To hell and back, Living in the Midwest

EDITORIAL: The forgotten virtue of firearms - Washington Times

2010-01-05T10:49:00.000-05:00

EDITORIAL: The forgotten virtue of firearms - Washington Times

All about earthquakes - somewhat graphic

2009-12-16T10:11:00.000-05:00

I don’t know how many of you have lived through an earthquake, but I had one right here in my home this weekend! My 15 year old, raging hormone, bright, beautiful, normally smart, teenage granddaughter has discovered the “glorious” world of sex!

It’s not so much that it happened that bothered me, it’s that she is taking a class in school on child development, and spent several weeks on the subject of STDs. In spite of the graphic knowledge of the dangers she got “caught up” in the moment and was unprotected. The worst part was she did not tell her folks. When one of her brothers got in trouble, he did a CYA maneuver and ratted her out. Let’s just say it was a major shit storm! Fortunately for her she was at my new place helping me move in when it struck, and emotions had some time to cool.

I learned several things. 1) I can’t stand to see my granddaughter cry. 2) Looking back at my life, all of the stuff we did, and when we started doing it, pales in comparison to kids today. 3) Even armed with knowledge teenagers can be flat out stupid.

I thought being a grandpa would be an easy, fun thing. Ignorance truly is bliss. Standing between raging mom and dad on one side, and rebellious teenager on the other, is not fun and very hard work. Advise welcome.

Where we ever like that, nahhh! (lol - quietly).

A Different Christmas Poem

2009-12-15T22:00:00.000-05:00

This was sent to me by a very good friend. I felt it deserved as much play as I could give it. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did, and please remember our sons, daughters, husbands, wives, grandchildren, friends, and all of our men and women standing on the line to protect us. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.

The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the
sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.

Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.

"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..

To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."
"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.

No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ' Nam ',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.

I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.

I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."

" So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."

Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."

PLEASE, would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many
people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our
U.S service men and women for our being able to celebrate these
festivities. Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people
stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us.

Moving Day!!!

2009-12-05T16:03:00.000-05:00

Friday December 11 2009 I am finally going home. After almost 2.5 years in rehabs and hospitals I am returning to Fort Wayne to my own place.

I have to say, I am all over the place emotionally over the move. I am excited, happy, anxious, and scared all at the same time! I am so looking forward to my own place but at the same time I remember all of the problems that led up to my leaving home in the first place. Also, the last time I tried to go home it only lasted one day.

I am in a much better place mentally and physically this time around. I will also be surrounded by family that loves me (another story) and will not let me slide back into the pit of despair mentally or physically.

Still lots of arrangements to nail down. I'll let you know how it goes.

To hell and back, Living in the Midwest: Thank You!

2009-09-13T20:05:00.000-04:00

To hell and back, Living in the Midwest: Thank You!

Thank You!

2009-09-13T18:45:00.001-04:00

Thank you for all of the very concerned and supportive comments to my last post. Since that post, I have been asked what I had. The list is long; its almost is easier to type what I didn’t have!

OK, here I go. Keep in mind this is all at one time and my last post will be better understood:
• Pneumonia
• M.A.R.S.A. (super antibiotic resistant infection)
• Severe Renal Deficiency
• C.O.P.D.
• Digestive track problems
• Heart Attack
• Uncontrollable Blood Pressure / very low could not raise
• Chronic Anemia
• Blood clots in bladder
There were a few other things going on that I really don’t remember. As I said in my first post it was a heck of a trip that I don’t wish on anyone.

In my lifetime, I will never be able to payback and thank all of the Doctors, Nurses, Aids, Friends, and Family for the work they did to keep me alive, and the support they gave me. My goal now is to continue my recovery and be the best I can in the future.

Thanks again for all of your good wishes and prays. I’ll keep posting news on my progress to my blog: http://fortwayneliving.blogspot.com

My recent journey to never never land and back!

2009-09-12T15:48:00.005-04:00

What a strange journey I have been on. It started in May when I started to feel ill. The powers that be at the place where I was living decided that it was all in my head. Well it wasn’t! By the middle of June I felt so bad that my attitude was “Stick a fork in me, because I was done!” I was really ready die. Of course, when you talk of suicide or dying, the management decided I needed help and sent me out to a psychiatric facility. This is when the journey gets interesting.

