Hobbies and Pursuits

Hobbies:

Photography – I am not a photographer in any professional sense, but I do enjoy learning photography techniques and practices. I enjoy taking nature pictures of landscapes, waterfronts, flowers, insects, the moon, anything else that falls in the nature category. I also enjoy taking pictures for people such as portraits, portfolios, and special events.I don’t yet have the eye or talent for capturing the illusive amazing photograph, although I do sometimes get lucky and produce some captivating pictures. Ultimately, I enjoy just learning how to take better pictures. From time to time, I assist other professional photographers during photo-shoots, and gain valuable skill and experience with different techniques and equipment. I host some of my pictures in my Picasa Gallery

Reading – I am an avid reader who enjoys the works of authors like John Grisham, Jean M. Auel, J.K. Rowling, Stephen King, and Michael Crichton. Among my favorite books are Roots by Alex Haley, “Life is so good” by George Dawson and Richard Glaubman, and a couple of classics book from my early years, “Jonathon Livingston Seagul” and “Illusions” by Richard Bach.

Hiking, camping, and outdoor adventures – When it comes to camping, I like to “rough it”. I like to be out in the great outdoors with a tent and a fire pit, , either in the mountain or near the Pacific ocean. I enjoy mountain bike riding and hiking along the thousands of great trails in Washington and Oregon. I love spending time along the Oregon coast line. I don’t hunt, but I do enjoy fresh water fishing, and would love to try some salt water fishing.

Pursuits:

Graphical Design – I have been a self-taught student of Photoshop and Illustrator and graphic design techniques since 2004. I have learned, and continue to learn, photograph restoration techniques, custom graphic design , and photo retouching.

Astronomy and Cosmology – I am a huge fan of the Universe. But then, aren’t we all? After all, where would we be without the Cosmos? I enjoy learning how the Universe works, and I like to keep up on current scientific events and discoveries related to the study of the Cosmos. I am also a huge fan of Carl Sagan, an American astronomer, astrophysicist, cosmologist, author who was well known for his research of the Cosmos and his contributions to science and NASA, not to forget, his popular show, Cosmos: A Personal Voyage.

Recommended Websites: Free Online Academic Classes and Lectures

One of the greatest benefits of the Internet is that it makes knowledge that at one time was restricted to academic institutions available to anyone with Internet access and a browser. This is a short list of academic websites I like to visit when ever I am in the mood to expand my knowledge and explore different academic disciplines. This list will grow and change over the next few weeks. If you would like to be notified when this page is updated, use the form below to subscribe to this post. I promise, no spam!

Professor Messer www.professormesser.com
44 Videos – Total Running Time: 10 hours, 53 minutes – Over 118,000 views!

CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, CompTIA Security+, Microsoft Training.

AcedemicEarth.org www.academicearth.org
Online courses from the world’s top scholars. Hundreds of videos on many academic topics.

Subjects: Online Degrees, Art & Architecture, Astronomy, Biology, Business, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics, Education, Electrical Engineering, Engineering (Except Electrical), Entrepreneurship, Environmental Studies, History, International Relations, Law, Literature, Mathematics, Media Studies, Medicine & Healthcare, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Religious Studies, Test Preparation.

Schools: Berkeley, Brandman, Columbia, Dominican,, Drexel, Florida Tech, Georgetown, Hampshire, Harvard, Jacksonville, LeTourneau, Liberty, Marian, Maryland, Michigan, MIT, Northcentral University, NYU, Princeton, Rice, Scranton, Stanford, Tiffin, UCLA, UNC, UNSW, USC, USN, Yale.

Khan Academy www.khanacademy.org

The Khan Academy is an organization on a mission. We’re a not-for-profit with the goal of changing education for the better by providing a free world-class education to anyone anywhere.

Mathematics: Arithmetic and Pre-Algebra, Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Probability, Statistics, Pre Calculus, Differential Equations, Linear Algebra, Brain Teasers.

Science: Biology, Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Healthcare and Medicine, Physics, Cosmology and Astronomy, Computer Science.

Finance and Economy: Core Finance, Valuation and Investing, Venture Capital and Capital Marketing, Credit Crisis, Paulson Bailout, Geithner Plan, Current Economics, Banking and Money, Currency, Microeconomics, Macroeconomics.

History: American Civics, Art History.

Test Preparation: SAT Math, GMAT, CAHSEE, California Standards Test, Competition Math, IIT JEE, Singapore Math.

TED www.ted.com

TED is not an online academic classes or lectures site, but I defy you to view a few videos from a multitude of topics, and walk away without learning something or gaining a new perspective on a topic. TED is an excellent website dedicated to presenting ideas from brilliant people around the world.

MIT Open Courseware www.ocw.mit.edu

Full video lectures, an online textbook, and interactive quizzes help guide independent learners through an introductory survey of the scientific study of human nature.

