Trav's Thoughts

Marine PFC Jason Estopinal, who was killed by an IED last Monday, is laid to rest.



Thank you Jason, for your service and your sacrifice.

Semper Fi

Some of my favorite ladies have shuffled across my Ipod this week. In honor of all the women competing in the Olympics over the last couple of weeks, I give you a brava Set 5.

Here's to the ladies!

As always, you're all welcome to play along if you like. Here are some guidelines.

1. Grab the banner, make your post title Five on Friday, and be sure to link back here.
2. Go to Playlist.com to make your play list of five songs. Choose a particular theme to share with us. You can simply post the play list, or you can add a little summary about what you are sharing.
3. I don't know how to make a specific linky, so be sure to leave me a comment to let me know that you participated.
4. No tags, but feel free to invite your friends to play along if they need a post topic on a Friday.


Have fun!

On 15 February 1898, the battleship USS Maine exploded and sank in Havana Harbor. The sinking led to war between Spain and the US, behind the American rallying cry "Remember the Main".

Most investigations agree that the cause of the disaster was the detonation of the ship's powder magazines, but experts disagree as to what may have ignited the charges. In 1898, a Naval court of inquiry concluded that an underwater mine exploded directly underneath the Maine, which then ignited the powder magazines and destroyed the ship. The court assigned no blame, citing lack of evidence.

But in 1898, there was an element in the US desirous of war with Spain. The sinking of the Maine, and the findings of the court of inquiry, seemed to point to the Spanish as the perpetrators of a sneak attack on the US. Although the McKinley administration did not cite the sinking of the Maine as a central factor in the decision to go to war, war nonetheless was declared in April 1898. A subsequent court of inquiry in 1911 supported the original conclusions of the 1898 court.

Spain conducted its own inquiry into the incident, concluding that a coal bunker near the powder magazines had somehow spontaneously combusted and caused the munitions to explode. The report argued in part that there had been no dead fish found floating in the harbor after the explosion, and that no witnesses had reported any columns of water. Either of those things might be evidence of an underwater explosion.

Two subsequent investigations, in 1976 and 1999, came to different conclusions than the earlier inquiries. Neither investigation could examine the physical wreckage, as that had been removed during the 1911 review. Each team had to rely on documented testimony, drawings, maps, photographs, and scientific recreations to try and determine what happened. The 1976 analysis agreed more with the Spanish investigation, proposing that an internal fire within a coal bunker likely caused the powder magazines to explode. However this analysis was inconclusive as to what may have caused the fire.

In 1999, National Geographic used new techniques in computer modeling to examine the evidence. The conclusion agreed with the Spanish and the 1976 investigations, that an undetected coal fire smoldering near the munitions ignited coal dust and caused several small explosions that ultimately touched off the fatal explosion of the powder magazines. Even so, Advanced Marine Enterprises, the entity that commissioned the NatGeo study, does consider it probable that an external explosion of a mine could have caused the damage done to Maine's hull.

I suppose proponents of both explanations for the sinking of the Maine can claim that their theory is correct. But it doesn't seem that we'll ever really know whether the destruction of the ship was due to sabotage or accident. Some still suggest a "false flag conspiracy", arguing that an imperialist United States, focused on annexing Cuba as an American territory, planted the bombs and destroyed the Maine to garner support for war with Spain. However, it should be noted that the US held to the Teller Amendment and did not attempt to annex Cuba during the years of occupation after the Spanish-American war.

We do know that 266 crew members died when USS Maine was destroyed. And we know that the disaster was used as a rallying cry to push for war.

And I know that each time I do one of these basic essays, my interest in learning more becomes more pronounced.

On 22 February 1980, the US hockey team beat the Soviets 4-3 in Lake Placid during the XIII Winter Olympics. It is a quintessential moment in American sports history. It was a unifying moment of pride for my country.

The win didn't heal all the open wounds in the US. But it did make Americans smile at each other and feel a part of something significant and special. I think we started to remember what it was like to be a "We" again.

Two days later the US beat Finland 4-2 to win the gold medal.


There are moments in sport that fix themselves in the psyche of players and fans. This moment, when a bunch of college age kids took down the mighty Soviets, is like that and then some. Thirty years on and it hasn't lost any of the emotional impact it had on me when I was watching it happen.

