tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-224151332024-03-13T12:22:43.316-05:00PohickLife, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness. Recipes, Movie Reviews, Gardening Tips, and much more.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger430125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22415133.post-90496474148234583072019-01-27T11:23:00.000-06:002019-02-27T21:36:46.580-06:00Liaden Universe Reading Order<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of my favorite science fiction series is the <a href="http://korval.com/">Liaden Universe</a> written by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller. I randomly picked up one of their books and was instantly hooked by the premise, characters and writing. Because I picked a book in the middle of the series, I had this feeling that I was missing a few key concepts. I went to the authors' website to see what order they recommended reading the books. Sadly, they had some wishy washy advice about what order to read the books.<br />
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To quote Sharon and Steve, "The Liaden Universe® is not tidy. Nor is it a series, exactly. It’s a Universe. There is therefore no orderly progression, Book One through Book Whatever. That would be easy and, as previously advertised, we never, ever do anything nice and easy."<br />
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I am way too obsessive compulsive to accept that kind of advice, so I decided to create my own reading order list that is roughly chronological. This is a slightly difficult task because several of the novels in the Liaden Universe occur in parallel and there are a number of short story collections that supplement the full length novels.<br />
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A note about the short stories: The Liaden short stories have been published at different times and in different collections. Most recently they have been published as three volumes by Baen called Constellation 1, 2 and 3. I will cite these collections in the list below.<br />
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0. Lute and Moonhawk stories. These stories are what I would call fantasy stories but they do provide a mythological underpinning to the rest of the Liaden Universe.<br />
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0.1 Where the Goddes Sends (Constellation 1) The first tale of Lute and Moonhawk.<br />
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0.2 A Spell for the Lost (Constellation 1) The second tale of Lute and Moonhawk.<br />
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0.3 Moonphase (Constellation 1) The 55th tale of Lute and Moonhawk.<br />
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0.4 The Wine of Memory (Constellation 1) Lute and Moonhawk must save one of his oldest friends.<br />
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1. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Crystal-Soldier-Liaden-Universe-Book-ebook/dp/B00WRCHVI8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1548606981&sr=8-1&keywords=crystal+Soldier">Crystal Soldier</a> (Cantra and Jela) (This is listed as book 9, but it is the first book chronologically) In a galaxy worn down by generations of war against an implacable foe, a star pilot's mission brings him an unexpected ally and a chance to serve his troop—and mankind.<br />
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M. Jela Granthor's Guard is a soldier who was born to be a~ soldier, a solider whose genes were selected before birth, whose life was chosen for him as one of service and dedication.<br />
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Cantra yos'Phelium is an ace pilot and a thoroughgoing rogue. She trades the dark and the gray markets along the war-torn Rim, running solo, and with an eye firmly on her own profit.<br />
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When chance deals her an ex-soldier, she's inclined to leave him where she found him. That was before mutual trouble arose, and Jela proved himself a good man in a tight spot. Still, she thought to ditch him next planet down the line.<br />
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Only he wasn't being easy to ditch. Worse, he had a puzzle going that just naturally drew a pilot's close attention.<br />
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So the two of them form an unlikely—and uncomfortable - alliance, the soldier intent on his mission; the pirate intent on her survival.<br />
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And neither one, in the face of alien technology, outlaws, and the enemy's renewed assaults, can quite forget a life lesson shared by people who live on the edge of chance:<br />
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Sometimes, no matter what, you're just going to lose . . .<br />
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2. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Crystal-Dragon-Liaden-Universe-Book-ebook/dp/B00WQ5CTHO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1548607852&sr=8-1&keywords=crystal+dragon+lee+miller">Crystal Dragon</a> (Cantra and Jela) You can't go home again...<br />
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What do you do when home is a conspiracy that's been discovered and destroyed? When home is a planet in a star system that's gone missing? When home means working for the destroyers of galaxies When home is a spaceship that's calling out to the enemy? Cantra 'yos Phelium isn't a quitter, but she has more than a little problem: the Enemy has accelerated its attacks and how do you fight an Enemy whose, major form of attack is the de-crystallization of everything around itself? A smuggler with a rogue soldier for a co-pilot, and a tree with an attitude for crew, Cantra's the only one who can get close to the man who holds equations that might, that just might&—thwart the Enemy.<br />
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All she has to do is help a young pilot from a missing world, juggle a slippery promise she never quite made to a pair of wizards, and then forget who she is along with everything, and everyone, she's ever known.<br />
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3. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WL0CA46/ref=series_dp_rw_ca_3">Balance of Trade</a> (Jethri Gobelyn) Assistant Trader Jethri Gobelyn is an honest, hardworking young Terran who knows a lot about living onboard his family's space going trade ship 'Gobelyn's Market', something about trade, finance, and risk taking and a little bit about Liadens.<br />
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Oddly enough, it's the little bit he knows about Liadens that seems likely to make his family's fortune—and his own. In short order, however, Jethri Gobelyn is about to learn a lot more about Liadens . . . like how far they might go to protect their name and reputation. Like the myriad of things one might say—intentionally or not—with a single bow. Like how hard it is to say "I'm sorry!" in Liaden. Like how difficult it is to deal with a beguiling set of Liaden twins who may very well know exactly what he's thinking . . . . Soon it became clear that as little as he knew about Liadens, he knew far less about himself. With his very existence a threat to the balance of trade, Jethri needs to learn fast, or become a pawn in a game that will destroy all he has come to hold dear.<br />
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4. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FY30BJS/ref=series_dp_rw_ca_4">Trade Secret</a> (Jethri Gobelyn) Star-spanning galactic trader Jethri Gobelyn’s story continues in the seventeenth entry in the Liaden Universe® series by master storytellers Sharon Lee and Steve Miller.<br />
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In a universe full of interstellar intrigue and burgeoning commerce novice Terran trader Jethri Gobelyn, adopted by a Liaden clan after an ill-directed bow of honor insulted the scion of a major Liaden house, is alive and whole to tell the tale. Convinced that the adoption has saved his life and made his future he settles into a comfortable and even elite routine, a Trader's Ring his goal.<br />
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Even as Jethri's initiation into the mysteries and joys of Liaden Festival bring him to manhood he's forced to face Necessity and the facts of life: his adoption has also invigorated a net of unfinished Balance far more complex and potentially deadly than a simple Terran blood feud. He must embrace his Terran birthright as well as his Liaden connections while leaving behind the safety of the great Liaden trade ship Elthoria to defend his honor and that of shipmates past and present. Forced to sit Second Board as a back-up pilot on a Liaden Scout ship, Jethri's convinced he's already at wit's end—when several familiar faces threaten all that he knows of himself, and all that he wishes to do.<br />
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5. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WT1EUZ4/ref=series_dp_rw_ca_5">Local Custom</a> (Anne & Er Thom) Each person shall provide his clan of origin with a child of his blood, who will be raised by the clan and belong to the clan. And this shall be Law for every person of every clan . . .<br />
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Master trader Er Thorn knows the local custom of Liaden is to be matched with a proper bride, and provide his prominent clan Korval with an heir. Yet his heart is immersed in another universe, influenced by another culture, and lost to a woman not of his world. And to take a Terran wife such as scholar Anne Davis is to risk his honor and reputation. But when he discovers that their brief encounter years before has resulted in the birth of a child, even more is at stake than anyone imagined. Now, an interstellar scandal has erupted, a bitter war between two families—galaxies apart—has begun, and the only hope for Er Thorn and Anne is a sacrifice neither is prepared to make . . .<br />
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5.1 Pilot of Koral (Constellation 1) Daav and Er Thom must take up their responsibilities<br />
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5.2 Breath's Duty (Constellation 1) Daav must take up a painful task.<br />
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6. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WUP325S/ref=series_dp_rw_ca_6">Scouts Progress</a> (Aelliana & Daav) All of her life, Aelliana Caylon has lived by the rules of her overbearing brother, the head of the Caylon family. Though she is a brilliant mathematician, he has convinced her that she has no worth beyond what value she might have in an arranged marriage.<br />
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Then, on a dare, she plays a game of chance—and wins a starship. It is her way to escape her home, her planet, her drab life—if she can qualify as a pilot.<br />
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Enter the accomplished Scout and Master Pilot known only as Daav. Aelliana hires him as her instructor. She finds him gifted teacher. He finds her a quick study.<br />
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And they also find an unexpected attraction, one that could have dangerous repercussions for them both . . .<br />
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7. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00APAD3D6/ref=series_dp_rw_ca_7">Mouse & Dragon</a> (Aelliana & Daav) Aelliana Caylon has endured much, and finally, she appears to have won all: a spaceship, comrades, friends—and the love of a pilot she adores.<br />
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Even better that her lover—the man who was destined for her, a man as much a loner as she—is also the Delm of Korval, arguably the most powerful person on all of Liad. He has the power to remove her and protect her from the toxic environment of her home Clan. Best of all, he agrees to sit as her co-pilot and her partner in a courier business.<br />
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Even happy endings sometimes show a few flaws. Such as Aelliana's home clan being not as agreeable to letting her go as it had first seemed. And the fact that someone is stealing pilots in the Low Port, which falls within the Delm of Korval's honor. Oh, and the revelation that the man she loves—the man who is destined for her—isn't entirely the man she thought he was. And finally, she discovers that even the lift from Liad she'd so fervently desired, is part of a larger plan, a plan requiring her to be someone she never thought she was, or could be.<br />
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8. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WQ4OTFA/ref=series_dp_rw_ca_8">Conflict of Honors</a> (Priscilla & Shan) Sixteen-year-old Priscilla Delacroix was declared legally dead by her mother, High Priestess of the Goddess. Banished to survive on her own, Priscilla has roamed the galaxy for ten years as an outcast—to become a woman of extraordinary skill. . . .<br />
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An experienced officer assigned to the Liaden vessel Doxflon, she's been abandoned yet again. Betrayed by her captain and shipmates, she's left to fend for herself on a distant planet. But Priscilla is not alone. Starship captain Shan yos'Galen is about to join Priscilla's crusade for revenge. He has his own score to settle with the enemy. But confronting the sinister crew will be far easier—and safer—than confronting the demons of Priscilla's own mysterious past.<br />
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8.1 To Cut an Edge (Short story published in Two Tales of Korval and also published in A Liaden Universe Constellation: Volume 1) (Val Con meets Edger) To Cut an Edge - Explains how Val Con meets the Clutch Turtle, the Edger. And how Val Con got some of his Clutch Turtle name.<br />
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8.2 A Day at the Races (Short story published in Two Tales of Korval) (Val Con and Shan) A Day at the Races - A fast moving lark displaying the close friendship between Val Con and Shan, plus their problematic relationship with Kareen. I really feel for this woman who has been abadoned by Daav and had many of her loved ones killed in a battle not yet declared and left to raise the next generation. No wonder she is rigid and rule bound. But Val Con and Shan haven't reached the point of maturity yet to realize what she has gone through; they are true Korval pilots and just a bit ... daring.</div>
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9. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BSW2FG6/ref=series_dp_rw_ca_9">Agent of Change</a> (Val Con & Miri) Once a brilliant First-in Scout, Val Con yos'Phelium was "recruited" by the mysterious Liaden Department of Interior and brainwashed into an Agent of Change—a ruthless covert operative who kills without remorse.<br />
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Fleeing the scene of his latest murderous mission, he finds himself saving the life of ex-mercenary Miri Robertson, a tough Terran on the run from a team of interplanetary assassins. Thrown together by circumstances, Val Con and Miri struggle to elude their enemies and stay alive without slaying each other—or surrendering to the unexpected passion that flares between them.<br />
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10. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WMZVA4Q/ref=series_dp_rw_ca_10">Carpe Diem</a> (Val Con & Miri) On the run from interplanetary assassins, covert operative Val Con yos'Phelium and former mercenary sergeant Miri Robertson have wound up stranded on a distant planet with no rescue in sight. Until they figure out a way back to Liad, these two lost souls must find a way to trust each another—and let their love heal the dark wounds of their past. . . .<br />
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Back on Liad, Shan yos'Galan, Val Con's cousin and foster brother, and his life-partner, Priscilla Mendoza, have initiated their own search for the missing member of Clan Korval. But what they don't know is that those who seek to destroy Val Con and Miri are just as determined to bring down Clan Korval. All the deadly enemy needs is someone to unwittingly lead them to their target. . . .<br />