TUFTS Open Courseware – www.ocw.tufts.edu

Tufts OpenCourseWare is part of a new educational movement initiated by MIT that provides free access to course content for everyone online. Tufts’ course offerings demonstrate the University’s strength in the life sciences in addition to its multidisciplinary approach, international perspective and underlying ethic of service to its local, national and international communities.

How Stuff Works Science – HowStuffWorks.com

Science explains and demystifies the world through the objective of gathering and analyzing data. Explore the natural world, engineering, space, military technology, physics and even supernatural phenomena.

Directories of Open Education

Google Scholar – Provides a simple way to broadly search for scholarly literature. From one place, you can search across many disciplines and sources: articles, theses, books, abstracts and court opinions, from academic publishers, professional societies, online repositories, universities and other web sites.

OpenCourseWare Consortium – This site provides a portal to search through hundreds of free courses or to add new courses you know about to the database.

iBerry – Check out this site for a huge directory of open courseware organized by school and subject matter that can point you in the right direction for any type of learning.

Self Made Scholar Directory – Free online directory of web-based classes and courses.

In The News:

Seaside Oregon

I lived in Seaside Oregon for a couple of years in the mid 90′s, and never have I lived anywhere that felt more like home. I lived in a small studio apartment just across the street from the Pacific ocean. Around sunset, I could usually be found walking along the surf line watching fantastic sunsets . While I am happy to be back living in the Northwest, my heart still longs for the day I move back to Seaside Oregon for good. In the meantime, I try to get down to Seaside once or twice a year just to walk the beach and smell the ocean air.

I also found a private webcam that was generously made available to the public to log into and even control. you can pan and zoom the camera along the surf and even zoom in for a view of Seaside from the waterfront. I don’t know who the person is that set up the webcam, but they have my gratitude. I’ve also seen this webcam embedded on a Seaside Realty website.

Video: The Kids at Seattle Children’s Hospital Performing Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger”

Seattle Children’s Hospital is a special place where in the face of illness and death, they radiate courage and hope, and they get great results. Some of the kids and staff in the Hem/Oncology floor put together this great video to Kelly Clarkson’s song “Stronger” I dare you to watch it and not be touched by it.

And now, take a quick peek behind the scenes at the making of this video. It’s a short video, only 54 seconds long.

If you would like to know more about Seattle Children’s Hospital, please take a moment to check out their website at SeattleChildrens.org.

Kelly Clarkson – Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)

Travelling near the speed of light

Light travels through the vacuum space at 299.792,458 meters per second, or approximately 186,282 miles per second. According to Einstein’s theory of special relativity, this is also the maximum speed that energy or matter can travel in the vacuum of space. If you were in a spaceship traveling near the speed of light you would experience interesting effects as you traveled closer to the speed of light. One effect is called time dilation, where time slows down. Of course, from the perspective of moving near the speed of light, this effect of time would not be obvious until you were no longer moving near the speed of light. Another effect is a Doppler effect, where object moving towards you would have compressed light waves and appear to be blue-shifted, and objects moving away from you would have longer light waves and appear to be red-shifted. another effect of moving at or near the speed of light is that as you move towards and past objects, they become distorted and bend.

Now, I am no scientist, and this explanation on the effects of moving near the speed of light is very rudimentary at best. If this topic interest you as it does me, watch the video below which provides an accurate simulation of the effects of traveling at or near the speed of light. and then check out the links I have included below for more detailed and scientific information on special relativity and the effects of light speed.

Blue Sky Skydiving, Bremerton Washington

We chose Blue Sky Skydiving because of its location and reputation. Bremerton provides an excellent view of the Puget Sound at 13,500 feet. Just 911 feet short of the top of Mount Rainier, the view is breath-taking.

July 13, 2007 was a cloudy morning, which threatened our plans to skydive. You need to have a ceiling of at least 10,000 feet of clear sky to skydive. We kept watch on a radio tower on a nearby hilltop. When we could see the top of that tower clearly, we had 10,000 feet.

While we waited for the skies to clear, we all went through the tandem class, which basically was a safety lecture and video, and signing the legal release that put all responsibility of injury or death upon ourselves, a standard practice.

Twenty or so people from Puget Systems came out to the event. The ten of us that signed up to jump focused on preparing for the jump by asking questions of the experienced jumpers and instructors, and observing how the parachutes were packed and how the harnesses were rigged, the rest of us worked on preparing the picnic and enjoying the festivities.

Finally, the sky cleared, and we were given the go ahead to suit-up and get ready to jump. Daniel Brown and I were the first to go up, which was fitting since Daniel and I were the original instigators of this adventure. Our instructors strapped us securely into our tandem harnesses and explained how the process of getting into position and jumping from the airplane was going to work. The instructor’s harness has 4 or 5 heavy clasps that fasted to the back of the tandem harness, but that connection is not made until you board the plane. Let me tell you about the harness; there is no way that a human being is going to break out of that harness. You are in there very snug and it makes you walk like a Sumo wrestler.

