December 25, 2012 - Merry Christmas from the Middle East!

Merry Christmas! The day has finally come. I am thankful that the Army gave us a good meal and that I was able to Skype with my family. I got to see my wife and daughter open all of their presents, and I was able to see some of our other family members open some of theirs.

Uncut "Cape May Diamonds"

The present I was most waiting to see them open was the surprise that I had shipped to Dianna's mother. Matching Cape May Diamond Earrings for My wife and daughter. Cape May Diamonds are actually bits of quartz that wash up on the beach. They can be polished and cut like kind of like real diamonds. If you would like to check them out, you can read about them or order them from the Sunset Beach Shop's website http://www.sunsetbeachnj.com.

5 mm Cape May Diamond Earrings

I really enjoyed getting to spend time online with my family, but I hope that next year I will be able to spend it with them in person.

David H. Troyer
www.davidhtroyer.com
www.amazon.com/author/davidhtroyer
www.facebook.com/davidhtroyer
www.twitter.com/davidhtroyer
Please tell your friends about this blog by giving them this direct link. www.davidhtroyer.blogspot.com

December 19, 2012 - The end of the world?

The end of the world predictions by the Mayan calendar are almost as much fun as the "Y2K" scare. Of course, with the Y2K scare, only our computing abilities were supposed to come to an end, whereas with the Mayan end of the world predictions, there is a whole lot more at stake.

Is the end of the world coming? Eventually, but I am pretty sure that it is not yet. For one thing, the Bible teaches that Christ will return, and there will be about 1,007 years or so of life on earth after that (the seven years of "tribulation," and the thousand year reign of Christ).

The fact that so many have already unsuccessfully predicted the end of the world has kind of negated my faith in mankind's ability to pick the day of their own absolute destruction. No offense to anyone who has a day picked out, but when you are right, I am quite certain that I will be quite impressed.

For another thing... I've got nothing. Ok, actually, I'm sure there are many things I could add, but if the end of the world is coming on Friday, I don't want to get caught up writing about it until it happens.
The world may meet a sudden destruction someday, but I doubt it will be on Friday.

As December 12, 2102 rolls around, just remember that the Mayan guy who was making the calendar could have been dyslexic. (Think about it for a minute.)

Until Friday, we can all take a bit of advice from Marvel and Disney.
In the words of Samuel L. Jackson's character, Nick Fury, from the Avengers movie, "Until such a time as the world ends, we will act as though it intends to spin on."

David H. Troyer
www.davidhtroyer.com
www.amazon.com/author/davidhtroyer

December 19, 2012 - The moon

© David H. Troyer

Nearly every time I look at the moon, I see a glowing sphere of opportunity. I see a shimmering landscape just waiting to be discovered, charted, and inhabited by mankind.

Granted, we are still several years away anyone taking up permanent residence on this conveniently placed object, but given the Google X-Prize of 30 Million Dollars (http://www.googlelunarxprize.org/), we should at least see some new moon footage by the end of 2015.

On their page explaining why they are a part of this challenge (http://www.googlelunarxprize.org/prize-details/why-google-lunar-x-prize), Google explains that since commercial space companies are doing things that only governments could do in years past and that "inexpensive regular access to the Moon is the next critical stepping stone for further exploration of our solar system and universe." All things considered, I agree with them 100%.

I believe that It will be not only the "commercial space companies" that pave the way, but also large corporations such as Google which pave the way to the next era in the history of mankind.

Once inexpensive regular access to the moon is possible, it is not unforeseeable for Google Maps to chart the moon. Once this happens, it will open the door for other companies to find an inhabitable section of the moon and develop it in order to meet their needs.

I could easily see major hotel chains, or perhaps a developer, such as Donald Trump creating self-sustaining buildings complete with both business and living quarters.

The Walt Disney Company, as well as several other companies are presented with the unique opportunity of developing hotels where people can see the moon, and then, if there is enough revenue created from this, using them as a starting point for adding full-blown resorts where people can enjoy a low-gravity theme park. I could easily see several themed Walt Disney hotels on the moon's surface in the next 20-30 years

The best part is that it is not just America thinking about the future development of the moon. Apparently, several other countries, like Russia and China, are trying to do so as well. Perhaps several nations and corporations could band together in order to build a self-sustaining livable environment. If they do, it would present a unique opportunity for those who may choose to live on the moon to be a truly international community. It would provide a chance for scientists to study the moon and all that it has to offer, while living in what could be the most high tech and amazing place to live in the universe!

