Yesterday was Day 4 on the Eagle Scout project we have going on at the Naval Air Museum and a conversation I had there that afternoon has made me reconsider my previous thoughts on blogging.
During our lunch break I was speaking with the mother of our Eagle Scout candidate and she mentioned to me that she had come across my blog while doing an internet search on the museum. She said that she found my earlier posting on the museum to be most informative and especially touching since I was trying to relate the history of NAS Barbers Point and our aircraft. Anyway, we got to talking about my blogging and she encouraged me to consider making a blog dedicated to the Naval Air Museum so that we could share both the story of NAS Barbers Point and the goings-on at the museum.
Talking to her about my blog gave me pause and also reminded me about how effective the internet can be in connecting people to each other, being that I didn't really think that anyone outside of my COM 201 class would even know that my blog existed. I also must admit though, that it felt good to know that someone outside of COM 201 did find my blog and felt that there was value in it.
Maybe I should reconsider and continue to blog like she suggested...
Food for thought...
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Some Thoughts on Blogging...
Greetings Blog,
Well, we are in the last month of the spring semester so everything is starting to converge together...meaning I've been trying to keep ahead with assignments and so don't really have anything exciting to post today!
That being said though, I figured that now would be just as good a time as any post some of my thoughts on my blogging experience thus far.
Firstly, as I sort of alluded to with my very first posting, I never saw myself as actually doing a blog at all. I never was the type to keep a diary or scrapbook or the likes and although I do enjoy writing, I wouldn't say that I'm much of a creative writer or storyteller; my writing style is more analytic. Also, I'm a fairly reserved person, I don't like to perform or act, can't sing well, don't dance, etc. and I value my privacy. No one should have the impression that I'm painfully shy or a recluse by any means, I guess what I'm trying to say is that while I know I have things that are worth saying and things that are worth sharing; I simply don't feel the need to just open up and tell those things to everyone in the world.
I suppose maybe I'm just old fashioned or whatever, but it just seems to me that discretion and dignity is becoming a thing of the past. When did it become so important for everyone to know all the minute details of your everyday life? When did it become necessary to comment on everything, especially when so many of those comments are irrelevant, vulgar, or callous? Why do we as a society sudden feel that the spotlight is all that matters? Of course we could go on and on about these things, but in a cynical way it doesn't matter seeing as I'm sure these words have been said before...then again that's the evolution of communication in action!
On the plus side, I must admit that blogging has been a insightful experience for me in that I can certainly now appreciate the efforts that bloggers must put in to ensure that their posts are current, informative, and/or entertaining. With the "convenience" of the internet, people forget that very real effort must go into endeavors on the web whether it be a blog, vlog, or video. The fact that people actually make their living through internet publications attests that there is more this realm of media than meets the eye.
If anything, blogging has given me an incentive to bite the bullet and finally get an I-Phone. Its hard to blog without having a camera handy and I am convinced that my posts would be much more spontaneous and thus far more entertaining than they would be otherwise.
We shall see...
Well, we are in the last month of the spring semester so everything is starting to converge together...meaning I've been trying to keep ahead with assignments and so don't really have anything exciting to post today!
That being said though, I figured that now would be just as good a time as any post some of my thoughts on my blogging experience thus far.
Firstly, as I sort of alluded to with my very first posting, I never saw myself as actually doing a blog at all. I never was the type to keep a diary or scrapbook or the likes and although I do enjoy writing, I wouldn't say that I'm much of a creative writer or storyteller; my writing style is more analytic. Also, I'm a fairly reserved person, I don't like to perform or act, can't sing well, don't dance, etc. and I value my privacy. No one should have the impression that I'm painfully shy or a recluse by any means, I guess what I'm trying to say is that while I know I have things that are worth saying and things that are worth sharing; I simply don't feel the need to just open up and tell those things to everyone in the world.
I suppose maybe I'm just old fashioned or whatever, but it just seems to me that discretion and dignity is becoming a thing of the past. When did it become so important for everyone to know all the minute details of your everyday life? When did it become necessary to comment on everything, especially when so many of those comments are irrelevant, vulgar, or callous? Why do we as a society sudden feel that the spotlight is all that matters? Of course we could go on and on about these things, but in a cynical way it doesn't matter seeing as I'm sure these words have been said before...then again that's the evolution of communication in action!
On the plus side, I must admit that blogging has been a insightful experience for me in that I can certainly now appreciate the efforts that bloggers must put in to ensure that their posts are current, informative, and/or entertaining. With the "convenience" of the internet, people forget that very real effort must go into endeavors on the web whether it be a blog, vlog, or video. The fact that people actually make their living through internet publications attests that there is more this realm of media than meets the eye.
