caught in the net

a recent news story tells the sad story of the victim of cruel and anonomous behavior on MySpace. A young girl became estranged from her best friend and sought out friends on MySpace. I have heard many use such incidents as some sort of indictment of the internet. I know, I know, I get a little preachy. The net is just a tool. The same as a shovel or a car. You can wack someone over the head with a shovel and take thier money. The same shovel can dig a hole. In fact, the shovel can do both and then be used again and again. So the blame for any evil is on us, not the tool.

TIBU

I have spent CONSIDERABLE amount of time reading and writing on a site for writers. The stuff I write is noticed by a few but mostly I am shunned. I don't know why this is so but I can deal. Most of the writing is very good, in my opinion, so it must be mine is not up to snuff. Or maybe it was something I said or didn't say, I don't know. Writing for the world can be bruising if one does it for praise. Lucky for me that is not why I write.
Someone put up a post there desribing the famous crossed swords in Bagdad. We should all read it.
Thisisby.us
Brakeformoose

hoping for change, but not holding my breath

Well this year's elections in my home town have brought a change in many faces. Mayor, council, projects, committees and more. The ads try to convince us of the different future in store for everyone. But, we've heard it all before. We shall see. Getting elected seems to be a matter of who can promise the most. In an old Gilligan's Island, Gilligan is told by a political insider to promise the people "Dis,Dat and dee udder ting" and the assembled crowd cheers wildly when he does. Sound familiar?

broken health

In a letter to Sen. Wayne Allard (R) of Colorado Thomas Weiss, M.A., C.N.A. brings to the forefront of discussion the plight of patients, Nurses and Certified Nursing Assistants in the environment of the greedy corporate takeover of public health care. The amount of qualified people being driven out of these fields can be traced to the ever increasing involvement of the huge profits to be made as "The Boomers" retire. The moves of big business and their efforts to get profit enhancing legislation is lowering the value of human life to merely the bottom line of a profit/loss balance sheet. Where once those who owned a nursing home also owned the responsibility of patient care, this is no longer the case. Now thru changes in our laws, the levels of corporate structure and ownership make it all but imposable to find who is really in charge. Some of the largest owners of nursing homes own as many as 300 to 400 homes. This is made possible by the cozy way laws are snuck into our lives under the banner of "privatisation". Is your life and the lives of your loved ones really better than they were pre-REAGANOMICS and the trickle-down theory?

been a while

I have been spending considerable time reading and writing at one of the on-line sites for those that wish to hone their skills. I must say, I have a long row to hoe to be published, especially in this way.
The fire in San Diego reveals much of our arrogance and folly. 500,000 plus acres burned, thousands of homes and businesses destroyed, at least one alleged arsonist shot dead. Let us hope this the result of the convergence of natural weather with our own stupidity and not the work of those that would seek to exploit our obvious vulnerabilities to advance our total destruction. Military might and sophistication can't protect us any more. Truth and justice must be the American way. A new way(or an old one reapplied) is the only way to a united Earth. We should live so long!

if this math is correct, WTF are we waiting for?

Over at MOTHERJONES in an article Iraq 101, the statement was made that it is estimated that it will cost $20 billion to rebuild the oil industry in Iraq but only $6.6 billion to provide every home there with solar power. After Iraq can we save the US. from the evils of oil next? Oh, I forgot, capitalism means never reaching the point of economic freedom for the masses!

Technological Singularity, here or not here

Reading some articleshere, I asked myself a question. Is this event in our past or still in our future. Those that remember the movie "Colossus, The Forbin Project" know that this has been an eventuality for some time. While I do not fear the machines per Se, I am highly skeptical of the humans that wish a cyborg-like existence for all of us. There are those that foresee this event as coming somewhere between 2005 and 2030. But since there are entities(commercial, governmental, diabolical etc.)that have been working toward this for many, many years, it may have already happened but we have not been told. What ever the case, I do hope the AI uses itself more like Asimov's guardian of a radioactive Earth and not THE BORG on Star Trek, The Next Generation. BTW, the link above may take a few seconds to work, please be patient.

to change or not to change?

Sometimes change is good. Sometimes not. But change is life. And even things in our world that are not "animated" are described as having a life, The river, the mountain, the desert, etc. all have a cycle and thus a life. It is foolish and selfish to think that change in all things can be stopped or is not necessary. This applies to civilization as well. Since change will come anyway, it is a must for us to look ahead and see to it that it is of benefit to all.

It's the water, stupid!

