Archive for the ‘CAB’ Category
Sunday, June 8th, 2003
Another overcast weekend day. At least it is not raining like yesterday. I am so tired. Gert and I went to church. We had a luncheon with the Spanish congregation afterwards. What good food! Pork, pasta, stuffed shells, chicken, etc. Yummy!
It is now a lazy afternoon. The Phils are ahead in the first game of a doubleheader with the A’s.
I should go out and check on the Founder’s Avenue cache which I was told about this morning. Most likely, I will wait until morning. It would be great if it were back in place.
I should also begin my research proposals, but I suspect they too will wait.
After a nice nap (what else are raining Sundays for?), I have been poking about on the ‘Net. GC.com is down. I loaded Premiere back onto the laptop so I can transfer from the DV camcorder. I have lots of photographs now. I am going to try to remain current with my Fotolog site.
There was a good piece on 60 Minutes about debating. It was interesting that a police office runs the program for these students in Baltimore. Where is the support from the school?
I like rabbits. There was a family that lived outside the apartment for eight years. There is at least one rabbit here at the house. I was able to catch a photograph of him before he bounded away.
Dinner consisted of picking at some leftovers. Although I enjoyed them, it is unstatisfying to just pick. I need a meal.
Posted in Baseball, CAB, GPS Games, Geocaching, Sports | No Comments »
Thursday, December 13th, 2001
Originally published in The Daily Journal on 13 December 2001.
There’s gold up there in them mountains. Well, maybe not, but there is hidden treasure about. It’s true. Right here in southern New Jersey are boxes of treasure.
Down the path, winding, twisting and checking. The receiver says you are close, but where is it? You check with your partner for a clue, but what direction did the three billy goats go?
In March 2000, the federal government descrambled the signals from several satellites. Doing so helped the accuracy of global positioning satellite (GPS) receivers. To celebrate, someone in Washington hid some toys and posted the coordinates to a news group. A few days later some folks had found it. A new passion was hatched.
People all over this world began hiding secret stashes and posting the coordinates on the Internet. As of now, there are 9,427 caches in 85 different countries. Pretty remarkable. The numbers are growing exponentially.
Geocaching, the name for this new sport/treasure hunt, can be done anywhere. Most caches are Rubbermaid or ammo containers. They are identified as caches, filled with goodies (directions, log book, toys, trinkets, etc.) and then hidden somewhere. The owner of the cache then posts the coordinates. The excitement is the hike to find the booty.
The treasure is just a novelty. You would think if you had the coordinates in hand this would be an easy thing, but guess again. Finding the entry to get to the coordinates can be interesting. I approached from the wrong side of a lake in Belleplain in my first hunt. That was not too bad, but later when I was close, really close, I realized I was on the wrong side of the Atlantic City Expressway. I did the proper thing and drove around.
Finding your first cache is exhilarating. A cache is supposed to have a log book so you can record you were there. Sign it; the owner will appreciate it. Some caches have cameras so you can snap a photograph. Most caches have goodies to trade. Whether they are small toys, foreign money or trinkets from the area, you are entitled to one if you leave something in its place.
Once home, you can log your experience at geocaching.com so others can see who have visited the local caches. There is just as much excitement in hiding a cache and following who discovers it. Some folks create puzzles to solve just to make the game that much more challenging.
Geocaching is entertainment for the entire family. Children are learning to read coordinates and compasses and chart a course. At the end of the hunt, they are rewarded with a prize. It’s hiking with a purpose.
So, when you are thinking about a present for that special someone and you just don’t know what to get, let me suggest a receiver (approximately $100-$500). You’ll more than receive your money’s worth. Your family will have a fun-filled activity, and you may even learn a thing or two.
Posted in CAB, GPS Games, Geocaching | 1 Comment »
Thursday, October 18th, 2001
Originally published in The Daily Journal on 18 October 2001.
“Because this election means so much more than it did before the tragedy on Tuesday, September 11.” This fragment appeared in campaign literature sent out by the NJ Democratic State Committee/2001 Victory for Bill Hughes, Jr. For me, it hurts his cause rather than helps it.
And so it is with so much that is written today. America has become lax in its writing.
“The reality is that rotating media does fail, both the drives and the media.” Media, of course, is plural and requires the verb do.
Not long ago, Pennsylvania’s license plate extolled the tagline; “You’ve Got a Friend in Pennsylvania.” To my ears one does not need to combine have and got to express where my friends are.
Another trend that has debased our language is what I call verbing. Verbing is the action of using a noun as a verb.
“I’m in need of an idea for a math bulletin board. I teach third grade and I want the board to be some sort of review of math facts. I plan on making it interactive with the students placing velcroed numbers on [it] to make problems. I’m stuck on a title or theme for the board. Any ideas?”
“In other words, no matter how many sales per square foot a retailer logs in the real world, a failure to reach out to customers online can mean that you’re in danger of being Woolworthed.”
It becomes great sport to find gaffes in print.
Microsoft goofed when it distributed mail that read, “Yes! Register my colleagues and I for the Microsoft Discovery Tour.”
