Thursday, November 24, 2011

some history

yep it is that time of year again

Thanksgiving.

well I am of Native American descent and I do not feel it is a good day.

I think of the millions of lives slaughtered directly and indirectly and am not thankful.

I think of the lands stolen and am not thankful.

I think of the cultures and languages lost and am not thankful.

I think of the deceit and lies and am not thankful.

So each bite of your feasts is an insult to all the lives lost.

every time you say -happy thanksgiving- it is an insult and slap in the face to the chidren forced from their homes and into a culture that spit on them and tortured them.

yes this is my point of view but it is based on truth

So enjoy your meal and your happy times and I will mourn the dead

and if you think I am insulting you and your traditions... well I can live with that

after all, I have learned history and do not deny it

and I will not pretend and celebrate anything that is based on murder, deceit and greed.

meanwhile, every other day but this one, I will be thankful to God for every blessing he given me.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Why I Like Retirement !!!

Why I Like Retirement !!!

Question: How many days in a week?
Answer: 6 Saturdays, 1 Sunday



Question: When is a retiree's bedtime?
Answer: Three hours after he falls asleep on the couch.


Question: How many retirees to change a light bulb?
Answer: Only one, but it might take all day.



Question: What's the biggest gripe of retirees?
Answer: There is not enough time to get everything done.


Question: Why don't retirees mind being called Seniors?
Answer: The term comes with a 10% discount.



Question: Among retirees what is considered formal attire?
Answer: Tied shoes.


Question: Why do retirees count pennies?
Answer: They are the only ones who have the time.



Question: What is the common term for someone who enjoys work and refuses to retire?
Answer: NUTS!


Question: Why are retirees so slow to clean out the basement, attic or garage?
Answer: They know that as soon as they do, one of their adult kids will want to store stuff there.



Question: What do retirees call a long lunch?
Answer: Normal .


Question: What is the best way to describe retirement?
Answer: The never ending Coffee Break.


Question: What's the biggest advantage of going back to school as a retiree?
Answer: If you cut classes, no one calls your parents.



Question: Why does a retiree often say he doesn't miss work, but misses the people he used to work with?
Answer: He is too polite to tell the whole truth.



And, my very favourite....
QUESTION: What do you do all week?
Answer: Monday through Friday, NOTHING..... Saturday & Sunday, I rest.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

mean kitties!


lol! they do NOT like being touched!

Monday, November 21, 2011

sent by a friend; space from a balloon

This story gives the term 'Test Pilot' a whole new meaning!!

Joe Kittinger is not a household aviation name like Neil Armstrong or Chuck Yeager. But what he did for the U. S. space program is comparable. On Aug. 16, 1960, as research for the then-fledgling U. S. space program, Air Force Captain Joseph Kittinger rode a helium balloon to the edge of space, 102,800 feet above the earth, a feat in itself.

Then, wearing just a thin pressure suit and breathing supplemental oxygen, he leaned over the cramped confines of his gondola and jumped -- into the 110-degree-below-zero, near-vacuum of space. Within seconds his body accelerated to 714 mph in the thin air, breaking the sound barrier.

After free-falling for more than four and a half minutes, slowed finally by friction from the heavier air below, he felt his parachute open at 14,000 feet, and he coasted gently down to the New Mexico desert floor. Kittinger's feat showed scientists that astronauts could survive the harshness of space with just a pressure suit and that man could eject from aircraft at extreme altitudes and survive.

Upon Kittinger's return to base, a congratulatory telegram was waiting from the Mercury seven astronauts - including Alan Shepard and John Glenn. More than four decades later Kittinger's two world records - the highest parachute jump, and the only man to break the sound barrier without an aircraft and live - still stand. We decided to visit the retired colonel and Aviation Hall of Famer, now 75, at his home in Altamonte Springs, Florida, to recall his historic jump.

FORBES GLOBAL: Take us back to New Mexico and Aug. 16, 1960.

Joe Kittinger: We got up at 2 am to start filling the helium balloon. At sea level, it was 35 to 40 feet wide and 200 feet high; at altitude, due to the low air pressure, it expanded to 25 stories in width, and still was 20 stories high!

At 4 am I began breathing pure oxygen for two hours. That's how long it takes to remove all the nitrogen from your blood so you don't get the bends going so high so fast. Then it was a lengthy dress procedure layering warm clothing under my pressure suit. They kept me in air-conditioning until it was time to launch because we were in the desert and I wasn't supposed to sweat. If I did, my clothes would freeze on the way up.


How was your ascent?

It took an hour and a half to get to altitude. It was cold. At 40,000 feet, the glove on my right hand hadn't inflated. I knew that if I radioed my doctor, he would abort the flight. If that happened, I knew I might never get another chance because there were lots of people who didn't want this test to happen.

I took a calculated risk, that I might lose use of my right hand. It quickly swelled up, and I did lose use for the duration of the flight. But the rest of the pressure suit worked. When I reached 102,800 feet, maximum altitude, I wasn't quite over the target.

So I drifted for 11 minutes. The winds were out of the east. What's it look like from so high up? You can see about 400 miles in every direction. The formula is 1.25 x the sq. root of the altitude in thousands of feet. (The square root of 102,000 ft is 319 X 1.25 = 399 miles) The most fascinating thing is that it's just black overhead--the transition from normal blue to black is very stark. You can't see stars because there's a lot of glare from the sun, so your pupils are too small. I was struck with the beauty of it. But I was also struck by how hostile it is: more than 100 degrees below zero, no air. If my protection suit failed, I would be dead in a few seconds. Blood actually boils above 62, 000 feet.

