Bryan Strawser

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Archives for 2004

A Bleat on Being President

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Once again, James Lilek writes a winner in yesterday’s Bleat:

It makes me wonder why any sane man would run for president in 2004, given what he might face. “Mr. President, New York has suffered an atomic attack.”

“Call the Security Council, and tell them – oh. Right. Is there still a UN?”

“It’s sideways in the river.”

“Hmm. Well. Is the League of Nations still answering the phone? I seem to remember they kept on a skeleton staff. Mostly janitorial. But we’ll have to make do.”

What then? The presidency is not the sort of job for which you volunteer unless you’re willing to do everything that’s necessary. If we lose a city (and what a mild, offhand term for such a horror) there isn’t going to be any debate about getting UN resolutions. At least I hope not. And what do you do then? Attack Iran’s nuclear facilities, hope you can flatten North Korea before they decide the game is up and it’s time to go first, oh, and incidentally the new missiles can hit LA – surprise! Do you pave Syria if they don’t roll over on day two? Damned if I know. I don’t have to know what to do. Not my job. But if you want the job, you have to be willing to open the tubes and order Slim Pickens to the cockpit. It’s always been that way, sure – yet these things have had an odd distant theoretical flavor predicated on an unpredictable escalation. That enemy would nuke us as a last resort, because that meant the end of everything – power, caviar, liquor, nice cars, good dentists, dames, those nice little cigarettes with the gold bands around the filters? The ones that burn evenly, and you can smoke a dozen in an hour without getting tongue fur? Heaven on earth.

Our present enemy will nuke us as soon as they can, because it means heaven, period.

I hate this; God I hate this. But I don’t have any longing for normalcy, as Noonan put it the other day, because normalcy was a delusion, a diaphanous curtain draped over the statue of Mars. Nor do I want a time out, a breather, an operational pause. I want to cut to the chase. I want Iran in the hands of its people and leaning to the West again, I want Lebanon independent of Syrian rule, I want Syria isolated and cowed, Arafat dead and buried in the land of his birth – or Paris, symbolically – and the Saudi Civil War done and over with pragmatists in power. I’d like this all tomorrow please.

Noon is fine, if it works for everyone else.

So I read this, and I sat back, and thought to myself.. if this fictional event does happen.. who do I want hearing those words? Kerry or Bush.

Easy Decision.

Hat Tip (once again): Neptunus Lex

RIP Charles Sweeney

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The Boston Globe is reporting the death of General Charles W. Sweeney:

Charles W. Sweeney, a retired Air Force general who piloted the plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki in the final days of World War II, has died at age 84.

Sweeney died Thursday at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, hospital spokeswoman Christine Johanson said. She did not disclose the cause of death.

[…]

Sweeney was 25 and had never previously dropped a bomb on an enemy target when he piloted the B-29 bomber that attacked Nagasaki on Aug. 9, 1945, six days before Japan surrendered. About 70,000 people were killed in the explosion of the bomb, dubbed ”Fat Man.” The attack came three days after the Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

Years later, Sweeney became an outspoken defender of the bombings, appearing on the Larry King show on CNN and speaking at colleges and universities.

Sweeney also wrote the book, ”War’s End: An Eyewitness Account of America’s Last Atomic Mission,” because of what he considered ”cockamamie theories” that the bombings were unnecessary.

”I looked upon it as a duty. I just wanted the war to be over, so we could get back home to our loved ones,” Sweeney told The Patriot Ledger of Quincy in a 1995 interview. ”I hope my missions were the last ones of their kind that will ever be flown.”

New Server

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We are now mostly moved over to a new home – a Dual Xeon 2.4ghz Server with 2GB of RAM and 160GB of HD Space from Layered Technologies – quite happy with their service. Check them out if you’re looking for a new place to hang your hat.

Saturday Golf

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Off to play with a co-worker, my investigator, and my boss at Maple Gate Country Club in Bellingham, Massachusetts.

Living between two big golf meccas in Bellingham (Home of the New England Country Club, Maple Gate, the TPC of Boston, and others) and Lakeville/Bridgwater (Poquoy Brook, Olde Scotland Links, the Lakeville Country Club, and others) and Cape Cod (oh the golf there – whheeee) isn’t bad.

Entry #2000

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This is my two thousandth entry in this blog.

Only took 2 1/2 years to get to this point.

Here’s to the next two thousand!

What’s in my Bag: Gadgets

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In my previous What’s in my Bag entry, I wrote about my golf clubs – this entry is about my gadgets.

The bag itself is a Brenthaven Mobility Backpack, purchased at The Apple Store in Peabody, MA. It’s a great backpack that safely carries my Apple Powerbook G4 and work related materials without a hitch. I used to use something more like a messenger bag, but when I purchased the Powerbook I wanted something more protective. And it’s far easier to carry than my old work bags were.

So, the gadgets:

  • Apple Powerbook G4 – this is the 1.0ghz G4 with 100GB Hard Drive. I’ve upgraded it with 1GB of RAM. Used mostly for e-mail, web development, office applications and other work related goodies. Also have Citrix installed to access work applications like Outlook, etc. Unfortunately my employer is a 99% Microsoft shop, so many applications are a kludge to get to work properly.
  • Apple iPod – I have the original 20GB Model – currently holding around 18.5GB of Music (3300+ Songs). All legal mind you. The iPod hangs in the car with me and goes in the back on trips.
  • Compaq iPAQ 3850 – this is my PDA. It’s nearly three years old now and will likely be upgraded soon. I use Pocket Explorer to view information stored on my employer’s servers in Microsoft Exchange – such as tasks, contacts, calendar, notes, e-mail, and other goodies. My boss just snagged a new iPAQ with bluetooth and wi-fi and I will likely pick that one up soon
  • FranklinCovey Planner – Doesn’t everyone use these? I just use some of the tabs and the snazzy planner binder. My calendar and organization all resides in Outlook and thus on my PDA. But I do carry around key information like financials, visit notes, succession planning charts, and so on.
  • Sanyo SprintPCS 8100 – This has been my cell phone for the last year or so. My employer has a great contract with Sprint and this phone has been the best I’ve ever owned. I am a serious cell phone user, racking up around 2800 – 3200 minutes a month depending on what’s going on. The camera has come in handy in crisis situations in order to show folks elsewhere exactly what we’re dealing with. This phone now has a broken antenna and other problems. We now also have the option of using Nextel, and once the technological hurdles are fixed with e-mail, I’ll be getting Nextel Blackberry 7510.
  • Qualcomm GSP-1600 Tri-Mode Satellite Phone – this is the newest addition to the bag, and only for a short while. It’s a Globalstar Satellite Phone – a little bulky, but could be invaluable in a major crisis situation.
  • Crane’s Jotter Pad – mine is black, unlike the brown one featured in this picture. I use this on visits or other occasions when carrying around a big notepad is annoying. Awesome little tool.

Enjoy 😉