Always wanted to be a star? Read on

(Pictures, clockwise: Mason doing the production work; Mason searching the trumpet sound; and studio view.)

Christmases are always (well usually) fun. Lots of good things happen. The best of all is being with family. And so was our Christmas this year. Not all of the family but lots over a five day period. Sometimes very special things happen without intent, of myself, at least.

At Valerie's for Christmas Eve and Day, Val suggested I record a Johnny Cash number, Rings of Fire. This was possible technically because grandson Mason has a recording studio in the home of Brad and Valerie. After touring the production process of Mason's, the idea of doing a recording was not such a stretch. I knew that most mess ups could be fixed! It was at that point of knowledge that I agreed to do Rings of Fire, and I am so glad I did. Here is a description of the process:

Val printed off the song words. I reviewed the words and the song came to my mind. I always liked Johnny Cash, most any recording he made. So, I thought, I can do that. I went to the studio with the rest of the family. Clema agreed to do the back up harmony on the chorus. Brad pulled his acoustical guitar and would do the lead. Mason, after getting recording mics ready, played bass guitar. Morgan played drums. And away we went.

It was NOT a straight through recording. I don't imagine any are. We practiced, ran through the song, with corrective prompts mostly from Brad - who is an excellent musician himself, but also from Val, who tutored on timing (which I never got down with much perfection). Part of the plan was to insert the trumpet part after we did the song. In place of the trumpet, Brad would mimic the trumpet part, and so it went.

After a few times through, sometimes stopping mid stream and restarting, we finally got through it. While it was not perfect, it was at such a stage we (I) was ready to call it quits. At that point, Brad and Mason went to the keyboard and selected "trumpet" and found the on key notes to replicate that part in the song. Mason took that and inserted it into the production. I made one recommendation, that we also put the trumpet at the end, which was done.

Anyway, the song came out pretty well. I was pleased. Brad pushed one of his buttons and burned a copy, and we left the recording room with a complete song recorded.

I told Val that she probably wanted this for my funeral. She laughed. No, she said. She had another song in mind for that. Oh, well. For a short while I was a star with my own recording.

If there is any brag on this it has to be the talent (and equipment) Mason has for doing that kind of recording. It is his dream, and I know he will be successful as time goes on. Also, the musical expertise of Brad, Mason, and Morgan! They have been doing music for a bunch of years. Just glad Val suggested it, and glad the family gave me a short period of stardom. That made Christmas more special, fo sho.

If you should want to hear it, email me and I can email it back to you. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

The art of writing - penmanship

For a lot of us, penmanship has been taken over by the computer keyboard. If I ever had it, it has gone the way of past forms of communication.

I have realized for sometime my inability to write distinctly. As a reported, six years ago, I had to be very careful in my taking notes. Oftentimes, I would get back to the news room and have to study real hard about what I had for notes. Sometimes, it was useless to try to figure it out. Fortunately, there were enough words I could make out to where I could kinda put the story together. That was six years ago. Now it is much worse.

Most things I do are on the computer. I write newsletters for the church and have no problem reading my write. Forms, even, have the capability to be filled out on the computer. No hand writing needed.

Recently, I was working with an organization where we in my club needed to fill out a signature change. Four people had to sign, print name, and put the date, plus social security number and date of birth. My, my! What a bunch of hen scratching. Nobody can write. No one has a knack of penmanship, I determined. Turned out the recipient had to email me to get me to fill in the blanks.

Additionally, I can't read right. ha. The lady who got the form asked me to send the first five digits of my SSN. I read it the last five digits, and that is what I sent. We (I) finally got it right. I had also to call a couple of other signatories to get clarification.

My point is that all of us would have written much better before the days of the computer keyboard. And, with that, I just learned how come I am so bad at penmanship. I don't do it. I need to practice, perhaps standing at a chalk board and writing a hundred times I will write better.

Now, there is not much need for penmanship anymore, but it is something we need to keep doing pretty well. No telling when somebody might send a form that has to be completed in long hand. How about that!

Sure glad this puter has a spell checker, which is another subject.

A paradigm shift

A paradigm shift has to be made when all is not the same any more, for whatever reason.

I was thinking the other day of the paradigm shift required as one grows older and objectives can't be the same as they were when he was younger. Well, that is the paradigm shift I write about in this chuckothoughts. I am now 69, which causes need for thinking differently - about a lot of things - than I did 10, 20, or 30 years ago.

For example, I used to think a lot about trading cars (and buying trucks) and houses and such. Just sign on the line and pay for it in time. That was some time ago for sure. The last new thing I bought was a new truck. It was (and still is) a nice truck - a 2004 Chevrolet Silverado, with about 70,000 miles.

I financed that truck for five years. I bought a policy that paid it off if I died, so Clema would not be burdened with a payment. I was confident this was a good move. Well, it is about paid for - another four payments left. Clema will not be burdened with a payment on that truck we both call "Fred."

Now, just five years down the road, it is a bit different. If I traded it off for a new one and financed for five years, I am less sure I would be able to pay it off in my life time. Certainly, I am not in health to be able to buy insurance to pay it off. While I might make it another five years, if I don't, Clema gets saddled with a truck payment, unless there are funds somewhere else. So, this causes a paradigm shift. Not a good idea at this point to finance a new truck. Better off to look to a financial position where I can just buy one if I want one.

The other shift in thinking for me is in trying to get the house paid for, so Clema will not have that to pay for by herself. That means funds need to be more dedicated in the direction of reducing the mortgage. That is a paradigm shift, too, that comes to me later in life, one that I did not think much about before. Before, there was a life time to pay for a house. Now, that life time has to be shorter than it used to be.

My point: there does come a point in life where one needs to think differently than they did in a younger age. I am there! This is the point at which one stars drawing in rather than extending out, if I may put it that way. I now know more that that is a part of life.

I am comfortable with this change in priorities. There are a lot of things good about growing older. Being more realistic might indeed be one of them.

So, I am at a point of a needed paradigm shift. That is not bad. It just is.

How about health care?

Our nation is always divided on something. Now it is health care. Sometimes I think I have never heard it so mean between opponents to issues. Then I think of Civil Rights, Dr. Martin Luther King, the election of 2001, Watergate, of Vietnam, of Woodstock, of Dot Coms , Clinton's haircut. You name it. Every issue has sides, and the sides are usually fiercely opposing each other. What has been still is.

My hospital stay

As Rodney King said, "Why can't we just be friends" (wasn't it he?).

Lines have been drawn in the sand before. No need to wish they were not. There are times when the right (and I mean right) must just press on. Seek consensus, but when the day is done, do what is right, and move on.

We need changes. Too many people cannot get insurance. What is available is going out of sight on cost. Too many people with pre existing conditions have to pay way too much if they can get coverage at all. The Public Option will have to be there.

Hopefully, for me, this is the year.

It is not that I need change. I am pretty well off, thank you. But I am concerned about those who need help, and I don't look on that as a bad position. We must be concerned as a nation about those who have needs. Still.

So I am in hope that after all is said and done a bill can be advanced and the President will sign it.

We need more peace

We are living in a very unpeaceful world, I'd say. Too much anger out there, and sometimes it is mine. Thing is, peace is so much better than un-peace. That is what we need to know.

I brought a sermon recently on The Joy of Forgiveness. That topic came to me via a church bulletin I get from a friend. The meat of the topic was the great danger one does to their mental and physical bodies by not practicing more forgiveness. And, of course, being a church bulletin, it talks about the necessity of forgiveness as a follower of God, the great forgiver.

This is not to say that some things do not need correcting by offenders. They do. But our growing in hate and frustration does not solve anything. It only makes us feel bad. It might be that we cannot do anything about the offender, but we CAN do something about how we think about it, and that is where it gets into The Joy of Forgiveness.

We could name so many things that happen personally where this lesson is needed. The reader can likely reflect on his or her life and list a bunch, too.

The message is we can feel a lot better, we can enjoy life a lot more, we can live at peace a lot better by being more forgiving. We can actually enjoy life more if we would stop hating offenders so much. Who knows, if we acted better, and were more forgiving, the offenders might learn something. They might want to live like us. Who would want to live like us if we constantly are in turmoil? Makes sense to me.

So....we do need more peace in our lives. Husband to wife, wife to husband, brother to sister, and vice a versa, friend to friend, and fellow man to fellow man. All kinds of relationships exist where this can be applied. And we don't want to forget employee to employer, to think of one more.

Want peace? Work at being more forgiving! Yes, that works.

On Summer travels Jul 31 - Aug 10

Summer time is usually a time for travels. When one has kids at home and they are out of school, it is time to hit the road. When one's kids are gone and summer comes, it is time to hit the road. Not a lot changes. Most people choose to travel in the summer time, and so did we.

