Terrible Ted

Ah, the Nuge.

More Geni-ing & My 300th Post

I had a little spare time today so I thought I would go to the public library here in Colorado Springs. It's probably been decades since I went into a library. They sure have changed.

I've been trying to research my genealogy for a few years now with varying degrees of success. The project languishes for months, then I get a little information and add it to Geni.com, and then nothing happens for awhile. I made the mistake of signing up as a "PRO" on Geni and as far as I can determine you don't get a lot for the money. I was hoping there were some searches I can perform but so far all it lets me do is search for relatives in my email contacts. I already know who my relatives are there. I did get a bright red "pro badge". I signed up for the free Ancestry.com account also. They apparently have more research tools for their "PRO" account but they are much more expensive. Besides I don't need them anyway. After getting my library card I asked the woman at the information desk how I could start researching my family tree. She led me to a computer and showed me the library quick links. They have an account with Ancestry.com that allows me to access the searches through the library computers. Handy.

I found some interesting things while searching a newspaper archive site also available on the library computer. I found out just enough information to think that David P Glass, a veteran of the Spanish American War, may have been my great, great grandfather. I need to do more research before I can be sure. Some dates don't quite add up.

I also discovered my maternal grandmother's date of birth and death which had been missing. It was nice to get those blanks filled. I found both grandmothers' social security numbers which might come in handy, especially if I want to change my identity.

I learned that my paternal grandmother and her sister, Edna Rope, were quite the social butterflies. Their names popped up in several newspaper articles through the 40's and 50's as participating in church socials and potlucks. My Dad's aunt Edna was also made an Amrou Caldron, or something like that, in 1957. I'm not sure what it is but it's got something to do with the American Legion.

All in all it was a pretty interesting afternoon of research. I'm hoping to practice and get a little better at it.

As mentioned in the title, this is also my 300th post here which seems worth commenting on. Here's to 300 more.

Current Events

Today, as you can see by the automated date stamp, is Sunday April 26th. From time to time I like to write down what’s going on in the world as a record and to put it into perspective with my own life. Right now the big thing seems to be the Mexican Swine Flu concern. It’s not too big yet but has the potential to get there. I’ve been making fun of health experts for years about this. They’ve been predicting a pandemic for as long as I can remember. You can almost see the excitement in their eyes when they talk about it. A quick look at the past pandemics shows that I’ve lived through two so I’m not panicking yet. The outbreak of swine flu in 1976 wasn’t really a pandemic I guess. One soldier died in New Jersey and a handful of people got sick. It sounds like more people died from the inoculation. I’m not being glib about it however, the health officials could be on to something finally, even a broke clock is right twice a day.

On the personal front, Lisa’s sister came to visit for the weekend. They had a good time and I worked. We also had a friend we hadn’t seen in several years over last night. She used to be married to a good friend of mine and it was odd to see her without him. It was hard to get used to.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is on a middle East peace tour. She’s been to Iraq and Lebanon so far.

Golden Girl and Maude star Bea Arthur passed away yesterday.

Heidi and Spencer got married. This last bit comes from the entertainment headlines on my Yahoo homepage. I have no idea who either of them is. All I know is they are this new generation of celebrity that’s come around since the internet. The kind where someone like myself (doesn’t follow that kind of stuff) is aware of them even though I don’t know what they do or who they are. Through the little two line blurb on E! Online I’m getting their life story. I’ll bet I find out when Heidi gets pregnant too. I don’t even know their last names.

Lisa is getting ready to start a temp job on Monday. It’s suppose to last through September, which will be nice. We received our tax refund and we’re slowly getting caught up on all of the moving expenses from last year. I am looking forward to tomorrow off as I plan on searching out a new hobby store to replace my beloved, Mark Twain Hobbies.