Do you believe in miracles?

YES!



The 1980 Gold Medal US Hockey Team, coached by Herb Brooks (1937 - 2003)

Jim Craig
Jack O'Callahan
Bill Baker
Ken Morrow
Mike Ramsey
Bob Suter
Dave Christian
Dave Silk
Steve Janaszak
Mark Johnson
Rob McClanahan
John Harrington
Mark Pavelich
Buzz Schneider
Steve Christoff
Neal Broten
Mike Eruzione
Eric Strobel
Mark Wells
Phil Verchota

Mr Tucker loves Pam. He has since they first met. When we relax on the sofa in the evenings, he usually settles in between us and leans mostly on her. Sometimes he'll put his back against her leg and settle his feet against me. Or he'll get as much into her lap as he can...he's a pretty big cat.

There have been times when he has completely ignored me and refused to have anything to do with me, preferring Pam to get him his food and play with him.

But recently, he's giving her the eye. The last few nights, he's shoved himself between me and the arm of the sofa instead of between us for snuggle time. If I get up for any reason, he won't stay on the sofa. Sometimes he follows me and sometimes he just lays on the floor and waits for me to come back.

Maybe he's just getting fed up with all the construction and has decided it's Pam's fault? He doesn't seem ill. Or maybe it's just a phase.

Cats!

We watched curling on Saturday. It's an oddly compelling sport. And yes, I say sport. It takes a great amount of skill to put those stones where you want them. And the guys/gals who sweep the ice in front of the throws need to have balance and strength and stamina. It's more than bowling on ice. There's all kinds of strategy involved in setting up your own shot while anticipating what your opponent will do with the pattern you leave.

The focus is mostly on the slider, the person who shoots or delivers the stone down the ice. Matches are often billed with the main slider's name vs the other team's slider. But curling is considered a team game because of the importance of the sweepers to help the direction and speed that the stones curl. Those sweepers aren't just muscle either...they have to understand the strategy of the shot so they can help the stone get to the most advantageous position.

It's quite fascinating. The pronouncers discussed a bit of controversy with crowd noise. Evidently etiquette calls for quiet during matches so the players can focus and communicate. Some of the teams have complained about what they say is excessive cheering at inappropriate moments. Curling is incredibly popular around the world, and the fans have come out in the thousands and have been quite vocal.

Imagine that...controversy at an Olympic games. HA!

Short track speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno still has some work left in his Olympic experience, but he has already become the most decorated American Winter Olympian with a total of 7 medals. He's got 2 gold, 2 silver, and 3 bronze in a career that has spanned the games from Salt Lake City to Torino to Vancouver. He has two more events to skate in 2010, the 500m and the 5000m relay. (photo credit to David J Phillip, AP)

And if I may, perhaps now the Koreans can celebrate the success of their brilliant short track athletes instead of constantly whining about how Ohno is such a cheat. After all, it was a Korean skater who made a bad pass to take out himself and a teammate in the 1500m final when the Korean men were on their way to a sweep of the medals in that event. It's not Ohno's fault, or JR Celski's fault, that the two Americans glided past the wipe out to take silver and bronze.

Even with that mistake, the Korean men have still skated away with 3 of the 6 medals awarded in the sport so far. Presumably they are favored to medal in the last two events.

I don't know what happens during the other competitions in a short track speed skating season. The sport just isn't that widely covered. I know of Ohno from his performance in the Olympics and his winning appearance on Dancing with the Stars. I do know that fouls happen in short track speed skating. Ohno gets fouled as much as he fouls. In fact, he got shoved by a Canadian skater in the 1000m final that forced him wide and caused him to trip on his skates and lose speed. He somehow kept his feet, gathered himself, and skated back into bronze medal position. And I didn't hear him whine about that in his post race interviews.

I don't understand all the rules and infractions in the sport, but I can say from the evidence of my eyes that it's one of the most exciting events to watch. Anything can happen, and often does. The Korean men are the best in the world, and Ohno is a fantastic individual athlete.

By the way, you know those 3 medals the Korean men haven't won? Ohno has 2 of them.