Tennessee was on our plan this year for summer time. Why was that? Well, it was the time of my wife Clema's family reunion. One always wants to make family reunions, and when they happen, that is the time to travel.

We were happy to include our granddaughter Audrey out of San Antonio. Audrey had made a trip last year to Tennessee and found a lot of fun with cousins. She knew we were going, and she asked if she could go. Audrey, now 11, was ready to travel, and it was a joy to have her along.

Audrey's dad gave me a $100 to dole out to Audrey. At one point she asked me to just give her the $100 bill. No, I said. I will give it to you in $20 increments. She was happy with that, and she lasted the $100 for all of the trip, which was really about 10 days. She spent wisely, the first of which was in a Cracker Barrel for gifts for her brothers at home. I thought that was really good use of the money she could have spent anyway she wanted - under my watchful eye, of course.

We traveled over 3,000 miles and burned over 150 gallons of gasoline at about $2.50 per gallon. We stayed five nights in hotels at good rates, based on Clema's employment and employee rates. We stayed 3 nights with Clema's niece in McMinnville - her bed and breakfast, we call it. You can't beat a mountain top bed and breakfast of that kind.

This kind of travel is not to see things. It is to see people and renew acquaintances. That is what we did, mostly. In Dickson, we met with my aunt and uncle and had Tennessee catfish with them. We met with my deceased brother's wife and children and grandchild. Always, that is good. We also met with a 2nd cousin, the son and his family of my cousin who lives in Illinois. The second cousin preaches in Lebanon but we met up in Dickson for the Walnut Street Church of Christ homecoming and dinner on the ground (well, it was not really on the ground). Then we visited the family cemetery in north Dickson County.

From there we went to Smyrna, Tennessee to the CoC there and their evening singing. There is no singing like congregational singing with people who like to sing. So, that was a real plus. After that we joined our friends there and went out for a meal at O'Charlie's. Getting back to Nashville was where my GPS (from the previous post) came in handy.

On my birthday, August 5, we traveling to McMinnville and Harrison Ferry Mountain and Curtis Town. After a couple of big meals on Wednesday and Thursday, we attended the reunion, held at the Mt. Leo CofC. A good time by all, for sure. We did take in some sightseeing at High Rock (picture included). It was also good to have our daughter Valerie and her husband Brad, from Corpus Christi, join us in McMinnville for a couple of days.

Saturday through Monday we returned to Laredo. We stopped off in Houston to visit our daughter and family, then on to San Antonio to drop Audrey, and on home to Laredo.

A good trip, and it was good to get home.

HOW GREAT IS GPS!

I am on a trip in Tennessee - home country. Used to, I knew all the roads and how to get around. I still think that, but it is not like it used to be. Perhaps my thinking is not as sharp as it used to be. It is harder to find my way around.

I have always prided myself in being a good navigator. I know how to read maps. I am a good compass navigator - Boy Scouts honor, you know. But.... I do have a GPS on my Sprint cell phone, and I have found it pretty good in several places for finding direction. Maybe it is becoming a crutch that I must have. Maybe it should be more than a crutch.

Twice in two days I have let the Sprint GPS woman get me out of a bind. Well, it is not like I could not have gotten out of it, but I decided to put my confidence in the GPS woman - and it worked. My being where I am proves that.

The first time, coming into Nashville, I decided to let GPS get me to the Broadway Embassy. But I lost confidence right away because the GPS woman was not saying what I thought she should be saying. I shut her down to operated on my own instincts. Well, I got off down in a residential neighborhood. Frankly, I did not know where I was!

I plugged in the GPS while in the residential neighborhood, and I decided to let GPS do the directing. In no time, I was in front of Embassy on Broadway!

Then, last night I had gone over to meet friends about 20 miles from Nashville. We went to eat at an O Charlies, which was really right next to the Interstate I came in on. Well, on departing, I obviously took a wrong turn. I got on back roads and drove and drove but never found the Interstate. I could have by following the truck compass, but there was no road going that way. I did not have a map, either.

So, I am traveling down this highway and decided I was not getting anywhere. I turned on the Sprint Navigator, plugged in the hotel address (using a recent one, already there), and immediately, the GPS woman said, "Do a U-turn, and travel nine point six miles." I followed instructions. She put me back on the Interstate in nothing flat. And, she had me back at the hotel in a much shorter distance than I would have done, using my former knowledge.

Isn't technology Great! Just learning to trust is the hard thing. But I am becoming convinced that GPS has arrived for my travels, anyway. I am a believer!

GPS is not new. It is, though for the everyday person. I remember 50 years ago questioning a pilot on why he was taking so long to make his takeoff run. Turned out he was programming coordinates to get to where he was going. Asking him more, he said that the GPS would get him within 20 feet of his destination, a far away place, as I remember. So, GPS has come to me, and I know I am a late comer! But I am a user, never to deride that latest technology available to the automobile traveler.

Life is Good!

It must be the heat!

Well, it is sure hot here in South Texas. Heat, too much of it, can cause one just to be cranky. ha. Well, I will lay it to that. I do prefer to write happy stuff.... I do! But here is another perhaps complainy one.

I have always been amazed at how easy the scamers get away with stealing from people. It runs rampant. I think it even is a part of the economic melt down we have been going through. It is because of greediness. It is also caused because people will tend to fall for anything. I like the axiom if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

We ought to be better at avoiding being taken. We really ought.

Now to what is rubbing me wrong today.

I have been listing to C-SPAN radio on my truck XM radio, lately mostly because I wanted to stay in tune with the questioning of the Supreme Court nominee. But today that was all gone, and there was a House committee, I think it was, questioning a panel on how to tighten the rules to stop scamers (that is my take of the reason, because that is what I was hearing, and it is what got my blood boiling - thinking of heat and air conditioning).

Here is what I heard from a representative for the FTC (Federal Trade Commission, I think). Someone asked him how long it would take putting a rule out that could enforce stopping people from scaming? Answer: ABOUT TWO YEARS! Yep, and while we are waiting for a rule, the scammers get rich!

That is what angers me. Apparently we think we have to have too many rules. Otherwise, somehow, we are mistreating even the mistreaters! Now isn't that a kick?

Why can't we just say it is wrong to cheat? If you do what we think is cheating, you are going to cease and desist until we can get a judge somewhere to validate what it is you are doing. Seems to me right and wrong ought to be pretty easy to figure out. Now, why can't we do that.

Here is the rest of it: No one, not one mentioned what I am saying. What I heard for a good while was just people giving speeches, going this way and that way. This left me to believe no one, not anyone at the Federal level is earning his or her keep on this question. Why, it will take them two years at least to finish the panel that was supposed to (I think) come to some conclusion that would either cause action on laws as now writing or come up with one that will.

Cap and Trade/Energy Bill

Here I go again! Raising a red flag! This time it is because the House of Representatives slid a bill through that was proposed by the Administration that, as reported, will make huge economic changes, possibly to our detriment, in our lives.

Wish I knew more about the provisions of the bill. But what I am hearing, a lot from the Fox network - and maybe CNN is talking the same, is that this is going to cost us individually hugely. It worries me that it seems not much debate was made in the House. It worries me that such a huge bill would pass and not much be said about it. Frankly, I did not know anything about it until a friend of mine emailed me a couple of days ago all distraught.

I think we want energy looked at. I think we want to loose ourselves from the choke hold of foreign oil. I think we might should be concerned about global warming, although there seems to be quite a few who say the alarm is being rung too loudly. But I think non of us wants to pay for it; at least, we don't want to pay what we don't have. Isn't that a kick?

Fact is, many of us cannot afford to pay for it, from what I am hearing now. Maybe the Administration is taking too big a chew? I don't know, but I don't like what I hear. For example, houses have to be made 30 percent more energy efficient. And that does not just apply to new houses. It applies to us when we want to sell our house. Isn't that a kick?

Somebody needs to tell me what all that means. I do hope the Senate is more cautionary than I think the House was. I often complain about all the deliberation in the Senate as I watch on C-SPAN, but now I want them to slow it so that provisions can be debated to come with a solution that we all can live with. People, the Senate in this case, gotta also think about the people.

Maybe there is no easy solution, but all factors have to be weighed, and we must do what we have to in small enough steps that we can bring everybody along in their state of readiness.
I know here I stand the risk of talking where I do not know, but it is on my mind, for sure.

One thing more: The Obama administration sure seems to be coming out in mass change. Frankly, again, I am worried. We need to see what happens with one before we swing so rapidly into the other is my gut feeling.

There, I have raised my Red Flag. I feel better.

