Steve Jobs

There have been some interesting and informative articles written about Steve Jobs since his untimely death. Jobs was a genius who contributed to the advancement of electronics in countless ways. In all of these recent articles, I have noticed that no one mentions something that so many of us enjoyed during the early ‘80s. Most of us who bought our first computers during that era longed for software that would transform an expensive chunk of plastic and circuit boards into something useful. It is hard for anyone who did not experience this era firsthand, to visualize a time when computers came without software, and computer shops had few programs to offer to the customer.

Steve Jobs and Steven Woziniak were dedicated computer hobbyists who visited flea markets and computer clubs whenever they set up their booths. Some rather advanced computers were being produced by hobbyists, and the operating systems (DOS) evolved over a period of months as many would-be programmers contributed their ideas and code. Without getting boringly detailed, DOS is the bedrock of code that most computers still use today to make them operational. Basic is a simple program, and if I remember correctly, composed of about 64 lines of programming code. Jobs and Woziniak launched their business in a modest way by assembling their first Apple computers by hand and marketing them at computer meets. Their great accomplishment was not that they invented anything, but instead brought order out of the chaos of an evolving system.

In those early days, there were dozens of computer magazines that had three to four programs in each issue. Apple computers came with a Basic Compiler, which allowed the owner to create his own programs. The computer owner could type them in and create a simple word processor, spell checker, or a primitive spreadsheet that actually worked. Many of them were assembled from bits and pieces of code borrowed from magazines. Basic was such a simple language that you could grasp how it worked in a matter of a week or two and produce some rather complex programs. Much of the fun of programming was typing in lines of code, then hitting run and watching for some minor miracle to occur on the screen. If it didn’t work, you looked for errors, retyped, and tried again. The first program I created on my own was a simple program that alphabetized a long list of names I had collected for a history project. My second effort was to write a word processor program I hoped would be better than the one I purchased on a floppy disk for a ridiculous price. The program actually worked and it was a heady experience to hit ‘run’ and see it appear for the first time in all of its clunky glory.

That particular era of ‘do your own software’ did not last long. Sensing a lucrative market, software developers soon hit the market with their own products and made Basic programming redundant. I quickly moved up through the jungle of programming languages, from Basic, to QBasic, to ‘C’, C++ and to UNIX. I still remember, with a great deal of nostalgia, the days when I sat in front of my monitor and programmed with a ‘seat of the pants’ kind of logic. It was a heady experience and something that I enjoyed immensely.

Andy Rooney

I have always been a fan of Andy Rooney, and I am saddened that he is leaving 60 Minutes after 30 years on CBS. There were over 1000 appearances where he spoke on a variety of subjects, all of them worth contemplating.

Rooney’s main appeal is the fact that he was a curmudgeon at times, often saying the things the rest of us would like to say if we had the opportunity and the guts to do so. He talked more about the common things of life than he did about the big issues, although he covered those as well. He was at times controversial, raising the ire of different groups, including religious leaders, politicians, gays, and the American Indians. Even when he was mildly caustic, we knew that he was speaking from experience, and not just quoting a sound byte some 21-year-old speechwriter had plucked from Wikipedia.

Rooney’s experience with the real world started with WWII where he flew on one of the first bombing raids over Nazi Germany, and later was one of the first correspondents to visit a Nazi death camp. Having been a pacifist, his experience of seeing these horrors firsthand made him realize that some wars were justified, and this was one of them.

While Rooney sometimes erred in his own outspoken way, he was quick to apologize and get back on course. We need more like Rooney, with a clear vision and a willingness to speak out on the absurd things in society. This Sunday’s appearance on 60 minutes will be his last regular appearance, after 30 years of enlightening and entertaining us. He will be sorely missed as a regular contributor, but will probably appear at intervals to share some new insight. But even if he doesn’t, there are enough of his essays to ponder over for many years to come.

I hope you take well to retirement, Andy Rooney, but don’t hesitate to come back and switch the legs of any of us who are disobedient. The human race is sorely in need of correction.

How Appealing Are Your Characters?

