So this is Christmas

So this is Christmas and what have we done.
Another year over. A new one just begun.
--John Lennon.

So, Christmas has come and gone. For some it just happened or will happen. Remember there are 12 days of it. Day 12 is the 7th.

Christmas for Jen, Andrew and me was a bit light on the receiving end this year.
Lighter still on the giving. Times are tough on all of us. Remember it's not
what you get. It's the thought.

On the Lennon reference. When the song was written, we were involved in a war in Viet Nam. The times are different, or are they. We are agian invoved in a war. Or is that wars. I honestly don't know any more. Like it or not.

All I know is this, we, as a country, need to support our troops. We don't, I repeate, DON'T need to support the reasons. We have family and friends on foriegn soil fighting a mostly unjust cause. They deserve our thanks for their service. They need our support when they return home. They also deserve what the Viet Nam vets didn't get for the most part. That is the help they'll need to heal from all the scars. Emotional as well as physical.

This is also a time for reflection. At least for me. I look back on the past year to see what I have. What I have done. Where I have gone. Even if it is only in my "backyard". I also think of family and what they have had happen.

I wish those who do read my blog a Happy an Prosporus New Year.
Thanks for reading. See you in 2009

-More to come

Laptop Searches

It still astonishes me that the government can get away with this. As I have mentioned before, I am all for the protection of our populace. LEGALY. The article linked here gives one some insight in to what's happening. Googling would undoubtedly lead to more stories. So would looking at the articles posted at the Electronic Frontier Foundation's (EFF) site. www.eff.org.

Call me a Conspiricy Theorist. I just don't think the Government needs to go about this in this way.

In my opinion, our Fourth Ammendment right to unreasonable searches and seizures are being violated by doing this. The authorities can search if it's -my emphisis added- IN PLAIN SIGHT And if not, then get a warrant. PERIOD.

Note: Clicking on the title links to the referenced article.
More to come

Day two of new smile aka new smile part deux

So, here I am two days, 10 hours and 25 minutes as of the start of this post in to having a full upper denture. It's not as easy as I thought it'd be. Eating solid foods is doable. It's also a bit tough. Pun intended. Yeah, I can eat solid food. And I am enjoying doing so. It's the one thing I missed having while I had no teeth. I did eat some semi-solid foods and some more than semi-solids. Just not TRULLY solid. I just wish I had the lowers to go with the upper. I think it'd be easier to eat.

I also got to thinking today while I was working. It got to the point where I almost broke down. Yes, I almost cried. And, what's wrong with a guy who cries?
NUTTIN'!! imo.

You may ask why I almost cried. I'll tell you.
Having a full upper makes me feel old. People my age should not, I repeate, NOT
have dentures. Sure there are people my age who do have them. I just feel that aat
44 going on 45, I should not have them.

I knew a few years ago that I'd most likely need them I just didn't think it's be this soon. I guess that's what I get for not paying more attention to the brushing.
My own damned fault.

I'll keep y'all posted

-More to come.

A new smile

Today I got my new smile. After going through the upper teeth extraction in the middle of August and then almost two months of no upper teeth, I have my full upper plate. It feels a bit strange.

I'll need to take it out every night. Brush it. Place it in a cleansing bath and let it soak over night. In the morning, take it out and rinse it. Dry it thoughly and then put adhisive on it. This last step I'll do ONLY if it seems that the plate will be loose.

In January of 2009, I get to do all of this again as I'll be getting the lower teeth removed.


Best part of today. Jen bought me breakfast. SOLID food -REAL. SOLID. FOOD. - for the first time in many weeks. It "felt" good. It'll take getting used to chewing again. Not too long though.

As for speaking. That's easier than I thought it'd be.

-More to come

Government Spying/Control Part 2

I have added to the right a clickable "badge".

From the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) page.

ABOUT EFF

"From the Internet to the iPod, technologies are transforming our society and empowering us as speakers, citizens, creators, and consumers. When our freedoms in the networked world come under attack, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is the first line of defense. EFF broke new ground when it was founded in 1990 — well before the Internet was on most people's radar — and continues to confront cutting-edge issues defending free speech, privacy, innovation, and consumer rights today. From the beginning, EFF has championed the public interest in every critical battle affecting digital rights."

