I’m on for the lens replacement surgery. My left eye will be March 26; my right eye will be April 23. I wish it was closer together, but that’s the way it came out.
I’ll keep you posted on what it’s like.
-Pop
Friday, February 29, 2008
Monday, February 18, 2008
The Eyes Have It...
Today I went to my regular optometrist to get my regularly scheduled eye exam. He confirmed that I do have the early stages of cataracts which I mentioned earlier. He tells me that I probably have around ten years before it’s a serious problem. My eyes are otherwise very healthy, with no sign of any other problem. He feels that now’s the time, from a medical standpoint.
So now I have a choice: buy new glasses and wait on the lens replacement, or go ahead and do it now. I think It’s going to be sooner rather than later. For those of you who don’t know, they can now correct your vision in the course of doing the lens replacement. This is very attractive to me. On the other hand, it will cost about as much as my next motorcycle would.
But I really, really want to throw away my glasses. I’ve been wearing them for 44 years, and in my current state I have to swap from regular to computer glasses probably 20 times a day. Which I hate.
Decisions, decisions... What would YOU do?
-Pop
So now I have a choice: buy new glasses and wait on the lens replacement, or go ahead and do it now. I think It’s going to be sooner rather than later. For those of you who don’t know, they can now correct your vision in the course of doing the lens replacement. This is very attractive to me. On the other hand, it will cost about as much as my next motorcycle would.
But I really, really want to throw away my glasses. I’ve been wearing them for 44 years, and in my current state I have to swap from regular to computer glasses probably 20 times a day. Which I hate.
Decisions, decisions... What would YOU do?
-Pop
Saturday, February 16, 2008
And Yet Another Gun-Free Zone Rampage...
Howdy, everybody.
Gun free zones DON’T WORK. If ONE person in the auditorium in Illinois had been armed, it is very likely the death toll would have been much less. The Munchkin Wrangler says it very well.
How many more people will die because of this plain-stupid idea that a law declaring an area to be a gun-free zone will actually make it so?
God protect us from our law-makers! They disarm us, but they don’t protect us.
-Pop
Gun free zones DON’T WORK. If ONE person in the auditorium in Illinois had been armed, it is very likely the death toll would have been much less. The Munchkin Wrangler says it very well.
How many more people will die because of this plain-stupid idea that a law declaring an area to be a gun-free zone will actually make it so?
God protect us from our law-makers! They disarm us, but they don’t protect us.
-Pop
Monday, February 4, 2008
Hillary...
Apparently, Hillary has taught herself to cry at will...
How transparent!! And, come on - wimpy! Do you Democrats really want the President of the United States to be someone that either A) so transparently and obviously tries to manipulate you, or B) is so weak as to be reduced to tears on national TV? Twice??
I don’t believe for a moment that ANY foreign government would take Hillary seriously after this. Nor should they! What a joke!
If Hillary really is allowing the campaign pressure to get to her, than she most certainly is not presidential material. The pressure of being president has got to be among the most high-pressure jobs in the world!
Unbelievable!!
-Pop
How transparent!! And, come on - wimpy! Do you Democrats really want the President of the United States to be someone that either A) so transparently and obviously tries to manipulate you, or B) is so weak as to be reduced to tears on national TV? Twice??
I don’t believe for a moment that ANY foreign government would take Hillary seriously after this. Nor should they! What a joke!
If Hillary really is allowing the campaign pressure to get to her, than she most certainly is not presidential material. The pressure of being president has got to be among the most high-pressure jobs in the world!
Unbelievable!!
-Pop
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Alcoholism
Howdy;
This morning, I heard alcoholism referred to as a ‘disease’ on the radio. So I looked up the definition of ‘disease’, and I found, to my surprise, that alcoholism could possibly fall within the definition.
I always thought that a disease was a sickness you get from an infectious agent of some kind.
I want to be perfectly clear here: Alcoholism is something you do to yourself, voluntarily; and as such, it does NOT deserve the sympathy that should be reserved for the sick. I reserve my sympathy for the families and coworkers of the alcoholic; but I spare none for the alcoholic himself.
I’ve seen up close and personal the things that go on in the families of an alcoholic - and I have no sympathy at all for the alcoholic.
