Ted Kennedy was a great American. He was born into a family of great wealth and led a privleged life as a child. There were nine children in his Irish Catholic family and they wanted for nothing. His mother, Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy was a very strong, devout woman that instilled her values and her faith into her children. I read once that she said, make sure you raise the first children as best you can and they will help you with the others. Ted's father was very ambitious, and wanted one of his sons to be the first Catholic president of the United States. He instilled the desire to be public servants,despite all of their riches.
In 1988, Keith, Brian and I had front row positions at a political event. Michael Dukakis and Lloyd Bentsen were running for President and Vice President that year and Louisville was one of their campaign stops. We were lucky enough to be given tickets to attend the event. I can't recall where the event took place but there was a small stage with folding chairs to accomodate the state and city dignitaries that were attending. The stage was cordoned off by purple, velvet ropes and in front of that stood the Secret Service men. The audience, encluding us, stood in front of the roped off area. It was a very intimate setting. Among the pols on the stage was Ted Kennedy who accompanied Lloyd Bentsen. (Dukakis was not there, just Bentsen and Kennedy).
Standing next to me was an older woman, she was in her early eighties, I would guess. The event was just about to begin when Ted Kennedy stepped off the stage and asked the woman next to the older woman if that was her mother. She said yes and he said she should not have to stand and he turned to one of the Secret Service men and askedif there was a chair availabe. The chair was brought and the woman was promptly seated. I was so impressed that he saw that need and responded to it so q uickly. Compassion comes from within, it cannot be taught.
When we went to Washington with our eighth graders we went to Kennedy's office, just to see where it was. His door has a sign that says, "Cead Mile Failce" which is Gaelic for " One hundred thousand welcomes"(Pronounced: Ked Me-la Fall-sha)
He was a true champion for the poor and the down trodden, for the disabled, the handicapped, the deprived. He wrote and helped pass bills to provide employment opportunities for disabled Americans, he sponsored the Handicapped Children Protection Act, He helped steer Northern Ireland near peace, He was in on the final passage of Civil Rights. He was passionate about health care and diligently fought for it from 1966 til his death. One of his quotes from a speech in 1970 was: "No other industrial nation in the world leaves its citizens in fear of financial ruin because of illness."
He was in on 2500 bills during his years in office, 350 of his bills passed, 550 of the bills he dealt with he co-wrote. He was always willing to have the co-author of his bills be named first on the bill, ahead of his name.
He backed Obama for president and had great hopes that he could carry on some of the work that he was so passionate about. Especially, health care. I watched the inauguration on TV and saw him enter the arena. He was still a dashing figure, he had on a black fedora and a light blue scarf and his black great coat. The day was blustery and cold with the chilling winds blowing and his warm smile and cheery wave warmed the cockles of many a heart. His savoir-faire was evident. He was an Irishman!!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Storm Damage
Each day the paper reports the misery that many of the residents in Louisville are suffering because of the rain storm that we had a few weeks ago. At first, it was on all of the national news programs and was a main subject on the front page of the paper but now it seems to have been relegated to the back pages.
FEMA has been here and has promised help to many, many people and they gradually are offering more and more. Our Main Library, for example had millions of dollars worth of damage. University of Louisville had millions of dollars worth of damages, Sts/ Mary and Elizabeth Hospital was out of commission for a few weeks. They have now been able to open their ER again and bring some of the patients back that had to be evacuated to other facilities. It has truely been a disaster.
The huge problem of discarded posessions that used to be in the hundreds of homes that were flooded, has become a problem. The city has tried to pick up and dispose of some of it but they have been innundated this year with picking up tree limbs, and other flotsom and jetsome from the two or three other natural disaster.
Volunteers, and people that own pick up trucks have generously offered their help but it is still a monumental problem. Many of the private homes that were affected are in the neighborhoods that are less affluent than others and it is impossible for them to pay to have their ruined belongings hauled away. Consequently, the piles have become health hazards. Vermin and bacteria are running rampant through the piles of waste. It is certainly a delimma.
I can't immagine how it is all going to end. I only hope FEMA has enough money to ease the pain of as many people as it can. There but for the gtace of God...
FEMA has been here and has promised help to many, many people and they gradually are offering more and more. Our Main Library, for example had millions of dollars worth of damage. University of Louisville had millions of dollars worth of damages, Sts/ Mary and Elizabeth Hospital was out of commission for a few weeks. They have now been able to open their ER again and bring some of the patients back that had to be evacuated to other facilities. It has truely been a disaster.