I went through my 46-step checklist, disconnected from the balloons power supply and lost all communication with the ground. I was totally under power from the kit on my back. When everything was done, I stood up, turned around to the door, took one final look out and said a silent prayer: "Lord, take care of me now." Then I just jumped over the side.


What were you thinking as you took that step?

It's the beginning of a test. I had gone through simulations many times--more than 100. I rolled over and looked up, and there was the balloon just roaring into space. I realized that the balloon wasn't roaring into space; I was going down at a fantastic rate! At about 90,000 feet, I reached 714 mph.

The altimeter on my wrist was unwinding very rapidly. But there was no sense of speed. Where you determine speed is visual--if you see something go flashing by. But nothing flashes by 20 miles up--there are no signposts there, and you are way above any clouds. When the chute opened, the rest of the jump was anticlimactic because everything had worked perfectly. I landed 12 or 13 minutes later, and there was my crew waiting. We were elated.

How about your right hand?

It hurt--there was quite a bit of swelling and the blood pressure in my arm was high. But that went away in a few days, and I regained full use of my hand.

What about attempts to break your record?

We did it for air crews and astronauts--for the learning, not to set a record.

They will be going up as skydivers. Somebody will beat it someday. Records are made to be broken.. And I'll be elated. But I'll also be concerned that they're properly trained. If they're not, they're taking a heck of a risk.

Dear Dad

Dear Dad
Letter home from school...

Dear Dad,

$chool i$ really great. I am making lot$ of friend$ and $tudying very hard. With all my $tuff, I $imply can't think of anything I need, $o if you would like, you can ju$t $end me a card, a$ I would love to hear from you.

Love,
Your $on.


A week later..... a letter from "home"

Dear Son,

I kNOw that astroNOmy, ecoNOmics, and oceaNOgraphy are eNOugh to keep even an hoNOr student busy. Do NOt forget that the pursuit of kNOwledge is a NOble task, and you can never study eNOugh.

Love,
Dad

Useful Military Warnings

Useful Military Warnings

"Aim towards the Enemy." - Instruction printed on U.S. Rocket Launcher

"When the pin is pulled, Mr. Grenade is not our friend." - U.S. Army

"Cluster bombing from B-52s is very, very accurate. The bombs are guaranteed to always hit the ground." - U.S.A.F. Ammo Troop

"If the enemy is in range, so are you." - Infantry Journal

"A slipping gear could let your M203 grenade launcher fire when you least expect it. That would make you quite unpopular in what's left of your unit." - Army's magazine of preventive maintenance

"It is generally inadvisable to eject directly over the area you just bombed." - U.S. Air Force Manual

"Try to look unimportant; they may be low on ammo." - Infantry Journal

"Tracers work both ways." - U.S. Army Ordnance

"Five-second fuses only last three seconds." - Infantry Journal

"Bravery is being the only one who knows you're afraid." - Col. David Hackworth

"If your attack is going too well, you're probably walking into an ambush." - Infantry Journal

"No combat-ready unit has ever passed inspection." - Joe Gay

"Any ship can be a minesweeper ... once." - Anonymous

"Never tell the Platoon Sergeant you have nothing to do." - Unknown Army Recruit

"Don't draw fire; it irritates the people around you." - Your Buddies

(And lastly)

"If you see a bomb technician running, try to keep up with him." - U.S. Ammo Troop

Sunday, November 20, 2011

must a woman be able to cook to be a -real- woman?

I am so tired of hearing about how men want a woman who can cook.

I have tried to learn how to cook for the past 35 years.... I am SORRY BUT I CANNOT cook!!

Oh I know how to make things and can follow a recipe but it does not turn out well. edible... eh, yeah but tasty? not really tantalizing taste buds.

I mean really, what is it with the so called women's work anyhow?

why not simply look for someone to complete you?

or even better, someone to SHARE your life? and if that someone cannot cook either at least you will suffer together!

Saturday, November 19, 2011

what would happen if....

corporations decided to no longer sell their products in America?

The occupiers would have -won- but I would LOVE to see their faces when they realize their Ipads and Ipones no longer worked.

After all, I would not be where I was no longer wanted...

what about you?

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Found a little blog today HERE and there were some interesting questions asked, so I thought I'd share my answers.

Questions

1. Where would you take the blogger group for a chat, if they came to your house?
Well we could sit in my kitchen but I do not have a kitchen table yet. We could sit in the living room but I do not have a couch yet. So I guess we would have to sit on my nice big front porch or we could start a fire in the back yard and sit in camping chairs and the hammock and roast marshmallows, drink drinks, play some music.... all AFTER I managed to convince that they would be LEARNING by working in my raised beds! lol!


2. How do you handle "toxic people"? They're the ones that are very difficult to be around and generally don't bring out the best in us.
I become THEM to THEM. Takers HATE being mistaken for givers. I know, I'm mean. lol! But what can I say? it's fun to watch them run away and I do not have to deal with any of the stress of trying to avoid them.


3. In high school, were you the athlete, the cheerleader (actual or just your personality), the geek, the social butterfly, or lost?
I was and still unique. none of the above, I associated with all those groups and usually got along with everyone. There were only two girls in high school I did not get along with and to this day I am sure it was because they were jealous of me. lol! Jealous because I got along with everyone and they were absolute snobs and could NOT understand why anyone of THEIR friends and "status" could even begin to lower themselves to admit I existed. However, I was tickled that my mere presence seems to send them off into fits. It was very empowering. Why they allowed me that type of power over them, I do not know. But I did take full advantage of it and tormented them every chance I got.

4. What's your favorite thing made from apples?
fried apple pies. I wish I could make them like Mrs. Vozel use to.

5. Do you do most of your shopping in stores or online?
UGH! in stores. But Amazon is quickly becoming my new "go to" place for those things I do not need immediately.