Ron had a posting the other day about the job market in our “troubled economy” It brought a bunch of thoughts about a long career and a string of employers.

Left the Navy in '62 to seek my destiny in teaching school. We had a reservist on board my last ship who ran a teacher placement agency and he helped get a list of targets for my letters and resumes. Letters then had to be typed and resumes professionally printed. Even though I was at sea and not available for interviews, got several good offers. One for a day school in Philadelphia and another for a boys boarding school in New Jersey. Both offered $3000 annual salary but the boarding school threw in food and housing (dorm master).

No chance for advancement so after four years went to a boys boarding school in Western Virginia to add science chairman. Once again, a bunch of typed letters and printed resumes and leads from the classified teaching section of the New York Times. As happens in boarding schools, added a bunch of responsibilities and courses to teach. After twenty three years there, decided to “graduate” from the protected but invasive life of living and dining at the place where you work.

Went west. West-by-Gawd Texas. A day school and a home of our own. Still typed letters and printed resumes and leads from a private school teacher's periodical. What an adventure, getting your first home when in your fifties and finding what life and finances are in the real world. Did evenings and summers at the local community college.

On a lark, sent letters to a list of Eastern schools to teach summer school. One of our daughters still in school was with us and another came to the city where we lived. But the three other kids and our grandchildren were still in Virginia. Was flabbergasted when a very nice school in Central Virginia responded and we went there for several delightful summers.

Five years in Texas and a decision. The daughter with us about to go to her Senior Year in high school and the other daughter living in Texas was doing church work in the Dominican Republic. If we stayed there, we would very likely have half our family in Virgina and half in Texas. We loved it there but decided to come East. Still typed letters and printed resumes. But the computer word processor made those easier. Before the world wide web so leads from a private school teacher's periodical.

Four years teaching in Hilton Head. Making about ten times what I mad back in my first job but still fighting the same financial battles. But the year I got to sixty-two, a bunch of relatively small hurdles seemed to point the way to retirement. No more job hunting – or so I thought. Retired to Virginia's Eastern Shore and family relative proximity.

Ran across http://www.teachersonthemove.com/ and spent three glorious months teaching on Cote d'Azure.

Financial concerns led to looking for tutoring opportunities. Not much on Virginia's Eastern Shore but some internet research found http://www.tutor.com/ and online tutoring. Still doing that, enjoy it a lot, helps in a bunch of ways.

A long history of job hunting and opportunity awareness. Did not get caught looking during business troubles – private schools have those, too, like in the late sixties – but never had a problem finding a good position. Kept up associations and stayed active in professional organizations and committees. Kept resumes and certifications up to date even when not required. Made certain no doors slammed shut. Would have done minimum wage if that was the best available.

Wish the best to all those out there still in the job market in difficult times. Things have changed a lot but the basic ideas still obtain. Make lemonade.

Today brought a couple of other remarkable photos from my Scientific American RSS feed. Planets out there! And pictures of them! Maybe there is an lgm (science acronym for "little green man") on one of them waving at us?

The first visible-light image of what appears to be a planet orbiting the star Fomalhaut, 25 light-years away. In this composite, the object's position in 2004 [below] and in 2006 [above] follows its projected counterclockwise orbit [green lines].

Infrared image of the HR 8799 planetary system. The planets (red dots) b,c and d are 70, 40 and 25 times further away from the star than the Earth is from the Sun. National Research Council Canada.

Some other RSS feeds I really enjoy are photos from National Geographic. Pictures of wierd new plant and animal finds, travel, and best of all, pictures from satellites and observatories.

Us human beans have accomplished a bunch of really neat stuff. One is the ability and resources to get these pictures.

Never get tired of pictures of Mother Earth. That is Paloma spinning around there in the Caribbean. Can you see me in my backyard waving?

