Another Awesome Engadget Post

I try not to steal too much content from other providers, but this is TWO days in a row that Engadget has been brining the Smackdown! Enjoy this tidbit:

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If you thought a solar-powered ferry was far out, get a load of this. Reportedly, a 132-meter long vessel will be making its maiden voyage next month, but rather than chugging copious quantities of diesel while traversing the Atlantic, it'll be sipping down fuel and receiving a good bit of help from the computer guided kite attached to its bow. The $725,000 device will be tethered to a 15-meter high mast and will fly some 300 meters above the ship in order to catch enough wind to actually aid in its movement. It's suggested that the SkySails kite propulsion system will slash fuel consumption by "up to 20-percent," saving the operator some $1,600 per day and reducing carbon emissions all the while. 'Course, all the company has to do now is make sure the January trip is a success and it'll have a list of to-be owners a mile long.

Found on Engadget

This is one of the coolest concepts I've seen in a while; thought I'd share.

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"We've seen quite a few next-gen nav device concepts, but none with as much potential as the Virtual Cable, from a New Jersey company called Making Virtual Solid. The system uses a laser, a set of lenses, and a moving mirror mounted in the dashboard to project a 3D route-guidance line above the road ahead, as though it's actually out in front of the driver. Besides making driving that much more like a video game, the company says mass-produced versions will cost somewhere around $400 as a factory-installed option, and can be easily interfaced with existing GPS systems. Sadly, there don't appear to be any live videos of the system in action, but judging from the number of patent applications and incredibly detailed schematics and explanations on the website, the vapor factor seems pretty low. Check the read link for a set of video mockups of the system in action."

OH MY GOSH! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?

News Flash: Baseball players use steroids.


My opinion: Big Whoop.


Reality check: If your multi-million dollar paycheck depended on being better than the next guy you might find yourself in a similar situation. And, oh yeah, given the number of Baseball players using Steriods that don't seem to erupt in roid rage or die unexpectedly... maybe steriods aren't the deadly killer we've been led to believe?

That's Gonna Leave a Mark

Osteochondral Lesions of the Talus: that's the prognosis with my ankle. In order to fix this not-so-small problem they're recommending an Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation which is your basic fancy speak for removing part of a cadaver's ankle and replacing it in my own. Of course, where they need to put this is hard to get to, so they are going to have to cut the bone away from the ankle, prep the repair site, and then install the bits and pieces. Then after this they will replace the piece of bone and reattach it to the leg with a nice big titanium screw. This is pretty gruesome stuff, but you can see some pictures here, here, and here, if you're interested in how it will all look (warning: not for the squeamish).

The much more pleasing graphical representation, shown here, demonstrates the problem with the ankle in a less gooey manner.

So, the military doctor here in Japan is referring me to a specialist in Hawaii, which was very reassuring that they would make such a recommendation. Only problem is that as long as I'm on foreign soil I'm treated with all the benefits and courtesy of a military member in uniform... but the second my toes touch American Soil I'm outta luck... which means that I can't get it done at a military hospital. I guess they are going to refer me to a specialist in the states and I will get the surgery done some time next year. When, where, etc., I don't know; but I'll keep you posted.

:j

Chuck is Brilliant!

Mind you, my best friend Charles, also known as Chuck (well, at least to me), is in fact quite the mentalite sporting not one but two* degrees [and yes, I know I called him a moron earlier, but he's proposed** to the girl now and you're supposed to have the decency to forget these things after such an occurrence, um, occurs].

However, the particular Chuck that I am referring to is a new comedy shown on NBC. Yes, I know, don't get me started again on my current disdain for NBC and yes, I am in fact currently watching this series on iTunes, which as far as I know is still sticking it to the NBC man, and it is very very likely that I'll not get to finish the series until the DVD comes out--which WILL make me full-on "unhappy". But all that aside, if you haven't seen Chuck, you need to. Even you friends of ours who don't own cable service or who are far too popular to stay home at night, you too need to see this show because it is just that great.

