Hurricane Season 2007

The past few weeks have been particularly nice. Hot (in the 90's), humid, with occasional rain, but remarkably quiet in terms of hurricanes. In 1995 there were four named storms at one time in the Atlantic.

In 2004 and 2005 (the record holder in terms of number of storms) it seemed as if hurricane season was going to be active for the foreseeable future.

But last year, I didn't put my hurricane shutters up once. And this year looks like it might be the same. Just writing that makes me think I have just jinxed September and October.

Meeting John McCain

I got off the flight from West Palm Beach and walked quickly to Gate C9 at Reagan Airport in Washington DC to catch the flight to Manchester, NH. As I was walking I realized I had been in this airport before, and that I had taken a flight from this gate before, so there was no reason to rush. As I approached the gate, I saw Senator John McCain to my right. He seemed to be looking for someone or something. As I was just about level with him, I found myself saying, "Senator."

He looked up at me. He was shorter than me, and smaller than I thought he would be.

"I read Faith of Our Fathers, your biography."

He nodded. I thought to myself that he was aware of the fact that he had written the book. His grandfather had been an Admiral in WW II and his father had been an Admiral during the Vietnam War. John Mcain was an Annapolis graduate (near the bottom of his class!), a pilot, and a prisoner of war for 6 years in the Hanoi Hilton. He had been tortured and required significant surgery when he returned home to repair broken bones. He was a genuine American hero, and the most famous person I had ever met.

"I thought the book was great." I said. He looked me straight in the eye and we shook hands. I couldn't get over that he looked just like he did on TV. I just couldn't believe I had just met him.

As it turned out, he was on the same flight I was, to Manchester, NH, whose primary he won in 2004. I had just heard on the news that there had been significant resignations from his campaign; most of his top staff had left, and he was just about out of money. Still, I thought it a shame that while he would make a great president, he had little chance of winning the Republican nomination.

The Quality of Mercy

From Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice.

PORTIA: The quality of mercy is not strain'd,

It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown;
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway;
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God's
When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,
Though justice be thy plea, consider this,
That, in the course of justice, none of us
Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy;
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus much
To mitigate the justice of thy plea;
Which if thou follow, this strict court of Venice
Must needs give sentence 'gainst the merchant there.

On Death

I was reading Chapter 13, Our Eternal Destiny, in The United States Catholic Catechism for Adults. (2006). Washington, D.C. : United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. This is a more specialized cathechism, based on the CCC (Catechism of the Catholic Church), which I actually read cover to cover about 6 years ago.

Here is a quote: "We do not like to think about death." It goes on to outline the beliefs of the Catholic Church.

About twenty minutes later, I received an email from a high school friend about the death of his brother. He was fifty four, had surgery to replace a knee and died from a heart attack that was probably related to clots in his lungs. His funeral would be in two days in a city about an hour from where I lived.

We hear about death all the time; murders, suspected murders, deaths from natural disasters, illness, accident, natural causes, deaths in war , and the death of people we know. Occasionally, we hear about the death of a family member or someone whose death impacts our lives in a dramatic way, e.g. the assassination of President Kennedy or 9/11.

Pope John Paul II coined the term "the culture of death" because of the declining respect for human life, most notably in abortion and euthanasia.

I must admit, going to mass once a week and repeating the creed goes along way, for me, to light a candle in the darkness that seems to surround us. And it is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.

On Borrowing

Neither a borrower nor a lender be,
For loan oft loses both itself and friend
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry (economy)

Polonius giving advice to his son as he goes off to
school.

Hamlet Act 1, Scene III

Friday After School & Snow

My first real job was teaching English at Long Beach High School on Long Island. The older male teachers were friendly and welcoming. After school on Friday, we would meet to have a few beers in a local bar. I remember one Friday afternoon in particular.

My ex-wife and I planned to take the train into NYC and then a bus to Pennsylvania to spend the February break at her parents' house. I thought it wouldn't hurt to stop off for a few beers and then drive home. It is one of very few times when things went awry. I have always tried to avoid awry, but this is one of the few times I failed.

