Thursday

You find the coolest things on these Intertubes… Yesterday while I was reading the Miata newsgroup I subscribe to I decided to check out one John McGaw’s web site, and Lo! What a find. Aside from the fact that we both drive Miatas, we have a lot of other stuff in common. We’re both retired USAF Master Sergeants, we both “fell” into our respective careers, we both are life-long photographers, and we’ve both traveled extensively. Mr. McGaw is a whole helluva lot better at archiving his photos than I am, however.

Mr. McGaw, at one point in time, set a personal goal of driving around the periphery of the United States. He’s not quite made the entire tour as of yet, but he’s done about three-fourths of it…in his 1991 Miata. His touring narratives begin in Anchorage and document his travels down the ALCAN into the Northwest. A few years later he filled in the east coast, all the way up to the northeastern-most point in the US. The narratives are superb, as are the accompanying photos. Here’s his intro:

There came a time in my life when major changes were the rule rather than the exception—I had turned 50, retired from my job with the State of Alaska, my house was sold, and it was time to move on. As a way to shake off the dust of the old life and make way for the new I decided that a serious trip was called for. Eventually I decided that a drive around the edge of the USA would be an admirable goal. I knew from my electronics and programming experience that boundary conditions are the most interesting and surmised that it might be true in other areas.

Thus it came about that I drove out of Alaska in my beloved 1991 Mazda Miata carrying a laptop computer, digital camera, and GPS navigation hardware and software to guide me. Winter was fast approaching and there was no time to spare if I was going to make it down the Alaska Highway safely in my highly unsuitable car. My original intent was to drive from Alaska and then "on the edge" of the lower 48 states from northwest to southwest to southeast to northeast, always staying as close to the perimeter as humanly (and automotively) feasible. I failed to complete my quest due to lack of time and Florida-induced emotional fatigue but still found it one of the more interesting chapters in my life.

The travel narratives are quite long, too, and I cannot claim to have read them all. But I’m working on it. His photography is excellent and there are many, many galleries worth a visit or six. All in all, an excellent site and one I felt the need to share.

Do go.

Speaking of cool things…Steeljaw Scribe has an entertaining, illuminating, and very-well-told sea-story over at his place today, and it’s but one of many such. This particular story has to do with unsung heroes, foul odors emanating from places unknown on the bridge of the USS Dwight D Eisenhower (CVN 69), and The Man’s dreaded command: “Fix it!” And SJS was the guy carrying the ball…or rather, directing the play.

Once again: Do go!

Well, it’s official…Tony Blair is announcing his departure date (June 27^th) as Britain’s Prime Minister today, ending a fairly successful ten-year run as both leader of the “New” Labour Party and as the UK’s Prime Minister. Only the date is news, as Blair announced his intention to step down last Fall. The Times has an extensive article with lots of commentary and a few rather ugly political cartoons. Here’s The Guardian’s take…and here’s one article from the rabble-rousing, ultra-Left-wing The Independent.

One would be hard-pressed to say who is more unpopular as the leader of their respective countries…Blair or Bush. A shame, that, as both are effective and principled politicians. If such a thing isn’t an outright contradiction in terms. I, for one, find it absolutely amazing that a Labour prime minister turned out to be America’s most steadfast ally in these troubled times. Who’d a thunk it?

Godspeed, Mr. Blair.

And finally…a heart-felt plea from one of the writers of the famous Iraq the Model blog, published in today’s NY Daily News:

The cost of liberating Europe in the last century was enormous in blood and treasure. In fact, it took half a century of American military presence thereafter to protect those nations from subsequent threats. If that made sense during a Cold War, and it did, then I don't understand why anyone would demand a pullout from Iraq (and maybe later, the entire Middle East) when the enemies are using every evil technique, from booby trapped dead animals to hijacked civilian aircrafts, to kill innocents.

And so, my friends, I will call for fighting this war just as powerfully as the bad guys do - because I must show them that I'm stronger than they are. The people of America need to understand this: the enemies of a stable Iraq are America's enemies, and they simply do not understand the language of civilization and reason.

They understand only power. It is with power they took over their countries and held their peoples hostage. Everything they accomplished was through absolute control over the assets of their nations through murder, torture, repression and intimidation.

What he said…in frickin’ spades. It doesn’t get any clearer than this. Read the whole thing.

And now I’m off to The Big(ger) City^TM, again. Still shopping for next week’s trip to Utah…and points east. More about that, later.