John Glenn

Today was a pretty great day. I was ten feet from a living American legend. John Glenn came through the airport today. Several of us waited to greet him and his wife as they were coming through the airport. Having grown up 7 miles from his home town (his cousin's wife was my fifth grade teacher) he's always been a hero of mine. As we walked him through the airport it started to dawn on me how star struck I was. I've seen a few celebrities in my time but I've never really cared to approach them . I was giddy as a school girl to just be near him. Mr. Glenn and his wife, Annie, had come out to Colorado Springs for a vacation and to tour the Air Force Academy. On the return trip the 87 year old former Astronaut and Senator made a quick pass through the airport. He is in amazing shape for an 87 year old. They made polite small talk with the TSA screeners and got on to the gate.

I couldn’t get over the notion of being that close to the first American to orbit the earth. He’s done so many amazing things in his time. I was pretty excitied the whole day and most of the next one.

Democrats Move Closer to 'Fast Track' for Obama Health Care Plan - Presidential Politics | Political News - FOXNews.com

Democrats Move Closer to 'Fast Track' for Obama Health Care Plan - Presidential Politics | Political News - FOXNews.com

Posted using ShareThis

For years and years, I've complained about the limits of a two party system. All of a sudden I'm wishing for those halcyon days. Fast tracking socialized health care. I have been proud of the fact that I've voted Libertarian in every election since 1996. I will now have to vote Republican for the foreseeable future.  Proof positive, if any were needed that Democracy doesn't work.

America's Best

I don't usually don't make it to the field much anymore, which is nice since I'm old. But today I got to go to the demo range with the local Police bomb squad and the Army EOD unit. We were observing some training and kind of acting as range safety observers. It was a great time, of course whenever you blow something up it's a great time and blowing cars up is the greatest. Hanging out with the EOD guys and listening to stories of Iraq was the best thing to come out of today though. When I was in our biggest worry was Desert Storm and we all know how that went. I went scuba diving while I was over there. Of course the Army and Marines had it a little rougher, but not much.

These guys are like my friends and I were, cocky, profane, raunchy and brave but they've faced more than I ever did or will. One Staff Sergeant I talked to had been to Iraq two times and wanted to go back a third because he didn't like the staff weenies and bureaucracy at the base. None of these guys was wallowing in self pity or guilt and judging by the laughter and teasing going on, none suffered from post traumatic stress either. They go about their jobs with a sense of humor and an scary amount of knowledge, skill and proficiency for young kids in their twenties. Of course a lot of them were talking about the desire to get out of the Army. You can't blame them, they're brave not stupid. Spending the afternoon with them was really a pleasure and honor.

If the afternoon had one drawback it was that it made me wish I was twenty years younger and seventy pounds lighter again and just starting on the great job I've had for the past 23 years.

More Proof...

...as if any more were needed.

Janeane Garofalo is an ignorant whore. 

Don't feel obligated to watch the rest of the video, it's just Fox giving their opinion.

A Pathetic Confession

I have a tendency to jump to a judgement before I have all the facts.  It's something I'm not proud of and I try to watch myself.  I have to confess that I've always hated Miley Cyrus.  I guess I've pre-judged her based on my old hatred of her father from back in the day, Achy Breaky, ick.  I also can't help but see the gossip stories on my Yahoo homepage.  I'm a little ashamed to be a 44 year old man that actually hates a 16 year old child.  So I thought I would give her the benefit of the doubt.  Having never actually seen her perform I had to give her a shot on American Idol tonight.  I have to say I'm really glad I did.  Now I can say with an open mind that she's a shitty singer too.

See, I Told You

I vote for Matthew McConaughey

Has the Somali Pirate Rescue Gone Hollywood Yet?
Today 6:23 AM PDT


Reuters/Ho New, Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
The rescue of Captain Phillips from the Somali pirates really is a movie. So are Hollywood schlockmeisters already racing to get the first movie on the air?
—Scott, Tucson

I'm told by some of the most powerful dealmakers in the business that the answer is "probably," though calls to Richard Phillips' people (he has people now) were not immediately returned today.

I'm sure the only detail left involves whether Tom Hanks or George Clooney will play Phillips onscreen. Both definitely can grow some serious A-list hostage stubble.

So just how much cash is Captain Phillips likely to rake in from his dangerous encounter with Somali pirates?

The answer may shock you...

