Dave Jackson's Personal Blog

Howdy Doody Ages Me

2006-05-18T10:30:00.000-04:00

This morning I was faced with the fact that Lew Anderson, the final Clarabell the Clown on the Howdy Doody Show, died. He was 84. I remember the Howdy Doody Show as a kid growing up in Port Huron, Michigan. So, I'm thinking, if you remember Howdy Doody... well, you're showing your age a bit. I found the coolest site about Howdy and the gang, complete with the theme song. Those were the days, no?

Now I find it hard to find something healthy for my five year old to watch. Currently she watches Higglytown Heros, Little Bear, Doodlebops (I worry about those guys), Lazy Town, and Full House reruns. There may be a few I'm missing...

How Do You Land This Thing?

2006-05-18T09:09:00.000-04:00

I've owned Microsoft's Flight Simulator, and have dreamed of one day actually reading the manual to figure out how to fly the planes. But the immediate gratification I got by just selecting whatever I wanted and then trying to fly out of Seattle, well, that was too much to pass up. The manual sat on the shelf.

For years - since 1996 - guys and gals have been really serious (more than I'd ever be, but it would be fun if I made the time), about playing Flight Simulator. So serious that they created VATSIM, an Internet based virtual world where you can link Flight Simulator with thousands of others and play in realtime - with real air traffic controllers (well, those who have graduated playing the game, not the real government types). Check out their site at VatSim.com.

My Misunderstanding of the EU

2006-05-18T09:07:00.000-04:00

I don't claim to understand the European Union, but know that it's made up of the European countries that wanted in. I did think that it was just a way to unite the countries to benefit the whole area.

What I don't understand is how much power the Union has.

Today I hear that the EU is actually raiding the offices of energy companies to see if they are in compliance with antitrust laws - laws which I suppose govern the whole EU.

While I'm over here in the USA trying to grasp why they don't slow down in my school zone, and why no one enforces the school zone law, I know that entire countries have to abide by not only their own local laws, but those of the Union.

I suppose it would be like the USA having its own laws, and then having to abide by World law. Are we doing a good job of that? Most of my friends would say, no!

Fat Babies

2006-05-18T07:20:00.000-04:00

Do you guys think babies are increasingly too fat?

I know I should stick more to my "health regimen", but I feel somehow it isn't healthy to start babies out with a really fat diet. I'm not sure what causes it - but I think it's what mom eats, and the lifestyle of the family.

Recently the World Health Organization changed its charts and some countries are upset that we'll just accept fat babies.

What's normal? Well, we do know what "fat" is.

Just a thought...