Monday, April 2, 2018
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
I get the stitches out tomorrow on my face!
My pain management doctor has ordered an MRI on my back. I may get an injection in my back to see if that takes care of the lingering pain after surgery. The surgery got most of the pain under control but not all of it.
Someone asked on Facebook who was the best President. Well everyone has their own opinion but for me, since I was born, here is my list from worst to best:
Trump: Of course since he is just starting things could change; but at this point I don't think he will last his first term. He is corrupt, probably a traitor, racist, homophobic and definitely a sexist. He is a total embarrassment for most Americans, including myself. We are so much better than this!
George W. Bush: Started a war with no real reason. Ignored most evidence that led up to the 911 attack. Allowed the worst economic crash since the Great Depression.
Gerald Ford: Probably a nice guy but just a caretaker President after Nixon's resignation.
Jimmy Carter: Again a nice guy and very smart. However he surrounded himself with Washington outsiders and they knew nothing about getting things done in D.C. Hence he was very ineffectual.
George H.W. Bush: Certainly better than his son. However not really sure what he actually accomplished. Just a blur between Reagan and Clinton.
Ronald Reagan: For me, personally, I think he was a very bad President. He slept through most of his Presidency and allowed others to make most decisions. The worst decision I think was closing down mental institutions, throwing thousands on mentally ill people out on the streets without proper care and medication. He did however get the Berlin wall torn down and the cold war ended while he was President. Those are major accomplishments and those alone raise his place for me.
JFK: Most people rank him higher than I do. However other than the Cuban Missile Crisis and setting the goal of landing a man on the moon, he really didn't do much. He might have had he not been shot down early in his Presidency but we will never know. He had great people around him with great ideas.....most of which got implemented later under LBJ.
Richard Nixon: Most people would rank him lower than me. He was a terrible person and very paranoid allowing Watergate to take place as a result. Rightfully so he was impeached and forced to resign. However, he created the EPA, came up with Section 8 housing to replace the housing of poor people in ghettos and most importantly opened up China (Anyone else would have been run out of Washington if they had tried to do that......and he would have led the charge to run someone else out ).
Harry S. Truman: I admire Truman because he was thrown into the Presidency with little knowledge of what was going on and made one of the most important decisions anybody has ever made. Right or wrong it took courage and was risky. Personally I thing the decision to drop the bomb was right as it ended the war and saved numerous lives. However, it also started the nuclear arms race which led to the cold war and nuclear proliferation we still face today. We will never know if this would have happened had he not let the genie out of the bottle.
LBJ: He gets mixed reviews from me. He handled the death of JFK very properly and because of the mood of the country following the death of JFK, LBJ managed to get the Great Society through Congress. His knowledge of Congress allowed him to get things through Congress that most other Presidents would not have been able to do. However on the negative side of the ledger, he precipitated the start of the Vietnam war. While some of the blame goes to JFK, LBJ and the Gulf of Tonkin incident were uncalled for and such a blatant act of war until GW's invasion into Iraq.
Dwight Eisenhower: While many rank him lower than I do, I think he was just what the country needed at that time. A war hero who had to come into office at the beginning of the Korean Conflict, I think he managed to do a credible job without allowing it to escalate into either a World War or a nuclear war. He also created the Interstate Highway system. It was a marvel then and still is a major reason we are as great as we are. It allowed for the movement of goods and people quickly from one coast to the other. He certainly had his negatives (his lack of action with Egypt and the Aswan Dam allowing the Soviet Union to get a foothold into the Middle East and his negative actions with Castro which allowed the Soviet Union to get a foot hold in this hemisphere). But all-in-all I think he ranked higher than most would rank him.
William Clinton: Except for the fact that he couldn't keep his pants zipped, he would be ranked right behind FDR in my book. I know that I never had it so good, financially, as I did under his time in office. He did more positive things for the economy than any other President.
Barack Obama: Just being the first black President ranks him up there, but he did more in the first two years of his presidency than most presidents accomplish during their eight years in office. And despite the fact that he was elected and reelected, he faced constant opposition from many in Congress and the country just because he was black. Most significantly, he inherited the worst economic situation since the Great Depression and turned things around with bold decisive action.
