Japanese Eye Witness Account

March 12, 2015March 12, 2015mikemjensen Interesting Stuff (to me anyway), ReBlog Tags: Battle of the Pacific, WWII 2 Comments

Pacific Paratrooper

Captain Mitsuo Fuschida

Capt. Mitsuo Fuschida, Imperial Japanese Navy, pilot

Fuchida was the first pilot to fly over Pearl Harbor when the attack of 7 December occurred – here he describes his view of the Battle of Midway from the deck of the IJN Akagi;

“The first enemy [U.S.] carrier planes to attack were 15 torpedo bombers. When first spotted by our screening ships and combat air patrol, they were still not visible from the carriers, but they soon appeared as tiny dark specks in the blue sky, a little above the horizon, on Akagi’s starboard bow. The distant wings flashed in the sun. Occasionally one of the specks burst into a spark of flame and trailed black smoke as it fell into the water. Our fighters were on the job and the enemy again seemed to be without fighter protection.

IJN Akagi

“Presently a report came in from a Zero…

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Speed Kills

March 11, 2015mikemjensen Football, Interesting Stuff (to me anyway), Vanity, Writing Tags: Cliff Branch, Gary Vaynerchuk, Oakland Coliseum, Speed Kills Leave a comment

#21 Cliff Branch

Hey Kids,

Speed Kills.

So stated a banner that I remember hanging in the Oakland Coliseum as I watch football games with my dad back in the 70’s and early 80’s. I knew what it meant. Everyone knew what it meant. Number 21, Cliff Branch, was on the field and if you blinked, he’d be catching the ball behind you.

Cliff Branch was quieter than many of the other players on the team. But at any time, he could be heard. With lighting speed, he could go from in front of the defense to the back of the end zone. Let your guard down for a second and he’d be gone, with the ball, scoring 6 on you. He was always that deep threat; on any down, at any point of the game, and at any yard marker.

Speed Kills. That slogan and banner will forever be stuck in my mind. Possibly the plague of every Raider fan.

Today I listened to a presentation given to studying entrepreneurs. At the end of the talk, the professor of the class asked the people in the room to repeat the one biggest thing they took from their guest speaker, Gary Vaynerchuk (Jets fan). Before anyone said a word, the words “Speed Kills” echoed in my head.

One of “Gary V’s” points during his chat with these student included that moving forward, moving quickly, is what gives him the advantage. Businesses become slow as they grow, they become careful, cautious, and methodical. Exploit it and be the sleek, speedy predator that you can be (my words). That concept resonated with me. I alone control my pace. I’m in charge of my rate of work. It can be my advantage, should I decide to take advantage of it.

I understand that speed is not everything by itself; you do have to catch the ball. Likewise skill and quality also count. But anyone can attain those attributes if they’re slow and careful enough.

But Speed Kills.

It is time to pick it up.

Day 16

A Ticket By Any Other Name

March 10, 2015mikemjensen Interesting Stuff (to me anyway), Vanity Tags: 1984, 55MPH, 80MPH, 85MPH, Camaro, Elko, I-80, Nevada, speeding, Waste of Fuel Citation 1 Comment

Hey Kids,

I saw today that Nevada is considering a speed limit change on some of their more remote highways. They are proposing an increase to a posted 85MPH.

I like Nevada and don’t find the landscape as god-awful as many others will decry, but I do think the faster one can move from one point to another in the long stretches of the high mountain desert, the better. It’s always best to leave people wanting more. However, I do feel slighted by this change.

Back in 1984, I received a ticket for going 68 in the posted 55 outside of Elko. There are some who still feel that 55 is the right speed limit, but those people have never traveled I-80 form Salt Lake to Reno. The fact that I could contain my speed to 68 is actually amazing. I say ticket, but in reality it was a citation. A non-moving citation. Let me explain.

The state of Nevada knew that 55MPH was a mistake, maybe borderline cruel. Everyone knew it. Unfortunately, Nevada also knew that if they did not adhere and enforce the Federal mandated inane speed limit, they would cease to receive highway money. So someone, either the Nevada Highway Patrol or maybe state elected officials, created another option.

Instead of issuing tickets for every offender, tickets that could be costly and added points onto the driver’s record, NHP officers could, under certain guidelines, issue a Waste of Fuel Citation. It meant that they were enforcing the speed limit as mandated but without the heavy handed penalties. If one really wanted to, you could rack a few of these up and go a little faster. My citation cost me $15. Had I been going 70, I would’ve got a ticket.

It still irks me that on a stretch of highway now posted for 80 and possibly 85 soon, I had to pay $15 for speeding. I was making a teenager wage of $4.25; it was not chump change for me at the time. Afterwards, I kept the speedometer in the 1977 Camaro 64 or under and avoided any additional legal entanglements.

Maybe I was safer for it. Maybe I saved fuel. Maybe I wrecked the planet a little less that day. But it made for a long drive back to California.