Some thoughts on Rotary

This is a good time for me to think about Rotary. Tonight is the annual banquet where administrations are change, from the previous year to the new, which actually begins July 1. I am the incoming secretary of The Laredo Rotary Club.

I served two years before as secretary. Then I was out of the club for a couple of years adjusting to retired life and to some health difficulties that I was encountering. Joining back up about six months ago, the incoming president asked me if I would be his secretary for the coming year. I accepted. So, here I am about to be inducted to a year of keeping record and doing what I can as secretary to bolster the club.

The Laredo Rotary Club was chartered May 1, 1920 in Laredo. Rotary had its beginning in Chicago, Illinois in 1905, first off by three businessmen who just wanted to meet together. They rotated their meetings between their offices. That is where the name came from, from rotating to Rotary. Today, Rotary International is all over the world doing things to help people, following its motto Service above Self. That is what The Laredo Rotary Club is about - helping people.

Our club has been doing good things locally since its beginning. Thus, it is a good organization to be in, if one wants to help people. I like it because it is a way that I can help fulfill my objectives in Christianity. Christianity is about helping people, too. I call the club kinda like church, though I know it is not, but for me, it is.

So our club, with our new administration will push off tonight to keep the flame burning as best we can. Our president, Jim Williams, has a lot of expectations. The rest of us will try to make those expectation come to fruition.

Oh, there is another reason I like Rotary. I like the Four Way Test that each of repeats at each weekly meeting: Of the things we think, say or do, FIRST, is it the truth? SECOND, is it fair to all concerned? THIRD, will it build good will and better friendships? and FOURTH, will it be beneficial to all concerned? This was adopted in 1943 by Rotary International as a process to promote better ethics in dealing with mankind. Again, seems like church to me.

So, off we go for the 2009-2010 Rotary year in Laredo, Texas. I wish us well.

Reflections on Fathers' Day (My 8 y/o letter to my dad)

Dad, tomorrow is Fathers Day. I guess you knew that, though you might not; I forgot it until yesterday when someone reminded me.

Though late in life, I still remember the best thing I learned, or had reiterated: in taking college course here a couple of years ago, the English teacher told the class to just write a letter, because that was the most important thing that a parent could receive. I believe that to be true, and that is what I am doing now.

I think as Fathers we do want to know what our kids think, and I guess we want to know what they think about us, though there is not much we can do about their thoughts now, this late in life. But I know in my case, if I did something to make my kids better, I would feel good that they told me so -- though I know writings too can flower things over a bit. But that is OK on the Fathers Day. After all it is the day I am supposed to feel good as a father and a day that I have opportunity to make you feel good as my father.

Fathers are like all: there are some things we could have done better and perhaps some things we wish we had not even tried. I know that is true in my case, and I would imagine that is true for you. But this is not a day that we reflect on our mistakes; it is a day we reflect on our successes, and what I say here is not "flowering it over.".

I have always looked on you with respect and with pride. I held you in high esteem because you worked for the AAA (a Tennessee county agriculture office), though I can't remember quite that far back with specifics. I was proud that you worked for the state (that was getting a little closer), and I was proud of all the promotions you got. I was always glad to say, " My Dad did (this and that)." And I am proud of you today when you tell me about leading a prayer or having a Bible discussion or when you say you won or lost a Bingo game.

When you were gone from home so much, I was always anxious for you to get home. Roger and I would stand out near the road on Fridays looking for your car coming in. There were a couple of times you didn't make it, like when you were in a car wreck a couple of times and when we had the ice storm; and in those cases we were saddened, not knowing for sure of your safety, though Mom was always the cement that kept us in good spirits (I wonder to this day how she always hid her real feelings-- most of the time.)

I remember the pride that you seemed to have with my successes, too. At least I think I recognized it: like when I was commissioned an officer in the Navy, and when you told someone last year that I "was a writer for the Laredo Morning Times." There were other times, too, and they all contributed to my good thoughts of you on this your day.

There is so much that I could talk about, but more than anything I would give you a pat on the back for the encouragements to do good that you gave us, sometimes by word and sometimes just by support or example.

Nothing has changed in the way you are. You are still all those things and more. Even today, I look forward, as you turn 81 and I 60, to those talks, though short they may be, that we just "chew the fat," so to speak, when we might just talk about the weather or how well we slept the night before.

This know: I am proud of you. You did good, Dad. May God bless you on this your Fathers Day.

Chuck Owen

Laredo, Texas

June 17, 2000

Almost the price of a cup of coffee

Don't need to let this idea of blogging grow too cold. There is always something that will come up to warm up the cold, docha you know.

I was reminded yesterday of how it used to be to get an envelope in the mail with a window, and you knew it was not something good. The IRS used to send stuff like that. Other "dunners" did, too. It always brought some feeling of anxiety. Well, yesterday kinda took me back - to the good ole days? Naw.

I get the windowed envelope and study it and open it. Turned out the toll road people in Austin were saying I owed the $1.60 for not paying to be on their 183A. They had me cold. My name, my license plate (they did leave off the handicap), and MY ADDRESS, and a date that I was definitely there and traversing somewhere in the neighborhood of 183A. Wow! I felt bummed for not paying that $1.60!

Worse, they said if I didn't pay by a certain date (luckily it was a month away), the charge would go to $200.00, by law.

Well, I did not do it! Not that I have any recollection of, anyway. I do know that I travelled 183 NW out of Austin, and I distinctly remember there being a toll road off to my right, but I chose to stay on the non-toll 183. I saw several places I could get on the toll. But I stayed off. Frankly, I wished I had taken it, because, turned out, I went through a lot of red lights "getting outta Dodge."

Thinking of the billings and the warning, I wondered how they got me? I know I didn't do it, but how does one fight "city hall." They must have had a panoramic camera. So, I went online last night and paid the $1.60 with a credit card. I decided that my defense was not worth $1.60. Who could hire a lawyer for that amount, anyway?

I did decide today to call them and make my point, anyway; just have my say. I got one of those animated/automated, push this/push that, and after a few minutes, they sent me to a real live agent's line, the animator said. But then, another animated voice came on, saying, "Your expected wait to talk (to a real live agent) will be approximately 11 minutes." Humm. Wait 11 minutes to argue a $1.60 charge? I don't think so. I hung up.

Clearly (to me, obviously- I just hate it when folks use that word), I know I did not access their toll road, and thus did not really owe the bill, but what can one do? Not much. Just pay it and go on. And that is what I did.

Such is life. I will maybe eliminate one cup of coffee, or maybe I won't.

Memorial Day in perspective

We are at Memorial Day again. It used to be called Decoration Day, which was a day when folks would visit the cemetaries to decorate the graves of the war dead. But now we call it Memorial Day, probably with the intent of raising the level of appreciation for those who died in defense of their country.

Many times people confuse the day as a day to honor all veterans, people have served or who are serving, but that is not the case. We have a Veteran's Day for that purpose. We also have an Armed Forces Day. Both of these are for the purpose of paying honor to the living who served or are serving.

With regard to the cemetery, one last thought. Cemetery comes from a Greek word which meant the place where the dead sleep. That was a change long time ago from a term we called Grave Yard, which left out the idea that they only sleep but left the impression of a final resting place. Well, so much for that.

My brother is in New York today as I write and is participating in what is called Fleet Day. He and the family were going out to the museum piece now called the Intrepid. The Intrepid, now a museum, was once a fighting ship, a carrier, of our Navy. It was commissioned in 1943 but served its time a few years ago to become a museum, where the efforts of men at sea could be reflected upon. Reminds me of the USS Independence (pictured), where I served.

Back to Memorial Day. We have had countless thousands (well, they are counted, but I like that phrase) who have died in defense of our country, whatever we might have called that (I am thinking of the Civil War, where there were two countries offering up their sons to die.) We could list the number, and it would be staggering, of those who left home and never returned.

So Memorial Day is a day in which we give some thanks, some memory, for the sacrifice made. While we might sound a glory horn for them, it is not really that. They went at our order for the most part, and while many may have indeed gone knowing they might never return in the carrying out of their duty, many sure hoped to return home, and they did not.

We must appreciate all who have given so much in order that we might have the freedom we enjoy. Without that effort there is no telling what system we might live under today.

But we need to know that it was not all pleasure in which they served, those who came back and those who did not. I am reminded of a poem written by Winfred Owen (no relation) which probalby speaks more to the thought of the soldier, airman, seaman, Marine, on the field of battle. In my thinking Owen brings out the best way of saying Freedom is not Free. His poem ends "The old Lie: Dulce et decorum estPro patria mori," which is to say, "It is sweet and seemly to die for one's country" is a lie. The title to the poem is Dulce et decorum est.