If anything, blogging has given me an incentive to bite the bullet and finally get an I-Phone. Its hard to blog without having a camera handy and I am convinced that my posts would be much more spontaneous and thus far more entertaining than they would be otherwise.
We shall see...
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Curating and Photos...
Along with doing living history, I also volunteer and am curator at the Naval Air Museum Barbers Point, located at the former Naval Air Station Barbers Point in Kapolei. I became involved with NAMBP about 5 years or so ago and in that time I have had some of the most rewarding and not to mention wacky experiences of my life; simply due to the fact that I was there on the right day at the right time.
The museum has been around since 1999 when NAS Barbers Point was finally shuttered after 58 years of service. The mission of NAMBP is to preserve the history of the base and thus far, we have a collection of 11 aircraft which are representative of types which flew out of NAS Barbers Point in the Cold War years.
Out of all the aircraft in the collection, our flagship would have to be our P-3A Orion "Alphie" which has been the focus of our attention this year. "Alphie" was retired from service at NAS Barbers Point and was left on the flight line when the base closed. She last flew with the unit VPU-2 "The Wizards" which relocated to and now operates from MCAS Kaneohe. "Alphie" is the largest aircraft we have and is symbolic of NAS Barbers Point because back in its day the P-3 Orion would have been a ubiquitous sight on the flight line and in the air space about the base.
"Alphie" from the rear showing the MAD (Magnetic Anomaly Detector) Boom or "stinger" at the tail, which would have been used to help detect submarines during patrols. While the purpose of the Orion is anti-submarine warfare and maritime patrol, "Alphie" is unique in that she is a non-standard Orion owing to her service with VPU-2. While with the "Wizards" she was a part of "special projects" read the testing and evaluation of top secret equipment and other related secret squirrel activities.
As part of our push to restore "Alphie" to presentable condition, we have partnered with a Boy Scout to refurbish the interior of "Alphie" for his Eagle Scout Project. He and his volunteers have put in 3 day so far on just the cockpit alone, but the results speak volumes about the effort involved.
Close-up of the center console, note the pre-digital "steam guages" and analogue switches. No high-speed "glass cockpit" here! Again, all the gray you see was repainted after the instruments were removed and area carefully covered and masked.
The museum has been around since 1999 when NAS Barbers Point was finally shuttered after 58 years of service. The mission of NAMBP is to preserve the history of the base and thus far, we have a collection of 11 aircraft which are representative of types which flew out of NAS Barbers Point in the Cold War years.
Out of all the aircraft in the collection, our flagship would have to be our P-3A Orion "Alphie" which has been the focus of our attention this year. "Alphie" was retired from service at NAS Barbers Point and was left on the flight line when the base closed. She last flew with the unit VPU-2 "The Wizards" which relocated to and now operates from MCAS Kaneohe. "Alphie" is the largest aircraft we have and is symbolic of NAS Barbers Point because back in its day the P-3 Orion would have been a ubiquitous sight on the flight line and in the air space about the base.
"Alphie" from the rear showing the MAD (Magnetic Anomaly Detector) Boom or "stinger" at the tail, which would have been used to help detect submarines during patrols. While the purpose of the Orion is anti-submarine warfare and maritime patrol, "Alphie" is unique in that she is a non-standard Orion owing to her service with VPU-2. While with the "Wizards" she was a part of "special projects" read the testing and evaluation of top secret equipment and other related secret squirrel activities.
As part of our push to restore "Alphie" to presentable condition, we have partnered with a Boy Scout to refurbish the interior of "Alphie" for his Eagle Scout Project. He and his volunteers have put in 3 day so far on just the cockpit alone, but the results speak volumes about the effort involved.
Looking towards the cockpit from the center of the plane.
Inside the cockpit. The pilot (or aircraft commander) sits on the left and the copilot on the right. All the gray areas on the consoles and floor were just repainted.
Close-up of the center console, note the pre-digital "steam guages" and analogue switches. No high-speed "glass cockpit" here! Again, all the gray you see was repainted after the instruments were removed and area carefully covered and masked.
View of the copilots station.
View of the aircraft commanders station.
Even after going on for over 10 years now, NAMBP is still just a fledgling, grass-roots organization. I myself refer to us as a rebel or guerilla museum, being that we are still largely unknown. Despite the challenges though, there is still satisfaction to be found in the little victories we achieve here and there, and I think that this Eagle Scout Project is the perfect example of what a small group of dedicated amateurs can do. When the work is complete, "Alphie" at least on the inside, will actually look better than an operational Navy P-3, quite the achievement considering that we are using spray paint and office carpeting, and on a shoestring budget too!
Being involved in projects like "Alphie" is why I enjoy giving my spare time to NAMBP, and despite the stress and challenges which inevitably arise; there is no greater satisfaction than knowing at the end of the day that the work you put in rivals or even beats that of the professionals.
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