Figure skating, and all it's permutations from singles to pairs to ice dancing, is a sport. It takes stamina, strength, balance, and coordination. (photo credit to Gary Hershorn of Reuters)

A man lifts a woman into the air over his head and spins with her suspended 10 feet off the surface of the ice. A man tosses a woman into the air, and she spins and lands 15 feet away on one skate blade. Men and women perform jumps with 2-4 rotations in them 8-10 times during a 4.5 minute program. Spins, twists, twirls, jumps...all on thin skate blades in 2.5 minute short programs and 4.5 minute long programs.

Not to mention all the training that goes into those programs, both on and off the ice.

Yes, the competitions are based on judging. Yes, artistry is a large part of the competition. Yes, each time the skaters take to the ice it is called a performance. Yes, the competitors wear costumes and make up. Sequins and tassels are often prominently featured.

It doesn't have whistles. It's not a race. Participants are not on the ice at the same time directly competing. There's no ball. There's no puck. There's no contact. There are no goals, no bases, no end zone.

But it's a sport. Participants train for it. They tear ACLs. They sprain ankles. They break bones and suffer concussions.

It might not be a sport you enjoy, but it's a sport.

Take This Tune is a feature hosted by my pal Jamie at Duward Discussion. Jamie puts up a video prompt complete with lyrics to the song, and the task is to write something inspired by the title of the song or something in the lyrics.

I really enjoy participating in Jamie's feature because of where the prompts take my thoughts and emotions. This week's prompt is the all time classic driving song Radar Love, written by George Kooymans and Barry Hay of the Dutch band Golden Earring. The song was originally released in 1973.

I know I've re-posted the link to this original piece a few times and you can get to it by following the link in my sidebar, but I couldn't resist putting it up again because it seems perfect for Jamie's prompt this week.

Drifting
By Travis Cody
Copyright 2007

The blaring of the southbound big rig’s horn startled him awake. His head jerked and he nearly over-corrected and threw his MG under the passing 18 wheeler.

He’d almost drifted across the center divider that time. Oncoming headlights were mesmerizing on this long, lonely stretch of two lane highway.

That was close. The blood rushed and roared in his ears like a hurricane. He blinked his eyes and shook his head, watching the red tail lights fade in his rear view mirror.

He knew he should stop for the night.

But it was only another hour; just 60 more miles. She was waiting. He said he’d be home tonight. After six days on the road, it was past time for him to be home. That false labor had settled it for him. There was no way he was missing the birth of his first child.

He cracked the window down another inch. The frigid air revived him and he breathed deeply. He reached for the Ipod and spun the dial. Anything loud; anything he could sing along with; anything to keep him focused.

Steppenwolf. That’ll do. Get your motor running. Just 50 more miles.

Another set of headlights appeared in the far distance. A yawn escaped him and he shook his head again. His eyes tried to drift shut. Crank up the tuneage again. Roll the window all the way down. Take a sip of cold coffee. GAH. Cold coffee should be iced coffee; cold on purpose; an iced frappacino perhaps.

Whatever – it did the trick. He was alert again.

The car bucked suddenly and the rear end got loose. He felt the MG begin to fishtail out of control. He wrestled the wheel, raised his right foot from the gas pedal, and fought the urge to slam it down on the brake. Those headlights were right on top of him now. The wind sheer from the passing big rig nearly spun him out of control.

But he had it now. He let the MG coast to the shoulder and drift to a stop.

He crawled out on the passenger side of the car and saw the shredded right rear tire. Perfect! Just 40 miles from home, and now he had to change a blow out on a darkened shoulder.

He ducked back into the car and reached for the glove box. Something wasn’t right. Smoke drifted before his eyes. He felt dizzy. He scrubbed at his face with his hands, but no…that’s not…wait…

Why could he see through his hands?

Then he panicked. He saw flashing lights. He heard sirens. He felt a tugging in his limbs. He turned around…

…and saw the mangled MG.

Yeah, should have stopped for the night. But that thought was meaningless now as he drifted ethereally above the gravesite, watching as his heartbroken young bride tossed a handful of dirt on his casket. She cradled her swollen belly, leaning heavily on her father’s arm.

His soundless scream was lost on the breeze as his spirit drifted away from his love and his life.