If you feel that you need to drink, for whatever reason, be aware that you are making a choice that can and will affect everyone around you, most especially those who love you. If you become an alcoholic as a result of your behavior, you WILL put all those you love through hell. So don’t.
This exact same sentiment applies to doing recreational drugs of any sort, as well.
Don’t go there!
-Pop
This morning, I heard alcoholism referred to as a ‘disease’ on the radio. So I looked up the definition of ‘disease’, and I found, to my surprise, that alcoholism could possibly fall within the definition.
I always thought that a disease was a sickness you get from an infectious agent of some kind.
I want to be perfectly clear here: Alcoholism is something you do to yourself, voluntarily; and as such, it does NOT deserve the sympathy that should be reserved for the sick. I reserve my sympathy for the families and coworkers of the alcoholic; but I spare none for the alcoholic himself.
I’ve seen up close and personal the things that go on in the families of an alcoholic - and I have no sympathy at all for the alcoholic.
If you feel that you need to drink, for whatever reason, be aware that you are making a choice that can and will affect everyone around you, most especially those who love you. If you become an alcoholic as a result of your behavior, you WILL put all those you love through hell. So don’t.
This exact same sentiment applies to doing recreational drugs of any sort, as well.
Don’t go there!
-Pop
Friday, February 1, 2008
Democrats vs Republicans
Frankly, I’m getting tired of thinking about it. But I do have some opinions, and I’m entitled to mine just as you are yours. Here’s what I think:
Democrats and the far left are anti-second amendment. It bothers me that they apparently do not believe that I can be trusted not to go on a shooting spree. At root, the Democrats do not believe that the common, law abiding person has the self discipline to handle owning and carrying guns. Well, frankly, I do have that self discipline, and I resent the implication that I can’t be trusted. Or maybe they’re afraid of us.
Republicans, on the other hand, are pro second amendment. Republicans trust me with a gun. They encourage me to defend my family, myself, and those needing protection around me. I like that.
I hear that the Democrats want ‘socialized medicine’.
Now, I know that our medical system is broken. Part of this is that it just isn’t as simple as it needs to be. A hundred years ago, you go to your doctor; you get treated; you pay the doc; minimum money spent. Today, though - you, or somebody, pays insurance premiums continuously. You get sick, you go to your doctor; you get treated; someone gets paid to fill out forms and insurance gets filed; you still pay the doctor a copay, usually; the insurance company pays some or most of your bill. But think about this - the insurance company is making money doing this. All the employees required to do all that paperwork, and all those lawyers, and lawsuits, and all those insurance executives, are living off of your insurance premiums, ultimately. In the end, the cost of medical care is inflated by the cost of the entire insurance industry. What the heck are we paying all those people for?
Back to HillaryCare and it’s variations from the Democrats. They want to require everyone to have insurance. A lot of people find that attractive, Shucks, I find it attractive, too. But, who is going to pay for it? If we pay for it in taxes or any scheme that evenly distributes the costs of the insurance, isn’t that unfairly penalizing healthy people? I guess maybe the justification is that we all benefit from a healthy society. Pretty hard to quantify the benefit of a healthy society to me, though. And, do you spend a million dollars to keep somebody alive another month? Who decides? Pretty soon these people will begin thinking that benefits should only be applied to the non-hopeless cases, to cut costs. Shortly after that, somebody will introduce the idea of euthanasia of old people. And so on. I think socialized medicine may be a very slippery slope, and the individual will no longer have any control over it. Mother Hillary will take care of You!
From the debates a couple of nights ago, most of the current plans involve requiring mandatory insurance. There seem to be different ways of paying for it, but no matter how you slice it, in the long run we the people will foot the bill. If we’re going to foot the bill anyway, why don’t we just axe the entire insurance industry and save all that overhead cost? But I can’t see this happening - the insurance industry spends a LOT of money in Washington. YOUR money. And both the leading Democratic candidates have already said they will raise taxes. Bend over, here it comes!
What do the Republicans say? Well, I don’t think anything much will change on that score. Listening to the debate, I think they want to improve the system, but they say that it won’t be mandatory; so at least we’ll have some choice, something the Democrats won’t give us. I think Republicans probably make better neighbors than Democrats; they don’t seem to get in your business quite as much.
