Stacey,

 I know of your interests and when your mom and me went to this museum we thought of you. I would love to go with you so I could learn what all of these are, enjoy the pics...

Notice the dino ones for Jordi!

For Jordi

For Jordi

For Jordi

For Jordi

W

Never seen one of these

before...

Not only do I love Dire Straits, but finding a new instrument that it is played on is cool. This goes down in the never seen before and totally awesome category. Reversed slide neck guitar, how many beers did it take him to create this combo?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-9ObSUxEfU

W

Sunrise

 at the beach can really be quite a moment. Everyone present that early, is usually looking at the sun as it rises, some are praying and a few are doing Yoga as they face the rising sun. All wondering and thinking about what the new day holds for them.

This morning was our first sunrise at the beach since we moved to South Carolina, we have tried in the past but usually missed it by a few minutes or more.

We actually got to the beach about 10 minutes before the sunrise, so Marg & I were able to get settled and ready to watch the show. We were blessed with light cloud cover, a gentle breeze and very few people out and about that early on a holiday weekend. 

We left our home around 6am to get to Myrtle Beach by 6:52 for the sunrise. Here are the pics of an amazing morning...

That's Marg in the foreground 

W

Savannah

Georgia was the first "vaca" we have taken together in quite some time, that was purely for pleasure. We went to stay with old friends to celebrate Marg's birthday and their wedding anniversary. We spent 4 1/2 days with them talking, eating and doing a lot of touristy type things. Savannah is a really nice city that has a tremendous amount of history, and is seeing a lot of redevelopment/historic preservation of its buildings.

Brunch @ Husk

Rainy beach day

Tug on Savannah river

River walk to museum (old power plant)

Random building downtown

River walk

Random street scene downtown

Random street scene downtown

Random street scene downtown

Inside of old power plant that is now a museum

Part of exhibit

Inside of old power plant that is now a museum

Beethoven sculpture

Inside of old power plant that is now a museum

Talmadge Memorial Bridge (B&W)

Tourist sightseeing ferry, paddle boat

Overall it was a good time for all of us, lots of catching up, talking and spending quality time with friends. Nice thing was that the TV was never even turned on...

W

Being released from jail...

     After a period of over 10 years, I finally have healthcare insurance again. Healthcare that I can afford, and that will help me stay healthy. When the ACA came about, it pushed me out of the marketplace because I could not take on the extra expense. 

    To afford the ACA, we would have had to spent more on healthcare than we did for our monthly house payment. Living on a semi fixed income, well where was that extra money going to come from? It don't grow on trees...

    Shame on the person that thought up and pushed through the ACA, and then they had the audacity to fine me, because I could not afford the Affordable Care Act. What a crock of shit, for 3 years I paid that penalty because it was cheaper than the ACA. It was added to our tax burden because I was in a group of Americans that were in no man's land. Not poor enough, and or did not earn enough income to pay the premiums.

    Well after applying for and failing in 2021, I have now been able to receive health care through the same government I am disillusioned with. Because of our income level, I can now receive healthcare with incredible features. No monthly premiums, $5 copays, and so far all my prescripts are free, with  $1000.00 max yearly out of pocket, 35 paid chiropractic visits per year, and I don't know what else yet.

    Yesterday, I went to the first doctor visit I've had in over 10 years, and boy howdy I went for the whole tamale. Blood work, EKG, Covid test, meeting with the doctor to set up future tests and to see specialists. She wrote me 4 prescripts that will cost me zero! For over 10 years I've had to buy my prescripts from Canada, since I could not afford US prices, thanks again ACA.

    As I was leaving after my doctor's appointment I felt a new bounce in my step, one that had disappeared sometime ago. I no longer had to worry that if I tripped (I do this a lot, got big feet) and hurt myself, I would not have the healthcare and or money to fix my injury. There was hope again, I could start to lead a more normal life again and not have that dark cloud of "no healthcare" hanging over my head. In a way it feels like I have been released from jail (no, I have never spent time in jail...). Basically I have a new outlook on life, or the light at the end of the tunnel is not an oncoming train.

    Think about how my wife now feels, and what she went through for 10+ years, knowing that we can now afford and get the care that I need, even if I trip over something...

    Even though my plan is paid for by the government, I still have no faith in them to do the right thing. In a way I'm getting back the penalties I was forced to pay, for not being able to afford, "The Affordable Care Act".

