Sylmar Earthquake
I was born in L.A. at a young age (as I like to say) and we lived in Lawndale, California until I was in 3rd grade. Spending the first 8 years of my life in south-central L.A. meant I got to experience a lot of things. I don’t remember it being a particularly rough neighborhood, except I do remember a friend of mine got punched in the face because he had a sissy bar on his bike that said, “Sock it to me!” I tried to warn him :-)
Anyway, one of the cool things about being in Los Angeles was the earthquakes. You never knew when they were going to hit, but they were pretty fun. I remember one afternoon in particular. The water in the fish tank started to slosh and the light above the dining room table started to sway. We all rushed outside. Not because we were in danger, we just did. What I saw next was so cool. As I looked down the street, it looked like the whole earth was rolling like the ocean! It kinda made me dizzy. It didn’t last very long and it wasn’t particularly strong. Just a rolling quake gently moving through the neighborhood.
Fast forward to February of 1971. It was 1 minute after 6am. I had just gone to the bathroom and was crawling back into the top bunk. As soon as my head hit the pillow the quake hit L.A. It started out with a shimmer, but was full on shaking in seconds. Being on the top bunk, it was quite a ride! Everything in the room was shaking violently and it was noisy. Stuff falling off the walls, etc. Then I noticed something extraordinary and I’ve never experienced it since (and hope I never do again). There was a dimension of sound. As far as my ears could hear there was a rumble and a roar. It must be how Hollywood was inspired to create surround sound, but there’s nothing like the reality!
I don’t know how long the quake lasted and I don’t remember being scared, but chances are I was. My brother Chris was in the bottom bunk and slept through the whole thing! As the morning progressed we started hearing the damage reports. No real damage at our house and minor damage in the neighborhood. I remember we were upset that we still had school. Some of the windows were cracked and in our classroom a portable book shelf had slid across the room dumping it’s contents.
Further north closer to the epicenter in Sylmar, California it was a real disaster. An overpass had collapsed on a truck killing the driver. The worst of it was a V.A. Hospital had collapsed killing around 50 people. Governor Reagan declared a state of emergency. The USGS put the magnitude at a 6.6 on the Richter Scale. Major quake indeed and one I will never forget.
The small quakes really are fun! It’s the big ones that will really shake you up and could kill you if you are in the wrong place in the wrong time.
Is Your Cell Phone Company Spying On You?
They say no, but it looks like they have the means to watch and save everything you do, say and surf on a Droid smart phone. Trevor Eckhart is a developer for Droid phones and found a hidden program on an HTC Droid called Carrier IQ. What Carrier IQ does is log everything you do on your phone, even if it’s encrypted. He busted this story wide open by exposing just what Carrier IQ is capable of in this rather lengthy and revealing YouTube video:
As the article in Gizmodo states, start at about 9:00 minutes in to watch Carrier IQ in action.
So who is infected with this intended spyware? Apparently anyone with a decently modern Droid smart phone. It appears that some iPhones may have the program, but it is easily neutered. This appears to be an Android phone issue and it looks like it’s some of the cell phone companies that are asking manufacturers to install Carrier IQ. Apparently not everyone is affected (more like infected). From a c/net article:
HTC Android devices have no on-off switch for Carrier IQ, while Samsung devices do, but it is not easily accessible or pointed out to users, he said.
Because customers do not give explicit permission for this data collection and don’t even know this software is on their phones, and they can’t opt out of it, Eckhart says it is a clear privacy violation. He likens Carrier IQ to malware.
“Carrier IQ is rootkit software,” he wrote in his report. “It listens on the phones for commands contained in ‘tasking profiles’ sent a number of ways and returns whatever ‘metric’ was asked for.”
The test Eckhart shows in his video was being done with a phone manufactured by HTC. Just so happens I bought an HTC Evo 4G just a few weeks ago. I am not to happy with this at all. No reasonable person would expect that their cell phone provider would give themselves the secret ability to track every single thing you do on your phone. To say it is outrageous is an understatement!
My carrier is Sprint. What do they have to say for themselves?
A Sprint spokesman provided a general statement about the use of Carrier IQ, but did not provide comment to follow-up questions about whether customers know about the data collection and why they can’t opt out. Here is the Sprint statement:
“Carrier IQ provides information that allows Sprint, and other carriers that use it, to analyze our network performance and identify where we should be improving service. We also use the data to understand device performance so we can figure out when issues are occurring. We collect enough information to understand the customer experience with devices on our network and how to address any connection problems, but we do not and cannot look at the contents of messages, photos, videos, etc., using this tool. The information collected is not sold and we don’t provide a direct feed of this data to anyone outside of Sprint.