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11. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WT87VPI/ref=series_dp_rw_ca_11?ie=UTF8&qid=null&sr=null">Plan B</a> (Val Con & Miri; Shan) Val Con yos'Phelium is a fugitive. The heir of Clan Korval is wanted by the covert Liaden agency known as the Department of the Interior, whose rulers have declared unofficial war against the entire clan. With only his love, Miri Robertson, by his side, Val Con plans a desperate gamble by forming an alliance with Clan Erob on the planet where Miri was born.<br />
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But Val Con's cousin, Shan yos'Galan, can't wait for help that may never arrive. With enemy agents closing in, he invokes Plan B—setting in motion a series of events that will have dire consequences not only for him and his life-mate Priscilla Mendoza, but for all of Liad . . .<br />
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12. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00APAELRI/ref=series_dp_rw_ca_12?ie=UTF8&qid=null&sr=null">Fledgling</a> (Theo Waitley) Theo Waitley has lived all her young life on Delgado, a Safe World that is home to one of the galaxy's premier institutions of higher learning. Both Theo's mother, Kamele, and Kamele's onagrata Jen Sar Kiladi, are professors at the university, and they all live comfortably together, just like they have for all of Theo's life, in Jen Sar's house at the outskirts of town.<br />
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Suddenly, though, Theo's life changes. Kamele leaves Jen Sar and moves herself and Theo back into faculty housing, which is not what Theo is used to. Once settled back inside the Wall, Kamele becomes embroiled in faculty politics, and is appointed sub-chair of her department. Meanwhile, Theo, who has a notation in her file indicating that she is ''physically challenged'' has a series of misadventures, including pulling her best friend down on the belt-ride to class, and hurting a team mate during a scavage game.<br />
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With notes piling up in her file, Theo only wants to go ''home,'' to the house in the suburbs, and have everything just like it used to be.<br />
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Then, Kamele uncovers evidence of possible dishonest scholarship inside of her department. In order to clear the department, she and a team of senior professors must go off-world to perform a forensic document search. Theo hopes this will mean that she'll be left in the care of the man she calls ''Father,'' Professor Kiladi, and is horrified to learn that Kamele means to bring Theo with her!<br />
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13. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WRII0EQ/ref=series_dp_rw_ca_13?ie=UTF8&qid=null&sr=null">I Dare</a> (Pat Rin & Natesa; Ren el & Anthora) This long-awaited culmination of the Locus best-selling Agent of Change sequence of Sharon Lee and Steve Miller's internationally acclaimed Liaden Universe® novels, pits unexpected friends and enemies against each other in a war that spans planets and races and threatens to bring interstellar violence to the very surface of fabled Liad. Val Con yos'Phelium—a Scout, former Agent of Change, husband, brother to Turtles, and designated heir to Clan Korval's fortune and mission.. .whether you considered him respectable or not, no one would call him a gambling man. When he reappears demanding Balance and retribution, on his capable shoulders the fate of his Clan, his world, and his civilization...<br />
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Pat Rin yos'Phelium—fond father, bon vivant, ne'er-do-well... and a professional gambler. The enemies of Korval have offered Pat Rin the Ring that would make all of Korval's holdings his own and a Juntavas Judge has offered Pat Rin a world... When he appears with hired guns in tow no one is expecting him and no one knows what he'll do. For you see, Pat Rin is a gambling man.<br />
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14. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00APACAZI/ref=series_dp_rw_ca_14?ie=UTF8&qid=null&sr=null">Saltation</a> (Theo Waitley) Theo Waitley is a Nexus of Violence. Thrust mid-year into a school for pilots far from the safe haven of her birth home on scholarly Delgado, young Theo Waitley excels in hands-on flying while finding that she's behind the curve in social intricacies as well as in math. Her mentors try to guide her studies and training into the channels best suited to her special abilities and inclinations, including suggesting that she should join in the off-world student association, a plan resulting in mixed success.<br />
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After a series of confrontations, fights, and ultimately a riot after which she is thanked for not killing anyone, Theo is named a "nexus of violence" by the school's administration. Facing suspension and carrying little more than a hastily procured guild card, a pistol taken from an attacker, and the contents of her pants pockets, Theo must quickly decide if she's ready to return to Delgado in disgrace, or launch herself into the universe as a freelance pilot with credentials she's already earned.<br />
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15. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00APAH6HU/ref=series_dp_rw_ca_15?ie=UTF8&qid=null&sr=null">Ghost Ship</a> (Clan Korval and Theo Waitley) The new novel in the Liaden Universe® series. Over a quarter million copies sold in this series to-date! Space ships, action, adventure—all tied together with a strong dollop of romance and family saga—make this a compelling series for a wide range of readers, from romance to military SF lovers alike.<br />
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Theo Waitley is an ace starship pilot—and pure maverick. Her mom is a renowned Terran scholar and her birth father is an interstellar aristocrat in hiding. Whatever, thinks Theo. She still feels like a socially-challenged misfit. But after being selected to train with the best-of-the-best at the pilot academy, she figures she can leave behind those gawky, misfit days of teenage angst that made life so complicated before! But for Theo, life is about to get even MORE complicated—and deadlier still. For even though she’s survived the Academy and become one of the best pilots in the galaxy, the past is about to blast her with gale-force winds. Theo can run, but she can’t hide. Her destiny as master pilot and leader of a powerful Liaden clan calls, and there are LOTS of enemies who will try to make sure she’s quite dead before she has the chance to make an answer.<br />
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16. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B1EA7C0/ref=series_dp_rw_ca_16?ie=UTF8&qid=null&sr=null">Necessity's Child</a> (The Kompani) Stirring SF adventure from master storytellers Sharon Lee and Steve Miller—#16 in the award-winning Liaden Universe® saga. Space ships, action, adventure—all tied together with a strong dollop of romance and clan intrigue—make this a compelling series for a wide range of readers, from romance to military SF lovers.<br />
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The kompani see none as an enemy, and yet few as friend. The kompani exist in many places, living quietly in the shadows, thriving off the bounty that others have no wit to secure, nor skill to defend. Their private history is unwritten; their recall rooted in dance and dream. The Clan Korval is in many ways the opposite of the kompani. The interstellar trading clan is wealthy in enemies, fortunate in friends. Korval protects itself with vigor, and teaches even its youngest children the art of war.<br />
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And when representatives of Clan Korval arrive on the planet Surebleak where the kompani has lived, secret and aloof, the lives of three people intersect— Kezzi, apprentice to the kompani's grandmother; Syl Vor, Clan Korval's youngest warrior; and Rys, a man without a world, or a past.<br />
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17. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00APADIMC/ref=series_dp_rw_ca_17?ie=UTF8&qid=null&sr=null">Dragon Ship</a> (Clan Korval and Theo Waitley) First Class courier pilot Theo Waitley was already known as a nexus of violence—and then she inherited the precarious captaincy of a mysterious self-aware ship. Now she has a trade route to run for Clan Korval while she convinces the near mythic ghost ship Bechimo—and herself—that she wants to commit herself as the human side to their immensely powerful symbiosis. While her former lover battles a nano-virus that’s eating him alive, Theo is challenged to rescue hundreds of stranded pilots and crewmen from an explosive situation in near orbit around a suddenly hostile planet. Lovers, enemies, an ex-roomie, and a jealous spaceship are all in peril as Theo wields power that no one in the universe is sure of, especially her.<br />
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18. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XRQZLZS/ref=series_dp_rw_ca_18?ie=UTF8&qid=null&sr=null">Dragon in Exile</a> (Clan Korval and the Kompani) Clan Korval rebuilds its fortunes on the gritty, semi-anarchic planet of Surebleak. Over a quarter million Liaden Universe® books are in print with an audience that keeps growing!<br />
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Star-trading Clan Korval—known to Terrans as the Tree-and-Dragon Family and to the locals simply as "the Dragon"—has been convicted of crimes against the homeworld. No matter that one of the "crimes" consisted of saving the elitist planet of Liad from very real internal threats, the Council of Clans wanted Korval heads to roll. Unfortunately for the Council, the Dragon's allies conspired to impose a milder punishment for saving the world: banishment, rather than execution.<br />
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Now relocated to the free-for-all world of Surebleak, the Dragon is under contract to keep the Port Road open to all traffic, and to back the New Bosses in imposing law and order on a society originally based on larceny and assassination. This modest rustication is going surprisingly well, until Korval discovers that the enemy they'd sought to destroy. . .wasn't quite destroyed, and is more determined than ever to eradicate Korval.<br />
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While the banishment killed no one initially, many of Korval’s trading allies are spooked, and some are reneging on ancient agreements, leaving the Dragon to make its own way. The clan’s efforts to stealthily recruit new allies is going haywire, and a secret death toll is rising even as the clan’s adherents endure increasing exposure to danger and deceit off-world.<br />
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To make matters worse, an active portion of Surebleak's native population liked the Old Ways just fine, and are conspiring to take the New Bosses—and the Dragon—down, and are sure they have the firepower and people to do it.<br />
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The exiled Dragon has to make an urgent choice—accept an alliance with criminals or face down each and every enemy in person, one by one.<br />
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19. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Gathering-Edge-Liaden-Universe-Book-ebook/dp/B06Y249HZK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1548609099&sr=8-1&keywords=The+gathering+edge+miller+lee">The Gathering Edge</a> (Clan Korval) The luck runs rough around Theo Waitley. Not only are people trying to kill her and capture the self-aware intelligent ship Bechimo to whom Theo is bonded, they’re also trying to arrest her crew members, and throw the dignity of an important passenger, the duly-constituted norbear ambassador Hevelin, into question.<br />
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No wonder Theo and her crew felt the need of a break, and retired to what Bechimo refers to as "safe space." Unfortunately, safe space may not be so safe, anymore. It seems that things are leaking through from another universe, and another time. In fact, whole spaceships are coming through. One of those ships is a blasted battleship seemingly fleeing a long-lost war. What’s more, its crew may be members of Theo’s ancient ancestral line—her relatives. It’s certain that they are in dire need of help. Theo has a choice to make. It seems that Bechimo’s “safe space” is about to become deadly perilous.<br />
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20. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HFAH1CM/ref=series_dp_rw_ca_19?ie=UTF8&qid=null&sr=null">Alliance of Equals</a> (Theo Waitley) Beset by the angry remnants of the Department of the Interior, challenged at every turn by opportunists on their new homeworld of Surebleak, and somewhat low on funds, Clan Korval desperately needs to reestablish its position as one of the top trading clans in known space. To this end, Master Trader Shan yos'Galan, aboard Korval's premier trade ship, Dutiful Passage, is on a mission to establish new business associations and to build a strong primary route that links well with existing Loops and secondary routes.<br />
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But reestablishing trade and preserving the lives of the few remaining members of the clan aren't all of Korval's problems. Matters come to a head as Dutiful Passage, accustomed to being welcomed and feted at those ports on its call-list, finds itself denied docking, and blacklisted, while agents of the DOI mount armed attacks on others of Korval's traders, under the very eyes of port security systems.<br />
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Traveling with Dutiful Passage on this unsettling journey is Padi yos'Galan, the master trader's heir and his apprentice. Padi is eager to make up for time lost due to Korval's unpleasantness with the Department of the Interior. She is also keeping a secret so intense that her coming of age, and perhaps her very life, is threatened by it.<br />
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21. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Neogenesis-Liaden-Universe-Book-21-ebook/dp/B077Z7WYY9/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1548609173&sr=8-1&keywords=Neogenesis+miller+lee">Neogenesis</a> (Clan Korval and Theo Waitley) Menace from Back Space Looming out of the Dust of Time<br />
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The Complex Logic Laws were the result of a war waged hundreds of years in the past, when two human powers threw massive AI navies at each other and nearly annihilated themselves. Being human, they blamed their tools for this near miss; they destroyed what was left of the sentient ships, and made it illegal to be, manufacture, or shelter an independent logic.<br />
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Strangely, however, the Free Ships and other AIs did not turn themselves in or suicide, they merely became wary of humans, and stayed under their scans. A clandestine support network grew up, including hidden yards where smart ships were manufactured, and mentors--humans specially trained to ease a new intelligence into the universe--socialized them, and taught them what they needed to know to survive.<br />
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Among those with a stake in the freedom of Independent Logics is Theo Waitley, who is somewhat too famously the captain of intelligent ship Bechimo. Theo's brother, Val Con yos'Phelium, presides over a household that has for a generation employed an AI butler. Recently, he approved the "birth" of the butler's child, who was sent, with human mentor Tolly Jones, to rescue or destroy an orphaned AI abandoned at a remote space station.<br />
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Then there's Uncle, the shadowy mastermind from the Old Universe, whose many projects often skirt the boundaries of law, both natural and man-made – and the puppet-masters at the Lyre Institute, whose history is just as murky – and a good deal less honorable.<br />
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All have an interest in the newly-awakening Self-Aware Logic that is rumored to have the power to destroy universes.<br />