The huge problem of discarded posessions that used to be in the hundreds of homes that were flooded, has become a problem. The city has tried to pick up and dispose of some of it but they have been innundated this year with picking up tree limbs, and other flotsom and jetsome from the two or three other natural disaster.
Volunteers, and people that own pick up trucks have generously offered their help but it is still a monumental problem. Many of the private homes that were affected are in the neighborhoods that are less affluent than others and it is impossible for them to pay to have their ruined belongings hauled away. Consequently, the piles have become health hazards. Vermin and bacteria are running rampant through the piles of waste. It is certainly a delimma.
I can't immagine how it is all going to end. I only hope FEMA has enough money to ease the pain of as many people as it can. There but for the gtace of God...
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Feeling Quirkey in Kenturky
You are probably all aware of the terms "bottle neck" or "log jam" and others that mean there is an obstruction of some kind, stopping the flow of some thing. Well, I have had an "idea jam" in my brain, stopping the flow of words that I would use in my written account of my thinkings. There are numerous subjects that I would like to address.
I have many things to say about many subjects. I would like to address the 'tin foil hat crowd' and their abysmal behavior at the Town Hall meetings. I would reiterate that all Americans have freedom of speech. I resent those that are intent on preventing people from expressing their ideas by shouting over them, using obscenities and displaying weapons and using terroristic tactics to sew the seeds of fear in certain segments of society.
I would like to expound on the Op Ed page where there is truly freedom to express your ideas, no matter how off base they seem to another. The offended person has the freedom to answer in like manner. No one threating him or her for defending his/her ideas.
I would like to write a commentary on the flagitious behavior of some of the prominent men in our lives. Polititions, coaches, teachers, clergymen, scout leaders, dads. There is much to be said and analyzed about these vile, scandalous events.
I would like to express my feelings about school starting with out me being there. I love teaching and children and feel the urge to go off and do my thing.
All of these subjects have been roiling around in my brain and I have not settled down to write any one of them. I did start one about "fear" and its affect on all of us but I 'saved' it and may get back to it another day. My whole existance has been focused on myself and the latest major happening in my life. I'm still sorting out my take on all of it and will try to squeeze it out of my brain and sort it out on this venue.
"I am the fairest of them all" is not a good thing when it is talking about your skin and and hair. I grew up with red hair and everyone pondering about why my hair was red. My mother, dad and siblings had brown hair and were prone to tan when they spent time in the sun. I was prone to blisters and firey red skin when I spent time in the sun,followed by countless freckles! When I was about 10 years old I had what they used to call a sun stroke. Dr. Evans, our family doctor, who had delivered me and all my siblings and had dealt with all my maladies up to that point at my bedside, said I should never be allowed to spend any time in the sun, for the rest of my life. I had to be covered at all times when I was in the sun. I grew used to it because, quite frankly I am not comfortable in the sun. As a consequence, I spent all of my years on beaches and lakesides under cover of an umbrella or towels and clothing. Doc loved the sun and spent endless hours sitting in the sun up until the day he died. He sunned himself even in the winter bundled up if necessary. A few of his children are the same way. ( Mainly, the girls) All of the children do get tan and can tolerate the sun far better than I.
Naturally, I have for years had standing appointments with the dermatologist. I've long since been told that I am paying for the days of my childhood. Freckles are a sign of sun damage. That wasn't common knowledge when I was acquiring those freckles. As a child I was frequently asked about my hair and my freckles. "Where did you get all those freckles?" Sometimes those enquiries were followed by crude remarks that I detested. I HATE my freckles and always did! Rude people felt very comfortable asking my parents or my grandparents, "Where did she get that hair?" I used to have very scorching replies to those questions, but I wisely kept them to myself. "How did you get so rude?" "Why do you have such big ears?" Why are you so ugly?" "Why do you eat so much?" Words better left unspoken. Wisdom came at an early age.