My arrival at the facility was uneventful and I settled in for a two week (the maximum) stay. I had a good day, met the staff, had a good meal and turned in. Four weeks later I woke up in intensive care with a tracheotomy, connected to a plethora of monitors, IV’s, and other medical accoutrement hooked to me.

We always hear about people who claim to have had a near death experience and usually we pooh-pa the story, not anymore! I am now a true believer. At my lowest point, when they had told my family that time was short and they should prepare my funeral, I heard a voice. Could it have been as simple as a doctor or family member in my ear, I don’t know. What I do know is the voice said “do you want to live or die, you must choose now!” At that moment, visions of family, friends, grand kids, promises made, and opportunities I would miss all flashed through my mind. These visions were clear as day. Just as real as if I was there. In that instant I answered “I want to live” and I started to get better.

The last half of June and all of July are lost to me, with the exception of my near death experience. August was spent in a rehab getting me off the trach and starting to stand and walk again. Now I am in another facility, hopefully my last, building my strength and really concentrating really concentrating on my mobility.

In the Harry Potter books he is dubbed “The boy who lived”. Well to paraphrase, I am "the man who lived". My entire view of life has changed. My father used to say to me, “every day you open your eyes is a wonderful day!” Of course as a typical young person who was invulnerable, I did not understand what he meant, now I do. Each day I open my eyes is a wonderful day. It does not matter what transpires during the day, I know it is all good.

Tweet me a message!

2009-04-08T00:05:00.002-04:00

Are you heavily involved with multiple social networking forums? If not how can you possibly get through your day?

Your Blog(s) to tell your story of the day, FaceBook, MySpace or whatever is hot this week to keep up with your network, the rest of the day, and of course the new internet must be a part of Tweeter!

It was silly enough when politicians tried to show they were just regular folk, with pages on FaceBook and MySpace, but now they are moving to Tweeter. For the uninitiated Tweeter is supposed to capture the moments of your life between your blogs! A Tweet is a short message no more than 148 characters in length.

A whole industry has grown up around Tweeting. There are apps for almost all Browsers and platforms. I have found great joy in TweetDeck, and various apps for IE8 and FireFox.

So many Tweets are flying through the internet cloud at any one time that Tweet has lately been suffering some server overloads and delays.

Ultimatly I am forced to ask why? Don't get me wrong, I like Tweeter, I’m hooked. I tweet all the time (tiredoldguy), but really why? Do we need this level of minutia in our lives today? Social Networking is great, and lots of fun. But have we gone a little overboard just because we can?

America in trouble

2009-03-28T00:47:00.002-04:00

What is the future of the United States of America? It is my theory that downstream for this country everyone will be in one of three businesses, agri-business, military business, or a service business.

I am worried that our younger generations with their computers, laptops, notebooks, pdss, ipods, mp3 players, and gaming consoles know how to rip the latest tune or text message their friends at the speed of sound, but cannot read a newspaper, have no concept of current events, and appear to be getting no real education.

We are pouring tons of money into the education system. Most of it never reaches the classroom, and since the creation of the Department of Education was created in Washington to remove local control of schools from parents, regulation not education is the rule.

I am currently mentoring a friend (I love a good buzz word as well as the next guy) as she makes her way through college. The latest trend is “distance learning” not a bad concept in theory. One professor in any location can serve students in any branch of the school or even an individual not connected with the school. The problem with the way it is implemented here is that there is no “face time” with the professor. If the class had a several hour video chat it would be incredible, instead, things get posted that make you wonder where these students were on school days. I’ll give one example and move one. The discussion was about the 80/20 rule and its use in logistics management. On a response to a posting the student said “I didn’t know the government built the highway, that’s not fair to the railroads”. How can a college student not know about the history of the Interstate Highway System and its connection to the Cold War!

All this brings me back to the beginning. The way the country is going now, we will always feed the world. We are good at it. Sometimes unfortunately better then feeding our own. We are also very good at making war. We make good weapons and just like feeding the world we are good at it. Everyone else not in agri-business or the military will be in some service roll to support these industries. Now these are very board categories, when I say agri-business, I talking about everyone from the farmer to the food manufacturer. In the military the range is from the front line to the munitions factory. Anyone not in either of the first two industries will be in the third. Just by its nature this is the broadest group with the most opportunities. These jobs include the entertainment industry, the legal and health industries the hospitality industry, and all of the other service industries required to run a nation.

