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Below are the 8 most recent journal entries recorded in
donniemac_33050's LiveJournal:
| Thursday, August 24th, 2006 | | 5:14 pm |
not been around much
I have finally hit my Waterloo in politics. It is quietly becoming a travesty to watch this administration rewrite history (their actions over the past 5 years) and there seems to be no one in the streets protesting. This election will be an eye opener for a lot of us. While I suspect that the gerrymandering that has gone on with the house districts (and the Supreme Court upholding the Republicans efforts to thwart the will of the people-and you ask "What's new?") may allow the Republican party to keep control of the house even though the majority of voters prefer a Democratic house, I hope that we see a change in the Senate. But we may see the Republican party and, by inference, the policies of the past 5 years get a vote of confidence. That will prove Lincoln wrong, up end our Revolutionary War era fore-fathers values, and get us socially where Barry Goldwater, Etc. warned us we would end up, with a government that is totally opposed to freedom. They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. Benjamin Franklin (1706 - 1790), Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759 But a Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever. John Adams I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations. James Madison | | Thursday, March 30th, 2006 | | 6:42 am |
Hi World
I wanted to thank, publicly, or at least as publicly as I can get, my brother, earthmystic, for pushing me into getting an Apple Computer. Being a pc (but not politically correct) kind of guy, I got the new laptop with the Intel processor, macBook Pro. Now I really know the meaning of user friendly. Haven't been saying much as I just did not feel like it. I have been sitting on the side line watching the administration and republican congress self destruct. Just wish the Democrats could get their act together and get some backbone. The biggest lesson of the Viet Nam era just keeps getting lost on the politicos and that is you cannot keep lying to nation. Eventually, even your supporters are going to take notice. On a lighter note, I took a quiz that I found on blumuum's March 27th and here are the results: Catch you later | | Sunday, November 13th, 2005 | | 4:06 pm |
LONG TIME NO COMMENTS - a boomers muses
It has been a long time, I am currently in Atlanta visiting friends and my brother and his family. The boomers turning 60 article in Newsweek hit home as I am a 46er (born in 1946, the 1st year of boomers) and turn 60 next year. It is interesting how much the article drove home that we are going to redefine middle age into another anything goes era in our life's journey. I have been unemployed for 5 years the end of this year and wonder how did I ever have time to work, and yet I have friends who have started a second career and are having as much of a blast as I am having being foot loose and fancy free. There is some envy both ways, I sometimes miss the things extra income can buy you and they wish they had as much free time as I have. It is a choice between desposable income or desponsable time. I visited JavaMonkey in beautiful downtown Decatur and found it to be a fine coffeeshop. We went today to the new High Museum of Art here in Atlanta. Looks to me that Atlanta has a new jewel. Julie and I head back to Williamsburg tomorrow and get into the swing of things for the holidays, something easy to do in Williamsburg. Catch y'all later | | Friday, October 14th, 2005 | | 12:06 pm |
On dreary days
We are having our 8th day of cloudy, drizzly, and dreary weather here in Williamsburg. Goes along with dealing with my parents. But I got a big laugh out of watching the President's visit with the troops yesterday, particularly the portion taped prior to the president coming out to the podium. This weather makes me want to break out my Weber mandolin and play the few songs I know. That is a surefire pick-me-up. | | Wednesday, October 12th, 2005 | | 8:23 am |
It's hell getting older, but beats the alternative (at least for most)
My parents seem to be coping with their end of life scenerio. It has been tough but fun and interesting at the same time. It is amazing how many are going through the same issues with their parents. I have had the best support from my siblings, friends, parents, and friends of my parents. When I hear horror stories fgom friends about their brothers and sisters, it makes me grateful for my experience. Sure am looking forward to my brother's visit. It is always fun to see him and Julie and I will be going down to see him and friends in November. I will close this with one of my infamous sayings (truths) Inside every old person is a young person saying "What the heck happened!" Catch y'all later. | | Wednesday, October 5th, 2005 | | 10:22 pm |
lawyers and doctors
I have been dealing with lawyers selected by the buyers of my parents condo. If these lawyers were being paid by me, they would have been fired days ago. I have been fortunate to have know several of the best attorneys in SE Virginia. And what I have learned is that there is a pecking order based on ability and results. Unfortunately most of us have no way of knowing where the lawyer we have hired falls on the pecking order. And many times, the results of their incompetence does not show up for years. I bought a piece of property back in the 70s. Reading the property description (Disclosure: I am an engineer and we are known to be anal retentive about what we are about to sign and read everything), I found that the property had 3 right of ways for roads described on the deed. What had happened is the law firm that drew up the deed, copied a description from another property that had 2 right of ways for roads. After adding the right of way for the access road on the property, there would have been deeded 2 another