Two long years, in which all I did was stare at the endless abyss, not sure if I was meant to jump or not, scared that the jump wouldn’t fix anything. All I needed was an escape, and the abyss wasn’t willing to offer me one. It took me two years to realize that life isn’t really worth living unless you want something. Until you have an impossible dream, an ideal to strive towards. Until you have something to fight for, you simply exist. SOURCE:  Over the edge… « Cristian Mihai. My young Romanian friend Cristian Mihai certainly gives me … Continue reading Purpose in Life…..

Beijing’s heavy pollution concerns parents Smog can cut off sunlight to Beijing for days. At the International School of Beijing, parents want routine air quality measurements, and the school has built a $5 million dome to enclose a playground and filter the air. Seth Doane reports. Source: Beijing’s heavy pollution concerns parents – CBS News Video. One of the major prices China is having to pay for their sudden industrial dominance is pollution. Since there is a much bigger priority on economics than there is on environment the big industrial areas of the country are becoming very polluted. I know there … Continue reading Beijing’s heavy pollution concerns parents

Prince William and Kate Middleton have named the royal heir George Alexander Louis, Kensington Palace announced in a statement today. SOURCE: Kate Middleton and Prince William Name Baby George Alexander Louis – ABC News. So another big royalty event is past.  The future king’s name is George. Being a big U.S. history buff, not so much the royalty stuff, King George has some significance to me. Let’s go back about 250 years ago. At that time another King George was battling with insurgent terrorists in some of his British colonies on the other side of the world. They absolutely refused to … Continue reading Taking It Back….

Emmy Awards 2013: Nominations Announced Source:  Emmy Awards 2013: Nominations Announced – ABC News. I won’t bore you folks who swear you never watch television with the long list of Emmy nominations here. If you want to see them click on the source above. The point of this post is that excluding “Dowton Abbey” there were no other shows on this long list that my wife and I watch. Are we out of tune with all those other TV watchers?  Most of the shows on the list I put in the “stupid” category. They are for the most part just … Continue reading I Must Be Getting Old…..

President Obama: “There are very few African-American men in this country who haven’t had the experience of being followed when they were shopping in a department store. That includes me,” Obama said. “And there are very few African-American men who haven’t had the experience of walking across the street and hearing the locks click on the doors of cars. That happens to me, at least before I was a senator.”  Fox News: Fox’s Sean Hannity suggests that the main reason Obama identifies with Trayvon is that the two as teenagers had smoked marijuana. On Facebook, Fox News radio host Todd … Continue reading Words From the Heart….

A rain free night full of vehicle demolishing and car smashing fun was featured at the 4-H Fairgrounds Saturday for a capacity crowd inside the main arena as 38 drivers competed in four categories for trophies, prize money and bragging rights. Welcome to small town America. I have lived in it for much of my six plus decades on this earth. I want to thank my local paper for the photo and the words above. I live just north of a town of 2214 people.  At least that is what the sign says coming into town.  I wouldn’t have it … Continue reading Small Town Life…

Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima appear on the balcony of the Royal Palace with their children, in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, April 30, 2013. Willem-Alexander is not only the monarch of the Netherlands but also the Dutch Caribbean territories of Curacao, Aruba and Saint Maarten. He holds several military titles but requested an honorable discharge. Source: Dutch Abdication: Willem-Alexander Becomes Europe’s Youngest Monarch | The Netherlands New King | TIME.com. I just can’t understand the allure of a monarchy but I know that many are infatuated with them.  My wife stayed up into the wee hours of the morning to see … Continue reading Monarchy……

Make your home more energy efficient. It could help reduce not only your utility bills, but also what you owe the IRS. You can make relatively easy and inexpensive upgrades, such as adding insulation or replacing leaky windows, and possibly receive a $500 tax credit on your 2013 tax return. More extensive — and expensive — alternative energy improvements will get you bigger tax breaks. These include installing solar energy, wind power, fuel cell or geothermal systems. Eligible home energy improvements in these areas could qualify for a tax credit equal to 30 percent of the cost, including installation, without … Continue reading Make home energy improvements….

A century ago, people were dreaming of flying, trying and failing, falling on the ground. But why do people fall? Why do they continue to fight when all hope seems to be lost? I believe it is because it is in our nature to fight, to try to find something in the darkness of the things we do not understand, in the chaos that surrounds us…… Don’t over think it, don’t tell yourself what you are doing is more than what it is, don’t try to impress anyone. Don’t play it safe either. Simply write like yourself, and write exactly … Continue reading A Century Ago…

I was just out in the yard mowing my two and a half acres and started thinking about how I am more relaxed now that I have greatly reduced my diet of politics.  There is little that goes on in that world now that would spur anything other than frustrations. I have admitted that in 2008 I actively supported the candidacy of Barak Obama. His rhetoric was very inspiring to me. He gave me hope that he could affect the changes necessary to restore this country to some form of sanity. In the five years since that time I have … Continue reading Neither Party Deserves It….