I Can’t Drive 55

Day 15

Surrounding History

March 4, 2015mikemjensen History, Interesting Stuff (to me anyway), Porter Rockwell Tags: cinema, history, Opinions, Porter Rockwell Leave a comment

broadway Hey kids,

Last Sunday we went to the movies, one that I had not been to in some time, Broadway Cinema, downtown Salt Lake City. State Street and Broadway to be more precise. It’s a unique theatre, so much different from the ones built nowadays. Tucked away between buildings, it’s barely noticeable and within the company I escorted, only I knew of it. For me, it holds some nostalgia and some history.

It is where I watched the Return of the Jedi on its original opening run in the early 80’s. I’m not sure what winds your clock, but that’s some history in my neighborhood.

But the site played host to at least one more nugget of historical events that shrouds them all. At least in my book. State Street and Broadway, a time ago, represented the address of the Colorado Stables. Owned by Mr. Porter Rockwell. It is in these stables that Rockwell met the end of his trail, dying on a cot in the back office.

I wonder as I look at the surrounds, how many people know that? How many people who would care to know that, know it?

I wonder how many historical ghosts I pass daily unaware.

Is it important to remember the past? I vote yes.

Day 9

Sometimes a Motorcycle is Just a Motorcycle

May 5, 2014May 6, 2014mikemjensen Interesting Stuff (to me anyway), Motorcycles Tags: Biking, gear, goals, motorcycle, riding Leave a comment

I believe everyone should do what they want, how they want, and as many times as they want. Myself included.

I ride a motorcycle; more than I don’t. And I do it because I enjoy it.

So long as it isn’t snowing, I’ll generally ride. But all this just means I ride a bike. That’ all. I do not consider myself a biker per se. I’m a motorcyclist.

I don’t try to look like a biker either. I just dress, wearing whatever is appropriate for the conditions in which I ride.

Now like I said, everyone can do what they wish. Maybe for some the riding of the motorcycle releases some inner rebel, a chance to express oneself, or maybe some kind of needed identity escape. To each their own and more power to them.

However, sometimes I feel like I’m considered not a real biker because I don’t have my wallet chained to my belt loop, sport HD boots, or don a leather jacket. And one day I might have all that. But it annoys me to be judged so. Sometimes.

I ride because I like it. The bike is not an extension of any part of me, it’s not an expression of my soul, nor is It the thing that defines me in its entirety.

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, and I believe it applies likewise for a motorcycle.

My Year in Review (2013)

January 2, 2014mikemjensen History, Interesting Stuff (to me anyway), Porter Rockwell, Vanity, Writing Tags: Biking, Fishing, Geodes, Golden Spike, Great Basin National Park, Hardware Ranch, Hiking, Pony Express, Publishing, Strawberry Leave a comment

Here are some of things that I did or were of importance to me:

Fred

Got a new fish. My first fish in my adult lifetime.

Hardware Ranch

Visited Hardware Ranch to see the Elk via horse drawn Sleigh.

Valentine’s Dinner with a Vampire at Castle of Chaos.

Mercur Cemetery

Visited Mercur Cemetery.

Salt Lake Marina

Visited the Great Salt Lake

Great Basin National Park

Visited Great Basin National Park.

Arrowhead Hunting

Strawberry 20″ Cutt

Ice-Off at Strawberry

Little Red

100 Mile Bike Ride for Annette

Pony Express Station Remains

Antelope Island Farm

Meeting of the Rails

Porter Rockwell’s Cabin

Visited many Historical Sites

Hunter Graduation

My Eldest Son’s Graduation

Manti Mountains

Motor biking.

Bountiful Pond

Tried out some Kayaks

Geodes

Dug up some Geodes

Farmington Canyon

Mueller Park Canyon

Hiking

Fishing (Including November 11th trip to Strawberry)

The Wheel Bearing Incident

My books making Kindle and Print version debuts (TTC was out in Kindle in 2012)

Christmas with my baby

And Finally Christmas with my baby!

A Unique Spurtle to Stir the Porridge.

December 28, 2013mikemjensen Cursing Black's Gold, Interesting Stuff (to me anyway), Porter Rockwell Tags: Porter Rockwell, Spurtle Leave a comment

While doing a little research on, of all things, the history of oatmeal for the next Porter Rockwell novel, I stumbled upon this Scottish poem. It’s fun to read, so I leave it for you to enjoy as well:

Our gudeman came hame at e’en,
And hame came he,
And there he saw a shining sword
Where nae sword should be:
What’s this now, gudewife,
And what’s this I see ?
O how came this sword here
Without the leave o’ me ?
A sword! quo’ she,—aye, a sword! quo’ he.
Shame fa’ yere cuckold face,
And waur may ye see,
It’s but a porridge spurtle
My mither sent to me.
A spurtle! quo’ he,—aye, a spurtle ! quo’ she.
Far hae I ridden, love,
And meikle hae I seen,
But silver hiked spurtles
Saw I never nane.

(This is one verse of a song collected by David Herd in 1776.)

Mike M Jensen

Ask a man a question and he'll give you an answer; give him a blog and he may never shut up.

Interesting Stuff (to me anyway)