Water is life. A children's show from a while back had a particularly intuitive set of words we would all be wise to learn. "The Earth's a big blue marble when you see it from out there...the sun and moon declare...our beauty's very rare!" The picture of the Earth taken from space showed, indeed, how beautiful and vibrant the Earth is. What makes it so you ask? Is it the act of Civilization? Politics? Religion? Capitalism? Communism? Conservatism? Liberalism? Feminism? No to all the above. It's the water. Life itself is all about water. This truth demonstrated to me again in a NYT's article about China. It seems the phenomenal economic growth it is enjoying is coming at the possably irreversible depletion of it's ground water. Water tables in the north are going down 3 to 4 feet a year. The whole of the water supply shows signs of 30% to 75% contamination. As anyone that visits CHINA, or India, or Africa or anywhere will tell you, the water stinks with our waste. I do not see civilization curbing the misuse of this planet even though we know we must if we are to survive here. That is why, in our heart of hearts, we also know we must find another home in the cosmos. Why? It's the water, stupid.

The US. military, not to be trusted to do a good job, even for and by themselves?

The use of private armies by the US. sends the message that our military is incapable of providing well trained personnel. Why is this true? Is President Bush saying that the brave souls he sends to die are not worthy of his trust. Is he saying that vast amounts of money can only be trusted to give satisfactory results when given to those that seek to profit from his intentions. We the People foot the bill in more ways than one, yet HE decides who will profit and who will just die.

Sputniik

50 years seems like a life time. Hey, for me it is. In the context of time, 50 years is but an eye blink. For me it is most of the time I will experience. But the last 50 years have ushered in either the end of the beginning or the end of it all. We have within our grasp nothing less than everything. Sure, much time and effort remains until the full utilization of space by us is so commonplace that it is no longer a topic. It will just fade into our lives as fire has done. But unlike fire, who's origins are lost to us, the time and date of Sputnik will be known and spoken of forever.

Burma

The recent developments in the country formerly known as Burma bring to the forefront several disturbing things. The obvious fight that continues for freedom from the junta that rules there is but one. Underlying all that is going on is the foot-dragging way the supposed democracies of the world respond and act. Too often economics takes precedence over political will and human rights. It would seem to me that complete economic isolation would have a much better chance of effecting change. While in the short run this kind of action would cause hardships on the people of Burma and all her trading partners, if the world (us) is really serious in its beliefs this would be a small price to pay when compared to continued repression. Freedom isn't free. Not even for those of us already living with it, sort of. As long as wealth and our own comfort come first, freedom for all comes last. The global economy must not rely on hypocracy to advance. The global mantra must be "ONE FOR ALL AND ALL FOR ONE"

the Star Trek world we want

Over at the ReclusiveLeftist Dr. Socks gives what I think is the clearest path to the gender neautral world here, comment 50 scroll down the #50 comment. She talks of the need to abandon the old to have the new.

define illegal for one and all

Every time the subject of illegal immigration comes up the term illegal seems to fade from view. What is it about coming to the US. that makes being illegal desirable to being legal? What makes this even possible? The health care system? The willingness of business to provide illegal jobs? The American consumer's willingness to look the other way as long as they get things cheap? A capitalist system that puts profit above the law? To require a full accounting of those that get paid, those that pay, those that receive medical treatment and so on may scare those that are in violation but just maybe an above board approach to this problem is the only way to keep the front door open while shutting the back door...Some make noises about losses of freedom, government intrusion into our private lives and all the usual rhetoric. But what about MY freedom, MY government and MY private life? Are we to be held captive to those that abuse our system for fear of being called politically incorrect or subject to economic threats? If you want to dance to our band, buy a ticket. At full price!!

the hipocracy of it all

the federal reserve has taken drastic measures to smooth out the ripples in the banking and real estate markets before the economy as a whole hits the Crapper. The unspoken truth of this move is the benefit to those that were mostly the beneficiaries of the actions that caused the problems in the first place. Those that speak the loudest about the evils of taxes seem to have no qualms about having taxpayers and our government bail out their sorry asses because they set up and abuse a system that holds most of the people hostage to their excesses.

stumbling

great article at WIRED about the ongoing online spying, by our government and corporate entities.

test 3

one more time for good measure

test 2

funny but true

testing

check here

slip up or slippedout

In a NYT article Fred Thompson, talking about the economy, said that what is now a worrisome unemployment level used to be considered "full" employment. He also said that nothing is sustainable forever. Does that include profit growth that is larger than population growth? As some revel in the Dow's advance, they must not be doing ALL the math. If profit growth, real profit, is larger than population growth the only place this growth can come from is increased productivity per worker. We are seeing the use of the exploitation of resources and people to produce wealth for some but we have reached the end of that line in many ways.
As anyone that remembers high school math will tell you "A geometric progression will eventually reach tangent" Unfortunately for those of us living today this is a fact that those that came before us ignored. The economic progression must be in stasis with population if we are to survive as a civilization and a species.

chickens with thier heads cut off

The impending resignation of Senator Craig is telling on so many levels. What is going on?

blame game

As the recall of food and toys from China continues, the blame game heats up. The Chinese, Mattel and others are taking turns making sure they are not alone is this. As for me, I would put the blame on the root cause that makes them all partners. GREED!!!