I have had pre-canderous growths removed from my skin for the last 40 years. They seem to have escalated as I've grown older. The first cancerous growth was removed about twelve or fifteen years ago, I've had a few since plus the non-cancerous growths that I seem to grow new crops of each six or eight months. One doctor refers to them as barnacles. So it was no surprize when I grew a new leision on my forehead right along my hairline. About three years ago the dermatologist that I had at that time "froze" it and said come back in six months. I looked a little better but was still present. At each six month visit I would mention it again so through the years I have had it "frozen", I've had to use Chemo-therapy ointment on it for a month and finally last June had it "frozen" again. This dermatologist is relatively new to me and he said if the 'spot' did not heal in four weeks to come back. It did not heal and in fact grew a little larger and began to hurt. I went back to the doctor and he said it was squamous cell cancer and he would have to remove it surgically.
When I went to have the procedure, which I considered no big deal, he said it had grown even more since he had last looked at it. (About a week ago) and he had been thinking it over and chose to do a more complicated procedure that had a 98% percent cure rate. Very time consuming but relatively simple. OK!
I had to go back a few days later for that procedure and he found that he had made the right decision to do the more complicated surgery because there was more cancer than he could detect at first. It was successful and he feels sure that he got it all. BUT he would like for me to have radiation to insure that it will not recur. He is recommending it but the final decision has to be mine.
I feel as if I am back to square one, so to speak. Back in 2000 when I had the first cancer surgery. It was surmised that we had gotten it all and then the BUT came. Maybe I should have radiation and chemo therapy, the decision was mine to make. I made an appointment with the oncology-radiologist and we thouroghly discussed
the whole subject and discussed the pros and cons and I finally decided that I would take my chances on there being no recurrence. I was wrong!
I had two more recurrences and two more surgeries and had 30 radiation treatments which caused me to have one more surgery to repair the after effects of the treatments. Four surgeries in all in a five year span. I know there is no guarantee that if I had had the chemo and the radiation I would not have had the recurrence but that is something I will never know. Now here I am again!
The doctor explained to me that the radiation for the colon was a lot different than this would be because the treatments can be more focused but nevertheless I would have to have thirty of them and I wonder if I will experience the same fatigue and how about hair loss and how about the thirty trips up and back,questions,questions and more questions. I am leaning toward taking the treatments because... Maybe I'm not as much of a risk taker or maybe my odds are no better than before. What to do?
I have a few weeks to think about it because I could not start treatment until this spot on my head has healed. I thought I'd write about it and maybe seeing it in print would make the decision easier. I put on my ' feeling quirkey in Kenturkey' shirt and wrote it all down. We'll see. Woe is me! Ciao
I have many things to say about many subjects. I would like to address the 'tin foil hat crowd' and their abysmal behavior at the Town Hall meetings. I would reiterate that all Americans have freedom of speech. I resent those that are intent on preventing people from expressing their ideas by shouting over them, using obscenities and displaying weapons and using terroristic tactics to sew the seeds of fear in certain segments of society.
I would like to expound on the Op Ed page where there is truly freedom to express your ideas, no matter how off base they seem to another. The offended person has the freedom to answer in like manner. No one threating him or her for defending his/her ideas.
I would like to write a commentary on the flagitious behavior of some of the prominent men in our lives. Polititions, coaches, teachers, clergymen, scout leaders, dads. There is much to be said and analyzed about these vile, scandalous events.
I would like to express my feelings about school starting with out me being there. I love teaching and children and feel the urge to go off and do my thing.
All of these subjects have been roiling around in my brain and I have not settled down to write any one of them. I did start one about "fear" and its affect on all of us but I 'saved' it and may get back to it another day. My whole existance has been focused on myself and the latest major happening in my life. I'm still sorting out my take on all of it and will try to squeeze it out of my brain and sort it out on this venue.
"I am the fairest of them all" is not a good thing when it is talking about your skin and and hair. I grew up with red hair and everyone pondering about why my hair was red. My mother, dad and siblings had brown hair and were prone to tan when they spent time in the sun. I was prone to blisters and firey red skin when I spent time in the sun,followed by countless freckles! When I was about 10 years old I had what they used to call a sun stroke. Dr. Evans, our family doctor, who had delivered me and all my siblings and had dealt with all my maladies up to that point at my bedside, said I should never be allowed to spend any time in the sun, for the rest of my life. I had to be covered at all times when I was in the sun. I grew used to it because, quite frankly I am not comfortable in the sun. As a consequence, I spent all of my years on beaches and lakesides under cover of an umbrella or towels and clothing. Doc loved the sun and spent endless hours sitting in the sun up until the day he died. He sunned himself even in the winter bundled up if necessary. A few of his children are the same way. ( Mainly, the girls) All of the children do get tan and can tolerate the sun far better than I.