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The question is: Who will get to it first?<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22415133.post-73812993168899573212018-10-29T18:52:00.000-05:002018-10-29T18:52:21.370-05:00Little Becca and the Science Experiment<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--1Rxk1ZFdWw/W9ecKvqm3nI/AAAAAAAAk2Q/7PgANbJZCyopLwvgq7_AvP6A_Fv78CV2ACLcBGAs/s1600/MVC-001S.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--1Rxk1ZFdWw/W9ecKvqm3nI/AAAAAAAAk2Q/7PgANbJZCyopLwvgq7_AvP6A_Fv78CV2ACLcBGAs/s1600/MVC-001S.JPG" /></a></div>
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Back in 2002, Little Becca participated in a science fair. </div>
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She calculated the Ph level of a bunch of household items using red cabbage.</div>
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It was kind of like making potions.</div>
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Little Becca is now big Becca, but she is still making potions.</div>
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<a href="http://www.rebeccamast.com/2018/10/the-potions-master.html">See her potions here</a>.</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22415133.post-47604851550578308922018-04-15T20:17:00.003-05:002018-04-15T20:17:41.248-05:00The Trouble With Tribbles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kkZ9uhPh00w/WtP09-wNKrI/AAAAAAAAhWI/vZcGAI9iabU85vCGm15dROx3hlQ_BfRmQCLcBGAs/s1600/Tribbles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kkZ9uhPh00w/WtP09-wNKrI/AAAAAAAAhWI/vZcGAI9iabU85vCGm15dROx3hlQ_BfRmQCLcBGAs/s400/Tribbles.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">OK, who remembers the classic Star Trek episode, "The Trouble with Tribbles"? Well apparently this is a real thing because there was a Tribble living in our vacuum cleaner. This is what happens when you live with a bunch of long haired girls. I couldn't figure out why the vacuum wasn't doing its job. </span><a href="https://www.dyson.com/en.html" style="font-size: 14px;">Mr. Dyson</a><span style="font-size: 14px;"> made me a solemn promise that my vacuum would never lose suction. I don't think his fancy algorithms were any match for the long haired shedding people in my house though. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Tribbles were first shown in an episode of the second season of the original series, "The Trouble With Tribbles" (1967). They have appeared in several subsequent series, as well as in a number of Star Trek feature films, and in video games such as Star Trek: Armada II.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A tribble</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">According to Star Trek canon, tribbles are native to the planet Iota Geminorum IV. They appear as small bundles of fur with no other visible features. Their coloring ranges from white and grey to black, as well as speckled brown, yellow and orange. According to Dr. Leonard McCoy's dialogue, their only two purposes in life appear to be to eat and to reproduce, and they perform both of these functions exceptionally well. McCoy concludes that tribbles use over 50% of their metabolism for reproduction and that they are born pregnant.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22415133.post-53985405788964162412018-04-11T20:27:00.000-05:002018-04-11T20:27:16.796-05:00Disney Discounts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dT8ean11u4Q/Ws60wUeGfSI/AAAAAAAAhVE/a569rbYZhvcPjC73x94LB74ZWNu0me6LQCLcBGAs/s1600/PhotoPass_Visiting_MK_407141745000.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dT8ean11u4Q/Ws60wUeGfSI/AAAAAAAAhVE/a569rbYZhvcPjC73x94LB74ZWNu0me6LQCLcBGAs/s400/PhotoPass_Visiting_MK_407141745000.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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So, I'm always looking for Disney Discounts. Because I like Disney and I like Discounts. It's like chocolate and peanut butter.<br />
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I ran across this webpage. It lists the time of year when Disney announced discounts for their parks. I'm posting it here so that I don't forget it. You are welcome to use it too if you want. <a href="https://www.mousesavers.com/historical-information-on-walt-disney-world-resort-discounts/#codechart">https://www.mousesavers.com/historical-information-on-walt-disney-world-resort-discounts/#codechart</a><br />
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Also, I would be remiss if I didn't give a shout out to my favorite vacation planner Mary Mast Travels. If you are interested in getting a free quote for a Disney or Universal Trip, please send her a note. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MaryMastTravels/">https://www.facebook.com/MaryMastTravels/</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22415133.post-22223288476922854682014-09-18T15:17:00.003-05:002014-09-18T22:12:06.053-05:00Random Road Trip - Day 6 (18 Sep 2014)This is going to be a very quick update to the Random Road Trip Blog. The dice are safely ensconced in their travel bag. We decided to take the day off from traveling today. If you are going to take the day off, there are much worse places than Destin, Florida. The weather is lovely, mostly sunny, 88 degrees.<br />
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Here is where we have been on this trip:<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://pohick.blogspot.com/2014/09/random-road-trip-day-1.html" style="color: #2288bb; line-height: 18.4799995422363px; text-decoration: none;">Day 1 - 285 miles (Alabama, Tennessee)</a><br style="line-height: 18.4799995422363px;" /><a href="http://pohick.blogspot.com/2014/09/random-road-trip-day-2-14-sep-2014.html" style="color: #2288bb; line-height: 18.4799995422363px; text-decoration: none;">Day 2 - 310 miles (Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina)</a></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 14.7840003967285px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://pohick.blogspot.com/2014/09/random-road-trip-day-3-15-sep-2014.html" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration: none;">Day 3 - 247 miles, (South Carolina and Georgia</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 14.7840003967285px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://pohick.blogspot.com/2014/09/random-road-trip-day-4-16-sep-2014.html" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration: none;">Day 4 - 183 miles, (Georgia and Florida)</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 14.7840003967285px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://pohick.blogspot.com/2014/09/random-road-trip-day-5-17-sep-2014.html" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration: none;">Day 5 - 385 miles, (Florida)</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 14.7840003967285px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://pohick.blogspot.com/2014/09/random-road-trip-day-6-18-sep-2014.html">Day 6 - 0 miles, (Florida)</a></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 14.7840003967285px; text-align: center;">Total - 1,410 miles (Six States)</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 14.7840003967285px; text-align: center;">Today, we laid on the beach and swam in the Gulf of Mexico.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary and Jack and the Gulf of Mexico</td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 14.7840003967285px; text-align: center;">We also met up with Mary's friend Mare Gilmore who lives in Destin. We are jealous.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 14.7840003967285px; text-align: center;">Captain's Log Supplemental:</span><span style="line-height: 14.7840003967285px; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="line-height: 14.7840003967285px;">For dinner tonight, Mary and I went to dinner with Mare Gilmore to Dewey's.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dewey's</td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 14.7840003967285px;">Dewey's is definitely not a place we would have stopped without a recommendation. It is tucked way back in behind some houses. You have to drive down someone's driveway to get there. And once you get there, what you see is a food truck with no wheels. We soldiered on though and we were glad that we did. Good call Mare!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clean Up Crew</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dock at Dewey's</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seating at Dewey's</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset at Dewey's</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary, Jack and Mare at Dewey's</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22415133.post-6290417750358862012014-09-17T17:24:00.001-05:002014-09-17T19:39:12.549-05:00Random Road Trip - Day 5 (17 Sep 2014)<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Hello Everyone! In case you missed the last couple of days here is where we have been so far:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://pohick.blogspot.com/2014/09/random-road-trip-day-1.html" style="color: #2288bb; line-height: 18.4799995422363px; text-decoration: none;">Day 1 - 285 miles (Alabama, Tennessee)</a><br style="line-height: 18.4799995422363px;" /><a href="http://pohick.blogspot.com/2014/09/random-road-trip-day-2-14-sep-2014.html" style="color: #2288bb; line-height: 18.4799995422363px; text-decoration: none;">Day 2 - 310 miles (Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina)</a></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 14.7840003967285px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://pohick.blogspot.com/2014/09/random-road-trip-day-3-15-sep-2014.html" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration: none;">Day 3 - 247 miles, (South Carolina and Georgia</a>)</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 14.7840003967285px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://pohick.blogspot.com/2014/09/random-road-trip-day-4-16-sep-2014.html">Day 4 - 183 miles, (Georgia and Florida)</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 14.7840003967285px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://pohick.blogspot.com/2014/09/random-road-trip-day-5-17-sep-2014.html">Day 5 - 385 miles, (Florida)</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 14.7840003967285px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Total - 1,410 miles (Six States)</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 14.7840003967285px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">At the beginning of day 5, we owed the dice two more hours to the east from our location in Jacksonville, FL. There is just one problem with that. Jacksonville is almost on the Atlantic Coast. So we decided to drive to the Atlantic Ocean and walk along the beach for an hour. I'm sure that the dice will understand. The beach was very pleasant and we were very surprised how warm the water was. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack and Mary on Jacksonville, FL Beach</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Random Bird with cool reflection</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Script A - Roll Tide</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roll Tide Roll</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacksonville Florida Beach Looking North</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacksonville Florida Beach Looking South</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sand Dune</td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 14.7840003967285px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After we walked along the beach for an hour, it was time to roll the dice again. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">West 5 Hours</td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 14.7840003967285px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And verdict is West for five hours. That takes us to approximately the Destin/Panama City area.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 14.7840003967285px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We drove straight through to Destin, Florida and checked into our room. Then we went to a restaurant across the street called "The Back Porch". </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 14.7840003967285px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We had a very nice view of the Gulf of Mexico from our table.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the Gulf from our table.</td></tr>
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<br />After dinner we strolled down the beach. We started the day at the Atlantic Ocean and ended the day on the Gulf of Mexico. If we can just get to the Pacific Ocean by tomorrow we can achieve the trifecta.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KyxAvhQ1EeE/VBonkCK62SI/AAAAAAAANrg/MPPRS4OsVek/s1600/Sunset%2BDestin%2BFlorida%2B(17%2BSep%2B2014).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KyxAvhQ1EeE/VBonkCK62SI/AAAAAAAANrg/MPPRS4OsVek/s1600/Sunset%2BDestin%2BFlorida%2B(17%2BSep%2B2014).jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset Walk on the Beach</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 14.7840003967285px; text-align: center;">Today was the longest travel day by far. We drove 385 miles and never left the state of Florida.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 5 - 385 Miles (Florida)</td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 14.7840003967285px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tomorrow is going to be a non-travel day. We need a little bit of a break. Mary and I have decided to spend an extra day at the Destin, FL Beach. And you know what? We can do that because we have no place to be and all week to get there.</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22415133.post-24499884356284172292014-09-16T21:04:00.000-05:002014-09-16T21:18:37.409-05:00Random Road Trip - Day 4 (16 Sep 2014)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Operation Random Road Trip continues. In case you missed the last couple of days here is where we have been so far:<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://pohick.blogspot.com/2014/09/random-road-trip-day-1.html" style="background-color: white; color: #2288bb; line-height: 18.4799995422363px; text-decoration: none;">Day 1 - 285 miles (Alabama, Tennessee)</a><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;" /><a href="http://pohick.blogspot.com/2014/09/random-road-trip-day-2-14-sep-2014.html" style="background-color: white; color: #2288bb; line-height: 18.4799995422363px; text-decoration: none;">Day 2 - 310 miles (Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina)</a></span></div>
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At the end of day 3 we were in Savannah, Georgia and we owed the dice 2.5 hours of driving to the Southwest. We decided to explore a few museums in the Savannah area before we paid off the dice. </div>
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Our first stop was the Georgia Railroad Museum. </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Georgia State Railroad Museum (formerly called the Roundhouse Railroad Museum) is located at the Savannah Shops Complex of the Central of Georgia Railway (CG) in Savannah, Georgia. The complex is considered the most complete antebellum railroad complex in the United States. The museum, located at 655 Louisville Road, is part of a historic district included in the National Register of Historic Places.The historic railroad structures at the Georgia State Railroad Museum site include a partial Roundhouse with operating turntable, partial Machine Shop, Tender Frame Shop, Blacksmith Shop, Boiler House, Storehouse & Print Shop, Lumber and Planning Sheds, Coach and Paint Shops, and a partial Carpentry Shop which now houses Savannah Children's Museum. Many of these structures are open for visitors to explore.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack on a caboose</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack and Mary at the Roundhouse</td></tr>