Unless we do something drastic quickly the students of today will be in no position to compete with the world of tomorrow.

Sprint rip off SOP!

2009-03-18T19:48:00.003-04:00

Sprint did me in! I listened to the Sprint salesman and believed what he said, Barnum would have been proud. I was shopping for an internet aircard for my new laptop. Sprint said they had a sale, a free card, UNLIMITED BANDWIDTH, $60 a month.

Now, I don't consider myself stupid. I asked the salesman at the store is the internet usage unlimited, he said yes. I asked again, "I can use this as much as I want with no overage or other charges", he said yes. My bill arrived, WOW, STUNNED, BREATHLESS, $250 in overage charges! Turns out the plan I signed up for was only for 5GB not unlimited.

I went ballistic at the store. Ripped the manager a new asshole and found out that this is SOP (standard operating procedure) and happens all the time. They continue to do because most people don't fight, they just follow. Not me, not anymore, not in these times when every nickle counts. I got a partial credit (about half), but it's not enough. I am planning my attack now, BBB, Internet, Letter wriying.

I'll keep you posted.

End of the month

2009-02-28T13:46:00.003-05:00

We have reached the end of another month. This one was more interesting then most because I became another year older. Next month will also be a good month because my bright, beautiful, and generous baby sister has her birthday.

Birthdays, anniversaries, deaths, births, graduations, are all way points that effectively breakup our normal day to day patterns of living. In the movie "Last Holiday", we hear a great soliloquy on how we end up in our normal rut. The funny thing is that each New Years Eve, we resolve to break out of that rut, but most of us never do. Why is that? I think it is fear of change. Personally I don't handle change well at all. Major changes scare the dickens out of me! What do you feel is holding you back? Let me know, let's compare and contrast.

Collage Classes

2009-02-17T23:40:00.005-05:00

Busy, Busy, Busy. I never thought at this age that I would be up to my neck in school work. I am helping a friend get an associate degree in Logistics/Supply Chain Management. That's quite a mouthful. Much of this degree has been done by "distance learning". I am not at all impressed with its execution at Ivy Tech. My friend is taking four classes this semester, all over the Internet. I'm sorry but this is not the way to learn. I might be able to accept the class if it had a set meeting time online using a video conferencing / video chat facility where at least you could interact with the "professor". The way the classes are currently constituted, the teacher posts a syllabus at the beginning of the semester, class assignments, discussion boards, and tests are listed along with the method of posting desired. The student does the work and posts the material in the proper place. At some point the teacher reviews the work and leaves comments. But there is no real interaction, no real give and take student to student, or student to teacher. This method might be OK for large freshmen survey classes, but it should just not be allowed for core courses.

The day after

2009-02-16T19:45:00.003-05:00

Well Valentines day has come and gone. I'm far enough away from the death of my wife so that I didn't turn into a pool of jello. But, for the time being it's just not the same. No giddy rush to buy flowers my wife didn't want (she loved getting them but would never admit it). No finding the perfect chocolate bark or chocolate cherries. No stuffed bear.

My father was blessed by finding love again after my mom passed away, so I hold out the hope that I will not old alone!

A Strange Journey

2007-09-23T11:03:00.000-04:00

Today is September 23rd 2007. This is the first day of fall and the temps are going to be in the high 80’s. This has been a very strange year for me so far. My wife died in April, and I had to stop work in March because of medical problems.

Since March my life has been in a downward spiral that is an amazing tail of bureaucratic red tape, and extreme generosity. If not for the generosity of friends I would have been out on the street by the end of March.

I have found this simple truth in America today. If you are rich, a child, an illegal immigrant, or born into the welfare system, you are protected and have your advocates. If you are working class from working poor to upper middle class and you fall on hard times you are in serious trouble. The most common responses I received to my calls for help were "I would love to help you, but there is nothing I can do." Also, on this side of the equation is the fact that in Fort Wayne / Indiana, there is no central contact for aid. You must deal with dozens of agencies, all with their own policies and paperwork, much of it duplicate. I also found that if you have limited mobility it is an added burden. Most of the government agencies will not come to you, and they will not tell you that a phone interview is allowable unless you really press them. Additionally I cannot figure out for the life of me the usefulness of the Trustee offices. Their paperwork is staggering, the requirements are bizarre, and its frankly easier to get blood from a stone.

