The Highway Man

Weekend repeats
from the past
6-9-09


driving down the road
a car in trouble
forlornly lights flickered
needing of help
off to the side
kids in tow she waited

dressed to the nines
best outfit ever
someone would stop
it wouldn't be he
late for a dinner
excuses not given

driving by saw the flat
darkness was coming
no help on the way
rain started to fall

right thing to do
he knew in his mind
deep heavy sigh
he knew his task

minutes later
done with the change
covered in grease
and mud and sweat
kids in the car
the look in her eyes
a kiss on the cheek
payment enough

arrived at dinner
with a tale to tell
a hero at last
for all to know

My Take On Religion

I may have done this before, but as sometimes my brain gets fuzzy, here we go again.

I Want To Be Like Thomas Jefferson

click on the title for the full article on Wikipedia on Jefferson

A renaissance man, an intellect, a man of the ages. Interest and expertise in many things. He showed the capacity for learning and doing in a way that has not been seen since. An excerpt below gives some insight in this great man.
A great line from below states:

When President John F. Kennedy welcomed 49 Nobel Prize winners to the White House in 1962 he said, "I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent and of human knowledge that has ever been gathered together at the White House – with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone."

Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826)[2] was the third President of the United States (1801–1809), the principal author of the Declaration of Independence (1776), and—for his promotion of the ideals of republicanism in the United States—one of the most influential Founding Fathers. Jefferson envisioned America as the force behind a great "Empire of Liberty"[3] that would promote republicanism and counter the imperialism of the British Empire.

Major events during his presidency include the Louisiana Purchase (1803) and the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804–1806), as well as escalating tensions with both Britain and France that led to war with Britain in 1812, after he left office.
As a political philosopher, Jefferson was a man of the Enlightenment and knew many intellectual leaders in Britain and France. He idealized the independent yeoman farmer as exemplar of republican virtues, distrusted cities and financiers, and favored states' rights and a strictly limited federal government.

Jefferson supported the separation of church and state[4] and was the author of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom (1779, 1786). He was the eponym of Jeffersonian democracy and the cofounder and leader of the Democratic-Republican Party, which dominated American politics for 25 years. Jefferson served as the wartime Governor of Virginia (1779–1781), first United States Secretary of State (1789–1793), and second Vice President (1797–1801).

A polymath, Jefferson achieved distinction as, among other things, a horticulturist, political leader, architect, archaeologist, paleontologist, inventor, and founder of the University of Virginia.

When President John F. Kennedy welcomed 49 Nobel Prize winners to the White House in 1962 he said, "I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent and of human knowledge that has ever been gathered together at the White House – with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone."[5] To date, Jefferson is the only president to serve two full terms in office without vetoing a single bill of Congress. Jefferson has been consistently ranked by scholars as one of the greatest of U.S. presidents.

The Boy With The Incredible Brain

This is not a quick video. It runs about 47 minutes, so sit down with a cup of your favorite beverage when you have the time. Fascinating.


This is the breathtaking story of Daniel Tammet. A twenty-something with extraordinary mental abilities, Daniel is one of the world’s few savants. He can do calculations to 100 decimal places in his head, and learn a language in a week. This documentary follows Daniel as he travels to America to meet the scientists who are convinced he may hold the key to unlocking similar abilities in everyone. He also meets the world’s most famous savant, the man who inspired Dustin Hoffman’s character in the Oscar winning film ‘Rain Man’. (2005)

Why Does It Matter?

Weekend Repeats
From the past
From 5-15-09


Why does it matter?

Why does the smile of a baby make babies of us all?

Why does a falling flower petal softly swirling in the breeze know its destination?

Why does the look of a woman capture the heart and soul of a man?

Why does the mind of many create so many pleasures and so much pain in the world?

Why does walking by a pastry shop cause one to gain weight?

Why does one enjoy the most wonderful sunrise ever seen only to see it topped at nightfall by an enchanting sunset bringing a close to another day?

Why do we remember our first snowfall, our first kiss, the thrill of making a great play, making someone laugh?

Why do we remember the loss of a loved one, your first dog, staying up late, New Years Eve?

Why do we remember presents under the tree, hoping for a pony, happy with a bike?

Why do we remember that first school dance, or not going at all?

Why do remember our favorite song, when the moment was right, never to be forgotten?

Why do we remember our first crush, our first rejection, love found again?

Always questions, searching answers.

Birth Order Of Children

Taken from an e-mail I received

1st baby: You begin wearing maternity clothes as soon as
your OB/GYN confirms your pregnancy.

2nd baby: You wear your regular clothes for as long as possible.

3rd baby: Your maternity clothes ARE your regular clothes.

_____________________________________________________

Preparing for the Birth:

1st baby: You practice your breathing religiously.

2nd baby: You don't bother because you remember that last
time, breathing didn't do a thing.

3rd baby: You ask for an epidural in your eighth month..

______________________________________________________

The Layette:

1st baby: You pre-wash newborn's clothes, color-coordinate them, and fold them neatly in the baby's little bureau.

2nd baby: You check to make sure that the clothes are clean and
discard only the ones with the darkest stains.

3rd baby: Boys can wear pink, can't they?

______________________________________________________

Worries:

1st baby: At the first sign of distress--a whimper,
a frown--you pick up the baby

2nd baby: You pick the baby up when her wails threaten
to wake your firstborn.

3rd baby: You teach your three-year-old how to
rewind the mechanical swing.
______________________________________________________

Pacifier:

1st baby: If the pacifier falls on the floor, you put it away until
you can go home and wash and boil it.

2nd baby: When the pacifier falls on the floor, you squirt it
off with some juice from the baby's bottle.