Naturally, I have for years had standing appointments with the dermatologist. I've long since been told that I am paying for the days of my childhood. Freckles are a sign of sun damage. That wasn't common knowledge when I was acquiring those freckles. As a child I was frequently asked about my hair and my freckles. "Where did you get all those freckles?" Sometimes those enquiries were followed by crude remarks that I detested. I HATE my freckles and always did! Rude people felt very comfortable asking my parents or my grandparents, "Where did she get that hair?" I used to have very scorching replies to those questions, but I wisely kept them to myself. "How did you get so rude?" "Why do you have such big ears?" Why are you so ugly?" "Why do you eat so much?" Words better left unspoken. Wisdom came at an early age.
I have had pre-canderous growths removed from my skin for the last 40 years. They seem to have escalated as I've grown older. The first cancerous growth was removed about twelve or fifteen years ago, I've had a few since plus the non-cancerous growths that I seem to grow new crops of each six or eight months. One doctor refers to them as barnacles. So it was no surprize when I grew a new leision on my forehead right along my hairline. About three years ago the dermatologist that I had at that time "froze" it and said come back in six months. I looked a little better but was still present. At each six month visit I would mention it again so through the years I have had it "frozen", I've had to use Chemo-therapy ointment on it for a month and finally last June had it "frozen" again. This dermatologist is relatively new to me and he said if the 'spot' did not heal in four weeks to come back. It did not heal and in fact grew a little larger and began to hurt. I went back to the doctor and he said it was squamous cell cancer and he would have to remove it surgically.
When I went to have the procedure, which I considered no big deal, he said it had grown even more since he had last looked at it. (About a week ago) and he had been thinking it over and chose to do a more complicated procedure that had a 98% percent cure rate. Very time consuming but relatively simple. OK!
I had to go back a few days later for that procedure and he found that he had made the right decision to do the more complicated surgery because there was more cancer than he could detect at first. It was successful and he feels sure that he got it all. BUT he would like for me to have radiation to insure that it will not recur. He is recommending it but the final decision has to be mine.
I feel as if I am back to square one, so to speak. Back in 2000 when I had the first cancer surgery. It was surmised that we had gotten it all and then the BUT came. Maybe I should have radiation and chemo therapy, the decision was mine to make. I made an appointment with the oncology-radiologist and we thouroghly discussed
the whole subject and discussed the pros and cons and I finally decided that I would take my chances on there being no recurrence. I was wrong!
I had two more recurrences and two more surgeries and had 30 radiation treatments which caused me to have one more surgery to repair the after effects of the treatments. Four surgeries in all in a five year span. I know there is no guarantee that if I had had the chemo and the radiation I would not have had the recurrence but that is something I will never know. Now here I am again!
The doctor explained to me that the radiation for the colon was a lot different than this would be because the treatments can be more focused but nevertheless I would have to have thirty of them and I wonder if I will experience the same fatigue and how about hair loss and how about the thirty trips up and back,questions,questions and more questions. I am leaning toward taking the treatments because... Maybe I'm not as much of a risk taker or maybe my odds are no better than before. What to do?
I have a few weeks to think about it because I could not start treatment until this spot on my head has healed. I thought I'd write about it and maybe seeing it in print would make the decision easier. I put on my ' feeling quirkey in Kenturkey' shirt and wrote it all down. We'll see. Woe is me! Ciao
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Fear
"No passion so effectually robs the mind of all its powers of acting and reasoning as fear." Edmund Burke (1729-1797) English statesman, author, orator, political theorist, and philosopher.
Fear has become a political tool of modern times. We are inundated more and more by some politically elected and some self made fear mongers. Since the turn of the century we are more and more being warned about the dreadful things that are going to befall us if we don't conform to the ideals of one philosophy.
A few years ago we were being warned repeatedly by the gov. that we were going to be under attack again by terrorists. We had red alerts, orange alerts, green alerts and were advised to be suspicious of anyone around us that might look 'evil'. We very well may be in for more terrorist activity but I don't think flying a green flag or a red one will ward off these attacks. Nor do I think instilling all of us with fear will help matters either. We live under the constant threat of earth quakes, sink holes, wind storms, devestating illnesses and a plethora of other plagues but being scared to death is not going to prevent any of these things.
In 1933 in FDR's first inaugural address he said,"We have nothing to fear but fear itself."
