Ahh, No Electricity for About 24 Hours.....

I think most of us are so pampered, to use that word, that we feel the world has come to an end if we don't have electricity for a while. Yes, I'm in that category. At these times we need to remind ourselves that our service people are serving where the temperatures are 100-plus degrees and they're wearing flak jackets and packs and such. And, it's every day and they're being shot at. 

Anyway, for anyone who may stumble across this entry other than my neighbors, we live in Virginia Beach, Virginia and our neighborhood is Lake Shores. And yes we have a lake and of course, shores to go with it.

Last night we had a violent storm, period! Then there was a heck of an explosion or the sound of an explosion and the electricity was out. I don't know how our entire neighborhood fared, though at least couple of trees were down just around the corner.

Two neighbors and I sat in the yard, in the shade, sipping coffee from Dunkin Donuts and watched the show start. There was a sign off of the main highway that said Road Closed or some such thing. And, yes, folks ignored the sign. Sooooo, of course, then there was the problem of turning around. We chuckled and referred to them as idiots. If any of you who ignored the sign, are reading this, yep...that's what we called you. And, two cars almost backed into each trying to turn around.

A few comments about my snaps. The composition is what it is. You know, regular ordinary amateur stuff. That said, the camera is the first Ricoh digital that's about 15 years old???? And, it's a fixed 28mm lens...and some of the snaps are heavily cropped. I used aperture preferred...not sure of the aperture and 800 for the speed. Sooooo, don't expect great resolution or sharpness. But, hey, it gave me something to do. Also, photography aficionados claim this camera has a film-like quality. There's nothing wrong with your monitors, yes the snaps are black and white.

Now, if I had it to do over again I would have gotten my camera sooner so I could take snaps of the idiots ignoring the sign and I would have gotten closer to all of the activity...gotten closeups of the workers and such and taken snaps of the trucks and the equipment. Also, taken a few snaps of the fallen trees. But, hope I don't have the chance for a do-over.

Dang, I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the great work by River City Construction Company headquartered in North Carolina. At first there seemed to be a lot of standing around and pointing. That said, wow, when those fellows starting working they truly worked and more than earned their money. Thanks to them all!!!

EDIT: When we were referring to you folks as idiots, we, of course, meant that in a kind, loving, and neighborly way. We, of course, were not being judgemental or hateful. You folks were our idiots....

EDIT...again. For my neighbors in Lake Shores, at the top of my blog is a snap of the dreaded Burnt Orange Subaru Hatchback!

RIP, Dr. Charles Krauthammer....

What would you do, if at 22 and in medical school, with your life ahead of you, if you dove into a pool and became paralyzed from the neck down?

Thankfully, I never had to make that decision and most of us don't. I know I, and most of us would have never been able to accomplish half of what Krauthammer accomplished.

He finished medical school, became a psychiatrist and then devoted his life to journalism.

Here is his last commentary.

Do yourselves a favor and watch this video of remembrance and George Will's thoughts about Krauthammer.


As Charles wrote, Ankiel’s saga illustrated “the catastrophe that awaits everyone from a single false move, wrong turn, fatal encounter. Every life has such a moment. What distinguishes us is whether — and how — we ever come back.”

"I believe that the pursuit of truth and right ideas through honest debate and rigorous argument is a noble undertaking."

Here's the Amazon link to his book, "Things That Matter: Three Decades of Passions, Pastimes and Politics/

This from an interview with Dana Parino as found on Amazon.  

DP: Do you think that your training as a psychiatrist has given you an advantage when observing people in politics?

CK: Actually, no. Psychiatry has everything to say about mental illness, very little to say about ordinary life. It offers no magical formulas for understanding human behavior beyond what any lay person can see. Although I do like to joke that there's not much difference in what I do today as a political analyst in Washington from what I used to do as a psychiatrist in Boston—in both lines of work, I deal every day with people who suffer from paranoia and delusions of grandeur. The only difference is that the paranoids in Washington have access to nuclear weapons.

DP: Given the mention in your essay, and because I have a gut feeling that we’re on the same page, what is your preferred style on serial commas?

CK: With commas the rule should always be: the fewer the better. They are a scourge, a pestilence upon the land. They must be given no quarter. When you list three things, it should be written: a, b and c. If you see a comma after the "b"—call 911 immediately.

If we were checking out today and had a few moments of reflection, how would we view our life? If allowed a do-over what changes would we make? Given that there are no do-overs, what should we do from here on with our lives, so that we do not add to our lists of regrets? Regrets of things we did and regrets of things we didn't do.

EDIT: OK, OK, no more serials commas for me!