Second place overall champions, division 1!
This is the First Lego League championship for Virginia/D.C. - and we won second place overall!!! I'm still reeling in astonishment and glee. The girls worked hard, and they kept up their efforts, even when our robot didn't perform as well as we wanted.
Next year's theme will be on climate (gee, what a surprise! [rolls eyes]), and we're already brain storming (heh) possible scenarios and research projects.
Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho'
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are,--
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.Alfred, Lord Tennyson, "Ulysses"
I just read this, quoted in a story I'm reading, and it touched my heart. I'm not usually much on poetry - not surprising with the dreck published these days - but real poetry, bold, moving and powerful, has the knack of stirring up the best and noblest of emotions.
Shakespeare, Byron, Kipling, Longfellow, Coleridge, Donne, Poe, Spenser... Men and women who could paint word pictures of incredible beauty, with vivid images and subtle rhythm that lured you into the poem and made it wrap around your senses...
We don't seem to have this any more; instead we have drabbles which are read one moment and forgotten the next, or drag us down into unsettling, uninspiring and unprofitable thoughts. My cousin writes poetry, and I confess that I haven't read much of what she's written, because samples have only left me feeling confused, unworthy and depressed.
Read those lines from "Ulysses" again. The speaker has been humbled, has gone through loss and disappointment, yet he has the ability to say "much abides." He can still conclude with that triumphant determination
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
I think I need to read some of the old masters - they knew whereof they spoke!
Up here to learn about hydroelectric power... The Darling Munchkin is participating in robotics at school this year, and the theme is "energy." Smith Mountain Lake Dam is only about a half hour away, and set in a beautiful area. Although I've visited the Leesville Dam before, I hadn't yet gotten up to see this one, which is about 17 miles upstream...
Here are a couple little video clips I took, but you might also want to scan the Wikipedia entries for Smith Mountain Lake and Leesville Dam for more information.
(The first video I took is still processing at YouTube, so I'm going to save - and thus post - this update, so I don't lose any of my edits. As soon as YT has finished with the first video, I'll post it.) Ah, and here it is!
I *just* got back to my hotel room from the Blogs United conference, held at Christopher Newport University (and they were excellent hosts!), and I just wanted to toss this post up before I let it slide:
Jim Hoeft, of Bearing Drift, set up a stupendous conference with eloquent speakers from both sides of the aisle. All his hard work really paid off, because we had an informative and congenial meeting, and I would venture to say that "a good time was had by all."
In spite of the fact that Jim came under undeserved fire for being, ah... "non inclusive"... er, "un-inclusive"... um... Well, in spite of the fact that certain people felt they weren't included, and in spite of the fact that he had a wrenched body and broken arm from a Fourth of July fall, Jim hosted the event with style and grace.
I cannot thank him enough for all his hard work and patience while trying to "herd cats," and I offer a standing ovation to him in thanks for a wonderful and educational time.
Thanks, Jim!
I'll be posting about the conference, but it most likely won't be the detailed posts I have done before (OK, so maybe not terribly detailed...). I think that the general theme/trend/topic of the conference will be my main subject - and it may not be quite what y'all expect, so stay tuned.
And, yeah, there will be pictures, I promise! [rolls eyes - hey, this is ME! Can I post without pix???]
--- I posted this last year, and it was well received. And so I post it again in hope that it lifts up someone's spirit and reminds them of the foundation of this great country on its birthday. Here is the wonderful mix that my blog brother, Alton, made for me. He'd asked me to record this post, and then he added music. Listen or read - but enjoy either way!
I would also encourage you to go over to Rick Moan's site, where he is "liveblogging" the events which happened July 2, July 3, and July 4 of 1776. He is an excellent and imaginative writer, and you won't be disappointed.---
Two hundred thirty years ago, a group of men - men of influence, wisdom, and courage - gathered together to sign a Document and birth a Nation:
IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
And so began the war for our Independence, a war where we threw off the stifling apron-strings of our Mother, Britain, and began our journey of discovery. The War was long, and fraught with set-backs, disasters, tremendous hardship, and discouragement. But through it all, one man held true to the ideal and fought with dogged determination to keep his army and his new country from giving in.
