chipgreenberg
Well-known
Michael Markey
Veteran
Sounds really good Cal .
I was fortunate and retired at 55 .
Never looked back and I`ll be 70 in a few weeks .
Plenty to do to keep busy .... best to you and yours .
Michael Markey
Veteran
paulfish4570
Veteran
Sal Santamaura
Member
I haven't voted in person for decades. Permanent absentee mail system works fine. This year, I used a drop box three weeks ago and the tracking system indicated my ballot was counted the next day.
My stress relief approach today was to set up the temporary darkroom and make some prints. That too worked fine. Just finished cleaning everything up and will now sit down to watch returns come in. Fingers crossed.
My stress relief approach today was to set up the temporary darkroom and make some prints. That too worked fine. Just finished cleaning everything up and will now sit down to watch returns come in. Fingers crossed.
CMur12
Veteran
We've had mail-in voting for everyone in Washington for several years. No problems. I took mine to the local drop box, as I usually do.
- Murray
- Murray
wjlapier
Well-known
We decided to buy more guns and ammo tonight.
helen.HH
To Light & Love ...
No stress, Not voting ... not shy, intimidated , or embarrassed to say
Popular Vote is a myth, the Democracy kool aid
It all gets down to the Electoral College... those 538 votes are the Real Power, Sad but true
Popular Vote is a myth, the Democracy kool aid
It all gets down to the Electoral College... those 538 votes are the Real Power, Sad but true
zuiko85
Veteran
The missus and I are fortunate to have a paid off house (Although you never 'own' your home, just the right to pay property taxes....)
Housing is a problem everywhere. We have been back in our house for just over three years and in that time have provided temporary accommodation for two friends and a family of three, (not all at the same time). None of these friends were deadbeats or the cause of their housing distress, the circumstances just came upon them. The family arranged for housing at the beginning of October. Although I do enjoy now being able to dash from the bedroom to the laundry room in my underwear I know with present conditions we are probably playing host again sometime.
kshapero
South Florida Man
Montag006
Established
I agree and could not put it any better...
When I first saw the photo I was wondering 'how did you get the sky like that?'
M.C. Escher is a very good description
hap
Well-known
A decent observation.
Disappointed_Horse
Well-known
f.hayek
Well-known
I wish I had the mail-in ballots to throw at the antiFa rioters who destroyed the neighborhood where my business is located. I could have given it to the cops to throw but they weren't in much of a mood to do their jobs because I think its now illegal for them to do anything but gnaw on donuts.
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Hap,
Pretty much a questioneer that inquires about common things we already know: BMI; income; education; diet; exercise; do you smoke; do you drink; family medical history; current state of health; do you take any meds; do you have any underlying conditions...
Pretty much I do all the right things.
The biological age of 39 is kinda right, but the only giveaway that I might be older is a white chin beard, a salt and pepper moustach, and some grey on the sideburns. I also have a ponytail and thick hair that now reaches my navel. If I died my hair I could easily pass for an under 40 year old.
I am also a skinny bitch that basically has the body of say a 15 year old, 5'10" 139 pounds. I use to be a Welterweight, but now I would be classed as a "Super Lightweight." Resting blood pressure measured last night 100/60 48 BPM pulse, and I'm almost 63.
Because of Covid I have avoided the gym in my building. I bought a Kaepernack jersey that was a kid's size 15 on closeout. It fits like it was tailored for me.
When I was 60 I went to my high school reunion. Actuary's recommend that unless you need coverage for taking care of your family that buying life insurance between the ages of 40-55 is dumb because statistically there is a very low probability of dying. One reason is the reckless and risky behaviors of youth are mostly outgrown (IMHO some people never grow up), and even decades of drinking, smoking, not exercising, and eating badly does not catch up with you.
Then between the age of 55-65 half the people you knew in high school are expected to die. This envelope statistically presents that half (50%)of your high school friends will be dead before the age of 66.
So I think going back in time to re-aquaint with old friends was a mistake. The day after the reunion I cried. I had lost so many friends. My friend Richie basically drank himself to death. A few of my friends O.D'ed. Jim was killed in a car accident...
Then all these huge white boys (Irish and Italians) that were my friends that were much bigger than me aged poorly. Guys that were 2,3 and 4 inches taller than me had shrunk, while I had not. The weight gain made all of them unrecognizable. Somehow I became taller than them.
One girl asked me if I was at the right reunion because I did not look like I belonged there. I did the research and found out that alcohol and especially binge drinking effects calcuim metabolism and can cause os-T-PORE-O-sis. This is why I remained the same height.
