Dark side . . .

. . . of the moon

We're moving tomorrow, and have not phone line or internet connection. Since this is Italy, where everything has a priority somewhere in the triple digits, and everyone goes on vacation in August, I don't know when we will be back.

However, we will check email regularly on the WIFI service at the library.

Movin' on out . . .

. . . this weekend!

These photos, along with [these] should give a pretty good idea where we're going. Simple fact - we could never manage to find (or afford) a house like this in the States. Anyhow, it would have too many stairs for us to manage in our dotage, but for now, it will work.

2CH3COOH + CaCO3

-----> Ca(CH3COO)2 + H2O + CO2 *


The water in this part of Campania is very heavy in minerals, particularly calcium. When the lawn sprinklers at the base spray the cars, the water leaves white deposits that are very hard to remove. About the only thing that will work is a dilute solution of 25% white vinegar.

The trick is to dip a dish scrubber in the mixture, scour the windshield and wipe it quickly with paper towels.

The vinegar/water mixture takes the calcium right off. The only problem is that after cleaning the car, I smell like I just finished first in the 100 meter douche.

*For those who remember zip about chemistry:
acetic acid + calcium carbonate --> calcium acetatae + water + carbon dioxide.

(Don't feel bad. I had to look it up)

LT Dan, what are you doing here . . .

. . . I'm here to try out my sea legs

Sorry. I had to. This is a Naval base after all.

I managed a seat in front, dead center, about 50 feet from the stage. Great view, great sound. However, I violated my cardinal concert rule: "DON'T SIT NEAR AN AISLE!" Especially when it's a kid-friendly concert. It was a minor irritation, though.

To anyone who thinks this is just a pick-up band with minor talent, just put together to satisfy some celebrity's ego trip, there's an exit in the rear. Please take it. Posthaste!

The only members of the band who have any degree of fame are Gary Sinese and Kimo Williams. However, this concert proved to me that there are big talents who don't make the big bucks.

They played everything from Purple Haze to Tuxedo Junction. When is the last time you heard those one after another in the same concert?

Random photos below. No captions, because it's a pain in the ass on Blogger.

Lt. Dan . . .

. . . I got you some ice cream.

Gary Sinese and his band put on a terrific show. They played for 2-1/2 hours, and Sinese only left the stage once - to take a walk through the crowd.

Just because he's an actor, don't believe this is all for the publicity. He truly cares about the troops, and he can really rock that bass.

Here's a brief clip.

Oh, and a couple of guys did walk up to the stage with ice cream. I suspect that wasn't the first time, but it still got a big smile from Gary.

Gary Sinese . . .

. . . and the Lt. Dan Band

I like these guys. Sinese has been doing this for years, and he raises the money for paying and transporting the band. They're good journeyman musicians, but more importantly, they provide very welcome and much needed entertainment to our troops all over the world.

News flash: they're putting on a free concert just a couple of blocks from our quarters on 10 JUL.



Lieutenant Dan: Have you found Jesus yet, Gump?
Forrest Gump: I didn't know I was supposed to be looking for him, sir.

Muslims . . .

. . . in space

In an interview with Al Jazeera, the new NASA Administrator, said that strengthening ties with the Muslim world was his "foremost" mission.

Barry O tasked Charles Bolden with:
- inspiring children to want to get into science and math,
- expanding our international relationships, and,
- foremost, to reach out and engage with Muslim nations to help them feel good about their contribution to science.

That may be the most inane example of bureaucratic babble I have heard since the Community-organizer-in-chief was elected. It is also a radical departure from what has been NASA's historical raison d'etre.

Mission Statement: To improve life here, to extend life to there, to find life beyond.

The Mission: to pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery and aeronautics research.

The Vision: To explore the Universe and search for life, and to inspire the next generation of explorers... as only NASA can.

That sounds - not so coincidentally - like this more popular mission:

. . . to explore strange, new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before."

As well it should.

That said, when is this ersatz professor going to realize that not every problem is solved by force of rhetoric, that he cannot make everyone like us, and that not every program is a mechanism of social engineering?

The good news is that his approval ratio (strongly approve to strongly disapprove) is now 43 to 26. Maybe he will be Carter redux, and we will be done with him in two years.

One can only hope.