wool

Yup, uh-huh, gotta be!
When reading a NYT's article on Countrywide's finacial woes all I could think of were two old phrases. "Love of money is the root of all evil!" and "Capitalist Pigs!" The examination of lending practices and the profit generating services as well as the use of SPVs gives a clear picture of greed gone wild. So many truly believed they were getting something for nothing. Well now it seems that was true for only a few and even that required most of us to lose.
That's wool over our eyes folks! Now the question becomes "Who put it there?"

blah blah blah

reading the whining of retailers of HDTV is getting old fast. They complain of slumping profit margins due to intense competition and wise consumers. Is this not free market capitalism at its best? How long do they expect to fool people? Extended warranties, useless service contracts and add-ons can only generate profit for a limited time before the consumer realizes they are getting hosed. Shame on us for being observant.

so it goes

the move by John Edwards to focus some of his attack on Sen. Clinton's supposed failure to get health care reform could backfire. With a Republican majority in both houses of Congress at the time (Newt and the boys) and the reluctance of many Americans to follow a woman into battle, I would look closer before assigning blame.

ala JohnBoy and Billy

During the time I spent living in Florida, someone introduced me to this radio program. I must admit that I found much of it very funny. But much of it bore a pervasive kind of thinking that was foreign and upsetting. Mostly the opinion that the people that did not subscribe to Southern thought were doodoo heads. I hope the world can move beyond the need to be regional in ones loyalty and be truly one people. This is not to say we must all be copies of one another, but some virtues ARE universal in scope while some biases ARE universally wrong.

advertising mysagany

The post about the Nike ad at FEMINIST LAW PROFESSORS shows how self perpetuating and subliminal inequality can be. Even those that try to fight it can be browbeaten into submission if we allow it to continue.

maybe soon they will get the message

It's sort of like proprietary ownership of the right to drink. Once one buys a beverage, one can drink it, save it or switch brands at will. Not so with your phone. The substancial cost of changing carriers makes it all but impossable to make decisions for oneself. The breakup of AT&T was an effort to thwart the stiffled competition of the phone. Since that time some things have changed but not the desire to limit the power of big business. Witness the fast spreading news of how to hack the IPHONE. Be assured that it is a crime. The trouble is many see the preditory marketing traps of the big boys as the bigger injustice. Sort of like "Tank Girl's" dept. of Power and Water.

turn the page

after a little soul searching, I will now write about things that do not involve me personally anymore, much. For a while now I have been enamoured with someone well beyond my reach. An unrequited love affair if you will. So strong is my attraction that I may be acting a little goofy. Who am I kidding, very goofy. This person is probably aware of my idiocy. Being way to nice to just tell me to fuck off, they just continue to be kind. It is up to me to grow up and turn the page. Too bad for me, too bad for them, too bad.I don't know when or why but the tone of our exchanges changed. Where there was once interest and the sharing of life's meaningful topics, there is now polite conversation. I know this is due to my words in some way so I will limit what I say to them.

mines and people

working below the surface is a very scary thing to most of us. Blessings to those that do.

are we trading long term survival for short term comfort for some and the degradation of many

14 billion a month for the war in Iraq, untold wealth around the globe for other economic or political pursuits. While we argue about renewable sources of energy. Some debate the virtues of the health care system. The real estate bust. Downturns in the Dow. Intellectual property rights. Borders, taxes, equality.
Some see these as secondary to the fact that more oxygen is consumed each day than the earth can produce in the same period. Time to grow up people, and leave childish animosity behind, way behind. For our children and our children's children and in perpetuity.

words

I have always loved words. Whether in a book, newspaper, a song, a poem or spoken. One of the greatest gifts we as humans posses is the ability to give. We can use words to give. Sometimes they take the form of support, sometimes warning and sometimes just information. Sometimes they are an escape from our everyday lives. My daughters gave me the complete Lord of The Rings DVD set for my birthday. Some may not think of these as valuable but I sure do.

FRODO LIVES!

so many blogs

It takes me hours of exploring to find a blog I wish to visit many times.
There are the personal blogs, like this one, that range from personal thoughts to personal likes and dislikes.
Then there are the informational blogs, the political blogs, the educational blogs, the media blogs, the family blogs, blog list blogs, the multitude of porn blogs...whoa! And on and on. If you have read this blog and think you know of a blog I might like, feel free to suggest.

finnished 53 years, whew!

I would have hoped the world would have abandoned the grab for oil by now. If you have been following the news of the territorial fight over the North Pole you can see how the world is dragging every last barrel of oil it can from the earth regardless of the fate of civilization. Such is the power of greed.

making waves

The net allows us to communicate to untold numbers of people. Most often we have only a vague knowledge of who and how many. But an e-mail can be sent that reaches few or only one intended reader. OF COURSE one must be quite sure of the words, as with any mailed item, before it is sent. That being said, I am fully aware of and prepared for any reaction to anything I say.
Sometimes I am deadly serious. Sometimes I just make waves.

spam am I, I am spam?

