High Techno-Anxiety

Mood Trip

2009-05-20T13:08:00.004-05:00

Wow! Things were going so well and, then, without warning... BOOM! I started spiraling, spiraling, spiraling...

It was scary! I mean, I was terrified! From the past, I could tell where I was headed. So, I decided to prevent the "worst case scenario."

I drove myself to the E.R. of O.M.C. (Order My Casket aka Ozarks Medical Center). I checked into the E.R. at approximately 2 a.m. There were about 6 others sitting in the waiting area, awaiting triage...

During this initial wait, I kept going outside to check on Houston... to comfort myself... self-talk... sometimes it can be invaluable.

I had already spoken with my sister... she assured me that we'd get Houston taken care of. That relieved my mind enough to show up at the E.R.

At around 4 a.m., I was taken into triage. Blood samples were taken, urine specimen, the regular routine...

Around 6:30 a.m., I asked where we stood. The nurse told me that I would be admitted; we simply needed a Doctor to sign off. "Whew!" I thought to myself. But, he said, the doctor's shift change would be at 7 a.m., so I would have to wait a little longer.

"No problem," I thought to myself. At 7:15 a.m., Dr. Rountree came in for her interview. Through responding to her questions, I broke down crying beyond being able to simply recover. About fifteen minutes later, she informed me that she'd pass the information to the Stress Unit... and I should be admitted shortly. She told me that Dr. Fontaine was not on; but, Dr. Akins was...

At 9 a.m., I went out to the desk and, upon seeing Dr. Rountree, I asked what the status was of my case... She then told me that the Stress Unit now wants me to see a social worker.

In a split second, my sadness... my depression... turned to rage. "I've been here for 7 hours," I yelled. "I'll just go to Phelps County Hospital!"

"Go ahead," Dr. Rountree replied. Then a nurse or some male screamed at me from my right side (I didn't note who he was)... "Go on!"

"Remove this from my wrist," I replied, indicating the band which had been placed on my arm upon checkin some 7 hours earlier.

Someone (again, I don't recall who) grabbed scissors and cut off the wristband. I then stormed out to my vehicle.

I called my sister to tell her what had happened... and, not knowing how I would get Houston taken care of if I should disappear so far away from anyone who could care for him... I decided to take him to Sue's to hook him up there. In fact, I had left his dish there earlier when I had attached him to the railing while Father and I prepared the poke... and the wheels on his trailer.

Then, on my way to Phelps County Regional Medical Center I went. On the drive to Rolla, I struggled as I resisted acting out on any suicidal thoughts which went through my mind. When driving on an overpass over a train which was moving below, the thought of pulling over and jumping in the midst of train cars popped into my mind. I fought the urge to turn around and perform that task! I was more scared than I had been in months!

I kept thinking of Houston... of how close I was to getting assistance for housing... of how much progress I had made regarding the TBI...

I kept telling myself that P.C.R.M.C. was going to be a better experience. I reminded myself of all the people whom I've spoken with who have had a bad experience with O.M.C. It would be soon... and I would have help, I kept thinking...

When I got to the E.R. at P.C.R.M.C., I saw a huge line. I couldn't control myself in the midst of all the crowd... I made my way up to the Stress Unit... I burst out at the first encounter with a voice!

A nurse there helped calm me down... he showed great disbelief when I told him my story of what had happened at O.M.C. "They let you leave??!" he exclaimed! Now, for the first time, I had not believed it either! I had not realized until this moment just how out-of-control I had been.

They rushed me into E.R. Collected blood... urine... the routine. They had informed me of the fact that their unit was full.

I was transported to St. Anthony's in St. Louis... (Hyland Behavioral Health Services).

Here it is, Wednesday, May 20. I was released yesterday... picked up my vehicle from P.C.R.M.C. last night... parked in Walmart in the evening... took my meds and slept like a baby.

This morning, I attended the 3-hour meeting at Ozark Action, Inc. Then I rushed over to the library to capture these memories before going on over to Alternative Opportunities where I need to talk to a counselor!

What would I do without these helpful organizations? I sure miss Houston. Adieu.

Road Trip

2009-05-13T18:43:00.004-05:00

Wow! Things have been a-happenin'! Drove down to Clovis, New Mexico, via Lubbock, Texas. It seemed way too long of a drive; had to stop twice for a rest!

Met Angel's Father and some of her friends (Martin, Sammy, et. al.). The weather was quite warm. Watched a taped show of a local award show honoring the music of New Mexico. It reminded me of days in Hawai`i at the Prince Lot festival or some such.

After a couple of days, Angel made the decision to stay where she could be close to friends. I considered that a smart move; and made my way back homeward.

I stopped off in Springfield, Missouri. I spent half a day in the GLOCenter. I met Kevin, who is the leader of the Brotherhood. I am grateful for the use of their technology while there.

Later, I went to Lake Springfield, where Houston and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! It was so beautiful that I decided that I'd return for an exclusive visit to this space... I can't remember when I've had such a peaceful day.

Finally, I returned home to Thayer, where I received some exciting news about the housing situation! I'm looking forward to Wednesday, April 20, on two fronts:

In the a.m., I'll be briefing for the housing solution, and...

In the p.m., I'll be attending a meeting of the Oregon County Library Board.

This week I've spent quite a bit of time in front of a computer looking at business spreadsheets and contemplating business models and so forth...

The weather has been agreeable (despite the storms that I've managed to sleep through) and I'm thankful!

'Til next time, aloha!

Father's Gone...

2009-04-18T11:50:00.002-05:00

Father and Sue left Thayer before I could return from Mt. Vernon. I had pleaded with him to delay his departure to Indiana until my return. I'm sure that he was eager to get up to his campground, though. They left on Thursday.

Reminds me of the Lynyrd Skynyrd hit, "Tuesday's Gone." In my case, it was Thursday.

Thursday's Gone.

The Long and Winding Homeless Road

2009-04-18T11:09:00.005-05:00

I decided to stop by the GLO Center. Being the 3rd Friday of the month, the Center was presenting a free movie. This month the movie was "Twilight." The start was a little long, but it held my interest. The climax was a scene where a game of "baseball" was played. It reminded me of the climax of the first Harry Potter Movie, where they played Quidditch. Well, the remainder of the movie was fantastic! A love story with the most peculiar events, turns and twists. Fascinating work, Twilight. I am definitely primed to see the next one!

Unfortunately for Angel, I dragged her along with me. She doesn't understand my life. She just notices that I'm "different" in ways that perplex her. She and I had a discussion about how she is also "different." Suffering from schizophrenia distances her from society in ways very similar to how society pushes "my kind" away.

Just the way that I'm homeless, Angel is also homeless. Each of us agrees that "houseless" is a better word in our case. Although we share my '99 Mercury Villager (i.e., The Green Turtle), Thayer is our adopted home town. I adopted Thayer many years ago; Angel more recently (when Crystal & D.J. kicked her out of their home in Ozark County).

The road to homelessness is a long and winding one. It is filled with turns and twists that are unique to each individual. Recently, I spoke with Tina (i.e. half of the Tina & Tim Homeless couple whom I met last summer en route to St. Louis). She and Tim are doing well and are traveling through the southwest part of the country. Theirs is a fascinating story unto itself.

With this entry, I've initiated the first in a series of my "houselessness" articles. Both Angel and I are on lists to get housing (in my case, the Shelter Plus program). I'll keep interested readers abreast of the results of my long and winding road...

Thanks for reading.

Wanda's Angels

2009-04-16T16:21:00.002-05:00

For some time now, I have been talking with people about a non-profit group I wish to create. I have already come up with a name: Wanda's Angels.

Mother had collected figurines of angels during the last few years of her life. Her mother had done the same thing. I have some of those angels in my storage. I thought that one way to honor Mother was to create an organization named in her behalf.

A few weeks ago (while in the neuro-psych unit of Ozarks Medical Center), I met a young lady named Angel. She and I have been friends since.

Today I met another person named Angel. His girlfriend's name is Wanda. He and I met at MRC where we discussed the Bible for a little while and took pictures of each other. We committed to keeping in touch.

Life is filled with living angels. We need not look for'em; they appear as if by magic.

Damned Cracker Jacks

2009-04-14T17:01:00.002-05:00

I took some boxes of Cracker Jack with me today to an event I am attending...

Boy was I disappointed! After eating all my colorful corn, I opened the prize...

Should I say, "prize?" The "prize" was a simple piece of paper with something on it. Granted it was interesting... maybe even educational. But, the Cracker Jack boxes of my youth were a treat because the prize was a real P-R-I-Z-E! It was always interesting! And it made me want to have the NEXT BOX!

Today's prize makes me... disappointed! That's the least gripe-y thing that I can say. Boo-Hoo on Cracker Jack!

Mount Vernon

2009-04-14T16:48:00.002-05:00

In 1976 (the bicentennial), Aunt Jan and I went to explore Mount Vernon, George Washington's estate. We were given special privileges since my grandmother's boyfriend (Eddie) worked there. It was an experience I cannot forget!

Here it is, almost 33 years later, and I am in Mount Vernon, Missouri. After only a couple of days, I am already thinking that this may become another unforgettable experience!

Starting with an experience with a worker at the nearest rest area on westbound I-44, the people are demonstrating a collective personality which is quite different from that so far demonstrated by my home town of Thayer. To me this is both wonderful and sad.

It is wonderful because I had plopped all of Missouri's small towns into a single bucket. It is sad because I see how wrong I have been in doing so.

I arrived on Saturday, the 11th of April. I am scheduled to remain here through Friday, the 17th. My mind tells me that this is a place where I could be happy. What will I do? Hmmmmmmm....

Happy Birthday, Dad!

2009-04-13T09:57:00.003-05:00

After delaying my Mt. Vernon journey due to the ice storm, I have finally arrived. Here I sit in the Mt. Vernon branch library, blogging away. Ok, I am also surfing! LOL

We celebrated Dad's 70th Birthday on Friday, April 10. Most folks agree that he hardly looks to be 70 years young. Thank the heavens for that; I think I may have his genes! ROFL

I was able to secure the TIC (Tourist Information Center) in Thayer. It happens to be housed in a Caboose which represents the huge impact which the train industry has had on our town. The TIC is operated by the Thayer Chamber of Commerce.

Caroline manages the whole affair and permitted me to hold Poppa's celebration there. He was out most of the day (celebrating, I presume). I finally got hold of him and he committed to meeting me at the Caboose at 6:00 p.m. That's when I co-ordinated a teleconference call with my sisters.

A little later, I learned that Uncle Halver was in town with his daughter Pricilla. I invited them to celebrate with us since they had driven all the way from Indiana.

Here's how it went: Halver, Pricilla, Jeremy, Tiffany, and a few second cousins went into the caboose and awaited Dad's arrival. His birthday cake came from Harp's (formerly Wallace & Owens). Just a simple round, white cake beautifully decorated in bright colors.

When Dad arrived, I asked him if we could go to Los Potrillas to pick up an appetizer platter. (I had ordered 2 platters prior to his arrival.) He agreed; I got in his car and we drove over to the restaurant. This was quick since it's only 6 units away from the TIC.

I told him to stay in the car and that I'd pick up the platter(s) and he and I would return to the Caboose where we'd eat in private. Dad doesn't like large groups of people.

I ran in, picked up the platters, and returned to the car. We then drove back to the Caboose. En route, Dad noted a car which he said, "... looks like Halver's car." Indeed, it was Halver's car; but, I pretended to not know that it WAS Halver's car.

I asked Dad, "What kind of car is that?" He responded that it was an HHR. He told me that earlier Halver had indicated that HHR stood for "Hershell & Halver's Racing." We both laughed at the notion.

After Dad parked the car, we both got out and walked up to the Caboose. I could see the faces of some young ones but pretended not to notice. Dad pretended also. As he opened the door, he was greeted by a "Surprise!" yell from the group.

It was a success. The kids ate pudding and cake; we ate appetizers and cake. Most folks had already eaten and so declined the appetizers. Angel and I ate those later!

When we sang "Happy Birthday," we conferenced Janice and Dee in to join us by phone. I was happy that it went as well as it had. I trust (and hope and pray) that Dad will celebrate many more birthdays with us!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Happy New Year!

2009-04-05T16:30:00.002-05:00

Ok, that was a joke! Of course the year 2009 is well under way!

But, it feels like new year all over again... Today's forecast called for snow... it feels like a tornado will emerge... and NONE of us can agree on the weather...

It has been a long time since I have added an entry here! But, now, I have news... I have begun a blog for the Southern Missouri TBI Support Group.

There's more news... stay tuned!

A New Year... A New Attitude...

2009-01-10T18:02:00.003-06:00

I won't start 2009 by enumerating all of my "new year's resolutions" only to initiate a game between myself and my "challengers" who will oh-so-gladly highlight any failure which I might suffer.

What I will do, though, is to remind myself by taking an action... a small... simple... one-time action... which will serve to help me keep my (unspoken) resolution. This way, my challengers (you know who you are) can drop me a quick line to let me know what resolution you think I am addressing.

Beginning on my next entry... Let's get this Party Started! ...

A Talented Artist...

2008-11-08T01:45:00.008-06:00

This post is dedicated to Patrick Moberg, a talented illustrator...

A Presidential Quiz
It is said that a picture speaks a thousand words... The picture below prompted me to pose a quiz...

Q. Which of the following does not belong in the picture? (HINT: Pay attention to the 4th row)

A. It's the 4th from the left in the 4th row: President Nixon. The only president which we know is not a crook by his own admission. We presume the rest are all crooks. <g>

I sure am glad the 2008 election is over...

I hear rumors that the 2012 election will be starting soon! ugh!

A Bit of Olympic Insight
And the following picture prompts this question:

Q. When does a multi-gold medalist begin training for the olympics?

A. At conception... as illustrated above... <g>

Slacking...

2008-10-25T06:33:00.006-05:00

Oy! I've been slackin'! Went surfin' for the first time in a loooong while yesterday... and found some excellent resources.

The first one that I'll note is an ad-free site where we can reclaim the web... and by "we" I am referring to "those of us who have no capitalistic motives for sharing information." I guess McPalin would claim that I'm talking about "socialism." But, I think my reverend would prefer to think of it as "Christian values." (An aside... when did sharing "with the least of these" become socialism?)

Anyway, this site is a site for (truly) "Free Speech." Here's a little movie which explains the past 2.5 decades and where open-source software is taking us... (vs. where capitalism has brought us... with respect to the ~~housing market~~ world-wide web).

And, for those who want to be entertained... with less than a fortnight before the 2008 U.S. presidential election, I'll e-campaign for Obama... Enjoy the music...

Dear Reverend

2008-08-10T18:02:00.002-05:00

In his book, "What Jesus Meant," author Garry Wills presents a letter which comes anonymously from the internet. It is addressed to a Protestant evangelical who believes that the Bible must be read literally. This letter highlights the thoughts that I have expressed within my own family discussions, but more remarkably than I have ever been able to accomplish. Thus, I present this letter as quoted in Wills' book with links to the Biblical text cited. I offer this so that we may each reflect on the hatred which is being espoused in the name of God and so that we may pray that the hate-mongers -- even those claiming to represent God -- be visited by the Holy Spirit and their souls be repaired by their own repenting...

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's law. I have learned a great deal from you, and try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18.22 clearly states it to be an abomination -- end of debate. I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some other elements of God's laws and how to follow them.

Leviticus 25.44 states that I may possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?

I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21.7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness (Leviticus 15.19-24). The problem is: how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor to the Lord (Leviticus 1.9). The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35.2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or should I ask the police to do it?

A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination (Leviticus 11.10), it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this? Are there degrees of abomination?

Leviticus 21.20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here?

Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Leviticus 19.27. How should they die?

I know from Leviticus 11.6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

My uncle has a farm. He violates Leviticus 19.19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them (Leviticus 24.10-16)? Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair, like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws (Leviticus 20.14)?

I know you have studied these things extensively and thus enjoy considerable expertise in such matters, so I am confident you can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.

Hey, Where's the Chocolate??!

2008-08-09T12:02:00.004-05:00

This past week was exciting for me. After offering a hand (or two) at Epiphany's National Night Out event on Tuesday, I thought that I'd enjoy a moment attending a peaceful event at the Missouri Botanical Garden on Wednesday.

Wednesday was the 63rd anniversary of the dropping of "Little Boy" on Hiroshima, while today is the 63rd anniversary of "Fat Man" being dropped on Nagasaki. Twenty-three years ago (on the 40th anniversary), I attended a kabuki-style theatre re-enactment of the reaction of civilians in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

That had been the first time that I had given any thought to "the flip side of the equation" of nuking fellow humans. Somehow, that part of the equation had been omitted from all of my history lessons.

I remember crying as I sat, outside, in the audience of that performance. It was the first time that I had experienced the kabuki art form. No dialog had been necessary for the re-enactment. The facial expressions, highlighted by the chalky-white makeup, had been more than sufficient to communicate the pain and agony which was inflicted on that fateful day. The images remain just as clear in my mind today as if I had watched the show this past week instead of 23 years ago.

So, when I received an invitation to attend a memorial in the Japanese Garden (of the Missouri Botanical Garden), I was eager to attend. I made sure to arrive early so that I could take in the whole of the venue before joining the group in the Japanese Garden.

The first highlight of my excursion was the Climatron Observatory. Once I entered, I lost all track of time as I enjoyed the tropical temperature while examining many varieties of palms, grasses and other plants which reminded me of my years in Hawai`i (and of my visits to Belize and the Philippines).