When I first ran across the name, Lisbeth Salander, on a blog, I wrongfully assumed it was the name of a romance writer. The woman who wrote the article gushed on about Lisbeth, although she was rather vague about what made her like her so much.

Then my daughter gave me a thick novel by a Norwegian author named Stieg Larsson. Six hundred plus pages seemed rather excessive for a suspense novel, but at her urging, I plunged in. I loved the story Larsson had created, and was quickly captivated by Lisbeth.

We authors have a tendency to push physical attributes to the limit in our novels. Our women are often drop-dead gorgeous. They have endless legs, bushels of hair, teeth like ivory, and don’t get me started on the eyes. Lisbeth has none of these attributes. Instead, this twenty-four-old young woman has the frail body of an adolescent, no breasts, lank hair, and a leave-me-alone antisocial attitude. So what, you are wondering, is her appeal.

Lisbeth is a high school dropout because she was so bored in class that she had no desire to succeed. No one suspects that she has a genius level intelligence and also a photographic memory. But it is not her intelligence that makes her so appealing. Her intelligence is her weapon against an ever-encroaching society that makes unreasonable demands on all of us to conform and submit. Lisbeth knows how to resist the aggression that hovers just under the surface of established authority. To put it another way, Lisbeth does what the rest of us would like to do if we had the guts and opportunity to hit back.

Not since Scarlett O’Hara has there been a character so capable of captivating our attention. Grab a copy of The Girl with the Dagon Tattoo, and you will soon be punching your fist in the air as Lisbeth scores point after point against those who seek to dominate and torment her. You are going to love Lisbeth.

Oh, and another thing. Did I tell you that this frail creature is undeniably sexy?

A True Test Of Patriotism

Whenever a presidential election rolls around, the news media desperately searches for sound bytes that will capture the essence of each candidate as effectively as a Polaroid shot will capture a grandchild on Christmas morning. Many of these defining moments come during political debates where accusations are hurled right and left. Most of the really good points concern the candidate’s patriotism or the lack of it therefore. During our last election, an issue was made of Obama’s place of birth. Four years before, there were questions concern the military records of George Bush. As this coming election heats up, there are likely to be many other issues concerning the candidate’s ability to wax patriotically. There is a question making its rounds, wherever latte is served, that captures the essence of the moment. I hope Wolf Blitzer is aware of it and will direct it to each of the candidates in turn. It is actually more revelent than many of the things that will be asked.

Question: What would you do if you heard someone playing the National Anthem while you were seated in the bathroom? Would you stand?

I rest my case.

Rock 'N Roll

Rock ‘N Roll music has always been popular in America because it speaks a language, and has a rhythm that appeals to every age group. During the 50s, many parents frowned when some of the more lively songs burst from the radio, but they were often caught tapping their foot in accompaniment with the music. In recent years, Rock has taken many different avenues -- crossing over into Country, Pop, the ballads of the 60s and 70s -- you name it and it is there for the listening pleasure of every age group. Despite the changes that Rock has seen in the last fifty plus years, the decade of the 50s is still golden among Rock fans of every age. Elvis was king of that era, and still is, but there were many others who made beautiful music. One of the guys was my cousin, Arby ‘Buzz’ Prentice. Buzz was a funny guy, down to earth, and loved his music. He recorded quite a bit of it during the decade of the 50s. After his recent death, his nephew, Steve Sanders placed seven of his uncle’s songs on the Internet. In some of them, Buzz is talking about the music and the recording sessions at Sun Studios and on other occasions at small radio stations. My first reaction was, ‘they should have edited out the dialogue before they placed it on the Internet.’ But as I listened to it, it reminded me of that wonderful era and the down to earth way in which the early Rock stars communicated with their audience. I shall always remember Buzz with great fondness and am proud that his music is rising up the charts at last. I am looking forward to some more of it being posted in the near future. Click on the title of this article to listen to some of Buzz's music.

I love Rock N' Roll!

The Wonderful World of Dogs

Those of you who read my post are aware of my feelings about our furry friends. Many times they are almost human. There is a video on YouTube that I think is hilarious. This clip no doubt had a little help from the fertile imagination of the creator, but those of us who live with dogs have seen some very interesting things. You’re going to love this. Click on the title to see the video.