From my post
01 May 2008
Government Spying/Control

Since 9/11 our government, in its infinite wisdom, has felt the need to spy (secretly) on our populace. I'm all for LEGAL means of obtaining information but. when it comes to getting this through WARRANTLESS means, I have issues.

This is where the EFF can be of help, and not only in the the Bloggers' Rights arena.
NOTE: The title is a link to the first post. That in turn links to a Newsweek article. The "badge" links to EFF and the Bloggers' Rights page.

-More to come

Spore Pt. II

So, Spore has been released. Have I bought it yet? No. Why? I'm not made of money. Yes, I have money. Just not in the ammounts that allow me to buy the game at this moment. The version I'd like costs US $79.95. This is for what is known as the Galactic Edition.

The Spore Galactic Edition contains:

Spore Game DVD (PC/Mac compatible)
"The Making of Spore" DVD. An exclusive behind the scenes documentary on the making of Spore.
"How to Build a Better Being" DVD. A 50-minute evolution documentary by the National Geographic Channel featuring Will Wright and Spore.
"The Art of Spore." A 128 page hardback book featuring Spore artwork and stories from Maxis' artists.
Exclusive 100-page Galactic Handbook
Exclusive Spore poster
All in a collectable 'Spore Glyphics' hard plastic box

True, US$80 may not seem like a lot. For me it is. That same ammount gets me four fill-ups of gasoline (petrol for my UK readers). It's groceries for a couple of weeks. Frugal shoppers that Jen and I are, this is decent ammount of food.
It's quite a few things.

I could just get the regular edition of the game. US$49.95. Still a hefty ammount to spend.

Spore can wait. Spore: Galactic Edition can wait. Putting food in our stomachs and gasoline in our cars can't.

I'll keep you up to date on this all.

-More to come

Spore

With a little over seven (7) days to go until this game "drops" (releases) in the USA, I am posting to let my readers know of it.

This is a much delayed relsease from the man who brought us such other series as SimCity and The Sims. The latter being one of the, if not the best, selling games for the PC, Will Wright.

This game will allow the player to go from the Cell stage to outter space. Using your own Creature created with the Creature Creator -a stand-alone release. Or the Creator that ships with the full release. Then, the player can down load other Creatures from the Sporeopedia to populate the stages between the Cell stage and the Space stage. Thus allowing said player to populate their worlds.

This is said to be the ultimate god -lower case g intended- game.

Click the title to see the Spore web-page link for more.
Scroll to bottomofblog to see a couple more Spore related
items.

-More to come

Love Songs

Taking a que from Mr. Nighttime. Again :-)

These following songs, to me, evoke a sense of love.
They are played on radio. Not a lot. When they
are, it's usually when I am not listening, on a station
I normally don't listen to or just about to end.

These all have meaning for me in some way. They
evoke in me a more youthful time. A time when I
was alone in the world. I had my parents and brother, sure.
I didn't have Jen. I didn't have my sobriety.
I didn't really know what love was, except for shat I heard in these songs.

I start with what is one of my favorites.


Rush
TEARS
Music and Lyrics by Geddy Lee
(the only song in Rushes library written entirely by Lee)

All of the seasons and all of the days
All of the reasons why I've felt this way
So long...
So long

Then lost in that feeling I looked in your eyes
I noticed emotion and that you had cried
For me,
I can see

What would touch me deeper...
Tears that fall from eyes that only cry?
Would it touch you deeper
Than tears that fall from eyes that know why?

Nazareth
Star

Walkin' alone at night in the cold rain
Wond'rin if I will see you again
In some corner light
Runnin' down the road in the warm sun
Dreaming that I am still the one
Resting by your side

You took the road to fortune and fame
Your name in lights
I want you to know I still feel the same
Star, I still love you
I still love you

Remembering when you played me that first song
The first show that you asked me along
Just to be around
Workin' so hard till you got that first break
You said you could turn them around
Give them something new


Trooper
Oh, Pretty Lady

Pretty lady
Here I am
With my heart on my sleeve
Hat in my hand

You said you could help me
Help me now
Change my life
Please show me how

A face of clay
And yet so warm
I feel like I've weathered
Eternal storm


Kiss
Beth

Beth, I hear you callin
But I cant come home right now
Me and the boys are playin
And we just cant find the sound
Just a few more hours
And Ill be right home to you
I think I hear them callin
Oh, beth what can I do
Beth what can I do

The song Jen and I first danced to follows.
It has much meaning for us. I gave Jen a cassette tape (remember those?)
with this as the first song.

