Jarasans Blog

Just the facts.

Sunday, July 29, 2007

 

Out on the Chesapeake.

Here are a couple of pics of Sharps Island lighthouse and some of the other fisherman out on the Chesapeake Bay.  This lighthouse is on the east side of the bay in front of the Choptank River it is not maintained and is around 80 years old, it is constructed of welded sheets of steel.  Great fishing around it though as the water depth drops off as you approach from any side.

Sharps approach

About a half mile off.

Sharps2

Couple hundred feet away.

Boats1

Bay Boat Charters.


Saturday, July 28, 2007

 

Toyota/Xterra fun on the beach.

Here is my 175K 4Runner and my friends Xterra at Ocracoke last year.  Remember always deflate the tires to 5-10 lbs. when on the sand!  Ocracoke is where Blackbeard used to party on the Outer Banks south of Hatteras.

Toyota ocracoke


Thursday, July 26, 2007

 

Take me back to the sixties.

If you want to get nostalgic or get a good history lesson on this decade.......enjoy. P.S. Speakers on.

http://moreoldfortyfives.com/TakeMeBackToTheSixties.htm


Friday, July 13, 2007

 

Sheep or Sheepdog?

Good metaphor, what are you?

This is what the world is today.

Can you read this all the way through and not classify yourself?

Here you go.

Sheep or Sheepdog?

"This letter was written by Charles Grennel and his comrades who are veterans of the Global War On Terror. Grennel is an Army Reservist who spent two years in Iraq and helped to put together the first Iraq elections, January of 2005.

It was written to Ms. Jill Edwards, at that time a student at the
University of Washington
who did not want to honor Medal of Honor winner USMC Colonel Greg Boyington. (Black Sheep Squadron, WWII)

Ms. Edwards and other students and faculty at UW expressed the opinion that those who serve in the
U.S.
armed services are not good role models for students.

Here's Grennel's response:

To: Jill Edwards, (student, University of Washington )
Subject: Sheep, Wolves and Sheepdogs

Dear Miss Edwards,

I read of your "student activity" regarding the proposed memorial to Col. Greg Boyington, USMC and a Medal of Honor winner. You may be too young to appreciate fully the sacrifices of generations of servicemen and servicewomen on whose shoulders you and your fellow students stand. I forgive you for the untutored ways of youth and  your naiveté. It may be that you are, simply, a sheep. There's no dishonor in being a sheep - - as long as you know and accept what you are.

In a lecture to the
United States Naval Academy November 24, 1997

William J. Bennet made the following observations:

"Most of the people in our society are sheep. They are kind, gentle, productive creatures who can only hurt one another by accident." We may well be in the most violent times in history, but violence is still remarkably rare. This is because most citizen s are kind, decent people who are not capable of hurting each other, except by accident or under extreme provocation. They are sheep.

Then there are the wolves and the wolves feed on the sheep without mercy. Do you believe there are wolves out there who will feed on the flock without mercy? You better believe it. There are evil men in this world and they are capable of evil deeds. The moment you forget that or pretend it is not so, you become a sheep. There is no safety in denial.

Then there are sheepdogs and I'm a sheepdog. I live to protect the flock and confront the wolf. If you have no capacity for violence then you are a healthy productive citizen, a sheep. If you have a capacity for violence and no empathy for your fellow citizens, then you have defined an aggressive sociopath, a wolf.

But what if you have a capacity for violence, and a deep love for your fellow citizens? What do you have then? A sheepdog, a warrior, someone who is walking the uncharted path. Someone who can walk into the heart of darkness, into the universal human phobia, and walk out unscathed.

We know that the sheep live in denial, that is what makes them sheep.  They do not want to believe that there is evil in the world.

They can accept the fact that fires can happen, which is why they want fire extinguishers, fire sprinklers, fire alarms and fire exits throughout  their kids' schools. But many of them are outraged at the idea of  putting an armed police officer in their kid's school. Our children are thousands of times more likely to be killed or seriously injured by school violence than fire, but the sheep's only response to the possibility of violence is denial. The idea of someone coming to kill or harm their child is just too hard, and so they chose the path of denial.