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After the railroad museum, we walked across the street to the Savannah History Museum. The museum is housed inside the old passenger terminal at the Central of Georgia Historic Landmark District. It contains artifacts and exhibits relating to the history of Savannah from its establishment to the current time.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack and Mary with the bench that Forrest Gump Sat on in the Movie.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lKMTABH93RQ/VBjX4p8djsI/AAAAAAAANnw/xIFmDtReXb4/s1600/IMG_2448.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lKMTABH93RQ/VBjX4p8djsI/AAAAAAAANnw/xIFmDtReXb4/s1600/IMG_2448.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Artillery Display</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fImezP-QQqU/VBjjS3_GBVI/AAAAAAAANpU/4FqNwmbojTw/s1600/IMG_2457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fImezP-QQqU/VBjjS3_GBVI/AAAAAAAANpU/4FqNwmbojTw/s1600/IMG_2457.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hats</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gRv7-bIPc64/VBjYOC5bvXI/AAAAAAAANoA/b1fzQ4qTD4A/s1600/IMG_2455.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gRv7-bIPc64/VBjYOC5bvXI/AAAAAAAANoA/b1fzQ4qTD4A/s1600/IMG_2455.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More hats</td></tr>
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Next, we jumped back in the car and drove to Old Fort Jackson. Old Fort Jackson (usually shortened to Fort Jackson or Fort James Jackson but unrelated to Andrew Jackson) is a restored 19th century fort located two miles east of Savannah on the Savannah River. It is a National Historic Landmark and the oldest standing brick fort in the U.S. state of Georgia.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z8XjEpb8iCQ/VBjqCH9zHnI/AAAAAAAANps/e7DLsiFL-cQ/s1600/Fort-Jackson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z8XjEpb8iCQ/VBjqCH9zHnI/AAAAAAAANps/e7DLsiFL-cQ/s1600/Fort-Jackson.jpg" height="254" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old Fort Jackson Aerial View</td></tr>
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During the American Civil War, Fort Jackson, along with nearby Fort McAllister and Fort Pulaski, defended Savannah from Union attack. In 1862, Fort Jackson was shelled from a ship captained by an escaped slave named Robert Smalls.</div>
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The staff at Old Fort Jackson do an excellent job with interpretive history. Our guide Private Bradford walked us through daily life at the fort and demonstrated the use of small arms and cannons. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_WM0gEDqrek/VBjrdYHT-kI/AAAAAAAANp0/v_By4nw2vJk/s1600/IMG_2471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_WM0gEDqrek/VBjrdYHT-kI/AAAAAAAANp0/v_By4nw2vJk/s1600/IMG_2471.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W7TojOkDGAA/VBjVrMZKWLI/AAAAAAAANnA/gdq7W-x2RFU/s1600/20140916_112738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W7TojOkDGAA/VBjVrMZKWLI/AAAAAAAANnA/gdq7W-x2RFU/s1600/20140916_112738.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Private Bradford firing Enfield Rifle</td></tr>
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Jack even got a chance to serve on the gun crew of the cannon. It has been a long time since he did that.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TX7qBnLd_gQ/VBjddGx1XSI/AAAAAAAANpI/foP6ZWHEtx0/s1600/IMG_2485.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TX7qBnLd_gQ/VBjddGx1XSI/AAAAAAAANpI/foP6ZWHEtx0/s1600/IMG_2485.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack serving on Cannon Crew</td></tr>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nlu4SV0EDmg/VBjYo538cgI/AAAAAAAANoI/Nl0kx0l17LU/s1600/IMG_2507.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nlu4SV0EDmg/VBjYo538cgI/AAAAAAAANoI/Nl0kx0l17LU/s1600/IMG_2507.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t2Go6t3Pg0Y/VBjZLoF_ITI/AAAAAAAANoQ/tXnAeVAYxmk/s1600/IMG_2518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t2Go6t3Pg0Y/VBjZLoF_ITI/AAAAAAAANoQ/tXnAeVAYxmk/s1600/IMG_2518.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cannon Room at Old Fort Jackson</td></tr>
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After we departed Savannah, we had to pay off the 2.5 hours Southwest that we owed to the dice. That 2.5 hour drive dropped us off in the middle of the Okefenokee Swamp. The Okefenokee Swamp is a shallow, 438,000 acre (1,770 km²), peat-filled wetland straddling the Georgia–Florida border in the United States. A majority of the swamp is protected by the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and the Okefenokee Wilderness. The Okefenokee Swamp is considered to be one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Georgia. The Okefenokee is the largest "blackwater" swamp in North America. The term Okefenokee in Native American is "land of trembling earth". The swamp was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1974.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1-UWSXZc3iE/VBjZOE5pT_I/AAAAAAAANoY/5qHhmyt8H8Q/s1600/IMG_2527.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1-UWSXZc3iE/VBjZOE5pT_I/AAAAAAAANoY/5qHhmyt8H8Q/s1600/IMG_2527.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary at Old Homestead in Swamp</td></tr>
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We decided to hike on the boardwalk that stretches 3/4 of a mile out into the swamp. It was actually a pleasant walk. The only disappointment was that we didn't see any alligators. We did see a number of birds, frogs, and turtles. We are pretty sure that the alligators were lurking just out of eyesight waiting for us to take a misstep. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j5NR9v6KB90/VBjnqWs-JII/AAAAAAAANpk/KwimBGnRcx0/s1600/Swamp%2BAerial%2BView.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j5NR9v6KB90/VBjnqWs-JII/AAAAAAAANpk/KwimBGnRcx0/s1600/Swamp%2BAerial%2BView.JPG" height="135" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aerial View of Boardwalk Route</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m_iIkPAhNAA/VBjZlYjY8JI/AAAAAAAANog/xKmfETbyjCE/s1600/IMG_2541.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m_iIkPAhNAA/VBjZlYjY8JI/AAAAAAAANog/xKmfETbyjCE/s1600/IMG_2541.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking in the Swap</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kSETd3u0H2A/VBjZ4HJWC2I/AAAAAAAANow/doyNKpFHuTg/s1600/IMG_2544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kSETd3u0H2A/VBjZ4HJWC2I/AAAAAAAANow/doyNKpFHuTg/s1600/IMG_2544.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary Looking for Alligators</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q2vgjVmJyWc/VBjZ1xm_tYI/AAAAAAAANoo/UrGELxFLIvA/s1600/IMG_2547.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q2vgjVmJyWc/VBjZ1xm_tYI/AAAAAAAANoo/UrGELxFLIvA/s1600/IMG_2547.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Okefenokee Swamp</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GQ1Auem6a90/VBjaSb8ze6I/AAAAAAAANo4/-Ugr3RYlJws/s1600/IMG_2557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GQ1Auem6a90/VBjaSb8ze6I/AAAAAAAANo4/-Ugr3RYlJws/s1600/IMG_2557.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boardwalk Through Swap</td></tr>
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So East we started to drive. That took us as far as Jacksonville, FL by the time we decided to stop.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0VqHCS7rIXk/VBjaYBeeO1I/AAAAAAAANpA/qqEupnSqgXM/s1600/IMG_2563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0VqHCS7rIXk/VBjaYBeeO1I/AAAAAAAANpA/qqEupnSqgXM/s1600/IMG_2563.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3 Hours East</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GI0s8Snd95s/VBjmglPvptI/AAAAAAAANpc/5DqA4XDRDYw/s1600/Road%2BTrip%2BDay%2B4%2B(16%2BSep%2B2014).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GI0s8Snd95s/VBjmglPvptI/AAAAAAAANpc/5DqA4XDRDYw/s1600/Road%2BTrip%2BDay%2B4%2B(16%2BSep%2B2014).JPG" height="320" width="314" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 4 - 183 Miles (Georgia and Florida)</td></tr>
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On day 5 we will drive as far as the coast and no further. We are once again thwarted by our lack of a boat. Next time we do a trip like this, we will plan better.</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22415133.post-43180246601493469492014-09-15T21:16:00.000-05:002014-09-16T21:14:54.716-05:00Random Road Trip Day 3 (15 Sep 2014)OK campers, day 3 was a hoot. It was a little on the wet side, but we still had a lot of fun despite dodging some rain drops.<br />
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Here is the recap from the first two days.<br />
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<a href="http://pohick.blogspot.com/2014/09/random-road-trip-day-1.html">Day 1 - 285 miles (Alabama, Tennessee)</a><br />
<a href="http://pohick.blogspot.com/2014/09/random-road-trip-day-2-14-sep-2014.html">Day 2 - 310 miles (Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina)</a><br />
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At the end of <a href="http://pohick.blogspot.com/2014/09/random-road-trip-day-2-14-sep-2014.html">day 2</a>, we still owed the dice 3 hours South. Before we departed Columbia, SC we decided to visit the <a href="http://jackson.armylive.dodlive.mil/post/museum/">Basic Combat Training Museum at Fort Jackson, SC.</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hWXbWefgIOc/VBeDcDuz1WI/AAAAAAAANi4/DsmTtQq06T0/s1600/IMG_0111-1024x768.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hWXbWefgIOc/VBeDcDuz1WI/AAAAAAAANi4/DsmTtQq06T0/s1600/IMG_0111-1024x768.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Basic Combat Training Museum, Fort Jackson, SC</td></tr>
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<a href="http://jackson.armylive.dodlive.mil/post/museum/">From the Basic Combat Training Museum Website</a>: The U.S. Army Basic Combat Training Museum is an official Army museum located on Fort Jackson just outside of Columbia, SC. The museum’s 7,500+ square feet of exhibit space are dedicated to telling the story of how training in the U.S. Army has developed since 1917 when Fort Jackson, then known as Camp Jackson, first opened. Through the museum’s galleries visitors follow the schedule of basic combat training in 2011, learning along the way how the separate elements of training have evolved since WWI.<br />
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The museum is free and open to the public, Monday – Friday, 9AM – 4PM. On Family Day, the museum hours are extended from 9AM – 6PM to accommodate the friends and family members of basic combat training graduates at Fort Jackson.<br />
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The Basic Combat Training Museum is an element of the Center of Military History (CMH). The Center Of Military History, which reports to the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army, is responsible for the appropriate use of history throughout the United States Army.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-owOjkNdBE1A/VBeFX6HQBLI/AAAAAAAANjU/nQv-stbXN5g/s1600/IMG_2296.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-owOjkNdBE1A/VBeFX6HQBLI/AAAAAAAANjU/nQv-stbXN5g/s1600/IMG_2296.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary hanging out with a new recruit</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8JxSuxitFFM/VBeFPYuBreI/AAAAAAAANjE/y0dgCac-mH8/s1600/IMG_2297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8JxSuxitFFM/VBeFPYuBreI/AAAAAAAANjE/y0dgCac-mH8/s1600/IMG_2297.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack getting a basic training haircut</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FAemryYMcxI/VBeFSoEVtnI/AAAAAAAANjM/GR0PCwdLlAg/s1600/IMG_2298.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FAemryYMcxI/VBeFSoEVtnI/AAAAAAAANjM/GR0PCwdLlAg/s1600/IMG_2298.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Basic training barracks through the ages</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t3tudQJWgEs/VBeGZukSB3I/AAAAAAAANjk/eu3oca2QWaw/s1600/IMG_2300.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t3tudQJWgEs/VBeGZukSB3I/AAAAAAAANjk/eu3oca2QWaw/s1600/IMG_2300.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First Aid Training</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q7k3pzZsAYA/VBeF_dKIaZI/AAAAAAAANjc/bD6pKbwmi1s/s1600/IMG_2303.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q7k3pzZsAYA/VBeF_dKIaZI/AAAAAAAANjc/bD6pKbwmi1s/s1600/IMG_2303.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of Several holographic Drill Sergeants</td></tr>
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One of the coolest things at the museum is the holographic drill sergeants that pop out of nowhere and start yelling at you. Jack experienced some minor PTSD when the first drill sergeant popped up and started screaming, "Get off the bus recruit!" That was 28 years ago for Jack, but it got his blood pumping.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s9IyZZSe-j8/VBeGlxWOYvI/AAAAAAAANjs/Y7VvYk30G1g/s1600/IMG_2306.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s9IyZZSe-j8/VBeGlxWOYvI/AAAAAAAANjs/Y7VvYk30G1g/s1600/IMG_2306.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary throwing a grenade</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iD-Fbj8hFP8/VBeG22eIOvI/AAAAAAAANj0/_rzKx7xV6-A/s1600/IMG_2316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iD-Fbj8hFP8/VBeG22eIOvI/AAAAAAAANj0/_rzKx7xV6-A/s1600/IMG_2316.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Huey</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tanks for the memories</td></tr>
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After the Basic Combat Training Museum, we also visited the AG/Finance Museum. It was OK, but not nearly as interesting.<br />
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We then continued our drive South. We ended up in Charleston, SC and decided to visit the <a href="https://www.patriotspoint.org/explore_museum/uss_yorktown/">USS Yorktown</a>.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary and Jack at the USS Yorktown in Charleston, SC</td></tr>
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Wow! What a cool museum and history lesson. Definitely not a handicap accessible museum, but a very cool museum none the less.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flight Deck of USS Yorktown</td></tr>
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This Essex-class carrier was named YORKTOWN in honor of YORKTOWN (CV-5), sunk at the epic Battle of Midway (June 1942). Built in an amazing 16-½ months at Newport News, Virginia, YORKTOWN was commissioned on April 15, 1943, and participated significantly in the Pacific Offensive that began in late 1943 and ended with the defeat of Japan in 1945. YORKTOWN received the Presidential Unit Citation, and earned 11 battle stars for service in World War II. Much of the Academy Award-winning (1944) documentary "The Fighting Lady" was filmed on board YORKTOWN.<br />
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In the 1950's, Yorktown was modified with the addition of an angled deck to better operate jet aircraft in her role as an attack carrier (CVA). In 1958, YORKTOWN was designated an anti-submarine aircraft carrier (CVS), and would later earn 5 battle stars for service off Vietnam (1965-1968). The ship also recovered the Apollo 8 astronauts and capsule (December 1968). YORKTOWN was decommissioned in 1970 and placed in reserve; and in 1975, was towed from Bayonne, NJ to Charleston to become the centerpiece of Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Radio Room</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack driving the Yorktown</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary sounding General Quarters</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So many stairs</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't complain about dorm rooms</td></tr>
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The Yorktown had a complement of 2,600 officers and enlisted.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary in Engine Room</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack in Engine Room</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner for 2,600</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hospital Ward</td></tr>
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After spending 3 hours exploring the Yorktown (and barely scratching the surface) we had to roll the dice again to find out where we were heading next. The verdict was 4 hours Southwest. Actually, our draw was East but we decided to roll again because East would have placed us in the Atlantic Ocean and we forgot to pack our boat. So, Southwest it is.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Southwest</td></tr>