As we got ready to board the plane, I turned to my instructor and told him that there are two things I did not want to hear him say. The first was anything that sounded like “Oh shit!”. the second was “nice ass”, I have an odd sense of humor. My instructor had a great sense of humor, and he just laughed and promised me a good ride. He came through on that promise.

We boarded the plane, a turbo propeller something-or-other, with four other experienced jumpers. We waved goodbye to our fellow employees on the ground, hoping quietly that we would be seeing them soon, and then the plane took off. At about 10,000 feet, the air started feeling a bit thin. No problem, you just breathe slow and deep. When we reached 13,500 feet, we leveled off and circled around to the drop zone. The excitement was mounting with each passing minute, until finally, the pilot declared that we were over the drop zone.

Two of the experienced skydivers jumped first. Let me tell you, it was strange and yet interesting to see people sitting outside the airplane with their clothes and hair flapping furiously in the wind, and then just suddenly disappear from sight without a sound. Daniel and I just looked at each other, gauging each other’s reaction, secretly wondering if the other was going to chicken out. I knew I was going to jump, and Daniel showed no signs of backing out either.

I was next, so shuffled my way to the open side door, with my instructor securely fastened to my harness. I hope I never forget the view and sensation of sitting with my body completely outside of the airplane as we sped along at 13,500 feet. Looking down, I had no clue where the drop zone was. It was just a tiny little dot somewhere on the ground that seemed too far away to fathom. Looking out, I could see the curvature of the earth and Mount Rainier’s majestic presence in the horizon. The Navy’s aircraft carriers and battleships in Bremerton looked smaller than the pieces of a Battleship game.

Finally, my instructor gave me the signal to tuck and get ready to roll. He tapped my shoulder three times, and we were gone, airborne, free-falling. The first thing I saw as I rolled upside down, was the airplane about twenty feet from me, leaving me quickly behind as my horizontal speed decreased and my vertical drop increased. A moment later, he had us flipped facing the earth, and that was when I knew that this was the most thrilling experience of my life.

With my arms extended, it was easy to point myself north, east, west, or south simply by using my hands like airplane rudders. The wind roared in my ears and pressed my goggles hard into my face. I could feel my cheeks rippling in the wind, and sure enough, when I opened my mouth, my cheeks filled up like an old-time horn player. It was amazing to watch the earth slowly rise up to meet me. As we got closer to the earth, I could start to make out details, and I found the drop zone.

Another tap on my shoulder told me to get ready for the chute to be deployed. This was a moment that I was not looking forward too. The harness I wore already had my legs feeling like they might never fit quite right in my pelvic sockets, I didn’t want to imaging what it was going to feel like when I suddenly stopped free-falling. I heard the rustling sounds behind me as the chute started to deploy, and a few moments later, I felt the inertia as my free fall suddenly became a resistive force against the open canopy some sixty feet above my head, and my body was suddenly pulled from a horizontal free fall to suddenly being vertical. The jolt really wasn’t that bad, it was actually kind of smooth.

Suddenly it was very quiet. The wind no longer tore through my clothes, or distorted my face, and I could clearly hear my instructor talking to me. He told me to get ready as he pulled one of the lines he had in his hands to control our decent. As he pulled the line, our parachute started doing circles, and so did we. If you have ever seen a parachutist spinning gently under his shoot, let me tell you, there is nothing gentle about it. The G-force pulled me so hard into my harness, I was sure my legs were going to pop out of their sockets. I didn’t say anything about it to my instructor though, I just hung on for the ride.

We circled around as we approached the landing zone, and as we got within a few hundred feet, I started to feel like we were approaching the ground a little too fast. But, I was wrong, we came into a slide landing as smooth as you could ever want. I was suddenly sad to see my great adventure come to an end. I knew that from that moment on, my perspective on life would never be quite the same. I had just jumped out of an airplane at 13,500 feet, and survived without injury, minus the slight soreness in my hips, which was quickly forgotten. What could possibly top that?

Ten of us signed up to jump that day, and ten of us did jump. It was the greatest company picnic I have ever experienced, and it is now a fond memory. Thank you for letting me share it with you. If you haven’t ever skydived, you should. Put your fears aside and just do it. I promise you that you will not be disappointed.

Pictures are available here

The Dream Lives On – A personal tribute to the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

They silenced his voice, but they could not silence his message. That message states that all men are created equal in the eyes of God, they should be treated equal in the hearts and societies of man. Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. would be 83 on January 15, 2012, had he not been taken from us. He was shot because some people didn’t like his message, nor that it was spreading all over the United States. Dr. King preached for racial equality for all people, tolerances for all people, and peace and for justice for all people.

I’m glad to see that the dream does live on. Maybe not every body shares that dream, that’s their choice. I share that dream, as do many others. We have made great strides in reaching racial equality, but we still have a long way to go. I believe we will get there one day. They took the Reverend from us, thinking they could shut him up. But the Reverend’s spirit is too strong and has touched too many lives for his message to fade into the night. The reverend’s message is strong today, lest we forget.