FDR: To me FDR ranks up there with Lincoln and Washington as the all time best presidents we have ever had. He came into office at the stare of the Great Depression and then had to lead the free world during WWII.
My pain management doctor has ordered an MRI on my back. I may get an injection in my back to see if that takes care of the lingering pain after surgery. The surgery got most of the pain under control but not all of it.
Someone asked on Facebook who was the best President. Well everyone has their own opinion but for me, since I was born, here is my list from worst to best:
Trump: Of course since he is just starting things could change; but at this point I don't think he will last his first term. He is corrupt, probably a traitor, racist, homophobic and definitely a sexist. He is a total embarrassment for most Americans, including myself. We are so much better than this!
George W. Bush: Started a war with no real reason. Ignored most evidence that led up to the 911 attack. Allowed the worst economic crash since the Great Depression.
Gerald Ford: Probably a nice guy but just a caretaker President after Nixon's resignation.
Jimmy Carter: Again a nice guy and very smart. However he surrounded himself with Washington outsiders and they knew nothing about getting things done in D.C. Hence he was very ineffectual.
George H.W. Bush: Certainly better than his son. However not really sure what he actually accomplished. Just a blur between Reagan and Clinton.
Ronald Reagan: For me, personally, I think he was a very bad President. He slept through most of his Presidency and allowed others to make most decisions. The worst decision I think was closing down mental institutions, throwing thousands on mentally ill people out on the streets without proper care and medication. He did however get the Berlin wall torn down and the cold war ended while he was President. Those are major accomplishments and those alone raise his place for me.
JFK: Most people rank him higher than I do. However other than the Cuban Missile Crisis and setting the goal of landing a man on the moon, he really didn't do much. He might have had he not been shot down early in his Presidency but we will never know. He had great people around him with great ideas.....most of which got implemented later under LBJ.
Richard Nixon: Most people would rank him lower than me. He was a terrible person and very paranoid allowing Watergate to take place as a result. Rightfully so he was impeached and forced to resign. However, he created the EPA, came up with Section 8 housing to replace the housing of poor people in ghettos and most importantly opened up China (Anyone else would have been run out of Washington if they had tried to do that......and he would have led the charge to run someone else out ).
Harry S. Truman: I admire Truman because he was thrown into the Presidency with little knowledge of what was going on and made one of the most important decisions anybody has ever made. Right or wrong it took courage and was risky. Personally I thing the decision to drop the bomb was right as it ended the war and saved numerous lives. However, it also started the nuclear arms race which led to the cold war and nuclear proliferation we still face today. We will never know if this would have happened had he not let the genie out of the bottle.
LBJ: He gets mixed reviews from me. He handled the death of JFK very properly and because of the mood of the country following the death of JFK, LBJ managed to get the Great Society through Congress. His knowledge of Congress allowed him to get things through Congress that most other Presidents would not have been able to do. However on the negative side of the ledger, he precipitated the start of the Vietnam war. While some of the blame goes to JFK, LBJ and the Gulf of Tonkin incident were uncalled for and such a blatant act of war until GW's invasion into Iraq.
Dwight Eisenhower: While many rank him lower than I do, I think he was just what the country needed at that time. A war hero who had to come into office at the beginning of the Korean Conflict, I think he managed to do a credible job without allowing it to escalate into either a World War or a nuclear war. He also created the Interstate Highway system. It was a marvel then and still is a major reason we are as great as we are. It allowed for the movement of goods and people quickly from one coast to the other. He certainly had his negatives (his lack of action with Egypt and the Aswan Dam allowing the Soviet Union to get a foothold into the Middle East and his negative actions with Castro which allowed the Soviet Union to get a foot hold in this hemisphere). But all-in-all I think he ranked higher than most would rank him.
William Clinton: Except for the fact that he couldn't keep his pants zipped, he would be ranked right behind FDR in my book. I know that I never had it so good, financially, as I did under his time in office. He did more positive things for the economy than any other President.