Sprint maintains a serious commitment to respecting and protecting the privacy and security of each customer’s personally identifiable information and other customer data. A key element of this involves communicating with our customers about our information privacy practices. The Sprint privacy policy makes it clear we collect information that includes how a device is functioning and how it is being used. Carrier IQ is an integral part of the Sprint service.”
Bull-ony. Eckhart has clearly demonstrated the potential Carrier IQ has to spy on customers. If it’s no big deal then why install the software in secret and why make it so powerful? While it may not be practical for Sprint to spy on all of its customers all the time, they certainly have given themselves the ability to track and watch any of their customers they like. Eckhart asks the questions, what are phone companies doing with this information? and how long is it being stored?
HTC admits to installing the software for some of their customers like Sprint, and HTC is trying to pass the buck. From another c/net article:
Smartphone manufacturer HTC went further, telling All Things D that Carrier IQ is “required on devices by a number of U.S. carriers,” and suggesting that users contact carriers directly for more information.
While I guess HTC could claim that they don’t know the specific opt-in or opt-out practices by individual carriers like Sprint and AT&T (both admit to using Carrier IQ, Verizon denies using it) I feel like HTC has some responsibility to its customers here. HTC should have recognized the power of this software and blown the whistle on this. While HTC may not have the ability to track customers themselves, they have secretly handed that ability to providers like Sprint and AT&T. I wonder if someone inside the company raised these issues and was told to be quiet, or work elsewhere?
So. Now what? I still need to take the time to call and yell at Sprint and HTC. I am not happy about this and I feel like an appropriate remedy would be for them to provide me with a “virus” free phone. Whether that means a new (and “clean”) HTC Evo 4G or an iPhone. Here’s where it gets messy. I bought my phone through a promotion at Best Buy. Sprint and HTC would have to make the proper compensations to Best Buy as well as me, their supposed valued customer.
The other track to justice is perhaps more encouraging. Senator Al Franken from Minnesota (and Saturday Night Live fame) is already taking up this issue.
Sen. Al Franken, a Minnesota Democrat who heads a Senate panel on privacy, sent a letter (PDF) today to Carrier IQ asking pointed questions, including what data are logged, what data are transmitted, and whether the company believes its software complies with federal privacy laws that prohibit wiretapping. Franken asked for a response by December 14.
Sprint, AT&T, HTC and others have a lot of answering to do. If there are millions of Sprint customers who deserve a new phone then I suppose Sprint will wait to be sued and try to minimize their damage. I’m hoping that Sprint will fix this by providing me a new phone or I guess I’ll have to wait and join the class action lawsuit that is sure to come.
Learning to Be Content
Philippians 4:10-12
10 How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me. 11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. (NLT) (emphasis mine)
It has been an exceedingly tough year and a half for me. I have wrestled with many things and I have wrestled with God about many things. The biggest challenges for me have been trying to find goals to aim myself toward and the other has been even tougher. Being broke. So broke that I was spending even more money that I didn’t have on late fees on late rent and insufficient fund fees to the bank (automatic withdrawals to pay bills is not always wise!).
There have been some extraordinary occurrences in the past 18 months as well. Successes and challenges in the political arena and extraordinary success with some of my videos. I even had one story make it on Glenn Beck! Amazing! And even though all of that notoriety is fun, it doesn’t pay. I am trusting that it is all leading somewhere, but in the meantime it was discouraging to be on national TV but at the same time having to walk to work because I couldn’t afford gas for my car.
But God has been showing me some amazing things in the middle of all this struggle for money and goals. The main message has been, quit struggling, trust and wait. To say that is not easy is an understatement. How can you not struggle when you feel like you are a chunk of taffy in a taffy machine?! The best answer to that has been in the period of my want and need God has shown up in many extraordinary ways.
The biggest and best is the way he has used my friends and family to help support and encourage me! Especially some dear friends of mine who hired me to do work, fed me when I was hungry and spoke life and encouragement when inside I felt like I was dying. God Himself is constantly reminding me that He is with me, that He hasn’t forgotten me and that He has a wonderful plan for my life. Just trust, wait and be thankful.
Lately I feel like I am turning the corner. I am still struggling with my finances, but at least my rent and car payments are now on time. I’ll take that victory. My dear friends are now like family. Another great gift. My family is closer then ever. And I am learning to be content with less. Granted I still haven’t arrived, but as I struggle less and trust God more I continue to see and feel Him encouraging me. I have learned so much in the last year and a half. Lessons that will serve me well in the future. The blessing of friends and family and God’s Love are more precious then a winning lottery ticket.