I Have a Dream Footage

The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech is a 17-minute public speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered on August 28, 1963, in which he called for racial equality and an end to discrimination. The speech, from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, was a defining moment of the American Civil Rights Movement.

I Have a Dream Transcription

Reverend Martin Luther King speaking:

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we’ve come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we’ve come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the “unalienable Rights” of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked “insufficient funds.”

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we’ve come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.

We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.

The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.

We cannot walk alone.

And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.

We cannot turn back.

There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, “When will you be satisfied?” We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: “For Whites Only.” We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until “justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”¹

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest — quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of “interposition” and “nullification” — one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; “and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.”2

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And this will be the day — this will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim’s pride,

From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.

But not only that:

Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.

From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:

Free at last! Free at last!
Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!

The O’Brien Family Coat of Arms

Years ago, before my Uncle Rick passed away, he gave me a picture of our family coat of arms, the original image on the left. I rebuilt the image element by element in Photoshop until I completely redesigned the crest. I think I am going to take my design and have it made in a 3 dimensional metal wall plaque.

(Click on an image for a larger view)

The O'Brien Family Coat of Arms (My recreation)

The O'Brien Family Coat of Arms (Original Image)

History of the O’Brien Surname

O’Brien is a surname of Irish origins meaning descendant of Brien (the Brien in this case being Brian Boru). O’Brien is in Irish Ó Briain, from the personal name Brian.

The meaning of this is problematic. It may come from bran, meaning “raven”, or, more likely, from Brion, a borrowing from the Celtic ancestor of the Welsh which contains the element bre-, meaning “hill” or “high place”. By association, the name would then mean “lofty’ or “eminent”. Whatever the initial meaning of the word, the historic origin of the surname containing it is clear. It simply denotes a descendant of Brian Boramha Boru, “Brian of the Tributes”, High King of Ireland in 1002, and victor at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014.

Brian was member of the relatively obscure Ui Toirdealbhaigh, part of the Dal gCais tribal grouping based in the Clare/Limerick area. The O’Brien name will be forever linked with the town of Killaloe because it was there that Brian Boru had his palace of Kincora, “Ceann Cora’dh”. He was the grandson of Lorcan and the son of MacCinneide (Kennedy and his wife Bebinn). Their home was near the mountain called Slieve Beragh, where the guardian spirit of his tribe, the banshee Arval was said to watch over them from her lofty brooding crag.. Lough Derg was nearby as was the River Shannon. He was educated at Clonmacois. In 959, his father was crowned king on the Rock of Cashel.

The traditional inauguration site of the, O’Briens is outside the village of Quin at a place called Magh Adhair. All that remains is a large mound of earth but to the discerning eye of the historian or genealogist traces of former glory can still be seen.

Having secured control of the Dal gCais in 976, Brian defeated and killed the Eoghanacht king of Munster two years later, and proceeded to wage deadly war against the kingdoms of Connacht, Meath, Leinster and Breifne. Eventually he secured submission (and tributes) from all but the northern Ui Neill, the Leinsterman and the Vikings. His victory at Clontarf united all of Ireland, nominally at least, under a single leader, though Brian himself was slain. The first individual clearly to use O’Brien as a genuinely hereditary surname was Donogh Cairbre O’Brien, son of the king of Munster, Donal Mor. His descendants split into a number of branches, including the O’Briens of Aherlow, the O’Briens of Waterford, the O’Briens of Arra in north Tipperary, and the O’Briens of Limerick, where the surname is perpetuated in the name of the barony of Pubblebrien.

Sometime between 1206 and 1216 Donnchadha Cairbreach O’Brien established his capital in Ennis – now the principal town in Clare. In 1247 this same O’Brien gave shelter to some wandering friars and they proceeded over the years to build the magnificent Ennis Abbey (now a ruin).
The Inchiquin Tomb here houses the bodies of King Turlough O’Brien who died in 1306, Murrough who died in 1551 and the later Barons of Inchiquin. In 1460 Bishop Donnchadha O’Brien of Killaloe (now the cathedral town of Clare) was killed here by Brian O’Brien.

The O’Briens were of the clan of Dal gCais as were many other powerful Claremen. Originally to be a Dalcassian meant that you came from the area around the border of Clare and Tipperary but nowadays it is used to cover all of County Clare.

The O’Brien name is also famous for its association with Maire Rua McMahon who first married a Neylon of Dysert O’Dea and on his death married Conor O’Brien who was killed by Parliamentary forces in 1651. This Maire Rua O’Brien is the stuff of legends as she is remembered in the countryside for her outstanding courage and also for her temper. She is reputed to have hung her maidservants by the hair and her menservants by the neck from the corbels of her castle. She always rode a black stallion who objected to anyone else on his back. Legend says that Maria Rua used to get rid of unwanted suitors by letting them ride the horse at great speed to the 700 foot high Cliffs of Moher, here the horse would stop suddenly and you can guess the rest. Maria Rua’s ghost is supposed to be imprisoned in a hollow tree on the avenue of Carnelly House in Clarecastle. Visit there on a windy night if you dare!