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On Day 3, we made it as far as Savannah, GA. We owe the dice 2 more hours Southwest tomorrow on Day 4.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 3 - 247 Miles, South Carolina and Georgia</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22415133.post-64404528622392630432014-09-14T19:52:00.001-05:002014-09-15T21:18:35.651-05:00Random Road Trip Day 2 (14 Sep 2014)We had a lot of fun on <a href="http://pohick.blogspot.com/2014/09/random-road-trip-day-1.html">day 1 of our adventure</a>. <br />
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At the beginning of day 2, we owed the dice 2 hours to the east. We started on our way East and decided to stop at the Circle G Safari Park. Mary and I haven't laughed this much in a long time.<br />
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Source: <a href="http://www.ridecamels.com/">Circle G Website</a> - Circle G Ranch is a 105 acre, 3 mile drive - thru exotic animal park with many adventures to choose from. Drive your own vehicle through the park or rent a jeep. All the animals will come right up to your car for an up close, personal experience. Our animals are extremely friendly and gentle. Feeding zebra, emus, deer, etc. is not something you can do at your regular zoo. We have over 500 exotic animals that includes 40 different species that coexist and roam freely together. Here, we encourage that you engage and touch our animals rather than stand behind fences and watch. At the Circle G Ranch, you are the one on exhibit.. not the animals. The petting zoo is usually our nursery for all lambs, goats and camel and pot bellied pig babies. It's always a huge hit with everyone. Our pride and joy is our Camel Safari. We are the only one in the country of it's kind and caught the attention of The Travel Channel for coverage as a "unique experience and travel destination". Our Camel Safari is a trail ride, that is a guided tour through our animal park. So while riding a camel you are viewing all the animals in our park, in a natural setting. It is truly a wild safari. Your guide will educate you on all the animals in the park and answer any questions you may have on a particular species. So, you do not have to go all the way to Africa to have this experience. It is a once of a lifetime adventure in your very own backyard. We have so much to offer local families at an affordable price and we guarantee an adventure you and yours will never forget. It's important in our time to educate and conserve while offering an inexpensive option for families and friends. If you have had a camel ride at the Knoxville Zoo or attended the Dixie Stampede Christmas show, those are our animals. So, we like to think all of our animals here at the Circle G Ranch are superstars.<br />
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The animals at the safari park literally attacked us. </div>
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After leaving the safari park, we continued on our journey East and stopped at a rest stop. Mary rolled the dice.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bfmmuErJYHc/VBY91uVvbsI/AAAAAAAANgo/htTB6C3uAoY/s1600/IMG_2250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bfmmuErJYHc/VBY91uVvbsI/AAAAAAAANgo/htTB6C3uAoY/s1600/IMG_2250.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">South</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TcneVGZsI98/VBY91nqOWFI/AAAAAAAANgk/q629M92-sz0/s1600/IMG_2251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TcneVGZsI98/VBY91nqOWFI/AAAAAAAANgk/q629M92-sz0/s1600/IMG_2251.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3 hours South</td></tr>
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3 hours South took us to Chimney Rock, North Carolina.<br />
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Source: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimney_Rock_State_Park">Wikipedia</a> - Chimney Rock State Park is a North Carolina state park in Chimney Rock, Rutherford County, North Carolina in the United States. The 5,942-acre (24.05 km2) park is located 25 miles (40 km) southeast of Asheville, North Carolina, and is owned by the state of North Carolina.<br />
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It offers hiking trails for all skill levels, spectacular views, the Devil's Head balancing rock and a 404-foot (123 m) waterfall, Hickory Nut Falls. Its most notable feature is a 315-foot (96 m) rock formation, a granite monolith, Chimney Rock, accessible by elevator and providing views of the park and surrounding countryside. Areas within the park as well as surrounding the park were featured prominently in the 1984 film A Breed Apart and most of the final scenes of the 1992 adaptation of The Last of the Mohicans.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jRslYijzwzQ/VBY_Hz2oP4I/AAAAAAAANg8/X2rJu5kwrB4/s1600/IMG_2254.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jRslYijzwzQ/VBY_Hz2oP4I/AAAAAAAANg8/X2rJu5kwrB4/s1600/IMG_2254.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary below Chimney Rock</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HsVVKkXK0jY/VBY_Dx8zUpI/AAAAAAAANg0/dXdrmC0Irjc/s1600/IMG_2255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HsVVKkXK0jY/VBY_Dx8zUpI/AAAAAAAANg0/dXdrmC0Irjc/s1600/IMG_2255.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack below Chimney Rock</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SI_hbNqR-sQ/VBY_nJziUcI/AAAAAAAANhM/UswYq2H02oA/s1600/IMG_2257.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SI_hbNqR-sQ/VBY_nJziUcI/AAAAAAAANhM/UswYq2H02oA/s1600/IMG_2257.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tunnel to the 26 story elevator</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Car is way down there</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XjF_2_3ThFs/VBZAFTM89MI/AAAAAAAANhc/qOy8Cq0eTE0/s1600/IMG_2271.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XjF_2_3ThFs/VBZAFTM89MI/AAAAAAAANhc/qOy8Cq0eTE0/s1600/IMG_2271.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack and Mary on Chimney Rock</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chimney Rock from the Opera Box</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L7ezvRw9_v4/VBY_Ic2A5hI/AAAAAAAANhE/6UUPZ8QGshc/s1600/20140914_152720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L7ezvRw9_v4/VBY_Ic2A5hI/AAAAAAAANhE/6UUPZ8QGshc/s1600/20140914_152720.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack at Walnut Falls</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary at Walnut Falls</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walnut Falls</td></tr>
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<div>
Time to roll the dice again. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yEjW6PqyXWk/VBZDfA_05AI/AAAAAAAANic/pTAZApYu-Ao/s1600/IMG_2288.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yEjW6PqyXWk/VBZDfA_05AI/AAAAAAAANic/pTAZApYu-Ao/s1600/IMG_2288.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">6 hours South</td></tr>
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And the verdict is 6 hours South. We finished 2.5 hours of the six today. We need to do another 3.5 hours tomorrow. Today we made it as far as Columbia, SC.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2LC5Cz-Nx6Q/VBZEOprBbWI/AAAAAAAANik/_JO5EYruhKQ/s1600/IMG_2292.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2LC5Cz-Nx6Q/VBZEOprBbWI/AAAAAAAANik/_JO5EYruhKQ/s1600/IMG_2292.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome to South Carolina</td></tr>
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At the end of day two,we covered three states and 310 miles.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LlEIzkaZ9Sc/VBY3rpoRigI/AAAAAAAANe0/RaxSbqZ9ICY/s1600/Map%2BDay%2B2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LlEIzkaZ9Sc/VBY3rpoRigI/AAAAAAAANe0/RaxSbqZ9ICY/s1600/Map%2BDay%2B2.JPG" height="230" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 2 - 310 Miles and 3 States</td></tr>
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<a href="http://pohick.blogspot.com/2014/09/random-road-trip-day-3-15-sep-2014.html">Tomorrow - Day 3 (15 Sep 2014)</a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22415133.post-70188192892639571242014-09-13T20:17:00.000-05:002014-09-14T20:49:04.118-05:00Random Road Trip Day 1 (13 Sep 2014)In celebration our 25th Wedding Anniversary, Mary and I are taking a totally random road trip. You are probably asking yourself what exactly is a totally random road trip. We are rolling dice to see where we will go. Really.<br />
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Actually, we draw a direction tile, N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW. Then we roll a six sided die to see how many hours we will drive in that direction. The only other rule is that we will not double back on the same road we have already traveled. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BzGxyQec5uc/VBTkgWz6tRI/AAAAAAAANbk/SHL4pcooMyc/s1600/IMG_2162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BzGxyQec5uc/VBTkgWz6tRI/AAAAAAAANbk/SHL4pcooMyc/s1600/IMG_2162.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dice Roll Number One</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LjjvohFmFfk/VBTkm-5ekHI/AAAAAAAANbs/4n8dwCPL1dU/s1600/IMG_2163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LjjvohFmFfk/VBTkm-5ekHI/AAAAAAAANbs/4n8dwCPL1dU/s1600/IMG_2163.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4 Hours North</td></tr>
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So Mary got the honors for the first dice roll. The result was 4 hours North.<br />
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We decided to stick with two lane roads as much as possible.<br />
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Our first stop was the <a href="http://www.jameskpolk.com/">James Polk House</a> in Columbia, TN.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vUhpVA2MELA/VBTl1TmjnTI/AAAAAAAANb4/H88eP33vxhI/s1600/IMG_2164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vUhpVA2MELA/VBTl1TmjnTI/AAAAAAAANb4/H88eP33vxhI/s1600/IMG_2164.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary at Polk House</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16.1200008392334px;">The James K. Polk Ancestral Home, also known as James K. Polk House, is U.S. President James K. Polk's only surviving home other than the White House. It is located at 301 West 7th St., Columbia, Tennessee.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WnFO_GpbDfo/VBTmkRfcvtI/AAAAAAAANcI/Nrx5ht94qyg/s1600/IMG_2182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WnFO_GpbDfo/VBTmkRfcvtI/AAAAAAAANcI/Nrx5ht94qyg/s1600/IMG_2182.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sisters House at the Polk Compound</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tc7R2zDL02E/VBTrqeyueTI/AAAAAAAANc8/VzG6xBk08ZY/s1600/IMG_2166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tc7R2zDL02E/VBTrqeyueTI/AAAAAAAANc8/VzG6xBk08ZY/s1600/IMG_2166.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary Being Touristy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W-iik26PsHg/VBT-uxu13VI/AAAAAAAANdk/bmxE7w3Jg9w/s1600/220px-James_Polk_restored.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W-iik26PsHg/VBT-uxu13VI/AAAAAAAANdk/bmxE7w3Jg9w/s1600/220px-James_Polk_restored.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">James K. Polk</td></tr>
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James Knox Polk (November 2, 1795 – June 15, 1849) was the 11th President of the United States (1845–1849). Polk was born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. He later lived in and represented Tennessee. A Democrat, Polk served as the 17th Speaker of the House of Representatives (1835–1839) and Governor of Tennessee (1839–1841). Polk was the surprise (dark horse) candidate for president in 1844, defeating Henry Clay of the rival Whig Party by promising to invade and annex Texas. Polk was a leader of Jacksonian Democracy during the Second Party System.<br />
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Polk was the last strong pre–Civil War president, and he is the earliest of whom there are surviving photographs taken during a term in office. He is noted for his foreign policy successes. He threatened war with Britain over the issue of which nation owned the Oregon Country, then backed away and split the ownership of the region with Britain. When Mexico rejected American annexation of Texas, Polk led the nation to a sweeping victory in the Mexican-American War, which gave the United States most of its present Southwest. He secured passage of the Walker tariff of 1846, which had low rates that pleased his native South, and he established a treasury system that lasted until 1913.<br />
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Polk oversaw the opening of the U.S. Naval Academy and the Smithsonian Institution, the groundbreaking for the Washington Monument, and the issuance of the first postage stamps in the United States. He promised to serve only one term and did not run for reelection. He died of cholera three months after his term ended.<br />
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Scholars have ranked him favorably on the list of greatest presidents for his ability to set an agenda and achieve all of it. Polk has been called the "least known consequential president" of the United States<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mZRL3-hB3As/VBTrq9PDGwI/AAAAAAAANdA/tVcb0GN1gXc/s1600/IMG_2168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mZRL3-hB3As/VBTrq9PDGwI/AAAAAAAANdA/tVcb0GN1gXc/s1600/IMG_2168.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marble Table Given to President Polk by an African Country</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vOVSqNNpzxk/VBTrnzEJCSI/AAAAAAAANc0/0iT-ZoyBw9I/s1600/IMG_2185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vOVSqNNpzxk/VBTrnzEJCSI/AAAAAAAANc0/0iT-ZoyBw9I/s1600/IMG_2185.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack Churning Butter</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ol6xfX4eNnc/VBTr1ZIaqDI/AAAAAAAANdM/b-tFMuYfZPY/s1600/IMG_2189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ol6xfX4eNnc/VBTr1ZIaqDI/AAAAAAAANdM/b-tFMuYfZPY/s1600/IMG_2189.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary Admiring the Spices</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_q987OmJHHc/VBTr8E-jmZI/AAAAAAAANdU/oAKdaMBXqRo/s1600/IMG_2191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_q987OmJHHc/VBTr8E-jmZI/AAAAAAAANdU/oAKdaMBXqRo/s1600/IMG_2191.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Garden at the James Polk House</td></tr>
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We enjoyed the tour of the house and property by Leigh and John. After we departed the James Polk house we continued our trip North. We stopped at a Cracker Barrel for lunch.<br />
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Next we headed to the <a href="http://www.factoryatfranklin.com/">Factory Shopping Center</a> in Franklin, TN. The main purpose of the stop was to see "Rusty Mechanism", but the Shopping Center was very cool. Lots of artists and cool little shops.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-we6KzTwb2Ac/VBTn_SbRfuI/AAAAAAAANcU/nXcXB9wKp98/s1600/IMG_2197.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-we6KzTwb2Ac/VBTn_SbRfuI/AAAAAAAANcU/nXcXB9wKp98/s1600/IMG_2197.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rusty Mechanism</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After our visit with Rusty, it was time to roll the dice again. This time it was Jack's turn.<br />
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The verdict was 5 hours east.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vD-HdHK1RWA/VBTqAPYpg5I/AAAAAAAANcc/Re-McsLQP3g/s1600/IMG_2200.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vD-HdHK1RWA/VBTqAPYpg5I/AAAAAAAANcc/Re-McsLQP3g/s1600/IMG_2200.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">East</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P_wKRtSvp0Y/VBTqD6Pd-5I/AAAAAAAANck/KqeZ0R0ufRw/s1600/IMG_2201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P_wKRtSvp0Y/VBTqD6Pd-5I/AAAAAAAANck/KqeZ0R0ufRw/s1600/IMG_2201.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5 hours</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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We decide to jump on I-40 and made it as far as Knoxville, TN before we decided to stop for the night. We could have gone further, but we both wanted to watch the Alabama - Southern Mississippi Game. We will drive the remaining 2 hours East tomorrow morning.<br />
