So much...

...to think about these days. We have a pig in the White House and other pigs scattered throughout the upper echelons of government. He has to go... Hopefully, those that protest but never vote, will see that it's a mistake to never vote and will come out and do their civic duty.
Civic duty is something that's rarely heard anymore. Maybe we need a law that makes voting mandatory. Australia does. And the citizens haven't rioted there. And if we had a program like the Civilian Conservation Corps, the CCC, once again, I believe everyone would have a better idea of what civic duty was.
Perhaps compulsory military service would help us become a better nation. I know that not all can be soldiers or sailors, but all could be of service.
Many years ago, I volunteered to be a sailor. I joined the Navy. I stood before the flag and swore to preserve and protect the Constitution. This Country. I missed the Vietnam war by just a hair breadth. And I knew that the war was a mistake, a terrible mistake. If I had been held in Service for another month, I would have gone to that war. And as an E-5 HM2, attached to the Marine Corps, my survival chances would have been low. My wife and I were very much afraid, waiting for that letter from the Navy command that would recall me to service. Now, when I see or hear someone bragging about their patriotism, I wonder if they have ever gone to the recruiting office to volunteer for military service? If they have not, their patriotism is hollow. Patriots don't brag.
I was just reading about the tragedy in Japan. A tragedy that is rarely talked about. Because of the Fukushima disaster, Japan shut down all of their nuclear power plants and now use coal and gas to power the plants. Their carbon output went from the low 60% and is close to 90%. The U.S. is not much better off. Ever since the accident at 3 Mile Island, politicians have placed their heads in the sand and ignored common sense and science. No new nuclear power plants since then.
I was writing about a tragedy, and the tragedy is the number of deaths caused by lung disease. Preventable deaths. Unfortunately, we can't see the contaminants in the air. Contaminants produced by carbon powered generation  plants. Still, seen or unseen, they end up in our lungs where they build up until they shut down the alveoli that are part of the mechanism that transfers oxygen to our blood.
There are already plenty of people warning us about these dangers, still we refuse to look at nuclear power as the clean source of power. Accidents happen. People die. So why haven't we outlawed motor vehicles and mandated the use of bicycles? Ignorance is the cause for the accidents and that can be remedied; much as we are reducing the cause of motor vehicle accidents and deaths by mandating safer vehicles. Blah, blah, blah...it's all just noise until the politicians take their heads out of the sand and pay attention to the scientists.

Time really goes by...in a hurry!

It's hard to believe that 4 months have gone by since my last post here. In that time I did post some things to my Working blog, though I seem to have completed a written history of my working life there. I should say that I really enjoyed working. I suppose that's easy to say from the refuge of the retired life. I suppose there is some truth to that...
I started working early, as my parents were not giving me any additional funds beyond my .25 cents a week allowance. And I did not get the allowance unless I helped with the dishes; that's washing or drying. I had to take the trash out and clean my room, at least once a week. And...I had to mow the lawns. Of course I felt put upon, and I was certain that no other child was so mistreated as I was. But, my parents didn't budge. Instead they suggested ways for me to make money by working for others. I began by mowing lawns for neighbors. And it was at that point that I began my working life. rounds
My wife and I had similar working backgrounds, though she is 3 years younger. I like to think that created a culture within our small family where working was expected of our children. They are now middle aged and my oldest daughter has a grandchild. And all 3 of them have been and continue to be successful. My daughters have always held 2 jobs, raising children while running a household, and they worked outside the house as well. My oldest was a Single mother while earning her degree from the University here. My son didn't follow me into construction, which was a good thing. He has been an amazing single-dad, working full time while raising his twins from infancy; they are now starting their Junior year in high school.
I don't think all of this was good luck, I really believe it's genetic in origin. And when I read the stories of my grandparents, great grandparents and beyond, I am certain of it. So I have to thank some nameless ancestor for all that has come to us. He, more likely she, gave us the gene to pass along and we have.