“Things” are coming a bit more into focus for me. I am blessed to be a blessing even if that has nothing to do with cash on hand and for that I am thankful. Still waiting on some things, but wrestling less with God and trusting Him more. After all, He has the master plan!
Passionately Christian
Yesterday I wrote a little bit of why I am a “Passionate Conservative.” I could have gone on, but I don’t have hours to write and you don’t have hours to read. Bottom line is I believe that Conservative Principles when applied in a Representative Republic give individuals the best chance to be the best they can be. As individuals prosper, the entire society is lifted up. Indeed the results have been dramatic for the entire planet!
This morning I want to talk a little bit about why I am passionately Christian. Bottom line is Jesus gave up Heaven so God could have a friendship with me and you! In other words, God died so that when you die you don’t have to really die! You can live with Him forever!
The only requirement to qualify for Heaven? Believe in your heart that Christ died in your place and paid for your sins and on the third day rose from the dead. Believe that in your heart and confess it with your mouth. That’s it! Romans 10:9 & 10. You then exchange your earthly sin for His absolute righteousness.
Now as simple as that sounds, we all resist. Well, most of us. I do know a couple of wonderful people who have been Christians as long as they remember, but for most of us we decided that “having fun” in our youth was more important then being called “Jesus Freaks.” Of course the fun lead to heartache and sometimes disease. While we might be “good people” we are all pretty selfish by nature. Of course God was still drawing us to Him and eventually we responded and accepted His wonderful gift of salvation. If you haven’t and are alive enough to read this then there is still time.
For me it started in Sunday School at the First Conservative Baptist Church of Canby. I was maybe 8 or 9 and our Sunday School Teacher was showing me in the Bible that God talked about springs in the bottom of the ocean. Springs that scientists were just barely discovering thousands of years later. That was enough for me to accept Jesus into my heart. I still remember the joy I felt as I prayed and in my minds eye I saw light bursting from my heart! It was pretty cool.
But. I eventually stopped going to church and eventually started living more and more for my own desires. That included increasing drug and alcohol use as a teenager and young adult. I even shared a drug needle to inject some cocaine into my arm. I only tried it 2 or 3 times in a one week period when I was about 20 years old, but I ended up paying a high price for the temporary rush the cocaine gave me.
I found out much later that I had Hepatitis C. The worse kind too. It was also about that time that God drew me back to him. I started going to church, got baptized and started reading my Bible. During worship at church I would cry out to God and also actually cry as He was healing my heart. The folks around me at church probably thought I was a troubled man, but I didn’t care. God was working while I was in His presence.
It was during one of those times that I heard God say in my heart about my Hepatitis C, “I’m going to take this from you.” It was a word I clung to during the difficult one year of combination drug therapy. I lost a lot of weight and some hair. Food lost it’s flavor and I had suicidal thoughts. All side effects of the drugs, but I hung on because I had God’s promise!
Sure enough, after a year of treatments I was Hepatitis C free! And still am today. That was 10 years ago. Since then I have left my TV career and have served in a few ministries. Mission Odessa, Family Life Radio and Teen Challenge of Arizona along with some churches along the way. I don’t know if I will stay working in ministries as a job the rest of my life, but I do plan on ministering the rest of my life! God has shown me a lot in His Word and through experiences with Him that I have to share. It’s too important. I don’t always live as I should and God doesn’t just give me what I want, but I know that He is always with me and He always gets me through.
If you want more evidence that God is who He says He is, check out this blog entry from a couple of years ago. Stars really do sing, just like God said they do thousands of years ago!
If you don’t know Jesus and you are still alive, it’s not too late. To say that it is awesome to know the God who created the Universe as a personal friend and Father is an understatement!
Passionately Conservative
Why am I so Conservative? And why is that I trumpet it from the rooftops? Because conservative policies are the only ones that have a track record of working! As tax rates were cut and regulations were trimmed at the beginning of the Reagan administration the economy took less then a year to start pulling out of the Jimmy Carter malaise. By Reagan’s third year as President the concern was that the economy would overheat it was taking off so fast! Here is a comparison of Obama’s third year economy vs. Reagan’s. Reaganomics vs. Obamanomics? It’s no contest.
Similarly, in 1994 when Newt Gingrich launched his “Contract with America” and Republicans were swept into Congress the economy improved again. President Clinton was forced to move to the middle of the political spectrum, Congress balanced the budget and the country prospered.
