Wilson Fu

SWEET THING and PROTEIN CRANIUM were uninjured and lost nothing in the recent blaze in the apartment complex where they live. There was a similar fire in the same complex back in 2001. Fortunately no one was killed this time, just minor injuries.

In the untold story side of things, LT. COL. ROCK STARBUSTER and TEAM STARBUSTER successfully defended their home and the homes of others in their neighborhood from the spread of the apartment building fire. The wind was blowing strongly in their direction that day. Fortunately TEAM STARBUSTER was able to locate a couple of retirees and with the help were able to fend off the flames with garden hoses and brute force.

Congratulations to TEAM STARBUSTER on their typical job well done!

Mr. Fu is blessed with GRAND FU BAH.  Ann Coulter had a great father who passed away last Friday.  Funny quote about him in heaven:

Now Daddy is with Joe McCarthy and Ronald Reagan. I hope they stop laughing about the Reds long enough to talk to God about smiting some liberals for me.

FOGHORN is most poetic:

All these marvelous paintings in an old hotel lobby in an undistinguished old building in a small city in the middle of the Plains. It makes one wonder what else remains to be discovered, and what losses we’ll never know.

It is in some ways a sad Bleat. But it reminds us to remember to live while you can.

The recent trip to visit family and friends took Mr. Fu by some old places. Many memories, and many good times. Watching CLONE RED experience a large amount of snow made for some great feelings. It is easy to forget that he is growing up in a completely different world from Mr. Fu’s native Nebraska. Though Mr. Fu fears CLONE RED is missing some of the greatness of growing up there. Hopefully some of the wonders of Alabama helps offset any lack in the experience.

As we drove through the state Mr. Fu noted many signs pointed to many towns Mr. Fu has never visited. Mr. Fu remarked on such to COLONEL FU, specifically citing the sign pointing to Bee outside of Seward. The COLONEL said that Bee holds some kind of annual festival. When the COLONEL worked for Volzke in Utica he spend some time drilling irrigation wells. While thus employed he saw quite a few communities in the area around Utica.

THE KAT was noting and photographing some of the more interesting houses we encountered. Mr. Fu was paying attention to the town centers and such. David City had a Runza that looked like it had taken over an old farm implement place and had the drive through passing throught he store front and exiting through the alley. Mr. Fu wonders what was there and is gone in these small communities. “What losses we’ll never know.”

Hopefully the Internet will become a place to preserve those memories of “people and places that went before.” It is also hoped that it will inspire us to keep busy living.

THE KAT will be participating in an art show this Sunday, September 30th from 2 PM to 5 PM at the Artistic Minds Art Studio and Gallery, 2652 Old Monrovia Road, Huntsville, AL, 35806 (on the northeast corner of Jeff Road and Old Monrovia Road. Please stop in and see her work on display. Heck, buy some art.

Just because it might make him look silly.  SPITFIRE roughly said, “Stuff was better back then.  Not like the crap we have now.”

CLONE RED and Mr. Fu spent a good chunk of Saturday directing cars into parking spots at North Alabama Radio Control Association (NARCA) sponsored flying Jamboree.  We did get a chance to see some interesting model aircraft, a Mitsubishi Zero, two Republic P-47 (looked like perhaps a C model and a Block 25 D model), a Loach OH-6 Cayuse, an AH-64 Apache, an AH-1 Cobra, and a Piper Cub (among many others).  These men and women sink a lot of time and dedication (and money!) into their hobby, and it shows.  It was a good show.

Our church music director is a model flyer at the club and had CLONE RED fly one of the club’s trainers on a “buddy box” system.  This consists of two linked controllers and a switch that allows the instructor to shift control of the model back and forth between the two controllers.  If the student starts getting into trouble the instructor can take over and hopefully correct the problem before a crash.

After being well toasted in the Sun, or rather by the Sun, Mr. Fu headed over to SPITFIRE and SNAPSHOT’s place to help them move some furniture out of the upstairs so they could put in new carpet.  Didn’t we just move all of the furniture up there a year or so ago?  The move was pleasant, relatively injury free, and no children were crushed or maimed.