<br />
After checking in at the hotel, Mary and I decided to grab some food at a local restaurant. The entire restaurant was decked out in University of Tennessee decorations. Mary and I joked about her wearing an Alabama shirt. When we got back to our hotel with our food, we discovered that her sandwich was missing the chicken. A coincidence? I think not.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k4ffzqLtOMo/VBTq7djhLcI/AAAAAAAANcs/5xH2HdfqMLg/s1600/IMG_2204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k4ffzqLtOMo/VBTq7djhLcI/AAAAAAAANcs/5xH2HdfqMLg/s1600/IMG_2204.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Relaxing and Watching Football - Roll Tide</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
At the end of the day, we covered 285 miles.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I7as1w5er24/VBTjQ5dBc8I/AAAAAAAANbc/XM5FQC0uTXE/s1600/Map%2BDay%2B1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I7as1w5er24/VBTjQ5dBc8I/AAAAAAAANbc/XM5FQC0uTXE/s1600/Map%2BDay%2B1.JPG" height="228" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day One Map - 285 Miles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="http://pohick.blogspot.com/2014/09/random-road-trip-day-2-14-sep-2014.html">Next Day 2</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22415133.post-60711820319163190012014-06-24T20:39:00.000-05:002014-06-24T20:39:06.574-05:00OK Go - The Writing's on the Wall<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4sToJq127Yw/U6onn4bgUxI/AAAAAAAAMTo/2gU0CobwwQI/s1600/ok-go-the-writings-on-the-wall-still.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4sToJq127Yw/U6onn4bgUxI/AAAAAAAAMTo/2gU0CobwwQI/s320/ok-go-the-writings-on-the-wall-still.jpg" /></a>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/m86ae_e_ptU" width="400"></iframe>
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I am totally digging the <a href="http://okgo.net/">OK Go</a> Video. Their videos are always creative and this one is no exception. I am amazed that this video was filmed in a single take. This video is all about perspective; the illusions are real, so to speak, and that's what makes this jaw-dropping.<br />
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Perspective images such as something called the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necker_cube">Necker cube</a>, a flat line drawing that looks three-dimensional but isn't, make my eyes pop.<br />
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There are a lot of illusions that really mess with your brain. My favorite is the upside down bike riding. Who thinks of this stuff. And like all things in this original music video, it makes me question perception and think about how your perspective can dictate understanding. Which of course is what the song is about. Enjoy! <br />
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Which OK GO video is your favorite?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22415133.post-59606163889030907542013-10-27T19:22:00.002-05:002013-11-03T00:02:19.230-05:00Green LED Christmas Lights<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/pzEh7VkLrjI" width="420"></iframe>
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Every year I do a nice Christmas display in my front yard. A few year ago I switched from the mini-incandescent lights to the LED lights. I like them. They look nice. The are energy efficient. They last a long time. But they have presented me with a dilemma. My light display uses red, white, blue and green lights. If you go to the various retail stores including but not limited to Walmart, Target, Home Depot, and Lowes you can buy LED Christmas Lights. They have red. They have White. They have Blue. They do not have Green. What the heck? Why do they not sell green Christmas lights? You can buy multi-color strings that include green lights, but they do not sell all green strings. And yes, I have asked the sales people and customer service folks at all of the stores. I get the same reaction from all of them. I ask, "Do you have all green LED Christmas lights?" They say, "Yes, follow me please." And then we walk to the LED Christmas light section and low and behold, they do not have "all green" strings. They store employees look perplexed and say things like, "I was so sure that we sold "all green" LED lights." <br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/cm?t=pohickblogspo-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B002WP2T96&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>
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I even tried buying multi-color strings and separated the lights into homogeneous colors, but that is crazy hard and takes a long time. And they often mix in colors like yellow which I have no use for. So as a result, I'm stuck buying them online which is normally less expensive, but apparently not for "all green" LED Christmas lights. Sigh..... If anyone has a better solution, please let me know.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22415133.post-40618652206585384022013-10-03T22:05:00.000-05:002013-10-04T08:10:47.348-05:00I Do Know Jack<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JZnwTKliddI/Uk4k-nrMnEI/AAAAAAAAIXo/-kruEKPFW4c/s1600/Jack+in+the+Box.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JZnwTKliddI/Uk4k-nrMnEI/AAAAAAAAIXo/-kruEKPFW4c/s1600/Jack+in+the+Box.JPG"></a></div>
We all have our little crosses to bear in life. Mine are fairly mild in the grand scheme of things, but they still get under my skin. One of my minor pet peeves is my name. I love my name. It's part of me. But I cringe when folks misuse my name in some sort of way. You see, my name is Jack. And I dislike it when people say, "You don't know Jack." <br>
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Jack is a perfectly good name. Lots of famous people have been named Jack including Jack Benny (Comedian), Jack Nicholson (Actor) and Jack Black (Actor). And then we have a group of people who think the name Jack is so cool that they go by it even though it isn't their real name like Jack Kennedy (President). And we can't forget the long list of fictional characters like Jack Frost and Captain Jack Sparrow. I wasn't named after any of these people though. I was named after my dad of whom I was very proud. His name was also Jack.<br>
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The first time I really ever thought much about my name occurred when I went off to school on my first day of kindergarten. I had been anticipating kindergarten for a long time. Well, as long of a time as it is possible for any five year old to anticipate anyways. My mother took me to school, kissed me on the top of my head and faded back to the door of the school and probably expected me to run after her. I didn't though. I fortified myself and marched right up to the teacher's desk with all of the confidence that I could muster. The teacher said, "Good morning young man. What is your name?" Aha, at least the teacher was asking me a question that I was sure I could answer. I proudly stated, "My name is Jack." What a piece of cake. I hope that I get a few more softball questions like that. I might be the valedictorian. I wasn't prepared for her reaction though. The teach looked over her glasses at me and said, "Tsk, Tsk, Tsk, No, That will not do young man. That will not do at all. Jack is a nickname and we do not use nicknames in this classroom. Your real name is John and in this classroom, you shall be called John." What? I might as well tear up my valedictory speech now. I'm so stupid that I don't even know my own name. And by this point, I was really starting to second guess everything. I was wracking my brain to try and remember what my real name was. I didn't remember anyone ever calling me John. My family always called me Jackie. My friends always called me Jackie. I was pretty sure that was just a form of Jack though. <br>
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So, I sat there for the rest of the day in a funk while wearing my "John" name tag and wondered about what other lies my family had told me. If they really were my family. When my mother came to pick me up after school, I ran over and hugged her. She got a confused look on her face when she looked at my name tag. She asked, "Why are you wearing a name tag that says John?" I told her that my real name is John. As if she didn't know. She blinked once or twice and then said, "Who told you that?" My teacher of course! "Your name is not John. It is Jack. I named you myself. That is the name that is on your birth certificate." And then she marched into the classroom and punched the teacher right in the eye. Well, not really. As a child I always hoped that she would would punch my teacher in the eye, but she never did. She did straighten out the confusion over my name though. My teacher stated that she honestly didn't know that people could have the name Jack as their given name. That was back in the 1960s. She would probably have a heart attack if she was alive today and had children in her classroom with names like Jeevika, Navaryous, Xenon, and Hailo. But in those days, having a child named Jack was apparently pretty exotic. <br>
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So, I made it through a few years of school without too much trouble. In school my name was Jack. At home though they called me something else. As I said earlier, I was named after my father Jack H. Mast, Sr. Yes, that makes me Jack H. Mast, Jr. Of course you can't have two people named Jack in the same house. All kinds of chaos would have resulted from that arrangement. You don't want multiple people to come running every time you call out a name. I suppose that they could have called me Junior. That is a good rednecky sounding moniker. My family didn't do that though. Instead of Junior, they called me Jackie. When I was really young, it didn't bother me in the least, because I didn't know any better. As I got a little older I found out that boys named Jackie can have a hard time. As a result, I made sure that all of my family members called me Jack in front of my school friends. That arrangement seemed to work for the most part. Jackie at home and Jack in school. But then one day in the sixth grade, those two worlds collided. One of my female classmates called the house to ask about a homework assignment. My mother answered the phone and was apparently surprised to have a girl calling the house looking for me. So she called out in her very loudest mother voice and without covering the mouth piece on the phone, "Jackie! There's a phone call for you! And it's a girl!" <br>
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Oh good lord. What has she done? I hoped beyond hope that Beth, the girl who had called, had either not heard what my mother had said or at least wouldn't make a big deal out of it. With much trepidation, I went off the school the next day. I casually walked onto the playground where we grouped up prior to school. I didn't make eye contact with anyone. I just tried to maintain a low profile. For a few minutes, this strategy seemed to be working. OK. I'm OK. Nothing bad is going to happen. It's all good. Phewww. I dodged the bullet. And just then, it happened. I heard Beth's voice screaming from across the playground,. "Jackie! There's a phone call for you! And it's a girl." Oh why didn't I just stick with the name John when I had the chance?<br>
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Over the years I've come to grips with all of the variations of my name. Jack, Jackie, and even occasional Jacques. I am even amused when people will say to my face, "You don't know Jack!" Hmmm. How can that be possible? And having lived pretty far away from my hometown in Pennsylvania, I am almost always called Jack now because that is how I introduce myself. But every once in a while when I travel back to the homeland, I am caught off guard when one of my family members, old friends or old neighbors gives me a hug, shakes my hand and calls me Jackie. And somehow that name that used to send shivers up my spine no longer does. Now it just feels like coming home. So when people say to me that I don't know Jack, I politely tell them that I disagree. Not only do I know Jack, but I also know his inner child Jackie. Cheers!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22415133.post-4319673535968939402013-10-01T21:35:00.003-05:002013-10-01T21:35:22.151-05:00Watch TV OnlineHave you considered ditching your cable or satellite TV provider and just watched TV online? This sounds good in theory, but can you actually find the programming that you want online?<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0jtzx3JCHBQ/Ukt9Fa9iPjI/AAAAAAAAIVU/3P-NSonCutU/s1600/Online+TV.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0jtzx3JCHBQ/Ukt9Fa9iPjI/AAAAAAAAIVU/3P-NSonCutU/s400/Online+TV.jpg" width="297" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/video/primesignup/ref=as_acph_pr_piv_71_on?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=ur2&tag=pohickblogspo-20" target="_blank">Join Amazon Prime - Watch Over 40,000 Movies </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=pohickblogspo-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
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We are getting ever closer to the point where the internet is the sole entertainment and information provider. Like most people, I am always looking for a way to save a few bucks. Kicking my cable bill to the curb would be sweet. But I like to watch a few TV shows. I decided to see if I could still get my programming without cable. Here is the list of online tv content providers I was able to come up with. If you have any good options that I am missing, please leave me a comment. <br />
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<b>Here is the list of free online television providers that I found.</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.hulu.com/tv">Hulu TV</a><br />
Hulu is free, but has a limited number of television episodes. Hulu is a teaser for Hulu Plus which has an expanded episode list for $7.99 per month. You can use the one free week trial prior to committing to the Hulu plus price.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/YouTubeShowsUS">Youtube Television</a><br />
Youtube is Free. So you thought that Youtube was just for dancing cat videos didn't you? Not anymore. Now you can view a variety of television shows like Family Guy, Falling Skies and How I Met your Mother. The best thing about Youtube is the fact that you can access it on any platform. They have been around for a long time and know who to deliver streaming video. <br />
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<a href="https://www.itv.com/itvplayer/">ITV Player</a><br />
Some limited episodes for free. Other episodes available for rent.<br />
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<a href="http://www.cinemanow.com/tv">Cinemanow</a> Brought to you by the nice people at Best Buy. Some shows for free. Others for rent.<br />
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<b>Broadcasters with online content</b><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://abc.go.com/">ABC</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.nbc.com/">NBC</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.cbs.com/">CBS</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.fox.com/">Fox</a></li>
</ul>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22415133.post-13094041568070045552013-09-23T22:02:00.000-05:002013-09-24T17:53:20.994-05:00History of the Feather Duster<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Disclaimer</b>: This is not about the history of all Feather Dusters. This is the history of a particular feather duster. If you are looking for the history of all feather dusters, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&index=aps&keywords=history%20feather%20duster&linkCode=ur2&tag=pohickblogspo-20" target="_blank">you should go to this link.</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=pohickblogspo-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GvGpU4xoGhA/UkDyq44pV_I/AAAAAAAAIF0/P2t6aEu2EOk/s1600/Soldier+Feather+Duster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GvGpU4xoGhA/UkDyq44pV_I/AAAAAAAAIF0/P2t6aEu2EOk/s320/Soldier+Feather+Duster.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Let's see. The year was 1986. That was the year that Chernobyl blew up. We found out about the Iran Contra affair. "Out of Africa" won the Oscar for best picture. And oh yeah, that was the year that I went to Army basic training. <br />