Oh, the premise? Uh, it's "the geek gets the girl, if the girl happens to be Sydney from Alias and said girl happens to have plenty of baggage with the aforementioned geek's former best-friend come arch-nemesis". Throw in a superbly cast crew from the local Best Buy-esque store (aptly named the BUY MORE), a fairly perfect domineering male ego type side-kick spy, and a supporting cast of best friends, siblings, boyfriends, bosses, and bad guys, and this show is all the right chemistry in just the right amounts. This show is so brilliant that you have to thank God that it's not on FOX or they'd already be talking of canceling it.

THAT'S HOW GOOD IT IS.

Speaking of Geek: here's another thoroughly entertaining and mostly true geek piece (Click Me), that I Stumbled upon.

*Officially, Chuck (I'm again referring to the best friend here, not the star of the show that shares the namesake; please try to keep up) only has 1 degree in Mechanical Engineering as he is missing but one tiny little should-have-been-done-a-long-long-LONG-time-ago re-write of his senior thesis to complete his already paid for English degree. Not that I'm nagging or anything.

**And yes, I do support him, not just because that's what friends do but because I truly hope he's found the one! So, I told him personally and I'll now tell the world, Chogras, which I believe is French for Congrats***, to both of you!

***Not Really****

****Due homage noted and paid-in-full to Terry Prachet for use of his now famous asterisks laden writing style.

NBC versus iTunes

Less than three years ago Kazaa was the peer to peer choice for any movie or TV show one could want, free. Just about five years ago Napster was the peer to peer choice for free music. Itunes, then, is a success along the proportions of bottled water. Imagine if you will a couple of rough and tumble Hydrogen atoms suddenly approaching an Oxygen dipole and informing him that he'd have to double down in order to keep their relationship chemically bonded.

Well, scratch that analogy. What I'm trying to get at is that NBC had a good thing with iTunes: make money on something that was previously being traded for free. And then NBC got greedy.

Now, I'm not a huge fan of Steve Jobs. A good market machine... a different voice in a crowd of sameness. But iTunes is a convenience; a simple affordable method of getting something I want, when I want it. Until NBC came along.

In fact, with so few other options in movie and television show department, I'm not sure why every show isn't available on iTunes. They all were available on Kazaa. And when given a choice maybe it's not so much the price that NBC should be worried about, but the availability of their product.

Want Sumo?

The Sumo tournaments are held just about every other month here in Japan, or at least that's what it seems like. So two months ago Lilah and I, along with Jeff Sauby and John Burton headed up to Tokyo for the last Saturday before the finale. Of course, having never been to a Sumo match before, when I bought a 4 person box seat I had no inkling that by four person box what they really meant was four Lilliputians.

Jeff and I are no tiny tots, so this was a bit of a humorous situation when we arrived. Otherwise, what a fun time! There's a lot of tradition that is involved in a Sumo match. There are a lot of Sumo matches at a Sumo tournament. We basically spent about 5 or 6 hours at the pavalion and other than one intermission it was non-stop Sumo. To top off the day, the Royal Princess, who I'm told is a huge fan and knows every Sumo wrestlers name and stats, showed up right before the Ozeki matches started.

After the Sumo ended the four of us headed over to a locally famous pub for some dinner and drinks, and then headed home for the evening on the Trains. All in all, a great day!

Thin Lizzy

Thumbing through some old photos that my mom had and I found a photo of me after Army basic training just as I was starting Airborne School. It's been a long time since I remember sub 200's. Ho hum. Err, I mean: Airborne!

:j

Twinkle Of Your Mother's Eye

Archaic Nonsense in a Digital Age

If I inquired as to the last time someone asked you for your social security number you might very well answer today or yesterday, or maybe 20 minutes ago. More than half my financial life revolves around my social security number, from the paycheck the government sends me every other week, to the stocks I invest in, to a verification for a lost password, checking into a hospital, applying for credit, accessing my student loans, anything tax related... it seems I'm giving this nine digit number just as often as I do my own phone number.