General George Washington. He was not necessarily a brilliant man, but he was honorable and resolute. He had been given the duty of defeating the British and winning the War, and he pursued his orders with unflinching persistence.
And in October of 1781, the British General, Cornwallis, surrendered at Yorktown, VA.
The United States of America was free.
But freedom doesn't come easily. The States had adopted the Articles of Confederation in early 1781. The Articles gave the States many sovereign powers, and any changes to the Articles had to be approved by nine of the thirteen States. Federal power was practically non-existent: it couldn't raise taxes, it couldn't regulate trade, it couldn't stop States from printing their own money.
With authority to act scattered throughout the States, and an anemic central government, America threatened to dissolve into a group of bickering little provinces. The States had their own armies, their own international ambassadors, they argued over interstate trade, the justice system left quite a bit to be desired. In other words, it was a bit of a mess!
In 1786, after much unrest and disputes among the States, James Madison and Alexander Hamilton petitioned that the Constitutional Convention convene to write a new Constitution which would strengthen and unify our young Nation. The man the Convention elected to preside over this process was none other than George Washington, the man all Americans look on as our First Father. General Washington was reluctant - he had recently lost his brother, and he preferred to remain at Mount Vernon, managing his lands. Finally, however, he accepted the duty, and made his way to Pennsylvania.
Under his calm influence, eventually each of the States made compromises and came to agreements, negotiated the power of the Federal Government and State Governments, outlined the authorities of the branches of the Federal Government, and placed the ultimate power of Government firmly in the hands of the People. The first draft was accepted in August of 1787 after months of wrangling and debating. Five weeks later, on September 17th, the convention dismissed, and the Constitution went to the States for ratification. It wasn't until July of 1788 that the Convention received word that the ninth State, South Carolina had ratified the Constitution.
Finally, enough States had accepted the Constitution to begin to implement its laws. Of course, there was further debate about the Bill of Rights, which were passed by a total of three quarters of the States by late 1791, but now America had her "supreme Law of the Land," which began:
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
Thus we began to work out this fine balance between the Power and Authority of the People, and that of the Government. Men and women have stepped up to serve our country in war and in peace throughout our 230-year history. Elected officials, military, police, firemen, medical personnel, charity organizations, human rights groups, and so many more have furthered the cause of Freedom and Liberty in our country.
But for me, no group deserves our honor and our respect more than the men and women who serve her in our Armed Forces. Each man and woman who enters the military takes this oath:
...I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same...
Our men and women do not swear to a particular leader. They are not members of a cult of personality. They swear to uphold the Law, and the Supreme Law of the United States of America is the Constitution.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what the Fourth of July means to me. "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness," "We the People," and "I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same."
Happy 231st birthday, America! I love you dearly, and pray that God will continue to bless and guide you. I pray that you will always be that "shining city on the hill," a light and example to the rest of the world of Freedom and Liberty.
Happy birthday!
As I said, today I visited Fort McHenry, and it was wonderful! I was greeted by Old Glory, of course:
She is so beautiful! I was reminded of Michael W. Smith's song, "There She Stands" -
When the night
Seems to say
All hope is lost
Gone away
But I know
I'm not alone
By the light
She stands
There she waves
Faithful friend
Shimmering stars
Westward wind
Show the way
Carry me
To the place
She stands
Just when you think it might be over
Just when you think the fight is gone
Someone will risk his life to raise her
There she stands
There she flies
Clear blue skies
Reminds us with red
Of those that died
Washed in white
By the brave
In their strength
She stands
When evil calls itself a martyr
When all your hopes come crashing down
Someone will pull her from the rubble
There she stands
We've seen her flying torn and tattered
We've seen her stand the test of time
And through it all the fools have fallen
There she stands
By the dawn's
Early light
And through the fight
She stands
She does stand. She is still waving over the land of the free and the home of the brave, no matter that there are those who want to pull her down.
