From the Rhino's Heart

Time to depart -

Missouri-Rhino — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:05:27 GMT

As I write this, I'm getting the last of my packing for Burningman done. I depart at 8:30 or 9:00 a.m., and I'm going to pick up iRONic. I'm happy I don't have to make this trip alone. News: It's done, it fits together, and I'll have pictures on my return. I finished (with iRONic's help, bless him) all of the preparations for the Gateway to the Future, the 'arch' that didn't appear at Interfuse. It's loaded up in a trailer right now that I'll hook up to the truck shortly. It'll be the entry into the Temple of Community on playa. I swore I'd finish this thing. It'll be done. The dream shall be fulfilled. Blessings again on Merlin, my bro from Sphyre. I needed trailer lights and a hookup for the truck so I can pull the trailer.The kit was $42.95 at U-Haul, and they were going to charge me $60/ hour to put it in with a minimum charge of 45 minutes. Merlin and I installed it at his place in 20 minutes. I don't know totally what to think at this point, so I'll just say it: See you in September.

I cannot hope to descibe my feelings right now.......I'm quietly humbled and happy, overwhelmingly apprehensive, and in a panic -Pre Burningman Log No. 2 - Final Days to Departure

Missouri-Rhino — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 18:17:49 GMT

Right now, I am a total mess of emotional contradiction. This may be the wrong way to be before going to Burningman, but I know from my previous blogs...I need to go...I need to be there. I need to restore lost hopes...or are they lost afterall? The latest chapter in the odd-yssey of the Rhino begins 2 weeks ago, at University Hospital in Columbia. A previous doctor visit and subsequent PFT (pulmonary function test) had determined that I had carbon monoxide in my bloodstream. Easily explained, right? I smoke. My method of stress reduction/relief ever since I was in my teens was to reach for a cigarette. I started when I was 15. That was 33 years ago. They didn't have laws then about minors buying cigarettes, so don't lecture me, please. In point of fact, I really don't want everyone jumping on the bandwagon telling me to quit smoking right now, because I've always been contrarian when it came to things like that. Tell me not to do something, I want to do it. The resentment of years and years of being told what I could and couldn't do by a system that didn't understand my unconventional means for accomplishment and achieving results and sometimes still doesn't. So, just remain confident that the Rhino will put down the smokes for the last time soon. Well, at this point, the diagnosis is a mild COPD. I can still breathe unobstructed, but I'm working with a physician to get me back to normal ASAP. The doctor visit went good with my pulmonologist, an MD from Japan who's come to live in the US to be part of one of the best geriatric hospital systems in the country in Columbia. THAT got my attention yet again. I'm not getting any younger. So, on the heels of this are the preparations for Burningman, a trip to the field to address the bridge I shut down in April, and a trip to see my parents in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The field trip comes first. As you see in the photo above, a bridge collapse is the LAST thing anybody wants to see happen if you're in charge. I take FULL responsibility for the work I do. I had recommended that a bridge be shut down in April, and now, they come straight to ME to make sure it doesn't happen again when it's replaced. So I did the field work, and we found that, indeed, we can get it and not even touch the railroad problem that it once crossed. So, THAT is done, and off my plate. The trip to see my folks is long overdue. I haven't seen them in a year and a half. Dad is 77, almost 78, and Mom is 39 and holding (lol). While here in Oak Ridge, where I write you from now, I actually feel even more humble than before. It's been nearly 20 years since my grandmotherassed away. One thing I remember from growing up as a child with very fond memories was the smell of fresh coffee being brewed in the morning in a glass percolator, and the sounds that the glass made as bubbles of steam arose. Well, to make a long story short, my little sister found a glass percolator, and had Mom and Dad get it for me. I'll treasure it for the rest of my life. Tears came rolling down my cheeks when I got it. Burningman? I'm not ready quite yet..believe it or not...I just solved another technical hurdle of pipe alignment while sitting on the pot this a.m. I now see what General Loofah means when he says he does some of his best thinking there. So much to do...so little time. The Gateway will be there, if I have to move heaven and earth. I may just have to. So what? Life goes on nonetheless.

OK....now to the fun.

Missouri-Rhino — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:44:31 GMT

Should I get some t-shirts made? Heh, heh, heh..........

I stand alone.