The fear mongers play on the less educated and the ill informed segment of society and try to convince them of the 'evil intent' of the people in power. Some of the absurdities that they are spouting are so far from the truth that anyone with any education at all would have sense enough to know how untrue their claims are.
Fear has become a political tool of modern times. We are inundated more and more by some politically elected and some self made fear mongers. Since the turn of the century we are more and more being warned about the dreadful things that are going to befall us if we don't conform to the ideals of one philosophy.
A few years ago we were being warned repeatedly by the gov. that we were going to be under attack again by terrorists. We had red alerts, orange alerts, green alerts and were advised to be suspicious of anyone around us that might look 'evil'. We very well may be in for more terrorist activity but I don't think flying a green flag or a red one will ward off these attacks. Nor do I think instilling all of us with fear will help matters either. We live under the constant threat of earth quakes, sink holes, wind storms, devestating illnesses and a plethora of other plagues but being scared to death is not going to prevent any of these things.
In 1933 in FDR's first inaugural address he said,"We have nothing to fear but fear itself."
The fear mongers play on the less educated and the ill informed segment of society and try to convince them of the 'evil intent' of the people in power. Some of the absurdities that they are spouting are so far from the truth that anyone with any education at all would have sense enough to know how untrue their claims are.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Mid-summer's Night Breeze
I went to watch the Bats play the other night. Actually, I went to see Nathan umpire. I love to go to the games when he is "on duty" so to speak. He looked very svelte out there behind the plate and is very exact in his calls. He didn't throw the manager out in this game. Perhaps the manager knows better than to mess with him now!
Karen and Paul invited me to go to the game with them and I am always glad when I do get invited. It was a perfect evening for baseball! It was not too hot nor too cool, and there was a soft breeze blowing down the third base line. Our seats were not as good as at other times but good nevertheless.The Philly cheese steak boothe was near by and the facilities were also near-by. What more could you ask for?
I know you will find this hard to believe but I have heard for years and years about funnel cakes but have never seen one nor have I had one. Well I was initiated on this lovely evening. Abby ordered one and shared! Philly cheese steak sandwich, a real Coke, and funnel cake, wowzer! Next time I'm going to have an Ehrler's ice cream cone, too!) I am the original Pigster!!
The games start at 7:00 o'clock and we were meeting Scott, Kathy, Gus and Abby at 6:30 at Will Call, but Karen and Paul had an errand to attend to before the game and picked me up early. They will be traveling extensively next month and wanted to up-grade their cell phones and go high tech. Get with the jet set, so to speak! So, we went to the Sprint store and I looked on with great interest and listened to their dickering with Dustin to make their decision on what to buy. I had my borrowed camera and took pictures of the whole transaction. There is so much to learn. It's no longer an easy deal to get a phone that you can call someone up on and chat and hang up, No,no,no, now you can text them in an alian language. (Waz up? R U fre to tk?) You can have their picture on the screen so you can remember who you called.( Not possible in the past!)And you can snap photos of your surroundings so that you can remember where you were when you called your 'party'. You can check the weather, ball scores, current riots, sex scandals, and anything else you might want to know.
You can e-mail your boss, facebook, twitter, resturants, Doctors, parole officers,etc. The possibilities are endless. Bored? Play games on your phone while you wait, Listen to the Beatles, Rap artists, life is beyond beautiful! Can you get a discount? just ask, its as simple as that.
Karen chose a black and red phone/blackberry and Paul chose a black and orange/gold one. They were euphoric with joy as we went to the parking lot to get into the car and move on to the ball game. Dustin had given them basic instructions on how to use their new life changing purchases. We got into the car and were in the act of buckling in when lo and behold, Karen's NEW phone rang. She was so exacited, she said,"I'm getting a call!" "Hello" she shouted. "Is that you?" Paul said into his phone on the front seat beside her! Oh,dear! To quote Samuel Morse when he invented the telegraph and received his first message, 'What hath God wrought?'
Nothing could dampen my spirits at the ball game it was nirvana, however; fortunately I love teen agers and can tolerate about anything that they come up with so I was very tolerant of the two ancient, no that's too harsh, two retired former teenagers acting like teenagers! Tim was brought into the mix because he has had a Blackberry for sometime and was called frequently during the evening to instruct the novices. What a good guy! He finally responded to the frequent calls with a picture of himself that said more than a thousand words. I loved the whole evening, what fun!!!