Several years ago, my stepdad and I were having a discussion about all time great guitarists. Most of my choices were from rock and blues, like Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughn and Jeff Beck and Dwayne Allman and BB King. That list can and does go on and on and on. My stepdad knows those names, and doesn't disagree, but he posed a question. Why, he wondered, not a jazz guitarist?

And so he introduced me to the subject of Set 4, the sublime sound of Wes Montgomery (1923 - 1968).

Regrettably, Mr Montgomery died of a heart attack at the age of 45.

You're all welcome to play along if you like. Here are some guidelines.

1. Grab the banner, make your post title Five on Friday, and be sure to link back here.
2. Go to Playlist.com to make your play list of five songs. Choose a particular theme to share with us. You can simply post the play list, or you can add a little summary about what you are sharing.
3. I don't know how to make a specific linky, so be sure to leave me a comment to let me know that you participated.
4. No tags, but feel free to invite your friends to play along if they need a post topic on a Friday.

Have fun!

While on rounds last night, I dropped by my pal John's place at Altjiranga Mitjina and saw this terrible news.



Marine PFC Jason Estopinal, of Dallas, Georgia, was killed by an IED on Monday. He was 21 years old.

I didn't know the young man, but John did. Please visit his blog to read a moving tribute to a life ended all too soon.

Thank you Jason, for your service and your sacrifice.

Semper Fi

I first posted this in April 2007 after I wrote it. Since I didn't finished another new original piece this week, I thought I would post something from the Wayback Machine for those of you who are newer to my place. I put some pictures with each stanza when I first posted it, so I found some different ones to repeat the effect this time.

This has been an original poem by Travis Cody, copyright 2007. All pictures are from Google Images.

I think Apolo Anton Ohno is a tremendous athlete. He's won six Olympic medals...two gold, two silver (one of them came in the 1500m just over the weekend), and two bronze. That ties him as the most decorated US Winter Olympian. And he's still got three more chances to win another medal or two.

I also think that the color of the medal doesn't matter. You win medals...you don't settle for silver or bronze if you miss out on gold. So Ohno's achievement should be applauded and I'll be rooting for his continued success. However, whether he wins a couple more medals or not, he's certainly in the conversation of greatest US Olympic athletes. As are two other speed skaters.

Bonnie Blair won six medals over three Winter Olympic games. She's got a bronze, and five gold medals as a long track speed skater.

Eric Heiden won five gold medals in long track speed skating, all at Lake Placid in 1980. He won every individual event, setting four Olympic and one world record. No skater has ever duplicated that achievement. It's on a par with Michael Phelps' eight gold medals in swimming at Beijing in 2008, five of which came in individual events and in which he set four individual world records and an Olympic record. All three of Phelps' relay gold medals were also won in world record time.

Apolo Ohno is the first athlete to win six medals in short track speed skating.

I've been looking forward to these Olympic Games from Vancouver ever since they were awarded to the Canadian city on the west coast. I thought that an Olympics held in my time zone was a terrific thing.

Would you believe that everything I've watched so far as been "taped from an earlier live broadcast"? Even on the weekend! I haven't seen a legitimate live event, not evening the opening ceremonies, which NBC didn't bother to start airing until 9pm on Friday night. We were barely able to stay awake for all of it! In fact, I dozed a bit just before the lighting of the cauldron. I jerked awake and thought I missed it.

Wait...I do remember that I watched a live broadcast of the woman's hockey game between Sweden and Switzerland on Saturday. That was on CNBC.

Still, this means that I have the same problem I have with every other Olympic Games. I have to be aware when I'm on the internet or watching the news, because they'll report results that I may not want to hear until I get to watch the event. In fact, while watching the basketball game between Tennessee and Kentucky on Saturday evening before the Olympics, the result of the men's 1500m short track speed skating race scrolled across the bottom of the screen on the ESPN ticker.

Bummer.

I enjoy watching so many sports that I don't follow outside of the Olympics, particularly the Nordic ski events. And it was terrific to see three Americans challenge in the Nordic combined, which is ski jumping with cross country skiing. Johnny Spillane won silver, the first medal of any kind for an American in this event. Two other Americans finished fourth and sixth, Todd Lodwick and Billy Dumong.