The landscaping within the Observatory was impeccable. Rocks (both real and artificial) were laid in natural-looking formations to provide backdrops to the plants -- and birds -- which were on display. Series of plaques were educational and informative -- how a fallen tree is used by its neighbors in a rainforest... for example.

As I neared the end of my journey within the Observatory, I realized that hours had passed me by! I scurried to find the Japanese Garden section of the Botanical Garden. This is when it occurred to me that I had forgotten my invitation in my vehicle. So, I'd just have to hope that I could find the spot where everyone was to convene.

A gentleman approached me to ask if I was there for the gathering. "Yes," I had told him, "but I am not quite sure where it is."

"Me, neither," he replied. And on his way he went... which had appeared to me that he was heading back to the main path of the Garden.

I kept walking... not seeing any large groups... and wondering whether I might have been mistaken about the location. Surely, there should be a large gathering by now... it was about 5:30 p.m. The event was supposed to start at 5:45.

I turned to glance back towards the direction from whence I had come... to see another soul who looked like he may be looking for the event. This gentleman was carrying some sacks in one hand and a folding chair in his other.

"Are you here for the observance?" I asked him.

"Yes, where are they?" he returned.

"I'm not sure," I said as I glanced forward again.

About that time, a woman appeared asking us if we were looking for the event. We replied that we were and she told us that it had been re-located to be nearer the stage where a summer concert was to take place later in the evening.

The two of us proceeded to walk toward the stage as we engaged in conversation. After some more confusion (the group was *not* nearby the stage), we returned to the Japanese Garden where, to be sure, a group was gathered and a speaker had already begun talking.

As I listened, I realized that I had made a mistake. More than commemorating the dropping of nuclear bombs onto Japanese cities, this was an anti-war rally... to be precise, it was an anti-Iran war rally...

Well, it's a good cause, I suppose. But I had not intended on coming to such an event. In my mind's eye, I was going to spend a moment reflecting on the 250,000 people who were killed at the hands of a nuclear bomb which had been dropped 63 years ago. I suppose that, since there was no Iran Garden present, this was the next-best place to hold a "peace" rally, though... and on the anniversary date of "Little Boy."

The speaker was spending quite a bit of time passing around photos... photos of events which could be posted in an album entitled "A Day in the Life of Iran." I was bored... I could surf the net and see such photos... I decided to go on toward the seating area of the stage where I could prepare for the concert...

My new friend accompanied me... I told him, "that was disappointing."

"Someone should have taken charge," he replied.

We returned to the spot where we had left our bags... the crowd here was growing and growing... there were lots of people sharing chocolate. (It had been rumored -- on the invitation -- that the more chocolate which was brought, the closer we'd get to world peace! <g>)

The concert was excellent. According to the website, the performers were Laytham & Holmes. They performed a wide array of sounds -- and the audience was quite nice. People kept coming around with treats... and the sharing and caring was remarkable.

I thought to myself... "If it were possible to have worldwide peace, this is how it would feel. Humans caring and sharing with each other. Now, where'd that chocolate go?? LOL!"

Is this what the 21st Century really looks like?

2008-07-21T19:29:00.002-05:00

Recently, I was researching my former employer, 21st Century Systems, Inc., on the worldwide web. I had heard that there was much information in the public domain which disputed my favorable view of the corporation; so, I decided to investigate what my friends, colleagues and others were talking about.

Now, I had heard the chatter from my colleagues about "the woman" who had been hired and then fired... then re-hired (after negotiations from her discrimination lawsuit)... then re-fired... this among an office (in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri) of 10 men...

And I had heard the Office Administrator speak of how women "could never" do certain jobs because they were simply incapable of the strength required to do them...

And I had heard Warren Noll -- the office administrator -- state (when he returned from another base, in Arizona, I believe) how crazy it was on that base... how one "lesbo" had a poster of a bikini-clad woman over her desk and how it would have caused problems if one of the men had had a similar poster...

And I was shocked when, after inviting me (along with 2 other co-horts) to join him for a telephone interview with a female, this same "manager" of 21CSI loudly proclaimed, "That's my quota for the year!" when it was revealed that this particular candidate was not qualified.

And I was saddened when I heard him call the next candidate "George" repeatedly, even though his name was clearly not "George." Then I was angered when the event rolled around the office even to the point that a Korean-American exclaimed, "I'm calling him 'George', because this is America!"

So, somehow I was not surprised to learn (from the Seattle Times) how 21CSI has earned earmarks seemingly in direct response to their consistent depositing of federal dollars back into the pockets of politicians.

But I am more amazed at the wording on its "careers" page of its website which reads:

"21CSI has a strong commitment to diversity and is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer."

I know, from direct, first-hand experience that this is the most inaccurate statement that could be made by this company about itself!

When I filed formal complaints about the lack of professional demeanor in the Fort Leonard Wood Office and was sent a reply stating that a "thorough investigation" had been conducted and my claims were unsubstantiated... and further stating that it had brought to their attention that additional training *was* needed on the topic of conducting a non-hostile office... I recalled that, when I had spoken informally about similar incidents weeks before, I was told exactly the same thing...

So, it is clear... that is one company which is "perpetually" stepping up to the plate to train its managers and its employees how to conduct themselves in a professional and ethical manner... as long as "it is going to happen sooner than later," it can always rely on the same defense... year after year... harassment after harassment...

Is this the way of legally defending against harassment? After 13 years in business, one would think that this company would have addressed this issues at least a decade ago, no?

Oh well... the best thing that I can say is... thank God for gall bladder surgeries which provide a reasonable excuse to be terminated...

Meet me in Saint Louis

2008-07-19T18:04:00.002-05:00

Click the link above to enjoy the lovely day which I shared on Wednesday, July 16, 2008, with a couple of road warriors trying to make it back to Arkansas... I picked them up in Saint Robert (next to the Road Ranger) and dropped them south of St. Louis after we enjoyed the Arch.

Welcoming all of God's children...

2008-07-18T13:29:00.003-05:00

Since my childhood when I actually learned to read from the Bible in a home which was influenced by the Baptist church, I have yearned to seek the Truth. The Truth about God's creation, the Truth about God's evolution, the Truth about humankind's role within this context.

I attended Sunday school with my cousin (prior to moving in with my parents later at the age of 6 or so). After moving home with Mom and Dad, I continued seeking the Truth. I attended church with my neighbors (since Mom and Dad did not actively practice their faith). My neighbors were, I believe, of the Methodist faith.

I went with them on long journeys from our home to the "tent revivals." My neighbor's mom taught that it was good to be baptized in "the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost." I observed the mass baptisms which would happen at these revivals when the revivals literally hosted river-baptisms, emulating the baptism of Jesus as closely as possible.

Throughout the years when I was 9 and 10, I attended -- again without influence of my siblings or my parents -- a Baptist Sunday school. Somewhere between the ages of 7 and 10, my mother noticed the thirst which was demonstrated by my older sister and myself. As a good mother will do to nurture this unquenchable thirst, she ordered and installed an encyclopedia of the Bible in our home. It held Bible stories in the form which were presentable to our young minds.

Janice and I would compete through the 10-or-11 volumes... reading... and testing ourselves for having learned the lessons being taught. This search for Truth has continued over the past 30-some years.

About 1998, while living in Colorado Springs... home to Focus on the Family -- the mission of James Dobson -- and home to other leaders of the religious right movement and the so-called Christianists, whose work sometimes appears to be more focused on Americanism or American Politics than on Christianity (and, yes, home to the fallen evangelist Ted Haggard); while living in this beautiful city on the plateau of the Great Rockies, I discovered the Metropolitan Community Church.

One thing which I read while researching MCC was a reference to John 3:16... the MCC publishes literature which calls attention to the fact that, in John 3:16, no reference is made to include heterosexuals exclusively. I remember how it had seemed so simple... that W-H-O-S-O-E-V-E-R shall believe in God, shall have life everlasting. Simple. Whosoever did not indicate that only the heteros who believed... not only the Americans who believed... not only the Catholics who believed... but WHOSOEVER believes... Beauty in simplicity.

I joined the MCC congregation in Colorado Springs where then-Elder Reverend Nori conducted sermons. I remember how I had felt on Sundays, listening to Reverend Nori deliver her thoughts... I remember that I participated in a Gay Pride event for the first time ever in my life, marching alongside members of the Colorado Springs MCC congregation. And I remember how I thought, "so THIS is what Gay Pride is about." I had not, until that moment, understood the phrase "Gay Pride."

I remember that as we walked toward the park in downtown Colorado Springs... how members of Dobson's groups and others spoke from the sidewalks condemning our souls to Hell. How Reverend Nori had spoken back to remind the hypocrites that we were to love one another... not torment and torture each other... It was a powerful moment in my life. For the first time, I *WAS* proud... proud that I did not have to hide... proud that I did not have to die... proud that I was doing something positive to address the topic in public... to quote from the Harry Potter series, "To speak about that which cannot speak its name..." or something like that.

Between 1992 and 1998, I had remained at home... reading as much as I could to try to understand how I could reconcile my sexuality with my spiritual search. I read books, including:

So, I was very happy to find a place, in Colorado Springs, where I could join others in weekly worship. Where I could learn more about God... where I could share more about God from my own perspective... and where I could, most importantly, express myself in worship.

After leaving Colorado Springs, I had, again, looked for a church where I could experience the Holy Spirit... where I could walk in... and know... that those present had no malice... no anger against me... no hatred... but simple love. Love for God... love for Godkind... and love for humankind.

The search finally ended a few months ago when Missouri State representative, Jeanette Mott Oxford, invited me to her church, Epiphany United Church of Christ. Again, I am happy to worship regularly with others who practice acts and perform deeds which exemplify God's love for humankind.

My journey for enlightenment is far from over. I only wanted to share that it is, indeed, a never-ending struggle throughout our lives... the Truth is hard to discern. It is often unpleasant. But it always releases us and lets us move freely forward... to accomplish more... to handle more... to overcome more. In short, it fulfills the cliche: The Truth will set us free.

I have compiled a list of books which appear interesting and which I hope to read one day:

May peace be with us... within us.

God is still speaking...

2008-07-14T16:40:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, I was able to finally get back into church... It had been several weeks (since before the surgery), although one of my cohorts there said that it had seemed like months!

The sermon, as always, was excellent. We had a group visiting from SE Missouri (who had worked with the leaders of Epiphany UCC for the past week)... and four people from the youth group sang "Sanctuary" which literally brought tears to my eyes... very powerful message coming from the mouths of children... What a blessing this group shares...

After services, we were scheduled for a pot luck luncheon... (doh! I had failed to bring my contribution!) Rev. Mary suggested (in her persuasive way) that I stay to join in the meal... which I was very happy that I did. As usual, Houston got to have his run-on-the-turf out in the garden area of the church. He seemed as happy as I about having returned!

Afterward, John had let me know that he and Fred would be attending a play at St Louis University... one based on a woman's visit to Palestine... I asked if tickets were still available... and he told me "surely they are... it's just a $10 donation fee with the proceeds going to a youth artist group in Palestine."

Besides, John's daughter was in charge of lighting... How could I resist? At 3:00, I arrived for the play... which began the moment that a patron got in line to get a ticket... er, "passport"... for entering the staged performance area... From beginning to end, the show was entertaining... thought-provoking... and quite a welcome event given my current state of mind... I enjoyed it much.

John, Fred, and I met up after the show (having arrived at different times)... when John introduced me to his daughter... and went around meeting the various actors, the producer and... wow!... even the author upon whose life-event the play (named Beautiful Resistance) is based. Anyway, Fred and John invited me over for a discussion at their place... which was a lovely home.

I learned that the two had been together for almost 2 decades... so I quizzed them on the "secret" to a successful relationship... and the most striking answer was that the couple should have "no secrets." Well put.

Later, they invited me to spend the night... so that I did not have to journey back to St. Robert that late... and I accepted the invitation where I rested the best that I have for some time. Wonderful Hosts. So H-O-S-P-I-T-A-B-L-E... that even Lot and his angelic visitors would have been impressed!

I awakened... kidded around some with John... who reminded me of the time... that I'd have to jump in the shower and pack and all if I were to make my 1:45 appointment with Dr. Karen Tabb in Lebanon... Speaking of which (Lebanon)... the locals pronounce it as if it has been spelled "L-E-B-A-N-O-N-E"... Just FYI for those, like myself, who are not well-informed of such things...

It's been a wonderful past 30+ hours... despite the pain (quite reduced from 2 weeks ago)... Dr. Tabb took me off the Protonix... and suggested that I remain Narcotic-free... while we assess the remaining pain... which has her baffled... as it does me as well... Let's just leave our faith where it belongs... and I'll keep my readers informed of any changes in status.

p.s.
Despite the fact that my 21CSI issue has moved on to legal grounds... Warren Noll, the FLW Office Administrator of 21st Century Systems, Inc. (and 21CSI PAC Board Member and employee who had someone else take his technical exam on his behalf) sent me a disconcerting email... to my personal email account and followed up this morning with a harassing phone call...

The nerve of this not-so-gentle man! I immediately informed Mr. Noll of the fact that he and I should refrain from contact while the attorneys sort this all out... and followed up with a call to Marcia who admitted that -- despite best practice otherwise -- she had not notified employees that, since litigation may be imminent, no one should directly make contact with me...

Hmmmmm.... Inefficient? or Incompetent? This is the question which came to mind... She's such a nice person, otherwise.

A Time for Letting Go... and Letting God...

2008-07-12T11:20:00.002-05:00

This past week brought me some news which, at first, was very distressful. However, after consulting with friends I was reminded that I must continue focusing on recovery.

With that in mind, I visited a couple of agencies (here in Missouri) which offered some positive advice and direction.

I post this quick note for other of my friends to know that all is well... and the healing continues. We shall never know what God has planned... why this path is laid out before us...

But, we must continue walking the path... and putting our faith where it belongs... and remembering to count our blessings...

Joy and Love to all my friends!

Chris

Lawyers, Shmlawyers!

2008-07-10T15:34:00.003-05:00

Like most of the American public, I have no affinity for having to resolve issues through lawyers. Recently, however, my employer, 21st Century Systems, Inc., issued me a letter letting me know that it had terminated my employment due to my failure to get Security Clearance.

The interesting thing is that I had been prevented from submitting my application to get the clearance. The very person who blocked me was the person who sent the letter/email which terminated me. Sound confusing? It was to me as well.

Let me explain. I spent a few weeks going through all the forms for preparing my application for Security Clearance. This, despite the fact that the Office Administrator for the Fort Leonard Wood office advised that we had no security documents at our site.

Anyway, when I was finally prepared to submit, I went through the online application with a fine-toothed comb. On the very first page (the page that 21CSI's so-called Security Officer initiated), my birthplace was listed as UNKNOWN. However, I had submitted my birth certificate to Mr. Morse. So, the best answer (per the instructions for filling out the form) would have been to put the data which was on my birth certificate.

Further, the instructions (either on this very screen or the preceeding screen) had suggested that the applicant is to contact the agency requesting the security clearance for any information on this page which was incorrect; only the requesting agency (21CSI in this case) COULD change the data inputted on this screen.

What did I do? Well, I followed the directions. I emailed Mr. Morse... and I called him to discuss the discrepancy between having UNKNOWN and having Williamson, W.V. (which is my place of birth). He shrugged it off. This occurred somewhere between the end of April and the beginning of May...

So, I thought that I was awaiting his action on that form. What else should I think?

Most of my readers know that I went to have a gall-bladder-ectomy on May 22 which resulted in this and additional surgical procedures which left me unable to return to work (until even this very day)... So, I was shocked when, on July 9, I received a letter sent via FedEx (with backup email sent to my personal email account) explaining that my position had been terminated effective July 8!

Well, it doesn't surprise me... after joining 21CSI, I learned (through colleagues) how we had had several incidences over the past 18 months about official impropriety... one of which concerned having the close relative of an elected Federal official on staff... another which acknowledged that 21CSI had failed an "audit" conducted by the government and required of all contractors with the federal government...

Normally, those would be reasons to begin looking for a new employer... but I had resisted, thinking that I would give this company the benefit of the doubt.

Today, I called the H.R. Workhorse, Marcia, to ask her about information for wrapping up this nightmare... and she provided me with the information for the company's attorney who is based in Colorado Springs...

What a small world! My attorney is also based in the Springs... I wonder whether I should seek another counselor? I trust my attorney very much. He has done excellent work in the past (not directly on my behalf; but I am aware of the quality of his work)...

However, others have advised me that you want an attorney who does not belong to the same Bar Association... So, I will ponder this... and seek more advice on the matter.

For those of you who have expressed concern for me over the past several weeks, be assured that I am getting the best medical attention... and now, I shall seek the best legal advice as well...

The main thing? Please do not waste your time worrying for my sake. I am capable of taking care of myself in whatever ways that I need to. Thanks for your love, however... It is greatly appreciated!

p.s.
Houston says "Woof!" Some of you can translate this... others, just know that he is keeping me very good company! LOL

A Ghost, A Homeless Man, and One Who Happens to be Houseless: an analytical survey

2008-07-01T01:32:00.008-05:00

Q. What do you call a soul with no physical body?
A. A Ghost, for one thing.

Q. What do you call a soul with a body who has no home?
A. A homeless person; a nomad.

Q. What do you call a soul with a body who owns land but has no house?
A. Most likely, a Native Hawaiian. Native Hawaiians have tens of thousands of acres of land held in trust for them. Who holds it in trust? Why, the government of the state of Hawai`i, of course.