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I showed up at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri on a Greyhound Bus with a bunch of other young guys. None of us knew what we were getting into, but we were all trying to act brave and act like there was nothing the Army could do to us. The first couple of days were pretty easy. Short haircuts. Bags of uniforms and Army guy stuff. Learning how to march in a straight line. All pretty easy. My buddies and I were starting to think that all of the horror stories we had heard about Army basic training were just a bunch of hooey. Of course we hadn't even reported to our training unit yet. We were just at the reception station. But what did we know? <br />
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On the third day, we lined up in front of our barracks and waited for the cattle truck to come and pick us up to take us to our training unit. For those of you who have never experienced a cattle truck, it is an eighteen wheel trailer with rudimentary benches and metal monkey bars welded into the inside so that you had something to hang on to. The truck that showed up for us was rated for about 50 people. We instead stuffed in about 100 people along with two large duffle bags each. The drill sergeant who rode along with us was very nice. He told us that he was happy to meet us. He told us all about the nice building that we would be living in. He really made us feel comfortable even though there were one hundred young men stuffed into a space designed for fifty. We noticed though that as our trip continued, the very nice drill sergeant became more and more gruff and more and more agitated.<br />
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By the time we pulled up in front of our training unit, that very nice drill sergeant was now a very angry sounding drill sergeant. And the worst part was that apparently he had a bunch of drill sergeant buddies and they seemed even more angry than he was. One of my fellow recruits tripped while climbing down out of the cattle truck and by this point we were so scared that each and every one of us walked right across his back in an effort to comply with the drill sergeants demands. He wasn't hurt mind you because the large duffle bag strapped across his back provided lots of cushion. <br />
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We all ran to the front of the barracks and got in line whilst the very angry drill sergeant and his very angry drill sergeant buddies proceeded to tell us how very displeased they were by our performance. And to drive the point home we got the opportunity to do some mandatory physical fitness training exercises. For those of you who have never participated in army calisthenics in the middle of summer in Missouri, think hot yoga but not as relaxing. <br />
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So after the mandatory physical fitness training, we then had a shake down inspection. This is where you dump everything out of your duffle bags onto the ground and then pick up one item at a time so that a) the drill sergeant knows that you have those things that you are supposed to have and b) so that the drill sergeant knows that you don't have any things that you are not supposed to have. There was an entire list of contraband items. Some of the contraband items were common sense things including knives, guns, drugs, alcohol, etc. So after putting all of the required things in our bags, the drill sergeants then came around and inspected all of the remaining items to decide if the recruits would be allowed to keep them or not. Personal letters and family photos were allowed. Adult magazines were not allowed. <br />
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I'm sure that the drill sergeants had done the shake down inspections a hundred times and probably thought that they had seen everything. There was one item though that seem to have them perplexed. It was a feather duster. Yes, I had to get to the feather duster eventually. <br />
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One of my 18 year old army recruit buddies brought a feather duster with him to basic training. When we asked him about it afterwards, he stated that he only wanted to make sure that he passed the barracks inspections, and he was sure that the feather duster was exactly the tool that would help him accomplish this task. But on that day in the middle of the summer in the middle of Missouri, everything came to a stop because of the feather duster. Those drill sergeants who could crawl through the mud with a knife between their teeth and take out a enemy sentry in the middle of the night were perplexed by the private with a feather duster. What kind of 18 year old young man even owns a feather duster? <br />
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The drill sergeants were convinced that no good could come from the feather duster. So they made the private take the feather duster to the First Sergeant's office and had him ask the First Sergeant if it was OK for him to keep the feather duster. The First Sergeant said, "No" and that he didn't believe that any red blooded young man had any legitimate need of a feather duster. And then he had the young soldier do some more mandatory physical fitness training for being dumb enough to take a feather duster with him to basic training.<br />
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Most soldiers in basic training end up with some sort of nickname from their drill sergeants. Sometimes it is the place where they are from like "Montana" or "Cincinnati." Sometimes the nickname denotes a physical characteristic like "Tubby" or "Bean Pole". And sometimes the nickname that you get on the first day and keep for the rest of your time at basic training is "Feather Duster."<br />
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So, this is a cautionary tale for any young men and women who are heading off to do their initial training in one of the armed services. Do not take any special cleaning equipment with you. No <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&index=aps&keywords=lemon%20pledge&linkCode=ur2&tag=pohickblogspo-20" target="_blank">lemon pledge</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=pohickblogspo-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />. No <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&index=aps&keywords=dyson&linkCode=ur2&tag=pohickblogspo-20" target="_blank">dyson</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=pohickblogspo-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> vacuum cleaners. And last, but certainly not least, no <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&index=aps&keywords=feather%20dusters&linkCode=ur2&tag=pohickblogspo-20" target="_blank">feather dusters</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=pohickblogspo-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />. I promise you that you do not want to take a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&index=aps&keywords=feather%20dusters&linkCode=ur2&tag=pohickblogspo-20" target="_blank">feather duster</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=pohickblogspo-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> with you to basic training.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22415133.post-7746887724091368932013-09-22T20:07:00.002-05:002013-09-22T20:07:58.781-05:00Ceiling PatternsHave you ever noticed that when you stare a the ceiling for a while that patterns start to emerge? Not that I do this very often mind you, but every once in a while, I take a break and lay on the bed and just let my mind wonder. And just when my mind hits that relaxed idle state, all of a sudden the ceiling pattern looks exactly like my great Aunt Catherine.<br />
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It's kind of like laying in a hammock in the back yard and looking at <a href="http://clouds./">Clouds.</a> Sooner or later those <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&index=aps&keywords=clouds&linkCode=as2&tag=pohickblogspo-20">clouds</a> will start looking like elephants or trains or even Abraham Lincoln. The psychological term for this is Pareidolia which is the phenomenon involving a vague and random stimulus (often an image or sound) being perceived as significant, a form of apophenia. Common examples include seeing images of animals or faces in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&index=aps&keywords=clouds&linkCode=as2&tag=pohickblogspo-20">clouds</a>, the man in the moon or the Moon rabbit, and hearing hidden messages on records when played in reverse.<br />
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One famous case of this is the so called face of man on Mars image.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OLW4Ts0oWwQ/Uj-L5SJJ6TI/AAAAAAAAIEA/nTrZcSTRb6U/s1600/Mars+Face.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OLW4Ts0oWwQ/Uj-L5SJJ6TI/AAAAAAAAIEA/nTrZcSTRb6U/s320/Mars+Face.gif" /></a></div>
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In 1976, NASA's Viking 1 spacecraft was circling the planet, snapping photos of possible landing sites for its sister ship Viking 2, when it spotted the shadowy likeness of a human face. An enormous head nearly two miles from end to end seemed to be staring back at the cameras from a region of the Red Planet called Cydonia. For decades, scientists and conspiracy theorists debated whether or not the face of man on Mars was definitive proof that intelligent life had once lived on the red planet.
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25 years later, the mystery was finally solved. The Mars Global Surveyor took a photograph of the exact same region. Instead of a face, the image showed an eroded hilltop. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IYc6ONIAad4/Uj-REGF1U4I/AAAAAAAAIEQ/73FrN-VEJU8/s1600/Mars+Face+2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IYc6ONIAad4/Uj-REGF1U4I/AAAAAAAAIEQ/73FrN-VEJU8/s320/Mars+Face+2.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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So there you have it. Whether we are looking at pattern on the ceiling or clouds or faces on Mars, the human mind is wired to turn those patterns into something it can comprehend. Carl Sagan hypothesized that as a survival technique, human beings are "hard-wired" from birth to identify the human face. This allows people to use only minimal details to recognize faces from a distance and in poor visibility but can also lead them to interpret random images or patterns of light and shade as being faces. The evolutionary advantages of being able to discern friend from foe with split-second accuracy are numerous; prehistoric (and even modern) men and women who accidentally identify an enemy as a friend could face deadly consequences for this mistake. This is only one among many evolutionary pressures responsible for the development of the facial recognition capability of modern humans.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22415133.post-19434986483353582542013-09-20T21:12:00.001-05:002013-09-20T23:53:32.293-05:00Pretzel BunsDisclaimer - This post is about the proliferation of pretzel buns in US restaurants.<br />
If you are looking to purchase <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&index=aps&keywords=pretzel%20bun&linkCode=ur2&tag=pohickblogspo-20" target="_blank">pretzel buns, this is the link you are looking for</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=pohickblogspo-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />.<br />
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If you would like to learn about the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pretzel">history of the pretzel, go here</a>.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="248" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/mgmRyn-nCQo" width="440"></iframe>
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Have you ever noticed that certain foods in restaurants tend to crop up as a fad? Prior to the last month or two, I had never heard of nor had I imagined eating a sandwich on a pretzel. Now I can't surf the TV Channels without running into a commercial that doesn't feature a sandwich on a pretzel bun. It's like the head buyers in all of the restaurants went to some kind of trade show and latched onto the pretzel bun as the next big thing. This year the guy at the pretzel bun booth must have made a pretty big splash because he convinced nearly every restaurant in the United States that they had to add pretzel buns to their menu.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="248" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/bJiZDDiHjfc" width="440"></iframe>
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Of course, I understand. What's not to like about a pretzel with all of it's warm, delicious, yummieness? But I am going to have to deduct points for originality. In the last hour, I have seen pretzel buns at Ruby Tuesday, Wendy's, Dunkin Donuts, and Sonics. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="248" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/7Rub_G-HiYA" width="440"></iframe>
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Are you hungry for a pretzel bun sandwich yet? Here is another commercial for you.<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/a0YUQ7ofIDE" width="420"></iframe>
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Seeing all of these pretzel buns made me wonder if all of the restaurants purchase their buns from the same supplier?<br />
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A little research leads me to believe that there are multiple vendors who sell pretzel buns including.<br />
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://pretzilla.com/index.html">Pretzilla</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.alltwistedpretzel.com/Products.html">All Twisted Pretzel</a></li>
</ul>
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If you are interested in making your own pretzel buns, here is a recipe for you.<br />
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INGREDIENTS<br />
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<ul>
<li>1 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F) </li>
<li>1 (1/4-ounce) envelope active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons) </li>
<li>Vegetable oil </li>
<li>2 3/4 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting the work surface </li>
<li>1 tablespoon granulated sugar </li>
<li>1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling </li>
<li>6 cups water </li>
<li>1/4 cup baking soda </li>
</ul>
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INSTRUCTIONS
Place the warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Set aside to rest until the mixture bubbles, about 5 minutes. (If the mixture does not bubble, either the liquid was not at the correct temperature or the yeast is old.) Meanwhile, coat a large mixing bowl with a thin layer of vegetable oil and set aside.
Place the flour, sugar, and measured salt in a large bowl and whisk briefly to break up any lumps and combine. Once the yeast is ready, fit the bowl on the mixer, attach a dough hook, and dump in the flour mixture. Mix on the lowest setting until the dough comes together, then increase to medium speed and mix until the dough is elastic and smooth, about 8 minutes.
Form the dough into a ball, place in the oiled mixing bowl, and turn the dough to coat in oil. Cover with a clean, damp dishtowel and let rest in a warm place until the dough doubles in size, about 30 to 35 minutes. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, coat the paper with vegetable oil, and set aside.
Once the dough has risen, punch it down and knead it on a floured, dry surface just until it becomes smooth and springs back when poked, about 1 minute. Divide the dough into 8 pieces and form into oblong rolls. Place the rolls on the baking sheet and cut 4 (2-inch) diagonal slashes across the top of each. Cover with a damp towel and let the dough rise in a warm place until almost doubled in volume, about 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 425°F and bring the 6 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat.