"This composite image showcases star birth in an expanding bubble of ionized gas 4,200 light-years from Earth. A massive, hot star (center) pumps out ultraviolet radiation that ionizes--or removes charged particles from atoms--surrounding gases (red). The expanding gases' shock wave sweeps up frigid interstellar gas and dust, which collapses into dense hydrogen clouds (blue) that spawn new star birth. These cold 598 degrees Fahrenheit (-250 degree celsius) cloud clumps can be spotted in submillimeter light, offering a peek at the early stages of star formation. "

Matter and antimatter! Electrons and positrons! Wow! What a feat that they can recognize them in an observatory image.

"The Crab Nebula's gas and dust create a swirling, smoky cloud around the powerful pulsar (white dot seen above) at its center. This Chandra X-Ray Observatory image provides the first good look at the inner boundary (white) between matter and antimatter particles from the pulsar and the blue x-ray glow created by electrons and positrons--an antimatter companion to an electron--in the surrounding nebula. The nebula's magnetic field and filaments of cooler matter guide the motions of these particles to form distinctive finger, loop, and other shapes.

I want to go out there.

Tried to get on to post this bright and early this morning but could not get past the login page.

This was on my RSS feed from Discover magazine. Do not know why from them but glad they had it.

Here on the pulse of this new day

You may have the grace to look up and out

And into your sister’s eyes,

Into your brother’s face, your country

And say simply

Very simply

With hope

Good morning.

– Maya Angelou

Still getting emails from a World War II veteran who was on the ship I served on in the late 50's. A Fletcher Class destroyer kept in service throuhg the Cold War. Many of the emails are downright objectionable. Wrote a blog post about it a while ago. But have kept myself on his mailing list for the ones that are good.

Here is one worth repeating. Do not know about its authenticity. Good whether Letterman said it or not. Do not attribute this much to President Bush. More to The Founding Fathers, especially the boys from Virginia – Jefferson, Madison, Washington.

“As most of you know, I am not a President Bush fan, nor have I ever been, but this is not about Bush, it is about us, as Americans, and it seems to hit the mark.

The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true given the source, right?

The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with thenperfomance of the President. In essence, 2/3 of the citizenry just ain't happy and want a change. So, being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking 'What are we so unhappy about?'

Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Is our unhappiness the resolt of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter? Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job? Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time and see more food in moments that Darfur has seen in the last year. Maybe it is the ability to drive our cars and trucks from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state. Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter? I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine form around the world is not good enough either. Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to hbelp and even send a helicopter to take you to the hospital? Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home. You may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family, and your belongings. Or if, while at home watching one or your many flat screen TV's, a burgler or prowler intrudes, an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss. This is all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90 percent of teenagers own cell phones and computers. How about the complete religious, social and political freedpms we enjoy are the envy of everyone in the world?

Maybe this is what has 67 percent of you folks unhappy.

Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S., yet has great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what they don't have, and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here.

I know, I know. What about the President who took us into war and has no plan to get us out? The President who has a measly 31 percent approval rating? Is this the President who guided the natin in the dark days after 9/11? The President that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in the book for seceeding in keeping all the spoiled ungrateful brats sfe from terrorist attacks? The Commander-in-Chief of an all volunteer army that is out there defending you and me?

Did you hear how bad the President is on the news or talk shows? Did this news affedt you so much, make you so unhappy you couldn't take a look around yourself and see all the good things and be glad? Think about it.... are you upset at the President because he actually caused you personal pain OR is it because the 'media' told you he was failing to kiss your sorry ungrateful behind every day?

Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft in this country. The didn't have to go. They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a 'general discharge', an 'other than honorable discharge' or, a worst case scenario, a 'dishonorable discharge' after a few days in the brig.

So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of Americans?

Say what you want, but blame it on the media. If it bleeds, it leads, and they will specialize in bad news. Everyone will watch a car crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporatins. They offer what sells, and when criticized, try to defend their actions by 'justifying' them in one way or another. Just ask why they tried to allow a murderer like O.J. Simpson to write a book about how ne didn't kill his wife, but if he did he would have doen it whis way ..... insane!

Turn off the TV, burn Newsweek, use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as a country. There is exponentially more good than bad. We are among the most blessed people on Earth and should thank God several times a day, or at least be thankful and apprediative.”

We have met the enemy...

Pay your taxes.