Hence, a Hawaiian can never be homeless, since he/she is most likely *not* a nomad. But this person *can* be houseless, simply because the Department of Hawaiian Homelands (who presumably administers the trust on behalf of Hawaiians) cannot effectively perform its functions efficiently. Thus, Hawaiians who are not homeless are indeed houseless because of the inefficiency of state government.

This is a tragic scenario. It reminds me of a statement made in a Presidential Commission Report (that was published in 1876):

While the Indians received us as friends, and listened with kind attention to our propositions, we were painfully impressed with their lack of confidence in the pledge of the Government.

This was a prophetic quote, to be sure. In hindsight, we might credit these so-called "Indians" with the gift of foresight. If not because of events which happened to them during their own contemporary times, then because of their keen foresight -- minimally -- were they apprehensive about the politicians with whom they were dealing at the time.

It's not much different today... except that, today, the majority of Americans lack trust in our respective governments (e.g., municipal, state, and national). It is not a characteristic uniquely attributed to the First Peoples of this continent.

We could be sad. But we should choose to be glad... glad that we can benefit positively from hindsight when we negotiate our collective and respective futures.

HYPOTHESIS: We need some essential changes to our democracy -- changes which will require constitutional amendments.

Who (among us) will be the bold ones... the courageous ones... the patriots who will effect these needed changes?

EXERCISE: Can you think of an amendment which needs to be made to our U.S. constitution?

EXAMPLES

I propose an amendment which would prohibit the restricting of human rights to any identifiable minority. Since the U.S. Constitution was adopted in 1789, no constitutional amendment has explicitly sought to restrict the human rights of an identified minority.

I propose an amendment to allow ballet initiatives to be enacted at the national level, whereby we citizens can re-gain control of our government and take it back from the Financial Institutions, Big Tobacco, Big Oil, and Big Pharmaceuticals.

Can you think of more examples? Please share them with me... either by commenting on this entry... or by emailing me at Kameaha`aweikaponia.

Reasons to vote Republican...

2008-06-28T15:30:00.002-05:00

Here are some Republican supporters explaining just why one should vote Republican. In short, voting Republican means that we'll get just what we deserve... Check it out!

What is a gallbladderectomy?

2008-05-30T00:42:00.003-05:00

When a surgeon removes your tonsils, it's a tonsillectomy.
When a surgeon removes your appendix, it's an appendectomy.
When a surgeon removes your gallbladder, it's a gallbladderectomy.

Right?

Wrong! This one's labeled a little more esoterically. The removal of one's gallbladder is a cholecystectomy.

Say what? Why not a gallbladderectomy?

Here's my best guess... Technically-speaking, a gallbladder is known as a cholecyst. Thus, the name for its removal: cholecystectomy.

A cholecystectomy can be performed by 2 methods: Open Surgery, or Laparoscopic Surgery.

An Open cholecystectomy is the more traditional but also the more invasive, requiring a 4- to 7-inch incision to extract the gallbladder. Patients usually stay in the hospital overnight and require several more weeks resting at home for complete recovery.

A Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a more modern approach and is used for most gallbladder removals today. For technical reasons or safety, a laparoscopic cholecystectomy may be converted to an open cholecystectomy.

In a Laparoscopic cholecystectomy, 4 or 5 small incisions are made in the abdominal cavity area. Then a camera and surgical tools are used to perform the procedure.

It is estimated that 500,000 cholecystectomies are performed in the U.S. each year. In 2008, I will spend the remainder of the year praying for the 250,000 that are left to be performed.

NOTE
I had a laparoscopic cholecystectomy performed on May 22, 2008, at St. John's Hospital in Lebanon, Missouri. The surgeon was Dr. Karen Tabb.

I was impressed with Dr. Tabb when, during my first meeting with her (on May 15) to schedule the procedure, she asked me to pray with her. I bowed my head while she lead our prayer asking for God's help during the procedure. In my 46 years of life, going to various medical professionals for any number of issues, this was a first; and one that I won't likely forget.

Thanks to all those who held me in their prayers. Your love and affection are tremendously appreciated.

Trouble at the K.O. Corral

2008-05-20T03:35:00.005-05:00

INTRODUCTION:
(This is my attempt at making people laugh.) The following story is fictional but with elements borrowed from my life. In order to protect parties (both guilty and innocent), I've disguised reality and present it here as fiction. Only the most-connected reader will make any sense out of it at all.

Alice doesn't live here anymore... Look! It's the Tweedle Brothers... Off with his head! We should have a staff outing... in June.

Q. (asked of me at work) Who do you think you are? The Exorcist? These are kids -- not daemons -- that we are dealing with!

Q. (asked of me at work and elsewhere) When are you going to quit quitting? When you don't smoke, you are like Hell on Earth!

Q. (asked of me at work, the last time I got a haircut) What are you trying to do? Imitate Brittany Spears??

Q. (asked of me at work, when traveling back to Missouri from Omaha) What kind of Christian are you? Studying the Red-Lettered edition of the Bible!! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!

Q. (asked of me at work) Would you be interested in being Systems Engineer? You are among only about 4 or 5 people in the company (who have this degree of knowledge and passion)!

Q. (asked of me at work) Why in Hell would you come in at 4:00 a.m.?

Q. (asked of me at work) Why did you contact H.R.?!

Q. (asked of me at work) Why did you contact the Ethics Officer?!

Q. (asked of me at work) What does "<g>" mean?

Q. (asked of me at work) Do you think your sexuality will impact your performance?

Q. (asked of me at work, during interview) How old are you?

Q. (asked of me at work) Can you hold my hand? I'm going to represent the company... I've only been here 3 years longer than you... I need somebody for companionship. It's going to be boring. The food will be awful. I really didn't come to work to market our company. Hey! I'm and Engineer for Christ's sake! Well, if you're not going to... I'm going over your head and stealing one of your team members... to Hell with your project's deadlines!

Q. (asked of me at work) Can you prove that I'm not a productive member of the office??

Q. (asked of me at work) Can you explain K.I.S.S.? I am an engineer... but, I'm too young to know stuff like that! I'm offended that you're calling me stupid... let's fight!

Q. (asked of me at work) Can we just call Jose "Joe"? After all, this is America!

Q. (asked of me at work) How do you spell relief?

[more to come as time permits]

Weight Loss Plan

2008-05-20T02:07:00.002-05:00

This is not really a plan... but the RESULTS of my plan to lose weight. Below is a list of the readings which I have recorded on my scales at home:

208 lbs (on Feb 5, 2008)
189 lbs (on May 20, 2008) for a reduction of 19 lbs! YES!

FAQ
Q-01. Ok... so, what is the plan, exactly? (i.e., do you have a goal?)
A-01. Goals are good. So, yes, there is a goal. The goal is to reach 150 lbs when I can begin re-building muscle for a body which will be highly-prized (or, minimally, highly-valued by me!)

Q-02. Are you keeping this healthy?
A-02. Good question. Yes, I keep healthy by consulting with my neighbor and with my best friend who are experts in fitness and nutrition.

Q-03. Every goal has a target date. What is your ETA?
A-04. November 10, 2008.

Q-04. What? Then you gonna eat like a madman from November 10 until January 1?
A-04. Nope. Just gonna eat healthy during that period.

Q-05. Are you counting calories? carbs? ______? (fill in the blank)
A-05. Nope.

Q-06. How do you measure progress?
A-06. By measuring myself wearing the same weigh-in suit on the same scales.

Q-07. Are you exercising right?
A-07. Probably not. But, I am exercising as much as possible.

Q-08. Are you eating the right things?
A-08. Definitely. Salads. Yogurts. Fruits. Water. Lemonade. OJ. Wendy's Frosty's.

Q-09. Are people noticing the change?
A-09. Not so much. Unless I point it out to them, it goes (as it should go) unnoticed!

Q-10. What are you going to do with your wardrobe?
A-10. I'm gonna keep my favorites. Gonna donate the rest to Goodwill.

I've been invited to surrender a God-given body part...

2008-05-16T06:19:00.002-05:00

I arrived at work this past Monday at about 6:30 a.m. My boss felt that he had to counsel me and ordered me not to work between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. So, I had gone in about as early as constraints would allow: 0630. After all, I had a lot of work to accomplish this week...

At approximately 0740, I realized that I had left some tools at home as well as medicines for a condition that I am currently being treated for. I decided to dash home to get them. While at home, I bent down to fill Houston's water bowl... and, as I did this, it happened -- a pain in my abdomen such as I had never experienced before.

On my return drive to the office, I felt several more of these attacks. Two of them were so severe that I literally doubled over in response, almost hitting cars in the lanes next to me. I became very frightened. Luckily, I made it into our parking lot with my car -- and myself -- intact!

I immediately knew that something was wrong... but what was it? I had had an appendectomy over 15 years ago... so it could not be my appendix.

I went into the office... got to my desk, writhing in pain. I called Cigna, my insurance provider. During the course of that call, with all the voice prompts and such, I was advised that, if this were an emergency, to hang up... and dial 9-1-1. It seemed reasonable.

I decided to get confirmation from our corporate H.R. person. So, I contacted her via our Jabber client. After some banter, she advised me not to call 9-1-1 (contrary to Cigna's advice) but to have someone in the office to drive me to the E-R. I concurred and told her that I'd "ping" my boss, since I heard his voice nearby.

I stood up, walked a couple of feet to where he was having a consultation with one of my cohorts, and blurted "I need one of you two to drive me to the E-R on post." I don't recall the exact details, but my boss decided to give me a difficult time as he is wont to do.

I interrupted him to say that H.R. had advised me to make the request. He demanded to know why I had called her?? I don't recall replying... by this time in so much pain that I only wanted to scream... to cry... perhaps both!

Realizing that I was totally serious, he finally spoke up and said that he'd drive me over... Whew! I was going to get the help that I needed and sooooo desired.

When we arrived at the E-R, my boss offered (in what I recall was a very condescending tone) to carry my bag into the E-R for me... My pain was so great... my blood pressure so high... that I ignored his offer... especially the sincerity... or should I say the lack thereof which was voiced. "No, thank you. I can manage myself!"

And off to the E-R I went. Sounding like a whimpering puppy, I sat in the E-R at Fort Leonard Wood, providing the information which is always part of the process of seeking help from institutions which are overlorded by the legal profession. My mind wondered... is this the end for me? is this so severe that my life will be over soon? Memories of my having told friends, over the years, that, somehow, I did not sense that I would enjoy a long life... Could this be the event which would prove my feelings right?

The staff at the E-R was exceptional! I was introduced to "Nurse Giggles"... LOL... and "Nurse Meds"... The doctor who treated me was among the best that I've ever experienced... The staff was warm, kind, caring and extremely professional in every way imaginable. And I don't just say this because they injected me with serum which made the pain go away! <g>

Once it was suspected that I was having a problem with gall stones, an ambulance was arranged to transport me to St. John's Hospital in Lebanon, Missouri. I was transferred without incident... well, almost. The portal which had been inserted into my left wrist for ease was pulled out while riding in the van... the paramedic who rode in the ambulance with me was pleasant... and I distinctly recall talking her ears off!

I arrived... was processed at St. John's -- again, the most pleasant professional staff...

I was released and was given more medications... and an appointment with Dr. Tabb, a surgeon at St. John's Hospital.

Having left my vehicle on post, I did not have transportation to get back to Fort Leonard Wood... and needed to hire a taxicab. In case you are wondering, no, the hospital does not provide courtesy transportation -- unless, of course, the patient cannot afford the cab fare. Many friends and relatives (from afar) were surprised to hear this... but not nearly as surprised as I due to my bank's problems managing automated transactions...

I've been banking with FNBC for at least 2 years. I decided (as a preventive measure) to use my ATM/Debit card to ensure that I had funds to cover my transportation and was shocked that I did not have the $50 fare!

SIDEBAR
I would later learn that FNBC was doubling certain transactions and placing a freeze on $2 for each $1 spent on the transaction! I spent several hours working with Ms. Linda Clear, the Retail Manager of the Mammoth Spring branch of the bank. Over the course of 3 days, Linda offered various explanations -- excuses really -- for the problems which her bank had caused me. One excuse was that my new bank, Armed Forces Bank, had swiped my card twice.

When I visited Linda to give her the phone number of my contact at my new bank, I listened carefully as she tried pointing the finger at everyone EXCEPT her own bank, FNBC. She finally offered the final excuse: the source of the problem was that the two banks belonged to 2 separate financial networks. FNBC uses SHAZAM; AFB uses STAR. I suppose that, as long as the vendor (FNBC, in this case) can leave reasonable doubt that it is blameless, this is an acceptable approach.

However, I continue investigating the source of this frustration. Not simply because I am an obsessive-compulsive type; but, because it is unacceptable to me that anyone should "borrow" your money without paying you interest for the duration of the loan. And this is exactly how I perceive what happened. Obviously, since it is only hours and days... this is a short-term loan... what is not so obvious is that, for a legal lending transaction to take place, the lender (me, in this case) MUST give consent; which wasn't the case here. Hmmmmmm....

What makes this especially painful is that my father and his brother have been friends with Linda's family for many, many years... :(
END OF SIDEBAR

Not to worry... If I could assert that I was destitute (something which I was loathe to do), the hospital would consider me a charity case and would help fund my transportation home. Geez... with my income, to plead poverty is truly sinful, dishonest, and totally ridiculous.

(TO BE CONTINUED)

Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

Perception vs. Reality

2008-05-16T04:51:00.002-05:00

It is not often that I agree with OpEd pieces; particularly those from the NY Times. Recently, that paper presented an article which highlights the ridiculous scam being conducted by the Missouri state legislature. The article, "The Myth of Voter Fraud," discussed the disingenuous attempt (on the part of the state's Republican Party) to reduce -- yes, REDUCE! -- voter turnout.

To quote from the article,
"As with Missouri’s proposed amendment, the driving force behind strict voter ID requirements in general is not a genuine effort to prevent fraud, since there is virtually no evidence that in-person voter fraud is occurring. It is, rather, the Republican Party’s electoral calculations. Barriers at the polls drive down voter turnout, especially among the poor, racial minorities and students — groups that are less likely than average to have driver’s licenses, and that are more likely than average to vote Democratic."

While I agree that the American political party system is among the best forms of representative democracy in existence, I also believe that we need some type of overhaul. Yet, we hear so little media coverage of this opinion, either in print or on Faux News (i.e., Fox), Clinton News Network (i.e., CNN), among others.

The article pointed out the embarrassment endured during the recent Indiana (which has passed legislation to reduce voter turnout) primary elections when nuns were prevented from voting because their ids did not meet state requirements.

Being a one-time Hoosier Scholar while attending Purdue University and, now, a resident of the state of Missouri, I see a little-known link between these two states of our nation: both have a humiliating record of enacting legislation that has not only become notorious, but demonstrates how politicians can easily flush taxpayer money down the drain.

Example from Missouri: Until 1976, a state law existed on the books which called for the extermination of Mormons in the state.

Example from Indiana: The General Assembly, in 1897, created a bill which would have dictated that the value of pi be fixed at 3.2. Fortunately, a professor from Purdue University was present and was able to prevent the bill from getting passed!

Ramblings about the Kent State Massacre

2008-05-10T00:57:00.002-05:00

HISTORICAL GLIMPSE (i.e., BACK IN THE DAY)
I was 8 years old and lived in Akron, Ohio, almost exactly 38 years ago -- when the Kent State Massacre (aka May 4 Massacre, Kent State Shootings, et. al.) occurred. I recall that, as a child, I could not understand what was happening as I looked out our living room window only to see mass confusion and chaos, where young people were overturning cars in the streets... how, all I could question is why I was not allowed outside to play as was my normal daily routine.

There were many questions in that young mind of 38 years ago that went unanswered. What I have since learned is that this single event caused millions of college students to stand in unity against evil aggression which was conducted by our own democratic government despite the vocal opposition by a majority of Americans at the time. This study (standard Political Science 101 topic) caused me to re-assess what I had been taught in primary school... what I had learned about the very foundation of our democracy... how our government is OF, BY and FOR the people... etc.

And, despite the lessons taught me, I know a sadder picture. The theory of democratic government is intoxicating. It approaches Nirvana in its prose. However, reality causes us to sit back and compare theory with practice. Imagine a government OF, BY and FOR "Men"... that was the practice from the Revolutionary War until the Civil War... when a crossroads was reached... was it "White Men" or "All Men?" As a result of that conflict (The American Civil War), it was decided that black men, who had previously been counted as subhuman -- less than a white man (indeed, the Three-Fifths Compromise of 1787, resulted in Article I, Section 3, Paragraph 2, of the U.S. Constitution) -- were, at last, equal to white men. (The "Red Man," however, would have to wait another century to be considered equal to either the black or the white man. Women also had to wait for their due "equality" provision to be added to the U.S. Constitution; but not as long a wait as the "Red Skins.")

Sue and Hershell sitting in a tree... k-i-s-s-i-n-g!

2008-04-26T15:26:00.002-05:00

Here's Father with his friend, Sue...

Houston Dallas Austin Texas Billiter McIntosh

2008-04-26T14:55:00.001-05:00

Houston is not just a town in Missouri... it's also my puppy's first name...