As we memorialize on the Memorial Day, we must also understand what the sacrifice was - for those who served in Intrepid and those who fought on the battlefields so far from home.

Thoughts on San Diego, CA

Just winding up a four day visit in San Diego. Came with my wife, who came on business. So, the visit was not to see or learn about San Diego. It was really just to be here. But wouldn't it be terrible to visit a place of significance and not see or learn some about it? I thought so.

Everybody visits places and misses the finer details that are available. We all do that. I have thought in retirement how neat it would be to go to places and visit with the old timers and find out more. Never did that, but I still think it would be neat. For a while on San Diego I was thinking I would come and go and not know much about San Diego. Oh, I experienced some of the beauty and the cool weather (Texas was over 100 degrees while we were gone, and the daytime in San Diego was not more that 67.)

So, I got to looking around to find how to leave knowing something more. I would hate to go home and somebody ask, but didn't you see.....? I found a tour! The tour took two hours, which we had available on the last day and cost us $64 but it was time and money well spent. We took the Old Town Trolley Tours.

The driver was Bill. Bill had been doing it long enough and had been educated in what he did that he could give us a lot of information. That information enables us to leave feeling we know something about San Diego. So now when we get home and the question is asked, we might be able to answer some of the questions right.

The tour first took us to Coronado Island across the Coronado Bay Bridge. Turns out that bridge has not been around very long. Used to people had to use a ferry to get back and forth. Of course the whole of the area, like all other areas, has been developed from nothing. It was interesting to hear that a Spaniard planted a flag on Point Loma for Spain. Well the first did so and named it one thing, but the second, some 10 years later assigned the name that stuck.

Who would want to miss Balboa Park? That will be one question and can provided some answers so. I am waiting for someone to ask, "Where did all the trees come from." I will respond that this woman got approval from the city to plant trees, and she did, greatly. I can tell them I saw a statute of her, to her memory, but I cannot remember the name. I can say she made a beautiful place, for sure.

Who woulda thought there would be a Little Italy in San Diego, California? There is. Of course, San Diego is a melting pot of nations, as is much of the USA these days. And now I know where the first USA flag was planted following the Mexican American war. Probably not the same flag pole, but Bill said it was the same spot, and I believe Bill.

Bill had all kinds of stories. Some might not have been true, but I expect more were. Particularly the stories of the few entrepreneurs who bought land cheap and made a mint were probably true. And the fellow by the name of Horton who had a big hand in developing New Town (as compared to Old Town) was likely true. He has several monuments around. And about how San Diego really populating following the 1906 quake of San Francisco. I imagine that was true, too.

Yes, a tour is a good way to learn more. While it would have been nice to take a little more time in certain places, this was good enough be me at the moment. Now I can go home feeling I have gotten a little more out of what was always available.

How much does $2 trillion really help?

The news of the day is that current health care providers including insurers have agreed to shave $2 trillion off expected increases over the next four years. Wow! "What a deal," the sages seem to be saying. Personally, I have been struggling with that. What does that mean?

They are not, to my knowledge talking about cutting what is now paid for health insurance. That stays, plus the expected increases over the next four years less about 1.5 percent. (I think I have all that right as to the percentage and the time. It is something like that, anyway). I have been waiting for somebody to say what that really means, but, no; no one is saying anything except about the savings plan. What I want to know is what is going to be done about current health care costs?

For example, I spent one day in a local hospital recently and the bill to the insurance was over $8,000.00. What they are talking about now has nothing to do with that. It has something to do with that cost escalating to maybe $12,000 over the next four years rather than $13,000 (just for talking purposes).

In all this one has to question why costs might go up 40 percent in the next four years. Why would that be? Cost of product? Cost of manufacture? Cost of labor? Cost of profit? Whoa. Profit? Yes, profit is usually turned into a planned or expected increase. Isn't it? I think so. And the profits are spread over all areas considered from the origination to delivery phases. Yes.

So, what I am saying is no one is addressing the real problem. All they, the media and the administration, are talking about is a savings of $2 trillion, and they are making that sound like a really good deal. Well, is it?

$2 trillion divided by 300 million people amounts to about $7,000 per citizen over a year's time (if we were just talking about citizens, which we are not). Put that way, it does not sound like a lot, actually. But if that is so, how about what is left? Come on, now! Lets get real about the cost of health care and stop just talking about someone's expectations of where it is going.

Inspired by others

The Bible says there is nothing new under the sun. I take that as a general thought, for surely folks back in Bible times never had GPS, a recent deal for our finding out directions. To be correct, though, they musta had something similar - like reading different signs to get directions. In that respect, there is nothing new under the sun.

As a minister, I receive a lot of e-mail drops of inspiration, thought of and written by someone else. Sometimes I wonder, don't they know I know that? Doesn't everybody? After all, there is nothing new under the sun. Well, oftentimes I do find, or am brought to remembrance of, something really good. And while I might have known of it, of its importance, occasionally the drop prompts some really good thought for me. Others do inspire my thoughts. While it might not be new and different, it gives me focus to where I might not have been in a while.

Today the note of inspiration was a person who first thought it unimportant to visit a long ago friend who had lost a loved one. The point of the piece, the writer finally decided to go, and that seemed to be key to what the bereaved needed at the moment, even from a long ago friend.

But one does not have to be a minister to be inspired by others, and most times it is not a minister at all. Sometimes it is not even a friend. People, a lot of people, do and say good things that serve to keep us on the road that we ought to be on, even if it might not be a new whatever.

We need never to think that we have it all, that we have no need of others and what they think or do. Obviously, some of that needs to be avoided but there are lots worth paying attention to. And, we don't have to look to professionals, such as church ministers, to find stuff really of great worth. Proportionally, if you think about it, there are a lot more of them than us.

The subject here has to do with inspiration, and that toward doing the good and not the bad. While the word might could be used for both good and bad, I think of it in terms of the good. I think of it that way - inspired to do good by others.

We need to understand that little things really matter, too. What we are inspired to do does not have to be something grandiose. Fact is, a lot of it is rather simple - a smile, a kind word, a short email of concern, thanks, or praise; a card, whatever. Sometimes we so forget the little things; we forget how important little things are to others, folks who might just need that at the moment, which was to me the importance of that email drop today.

Nothing to fear but fear itself

President Roosevelt made that title comment way back in 1933 in his first inaugural - nothing to fear but fear itself (paraphrased). Roosevelt was coming to office in some pretty dire times - the Great Depression, as we now refer to it. Rubel Shelly reminded me of that in a Heartlight piece today, a devotional thought distribution I get daily. Neither of us was there, but we read it. Shelly went on to say,,

You and I have been living a "culture of fear" -- in politics,business, finance, education, water-cooler conversation, you name it.We have forgotten the obvious and emphasized the negative. So fear has been allowed to keep us awake, cloud our decisions, and poison our relationships.

How true it is! I have often thought of the disservice 24/7 news brings to all of us. The latest is a constant feeding on the event of swine (hog) flu, which has almost supplanted the economic doldrums and so many other causes with which the news media hang these day.

I have found that I fare much better by just not tuning in. If I want to feel good, and feel like I have some control over my destiny, I need to cut out the bad stuff and instead think about the good. The way they treat the bad news today I liken to the way it used to be with soap operas (so called). One could miss a week or two and tune back in and find the same act still going on. That is about the way the news media is today.

So is the glass half full or half empty? We would all be much better off in thinking of it as half full. Thinking that way we might also think that it will be full one day. The converse is to look for emptiness.

By the way, I know that thinking it does not necessarily make it so but it is a much better position, if we think the good and not the bad. I remember as a kid a story about a train trying to get over the mountain - I think I can, I think I can, I think I can. Then as the top of the grade is reached - I know I can, (faster) I know I can, I know I can. Little things we learned long time ago are still correct.

The other memory is of Martin Luther King singing "We shall overcome."

We need to think more of the good and less of the bad. Avoid the "water cooler" talk. Then, do something about it!

Just a thank you

We like people to do good stuff. We like people to do good stuff for us. Most people appreciate philanthropy, but that is more than money or tangible things. It might be just a good deed, like helping an elderly woman across the street.

I expect most people have been a recipient of someone doing good for them. I know I have, and probably more times than I can count. It is just a good thing to be touched in that way by another human being, who sees our need or even responds positively to our call for help.

People are classified as philanthropists when then make a habit of giving whatever. We like philanthropists, don't we? Lots of people get past mere existence because someone cared. Of course the big time givers make news, too. We read it in the newspapers and see it on our televisions. That is good too. But that is not all of it. Little things count too.