My first problem was I had a few beers very quickly. Then it started to snow. After a few beers, the snow seemed like it would be no problem. I finally headed home in my 1964 Oldmobile Dynamic 88. The traffic was slow. No problem. I would take a short cut. Then I had to urinate. No problem. I'd stop at the next gas station. No problem.

Then I looked at my gas gauge. No gas. I was stuck in traffic. I really had to go to the bathroom. I had to get gas. I had to get out of this traffic. It was snowing harder. It was cold.

My car ran out of gas. I walked and hitched home, arriving home very late. I had lost my keys. My car was on the side of the road. My ex-wife was genuinely concered.

My Uncle Bob lived a few miles away. I called him and he said he was sorry, but he couldn't help. My ex-wife and I walked in the snow storm over to his house. I guess guilt got the better of him because he drove us to where the car was, we put some gas in it and finally, the car was home and so were my ex-wife and I.

We did take the bus to her parents. I think of this event every time I have a Heineken, because that was the beer Jim McKay kept buying me. It was all his fault!

Top Ten Mystery Movies, TV Series and/or Stories.

1. And then There Were None (also know as Ten Little Indians) with Barry Fitzgerald. Based on the novel by Agatha Christie. This is the first mystery movie I remember seeing and it made a big impression on me. The book and movie have different endings.

2. The Hound of the Baskerville's with Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce. Based on the story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Although the Mystery! version is more true to the book, this one is my favorite.

3. Poirot, the TV series, on MYSTERY! (PBS), with David Suchet as Hercule Poirot. Based on the stories of Agatha Christie.

4. Morse, the Chief Inspector Morse TV series, on MYSTERY! (PBS) with John Thaw as Chief Inspector Morse. Based on the novels of Colin Dexter. Like Alfred Hitchcock, Colin Dexter makes an uncredited appearance in each episode in a very minor role.

5. Sherlock Holmes, the three different series on MYSTERY! (PBS) with Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes. Based on the writings of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. So far, Jeremy Brett the is the definitive Holmes, in my opinion.

6. Miss Marple, on MYSTERY! (PBS), with Joan Hickson as Miss Marple. Based on Agatha Christie's writings. Unfortunately, the new series is, as a whole, not as good, although some individual episodes are equal to or better that this first series.

7. Sleuth with Laurence Olivier and Michael Cane.

8. Murder on the Orient Express with Albert Finney as Hercule Poirot.

9. Sleepy Hollow with Johnny Depp

10. The Murder in the Rue Morge by Edgar Allen Poe. The origin of the mystery story.

In reviewing this list, I notice that the majority are all British. Edgar Allen Poe was an American. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Conan_Doyle) was born in Scotland. I think the British are the masters of this genre.

4th Generation

I am a fourth generation Irishman whose great-grandfather came from Ireland, via Scotland, to New York City, and settled in Hoboken, N.J. My last name is most commonly found on the West Coast of Ireland.

My great-grandfather was an only child, and his son was an only child, who grew up in Hoboken. He always wanted a son of his to go to the engineering college on the hill, right on the Hudson river, looking over to New York City.

My grandfather had three sons and his oldest son did go to Steven's Institute of Technology. He graduated near the top of his class and went to work for a company that would hire Catholics. That was in 1945. Not all companies would hire Catholics at that time.

He was very successful and ended up being the CEO of a number of corporations. All were in the general area of the chemical industry. He served for 25 years on the Board of Trustees at Stevens, and the gymnasium is named after him. He once told me how much he enjoyed playing intramural basketball when he was a student.

His son, my older brother, also went there.

General Class License Manual

ARRL's General Class License Manual seems to be well written, comprehensive and very interesting.

SKYWARN

National SKYWARN Homepage

www.skywarn.net

Palm Beach County SKYWARN

www.pbcskywarn.dakehome.com

Natonal Weather Service Miami

www.weather.gov/miami

National Severe Storms Laboratory

www.nssl.noaa.gov

From SKYWARN Storm Spotters training session Feb 2007

Mallory Creek

Yesterday I got a postcard in the mail about a new community in Abacoa. It is called Mallory Creek. I went to the sales office and it seems pretty good.