I really don't know why someone would categorize me as a spammer. I hate spam and would never knowingly participate in or with it. That being said, the ones that do are well beyond my ability to know about or thwart them.
I suppose it is a given that some will always figure out how to misuse something that is inherently neutral in an unneutral way to benefit themselves. Too bad for me when it is me they use. Too bad also for anyone that is affected by contact with me. I am sorry if I am spam.

free speech movement has morphed into crapspeech

some blogs and the comments spew just plain old crap. They think they are being avante-guarde, but really they are poor imitations of what went down 35 years ago. Maybe some of what went down went so far that there is nowhere to go but down. Read " The Horse Is Dead" by Robert Klane if you want to see what I mean.

this above all

as the childcare discussion takes place, rememmber that it's all about what is best for them, not ourselves.

NIAD DISABLED ARTISTS

Outside San Frannciscohere

Here I am

going back to read the comments I have been leaving at various blogs, comparing them to the original posts as well as any other comments, I am struck by how lame my thoughts can be. It is only the kindness of others that give voice these mutterings of mine.
Watching the news of the bridge collapse in Minneapolis, I hear an expert on the US. infastucture say it would cost about 14 billion dollars to fix up all of our bridges. A vast sum indeed, but small compared to the 10 billion dollars per month we spend on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Our priorities seem to be skewed a bit.
Reading some of the feminist blogs give one the feeling that not only will the sides never accept each others point of view, most don't even want to. This seems to be the norm for all injustices and inequalities we face. As for me, I hope to find someone to care about that will care about me. Not much to seek but hard to find I guess. I am sure I missed more than a few opportunities.

alone again, naturaly

the choice I have made to stop commenting on other blogs for awhile is mostly about respect, not for myself, rather for the blog owners and readers. The chance to give an opinion on a great blog affords me an enormous amount of respect regardless of whether anyone agrees with me or not. Or even posts a reply. It is my wish to learn as much as I can before my opinions can no longer be contained by me and I start leaving comments again.
Writing here should fill my need to communicate for a bit.
Many thanks to Siva, Liz and especially Ann for their respect and support.
I am trying to link to VSA here
IT WORKS, YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

the lesser of two evils, or more

as one follows the political discourse of the current debate as to what direction this nation, and the world in general, should move toward it is clear that there is enough merit to go around. Clinton, Romney, Obama, Edwards, Thompson, McCain, Giuliani and the rest. Looking into the candidates views can seem like looking into a crystal ball that is cloudy. At first glance we think we understand, but it seems the closer we look the less we can see. The use of strategists, campaign managers, media advisers and similar people is, it seems, all about getting elected, not about serving. Why is it we always end up voting for the lesser of two evils? Was Washington the lesser of two evils?

whew!

I just spent 2 hours reading blogs. I found a few that I liked, somewhat liked. The vast majority were personal talks to friends of the authors or just crap. It was OK though. Good to see people speaking out. I do hope to see the every day people evolve and make good use of this freedom.

light at the end of the tunnel

this means I can see the end of the tunnel I now travel. The walls are smooth and have no places for me to hold on to. So I must be very careful as I proceed. I have made the blogosphere most of my new life but it falls way short of a good replacement for the old one. Some of the people in this place are very kind, some are indifferent and a few are just plain mean spirited. Since this the way life has always been it comes as no surprise.The pain and joy as well as the disappointment mirror what is all around us every day so I will continue my search for happiness. I am lost in a sea of voices. One can only hope the right person hears mine and answers. If this should happen, I pray we both realize the benefit.

selling us large

with yet another study telling us it is our fault that so many of us are overweight because we are eating wrong, I would ask "where does the wrong food come from and why?" Some seem to think that our standard of living depends on the right of business to sell us just about anything it makes as long as it kills us slowly. "Let the buyer beware" is now being augmented by "and the children of buyers and their children's children too." Is wealth for a minority worth the health of the majority?

something needs to be done

Spam, identity theft, online crimes of all kinds seem to invade our lives at all turns. I have always fought the intrusion of those that seek to control my life. But now one can't be sure who is doing the controlling. If I must curtail or stop my online life to thwart the kind of shit that is happening I will be extremely pissed off. I know that any lock can be picked. The solution in the past was to make the lock too time consuming for all but the best to make the attempt. It seems now that even a poor or mediocre hacker can get rewards. We need our computer scientists to focus on our cyber-safety before focusing on the next for profit application.