The other side of this equation if the generosity of friends, and neighbors. At one point a friend cosigned a loan without question. Friends and neighbors ran errands, brought in food, and ultimately their intercession saved my life.

I was one of the fortunate, I am now getting the care I need, in a facility with some amazing people. There are many others out there who are not getting the help they need. Fort Wayne city council is willing to fund all kinds of questionable development projects, but you never hear them talk about funding more housing for Fort Wayne Housing Authority, you never hear them talk about increasing and simplifying the Trustee office support programs, and you Never hear them talk about aid for senior citizens. I guess we are not a Politically Correct enough group.

Nelson, you just don't get it!

2007-05-04T18:28:00.000-04:00

Nelson, it does not matter if 100% of the money you sent to Pittsburgh comes back to Fort Wayne as media buys. What matters is that you are saying that there are no businesses in not only Fort Wayne, but the entire state of Indiana that could do the job! I have seen your commercials, trust me, your money would have been better spent in Fort Wayne.

If you have no confidence in Indiana and Fort Wayne businesses now, why should we anticipate you would have confidence in them as Mayor.

The light of my life has gone out

2007-04-27T13:40:00.000-04:00

For my beloved;
You are gone, that is all I know, that is all I see, that is all I feel. I have reached depths of despair I did not know existed, and I have found boundless love in friends and family to help me survive.
People who knew you only through me have written odes in your honor that make me proud to be alive.

Life is a Very Precious Thing
by tvFANatic20
This poem (although terribly written) is in honor of a friend, and a loss he recently suffered

Life is joyful,
and life is fun,
when you start as a child, fresh and young
Then you get sightly older, and then suddenly,
you find yourself,
with the weight of the world,
the cries
the problems
the wishes
the dreams
of the world on your shoulders
Soon you meet someone, who you can open your heart to,
and share a name, a family, and a beating heart
Then crisis rears its ugly head,
and your love can build a brick wall to block it out,
until eventually,
it crumbles,
and your spirit will live in memoriam.

The essence of my wife, was in her love for people. She was a CNA at both Lutheran Homes and Kingston Care in Fort Wayne. She loved the job, and her patients loved her. To her it was more then a job, it was a calling. I know that she was driven to recover by her desire to get back to work.

My wife, Janet, was a deeply spiritual person in many ways. She loved studying the Bible. She loved to search for meaning and strength in its passages. I know that she is now happy, peaceful, and pain free in the biggest Bible study of all.

I miss you my love. I will see you again.

No Suprise from City Council Harrison Sq. vote

2007-04-25T10:32:00.000-04:00

No surprise, City Council rubber-stamped the Harrison Square development giveaway after holding the required meeting to get public comment. These are the councilmen who voted for the project, Tom Didier, R-3rd; Tom Hayhurst, D-4th; Tim Pape, D-5th; Glynn Hines, D-6th; Sam Talarico, R-at large; and John Crawford, R-at large.

These councilmen decided to not listen to most of their constituents and instead allowed themselves to be struck deaf by the jingle of gold coins. If they are running in a primary in your district, I say the time has come for a change. We need to show politicians that their constituents matter, not the special interests.

If you think that this deal is not about money and special interests then you need a reality check. I say follow the money and you will see exactly where the support for this project lies. The developers, the Real Estate brokers, the building contractors, the politicians, these are the people who will benefit from this project, not the ordinary citizens of Fort Wayne who will not be able to afford the shops, restaurants or condos if they are actually ever built!

Now, reading this you might think that I am against Downtown development. Nothing could be further from the truth. If Hardball wants to build a stadium for a “Single A” baseball team with their money that’s great. If builders and hotel chains want to build downtown then we should do everything we can to make it easier for them to do so. But not with my tax money!

My tax money needs to go to fixing potholes, painting lines on the streets, neighborhood code enforcement, police, fire, and any number of improvements that are needed to enhance the quality of life for Fort Wayne citizens!

Mayor Richards was looking for a legacy and he got it, too bad that he did not have the gumption to stay around to see if it will succeed or fail.

