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 |  Writings about things that have occurred in my life. Not in Chronological Order |
| Things that have happened in my life, good or bad. The entries will not be in Chronological order |
PROMPT July 14th If you won a free trip to any foreign country, all expenses paid in your own private jet and had the time to go (and there were no travel restrictions due to a global pandemic), what is the first foreign country you would visit? Who would you bring with you? What would you spend your time doing? That's a really tough question for me. So let me tell you where I've been in my life thus far, and despite all the places I've been, there's so many more I want to see. So, I've been to the following: 1. Guam - Seven Missile Submarine (FBM) Patrols out of there from 1974 through 1978 2. Philippines - 1979, for about a month while on a Western Pacific (WestPac) cruise on a submarine 3. Hong Kong - 1979, Just a week there, with little time to see things. Same WestPac 4. Tokyo - Again, a week, with little time to see the sites. I did get to visit a Buddhist Temple. Same WestPac 5. Kuwait - Three weeks there in 2004 delivering classes for Motorola. Loved it there because I do love a desert landscape 6. Melbourne Australia - 2004. Only a week, and I saw very little, and remember even less probably. 7. Frankfurt, Germany - 2018. Just a week there while delivering a class. It was right before Christmas, so I saw the German street festivals in Frankfurt. Also visited Frankenstein's Castle. 8. Bangkok, Thailand - 2019 - A place I'd love to have had a lot more time to see. 9. Mildenhall, England - 2019 - Only a week there, I wanted to visit Stonehenge so badly, but didn't have the time then either. 10. Algiers, Algeria - Jan/Feb 2020 - What can I say? I love the Mediterranean area and the diet they enjoy. 11. Canada - I've been in every province that connects to the United States. I've seen a lot, including the famous 'Bay of Fundy' with it's 40 foot tides. 12. I've been in all 50 States, but that's not a foreign country, is it? So where would I go first? I guess it would be Scotland/Ireland. I've long wanted to visit both countries. I have a little bit of each country in my blood. Loch Ness calls me, I could swing way south and see Stonehenge after all, and Scotland? Well, the bagpipes, the culture of both countries. I love seeing the culture of any destination I'm sent to. I don't mind 'playing tourist' (as I call it), and by all means, you (I) have to 'eat their food', nothing American at all! Who would go with me? There's only one real choice, isn't there? My other half of course. We would not spend much time in hotels, we'd be driving (or driven if we couldn't handle driving on the other side of the road  Even when I travel on business, I try to see all the sites I can, so if I was there on a true vacation, it is mandatory to see those sites, huh!There are many other places on my list to visit too. South America with Machu Picchu in Peru, the Nazca Lines, and of course the Amazon Rain Forest. Australia again, visit Uluru, and also visit Tasmania and New Zealand since I'm in the area. Almost any South Pacific Island chain. Fiji, Samoa, Galapagos Islands, Pitcairn Island (only because it's Pitcairn, home of the mutineers after all), Antarctica, India, South Africa, all of Europe, Russia (Especially Moscow). Guess I wouldn't be satisfied until I'd visited about most of the countries here on Earth. After that? There's always the Moon, and Mars.  But most of those places, I'll see in my dreams. I really wish that those of you who long to travel as I have, do get that chance. Jim Dorrell |
PROMPT July 13th Write about your favorite summer activity. Favorite Summer Activity? What if I said I don't have one? I don't take vacations, yet I travel the country, and sometimes the world, for work. I get paid to do that, and they cover my expenses while I travel. A lot of times, it's like being on vacation. True, I work an eight hour day, but look at the benefits I get! My hotel room is paid. My flight to get there is paid. My meals are paid. Oh wait, there is that work thing.... Remember this saying though, "Give a man a job he loves, and he'll never work another day in his life." I've thought for a long time that Confucius said it, but there is some doubt about that (in today's world, of course it would be doubted). Anyway, I live that saying every day, and even work during a weekend at times! But if I'm pinned down to write about a 'real' favorite summer activity, I'd have to say it's something that you can do year round. Most of us do it, especially here on WDC. I absolutely LOVE to read! When I was a child/teen, it was not unusual for me to read 10 books a week. We're not talking about short books either. I know in high school, I read 'When Worlds Collide', and 'After