Journey
Faithfully

Highway run
Into the midnight sun
Wheels go round and round
Youre on my mind
Restless hearts
Sleep alone tonight
Sendin all my love
Along the wire

They say that the road
Aint no place to start a family
Right down the line
Its been you and me
And lovin a music man
Aint always what its supposed to be
Oh girl you stand by me
Im forever yours...faithfully


Styx
Loreli

When I think of lorelei my head turns all around
As gentle as a butterfly she moves without a sound
I call her on the telephone, she says be there by eight
Tonights the night shes moving in and I can hardly wait

The way she moves, ooh-ooh-ooh
I gotta say
Lorelei lets live together
Brighter than the stars forever
Lorelei lets live together
Brighter than the stars forever

Thus endeth my post on Love Songs.

More to come

Full upper tooth extraction...

...HURTS. At least it does after the numbing agent -Lidocaine in this case- has worn off.

Today I had all my upper teeth pulled out in preperation for dentures. The uppers came out today. The lowers in January.

I took four Advil soon after the Lidocaine began to wear off two hours after I returned home. The prescrbed med. was taken at 5:00 EDT (-5 GMT) It helps.
Not as much as the Advil does though. Then again, the Advil is in a higher dose.
Not to mention a higher allowable dose.

Back to the pain part. I've delt with the extraction pain before. Many a year ago. After the extraction of all four wisdom teeth at one go. That, gentle reader, HURT LIKE A BITCH after the numbing agent, Novacaine in that case, wore off. Tylenol 3 prescribed for that. If that weren't a prescibed pain killer I'd use that for ALL my aches and pains. Dental and otherwise.

I don't deal with pain well. The meds are a welcome thing.

I am in bed recovering and will be here most of the rest of the day and a good portion of tomorrow (Tuesday)as well.

Wish me well.

-More to come

Missing people

I just finished talking to my son, Andrew, Jr. He's been at Grama and Grampa's since Sunday afternoon. Grama works at one of the area Day Care centers and paid for Andrew to spend this week at the Day Care. He's staring to miss Jen and me.

This is the logest he's ever been away from us since he was born. He gets to spend the odd week-end with Grama and Grampa every so often, but not until now the multi-over-night at G&G's. I may go see him on Saturday and even bing him home a day earlier than we had planned.

Jen and I are used to the sound of Andrew trotting around the house and raising all kinds of hell. We love him AT ALL COST. He's priority. ABOVE ALL.

When he's not at home, ashas been the case this week, he's missed. GRERATLY,

Absence may make the heart grow fonder. It'll be a lot of hugs when we see him again.

Vacations

Jen, Andrew and I have been on vacation for the last week. Andrew has been on vacation since the 27th of June. (School has ended for the year)

Here's my Observation on vacations. They take forever to get here, or so it seems, and they fly by when they do get here. In the last week we haave done quite a bit. Went to a base-ball game -Rochester Red Wings vs. Pawtuket Red Sox. Wings won in extra innings. Went to a local play-ground where Andrew had a grand time. While we were there we were witness to an automobile accodent. All parties involved were alive and mostly injury free. After we were done having fun at the play ground we went for one of our drives. Instead of heading mostly East, we headed West along State Route 31. A drive we have not yet made. We celbrated our 11 year wdding anniversary on the 4th of July as it was the easiest way to also involve family.

So all in all, we packed a lot in to the last week. It came to us slowly and flew by. Jen gets to work this afternoon then gets the next two days off. She's back to her normal working scedual. I go back on Monday. Andrew gets to spend the rest of the Summer at home with Jen and a week at my parent's at he end of July. He'll have a week at my Mom's work -a local child care center. That'll be fun for him, a break for us. Jen and I will miss Andrew and it'll be a fun week as I'll be getting up and leaving for work without taking Andrew to his normal daycare -closed for the Summer.

I enjoyed my week off and Jen did as well. It just went by too quickly.

More to come.

