The Eagle Has(n't) Landed (Jack Higgins)... The Duck Has!

                                                    

The Chrysler Museum, in the background, is Norfolk's greatest attraction. The museum recently opened after extensive renovations.  To help celebrate, the Duck came to town. Had interesting comments to our local online paper: Yes, many making fun of the Duck.  Some questioning, What is art, and so on?

It seemed a great day for all. Everyone seemed in a good mood and, of course, wanted their picture taken with the Duck. The place was mobbed...I parked about a mile from the Duck.

Note: I took a bunch of black and white snaps. Yes, they were all of folks taking and having their pictures taken. Not sure what happened, the composition was OK but they looked like the devil. Washed out and one looked as though a piece of the Duck's head was missing. My processing software is basic and I'm not skilled. So, unless I can figure out a way of saving them, then this is it.

Do You Know Who Christopher Hitchens Is? If Not, You Should!

You know how we buy T-shirts: Vette, Ford, Mustang, Chevy, Bud, and so on.Well, I always wondered about that. Why would I spend my money to promote someone else's product? That surely doesn't make any sense, does it?

Then there's the Jeff Gordon, Red Skins, and so on.....which is a little more understandable. Also, there's the college T-shirts and the travel T-shirts; I went to France and want you to know it.
 
This photo/snap is a T-shirt I just bought. Yep, Hitch Slap!  Yes, Christopher Hitchens.

I do on occasion buy T-shirts that have a message. Yes, that have something to say. And, I couldn't resist this one. I'm not sure what I expect to happen. Maybe, someday I'll be wearing it and someone will ask me about it and I'll have the opportunity to engage them in conversation. Well, that most likely won't happen, but what the heck, it's possible.

Where was I? Though Hitch has written many books, his best known is god is not Great.    

Like many of us, I get these emails saying I can have lunch with the President. Yep, pony up $5,000 and so on. Terrific.


Occasionally, the question will be posed, who would you like to have dinner with? Or have a beer with? Out of everyone out there? Who would you chose?

Well, if he were still alive, my first choice would be Christopher Hitchens.

I'm not going to go on and on about Mr. Hitchens. What I will say, if you don't know about Mr. Hitchens, you should. Here's a good place to start.

Hwy 55....Great Food, Reasonable Prices, Terrific Old-Time Ambiance, Pleasant Staff, and Attentive Servers.....

Have been a little under the weather lately. Wanted to get out today, temperatures in low 70s, bright sky with no overcast.

Went by Sea Shore State Park for a few minutes and then off to Hwy 55.

Got what I think is called the Andy Burger...though could be wrong. Anyway, it's a huge cheeseburger with a ton of fries.

Lauren, my waitress, is on summer break from Quinnipiac University where she is pursuing a Ph.D. in physical therapy.

Quinnipiac sound familiar? Yep, they are the folks who do all the polls.

Thanks Lauren for putting up with an old guy.

All in all, a pleasant day.

I'm enjoying using black and white. I used the original GR, often called GRI, ASA 400, and little PP.

BTW, He is still alive. But, Hey, you guys knew that, didn't you?

Don't Want To Go To Hell?....This Limited-Time Offer is For the Original Real Get-Out-Of-Hell Card! Quantities Limited!

Folks, do you really want to end-up in Hell? Seriously, you go to church every Sunday, tithe a little, maybe even go to a Bible study group...you know, all of these efforts are to stay out of Hell and to go to the good place.

Yep, you want to join God and Jesus, angels, and heck, maybe even the Holy Spirit. But, what if you're a little lacking? You know, you've SINNED!  Maybe even by accident, but, accident or not, hey, you're going to Hell, with Mr. Bad, the Devil. And, as we all know, you're going to burn in Hell for an eternity. Folks, there's no way out..... Well, there wasn't until recently.

Listen closely.

This is the genuine, real-deal, Get-Out-of-Hell card. This is not an imitation like you see all the time on late-night TV. This is the real deal.

This card has been anointed and prayed over. This is not some cheaply made paper Get-Out-of-Hell card. No, this is the only Get-Out-of-Hell card that you have can faith in. Yes, this is the one that maybe your neighbors have talked about.

