Kansas City Renaissance Fest 2011

I took my wife and two of my boys to the Ren Fest this weekend.  We had a good time--this was the largest fest we've been to, and there was plenty to do and see. 

Oh, and what a freak show! 

It's hard to understand what motivates a person to don a pair of fairy wings to go out in public, but there were plenty of "faeries" to be seen...and knights...and wizards...and other "period" characters.  If nothing else, it's a great place to do some people watching.



The KC Ren Fest has more entertainers to see as well.  This guy, John, has been performing for 28 years at this Ren Fest.  He's a local resident--and a court investigator for Johnson County during his day job.  Regardless, we all enjoyed his show even if seeing a big, hairy, shirtless guy in tights is a little off-putting.  Here are some highlights...

Leavenworth Times: Fort officials recall 9/11

http://www.leavenworthtimes.com/sept11/x462622086/Fort-officials-recall-9-11?img=2

It's not my best picture, and the story is a little mangled, but mostly it reflects what the reporter and I talked about.  Of course, if you really want to torture yourself by reading my full account, check out yesterday's post.

I may have a blog, but I never claimed to be a good writer...

9-11: My personal story

I worked in the Pentagon from OCT 2000- FEB 2002.  I was the Deputy Chief, Television Division, US Army Visual Information Center and it was my first public affairs position for the Army.

Our office was adjacent to the auditorium that in on the 5th floor, inside ring.  I was sentenced to a life of cubicle living, which for a captain, could have been a lot worse in a land dominated by generals and colonels.  I worked with a bunch of civilian TV pros, and Soldiers and NCOs who were expert videographers/editors.  I was the least qualified person in the office, with television training consisting of a four-hour block of instruction during my introductory public affairs training.  I guess I was the resident Army officer figurehead for the office.

On the morning of 9-11 I arrived to the office as I usually did--sometime around 0800-0830 (I can't remember specifically when).  As I sat at my desk getting ready for the day, one of the sergeants poked his head around the wall and asked, "Hey sir, did you see what happened in New York?"

I hadn't, but he quickly brought me up to speed on the first plane impacting the World Trade building.  Being an aviator, I immediately thought an air traffic controller somewhere made a tragic mistake and vectored a plane into the building.  I was saddened by the accident, but terrorism was not my first thought. 

Shortly afterward, that NCO ran back to my desk from his perch in the editing bay.  He quickly told me about plane #2, as I followed him to the bank of televisions.  We daily recorded news broadcasts for every network 24/7, making the tapes available to senior leaders in the building in case they needed to see a particular newscast or interview.

As I watched the reporting on 6-8 different TVs, the plane hitting the buildings over and over again in a gut-wrenching replay, I began to feel queasy; not wanting to view any more of the carnage.  I left the soundproof bay and returned to my desk.

Soon after settling back into my desk, I first felt a tremor shake the foundations of the building.  I heard a low ominous rumble of an explosion as I shot my head around my cubicle to look across the hall. The windows visible from my desk peered into the center courtyard of the Pentagon.  From that vantage point I saw the blue sky fill with a billowing mass of an orange fireball which was slowly engulfed in black smoke.  We'd been hit!  

I jumped to my feet and sprinted back to the editing bay to find everyone still staring at the TV, oblivious to the events unfolding around them.  "A bomb just went off in the center courtyard!," I loudly exclaimed.

All I got in return were dumbfounded stares, as if purple horns were spontaneously growing out of my head. It was only after I ordered, "Let's go!," did the group begin to move to the door with a purpose. 

Sgt. 1st Class Tim Magee was the NCOIC, and he and I both stood by the door to the office as we counted heads, ensuring no one was left behind.  I had the presence of mind to lock the door, not sure why it mattered at that point, then we followed our crew down the stairs to the exit that faced the physical fitness center and the parking lot.

On the previous Thursday, we had just rehearsed our emergency exit procedures for the building.  With that memory still fresh in our minds, we left the building and assembled in our rally area in an orderly fashion.

As I crossed the walkway that spanned the roadway underneath I glanced back at the tower of smoke coming from the opposite side of the building.  I was immediately dropped to my knees at the gravity of the situation as I prayed for protection for myself and the now exposed thousands who were milling around in the parking area.