What is happening in the economy now is criminal and preventable. 60 Minutes highlighted homelessness and specifically homeless kids on it’s program last night. You can see some of the highlights here at TheBlaze.com. I used to work at a non-profit that provides food for starving people around the world and even to help food banks in this country to stretch the food supplies they have. Attending food bank conferences around the country even back in 2003. I know first hand that there is a need for donations and volunteers at food banks and Gospel Rescue Missions and Salvation Army’s across the country. The need has risen exponentially as more people need help. The problem is in this economy less people are able to pitch in.
Coming out of the bursting housing bubble the Obama Administration should have moved quickly to cut Corporate Tax Rates to attract jobs to America and keep the ones that are here here. Instead the administration pushed for, and Congress passed, even more regulation in the form of Dodd Frank just to name one. Instead of attracting business to America we are bleeding jobs overseas. Then there is Obamacare, so-called “stimulus” and now the administration wants “stimulus” two. Are we really that stupid? The polls would suggest that we are not.
This country is rich in natural resources, including oil and natural gas. Yet, this administration is shutting down drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and dragging it’s feet on an already agreed to oil pipeline from Canada. Canada is our largest source of imported oil. Yet the Canadians are now ready to deal with China instead of this administration because we are not living up to the agreed timeline on the pipeline. In addition, the EPA is suing oil refineries in Texas and shutting down coal fired power plants and coal mines across the country. By emphasizing “Green” energy at the expense of oil, natural gas and even coal, this administration is throwing away billions in “stimulus” money by giving it to solar companies that have gone bankrupt.
The Obama Administration is hamstringing the energy sector that is itching to provide thousands of high paying jobs. The sectors that support energy would also benefit from increased business. EVERY sector would benefit. More jobs means more money in the economy. It really isn’t that hard to understand and yet the Progressives seem hell bent on undermining the economy and the country.
Back to the homeless kids in the UNITED STATES! It is immoral that this administration would continue to pursue the failed policies of the past three years. Stimulus has wasted TRILLIONS and unemployment is not only high, but it’s been high for a record period of time. The result? 1 in 4 children in this country need assistance. That is disgraceful. Parents can’t find work and there is no end in sight as long as the Progressives are running things. The pain is real. When people can’t work they lose their dignity. Suicide rates increase with unemployment. When unemployment is high the country is weaker and when the United States is weaker the world is a more dangerous place.
Why am I a Conservative? Because people’s lives depend on jobs and a strong country. When you see record numbers of homeless kids it breaks your heart. This is real life and policies and elections really matter.
Want to improve the quality of life in America? VOTE! and vote Republican at all levels of government. Smaller government and more jobs is the only way to get this country working again and that is the moral thing to do.
Looking for Change You can Believe In? Occupy Hard Work.
There are 31 Proverbs in the Bible and most months have 30 or 31 days. I don’t think it’s a mistake that there is a Proverb for every day. I was reading this morning’s Proverb and these verses reminded me of what is so terribly wrong with the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) Movement.
Proverbs 21:25-26
25 The desire of the lazy man kills him,
For his hands refuse to labor.
26 He covets greedily all day long,
But the righteous gives and does not spare.
The class warfare being promoted in this country by Democratic leaders including the President is dangerous and immoral. I keep hearing that the rich are getting richer. Someone just posted on Facebook that the top 400 wealthy Americans have more money then the bottom 150 million. The implication is that our current system just isn’t fair and we must redistribute the rick folks wealth.
In reality it is a straw man argument. I have never met anyone with any kind of means who didn’t work their butt off. The rich are rich for the most part because God has given them talent and they work hard! It’s these very rich folk who create companies that create jobs that allow all of us to find work to feed ourselves and our families.
The OWS reaction to the class warfare being perpetuated by our President and the Democratic Party? Instead of placing the blame for our bad economy and lack of jobs on policies coming out of Washington they have decided it’s a good idea to go camping in public parks. Instead of taking their God given gifts and applying themselves (and applying for work) they complain about those who have, and demand that they get their “fair share.” Problem is that would not be fair because it ain’t their share!
“The desire of a lazy man kills him.” The OWS camp grounds have been a source of fleas and ticks and drug overdoses, rapes and even a shooting or two. They spend their time greedily coveting all day long.
On the flip side it is the wealthy that are giving and do not spare. Who do you think gives to charities across this country? Where is the appreciation for corporations and individuals of means who GIVE AWAY their money so homeless folks can eat, so battered women have shelters, so drug addicts can be set free, so cures can be found for cancer and birth defects. The list goes on and on.
I don’t know any poor people who give to non-profits. They can’t. They are broke! It’s the people with money that have the ability to share money. If the Occupiers would mind their own business, work hard and be thankful they live in a country that gives every individual the best chance to succeed maybe they wouldn’t be such whiny complainers and instead would work hard to become generous contributors.