30% of Asians do not have the M-zine to break down alcohol and I am one of them.
So what was the sadist is that my friend's kinda did not change much over the decades and in many ways did not grow up. It was as if I was some grand explorer because I left the suburbs of Long Island behind and created an interesting life challenged with struggle and adventure. In a ways my friends threw away their lives by living in a self contained bubble. Many-many lived in the same town where we went to high school or a neighboring town.
Again my dad who was poor, uneducated, and had a brutal life lived to 94. When I'm 72 my school loans will be all paid off. I have an art school degree, a Masters in TV broadcast Journalism and Screenwriting, and a MFA in Creative Writing.
Both of my parents BTW were Diabetics, and this early on made me aware that it was on me to maintain my health. As far as the strength of my genes there is no family history of Cancer. I saw the future and the scars of poverty and how this effected quality of life.
I don't rely on vitamins, but I eat healthy and clean.
As a researcher IMHO I say that if we wanted to half the price of healthcare that much disease could be moderated by just diet and exercise, productivity and quality of life would improve, but our government supports and in effect supports big business rather than protect the general public.
Healthcare is big business and a huge part of our economy. My taking care of my self is on an individual level, but in many ways my ideas are "radical" because it is so much against government policy. Our government does not promote good health, and in fact it subsidizes and promotes ill health instead of disease prevention.
I'll stop.
Cal
paulfish4570
Veteran
very interesting, cal, and provocative, and incisive.
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
K,
The truth is that I have faced death and danger many-many times.
I practice no organized faith, but I do believe in "Divine Intervention," otherwise I would be dead.
I could have been killed many times. Facing death and confronting it changed my life. I embraced risk perhaps in a self destructive manner perhaps even to the point of pursuing it.
Hard to explain the culture of trauma. Also when you have little to loose one embraces risk. I have had an edgy life where I should have been killed or died.
One twisted way to think about it is about asserting control to avoid despair.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Paul,
As Americans we have choices. Sadly at times we don't always make the best ones.
Also I don't blame the government. As Americans each individual should take responsibility for their health or in the least take some responsibility instead of relying on government and modern medicine for quality of life.
Is not being an American about having choices?
Government policy is only partially to blame.
I am not Jewish, but I feel blessed as being chosen, and by leading and extending an example to others. Not everyone can escape poverty, but I did.
Truth be told, I am a grandson of a murderer who was executed in China who killed the loan-shark who burned down my grandfather's business in Canton, China.
My dad was the oldest sibling and at the age of thirteen took care of his mother and 6-7 younger siblings.
I am a first generation American. My story is about an immigrant family, and is one of those New York stories one hears about. While not everyone achieves this what made me understand this more fully was Angelo.
Angelo is a PhD RadioChemist that I worked with. A Post-Doc is a term used for training someone just out of school who attained his PhD. This training and work experience typically is 3-4 years, and after this expires Post-Docs are expected to move on. The culture is that it is rare for Post-Docs to get job offers to continue their employment.
Add onto this is that the compensation recieved is so marginal that here in NYC hospitals provide housing. In many ways these Post-Docs are expected to "slave-away" and the system of exploitation is not so different from "share-cropping."
Angelo had problems with U.S. immigration. Understand that he is highly educated and really worthy as a highly skilled worker, but we don't want him. I asked Angelo why he was so desperate to remain in the U.S., and mentioned that going back to Italy was not a death sentence.
"There is great-great culture, food and beautiful women," I said.
"You don't understand," he said, and he went on to explain that here in the U.S. there are so many more choices and opportunities.
Anyways it opened my eyes.
Also about 15-18 years ago I got this investment newsletter just before July 4th. A point was made at that time that if you are an American and do the math that you were one in 25 as far as world population goes and extremely lucky because half the world's people lives in poverty.
I only have to think if I lived in China...
So although I will be paying off my school loans till I'm 72 I want to say that I am greatfull for the opportunity, not that it did not take hard work.
Also I would like to repeat what Mike said, I'm glad you are here, and you too are a survivor.
Cal
raid
Dad Photographer
I recall that Saddam Hussein used to get 99% of the popular vote in Iraq
Then he would hunt down those 1% that supposedly did not vote for him.
Kool Aid or not beats it.
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Mike,
Many thanks.
For me retirement is like being 17 again. I was worried and unsure of what to do with my life and the future was fraught.
Now it seems I am less worried about my own future, but my concern for others has grown.
Hard to forget where I came from...
Cal