The Bats won 5 to 2. Ciao
Karen and Paul invited me to go to the game with them and I am always glad when I do get invited. It was a perfect evening for baseball! It was not too hot nor too cool, and there was a soft breeze blowing down the third base line. Our seats were not as good as at other times but good nevertheless.The Philly cheese steak boothe was near by and the facilities were also near-by. What more could you ask for?
I know you will find this hard to believe but I have heard for years and years about funnel cakes but have never seen one nor have I had one. Well I was initiated on this lovely evening. Abby ordered one and shared! Philly cheese steak sandwich, a real Coke, and funnel cake, wowzer! Next time I'm going to have an Ehrler's ice cream cone, too!) I am the original Pigster!!
The games start at 7:00 o'clock and we were meeting Scott, Kathy, Gus and Abby at 6:30 at Will Call, but Karen and Paul had an errand to attend to before the game and picked me up early. They will be traveling extensively next month and wanted to up-grade their cell phones and go high tech. Get with the jet set, so to speak! So, we went to the Sprint store and I looked on with great interest and listened to their dickering with Dustin to make their decision on what to buy. I had my borrowed camera and took pictures of the whole transaction. There is so much to learn. It's no longer an easy deal to get a phone that you can call someone up on and chat and hang up, No,no,no, now you can text them in an alian language. (Waz up? R U fre to tk?) You can have their picture on the screen so you can remember who you called.( Not possible in the past!)And you can snap photos of your surroundings so that you can remember where you were when you called your 'party'. You can check the weather, ball scores, current riots, sex scandals, and anything else you might want to know.
You can e-mail your boss, facebook, twitter, resturants, Doctors, parole officers,etc. The possibilities are endless. Bored? Play games on your phone while you wait, Listen to the Beatles, Rap artists, life is beyond beautiful! Can you get a discount? just ask, its as simple as that.
Karen chose a black and red phone/blackberry and Paul chose a black and orange/gold one. They were euphoric with joy as we went to the parking lot to get into the car and move on to the ball game. Dustin had given them basic instructions on how to use their new life changing purchases. We got into the car and were in the act of buckling in when lo and behold, Karen's NEW phone rang. She was so exacited, she said,"I'm getting a call!" "Hello" she shouted. "Is that you?" Paul said into his phone on the front seat beside her! Oh,dear! To quote Samuel Morse when he invented the telegraph and received his first message, 'What hath God wrought?'
Nothing could dampen my spirits at the ball game it was nirvana, however; fortunately I love teen agers and can tolerate about anything that they come up with so I was very tolerant of the two ancient, no that's too harsh, two retired former teenagers acting like teenagers! Tim was brought into the mix because he has had a Blackberry for sometime and was called frequently during the evening to instruct the novices. What a good guy! He finally responded to the frequent calls with a picture of himself that said more than a thousand words. I loved the whole evening, what fun!!!
The Bats won 5 to 2. Ciao
Friday, July 17, 2009
Ruminations
I have spent an inordinate amount of time this week listening to the proceedings in Congress for the confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor. I have confirmed in my own mind the fact that you do not have to be brilliant, or have any common sense to become a Congressman. For that matter you don't have to have these qualifications to hold any public office!
My first hand experience with finding this out was quite a shock to me. I sat in on a debate and then later a panel discussion of the nine candidates running for the State House in Sarasota when Keith was running. I was so appalled at the shallowness of some of the candidates and the lack of knowledge and preparedness for some of them. They were pathetic. They were all given a few minutes to introduce themselves and give an account of their experiences and qualifications. One man pointed out that he was a former BoyScout leader and a father. One of the women said she could speak two languages which would give her an advantage, other than that she was a housewife and was tired of people saying she could not raise enough money to get elected.Others were unable to give any answer to questions about some of the issues facing the State. I was better informed than some of them and I don't even live in Florida!
I found the same level of ignorance and lack of knowledge and comprehension on the part of some of the questioners in the hearings. They spent two or three days asking the same questions over and over. They always got the same answer no matter how they worded the questions but that did not deter them in the least. What it all boiled down to was that they think white, preferably older, MEN are the only ones fit to be on the Supreme Court. They were terrified at the word 'empathy'. Perhaps because it is an unfamiliar word to them. The word WOMAN is equally scary and Hispanic was almost more than they could handle. Strange as it may seem they did not delve into the fact that she is Catholic. If she is confirmed, there will be six Catholics on the Court. That in itself must frighten many of them. The whole proceeding was such a farce, they want to be reelected when their term is up and they want their constituents to think they are doing important work. What a waste of time and money. I did see where they gave themselves a nice raise again. No hearings connected to that decision. It is probably the one and only issue that was passed with agreement on both sides of the aisle. No party lines involved. Ciao!