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Author Randy Rawls

When I visited Randy Rawls website, I immediately saw two things that made me want to know more about this author and what he is trying to say through his books. Rawls has had an interesting and varied existence, which puts him far ahead of so many other writers. To put it simply: A writer must know something through his personal experiences. Research - to which Rawls is no stranger - can get you only so far. The military, government service, and teaching have given him the background to carry his research forward into his novels and short stories. The second thing that made him interesting to me was when he mentioned a century ride on his bike. This is about as good as it gets. There is nothing better to connect a writer to the real world and to God’s green earth.

Randy has just finished his seventh novel, plus several short stories. The latest is Thorns on Roses. Here is a short description of his latest work:

TOM JEFFRIES, a PI in Broward County, Florida, is a man with a past - ex-Special Forces, ex-Dallas cop. But mostly, he's a man driven by a thirst for justice. His brand of justice.
When a seventeen-year-old girl, the stepdaughter of Tom's best friend, dies in the midst of a brutal gang rape, Tom vows to avenge her death.

Abby Archer, an up and coming Associate Attorney at Tom's firm, is assigned to assist him in any legal matters - an assistance he does not invite, and she does not welcome. They begin their relationship as adversaries, but things change . . .

Following a well-laid plan, Jeffries methodically stalks the gang, THORNS ON ROSES. As he eliminates them one by one, the police get closer to connecting him with the disappearances. Rushing will invite catastrophe, but Tom cannot wait.

Randy has said that he strives to entertain his readers.
You can visit his website by clicking on the title of this article.

Loyal to the end

I have had a long running argument with non-pet owners about the intelligence and awareness of our canine friends. One of my college professors believed that all animals did not have the ability to think and said their intelligence consisted of only being able to move toward comfort (food, heat on a cold day, etc) or away from discomfort. Here is one more item of evidence to support my claim that mammals have a high level of intelligence, emotions, and feelings. The link to the following video was taken at the funeral of Jon Tumilson, a navy seal. His loyal dog, Hawkeye lay down near his casket during the funeral. Click on the title of this article to view the YouTube video.

The marriage of William and Kate is one of the most interesting events to come along in a long while. The royal family was long overdue for a fresh breath of air in the person of Kate. There was a lot of hope when William and Harry grew up and demonstrated that they were not stamped from the same mold as the rest of that stodgy bunch. Harry seems to view the world with a sense of amusement, while William, is the more serious one. Perhaps Kate can produce a royal heir and inject even more of the real world into the British Royal Family. I received an extra boost of enthusiasm when some reporter noticed that Kat was doing the same thing that the rest of us do when on vacation. She wore the same pair of skinny jeans for the third day. Perhaps the reporter who reported that was observing her a little more carefully than he should have, but Kate has the ability to draw our attention. Rule Britannia! Is it too late for America to get back into the commonwealth?

Is Our Justice System Broken?

Several high profile cases in recent years have rocked the nation, making court watchers wonder if our judicial system is broken or perhaps in need of a major revision. Two cases in particular, the Scott Peterson case and the recent trial of Casey Anthony, have striking similarities despite the difference in the outcome. Peterson, you remember, had a missing wife, and a situation that challenged the dedicated efforts of the investigators to locate her remains. In Anthony’s case, it was a missing child and she had no credible explanation regarding the child’s whereabouts. Both of them mislead the authorities with explanations that were not plausible. Both of the cases involved circumstantial evidence. Peterson was convicted, while Anthony received a not guilty verdict from twelve of her peers. So what were the factors that make juries render different verdicts when the circumstances are so similar?

The defense team can augment hopelessly weak cases in several ways. One well-known defense is what is known in legal circles as the SODDI defense, which means ‘some other dude did it.’ The defense often plays hardball with reasonable doubt issues. The law does not require the state to provide answers to every question that might occur in the minds of the jurors. One of the best definitions of reasonable doubt is: ‘proof of such a convincing character that a reasonable person would not hesitate to rely and act upon it in the most important of his own affairs.’ No one actually saw the murder committed, the defense might tell the jury. In several high profile murder trials, jurors have explained their failure to convict by saying, “I didn’t see him/her do it.”