The sheep generally do not like the sheepdog. He looks a lot like the wolf. He has fangs and the capacity for violence. The difference, though, is that the sheepdog must not, can not and will not ever harm the sheep. Any sheep dog who intentionally harms the lowliest little lamb will be punished and removed. The world cannot work any other way, at least not in a representative democracy or a republic such as ours. Still, the sheepdog disturbs the sheep. He is a constant reminder that there are wolves in the land. They would prefer that he didn't tell them where to go, or give them traffic tickets, or stand at the ready in our airports, in camouflage fatigues, holding an M-16.

The sheep would much rather have the sheepdog cash in his fangs, spray paint himself white, and go, "Baa." Until the wolf shows up. Then the entire flock tries desperately to hide behind one lonely sheepdog.

For instance, the students at
Columbine High School
were big, tough high school students, and under ordinary circumstances they would not have had the time of day for a police officer. They were not bad kids; they just had nothing to say to a cop.  But when the school was under attack, and SWAT teams were clearing the rooms and hallways, those once-ignored officers had to physically peel those clinging, sobbing kids off of them.

This is how the little lambs feel about their sheepdog when the wolf is at the door. Look at what happened after
September 11, 2001 when the wolf pounded hard on the door. Remember how America
, more than ever before, felt differently about their law enforcement officers and military personnel? Understand that there is nothing morally superior about being a sheepdog; it is just what you choose to be. Also understand that a sheepdog is a funny critter: He is always sniffing around out on the perimeter, checking the breeze, barking at things that go bump in the night, and yearning for a righteous battle.

That is, the young sheepdogs yearn for a righteous battle. The old sheepdogs are a little older and wiser, but they move to the sound of the guns when needed, right along with the young ones.

Now, here is how the sheep and the sheepdog think differently: The sheep pretend the wolf will never come, while the sheepdog lives for that day.

After the attacks on
September 11, 2001 , the sheep, that is, most citizens in America
said, "Thank God I wasn't on one of those planes."

The sheepdogs said, "Dear God, I wish I could have been on one of those planes. Maybe I could have made a difference."

You want to be able to make a difference. There is nothing morally superior about a warrior, but he does have one real advantage. Only one. And that is that he is able to survive and thrive in an environment that destroys 98 percent of the sheep.

There was research conducted a few years ago with individuals convicted of violent crimes. These cons were in prison for serious, predatory crimes of violence: assaults, murders and killing law enforcement officers. The vast majority said that they specifically targeted victims by body language: slumped walk, passive behavior and lack of awareness. They chose their victims exactly like big cats do in
Africa
, selecting one out of the herd that is least able to protect itself. Some people may be destined to be sheep and others might be genetically primed to be wolves or sheepdogs. But I believe that most people can choose which one they want to be, and I'm proud to say that more and more Americans are choosing to become sheepdogs.

Seven months after the attack on
September 11, 2001 , Todd Beamer was honored in his hometown of Cranbury , New Jersey . Todd, as you recall, was the man on Flight 93 over Pennsylvania
who called on his cell phone to alert an operator from United Airlines about the hijacking.  When they learned of the other three passenger planes that had been used as weapons, Todd and the other passengers confronted the terrorist hijackers. In one hour, a transformation occurred among the passengers - athletes, business people and parents -- from sheep to sheepdogs and together they fought the wolves, ultimately saving an unknown number of lives on the ground. 
"There is no safety for honest men except by believing all possible evil of evil men." - Edmund Burke.

Here is a point I like to emphasize, especially to the thousands of police officers and soldiers I speak to each year. In nature the sheep, real sheep, are born as sheep. Sheepdogs are born that way, and so are wolves. They didn't have a choice.