Hawaiian Time

2008-04-21T02:18:00.009-05:00

A friend of mine gave me this book a while back... I had hastily read it and placed it in my library...

This morning, as I was re-arranging my books, I re-discovered it. On the page after the dedication, a cultural adviser (Clifford Nae`ole) from Maui -- no ka oi! -- is quoted on a topic with which I am very familiar: Hawaiian Time.

Here's the quote:
"On Hawaiian Time: I have a term I call Polynesian paralysis. It is the ability to simply be still and listen to your heartbeat, to stop and observe a beautiful rainbow or to watch the dolphins dance with the ocean. I would make this a priority over getting to a destination on time -- the ability of observation, appreciation, and relaxation. When I arrive at my destination, I am much happier!"

When I awakened earlier, I realized that I had experienced this "paralysis" over the past weekend. I set out to visit my grand-niece who is presently visiting my sister. When I set out on my journey, I decided that I had no "expected time." My sister had invited me to dinner on Saturday with the caveat: "... but I don't know what time it will be served..."

So, I took advantage of the trip across the Ozark Plateau. I took along my camera and, unlike the dozens of trips previously, I captured "the moment." When I had arrived in Thayer, I called cousins and asked them to meet me for a photo session. I then called my aunt and asked her the same thing. I was on a mission! My aunt told me to go to her home (she was headed for a Bingo adventure) and visit her son -- my cousin -- and his family. Again, the lens captured the moment.

I hope you enjoy viewing the photos as much as my kinfolk and I enjoyed clicking the camera!

Through the woods, and over the hills...

2008-04-20T05:50:00.002-05:00

... to Dad's Place I go!
Misty Blue knows the way
to make my day!

Imagine the Joy, ooooooh...

Through the woods, and over the hills,
To Dad's Place I go.

(sung to the melody of Over the River and Through the Woods)

Alright, I know that it isn't original... but it does express how I felt driving from Pulaski County to Oregon County, yesterday.

I awakened at about 1:00 a.m., after having slept for several hours. I thought to myself, "How do I best use this time?"

The answer was obvious... I have several tasks coming up this week at work... some of them with tightly-scheduled deadlines on Monday... "So," I thought, "knock a couple out now, and enjoy Monday as you should."

With that thought, I rushed into the office; worked for a few hours... went back to bed.

Since Dad had gone to Kentucky to check on Aunt Mae, I wasn't going to be able to connect with him this weekend... what to do? what to do?

Aha! My grand-niece Amari is visiting her nana (Sis Jan)... and I haven't had the opportunity to see her, yet. Let me call that bundle of joy and excitement!

Dialing... Ringing... Hello? My I speak with Amari, please?

Amari: Hello?
Me: Hello, beatiful! How are you?
Amari: Fine.
Me: What are you doing today?
Amari: I don't know. (she checks with Nana)
Me: When are you going to visit me?
Amari: I don't know. (she checks with Nana... I hear her asking her nana when is she going to visit Uncle Chris...)
Me: Well, may I visit you?
Amari: Yeah!
Me: Ok, let me speak with Justis. (Amari is Justis' younger sibling)
...

After a beautiful drive on a beautiful spring day (and 150 miles later), I arrived in their town.

Happy Birthday, Jeff!

2008-04-18T06:09:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday, Dad!

2008-04-14T00:15:00.002-05:00

For many of us, a Birthday is just another day. For others, it is cause for an extra-ordinary celebration!

Personally, I fall into the first group when it comes to my own birthday. But, I fall into the second group when it comes to special birthdays. What's a special birthday, you might be wondering?

Well, this past Thursday is a prime example of a special birthday. It was Father's 69th birthday! And, what's so extra-ordinary about reaching the ripe age of 69?

For Dad, 69 is a magical age! He has entered this next year of his life looking forward to becoming a septuagenarian. In less than 365 days, he will officially be able to accept this beautiful title.

Septuagenarian... hard to pronounce... easy to understand. A septuagenarian is one who is from 70-79 years of age.

Let's reflect on this... until my next post... Au contraire! Let's reflect on this until he earns the title octagenarian!

Happy Birthday, Dad! I love you!

A Most-Special Easter Presentation

2008-03-29T08:03:00.003-05:00

Dad and I had a very special treat this past Easter. Justis' church group (New Life Worship Center) presented a Passion Play on March 22 and 23, in Thayer, Missouri.

Now, it has been a while since I have been in an audience of any live performance; but, I must confess (please pardon the pun) that this was an impressive experience! The Director, Kat Kriag, besides being a beautiful soul, has great artistic talent as shown here... Enjoy!

Of course, for us, the star of the show was Justis...

see if you can spot her in the slideshow of the play...

Blue Toilets around Thayer

2008-03-29T07:20:00.002-05:00

Dad and I decided to take a ride on Easter day... just to get out of the house. We started northbound on US 63 toward West Plains... As we passed K-Kountry 95 Radio Station, Dad started laughing hilariously....

I asked him what was so funny. He says, "Did you see that blue toilet somebody placed in front of the radio station?"

"No," I tell him... wondering if I should be worried about Dad at this point...

He then tells me that he had heard one of his friends talking about a local prank where a gaudy blue toilet is placed in front of business establishments in town... he thought it was for shaming the establishment for something that it had done in the community.

I immediately thought of Hawthorne's character, Hester Prynne, and the shameful "Scarlet Letter."

I told dad that we needed to get a picture of it... as my friends would not believe such a tale without the proof. We turned around and headed back to the radio station.

I got out of the car...

click!

click!

BACKGROUND
I called the radio station to find out what this practical joke was all about. Jim told me that it was part of a fundraiser led by the Thayer Methodist Church, but that he wasn't sure of who the beneficiary is.

A Momentary Glimpse

2008-03-29T06:26:00.004-05:00

Here's a glimpse of a precious Father-Son interaction.

Me: Hey, Dad. Could you take a picture of me with your camera? I need a headshot photo.

Dad: Sure!

(I hand dad his camera, ready for action)

(Dad clicks... hands me the camera for review)

(I look at the on-camera display)
Me: (describing a headshot, putting my right hand, horizontally parallel to the floor, just above my head; placing my left hand just below my chin) There should be no background. Just the face in the photo.

Dad: alright...

Me: Here, let me take a headshot of you. Be still...

(Dad freezes for the pose. I click.)

Me: See! This is a headshot... no background... just face...

(Dad reviews photo... starts mumbling about appearance...)

Dad: Ok! I see! Let me try again.

(I look up... Dad moves closer with camera in hand... click!)

(We review the photo... I mumble about appearance...)

Point of the story: I'm reminded of the adage... "Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it."

Hehe... I don't think I care for these headshots...

2008 Primaries

2008-02-06T02:26:00.000-06:00

Ok... I've been asked enough times -- and had to admit ignorance -- that I can share my new-found knowledge with those who insisted on exposing my lack of intelligence about the American political process (you know who you are! ).

The best site that I found with a graphical presentation is CNN. It only takes about 5 minutes to educate yourself on this matter.

Summary: Each party has its own formulas for awarding delegates to its respective national convention. The Republican Party awards its delegates on a winner-take-all basis (with a few exceptions). The Democratic Party uses (what appears to be) a complex algorithm to award delegates based on congressional district percentages and state-wide percentages.

The Primary Election (or Caucus Election, for the states with this format) is effectively a way of choosing delegates who will be sent to the National Convention for its respective party. These delegates are known as "pledged delegates."

In addition to pledged delegates, there are "unpledged" delegates (Republican Party jargon) or "superdelegates" (Democratic Party jargon). These delegates are selected in different ways withing each party. One underlying method which both parties use is to select current members of congress, previous presidents/vice presidents, and others who hold specific rank in the national party or certain state party organizations.

Global Warming broken down by a Master Teacher!

2008-01-16T05:31:00.000-06:00

A friend of mine shared a link which highlighted this teacher, Greg Craven, who truly knows the foundational principles of education. As I recall, they include integrity, devil's advocacy, and entertainment.

This is a very entertaining -- and interesting -- discussion about the global warming issue. It is about 10 minutes long... I encourage you to watch.

Now, wasn't that entertaining? Well, Mr. Craven has much more to say... much, much more... If you wish to cut through the hoopla of the Main Scream Media and the Corporate Dictators of the world... this is your chance. Mr. Craven has created this index, which allows us to transcend from simply being entertained... to becoming informed about this very important topic... probably the most important of our life time.

Sadly, we hear too much about teachers who are in that bottom 1%. Rarely do we get to experience those who are in the top 1%... Surely Mr. Craven must fit in the latter category!

Thank you, Ingrid, for exposing a gem!

A History Lesson

2007-10-25T07:03:00.000-05:00

I have often been offended when I hear foreigners refer to the United States as "The Evil Empire." Having worked with many H1-B Visa holders, however, I have had the opportunity to remove my rose-colored glasses as I listen to their reasoning for making such comments. Inevitably, I have been at a loss (mostly due to the lack in my formal education of learning small details which are omitted from history courses) to rebut.

The first such "re-education" occurred when I was a young college student. I learned of how the Supreme Court refused to hear a case brought by the Cherokee Nation in the 19th century. The basis of the case was that, because of nation-to-nation status between the U.S. and the Cherokee Nation, certain land disputes between the Cherokee Nation and the state of Georgia were null and void, based on treaties signed between the two nations. Legal scholars acknowledge that, had the Supreme Court taken the case, most of the land belonging to what we now know as the state of Georgia would have been returned to the Cherokee Nation.

I recall how I had felt when I learned of this injustice. Lady Liberty suddenly appeared tilted; indeed, the scales of justice -- in my mind -- were certainly not based on an equal balance.

I remember watching a show on t.v. when I was 15; it was the Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder. The topic was the martial law that had been imposed by President Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines. The guest was from the Philippines and was using this late-night forum to try to bring to the attention of the American public the role that our government had in bringing that tyrant to power in her country and helping to establish his dictatorship (even though he retained the title of "President").

That scenario very much resembles the the current U.S. support of the dictator of Pakistan today. So-called "President" Musharraf has never been elected as President of Pakistan. He was a general in his country's army when he overthrew the democratically-elected government of that nation. The use of the title "president" obscures the fact that he is, indeed, an American-backed dictator.

Our problems with Iran today are very much a result of the U.S. having installed a dictator over the Iranian people in the 1950's: The Shah (i.e., dictator) of Iran was put into power by the U.S. government. The radical government of Iran is a direct result of the revolution of the late 1970's when the people overthrew the dictatorship and, as history demonstrates time and again in similar revolutions, chose an extreme form of government.

I am often reminded of how ignorant we are, as Americans, of the reasons why our human neighbors on this planet hold us in contempt. The historical record rings loudly and clearly. And we are seen as hypocrites when we speak of establishing democracy in the middle east, while we try to ignore the dictatorships for which we are directly responsible.

If we just highlight incidents of the past 50 years or so, we see the long trail of sorrow which we, our fathers and grandfathers have left:

1953 - Iranian coup d'état
1954 - Guatemalan coup d'état, which crushed a democratic government
1961 - Bay of Pigs fiasco, Cuba
1962 - Indochina (Vietnam, Laos, etc.)
1972 - The Philippines - Ferdinand Marcos, with assistance of the U.S., declared martial law
1973 - Chilean coup d'état
1983 - President Reagan referred to the Dictator of Zaire as "a voice of good sense and goodwill"; the U.S. supported this dictator on-and-off for more than 3 decades
1990's - Supported warlords in Somalia
2002 - Afghanistan
2003 - Iraq
2005 - Darfur, Sudan

The U.S. government has supported Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Indonesia, despite their poor human rights records.

These are the issues. These are the results of our own historical irresponsibility. When World War III -- to which President Bush recently alluded -- does arrive... we are truly out-numbered by those whom we have wronged (who are mostly aligned with China and Russia). I hope that our future enemies act kinder and more compassioinate with our children and grandchildren than we were with their parents and grandparents.

Orwell... where are you?

2007-10-25T06:31:00.001-05:00

Orwellian. A word that I first heard while in high school... then heard again when a co-worker remarked about how technology was leading us down a slippery road (this remark was made in 1989).

In the past five years, I have heard it repeatedly... an especially useful adjective to describe the Cheney-Bush administration.

So, it is with great earnestness that I have been looking forward to the 2008 elections...

But I viewed a video segment at You-Tube which made me pause. If we presume that the electorate installs Senator Clinton in the White House next year, the adjective "Orwellian" will surely become a word which we will use as frequently as we use "google" today...

Have a look at what the future could hold...

How the MSM (Main Stream Media) Just Doesn't Get It...

2007-10-25T05:55:00.000-05:00

Remember the coverage, by the "main scream media," of the Duke LaCrosse players horrible behavior... remember the racial tensions... and the "reverse racial profiling" which ensued? Remember how lives were affected? How the "rapists" were condemned by the court of public opinion?

And do you remember how the whole matter ended up being a farce, with the District Attorney eventually getting blamed (rightfully so), but how the main-scream press never looked back? After all, newspapers were sold... advertising was sold... and profits were made.

Well, here we go again... Surely by now we have all heard about the Jena 6. Well, interestingly, a reporter (local to Jena) wrote an Opinion piece in the Christian Science Monitor. The "Jena 6" seems to be a repeat of the Duke LaCrosse "rape."

You can read the truth of the Jena 6 in the Christian Science Monitor; and a more detailed analysis by the Jena Times.

We can be thankful, I suppose, that the children involved this time are minors... so that their images will not become fodder for the "tabloid-like" main-scream media.

Maybe it is time for "malpractice" lawsuits to be initiated against CNN, Faux News, MSNBC, and the print press... Maybe if these mega-corporations had to endure the cost of malpractice insurance the way the medical community has had to... maybe then we could get the truth of stories instead of the hype!

A Letter which I sent to my family and friends

2007-07-31T05:12:00.000-05:00

(With corrections; last revised: July 31, 2007)

Hello Family and Friends (you know who you are!):

You should have received a bcc (blind copy) of an email which I sent to 2 acquaintances of mine (whom I know through a mutual friend from the Aloha state) who are authors of a book recently published, Courting Equality: A Documentary History of America's First Legal Same-Sex Marriages.

I first met Pat and Karen at an event in Washington, D.C., over a decade ago. A mutual friend (Rebekah Luke) introduced us and hosted our visit in D.C. at The Pen Arts Building, which was once home to both President Abraham Lincoln's Son as well as a descendant of President John Adams. Since the 1950's, the Pen Arts Building has been home to the National League of American Pen Women.

That trip was significant to me in many ways:

It was an extension of the lobbying I had done (while living in Hawaii) on behalf of Hawaiians -- the first time I had participated in a march in our nation's capital;

It was the first significant trip that I took since returning to the mainland after leaving Hawai'i; and

I was recovering from a traumatic accident which had happened to me in 1996.

Since that trip, I have been to Hawai'i a few times... and, interestingly, Pat and Karen were there during at least 2 of my visits when I had the good fortune to meet them again. I have photos of the most recent trip and they can be viewed at my Picasaweb site.

I am planning to get my own copy of their book autographed to mark this historic event in the history of lesbians and gays (a group of second-class citizens, which includes me, as you know). As a gay man, I can better imagine what it must have been like for couples of mixed races who were finally permitted to marry legally in all 50 states of our nation merely 40¹ years ago... and imagine what it must have been like for the women of Wyoming who were the first women to have the right to vote², hold public office, and serve on juries (which is why Wyoming is known as "The Equality State").

I mean, can you imagine how women of the other 49 states must have still felt like second-class citizens; knowing that simply their residency in "the wrong state" was the barrier to their "equality" as an American citizen³? Well, I can imagine... because I do not live in the "Modern Equality State" of Massachusetts. And, I know, that simply living in that state would entitle me to some of the rights and privileges which the "other 80%" of my co-citizens enjoy. In other words, my co-citizens who were born heterosexual are entitled to special rights -- primarily based on religious ideas and principles. This is in direct violation of our Bill of Rights.

Some people claim that this is a religious issue. But that is false. Because, in the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights specifically prohibits our government from making decisions (i.e., allocating or with-holding rights) on any religious basis.

This is not to say that one cannot hold a particular belief based on his or her religious views. Everyone has that right to his or her own views. It simply means that our government cannot make laws extending special rights to certain people (or with-holding rights from others) on the basis of religion. It is amazing that heterosexual people find it so hard to understand that it is not I who am asking for "special rights." On the contrary, "special rights and privileges" are being granted by 49 states AND our federal government based on *their* sexual orientation. And, these special rights are granted on -- yes! -- religious bases. This is in direct violation of the Bill of Rights!

Each of you knows me very well. Ask yourself how you can sit by idly and do nothing while someone whom you love (or, perhaps you only like me) is being discriminated against? Knowing me as you do, you know that I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SIT BY IDLY WHILE OUR GOVERNMENT CREATED LAWS DESIGNED TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST YOU. After all, it was my inability to sit idly by, that I involved myself in the movement of, by, and on behalf of Hawaiians, whom our government also treats as "Second-Class Citizens."

I don't often ask favors. In fact, I rarely ask favors.

Now, however, I am asking you for a personal favor. This is a favor whose outcome causes only a positive result: a prohibition for our government to discriminate against a group (which, I remind you, includes me); discrimination by the very government which calls for "equality" in our Constitution and whose pledge of allegiance ends with the phrase "and justice for all."

