I really wonder who we're going after next in the War on Terror.

When Germany and France and much of the rest of the "Western World" is giving Iraq a cold shoulder in their hour of need, it's nice to see the former communists states in eastern europe have the right idea.

Bulgaria, which has a 485-member infantry battalion patrolling the city of Karbala south of Baghdad, has committed $1 million in indirect aid to Iraq.

The Foreign Ministry said the aid package will include $340,000 in clothing, footwear, medicines, food and supplies. It will also provide grants for Iraqi students to study at Bulgarian universities - an offer also made by Slovakia - and provide training at the Bulgarian Police Academy for Iraqi officers and cadets.

Bulgaria is struggling with its own economic hardships, yet "knowing the dramatic situation in Iraq, I think it is our human duty to offer help," said Ivo Raichev, a Bulgarian neurologist.

Other countries are doing similiar things. The individuals in these countries know better than most about how life without freedom can be. It'd be nice if this got more positive media attention then the nit-picking that's going to go on.

Instead of sleeping after putting in a shift at work I decided to stay up and enjoy the day. Since I was up already I went to early service at church. Dave Stone gave the message at service today. The message, one of the best that I've heard recentlly, was on the building of strong relationships, both with God and with other people. (You can listen to the sermon here. It will be moved to the archives after this week. (#2650))

The sermon is summed up in the rule that we all learned (I hope) in childhood, the golden rule.

1 "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. 6 "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces. 7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 7:1-12)

After service I went for a nice long walk through Cherokee Park. It turned out to be the perfect morning to take a walk. With the temperatures in the mid to high sixties I walked through most of the park with my camera just taking photos here and there. I probably would have stayed longer if the battery in my digital camera hadn't been close to dying on me. The picture to the right is Baringer Hill. I have more pictures from my walk posted in my gallery. If you want to see them simply go here: http://www.shortdaddy.com/gallery/oct1903/. I managed to get one or two good pictures at most, IMO. If any photographers manage to visit this site, I'm always looking for opinions of what I shoot. I'm definately an amateur, but I hope to get to a level some day where I can hold my own with the professionals.

A lot of people were out in the park this morning, especially a lot of families. Over on Bonnycastle Hill it looked as if a small family reunion was gathering. A group of kids were gathering up leaves and then jumping in them. There were a large number of people just out walking or riding bikes as well.

I spent the afternoon at the apartment cooking on the grill and just generally relaxing. It's days like this one that I know life is definately worth living. As we get closer to winter we'll have fewer and fewer of these type of days. I plan to enjoy every single one of them while I still can.

This one is making the round among a group of friends.

1. Name: Chris
   
2. Name as it appears on birth certificate: Christopher Kash Short
   
3. Nick name: Chris, Sue, Shortdaddy
   
4. Number of candles on your last birthday cake: 25
   
5. Birthday: February 18
   
6. Pets: Does my Bonsai Tree count? (None at present)
   
7. Hair color: Brown
   
8. Piercing: Nope
   
9. Eye color: Blue
   
10. Hometown: Not sure anymore - Born: Morehead, KY | Grew Up: Southgate, KY
    
11. Town you live in: Louisville, KY
    
12. Ever been to Africa? Not yet.
    
13. Been toilet papering? Yes, I was in HS.
    
14. Love someone so much it made you cry? Yes
    
15. Been in a car accident? First and only one on my 25th B-Day, what a present.
    
16. Croutons or bacon bits? depends on the mood, often both
    
17. Favorite day of the week? Any day I get something accomplished
    
18. Favorite Restaurants? Porcini, Irish Rover, and a few other local spots
    
19. Favorite flower? Orchids, Roses, Azaleas
    
20. Favorite sport to watch? College Football, GO CARDS!!!!
    
21. Favorite Drink? Old Fashion, Vodka Tonic, and a variety of beers
    
22. Favorite ice cream flavor? Chocolate Chip (Graeters...not just an OH thing)
    
23. Disney or Warner Bros.? Warner Bros.
    
24. Favorite fast food restaurant? I avoid fast food
    
25. What color is your bedroom carpet? Beige
    
26. How many times did you fail your drivers test? Zip, zero, zilch
    
27. Before this one, whom did you get your last e-mail from: Message from a computer forensics listserv
    
28. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? Murphy's Camera Supply
    
29. What do you do most often when you are bored? Read, write, bike, take a walk, occasionally bake
    
30. Most annoying thing people ask me? Nothing specific, just something that interrupts a task I'm doing
    
31. Who will respond to this e-mail the quickest? Who knows
    
32. Who is the person you are sending this to that is least likely to
    respond? Whoever gets picked on by everyone else sending this. So Nate.
    
33. Favorite TV shows? Dead Like Me, Stargate, Special Report
    
34. Last person you went out to dinner with? JP at the Speed IBA Meeting
    
35. Ford or Chevy? Who cares
    

Which Rat Pack Member Are You?

I can easily deal with the results of this quiz. Now, I know I seem to be doing mainly quizes or quick links as of late. I'd really like to write more, but just don't have the time right now. So, I just post these things as they were a good way for me to take a break from my other work.

(Quiz found via Classical Values)

The Wall Street Journal's Opinion Journal has a great article about this past weekends machine gun shoot at Knob Creek Gun Range.

Remember to do your part on November 19^th.

Well, I got back safely from my trip to Boston yesterday. Before I get back to work on my course work, thesis, and everything else I thought I'd waste some more time.

So, I came across these personality tests via Classical Values.

Enneagram Test

I've taken several of tests like this before. Usually it's just because I was bored and had some free time, a few times for applications for a job. However, I've never taken an Enneagram test before.