Missouri-Rhino — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:56:15 GMT

I've been thinking about this latest blog post for the last few days now, with the knowledge that it'll be coming out to all of my friends and confidants. I hope that it is taken in the spirit in which it's intended, to inspire others to follow their own paths in life, to seek their own satisfaction, and to never ever lose sight of their dreams. I had a dream once, and I pursued that dream for all I was worth. It wasn't very well thought out at first, but it crystallized somewhere in my collegiate career, that of becoming a true geologist. I knew I had it in me. The rocks tell stories if you know how to read them. I learned the language, and learned to listen to the fantastic stories they told. Stuff like, 'the Mediterranean was once a desert', 'there were once dragonflies with six-foot wingspans', and 'there once was a meteorite impact which hit earth and caused the dinosaurs to die off'. Amidst all of this, I noticed something about myself. When I started to THINK, I mean REALLY THINK about concepts or ideas that I becme comfortable with I would expand upon or refine those concepts and come up with new concepts or ideas which seemed crazy at the time, but later on in history would prove to be dead on. This has happened repeatedly for me, and continues to happen. I don't know if its a problem-solving ability to dismantle existing paradigms and make my own, the ability to see trends far in advance, or simply the overwhelming desire to make things better for myself and others. I've been called 'crazy', 'insane', 'nuts', 'sick', 'fucked up in the head', and have been a pariah in one form or another ever since high school. Now that I'm on top of my own little world, I'm merely 'eccentric'. What is he babbling about now, you ask? In 1975, I used to sneak downstairs while my parents were sleeping to watch the highest-rated cable TV program on the air, something called, "Night Flight". It celebrated music, art, film, and the interplay that existed between them. I saw stuff 'on the edge'. One of the 'experimental' things they did was to try to match video production skills to music by artists on the forefront of alternative music. Later that year, I came up with an idea to take popular music and run it with videos of stories, with vignettes of the stories alternating with the band that would play the music. In 1978, MTV was born, and the video music revolution began. I felt that I was three years ahead of the curve at that point. Fast forward to 1997. I first learned about something called 'trenchless technology' . I came up with an idea that I later tried (in 2003) to mudjack concrete pavement using horizontal directional drilling and a concrete pump to achieve a seamless repair that wouldn't involve putting a crew in the line of traffic. The method is mine, and I've even tried it with a crew. It works. But nobody's buying. Fast forward to three years ago. I was looking at stock market prices one day, and I saw a stock called Insituform which I felt was badly undervalued. I told my father about it, and he pooh-poohed it. The stock price then was $12/share. It hit a high later that year of $27/share. It's not clairvoyance and it's not being able to read the future in a crystal ball or with tarot cards. Am I THAT different from others? I don't know. But I will continue to be me.

Fluffy versus Zuul-------

Missouri-Rhino — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 16:25:33 GMT

Who would win? To see Fluffy.....go to: http://people.tribe.net/missouri-rhino/blog/6bf9dd80-25a0-409f-adc2-a655c5cffa49

PUBLISHED! AGAIN!

Missouri-Rhino — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:13:51 GMT

Sometimes, you just gotta wait it out. This one has been in the works since 2005. The secretary at work came in this morning with a relatively nondescript package, though when I saw the return address I knew what it was. A 45-page chapter that I was one of the co-authors on was just published in the 450-page book you see above. My co-workers, since they're engineers, don't know diddley-squat about paleontology. The original thought was I had ordered some 'porn art'. Yep. I find naked crinoids, cystoids, blastoids, sea urchins, sand dollars and sea buns sexy. Sexy is right. They're index fossils for discovering oil. The article itself has been edited, refereed, and only has black-and-white photos. But that's all it needs to get the point across.

Speeding towards the playa............part 1....the REASON

Missouri-Rhino — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:50:00 GMT

Got an e-mail a couple of nights ago. I'm approved for early entry into Burningman. Thanks, Gothalot. Let's get the Temple of Community built together - I feel it in my bones - we have a spectacular and special crew - Pikey, Skirblah, ninjakitty, Butterfly Lisa and all the rest. With a little luck and a lotta hard work, the Gateway to the Future will be ready for installation as well in conjunction with the Temple. My preparations for the playa are partially mental -I'm going to have to 'clear my mind' of extraneous clutter. DESPITE the call and siren song of some of it, the geology and trenchless technology I work with, study, and love so dearly. With the internationally attended meeting in Flagstaff, AZ in September (the American Institute of Professional Geologistsis holding a rare 5-way meeting with other organizations, and I'm the lead presenter in one of the sessions - the organizations include: the AIPG, the Arizona Hydrological Society, the Division of Professional Affairs of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, the American Earth Science Editors Association, and the International Geological Congress) and the Association of Missouri Geologists this fall (I'm being installed as president for an unprecedented 3rd time) I'm swamped. Plus, my abstract for the 2009 Underground Construction Technology Conference and Exhibition in San Antonio,TX was accepted as well,and I'm awaiting final word on THAT, too. August 20 -I put it aside and head west into the unknown (for me, that's exactly it). But for a geologist, 'terra incognita' represents the most promising words on ANY map. But WHY? It's a question I've asked myself dozens of times. It didn't become crystal clear until I saw, of all things, a trailer for a movie about Burningman: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PX5jBN8Mmy8 Every time I see this trailer, every time I pay attention to it, I break down in tears. ME! It breaks the paradigm of the stoic male in mere moments. WHY the fuck am I acting like such a big galoot??? At about the 3:45 point in the trailer, you see a woman looking onto the main burn, silently contemplating the meaning of it all. And one word EXPLODED into my mind. Hope. We as burners are purveyors of it. Think globally, act locally. Do acts of random kindness for someone else. Radical self-reliance. Gifting. Community. There is not enough hope in the world, and we must bring it to the people. Hope - - my reason for going to Burningman.

The latest meme, from Mushroom Girl, who got it from PUNZILLA!

Missouri-Rhino — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 18:10:38 GMT