Of course, I think that the moon is pretty, or that those I love are somewhere out there beneath the pail moonlight, as Fievel so aptly reminds us, but I am looking forward to the day, hopefully within my own lifetime, when someone living on the moon is no different than living in Tampa, or London, or Los Angeles.

I truly believe that it is possible for mankind to develop colonies on the moon, and possibly other planets, but lets take it one step at a time.

If you have enjoyed reading my blog, please share it with your friends, and become a follower using your gmail account at www.davidhtroyer.blogspot.com

 

David H. Troyer
www.davidhtroyer.com

***David H. Troyer in no way represents Google, Microsoft, The Walt Disney Company, Donald Trump, or any other business or person mentioned in this blog. References to the Google X Prize website are provided so that the reader of this blog will be able to read official statements made by Google, Inc., instead of relying on the words of this author.

December 15, 2012 - Merry Christmas!

2012 Troyer Family Christmas Card

Merry Christmas! 

Christmas is just ten days away. Although I cannot be with my family this Christmas due to my deployment, I am still excited or them and for the joy which they will experience this year.

Before I left, in November, I went to one of the small shops on the outskirts of town, and started looking for Christmas presents after work one day. Since I was in my uniform, the shopkeeper and her assistant asked me if I was new in town, since they have a large number of people in the community who come and go.

I told her that we had been in town for a few months, and that I had been in once before to look around. I told her that the previous visit is what made me decide to purchase my Christmas presents from her store. In the course of our conversation, I told her that I was deploying and that I wanted to buy some presents for my family before I left. 

She was thrilled that I picked her establishment for this important task, and she helped me to find everything I was looking for, and then some. Once I had finished shopping, these two ladies wrapped each gift for me in some beautiful paper and tied ribbons around them.

It is the gestures like this, when people who have no gain whatsoever from it do nice things for others. This random act off kindness is one of the reasons I am still looking forward to Christmas this year. There are several beautifully wrapped presents sitting under the tree so that my family can experience the joy of opening a present which I picked out special for them on Christmas morning.

Another reason is that my wife and daughter will be able to spend some time with family while I am gone. They will be able to spend some time catching up on relationships that tend to suffer when you are in the Army and live far away from relatives. Even though we have our "Church family, and our "Army family," as so many call them, it is still nice to be able to return to those you have spent so many hears sharing life's experiences with.

Another reason I am excited about this Christmas is the fact that I was able to work something else out. My wife should be getting a special surprise at some point. I cannot say any more than that for now, as she reads my blog and that would kind of ruin it. I do plan to post pictures of her surprise later.

One final reason I am excited about this Christmas is for what it represents. It represents a time when the Savior, Jesus Christ, came to earth as a child so that one day, he could pay for our sins. I am thankful for His sacrifice and for what it means to me and my family.

I hope that if you are looking forward to Christmas as much as I am this year, and if you are not, perhaps you can borrow some of the hope and cheer which I possess this year until you find yourself with some Christmas cheer of your own. If nothing else, just enjoy the time you can spend with your family, and think about all off the soldiers, airmen, and sailors who cannot.

David H. Troyer

www.amazon.com/author/davidhtroyer

December 14, 2012 - Deployment so far

So far, things have been going well on this deployment. It took some traveling, but I finally made it to my country of destination.

When I got here, I was able to get settled fairly quickly. Some people complain about the food here, but I like it. Honestly, I think it is about the same as the food I had in Basic Training or AIT. I work in a tent, but I'm sure that is not a surprise to anyone.

The chaplain and his assistant have been a big help. They have things set up in their office so that everyone can take whatever they need. The basics are all there and they also have some other cool things which most would consider luxuries. From what I hear, we have had visits from chaplains of various faiths.

I have been able to keep in touch with my family fairly well since I have been here.
As you can see, the care packages have started rolling in for Christmas. The first one shown here with the stockings and the two hats was sent by my wife. Notice the "Jayne Hat" based on the one from Firefly.

She made the Christmas hat and large stocking special for me. The stocking has a place for a nametape.

Then, she made a stocking for each of my roommates and stuffed it full of some cool things. (A sampling of things from my stocking/package.) I am going to surprise them at Christmas.

This package was sent by some family members. It has some really cool things in it. The hand sanitizer is going into my work area soon.

 

This package was sent by a friend who is  veteran. She knew pretty much what would be useful. She sent extra so that I could share (so did everyone else). I like the blanket. It is coming in handy.

 I'm sure I'll have other things to talk about later, but for now, things are going well.