Barack Obama: Just being the first black President ranks him up there, but he did more in the first two years of his presidency than most presidents accomplish during their eight years in office. And despite the fact that he was elected and reelected, he faced constant opposition from many in Congress and the country just because he was black. Most significantly, he inherited the worst economic situation since the Great Depression and turned things around with bold decisive action.
FDR: To me FDR ranks up there with Lincoln and Washington as the all time best presidents we have ever had. He came into office at the stare of the Great Depression and then had to lead the free world during WWII.
Tuesday, February 20, 2018
Monday, February 19, 2018
Time to rant a little bit about golf coverage:
I like to watch golf. LOL So why do CBS and NBC try to carry the weekend golf but seem to do it as an afterthought? And why does CBS always start their coverage late? They always have something else on (Basketball) before their scheduled coverage. Invariably it goes overtime. Also the "Networks" seem to think golf fans are more interested in other sports when they either start the coverage or interrupt it with news of other sports? Even when they start the coverage at the scheduled time it is often 8-10 minutes before we actually see golf.
What has happened to the usual commentators on the golf channel? Did they let a bunch go? They used to have much better coverage than they have recently.
I know golf is slow; but I really get tired of the talking heads on the coverage.
I like to watch golf. LOL So why do CBS and NBC try to carry the weekend golf but seem to do it as an afterthought? And why does CBS always start their coverage late? They always have something else on (Basketball) before their scheduled coverage. Invariably it goes overtime. Also the "Networks" seem to think golf fans are more interested in other sports when they either start the coverage or interrupt it with news of other sports? Even when they start the coverage at the scheduled time it is often 8-10 minutes before we actually see golf.
What has happened to the usual commentators on the golf channel? Did they let a bunch go? They used to have much better coverage than they have recently.
I know golf is slow; but I really get tired of the talking heads on the coverage.
Sunday, February 18, 2018
Don's thoughts: Haven't shared my thought for a while so here goes...
Don's thoughts: Haven't shared my thought for a while so here goes...: Haven't shared my thought for a while so here goes. Had a skin cancer spot removed this past week. Bandage came off last night, so I ...
Haven't shared my thought for a while so here goes.
Had a skin cancer spot removed this past week. Bandage came off last night, so I had to make do with some gauze and medical tape I had here at the house.
Went to dinner last night with my friend Marshall. We went to Fire Rock in Centennial Hills. Very good meal but I went off my diet so now I have to double down to get back to where I was.
I am really concerned about our election process and our democracy. Seems like the politicians are not concerned about the interference by Russia and perhaps others. I just hope the American people wake up before it is too late.
Another mass shooting! Again when will the American people wake up and do something to curb the unnecessary killing of our people, young and old?
Had a skin cancer spot removed this past week. Bandage came off last night, so I had to make do with some gauze and medical tape I had here at the house.
Went to dinner last night with my friend Marshall. We went to Fire Rock in Centennial Hills. Very good meal but I went off my diet so now I have to double down to get back to where I was.
I am really concerned about our election process and our democracy. Seems like the politicians are not concerned about the interference by Russia and perhaps others. I just hope the American people wake up before it is too late.
Another mass shooting! Again when will the American people wake up and do something to curb the unnecessary killing of our people, young and old?
Tuesday, February 6, 2018
Monday, February 5, 2018
My teams didn't make it to the Superbowl this year (Chiefs and Saints), so I wasn't really interested in the game. That said, I hate the Patriots so I was glad to see Philadelphia win. And it was a good game!
Justin Timberlake was a bust. The only thing good about his halftime show was the tribute to Prince.
I didn't see any memorable ads either. I thought the Tide ads were confusing and the MLK footage in the truck ad was misplaced.
I felt badly for the fans who attended the Superbowl. Having your team get there should be a reward for the team and it's fans. Why would the NFL schedule games in northern cities during February? The games should be in warmer climates where there are things for fans to do other than just the game.
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Well some are reading my blogs. LOL I really don't care; but I was concerned that people could access them if they so chose.
Waiting for National Home Warranty to call to set an appointment to come fix my toilet. It is normally something I could fix; but with my eyesight the way it is I find it hard to do things requiring detail work and in a dim light. So it is easier to pay the co-pay and have it done by a professional. I must say that having National Home Warranty has more than paid for itself over the years.