Anyway - back to Fort McHenry. There's an EXCELLENT video by the History Channel (I spoke about it here) that is well worth watching.
The War of 1812 is actually America's second war for independence. Britain was taking our sailors off of merchant ships and impressing them into British service (one of the many factors of the war), and we didn't take too kindly to that. Another little factoid most people don't realize about this "forgotten" war, is that the Battle of Baltimore - the most famed battle, and the one which inspired our National Anthem - didn't actually take place until September, 1814. So, our fondness for playing the 1812 Overture is actually a mistake on this point, besides the fact that it was written to celebrate the victory of Russia over Napoleon's French army...
As you leave the Visitors' Center, there is a large statue of the brave man who commanded Fort McHenry that fateful night.
When he arrived in Baltimore in 1814, he commissioned a huge flag from Mary Pickersgill. He wanted a "a flag so large that the British would have no difficulty seeing it from a distance" and that is the flag which Francis Scott Key saw flying proudly the morning after the battle.
Consider the situation: in August of 1814, Washington had been sacked, President Madison had been forced to flee the city, and our fledgling country was in disarray. The Major probably knew that a rallying point - a glorious symbol - was desperately needed.
I doubt, however, that he had any inkling of the critical importance that flag would have in our country's history. Neither could he have imagined the inspiration it has provided to our nation down the years.
Here is the front entrance to Fort McHenry. To the left, out of frame, is the ravelin, which protected the front gate so troops could move out into battle safely. It also stored ammunition, and provided a base to catch any attackers in the defenders' crossfire.
Here's a picture from inside the ravelin, looking up and out. The grate to the right blocks a doorway that leads into an ammunition room. The angle of the stairs as well as the depth below grade helped to protected any powder from exploding due to a stray mortar.
I probably ought to have taken a picture from the outside, but, well... Ooops...?
This is one of the cannons which surround the fort. Most aren't from the Battle of Baltimore, but instead they're dated to the Civil War. Fort McHenry was fortified by the Union forces, but it never came under attack by the Confederacy.
It's actually quite interesting - the technology was pretty sophisticated. You can see the tracks at the lower left of the picture, which helped swing the gun from side to side. Some time after the Civil War, if I recall correctly, these guns were upgraded with "hydraulic" pistons. When the gun was fired, the recoil would slam it to the back of its frame. The pressure which the recoil built up in the piston would move the gun up to the load/fire positions. This made the process of load-fire-repeat much faster and more efficient.
Look at the size of those critters, though - pretty impressive, huh?
How about some video? This is a video I took from the top of one of Fort McHenry's bastions -
I took another from the interior of the fort as well:
Fort McHenry it truly inspiring, and you really need to go and visit yourself. If you're quiet and really listen, you might hear the voices of the men who served here. They would whisper their stories in your ear, they would tell of blood and fear and courage.
They would remind you of why they fought and died - and ask you to love and serve the country for which they sacrificed.
Men and women throughout America's history have stepped forward and lived this verse of "America the Beautiful" -
O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife.
Who more than self the country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness
And every gain divine!
Do you love your family, your country, more than yourself? Do you understand and cherish America's founding concepts of duty, service, self-control, honor and courage?
Will America - will we - return to God our Savior and Provider, God who has blessed us beyond compare, and allow Him to refine our gold?
Will we be able to answer "YES!" to Francis Scott Key's question:
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
This morning as I was driving from the hotel to the Naval Academy (yeah, yeah, I'll post pictures - let me get this done, first. Oh, and last night's dinner and the pics of Annapolis, and... I'll get to it, OK??!) I was listening to this Rodney Atkins song, "Watching You."
Beautiful, just perfect - and oh, so true!
So, Dads and Moms, listen up and ask yourself what they're seeing, all right?
Drivin’ through town just my boy and me
With a “Happy Meal” in his booster seat
Knowin’ that he couldn’t have the toy ‘til his nuggets were gone.
A green traffic light turned straight to red
I hit my brakes and mumbled under my breath.
