Musings and Meanderings

Merry Christmas Commentary. Bob Scheiffer If I wished you a merry Christmas, some would say, `Well, how improper. He's throwing his religion in my face.' But I hope I'm not, because to me the Christmas story is a message of love and forgiveness. To me, that means tolerance and respect for others. These are wonderful thoughts but no more admirable than Judaism's emphasis on values or Islam's command to help the poor, which to me are just different ways of saying the same thing. I have come to believe that all the great religions are basically true, all part of the same peace, a conclusion I neither ask nor expect anyone to share. If it matters to you, I am a believer but, like Kirkegaard, I am suspicious of all organized religion because too often it professes to know the mind of God and who could know that? To me, the greatest misunderstanding of religion is held by those who try to impose their beliefs on others and teach their children they are somehow

Quote of the day, perhaps the Millenium "Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming, "WOO HOO what a ride!"

Round Two is over I just got home from the "round of three" interview with Technical Business Solutions. I shant even hazard how I did, as the last time I though I did poorly and I did well. All I can say is that I just did the same basic thing in this interview. Just presented myself and sold Me as the person who was the solution to their needs. Needless to say when you go from 15 to three candidates the final three are all qualified. So it's purely one in three if I get the job. Hopefully Santa will bring me the Christmas Present I really want. A job.

Did something really Dumb today. I bent over to pick up a chair, as I would have done if I was 20 yrs younger. My lowest back just went SPRONG! Ouch ouch ouch ouch. I took a hot shower and sat in with the back massager on with heat before work. Then I squated down at work and reagrivated it. After sitting for a quick bite at the managers' desk in back tightened the muscles up so much I could barely stand, but it worked it self out as I walked around. One of the guys at work told me to put my car seat verticle so I did that driving home at 11 tonight and I was actually able to get out of the car. I'm sure I'll be much better tomorrow after a good night's rest.

Just got the call From my headhunter, I have officially made the cut with Technical Business Solutions (see Nov 30 entry) and my next interview is Dec 16th at 2pm. What was 12 is now 3 candidates... Think really good thoughts for me at that time.

20 Amazing Facts About Voting in the USA Did you know.... 80% of all votes in America are counted by only two companies: Diebold and ES&S. http://www.onlinejournal.com/evoting/042804Landes/042804landes.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diebold There is no federal agency with regulatory authority or oversight of the U.S. voting machine industry. http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0916-04.htm http://www.onlinejournal.com/evoting/042804Landes/042804landes.html The vice-president of Diebold and the president of ES&S are brothers. http://www.americanfreepress.net/html/private_company.html http://www.onlinejournal.com/evoting/042804Landes/042804landes.html The chairman and CEO of Diebold is a major Bush campaign organizer and donor who wrote in 2003 that he was "committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president next year." http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/07/28/sunday/main632436.shtml http://www.wishtv.com/Global/story.

A real THRILLER last night The house next door to us burned down. Started while Alex was at Boy Scouts, I was at work, and Liza driving home. Liza said she came around the corner, saw the trucks, ladders and smoke, and was out of the car before it went into park. Lucky for us (one of many lucky things) our friend Floyd the Scoutmaster for the troop that Alex and I are involved in is also in the water dept, so he was on the scene to calm her down. He explained things to her as they happened and took extra care to check our roof for any embers. Major kudo's go out to Floyd for his help in keeping Liza from going nuts last night. Alex went back to Aunt Sue's after the meeting and I got a call at work about 8:15 or so. Went out this am to take these pictures. Looks like the fire started in the back of the house and moved forward. There is lots of siding on our grass, and the fence got knocked down, but there seems to be no heat damage to our house or the one on the other s