I was so glad that my cousin Jenne (Tootsie) and her husband were safe following the 8.0 Kodiak earthquake. Kirt and I visited them this past summer. She drove us to Homer, which isn't that far from Kodiak Island. I heard Homer was affected somewhat. Homer was a very nice little village. If I were to live in that area I think I would choose Homer. Tootsie also said that they evacuated Seward briefly when there was a threat of a tsunami. We took our tour boat excursion out of Seward.
I had some pre-cancerous spots frozen on my face the other day. They also took a sample from one to run a biopsy. Should get results in a couple of weeks. Hopefully it will be benign.
Waiting for National Home Warranty to call to set an appointment to come fix my toilet. It is normally something I could fix; but with my eyesight the way it is I find it hard to do things requiring detail work and in a dim light. So it is easier to pay the co-pay and have it done by a professional. I must say that having National Home Warranty has more than paid for itself over the years.
I was so glad that my cousin Jenne (Tootsie) and her husband were safe following the 8.0 Kodiak earthquake. Kirt and I visited them this past summer. She drove us to Homer, which isn't that far from Kodiak Island. I heard Homer was affected somewhat. Homer was a very nice little village. If I were to live in that area I think I would choose Homer. Tootsie also said that they evacuated Seward briefly when there was a threat of a tsunami. We took our tour boat excursion out of Seward.
I had some pre-cancerous spots frozen on my face the other day. They also took a sample from one to run a biopsy. Should get results in a couple of weeks. Hopefully it will be benign.
Monday, January 22, 2018
A few random thoughts about why our country is so screwed up today:
We seem to have lost our civility. We see things only in black or white. We seem to be unwilling to compromise on anything. Whose fault is this? Some blame the social media. However I don't think the social media is to blame all by itself. Some blame the news channels on TV. I don't blame them entirely. Some blame our schools. I don't blame them. What about our parents? I do think they have to burden much of the responsibility. Our children are not being brought up properly. Having said that however, I look deeper and see that individually, most people know right from wrong; but when in a crowd they tend to revert to mob mentality. Why is that?
I look at my own upbringing. I was raised in a very conservative atmosphere: One of the reddest states in the country (Kansas). I was a strong Republican. Voted for Goldwater. But somehow I "saw the light"! Was it from my exposure to others while in the Air Force? I don't know. I know that one of my heroes in the Republican Party was Mayor John Lindsey of New York City. When he switched from being a Republican to a Democrat, I switched also. Now I am a very liberal person. I went to a conservative baptist college, so that didn't change me although some of the professors there might have had an influence on me.
So I ask: How did I change when others from a similar background and upbringing not change? I can't explain it. I just know it hurts me to see family and friends who are "stuck" in their ways and seem to be blinded to the possibility of change. I try to look at both sides of an argument before drawing any conclusion. Of course I am biased but I do try to keep an open mind. Others, I fear, don't even try.
We seem to have lost our civility. We see things only in black or white. We seem to be unwilling to compromise on anything. Whose fault is this? Some blame the social media. However I don't think the social media is to blame all by itself. Some blame the news channels on TV. I don't blame them entirely. Some blame our schools. I don't blame them. What about our parents? I do think they have to burden much of the responsibility. Our children are not being brought up properly. Having said that however, I look deeper and see that individually, most people know right from wrong; but when in a crowd they tend to revert to mob mentality. Why is that?
I look at my own upbringing. I was raised in a very conservative atmosphere: One of the reddest states in the country (Kansas). I was a strong Republican. Voted for Goldwater. But somehow I "saw the light"! Was it from my exposure to others while in the Air Force? I don't know. I know that one of my heroes in the Republican Party was Mayor John Lindsey of New York City. When he switched from being a Republican to a Democrat, I switched also. Now I am a very liberal person. I went to a conservative baptist college, so that didn't change me although some of the professors there might have had an influence on me.
So I ask: How did I change when others from a similar background and upbringing not change? I can't explain it. I just know it hurts me to see family and friends who are "stuck" in their ways and seem to be blinded to the possibility of change. I try to look at both sides of an argument before drawing any conclusion. Of course I am biased but I do try to keep an open mind. Others, I fear, don't even try.
