Pictures of The Campbell Creek Gang

I did a photoshoot with the Campbell Creek Gang several weeks ago. Here are some of our favorite shots:

Of a Bailout for the Big Three

So, it's all over the news. The "Big Three" of the auto industry - GM, Ford, and Chrysler - are requesting a $34,000,000,000 bailout from the U.S. government. I don't think I need to tell you that I'm upset about this. I was upset when the government used my hard-earned money to bail out the banks, but now that they're seriously considering doing this for the auto industry, I'm even more upset.

Whatever happened to consequences? One of the consequences of mismanaging a company is that it goes out of business. If we're going to bail out anyone, it should be the employees. Let the mismanaged company die and give the workers who get laid off extra money to survive on. I have a plan, and it costs a LOT less than what the Big Three are asking for.

I did an internet search and the best estimate I could come up with for the total number of people employed by the Big Three is a bit under 500,000. For the purposes of my plan, we'll round up to that number. Here it is:

1. For the first 6 months after being fired, give each former employee $4,000/month, with the understanding that they are to look for work.

2. After the 6 months, cut the money in half to $2,000/month. If they haven't found a job, they need to keep looking, because

3. At the end of the second 6 month period, no more money will be given to them.

4. Total cost of plan = $18,000,000,000

I normally wouldn't endorse a plan like the one outlined above, but if it means spending less taxpayer money and not bailing out the CEOs and CFOs who have competely messed up their companies, that's OK by me.

Stories from a Korean War Veteran, 1: April 15, 1952 Convoy Bombing

As told to the author of this blog by Veteran 1st Lieutenant Francis Russell.

When I was in Korea, I flew a b-26 bomber, crew of three, night interdiction. The mission lasted four to five hours. We flew a certain route to a section in North Korea looking for targets of opportunity.

April the 15, 1952, in the mountains, a road going east to west, one side a steep mountain slope, the other side a slope to a stream about 2,000 feet below. The moon was behind the top of the mountain, so there was no natural light on the road except for the stars. We saw a convoy of approximately 60 trucks with their lights on... that was our target. On board our bomber, we had 10 500-lb bombs, 3,000 pounds of bombs that weighed 25lbs each, and 20 100lb incendiary bombs. In our 50caliber armament, we had 3,000 rounds of ammunition. We surveyed the target and planned our attack.

We decided to use a racetrack pattern, where we would be 1500 ft altitude above the convoy on the back side. We would approach on the north-south tack, diving to a few hundred feet above the target, using machine guns and bombs, hitting the trucks four to five from the end of the column. The blast would cut a hole in the road, making it impassable and destroying the trucks on either side. On our back side, we would look at the target, surveying the damage; what we wanted to do was to have the target destroy itself by utilizing the trucks' supply of gasoline and munitions.

On the second attack, we dropped three 250lb bombs, wrapped with steel coil so that the explosion threw white-hot shrapnel 250 yards in all directions. We dropped napalm bombs to light up the target. We accomplished another strafing run, dropping a few more bombs. We worked the target over a total of 15 minutes. All of our ordinates were expended and thereby our effectiveness went to zero. Time to leave and go home.

Upon reaching altitude, we contacted our control, and gave them the target location, it being 2:30am. In 2.5 hours it would be light enough so that 2 fighter bombers and a photo ship could go to the target area and if the target needed more bombing and machine gunning, these airplanes could do the work. That mission won out at 55 what’s probably the most successfully accomplished mission by 1st lieutenant Francis S. Russell serial number A.O. 2222304.

P.S. Air Force Intelligence counted 60 trucks destroyed; each truck had 12 troops, 720 troops destroyed. A good night's work.

Of Children's Literature

Matthew Watson of Word Miner recently posted a very interesting critique of Children's literature, one with which I have to agree. Please take a moment and read it . I think you'll benefit from it - even if you don't have any contact with children - because a number of the points he makes are equally applicable to what we, as adults, read.

As you read the post and consider what the Word Miner has to say, please also realize the importance of the quality and content of the literature you give to children. While many people may consider it over-protective, I think it is very wise to carefully monitor what the young people in your care are reading. Too often, parents assume that because a book is considered a 'classic,' it is automatically suitable for children. That is not the case and many classics, such as books by Alexandre Dumas, James Fenimore Cooper, Victor Hugo, and L.M. Montgomery, contain issues and themes that should be discussed with an adult if the reader is young or only read by more mature audiences.

I would also like to point out that much of the "Christian" literature for young people may not be beneficial. Especially for young women, reading books like the Mandie or Elsie Dinsmore series* could instill in them either unrealistic ideas of life and love or unrealistic beliefs about what is necessary to be accepted by God.

*Please not that I am not recommending against these two series; I am merely recommending that whoever oversees the child's reading monitors the effect it is having on them.

Of My Gang

Just wanted to give you all a heads-up that the Stockton Record did an article on the Campbell Creek Gang! You can read the article and watch a movie of the interview - and some of the boys' music - here.

Edit: I just realized that I dated myself when I called The Record the "Stockton Record." Oh well, I guess that's what happens when you've lived in the same area your whole life! :)

Of Animals in the Street

Often when I talk to people about my trip to India, they'll ask if I experienced any culture shock going there or coming back and, for the most part, I have to say "no." However, there was one thing that I remember being slightly shocked by when I returned to the States.

There were no animals in the street.

Yes, you read that right. One would think - I would think - that I would have been shocked to see animals in the street when I was in India. But because I had been prepared for a variety of new experiences by those who had gone to India before me, I was not surprised by many things that would have otherwise been surprising.

When I came home, I forgot that a lot of things I had become accustomed to would be different here. So on the drive home from the airport, it was a little strange not to see cows, goats, or dogs in the street.

I also repeatedly forgot that I had to buckle my seatbelt. It took about a week for seatbelt buckling to once again become a habit.

Pictures of Brother #1

Today I did a photoshoot of my brother, Nano, for the band's website. Here are some of our favorite pictures from the shoot.