According to Candace Carlo of Greenburg Glusker, the same firm that reps Tom Cruise and other heavyweights, filmmakers don't have to pay the captain a single dime for the right to bring his story to the big screen.

Not. A. Single. Dubloon.

For the Josh Hartnett movie Black Hawk Down (also based on real events in Somalia), none of the surviving soldiers got paid by moviemakers, says Carlo, who was involved in those negotiations.

How can this be? Well, if a story is both newsworthy and not defamatory—if, in other words, everything in a movie portrayal is well reported and accurate and about clearly famous people—the law allows filmmakers full freedom, Carlo says.

Those legal protections have not stopped people from suing studios, of course. The plaintiffs usually lose, but the court cases cost studios time and money they'd rather not part with.

The solution, Carlo says: Producers probably will offer Phillips a pile of cash, just to be safe.

"I would offer him perhaps $50,000 up front," says Carlo, who is not involved in any Phillips negotiations. "And then, if a film were actually made, he would get something more, probably in the six figures."

This Would Make A Good Movie

I think the word hero gets thrown around too much these days. Captain Phillips might not be a hero but he's sure as hell brave, and along with Captain Sully a great example to us all. He's modest too.  Here's a guy who volunteers to be taken hostage to save his crew, then jumps out of the lifeboat to get away and then humbly states that he was just a byline and it is his rescuers who are the heros (they along with him do deserve credit).  Isn't it about time to make like the Barbary Coast and Tripoli and land some Marines in Somalia? Just for a few days.

Kidnapped US captain freed; snipers kill 3 pirates

By TODD PITMAN and LARA JAKES, Associated Press Writers
58 mins ago

NAIROBI, Kenya – Navy snipers on the fantail of a destroyer cut down three Somali pirates in a lifeboat and rescued an American sea captain in a surprise nighttime assault in choppy seas Easter Sunday, ending a five-day standoff between a team of rogue gunmen and the world's most powerful military.

It was a stunning ending to an Indian Ocean odyssey that began when 53-year-old freighter Capt. Richard Phillips was taken hostage Wednesday by pirates who tried to hijack the U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama. The Vermont native was held on a tiny lifeboat that began drifting precariously toward Somalia's anarchic, gun-plagued shores.

The operation, personally approved by President Barack Obama, quashed fears the saga could drag on for months and marked a victory for the U.S., which for days seemed powerless to resolve the crisis despite massing helicopter-equipped warships at the scene.

One of the pirates pointed an AK-47 at the back of Phillips, who was tied up and in "imminent danger" of being killed when the commander of the nearby USS Bainbridge made the split-second decision to order his men to shoot, Vice Adm. Bill Gortney said. The lifeboat was being towed by the Bainbridge at the time, he said.

A fourth pirate was in discussions with naval authorities about Phillips' fate when the rescue took place. He is in U.S. custody and could face could face life in a U.S. prison.

The rescue was a dramatic blow to the pirates who have preyed on international shipping and hold more than a dozen ships with about 230 foreign sailors. But it is unlikely to do much to quell the region's growing pirate threat, which has transformed one of the world's busiest shipping lanes into one of its most dangerous. It also risked provoking retaliatory attacks.

"This could escalate violence in this part of the world, no question about it," said Gortney, the commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command.

Abdullahi Lami, one of the pirates holding the Greek ship anchored in the Somali town of Gaan, said: "Every country will be treated the way it treats us. In the future, America will be the one mourning and crying," he told The Associated Press. "We will retaliate (for) the killings of our men."

Jamac Habeb, a 30-year-old self-proclaimed pirate, told the AP from one of Somalia's piracy hubs, Eyl, that: "From now on, if we capture foreign ships and their respective countries try to attack us, we will kill them (the hostages)."

"Now they became our number one enemy," Habeb said of U.S. forces.

Phillips was not hurt in several minutes of gunfire and the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet said he was resting comfortably on a U.S. warship after receiving a medical exam.

"I'm just the byline. The real heroes are the Navy, the Seals, those who have brought me home," Phillips said by phone to Maersk Line Limited President and CEO John Reinhart, the company head told reporters. A photo released by the Navy showed Phillips unharmed and shaking hands with the commanding officer of the USS Bainbridge.