But having been recently posed the question of providing a copy of my social security card, I started thinking that I can't remember the last time some made such a request. In fact, it had been so long since someone asked that I had to respond by saying that I honestly don't know exactly where my Social Security Card is. I mean, come on....for reals? You want to see my social security card? Just giving you the number isn't enough? You're a condo association and you demand to see my card?!?

This is an antiquated relic of the Roosevelt administration from 1935... Of course they used a card--THEY DIDN'T HAVE COMPUTERS! Or TV for that matter. But here in the future, attaching a social security number to a blue business card that I'm not allowed to carry in my wallet and I'm not allowed to laminate is laughable. Forcing me to produce it on demand is downright demeaning. Why not just tattoo it on my skin Auschwitz style?

Maybe Mr. Mike Astrue can update the system?
Complaint Form

Or, if you're a little more old Fashioned:
Michael J. Astrue
Commissioner Social Security Administration
6401 Security Blvd.Baltimore, MD 21235-0001

"Hop-Along" Troxel

Last year on my way back from Bremerton, Washington to Washington D.C. I sprained my ankle in a terrible way. It was the night before my flight after the Thanks Giving holiday and I was rushed to the emergency room where they did some X-rays and gave me some happy pills and crutches, then sent me hobbling home.

Course, everybody and their sister's boyfriend told me how it would take forever to get back to normal after a severe sprain, so when it took forever I more or less accepted it as to-be-expected, in light of this wealth of common knowledge.

And I waited.

And waited.

Well, call me a ungrateful, but sure enough I got tired of waiting and went back to the doctor to see about physical therapy to help me walk correctly and to ease the pain when I try to exercise. Now I always grew up thinking that all decent God-fearing men should fear a Military doctor, but pain is pain and that's a pretty good motivation. Come to find out, though, the military hospital actually has a lot going for it, like not being an HMO. Or even a PPO. In fact, not being an HMO or PPO is a pretty amazing benefit because the doctors are more than happy to order up as many tests or procedures as come to mind, give out as many applicable drugs as reasonably needed, and are more than happy to let you hang out in your hospital room an extra day without any pressure what-so-ever to free up a bed to earn the hospital a bonus.

So where I thought I would get a poke, a prod, and a push out the door, I instead received a consult, an X-ray, and a call back. Yes, feel free to read that again; I actually had a real life doctor call me to talk to me about the results.

Of course, this special treatment could have been because--come to find out--I have a broken ankle from that sprain so long ago, which wasn't identified by Group Health (least way's they never called me back), and this fracture never received enough blood to properly heal and resulted in portions of the bone dying. So now I have to get an MRI and a consult from an orthopedic surgeon.

Welp, that's my story; if you happen to see me hopping by, now you know why.

Let me Explain.No there is too much-Let me sum up

Lilah recently wrote an email to her former co-workers, and it was so well done I asked her if I could share it with you; she said yes:

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I am sorry to keep you guys in the dark for so long! It seems that
everything is happening all at once, and I have not had the chance to
slow down yet. I started writing you an e-mail the first week I got
here, but uh, well, here we are now. I will give you a quick run-down
of how it's gone so far:

Week 1: Orientation - Since everyone associated with the shipyard here
is a representative of the shipyard to the nation of Japan, we all
attend a week-long orientation. It also helps with culture shock,
exposes you to the many available resources, and is a pre-requisite if
you want to drive in Japan. I thought it was great, and the speakers
were pretty engaging and knowledgeable. And I'm driving, as scary as
that sounds.
Week 2: Tragedy Strikes - At the beginning of the week, I'm taking
(and passing) my driver's course, getting all the paperwork processed
including the dog I brought with me. By the end of the week, Jason
receives a phone call that his mother is suffering serious
complications from a minor surgery. Jason flies home to Oklahoma.
Week 3: More Tragedy and Furniture - Jason's mother passed away. I
will fly to Oklahoma for the funeral services, but first I will
oversee the arrival of my furniture, which is several months earlier
than expected. While in Oklahoma, I suffer from jet lag - A LOT.
Week 4: Unpacking and Surprise! - It took me a while to recover from
what felt like severe sleep deprivation. In the meantime, I'm trying
to establish paths through the junk in my house. I made a good amount
of progress this week, but still have yet to finish (as of Oct 20). At
the very end of this week, we made a very special discovery...we're
pregnant!
Week 5: Trick? or Treat - This week is spent both at the hospital
getting an enormous amount of blood taken from me (and confirming the
results) and visiting some of the English classes I will soon be
taking over. Since it is October, the theme has been Halloween, which
is still a very foreign concept in Japan. And I've been
trick-or-treating 3 times this last week. I had a very lovely meeting
with a nurse at the hospital, which established my estimated due date
as June 11.

So, as you can see, Jason and I have experienced just a few MAJOR LIFE
EVENTS in the last month. But I have been thinking of my KPS buddies
quite a bit lately and I'm glad to finally get the opportunity to
write just a little bit. I still have lots of unpacking to do, and it
seems there is always something going on, so I don't feel like I will
be bored here at all. I don't have a real job yet, but with the
aforesaid MAJOR LIFE EVENTS, Jason would like me to get a temporary
real job to help with the transition.

I know you probably have a lot of questions and I left out many
details, so please keep writing me and I will keep you posted!

What More Can I say?

Obituary

A celebration of life for Marti H. Troxel, age 58, of Chickasha, Oklahoma, will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 4, 2007, in the First Presbyterian Church under the direction of her family. Flowers may be sent to McRay Funeral Home.

Martha Helene Troxel was born the daughter of Herbert R. Bricker and Elizabeth Ann Homenko Bricker on January 18, 1949, in Canton, Ohio. She died on September 30, 2007.

She married Dennis Troxel on September 20, 1980, in Coral Springs, Florida.

Marti moved to Chickasha in the early 1980’s. Soon after moving to Chickasha, she worked two years for Bill Addy, PA.. In 1983, Larry Schlegel bought the accounting business where Marti has worked for twenty-four years as an accountant. During this time, Marti attended USAO and graduated with honors with a Bachelor of Science in accounting in 1997.

She was preceded in death by her parents.

Survivors include:
Husband: Dennis Troxel of Chickasha; Son and Wife: Jason and Lilah Troxel of Yokosuka, Japan, where Jason is the Aircraft Carrier Repair Program Planning Manager for the Forward Deployed US Naval Forces Pacific Fleet. Sister: Patricia Cupstid-Crews of Port Richey, Florida.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Susan B. Komen, Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Oklahoma Chapter, 120 N. Robinson, Oklahoma City, OK, 73102

Published in The Chickasha Express Star from 10/3/2007 - 10/4/2007.

Goodbyes

You looked the same this morning at 3 am as you did last night at 11 pm: better by inches in a marathon of miles.

I got the call just minutes after 5 pm on Thursday evening from a Senior Chief who's name I didn't hear -- call your Aunt Patti, there's a medical emergency. It took a lot of people a lot of effort to get me on a plane less than 24 hours later on a 20 hour flight departing Narita Japan to Washington Dulles to Oklahoma City. Shelia picked me up and by the time we made it to your room it was a little after 8pm on Thursday evening. I'm not sure how the math works out either, but I walked in to your room and the microcosm of nurses and doctors and machines and waiting.

I didn't recognize you. I accepted it on faith that Shelia had brought me to this room with Dad and Betty and Sandy, and that the woman lying on the bed was you. The respiratory failure, followed by cardiac failure, complicated by disseminated intravascular coagulation left you swollen to the point of bursting.

Your face looks much better today; the swelling has come down significantly and I can see your eyes and your chin now, underneath all of that bruising--the blacks and purples and reds and plums that over-saturate your skin. The respirator tube is held in place by tape across your jaw; it keeps your mouth slightly ajar. The drainage tube down your nasal passage is taped to your nose. But for these three days I held your hand, and I kissed your face, and I spoke in your ear of how, together we would get through.