Peters uses outside of state vendors!

2007-04-21T12:22:00.000-04:00

How telling is it that the largest campaign expense for the Peters campaign went to an advertising firm located outside of not only Fort Wayne, but Indiana! There are obviously advertising firms in Indiana and in Fort Wayne, Matt Kelty was able to find one.

If Mr. Peters will not do business in Indiana and Fort Wayne during a campaign to be its Mayor, how can we be sure he would do business with Indiana and Fort Wayne firms if he was elected.

This is just another reason to vote for Matt Kelty on May 8th. But let’s summerize for those just starting to follow the campaigns.
• Mr. Peters is backed by the current leadership and is just a cog in the machine. Matt Kelty is not a career politician, he is a businessman, a family man, and not part of the elite republican cabal currently running the show.
• Mr. Peters up until this week was an ardent supporter of Harrison Square, now he is suddenly (I don’t think so) calling for a referendum. Matt Kelty has spoken out against the Harrison Square boondoggle since its inception.
• Mr. Peters laid out his Bold Plan for the Future of Fort Wayne in a slick booklet called Fort Wayne First. It was full of wonderful ideas, but there was no talk on how these ideas would be translated into action. He talks about increasing lots of programs and adding new programs. He never talks about the funding for these programs. Matt Kelty on his website lays out not only the issues but his action plans to deal with the issues.

It all boils down to Mr Peters is all sizzle and no steak, where as Matt Kelty is lots of steak with a good bit of sizzle!

Forget Global warming, Hell has frozen over!

2007-04-17T01:31:00.000-04:00

Nelson Peters calls for referendum on Harrison Square project! Forget about global warming, the climate changes are because hell has frozen over. I don’t know about you, but I’m going to get a hard hat, I expect pigs to fly any day now.

From the inception of this swindle, Nelson has nothing but praise for the project and has been one of its most ardent cheerleaders. Now as we draw closer to the Primary and Nelson finds himself on the wrong side of the issue in a failing campaign he actually believes that the citizens of Fort Wayne will accept this slight of hand without comment.

I have always been fascinated by politicians without a spine. The successful ones are able to bend like a willow and come out smelling like a rose. The unsuccessful ones just look like fools.

We need leaders who will not stick their finger in the air to see which way the wind is blowing before making a decisions and setting policy. We deserve leaders who are not fools. On May 8th we must vote for Matt Kelty. To do otherwise will put the future of Fort Wayne in question.

Primary time in Fort Wayne

2007-03-27T08:37:00.000-04:00

May 8th will probably pass by as a normal day for most of the people in Fort Wayne. This is a shame. May 8th is Primary Day. In Fort Wayne there are candidates to chose from in most of the races, but the most important race is for Mayor.

In all likelihood, this primary will determine the next Mayor of Fort Wayne. I cannot speak for the candidates on the Democrats side, frankly I am not interested in their politics or their policies and I will not be voting for them. On the Republican side however, the race is between two candidates as different as day and night.

The two candidates are Matt Kelty and Nelson Peters. Matt is a businessman, Nelson is a politician. Matt has a vision for Fort Wayne, Nelson has other peoples vision for Fort Wayne. Matt is an independent thinker, Nelson is a cog in the current machine.

I say it is time to get rid of the machine. Let's get an independent free thinking person in the Mayors office. I believe that Matt Kelty is that person. When he is elected the Mayors office may be able to actually do some good for Fort Wayne.

March, in like a lion?

2007-03-04T12:35:00.000-05:00

So far March is making its presence known across the country in a big way. Death and destruction everywhere, and just plain ugly weather across the country.

People will wring their hands and say its a manifestation of the Evil Global Warming plague that we humans in the industrial countries have foisted upon the planet. Myself, I'm not so sure.

I believe that we are arrogant if we believe that we effect the planet in any meaningful way. Could we hurt the planet, possibly. Would it heal itself, I think so. My rational for these feelings come from reading various sources. Some like State of Fear by Michael Crichton are definitely in the global warming is a myth category. Other books I read or movies I watch (like Al Gore's) go the other way.

As March roars in like a Lion (an old saying), I just don't think we have all of the answers. Can we be better stewards of the planet, probably. I believe though that we are trapped by the hyperbole and venom surrounding the issue. Once we can come together without going for each others jugulars or making the discussion about politics, then we will be able to accomplish something. Till then we will just watch and wait.