OK....now you know who's to blame. Because the nature of my work is highly technical (my latest reading material is entitled, "Granular Soil Response During HDD", and involves finite element methods of analysis) I step back once or twice a day and do something other than soil and rock. And this resets my stamina for a few more hours. If ya wanna know the answers to these Q's about me....... DO YOU LIKE BLUE CHEESE? Only on salads in dressing. HAVE YOU EVER SMOKED HEROIN? Never. DO YOU OWN A GUN? Nope. WHAT FLAVOR DO YOU ADD TO YOUR DRINK AT SONIC? I might get vanilla in my Coke, but that's SOOOOOOO passe, SOOOOOOO last year...... DO YOU GET NERVOUS BEFORE DOCTOR'S APPTS? Depends upon what the appointment's for. If I have a complaint and go to the doc, I'm NOT self-treating it, therefore, something is broken or it's a real disease. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF HOT DOGS? What kind of hot dogs? I love to watch hot dog snow skiers who are good. Some of the stuff they do is phenomenal! If you're talkin' 'tube steaks'......I'd rather do bratwurst. FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MOVIE? Die Hard 2, where John McClane is in the D.C. airport at Xmas. WHAT DO YOU PREFER TO DRINK IN THE MORNING? Cherry Jolt Cola CAN YOU DO PUSH UPS? Yes. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU BEEN IN A WEDDING PARTY? Once, as best man. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PIECE OF JEWELRY? A watch...it's FUNCTIONAL. FAVORITE HOBBY? WHAT SONG USUALLY PLAYS IN YOUR MENTAL CD PLAYER? BYOB by System of a Down DO YOU HAVE A.D.D. Let's go ride bikes! WHAT'S ONE TRAIT YOU HATE ABOUT YOURSELF? My weight. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS AT THIS EXACT MOMENT? How the hell does one balance the truth with the right degree of snark? NAME 3 DRINKS YOU REGULARLY DRINK? Milk, Cherry Jolt, and iced tea CURRENT HATE RIGHT NOW? People that hate. FAVORITE PLACE TO BE? At home. HOW DID YOU RING IN THE NEW YEAR? Fire group performance at the government center. WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO? In the US: New Mexico, and BRC Italy, to see Vesuvius, Pompeii, and Herculaneum. Then on to Cyprus to see the Troodos ophiolitic complex there NAME THREE PEOPLE WHO WILL COMPLETE THIS. If I name 'em, I'll jinx the effort........ DO YOU OWN SLIPPERS? Nope. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Blue t-shirt that says "John Wesley Powell's Fort D; 1861-1865, Cape Girardeau, Missouri. DO YOU LIKE SLEEPING ON SATIN SHEETS? Never have. CAN YOU WHISTLE? *Whistles* FAVORITE COLOR? Blue, Red, Purple, or Black. WHAT SONGS DO YOU SING IN THE SHOWER? "Church League Softball Fist Fight" by comedian Tim Wilson LAST THING THAT MADE YOU LAUGH? Seeing Mennonites at the Chicago airport.....after all, aren't they the plain (plane!) folks? WORST INJURY YOU'VE EVER HAD? Severly sprained ankle in college from playing football. DO YOU LOVE WHERE YOU LIVE? Hell yeah! HOW MANY TVs DO YOU HAVE IN YOUR HOUSE? Three. WHO IS YOUR LOUDEST FRIEND? In decibels or loudest dresser? HOW MANY DOGS DO YOU HAVE? None. DOES SOMEONE HAVE A CRUSH ON YOU? I don't know. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK(S)? None in particular really stands out. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CANDY? Cherry Twizzlers. FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM? St. Louis Cardinals. WHAT SONG DO YOU WANT PLAYED AT YOUR FUNERAL? Something jazzy and New Orleans, like a real jazz funeral. WHAT WERE YOU DOING AT 12 A.M. Asleep. WHAT WAS THE FIRST THING YOU THOUGHT OF WHEN YOU WOKE UP? Man , I gotta go piss.....

The 2008 Sino-Rhino Adventure and Community Building Tour - Post-Tour Blog No. 5 - A final word on the adventure.

Missouri-Rhino — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 01:43:15 GMT

My trip to China is now a part of my past. I'm glad I took the trip, and I'm glad that I had the opportunities I did. The amazing thing is that I remember most of it like it was yesterday. Continuing Day 3: That evening, we met several people from the Building Institute with Beijing University, These gentlemen took all of the foreign contingent, myself included, out to eat. And here is where one of the most memorable meals of the trip took place. I had Beijing Duck with everyone else.....IN BEIJING! Meals in the People's Republic of China for visitors are nothing less than an elaborate show of what they are capable of. This evening even more so.We were taken to downtown Beijing to a very special restaurant which has been there since 1864. And we had Beijing duck. It was specially prepared, slow-smoked and cooked beautifully. It was served with a wide array of vegetables, and we were feted and toasted with the inevitable white liquor. That stuff has a bite you wouldn't believe, but it goes down smooth....like Chinese moonshine. THEN, they brought out a bottle of Chinese RED wine (red goes with EVERYTHING here, because the chinese don't have a chardonnay or a chablis, yet.) This, while I'm consuming such delicacies as fungus, wood mushrooms, duck HEADS, duck FEET (pickled but still rubbery), and even sea cucumber. Wow. What a meal. And we ended off the evening with more toasting. Day 4 I woke up the next morning with only a slight hangover, and we went on a tour which took us to the Great Wall, a jade carving factory, and to view the new Olympic 'Birds Nest' stadium. Neat places. We had our lunch at the factory, and I cannot even HOPE to describe the number and diversity of fine jade art for sale at this location. For YOUR enjoyment, I'm posting a picture of one sculpture made entirely of jade, 6 feet tall and nearly 8 feet long. This sculpture was being sold for 888,000 yuan. At the current exchange rate, that works out to $125,000. THAT is a bargain, but I can't afford it. Day 5 - departure day. That morning, my host from the China University of Geosciences in Wuhan City took me to a GROCERY STORE and a MALL, because I wanted to SEE what real Chinese did and saw and ate on a daily basis. I wasn't disappointed. While at the grocery store, I got a chance to try their ice cream. Folks, we've got 'em beat in this category. Their #1 ice cream is made in Inner Mongolia, and doesn't have the texture nor the taste that ours does. My host also took me to see a three-level department store, similar to our Wal-Mart. There, I bought a mah-jongg set, and some green tea to take home. I left from Beijing airport that afternoon, for the long plane ride home. What did I learn? What can I share? I learned that we and the people of China have one hell of a future together IF we work together. Putting aside our differences in political systems, we're all human beings. The Chinese know the value of gifting. I was gifted SO many times there that I'm still in awe of their generosity and love. They're still learning. They don't know how to drive properly yet, and they have come so far in such a short amount of time. Our job is to aid them in whatever they need to develop for their people, and to reap the results of a lasting friendship. There can be no other way. We are two nuclear powers with the ability to destroy each other. Let's not, and act civilized, for once in humanity's history, as we move towards a global peace. Let's have peace in our time, as a COMMUNITY of nations that respect each others differences, and maybe we can start that peace, simply by giving the Chinese the secrets of better ice cream.