But you are not a critter. As a human being, you can be whatever you want to be. It is a conscious, moral decision. If you want to be a sheep, then you can be a sheep and that is okay, but you must understand the price you pay. When the wolf comes, you and your loved ones are going to die if there is not a sheepdog there to protect you.

If you want to be a wolf, you can be one, but the sheepdogs are going to hunt you down and you will never have rest, safety, trust or love .  But if you want to be a sheepdog and walk the warrior's path, then you must make a conscious and moral decision every day to dedicate, equip, and prepare yourself to thrive in that toxic, corrosive moment when the wolf comes knocking at the door.

This business of being a sheep or a sheep dog is not a yes-no dichotomy. It is not an all-or-nothing, either-or choice. It is a matter of degrees, a continuum. On one end is an abject, head-in-the-sand-sheep and on the other end is the ultimate warrior. Few people exist completely on one end or the other. Most of us live somewhere in between.

Since 9-11 almost everyone in
America
took a step up that continuum, away from denial. The sheep took a few steps toward accepting and appreciating their warriors, and the warriors started taking their job more seriously. It's ok to be a sheep, but do not kick the sheep dog.  Indeed, the sheep dog may just run a little harder, strive to protect a little better and be fully prepared to pay an ultimate price in battle and spirit with the sheep moving from "baa" to "thanks".

Like good sheepdogs, we warriors do not call for gifts or freedoms beyond our lot. We just need a small pat on the head, a smile and a thank you to fill the emotional tank which is drained while protecting the sheep. And when our number is called by "The Almighty", and day retreats into night, a small prayer before the heavens just may be in order to say thanks for letting you continue to be a sheep. And be grateful for the thousands - - millions - - of American sheepdogs who permit you, Ms. Edwards - the freedom to express even bad ideas."

I am a sheepdog. I've always known I was a dog.

 


Friday, July 6, 2007

 

Hydrangea Blue Tiger Orange

The hydrangeas are on the more shade north side and are cool blue in color,  the tiger lillies are on the south sunny side and are a warm orange color.  These come back year after year, and if the soil is right the colors are deeper, and they last longer, these last about 5-6 weeks.

hydra1

Cool.

tiger1

Warm: Natures' fireworks

hydrangea2

Violet?

tiger2

Ok. Where are the bees?

hydra3

Yeah, where are the bees?

tiger3

We're ready.


Thursday, July 5, 2007

 

Ain't that the truth

   1. The nicest thing about the future is that it always starts tomorrow.

   2. Money will buy a fine dog, but only kindness will make him wag his
   tail.
   3. If you don’t have a sense of humor, you probably don’t have any sense
   at all.
   4. Seat belts are not as confining as wheelchairs.
   5. A good time to keep your mouth shut is when you’re in deep water.
   6. How come it takes so little time for a child who is afraid of the dark
  to become a teenager who wants to stay out all night?
   7. Business conventions are important because they demonstrate how many
   people a company can operate without.
   8. Why is it that at class reunions you feel younger than everyone else
   looks?
  9. Scratch a dog and you’ll find a permanent job.
   10. No one has more driving ambition than the boy who wants to buy a car.
   11. There are no new sins; the old ones just get more publicity.
   12. There are worse things than getting a call for a wrong number at 
4
  AM
. It could be a right number.
   13. Think about this ... No one ever says “It’s only a game” when his
   team is winning.
  14. I’ve reached the age where the happy hour is a nap.
  15. Be careful reading the fine print. There’s no way you’re going to
   like it.
  16. The trouble with bucket seats is that not everybody has the same size
   bucket

   I just love the following.....

  17. Do you realize that in about 40 years, we’ll have thousands of OLD
  LADIES running around with tattoos? (And RAP music will be the Golden
  Oldies!)
  18. Money can’t buy happiness—but somehow it’s more comfortable to cry
  in a Corvette than in a Prius.

  19. After a certain age, if you don’t wake up aching in every joint, you
  are probably dead.


   Isn’t it the truth!!

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