---Not Quite Forgotten

          This morning I was reminded to do something special. Now, I was gently reminded, by a person I may or may not know. To that person I say thank you. Now then, on to the special thing...

 

            As of Thursday, November 16, a very good, and close friend of mine has remained smoke free for exactly three years! Take a bow, Ms. Jean. You know that I and my family love ya! Now, to the casual reader here, you may wonder why all the fuss? Well, I am only three weeks behind Ms. Jean.

 

             As all of you know about the site that I helped start, Ms. Jean was the other person helping with that deal. There were others, and believe me, I love them just the same, but Ms. Jean was the FIRST to respond to me when I signed on to the company's old site. I am keeping things for Ms. Jean that no one knows about, and would be shocked if these things were brought to light. Not bad things, but good things, lively things, things that confirm just WHY I like this person.

 

            Ms. Jean has put a lot of effort into quitting smoking, and I admire her for it, and even understand it. Having smoked for thirty years or more, I know just how much she struggled with quitting. But we carried on the struggle together. Along with a few others who have since fallen by the way-side.

 

          But, with us two, and Alece, Sally, and some others whose names fail me at this time, we managed to get through it all. The cravings, the sweating, wanting to rip out the walls in our houses, all of it. I used to spend hours at my pc to keep from wanting to smoke. I guess you could say that finding Ms. Jean also helped me to learn about computers.

 

         Now don't get me wrong, there were plenty of other people along the way, and the web site is HUGE now. But Ms. Jean is one of the originals, and she cannot go without recognition. She wouldn't want all of the attention, I know how she is. I am the egomaniac, not Ms. Jean. We love her all the same. Good Luck, Jean, and may good fortune smile upon you for many long years to come.

 

                 Holla' If You Hear Me!!!

Wondering...

   I got a call from one of my real dad's sisters this weekend. It seems that my dad has gotten a little better, and is even on a week-long hunt with one of his friends. I am glad to hear that he is getting around some. I never need question his toughness, for I am borne of the same stuff as he.

 

       This sister pleaded with me to come and see my dad. I sort of shined her on, so as not to hurt her feelings. I sort of want to see him, but I am undecided about all of it. What would I possibly say to him? Would we "catch up" on over forty years of my life? Of his life? It is all too daunting for me. But, there is another reason, a purely selfish one at that.

 

          When I went to Missouri to identify my mother's body, I had to fight the urge to stay. I would have stayed right then. I would have given up all my ties here at "home", to be there. There was never any question as to when. I was ready right then and there! I cannot go back at this time, I would never return here. Never.

 

        Is it a call to my destiny, or a simple longing to be back where it all started? Can one really never return home? Can one never go back as we are told all our lives? I can't buy that. When I went to Missouri for my mother, the moment I climbed out of my brother's truck, I was connected; I belonged there. I still do.

 

        Could I leave my home, my wife, kids, and my very life here? In a heartbeat. Why? I have never felt like I belonged anywhere in my life. I belong in the mountains of Missouri. Like a fish belongs in water. I can't shake this feeling. If I go, I go with a Ryder truck packed with my possessions, never to return here, never to return to this life. Only to carry on a new life, or, to continue the life that started over forty years ago, in a land that accepts me without question. A land that makes me feel whole, and complete. The land of my birth, my beginning, and my end.

 

                 Holla' If You Hear Me!!!

A Scam Revealed

      A couple of years ago I needed a brace for my knee. Nothing too serious, just something to help ease the pain, and to give it a little support. I found a medical supply shop nearby, and purchased the needed item.

 

        Now, the price of this item was $25.00, not too bad, I thought. As I went to pay for the item, the lady at the counter(also the owner of the store) asked if I had medic-aid, or medicare. Since I am disabled, I have medicare. When she was informed of this, she saked for my card, and said it could be filed on medicare.

 

         Well, trying to save a buck or two, I gave her my card. Imagine my surprise when, about two months later, I recieved a letter from medicare stating that they had just paid OVER $100.00 for a knee brace that I purchased!!!! Now, WHY would they pay more than four times what the price originally was for said item?

 

          When I called the store, the owner stated that everything in the store was tagged with a number. When billing medicare, medicaid, insurance, or whatever, the price was regulated by the sticker on the item. I then informed the owner that what she was doing amounted to fraud, and that I would most certainly notify the medicare office.

 

         The owner then stated that since I was "such a nice guy", she would reduce the charges to the original $25.00. Nice guy indeed. I still contacted the medicare billing office. I recieved a letter later on stating that NOTHING would be done to resolve this situation, ie, charging the store owner with fraud. I couldn't believe it!

 

            I have since found out that this shit goes on all over the place! The places that sell medical products for home usage are constantly ripping off the medicare people, and insurance companies! It is rampant, and very common. These people think nothing of charging four, five, even up to ten times what something is worth! Hospitals are no better. My wife's brother spent a year in the hospital, and they were charging him seven dollars for a single Tylenol! It's ridculous! And the people who are getting ripped off don't even question it!

 

          This has to stop! Why do you think so many Americans can't afford insurance? It is directly because of this flat out FRAUD! Questions, comments, abusive remarks? You know where to find me!!!!

 

           Holla' If You Hear Me!!!

Someone Needed to say It.