My first hand experience with finding this out was quite a shock to me. I sat in on a debate and then later a panel discussion of the nine candidates running for the State House in Sarasota when Keith was running. I was so appalled at the shallowness of some of the candidates and the lack of knowledge and preparedness for some of them. They were pathetic. They were all given a few minutes to introduce themselves and give an account of their experiences and qualifications. One man pointed out that he was a former BoyScout leader and a father. One of the women said she could speak two languages which would give her an advantage, other than that she was a housewife and was tired of people saying she could not raise enough money to get elected.Others were unable to give any answer to questions about some of the issues facing the State. I was better informed than some of them and I don't even live in Florida!
I found the same level of ignorance and lack of knowledge and comprehension on the part of some of the questioners in the hearings. They spent two or three days asking the same questions over and over. They always got the same answer no matter how they worded the questions but that did not deter them in the least. What it all boiled down to was that they think white, preferably older, MEN are the only ones fit to be on the Supreme Court. They were terrified at the word 'empathy'. Perhaps because it is an unfamiliar word to them. The word WOMAN is equally scary and Hispanic was almost more than they could handle. Strange as it may seem they did not delve into the fact that she is Catholic. If she is confirmed, there will be six Catholics on the Court. That in itself must frighten many of them. The whole proceeding was such a farce, they want to be reelected when their term is up and they want their constituents to think they are doing important work. What a waste of time and money. I did see where they gave themselves a nice raise again. No hearings connected to that decision. It is probably the one and only issue that was passed with agreement on both sides of the aisle. No party lines involved. Ciao!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Beaches
Garrison Keillor said that the Mid Westerners are the people that feel the need to travel. He said the Coastal people don't have to travel because they can just sit back and expect the rest of us to come to them. I just recently got to travel once again to the coast. I thought I might never again get the chance to go to the beach! I loved the whole trip and hope it will not be my last.
Growing up in the mid-west in the Depression years ruled out , pretty much, any chance of going to the ocean. I had to satisfy myself by reading all of the books that I could find that had to do with bodies of water larger than Indian Lake, Muzzy's Lake or Mad River. I did live in Cincinnati ,Ohio for three or four years but going to the Ohio River was not on our agenda.
In about 1953 Doc and I drove to Florida from Springfield, O. It took us two full days to drive it. There were no Interstates in those days and most of the trip was on two lane roads. The mountain roads were treacherous, but we made it. (Almost) Our battery was getting weaker and weaker when we were going through the Everglades. The lights were growing dimmer and dimmer and since we had seen a number of snakes and a few turtles crossing the road during the day light we were sure that if the battery gave up entirely we would have to stay in the car until daylight, no one in their right mind would get out of the car in the dark of night. No other traffic was on the road, no one ahead of us and no one behind us. We finally made out the lights of a city ahead and we coasted into a parking space on the down town street of the small town we had reached. We had to walk to the nearest filling station and ask for help. We rented a room for that night, one with a flashing sign right outside the window and a bathroom down the hall. The car was ready to go again the next morning and we drove on in to Coral Gables, where we were staying in a private home with rooms to rent, and then on to Miami where I finally saw the Ocean! What a marvel! It was instant love, truly, love at first sight! My first time ever to stand on the beach and feel the tide's pull and the sand rush out from beneath my feet. I felt the world move!
From that day forward I know that I can always find peace and reassurance at the ocean's edge. The edge of the world.About 16 years later, after Paul got home from the Viet Nam war, he was stationed in Charlotte, N.C. as an officer selection officer. Pat was just about nine or ten months old. We drove to Charlotte to visit with them and decided to go over to the beach that was just an hour and a half from their home. We went to Myrtle Beach. We stayed in a motel that was just about a block from the beach. We also explored the area and drove down Hw. 17 and found Garden City. The next year we rented a house on the beach at Garden City.