You died today at 1:24 pm on a Sunday afternoon. I still held your hand as you struggled through your last breaths, fragile and broken, and I cried from the unassailable sorrow. And even though your spirit had left your body days ago, I don't want you to be gone. I want you to hold a grand baby some day, and a great grand baby, too.

Your life will be celebrated by the so many who have loved you. But I shall mourn between those fond memories.



I love you.

Please Pray with Us

My mother Martha Troxel is in need of your prayers. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

Thank you,
Jason and Lilah

The Eagle Has Landed

One week and one day ago, Lilah arrived in Japan. If you've wondered why I haven't posted a blog in a while, go back and read that first sentence again, and then think about it.


Okay, we're all back and on board, yes?

Things have been hectic, downright frantic even, at work. After five days I'd seen Lilah only 10 hours. We made up for that by spending all day Saturday together in Tokyo attending a Sumo match with some friends, Jeff Sauby and John Burton.
Lilah's first week wasn't all boredom and jet lag. She had the opportunity to attend the Area Orientation Brief & Inter-cultural Relations, a required course for all new arrivals. The week completes with a written driving test, which she passed. Tomorrow she will take her driving test and there after will be a driving member of the Japanese community. You can be scared now if you want.

Okay, it's not the greatest post in the world, but it'll have to tie you over; I'm heading back into the fray with the second week of PSNS on-site work review.

My Best Friend is a Moron

So I've been a terrible blogger; besides the obvious lack of posting, I've not even been polite enough to keep rigorous tabs on the blogs of my friends. Of course we're all busy. I know I'm busy: There's that whole transition out of one household into another, the wedding in Texas (pictures to follow when the wife's computer gets here), Mock Avail II with 30+ visitors from the States all demanding my time, and oh yeah, Lilah arrives today.

Well, she was supposed to arrive yesterday, and that's an entire ordeal that I wish she hadn't needed to put up with. Seems the AMC flights are much more conservative on when they'll fly in weather conditions, to the extremity of not flying at all if there is a Typhoon warning. Now, I'll be the first to admit, Typhoons and planes shouldn't mix, unless you're one of those crazy guys in a military plane with a flying saucer on top and it's your job to fly into the heart of the storm to have your story told on the Discovery Channel. That said, the Pacific Ocean is quite large. Japan is quite large; well, at least it's very long. And if there is a Typhoon in the area, it is quite possible to fly around it. When there's not even a Typhoon, only a chance... a warning of the potential for there to possibly be a maybe Typhoon... well, I'd expect you'd fly anyway. Not the AMC.

Nope. After requiring that Lilah arrive 6 hours prior to her 9 am departure (do the math and then figure in extra time to transport to the Airport from her SEATAC Hotel while managing the dog and her luggage.) ...after requiring Lilah to get there and wait around the airport untl they canceled the flight at T minus two hours, she then had to wait for another 4 hours to get her complimentary hotel room. All I can say is that she is a Saint, because I'd probably be in a straight jacket by now.

The best friend I'm referring to decided to get back with his ex with the three kids. I just don't get why he wants to throw his life away...

Sorry for the delay in posting. I'll promise to think about trying to post more often. With Pictures. Oh, and the picture above is from Charlie and Melinda's back yard! A giant of a spider that Melinda called a "Name Writer"; as big as this guy was he could have been called Sir, or at the very least Mister. I'm not sure that the perspective is such to show that this guy was the size of about 3 of my fingers. NOT that I got my hand close enough to verify that! I get the heebee geebees just thinking of how close I had to get to take this photo with my wife's camera. Click on the photo for the high rez version.

:j

All Said and Done

The packers and movers came through like locusts carrying paper and cardboard and tape. In three days these harbingers of life changing events wrapped, packed, and strapped into crates every item that we elected to maintain ownership of in our Japanese house hold.

