speaking of transformative experiences

As soon as the Space Tourism becomes viable, I think all elected officials on a Federal Level should be required to see the curvature of the Earth. If they could understand that the political boundaries don't really exist and that the world is actually a very small place might be a positive step in government.

Chad Lupkes
chadlupkes@earthlink.net
http://www.DemocracyforWashington.com/
PCO - SEA-46-2324
Seattle, WA

We are the ones that we have been waiting for.

the reason why

Hi Ross,

You asked the first caller why we should care about going out into space because of all the problems here at home. The reason why, in my opinion, is because the amount of resources beyond earth are just waiting for us, and all we have to do is get to them. Imagine infinite free energy would free mankind from fighting over energy sources, building materials enough to build several thousand Earths to give everyone enough space to explore and explore the universe, and even our next stage of evolution. I would say that the investments and sacrifices are worth it.

Chad Lupkes
chadlupkes@earthlink.net
http://www.DemocracyforWashington.com/
PCO - SEA-46-2324
Seattle, WA

We are the ones that we have been waiting for.

Boy's diary, Sunday 6/20

Father's Day

Harry Potter Rocks on the IMAX! We got up early enough to get downtown by 11, and stood in line from 12:30 to 1:30. The boys were familiar enough with movie lines and Daniel found a friend to talk to. We had heard a lot of people say that the content of the movie might not be appropriate for Shea because of his age. He understood the movie almost as well as Daniel did, and they both knew that it was make-believe. Great movie!

We met Dad at the fountain, and had lunch in the Center House. Daniel found some juggling balls that he's practicing with, and then we went to a park to shoot some more archery. Sand Point is better than Gas Works for kites, so we'll be going back.

Boy's Diary, Saturday 6/19

A Day at Grandma's

Not to bad a day! We found my old bow and arrow set, and my mom brought down a smaller set for Daniel. He loves it, so we brought it home.

Mom did pretty well, except that everyone decided to go to Shrek 2 in the morning, but then later in the day decided that they couldn't do it for two reasons. First, because they couldn't afford it. Second, because they wanted Lowell to be able to spend time with the boys when he got home. The first reason I can understand, but that put the responsibility on me to fulfill the promise. The second reason I also understood, except that when Lowell got home all he did was eat dinner and lay on the couch. No energy after a full day of work, and I didn't really expect him to have much.

We'll see Shrek 2 sometime next week.

Boy's Diary, Thursday 6/17

What the heck is on Daniel's mind?! He likes games, obviously. Especially on the computer he likes Pinball. So, he asked Debi if he could play Pinball on her computer. He played for about 10 minutes, then realized he would not be able to beat her scores on the scoreboard. I don't think anyone could, she's at 7,500,000. So, what does he do? He clears the scores.

Debi exploded. She had been working on those scores for years! When we asked him why he would do such a thing, he said that he wanted to see his name on the scoreboard, and he wasn't able to beat her scores so he changed the rules so he could see his name. In other words, he cheated. He is now banned from Debi's computer until she can get those scores back to where they were.

When I spoke to him this morning about it, I discovered that he does this at home all the time. Instead of always trying to get better at the game, he would clear the scores so he didn't have to work so hard.

There are several concerns I have about this episode. First, that he would think about doing this kind of cheating at all. He's 8, and 8 year olds do things like this. But only if they are either shown that it is ok, and/or if they are not corrected when they do it. Or if they are not caught doing it. Daniel and Shea are the only players of the game on their home computers, and Shea doesn't care. So I can't say that I blame Sarah or Eric for not noticing what he was doing and correct it. Second, the fact that he was willing to erase the scores to make it easier on himself shows that he is not pushing himself to be better, and he's not being pushed as much as he could have by others.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan Captain Kirk was talking about the Kobiashi Maru, and saying that he changed the rules so that there was a way out of an impossible situation. In the real world, he would have been kicked out of the Academy. Gene Roddenbury decided to use this as a positive aspect of the character. And it's now influencing our culture. Cheating is not acceptable in the real world, unless we allow it to be ok. Sure, we can set priorities and not care as much about the unimportant things, but we should always be teaching our children not to cheat.

Keep pushing for higher scores instead of starting at zero. Keep working on improving your skills in sports instead of changing the rules to make the sport easier. Keep learning and reading new books instead of books you have already read. Strive for higher standards, and keep reaching for the stars. Otherwise we'll never get there.

Another Lesson Learned: Don't try to drive to Greenlake Park. We could not find a parking spot, so we went to Roosevelt Park instead. It's close, familiar and there's actually parking!

Re: The Conversation "9-11 Commission Hearings"

Hi Heather,

 

These hearings are fascinating.  I believe that 9-11 was allowed to happen because of the assumptions that our government and military had regarding threats.  There was no possible way to prepare for what occurred, and the next attack will come in ways that are just as unpredictable.