My Job Pt. II

This week work picked up at my job. After two plus years of having only two
shifts, we now have three. After months of talk and wait, we got the order that we've been waiting for. 12MM pieces out the door by end of July. That's TWELVE MILLION pieces folks. 120k plus/shift. Minimum. That's 360k plus per day. Roughly 1.5 million every three days

I run a die cutter. I personally have cut 70k sheets in two days. Multiply that by 10. That's 700k pieces. That was a normal TOTAL order three months ago. Now it'll be the norm for two years. The total order is in the tens of millions.

Yeah, my job isn't the greatest in the world. It pays the bills and there are days when I enjoy what I do. There are other days that I dislike my job. Right now, we are all happier than we've been in months if not years.

I'll keep y'all posted on the happenings.

-More to come

I should, I wish, I love

Thanks to Mr. Nighttime for the tag. I don't get many if any vistors to my piece of the 'Net. Maybe my wife and Mr. Nighttime.

Below is my meme. Got me as to what that is.

My ex... Girlfriend, if she could be called that. A messed up, in need of help young woman. I tried and failed.
Maybe I should...Try and find a job that builds on life and not education
I love... My wife, my son, my family. Life.
People would say...I am a good friend, fun to be around.
I don't understand...Why we aren't doing more to fight the abuses of government.
Letting our current leadership run roughshod over our rights bothers me.
When I wake up in the morning...Let me do just that, wake up. Let me have my morning fixes.
I lost...Trust in my government.
Life is full of...Un-expected joy and terrible heart break
My past is something...That reminds me of what I have today.
I get annoyed when...People joke around with me too much.
Parties are...Fun. If the right people are there.
I wish...I could make enough money to move from this area to the Pacific Northwest.
Dogs...Love'em. Not enough room or time to have one.
Cats...Love 'em as well.
Tomorrow...If it comes, it comes. Live for today.
I have a low tolerance for...Abuse of any sort.
If I had a million dollars...Invest some, give some to a worthy cause and spend some.
I'm totally terrified of...Losing everything I have. It may not be much, but with out it...

Connection Issues

What gives. I tried to connect to a local hotspot today. I could not get any further than a local connection. A friend who was there at the same time was able to
access from his laptop. Maybe it was that he had an Apple machine and I have a Dell.
May be some other issue. I may never know.

We tried to figure out what was causing this to no avail. I know I can connect at home, so I doubt highly it's an issue with the WiFi card. May be the HotSpot likes only Apples and their OS and dislikes Windows based units. If that's the case, it should be noted.

Other than that little thing, I have beeen extreamly happy with the laptop.
Jen and I no longer need to "fight" over the need to use the computer.

New Computers Pt. II

Well, yesterday, Monday 02 June '08 was the big day. We bought our new -I'm talking about BRAND NEW- laptops. No second hand desktop. "Two out of the box, wrapped in styro-foam, un-opened CD-Roms, all manuals, cords and all accounted for, SIR," computers.

Dell Inspiron 1525, 2Gig memory, 120Gig hard-drive, WiFi enabled Windows Vista Home Premium.

Had an issue setting up the wireless router. Our 6 year old Dell desk-top did not like being asked by the installation software to check the connection. When it got to that point in the process, the desk-top booted me off the 'Net. Not good. I tried again. Same result. Okay... NOT!! I ended up using thedesktop's now ainciant operating sytem to configure the router. Any normal bi-pedial mamal would think this the end of the problems. NOT SO. Jen connected with out a hitch. I, on the other hand, had problems with this as well. A program that took Jen all of 2minutes (that's 120 seconds people) was going to take me 34 minutes or more. NOT GOOD. I ended up thinking I had a problem with my WiFi. This is not a good. A brand new laptop should not have this type of problem. I asked about it at work. Thankfully my boss knows a good deal about such things. Long story short. He thought it may be a configuration issue. Maybe it was. After I got our son, Andrew from his after care program, he and I went to a local mall that I knew had an area with an "open" network. I logged on and, SLAM. Speeds more like I would expect.

As I stated in part 1 of this Oh the joy. Oh, the pain in the posterior.


-More to come

Shopping for new computers.

Such fun. Such a pain in the posterior. What type? Laptop, tablet, desktop? What brand? Dell? Compaq? HP? Toshiba? The list goes on. How much memory? Hard drive space? Screen size? On this one goes, as well.
Which OS? Windows and which variant? XP, Vista? Apple and, again, which variant?
OS X, Leopard? Linux -and the learning curve that comes along with that one. Which add-ons will we need to buy? Mice, thumb drives, cases, back-packs, batteries.