Is the Ground Hog ever right?

2007-02-24T08:23:00.000-05:00

Who decided that the Ground Hog was a great prognosticator of seasonal change. I mean let's get real, with a 50/50 chance of getting it right, my turtle could do the job!

If you want to tell me that Ground Hog Day is a great day for party them I'm there, but when its ugly winter like it has been, with apparently more on the way this weekend, I don't want to know when Spring is coming, I just want Spring to be here!

I hate to admit this, but I am becoming a two season man. I love the Spring with its prospect for new life, moderate temps, and that wonderful Spring smell. I love the Fall with it amazing colors, warm days and cool nights. Summer is just to hot and winter is just to cold. Maybe I need to move to a nice tropical island and just worry about hurricanes.

Mother nature, the ultimate jokester!

2007-02-23T09:38:00.000-05:00

The cosmic joke continues! Today, beautiful day. Bright sun, no wind, temp 18 degrees in NE Indiana at 8:00 AM. What is going on this year? Yesterday, no sun huge wind (gusts to 40 mph), wind chill in the teens, but temp in the 30 's.

I'm so confused! Now the weather forecasters (oxymoron) are calling for a winter weather alert with snow, ice, and rain starting Saturday during the day into Sunday. If you ask me this sounds like a CYA (cover your ass) forecast. To paraphrase: If you predict it, it will come! :lol:

The amazing part of this, is that I know that in August when it is 90 plus with 1,000,000,000 percent humidity (after all this is Indiana) I will be longing for winter. How bizarre is that. I guess that why human nature is such a fascinating study.

Life sucks and then you die!

2007-02-16T09:34:00.000-05:00

As I deal with the reality of a family member with a critical illness, I am finding out some interesting truths:

If you are wealthy, the system works for you.

If you are a leech on society and have never worked a day in your life, or you are an illegal alien, not only does the system work for you, but it bends over backwards to assist you.

If you are working poor or middle class, not only does the system not work, but it bends over backwards to make sure it does not work.

The smaller the business, the more willing they are to work with you.

The larger the business, the less they care.

There are people and organizations that have an incredible capacity to help and do good. Unfortunately they are few and far between, and usually the victims of the system themselves.

Life is a bowl of cherries, but most of us are feasting on the pits.

I am sorry for the bleak negative tone of this writing, but it has just been a very bad week. On the upside, the sun is out, temps may reach the upper teens, and my wife is still alive!

Matt Kelty for Mayor

2007-02-09T10:31:00.000-05:00

The race for the mayors job in Fort Wayne is under way. Several candidates have signed on for the Republican primary on May 8th. Chief among those are Nelson Peters, candidate of the party, for the party, and by the party and Matt Kelty, the "underdog".

Matt is the "underdog" because he is not the party candidate. He is not beholden to the local power structure, and actually has ideas that are good for the Fort Wayne community, without lining the pockets of the local establishment.

I make no bones about it or apologies, this writer is unwavering in his support of Matt. Please stop by often as the campaigns evolve for the actual truth you will not find in the local media.

Matt and Family

Welcome to the New Year and a new reality!

2007-01-04T14:08:00.000-05:00

2007 the year the Democrats returned to office. What more can be said, the tears are shed and now we have to hang on for dear life as the Congress like a pendulum swings way to the left. In a country that was already reeling from the effects of political correctness, all we can expect is that wedge issues will become more prominent, political correctness will overtake reality, taxes will go up, government will grow, and the health of the country will decline.

This is democracy in action and the country deeply divided as it is voted for this change. Let us man the bulwarks and hold fast against this invasion of sanity.

Fall Back... What a joke!

2006-10-28T14:18:00.000-04:00

Once again the time has come to "fall back". The end of Daylight Saving Time for this year. What a crock! Instead of congress being courageous and getting rid of this antiquated idea, they expanded it next year for an additional three weeks!

Back when Ben Franklin purposed this system and before current day lighting technology, extending the hours of available daylight for use in offices, factories, schools, and hospitals probably made sense. Now, with modern lighting technology, most of these facilities do not even have windows!

Lets get rid of this ridiculous system and move forward into the 21st century.