I haven't heard this one in awhile

" look at the wood and the way he forms it
must have taken him years
I asked him the price and he said it was free
and I couldn't believe my ears
tell me old man, how long have you lived
to have such amazing talent
I'm 20 years short of a century
and the best years are in the balance

when he was young his mother fed him frogs and a wide assortment of lizards
she made him tough, wise and strange and gave him the mind of a wizard"
Jefferson Airplane

I BLAME BARBARA

I usually don't comment on specific politicians, BUT George W. is a self serving, self absorbed, extremely arrogant ass! The reason I am posting this is I just watched one of his press conferences, sheesh!

As the world turns, I burn

Again I find myself talking into the netherworld. Many do this too. 75 million blogs and counting, so in that respect I don't feel so alone. If one does the math, though, one realizes it is imposable to view and communicate to most so we make choices. I have chosen a few to link to but I am sure there are many more worth reading. The ones on this list, as I have found out, are just the tip of the iceberg.
As in life we find some things that are a waste. I am so happy people are so free with the links and other sites so I can follow my path but with help. The danger for me is falling in love with someone thru the words of the posts or the kind way they write to me. There is one in particular that has captured my fancy. This person has done nothing to try and fool me. (how would I know if they did?) Intellectually I know this can not be, but still my heart beats faster when I see or write the name. Though I usually go my own way, AAA leads, I follow. "we didn't start the fire. The world's been burning since the world's been turnin' "
Me too!

yea, well

"wondering and thinking all the way down the road
I once loved a woman, a child I am told
I gave her my heart but she wanted my soul
don't think twice, it's alright"


maybe some day I'll understand, maybe not. So I have moved on.

royal treatment

I am so blessed that sometimes people think there is no downside for me. Of course this is not the case. The people I deal with every day seek me out and I allow myself to be found. They shower me with gifts and praise. On the outside it may look as if I have it made in many respects. That is true on the surface. After I go home or turn off the computer, there is nothing for me but reruns on TV.

cyber blues

The cyber world can be a wonderful place. One can do research, keep up with the news from anywhere and everywhere, touch base with family and friends and a host of other activities. There are so many things that I handle online that would be imposable for me otherwise. Progress can be very good. On the other hand I have found that if one can not blend virtual with actual something is missing. REALITY! I may be alone in my feelings of loss. The feeling one gets from a real hug or kiss. Watching a play in a theater with others. Sigh! I really do miss the interaction of the pre-internet world sometimes.

"ZARDOZ"

1973 movie with Sean Connery set way in the future. Not his best but probably his strangest. Not Bond-like at all. DEFINITELY gives us something to talk about. Things were really, really weird in the 70's.

well hush my mouth

Literally, self imposed. I have a tendency to talk to much. Those that know me make excuses for me. Things like "what you say is interesting" or "that's true". I am going to curb my tongue as much as possible. This is being done with great effort on my part. As a part of my interest in people I have listened to many so I always have something I can add to a conversation, and usually do. The things I say may have value, they may not, but they come out of my mouth regardless. Wish me luck.

crap

"when I look back on all the crap I learned in high school, it's a wonder I can think at all...
but my lack of education hasn't hurt me none, I can read the writing on the wall." Paul Simon (Kodachrome)
Some times we equate intelligence with wisdom. I can tell you from my own experience that is a big mistake. In fact I have found that being way smart can be detrimental to one's wisdom. It is all to easy to think up rational reasons to support unwise choices. Wisdom does not come in degrees, a thought or action is either wise or it is not. We must use our intelligence to figure, we use wisdom to know. Since I am guilty of many unwise choices, I'll take wisdom over smarts any day.

some times I cry

I was looking at many of the wonderful things people are doing and I realize how shortsighted I have been. With all I could have done, all I should have done, my life is sadly empty. I mistakenly thought that the world was evolving toward a far out place of reason and truth. It is not. The thrust of human endeavor seems to be the same as it has always been. I have stopped to smell the roses along the way, but not nearly enough. Tech, law, art, games, energy, politics, love, sex, travel are just a few of the things that have evolved while I have stayed the same. Why was I so sure I was going the right way? Maybe it was because few were going my way. Those that were not seemed lost. Well, it seems so was I. One needs to expand in an expanding world. I started out running but NOW I'll take my time. At least all I have left.
In this regard I must tell you of a visit to the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas. The reverence, the quiet, the history were the topic of much of the conversation between myself and my wife for the rest of our drive to San Diego and on to Santa Barbara. The US. had stolen the land. We eventually reached the conclusion that most, if not all, of civilization's greatest moments involved theft in one way or another.
Time has stolen most of my life without me even noticing.

As the world turns

When too many people jump on the bandwagon I seem to feel the need to go elsewhere. It is not that I don't like to be with others, in fact when I know where y'all are I visit often. It is just that I like to explore. The blogosphere has so many people that some times it stifles exploration because no matter where I go there are too many waiting. I will continue to visit to see what everyone is up to, but I will only leave a few comments every so often. You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.