Obama said Phillips had courage that was "a model for all Americans" and he was pleased about the rescue, adding that the United States needs help from other countries to deal with the threat of piracy and to hold pirates accountable.

Phillips' 17,000-ton ship, which docked with the 19 members of his crew Saturday in Mombasa, Kenya, erupted into wild cheers. Some waved an American flag and one fired a bright red flare skyward in celebration.

"We made it!" said crewman ATM Reza, pumping his fist in the air.

The ship had been carrying food aid bound for Rwanda, Somalia and Uganda when the ordeal began hundreds of miles off Somalia's eastern coast Wednesday. Crew members said they saw pirates scrambling into the ship with ropes and hooks from a small boat bobbing on the surface of the Indian Ocean far below.

As the pirates shot in the air, Phillips told his crew to lock themselves in a cabin and surrendered himself to safeguard his men, crew members said.

Phillips was then taken hostage in an enclosed lifeboat that was soon shadowed by three U.S. warships and a helicopter in a standoff that grew by the day. The pirates were believed armed with pistols and AK-47 assault rifles.

Talks to free him began Thursday with the captain of the USS Bainbridge talking to the pirates under instruction from FBI hostage negotiators on board the U.S. destroyer. The pirates had threatened to kill Phillips if attacked.

A government official and others in Somalia with knowledge of the situation said negotiations broke down late Saturday. The stumbling block, Somali officials said: Americans' insistence the pirates be arrested and brought to justice.

Phillips jumped out of the lifeboat Friday and tried to swim for his freedom but was recaptured when a pirate fired an automatic weapon into the water, according to U.S. Defense Department officials speaking on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to talk about the unfolding operations.

On Saturday, pirates fired a few shots at a small U.S. Navy vessel that had approached, but the U.S. sailors did not return fire.

The U.S. Navy had assumed the pirates would try to get their hostage to shore, where they could have hidden him on Somalia's lawless soil and been in a stronger position to negotiate a ransom.

Somalia's government, which barely controls any territory in the country, welcomed the news of Phillips' rescue.

"The Somali government wanted the drama to end in a peaceful way, but any one who is involved in this latest case had the choice to use violence or other means," Abdulkhadir Walayo, the prime minister's spokesman, told the AP. "We see it will be a good lesson for the pirates or any one else involved in this dirty business."

Worried residents of Harardhere, another port and pirate stronghold, were gathering in the streets after news of the captain's release.

"We fear more that any revenge taken by the pirates against foreign nationals could bring more attacks from the foreign navies, perhaps on our villages," Abdullahi Haji Jama, who owns a clothes store in Harardhere, told the AP by telephone.

Pirates are holding about a dozen ships with more than 200 crew members, according to the Malaysia-based piracy watchdog International Maritime Bureau. Hostages are from Bulgaria, China, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, the Philippines, Russia, Taiwan, Tuvalu and Ukraine, among other countries.

The Navy said Phillips was freed at 7:19 p.m. local time. He was taken aboard the Norfolk, Va.-based Bainbridge and then flown to the San Diego-based USS Boxer for the medical exam, 5th Fleet spokesman Lt. Nathan Christensen said.

Christensen said Phillips was now "resting comfortably." The USS Boxer was in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Somalia, Christensen said.

U.S. officials said a fourth pirate had surrendered and was in military custody. FBI spokesman John Miller said that would change as the situation became "more of a criminal issue than a military issue."

A spokeswoman for the Phillips family, Alison McColl, said Phillips and his wife, Andrea, spoke by phone shortly after he was freed.

"I think you can all imagine their joy and what a happy moment that was for them," McColl said outside of the Phillips home in Underhill, Vt. "They're all just so happy and relieved. Andrea wanted me to tell the nation that all of your prayers and good wishes have paid off, because Capt. Phillips is safe."

Capt. Joseph Murphy, the father of second-in-command Shane Murphy, thanked Phillips for his bravery.

"Our prayers have been answered on this Easter Sunday," Murphy said. "If not for his incredible personal sacrifice, this kidnapping and act of terror could have turned out much worse."