Here is the thing: thank yous are really important too. Oftentimes we fail to render that thank you to people who have done us a good deed, whatever that might be. We might even think we were owed it. It was their job to do it, so why do I need to say thank you? Well, this is to cause us to rid out minds of that thinking.

Saying thank you is just a part of doing good. It may be that we can never provide help that others need. It may be that we are only, and always, recipients. But we can say thank you, and that counts as philanthropy too in my book.

Of course when we find the opportunity to do for someone else, more than just saying thank you, we need to be ready to do that. Meantime, we ought to say, "Thank you. I appreciate what you did for me (or anyone else you might have seen it done for)."

We do need to practice the philanthropy of saying "Thank you." It will make us feel better, and it might be just the push that the provider needed to keep doing the good.

I think this is more that just a chuckothoughts. It ought to be an everybodythoughts, come to think about it.

Possible end to the chewing gum saga

I noted my displeasure in the last post of being challenged for chewing gum in the college's theater. My primary problem was what I felt was being singled out while others continued to chew. Secondly, indeed, I thought it a bit childish.

Well, I have been in contact with a college official, who has sought out answers for me and reported back. Turns out, according to the official, gum is a big problem for the college. Cleaning crews have to spend a day trying to remove gum from seats and the floor. And, says the official, there is signage at both entrances speaking of no food, drinks or gum inside the theater. Furthermore, the report is that numerous people were challenged and not just me and the wife.

And, says the official, re-instruction is going to be done on how best to handle a patron's gum.

All that sounds good to me. I guess. But it still does not answer how I was made to feel. Not satisfactorily, anyway.

If gum is that big a problem (and I am not doubting that it is), I suggest that an announcement should be made at the beginning to the effect that gum is not allowed in the theater, nor food and drinks. The announcer would tell those assembled to please omit chewing gum, that the reason for that is that cleanup is a terrible cost to the college. Or something like that.

I think if the above announcement was made, patrons would take the good choice and place their gum in a wrapper, and go on and enjoy the show. There is something bad about being challenged as an individual for a violation, when it could be done better.

Even though I missed the signage, and have for years, I do not feel bad for voicing a concern, a situation that made me feel terribly bad at a moment I should have felt really good.

Anyway, that is the rest of the story. Now I know the rest of the story, and if you are reading, you do, too.

You can't chew gum here!

Just went through one of my most humiliating experiences a few days ago. Let me tell you about it.

The wife and I went to the community college arts theater on Friday night to catch a gratis performance of the college show band. We take in as many of those as we can. It is good music, and we get to see a lot of old friends. But last Friday was not so good.

We got there just before show time. Had to park a long way away. Walked into the entrance to the theater and this hostess stops the wife. "You can't chew gum in here. Take it to the trash can outside," she said.

Never had that happen. Both of us chew gum, discretely. I was chewing also, but the attention was directed at the wife.

So the wife takes her gum and puts it in a paper. We go on to find seats. I notice not a few chewing gum around us.

After the first music number, this host comes to our place of seating, and challenges the wife again. "You can't chew gum in here," he says. The wife had put another piece of gum in her mouth. I was still chewing. The "guard" sought her out.

I pointed out a number of people who were chewing, but he was not interested in them. He was interesting in ensuring my wife did not chew gum. Hummm.

After questioning him about where the rule was, he said, "It is a house rule."

Our time at the performance was short. I fumed! The wife knew I was fuming. We left, probably never to return again.

In all the years I have attended and supported such events, I have never had anybody tell me I could not chew gum. There is no sign to that effect. The only sign is "Food and Drink not permitted." Gum is not food, as I understand it.

The harder part for me was how many people were obviously chewing gum and received no reprimand for it.

"You can't chew gum here" has now made me an enemy of what otherwise is a very nice attraction in my town. How rude!

"Please see attendant"

I like gas filling stations where I can pay at the pump and go. I do not like to go see the attendant.

This morning I went to fill at my favorite truck watering hole. It is my favorite because it is close to home and the price is generally competitive. Mostly, I like it for convenience. I can pay at the pump and go.

Sometimes when I ask for a receipt, at the end of the pumping, the pump will say, "See the attendant for a receipt." I never do that. I figure they want me in the store so I will buy something. If I wanted to see the attendant, I would have pulled up in front of the store and not at the gas pump.

But... this morning, I swiped my card to get started pumping and the message was "Please see attendant." As I have said, I don't like, don't want to see the attendant. I like to pay at the pump and go. As far as a receipt goes, I don't need one. But, needing gas, I figured I might as well.

Who knows why the message comes on. Maybe my credit is overdrafted, which I know it wasn't. Maybe my card is expired, which I know it wasn't. Maybe the AMEX company went bankrupt, which I did not think happened. So, I needed gas. Might as well see the attendant.

I go see the attendant. I told him I was asked to see him. After identifying which pump I was coming from, he tells me my card was declined. No way, I said. He asked for my card, he swipes it, asks how much I want, I say $30, he gets approval and gives me a receipt to sign. Hummm. Why couldn't I do that at the pump? I says.

Turned out the attendant wasn't real good with my language, so he calls the manager. He probably sees the fire coming out my eyes. Well, the manager comes.

The manager tells me there is a problem with the reader at that pump. I say, Well, maybe I should find a station where the pumps work. He says, Please don't.

Anyway, story ended fine. I went back and pumped. I had asked in the store, Now what happens if I don't use all the $30? The manager assured me he would give me a refund. He follows me to the pump.

In the process, I apologized for the fire in my eyes, but I explained, which he had probably heard before, how accusing "Please see attendant" was. He seemed to understand. All went fine thereafter.

I was pleased with the attention the store manager gave to me, seeking to recover a customer. I liked that. Good manager. I still don't like the message "Please see attendant."

Maybe they could simply say on the machine, "We have a problem with our reader. Please see attendant or go to another pump."

Well, that is how life is, sometimes. Gotta learn better how to roll with the flow, as the saying goes.

Importance of relationships

Oh, this is not that! I am talking about having an outlet with other humans just to talk and compare notes.

I have a habit of going out to breakfast most every morning. I generally go to the same place. When I go I usually see the same people. There will be a variety of communication relationships. Some of it will be a nod, and a receipt of a nod. Some will included a hello, how are you, both ways. A certain set is more close. I will join a table of four, and we will talk about whatever is on our minds that morning. That is what is important.

It is important for folks like me who are retired. Before retirement I got all the nods, how are you's, and more serious discussion done with fellow workmates. It might have been at the start of the work day or it might have been splashed throughout the day. But, after retirement those old ways, those old relationships are no more.

So, in retirement I have found another avenue of relationships. It is generally at the breakfast table of a local restaurant. This does not take the place of the wife, I might add. She went to work for the day an hour or so before I got hungry for food and relationships.

I talked to a fellow pastor this morning at breakfast and we sorta talked about this. I told him that when retired, in about four years, said he, that he would need to find something else to do. I am sure he is learning from me, because he sees me at this watering hole on the mornings he finds time to come.

I told my pastor friend how I remembered a time back in the navy when retirees would keep coming to the office to have coffee and to chat. I reasoned that they had to have something, that they would have been better off finding a new place to have coffee and develop other relationships.

We agreed on the importance of relationships, that there is always a need.

I think I have done a pretty good job on changing over. Course, I have had nearly five years to develop that. I have learned by experience, now.

Time to re-boot

"Re-boot" is a term used in computers. There comes a time when it is necessary to re-boot the computer. I learned that one about the first of my computer operating days.

Somehow, and don't ask me to explain it, things inside the computer get sorta out of order. By shutting down the puter and waiting a minute or two (I am not sure how long.) before restarting, it gives the puter a chance to put everything back in the order that it should be. And it generally works. The puter is designed to heal itself.

Just the other day on my laptop I was have a problem bringing up my email program. For me, if the email does not work, the puter does not work! That is where I spend the most of my puter time. So, I thought, time to re-boot.

I shut down the puter, waited a minute or two, and brought it back up. Wham O! The email program worked. I was back in business. The puter had restored everything just right, or set in order - or done whatever it is designed to do in that respect. I was a happy camper. My re-boot worked just like it has always worked on so many occasions before.

Wouldn't it be something if we could re-boot everything. I am thinking about our financial and economy things now. But more than that (or less, depending or how you are thinking), wouldn't it be something if we could re-boot our minds! Our minds do get out of order, too, much like my puter and its email program.

I guess a good night's rest is sorta like re-booting the mind, especially when we wake to a new, fresh, bright new day. After a good rest our minds come awake refreshed, re-booted.