Talk true

If you go to any of the links I have given (ie. FEMINIST LAW PROFESSORS, SIVACRACY) THINK before you speak. They know their shit!

S.P.C.H.A.

Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Human Animal.
This post is not about physical or mental cruelty. It is about the well meaning but often misguided way we try to help. One must never forget that a disability does not mean less human. The emotions are pretty much the same in all people. So when they are forced to retreat, don't be to harsh if they resist at first.

political blogging

The blog is now the way we get our political views in front of the rest of the world. The rise of blogging has given some new and greater influence to many people that had little before. The joining of minds that are in agreement, as well as a forum for debate, has opened many eyes to the power. Some blogs rival traditional media in reach and power to influence our opinions. This fact has come with a price. Or many prices. Some people use the power to deride, some just to insult. OUR mail boxes can be filled to overflow so quickly it makes one's head spin.
The discussion of issues in a civil way is also one of the powers that can be employed. Let us hope to see more civility.
As major and minor politicians use this power, their purposes should be easier for us to see.

something to talk about

while reading a news paper from India, I was struck by a few things. The advancement of women's rights shows no sign of slowing there though the way is hard, the companies with the largest ads are very familiar and the newspapers there are more open about sex than in the US..

my friends like me to blog

I have the tendency to send too many e-mails. I hope blogging curbs this flaw, LOL!

making headway

I have always liked to wander. Not that I never have a destination, it's just that I find so many great things and people when I least expect to. I came across the most beautiful grave marker I have ever seen while wandering in a local cemetery. (not too gross a pastime when ones friend is the caretaker) It is a hand carved, marble rose bush about 31/2 feet high. The grave is from 1851. I found it by deciding to take every right turn I came to. Wandering with a criteria is not really wandering I guess.

books

If we had to learn everything firsthand we'd die stupid. Communication thru writing is just below language in importance and may have a larger sociatal impact. So books are vital. The definition of what a book is may be evolving, but the influence they have is not. Read any good books lately?

starter subjects

music, blacksmiths, equality, elections, blogging, feminism, travel, places, space, physics, inventions, web 3.0, leadership, law, politics, current events. sci-fi

NEW WAY, NEW DAY

After reading other blogs, I am making some changes. The most important one is an attempt by me to get others to talk by letting y'all pick the subject.(within reason)

MR. WIZARD!

Don Herbert helped this father teach his children to love discovery. He taught me more than a few things too! I don't know much of his personal life but he was a giant public figure in our house. GOOD-BYE and GOD BLESS MR. WIZARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

time after time

I never intend to do dumb things but it seems I am doomed to do so. Maybe I am forgiven for them, maybe not. But in any case, things are never the same. All I can say is I'm sorry that I acted in a way that was or said something that came across as wrong.

Troop Surge,Hmmm!

Again, for the umpteenth time, the world is caught in the drooling, vicious, self-serving jaws of the belief that might makes right. Again humans tumble close to the edge, believing that the winner of the global struggle for complete victory will yield a kinder, gentler, more equatable place for us all. This thinking has always given some, if not all, of us grief. Change in our thought, of a radical nature, is needed.

Back to basics

Blogging can be fun. Blogging can be meaningful. Blogging can be silly. Blogging can be a way for some to provoke others. Since entering the blogging thing, I have avoided the same things I avoid in my every day life. But, as in life in general, sometimes we fail. I was recently a failure. I left a simple but to the point comment on a blog. I have commented there before. Someone responded in such a way that I lost my objectivity. There will always be those that try to provoke someone so as to prove they are superior. In fact, this kind of behavior shows an insecure person. The only way for them to feel that they are of primary worth in the world is goad someone. And I allowed this to happen to me when I could no longer stand the words of one that uses this tactic. Don't they realize that they aren't fooling anyone? The only one diminished by such behavior is the instigator themselves. I guess they are clouded in their judgement and can not see clearly.

HANDICAPPED ARTISTS

Support the effort to let those of limited ability express themselves thru art.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Gotcha! This post is not about computers. It's about people that use their minds in the pursuit of comfort for themselves not others. The purpose behind the words they write or speak. If one takes the words at face value it seems that they are speaking the truth. They are mostly. But what is their reason for the words in the first place? Is it for the betterment of all or to demonstrate the superior mental prowess they posses? To bad that there are those that criticise ( and in some cases rightly so) a way of doing things yet derive personal wealth from just those practices. Someone that is a stock broker yet complains of the behavior of the large corporations that are instrumental to the livelihood they enjoy. This is artificial intelligence indeed!

Kurt Vonnegut

There is not much I can say as a goodbye that is not being said so I will say this, "Hi Ho!" and "So it goes!"

good-bye Kelly

in memory of Michel ARCHANGEL "KELLY" FANELLI.
A great father-in-law, a great friend, a great human...
the light you gave to me will shine for eternity

Missed again

Missteps, miss construed, miss judged, miss informed, miss guided, miss understood, misstated , miss led, missed out! This is an apology that no one will see so I guess it misses the mark!