From the “Annals of the Four Masters”

Source: www.geni.com

International Space Station flight over Earth

This Youtube video, viewed by more than 2.4 million people since it was posted Sept. 15, is a time-lapse movie of International Space Station images as it passes over Earth.

The nighttime images begin over the Pacific, passing over North and South America before the space station creates its own sunrise over Antarctica.

Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco and Phoenix are visible, as well as Texas and New Mexico.

The author, who assembled the images from NASA’s Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth, is identified only as “yesterday2221,” age 26.

YouTube Video

h3>If you are into astronomy, you might like these books I selected from Amazon:

NightWatch: A Practical Guide to Viewing the Universe – This astronomy guide is written for beginner and novice level astronomists. It covers basic equipment and setup, and contains excellent charts and enlarged photography. It’s also spiral bound, perfect for infield use!

Breast Cancer Resources in Seattle

This is a short list of breast cancer resources in Seattle.

Swedish Medical Center

This year, approximately 4,500 women in Washington State will be diagnosed with breast cancer.* At Swedish Cancer Institute (SCI), we’ve provided care and treatment for more patients than any other breast cancer program in the state. We offer lifesaving screening using digital mammography and genetic testing, along with oncological care using CyberKnife® stereotactic radiosurgery, advanced brachytherapy, and other leading-edge therapies.

Swedish will also be the home to the True Family Women’s Cancer Center. Slated to open in 2012, this 24,000-square-foot space will be the largest center in Puget Sound devoted to treating cancers that affect women.

Website: Swedish Cancer Center

Seattle Cancer Care Alliance

Seattle Cancer Care Alliance is a world-class cancer treatment center that unites doctors from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, UW Medicine and Seattle Children’s.

Website: Seattle Cancer Care Alliance

Susan G. Komen for the Cure

The Puget Sound Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® is dedicated to combating breast cancer on every front. Up to 75 percent of the Affiliate’s net income goes toward funding grants to local organizations that provide mammogram screenings, breast health education, outreach and treatment support for underserved women. At least 25 percent of net income supports the national Komen Grants Program, which funds global breast cancer research to find the cures.

Komen Puget Sound is the largest private funder of mammograms for low-income underserved women in Washington State, thanks to our dedicated corporate partners, generous donors, and the thousands of people who participate in the Komen Puget Sound Race for the Cure and other Affiliate events each year

Website: Komen Puget Sound

Breast Cancer Resource Center

The Breast Cancer Resource Center (BCRC) exists to provide support services that address the educational, social, psychological, and physical needs of those challenged by breast cancer, as well as to educate the public throughout our community about the importance of screening and early detection of breast cancer. The BCRC is not affiliated with any health system or health care provider and makes no referrals to medical professionals.

While concerned with the needs of the medically under-served populations in our area, the Center provides its services freely to everyone regardless of income level.

Website: Breast Cancer Resource Center

Gilda’s club Seattle

Gilda’s Club Seattle offers a broad, community-based program of social, emotional, and educational support for cancer survivors, their loved ones and friends that provides sustained support, education and resources on-site in the Seattle Clubhouse and off-site with collaborating partners. Free of charge to participants, and nonprofit, we offer a Five Core Component program that includes a variety of support services, educational opportunities, classes and workshops, social events, and resources and referral. Our program serves anyone touched by cancer across the cancer continuum — from diagnosis, through treatment and post-treatment, survivorship, and bereavement, including children, teens, and whole families.

Website: Gilda’s club Seattle

2011 Breast Cancer Awareness Events in Seattle

October is breast cancer awareness month. Whether it’s walking, lunching or shopping, you can do your part to stop this disease that, according to the American Cancer Society, will affect 1 in 8 women in their lifetime. Here are some of the events that are going on in Seattle to support Breast Cancer Awareness:

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

Sunday, October 2
9:00am
Snohomish County Courthouse Plaza
300 Rockefeller Avenue
Everett, WA 98201
www.snohomishcountystrides.org

Together we can make strides against breast cancer! Join in a non-competitive 5k walk that raises awareness about breast cancer and vital funds for research and patient services Snohomish County. The American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk is as unique and special as the stories that motivate our dedicated walkers, donors and volunteers. Each step we take is personal. And each donation is helping to save lives. And each volunteer helps create a world with less breast cancer and more birthdays.

Pinktober’s Happy Hour for Hope

Wednesday, October 5
6:00pm
Hard Rock Cafe
116 Pike Street
Seattle, WA 98101
206.204.2233
www.rockshop.hardrock.com

Celebrate survivors and champion for breast cancer awareness! Live musical performance by Ghosts I’ve Met at 6:00pm. The $5 suggested donation goes directly to American Cancer Society and gets you a raffle ticket for your chance to win REVERB festival tickets and so much more! Partners for the evening are Hard Rock Cafe Seattle, American Cancer Society and Nology.