The 2008 Sino-Rhino Adventure and Community Building Tour - Post-Tour Blog No. 4

Missouri-Rhino — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 04:18:57 GMT

This installment come with egg roll. Suggest all who read pick up La Choy bag and put two in the oven. Eat with hot mustard, and enjoy! Day three, Beijing, People's Republic of China. Time for what I came to do. I took a shower that morning, shaved, and looked around my room in detail.The shower, in fact the whole hotel room was rather interesting. On one side of the bed, magazines in a rack. On the other side of the bed, there was a small electric heater for incense, and a battery-powered alarm clock. Why battery-powered? To save energy, the Chinese were ingenious, they made all the electricity in the room work from one single point near the door, where you had to insert your key card to get even the air conditioner to start. And believe me, with over 70% humidity, that A/C felt good. But back to the magazines. I read through all the English-translated ones in the first evening, trying desperately to get a feel for what I was accomplishing. After all, I was but one man in a country of 1.5 billion people. And that's when it hit me. There was one magazine, which I took home, that showed pictures after the horrible earthquake that hit China's Sichuan province. A whopping 8.0 Richter earthquake had hit, nearly leveling buildings and homes and schools in Wenchuan. The Chinese had reacted promptly, sending in over 150,000 troops to aid in the recovery efforts. Thousands of miles away, the United Kingdom (Britain and Wales) Financial Times praised China's response to the disaster. Indeed, a SENSE OF COMMUNITY prevailed in China, each man working to benefit ALL. It didn't matter the nationality of the people in the area, nor the nationality of the aid givers. Even Chinese media reported upon the generosity of the Chinese-American Benevolent Associations here in the US gratefully. What could I do? I could do MY best to educate the young Chinese engineers brought here to Beijing, and show them how to make their trenchless installations nearly earthquake proof, advocating the use of polyethylene pipe, and offering them geotechnical and seismic design solutions to their problems while in Beijing. And so, when that morning I spoke, I spoke with a crystal clarity of purpose, of determination, DESPITE the fact I wore a suit and tie, the humidity was sweltering in the auditorium, and the Chinese responded. They listened politely. I noted heads bobbing up and down when I told them of the methods that they needed. When I was completed, and it was time for a break, many of them came up to me, and through a translator, thanked me for my concern. The recovery isn't over yet. But I'd like to think that the events of that morning will lead to a better China, through an underground infrastructure that will be ready when seismic disaster hits. It's not just me. It never has been about me. It's about the people, your fellow HUMAN BEINGS. If I can, through my actions, save one life, preserve one family, create something beautiful or reliable for a time of need, or help somebody I don't know, then this thing called life will have been made worth living. And I don't know if I ever will or ever have succeeded in that pursuit. But does it matter? I don't believe it does. My intention is always for the betterment of mankind. I think it's working, because I feel good things manifesting themselves for others. I hope it does always. The photo is the best one of me teaching that morning.

The 2008 Sino-Rhino Adventure and Community Building Tour - Post-Tour Blog No. 3

Missouri-Rhino — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:54:44 GMT

The contrasts are unmistakeable on my third day back in the US. The Chinese are in the midst of another whole revolution. It's a technological revolution, not a cultural revolution. Their problems lie not in their wonderful ability to copy those things which are brought over, bought outside China and taken back in, but in their ability to understand the concepts of intellectual property rights, the concepts of patent and copyright law, and the idea that people should be paid for creativity. They're industrious. There's no mistaking that. They understand the concept of community. In a matter of days, the people in the country had raised 40 or 50 million yuan to aid in disaster recovery from the recent Sichuan earthquakes. In any case, returning to the trip - Day 2 - Went down to the 6th floor of the hotel on Day 2's evening for dinner and the "gala show" that the hotel operates. They had acrobats, but mainly dancers. During one of the final dance segments that's scripted for the show, the lead dancer wades out into the audience, grabs someone by the hand, and motions them to come to the stage. She has a grass python in hand, and hands it to whoever she chooses. What to do? Well, you're going to see what happens in today's photo. She chose the Rhino. And the Rhino shimmied with 'em in Beijing.