His fries went a flyin’, and his orange drink covered his lap
Well, then my 4 year old said a 4 letter word
It started with “S” and I was concerned
So I said, “Son, now where’d you learn to talk like that?”
Chorus:
He said, I’ve been watching you, dad ain’t that kool?
I’m your buckaroo, I want to be like you.
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are.
We got cowboy boots and camo pants
Yeah, we’re just alike, hey, ain’t we dad
I want to do everything you do.
So I’ve been watching you.
We got back home and I went to the barn
I bowed my head and I prayed real hard
Said, “Lord, please help me help my stupid self.”
Just this side of bedtime later that night
Turnin’ on my son’s Scooby-doo nightlight.
He crawled out of bed and he got down on his knees.
He closed his little eyes, folded his little hands
Spoke to God like he was talkin’ to a friend.
And I said, “Son, now where’d you learn to pray like that?”
Chorus:
He said, I’ve been watching you, dad ain’t that kool?
I’m your buckaroo; I want to be like you.
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are.
We like fixin’ things and holding moma’s hand
Yeah, we’re just alike, hey, ain’t we dad.
I want to do everything you do; so I’ve been watching you.
With tears in my eyes I wrapped him in a hug.
Said, “My little bear is growin’ up.”
And he said, “But when I’m big I’ll still know what to do.”
Chorus:
‘cause I’ve been watching you, dad ain’t that kool?
I’m your buckaroo; I want to be like you.
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are.
By then I’ll be strong as superman
We’ll be just alike, hey, won’t we dad
When I can do everything you do.
‘cause I’ve been watchin’ you.
hey yeah
uh huh
They're watching us.
Each and every day, our children are watching us. What are we teaching them? Do we show love or hate? Hope or despair? Courtesy or arrogance? Integrity or dishonesty? Courage or cowardice?
I would like to live an example of the Fruit of the Holy Spirit:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Then, when my Darling Munchkin is exhorted
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
perhaps she'll think of me...
Yes! Finally I'm getting the pictures up!
So, on Tuesday, while all y'all were snarking and fisking all the idiots who are screwing up our country, the Darling Munchkin and I got up close and personal with some of God's most glorious creatures: dolphins.
Dolphin Quest has a facility inside the Hilton Waikoloa Village, and we made reservations ahead of time - I think they allow up to 60 or 90 days in advance (check out their website).
These are Atlantic Bottlenose dolphins, not the Pacific Spinner dolphins, which are a deep water creature, and therefore unsuitable for this environment. All of these dolphins were born in captivity, so this life is all they know.
They are beautiful, BEAUTIFUL animals, and if I believed in reincarnation, I would like to either come back as one of my own (terribly spoiled) cats, or as a dolphin 
The Dolphin Quest staff are obviously devoted to their charges, and full of information as to their habits, needs and behaviors. One thing which the Beloved Husband learned was that the staff actually feeds the dolphins water. In the wild, dolphins get all the water they need from their prey, but that's not the case in captivity. So, the trainers deliver water via a sort of gastro-IV line which they snake down the dolphin's throat. Also, each dolphin has its own dental cleaning kit(yep - it's a toothbrush!), because they aren't using their teeth to catch their prey as they would in the wild.
This guy's name is Lono, and he's the only mature male in the Hawaii pod. He's a real sweetie and very patient will all these strange people making a fuss over him. Here he is, waiting for the Munchkin to give him a kiss:
We also got to meet one of the ladies, who is pregnant and due in September... I want to say that her name is Kona, but I might be mistaken.
Their skin feels like a very, very smooth cool rubber - actually, Madeleine L'Engle put it better in A Ring of Endless Light: she describes a dolphin's skin as "resilient pewter.
Anyway, it was wonderful, and if there's a Dolphin Quest near where you take your next vacation, I highly recommend that you try to participate in one of their "encounters."
Oh, yeah, I remember what that felt like! But today was the Darling Munchkin's last day of school, and she's now enjoying the pool with a friend...
I'm wondering, will she succeed in her mission to completely saturate herself with chlorine before the summer is over?
... I bet she can...!
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