I ask for you to take action to make that phrase in our pledge hold true rather than sit there as a hypocritical pledge. "How can you take action?" you may ask. There are thousands of ways. I will highlight a few. But, please, do not feel constrained. Each of you is smart in your own special way. If you take a few minutes to think about this issue you can certainly come up with a plethora of additional ideas.

Some Suggested ways:

Discuss the issue with your friends, neighbors, co-workers and others in your social network; through discussion, the "shame" is removed and true education occurs. But more importantly, justice prevails.

For those who have time and/or motivation, get involved in activities and scenarios where you can work to make a difference. Be someone who decides that the "chains of bondage" which create "second-class" citizens is wrong and must be corrected. In other words, those chains must be removed!

Contact your representatives in your state government and those who represent you in the U.S. Congress and express to them how you feel and how wrong discrimination is.

These are only 3 simple ways. As I stated there are infinitely many more. For those of you who are blessed with creativity, put that creativity to use. Come up with some ideas of your own.

I appreciate the time you have taken to read my thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about an issue which has bothered me since as long as I can remember.

With my love,
Chris

FOOTNOTES

¹In Loving v. Virginia, 1967.
²In 1869, Wyoming's Territorial legislature became the first government in the world to grant "Female Suffrage;" SEE Wyoming's Equality Heritage.
³SEE U.S. Constitution: 19th Amendment; ratified August 18, 1920.

Ballot Initiative Strategy Center

2007-07-30T20:35:00.001-05:00

Alright! For many years (although it seems like decades), I have discussed with friends, family and colleagues that "We the people" is a bit askew in our representative democracy. The argument which I presented compared various state governments with our federal government.

One of the most prominent differences is that, in most states, citizens (i.e., We the People) can create legislation by ballot initiative. For example, consider the states of California, Florida and Washington. This year (2007) and next (2008) these three states will have, on their ballots, for all voters' consideration, a ballot initiative (or referendum) to implement a single-payer (i.e., universal) health-care system in their respective states.

It is clear from the discussion at the federal level over the past 3 decades, that having such an initiative at the federal level would be fair and would help keep the multi-billion-dollar insurance and/or pharmaceutical industries at bay. For the past 30 years, there has been discussion by certain political "leaders" about such a program for our nation. And during that time, the oodles of money from (primarily the insurance industry and the pharmaceutical industry) these 2 industries has kept the discussion from becoming more than campaign-time rhetoric. (One simply need to pay attention to the 2008 Presidential candidates' promises, or look back at the promises of Pres. Clinton and the -- apparent -- attempt by then-First Lady H.R. Clinton.)

From my experience living in Hawaii (and remembering the Clintons' public testimony in Congress during th '90's), I know that the Aloha State has such a plan. If memory serves me correctly, it is called SHIP (State of Hawaii Insurance Program). Indeed, that plan had been held up as a model for the federal government to follow.

While "campaign finance reform" is much-discussed, and congressional rules are shuffled to create the appearance of such reform, the authentic power of our democracy can be placed where it ideally should be: in the hands of "We the People."

It is understandable that the federal government was set up as a representative democracy (i.e., a republic) since, at the time, communications (esp. mass communications) was still a very slow process. Now, however, two centuries later, that constraint is no longer a reality.

As most of us are aware, direct communications between citizens and government is technically viable (vis a vis telecommunications). Most of us are aware of this -- and it has been demonstrated for over a decade now -- because that is how the majority of us file our taxes.

Since we can rely on this technology for reconciling our tax bills with the government, there is no reason that we could not use this same technology to communicate with our government directly to express ourselves in making laws. The fact that several states already implement this in the form of referendum and ballot initiative has proven the technique is effective.

The major hurdle in implementing such a national strategy would be to set the boundaries. For example, regardless of whether the majority felt that slavery would be a nice way of cutting expenses for private businesses, we would rely on the constitution to prevent such a horrible law from becoming enacted. In paraphrasing the words of one constitutional scholar, "the rights of the minority of citizens must be honored despite the will of the majority of the electorate."

Over these many years of my thinking about this subject, I had not identified a significant player in our nation with which to involve myself regarding this issue... until today.

There is an organization, the BISC Foundation, which was created in 2002 (?need to verify date). The Foundation supports the BISC (Ballot Initiative Strategy Center) whose url is http://www.ballot.org.

I encourage friends, family, and colleagues to find out more about this initiative. At the very least, give it some thought and imagine (in your own ideal world) where it might fit into the grand scheme of things. Imagine, if "We the People" really were empowered, the wealthy elite would need to convince citizens and not, simply, buy the vote of our representatives in government.

Then, democracy would be strengthened to its rightful place... and capitalism could be restored to its rightful place. And (at least, in my ideal world) the scales of justice would become more balanced than they are at the present. As I stated earlier, it is evident that currently the scales of justice are askew; the configuration being significantly in favor of money.

Another organization which appears to be interested in a government by "We the People" is the National Initiative for Democracy. Interestingly, it was founded by Former Senator Mike Gravel, who coincidentally, is a 2008 U.S. Presidential Candidate. I mention this for the purpose of full disclosure and not to represent that I endorse his candidacy. I am yet deciding whom I shall endorse in the 2008 U.S. Presidential election.

Human Trafficking Slavery supported by U.S. Tax dollars??

2007-07-28T01:14:00.000-05:00

It's amazing! Here is a recent U.S. Congressional hearing where an American reveals that slavery is alive and well -- and supported by U.S. funds to build the Baghdad Embassy. What is amazing? Amazing that I discover this on YouTube -- not ABC, CBS, NY Times, or other "Main Scream Media."

Inform yourself. Become aware. Don't be ignorant... simply, don't ignore issues which you may be able to affect. As in the 1840's, citizens today must be vigilant... unlike in Germany in the 1930's... we must not ignore... no, we must demand -- both, of our government and of those with whom our government contracts with our money -- that Human Rights be honored and respected...

UPDATE:
I initially caught this video on YouTube as I stated above. Having left my TV tuned to C-Span after Saturday morning's Washington Journal, I had the (mis)fortune of getting to see a re-peat of the above-noted testimony... within full context of the Congressional hearing. What is more amazing to me, now, is the way that a couple of the Congressmen (Republican Partisans, I am conflicted to say) on the Committee responded to these "whistle-blowers."

One of these jerks, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-California, 49th District, San Diego, Oceanside, Vista) was Orwellian in his examination of these witnesses! I haven't looked, yet, but I venture a guess that Halliburton has a great influence in his district¹. I know that I intend to point out this monstrous behaviour to all my friends, family and associates in Southern California. It's important that each of us keep our eyes on our congressional representatives and senators.

I'm gonna return to the Boob Tube... this one isn't over yet... but I wanted to make notes while they are fresh.

The Committee which conducted the hearings is the Committee on House Oversight and Government Reform. The interested person may review all the content of the hearings at the C-SPAN website and additional information which has been made publicly available by the Committee.

In researching some of the names and companies mentioned during these hearings (which were originally held this past Thursday), I found an article about First Kuwaiti Construction at a website called CorpWatch which was published (on the web) in 2006. First Kuwaiti Construction is the company which has been contracted by the U.S. State Department to perform the work for the U.S. It is this company which, allegedly, participated in human trafficking of workers from India and The Philippines.

After speaking with a good friend of mine about this issue, she pointed out that, even here in the U.S., such tales of ~~human-trafficking~~ slavery occasionally make the light of day in the "Main-Scream Media." And, yes, I realize that this is true; but, make no mistake... the euphemism "Human-Trafficking" does not make me feel any less concerned. It is slavery, pure and simple, when one's liberties -- indeed, one's rights! -- to travel are restricted. Where's the "trafficking" when one's movements are at one's employer's whims? Pardon me for being forward, but this is slavery. Perhaps, the 19th-Century slavery precluded the victims from ever returning to the land of their birth... perhaps that slavery even encouraged breeding for the sake of "cost-free" slaves... and perhaps 21st-Century slavery is not that overbearing. These differences (whether minor or otherwise) do not permit us to adorn the action with such "comfortable" phrases as "human-trafficking."

Bottom line? If it smells like slavery; if it looks like slavery -- then, by the civility of modern humanism, it is slavery.

FOOTNOTES

¹Wrong. According to TruthOut.org, Halliburton has relocated its HQ to Dubai, in the UAE; which has no extradition treaty with the U.S. This, apparently, as a result for the multiple lawsuits exposing Halliburton to Federal investigations due to Hurricane Katrina contracts and non-bid contracts in Iraq.

Media Ownership -- Who's controlling what we see, hear, and ... gasp! ... believe?!?

2007-07-21T14:30:00.000-05:00

I decided to start this tally since I couldn't find one place on the great big world wide web which tracked media ownership... Also, I wanted to challenge myself to collect and assemble the data for my own knowledge.

Rupert Murdoch

Dow Jones & Co. (under negotiations as of July 2007)¹

Fox Television²

News Corporation²

The NY Post²

HarperCollins²

British Sky Broadcasting²

??? Malone

News Corporation²

Discovery Communications²

Court TV²

MacNeil-Lehrer Productions²

Sumner Redstone

CBS¹

Viacom¹

Paramount Pictures¹

National Amusements Theatre Chain¹

MTV¹

Showtime¹

Steve Jobs (Apple Corp.)

iTunes¹

iPod¹

iPhone¹

Footnotes
¹MSNBC.com report
²Columbia Journalism Review

That One Candidate... She's Got Big Kahunas!

2007-07-21T14:07:00.000-05:00

Wow!

Candidate for U.S. President, Sen. Clinton, sure does have big kahunas (a more polite way of repeating what my sister had said!)... She knows what her constituents want to know... and, by democracy, she's gonna get it for'em!

Talking Points Memo has "the exclusive" on the response which Sen. Clinton sent to Secretary Gates regarding a letter which she received from his Undersecretary, Edelmen. Edelmen questioned the Senator's Patriotism, and matter-of-factly stated that what the Pentagon does is none of her beeswax... (apparently, he missed U.S. History class that day when the professor pointed out that there is a rule of law in America whereby Congress has oversight of affairs domestic and foreign)...

In her response to Secretary Gates, Sen. Clinton asked (regarding her response from the Undersecretary) if that letter accurately reflected Gates' own views. Hmmm... Apparently, they do not... Secretary Gates, as was requested by Sen. Clinton, should reply personally to her second letter to him... in as many weeks.

Interesting notion, that the processes of our democracy should be of such concern to a Pentagon officer... that, in his opiniion, the functioning of our democracy would strengthen our enemies... Hmmm... or did he simply mean "his" enemies? Either way, as a trained lawyer, businesswoman and elected representative, somehow I think that Sen. Clinton will cause an educational process for at least one person in the Pentagon.

Educators call these "teachable moments." It isn't often that we get to watch as it yields productive lessons -- in both civics and politics.

All I can really say is, "Good luck Mr. Edlemen." You are not part of a dictatorial regime here in America. It's called "D-E-M-O-C-R-A-C-Y" -- remember?

What rhymes with Vitter?

2007-07-21T09:53:00.000-05:00

Ok... Hypocrisy is the lowest thing in my book... and when the hypocrisy involves politicians and legislation and morality, well I couldn't resist!

Although I am definitely no fan of John "Riverboat" Kerry, one of the U.S. Senators from Massachusetts, his "poetic justice" is apropos:

There once was a man named Vitter
Who vowed that he wasn’t a quitter
But with stories of women
And all of his sinnin’
He knows his career’s in the — oh, never mind
--Sen. John Kerry at a DSCC Fundraiser in Massachusetts (weekend of July 13th, 2007)

Alas, with the Louisiana Governor being a member of the opposing party, Vitter's own party is not acting too quickly to remove the hypocrite...

Such is politics in America, today.

Poetry in Action

2007-07-15T22:23:00.000-05:00

I watched a YouTube clip¹ which caused me to think hard and long... What is the source of the phrase "ignorance is bliss?" In my mind, I had attributed it to John Donne (1572-1631)... then I had doubt... was it Donne or was it John Milton (1608-1674)? Johnnie McCray (my high school English teacher) would be very upset with me... Then, again, I should not have partied like it was 1999 when it was only 1978! <g>

Now that doubt had entered my mind, I knew that (argh!) I'd have to do some digging. I googled the phrase... and was led to one of my favorite websites -- Bartleby.com: Great Books Online. Alas, the doubt paid off because both guesses were wrong!

The line "ignorance is bliss" is contained in a poem² by Thomas Gray (1716-1771)! The poem is entitled, "Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College." While reading the poem, I was reminded about the beauty and comfort of childhood. How little we knew of the world... and that lack of knowledge -- that ignorance bestowed on us at childhood -- allowed us to remain carefree and happy, despite the pains and sorrows happening in the world around us at the time.

And, yes, as we grew more aware of our own lives and the lives of those around us... as we grew more aware of pain and anguish... and more importantly, as we grew aware of the causes of that pain and anguish... it became more difficult to hold onto our simple views of the universe. We could not ignore the injustices of our natural environment. We realized that we needed to decide which side of the coin we were going to devote our energies and ambitions.

Were we going to be part of the universal problem? Or would we, rather, attempt to be part of the universal solution? That was the decision that we each were forced to make. It is the decision which we each must make.

With this in mind, I present Gray's complete poem, in hopes that it may inpire others to reflect, as it caused me to do.

Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College
YE distant spires, ye antique towers
That crown the watery glade,
Where grateful Science still adores
Her Henry's holy shade;
And ye, that from the stately brow 5
Of Windsor's heights th' expanse below
Of grove, of lawn, of mead survey,
Whose turf, whose shade, whose flowers among
Wanders the hoary Thames along
His silver-winding way: 10

Ah, happy hills! ah, pleasing shade!
Ah, fields belov'd in vain!
Where once my careless childhood stray'd,
A stranger yet to pain!
I feel the gales that from ye blow 15
A momentary bliss bestow,
As waving fresh their gladsome wing
My weary soul they seem to soothe,
And, redolent of joy and youth,
To breathe a second spring. 20

Say, Father Thames, for thou hast seen
Full many a sprightly race
Disporting on thy margent green
The paths of pleasure trace—
Who foremost now delight to cleave 25
With pliant arm, thy glassy wave?
The captive linnet which enthral?
What idle progeny succeed
To chase the rolling circle's speed
Or urge the flying ball? 30

While some on earnest business bent
Their murmuring labours ply
'Gainst graver hours that bring constraint
To sweeten liberty:
Some bold adventurers disdain 35
The limits of their little reign
And unknown regions dare descry:
Still as they run they look behind,
They hear a voice in every wind,
And snatch a fearful joy. 40

Gay hope is theirs by fancy fed,
Less pleasing when possest;
The tear forgot as soon as shed,
The sunshine of the breast:
Theirs buxom health, of rosy hue, 45
Wild wit, invention ever new,
And lively cheer, of vigour born;
The thoughtless day, the easy night,
The spirits pure, the slumbers light
That fly th' approach of morn. 50

Alas! regardless of their doom,
The little victims play;
No sense have they of ills to come,
Nor care beyond to-day:
Yet see how all around 'em wait 55
The ministers of human fate
And black Misfortune's baleful train!
Ah, show them where in ambush stand,
To seize their prey, the murderous band!
Ah, tell them they are men! 60

These shall the fury Passions tear,
The vultures of the mind,
Disdainful Anger, pallid Fear,
And Shame that skulks behind;
Or pining Love shall waste their youth, 65
Or Jealousy with rankling tooth
That inly gnaws the secret heart,
And Envy wan, and faded Care,
Grim-visaged comfortless Despair,
And Sorrow's piercing dart. 70

Ambition this shall tempt to rise,
Then whirl the wretch from high
To bitter Scorn a sacrifice
And grinning Infamy.
The stings of Falsehood those shall try, 75
And hard Unkindness' alter'd eye,
That mocks the tear it forced to flow;
And keen Remorse with blood defil'd,
And moody Madness laughing wild
Amid severest woe. 80

Lo, in the vale of years beneath
A griesly troop are seen,
The painful family of Death,
More hideous than their queen:
This racks the joints, this fires the veins, 85
That every labouring sinew strains,
Those in the deeper vitals rage;
Lo! Poverty, to fill the band
That numbs the soul with icy hand,
And slow-consuming Age. 90

To each his sufferings: all are men,
Condemn'd alike to groan—
The tender for another's pain,
Th' unfeeling for his own.
Yet, ah! why should they know their fate, 95
Since sorrow never comes too late,
And happiness too swiftly flies?
Thought would destroy their Paradise.
No more;—where ignorance is bliss,
'Tis folly to be wise. 100

Footnotes

Ignorance is bliss

Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College

Who pushed the U.S. Constitution off the table?

2007-07-15T17:21:00.000-05:00

After doing my routine reading today (in my perpetual attempt to remain informed of the state of our world), I noticed several references to Bill Moyer's latest show, which was broadcast Friday, July 13, 2007.

Having become a fan of Bill Moyers lately, I could not resist watching. I am glad that I couldn't resist... The discussion between Moyers and his guests (Bruce Fein and John Nichols) brought me tremendous hope.

As often happens with emotions, hope brought with it a couple of other emotions which were painful: sorrow and sadness. In this case, the sadness was a result of becoming aware of what we have ignored... that our nation has been harmed by our own inaction.