 

These people hate America.  The only way to stop these attacks is to prevent them from occurring.  The only way to prevent them from occurring is to prevent people from wanting to do them in the first place.  My question to our government and all candidates for federal office is not how they are preparing for the next attack, but how they are working to prevent them.  What are we doing now and what will we do in the future to make people around the world STOP HATING AMERICA.

 

Chad Lupkes

chadlupkes@earthlink.net

http://www.DemocracyforWashington.com/

PCO - SEA-46-2324

Seattle, WA

 

We are the ones that we have been waiting for.

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Heather Dahl [mailto:hdahl@kuow.org]
Sent: Thursday, June 17, 2004 10:35
Subject: The Conversation "9-11 Commission Hearings"

 

9-11 Commission Hearings

 

Thursday, June 17, 2004

 

The Conversation with Ross Reynolds.

1 pm Pacific KUOW 94.9 fm Listen to past shows in The Conversation archive - http://www.kuow.org/TheConversation.asp   Call-in numbers 206 543 5869, toll free long distance 1-800-289-5869

 

The 9-11 Commission hearings which ended today let us know that Seattle was originally on the list of targets for a total of 10 hijacked airliners. There were intense internal struggles within the 9-11 terrorist cell that delayed and downsized the plot. The commission reported yesterday that there was 'no credible evidence' that Saddam Hussein helped al-Qaeda target the United States. President Bush today continued to reassert an al-Qaeda - Iraq link. Military and civilian aviation officials were not prepared for terrorists turning jet airliners into armed missiles. American Airlines flight 77, the flight that eventually hit the Pentagon, was lost by air traffic controllers for 36 minutes. In this hour we'll review the information uncovered by the Commission and try to sort out what it means. What did we learn about what happened and how to prevent it in the future? Call 206 543 5869 KUOW, long distance 1 800 289, 5869 KUOW, or write to us - conversation at KUOW.org.

 

RESOURCES: (Note: We do not review or control the content at the following Web sites, nor do we endorse any of the content.)

The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (also known as the 9-11 Commission), http://www.9-11commission.gov/

Overview of the Enemy, 9-11 Commission http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/nation/shoulders/CommissionStatement15.pdf

Outline of the 9-11 Plot, 9-11 Commission http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/nation/shoulders/CommissionStatement15.pdf

Air Defenses Faltered on 9-11, Panel Finds,  Washington Post  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48471-2004Jun17.html

Bush reasserts Iraq Al Qaeda link, Washington Post http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48970-2004Jun17.html

 

 

Boy's Diary, Wednesday 6/16

We took a day off from trips today. They liked spicy sausage, but it filled them up quick (probably the amount of juice and milk), and wow you should have seen the looks.

Shea put together his Power Ranger. He really showed off his intelligence and can read directions really well for a 6 year old. I'm looking forward to hearing about his design for the new moonbase.

Daniel played the 2nd Grade Reader Rabbit that we have. I think we need new games, maybe something for XP. I'll have to see what is available. He wanted to play Scrabble, but the kid version we have was a little too limiting, and then brought down the Monopoly game we have based on the National Parks. It was his "favorite game", just like all of his other favorites. This means he has always wanted to play it, but doesn't quite know how. We got distracted by the descriptions of the parks.

Boy's Diary, Tuesday 6/15

Daniel had mentioned that he doesn't get to a library very often. I don't know much about the truth of that, but we figured that the Seattle Central Library would be a neat choice for Tuesday. They loved it. Except..

Shea found some big blocks and toys, and Daniel found the computer games. I think they were rather overwhelmed with the books, so they found things they were familiar with. No big loss. Although it was interesting that Shea grabbed a Spanish children's book to check out. And could read the cover. Hmm. I think I need to pick him up some Spanish Language computer games.

Note to self: Don't take the 16 bus from downtown to Northgate. It's too long, and really boring after the first 15 minutes. And it's an hour and 15 minute trip. Lessons learned.

Boy's Diary

Their first day at school was great! And they really needed shoes, so we went to JC Penny. This was JC Penny at Northgate, and they've moved the childrens clothing and shoes section. They also have three or four cashier blocks per floor, with one person manning each one. Where are the other salespeople? Good question, since we couldn't find one. So, we went to Nordstrom.

What a difference! And with the Women's & Kids Half Yearly sale, and my 20% employee discount, we found a pair of velcro shoes for Shea that he can handle himself, and a new pair of shoes for Daniel that he loves! Why? Because they're Bionocle from Lego, and they look like golden robot boots! Here's hoping they last long enough. Sarah may think I'm spoiling them, but that wasn't the reason we bought shoes. They needed new ones, and Daniel actually tossed one pair of his old shoes in the trash when we got home.

