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Welcome To Flat Rock…

RJ Walters

My latest micro-RV (uRV) trip was to Madison Indiana which is on the Ohio River east of Louisville. As usual I took county and state roads during my 400 mile trek. One of the towns that intrigued me was Flat Rock Indiana.  I’m sure it was once a thriving rural town in the area. There is a gravel pit near the town as the only traffic through the town while I was there were loaded dump trucks. (as usual click on any picture to see a larger view slideshow) I think there were still a few houses occupied in the … Continue reading Welcome To Flat Rock…

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The Next Step

RJ Walters

Amazon is growing in leaps and bounds so it just makes sense that they start their own air delivery system both big and small. In order to control costs end-to-end processes are required and that is just what Amazon is doing. I have been a pretty constant Amazon customer for the past 15 years or so.  I wish I could say that I have also been a stockholder for that period but this seems to be another example of lost opportunities for me.  :)  I simply like the convenience of getting what I need without gassing up the car and driving … Continue reading The Next Step

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Swiss Heritage Village – Berne Indiana

RJ Walters

  On one of my recent uRV trips to northeastern Indiana I visited the Swiss Heritage Village. It was recommended to me by the tourist information center in the city of Berne.  I was not aware that there was a strong Swiss presence in that part of the State. Here are some pictures of that visit. (Click on any picture to see a larger slideshow view) I felt very privileged that Phil Montgomery who is a docent at the village gave me a personal tour. The info about the area was very interesting and the buildings were well restored for their appropriate time … Continue reading Swiss Heritage Village – Berne Indiana

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Nothing New Under The Sun…

RJ Walters

I think the title above came from Solomon but for me it refers to my uRV (micro-RV).  I have spent the last couple of years putting stickers and saying on the camper cap. I think it looks pretty unique.   But then I ran across the following picture from the Nationa Museum of American History. I really didn’t think I was the first to put messages on my vehicle but didn’t know it had been done almost 200 years ago.  Kind of neat if you ask me. Continue reading Nothing New Under The Sun…

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We Have Come To The Point….

RJ Walters

Change, change, change… that seems to be our world today. While I for the most part embrace change I don’t like change simply for changes sake. That according to the source below seems to be almost where many are as technology consumers. dIn 1984 when PCs were first on the scene I quickly embraced the technology.  But I also quickly discovered that there were many things I wanted to do with the technology that were just not possible in those years.  The hardware was just too limiting to accomplish my dreams. As time went by computing power seemed to double  year … Continue reading We Have Come To The Point….

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Caught Between Two Worlds….

RJ Walters

This post is part of my continuing study of the Autism spectrum and particularly Asperger’s Syndrome. I am stuck between two worlds in my life.  I am a deaf man who lives almost exclusively in the hearing world but neither the hearing world or the deaf world considers me a homeboy.  I am seldom around other deaf people so I can’t speak for them but since almost 80% of us deafies are like me in that they went deaf later in life ways maybe I do.  One of my goals via this blog and a few other forums, is to help the … Continue reading Caught Between Two Worlds….

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Grand Ole Opry…

RJ Walters

 Country music has never been my friend but in 1012 when we were in the area we visited the Grand Old Opry, or at least the early version of if. It was fascinating to see this almost eighty year old building that had been the start of so many country and blue grass artists. Here are some pictures of that visit. As usual click on any picture to see a larger slideshow version. Since my mind can no longer wrap itself around the sound of musical instruments this media hasn’t much meaning to me anymore but this Nashville building was … Continue reading Grand Ole Opry…

Having My Say2 Comments

The secret lives of screen-addicted teens

RJ Walters

The source article from which the below quote was taken is a detailed desciption of what an social media addict does during a typical day. Unfortunately I seem to see more and more of these young addicts every day. The best thing is the little notification box, which means someone liked, tagged, or followed her on Instagram. She has 604 followers. There are only 25 photos on her page, because she deletes most of what she posts. The ones that don’t get enough likes, don’t have good enough lighting, or don’t show the coolest moments in her life must be … Continue reading The secret lives of screen-addicted teens

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Managing Our Money…

RJ Walters

If I am known for anything here at RJsCorner is it my contrarian view of many things. Managing my money is one of them.  I know there are many blogs out their that strongly advise us to seek out financial planners to manage our money.  Supposedly they take a percentage of our assets each year in order to invest our money where it will get the highest earnings. I admit that for the seventeenth year of my retirement from the corporate world I have yet to use a financial planner.  One of the reasons is cited in the quote above. In the … Continue reading Managing Our Money…