Some of the cheaper ones that aren't even made in the good old USA will not work. We hear horror stories about those cards all the time.

Listen, no, we aren't saying you can go out there and sin with impunity??? Well, OK, maybe we are.

Listen, we want you to lead a blessed life in the name of our holy Father and Jesus, but we do understand that dang, we just have to sin sometimes, you know what we mean. No, no, aren't exactly advocates of sin....we really aren't. Well, not actually.

I guess the Get-Out-of-Hell card is the same as an insurance policy. Just like you insure your house and car...you don't want to have a wreck or have your house burn, but it's a just in-case.

And, please remember, presently we can only help you if you have the card when you need it. Don't try and order when you're on your way.... Yes, we are working on that but it will be a while and pretty pricey.

To buy your card visit our website for full information.

Get-Out-of-Hell Card.DON'TGOTOHELL.com

No Frill Grill....Dinner With Mr. Charlie..........

Sage Jennings, 21, helped us with our orders. Did a great job. Sage has been working at the No Frill Grill in Virginia Beach (there's a No Frill in Norfolk) since he was 15! He's presently taking acting lessons and hopes to one day....well, be an actor. He also has an interest in stand-up comedy. A nice young fellow.

As you can see, tonight is a black and white night. I used the original GR digital, that most people call GRI. The snaps are either ASA 400 or 800 with little post processing.

For the past couple of years we've been meeting at the No Frill Grill in Virginia Beach.

Mr. Charlie? Mr. Charlie and I met 20-plus years ago at Virginia Beach Emergency Services. Some of the clients had trouble pronouncing Charlie's last name and referred to him as, yes, Mr. Charlie. Over the years we've met for lunch or dinner. For a time once a week....and, now I guess every few months. It's always great to see Charlie.

Charlie had fish tacos and I had flounder. My snap of the flounder wasn't all that good....so, here's my flounder with Charlie's tacos.

We both enjoyed our meals and as mentioned above Sage provided great attentive service.

Though we rarely get desert, for some reason we split a brownie topped with ice cream and whipped cream. Yes, it was pretty good.

 A great evening......

So Glad to Be an American and Living in the USA.... Sharia Law Comes to Brunei.

Photo taken September 13, 2001, Norfolk, Virginia.

Do I have complaints about my country? Of course. I think most of us do.

One of my biggest is our political system. It needs a complete overhaul. The way it is now you can't get elected unless you have money-a lot of money. And, how do our politicians pay back the people who are forking over the money to get  them elected?

We need a political system that doesn't have fundraising, period!

And, wise guy, how would that work? Well, I have a few ideas, but that's not the purpose of these few words.

Do I get up in the morning and pray to a god that I'm grateful for living in the US? Nope, actually I don't pray, period. And, while it may not sound like much to many of us, that's a pretty big deal when you look around the world and see what other people have to put up with. Yes, being killed because they believe in the wrong god.

When I read the article on CNN about Brunei going to sharia law, did I know where Brunei is? No, I do now. Yes, it's on the island of Borneo.

What follows is from the CNN article:

Brunei has become the first East Asian country to adopt sharia law, despite widespread condemnation from international human rights groups.

The Islamic criminal law is set to include punishments such as flogging, dismemberment and death by stoning for crimes such as rape, adultery and sodomy. The religious laws will operate alongside the existing civil penal code.

The country already follows a more conservative Islamic rule than neighboring Muslim-dominated countries like Indonesia and Malaysia, and has implemented strict religiously-motivated laws, such as the banning of the sale of alcohol.
Consensual sex between homosexuals will also be criminalized, with death by stoning the prescribed punishment.

A number of UN studies have revealed that women are more likely to be sentenced to death by stoning, due to deeply entrenched discrimination and stereotyping against them.

****************************************************************

September 13, 2001, Norfolk, Virginia. Flags half-mast.