From that time on we went back year after year. We took a few years off now and then. One year we went to the Outer Banks and stayed at Kitty Hawk. Our house was about a block off the beach and the beach was full of jelly fish. Blech! We did travel down to Cape Hatteras, Coquina Beach and others. We climbed to the top of the tallest light house on the Atlantic Coast. That light house has since then been moved back further on the beach because of erosion in that area.
One year, Doc, Mickey and Warner and I went to New Hampshire for our vacation. We drove over to Bath, Maine to tour a boat builders shop and toured one of the tall boats that had taken part in the salute to the Statue of Liberty in New York's Harbor. The beaches on Maine's coast were not as wide as the beaches on the Strand, they were rather rocky too. However,we ate lobster on the dock where the lobstermen bring the day's catch in. Right out of the ocean and into the pot!
When Linda and I visited Scotland we sailed across the Irish Sea by ferry boat to get to Wales. We traveled up into the Highlands of Scotland and while there had a picnic lunch on the beach of the North Sea in St. Andrews, Scotland. ( We also had lunch and a cruise on Lock Lomand and visited Loch Ness the same day. (No sign of Nessie).
I am going to write more tomorrow on other ventures that I have enjoyed that I have stored in my memory. (As if you cared, huh?)
,
Growing up in the mid-west in the Depression years ruled out , pretty much, any chance of going to the ocean. I had to satisfy myself by reading all of the books that I could find that had to do with bodies of water larger than Indian Lake, Muzzy's Lake or Mad River. I did live in Cincinnati ,Ohio for three or four years but going to the Ohio River was not on our agenda.
In about 1953 Doc and I drove to Florida from Springfield, O. It took us two full days to drive it. There were no Interstates in those days and most of the trip was on two lane roads. The mountain roads were treacherous, but we made it. (Almost) Our battery was getting weaker and weaker when we were going through the Everglades. The lights were growing dimmer and dimmer and since we had seen a number of snakes and a few turtles crossing the road during the day light we were sure that if the battery gave up entirely we would have to stay in the car until daylight, no one in their right mind would get out of the car in the dark of night. No other traffic was on the road, no one ahead of us and no one behind us. We finally made out the lights of a city ahead and we coasted into a parking space on the down town street of the small town we had reached. We had to walk to the nearest filling station and ask for help. We rented a room for that night, one with a flashing sign right outside the window and a bathroom down the hall. The car was ready to go again the next morning and we drove on in to Coral Gables, where we were staying in a private home with rooms to rent, and then on to Miami where I finally saw the Ocean! What a marvel! It was instant love, truly, love at first sight! My first time ever to stand on the beach and feel the tide's pull and the sand rush out from beneath my feet. I felt the world move!
From that day forward I know that I can always find peace and reassurance at the ocean's edge. The edge of the world.About 16 years later, after Paul got home from the Viet Nam war, he was stationed in Charlotte, N.C. as an officer selection officer. Pat was just about nine or ten months old. We drove to Charlotte to visit with them and decided to go over to the beach that was just an hour and a half from their home. We went to Myrtle Beach. We stayed in a motel that was just about a block from the beach. We also explored the area and drove down Hw. 17 and found Garden City. The next year we rented a house on the beach at Garden City.
From that time on we went back year after year. We took a few years off now and then. One year we went to the Outer Banks and stayed at Kitty Hawk. Our house was about a block off the beach and the beach was full of jelly fish. Blech! We did travel down to Cape Hatteras, Coquina Beach and others. We climbed to the top of the tallest light house on the Atlantic Coast. That light house has since then been moved back further on the beach because of erosion in that area.
One year, Doc, Mickey and Warner and I went to New Hampshire for our vacation. We drove over to Bath, Maine to tour a boat builders shop and toured one of the tall boats that had taken part in the salute to the Statue of Liberty in New York's Harbor. The beaches on Maine's coast were not as wide as the beaches on the Strand, they were rather rocky too. However,we ate lobster on the dock where the lobstermen bring the day's catch in. Right out of the ocean and into the pot!
When Linda and I visited Scotland we sailed across the Irish Sea by ferry boat to get to Wales. We traveled up into the Highlands of Scotland and while there had a picnic lunch on the beach of the North Sea in St. Andrews, Scotland. ( We also had lunch and a cruise on Lock Lomand and visited Loch Ness the same day. (No sign of Nessie).
I am going to write more tomorrow on other ventures that I have enjoyed that I have stored in my memory. (As if you cared, huh?)
,
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