November 20, 2011 Pusch Peak Sunrise Time Lapse
Originally posted at TonightsSunset.com
Not as much color in this one as we often get, but I like they way the cloud were moving and forming and unforming. 45 minutes around sunrise condensed into about a minute and 45 seconds
Something Fishy Going On Again
Neons and Tetras and Plants, Oh Joy
I love my fish tank. It brings a calm and peace to my life as I peer into an alien environment created for creatures with gills and colorful scales. I have a 55 gallon tank and when it’s fully stocked with guppies and neons and assorted tetras it can be better than HD TV. In 3D even!
The story of the tank goes back to the days in Roswell and my job at KBIM TV. The year was 1992. I already had a 10 gallon tank (which was later the home for my Piranha, but that is another story) where my green snake lived. (it was so cool) I also had a little goldfish tank with a little goldfish in it. I didn’t want a dog or a cat since I lived in an upstairs apartment.
I was minding my own business at work one day talking to our receptionist and she asked me if I wanted to buy her 55 gallon tank. Stand, underground filters, gravel, the whole works for only $75. What a steal and a deal! I jumped at it and we agreed. Her Dad even helped me carry it up the stairs to my apartment. He even took the heavy end. (and it was heavy)
I got it all set up and stocked it with fish and it was amazing. It had (and still has) the best gravel I’ve seen in a fresh water tank. My son was only 3 years old at the time and he loved it! Amber did too, and so did I. :-)
I had the tank for the remaining couple years I lived in Roswell. I added a dog when I moved into a house. Popcorn was our “Pet of the Week” one week that we featured on the air after the weather. I said on TV that I would take her if no one else did, and I did, but again, that is another another story.
Marbles from FAO Schwartz. Fish from Pet Smart.
Back to the tank. It traveled well when I moved to Lubbock, Texas and was a source of joy when I bought my first house a couple of years later. I visited FAO Schwartz in NY, NY and bought some marbles that I added to the tank. The fish even made the move (and two year stay) to Odessa, Texas after my nearly 10 years in Lubbock. After Odessa I moved to Tucson and that is when I ran into a problem. The tank got cracked during transport from Odessa to Tucson. So, I went without fish for almost a year. That is until my son came to visit.
Now in high school, one of the first things my son said to me was, “Where is your fish tank?” I had always had the tank since he could remember and it was noticeably missing. I missed it too, so I went down to the Wal-Mart and bought a new tank. I still had all the set-up stuff and it was easy to set it up back up and stock it. Just like old times! All was calm and peaceful again in the Shaw household.
Then came my personal Great Depression last year into this one. Not so much my mood, but my finances. First one light burned out on the tank, then the other. Some of the fish were dying (normal attrition) and the remaining were living in the dark except for the natural light coming in from the windows. I couldn’t afford to replace the lights nor the fish. This went on for nearly a year until last week.
Still needs a little work, but I'm glad it's back
Finally! I caught up on my bills and I had some left over cash to replace the lights and stock the tank. I especially love the guppies. They are the most colorful and flamboyant of the fish and they breed like crazy. The little baby guppies serve as live food for the rest of the fish, and the guppies that survive continue to supply even more guppies. It’s wonderful! In Lubbock I had a pet store owner who used to buy guppies from me.
So there you have it. Pets and apartment living don’t mix with me very well. Except for the fish. They don’t need to be walked and there is no cat box litter smell. Only peace and love and a glimpse into an alien world full of color and life. Sigh.
November 18, 2011 Linda Vista Loop Trail Sunset Time Lapse
Nice Sunset tonight. Here’s a time lapse taken with my FlipUltra HD.
Beautiful and Ever Changing
Godzilla Promises Change and Hope
"Any questions? I didn't think so."
Little Rock (not AP) – Dubbed the “Intimidation Tour,” Godzilla continued his whirlwind schedule of visiting 10 major cities across the country in as many days. Godzilla reiterated his plan to “fundamentally change” the country.
His campaign slogan, “Hope. You Don’t Get Crushed” was well received by a cowardly press that seemed to be in awe of Godzilla’s physical presence. That and Godzilla destroyed several satellite trucks when Chip Reid asked if Godzilla had a last name. It appears that intimidation politics is working well for the mutant monster from the deep.
Besides his aggressive domestic policies, Godzilla has a ton of experience in dealing with Japan. He has a track record of stimulating the economy there by tearing down high tension wires and destroying the countryside while battling political opponents such as Mothra and even King Kong.