Over a year ago, I was intrigued (and simultaneously dismayed) by talk of Impeachment. I studied a little bit about it... and saw that it was primarily a grassroots effort on behalf of what seemed to be democratic-party extremists. So, I ignored it.

When history was made with Rep. Pelosi becoming the first woman Speaker of the House in Congress, I watched with enthusiasm. I recall an early interview in which she proclaimed emphatically that "impeachment was off the table." This confirmed, to me, that the party extremists who were so vocal about impeachment were simply that: extremists.

After watching the discussion between Moyers, Fein and Nichols, however, I am concerned. Concerned that the U.S. Constitution has been pushed off the table. Without doubt, impeachment for political purposes is an anathema. However, it is apparent from the discussion between this journalist and these scholars that, today, to ignore impeachment is to ignore the U.S. Constitution.

So, I ask, "Who pushed the U.S. Constitution off the table?" I hope Speaker Pelosi starts looking for it. We Americans need for it to be picked up off the floor and placed back into prominence in our discussions, in our debates, and in our policies.

High-Anxiety over "certain" Technologies

2007-05-31T21:38:00.000-05:00

Friends, family and colleagues often ask me why I am so anti-Microsoft; some will scoff as if being "against-the-grain" is such a waste of energy. However, most will easily agree with me on this point: it is hard to love -- or even like -- either a child-molester or a rapist.

Such a bully takes advantage of his strength over his victims and has no conscience about the outcome of his criminal activity. In my mind, this metaphor is befitting of Microsoft.

This is not an image which I have arbitrarily chosen to have. Like anyone involved in those horrific and tragic crimes I just mentioned, he/she cannot help but to think and believe this way about the perpetrator.

I remember clearly when Windows 3.1 was released to much fanfare. I remember the headlines and the scuffle between Microsoft and IBM (who had jointly developed the technology) as, just before release, they went their own ways: Microsoft releasing Windows and IBM releasing OS/2.

I remember getting a free version of Windows 2.0 (at least a year before 3.1's release) with a mouse which I had purchased for my DOS 3.3 machine... and how I had thought how wonderful it would be if "the dream" were realized: Microsoft would, at long last, catch up with the superior Apple Macintosh operating system. I was excited! And, at that time, I very much liked Microsoft Corporation.

I remember the fanfare and how Lotus 1-2-3 had been one of the biggest sellers of all time... and how 30% of all computers sold were purchased specifically to run that application! I remember VisiCalc and how it had led to the introduction of Lotus 1-2-3. It was competition. It was good for all of us. Lotus was far superior to VisiCalc.

Then, after Lotus 1-2-3 re-crafted its product to be released about the same time as Windows 3.1, I remember how Microsoft had treated its "partner" -- by singling it out for the kill with the then-inferior Microsft Excel product.

That wasn't the only partner which Microsoft, like any cannibal craving its fix for blood went after. It gobbled up dozens, perhaps hundreds, of its partners who had timed major releases of their products to coincide with the release of Windows 3.1. Within one year of the release of Windows 3.1, Microsoft had introduced products to compete with its partners.

That's right... the very "friends" who helped it achieve a historically-successful product launch became, within the first year of release, victims of their own business partner.

In some cases, Microsoft introduced code into its Operating System (i.e., Windows) which would pop up false error messages if it detected one of its "partner's" products installed. I remember having to tinker with settings just to get the Operating System to *not* complain because I had chosen the superior Lotus 1-2-3 over Excel. (If I recall correctly, Microsoft reached an out-of-court settlement with either WordPerfect or Novell for such malicious behavior).

These were not fair business practices... regardless of whether the particular partner in question was a behemoth itself (like IBM) or a small group (like Quarterdeck). The schoolyard bully was getting tougher and stronger while it made its "rape victims" grin and enjoy the ride while "conducting business" with them.

And the only result was that the public suffered from the anti-competitive actions of this growing corporation. Sure, those who invested were pleased... Mr. Gates, obviously was pleased. But the software industry floundered for at least a decade because of these actions. And the "average user" -- the public, if you will -- suffered tremendously.

There are Microsoft proponents who argue about all the benefits which Microsoft has brought to the public. My reply is that, like the new-formed land which results from an erupting volcano, I cannot feel pleased with all the destruction -- which occurred simultaneously -- on the way to the the formation of the new land; and, like the Volcano's benevolence, any benefit to be realized by the public will take a long time... most of us who have lived through the tyrannical-corporate climate will have to pass and the memories of the destruction will have to be diluted before "good will" for the public can be feigned.

Fast-forward to 1994, when Microsoft released Windows 95. This was the first time that the company had offered a significant product which took advantage of the internet. And with its release, Microsoft made deals with Internet Service Providers giving them great discounts if they would configure their settings to interfere with the number one internet browser of the day -- Netscape, a product which emerged from the fantastic minds at the University of Illinois (and whose codebase is still the heart of Mozilla products). It was just like a Mafia boss bullying his opponents and killing those who would not "play nicely."

One may recall when the U.S. Federal courts also found Microsoft to be a derelicht corporate citizen after a Herculean, four-year battle where founder Bill Gates was contemptible (at least, his public image was) when he showed the world that he thought that his empire was beyond the grasp of the same laws by which every business operating in this free market must abide. Common (but, mostly-ignored) thinking is that then-U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft's resolution of the case was at least as contemptible as Microsoft and its founder had been during the trial.

Half of the states which were involved in the anti-trust lawsuit disagreed with the settlement. Many professional organizations, also, stated that the lead judge had over-estimated the settlement in Microsoft's favor.

In my opinion, that settlement was akin to a criminal judge settling a lawsuit where the child molestor is proved guilty (Microsoft's guilt was never in doubt), but allowed to operate day care centers despite the court's findings and the plaintiff's disagreement with the terms of settlement.

Microsoft Corporation mocked the U.S. Attorney many times during the trial. Its corporate officers and paid "experts," including a Professor from Princeton University blatantly lied on more than one occasion. As described in news reports and here:

When the judge ordered Microsoft to offer a version of Windows which did not include Internet Explorer, Microsoft responded that the company would offer manufacturers a choice: one version of Windows that was obsolete, or another that did not work properly. The judge asked, "It seemed absolutely clear to you that I entered an order that required that you distribute a product that would not work?" David D. Cole, a Microsoft vice president, replied, "In plain English, yes. We followed that order. It wasn't my place to consider the consequences of that." [8] Princeton University professor Edward Felten presented a modified version of Windows from which he claimed the Internet Explorer function had been removed. On cross-examination, he was guided through a sequence of steps that produced a fully functional Internet Explorer window¹.

But, Microsoft hasn't stopped with the world's "only super-power." The European Union also has found Microsoft to be guilty of unfair business practices in its judicial domain. And, since Ashcroft is not the government representative of the "public interest" in Europe, the result was not as sweet.

Since the European Union ordered Microsoft to comply with its laws, desktop users on the whole planet have gained benefit. Microsoft has been "forced" (by true market demand) to comply with standards, as it recently released its updated browser which, finally, accepts standards which most browsers were supporting more than 18 months prior.

Unlike in the U.S. v. Microsoft case, the E.U. leveed the largest fine it had ever ($613 Million U.S. Dollars) handed against a corporation in March 2004; according to reports, Microsoft paid in full 4 months after the verdict.

Again, in a display of contempt for the public well-being and demand from a legal jurisdiction, Microsoft has decided to pay $2 million dollar per day that it does not comply with the E.U. ruling. The total, from Decmber 2005 through June 2006 is reported to be an additional $280 million U.S. dollars; and the fine was scheduled to increase² to $3 million U.S. dollars per day as of July 2006, if Microsoft continued to resist compliance.

I am not certain about the results of these astronomical amounts of money; but, of this I am sure: after being a technologist professionally for more than 2 decades, I am certain that I will be able to stop fondling the keyboards of my (our) rapist within the next decade if Open Source trends continue as they have been for the past 5 years!

Despite the ugly, uncomfortable history of practical computing, this gives me great hope!

FOOTNOTES
¹Wikipedia Article re: U.S. v. Microsoft

²Wikipedia Article re: E.U. v. Microsoft

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Antitrust Case Filings in U.S. v. Microsoft

Joint Status Report on Microsoft's Compliance...

Keeping an eye on elected government officials

2007-03-13T04:57:00.000-05:00

Recently, I have spoken with friends about the idea of having webcasts for elected officials. The idea was simply to have a streaming video on elected officials websites for the duration of the day that he/she was working. Something like C-SPAN... but instead of having a fixed camera like C-SPAN has, it would be a roving camera (and, thus, streaming video) of each official.

Not a private eye... but a public eye on those whom we elect to govern. I truly believe that, with the vast amount of scandalous activity on behalf of our elected officials, that public confidence is at a critical low point.

Well, it turns out that there are more practical ideas in the works, which are actively being implemented. One such implementation is sponsored by The Sunlight Network.

The Sunlight Network is sponsoring The Punchclock Campaign. According to its website, "Members of Congress work for us, and we should know what they do every day."

I strongly support this effort. It is common sense... and is one way which we can improve public confidence in our government.

History of the World's Religions

2007-03-05T21:42:00.001-06:00

Wow! Now here's a resource to explore! It shows within about 90 seconds a history of the expansion of the world's major religions (chronological order: Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam). Sadly, it leaves out some of the more interesting religions (e.g., Zoroastrianism)...

It summarizes so much in so little time! Starting at around 3,000 B.C.E.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I have...

Ch..ch... changes!

2007-02-23T00:20:00.000-06:00

Hello, Gentle Reader:

Well, my experience with Flickr was disappointing; so, I have removed all my photos from there... There was a limit (for a free account, which is about the only types of accounts that I use) of about 200 pictures...

Fortunately, Google offers a better opportunity with Picasa. So MY_PICASA_SITE now has all of the photos which I've uploaded... and each one is packaged nicely into an "album" which contains related shots...

Hobbit Party at Aku Bone Lounge
North Shore
Louise plays tour guide
Happy New Year 2007
Keawa`ula Bay
Saying Goodbye to 2006!
Makapu`u Lighthouse
Kathy's B&B

Hope you enjoy... In addition to superior limits (Measured in Megabytes instead of quantity of pictures), I found Google's service top-notch.

<INSERT NO-SMOKING SIGN HERE>
And, on the smoking front, I calculated that as of today, February 22, had I continued my horrible, ill-health-oriented habit of smoking a pack a day, then i would have consumbed 20*(31+22) = 20*(53) = 1060 cigarettes by now. But (and I admit that I have cheated in the past 53 days) I have smoked only 2 packs (2*20) or 40 cigarettes! <g>

I feel sooooo... happy to have made this grand step... it's been easier than ever before... but not as easy as I wish it were... I am definitely looking forward to the day that I can say (as any other ex-addict may) that I'm an ex-smoker...

Until that time, I suppose I will simply state what I am in practicality: a recovering nicotine addict (or a recovering smoker). Hmmm... It actually doesn't have a bad ring to it...

May your lives be filled with peace, happiness, and prosperity!

Chris

Homelessness vs. Familylessness

2007-02-03T19:05:00.000-06:00

Recently, I have been thinking about the similarities and differences between myself and certain friends and family members. It's something that I sometimes do to try to convince myself that I'm not mentally-handicapped. <g>

After some time thinking about the similarities and differences, I began developing new notions about them. In doing so, I found myself categorizing various relationships that we (respectively) have in our lives: parental, sibling, friendship, spousal, offspring, acquaintance, professional, etc.

I realized, when identifying the different categories, that most of us have "same-sex" relationships! For example, my relationship with my brother was a same-sex relationship. That between Father and myself is a same-sex one. My sisters have a same-sex relationship with each other; and each of them had a same-sex relationship with Mother.

Well, it would seem that each of us is blessed with a same-sex relationship. And when I realized this, I realized what a farce it is to identify gays and lesbians as people in a "same-sex relationship."

Without debating the source of homosexuality (i.e., whether it is biological or social in origin), I believe that, based on my own experiences and first-hand observations, it is not a chosen trait, but one that is innate. I have often told friends and family that, had I been given the choice, I would have chosen the path of least resistance; I would have chosen the path that did not make me an enemy of certain religious groups, that did not make me the target of redneck humor like Larry the Cable Creep, and that did not make me an outcast of my own family for the major part of my life.

Anyone would acknowledge what a travesty of social justice it is for a person to grow up homeless. But how many of us consider the fate of one, like myself, who is forced to live "family-less?"

Now there's a new concept: familyless. More subtle than homelessness, familyless-ness is when a person lives without the full support of a traditional family. I thought that (between the ages of 24 - 34) I had chosen to live familylessly. Indeed, I did chose to live in a geographically distinct area from every member of my traditional family.

As I grew -- familylessly -- I discovered how independent I could be. I discovered how much I could support my self. I discovered how much I could help others besides myself... I discovered that I did belong... not to a traditional family, perhaps... but to this time... to this space... to this dimension.

I realized that my choice had not been initiated by any single yearning deep within myself. Rather, it had been a response to a traumatic event within my family. It had not been an initial action -- but a re-action. That was the moment when I realized that I was not homeless... but familyless.

In my case familylessness had resulted from my flawed "coming out" to my family. I had come out to my family; but, being petrified, I had not done it successfully. One day I shall share my "coming out" story here at High Techno-Anxiety.

American Royalty and The Religious Rights

2007-02-01T07:02:00.000-06:00

Recently a term came to mind when I was reading an article: American Royalty.

When reading that article, two Senators (Ted Stevens, Dan Akaka) -- one Republican, one Democrat -- were highlighted. Sen. Stevens has held office since he was appointed in 1968! And, while Sen. Akaka is only currently serving his 4th term (he was appointed in 1990), his colleague from Hawaii, Sen. Inouye has been elected to the U.S. Senate continuously since 1962!

A single term for a senator is 6 years. So, when we note that Sen. Akaka is only a 4-th term senator, we're effectively talking about 24 years! I remembered (from my study of U.S. history) how the nation's founders had been explicit in forming, in their own words, "a more perfect union." They had been precise in stating their opposition to "oligarchy, ..., monarchy." Thomas Paine (Common Sense) had discussed the Republican form of government.

In those formative years of the Republic (which would come to be called The United States of America) certain points of view were expressed in debate which preceded the adoption of the U.S. Constitution¹. These points of view specifically emphasized opposition to titles of nobility, which was consistent with the contemporary French notions against monarchy.

But when we view official statistics (U.S. Senate), the phrase "American Royalty" is the only phrase that fits². Currently, there are 4 Senators who could be considered "American Royalty."

Robert C. Byrd
Edward M. Kennedy
Daniel K. Inouye
Theodore F. Stevens

On the other hand, if we use Congress' own definition of term limits as it created for the Presidency (2 terms), we must add these Senators to the list:

Daniel K. Akaka
Max Baucus
Robert Bennett
Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
Jeff Bingaman
Christopher S. Bond
Barbara Boxer
Sam Brownback
Thad Cochran
Kent Conrad
Larry E. Craig
Christopher J. Dodd
Pete V. Domenici
Byron L. Dorgan
Russ Feingold
Dianne Feinstein
Charles E. Grassley
Judd Gregg
Tom Harkin
Orrin G. Hatch
Kay Bailey Hutchison
James M. Inhofe
John F. Kerry
Herbert H. Kohl
Jon L. Kyl
Frank R. Lautenberg
Patrick J. Leahy
Carl Levin
Joseph I. Lieberman
Trent Lott
Richard G. Lugar
John McCain
Mitch McConnell
Barbara A. Mikulski
Patty Murray
Harry Reid
John D. Rockefeller IV
Richard C. Shelby
Olympia J. Snowe
Arlen Specter
Craig Thomas
John W. Warner
Ron Wyden

This means that about 50% of the Senate is an American Royal. American voters across the nation have instituted term limits for their state legislators, governors, mayors, and other public offices. Why is it, then, that we do not have term limits on the U.S. Congress?

As a nation, we missed our best chance when we ratified the 22nd Amendment (proposed March 21, 1947; ratified May 4, 1951). That was the amendment which restricted the Presidency to 2 terms. Because it would require a constitutional amendment, this will be very difficult to do. Consider that, since 1985, every Congress has introduced legislation to repeal the 22nd Amendment... :(

Ok... no discussion of politics would be complete without some word about religion, right? Ok. I'll not say anything about religion in this entry... but religious leaders -- particularly American religious leaders, who appear to be more leaders in politics than leaders of religious insight -- are highlighted in this YouTube entry. I found it very entertaining... don't give it much thought though... because the underlying reality is pitiful.

¹in 1789, some 13 years after the Declaration of Independence was adopted
²Since congressional representatives have short, 2-year terms, it is not as likely for an individual to hold a seat for more than a decade in that branch of the legislature.

Wow! 2008 is just around the corner!

2007-01-17T17:39:00.000-06:00

The plane touched down at about 6:00 a.m. on the 10th of January. I had slept most of the 8 hours that we travelled from Honolulu.

I had Kukui nuts for nieces and nephews, shell lei for my grand-nieces and grand-nephews; a lei for Father, for Tina & for Dee (which my friend Kamakea gave to me upon my departure)... and books from The Ho`ulu Hou Project... and myriad other treasures for aunts, uncles and cousins...

The lei were beautiful... I proudly wore mine on the plane. I was so emotional... Kamakea and I had not been able to get much time together during my 3-week trip¹... yet, here I had with me the results of her loving work... Neither diamonds, silver, nor gold compare with the value of a lei which comes from the heart of a dear friend. A mere "Thank You" cannot capture the gratitude of such a lucky recipient as I.