LUNAFEST

Thursday, October 6
6:00pm – 8:00pm
SIFF Cinema
321 Mercer Street
Seattle, WA 98109
www.lunafest.org/seattle

It’s a celebration of films created for, by and about women. The night will begin with free appetizers and wine, live music from Holly Newsom and entertainment including a photo booth, live painting from local artists & much more! The night will commence with a Q&A session with film maker Shideh Faramund- director and main actress of A Relunctant Bride. All this for $25 ($15 for students) and 100% of tickets sales benefit the Breast Cancer Fund as well as the local non-profit Reel Grrls.

Breast Cancer Awareness Tennis Mixer

Friday, October 7
Columbia Athletic Clubs-Silver Lake
505 128th Street SE
Everett, WA 98208
425.745.1617 x2242
www.seattlecca.org

It’s the first annual fundraiser to support the Mobile Mammography Van run by Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA). 100% of funds raised will be utilized to support early detection of breast cancer through outreach efforts. The mixer will involve the women of the club, mothers, daughters, grandmothers and aunts. Enter as a team to play against other families.

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

Sunday, October 9
9:00am
Downtown Bellevue Park
10201 NE 4th St
Bellevue, WA 98004
www.KingCountyStrides.org

The King County Making Strides Against Breast Cancer is a non-competitive 5k walk that will wind through downtown Bellevue on Sunday, October 9th, beginning at 9:00 a.m. Since 1993, nearly 7 million walkers across the United States have raised more than $400 million to help fight breast cancer through Making Strides events. The funds raised go toward research, education, advocacy and patient service programs. They will also benefit the Breast and Cervical Health Program in Washington State to provide mammograms and screenings for uninsured women.

Lunch for the Cure

Thursday, October 13
11:00am to 1:30pm
Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center
1500 Broadway
Tacoma, WA 98402
www.komenpugetsound.org

It’s the 10th Anniversary lunch, a benefit event to raise funds for the cure of breast cancer. The luncheon’s featured Speaker is Delilah – Acclaimed American Radio Personality. Go to the website for more information and to register.

Beats for Boobs

Wednesday, October 19
The Crocodile
2200 2nd Avenue
Seattle, WA 98121
206.441.4618
www.seattlecca.org

The Seattle Cancer Care Alliance is proud to announce the second annual Beats for Boobs event in Seattle! The event will bring the very best in art, fashion, food & music to the iconic Belltown music venue, The Crocodile! SCCA is grateful to be one of the local beneficiaries of this fabulous event.

Derby Salon’s 5th Annual Beautify For Breast Cancer

Friday, Oct 21
6:00p
Wine World Warehouse
400 NE 45th St.
Seattle, WA 98105

The event will start at 6pm at Wine World on 45th in the Wallingford neighborhood. The silent auction will end at 8:00pm (you don’t have to be present to win) and a fabulous hair show starts at 7:00pm. Please bring your friends and family for appetizers, drinks and entertainment to help us raise money for a great cause and celebrate the life of a Derby Salon friend and co-worker.

Premium Outlets Pink Event

October 1-31
Seattle Premium Outlets
10600 Quil Ceda Blvd.
Tulalip, WA 98271
www.premiumoutlets.com

Seattle Premium Outlets and Susan G. Komen for the Cure are teaming up to support breast cancer awareness, research, and treatment programs in our community. During the month of October, visit the on-site Information Center to donate $10 to support the cause and receive 25% off one item from select stores including Brooks Brothers, Calvin Klein, Cole Haan, DKNY, Kenneth Cole, Nautica, Polo Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and more. Donations will be accepted on-site only via cash or credit, with all proceeds benefiting Komen Puget Sound. Representatives from Komen Puget Sound will also be on-site on select weekends to answer questions regarding breast health and the organization’s efforts.

Stay for the Cure Package

Inn at the Market
86 Pine Street
Seattle, WA 98101
206.443.3600
www.innatthemarket.com

Planning an overnight in downtown Seattle? During October, 10% of all proceeds for the “Stay for the Cure” Package will be donated to the American Cancer Society for breast cancer research and patient services. Package Includes: Guest room rate, valet parking, a bottle of Rosé delivered to your guest room, and a “Think Pink” gift certificate valued at $25 for use at Fini or Watson Kennedy, located in The Inn at the Market’s courtyard. Valid for stays October 1 – 31, 2011.

Pleidades supercomputer calulates most accurate simulation of evolving universe

After 18 days and millions of computer hours of processing data over more than 160.000 processors, we now have what NASA Scientists and other scientists around the world consider to be the most accurate and detailed simulation of the evolving universe to date, giving physicists and astronomers a powerful tool for studying the cosmos.