The 2008 Sino-Rhino Adventure and Community Building Tour - Post-Tour Blog No.2

Missouri-Rhino — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 04:06:31 GMT

Yeah. I'm home in the USA. It feels good. Folks, there are 5 Chinese for every one of us. That's a LOT of people. It's best to be FRIENDS, as I reached out to them, as it pays off. The very first night I was there, we were herded downstairs after we settled in. Many people were down there in the hotel's buffet restaurant, but more on that later. There, we were taken to an upstairs room, where the Chairman of the China Petroleum Pipeline Bureau, his deputy, and a full 7-course meal waited on us. The food was wonderful. His statement was something like this: "Tonight, we relax with new friends. Welcome to China!" He raised his glass in a toast. How could we refuse? We couldn't! And so it began. The next morning, we began in earnest, teaching Chinese engineers, inspectors, contractors, and government officials how to install pipe by horizontal boring to achieve the best results. Here's the thing: China is a rapidly industrializing nation. They have recently let the cat out of the bag, allowing private citizens to employ others to make things. And their economy has taken off as a result. The needs are many: steel, oil, agricultural products, timber products. The best way for the Chinese to obtain those products is to pay for them on the open market. It's no longer guns and butter in the economic resource equation, and I think everyone needs to realize that. It's now guns, butter, and fuel. Guns we can substitute in the equation with plowshares. Biblically speaking, that is, 'We can transform our swords into plowshares." I'd rather spend time to help the Chinese manage that transformation, than face a 1:5 odds in people power plus guns. Indeed, their armed forces are increasingly professional. Theirs is an all-volunteer army now. The People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China most recently was activated to aid in earthquake recovery a mere day after the Hunan province earthquake. Airborne troops parachuted into the affected areas with medicines, foodstuffs, and maintained order. They rescued people caught beneath rubble. Their weapons: SHOVELS! And they stood atop piles of cleared debris with their shovels held high like early man held his spear on high, and they cheered as each live victim was removed from the rubble. THAT is a very constructive esprit de corps! And they were aided from within and from without. There were AMERICANS down there aiding in the disaster relief. Bless 'em all. The Chinese are thankful about it. And only yesterday did Condi Rice, US Secretary of State say that America would do what it could to help the Chinese. Hey, Condi......you're a day late and 80 million yuan short. But back to the story. Day 1: Arrive in China, eat with the head of the China Petroleum Pipeline Bureau. Day 2: The trenchless technology seminar starts. Four presentations before mine, that take the whole day. To provide moral support to my fellow foreigners, I sat in and listened, and reviewed a lot of material I already knew. Lunch at the buffet, where we had a good solid lunch. Lots of noodles, and guess what? I learned to eat with chopsticks, finally! Rice with EVERY meal. And....about the chopsticks. The far east has gone modern, kids. They now make them from STAINLESS STEEL! Reduces waste, and easy to clean up. Better than wasting wood and energy to make wooden chopsticks. Plastic is also acceptable in restaurants, and sometimes those get quite ornate. On the second evening, a DINNER SHOW WITH ACROBATS! AND WE GOT TO SIT UP FRONT! More forthcoming with more photos!

The Rhino returns....the 2008 Sino-Rhino Adventure and Community Building Tour - Post-Tour Blog No.1

Missouri-Rhino — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:28:32 GMT

I have returned from the People's Republic of China. Tuesday last week, I took off from St. Louis Lambert Field and through Chicago, Illinois to Beijing, People's Republic of China. This blog is intended to inspire others who may follow me to dream of possibilities and work to make them happen in their lives. I've only been involved with the trenchless technology industry since 1997. Only 11 years. Yet this May I was privileged to receive a high honor, in being invited to speak at a seminar in Beijing. It took 4 new vaccinations, a visa, a new passport, and a month of preparation. Plus preparing a powerpoint presentation in advance. Plus repeated e-mail contacts. I made it. Here's the proof. I stand atop the Great Wall of China outside Beijing. Mao Zedong, founder of the People's Republic, is quoted on the obelisk beside me. It reads, "To be a true hero or heroine, one must climb the Great Wall." I am not a hero. I am simply a very lucky man, whose dream of one day standing atop the Great Wall was fulfilled. This photo is for my brothers and sisters in community-building. Grasshopper, I am honored to have returned to China. Master Po Supreme Master of the Rhino style of Kung-Fu

I'm coming to you live from Beijing, People's Republic of China

Missouri-Rhino — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 18:03:08 GMT

More on the trip over later, but I HAD to borrow a computer today to post this. I've been to and climbed upon the Great Wall of China. i've eaten Beijing duck IN BEIJING. I'm admired and loved by the locals for helping them. I was presented with a plaque of appreciation which was way beyond what I expected. I was honored and amazed at the generosity and love of the people, but people are the same world wide. I had to jump in and donate I've been offered a chance to aid others here. I'm humbled and honored by their love. I'm amazed at their creations. And the spark of home hit me head on today. A children's musical choir from Washington, DC, the DC Boys Choir, sand "America the Beautiful" atop the Great Wall today. I heard them. I wept with gratitude. I know now what America is all about. And I'm eternally grateful. And I'm pissed that the reins of power are in the wrong hands. With your help, wie can change America to be better than it ever has been. I'll be in the US in two days. And then the real work whall begin. I won't be deterred nor stopped. So saith the Rhino. So shall it be done. I love you, my community. Thank you.

Bye, all, I'll see you on the 1st of July.

Missouri-Rhino — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 02:51:18 GMT

Tomorrow a.m. - Leaving Columbia. Destination - the People's Republic of China. See you all soon. Thank you for your love, your support, and for being there. So the Sino-Rhino adventure begins.