A local company wrote to its employees, “This day provides you with an opportunity to have a child look up to you and be proud of what you do, or quote unquote, be their hero.” Yes, quote and unquote were written. Obviously, this notice was transcribed literally. The use of their as a possessive pronoun of child is equally troubling.
The Internet is a haven for improper English. Random House noted in a discussion of the word salubrious that it is often misspelled celubrious. This is why teachers emphasize the use of a dictionary. If you do not know how to spell a word, look it up!
Be careful, however, of what source you rely upon for spelling. “Here, here for Oakland” is not picked up by spell checkers as the San Francisco Chronicle learned recently. A much better source electronically is Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary.
Poor language usage is nothing new. George Orwell wrote a wonderful essay, Politics and the English Language in 1946 in which he described the state of the English language as “ugly and inaccurate because our thoughts are foolish.” He continued, “but the slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts.”
Hear, hear.
Posted in CAB, Language | No Comments »
Thursday, August 30th, 2001
Originally published in The Daily Journal on 30 August 2001.
Thank you Mr. President, Congress, and the IRS. I am looking forward to next week when I receive my rebate check.
There’s a lot of confusion about the rebate. Without a doubt, the government hopes the rebate checks will spur the economy on a bit. Yes, the economy is sagging right now. We knew it was coming and here it is.
But what should be remembered is that this rebate is money that was taken from you. It is your money!
A government is not supposed to make money. It is not a business. So when the Treasury Department finds more revenue than it needs to pay the bills, it is only right to return it to those who paid too much.
That includes you and me.
Three hundred dollars from millions of people could do much for the economy.
Our children are heading back to school and may need book bags, shoes or supplies.
Labor Day is Monday—lots of hot dogs and burgers could be had with our rebates. Maybe even a quick trip down to the shore.
Oh heck, let’s just head down to the mall and blow this thing. We could have some lunch, buy some CDs and load up at your favorite store.
Others may time their rebate with paying the bills. Perhaps the credit card with the lagging Christmas expenditures is ready to have a hunk taken from its balance.
If the early numbers are an indication, it sounds like most of us are not wildly spending our rebates. Perhaps we are heeding what we know intuitively. Maybe we are investing our rebates.
Many folks do not even have a savings account. Three hundred dollars would be a nice opening balance. Savings accounts provide money for times when you might need emergency money.
Planning for retirement is a worthy effort. Your rebate could open an IRA account that will set you on your way to retirement.
Investing in your home or car may be the sound thing to do presently. New storm windows may save you enough in your heating bills this winter to make this the way to go. A tune-up for the automobile may also reduce the wear and tear you experience.
Look into opening a dividend reinvestment plan (DRIP). This type of account allows you to regularly contribute to purchasing stock directly from the company. This cuts out the middlemen and thus saves commissions.
As for me, Mr. President, I thank you for returning my money. I appreciate a government that recognizes it cannot just take as much money as it wishes. I look forward to your budgets that will severely cut needless federal spending so I may keep even more of my money.
Posted in CAB | No Comments »
Thursday, July 12th, 2001
Originally published in The Daily Journal on 12 July 2001.
Cal Ripken played his last All-Star game Tuesday in Seattle and Major League Baseball arranged to make it a memorable one. Before the first pitch, we had Cal moving to his old position at shortstop. We had interviews, tape from his minor league days, and Joe Buck, who appears to be Ripken’s personal biographer. Fox hit it big when Ripken launched a home run his first time up.
Before the start of the sixth inning, we heard his replacement announced. The game was stopped to honor Cal’s historical achievement (accomplished in 1995). All the players came out to greet him. Tony Gwynn, who was also honored, was subjected to questions about Ripken. To complete this spectacle, Ripken was named the game’s most valuable player.
Contrast this love-fest with the 1970 All Star game at the newly opened Riverfront Stadium. It was the bottom of the 12th inning. The score was tied. Pete Rose was standing at second when Chicago Cub Jim Hickman singled up the middle. Rose rounded third and sprinted for home.
Cleveland catcher Ray Fosse came up the line to take the throw. Rose fiercely collided with the catcher to score the winning run. The National League won its eighth consecutive All-Star game.
There was a time, not too long ago, that the All- Star game was an occasion for the players representing their respective league to play hard for bragging rights. Other than spring training and the World Series, the All- Star game was the only time the two leagues played each other. With the inter-league schedules, the movement of players on a regular basis, and the bonuses for making the team, the All- Star game has lost its luster. Some have even stated the Home Run Derby has surpassed the game.
All but one player played in Tuesday’s game. In that 1970 All-Star game, seven players did not make it into an extra inning game. The following year, the American League alone kept seven players on the bench to capture its only win between ‘63 and ‘82.
The storyline the networks present interferes with the game.
Substitutions are not announced and pitches are not shown because there is an interview in the dugout or tape from long ago played. The game is the background for the story. Shame on baseball.
Historical achievements are usually honored after a player’s career has ended. On Tuesday, we began the farewell tour of this year’s retirements. One can only expect more victory laps as September approaches.
Baseball fans, however, will focus on the pennant race. Let’s go, Phils!
Posted in Baseball, CAB, Sports | No Comments »