THE KAT and Mr. Fu rounded out the night watching Mrs. Miniver, a great war time film by William Wyler (Funny Girl, Ben-Hur, Roman Holiday, Wuthering Heights, among others).  It is an excellent piece of work, Mr. Fu was particularly struck by the symbolism of the clock.  The movie is also noteworthy for a sermon by the Vicar in the movie that should be given today in America, if Americans were actually up to the task (and the Leftist-statists certainly are not):

The homes of many of us have been destroyed, and the lives of young and old have been taken. There is scarcely a household that hasn’t been struck to the heart. And why? Surely you must have asked yourself this question. Why in all conscience should these be the ones to suffer? Children, old people, a young girl at the height of her loveliness. Why these? Are these our soldiers? Are these our fighters? Why should they be sacrificed? I shall tell you why. Because this is not only a war of soldiers in uniform. It is a war of the people, of all the people, and it must be fought not only on the battlefield, but in the cities and in the villages, in the factories and on the farms, in the home, and in the heart of every man, woman, and child who loves freedom! Well, we have buried our dead, but we shall not forget them. Instead they will inspire us with an unbreakable determination to free ourselves and those who come after us from the tyranny and terror that threaten to strike us down. This is the people’s war! It is our war! We are the fighters! Fight it then! Fight it with all that is in us, and may God defend the right.

Unfortunately, in the current conflict, most Americans are just at the Mall.

But it was a great day.  Most of them these side of the dirt nap are.  Or you need to make them so.

For an entire 24 hours the Fu Family was without internet connection in the home.  Mr. Fu had switched over to Knology from Comcast after Comcast could not seem to deliver a cable modem in less than two and a half months.  Knology was happy to deliver one via technician in about two weeks, so we signed up for that.

Ken the Technician wired and re-wired everything (he has a better crimper than Mr. Fu).  But he spent a good four hours failing at getting an internet connection.  The computer was picking up an IP address no problem, but no connection.  Ken the Technician was most aggrieved, apologized profusely, and at 2 PM promptly scooted off to his 10 AM installation.

Upon reviewing the connection, Mr. Fu realized he has seen this problem before and called the Knology service line.  Service Representative Jeff took down all the relevant contact information (though these guys are getting as bad as nurses pre-screening for doctors, nurses ask questions, write down answers, hand chart to doctor, who re-asks question and re-writes answers, only these guys get you account number in the automated systems, but the automated systems apparently do no connect to the service reps, who ask you for your account number, blah, blah, blah), checked to see if they could see the cable modem.  He could see it.  He pulled in the MAC address and the MAC address does not match the MAC address in the MAC address database for MAC addresses (which are vitally important in the Knology system).  Someone fat fingered it into the system.  Ken the Technician left Mr. Fu his number wanting to know what the solution was.  Mr. Fu is quite sure Ken the Technician will be unhappy to know that the solution was having the guy on the phone type in an ‘A’ instead of an ‘8’.  Service Representative Jeff apologized for the rookie mistake and was a most excellent person in all ways.

Mr. Fu then cloned the MAC address into the router, re-routed the ethernet connection, and BAM! the network is online.  Except for the computer that was attached to the cable modem directly.  Much rooting around finally revealed a cable of suitable length to snake along the walls and over doors in order to reach the unattached computer.  Mr. Fu figured he would put connectors on the cable he had run previously to the same location, which was now used as the model-router link, because if you are pulling one cable you might as well pull two. 

At 0441 hours this morning Mr. Fu awoke with the realization that there are only two computers wired to the router, and that the new modem-router link can link one computer and moving the router right next to the cable modem will allow the other computer to connect directly without the need to snake an ethernet cable all over the place.  Less wire and more available cables.  Winnage!

CLONE RED is down with a fever and being generally ill.  BOGIE was so sick yesterday he could not go to lunch.  Both UNNAMED CO-CONSPIRATOR #1 and UNNAMED CO-CONSPIRATOR #2 were felled by something similar over the past weekend.  Could it be that this invisible assassin is after Mr. Fu, but fails at every turn?

Just read a message from COLONEL FU.  He has arrived at Fort Benning and hope to be home-home by the end of the week.

Welcome back, COLONEL FU!

Congratulations to DIM MAK for passing his qualifiers and getting into the Ph.D. physics track.  Quite an achievement!

COLONEL FU is on his way back to the States.  He reached Kuwait yesterday and is awaiting transport across the pond.  Thank you for your prayers on his behalf.