Early Morning Thoughts

Again, my mind wanders as I wait for my ride to work in these early am hours. I ponder the nature of Wealth, and Worth and my mind drifts back to memories of my Grandfather who died several years ago. He was a farmer, a Family Farmer which is different from most farmers these days as they own their land, do most of the work themselves and answer to themselves and the market.

Grandpa worked till the end, and when he stopped working the end came as he knew it would. His farm wasn't large, as he never intended it to be so. The farm was his retreat. That battle-scarred old man probably never read about Waldon's Pond as he only finished the sixth grade in school. But, he embodied that spirit more than anyone I ever met.

In the end, the entire family ( except for me, as I knew his secret ) was shocked to find out he had no money, no wealth, and they were not pleased to find that over the years he had been giving it away, acre by acre to my brother who had been working beside him for decades. He knew all along that you can't take Wealth with you, and that if his life was to have any worth he'd have to pass Wealth on.

What is Wealth? Grandpa knew that there was no way in the world that my brother could ever buy a farm of his own with money he had earned. That's what Wealth is, more than you could ever acquire honestly. And he knew that my brother's dream, and goal in life was to find his own seperate peace, and work that dream for him and his. For them work is the goal, not the means to an end. This definition of Wealth is quite different than what you'll find in the dictionary, or on the Oprah show.

I'm of to my job now, a job I really do enjoy because it suits me. And I'll be daydreaming all day, probably thinking about how I no longer have to help my brother take care of those damn hogs...

Thanks Grandpa, thanks Ed, dream on...

Natasha Estemirova was murdered

Natasha Estemirova was murdered

It is said, "Natasha was a truth-teller."

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Inspeculation: Moon Landing Tapes Degaussed

How do you destroy NASA's credibility, and jeopardize there funding for years to come? You can start by announcing that the best evidence of their greatest achievement doesn't exist. Follow that with an effort to recreate that evidence in a studio and you have all that is needed for conspiracy theorists to trash NASA for decades to come.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The original recordings of the first humans landing on the moon 40 years ago were erased and re-used, but newly restored copies of the original broadcast look even better, NASA officials said on Thursday...more

Those tapes of the moon landing set NASA's credibility on bedrock, and that credibility was the foundation for funding much of the research and development that has changed our way of life over the last four decades. Until now, anyone who was against the rapid advances of science and technology had to contend with this solid proof that people could and should look to science to improve and secure their future. At that time scientists were contending with the deeply rooted Fundamentalist mind set of average America. Since then Fundamentalism has grown around the world to challenge the change in society that science has fostered. Now questions are rising as to whether the Space Age ( read; NASA ) should be a part of our future.

How important is progress to you? Are there more important issues such as Global Warming, Universal Health Care, War on Drugs, and War on Terrorism? Would you vote for a Congressman or a Senator that chose NASA funding over the many other interests that compete for Federal Funding?

It looks like NASA is in a fight for it's life, and they can only blame themselves.

Allusions of Grandeur

Gone are the days when Emporers and Czars sold huge territories to balance their budgets, or are they? Surely the world has progressed beyond wholesale bartering of the fate and fortune of millions of people, to secure the status of the rich and powerful, or has it?

Yesterday Garry Kasparov gave a statement to President Obama in which the Chess Master alluded to those bigone days that was steeped in sarcasm, or was it? You be the judge;

Prime Minister Putin and his friends have treated the Russian treasury like their personal bank, but only for withdrawals. They are selling the riches of our country from under our feet. In fact, if, President Obama, you wish to go down in history like Thomas Jefferson or William Seward, I’m sure you can get a good deal on several million acres of Russian land during your visit!...more...

Perhaps Garry was merely expressing his feelings towards the Russian Leadership that is perhaps not performing very well in the World Economy. Or, perhaps he's referring to the recent decision to allow US Military flights over Russian Airspace to supply the war effort in Afghanistan.

I'm not going to pretend to understand the mind and machinations of a Champion Chess Master ( I really don't play the game well ), but I will make a wild guess that there was a real strategy, and deeper meaning to Garry's words. I surely hope so, because I didn't get much else from his statement.

But as long as I'm speculating, how much would the Artic Ocean be worth to Putin? Come on Putin, what's it going to take to make this deal happen?

For Six Months I've Been Following Two News Stories

For six months I have been following two news stories that are about to intersect. Garry Kasparov and his Solidarity are about to meet President Obama and his Foreign Policy. For the first time in six months, if you click on either of these links you will see the same story at the top of the page.

While the world pays attention to proxy battles such as Iran vs Israel, N Korea vs S Korea Honduras vs ... ( well they're fighting somebody down there, I'm just not sure who yet ), it is wise to watch the masters play out their strategies at the highest level.

While I don't pretend to have the slightest idea of what these intelectual giants will be discussing, I'm quite sure that the rest of the world leaders will be watching with great interest. Mr. Putin and his friend Ahmadinejad will no doubt be watching as well. That is not to say that the latter two aren't major world players, but that this story is not about power or politics.

This is about Journalism, and entertainment. And a Grand Gambit. Good luck Garry, this is your fifteen minutes of fame, play it wisely...

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Photo; File:Kasparov-27, jpg - Wikimedia Commons