The Sino-Rhino Adventure - the Final China Pre-trip Blog.....No. 3 in the Series

Missouri-Rhino — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 02:59:50 GMT

Yeah. Heat's off. Final vaccination today, and I'm rarin' to go. And things just keep falling into place because of my dogged adherence to Marcinko's Rule, the Rule of the 7 P's. (For those who don't know who or what I'm talking about, refer to a book called, "The Rogue Warrior" by Cmdr (USN, Ret'd) Richard Marcinko) Prior Previous Planning Prevents Pretty Poor Performance. I live by that rule. The typhoid shot was a non-event. In the future, having typhoid, hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccinations should put me in good stead in Missouri for other reasons. I can participate in flood clean-up events without being vaccinated, and that means I can aid any BwB cleanup that needs me IMMEDIATELY. I talked with my boss today, and turned in my leave slip for a week's leave. He tore it up. He said they'd cover it, because I'd come back a much more valuable employee. Thus, my trip is official, and I'm not only having my travel paid for by the government of the People's Republic of China, but I'm getting paid as well, without having to take annual leave. THAT is good news, not that I need the leave right now...I'm up to about 6 or seven weeks of accumulated leave time, let alone my three weeks of compensatory time I've been saving for retirement (I get paid full value for it, at the rate of my highest pay grade over the years.....that represents a couple grand given to me after taxes the day I retire). Nothing is in danger at work for me right now....I'm on top of the ball game there, getting out work at a high rate of speed and accuracy. While I'm there, I'll be thinking of all of my community....everyone. You people are special and beloved by me and are the reason I have hope for this nation after I return. I don't have enough fingers and toes to count all of you. I've already posted a picture of the Great Wall of China, one of the places we'll visit a week from Saturday. Tonight's picture is of the brand-new Beijing National Stadium which we'll also have a chance to see. The Chinese are rightfully proud of this structure, built for the 2008 Summer Olympics coming up in August. The next time I post pics from China, they'll be mine....the ones I take myself while I'll be there. Kamikaze Kelly, I promised you I would, and I'll give you the best on-the-ground field estimate I possibly can of what the PEOPLE are like. When I met Dr. Ma and his student Kong at the Underground Construction Technology conference in Houston two years ago, who knew it would come to this? I am honored, excited, amazed, humbled, and thankful.....a wonderful swirl of mixed emotions that light my day and my nights. As the trip approaches, I find it's been taking me longer to sleep, I'm so happy about it all.

Changing the face of a modern-day China.

Missouri-Rhino — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 19:49:18 GMT

Many people ask, "Why?" I'll simply ask, "Why not?"

The Sino-Rhino Adventure - Pre-trip Blog No. 2.

Missouri-Rhino — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 19:44:31 GMT

That's it. I've got it ALL. Passport. Visa. Enough meds to last the trip. I will go, I will enjoy it, and I will take lots of pictures and see for myself. If it is allowed, I will try to bring home a piece of granite or something for the rock collection. And I want to see (and will, according to my hosts) the Great Wall of China.

Welcome to the Major League - the Sino-Rhino Adventure - Pre-trip Blog No.1

Missouri-Rhino — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:36:39 GMT

The passport arrived, and all I require now is a visa. I'll have that before the 20th. I depart on the 24th. Immunizations are in progress, and my head is spinning, not from the immunizations (Hepatitis A and B last Friday, tetanus booster and Typhoid next Thursday) but from the sheer magnitude of what's going to happen. I checked on yellow fever vaccination (not needed, because I won't be in the boonies and I'm not coming from an endemic nation) and anti-malaria prophylaxis (also not needed). I found out the currency exchange rate. 1 dollar is equivalent to 6.9028 yuan, or 1 yuan is approximately .144869 US dollars. Screw it. I'll do travelers' checks, and exchange at the airport with a PRC-approved exchange (here's the thing -they actually have people who will try to exchange yuan for dollars on the street, but more often than not the yuan are counterfeit) I've got a passport holder that goes around my neck, like press credentials. I'm leaving all meds in their original prescription containers and taking those. I'll laminate a card with the number of the US Embassy, and keep it in my passport holder, along with my certificate of immunization. I looked at the hotel we'll be at, the Eastern Hotel: http://www.easternhotel.com.cn/index.php?Locale=en-us Holy shit. I'm in the big time now. I'll enjoy it, I'm sure. Anybody got any advice on anything else I've forgotten?

Less than 2 weeks to go. Progress towards the trip.

Missouri-Rhino — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 19:13:20 GMT

I'm going. I got my passport, and my visa is in the works. It's final. I bought my plane ticket last night via Expedia.com. The end result: $1980 and change for a round-trip ticket to Beijing. I will be reimbursed for this, and my hotel and meals are paid as well. What does it take to get there? The US government has its own requirements, as well as those requirements of the People's Republic of China. First: US passport.- gets you out of the country and back in again. According to the US Department of State, you should also check on your immunizations. Our world has come a long way......no more smallpox vaccinations...it's been eradicated according to the Center for Disease Control. I had one in 1970 before my family went to the UK, so I'm still protected anyway. I got shots for hepatitis A and hepatitis B on Friday, and I'm thinking about getting a tetanus booster. I'm clear on my DPT (Diptheria-Pertussis (whooping cough)- Tetanus from childhood. Same for rubella (German measles), measles, and varicella (chickenpox), because I HAD the 2-week hard measles and also chickenpox, and my rubella vaccine is up to date. So - remaining: tetanus booster, typhoid. I'll carry all my meds in original containers with me, and some imodium to protect me from 'traveler's diarrhea". Our hosts have graciously offered to take us on two trips, to the new Olympic stadia, and to the Great Wall. Darned if I'm NOT going. The food should be excellent, according to my hosts. I'll drop off Tribe sometime on the 24th of June, and will be back July 1. I hope you folks can stand it without me for a week. I'll miss you, that's for SURE. Now, my mind is ablaze.......what can I do to aid the community here with my experiences when I get back? If you've got the time, send me a line.

Stuff I did years ago came back today.