Sometimes we can re-boot by just changing our thought process, too. Many of us do that. Many of us need to do that. I know I do from time to time. I can get to thinking about something that needs fixing, and it begins to worry me, and worry me, and worry me. I can fix it by just shutting it off, which I will call re-booting.

Shutting it out of our minds is sometimes hard. But it can be done. It might not be as easy as pushing the terminate (shut down) button, but it can be done.

We do need to think in terms of re-booting our minds. Lots of us do.

It it time to re-boot. Bye.

Obamas' visit to the Queen refreshing

You gotta hand it to this new president and his lady. They really seem to be making pluses for themselves and us as they move around the world. I like that.

Imagine the President of the United States of America giving the Queen of England an I-Pod, so I hear! That has got to be cool, and an indicator of a new generation coming into being. How does that compare with a framed portrait of the Queen and her hubby? Well, it shows the new generation coming in and the old one hanging on, I think.

There's more: who touches the Queen, the Brits say? No one? Well, stood by and watch. There was an embrace both ways, of the Queen to the First Lady and of the First Lady to the Queen. That, too, is refreshing. We need a little love indicated around, don't we? All this before time standoffness hasn't produced much. Time for folks to appreciate each other, doing so with a little embrace.

Not sure the world has fully understood the importance of what has happened. The sages are still trying to describe it. The opine writers are, too.

And, we even hear Obama came away with a relationship with the French at the G-20. How about that. Coming up with a better relationship has to be better than trying to redefine french fries, or so I think.

So where will it end. You gotta just watch, because no telling where this goes. It is a new way to go, though. Besides, it can't get worse, now can it?

Just wanted to say something that will be a part of history, or so I think. Not what I said, but what they did in a new era of relations, a new generation coming on with a better approach to deplomacy.

But, but, but..... just when we thing worldwide deplomacy might be improving, North Korea goes ballistic!

ABOUT TIME!

Yesterday (3-27), the Obama administration began addressing the fix to what we have called the economic meltdown. That suits me really good! I said a few days ago that somebody needed to start talking of the fix and not just sending more good money after bad; that if we don't do something, the ones who made the mess will just make a bigger one.

So, now, according to Congressional testimony by Treasury Sec. Geithner, they are working to get legislation to enable tighter and broader controls. From what I read, most are amenable to doing something like this -- except for the ones who made it happen.

Read an interesting OP-ED in the New York Times today that talked about where we'd been. I will summarize my understanding of what writer Paul Krugman said: Obama is "not willing to have taxpayers money chase after bad money." That is what I been saying.

Krugman says that financial "wizards" were "lavishly rewarded for overseeing the process" that got us into the mess. "Wizards were made frauds" either knowingly or unknowingly, he said.
"Loans did not stay with lenders - others "sliced and diced and pureed individual debt to synthesize new assets." How about them words! Loans that used to be 4% of GDP came to be 8%.

Anyway, Krugman seemed to put it together - what happened - better than anyone I have read so far. Now, it is a must to fix it so that does not happen again.

The biggest screamers are going to be the ones who made the biggest profit off getting us where we got. That could be even some of our Congressmen, defenders of the people, so called.

Now, it is not just the banks that need regulating, and perhaps being tighter regulated. It now means that the various industries outside banking need it too.

I hope the fix comes before the money sent out evaporates. It would be just like 'em to say, "but, but, this law is after the fact." Wouldn't that be something? Similar to the AIG folks who got the bonuses and claimed the contract they were under provided for lavish bonuses. Hummm.

Fix what?

This is my first post on the topic of the bailout in about a month. So, I guess I ought to say something since I do have something on my mind.

The money has be let. It is supposedly flowing. We do hear that some are using it for the wrong purpose. Some are even paying high bonuses to people who may have caused the problem. Shame on them, I say.

The news now talks about the deficit this will cause in a bunch of years to come. Wow! Where'd they get all that money in the first place?

My concern, and I think this is a real concern, is that I don't hear much if anything about anything being done to keep what happened from happening again. Hummm. Are we just pouring money into a deep hole just to do it again? I sure hope not.

If we don't fix what caused it, it will continue to bite us - again and again. Surely, somebody is fixing that, I hope. Guess I should tune in to C-SPAN and see what the Congress is talking about.

Anyway, that is may latest worry. Sure wish I had some positive things to write on. Maybe next week. Maybe the next time the President appears on Jay Leno he will talk about the fix.

I am concerned about newspapers

Just got via LA Times today the demise of a Seattle newspaper, a paper that's been around, I hear, since the Civil War. That is a long time! The one going down is a Hurst paper, the same as owns the masthead of our local paper. The connection in ownership brings me the concern.

It is not just Seattle. It is all over. Word is that newsprint is in trouble lots of places. Perhaps revenues are down because there are other ways to get the news. Lots of Internet news these days from sources including newsprint uploads to any number of other sources. All this causes folk not to subscribe, which reduces the revenue, which if left unchecked brings the demise.

I might be old fashioned, but I still like to go out in the morning and pick up the paper from the driveway and come back in and scan and read over a hot cup of coffee. I usually start with the front page pictures and headlines and move to the obits and the editorial page. The rest I catch up on later. Never cared much for the funnies. Don't know for sure what I would do if one morning there was no newsprint in the driveway.

I have a friend who writes for a paper up north. He has been doing that for years. Now, he is concerned about his career being a dying breed. He is looking to train in something else that might be more lasting in this age. I am sure that a lot of people who work for newspapers are doing the same thing. Even in my hometown some nearly 100 people are probably a little yancy over what the future might hold for them, too.

Also I do wonder about the coupon clippers, and the advertisers who seem to think advertising via newsprint pays. I think people still watch the paper for sales - on milk, hamburger meat, and other things.

What happens when there is no place to advertise to get the product availability into the hands of the wanting? Well, somebody will invent a better mousetrap, they say. I am just not too sure that anything can do that with the efficiency found in newsprint.

Oh, I know that we have always been adaptable. New ideas come and old ones fade away. Look what happened to the old mimeograph machine! Those makers had to find something else to make. We still have information decimation, but it is not mimeographed anymore. It goes out in the form of e-mail or some such stuff.

While I am concerned, I will get over it. I do think there is a need for local newsprint, a need that it will be hard to replace. Let's just see where this all goes.

Technologically adept or challenged?

Just this weekend by daughter paid me a compliment, I think. She said, "Dad, I am so glad you are technologically adept." I took that as a compliment. I think she was saying that most older people are not. That made me feel good, though. But, compared to what?

This morning I was trying to attach a picture to an e-mail I was sending out. I did attach it, but when I got a copy back (I include myself on the addressee list), and tried to open the picture to see what the other addressees were seeing, I got a message that it would not open, that I did not have it associated with @@$%*#. (I say it that way because I still do not know what it said. So, I am not sure my daughter knew what she was talking about when she complimented me.

I do know that I know a lot. I have been working this computer game for a number of years, and I have learned a lot by trial and error. Maybe, soon, I will learn what @@$%*# is, and I will fix that problem. (I did know enough to attach the picture another way, and that did work.)

But everybody has problems. It is not just me and attaching pictures. This morning I went to the doc and, as usual, they asked if I had any medications I needed refilled. I have been going to this doc a long time and he has me on a bunch that have five refills, and then I have to get him to write a new prescription. (You know, some of those meds are a lifetime contract, especially when you get older. These are not cure-the-flu time meds. They are maintenance type meds that lasts a lifetime, however long that is.)

Well, the doc's nurse told me that the pharmacist would have the order before I walked out of that office. Sounded good to me. New technology, you know. My doc does it electronically.

While I was out doing other errands, I called my pharmacy to see if the order was ready. Reponse: "We do not have an order." So, I say, "I will call the doc back and remind them."

I call the doc. They say, "Have them check their 'e-script.' Our record shows they got it." (E-script seems to be a new way of doing things in the medical field. Probably kinda like e-mail to the rest of us.)

So I call the pharmacist back. "The doc says check your 'escript." Silence. I ask if they want me to wait until they verify. The pharmacist says, "That will not be necessary. We probably have a bunch on it." That led me to know they had not checked that, whatever that is. That led me to believe they are not technologically adept but are challenged, for now, at least.

But I do not say all this to complain. I can't properly associate pictures for email. The pharmacist can't remember to check this new fangled machine that doctors use to send med orders, e-scripts. That is just the way it is.

Probalby tomorrow, we will both know a new trick to get along better. Tomorrow we both, in these areas, will be more technologically adept and not challenged. We will know what @@$$%*! is, for sure. We might be slow but we will get it. I am convinced of that.