Worlds Collide' five to seven times. I also loved reading about WWII, especially about the Navy (submarines especially). Is it any wonder I joined the Navy and served in submarines? Sadly, most of my reading is now done on line. I have a lifelong love of books, and own several old copies of books. None are worth a lot of money, none are first issue prints. Sadly, my prized possession is in a plastic bag to preserve it. It's a copy of Tarzan Of The Apes, printed in 1917. But the backing is (has) fallen apart, and some pages are loose. I really enjoy going to garage sales, and always go just to see what I can find in the way of old books. Another prized possession is a copy of the complete works of O'Henry'. I had two, so I gave one to a good friend.  So yep, reading is, and has always been, a passion for me. Don't get me wrong, I played outside (and inside) with friends too, but if they came by, they usually had to pull me out of a book. Often, I lived in the story's I read. Science Fiction was my first genre to love. I've learned to love fiction in general, and as a young man, I found 'the Master of horror, Stephen King. My favorite authors changed over the years. As a young teen, Andre Norton and Edgar Rice Burroughs. Somewhere along the way, I found Marion Zimmer Bradley, Larry Niven, Philip Jose Farmer, Fred Saberhagen, Stephen King, and so many more. You want to have a good time in the summer, or any time of year? Get a copy of 'The Empire Of The East' by Fred Saberhagen. Once you read that, and meet 'Ardneh', read his 'Lost Swords' series, and marvel at the whole timeline he created. If I could write like that.... You get my drift. Side note here. I met Fred Saberhagen in Albuquerque while home on leave once. I purchased a copy of 'Empire Of The East' which he signed. Sometime later, I loaned it to a friend so they could enjoy it, and never got it back before leaving Hawaii. Broke my heart, and I still kick myself for loaning out in the first place. Jim Dorrell |
PROMPT July 12th When did you first start blogging? (anywhere, not necessarily on WDC) Why? What did you blog about? (subjects, topics, personal news, etc.) Has your blogging style changed since you began? I started blogging here on WDC in May 2011. I had been working for Motorola for 11 years, but had not been traveling as much as I do now. I thought that starting a blog that covered where I went and what I saw would be a good way to share what I see. I've changed my approach on that blog thanks to comments/recommendations from readers. Some wanted it more personal (my first entries were very short and to the point about where I was), some wondered where I dined at, etc. I've learned that I love blogging thanks to the comments I've received, and the satisfaction gained from knowing a few out there actually enjoyed reading about my travels. I've tried to make my entries in that blog "Where In The World Is Sum1?"  more interesting, but I find it really hard. Face it, I'm a nerd and geek. My job requires that, and it's a good fit. Plus, I'm pretty private about most things here online, so I find it hard to share some things. Plus, if I wrote about the subjects I teach each week, you'd all be asleep in minutes. Hey! I should market that! A sure cure for insomnia! I find it easier to open up here in the 30DBC, but I think my entries still need work. A lot of it is age related. No, I'm not senile or anything, far from it. But my views (read yesterdays entry if you're curious about what I'm talking about), greatly differ from the mainstream thought consciousness. That's okay in my opinion, because the one thing I decided on almost 50 years ago, is that I would not be like other people and march to the beat of the same drum. I'd be different. But I don't think I'm that different really, I don't rebel against the norm. But having this idea for that long makes my entries just a little off if you ask me. And once again, I'm fine with that. If you don't like the entries, you can comment and tell me, just like you do when you enjoy an entry. We're all allowed to have an opinion after all. And hopefully, everyone knows what opinions are worth, because they're all worth the same. Jim Dorrell |