Another factor involving evidence is caused by heightened expectations from having watched CSI type programs where there is always DNA evidence that cannot be refuted. The average person serving on a jury is likely to doubt the ability of police investigators who can’t parade an endless supply of experts in front of them. Most of them don’t understand that police work usually doesn’t produce ‘hard evidence’ in the way the cast of a television production can.

Defense attorneys try to downplay any evidence presented by the prosecutor, often going to great lengths to tell the jury that the evidence is tainted, was planted by crooked investigators, sloppy lab work, etc.

Recently, there has been the emergence of what I call the ‘wildcard’ defense, which involves making a hapless victim of the accused. All of the other players in the trial are painted in the most despicable terms. Allegations of incest, sexual abuse, mental cruelty, or physical exploitation are presented as a daily diet to the jurors. The sad reality is the fact that it often works. Everyone loves the underdog, and if the defendant can be made to appear as the victim, it can sometimes secure a verdict of not guilty.

Often the process of vilifying the innocent starts in the opening statements by the defense team. Some or all of the seven deadly sins are mentioned, and it is alleged that the defendant has endured all of them at the hands of family, friends, or the deceased. As the trial continues, these allegations are often referred to, but never proven. The damage, however, is done as the jury starts to wrap their mind around these suggestions. The real issues are submerged in a morass of moral and emotional gush that has nothing to do with the evidence.

So, you may wonder, how do we correct this problem? I think our judicial system needs to require defense attorneys to provide evidence of everything introduced in the opening statements. Unless something is done to ‘fix’ the current system, we could eventually reach a point where conviction is impossible, and the ‘best legal system in the world’ will become a travesty.

The right way to celebrate the 4th of July

There are so many things to celebrate on the 4th of July that I hardly know where to start. All across the country, there will be marching bands, fireworks, and long speeches to remind us of the sacrifice our forefathers made. Television will probably schedule some patriotic films like Pearl Harbor, or perhaps one of those mega productions about the American Revolution. Occasionally, some journalist will write an article about the ‘wrong’ way of celebrating the event, giving a thumbs down to recreational activities, and picnics. But I think they are missing the whole point of the 4th of July. The members of our military did not serve in the Wilderness Campaign, Okinawa or the Battle of the Bulge because they wanted to support some politician or a new bill in congress. They served because the wanted to return to their families and take part in boisterous family activities, to hug children and grandchildren, and to lie on their back in the park and watch fireworks arch toward a star-studded sky. So the next time someone tries to put you on a guilt trip because you roll out the BBQ grill, offer them a hotdog or a slice of watermelon. Have a real celebration that includes baseball, water guns, ice cream, and a ride to the park. If George Washington was still here I think he would approve. After all, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is what America is all about.

A Man of Courage

I have met many interesting people in my lifetime, but I think Bill Haast was near the top of the list. Haast ran the Miami Serpentarium where he housed many thousands of deadly snakes. He was a showman who knew how to manage his audience as skillfully as any snake charmer from India. Haast would remove a snake from its container and place in on the floor in the courtyard. The crowd would shrink back with a collective hiss as the Cobra rose up and spread its head cowl in an intimidating manner. Haast would then seize the reptile by the tail and grab its neck just behind its head. He would squeeze the snake’s throat to force its jaws open, then insert the teeth over the edge of a flask and milk the venom into the container.

I first became aware of Haast through a mutual friend who had once lived nearby and had known him for many years. According to the stories I heard about Haast, he was not fearless, and certainly not reckless. Instead he was confident in his own abilities and aware of what his work was contributing to saving lives. The antivenin produced from the snake venom served as an antidote to any poisonous snakebite if injected quickly at a medical center. Haast was bitten several times in his work, but always managed to survive despite becoming quite ill on several occasions. Bill Haast died today at age 100. Not bad for a man in such a hazardous occupation. You can click on the title to this article and read Bill’s obituary in the Washington Post.