Once the rolls have risen, stir the baking soda into the boiling water (the water will foam up slightly). Boil two or three rolls for 2 minutes per side. Using a slotted spoon, remove the rolls, drain, and place on the baking sheet, cut side up. Sprinkle well with salt and repeat with the remaining rolls.
Once all the rolls are ready, place in the oven and bake until golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Serve hot.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22415133.post-26624440401454739192013-09-18T18:48:00.002-05:002013-09-18T18:48:59.180-05:00Slow Boat To China<span style="font-family: inherit;">The title of my story is a head nod to <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;">"</span><b style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;">(I'd Like to Get You on a) Slow Boat to China</b><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;">" which was a song</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;"> by Frank Loesser</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;">, published in 1948 and performed by a number of other entertainers over the years</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;">. T</span></span>echnically, my story is not about about a slow boat <u>to</u> China but rather a slow boat <u>from</u> China which while similar, is in actuality, an entirely different thing. <br />
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In the off chance that you came here looking for information about the Slow Boat To China, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&index=aps&keywords=Slow%20Boat%20To%20China&linkCode=as2&tag=pohickblogspo-20">here is the link you are looking for</a>. I only make that disclaimer, because I had a crazy adventure with a post a few years ago about <a href="http://pohick.blogspot.com/2008/06/how-to-safely-remove-bug-from-your-ear.html">putting a bug in your ear</a>.<br />
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So back to my story. I recently ordered a couple of disco light bulbs in preparation for my <a href="http://pohick.blogspot.com/2013/09/halloween-preparations.html">Halloween Decorations</a>. The Lights I ordered are the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BLVOQB6/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00BLVOQB6&linkCode=as2&tag=pohickblogspo-20">Generic RGB Crystal Ball Effect Light E27 LED Rotating Stage Lighting For Disco DJ Party</a>.<br />
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=pohickblogspo-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00BLVOQB6" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;"><br /></span></span>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BLVOQB6/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00BLVOQB6&linkCode=as2&tag=pohickblogspo-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00BLVOQB6&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=pohickblogspo-20" /></a><br />
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These lights are inexpensive and they received good reviews. They are exactly what I was looking for to spice up my Halloween decor. <img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=pohickblogspo-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00BLVOQB6" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />The only thing I failed to read in the fine print is that these lights ship from China. Now I know what most of you are probably thinking right now. Everything comes from China. While I may concede that point, most of the things we purchase do make their own way across the Ocean and we just have to get them the last few miles. These lights however are traveling the whole way from China because I yelled, "olly olly in come free". <br />
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Currently the lights are sitting in Shenzhen, China<span style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px;"><b>.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #009900; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="color: #009900; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://www.google.com/maps?sll=34.7119474,-86.7608408&sspn=0.10837898804555017,0.1757992100457582&t=m&q=SHENZHEN+ems+china+map&dg=opt&ie=UTF8&hq=ems+china&hnear=Shenzhen,+Guangdong,+China&ll=22.536399,114.053943&spn=0.215973,0.311798&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="https://www.google.com/maps?sll=34.7119474,-86.7608408&sspn=0.10837898804555017,0.1757992100457582&t=m&q=SHENZHEN+ems+china+map&dg=opt&ie=UTF8&hq=ems+china&hnear=Shenzhen,+Guangdong,+China&ll=22.536399,114.053943&spn=0.215973,0.311798&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br />
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I have no idea how long these lights will take to travel from China to Alabama, but I'm sure they will have quite an adventure. Luckily I ordered these lights well in advance of when I actually needed them. So if anyone reading this post is currently on a slow boat from China, please say hello to my new disco lights for me.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22415133.post-36285839981530495792013-09-17T21:49:00.001-05:002013-09-18T18:51:50.972-05:00Halloween Preparations<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1Kd3idiCrVY/Ujj6zZ7od_I/AAAAAAAAH1k/6JdVTyx7A3Q/s1600/Halloween+2009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1Kd3idiCrVY/Ujj6zZ7od_I/AAAAAAAAH1k/6JdVTyx7A3Q/s400/Halloween+2009.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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OK, it is about that time of year. I need to start working on my preparation for Halloween.</div>
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Don't mind me, but I'm going to use this blog for my personal Halloween checklist. If I forget anything critical, please leave me a comment. </div>
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OK, first I need some goodies for the little ghoulies and ghosties.</div>
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☑Goodie Bags (<a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/halloween-bag-assortment-a2-25_5157.fltr?prodCatId=551313+1237">Assorted goodie bags from Oriental Trading</a>)</div>
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☑Cheap Plastic Toys from China </div>
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☑<a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/mini-halloween-character-paratroopers-a2-25_2325.fltr?prodCatId=550226">Monsters on parachutes</a></div>
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☑<a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/mini-jack-o-lantern-bubble-bottles-a2-25_5357.fltr?prodCatId=550210">Halloween Bubbles</a></div>
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♼Candy</div>
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♼Pack up bags</div>
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Next, I need the decorations</div>
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♼Spider webs</div>
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♼Graveyard Scene</div>
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♼Killer in Window with strobe light</div>
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♼Fog Machine</div>
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♼Light Show Components from <a href="http://www1.lightorama.com/">Light O Rama</a></div>
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♼Lots of orange lights</div>
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♼Lots of purple lights</div>
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♼<a href="http://pohick.blogspot.com/2013/09/slow-boat-to-china.html">New disco lights</a></div>
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♼Spooky Playlist Synchronized to Lights</div>
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Here is the layout for the graveyard scene</div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="389" mozallowfullscreen="true" src="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1BvY5eYvA03XQ1Y1kbeVLHroVH3_7LQ1eTB7Uf6lmwvU/embed?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="480"></iframe>
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This layout has a total of 32 light channels </div>
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Then I need to keep track of how many trick or treaters come around.</div>
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♼Clipboard </div>
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♼Clicker</div>
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♼Pencil</div>
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Here are my stats from previous years.</div>
<img src="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/oimg?key=0AuQLGF7J9LE2cEhmakttUW4xVXROQkpVTGxVZmFrS3c&oid=1&zx=f3e26d8skidg" /><br />
In 2012 we had a total of 71 Trick or Treaters. Most of them can between 6:15 and 7:15. This year's Halloween is on a Thursday night. I should be able to top that number. <br />
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OK, that is the plan so far. Let me know if I am forgetting anything.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22415133.post-80316328383221489642013-09-16T21:18:00.002-05:002013-09-16T21:18:22.678-05:00Zombies Run<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-roR_990lIzo/Uje3q5b3pZI/AAAAAAAAH1U/F91qZHKlmOk/s1600/ZR2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-roR_990lIzo/Uje3q5b3pZI/AAAAAAAAH1U/F91qZHKlmOk/s400/ZR2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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So, one moment you are minding your own business and then all of a sudden you are being chased by zombies. I don't care how much of a couch potato you are, when you are being chased by zombies, you pick up the pace. That is the premise behind <a href="https://www.zombiesrungame.com/">Zombies Run</a>, an interactive running app for your iPhone or Android. In the story, you are <span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 21.4375px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Runner 5. Hundreds of lives are counting on you. You've got to help your base rebuild from the ruins of civilization by collecting critical supplies while avoiding roving zombie hordes. Can you save them and learn the truth about the zombie apocalypse?</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 21.4375px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 21.4375px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I've spent lots of money on crazy things over the years including gym memberships, workout equipment, special shoes and special clothes. I even bought one of those thing that provided an electric shock to your gut. Now that was crazy! Having tried so many other schemes to convince myself to get up off of the couch, having zombies chase me doesn't seem so crazy now does it? So I spent $3.99 on the Zombies Run App. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 21.4375px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #fafafa; line-height: 21.4375px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I've been using it for a week now and I can tell you that if nothing else, I've gotten up off the couch to go running more often with the app than without the app. Will that keep me going after the novelty wears off? I don't know, but I will keep you informed.</span></span><br />
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<img height="148" src="https://www.zombiesrungame.com/images/public-front/browser/sites-short.jpg" width="400" /><br />
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So what exactly goes on in the Zombies Run App. First you enter a little information about yourself. Your weight, and how long do you want your missions to last. The choices are 30 and 60 minutes. Next you have to download the missions. Each mission is an audio file that plays intermittently while you are running. As you may have surmised, the Audio is something like, "Hey, there are Zombies chasing you." Does that sound cheesy to you? You would be surprised how easily you can convince yourself that zombies are chasing you with the stereo audio of zombie moans and footsteps while running at night.<br />
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The program also has an element where you can collect supplies and build a base with the points you earn. This adds a little extra encouragement to go the distance.<br />
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My review: I give Zombies Run 4 out of 5 stars. It is easily worth $4. My only deduction is that the mission files won't load over my wifi network. If I can find a way to fix that, I will boost this app up to 5 stars.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22415133.post-30684628494294112092013-09-15T21:04:00.001-05:002013-09-15T21:04:21.832-05:00Signs, Signs, Everywhere Signs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Blocking out the scenery, breaking my mind, do this, don't do that, can't you read the signs......<br />
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So the local greenway has been under construction literally for a decade. Sometime a year goes by and no one shows up do to any construction. No sweat. The local residents just use the one mile or so that is mostly done. And the neighborhood kids use the greenway to walk to the elementary school. It's very convenient. 5 minute walk vs 30 minute bus ride. But apparently there is going to be some small amount of construction taking place soon because these signs showed up. Mary and I were going to chance walking on the greenway anyway, but we didn't have any bail money with us and I am too pretty to go to jail.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22415133.post-8352299647020661602013-01-08T19:32:00.001-06:002013-01-08T19:32:21.633-06:00Roll Tide Roll<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Rebecca is attending the University of Alabama. As a member of the Million Dollar Band she had the opportunity yesterday to attend her second national championship game in a row. Will she be able to make it a trifecta next year? Only time will tell, but the way the Tide have been playing, I would say that she has a pretty good chance. Congratulations to the University of Alabama Football Team. Thanks for all of your hard work.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22415133.post-84792195689920867132013-01-05T19:13:00.003-06:002013-01-05T19:13:54.665-06:00Rebecca Mast<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A special shout out to a friend of mine who is just getting started as an author. She now has a website. Now all she needs is to start posting some of her cool writings and some encouragement from the blogosphere. Stop over at her place <a href="http://www.rebeccamast.com/">www.rebeccamast.com</a> and show her some love.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22415133.post-8529094786611801872013-01-05T19:02:00.002-06:002013-01-05T19:02:38.506-06:00Favorite TV ShowsHappy 2013 everyone. Yes, I know that it has been a long time since my last post. I would like to say that I have been busy, but it is kind of hard to say that with a straight face after a two year hiatus. I was just thinking that I should to list my current favorite TV shows. Why? Just because. So, here they are in no particular order.<br />
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1. <a href="http://amzn.to/113u7Zp">Walking Dead</a> - What can I say? I'm a sucker for Zombies. My first zombie movie was <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001681/">George Romero's</a> <a href="http://amzn.to/13aOdzE">Dawn of the Dead</a> which was filmed in a shopping mall near the town where I grew up. One of the ladies in my theater group there was actually one of the zombies. How cool is that. Anyway's I'm fond of the zombies. <a href="http://amzn.to/VL6s9l">Zombieland</a> - Loved it. Wish they would have made a Zombieland 2. I would have gone to see it. <a href="http://amzn.to/UrtqC3">World War Z</a> (the book) - Loved it. Read it at the library and then went and bought myself a copy. I have a little trepidation with the movie that is being produced based on the book. I hope it doesn't stink. So, walking dead is coming back in February. Looking forward to it.<br />
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2. <a href="http://www.cbs.com/shows/big_bang_theory/">Big Bang Theory</a> - I'm a geek, nerd, whatever. It's nice to see a documentary about our lives. So one of my favorite movies of all times is Revenge of the Nerds. I went off to college thinking that the movie was an accurate portrayal of college life. Well, not exactly. But Big Bang is exactly how life is for nerds after they graduate from college right?<br />
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3. <a href="http://amzn.to/VCwGhm">Downton Abbey</a> - My wife and daughter a big into any period BBC crap. I just happened to be in the room when Downton Abbey was on and I got a little caught up in the show. I can quit any time I want. Really, I can. :) I find myself speaking with a British accent after every episode. Pip, Pip, Tally Ho and all that rot. Tomorrow is the season premier. I can't wait.<br />
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So that's my eclectic TV watching habits. Zombies getting their brains blown out, Geeks chasing girls and being geeky and old English folks being bloody pompous. What do you watch and why?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22415133.post-74730219371905024192011-06-15T03:41:00.000-05:002011-06-15T03:41:36.350-05:00The Pohick Files<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="333" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0lk1qcTCb70" width="405"></iframe><br />
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Have you ever wondered what the X-Files would have been like if only they had a little more budget to work with? Now you know.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0