PROMPT July 11th Imagine what the world would be like today if humans had never discovered/invented _________ (fill in the blank). In my humble opinion, Social Media has done more to 'dumb down' the general populace that anything in the past. Gone is common sense. Gone is common courtesy. Gone is the ability to hold a conversation with another living person. Gone is so much more that I can't write here, mainly because there's only so much space for this, and because I can't think of more right now. Here's a small example for you. My oldest son was proposing to his girlfriend, or trying to. He was stationed in Hawaii, and had flown her there to visit. They were on the beach enjoying the sun and surf, and he tried to 'pop the question'. She was too busy on her phone, doing something on Facebook. After trying for over 10 minutes to get her attention, he texted her the question. I've seen a lot of evidence in real life also. Look at us here on WDC after all! How many of us can express ourselves better by typing something instead of speaking it. How many of us (everyone on the internet in this statement) are braver sitting safely behind our computer screens than we are when confronting someone in person? Another example would be the horrendous amount of misinformation that's out there. People will post a statement about a situation without having the facts, without looking to verify that what they're about to type is true. After all, they read it somewhere (Probably here on the Internet), so it must be true, right? I could go on and on, but I won't. Some of you will read this and think, "It's only Jim. We all know how old he is, he's living in the past. He really needs to get a grasp on things, and live in the present." No thanks. Because a lot of people live in the present, but it's a 'fake' present. It's not real life. It's what they're fed on the news, on TV shows (Oh wait, TV is old school, NO ONE actually watches TV anymore). Or it's what they see on those 'Reality TV Shows'. Don't get me started on that, I could go on for another 24 hours on that! As a result of all this, we think the world revolves around us. That it really is 'All About Me'. I say that people today listen to one radio station, and only one. Good ol', WII-FM. (What In It For Me). So yep. To me, Social Media is the bane of society. What would the world be like without it? It wouldn't be perfect, but I bet people would be a lot more polite to each other. People would actually talk out loud to someone they are dining with, instead of each one having their noses in their respective cell phones. We might even realize how people in general are really pretty nice, and enjoy their company? We'd argue, we'd have our opinions, but at least we'd be communicating with each other. Who knows? I don't.... Sorry, I didn't mean to turn this into a rant. Jim Dorrell |
PROMPT July 9th Write about the last time you did something nice for yourself I don't normally do things for myself. I don't think that's what we're about. My firm belief is that we are here to take care of each other. It's like the lyrics to the Beatles song, 'The End'. They sing "And in the end, the love you take, is equal to the love you make..." I like what John Lennon said about it a little bit better, when he misquoted the lyrics. John said, 'And in the end, the love you get is equal to the love you give,' To me, it's all about what you do for others. I know sounds like so much BS, but I really try to live that. You know, that old thought we were all taught in school, or by our parents. "Treat others the way you would want them to treat you." (The GOLDEN RULE) So I do that, and really try to live that. It's my life motto. As a result, there's very little I do for myself, to please me. I am really pleased by seeing others smile or laugh over something I say or do for them. I can't describe that feeling, but it's one of utter contentment. That all is right with the world at that time. So doing something for me is an alien thought, but I guess I did do something for me last November. I found a nearby car dealer that had a van for sale. Now I owned a really nice Honda Fit, and I loved that Orange Revolution Magnetic color it had. It was very unique. But, the Fit was almost 10 years old, the AC needed charging, the radio didn't have bluetooth, it had a 'sports-car' type ride, it was small. See, I could go on and on about it, but was there anything wrong with it? No, not really. But this van.... It had everything I thought I'd want to have in a vehicle. It's a 2014 Ford Transit Connect. They call it 'European Styling', and while I was in Algeria, those were about the only type of body style you saw on a van. And it has all the 'whoops and whistles' for comfort and ease you could ask for. Satellite radio, the AC works well, backup camera, alarms sensors for front and back to assist in parking. It also has built in GPS Navigation, the outside mirrors rotate in when the van is locked (okay, that's not a big deal, but it's new to me, lol). The rear seats fold down flat so we can load our dogs in and they can lay comfortably. I bought a rubber mat from Weathertech that is designed to fit the van, and it does fit well. The mat is covered by one of our sheets, and there's a couple of soft sheep-skin type rugs for them to lie on. So it has everything I wanted. Notice the word 'wanted', not 'needed'. The idea was to buy this, and drive on several trips for work in it, taking everything along. Plenty of room for luggage and the dogs, room for us to relax, etc. So I bought it. Then the Corona Virus hit, and all thoughts of that are gone. I gained 'luxury' & contentment, I lost about 10 mpg in fuel consumption. I don't drive it as far, or as much as I did the Honda, so that's not a big deal. And I'm content vehicle wise for a while. I hope. ** Image ID #2206025 Unavailable ** Jim Dorrell |