The Americans used strong finishes in the jumps to set themselves up for the cross country. The sprint to the finish was exciting. Spillane kicked free with about a kilometer left in the race, but he got caught right at the end by gold medalist Jason Lamy-Chappuis from France.

This first event was on what is called the normal hill, where the start line is a shorter distance up the run. Flyers can reach distances of 360 feet on their jumps. There are two more events in Nordic combined, from the larger hill for individual competition and then a team event. So the Americans are in pretty good shape to potentially win more medals.

Of course my focus is on American athletes. I'm from the USA. But I'm not completely nationalistic when it comes to the Olympics. I got a lump in my throat when Alex Bilodeau won Canada's first Olympic gold medal on home ground. He broke the golden drought in men's moguls, beating out the defending Olympic champion to take the top spot on the podium.

And how stirring was it to listen to Canadians sing their national anthem at the top of their voices during the medal ceremony? (The photo credit here goes to Mark J Terrill, AP)

And as happy as I was for American Hannah Kearney, I was heart-broken for Jenn Heil. She missed out on her chance to be Canada's first gold medalist when Kearney took a nearly flawless drop down the mogul course.

And I gasped when the two Korean short track speed skaters wiped out in front of Apolo Ohno, allowing him to slip past them for his silver medal in the 1500 meter race. The Koreans were headed for a medal sweep of the event before the crash. Instead, Jung-Su Lee got the gold while Ohno took silver and American JR Celski got the bronze.

Watching snowboard cross last night, Pam and I both exclaimed "oh no" every time a rider went down. American Seth Wescott overcame a mistake during speed qualifying, hung in, and then took advantage of some errors by other riders to edge out Canadian Mike Robertson for gold. Tony Ramoin of France took bronze behind Robertson.

And we were both so moved by the performance of Chinese figure skating pair Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo. At 31 and 36 respectively, they are the oldest pair at the games and gold medal favorites. Their short program on Sunday evening was breath-taking.

The pair followed that performance with a passionate and dramatic long program, earning them a gold medal, the only trophy missing from a distinguished career. This is the first time since Squaw Valley in 1960 that a country other than the Soviet Union/Russia has won the pairs competition.

So while I cheer for each positive performance by an American athlete, I'm not indifferent to the triumphs of athletes from around the world. I feel for the athletes who come up short of their goals, and I love to see their joy when they exceed their personal expectations.

Citius. Altius. Fortius.

Swifter. Higher. Stronger.

"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well." Pierre de Coubertin, 1908.

All photos are Yahoo, Google, or AP images unless otherwise noted.

Take This Tune is a feature hosted by my pal Jamie at Duward Discussion. Jamie puts up a video prompt complete with lyrics to the song, and the task is to write something inspired by the title of the song or something in the lyrics.

I really enjoy participating in Jamie's feature because of where the prompts take my thoughts and emotions. This week's prompt is about wonderful things we have seen.

My office overlooks Elliott Bay in Seattle. From my 7th floor window, I can see such wonderful sites as this...



And this...



And this...



And then there's one of the most wonderful sites I have seen on the bay. I wish I could have gotten a better picture of it. Click on the photo to biggify. It's an aircraft carrier underway, headed north out of Bremerton to the Pacific Ocean. I don't know which carrier it is, but I've never seen one live in motion until now. It was magnificent.

Vancouver opened the 21st Olympic Winter Games in joy tinged with sadness. Georgian luge racer Nodar Kumaritashvili was killed Friday morning during a training run at Whistler Sliding Center. He was just 21 years old. The opening ceremonies were dedicated to the young man's memory. His Georgian teammates will compete in his honor.

Welcome to Set 3.

We checked in with American Idol this week. They've finished up all the roaming city auditions and settled in for Hollywood week. I'm glad we ignored the audition process this season, because we have no preconceptions and have not been influenced by stories and characters. We're just in it for the music.

The Top 12 gals and Top 12 guys will be chosen next week. So this week I bring you music from my three favorite former Idol contestants. Bo finished second in season 5, DC won season 7, and Taylor won season 5.

Witness is an original composition by Bo Bice with AJ Croce. It was released in Oct 2007 and appears on the album See the Light.

