I am happy to report that because I didn’t make any New Years Resolutions. I did not break any of them this year..SUCCESS. This will be a super short post. I am one of those people who only get about 4 hours of sleep a night. Regardless of what time I go to bed I usually fall asleep between 11:30 and Midnight. I wake up between 2:30 and 3 am. If I don’t fall asleep before Midnight then I don’t go to sleep until the next night. Therefore to stay as close to tradition as I can I plan to celebrate New Years at 12 NOON Saturday, New Years Eve. What?? It is still 12 even though it isn’t Midnight. OK? I figure it must be midnight somewhere. I feel sorry for my friends who have to work Monday Jan.2, 2012. Most of them have made a tradition of watching the Rose Bowl Parade, and Game. I have told them I will record it on my Recording device and they can come over and watch at a mutually agreed time and we can have a Rose Bowl Parade Party. Well I guess that is it for now. If I don’t see you before…. HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!!!!!! That Is How I See It. between Views: 163
Month: December 2011
Christmas Cards
I remember when as a child, we had our fireplace mantel full of Christmas cards we received. Not only was the mantel full, but we had at least one wall, and usually more, filled with Christmas cards. Then when I had my own place, it was the same way. We had cards from friends, and family, we may only see once every year or so. These cards would be full of update messages, and imparted a genuine desire to keep in touch with each other. They came from all over. I received one from my older cousin who was stationed in Okinawa., I was probably about 10 then. (Off the subject a little but this reminds me of one of my favorite memories) He came home between Thanksgiving and Christmas. He came to my school to pick me up, in his dress blue uniform. It was quite a thrill when you are only 10 for a real Marine to come get you out of school to spend the day with you. But back to the Christmas cards. I look around now and I got one. From my insurance agent. Granted my extended family and friends are dwindling. Spread out far and wide. We, the younger generation have just gone our separate ways. If we see each other at all it is when one of our relatives die. But because of riffs between some of the older relatives, some of my cousins refuse to attend the funerals of these elder relatives. So the Christmas card would have still been a good way to keep in touch. Several of them have moved around several times. I don’t have any of their addresses. And I suppose they have lost mine. Some of them have prospered way beyond my means, and probably think they are too good to communicate with me. When we do see each other, on those rare funeral occasions, we still have fun talking and reminiscing. But the ones I really have to blame is the CARD COMPANIES, and the UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE. They have pretty much priced the average Joe out of the Christmas card season. We could get enough cards to send out to 40 or 50 people for what it costs for about 5 cards or less now. We could mail about 8 or 9 cards for the price of one now. Then you have the Card Companies making their cards the right size but once you put them in the envelope, the USPS has this little fee for cards that don’t fit through the sorter. Much of the time it is because the card would fit but once inside the envelope it is too large by maybe a 1/32 of an inch, and has to be hand sorted. Enough about the card situation. Let’s remember the real reason for Christmas. CHRIST. Whether you consider him your SAVIOR, A PROPHET, or whatever. For Christians HE is the beginning, of our salvation, To others he may be someone else. Either way his birth. (whenever that may have been) we celebrate HIS Birth on this CHIRSTmas day. I still miss the cards. But I still Have CHRIST. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL That Is How I See It, between Views: 415
Rod Blagojevich Former Politician
As you all know Rod Blagojevich has been found guilty and sentenced for his actions as governor of the state Illinois. He, unlike you and me was given a grace period, until February 16, 2012, to report to prison. If it were me they would have hauled me off to a cell right then. But I suppose when you are wealthy, you have to be allowed time to prepare yourself, and “set your affairs in place”. Here we have a man. A man who as a child worked as a shoeshine boy, and a dishwasher, among other odd jobs, to help his family pay bills and to enable him to attend college. He earned his BA degree from Northwestern University, before gaining his JD from Pepperdine University, A man who became a lawyer, prosecutor, State Legislator,U.S. Congressman, and Governor. Granted he did marry well and a lot of his success came from the backing of his influential father-in-law. Now he will spend at least 11.9 years in prison. I don’t think they have decided which prison, most likely Terre Haute, Indiana. (A good 4 hour drive from Chicago). Will his family and friends make that 8 hour roundtrip, for about an 1 hour visit? Will they move closer to his prison? What will his family do? Will they stay behind him? Will his wife wait nearly 12 years to resume