Wednesday, 07 May, 2008

- Reader Comments -

Following are comments in response to this item.
The most recent comment is at the bottom.

1. By Kashmarek. Comment posted 07-May-2008 @05:18pm:

   Welcome back. Always look forward to your blog. Sure miss it when you are gone, but you need the time off as well. Thursday should be a busy one.
2. By . Comment posted 07-May-2008 @05:28pm:

   Welcome back, John.
   
   Once again, the captains of industry were perplexed by a spike in American productivity.
3. By . Comment posted 07-May-2008 @06:14pm:

   Is that a new hat? Ya gotta love those sun shielding wide brims. Looks good on you, sir (and vaguely yet remarkably similar to one worn by a certain guitarist we both know ...)
4. By . Comment posted 07-May-2008 @06:30pm:

   Yes indeed, it's a new hat. It's even crushable. You can jump up and down on it, and it pops back. I figured I needed some anti-sun attire after burning my bald forehead sitting at a graduation ceremony for three hours.
5. By . Comment posted 07-May-2008 @06:55pm:

   Here's another hat modeling shot. Recognize that shirt, 12? This was taken about 2 seconds before that dead tree broke off and sent me tumbling down about 1/4 of a mile into the canyon. The hat prevented a serious head injury.
   
   
6. By . Comment posted 07-May-2008 @07:01pm:

   I grew up in Eastern Washington, and as an adolescent and young adult hiked through all of the major coulees, being utterly amazed by the huge basalt walls, and other features left by the great floods.
   
   Because of that experience, I was prepared to be unimpressed when I made my first trip to the Grand Canyon in my late 30's. I walked up to the North Rim and almost wet my pants!
   
   Grand Coulee, Dry Coulee, Moses Coulee and all the others could be lost in one of the side canyons of the Grand Canyon. I still marvel at it more than 20 years later.
   
   Welcome back.
7. By Banjo Brad. Comment posted 07-May-2008 @07:11pm:

   The Grand Canyon is probably the most aptly named site in the Universe.
8. By Mister E.B.. Comment posted 07-May-2008 @07:28pm:

   Sure is...grand.
9. By . Comment posted 07-May-2008 @07:32pm:

   It's bigger than Grande... it's Venti!
10. By Rix. Comment posted 07-May-2008 @07:47pm:

    Welcome Back. It's been a quiet week.
    Looking forward to hearing more about the trip and seeing some photos.
    I haven't been to the Canyon since I was in single digits. It's about time for a return visit.
    
    Nice video. Good use of editing. Very exiting summary of the event.
11. By Mister E.B.. Comment posted 07-May-2008 @07:47pm:

    Congratulations to the graduate. Next stop, real world. Hope she does well in her chosen field.
    
    You know you're getting old when you know/remember what a slide-rule idiot is/was.
    
    About the video though, what the hell has happened to decorum? When did people start going woo-hoo at grad ceremonies? What's next? Woo-hoo at a funeral? Depends on who's dead, I suppose.
12. By . Comment posted 07-May-2008 @07:50pm:

    The Grand Canyon is probably the most aptly named site in the Universe.
    
    Sorry to be pedantic, Brad (although those who know me know that I'm delighted to be pedantic), but the "Grand Canyon" of Mars is about 2500 miles long and up to 4 miles deep. By comparison, the Earth's Grand Canyon is less than 500 miles long and 1 mile deep.
13. By boswell. Comment posted 07-May-2008 @07:58pm:

    Hey - the best home video I've ever seen (except for my own, of course.)
14. By Mister E.B.. Comment posted 07-May-2008 @08:00pm:

    Not Grande but Venti? Good one. The Venti Canyon from now on.
15. By Bobby. Comment posted 07-May-2008 @08:00pm:

    Welcome back - can't wait for the pictures.
    
    Mister E.B. - maybe it's a redneck Texas thing, but woo-hoo is mild at our graduations (and band/orchestra/dance recitals, academic/ sports/ROTC awards). Think airhorns and "who let the dogs out" noises, especially since our teams are the Bulldogs.
    
    John, how many times did you tear-up?
16. By wombat. Comment posted 07-May-2008 @09:20pm:

    Can we get another plot of days away vs. visitors?
17. By wormpicker. Comment posted 07-May-2008 @10:16pm:

    Ok, can we get back to bashing Hillary again?
18. By haywood brinker. Comment posted 08-May-2008 @12:31am:

    Welcome back, and congrats to the offspring.
19. By Southern Yank. Comment posted 08-May-2008 @03:58am:

    John,
    Where'd you get that hat? I need something that can take some rough treatment and still look good. Let the jokes commence...
20. By Godman. Comment posted 08-May-2008 @05:02am:

    Congratulations to the graduate and her supportive family!
    