What ever we do end up getting, and we are pretty much decided on brand/s and OSes and all the stuff that is included on that front, it'll be better than a desktop that was handed down to us by father when he bought a new desktop five years ago.
At that point the handed down comp. was already two or three years old. At least it had XP.

Either way, it means brand new. NO MORE second hand electronics for us.
A few weeks to go and this will all be taken care of. I'll be able to sit in a comfy chair or lounge in bed and post to this blog. Jen'll be able to surf while I chat with friends two time-zones away on AIM. We can go to the local StarBux or other WiFI-enabled local and browse the latest headlines that are of interest. All that and more.

Now for the pain in the posterior part. Making sure that the programs we use the most are either copied to disc for easier movig to the laptop or downloaded to the new computers.
It also means that any shared programs have the appropriate personal files moved to the appropriate computer.

I'll post more on this later. In the mean time, Jen and I get to "shop" via the current POS and get an idea of what's out there, which additional items we'll need to purchase now and which can wait for a bit.

-More to come

Minor annoyances

Seems like the small things annoy me more than the big things.

EXAMPLE
The minor bit about being able to log in, view my
blog and NOT being able to edit
it right from the post.

Minor I know. I like that feature.

Add to this: The feature reappears as soon as I post about it.
Ghost in the Machine I guess


-More to come

Death. Part II

While reading Mr. Nighttime's latest post, I am reminded of how I wish to be burried.
Like him, I don't want my remains to be placed in a coffin. -See my post on Death.
I wish to be cremated. Not in the usual sense, though. I'd like it to be in the tradition -if that is what it truly is- of the Vikings. Place my body on a bier and light the Pyre. Honor my life, have a grand celebration and scatter the ashes off the cliffs of Wasington State. The closer to the ocean and the north-western most part is prefrable. I have always had a thing for the North West portion of the US and would love to visit/move there some day. If it happens it happens.
If it happens after I die, so be it.

My wife doesn't know about the scattering part or having it done in Washingto State.
She'd rather I have my body placed in a coffin and burried. Then, when it is her
time, she wants to be placed next to me. I don't see the need for our bodies to be placed "six feet under" in this manner. That's just me.

-More to come

Government Spying/Control

Since 9/11 our government, in its infinite wisdom, has felt the need to spy (secretly) on our populace. I'm all for LEGAL means of obtaining information but. when it comes to getting this through WARRANTLESS means, I have issues.

If I commit a crime, the police need to obtain a warrant to get any evidance that isn't "in plain sight". Our government, with help, is skirting these rules.

Example
Documents recently obtained through the Freedom of Information Act (FoIA) have diclosed that
two of the major telecommunicatons companies in the US have tried to block civil suits that they helped the Government spy on it's citizens telephonic communication with out first getting the appropriate warrant(s).

To quote part of an on-line Newsweek article dated April 30, 2008:

"The Bush administration is refusing to disclose internal e-mails, letters and notes showing contacts with major telecommunications companies over how to persuade Congress to back a controversial surveillance bill, according to recently disclosed court documents.

"The existence of these documents surfaced only in recent days as a result of a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by a privacy group called the Electronic Frontier Foundation. The foundation (alerted to the issue in part by a NEWSWEEK story last fall) is seeking information about communications among administration officials, Congress and a battery of politically well-connected lawyers and lobbyists hired by such big telecom carriers as AT&T and Verizon. Court papers recently filed by government lawyers in the case confirm for the first time that since last fall unnamed representatives of the telecoms phoned and e-mailed administration officials to talk about ways to block more than 40 civil suits accusing the companies of privacy violations because of their participation in a secret post-9/11 surveillance program ordered by the White House. "

This all frightens me. We are starting to look like a polie state. Our government gaining more control over what and how things are done. Is this the way it needs to begin? I hope not.

I am reminded of "2112" by Rush. Neil Peart, the chief lyracist of the group
was, at the time of the album's writing and release, reading a fair ammount of Ayn Rand's works. This album takes ques from "Anthem".