Permanent is an original composition by David Cook with Chantal Kreviazuk and Raine Maida. It was released in May 2009 and appears on DC's self-titled debut album. Come Back to Me was written by Amund Bjorklund, Espen Lind, and Zac Maloy. It was released in March 2009 and also appears on DC's first album.

Medicated Goo was written by Steve Winwood and Jimmy Miller. It appears on the Traffic album Last Exit, released in 1969. I remember that Taylor's performances of this song during his solo tour drew raves, and emphasized his skill as a live performer.

Somehow is an original composition by Taylor Hicks. It appears on the Early Works album, released in 2008. This album features songs from Taylor's self-released albums In Your Time and Under the Radar. Somehow emphasizes Taylor's ability as a songwriter.

You're all welcome to play along if you like. Here are some guidelines.

1. Grab the banner, make your post title Five on Friday, and be sure to link back here.
2. Go to Playlist.com to make your play list of five songs. Choose a particular theme to share with us. You can simply post the play list, or you can add a little summary about what you are sharing.
3. I don't know how to make a specific linky, so be sure to leave me a comment to let me know that you participated.
4. No tags, but feel free to invite your friends to play along if they need a post topic on a Friday.

Have fun!

In the restless quiet of twilight
When cold silence eerily lingers
Keeping day entwined with night
Her footsteps echo, dire and familiar

A determined border of feral mist
Invests the precious moments before dawn
No yield in the dismal barrier that exists
Between time borrowed and love withdrawn

Uneasy and full of dread, I pause to wait
An ebon stillness envelopes my soul
This luckless sorrow, ill-used by fate,
Smothering the words I must always control

Clicking like the angry pincers of a fat spider
The disjointed cadence, unforgiving, reproachful
A syncopated rhythm, stepping always closer
Its demands reverberate in the hollows of my will

Harsh now, and near, this unsparing moment
Loud now, the steps, a border crossed
Dread now, the sound of that approaching torment
Turn now, to face love’s promise forever lost

There is no magic left to save me from myself,
To ease the bitter panic of this inevitability
Only footsteps in my mind, mocking my life
Gone again now, yet ever after haunting me


This has been an original poem by Travis Cody, copyright 2010.

No, they haven't moved up the premier. Season 10 is still set for 22 March.

But I did find out that the case will be announced on 1 March!! That's only 21 days from now!

May the Lords of Dance please grant my wish for Valerie Bertinelli to be in this season's cast.

Take This Tune is a feature hosted by my pal Jamie at Duward Discussion. Jamie puts up a video prompt complete with lyrics to the song, and the task is to write something inspired by the title of the song or something in the lyrics.

I really enjoy participating in Jamie's feature because of where the prompts take my thoughts and emotions. This week's prompt is about love of place, particularly the place we call home.

I've never lived in The City, but a lot of my family is still in the South Bay Area and I've always thought of the place as home. No matter where I go, San Francisco and its surrounds will always be the most comfortable place in the world for me.

Big thanks to my pal Jeff at A Word in Edgewise for his suggestions about a banner for my feature. And since Mary at Work of the Poet asked, I guess I can say now that we have a banner, it kind of becomes a bit meme-ish. So you are all welcome to play along on Fridays if you like. I'll give you some guidelines.

1. Grab the banner, make your post title Five on Friday, and be sure to link back here.
2. Go to Playlist.com to make your play list of five songs. Choose a particular theme to share with us. You can simply post the play list, or you can add a little summary about what you are sharing.
3. I don't know how to make a specific linky, so be sure to leave me a comment to let me know that you participated.
4. No tags, but feel free to invite your friends to play along if they need a post topic on a Friday.

Oh...before I get too big for my blitches (that's blog and britches in blog-speak), I shall give a nod to Mimi from Mimi Writes who, as the Queen of Memes, should be nodded to. Or perhaps I should tip my hat? Or bow?

I'm sure the proper etiquette will come to me. Or if it doesn't, Mimi will tell me what it is and then I shall do it.

And now without further fuss and nonsense, I present Five on Friday Set #2.

On 3 February 1959, a private plane crash took the lives of Buddy Holly, JP "Big Bopper" Richardson, and Ritchie Valens. I honor their music and legacy today.