  I recently recieved something from a friend. It was an Email. I read it with a smile slowly creeping across my face. You see, it just goes so well with my "article" about lowering our standards a few months back. As always, if the article offends you, piss off. I'm sure you can find a home in some other country.  And, as always, the opinions of the blogger are his own, and NOT those of AOL or any of it's affilliates. So if you don't like it, then you should blame me, no one else.

 

               Holla' If You Hear Me!!!

 

           I be White

>> Proud To Be White
>> Someone finally said it.
>> How many are actually paying attention to this?
>> There are African Americans, Mexican Americans,
>> Asian Americans, Arab Americans, Native Americans, etc.
>> And then there are just Americans.
>> You pass me on the street and sneer in my direction.
>> You Call me "White boy," "Cracker," "Honkey,"
>> "Whitey," "Caveman" ... And that's OK.
>> But when I call you, Nigger, Kike, Towel head, Sand-nigger,
>> Camel Jockey, Beaner, Gook, or Chink ... You call me a
>>racist.
>> You say that whites commit a lot of violence against you,
>> So why are the ghettos the most dangerous places to live?
>> You have the United Negro College Fund. You have Martin
>>Luther King
>> Day. You have Black History Month. You have Cesar Chavez
>>Day. You
>> Have Yom Hashoah You have Ma'uled Al-Nabi You have the
>>NAACP.
>> You have BET.
>> If we had WET (White Entertainment Television) ... We'd be
>>racists.
>> If we had a White Pride Day . You would call us racists.
>> If we had White History Month .. We'd be racists.
>> If we had any organization for only whites to "advance" OUR
>>lives,
>> We'd be racists.
>> We have a Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, a Black Chamber of
>> Commerce, and then we just have the plain Chamber of
>>Commerce.
>> Wonder who pays for that?
>> If we had a college fund that only gave white students
>>scholarships
>> . You know we'd be racists. There are over 60 openly
>>proclaimed
>> Black Colleges in the US , yet if there were "White
>>colleges" .
>> THAT would be a racist college.
>> In the Million Man March, you believed that you were
>>marching
>> For your race and rights.
>> If we marched for our race and rights, you would call us
>>racists.
>> You are proud to be black, brown, yellow and orange, and
>>you're
>> Not afraid to announce it. But when we announce our white
>>pride
>> You call us racists.
>> You rob us, car jack us, and shoot at us. But, when a white
>>police officer
>> Shoots a black gang member or beats up a black drug-dealer
>>running
>> From the law and posing a threat to society . You call him a racist.
>> I am proud. But, you call me a racist.
>> Why is it that only whites can be racists?

It's Here!!!

    Well, I FINALLY got my new game last night at midnight! That's right, the new Final Fantasy is mine! It was a fairly small affair here, as the gamestore is in a small, mostly rual area.

 

         There were about 12 to 15 people waiting for the game at the local game store. I must say it was fairly subdued. Since I didn't feel like driving 100 miles to the closest "large city", we went to a small town to get my copy.

 

        The game is all I expected it to be, believe me. It borders on "next generation" graphics on this gen machine! It looks incredible, almost like a cg movie(computer generated), while it is running! I am enjoying it completely. Well, gotta go and save a world or two, later, guys!!!

 

              Holla' If You Hear Me!!!

"The World Waits"

   Last night I had the opportunity to watch a movie that I have been somewhat interested in for a while now. The name of said movie? "The Village".  Overall not too bad of a movie, but I am no critic, so I will leave the rating to them.

 

       In this movie, I heard what I think to be the stupidest thing I have ever heard before. One of the village "elders" was trying to explain why he had sent a blind girl out of the village for help. His excuse, she was in love! His line was this;"The world waits on love". "The world bows in awe before love."

 

         Excuse me? The world destroys love every chance it gets! The world has NEVER waited on love. The world has certainly NEVER bowed before love in awe! Ask Van Gogh, Romeo and Juliet, and many others. The world has NO TIME for such trivial shit as LOVE! The world stomps on love every chance it gets, and then laughs at it's demise. The world crushes love as surely as the sun rises every day!

 

         Don't believe in love, it will only lead to pain for you, and possibly others around you. "Love" is a myth, a unicorn looking to be found. It doesn't exist. It never has existed, and if it ever did, it was crushed long ago! "Love", what a stupid notion. You can never "love" someone, they will find a way to hurt you, or use that love against you to no good. "Love" is just evil with a different spelling. "Love", indeed!

 

              Holla' If You Hear Me!!!

Another Point of View

   Ok, so someone wrote me back with another link that gives some more info on the subject of the attacks on 9-11-01. Please, look in the "comments" section of my last post, and follow the link there. I am nothing if not fair. I believe ALL SIDES should be heard on an issue.

 

         I must say that I found the link informative, if nothing else. I would like to know where P.M. magazine(popular mechanics for those who don't know), has been for all the other plane crashes in the world? To hear them tell it, they have solved the entire controversy. Oh well, to each his/her own.

 

           Look, I never said that what happened didn't happen. I tried(unsuccessfully, it seems), to show that our government was, at best, negligent, and at worst, downright wrong. I don't profess to have all the answers; hell, I don't know if I have ANY answers, only theories.

 

        I only offer my way of looking at things. No one said that way was right, just my way, that's all. But, please, go to the P.M. site...they have some good answers also. It never hurts to get as many sides to a story as there are. And there seem to be many sides to this story!

 

                   Holla' If You Hear Me!!!