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Perpetual Utterance of Self-Applause

RJ Walters

I love reading about the history of America and some of the best critiques come from outside our country. Two of my favorite quotes comes from the idea of the “Tyranny of the Majority”.  That is when the majority in our country tends to deny basic civil rights to various minority groups. Of course the most glaring one is slavery but there is also the murder of millions of native Americans during the conquest of their native lands. The term “Tyranny of the Majority” was widely employed in mid-nineteenth-century America in conjunction with a series of moral questions (Sabbath, temperance, racial equality) that … Continue reading Perpetual Utterance of Self-Applause

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Back To The Good Old Days…

RJ Walters

If you know me you are probably puzzled about the title of this post.  For the most part I believe that the “good old days” just weren’t that good, but there are a few exceptions. Before I get to the crux of this post’s title I want to give you my other views of day 2 of the Democratic convention. One of the main thing that hit me was how all the networks seem to be viciously searching  for controversy. They cover very little of the actual proceedings.  That is very different than the good old days where you could … Continue reading Back To The Good Old Days…

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About Brexit and the British.. And How We are NOT Like Them

RJ Walters

241 years ago we were part of the Great British Empire. We were loyal, although complaining, citizens. Then we chose to go our own way and eventually after a four year rebellion got our way. We still have common bonds with GB but we are also markedly different. One of the major differences is that we are a nation of immigrants and Great Britain is a nation embedded in aristocracy. We until recently have a classless nation. We don’t hold people in higher esteem just because of what name they have. America became known as the land of opportunity. A place where … Continue reading About Brexit and the British.. And How We are NOT Like Them

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Innovation…

RJ Walters

The main crux of this post is about whether a company can remain innovative as it ages. I want to use Sears and Amazon as study points. Being a U.S. history buff I can’t help but draw a parallel between Sears in the early 20th century and Amazon a hundred years later. One of the striking things about Amazon beside their explosive product line is the speed at which they deliver their products. For $79/year you can get unlimited 2 day delivery at no cost.  I must admit I am a major customer who places orders probably 30+ times a year for … Continue reading Innovation…

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Letters To The Editor…

RJ Walters

I occasionally write a letter to the editor of our small town newspaper. They allow me to put my two cents into the topic at hand. But since our town is so small I am often reluctant to chime in on some sensitive issues for fear of being labeled by my neighbors.  Anonymity is not an option in small town living. When I ran across this “letter to the editor” from Buffalo NY it got my attention.  To me the author spells out the relationship between government and religion  as concisely as possible: Like the Bible, the writings of the nation’s Founding … Continue reading Letters To The Editor…

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The Gem of Southern Illinois…

RJ Walters

This morning I put out a post of the cons for my recent trip into southern Illinois so this afternoon I wanted to give you a gem to counterbalance it. That gem is Giant City Lodge. Before I do that I want to give you a little background on my habits during my uRV trips. I usually stay the night at a State park at during the trip. Part of my ritual is to get up early as I usually do and find a local restaurant that serves breakfast.  I do have a Coleman stove in the uRV but it … Continue reading The Gem of Southern Illinois…

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It’s Hard To Be A Law Abiding Citizen..

RJ Walters

I will say again but this time add a kicker, It’s Hard To Be A Law Abiding Citizen…When So Many Aren’t. It just seems human nature, the dark side that is, to not want to do what you are told. This is characteristic of our teenage years but goes way beyond that for too many of us.   We know there are concepts of the common good and the rule of law but somehow they don’t apply to us. What brought this thought up was my recent uRV trip to southern Illinois. As usual I traveled almost exclusively state and … Continue reading It’s Hard To Be A Law Abiding Citizen..

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Chewing The Air…

RJ Walters

When I saw it was only going to get up to 87 today I dreamed about all the finishing touches I could put on the inside remodel of my micro-RV. I started the work about 8am and by 9:30 I had to call it quits. The temperature was only 82 but with the humidity so high from yesterday’s rain I was drenching in sweat. I know it gets hot in the Southwest but I still cling to the belief that it is not the temperature that gets to you but the humidity. When you can chew the air it just … Continue reading Chewing The Air…