TOMMY! Where did we blow it?

While watching Tommy again, I was forced to ask myself if we have gotten lost as if we were deaf, dumb and blind? The way seemed so clear all those years ago. Change for the greater good was our purpose! We thought we could, but we have not it seems. Some jumped on the bandwagon then jumped off quickly when they saw the effort it would take. Those that stayed were soon in the minority. Steering, or driving the bus, is a difficult task with every ones help let alone with most going different ways. The destinations may be varied but the road that takes us there goes only two ways. Foward and back. The purpose of a road is to make it easier to get to where you are going and return. Some how we have left the road. Even good people get lost if they leave the road. For sure some find their way, but many do not. I guess what I'm trying to say is we must know where we want to go first, then we pick the road. If we do not know where we want to go we may go down the wrong road. We must be aware of the bumps but not abandon the road because of them. Listening to you I get the story.

scolarly discusion of the word "scholar"

A gentleman and a scholar took me under his wing to improve my knowledge of the subject at hand. His mastery of the subject was breathtaking. He could discern more about a machine with a few light taps of his machinist's hammer and his nose than the designer. Although he was in possession of a great intellect, it was his knowledge that made him great. This was the direct result of many years of work and observation. One of the proudest moments of my life was his agreeing to teach me some of the "secrets" he had learned. He was considered by all that knew him or knew of him to be the "grand wizard of machines." After awhile in his company, those that knew me would tell me how lucky I was that he was willing to share his knowledge with me, When I told him what they said, all he said to me was that he liked the way I only added my two cents when they were needed. He was not above learning, in fact he never stopped. He was truly a gentleman and a scholar. He had been asked to speak at many universities about many things that did not involve machines. He would teach me of these things too. The biggest secret he gave me was no secret at all. He had never studied at a collage or university. He would say" A scholar need not have a degree, but it helps." What a guy. He died when he was about 70 and I was 24. I will never forget him or what he taught me. When one looks up the word "scholar" there is more than one definition. Maybe they should add his name.

law

I was reading of the plan to cut funding to many nursing homes as much as $700,000 a year. we spend 4 billion a month in Iraq. I guess oil is worth way more than American's, or any human's life. Profit is primary, life is secondary today. I know energy is an important part of today's economy , but is there any economy without people? Should we spend our lives making a few people wealthy and be left out in the cold when we can no longer contribute to their wealth? What a system!

i think it's gonna be a long long time!

it's been over 40 years and no sign of touch down for me! i was always a little off. more than half a bubble off by most accounts. lol. it was not that i didn't see what others did, i just seemed to see more. i read constantly. usually SF, but not much was beyond my interest. i made it through school without most of my textbooks though. they were placed in a safe place and forgotten until i had to turn them in at the end of the year. i was more interested in Poe, Asimov, Heinlein and Bradbury among many others. it was very evident to my parents, teachers and friends that Bob was not from around here. i took this in stride since it seemed i had no choice.
in the 60's i set about designing underground habitats to survive a nuclear war. this meant learning about generating power, hydroponics, bringing sunlight underground by using Lucite fibers hidden above, testing the underground water as we got it so we could send the water out with the same characteristics and avoid detection. ( does the name Morloc ring a bell?) because of this obsession many had plans to break in to the local gun shop, take what they wanted, then force me to go with them. we were going to kidnap time. luckily the bombs did not come.
i also learned to work in 11 number bases that included the binary system. this meant machine code. we had such plans for the emerging computer. my dad worked for Grumman Aircraft at the time they were building the LEM and i would help him with the NEW MATH. as a result of going to school in an experimental district, i was in 6th grade and could do complex algebra and trig but could not write out a long division problem.
i will continue later.

me

just got the camera. finally figured it out. not a good pic of me!

Dr. Who?

many years ago i learned this from Dr. Joyce Brothers on one of her many stints on the "TONIGHT SHOW".
Suppose while sailing your boat hits a reef. the 5 humans aboard swim to safety but 3 make it to an island some distance from the other 2. A,B and C are on one and D and E the other.
A starts collecting the parts from the wreck and tries to build a radio so they can call for help. B starts pressuring C for sex but her mate is D and can see the other shore. she refuses but B persists. E just wants to survive and be rescued so he agrees to help D build a boat. D wants the boat so he can get to C and block B's advances. After a long while C decides D will not succeed and she can no longer resist B's insisting and gives in to him.
E and D finish the boat and get to the first island at the same time A finishes the radio. D is now mad at C for giving in to B. D joins A and E to complete the call for help.

rate A,B,C,D and E by any criteria you wish as to their importance in this story.