I kind of like Robert A. Heinlein’s idea, mentioned in his novel “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress”, that if you need insurance, you find a bookie and place a bet - on the progression of your health, for instance. It’d be a heck of a lot simpler than what we do now.
in general, Democrats want more government control of individuals and individual rights. This is the same thing any dictator wants, and that comparison makes me nervous. Once you give them that control, it will take revolution to get it back.
In general, the Republicans want to promote capitalism, a system that has it’s good side and it’s dark side, but it does seem to work pretty well. People that are willing to get out and work, and think about what they’re doing, will do well with the Republicans, People who want the government to spoon-feed them will lean towards the Democrats.
Personally, I don’t want or need the government in my business any more than necessary for the defense of the country as a whole. This causes me to lean towards the Republicans.
-Pop
Democrats and the far left are anti-second amendment. It bothers me that they apparently do not believe that I can be trusted not to go on a shooting spree. At root, the Democrats do not believe that the common, law abiding person has the self discipline to handle owning and carrying guns. Well, frankly, I do have that self discipline, and I resent the implication that I can’t be trusted. Or maybe they’re afraid of us.
Republicans, on the other hand, are pro second amendment. Republicans trust me with a gun. They encourage me to defend my family, myself, and those needing protection around me. I like that.
I hear that the Democrats want ‘socialized medicine’.
Now, I know that our medical system is broken. Part of this is that it just isn’t as simple as it needs to be. A hundred years ago, you go to your doctor; you get treated; you pay the doc; minimum money spent. Today, though - you, or somebody, pays insurance premiums continuously. You get sick, you go to your doctor; you get treated; someone gets paid to fill out forms and insurance gets filed; you still pay the doctor a copay, usually; the insurance company pays some or most of your bill. But think about this - the insurance company is making money doing this. All the employees required to do all that paperwork, and all those lawyers, and lawsuits, and all those insurance executives, are living off of your insurance premiums, ultimately. In the end, the cost of medical care is inflated by the cost of the entire insurance industry. What the heck are we paying all those people for?
Back to HillaryCare and it’s variations from the Democrats. They want to require everyone to have insurance. A lot of people find that attractive, Shucks, I find it attractive, too. But, who is going to pay for it? If we pay for it in taxes or any scheme that evenly distributes the costs of the insurance, isn’t that unfairly penalizing healthy people? I guess maybe the justification is that we all benefit from a healthy society. Pretty hard to quantify the benefit of a healthy society to me, though. And, do you spend a million dollars to keep somebody alive another month? Who decides? Pretty soon these people will begin thinking that benefits should only be applied to the non-hopeless cases, to cut costs. Shortly after that, somebody will introduce the idea of euthanasia of old people. And so on. I think socialized medicine may be a very slippery slope, and the individual will no longer have any control over it. Mother Hillary will take care of You!
From the debates a couple of nights ago, most of the current plans involve requiring mandatory insurance. There seem to be different ways of paying for it, but no matter how you slice it, in the long run we the people will foot the bill. If we’re going to foot the bill anyway, why don’t we just axe the entire insurance industry and save all that overhead cost? But I can’t see this happening - the insurance industry spends a LOT of money in Washington. YOUR money. And both the leading Democratic candidates have already said they will raise taxes. Bend over, here it comes!
What do the Republicans say? Well, I don’t think anything much will change on that score. Listening to the debate, I think they want to improve the system, but they say that it won’t be mandatory; so at least we’ll have some choice, something the Democrats won’t give us. I think Republicans probably make better neighbors than Democrats; they don’t seem to get in your business quite as much.
I kind of like Robert A. Heinlein’s idea, mentioned in his novel “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress”, that if you need insurance, you find a bookie and place a bet - on the progression of your health, for instance. It’d be a heck of a lot simpler than what we do now.
in general, Democrats want more government control of individuals and individual rights. This is the same thing any dictator wants, and that comparison makes me nervous. Once you give them that control, it will take revolution to get it back.
In general, the Republicans want to promote capitalism, a system that has it’s good side and it’s dark side, but it does seem to work pretty well. People that are willing to get out and work, and think about what they’re doing, will do well with the Republicans, People who want the government to spoon-feed them will lean towards the Democrats.
Personally, I don’t want or need the government in my business any more than necessary for the defense of the country as a whole. This causes me to lean towards the Republicans.
-Pop
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