    What has kept me and my wife going, was our faith in God and that He would protect us and provide for our needs. Today I am proof positive that He did exactly as He promises.

Wow, thank you Lord...

W

A grain of sand

...by itself is infinitesimal, although once the grains are combined they can stop a 500,000 DWT (deadweight tonnage) seafaring ship. The same goes for technology, as one grain bonds with another, it eventually becomes an impenetrable barrier. Blocking us? no stopping us from interacting with our fellow human beings.

One man's idea/vision can start the cascade, similar to grains of sand...

Reading a book (an actual book, you know with paper pages) can be one of the greatest joys in our lives. In the past, you would go to your local library and interact with the staff. Learning of interesting new books, or maybe becoming excited with the knowledge of a dusty unheard of jem, stacked in a corner that the librarian had recommended. 'Cause, well you know, if you're a librarian you love to read. Otherwise why would you be working in a library? 

Using the card catalog was touchy feely and somewhat exciting as you learned the Dewey Decimal System. Fingering your way through all the cards in search of your next treasure. As you are searching, standing beside you was another avid reader, searching for their next gem. Perhaps they even share your interests, and maybe you both open up a dialog about why you read, and what you have read.

Or maybe you had a friend that owned a used book store? and loved to talk with you about your joys and passions. They would then take the time to help you build your own library. Yes your own library, one that fills as many walls, shelves, table tops, and stacks on the floor as you can muster up.

Interaction

Self

Fellow human being

Is there any enjoyment in the fact that you talked with someone? Learning about them, maybe even laughing with them about common interests, beliefs and or likes/dislikes?

Yes

Interaction

Fellow human being

Today, more and more people type into their favorite form of technology, and search digitally for what interests them. 

Interaction

Self

Technology

You are locked into your private little world that is infinite. What ever you can think of is accessible. Though you do not have the interaction of another human being, just you alone and tech.

Interaction

Self

Technology

You are locked into your public/private world that is infinite. Whatever you can think of and or talk about with another person is infinite. 

Interaction

Self

Fellow human being

The book

Has mass

Has weight

It has a feel, a smell, sometimes maybe a look of wear. Possibly a food or coffee stain, a dog eared page (bad reading etiquette, bad bad bad) maybe someone wrote in pencil their initials, and when they read it (poor reading etiquette) or the grammar corrections made, (hopefully in pencil) by someone who lacks self esteem and wants to prove they are better than the editor/writer... What a book has that you can see and feel, is social interaction with other people from the past. 

Technology

No mass

No weight

It really has no weight, it's in the "cloud"...There is no history of another human using this e-book, other than the reviews. There are no stains, dog eared pages, nothing to hold onto and touch as you turn a page. Holding a tablet or phone and brushing your finger across the screen is not the same as holding a book.

Reviews

In a library, book store, and or talking to another avid reader, you discuss the book you want to read and or have read. Social interaction, not a review that you read on your device.

Once

You would have to go to the librarian at the counter. Handing her/him the book you wanted to check out; they would remove the checkout card from the book, and then hand stamp the return date. You would sign the card, the librarian would then put the card back into the sleeve (inside the cover) and off you went. Curiosity would lead you to look at the checkout card, wondering if you would recognize someone from your community that might have your same interests.

Interacting the whole time and learning more about a fellow human being. Once you read the book, or maybe you did not finish the book, you took it back, handed it to the librarian at the counter. They would check the card inside to make sure it was returned on time and off you went. If it was late, well you had to pay a fine, usually pennies...

Today

The process of actually checking out a book and returning the read book has been changed forever by technology. Your book that you reserved online is on a shelf, saved and marked alphabetically by your last name. You then take the book to a self check out computer. The technology scans your library card, the book, and askes if you want a receipt, all by touch screen. Social interaction, none... Then to return the book, once you're notified electronically that it is due, you just drive by and drop it in a slot with no interaction.

How has technology made reading a book better?

How has A to Z forever changed how human beings interact?

Is all technology good and needed?

Is going onto the internet to find something to read best?

The movie Logan's Run comes to mind. This was a cult classic from the mid 1970's. During a scene an old man (Peter Ustinov) was talking with Logan about books in a world that was overtaken with technology controlling every part of people's lives. Logan (Michael York) figured out how to break through tech and regain social interaction with real human beings...

W