The Bolshoi simulation code is designed to model the distribution of dark matter across a span of one billion light years. Dark matter comprises 22% of the universe. This matter, different from atoms, does not emit or absorb light, and is invisible to conventional observation techniques. It has only been detected indirectly by its gravity. 74% of the universe is composed of “dark energy”, that acts as a sort of an anti-gravity. This energy, distinct from dark matter, is responsible for the present-day acceleration of the universal expansion.

About the Pleidades Supercomputer:

“Pleiades, which ranks 7th on the TOP 500 list of the world’s most powerful supercomputers, epresents NASA’s state-of-the-art technology for meeting the agency’s supercomputing requirements, enabling NASA scientists and engineers to conduct modeling and simulation for NASA missions. This distributed-memory SGI ICE cluster is connected with InfiniBand in a dual-plane hypercube technology.”

“The system contains the following types of Intel® Xeon® processors: X5670 (Westmere), X5570 (Nehalem), and E5472 (Harpertown). Pleiades is named after the astronomical open star cluster of the same name.”

System Architecture

Manufacturer: SGI

184 racks (11,712 nodes)

Total cores: 111,872

Total memory: 188 TB

Source: http://www.nas.nasa.gov/hecc/resources/pleiades.html

Thank you to all Veterans of America

In the course of the year, I sometimes forget how fortunate I am to live in a country where I have so many freedoms and liberties, where I can work and make a decent wage, get a decent education, and where I am protected from harm from domestic and international terrors. Of course, with all the fighting that the US has been involved in during the past decade, it has not been easy to put aside the fact that all of my freedoms and comforts have come at a great price by veterans past and present. I take a lot for granted as an American.

Today however, is a day that reminds me to be thankful for the efforts and sacrifices of our American veterans. Some of whom were members of my family, and at least one who was recently buried in the Arlington National Cemetery, my Grandfather, Edwin Lijewski. Many have lost their lives or their limbs and all have been changed in some way in the course of serving their country. This is the price that has been paid for the freedoms I enjoy; the freedoms and liberties that all Americans enjoy.

I hope you will take just a moment today to let our veterans, past and present, know that their efforts are not forgotten, and are greatly appreciated. To all the American veterans, past and present, family, friend, neighbor, or fellow citizen, I personally thank you.

Sincerely,

James E. O’Brien

The Occupy movement in America is a “no win”

The Occupy movement in America is a “no win”. And that is really too bad because the core message of the Occupy movement is something that I personally agree with. Corporate America has become too greedy too powerful, and it is very unfair that we as common Americans have to carry the burden of taxes while they pay so little.

The Ineffectiveness of the Occupy Movement

The problem with the Occupy movement is that the 1% that the Occupy movement is so angry at couldn’t care less about the movement. The Occupy movement is nothing more than an irritating gnat that merely needs to be swatted.

What the Occupy movement doesn’t seem to grasp is that Corporate America owns the politicians that make the laws and controls the law enforcement. We gather and protest and make noise, the politicians send in the cops to mace and arrest us. Our politicians aren’t saying or doing anything against Corporate America, because you never bite the hand that feeds you. We may get to vote for the politicians, but Corporate America decides who we are voting for and what they do once they are elected.

We bitch, moan and groan, and what do we get for it? We get a little attention in the media, and we get knocked around, kicked out, maced, and arrested. Has it made any difference at all to Corporate America? Not a bit. Has it made any of our political leaders stop and say “you know? They’re right! We need to put a stop to Corporate America’s greed and government control” no it has not. Has anyone stepped forward and vowed to start paying their fair share in taxes and stop being so damn greedy? Nope, not one person has stepped forward.

Corporate America is so far removed from the common people; they cannot hear the complaints and they are not even hindered by the crowds of protesters. Essentially, the Occupy movement has no effect on the comings and goings of Corporate America at all. It’s business as usual for them.

The Reality Check

The fact is, Christmas is coming a little earlier this year than it did last year. Why give Thanksgiving it’s due when Christmas is the real money-maker? The price of gas is rising again, just in time for the holidays. Fannie Mae even has their hand out again, looking for another big government payout of taxpayer dollars. It seems to me that Corporate America is doing just fine and having a great time. That mighty 1% is sleeping soundly these days knowing that everything in their world is just dandy. The fact is, the Occupy movement is having absolutely no effect what so ever on Corporate America.

The problem with the Occupy movement as I see it is that their strategy is all wrong. They did good to protest and draw attention to the issue. But that effectiveness has passed and they need to focus on a strategy that will actually affect the great giant.

Time to Change Strategies

Did nobody see the lesson when thousands of consumers began transferring their money from the large banks to the local credit unions? Did nobody note how fast those behemoth banks did an about-face and start dropping fees when they realized that they were suddenly losing a lot of money? Hello? Was anybody paying attention? If you want to get the giant’s attention, hit him where it hurts!

Protests are nothing to Corporate America, money and power is everything. If you really want to fight Corporate America, you have to hit them where it hurts. Take away their money or their power, and you get their attention, plain and simple. The hard part is convincing the common wealth to go along with that simple plan.