PROMPT July 8th What historical events, besides your own birth, occurred on your birthday in the year you were born? Wow, a quick search showed very little really happening on May 10, 1954. About the biggest event I saw was this: Bill Haley & His Comets release ''Rock Around the Clock'', the first rock and roll record to reach number one on the Billboard charts. I guess there just wasn't much going on then, huh. I mean it's a days with a TON of holidays associated with it, but not many famous people were born that day, and not much went on in the world as we know it. Here I was thinking I'd find something really outstanding, like the fact that a major celebrity was born then. Or maybe a scientist announced the discovery of a new metal, and the decided to name it jimdorrellian.... Oh well, life goes on, and I'll live as I always have.Jim Dorrell |
PROMPT July 7th What do you do when you are out of inspiration or ideas? Wow, like I haven't been in this situation in recent weeks months. I know I write best when I'm relaxed, but it's been difficult to relax in recent months for a variety of reasons. So, I read. And read. And read. Did I mention I read a lot? Music helps me relax some too. You might think I'd choose something soft and gentle to relax my mind, but that's not the case. It all depends on my mood. Electric Light Orchestra is one of my go-to bands to listen to. But really, I'll listen to about anything really. Sorry all you younger folks, there's very little of today's music I listen to, but you never know. I like this song, especially this version. Their rendition of it is special, and no, it's not just the girls either. I just really enjoy the flow of it. Or if I'm looking for something with a bit more pepper (faster beat) in it... I know there are other things I could do, but I rarely get the chance anymore. So this is it, this is me. Jim Dorrell |
PROMPT July 6th Is there such a thing as “unbiased reporting?” (Consider not just journalism, but storytelling - is it possible to tell a story without bias?) There is no such thing as an 'unbiased' thought, written word, action. Bias exists in everything we say or do. We are all 'trained' to think a certain way. Even if you are still in school, you are trained to think along certain lines. But you might ask, "What about those who rebel against the norm? Even in school?" My answer would be, "They are still biased." They may not like the way a school, or the school system is run, or the things you do there. So they rebel, but they rebel because, well... that's what you do when you don't go with the flow." But you still think along a biased line, because in rebelling, you are biased against the school/school system. Well, what about work then? We're still biased. The man I was while in the Navy is nothing like the man I am right now. Why? Because I had to think along certain lines to keep my sanity, to do what was expected of me as a Submarine Sailor. Think about professional athletes. They are 'programmed' to perform a certain way, yet when they leave the game, they are not like that at all. They may never lose all of the sports mentality, but they change. You have to. It's called adaptation. You either adapt to your new surroundings, or you die. No matter what you do, there is some amount of bias though. Even in writing, because your mind thinks along certain lines. I read some of these blogs, and am amazed at the use of F-bombs and such. If you're comfortable using them, fine, go ahead. Just don't expect me to. I used those at one time in my life. Want to guess when? Why don't I now? It's 'not acceptable' in the work environment I'm in. If I were to use them all the time in my job, I don't think they'd let me remain as an employee much longer. That, or they'd send me to counseling. What happens there? I get 'programmed' (biased) on the correct type of language to use. I made a choice 27 years ago when I left the Navy, that I would no longer use 4 letter words on a 'normal' basis. Even in my sailor days, there were words that were off-limits in my vocabulary. I found them to be demeaning and crude. Use your imagination, you can figure them out. Since I won't speak those words in casual conversation, I don't write them either. Just me being me as I always say. So yeah, we're biased in everything we do, say, write, whatever.... Jim Dorrell |