Three days.

Of course, we did throw away a TON and a half of trash. Seriously, 3000 pounds of Troxel trash has been given final rites and laid to rest at the Bremerton Transfer Station. We also gave away about 12 car and truck loads to the Goodwill.

We expect to see our stuff around the middle of October. It will be like an early Christmas as we watch all these boxes unpacked.

The Last Pair of Johnston & Murphy's I'll Ever Own

These shoes were 10 months old when I finally had to accept that the "Great American Shoe Company" had sold me the equivalent of a Payless Shoe store reject. The split in the sole occurred within the first three months; the separation of the shoe from the sole began around month six.

These shoes were worn at best, every other or every third day, as I have a very favorite pair of brown Santonni's that I wear more frequently. By the way, the Santonni's still look brand new.

Good bye and good riddance Mr. Johnston and Mr. Murphy. Apparently, these shoes weren't made for walking.

Moving Part E, Subsection 1.6-54

I've been doing my best to cope with the reality of the moving process. I know that one would think this would be old-hat for someone who has actually been living in Japan for four months, but in reality the sight of everything boxed and bagged has been amazingly tumultuous. Perhaps it's the reality that there is no "home" to come back to anymore; all these years of traveling have always brought me back to Lilah and the elevated view of the Port Washington Narrows. And now tomorrow will bring my last official day as a home owner and my first official day as a landlord.

There is also the entire introspective process that has accompanied the sorting and sifting of a lifetime of junk carefully accumulated and stored until now. One might call it an archaeological process that has involved the unboxing of early primitive attempts at being me. There's stacks and stacks of Army photos, the facinating timelapsed photography of "the growing of the hair", the random writings of a would be poet, the primitive facial jewelry, the tight jeans, the loose jeans, the ripped jeans, the designer jeans... a veritable time-line in denim if you will.

There were boxes of books, and bills, and magazines, and college homework. Whatever possessed me to hold onto these things has been lost over the years between then and now. But the affect has been realized in the stark reality of leaving.

The Pups have handled the process fairly well. Calla and Chase have been poked, prodded, and cut. They've had blood drawn and important bits removed. And through it all, they've been absolutely the best. Here in the hotel room Calla is munching on some kibbles from her portable hiking food bowls while Chase is reveling in the enjoyment of a very rare instance of lying on a bed (hey, it's a hotel!). We've reconnoitered the champagne bucket to serve as their water bowl and their new international flight approved kennels are waiting for me to tuck the puppies in for the night. So goodnight all.

Lilah in Action

Since I've been back, I've had an opportunity to attend 3 of Lilah's soccer games, 2 with her Poulsbo team and 1 with her Pendergast team. The photos below are from her Poulsbo team, and while Lilah looks like every bit of Beckam's match, they lost this particular match. However, last night they rocked and brought home the gold with a 8 to 4 victory!

Of course, like any sports model, Lilah is making this stuff look much easier than it really is.

She got the mad skills.

And she even doubles as a fill-in goalie.

So, in all honesty, this is yet another one of those self-serving posts. It kind of displays my need for a new camera, it definitely displays my affection for my wife, and it certainly displays Lilah's affinity toward soccer. Does this appeal to the masses? Neh. But I'm okay with that.

Case of the Missing Prius

I've used Ebay for a number of years now. Not as a professional seller mind you, but to get rid of a few things here and there, to buy a hard to find such and such, what not. So, when I listed the Prius on Craigs List I didn't think much of it. And two days ago we sold it to one of the only two people who responded to the ad. A free ad, I might, umm... add.

So, we're packing. And we're packing... and packing. Today we finished our long term storage shipment. As Lilah said, everything that's left either goes with us or goes to the trash. A true en"lightening" experience; on Saturday when we made a dump run in our rented Uhaul, we disposed of a ton of trash... literally.

Anyway, not everything has been thrown away. Some of the cleaning turned up some long un-developed insta-matics. Enjoy these pieces of history--