Missouri-Rhino — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:35:11 GMT

In 2005 I wrote a paper for submission which was later accepted at Underground Construction Technology. Within three days of the conference, I was contacted by the British Geological Survey, who have long held a preeminent role in the geological establishment and also have a huge database from which to draw upon. The contact seemed legitimate, and I responded to it with respect and intelligence (I hope). This morning, I was contacted again by the British Geologic Survey(yep, they're for real). They took my idea and ran with it, developing a 'drillability index' for the UK (they even favorably referenced me and my paper in the article). One of the authors wants to to co-author a future article with me, and publish it. I'm honored and amazed. And humbled even more. Britain was the birthplace of the modern geological sciences. Men like Hutton (uniformitarianism), Smith (stratigraphy), and Darwin (theory of evolution). The BGS has long been #1 in the world in mapping such things. And now, me invited to authorship? I'm speechless. I only hope that we can benefit society as much as I intend.

There is NOTHING between me and my dreams now except myself, and I just exited the equation.

Missouri-Rhino — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 04:57:03 GMT

I'm on my way now. The possibilities that have opened up are nearly endless. 19 days, and I take off for the People's Republic of China, to speak no less than 3 times at their premier university in the subject, the China University of Geosciences in Beijing, Wuhan City. IF my passport gets back in time. IF I get the visa in time. It's all a matter of waiting now. I'll be buying a plane ticket on Monday. It's a very, very delicate phase of time for me. I'm buried. I have to: 1) submit an abstract to Houston for the UCT 2009 conference in San Antonio. This one paper could be the next logical step in advancing the field of geology as applied to trenchless technology. Nobody's doing this, because the pieces of the puzzle of geologic investigation, soils investigation, and trenchless technology are so diverse and challenging. They fooled me for damn near 5 years, until one night it all became crystal clear, and I wrote the first of two papers that set the community on edge. What I'm trying to say can't be said easily, but I have the challenge of putting it into 800 words for publication on Monday. Why am I doing it? Besides the obvious reason that I've already harped on about saving lives by no longer needing trenches to do installation of underground utilities (trench collapses kill many people in the US and abroad every year) there's a new wrinkle tied to our times. Trenchless installations decrease the carbon footprint of a utility installation by more than 90%. Fighting global warming by installing utilities differently- now THAT's a paradox to think about. 2) I have a paper to write. I'm delivering an oral presentation on the SAME subject to the annual meeting of the American Institute of Professional Geologists. That abstract was accepted with the appropriate congratulatory letter, and I'm happy about it. This marks the first time to my knowledge that trenchless technology has ever been mentioned to AIPG. I had the first landmark paper on trenchless installation at the Geological Society of America's North-Central Section meeting, several years ago. This one could be more important. The current director of USGS is an AIPG member and a Certified professional geologist like myself. (Both of us also hold an Alaska license to practice geology - a LIFETIME license). My main item of contention with USGS (and USDA for that matter) is that they have done absolutely NOTHING to familiarize themselves with trenchless technology and trenchless installations. I have to submit this one before I depart for the PRC, so the heat is on. I hope to make people see the necessity of geologic investigation prior to trenchless installation. Maybe it'll even get taken up at the Federal level. We'll see. 3) Get my three presentations sent off to China, and get them reproduced on CD. You're only allowed ONE electronic item (laptop OR camera) brought along. I'll have a camera, and thus will let the Chinese handle the CD of my Powerpoints. I'll also be e-mailing them in advance to my hosts. 4) In between all of this, I'm also going to write an entire field guide and arrange a meeting of the Association of Missouri Geologists this fall. Usually about a hundred pages, these guides are landmarks in Missouri geology. I last wrote one in 1997. This will happen less than two weeks after the AIPG trip, so it has to be ready BEFORE I go to Flagstaff, AZ. Geez. And my publication count is up to 41 in the last 7 years. I'm producing on average 5 to 6 quality scientific articles per year. You'd think I were a University professor. But I'm not. I have a job that requires me to do things other than write. One interesting sidelight, at long last a Geologic Society of America volume on 'Meteorite Impacts in the Sedimentary Record' just got published. In this publication, the Weableau meteorite impact is officially announced, and I'm one of the co-authors on the 'discovery' paper. When we first drilled the structure in 2003, I didn't know it would end up as the catalyst to my career. Though I didn't do anything quite so exciting this week, I wa in Kansas City. I didn't get to see Soren again but we did make cpntact. He's a great guy, and I hope to see him at many future burner events. Today, I got my hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccines for the trip, and turned 48 as a sidelight. At my age, you don't get any younger, so yo tend to view birthdays as just another day in the life of......

Renaissance Man

Missouri-Rhino — Thu, 29 May 2008 03:16:00 GMT

More information has become available on my upcoming trip to the People's Republic of China, and more good news comes down the pipe daily. I've been working my ass off to try to stay afloat, but am managing because of the wonder of it all. First off, I checked my e-mail when I got back to the office on Tuesday after my recent teaching tour to Arlington, TX. I had written an abstract for the fall annual meeting of the American Institute of Professional Geologists in Flagstaff, Arizona, and sent it in about a month ago. I just got it back. A refereed paper and oral presentation has been ACCEPTED! And this one is a toughie. I have an extended abstract due by June 15th. I'll get it written BEFORE I leave. That makes nearly 45 publications in the last 6 years. The trip to China: I will be in BEIJING June 27 and 28 at the Wuhan University of Geosciences. This is the #1 school of geology in the People's Republic, from what I've been able to learn. The honor that's being done to me is already immense. I hope and pray that I am worthy of their attentions. Today and the next day and a half, I'm TAKING a course. No, strike that. Work REQUIRES me to take a course that's offered in conjunction with the National Highway Institute. This one is on streambank erosion and scour countermeasure design and construction. Nice to be the recipient of the training, as a change from being the speaker. The instructor even called me a 'renaissance man', since I seemed to be the most knowledgeable in the class regarding the new 'green' building methods that involve the use of biotechnical engineering methods of addressing watersheds to prevent scour and degradation. July, I have nothing on tap. I will be using that time for my own personal mental and logistical preparations for the trip to Burningman. I plan on arriving on the playa on August 25, and have asked to stay with Gothalot at the Rue Morgue. 1810 miles, three days, and I go home...to somewhere I've never been before. I am truly humbled and awed by the possibilities. To all of you who have cheered me on....this is for you. To all of you who have loved me as myself.....this is for you. To all of you who practice community, and live a life in the love of others.....this is for you. I love you all.