Murphy said both his family and Phillips' "can now celebrate a joyous Easter together."

"This was an incredible team effort, and I am extremely proud of the tireless efforts of all the men and women who made this rescue possible" Gortney said in a statement.

He called Phillips and his crew "heroic."

Terry Aiken, 66, who lives across the street from the Phillips house, fought back tears as he reacted to the news.

"I'm very, very happy," Aiken said. "I can't be happier for him and his family."

___

Jakes reported from Washington. Associated Press writers who contributed to this report include Mohamed Olad Hassan and Mohamed Sheikh Nor in Mogadishu, Somalia; Michelle Faul, Elizabeth Kennedy, Malkhadir M. Muhumed and Tom Maliti in Kenya; Matt Apuzzo in Washington, John Curran in Underhill, Vermont, Matt Moore in Berlin and Dena Potter in Norfolk, Virginia.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. 

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An Obligatory Journal Entry

With nothing on my mind and nothing new to talk about I thought I better try to write something.  Here we are almost halfway through April and I’m falling behind in the entry count.  Time to start rambling I guess.

 Some odds and ends:

·         We went to Denver last night for a dinner with Lisa’s family to celebrate her 33^rd. It was a good time, but I was beat and the ride home was absolutely miserable.  Lisa was disappointed that she didn’t get to go to the newest trendy place in Denver, the D Bar.  It’s a dessert bar, I guess the owner is on some reality show.  We went by at 8:30 and the place was packed.

·         I finally convinced Lisa to watch Fight Club.  It wasn’t what she expected and she found it disturbing but gave it a mild endorsement of okay.  I think it’s hilarious and brilliant, just like the book.

·         Another brilliant movie I watched last week was Layer Cake.  Like Fight Club it’s based on a great book.  The author of the book wrote the screenplay for the movie and while most of it was true to his novel the ending was quite different.  I  both although the book’s ending was a little more satisfying.

·         I finally found an app on Facebook I like.  It’s the Living Social one that allows you to compile lists of your top five whatevers.  Like most all things on Facebook it’s a time waster, but it’s got a nice interface and big good looking thumbnails, plus it lets you pick your top five beers.  If it has one flaw, it’s that I can’t pick just five top beers or guitarists.

·         And finally, today – it’s Easter morning, it snowed most of the morning, got warm and starting turning to slush.  And Lisa is going to the final Avalanche game of the season and I had to work.  Nuts. 

The Family

The Family
Originally uploaded by brian glass

Lisa's Mom and sister, Jennifer, came down yesterday and spent the day with Lisa. It looks like they had a good time, and Moon was worn out by the end of the day, what with all the back rubs and showing off. It'll wear a girl out. She was sporting her AC/DC bandanna and looking sharp. It's funny to me that a group that once used to be reviled by the religious right (and probably still are) can market themselves with doggy bandannas in Walmart. Things sure do change.

On their way out the door Jen took a family portrait of me and the girls which I thought was pretty adorable. They wisely choose to hide me to the back.

SEXY!!!

Welcome April

Not really much to write about today but I didn't want to pass up what is quickly becoming a monthly tradition.  Work is good.  I kind of miss St Louis but we love Colorado so we can't complain there.

Since Lisa is up in Denver for her water aerobics I have a little free time to write, unfortunately, I don't have anything on my mind.  I long ago depleted my resource of lame humor, I can't come up with a good "few things you should know about me" bit.  Not that I ever came up with a good one.

I can provide a link to one of my favorite posts from a few years ago, Who Will Dance For The Mackerel.  I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

I figure as one of the millions of people in the public spotlight (I have a blog after all) it's my civic duty to educate as well as entertain (ala George Clooney).  Here is a public service announcement.

I blame Will & Grace for that bit of bad taste (among others).  The thing I never liked about that show, aside from Debra Messing, was the kind of "look at us, we're hip, we're gay so it must be okay" thing going on there.  Of course there was a lot of gay bashing going on before that too, but I still blame them for that phrase.

Finally here's a picture I thought was cute.


Welcome April.