The vultures are still out

Looks like we could do something about the people who try to get our money through fraud over the Internet. Over the pass few days since the passage of the stimulus/bail out bill in Washington I have received these official looking messages that want to tell me what I should do to get my share. Maybe they just want my bank account number so they can be sure to put it there when the feds open the valve. Or maybe they just want to give me advice but for a small fee. And on and on the possibilities go.

I sent the first few to phishing@irs.gov and then I stopped. If they can do anything at all, they can do it with my first few sends. No doubt there are millions of fed up citizens like me who send to the feds too about the phishing emails.

This is an annoyance to me! I want to know why they think I am so stupid. (Not talking about the IRS but the phishers.) They think I am dumb enough to respond with what they want. Well, I bet some people do. That is why they do it. If no one responded they would not do it, would they?

Well, while I said it was not the IRS I am not so sure it is not related. Here is my logic: Back in the days when the viruses started coming out to attack computers and there was also a buildup of anti virus program companies, it occurred to me that the viruses might be coming from the companies formed to kill them. That is a possibility. Likewise, who would be better able to use format and words to pull us into a scam with regard to bail out money than someone at the IRS. (Not being accusatory here. Just talking of possibilities.)

Anyway, those who send think some dumb somebody is going to bite. Well, not me, not this time, not ever. And, I hope you don't either.

A story of a dollar bill

Ever wonder about the trips of a dollar? This, though simplistic, is a bit of reflection of that trip. I think of it because of the hard times the dollar has fallen.

Someone gives you a dollar. You go buy something that you need from a store with it. The store has lots of people who also bring a dollar and buy stuff. With the dollars the store gets from selling things, it pays rent, utilities, resupply costs, and for employees, with some left over for the store owner buys something that he needs at other stores. This illustrates the multiplication effect of the dollar, and on it goes.

The landlord takes the rent money and buys things, and builds a new rent property to rent to more stores, who will buy and sell more goods, and employ more people, and buy what they need. The builder of the rent property does the same. They all spend their money on needs. The utility company and the suppliers who furnish the store owner his needs do the same. The utility company pays the people who produce energy and for the transmission of it. The people who produce energy and transmit it plough back their dollars into another cycle, much the same as it was with the original dollar. Employees all take their salaries and go back to the stores to buy things. Most of the people, the workers, the landlords, and all, also bank their money and put some of it in savings. The bank uses the money deposited by lots of people to invest and make more money so it can pay all its overhead and a give some to stockholders and also loan money to people for a fee to go do what they don’t have the immediate money to do. All of it works fine for everybody as long as there is enough coming in to cover expenses obligated.

Sometimes, someone comes up against hard times. When that happens the people who make dollars also give some of it the help those in need, but for this to work, the needy have to be a small segment of the whole. Everybody can’t be on the take else no one will be making dollars.

Oh, where does the dollar come from? The government makes it, but in doing so it guarantees that it will always be worth a dollar, but that, in part, is based on the citizens sending in tax money to the government, which we did not mention. In addition to making the dollar bill, the government also sometimes helps people who cannot help themselves. But it has more responsibility than helping the needy. Those tax dollars also provide for infrastructure and other needs, including security for the people who earn dollars and pay taxes. It is also used to pay the people who determine what the dollar will do.

Amazing what a dollar bill can do provided it is properly budgeted.

"We will rebuild."

President Obama brought his plan for a recovery to the Joint Session of the Congress tonight. The big message, and believable to me at the moment, was "We will rebuild."

I think he meant it. I think the way he said it gave a lot of people, including me, hope that all is not lost, that we will recover from this downward spiral we have seen over the last few months.

Course, the work begins on a lot of it. But what he said sets the stage, a stage that we needed set. It was a broad sweep for sure. We will see if actions follow words. There was enough detail to make the points viable. His message went to every person, with as much force as I have seen lately.

One thing I do hope is that Obama has the necessary staff on board to honcho what he has set out. There is no way that one man, the president, can do all that in the proper way. We are going to have to start hearing the good, the application of success, from the cabinet heads.

Based on the last few days I was some worried that there would not be enough detail, that the president might appear inadequate to the task before him. I was pleasantly surprised. I expect to see a better tomorrow. That is what I wanted to hear tonight. While I tend to be a Republican, I still liked what I saw.

Naysayers are OK, sometimes, but I have never liked giving the opposing party the chance to follow up with its opposition to the speech of the President on a major outing such as this was. I turned off the Louisiana governor last night for that reason. There will be time proper to debate the issues.

One last point: Republicans must be careful that they fight the right battles on this enormous plan. Everything Democrat/Obama is not the right battle, I am convinced. 'These are the times that try men's souls.'

Is anything happening!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hate to keep writing about this. But, I got to. This is the only reward, perhaps; to see my thoughts on paper, for whatever that is worth!

The Congress passed and the President signed a stimulus package worth nearly $800 billion, but nothing seems to be happening - except talk. Everyday, there is word on what it will do, but nothing has happened yet.

That I know, the way this affects me, that nothing is happening, is that my stock is getting littler and littler every day. I keep thinking, well, the money has at least been made available, and that ought to mean something to Wall Street. Everyday, I check the market and it goes down, down, down, as if absolutely nothing is happening and what is planned is not good news. My stock, which was not worth a lot in the beginning - certainly not like a lot of people's, but it is now at least less by two-thirds what it was last summer. Is there any end??????

My confidence in the system being able to solve the mess is evaporating. If we don't have a system that can fix things, what is there left? Not much.

I really think somebody needs to do something. At least talk in some positive terms. (But don't lie to me.)

While I feel pretty confident in having a fixed income, most of that comes from the government, and that makes me know that someday it may be that the government that pays it will send me an IOU. Wouldn't that be a kick in the head! It could happen.

So, let us get the money out there and see what it will do. That seems our only option. If there are other options, somebody speak up and let's try that.

Oh, saw my mayor at breakfast this morning. In our conversation, I could not tell if he really thought good was going to come from any of it, but he is a good Democrat, and he tried to talk a good talk. He stopped short a bit when I reminded him that I saw in the paper this morning our (his and mine) bridge revenue was down. He thinks all that money coming down will help. Hope we don't have to "call him out" on that.

OK. I said it. Now for tomorrow, Mr. President! Mr. Mayor!

Covers and such

A cover is just that. It covers something. In my view, a cover covers up what ought to be.

Just got in a little discussion with the wife on book covers. You see, my habit is, when I buy a new book, I trash the cover. Today I got a new book, "A Short History of the United States," by Robert V. Remini, and the first thing I did was take the cover off. I tore off the bio for Remini and placed it inside the book.

The wife comes in. I tell her how good the book seems. She says, "Where is the cover?" I say, "It is in the trash."

This is not a new thing for me. It is not a new argument. I tell here, "It is my book." She like things to look appealing. She pulled the cover from the trash and stashed it so she can put it back on my book when it goes to the book shelve. Maybe by that time it will not matter to me.

My idea is that a cover is a sales tool. It is also, I guess, a book binding protector. But once I have the book, and I know what is inside, I don't need the cover anymore to tell me anything. If I want to know, I go to the book. And, once it gets in the bookcase, there is not a lot of wear the book binding is going to get. I guess I just like a book in its manufactured state.

This reminds me of my granddaddy. I called him Pa. He had a thing against white-walled tires on automobiles. In his time, and in my early years, somebody, probably tire manufacturers, manufactured a white wall that could be added to the black walled (standard of the day) tire. It was like a little disk that one could mount on the tire rim. It would then make the tire a white walled tire.

Pa did not like white walled tires. He said they reminded him of a dirty white shirt, because, in those days, anyway, most people lived out in the country and drove on un-paved graveled dirt roads. White did not stay white very long. So he was not for that. He had rather have a dirty black walled tire than a dirty white walled tire. The former did not show dirt so much.

Later, when the manufactures started making white walled tires, Pa would have them mounted so the white was on the inside. I guess I am a little like my pa.

I was the same way in the days when seat covers were sold to protect the manufactured seats. I never could figure out why anybody would cover up somethings that was designed to look good and match the style of the car. I expect Pa was the same way.

Book covers are OK for displaying and for shipping. Once the book is in my hand, off comes the cover, and we go for what was intended in the first place. Guess I got that from my pa.

On plane crashes and pilot error

Last week, we had a crash that killed over 50 people up in Northeast. Authorities are still trying to piece together why that happened. As of this date, they have not established blame. They are reporting bits and pieces as they find them. The problem with that is that the media and the public take off with those bits and pieces and attempt to find the cause ahead of the authorities so designated to do so.

One item that has come out and is catching headlines in the media is AUTO-PILOT WAS ENGAGED. Another is that the aircraft was heading in the wrong direction. From that, the commentarians have made up all kinds of stories.