It has been a while since I posted anything. Going to doctor today to have some pre-cancerous spots removed from my face. I try to use sun screen but I guess not enough.
I've been watching Ike: Countdown to D-Day recently. I can't seem to get enough of it. No violence at all in the movie; yet it is about one of the most violent times in our history. It was made in 2010 and starred Tom Selleck as Eisenhower. I think it aired on A&E originally. Anyway, I am struck by how humane Eisenhower was compared to the other generals. I know it was about him so he is portrayed in the best possible light, none-the-less it is a superb movie.
I try to think about how today's generals and President would behave in the same circumstance. Not sure there is any comparison except for General de Gaulle. While I don't think he was a great President, he did build our Interstate Highway System......no small feat. He also warned us about the growing Military Industrial Complex. Too bad we didn't listen to him.
One thing that does stand out is he hated war!
I've been watching Ike: Countdown to D-Day recently. I can't seem to get enough of it. No violence at all in the movie; yet it is about one of the most violent times in our history. It was made in 2010 and starred Tom Selleck as Eisenhower. I think it aired on A&E originally. Anyway, I am struck by how humane Eisenhower was compared to the other generals. I know it was about him so he is portrayed in the best possible light, none-the-less it is a superb movie.
I try to think about how today's generals and President would behave in the same circumstance. Not sure there is any comparison except for General de Gaulle. While I don't think he was a great President, he did build our Interstate Highway System......no small feat. He also warned us about the growing Military Industrial Complex. Too bad we didn't listen to him.
One thing that does stand out is he hated war!
Friday, January 12, 2018
I'm at a loss for words trying to explain how I feel about the remarks yesterday about Haitians, El Salvadoreans and others from Africa! We have known for a long time that he was a racist -- going all the way back to the 70's when he and his father refused to let blacks live in housing they owned. But yesterday's remarks are just too much to take, especially from the President of the United States. This person knows nothing about our history, what America is all about and how to behave like a decent person.
When will FOX, the Republicans in power and the American people in general do something about this before he, single-handedly, destroys the United States and all it stands for. Forget the Russians; he will do it all by himself. Of course the Russians did enable him by ensuring that he got elected to the office of President of the United States.
I am ready to move out of the United States and live in a civilized country!
When will FOX, the Republicans in power and the American people in general do something about this before he, single-handedly, destroys the United States and all it stands for. Forget the Russians; he will do it all by himself. Of course the Russians did enable him by ensuring that he got elected to the office of President of the United States.
I am ready to move out of the United States and live in a civilized country!
It has been a couple of weeks since I blogged. Kirt came out on Christmas Day (evening, since he missed his scheduled flight). But he arrived in time for our Christmas Dinner atop the Stratosphere. It was really nice, but expensive.
We stayed around the house the entire time of his visit. I didn't feel all that well. We had toyed with going to Palm Springs over New Year's Eve but didn't. I was going to have people over on New Year's Day for my traditional black-eyed peas and corned beef and cabbage but cancelled at the last minute as I came down with a cold.
We did do a lot of shopping while he was here. He was scheduled to return to New York on January 3rd but left a day early to get home before the snow storm hit.
Last week I finally got my sun visor replaced. Tried on three different occasion but Honda didn't have the new one in stock. I go back next week to get two new rims for my car.
Now for the rest of the month it seems to be one doctor's appointment after another! So far results have been mixed so we shall see what else goes wrong with my health.
We stayed around the house the entire time of his visit. I didn't feel all that well. We had toyed with going to Palm Springs over New Year's Eve but didn't. I was going to have people over on New Year's Day for my traditional black-eyed peas and corned beef and cabbage but cancelled at the last minute as I came down with a cold.
We did do a lot of shopping while he was here. He was scheduled to return to New York on January 3rd but left a day early to get home before the snow storm hit.
Last week I finally got my sun visor replaced. Tried on three different occasion but Honda didn't have the new one in stock. I go back next week to get two new rims for my car.
Now for the rest of the month it seems to be one doctor's appointment after another! So far results have been mixed so we shall see what else goes wrong with my health.
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