I. OVERTURE -------------------------------------------------------------
"I lie awake, staring out at the bleakness of Megadon. City and sky become one, merging into a single plane, a vast sea of unbroken grey. The Twin Moons, just two pale orbs as they trace their way across the steely sky. I used to think I had a pretty good life here, just plugging into my machine for the day, then watching Templevision or reading a Temple Paper in the evening. My friend Jon always said it was nicer here than under the atmospheric domes of the Outer Planets. We have had peace since 2062, when the surviving planets were banded together under the Red Star of the Solar Federation. The less fortunate gave us a few new moons. I believed what I was told. I thought it was a good life, I thought I was happy. Then I found something that changed it all..." Anonymous, 2112

(Lyric)
"And the meek shall inherit the earth."

II. THE TEMPLES OF SYRINX ------------------------------------------------------------- .. "The massive grey walls of the Temples rise from the heart of every Federation city. I have always been awed by them, to think that every single facet of every life is regulated and directed from within! Our books, our music, our work and play are all looked after by the benevolent wisdom of the priests...

(Lyric)
" We've taken care of everything The words you hear the songs you sing The pictures that give pleasure to your eyes. It's one for all and all for one We work together common sons Never need to wonder how or why. We are the Priests, of the Temples of Syrinx Our great computers fill the hallowed halls. We are the Priests, of the Temples of Syrinx All the gifts of life are held within our walls. Look around this world we made Equality our stock in trade Come and join the Brotherhood of Man Oh what a nice contented world Let the banners be unfurled Hold the Red Star proudly high in hand. We are the Priests, of the Temples of Syrinx Our great computers fill the hallowed halls. We are the Priests, of the Temples of Syrinx All the gifts of life are held within our walls.

III. DISCOVERY -------------------------------------------------------------
.. "Behind my beloved waterfall, in the little room that was hidden beneath the cave, I found it. I brushed away the dust of the years, and picked it up, holding it reverently in my hands. I had no idea what it might be, but it was beautiful" ...
... "I learned to lay my fingers across the wires, and to turn the keys to make them sound differently. As I struck the wires with my other hand, I produced my first harmonious sounds, and soon my own music! How different it could be from the music of the Temples! I can't wait to tell the priests about it! ...

(Lyric)
" What can this strange device be? When I touch it, it gives forth a sound It's got wires that vibrate and give music What can this thing be that I found? See how it sings like a sad heart And joyously screams out its pain Chords that build high like a mountain Or notes that fall gently like rain. I can't wait to share this new wonder The people will all see its light Let them all make their own music The Priests praise my name on this night.

IV. PRESENTATION -------------------------------------------------------------
.. "In the sudden silence as I finished playing, I looked up to a circle of grim, expressionless faces. Father Brown rose to his feet, and his somnolent voice echoed throughout the silent Temple Hall." ... ... "Instead of the grateful joy that I expected, they were words of quiet rejection! Instead of praise, sullen dismissal. I watched in shock and horror as Father Brown ground my precious instrument to splinters beneath his feet...

(Lyric)
" I know it's most unusual To come before you so But I've found an ancient miracle I thought that you should know Listen to my music And hear what it can do There's something here as strong as life I know that it will reach you.
The Priests: Yes, we know it's nothing new It's just a waste of time We have no need for ancient ways The world is doing fine Another toy will help destroy The elder race of man Forget about your silly whim It doesn't fit the plan.

I can't believe you're saying These things just can't be true Our world could use this beauty Just think what we might do. Listen to my music And hear what it can do There's something here as strong as life I know that it will reach you.

The Priests: Don't annoy us further We have our work to do. Just think about the average What use have they for you? Another toy will help destroy The elder race of man Forget about your silly whim It doesn't fit the plan.

V. ORACLE: THE DREAM -------------------------------------------------------------
.. "I guess it was a dream, but even now it all seems so vivid to me. Clearly yet I see the beckoning hand of the oracle as he stood at the summit of the staircase" ...
... "I see still the incredible beauty of the sculptured cities and the pure spirit of man revealed in the lives and works of this world. I was overwhelmed by both wonder and understanding as I saw a completely different way to life, a way that had been crushed by the Federation long ago. I saw now how meaningless life had become with the loss of all these things ...