So, anyway folks, I'm glad I live in a country where if I wanted, I can shout out, "Fuck all gods." And, our government can't haul me away, chop off my arms, behead me, or stone me. Yes, I'm sure there are a few of my religious brothers and sisters who might smack me around or shoot me, but at least my government will leave me alone. Would I actually want to say that? Of course not. I don't believe in gods, so it'd be kind of silly to say something like that. And, folks, when you look at many parts of our world, that's a pretty big deal.Yes, to say what we want when we want.

Every once in a while we should all think about all the the rights and privileges we have. And, truly appreciate them. And, heck, if you are so inclined, you can pray to any god you want and give him or her credit for it all. We live in America folks and that's allowed.

If you haven't met Pat Condell, now might be a good time. He has lots to say about lots of things, and yes, he covers sharia law.

Gosh, Ain't Psychics Something....

Ahh, a gloomy, overcast, rain-in-the-forecast Monday. Surely not a day for getting on the road. In fact, the next five days are looking about the same. Psychics, anyone?

My use of the word psychic includes so-called fortune tellers, mediums, clairvoyants, palm readers, astrologers, well....you get the idea. Yep, I'm lumping them all under the banner of psychic. Yes, those folks who can talk to the dead and predict the future. You know the ones I mean.

Some have even have/had their own TV programs. John Edward (just checked, now changing $850 for a reading or whatever it is they call them), and there was of course, Sylvia Browne who was a regular on Montel Williams' TV show. Yes, Sylvia is no longer with us (don't speak ill of the dead, George); I'm sure she's up there hanging-out with her spirit guide. Just checked Sylvia's site, yes, her son Chris is only charging $175; what a deal.

I know why some of you seek out psychics. Sadly, many of us are looking for answers about our deceased loved ones. Are they in a heaven-like place and how are they doing? Folks, you aren't going to learn anything by paying a psychic. Though I of course have no exact figures, I understand Browne had a two-year waiting list. Yes, and she charged about $700 for twenty minutes or so of phone time. Take a look here for everything about Sylvia Browne.

OK, OK, yes, I know, you've seen them on TV and dang, they seem to know about us and our relatives. They do?

Most folks would categorize what these so-called psychics (SCP) do as being cold, warm, or hot readings. Cold readings are exactly what it sounds like, they have no information about you. Warm, yes they know something about you. Most of the time when you go on TV with these folks or pay to see them you will fill out a card. Yep, a little about yourself and who you are trying to contact. Hot readings are a little more devious. Yes, this is when the SCP actually does a little research about you. With all of the so-called social media out there it's fairly easy to find out specific things about many of us, by going to Face Book and other social media places.

Folks, there are only three ways that a SCP will know anything about you: you'll tell them, you filled out a card, they did a little research, or they made a "good hit" (this is when a guess proves to be true). That's it. Folks, there has never ever been any proof that anyone has psychic abilities. Period!

OK, let's see. Here's how it usually starts, I see a J. Let's assume there's 100 people or so in the audience.

Now, how many folks out there are named John, Joan, Jeff, Jill, Jason, and so on.

I'm here about Uncle John.

I see that he's crossed over. (I doubt many people go to these SCPs seeking information about someone who is alive.)

Oh, yes.

I see that at the end he was having heart problems. (How do people die? Their heart stops? They stop breathing? Do the psychics ever say, I see a blood clot in his left leg, that went to his brain? Or, Wow that was a horrible crash on Interstate 95 just outside of Richmond.)

Yes.

He wants you to know that he's doing well and is happy.

Oh. I'm so thankful.

I'm seeing a, ahh, a pet. (most of us have pets...notice the SCP didn't say I see a Collie named Fred.)

Oh, yes. That's Jake, Uncle John's dog.

Yes, he's saying that he and Jake are doing well. I'm seeing something about a hobby (many of us have hobbies or at least are interested in something.)

Oh, Uncle John had a stamp collection. He spent a lot of time on it.

Yes, Uncle John is saying that he hopes someone is enjoying his stamp collection.

Oh, yes, his son Mike is taking good care of it.

Uncle John is saying that he knew Mike would enjoy it.

OK, this is all pretty simplistic, but that's how it works folks.

Now, let's say there's a really bad hit. The SCP calls out Martin and no one responds. Simple. Please, there is a Martin. I am definitely seeing a Martin, Maurice, Mary....

