I Vote 2006

Is anyone going to vote in the “off-year” congressional elections in 2006? If so, why? Nothing is going to change at the Federal level; at least changes for the “good of all” aren’t going to happen.

Think for a minute and ask your self why anyone would want to be a member of the House of Representatives or Senate. It all boils down to money. Do a little online research and see for yourself what these rectums get in compensation for screwing up the lives of middle-class Americans. It is outrageous, to say the least. And when they finally retire from the hallowed halls with pats on the back from their peers and the corporations that they represented, they get a lifetime of perks, including the best medical care that our tax money can buy. No deductibles to pay; no limit to the amount of money that can be pulled from the treasury to keep them and theirs healthy and pretty. It is all about money.

They may fool you into thinking that they can change things and make them better for you, their beloved constituents, but they and their political, corporate, and yes, foreign governments, are in for the flow of dollars that will keep them happy for years to come. No, I take that back. The corporations and outlanders are never happy for very long. There is always another piece of pie that they seem to need, and are willing to purchase as many lawmakers as it takes to get what they want.

Does any politician have a workable plan to justly remove us from the unjust war in Iraq? No! Does any office seeker have a workable plan to secure our borders and make us a little safer from terrorists? No! Does any of these “public servant” wannabes have a workable plan to make our nation energy independent? No! The only plan that they have—or need, for that matter—is to become status flaunting servants of the middle class. I would laugh but it is hard to do while I’m puking.

Think about it and do what I’m going to do; vote with your butt. Yes, I’m going to sit at home on my butt and watch something on “Animal Planet” or maybe “Spongebob” instead of doing my civic duty and voting for one of these anuses. I’m a liberal and have always voted democratic, but no more. I shall remain a liberal, but I will never go to the polls to vote for anyone again. Even if I run for office, I won’t vote. I will be watching Spongebob and Patrick annoy Squidward.

Happy Happy-Joy Joy

Today, for the first time in more than a month, I feel as if I may recover. I can, at least, use the computer keyboard without too much difficulty. Now to start getting over the depression that I've inflicted on myself.

Cath. Part Two

The un-needed cath. went as expected; they found nothing; no heart of any kind. Actually, about a month ago my arthritis doc finally talked me into getting a "family doctor" for general purposes. I told Carolyn that a family doctor these days is nothing more than a specialist referral service. So I went to the new doc, Dr. Guha, and she stuck her finger in my butt and referred me to an urologist, who found nothing wrong with my prostate after sticking his finger in my butt. Dr. Guha sent me to a heart doc for a stress test, in which I passed the stress part, but failed the follow-up scan (I guess I should have studied harder). He found a shadow and thought that I had a blockage. After the cath, he realized that, because of my height, I may have been mis-aligned in the scanner. That caused my diaphragm to shadow over part of my heart, resulting in the mistake. I was expecting the heart doc to stick his finger in my butt, too.

Fearing infection from the incision for the cath., the arthritis doc took me off my meds for three weeks, because they are immune suppressors. So, I am now nearly bed ridden, being so sore from the arthritis that I can't do much. I can go back on the meds Thursday next, but it will take them about two weeks to affect me. You can imagine how peeved I am at the medical system. Other than that, life is great.

I'll bet that the docs and the hospital will expect me to pay for all these "services".

Better

I'm feeling better. Got to get a heart cath. done 06/01. Maybe I'll pull through.

Whoo-Hoo Vanessa

Congratulations Vanessa! Your dad would have been so proud right now that he would be impossible to be around. He was one of the most special persons that I've ever known and you too are very special. He adored his little "Nessy". I'll bet that mom is also beside herself.

You are walking into a new world, a world that has become a mess due to my generation's neglect and misdeeds. If anyone can succeed now, it will be you. And if things start getting to you, just ask mom; she'll know what to do.

I'm deeply sorry that I couldn't be at your graduation, but at the present, I'm not supposed to be out in public contamminating anyone else.

Love,
Ken

Getting Into "Hot Water"

What is a "hot water heater", and why is one needed? Why do we need to heat water that is already hot? Why not just call it a "water heater", which is what it really is?

Another peeve of mine is the word "vehicle". Folks, it is pronounced "v-ick-el", not "v-hick-el". The "h' is silent. But what gets me is the fact that so many people have been using the v-HICK-el pronunciation so much, that it has become an accepted form of the word. But that doesn't make it correct. I learned the correct pronunciation in the eighth grade.
Everyone from presidents, doctors, engineers, and yes, a few scholars, pronounce it incorrectly. It's no wonder that Americans are falling behind the rest of the "civilized" world in education. We can't speak our own language.
If you say ve-HICK-el, then you are most likely a hick. And the heck of it is that I'm from Tennessee, the birthplace of hickdom.