meaning of people
A= INTELLIGENCE
B= POWER
C= SEX
D= MORALITY
E= SECURITY

my rating of the cast in comments.
one uses someones ratings to get a good idea of what is valuable to them and a clue into their behavior. some may try to manipulate the results but when they are alone and honest the truth will out.

i don't mind not belonging, but!

one of the best advances in the net is blogging. being able to communicate with the world is an eye-opener. i can only hope that people use this power for things that create good. i try to but some may not believe that. in the end i have no fear of exposure since i hide nothing and do little. lol.....

truth?

upon reading many, many blog posts, articles, books and essays as well as the accompanying comments, i am struck by what passes for truth. i am not saying that opinion and guesses cannot be true, i am saying just that to put them forth as true, or more correctly stated, as completely or unchangeably true, is the most common false way of swaying people's opinion of an argument. this seems to be especially useful to those that are involved in politics or religion. if something is to rise to be always true, a more strict proof must be satisfied. it must be provable even by those that don't want it to be as well as being provable any where in the universe. 1 plus 1 is 2. this is not only TRUE when and where i say, but ALWAYS and EVERYWHERE. this thinking means, since none of us is perfect, we must be willing to accept more truth as it arrives or change our views if ours is not ALWAYS true. this might seem to some as an insignificant statement but, in my unlettered opinion, by not recognizing this we continue down the path of conflict that leads to even more conflict and grief. one can believe what one wants, but only the truth must be used in civil interaction. if at first we don't succeed, try try again.

with a little help from my friends

this is a tale for those that are active and those just thinking of doing something to bring change. in 1967 i was 13 but well on my way to being radical. listening to music, wearing weird clothes, growing my hair and more. the Vietnam war was going and every year a certain percentage of the senior boys got drafted and went to fight. since i was to young to go, i could only fight at home to stop this from continuing. some friends and i decided to also fight to get the laws changed to allow 18 year olds to vote and to abolish the dress codes in public schools. this is one story of the struggle over dress codes in upstate NY. it was relatively easy to get girls and their mothers and grandmothers to join the fight. if you have ever walked to school during a bad NY. winter and been told you must wear an approved skirt or dress you know why this is so. we got lawyers willing to challenge the NY. state supreme court, various newspapers, the plaintiffs, the school board, officials from the state and others to attend meetings on the subject. in the end we won all but a few concessions. if the clothes were not dangerous or obscene, they must be allowed. HOORAY for us. we went on, with many others. to get the vote for 18 year olds and i voted in the first presidential election that 18, 19 and 20 years olds could. 1972 was a good year.
the point of this post is to encourage. some of you take voting and wearing jeans to school to lightly. ask us geezers, we'll tell ya.lol.

LINKS

JUST ADDED SOME GREAT LINKS. CHECK THEM OUT.

writing resources on the web

when i put in "writing" and did a search, i found a very, very huge list to examine. this will take a while to give the best ones(in my opinion). please be patient with me.

children

i received a card from one of my brothers and his family. there was a picture of my 4 year old nephew in his karate garb. the beaming happiness in his smile reminded me of what it is to be a parent. all the work, disappointment, sacrifices and out and out drudgery are erased in an instant.

looking for learning

looking around the net, i have found so many sources for knowledge about writing, law and art i feel i must refine my area to study first and pick sources afterwards. i guess i will pursue writing first. since writing is the medium that i must know to make sense of all that i must learn, i will learn all i can about it in all its forms. then i will expand my sight to include other subjects. i will start this quest with some of the sites provided by some universities.

for real

the time has come for me to attempt to discus a relevant topic. the topic i chose to start with is knowledge available online. the web is so vast one can type any word into a search engine and receive more places to look at than time allows. this fact is both good and bad. since most of us have limited time to devote to any endeavor, we must choose which sites to visit and those to pass up. if i were perfect or omniscient i would only choose the ones that are the best for my purpose. i am neither so if i rely only on my own judgement or chance i may be searching a long time before my effort bears valuable fruit. this is where the opinions of those we trust really can be of help. not what they know of a subject, rather where they know to look. to use the power of the net to learn, our time is best spent learning not searching. thankfully most sites are linked to other like sites so a trail to learn from becomes instantly apparent. this is a start only since we must still make a choice as to which trail to follow. this is one of the pitfalls of independent learning. we are solely responsible for success or failure. we can't whine about or to a professor. i am going to pursue writing, the law and the arts. wish me luck. i'll keep you posted on any progress i make. if anyone has any leads, please, please let me know..lol.

the gates of heaven ( or hell?)

the need to communicate seems to be a need that all creation shares. some forms of it are easy, some are not. telling a loved one they are wrong can be difficult, telling a sports team they are playing like idiots is not. the internet has given we humans the ability to say all we want to the world or to a specific person or group. this can be good or evil or just practice. i pray that in practice this tool of communication(the net) serves to lead us to good. because as we all know, fire can cook our food or burn our finger...or both.