Like many others I whipped out my cell phone to call my wife, let her know I was alive, but with all cell towers jammed I was unable to let her know of my safety until about 3p.m. that afternoon.

We had a remote TV crew that operated out of Ft Myers just a few miles from the Pentagon.  We made contact with them and rallied together as we made our way around the building to begin the video documentation of the events.

Tim Magee and I were stopped by an outer cordon of FBI agents in black nylon windbreakers.  They allowed the cameramen to move forward t begin their work, but we had to stay behind--well away from the action, only able to see the smoke and damage from afar.

We did, however, see the unusual sight of a while in color Toyota Tercel or Nissan Sentra (or similar vehicle) that was parked alongside the highway where we were halted.  The car appeared normal, but quickly you could notice the passenger side window was shattered into the seat.  On the dash board was a two foot section of aircraft aluminum, painted white--a piece of the aircraft!

This poor guy was tooling down the highway when the plan came in, hit the building, and splintered into a thousand pieces, sending shards everywhere...even into the front seat of this moving car!  I never saw the driver, but my guess is he was pretty shook up.

I made it home that night by a circuitous route, different from my normal bus route.  I had to take the Metro in a fashion that took us around the Pentagon station, so I didn't make it hoe until 7:30 or 8 p.m.

It was a long time to be out of my wife's arms; to let her know I was OK. 

We went to work the next day.  And every day without fail, even though the building kept burning for another 7-10 days.  It was our way of sending a message, I guess, but there really wasn't much we could do that first week.  The soot laid heavy on all of our sensitive electronic equipment, so the cleanup became the priority for us.

It wasn't until I gathered at church a few nights later, with my buddy and youth minister Wayne Wagner, that I really started feeling exposed and a little frightened.  The danger was long past, but as we talked with the youth, in a misguided attempt to calm their fears, I sparked fears of my own.

God protected my that day, but many people lost their lives.  I am grateful for His mercy and provision, and pray that we never have to face a day like that again--not the US, not Europe, not the Middle East, no one--never.

Unexpected...really?

Jobless claims rise unexp...er, um...I mean, who could have guessed?

I've been wondering about this for a while...what kind of idiots do we have running our economic health in this country, if after every bit of economic news comes the admission that "experts" were surprised by how bad the news turns out to be?

Why can't these people have a better grasp on reality? Isn't it their job to know these things? or, at least be in the ballpark?

Is it the news media that's always surprised?--yes and no. The hardcore leftists in the bunch are probably genuinely surprised that current policies aren't working as they expect them to.

The mid-level lefties in the media only use the word "unexpected" as a cover for Pres. Obama. It's a way of telling the readers, "Hey, it was out of his control. No one knew that was coming. You can't blame him for this crazy bit of economic news!"

Yeah...right.

How about some other "UN..." words like:

UNBELIEVABLE...that you in the media think we're stupid enough to believe this claptrap again.

UNSCRUPULOUS....media are failing at their essential watch dog role for our society by covering for an elected official they share a political allegiance with.

UNEMPLOYED...which is what 9.1% of Americans are right now, despite promises that "stimulus" actions would prevent us from going over 9%.

UNELECTABLE...he never was and he still isn't, but we as a nation were too foolish to figure that out. There's always next time.

9/11 inspired some to take new paths in life - KCTV 5

9/11 inspired some to take new paths in life - KCTV 5

I had the chance to speak with a local Kansas City NBC affiliate concerning my personal 9-11 story. It's true...I have my own story, but we all do. The events of 9-11 are one of those things that every American can look to and say, "I remember exactly what I was doing and where I was on that day. It has affected me like so..."

I am honored to serve with people who were affected by those events so much that they personally, on their own volition, decided to do something about it. They left the comfort of their homes and personal lives and volunteered to defend a nation that they believed was in peril. We were in peril.

At a time when less than 1% of Americans can say they serve in the Armed Forces, please take time out this weekend to say "thank you" to one of those volunteer service members--Armed Forces or first response personnel. Believe me, a simple thanks from a fellow citizen is what gives us energy to go on and continue serving on their behalf.