I got off the plane at approximately 6 am; boarded my limo (ok, it was disguised as an airport shuttle bus! Did I mention that my Secret Service code-name is "24/7 Vocal Chords!") and ended up in Hammond... to await my father who was picking me up.

Standing there without a coat (in 20-degree weather), a stranger stopped and asked me if I were wearing plastic (lei)? "No!," I exclaimed. These are the "Real McCoys." I held up the bags (which Kamakea had so carefully put the lei in -- one slightly watered, the other, not) and he inhaled... and smiled at me and told me how lucky I was. Contrary to the image that friends have of me, I coyly replied, "it's true," as I closed my eyes and imagined the veracity of his statement.

He proceeded to get into his car... and his wife (I presume) started tugging at him, so before driving off, he rolled down his window and yells, "Aloha!" I replied "Aloha" to him... and I laughed... Here in Hammond², Indiana, how often had anyone used this expression, adopted into the English language from the Hawaiian language? <g> I have a distinct memory from about 35 years ago of one such instance³...

I spent the 10th and 11th running around the state of Indiana delivering treasures obtained during my visit... First to Tina's... then Dee's... then to Kelly's... next to Harv's... then to Dani's... On to Missy's... Heather came next... then Jeff's... and to Rachel's... I wound up leaving Jenni's treats with Tina...

On the 12th, Dad and I made our excursion onwards to our home in Missouri. I remarked to dad at the irony: My flight from Hawai`i (which took 8 hours) was actually shorter than his and my journey -- via highway -- from Lafayette, Indiana, to Thayer, Missouri (which takes 8-9 hours)... I finally got to rest in the a.m. of the 13th... and did not awaken until a.m. of the 14th, a Sunday! It's true... I was comatose! <g>

Whew! After that, it was time for a vacation! <g>

I got my computer re-connected to the internet... My latest high-tech obsession is Internet Scrabble. If you are the least-bit interested in this wonderful word game, you must check out The Internet Scrabble Club. But, be warned! You may not see friends and/or family members for days or weeks thereafter!

So, the past few days have whizzed by... as I have been stuck to my Scrabble screen... I've played with Kathy... and a player in Florida... one in Colorado... one in Texas... and one in Malta...

And, after I finish this entry, I'll return to Scrabble... so, only thing I can think of at the moment is that if the past few days are an indication... I'll being saying Happy New Year 2008 before I know it! <g>

In fact, while trying to catch up on current events, I was happy to hear that Barak Obama has (effectively) decided to run for President in 2008. His announcement caught me off guard -- I had expected it on Thursday (based on my comatose state of over-hearing a CNN report on Sunday or Monday: they must have reported Tuesday; but my comatose brain had mistaken the reporter to have said Thursday).

"Why am I happy?" you might be asking. Because I have been impressed with his podcast, his writing, and his outlook. But, more importantly, because I think that his presence in the Presidential 2008 Campaign process is bound to have a positive impact... regardless of outcome. So, for those of us who enjoy the political goings-on of American civics, sit down, buckle up and hang on! <g>

Finally I have met a cyber-associate on Scrabble. He has contemplated blogging himself... In reviewing his blog, I stumbled upon the (in?)famous site The Onion.

I occasionally visit that site; but an article that I discovered there today really captured my attention. With all the brouhaha in our society about the "institution of marriage," The Onion had an excellent perspective in this article, about gays demanding library cards! It was an entertaining look at what has become an absurd discussion in the media, generally, and among the anti-religious, specifically.

¹Kamakea had been in Vegas for much of the time that I was in Hawai`i... and (on the day prior to my departure) the weather had not co-operated with us getting together at Aku Bone Lounge...
²My dreams of Hawai'i were deepened when, at the age of about 9, I joined the First Baptist Church of Hammond... And I remember how diligent I was to attend in order to get my charm for my Ten-Commandments bracelet... and to bring friends so that I could be entered to win... you guessed it!... a trip to Hawai`i! Every Sunday, I lusted in my heart to be the one who would score points to have my name move up on the board towards the award of Grand Prize... Every Sunday the clowns would be on the buses entertaining us kids... Every Sunday the Hula girls would be down on the stage as the contest was re-enforced in all our minds...
³ditto

Celebrating Birthdays according to Hobbit Tradition

2007-01-09T04:47:00.000-06:00

On January 8, 2007, Kathy & I had the great privilege to join Rebekah & Pete; Pi'i & Irma; and, Pat & Karen; for the purpose of celebrating Rebekah's Birthday (which, in 2007, falls on January 9)! According to my calculations, Rebekah was a toddler when (in 1951) the U.N. opened its HQ in New York City on her birthday... Interestingly, Professor Severus Snape (of Harry Potter fiction) was born on her 9th Birthday.

We met at Aku Bone Lounge to listen to the music of Holunape...

What we didn't know before arriving, however, was that the celebration was to be in the spirit of a Hobbit Birthday Party... whereby the celebrant presents gifts to the guests! Now, this is my kind of party!

While Holunape blessed our ears with their beautiful sounds, friends from the audience were invited to perform hula accompaniment... Pi'i made sure that we snapped a foto of this beautiful dancer...

Irma was amazed to find this special T-Shirt! "What is special?" you may be asking... Irma's surname appears at the bottom of this shirt. Irma lives in Paris and Tahiti depending on the time of year... She spent the holidays in Hawai'i this year...

Without fail, Pi'i and Pat enliven any event with their presence! Here they are making us belly-laugh... I remember something about the Aku Belly which were among the many dishes on which we feasted... others included cabbage and corn beef, tai (a type of fish -- very ono!), lamb (decadent!), and poi...

We washed all the kaukau down with Beer, Wine, and other delightfully fruity drinks!

Everyone enjoyed the celebration as can be determined by the looks of these beautiful people! <g>

Here's a brainteaser:

Can you determine the differences and similarities between these two photos which were snapped seconds apart from each other?

Hau'oli Makahiki Hou!

2007-01-03T01:10:00.000-06:00

Well, I'm a little slow to make this entry... but it's only because I have been having so much fun! Today is the 2nd day of 2007... and I am cigarette-free... Each day will be a notch on my belt of walking away from that disgusting habit. Enough about bad habits...

I have been taking many fotos... On New Year's Eve, Kathy's neighbors had a ho'olaulea -- or party -- to celebrate... Of course, I managed to get some fotos of the event. On Thursday, I enjoyed spending some time with my friends: Rebekah on the windward side of the island.... and Max over in Waikiki... I especially liked the time I got to spend with Mayan, Max's toddler son... Max describes himself as a single-parent father...

Friday took me to the Leeward Coast... where I met up with Nova, Aloha, and Kawika... I joined the 'Ohana at the 'Olelo Holiday party... One of the highlights was Ben's catching squid... I have pictures of the squid...

After the New Year passed, I went to Sandy Beach to capture the beginning of the new year... and then went back to the Leeward Coast where I got to see Maile, Lihualani, and Lihua's papa. Then Louise, Rosie and I went playing tourist. I got some fotos of Brada Iz's special place... some nice pics of the coast... and more pics of da coast...

Kathy and I did a tour of the north shore on the 2nd, where we got some nice photos of that drive...

Through all of that driving, I was able to visit my Hawai'i abodes and capture them as well... this event brought forth many memories... fond ones...

It's only a week more before I return home... but I hope that another 4 years do not pass before I come back here.

Oh, yes... a reminder that all of my photos can be viewed as a slideshow...

Mele Kalikimaka!

2006-12-24T18:08:00.000-06:00

Thanks to internet airfares, I was able to afford tickets to fly to Hawai'i for the holiday season. After celebrating with my family on the 16th, I boarded the plane on the 17th and voilá... Here I sit in sunny Honolulu.

I got a great rate at Kathy's Bed, Breakfast, and Bakery! For the flat rate of an occaisional foot massage, I managed to book this exclusive (private) resort until my departure on the 9th of January!

During the week leading up to Christmas, I walked 10-15 miles in Hawai'i Kai. To help me remember the beauty, I set up my Flickr site.

Of course, I had to stop in downtown Honolulu to have Kathy capture me in front of The Dawg's Office...

And, I could not resist taking a picture of Chow Funn Noodles... which I enjoyed in Kaimuki... I have tried (unsuccessfully) to get this treat at any number of "Chinese" restaurants in the midwestern and southern states... Now I have a picture to show to those who don't seem to understand what I am asking for!

Kathy and I heard Santa rush in and out of the house shortly after midnight last night... I missed catching him to punish him for the joke he played on me... (you know, giving me a return-trip ticket back to the continent! I had specifically asked for a one-way excursion! Haha!)

But he was nice to us both... I got the latest book from Obama... some wonderful lotion... and other great treats one can only get in Hawai'i... Of course, Kathy got a nice array of treats as well.

The weather has been awesome... I've successfully reduced my nicotine intake by more than half... I have 2 weeks left... I'll be meeting with Rebekah on Thursday... and Max, Maya (his son) and I are having dinner that night... Friday and Saturday are, as yet, kapakahi...

I look forward to seeing 2006 close and starting a new year... Let's see what it brings...

Finally, I just want to record my hope that each of us living could dedicate a moment (or many moments, if possible) to envision peoples of the world at peace. Every dream begins with a vision... and by envisioning this, we can take the next steps to achieve it.

May peace be with us in 2007!

Merry Christmas!

India

2006-12-15T02:07:00.000-06:00

I've recently been obsessing on all things Indian. No, not the Cherokee kind... the authentic Indian. See what Columbus has done! We have to spend so much time explaining context when we mention Indian... all because of his ignorance... and the ignorance the world has perpetuated for the last several centuries! When will we begin referring to indigenous peoples as such and leave the word "Indian" to describe what it had described for the many millenia before Columbus' error??!

Wikipedia has been a great resource. I've been reading the Kama Sutra, Indian langauges (Malayalam, Tamil, and Hindi), and the Indian state of Kerala.

In honor of my friend who's decided to become an American citizen, I have found a funny comedian who speaks of what it's like to be an Indian immigrant to the U.S.

His name is Vidur Kapur. His videos had me laughing so hard...

Enjoy the show!

Holidazed....

2006-12-07T21:29:00.000-06:00

Well, for me the holidaze are beginning effectively Monday, Dec. 11. Dad and I will caravan up to the Hoosier land, effectively kicking off our respective seasons...

Throughout the week, we'll ready for the the chaos which is scheduled at Tina & Jeff's on Saturday, Dec. 16. On the 17th, I depart to Honolulu. Later in the week, Tina & Jeff will fly to Vegas... and that's all the plans that I'm aware of at this time...

After that, my mind is a blank... and it probably won't be lucid again until my feet hit the pavement at O'Hare on the 9th of 2007. Kathy has managed to have off the whole 3 weeks that I'm there; but, I have scheduled 3 "self-days" in the middle of it all, to give us both time to re-group... :)

While she and I generally get along... we are both extremely independent and are equally adept on getting each other's goat... We've talked about a lot of cinema... and very likely a whale-watching expedition... Oh yes, I'm sure she'll have chores for me... I'll probably fill in for her lawn and tree men... I wish it were the season for mango... I remember intimately the big ol' mango tree she has in her back yard... And if I knew how to make tuba (filipino coconut wine)... I'd do it... but, I guess I'll have to settle for the plain coconut milk...

I've contacted a couple of other friends who I'm hoping to make contact with... but, for the most part, I'll be Kathy's shadow... It's hard to believe that it's been 4 years since my last visit... I hope it's not that long before the next one...

So, I'll be commenting about the movies that we see and (hopefully) the whales, too!

Happy Holidays to those who are celebrating holidays...
Merry Christmas to those who (mistakenly) celebrate Christ's birth on the holiday which Romans had set aside for Zeus...
Happy Hanukkah to those who celebrate that...
To everyone else... just enjoy your lives!

Time for giving Thanks...

2006-11-28T18:29:00.000-06:00

Dad and I returned yesterday from the annual ritual: Thanksgiving with the Family. Tina hosted us this year. She did a terrific job (as always!). Dad and I arrived Wednesday evening. Janice and Amanda got in Thanksgiving morn.

The day was great... the food was delicious... the house was crowded... After stuffing our faces, we sat down to enjoy each other's company... and played a game of Outburst! I don't recall who suggested it; but, we played guys vs. gals... and the guys won.

On Friday, the two Jeff's went out shopping... Dad, Janice and Tina spent time recovering... and I headed to Lafayette. I picked up Joe, Colbyn, Meghan and Timothy... and we spent a few hours hiking at Happy Hollow Park. Jim met us there with Seth and Emily...

We left the park to go grab a bite to eat at Ryan's Steakhouse... While there, Missy joined us with Cooper and Morgan. We all had a good time -- the kids liked playing Family HangMan (Hangman where all the puzzles are first, middle and surnames of family members).

On Saturday we went and picked out the grave blankets for Harv and Mother. I joined Dad, Janice, Tina, Zoie and Justis to see Happy Feet. It was cute... The two Jeff's shopped while we were in the theater.

I relaxed at Tina's... while they (joined by Jenni and Tommy) went up to see what damage they could do at the Casino Boats...

We took off to Lafayette on Sunday to put the blankets on the graves... Janice, Amanda, Justis and Amari proceeded home from there...

Dad, Tina and I stopped by Little Jeff's where we waited for the two Jeff's to arrive. We had a short visit, got to listen to Jeff Jr's plan for fixing his place.

Dad and I then went to Dani's to visit her and Mike's clan... Missy, Morgan and Cooper were there... Harv and his clan met us there... we visited a while there and then headed on to Heather's to see her and her clan.

So the family tree is weighty... based on the branches and limbs, this is how the family is composed:

Harv's Branch: 19
- Missy's limb: 2
- Heather's limb: 4
- Harv's limb: 3
- Dani's limb: 4

Janice's Branch: 5
- Kevin's limb: 0
- Amanda's limb: 2

My Branch: 1

Tina's Branch: 4
- Jeff's limb: 0
- Jenni's limb: 0

Dee's Branch: 12
- Rachel's limb: 4
- Kelly's limb: 2

My total nieces and nephews (including spouses): 15
My total grand-nieces and grand-nephews: 21

And I am thankful that they are all healthy. And quite fun to be around. I enjoyed the visit tremendously.

Looking forward to seeing everyone again for the Christmas party... and then... it's off to Hawaii!

The U.S. Constitution or Federal Law -- which is more important?

2006-11-17T21:28:00.000-06:00

Which is more important in a constitutional republic such as the U.S. government? This question is important to ask ourselves as we ignore the mistrust which citizens have for the government.

Why is it important to ask now? Well, we have all been rejoicing in Bush's decision to sack Rumsfeld. We remember Rumsfeld's infamous remark about going to war with the army we have -- not the one we want... this was his response when challenged about the readiness of our military... We remember his gross underestimate that "the war" would last 3 weeks, 6 weeks, certainly not more than 6 months... Some would call it an "underestimate" -- I believe, however, that it was just another lie.

In our eagerness to be rid of this power broker who has caused enormous harm to our nation's standing on the world stage, we are forgetting to ask the tough questions about his possible replacement: Mr. Robert Gates.

In an article about Gates, M.T. Klare (author: Blood and Oil: The Dangers and Consequences of America's Growing Dependence on Imported Petroleum) reminds us that Reagan had to withdraw Gates' nomination as Director of Central Intelligence in 1987 because of his involvement in the Iran-Contra affair. After things had cooled down (4 years later -- in 1991), Reagan again nominated the criminal and he was confirmed by the senate...

Why do we let these criminals -- whose actions undermine the very foundation of our republic -- return to "public" service? It is bad enough that criminals like O.J. Simpson escape justice... but we fail to even bring thugs like Gates to trial.

The media doesn't help in this either... that's why I refer you to TomDispatch, a site which is for people, like myself, who cannot tolerate the CNN's and MSNBC's of American "mainstream media."

Fortunately, with the internet at one's fingertips, we are able to find truth and facts about our recent history. This knowledge is important for us to keep in touch with reality. The fantasy and escapades of "must-see tv" is a farce... fairy tales for adults... designed to keep the masses ignorant and enslaved by the elite.

It requires time, though. It does not come easily -- nor freely. It requires diligence.

Many of my friends and family question the value of sites such as Wikipedia... "How can you trust it?" I am asked... And the point is well-placed... obviously, we cannot put trust into those who simply wish to "spin" facts until they are so distorted that history is nothing more than a fantasy... what some wished had happened instead of what actually happened.

And the answer to this question: about trust and internet resources... is easy. It comes down to communication. Trust is required in any form of communication. Conversely, communication is required for trust to take place.

Those of us who would rather not know the truth... whose lives cannot accept the chaos that truth seems to inject into our routines... these are the ones who become lazy and enable the republic to erode and rust.

Inaction is sad. The ability for one to decide not to be involved in defending our constitution. But one thing that is sadder is for one to yield the ability to think. Because thinking is more than the ability to make an assertion... it is the ability to question.

So I ask, "Which is more important for our republic: the constitution which is the foundation? or laws which lay the framework?"

Oratory or Rhetoric??

2006-11-13T21:53:00.000-06:00

I spent way too much time looking up the difference between the words "oratory" and "rhetoric" today. Tina had expressed an interest in looking up some info on sites that I've been telling her about lately.