Dallas-Fort Worth-ARLINGTON! The odd-yssey of the Rhino.

Missouri-Rhino — Wed, 21 May 2008 02:34:10 GMT

So far on this trip, I've learned one or two critical things. KCI - Kansas City International is not a suitable airport for me on the outbound leg of a trip. ASSHOLES! Arrived at the airport at 5:05 a.m, and was ready to get on my flight and head for Dallas. But I have one major problem - the FUCKING AIRPORT BUS IS SHORT STAFFED, AND THE BUS DOESN'T ARRIVE UNTIL 5:45 A.M. My flight leaves at 5:55. No way I could have seen this one coming. SO, I was put on last-minute standby for the next flight. Arrived around 9:00 a.m. Sunday morning. And guess what? NO HOTEL SHUTTLE. Time for radical self reliance, and I get a SWEET deal on an SUV for the week from Avis. Less than $45/day, unlimited miles. Let's call this the "Bozeman factor", because I did the same thing in Bozeman, Montana two years ago, SWEET DEAL plus SUV! Next morning, my cohort in trenchless teaching gives me a ride over to UT-Arlington so we can get registered for the 16th annual Building Professionals Institute. What's this? I get a speaker gift for being an instructor, in fact, a whole SLEW of goodies....a new leather padfolio, a computer USB hub with 4 plugin slots, and blinkies out the wazoo.....pens that light up. Niiiice. And then the bomb dropped and made my day. It's official. I have been invited for one week to teach trenchlessT technology at the government's expense to (drum roll, please.....) THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA! I am honored. I am a-fuckin'-mazed. I am on Cloud Nineteen! Now the answer to the question: Will I go? 100% of my tribe friends have encouraged me to do so so far. Getting a visa will NOT be a problem on this. All I need is a passport. So, contingent on getting one, the answer will be - - - - YES! I'm ready. The far east awaits. Fort Worth-Dallas-Arlington glows as the place where I made my decision, and where it became official. Bless ALL of you who support me in my missions: to save lives of those in trenches, to foster community among burners, and to seek those things which are still hidden 'midst a maze of corridors and choices in this thing called LIFE. I love the hell out of life right now.

US Tour Has Been Extended!

Missouri-Rhino — Thu, 15 May 2008 17:04:25 GMT

Being a geologist with a HUGE ego, sometimes I feel like I should justify myself to others in why my ego has to be so big. Today's one of those days. Let me tell you why. The work I do is engineering geology. Unlike petroleum geology, where they can make mistakes and come up with 'dry holes', here there's no room for error. In the office, we do a LOT of peer review. I WELCOME peer review, it makes me a better geologist every time my work gets looked over by a fellow professional. And then, once the mistakes are corrected, you go over it again until you can justify what you're doing. During the review process, there is no room for ego. But when you're out in the field, you have to be maniacally self-confident. You've only got ONE shot at getting information, and sometimes you have to do it under the worst conditions possible. Drillers have no confidence in a geologist who makes them go BACK to a jobsite, let alone drill holes that were unplanned or unneeded. It's like being a test pilot, an astronaut, or a attack submarine captain. You believe fervently in what you do and how you do it, and then others follow your lead. AS A JOKE, I refer to myself as a "rock star". Get it? Geologist? But the ego got hold of my funnybone, and I thought I'd get a t-shirt made. On the front, my name, professional affiliations, and the phrase "you're damn right this geologist is a rock star!" On the back, a listing of my US Tour dates.....all the places around the country I've been in search of geology as a learning experience. A random selection from just the last 5 years: Jan. 12-17, 2003 - Houston, Texas - UCT (Underground Construction Technology conference)- taught Feb. 24-26,2003 Kansas City, MO Mid America Regional Conference Horizontal Drilling Workshop - taught May 12, 14, 16, 2003 - KC, MO; St. Louis, MO, Jefferson City,MO - MoDOT drilling workshops- taught Jan 22-29, 2005 - Houston, TX - UCT - taught Dec. 1, 2005 - O'Fallon, MO - O'Fallon mine collapse- led rescue/investigation team Jan. 21-28. 2006 - Atlanta, GA - UCT -taught June 13-16,2006 - Rochester, NY - Interstate Technical Group on Abandoned Underground Mines - gave paper Oct. 6-7,2006 - Sikeston, MO - Assoc. of MO Geologists annual meeting And the list goes on........ Looking at the old resume......(now a curriculum vitae) I've got over 40 papers in various forms, many of which appear on the web....etc., etc. ad nauseum. Ego? I think I have a right to have an ego. I'm proud of what I do, and how I do it. Next week: Arlington TEXAS! Last out of town trip, I met Mickey in Atlanta. This time, I'm arranging it to meet Todd. Fellow Tribers. My friends list has names and faces. I love it. The picture above is the Texas Rangers' home in Arlington. Maybe if there's a ball game next Friday night? I'll check the schedule before I go.