Conscious self	Overall self

Enneagram Test Results Type 1 Perfectionism |||||||||||||||| 70% Type 2 Helpfulness |||||||||||| 50% Type 3 Ambition |||||||||||| 50% Type 4 Sensitivity |||||||||| 34% Type 5 Detachment |||||||||||||||| 62% Type 6 Anxiety |||||||||||| 50% Type 7 Adventurousness |||||||||||| 42% Type 8 Hostility |||||||||||||||| 62% Type 9 Calmness |||||||||||||||| 66% Your Conscious-Surface type is 1w9 Your Unconscious-Overall type is 9w1

Take Free Enneagram Personality Test

Myers-Briggs Test

I then took the Myers-Briggs personality test.

Because I tied on the second measurement, Sensing/Intuitive, I decided to list both results.

ENTJ - "Field Marshall". The basic driving force and need is to lead. Tend to seek a position of responsibility and enjoys being an executive. 1.8% of total population.

ESTJ - "Administrator". Much in touch with the external environment. Very responsible. Pillar of strength. 8.7% of total population.

Take Free Myers-Briggs Personality Test

Well, time to get back to work.

I'm sitting in the Dayton Airport for the second weekend in a row. Last time I noticed the network connections they provide here and thought I'd try them out while I wait the couple of hours until I board my flight. I was able to pick up a wireless network, but couldn't get through to it. Of course, I didn't really try since they had the network drop sitting right next to me. They seem to have the system setup to prevent me from using anything but a web browser.

Anyway, I'll probably be virtually unreachable the next few days. I know there's a public WAP at Newark, but past that point I don't think I'll be anywhere with a network connection the rest of my trip.

Not that I blog regularly enough to take off from it, but this weekend I'm taking off from everything (thesis, school, work, etc...). We'll see if I can keep the general drama to a minimum too.

I'm beginning to think it is with things like this happening. At least the world will end with a decent series.

It became official tonight, I'm the new Chapter Advisor for the Louisville Chapter of Triangle Fraternity.

I just got back a little while ago from my trip to St. Pete Beach in sunny Florida. I'll be posting more about it, along with a bunch of pictures, after I finish catching up on email and the like.

Bill Whittle has posted an essay on the concept of power, specifically American power. One of the points that he stresses about the uniqueness of American power is that American's lack a desire for empire.

I have had innumerable discussions about threats, actions, responses, contingencies and capabilities, but I have never, not once in 44 years, met an American who advocated invasion and permanent conquest for national gain.

Never.

I suppose many overseas readers have a hard time believing that. I’ll also bet real money that just about every American that reads this is nodding his or her head in agreement right now, because once it is pointed out it is a startling, almost unbelievable statement. And it is true.

This is not because Americans are saintly people without vice. On the contrary. We are a proud, aggressive, clever, often violent and ambitious people. We are, on paper anyway, exactly the kind of people the world should worry about.

And yet Imperial ambitions are unknown to us. Why?

Well, I have a guess. My guess is that when fate deals you four aces and a king, you don’t need to kick over the table and draw a pistol, and you damn sure don’t need to discard and draw again.

RTWT.

I can understand how Spoons is wondering if there's some pattern to determine whether you'll get fired for "racially controversial" remarks in the sports industry. I don't know, I really just don't see it either.

Meanwhile, SportsBlog has a round-up of blog commentary on Rush's resignation from ESPN.

My old boss at the McConnell Center, Dr. Gary L. Gregg, has an article on George W. Bush's dip in the polls on today's NRO. This was discussed to some degree at the conference on the Bush Presidency (which I still need to finish commenting on).

Dr. Gregg aptly points out:

Seldom does a president's crisis-induced popularity last longer than a few months and none has ever lasted longer than ten months. President Bush's rally is now over, but it took two full years to reach that point — shattering the old record and setting a bar it will be difficult if not impossible for any president ever to match.

...

The president cannot be happy to have an approval rating of just 50 percent a year before he stands for reelection. However, put into historical perspective, Bush's record-breaking popularity of the last two years was unprecedented and the current decline inevitable. And, as I am sure his advisers are reminding him, his current approval ratings mirror those of both Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan at similar points in their first terms — both who went on a year later to handily win reelection.

I often find it amazing that most of the media, though not all, seems to miss this point. The media is so poll-oriented that it's strange that they don't report these type of trends more. However, it would probably help a President that most of the members of the press would never support and because of that they don't see it as news.

I'm always impressed by how truckers manage to run into an overpass by Speed School on a regular basis. They do this even though it's very well marked as a low clearance area. Well, for a change, a couple of FedEx drivers actually paid attention to the warnings, but not in the best way.

Andy - "This one still counts for the bridge."
Evidently the guys driving this truck saw the low clearance sign and tried to avoid it by making a U-turn instead of avoiding it by turning right onto 3rd Street.

Driver #1 - "Durrrrr.... How'd this happen?"

The cop asked us for copies of these photos.

Photos were taken using a Canon S30 by Andy Goss and myself.

UPDATE: Here's a photo gallery with all of the pictures.

I've spent the past few days working on my thesis almost excusively. It's not a fun thing right now. Yes, I'm learning some cool things. But at the same time I'm learning things about HIPAA and that's just not something I really want to do.

The great thing is if I make it through the day tomorrow I'll be on a plane to FL. I'm really looking forward to a trip out of this town for awhile. No school (almost, I'll be studying a little for a midterm next week), no work, and the only pressure is what type of beer I'm going to drink with my dinner. And next week I get to get out of town again, this time for what will hopefully be a fun trip to visit Teresa in Boston, MA.