    Note to Mister E.B. "what the hell has happened to decorum? When did people start going woo-hoo at grad ceremonies?" My good friend, a University professor who attends these quite frequently, informs me that decorum is out of vogue, while whooping and yelling are in style. The first graduation I have a recollection of is one in 1972, and it was formal. I think it's been a steady downward trend in decorum since about 2000.
21. By Sheldon. Comment posted 08-May-2008 @05:47am:

    Welcome back. I've been to the grand canyon, I only had an hour to visit though. I wanted to climb all over it. I think I was more impressed with Times Square in New York.
22. By wally the duck. Comment posted 08-May-2008 @05:57am:

    It is great to see you back! (Selfish, I know).
    I hope you had a great time. Were you anywhere near forest fires?
23. By Mister E.B.. Comment posted 08-May-2008 @06:02am:

    Bobby and Godman, thanks for the cultural insight. I'm a little short on decorum myself but have never been heard to go woo-hoo.
    
    I'm guessing it started on Oprah and has spread like wildfire amongst the white folks--kind of the vocal equivalent of wearing a baseball cap backward. When I hear woo-hoo, I am reminded--take bdn, for example--that we can call ourselves human beings or homo sapiens but, really, we're just the dominant monkey on the planet.
24. By Snag. Comment posted 08-May-2008 @06:05am:

    A proud moment for you and your daughter .. congratulations !
    
    Love the 'venti' call (grin) on your 'ravishing ravine' ... talk about soil erosion. I wonder where the soil ended up.
    
    BTW, the hat suits you very well. In traditional 'felt', it is a style very common in rural Australia, although ours wouldn't stand up to the abuse yours would.
    
    Now I'm hangin' out for some pics.
25. By Volt. Comment posted 08-May-2008 @06:07am:

    Venti means 20 as in 20 Ounces of Starbucks coffee. I think we should leave it as the Grand Canyon.
    
    And concerntinist good luck sight seeing on Mars.
    
    The two best ways to see the Grand Canyon is to hike down it or fly over it in a small plane just above the rim (I did both).
    
    At the rims its the other side is just too far away to appreciate. Also, it looks different looking north rim to south rim vs looking south rim to north rim.
26. By Guy. Comment posted 08-May-2008 @06:09am:

    Welcome back, glad you finally got to visit the Grand Cayman Grand Canyon.
    Back in '83 a couple of friends and I hiked down to the Phantom Ranch and spent the night - 4 hours down, 8+ hours up. Even halfway down were amazed that more canyon was opening up below us. Awesome views - but I don't think I could do it today.
27. By concertinist. Comment posted 08-May-2008 @07:12am:

    Coincidentally, this:
    http://www.amazon.com/Man-Who-Walked-Through-Time/dp/0679723064/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210255758&sr=1-1
    
    is a reasonably interesting book I've been reading for a couple of weeks about backpacking the Grand Canyon.
28. By . Comment posted 08-May-2008 @07:19am:

    I picked up a copy of Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon. It describes how/why people die in the GC. Fascinating stuff.
29. By Banjo Brad. Comment posted 08-May-2008 @10:07am:

    concertinist
    
    So, did I specify which Grand Canyon? \\;^)
30. By Bisbonian. Comment posted 08-May-2008 @11:02am:

    Welcome Back. I once had a hat just like that...until I returned from a trip and found it smelling of cat pee.
31. By . Comment posted 08-May-2008 @11:13am:

    Things that belong on a T-shirt
    
    "I once had a hat just like that...until I returned from a trip and found it smelling of cat pee."
32. By Gee.... Comment posted 08-May-2008 @11:44am:

    My darling nephew is going into his 3rd year at Embry Riddle!
    
    He's going to be a rocket scientist.
33. By Curtis. Comment posted 08-May-2008 @12:55pm:

    The two best ways to see the Grand Canyon is to hike down it or fly over it in a small plane just above the rim (I did both).
    
    I see you, Volt, lurking around Park Ave waiting for Spike.
34. By . Comment posted 08-May-2008 @01:13pm:

    Congrats to your daughter. I remember sitting in the hot sun at my daughter's graduation. The college bookstore sold out of ball caps that afternoon and they didn't have enough hats for all the bald dads.
35. By Ivan Peeler. Comment posted 08-May-2008 @09:42pm:

    Signor, Welcome Home.