(Lyric)
" I wandered home though the silent streets And fell into a fitful sleep Escape to realms beyond the night Dream can't you show me the light? I stand atop a spiral stair An oracle confronts me there He leads me on light years away Through astral nights, galactic days I see the works of gifted hands That grace this strange and wondrous land I see the hand of man arise With hungry mind and open eyes They left the planet long ago The elder race still learn and grow Their power grows with purpose strong To claim the home where they belong Home, to tear the Temples down... Home, to change..

VI. SOLILOQUY -------------------------------------------------------------
.. "I have not left this cave for days now, it has become my last refuge in my total despair. I have only the music of the waterfall to comfort me now. I can no longer live under the control of the Federation, but there is no other place to go. My last hope is that with my death I may pass into the world of my dream, and know peace at last.

(Lyric)
" The sleep is still in my eyes The dream is still in my head I heave a sigh and sadly smile And lie a while in bed I wish that it might come to pass Not fade like all my dreams Just think of what my life might be In a world like I have seen I don't think I can carry on Carry on this cold and empty life Oh...noo. My spirits are low in the depths of despair My lifeblood spills over..

VII. GRAND FINALE -------------------------------------------------------------
(Spoken by the Head Priest)
ATTENTION ALL PLANETS OF THE SOLAR FEDERATION, ATTENTION ALL PLANETS OF THE SOLAR FEDERATION, ATTENTION ALL PLANETS OF THE SOLAR FEDERATION, WE HAVE ASSUMED CONTROL, WE HAVE ASSUMED CONTROL WE HAVE ASSUMED CONTROL

True, the Anonymous author takes his own life. I do not see this happening. What I do see is the control that our government is, in some small way, starting to impose on us.

-More to come

Death

I had to bury one of my ferrets Thursday. Smokey hadn't been doing well for some time. She'd eat but not much. (She wasn't a big eater as it was.) My wife and I think she may have been ailing since we got her from a neighbor who was moving last August. We aren't sure. All we do know is that she wasn't doing well in the hours before her death.

While her death didn't shock me, it did bring thoughts of my eventual death back to the fore.

See, death scares me. I don't know what I'll find, if anything. Does my soul continue to live while my corporeal body lies in a coffin "six feet below". Will I return? Be it as another human or in some other form? Maybe as a bird, as I feel I'll become after some period.

My other fear is that I won't die, and when my body is placed in the coffin I'll awaken and not be able to get out.

This above almost all other things is my biggest fear.

-More to come

Going for a drive

One of our favorite things to do last Summer was to go for a drive. Just head out and drive. Head east - Syracuse. Head south -Canandaigua. Head west -Rochester and the regions and 'burbs beyond. Head north -Lake Ontario. We usually went South and when we got to one of the State routes we'd decide which way to go. Turn left and head west. Turn right and head east. We'd just drive from there.

We did that yesterday. I took a half day at work, ran a few errands and came home. We then went to have a late lunch and then headed out. We took State Route 350 north until we got to Ridge Road -the name derived from the fact that after the Glaciers receeded they left a ridge a few miles south of Lake Ontario- we turned East and followed Ridge, passing through some of the more rural communities that are part of the Rochester, NY area, to Sodus, NY and turned South following State Route 88 until we reached State Route 96.
and turned East. This we followed through Clifton Springs, Phelps, Senaca Falls -birth place of among other things; A woman's right to vote, Memorial Day and the basis of Bedford Falls in "It's a Wonderful Life". From there to Auburn. Home of one of the State Prisons. We headed north on State Route 34 until we got to State Route 31 and turned left (West) and headed home.

120 or so miles and 4 hours later we were home. Having seen some of the area we live in or only hear about just makes it all the more interesting for us.

I, for one, am proud to live in a area that is rich in its history.

More to come

My job

I work for a local manufacturing company and we make envelopes for photos, cd-rom, perishable foods, beauty products and various other uses. Right now the job stinks. It's been slow for the last month. Normally we have enough work coming in to keep us busy for months.
Since the middle of March we've had enough to run one or two folders. Maybe
even three on a good day. And then for only one or two days of the week.
I've been outside doing "landscape" work. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the outdoors.
And it is giving me something to do. It's just not what I am normally paid to do.
But, that work is now done, and I have to find other things to do.

I have painted, weeded, raked, filled divots, cleaned, scraped until it looks
as though the plant was only a few years old instead of twenty.

When does it end?

-More to come