This is not the man himself for this particular blog, but the person closest to him. I am the roommate/best friend he's spoken of many times on his blog. It falls to me to be the bringer of sad tidings. Len passed away late on the morning of January 3rd, 2005 from heart failure. Those who knew him and who's lives were touched by him will always be enriched. He meant the world to me and to my children. He was the kindest and best of men in every way and will be very sadly missed by all. ...
Is it just me, or is this year becoming the complete sterilization of the traditional “Christian” Christmas? Lately, the news has been abounding with incidents of cities replacing “Merry Christmas” with “Happy Holidays”, the profound replacement of “Christmas” with “Xmas”, the banning of Christmas Carols at certain schools, etc. No one disputes that the founders of this country had predominantly Christian beliefs. There is still that one item of “….the separation of Church and State…....
This is "late breaking" news, so my references are weak. There was an item on the news this afternoon, stating that the Virginia General Assembly is currently reviewing a Bill that would place a miniature transmitter in the State's drivers licenses. This transmitter would "broadcast" the information on the drivers license and only persons with the appropriate hardware and software would be able to read the information - presumably local/state police, CIA and/or the FBI. Hmmmm.... Ha...
I had the opportunity to see Braveheart in it's entirety today. I couldn't help but make an analogy to the situation in Iraq. The analogy wasn't so much in regards to the political dynamic between both situations, but more of an insight to the Iraq/Al Qaeda mentality towards "occupation". Even though The Coalition isn't trying to occupy Iraq, as England was trying to occupy Scotland, it was an interesting insight none the less. I am not making a "pro" or "anti" statement about anythin...
Some years ago, my dad died. It was a very peaceful, graceful passing. A number of my more spiritual friends mentioned that "he would make his presence known" after his passing. Well, other than my personality traits becoming exactly like his, there has been no "sign". No dreams about him, no physical sign....nothing. As mentioned in previous posts, my mom died last November. I guess "plagued" would be an inappropriate word, but since November I have been "inundated" with frequent dre...
Well! I seem to be the tortoise and not the hare. Or do I mean the reverse? I was was going to post my thoughts about the Bush Document/New Times Roman/Superscript fiasco, but after a casual flip through some of the other posts here, I see that it has been well over done. So, tonight, I offer you simple, basic pabulum. Worst of times: November, 2003, my mom dies. March, 2004, I file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, after a really, really BAD financial year in 2003. Best of times: June...
I am completely strapped, drawn and quartered for time right now, but I just had to share...... If you're a television / news junkie like I am, this is the time of the year when all of the local television news stations put their interns in front of the camera for the first time. And maybe behind the camera too! So, this one local station put TWO new faces to cover a potential tornado touchdown here in central Virginia. Normally I would ask "Why?", but after living in Corporate Americ...
Long story short..... 2004 was an extremely bad year for me, financially. Any individual instance of a financial dilema, happening once per year, I would have been able to handle. Unfortunately for me, I was hit with about 4 or 5 financial dilemas in 2004. I was forced to file for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. My checking account was garnished by a creditor, and I started recieving court summons from various other creditors. I certainly do not consider bankruptcy a bad thing. I consider it...
Things have been getting crazy. In my "So Much To Write About, So Little Time" article, I had mentioned that my time here at Joeuser has been limited due to a combination of domestic and work-related obligations. Well, those "obligations" have grown, and the dreams that I've been having lately aren't helping any. The "real life" obligations I can't avoid. As I mentioned, there is always laundry and dishes etc. As for work, I have project (drafting) deadlines, and lately we've had a r...
The definition of a U.S. Territory was probably fresh in my memory 25 or 30 years ago in High School or Grammar School, but for me, that definition has become "fuzzy" over the years. It is the latest Olympic news item with the Puerto Rican basketball team spanking......errrr.....I mean beating the US basketball team in the 2004 Summer Olympics, that is the impetus to research "US Territories" a little more. "Territories", for the average US Citizen, aren't considered on a regular basis....
My thoughts and prayers go out to those devastated by "Charley". LLS
Last year, August 18, 2003, Hurricane Isabel made land fall around Nags Head, North Carolina. Without attempting to look up this information right now, I recall that is was a Cat. 3 or a Cat.4 by the time it made landfall at Cape Hatteras, NC. The center of the storm tracked right over, or slightly to the west of Richmond. The damage that Isabel brought to central Virginia, and out lying areas, was extreme. Prior to Isabel, central Virginia had experienced months of "above average" rain,...
It has been one of those times in my life where everything has "come to a head". I have not had the opportunity to post any of my misguided thoughts lately. I have been drawn and quartered at work, and of course there is the obligatory domestic chores to be done once I get home. Who was it, Ben Franklin who said (paraphrasing) "Nothing is certain except death and taxes"? Apparently ol' Ben-o-rama never had to deal with dishes, cleaning, laundry or yard work. These things are defint...
For the second time in the past week, there has been another news item about a local "parent" locking their child (children), in an automobile, on a hot sunny day. Her two kids didn't die. They were treated by the EMT's and are fine. However, this woman was immediately charged with child neglect. The incident that occured earlier in the week, where the child died, the parent wasn't charged with any crime. Late breaking news..... As I wrote earlier in the week, a "parent" forgot his ...
Ralphie May was in town last night, and I caught his show. For those of you who have never viewed Last Comic Standing, or do not know who Ralphie May is, he was the runner-up, second place overall winner(?) for last season's LCS. The winner for last season's series, Dat Phan, was good, but personally I thought Ralphie was the better of the two. Whereas both comics have a style which draws on personal experiences, Dat Phan's style was like "Personal experiences as portrayed in a sitcom." ...