Oh, yes. Mary. I'm here about Mary.

Mary wasn't a school teacher, was she?  (You can't lose when asking a question like this.)

No, she was a nurse.

Yes, that's what was coming through, I didn't think she was a school teacher.

Or, the SCP could have said, Yes, there is a Martin. Think about it when you get home.

********

Why don't you use your psychic abilities to pick lotto numbers, horse races, and so on?

Oh, I'd never use my abilities to make money. That's not ethical. I'm sure I don't have to point-out the obvious hypocrisy.

You folks, who could be called the sitters, I believe that's the correct term, supply all of the information, that's then thrown back to you.

********

Think about this for a minute, you've crossed over and all of a sudden there's someone who you can communicate with, who can pass your thoughts to your family and loved-ones. What are you going to say?

Honey, I'm sorry I was such an ass just before I died.

I had hidden some money in an old tackle box. It's on the top shelf in my workshop. It's red.

Make sure Fred (friend) gets my 12 gauge.

Tell Bobby I think he should go in the Air Force not the Army.

Hey, you guys, don't neglect my garden.

Pamela, I really miss your cooking. No one up here makes lasagna like you.

I'm trying to get transferred out of here. There's too much damn praying.

Jenny, watch the bills, your credit cards are getting way up there.

********

James Randi has a million bucks waiting for the first SCP who can prove they have psychic abilities. Why hasn't one come forward? Well, actually they have...and, yes, Mr. Randi still has his million bucks.

Just did an Internet search: Honest Certified Psychic, one place advertises that all of their psychics have a Ph.D..

Well, can't top this one......  OY VEY! I Am A Nice Jewish Psychic Love Coach & Reiki Healing Nudist...  folks, no, I didn't make this one up. Honest.

And, who are these people? Well, I surely don't know; however, I'd guess that some of them actually think they have some special powers. Most of them I'd have to say are just outright charlatans preying on our vulnerable citizens. Sadly, many of the folks who go to these SCP are trying to come to grips with the death of a loved one. And, the psychics are there to prey on them. And, prey they do.

********

We should never blame the victim. In this case, the people who seek out these SCP and pay them, at times, big bucks.

But, frankly, people who take their pets to a pet psychic???? Pet psychic? Can we even say that with a straight face. Talking about a disconnect from reality.


Check out this 2005 Gallup poll. Yes, we still believe in this stuff.


Lots of folks, say Oh, gosh, what's the harm? You know, just a few bucks that Aunt Sue spends with her fortune teller? Well, folks there can be lots of harm. 

edit:  Sorry folks, this isn't that well written, but don't want to spend anymore time on it. 


Psychics? This is from another of my blogs.

Since I was just a little kid, I've been fascinated by magic. Yep, always had a few tricks and several times I made a concerted effort to learn magic, in fact took a few lessons. Twenty years or so ago I tried learning closeup magic with coins. My latest foray into magic was a few years ago as I attempted to learn card magic. Bought eight or ten DVDs and a bunch of cards. And, for a while practiced somewhat regularly. Anyway, let me get on with my story.

I said to her, “I'm psychic.”
“No, you aren't.”
“OK, I'll show you.” I shuffled the cards. Fanned them, and thumbed through them, and said, “Tell me when to stop.”
“Stop.” I showed her the card without me being able to see it.
I gave her the cards and she shuffled them.
“OK, now I want you to think of your card. And, I'm going to try to get your thoughts...yes, psychically, I'm going to tune in to you and I'll know what your card is.”
“OK, I know what it is. It's the ten of hearts. Am I right?”
“Yes, but that was a trick.”
“Are you doubting my psychic abilities?”
“You aren’t a psychic.”
“How do you know?” I said.
“Because you aren't.”
“How do you know a so-called psychic is a psychic?”
“Because they say they are.”

There is a point I'm trying to make with this story, which by the way, yes, this actually happened just as I wrote it.

My point. When someone who says they are a magician puts on a show for us, we often times try to figure how the trick is done; how the magic works. I guess that's pretty normal and of course there's nothing wrong with that.