One story on the auto pilot is that company policy dictated that auto pilot would not be used in icing conditions. Thus, the immediate conclusion is that the pilot was at fault because he was on auto pilot, and he should not have been. Hummm. Another is that the aircraft was heading in an opposite direction from the runway heading. Hummm, again. I have some views on the hype of that.

Rules are rules, of course. But rules do not fit every situation. I look at them more as guidance, and not hard and fast. In general, the commentaries and public comment don't touch how I see that.

Who is to say that the pilot did not elect to try to stabilize the plane by using auto pilot? Maybe for some reason he could not dis-engage? Who knows? Until the investigators come up with more proof on that subject, the commentators should keep their mouths shut. The same with the direction of travel of the aircraft, which could have been controlled or not controlled.

This reminds me of English lit classes. We would be studying some piece, perhaps a poem, and the prof would say, "What do you think the author meant by that?" or sometimes, "Why did he use those words?" This always brought on frustration for me, because there was no way I could get into the mind of the author and figure out his intent of the passage. I could only do that with other evidence - perhaps a preceding or succeeding part of the piece. The same can be said about the pilot of this doomed aircraft.

The answer to all this should be left to those who are qualified to make the conclusions. That is their job. It does no good for us to draw conclusions based on incomplete information and from that build an enticing story for people to consume. To do so, we cause a lot of feelings, sometimes bad, to a lot of people who have lost most in this event. While I am sure a lot of people have a stake in knowing all that can be known, no one needs their feelings influenced by incomplete, and sometimes inappropriate, information and conclusions.

In our society we are too quick to lay blame.

Stimulus passage on the way - one sided

Today, the House of Representatives passed the conference committee version of the stimulus bill roughly along party lines. No Republicans supported it and several Democrats opposed it. Then, it went to the Senate for a vote.

At this writing (7:30 p.m.), the 60 votes required for passage have not been registered; after about four hours it stands at 59 for. Word is a Democrat is on the way back from a wake for his mother to vote "yea," which should happen at around 10:30 p.m. So, by counts showing and forecast, the stimulus bill will pass the Senate, with very little Republican support, probably only the three who agreed to it the first time around.

So, that is the summary of what is happening now. It will pass. The President will sign it.

What has happened is the Republicans have maintained a split from the Democrats even in a situation that was guaranteed to pass both houses. I am a bit uncomfortable with their doing that. Why is it that all Republicans think one way and all Democrats think the other way, or visa-versa? It has to be party spirit, which is not good for the country. "My way or no way" as a party seems un-good to me.

If the stimulus plan works, or nearly so, the Democrats come out the big winner and the Republicans the big loser. The other way, it is reversed. Seems like Russian roulet, doesn't it? As I see it, I would almost hate to be a Repubican or a Democrat, and probably worse a Republican, because I think the plan is going to work some - at least.

Here is something that takes the cake: In the ending process, one of my senators put out word to his constituents how that he voted against the package and why. But, said he (get this!), if it passes, he is going to "work with the administration" to make sure of accountability and transparency. Hummm. "Work with the administration?" Frankly, I am not sure any Republican, including this good senator, can have any influence on the administration on this one considering the opposition they gave to it. Frankly, if it is successful, the Republican party (of which I am one) can just hang it up for eight years, for sure.

This partisan spirit is bound to take us through a rough four years, or so I think. Maybe, just maybe, those Congressionals will see the light and start working more together. Wouldn't that be something! Everything proposed by a Democrat cannot be all wrong. The same with a Republican.

As a caveat to this I wish the Democrats would stop bashing Bush. It is their game now, and everything that we have wrong today did not happen on Bush's watch. The Democrats had the Congress for the last four years. Have they forgotten that?

That is how I see it, but I might change.

Oh! These times

Ever want to say something and not know what to say? That is where I am. Maybe I should just say nothing, but I will press on. Wouldn't be like me to say nothing.

The Congress is getting close to an agreed on stimulus bill of nearly $800 billion. I guess that ought to make me feel good. It doesn't so much. Truth is, I almost have a gut ache over it. I just hope that somebody knows what they are doing. Guess I am still of the old school that believes well-to-do is created by people making stuff, and this seems a far reach from that.

Don't get me wrong. I am encouraged. I drove down IH-35 today from Austin to San Antonio to Laredo and there are a lot of 18-wheelers still on the road, going into and out of Laredo, my home town. Seemed almost as many as ever. I hope they were not running empty.

I had wearied somewhat on trucks, knowing that a lot of what they carry is autos and auto parts for that industry. My thinking was that would dry up if no cars are being sold. Not sure they are still carrying auto stuff, but, anyway, the trucks are still on the road, and that must mean something - if they are not running empty, trying to get home on pocket change.

I note that a lot of people are advertising a lot of products on television and on the Internet. That must mean something. Surely they are not advertising with no hope of sales. Saw one on television today selling stuffed bears made in the USA. Sounded pretty good to me. I almost bought one, and might still do so; again, I might not. But seeing it, and lots more, tells me somebody is doing some good, and they are making stuff. Someone is always inventing a better mouse trap, they say. To me now, a bear is good as any as long as it is Made in the USA.

My theory is that if people are advertising it has to mean sales are out there. I hope this is true.

The next few days and weeks will give an indicator as to whether there is a stimulus, even with the billions on billions about the hit the street. If that is what is needed, I sure hope it works. If that is not what is needed, I feel for US. Maybe, maybe, people just need to be encouraged to do something.

I know lots of people are hurting. While it has not hit me personally yet, I know it has a lot of people. Well, I said it has not hit me. But it has. My little bit of stock is close to 40 percent down! That is a hit, come to think of it. And, one of my stocks keeps dropping more than the average. It used to be really good and moving up, but now..... In fact the company put out a notice today revising down its forecast for doing well in 2009. That did not make me feel too good, yet I figured it was true.

Well, we will get through it all, but I think it will only come when we start making something. I hope somebody knows how to make something - which might be intirely different that what has been made, and that something sells. If that happens the multiplier will surely start moving around and make us all feel better.

He hit it outta the park!

I am not a fan particularly of baseball. I do enjoy watching from time to time. Mostly that would be during the World Series, with no particular team as a favorite, at least not at the start. But sometimes, I like a lesser game.

Today, I went out to watch the first home game of the season for our local university.

One reason I did that was that the head coach is a member at our church. He moved here from a similar job in a university setting in West Virginia last summer. Getting to know him, I soon learned how intense he was at doing his job as a coach. I learned that from some sermons (we have different men of the church bring sermons) he has brought, in which he often had some comparison of playing the game of baseball and that of being a Christian. I have learned a lot about both his Christian walk and his baseball walk, and both were good to hear.

Anyway, he started his playing season last week out of town. His team won one and lost two on the road. I could tell in talking with him he was not satisfied with that. I know he had rather to have won all three. (Wouldn't all coaches?) Today was his first home game. I went out to observe the coach and players in action. I thought that would be a good thing to do as an outing.

I was impressed with the interaction of my friend with his players. Obviously, he was always the coach. He seemed respected. When I arrived, his team was winning 2 to 1 in the bottom of the first inning.

One thing I noticed was that at the end of each inning, my friend's players would run (a fast walk) to the corner of the field, huddle, and return to the team area. I had never seen that before. Maybe it has happened but I have not seen it. I thought, now that is a good way to keep their bodies exercised so that when they get to bat or out in the field their bodies could respond. Well, that was typical of how my friend had trained/disciplined his players.

In the top of the 5th, the opposing team was up to bat. Score was still 2 to 1 in favor of the home team. As it turned out, the bases became loaded with the opposing team. I am sure that caused some consternation with my friend. Bases were loaded and a new batter was up to bat.

Then, the pitch. The batter connected. He hit that ball solidly. It climbed out over the pitcher and high over center-field. I watched. Wow! I thought, that ball is going over the fence! I am sure I took longer to comprehend what was happening than did the players. And so it did - over the fence. I watched the outfielder. After the ball went over the fence, the outfielder jumped up on the fence as if, by some miracle, he thought he might draw the ball back. I later thought, 'He is trying to make it look like he did his part for his coach.' Oh, well.

With that hit, four runs came in. The bases loaded came in, and the batter galloped his bases and came home. The score went 5 to 2 in favor of the opposing team.

About this time, I was tired and decided to go home. Don't know how that game came out, or how the following game did. I do know that the home team tried really hard while I was there. I hope they did not have that picture again.

He hit it outta the park! That is what batters want to do. Occasionally it happens, like a hole in one for a golfer.

Anyway, my impression. Baseball is a fun game. I am glad my friend likes coaching. I am glad he is my friend. I am rooting for the home team.

Later update: the home team loss the first game but won the second.