PROMPT July 5th Tell us about someone you find inspirational. He's not on this Earth with us anymore, but my youngest brother Terry. Why him? At 16 years old, he got his girlfriend pregnant. They ended up getting married, which I missed because I was at sea. My high school sweetheart sang at their wedding, and they looked quite the pair. So here they were, two 16 year olds, learning to be parents. Not content with one, they had a second at 18 years of age. But they persevered at making their house a home, and raising a family. He had no 'valued' skills from school, and worked at a local furniture store. She (Ruth) was a homemaker until the two girls could be taken care of by someone during the day, then she too got a job. They raised their two girls, these two teens became pretty good parents. Their girls grew up, one owns a pretty successful accounting firm, the other took after her mother. As some of you know, my brother became very ill in 2017, and was diagnosed with Stage IV Bladder Cancer in February. Ruth had stopped working long ago after being involved in a car accident that left her slightly disabled, and she took care of Terry. I went to see him in April, and he had aged horribly. He was almost 6 years younger than me, but he looked 20 years older.  Terry & I, 2009 at our Brother's Memorial Service  Terry & Marie (youngest daughter, the day before he died, October 16, 2017) You can see the difference in his looks, and it's only an 8 year span! That second photo is one of my favorites too. So why does he inspire me? His work ethic, his willingness to start a family at 16, see it through, and remain with his Junior High School love (they met at 14) all those years. A lot of men would have walked away or made a go of it, only to walk away sometime later. And he kept his sense of humor too. When I visited them in June for the second time that year, we were talking. He told me things were okay because they had holy water in the house. Silly me asked how/where he got holy water. He said they boiled the hell out of it. I couldn't believe I fell for that old joke! Him and I are a lot alike too. A love of all things to do with the idea of alien life forms/ancient aliens, visitors from other worlds, same idea on buying local, supporting local, even liking the same kind of T-shirts! This, despite me not being around much at all from 1972 to 2017! I'd visited of course, but never often, and never very long. So there, you've met my inspiration. Jim Dorrell |
PROMPT July 4th What could you give a 40-minute presentation on with absolutely no preparation? Most people on WDC who know me, know I deliver classes for my employer. I am accustomed to speaking in front of a crowd, and welcome a challenge from listeners. Why? Well, I guess I will bang my own drum here, and say, "I know A LOT." About a myriad of subjects too. I'm confident, knowledgeable, and comfortable in my element. Right now, I teach about 15 different classes for Motorola Solutions. They all revolve around topics for RF Systems (2-way radio). That may not sound like much at first. But consider for a moment that in today's world, state-wide systems are used, with the Radio sites connected via an IP Network. And yes, I teach Networking, as it applies to our systems. I also teach a class on basic RF Theory, handheld & mobile (car mounted) radios, radio programming, repeaters (larger radios mounted at those radio sites), and to many more to mention here without sounding completely ego stricken. (I may already sound that way. Forgive me if I do). I said I welcome challenges from students, but keep in mind that when I started this job (at the ripe old age of 46), all I knew about radios (commonly called Radio Frequency, or RF), is that AM means Amplitude Modulation, and FM means Frequency Modulation. The man who hired me said that if I could teach, they would teach me RF. It's been almost 20 years now, so I must have learned something. To welcome a challenge, you have to be confident. Many of my students have twice the time in the RF field, so it's a challenge to speak at their level. But teaching the number of classes I do, with the variety of subjects covered, means I've read an awful lot of technical documentation to learn things. Plus, I've reviewed/edited quite a few courses, so I've done things a lot of them haven't. I welcome questions, because if I don't know the answer, I'll learn from them. In the beginning, I did a lot of learning from students. I still learn from them. They learn a lot more from me now. Please, give me 40 minutes, with five minutes to get my LCD projector setup, my laptop powered on and connected, and time to dig out my mouse pointer. I'll give you a list of topics; you choose, and off we'd go. P.S. Don't forget, I also taught classes in the Navy on subjects centered around a Nuclear Power Plant. That's 30 years in my past now, so quite dusty. But I know I could talk about it to a general audience for at least 40 minutes. Jim Dorrell |
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