However, when someone states they are a psychic, the believers never question what they are doing and how they are doing it. That's what keeps them as believers. Well, I guess that's true in lots of things.

The same could be said about religion, so-called alternative medicine, astrology...yep, all of that stuff. If there is a truth here, I'm guessing that they, the believers, just want to keep their delusions going, they want no one to rock their believers' boat.

An Absolutely Beautiful Day, Met Two Nice People and a Really Cool Dog. Doesn't Get Much Better Than This!

 What a great day, I went to First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach.

This is Mike, who is running the show at the moment. A pleasant fellow.

More STUFF to buy.

Water for all sizes, including pups.

This is Angela and Bella. Angela, 21, is a just-graduated cosmetologist. Yep, she's ready to start creating cool hair dos. Bella is a little younger, she's 3 1/2 and Golden Retriever and Poodle. A really cool looking dog. I was shocked, when Angela after only knowing me for approximately 3 1/2 minutes, proposed. Dang, what could I say. Invitations will be in the mail later today. Angela was a good sport to put up with an old guy. Angela, just wanted to see if anyone is reading this. My best to you and wish you a terrific long life filled full of joy. PS. Try not to get old.

Older people hold hands, too.

Taking a Vacation, Going on Holiday, Hittin' the Road, Getting out of Dodge, Goin' Down the Road... What's it all Mean?

 vacation:

: a period of time that a person spends away from home, school, or business usually in order to relax or travel

OK, folks, I couldn't get these photos arranged as I wanted. Also, this was the best I could do for travel photos. So, what can I say?

Anyway, I guess the question, if you will, that I might ask, is what does a vacation mean to us?

Actually, I guess it might mean different things depending upon what we as individuals think of going on a vacation.I guess we could start by asking, what are the time and money  constraints?

Are we still working and have a finite number of vacation days a year? Are we self-employed and can take off when we want? Are we retired and have limited finances? Are we retired and money is not a consideration?


Do we sit down and plan our vacations? Is there an event that we use for our vacation? Do we want go skiing, backpacking, mountain biking, camping, or maybe go to a NASCAR race, bird watching, or do we just say, "I'm out of here," and hit the road with no actual destination?

Do we make lists of what we need to take and carefully pack or do we just blast off,  and leave with few plans after grabbing a few things?

Do we head for a new place or call ahead for a reservation at a place where we've stayed before?

 Do we have an RV and plan an annual trip?

Do we want to tour a specific city? Country? State? Area?

Do we want to visit a particular museum?

Do we want to check out vineyards? Sample some wines?

Do we want to seek out the best B-B-Q places?

Traveling in the Miata was always a challenge.

What wouldn't fit in the trunk and behind the seats ended-up in the front-seat floor.

Are we looking for towns for retirement?

Are we seeking out the best place for trout fishing?

The best beach for hangin' out and getting a tan?

The best cruise ship? The best cruise destination?

Like to gamble? Vacation may be a few days or a week or so at a casino.

Back-to-the basics vacationing....

Traffic, traffic everywhere! Some folks plan vacations that avoid traffic. Not a bad idea.

So folks, how do you vacation? Plan, or just jump in the car, truck, RV, boat, motorcycle? and head out? Be safe out there and have fun.

Yikes, I Ended-Up in North Carolina........

This is in North Carolina.

An overcast, gray-looking day, but I wanted to go somewhere. Maybe just a short drive?

It'd been about 25 years since I'd driven 17 South, a mainly two-lane road that parallels the Dismal Swamp. I found lots of traffic and also miles of under construction, with those darn barrels everywhere.

When I finally started along 17 where it picked-up the Swamp, it wasn't exactly as I remembered it. Oh, well..... Most things aren't as I remember them.

The Pathway to Freedom refers to the Underground Railway. Yes, this is 2014 and I'd bet we in the South are ongoingly doing a brisk business with the sales of everything-Confederate.

Virginia and North Carolina both have extensive hiking trails. And, both have centers. Not sure about NC but Virginia has tours.

My visit was cut short when the rain started. There was a couple of other places I wanted to take a look. Also, of course the place was closed down because, yes, it's Easter folks. Hope you all are having a great Easter.