Taking away Corporate America’s money might be a little more challenging than most Americans are prepared for. It would require boycotts and refrain from making absolutely unnecessary purchases. We Americans are spoiled, and not so eager to give up or simple luxuries. However, we Americans are also very opinionated, determined, and we are historically proven fighters for the cause. If we can’t bring the giant down by attacking its money, we can attack its foundation. Without its control and influence over our government and politicians, the giant suddenly has no teeth.

As I see it, our system is truly corrupt, and civil disobedience is justified. But if the Occupy movement is going to have any real effect, they need to rethink their strategy and refocus their energy where it is going to do the best good. Marching through the city streets protesting the unfairness of our system is having no positive effect what so ever.

Instead of wasting time and resources protesting in the streets, where the only people who are truly affected are the common wealth people who are hindered from getting to their jobs so they can provide for themselves and their families, and who are being burdened with the costs of ineffective protests and the cleanup thereof, put the protest directly in front of our politicians. Take the thousands of protesters off the city streets and move them to the state capitals. Start creating campaigned the likes of which the politicians cannot ignore, and let them know that under no uncertain terms are we going to back down. The politicians cannot hide like the 1% can. They are in the public eye all the time. Make them accountable!

Update

I have gotten some interesting responses from this post on my Facebook page. One friend feels that the students clearly deserved the treatment they received from the police, and that the students had no right to block the sidewalk on the UC Davis campus. I agree that the protest could have been better staged so as to not block a sidewalk, but I disagree that these students deserved to be pepper sprayed and arrested.

Another friend sees the act of blocking the sidewalk as more passive aggressive than a peaceful assembly, and to that point, I do agree. An aggressive act, be it passive or otherwise, begets an aggressive response. To really drive the point home, my other friend shared this video clip with me of UC Davis Chancellor Katehi walking to her car past a thousand or so UC Davis students who sat quietly in protest along the side of the path. The mood of the video and the expression on Chancellor Katehi’s face clearly indicates that she fully understands the message these students are making. As my wise friend said in his post, “This is the way you protest”.

I couldn’t agree more.

November 21, 2011 Update

There have been a couple of interesting developments in light of Friday’s events at UC Davis involving protesting students being pepper sprayed by campus police. First, two campus police officers, including Lt

uc_davis_pepperspray John Pike, the officer who was videotaped casually spraying military grade pepper mace directly into the faces of protesting students who were sitting across a sidewalk on the UC Davis campus, have been placed on administrative leave. The other officer who was placed on administrative leave in connection with this incident was the University’s Chief of Police, Annette Spicuzza. I saw her briefly on the news stating that Lt. Pike’s actions were within protocol with the California Penal code and University Police standards.

My first thought on this is that if we base our actions solely on protocol and procedure, we’re screwed. The fact that there is a large crowd of protesters surrounding the responding police officers does not indicate that these officers were in any danger of being attacked. The decision to use force and inflict pain and suffering on the UC Davis students was a poor decision and uncalled for.

I am not saying that it is wrong for law enforcement to use non-lethal methods, not by any means. I’m just saying that no policy or procedure should ever out rule simple common sense.

The other two significant events involves Chancellor Katehi. She has been a very busy lady today trying to put out the fires that Friday’s events have caused. Not to mention, trying to save her job. It’s true that hind-sight is 20/20, as was shown in a 17 minute interview with Aggie TV, where Chancellor Katehi interviewed one-on-one with Ani Ucar. All in all, I thought it was a good interview; controlled, but good. After I watched the interview, I was left with the feeling that Chancellor Kathi was not completely forthcoming. For one thing, she lacked sincerity when she stated her reason for denying the students request to protest over the weekend owing to a lack of campus personnel and resources, and student safety. She has obviously never been to a sorority house on the weekend or a college game. She did make a striking good point though about something that I was not aware of, and that was that there were people involved in the student protest from outside the campus. I could see and understand her concern there.

I have posted the video of her interview here so you can take a look for yourself and come to your own conclusion.

Later this day, Chancellor Katehi addressed the student population and apologized for the events of Friday, and she called for peace and reconciliation and stated that there would be plenty of opportunity to learn from these events and build a better and stronger campus. For this I give Chancellor a big thumbs up. I give the crowd of students a lessor score owing to the noise and chaos of the crowd while Chancellor Katehi tried to reach out to them.

In The News:

Recommended Websites: AnimatedKnots.com – A cool animated knot tying guide

When I was in Job Corps in the Seamanship program in Astoria Oregon, I discovered the value and fun of knowing how to tie knots. My knot skills have been very useful to me over the years. Tying knots is actually kind of fun. I like to show off every now and then with my co-workers and demonstrate some of the “cooler” knots. I found a website dedicated to tying knots. It’s nicely organized into categories and has a great collection of well presented animated guides.

If you are interested in learning a few knots, this website is a must have.

AnimatedKnots.com

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