her life with him? He will be about 67 when he is released. Did he make enough money on the side to compensate for the lost retirement he will surely face? For some of you the $65,000.oo a year retirement he would receive from the state of Illinois is not much. But to someone like me, that exceeds the total of my best 2 years of work during my entire life. I am assuming due to the nature of his crimes he will not be receiving that retirement, which he would begin receiving, I think, in January. He may get his federal retirement ($15,000.oo) from the term he spent in Congress. (When he turns 65). The man who came from shoeshiner/dishwasher. To an IMPORTANT, INFLUENTIAL, man on top of the world. What went wrong??? I guess Mr. Blagojevich will have plenty of time to contemplate about what went wrong, and why. I would sure like to be able to talk to him. To learn where he blew his fuse. I think it took tremendous drive as a young man to attain the heights he reached. Perhaps it was this same drive that became his undoing. That Is How I See It. became Views: 171
Protection Scheme
Remember on TV when the gangsters demand money from the store keepers to PROTECT them. Of course the shopkeepers were paying to keep the gangsters from smashing, or burning their establishment. Probably still do. Here is an example of another protection scheme, This one by the upright citizens of a small town in Tennessee. Imagine, if you will, watching everything you own going up in smoke. Now imagine the local firefighters with their trucks and equipment sitting there watching it also. That is exactly what happened in Tennessee. The family in this small town near the South Fulton Tennessee fire department, watched as their mobile home and belongings went up in flame. Why? Once again it was because the home owner did not pay the subscription/protection, fee. We saw this once or twice before. I understand the fire department had to go out of their usual confines to answer the call. They did respond in the event of human peril. Here is the catch. The fire department needs the money to keep it’s facilities and equipment up to date. These fees offset that need. The FD could just charge…..say $150.oo for these outside calls. But then there would be no need for anyone to pay the $75.oo annual fee. I vote for the $150.oo or so per trip charge. After all this is not like it is an everyday thing. Here is my dilemma. As a member of the human race, with the proper training, be able to just stand (or sit) and watch another person’s life belongings, go up in fire. NO! I couldn’t. But apparently the firemen of South Fulton Tennessee, have no problem with this. I guess that will teach the outsiders. Pay Up! or lose it. One last question before I close. I realize it was just a trailer home. But has anyone assessed the fire department a fine for, in my mind, violation of the EPA code. Surely a public minded group like a fire department, is concerned with AIR POLLUTION. Should they not have done their part to prevent this polluted air. That Is How I See It. Views: 334
White Canned Coca~Cola
Have you tried the new Coca~Cola in the WHITE CAN. Coke tries to pass this off as the “CLASSIC COKE”. But real Coke drinkers can tell you it is NOT!!!! Some of you may remember when they ditched the Coca~Cola formula and introduced “NEW COKE” What a disaster. Coke lovers raised such a fuss they had to come up with “CLASSIC COKE”. “CLASSIC COKE” as anyone who remembers was not the ORIGINAL COKE. It left something out that gave Coca~Cola it’s unique aura of taste, and (for a lack of a better word), It’s kick. A milder version of the ORIGINAL version. Coke, if you did not know came in 6 ounce bottles. That was in it’s heyday. Then because Pepsi Cola was selling 12 ounce bottles (this was how they competed. They gave a very watered down version of coke in 12 ounce bottles which had about half the kick of Coca~Cola in the 12 ounce bottle for the same nickle as Cokes 6 ounce bottle). For some reason Coca~Cola felt the need to compete with the 12 ounce Pepsi Cola. When Coca~Cola put their product in 12 ounce bottles it lost some of it’s flavor. The bigger the bottle the less pizzazz, it had. I just tried the COKE (?) in the WHITE cans and found it to be a sweeter milder flavor, nothing like Coca~Cola. Still better than Pepsi Cola. Better than the “NEW” Coke. Not as good as “CLASSIC” Coke. No where near as good as “ORIGINAL” Coke. I fail to see why the company wants to fool with perfection. I know this new generation may not be able to handle the REAL THING. It probably has too much kick for them. What I do not like is Coca~Cola trying to pass off this new flavor by saying we only changed the can color. But for people with real taste we can tell the difference, and the difference was not made by a white can. White Can Coke is NOT THE REAL THING! I am not a diet drinker. But I have tried Coke Zero. Believe me Coke Zero has more Coca~Cola taste than White can Coke. I’m not saying White “Coke” is all bad. It just isn’t Coca~Cola. It might go well by some other name. But Please COCA~COLA don’t try to pass this formula off as COKE. Give it it’s own name. Perhaps the people who like the sweet mild taste of Pepsi Cola will pick upon your WHITE CAN cola. That Is How I See It. Views: 285