3rd baby: You wipe it off on your shirt and pop it back in..

______________________________________________________

Diapering:

1st baby: You change your baby's diapers every hour,
whether they need it or not.

2nd baby: You change their diaper every two to three hours, if needed.

3rd baby: You try to change their diaper before others start to
complain about the smell or you see it sagging to their knees.

_______________________________________________________

Activities

1st baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics, Baby Swing,
Baby Zoo, Baby Movies and Baby Story Hour.

2nd baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics.

3rd baby: You take your infant to the supermarket and the dry cleaners.

______________________________________________________

Going Out:

1st baby: The first time you leave your baby with a sitter,
you call home five times.

2nd baby: Just before you walk out the door, you remember to
leave a number where you can be reached.

3rd baby: You leave instructions for the sitter to call only if she sees blood.

______________________________________________________

At Home:
1st baby: You spend a good bit of every day just gazing at the baby.

2nd baby: You spend a bit of everyday watching to be sure your older child isn't squeezing, poking, or hitting the baby.

3rd baby: You spend a little bit of every day hiding from the children

______________________________________________________

Swallowing Coins (a favorite):

1st child: When first child swallows a coin, you rush the child to the hospital and demand x-rays

2nd child: When second child swallows a coin, you carefully watch for the coin to pass.

3rd child: When third child swallows a coin you deduct it from his allowance!

______________________________________________________

The First Year!

Time sure flies when one is having fun. I wandered all over the landscape trying to find my way, what was I trying to say. I didn't know what I want to achieve with a blog. Did my opinion count? Did it make sense?

After awhile, realizing I was not going to be the next Huffington Post, I tried to be me, whatever that was. I hope you have liked what I have written, my music likes, thoughts that pop up in my head trying to get out, my fingers on this keyboard leading the way.

I have found some wonderful people on line that I continue to visit and have been kind enough to stop on by. My visitors I have noticed, are mostly women, which makes me very happy. They are charming, intelligent, and beautiful and I hope they bring a friend.

I have found people from all walks of life share much of the same troubles, grief, joy, encounters and day to day things we all go through at one time or another. But I also found that we think we are the only that go through good times and the bad. Of course we don't.

I have read some posts that were so funny, tears came to my eyes. I have read some that made me cry. I wanted to give hugs to those in pain, and hugs to some just because they are wonderful, some just because, just because. I have traveled around the world on virtual vacations looking over the shoulder of you the tour guide who has been kind enough to share your adventure with me.
I marvel at the thoughts, the smarts and the insight of you the writer.

I have tried my hand at poetry and have found it quite rewarding. I have felt good about the comments I have received especially from poets whose work I admire. Poetry is something new for me and because I got a good reaction from someone dear to me, I jumped into it head first.

So now, My second year starts, Thanks to all.

The Way of the Sniper

You have to look closely at the picture to see him. Do you really see him? Would you see him from a mile away? A bullet going supersonic towards its target, hundreds of yards, maybe a thousand or more. What kind of man does this kind of work? The video is worth watching.

The answer may surprise you.
Please click on the title to get to the article.

Tesla, The Worlds Electronic Genius

The More I read and watch stories On Nikola Tesla, the more I marvel about about what he accomplished. He had a working model of radar 17 years and, x-rays 7 years before it's invention.

He was credited by the United States Supreme Court with the invention of the radio.

He lit up the Worlds Fair with his own lighting system, AC -alternating current. He harnessed Niagara Falls to light up the city of Buffalo, 20 miles away.

Remote control boats, light bulbs that lit up when he stuck them in the ground! Induction motors which are in use all around you. stoves that are coming out to a store near you, that heat only the pot, not your hand can all be traced to him and his induction electric motor. Wireless radio

I wish I was smart enough to know how he did all of this, but I can still enjoy his work.

circa 1896.
Born 10 July 1856
Smiljan, Austrian Empire
(Croatian Military Frontier)
Died 7 January 1943 (aged 86)
New York City, New York, USA
Residence Austrian Empire
Kingdom of Hungary
France
USA
Citizenship Austrian Empire (1856-1891)
American (1891-1943)
Ethnicity Serbian
Fields Mechanical and electrical engineering
Institutions Edison Machine Works
Tesla Electric Light & Manufacturing
Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Co.

Known for Tesla coil
Tesla turbine
Teleforce
Tesla's oscillator
Tesla electric car
Tesla principle
Tesla's Egg of Columbus
Alternating current
Induction motor
Rotating magnetic field
Wireless technology
Particle beam weapon
Death ray
Terrestrial stationary waves
Bifilar coil
Telegeodynamics
Electrogravitics

Just for starters!

A Scary WTF Moment

While watching the History Channel the other day, the topic was man's quest for longevity, they mentioned that President Bush had signed a bill, passed by both houses of Congress, that authorized the collection of blood samples from new born babies to analyze DNA samples in the case of a national medical emergency, for medical studies. It is bill S.1858. It is being done without the consent or authorization of the parents. I did some research and as far as I can tell, it is in effect, and the public does not seem to be aware of what is going on. It gave me a scare, an Orwellian moment, Nazi experiment feelings of what is going on. The government in essence, owns the DNA. WTF is going on? The scary line "We are from the government and are here to help you" seems a bit scarier now doesn't it.

Click on the title to go to a copy of the bill.

E Trade Baby Outtakes

Admit it, they are funny. Here are the ones that didn't make it into a commercial.
Wait a minute, this is a commercial!

Is there no one home?

This is a satellite night time picture showing North Korea with almost no signs of life. I am afraid it is just as lifeless during the daytime for the people living there.