloured mammals with prominent dolphin-like beaks had been spotted in the wild only a handful of times through history.

According to the Australian environment department, there have only been two previous confirmed sightings -- a lone individual in New Zealand and a group of three in Western Australia.

They have never been filmed live before.

There are 21 species described to date the beaked whales are one of the most species rich cetacean groups.

"These animals are practically entirely known from stranded dead whales, and there haven't been many of them," Double told AFP, calling the footage "unique".

"They are an offshore animal, occupying deep water, and when they surface it is only for a very short period of time."

Double said what was remarkable about the sighting was that the whale was previously thought to be a solitary creature, yet was in a pod of 10 to 12.

"To find them in a pod is very exciting and will change the guide books. Our two whale experts will now carefully study the footage to work out the whale sizes and so on and prepare a scientific paper."

The Shepherd's beaked whale, also known as the Tasman beaked whale, was discovered in 1937 but little is known about them.

To learn more about the 21 species of beaked whale start with The Beaked Whale Resource.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

A Prescription For The Eye Of Horus

Some days I find myself tracking a thing until I follow its trail back to its den where I have to then dig it out. The RX symbol as an eye is one of those things. By now I am no longer surprised when I have to follow something all the way back to Egypt.

The Eye of Horus is an ancient Egyptian symbol of protection, royal power and good health. The eye is personified in the goddess Wadjet (also written as Wedjat,Uadjet, Wedjoyet, Edjo or Utos The Eye of Ra) or "Udjat" The name Wadjet is derived from "wadj" meaning "green" hence "the green one" and was known to the Greeks and Romans as "uraeus" from the Egyptian "iaret" meaning "risen one" from the image of a cobra rising up in protection.

The Eye of Horus was believed to have healing and protective power, and it was used as a protective amulet, and as a medical measuring device, using the mathematical proportions of the eye to determine the proportions of ingredients in medical preparations) to prepare medications.

"The Eye of Horus (or 'udjat') became a powerful symbol in ancient Egypt.The Eye of Horus is depicted as a human eye and eyebrow, decorated with the markings seen under the eyes of falcons since Horus had the head of a falcon. The right eye represented the sun and the left eye the moon.... The left eye is the origin of the pharmacist's symbol for prescription, 'Rx'

Check out these Ancient Mathematics

Notice that if we list them from greatest-to-least we get halving:

1/2 = 0.5

1/4 = 0.25 (2 + 5 = 7)

1/8 = 0.125 (1 + 2 + 5 = 8)

1/16 = 0.0625 (6 + 2 + 5 = 13 & 1 + 3 = 4)

1/32 = 0.03125 (3 + 1 + 2 + 5 = 11 & 1 + 1 = 2)

1/64 = 0.015625 (1 + 5 + 6 + 2 + 5 = 19 & 1 + 9 = 10 & 1 + 0 = 1)

If this symbol is the "right eye", what would happen if we add the "left eye"? Would we make our full Doubling Circuit (in both directions)?

Seth killed Osiris (turning him from the God of The Sun into The God of The After-Life). In order to avenge his father's death, Horus fought Seth for 80 days, a battle in which he lost his left eye. Seth tore up the eye into 6 pieces. Thoth found these pieces and magically put them back together. When he returned the eye to him, Horus gave it as a gift to his father. This became a symbol of healing (Rx) and respect for one's parents. But also an amulet to protect the "dead" by helping them to see themselves Reborn in the Light.

We can add a another component to this story as well by keeping in Mind the mathematics. Adding up all the fractions only gives 63/64. It takes a spiritual aspect (Thoth's Magic) to complete the fraction and make it equal Unity.

When you combine the concepts of healing and putting together fractions of things to create one healing compound you get the healing prescription symbolized by the left eye of Horus.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Komen Foundation corporate Sponsors

Corporate Partners

Susan G. Komen for the Cure is dedicated to setting new standards for creative collaboration in the fight against breast cancer.

Our corporate partners provide us with the opportunity to reach people where they live, work, and play. In addition to a financial contribution, each of these organizations have found a unique way to get their customers and employees involved in raising awareness and hope that we will one-day find the cures. We thank them for their commitment to the fight to end breast cancer.

Lobojo's Den