While inventorying the sites (which are part of my del.icio.us collection), I looked up the word "rhetoric" to confirm that I was using it properly... and (as I sometimes do) I decided to read the discussion page at wikipedia about this word... and saw a banter discussing the difference between this word and the word "oratory." Well, the good news is that I learned something new... :)

And here is a list of sites which I narrowed down as a "civic survival guide"...

Beyond Delay (a report by CREW)
The Memory Hole (and its affiliate, The Memory Blog)
National Whistleblower Center
Annenberg Political Fact Check
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
TomPaine.Com(mon sense)
Roll Call Newspaper
Portal to U.S. Government Official Sites

Anyone who has others to offer to this list, please let me know... I like good information opposed to the pundits from broadcast news and the print media...

Second Chances...

2006-11-10T19:48:00.000-06:00

Dad and I had to give Will Ferrell a second chance to entertain us... after the great disappointment in the much-over-hyped Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby which we saw a few weeks ago... I had not previously written about it... The reminder is still painful. That piece-of-crap posing-as-art was (1) not funny, (2) offensive, and (3) not entertaining...

So, today we went to see Stranger Than Fiction. That's right! Poppa and I went to see a "chick-flick!" I didn't literally count'em; but, I am sure that he and I laughed more than 100 times each...

In fact (without spoiling it for those who've yet to see it), at one moment when the director (Marc Forster) was eliciting a collective gasp from the audience... Dad and I were the only two in the theater roaring with laughter -- in clear contrast to the rest of the audience's expected reaction... Hahaha...

Emma Thompson, Queen Latifah and Dustin Hoffman each play wonderful supporting roles... Between the two of us, Dad and I give this 3.5 middle fingers... <g>

Go see it! If you want an enjoyable time and need to escape for a couple of hours... this is a good remedy!

A couple of notes which interested me --

So far as I can tell, this is Zach Helm's writing debut...
Due to the creativity exposed in this film, I now plan to see Finding Neverland which was also directed by Forster...
The writing process is nicely demonstrated through experience...

Civics and such

2006-10-30T23:54:00.000-06:00

Tonight, Dad and I went to see "Man of the Year" with Robin Williams. With the mid-term elections just a week away, it was a very thought-provoking -- and entertaining -- movie.

It sparked a discussion so we came home and jumped on the internet to find some answers to questions which we were unable to answer between the two of us. Hence, the point of this entry: high-technology (in the form of the internet) is incredibly powerful.

For example, we were wondering about the much-talked-about lobbyists who influence our elections and the impact that these electronic voting machines are having on the confidence of the American voter.

For the first question, we found a good resource at the PoliticalMoneyLine provided by The Congressional Quarterly. There, one can find information about which lobbying groups are contributing to the candidates. Great information for a voter to have to make an intelligent decision when casting a ballot.

Another question we had was about specific issues of the U.S. Constitution. This led us to a couple of sites; indeed, there are many sites out there. We chose The U.S. Constitution Online, which was very informative and easy to navigate.

It was interesting and caused us to remark about how great technology can be. We are inundated with media accounts of the internet being used for criminal activity and activity which is subject to moral questioning. But, when used properly, the internet is a valuable library available to each and every home which is connected.

Two other sites which we stumbled upon had to do with American Presidents and The Federalist Papers. Both sites are chock-full of valuable information for every American citizen.

This is a good and positive thing. For example, Father and I learned from our electronic excursion about the last amendment to the Constitution. I, for one, had not been aware of it. It happens to be the 27th Amendment.

The 27th Amendment deals with congressional pay increases. As we learned, this amendment had been proposed at the same time as the original Bill of Rights. But, through inaction on behalf of us -- the people-- it took 74,003 days to ratify it! That's right! It was proposed in 1789 but, unlike other amendments composing the Bill of Rights, it lacked the number of necessary states to adopt it. Having no expiration, almost 203 years later, it was finally adopted on May 7, 1992.

I consider myself a news hound... especially for news that affects me as a citizen of this great nation... where was the coverage? Was I so busy during that time that I did not catch wind of such a historic event? Did the media not cover it? Hmmm...???

Anyway, with help from the history of the ratification of this amendment, I determined that these states were of no help in finally getting the amendment passed:

California*
Hawaii
Illinois*
Kentucky
Massachusetts
Mississippi
Nebraska
New York
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
Washington

*To be fair, California and Illinois both ratified the amendment in 1992. However, in that year, Alabama, Michigan, Missouri and New Jersey, had done it before them. With these four states, the conditions for adoption was met; so ratification by California and Illinois was moot.

It is interesting to note that 3 of these states are among our most populous and, therefore, have a greater say in the electoral college vote of the presidency... Maybe we should pass another amendment making these states (who apparently did not care about the pay raises of congress) responsible for all future pay raises of our federal legislators...

Florida Excursion

2006-10-10T12:40:00.000-05:00

Wow! Where has the time gone??! I just realized that I have been neglecting this here bloggie-thingie... :(

Well, I suppose it is slightly excusable... I spent a few weeks traveling with Dad... we went to Florida to visit my sister Janice... and another of my sisters (Tina) also flew down from Indiana... Dad and I, of course, made our journey by interstate... well as much interstate as we could... of course we don't get much interstate until we get to Memphis... the route from home to Memphis is winding state (S.R.) and county (C.R.) road.

While there, Dad, Justice, and I went to Universal Studios... The day was perfect -- not too hot, not too cool (of course!)... Justice finally committed to riding Jaws again... that's the first time since her trauma on that ride when she and I went several years ago... We ended the day eating at the Hard Rock Cafe... which Dad really liked!

Janice, Tina, and I had fun on the cruise at Daytona Beach while Dad, Jeff, Brian, Kevin, and Justice went to the speedway... Our place on Daytona Beach was very nice... it reminded me of the days gone by... when the Ocean was just steps away from my front door!

Kevin celebrated his 30th birthday... he tried to do so in secret... but someone let the cat outta the bag...

It wasn't all play, though... Janice and I worked on some technical issues that her computer and accounts presented... and Tina and I conjoured up some ideas about implementing one of her light bulbs... you know, bright ideas!

M.E. gets a Logo!

2006-08-29T20:04:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Tina, M.E. got its own logo today!

Isn't he cool?

Thanks, Tina!

Objectives for SCWCD Exam

2006-08-28T01:39:00.001-05:00

Training:
Web Component Development With Servlet and JSP Technologies (SL-314) is $2500.

ePractice Exam for the Sun Certified Web Component Developer for the Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition 1.4 (WGS-PREX-J081C) is $75.

Exam Objectives

Section 1: The Servlet Technology Model

* For each of the HTTP Methods (such as GET, POST, HEAD, and so on) describe the purpose of the method and the technical characteristics of the HTTP Method protocol, list triggers that might cause a Client (usually a Web browser) to use the method; and identify the HttpServlet method that corresponds to the HTTP Method.
* Using the HttpServletRequest interface, write code to retrieve HTML form parameters from the request, retrieve HTTP request header information, or retrieve cookies from the request.
* Using the HttpServletResponse interface, write code to set an HTTP response header, set the content type of the response, acquire a text stream for the response, acquire a binary stream for the response, redirect an HTTP request to another URL, or add cookies to the response.
* Describe the purpose and event sequence of the servlet life cycle: (1) servlet class loading, (2) servlet instantiation, (3) call the init method, (4) call the service method, and (5) call destroy method.

Section 2: The Structure and Deployment of Web Applications

* Construct the file and directory structure of a Web Application that may contain (a) static content, (b) JSP pages, (c) servlet classes, (d) the deployment descriptor, (e) tag libraries, (d) JAR files, and (e) Java class files; and describe how to protect resource files from HTTP access.
* Describe the purpose and semantics of the deployment descriptor.
* Construct the correct structure of the deployment descriptor.
* Explain the purpose of a WAR file and describe the contents of a WAR file, how one may be constructed.

Section 3: The Web Container Model

* For the ServletContext initialization parameters: write servlet code to access initialization parameters; and create the deployment descriptor elements for declaring initialization parameters.
* For the fundamental servlet attribute scopes (request, session, and context): write servlet code to add, retrieve, and remove attributes; given a usage scenario, identify the proper scope for an attribute; and identify multi-threading issues associated with each scope.
* Describe the Web container request processing model; write and configure a filter; create a request or response wrapper; and given a design problem, describe how to apply a filter or a wrapper.
* Describe the Web container life cycle event model for requests, sessions, and web applications;create and configure listener classes for each scope life cycle; create and configure scope attribute listener classes; and given a scenario, identify the proper attribute listener to use.
* Describe the RequestDispatcher mechanism; write servlet code to create a request dispatcher; write servlet code to forward or include the target resource; and identify and describe the additional request-scoped attributes provided by the container to the target resource.

Section 4: Session Management

* Write servlet code to store objects into a session object and retrieve objects from a session object.
* Given a scenario describe the APIs used to access the session object, explain when the session object was created, and describe the mechanisms used to destroy the session object, and when it was destroyed.
* Using session listeners, write code to respond to an event when an object is added to a session, and write code to respond to an event when a session object migrates from one VM to another.
* Given a scenario, describe which session management mechanism the Web container could employ, how cookies might be used to manage sessions, how URL rewriting might be used to manage sessions, and write servlet code to perform URL rewriting.

Section 5: Web Application Security

* Based on the servlet specification, compare and contrast the following security mechanisms: (a) authentication, (b) authorization, (c) data integrity, and (d) confidentiality.
* In the deployment descriptor, declare a security constraint, a Web resource, the transport guarantee, the login configuration, and a security role.
* Compare and contrast the authentication types (BASIC, DIGEST, FORM, and CLIENT-CERT); describe how the type works; and given a scenario, select an appropriate type.

Section 6: The JavaServer Pages (JSP) Technology Model

* Identify, describe, or write the JSP code for the following elements: (a) template text, (b) scripting elements (comments, directives, declarations, scriptlets, and expressions), (c) standard and custom actions, and (d) expression language elements.
* Write JSP code that uses the directives: (a) 'page' (with attributes 'import', 'session', 'contentType', and 'isELIgnored'), (b) 'include', and (c) 'taglib'.
* Write a JSP Document (XML-based document) that uses the correct syntax.
* Describe the purpose and event sequence of the JSP page life cycle: (1) JSP page translation, (2) JSP page compilation, (3) load class, (4) create instance, (5) call the jspInit method, (6) call the _jspService method, and (7) call the jspDestroy method.
* Given a design goal, write JSP code using the appropriate implicit objects: (a) request, (b) response, (c) out, (d) session, (e) config, (f) application, (g) page, (h) pageContext, and (i) exception.
* Configure the deployment descriptor to declare one or more tag libraries, deactivate the evaluation language, and deactivate the scripting language. 6.7Given a specific design goal for including a JSP segment in another page, write the JSP code that uses the most appropriate inclusion mechanism (the include directive or the jsp:include standard action).

Section 7: Building JSP Pages Using the Expression Language (EL)

* Given a scenario, write EL code that accesses the following implicit variables including pageScope, requestScope, sessionScope, and applicationScope, param and paramValues, header and headerValues, cookie, initParam and pageContext.
* Given a scenario, write EL code that uses the following operators: property access (the . operator), collection access (the [] operator).
* Given a scenario, write EL code that uses the following operators: aritmetic operators, relational operators, and logical operators.
* Given a scenario, write EL code that uses a function; write code for an EL function; and configure the EL function in a tag library descriptor.

Section 8: Building JSP Pages Using Standard Actions

* Given a design goal, create a code snippet using the following standard actions: jsp:useBean (with attributes: 'id', 'scope', 'type', and 'class'), jsp:getProperty, and jsp:setProperty (with all attribute combinations).
* Given a design goal, create a code snippet using the following standard actions: jsp:include, jsp:forward, and jsp:param.

Section 9: Building JSP Pages Using Tag Libraries

* For a custom tag library or a library of Tag Files, create the 'taglib' directive for a JSP page.
* Given a design goal, create the custom tag structure in a JSP page to support that goal.
* Given a design goal, use an appropriate JSP Standard Tag Library (JSTL v1.1) tag from the "core" tag library.

Section 10: Building a Custom Tag Library

* Describe the semantics of the "Classic" custom tag event model when each event method (doStartTag, doAfterBody, and doEndTag) is executed, and explain what the return value for each event method means; and write a tag handler class.
* Using the PageContext API, write tag handler code to access the JSP implicit variables and access web application attributes.
* Given a scenario, write tag handler code to access the parent tag and an arbitrary tag ancestor.
* Describe the semantics of the "Simple" custom tag event model when the event method (doTag) is executed; write a tag handler class; and explain the constraints on the JSP content within the tag.
* Describe the semantics of the Tag File model; describe the web application structure for tag files; write a tag file; and explain the constraints on the JSP content in the body of the tag.

Section 11: J2EE Patterns

* Given a scenario description with a list of issues, select a pattern that would solve the issues. The list of patterns you must know are: Intercepting Filter, Model-View-Controller, Front Controller, Service Locator, Business Delegate, and Transfer Object.
* Match design patterns with statements describing potential benefits that accrue from the use of the pattern, for any of the following patterns: Intercepting Filter, Model-View-Controller, Front Controller, Service Locator, Business Delegate, and Transfer Object.

Notes about Java Certification

2006-08-28T00:11:00.000-05:00

While Searching for Sun Certification, I found this information helpful...

Sun Certification Database
SunED

My Prometric id: sp1969089

SUN CERTIFICATION for JAVA
----------------------------
CX-310-019: SCA for the Java Platform, SE
CX-310-055: SCP for the Java 2 Platform, SE 5.0 ($200)
CX-310-056: SCP for the Java 2 Platform, SE 5.0 Upgrade Exam ($100)

(Advanced: require SCP)
------------------------
CX-310-252A: SCD for Java 2 Platform, SE - Programming Assignment ($250)
CX-310-027: SCD for Java 2 Platform, SE - Essay Exam ($200)
CX-310-081: SCWCD for the Java 2 Platform, EE 1.4 ($150)
CX-310-090: SCBCD for the Java 2 Platform, EE 1.3 ($200)
CX-310-220: SCD for Java Web Services ($200)

MacHershell Enterprises, Inc., gets its own Domain!

2006-08-27T19:02:00.001-05:00

Well, we've done it! After testing all the freebie sites, I decided to create my own domain in order to promote M.E., Inc. Since I just bought it, it doesn't have anything there, yet. (sigh) This is a whole new area for me. I gotta synthesize all the details that I've been collecting and make the decisions necessary for website development and get to work on it.

Clan MacHershell

2006-08-27T19:01:00.001-05:00

Some time ago, I began a Wiki page highlighting my immediate family geneaology. It is my hope that I can introduce this concept to my siblings, cousins, etc., to bring together what several of us have been keeping individually. I link to it here in order to tag the site's URL.

A Wiki is a convenient and quick way to create websites without having to learn the technical jargon associated with developing HTML.

My Maven Notepad at MacHershell

2006-08-27T19:00:00.001-05:00

Well, I did it... after struggling for a while over the decision to re-install High-Speed Internet, I did it! Our phone company was offering a reasonable deal and I decided that I'd be home more, yadda, yadda, yadda...

(OK, the issue was my being away in Nashville all those months... I couldn't force my wallet open to pay for the connection knowing that I'd get to use it for only a day or two per month... There! That was the struggle! )

So, I now have the free space available to put my Maven Notes as I immerse more into this cool tool! And I have started the notes already..

...just the way I began My JavaSpace, My SourceForge.net, and soon, My java.net!

Yes, it's true... my lover, my partner, my best friend, all center around my CPU!

And since I mentioned it, let me explain what all the hoopla (?) is about MacHershell Enterprises, Inc. First, it is a venture between Father, my sister and me. Secondly, it is a way to get to do what I love, without being kept down by foreign W-2's... Thirdly, it enables me to mix my work with my family... otherwise one or the other would suffer.

(As a side note, something which we had not realized when we named this baby, it's acronym is kinda cool: M.E., Inc.! )

So, stay tuned... I'll be writing more about M.E., Inc.!

SourceForge.net

2006-08-27T18:59:00.001-05:00

Also, I created a SourceForge.net site for publishing a Maven tutorial.

My JavaServer

2006-08-27T18:57:00.000-05:00

I just discovered MyJavaServer; and created my site. We'll see if I get time to make use of it.

Could I be any happier??!

2006-08-27T18:55:00.000-05:00

High Techno-Anxiety

2006-08-27T18:54:00.000-05:00

Techno-Anxiety is a phrase that was first uttered in 1985. The name of this blog is a play on that phrase along with the movie title, "High Anxiety," which is one of my favorite Mel Brooks' productions.

Along with associates in 1985 (while studying Computer Science at Purdue University), a colleague and I conducted a workshop, entitled "Tehcno-Anxiety: The fear that can undermine your career success." I was really just a kid at that time. <g> A Google Search turns up a few references for the phrase technoanxiety.

More than 2 decades have passed by. I am still a technophile after all these years! As I continue exploring topics of the "high technology" arena¹, I will post my results (successes and failures) here for three purposes. The primary purpose is to maintain the information for myself; the secondary purpose is to explore blogging; the final purpose is that it may be beneficial to others. I truly have my doubts about that last purpose though. <g>

So, with that intro, the gauntlet has been thrown down. (Yes, I know, I'll be picking it up myself!)

¹ I am not quite sure where the tangent between high technology and low technology lies. I would be happy to hear from anyone who can define it.