Amen

Once, while waxing philosophical, one of my children at the enlightened age of six stated: "If I don't have to go pee, I have to go poop, and if I don't have to go poop, then I have to go pee. I just can't get anything done".

Learning Linux

I am messing around with Ubuntu Linux (or it is messing around with me). Definitely a whole new learning curve.

Vandalized

The "bloods" have struck small-town America.

Orion Nebula from HST

Whether you believe in the "Big Bang" or the "Big Guy", you gotta believe that this is an awesome sight.




Click on image to enlarge for the most stunning view.

Old Enough

By the time you're old enough to know better, you are too old to do better.

Does life have meaning? If it does—and maybe I'm dumber than those whom believe that it does—in my 61+ years, I've failed to ascertain any reason for human existance except for the fact that we are here.

I"ve got to get my methotrexate injection tomorrow. That is reality.

Spring-SPRING-Spring

The first Spring flowers; one of Natures' most beautiful sights.

Shamrock Man

Apple Tree

Photo captured near Jonesborough Tennessee at the old Joe Oliver farm, Spring 1982.

Nikon FE, Nikkor 43-86 lens, manual exposure, Kodak 400 film pulled to 200.

Copyright 2006 by Ken Anderson

Nightscape

Photo captured in Jonesborough Tennessee, Spring 1982.

Nikon FE, Nikkor 43-86 telephoto, manual exposure, Kodak 400 film, pulled to 200.

Copyright 2006 by Ken Anderson

Elderly Driver Problem Resolved

Everyone under the age of 60 knows that we "seniors" are a terror on the streets. To those youngsters, all we do is create problems for all the "good" drivers, in other words, them. If we're not slow-poking around at the speed limit or less in our Buicks and Mercurys, we are causing accidents in other ways, such as not seeing red lights and stop/yield signs. Of course this leads to, at a minimum, head shaking and hand gestures on the part of our young friends. At times, "road rage" has been known to happen, usually with dire consequences for those involved.

After some hard musing about this predicament, I believe that I have an answer for the problem. First, all people over the age of 60 are to be banned from operating any kind of motorized, self-propelled, or otherwise propelled vehicle outside their homes. No autos, no riding lawn mowers, no airplanes, not even a bicycle.

Second, if they are caught operating any of the above machinery outside their homes, they are to be punished by having all their clothing taken away from them, including shoes, for a period of one year. For that time, they can do whatever they normally to do except operate moving machinery in public or in view of the public, as long as they are completely naked.

Third, if they breach their probation, or after the end of probation, they again attempt to operate a vehicle, the clothing ban will be continued or reinstated for a period of three years. Also, if they are deemed physically able, they will be required to gather trash from along the most traveled highways in their area, and they will be naked. All motorists that drive by while the geezer is gathering said trash, is encouraged to toot the car horn, roll down their windows, and yell "woo, woo" at the offender.

And we don't have to worry about naked males and naked females sneaking into a clump of bushes to play hanky-panky while working together to keep our roadways clean and pay their debt to society. Everyone knows that people over the age of 60 just don't do the sex thing anymore; we're just too blamed old.

Furthermore, we will do the job the way we are told to do it because we don't know any better. Obviously we won't create problems because everyone knows that old people can't remember anything due to creeping degenerative senility, and if we can't remember why we are doing the work, there won't be a rebellion in our ranks. We will be positive roll models.

I believe that this will mostly solve the aggravating problem of elderly drivers. It may sound a little extreme, but such measures are generally called for in extreme situations. The good drivers will have the roads to themselves, and the world will be an eternal springtime.

Of course, these offended young people should consider the fact that they will probably reach the age of 60 and beyond, and my-oh-my, how time flies. They could be the next generation getting the "woo-woos" from the "youngsters".

Copyright 2006 by Ken Anderson

My Great-Grandmother

Elizabeth Jane Shaw
1857-1933

Colorized using Paint Shop Pro

After Hurricane Isabel

Tropical Depression Isabel approaches East Tennessee in September 2003.

The Real Me

Sometimes, I'm overcome with emotion just thinking about what a fine fellow I truly am.

Oh, Barney; How We'll Miss You

Don Knotts 1924-2006
Barney Fife was the only reason that I watched the show. He had enough talent to carry the series for several years.