The boys' first day

It was supposed to be yesterday, but Eric had the wrong date on his watch. He also had a migrane headache, and missed the day. Or something. Whatever.

Daniel is a little taller. After 2 years I expected that, but his mannerisms have not changed one bit. Neither has Shea, and while he is wearing a size 6 now instead of a size 4 like two years ago, he doesn't seem to have changed much. We went and explored a new park after lunch, came home and had some pizza, then went out to Roosevelt Park. There were some kids there with various balls and toys, and I discovered that Daniel had changed. He now knows how to play every sports game played, as well as several that have not been invented yet. Soccer is his favorite, and he's very good at it. He's very good at catch, although the ballfields were already being used. There were some people playing volleyball, and Daniel ran after their ball once, and tapped it back to them using perfect form. For Volleyball.

They had a rough day, so it was difficult to tell what his actual energy level is, but I have a feeling that while their schedule is solid and they get enough food, they'll both be able to run and play for hours at a time. Me, I start to sweat and breathe heavy after 10 minutes. But I'm having fun.

A note on Ronald Reagan's passing

On Saturday at the DFA/DFW information table at the Democratic State
Convention in Tacoma, Washington, Delegate Joseph Ruth received a
phone call from his brother saying that President Ronald Reagan had
died, and that it was all over the news. That announcement spread
like wildfire, with various reactions throughout the convention. Many
were saddened by the news, some were elated. I have had a similar
assortment and diversity of opinion on the email lists. I would like
to present my own thoughts to the group.

There have been a lot of books about Ronald Reagan, and I have not
read even one of them yet. I was 11 years old when Ronald Reagan won
the presidential election of 1980. I grew up watching his
administration change the face of the country in many ways, some
positive and immediate, some not so positive and long term. But I was
proud to be an American during those years, a position shared by most
people in the country at that time. I didn't know enough about
politics or the long term impacts of what was happening to be able to
decide how to react.

Ronald Reagan was a great leader for our country. Part of what made
him a great leader was that he energized everyone in the country to
work harder to get involved. He was a patriot, he loved the flag, and
he had an eternal optimism about our country and our future. People
from all sides should recognize that we owe a lot to Ronald Reagan.
The fall of the Soviet Union was as much due to the policies of the
Reagan administration as their own failing economic system. But what
I would like to focus on was not the President or his administration,
but the man. Here is a quote from his speech opening the Ronald
Reagan library in California:

"In my eighty years, I prefer to call that the forty-first anniversary
of my thirty ninth birthday, I've seen what men can do for each other
and do to each other, I've seen war and peace, feast and famine,
depression and prosperity, sickness and health. I've seen the depth of
suffering and the peaks of triumph and I know in my heart that man is
good, that what is right will always eventually triumph and that there
is purpose and worth to each and every life."

He was right. Mankind can be 'good', and we should remember how
Ronald Reagan won the election. "A new day has dawned". It dawned in
1980, and his passing marks the end of an era.

What that means is that this is the beginning of a new era!

President Reagan asked a question during his 1980 campaign; "Are you
better off now than you were 4 years ago." Congressman Jim McDermott
mentioned this phrase at a town meeting that he held in April.
According to McDermott, and I wholeheartedly agree with him, this
phrasing of the question empowered the American People to reverse the
course launched by John F. Kennedy in 1960. I have a different
question to ask, one asked by Howard Dean and many others during the
last year and a half.

Are WE better off now than we were 4 years ago?

This is the one of the questions the Democratic Party needs to ask the
people as they decide to support John Kerry for President in the
upcoming election. Are our children learning more now in school, and
are they better prepared to be workers in the evolving world economy?
Is health coverage available to more people, giving us the foundation
of life that lets them pursue liberty and happiness? Is our
relationship with our allies in the world community stronger now than
it was 4 years ago?

The ends do not justify the means. The means lead us to the result.
This is the underlying ideology that we should push forward into the
debate. But we have to stand on the foundations built by all of our
history, and Ronald Reagan was a vital piece of that foundation. He
helped to build the ship, and even though I am still coming to an
understanding of how much work we have to do to turn this ship of
state around to avoid the rocks, I have to thank Ronald Reagan for
helping to build the ship. There is only one more thing to say:

ALL HANDS ON DECK!

Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter, June 2, 2004

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): At this point in your journey, Gemini, your free will is a more important factor in determining your fate than the constraints of karma or the whims of the gods. I won't waste your time, then, predicting what may or may not lie ahead. Instead, I'll invite you to formulate self-fulfilling prophecies about the beautiful future you want to create. To help tease out your brainstorms, I offer you a few of the laws of life articulated by Hawaiian shaman Serge Kahili King:

1. The world is what you think it is.
2. There are no limits; everything is possible.
3. Energy flows where attention goes.
4. Now is the moment of power.
5. To love is to be happy.
6. All power comes from within.