So, that was basically my day. I went as far as South Mills, NC hoping to find a mom and pop type restaurant. No such luck. Sadly, ended-up coming home and having to face my cooking. Dang.

Gone a few hours, 79 miles.

Easter, Now Tell me Again How all of This Works.....

Taken with Contax G2 28mm with Kodak 400 B&W, C41 film..... Many years ago.

Hi Folks,

Yes, back again. Please note that I changed the title of this blog, adding Commentaries About Life and the Human Condition.

No, I'm not intentionally posting anything to insult anyone; however, I realize that so far I've had over 800 views of this blog and I'm sure that at least some of the folks who are looking in are religious. Which of course is fine, not that you need my permission.

For 6/8 years I've written about and posted videos (over 300) about what I call the human condition, politics, so-called complimentary and alternative medicine, and, yes, religion.  So far, I'm enjoying this blog. Yep, I've gotten out a little and have enjoyed meeting the folks out there, eating some terrific food, and taking a few snaps. But, at the same time there are things I want to say that have little, if anything to do with traveling, so I've decided that I'm going to combine them on this blog. So, there you have it.

This was taken from a website and I want to use it to pose some questions and make some comments.

Jesus is the Son of God. He lived a sinless life and then died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. “God demonstrates His own love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us."

Now, on its face, does this make any sense? As I best understand it, God, caused or allowed his son, Jesus, to be crucified. He did this to mitigate or absolve us of our sins. Then, he resurrected His Son, which is why folks celebrate Easter. I think this is pretty close.


I think if we look around us, we can understand how most things work. For instance, an internal combustion engine, we add gas, compress it, provide a spark, and the gases ignite and we have power and that propels our cars down the streets. Most things have a mechanism, for lack of a better term. Something that explains how they work.

A hair dryer has coils that are heated and a blower that blows hot air that drys our hair. You folks know what I mean.

Now, for the moment I'm going to assume we all sin. You know, do things that aren't nice or are harmful to others, and so on. And, hey, I'll even throw in the sin, if you will, about, Thou shalt have no other gods before me (This always confuses me. If your God says he's the only god, how can there be other gods? Oh, well....maybe for another time.). 

OK. Here's my question, How can God killing his Son do anything about our sins? You know, how does that work? We can explain just about everything else, but what about this? Seriously, does this make any sense?

Now, if God can absolve us of our sins by killing off His Son, he could surely absolve us of our sins in some other way (Remember, He's the most powerful smartest God around). For instance, he could say a prayer, maybe just make a simple pronouncement, or give everyone magic ice cream; there's an infinite number of ways He could have done this without killing His son.

I guess to summarize, if there is a God how did killing His Son fix our sins? And, question two, if there is a God, why didn't He absolve us of our sins using a method other than homicide, the killing of His Son?

Please, don't try to explain this by saying God works in mysterious ways, we shouldn't question God, or just accept it on faith. Those responses do not explain anything.

Now, I'm not grandiose enough to think that many people are flocking to this blog. Actually, I'm surprised at the numbers who have looked in so far. I only put this blog on three forums: two of them are Subaru forums and one is a forum for the camera that I'm using. However, if any of you who read this are so inclined, I'd be happy to read any of your comments. Well, yes, I'll definitely read them.

For those of you who celebrate Easter, I hope you have a great day. For those of you who don't celebrate Easter, I hope you folks also have a great day.

I've Changed the Title of My Blog.....

Well, yes, I just changed the name of this blog. And, here's a photo of a card I'm having printed. Should have them in a few days.

Thought it'd be convenient to be able to hand someone a card instead of having to write the name of my blog. Also, thought, What the heck, put some information about my book on the back.

Where was I? Traveling is fun and enjoyable and I'm looking forward to that; however, there are surely more important things to life. And, to me some of the more important things are those that have a direct effect on our lives. What am I talking about: religion, medicine, in particular the so-called complementary, alternative and integrative medicine, and the supernatural stuff such as psychics? So, from now on in addition to my travel adventures you will find some other stuff, too.