roads on the property. This would have resulted in 3 of the 4 sides having deeded access. Another time, I was buying property and the closing attorney calculated the settlement monies wrong ($3000 in my favor). I brought a check for the correct amount and after a sarcastic response to the effect that they do not make errors, I was given a check for the overpayment. About 15 minutes later, an exhausted clerk came running down to my RE agents office, hoping that I had not cashed the check because-OMG - there had been a mistake that was equal to check that was cut for me. No apologies though. I have had my name spelled incorrectly, wrong name used, incorrect street address, and other typo errors. Personally, having a piece of property on a street several blocks over does not meet my qualifications for typo errors. My father is a retired officer from the Air Force. He insists in using the base doctors for his and Mom's primary care. He was hospitalized back in the spring for low CBC due to internal bleeding. Tests were unable to determine exactly where the bleeding was occuring and he was sent home. The base has yet to have my father's CBC checked and he is showing signs of anemia again. Heck, I don't even know if the medical staff is even aware that he was hospitalized, never mind that he passed out at the base hospital and he was sent to a civilian hospital from the base hospital's ER. I am always amazed by tolerance of incompetence. Having a good personality seems to be more important than the ability to perform one's function correctly. I think that incompetence begets incompetence. And because so many people perform at a level that is less than satisfactory, the bar keeps getting lowered. I know many people who I am glad do not work in the medical field, transportation, or other fields where incompetence has very negative effects. We need to develope a culture where shame is the reaction of everyone who makes errors, particullarly where someone is harmed or inconvenienced by that error. Catch y'all later. | | Thursday, September 29th, 2005 | | 4:13 pm |
Our new Chief Justice
I think that CJ Roberts will either go down as one of the great Chief Justices or will be the first to be impeached, although not necessarily convicted of the impeachment charges. Although his early writings show a certain laissez-faire attitude towards the judicial function, that will change as he grows in the position. It is the nature of the court (both left leaning and right leaning) to be activist, even though strict Constitutionalists dislike that Supreme Court action. I find that intelligent people come to recognize that the constitution does protect from tyranny by the majority. And strict reading does find all equal under the law. This is why, imho, many conservative justices tend to move to the center. And many so-called liberal positions are upheld by the court as being constitutional and do not get changed as the court moves left or right. If CJ Roberts continues along the path of not allowing citizens to have redress, there will come a movement to remove him from office. If his early writings are a correct gage of his sentiment that higher courts should stay out of most legal cases unless there is clear cut constitutional issues, there will be chaos for the average citizen because there will not be equal protection under the law from state to state. His testimony in front of the Judicial committee does reveal a movement away from his earlier legal briefs. I hope that it is not the GWB's wink, wink towards a constituency that wants the Constitution to only speak to 18th century issues and concerns. Time will tell. I have been spending time with my elderly parents as they adjust to living in a retirement and assisted living community. There place on life's journey makes me wanting to leave y'all with one of my favorite George Bernard Shaw quotes - "Be like the sun and meadow, which are not in the least concerned about the coming winter." Catch y'all later. | | Saturday, September 24th, 2005 | | 10:41 pm |
Hi, this should be fun
I try to live by following little rules and sayings. While these are sometimes generalizations and other times dead on, they help me make it through our complex, fasinating, and often frustrating world. Here is a start. The world is but a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death. I like this better than stop and smell the roses. You cannot judge a book by its cover. A clock that does not run has the correct time twice a day. This reminds me to be open-minded. For most, there is no difference between high tech and black magic. This is my first journey into the world of expressing on the web. I welcome any and all comments as long as they are not abusive. Any subject is open for discussion and I will agree to disagree. Those of you who found me through my brother I welcome into my world and I hope you will come to welcome me into yours. I have been fasinated by some of the comments from those who are trying to show correlation between global warming and the hurricanes, Katrina and Rita. The fact that recorded history does not cover any complete global temperature variation cycles that we know exist does not stop the human inclination to think that our actions are the sole or largest impact on the Earths macro enviroment. Of course, the faction that denies global warning are as bad if not worst. I guess the shrinking ice fields throughout the world is a conspiracy of some sort. The fact is that these two storms happened to hit and remain over a deep, 300 feet vs a more normal 100-200 feet, warm band of water in the Gulf of Mexico and this is the cause of the rapid increase in storm strength. While I have not seen any data, I suspect that this was the cause of Camile. And remember the Islamorada storm in 1933. Where is the correlation between that storm and global warming? Enough for now, catch y'all later. |
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