How I became a blog junkie

I am still a relative newcomer to the blogoverse, having read my first blog around November 2005. I saw an article about Stephanie Klein (Greek Tragedy) in the NY Times (online) and decided to investigate. I read her for about a week before I started looking at the comments. Another week or two and I linked back to some of the commenters and before I knew it, I was sucked into a whole vicarious world of other peoples thoughts and lives.

What I found amusing a couple of days ago as I was going through the list of roughly 50 blogs I have on my list of favorites, I realized that I never read the one that started it anymore.

To continue, after a month or so I decided to comment on someone's entry but to do so I need a blog of my own so I signed up never planning to make any entries.

After a period of time, I got to thinking about a memory that has always haunted me so I decided to put it on the blog, just to get it written down somewhere.

Low and behold, I got a comment - whoa - very cool. Then another with a question about a followup on the first entry. So I had to write another one. Then figure out how to get a picture posted. Now I am up to my 4th entry with no idea why I am doing this.

My job

I get numbers from here and numbers from there, lots and lots and lots of numbers. On a good day the ones from here match the ones from there, on most days they don't. Then I get to go figure out which numbers don't match. Next I have to find out why they don't match and of course, which ones are correct.

Now I go tell the people that sent me the bad numbers and say "You're numbers are wrong," to which they reply "You are an idiot and the child of idiots back 5 generations".

Sooo we have a meeting - the right number people on one side of the table, the wrong number people on the other side of the table, with me in the middle trying to keep a measure of peace and calm while tempers surge and boil, reputations grow or fade, and everyone involved figures that somehow it must be my fault.

At the end of the day, nothing in the world is better, no lives are saved, the environment still sucks, and global warming continues, or not, depending upon whom you believe.

One thing for sure, tomorrow will bring more numbers.

As I was reading this I realized that if only I could make it rhyme, it would make a good Dr.Suess book.

Number here, numbers there, so many numbers everywhere.
Tiny people in tiny boxes send the numbers to their bosses.
Then they call the data guy, these numbers don't match, tell us why.
Look at each number, one by one, tell us how the numbers run.

Have a meeting, call us all, bring the short and bring the tall,
Sit us down at a the table, tell what it means, if your able.
Your job is to certify these many numbers which we spy.
And when midnight comes, you may lay rest-for an hour or two, and then get dressed

and back to work where for a few pence, you work these numbers to make sense.
and some day when you're in your grave, no world remade no life was saved,
St Peter waiting at the gate, says 'bout time, data guy, I think you're late.
We need a count of cherubim, and another then of seraphim.
And don't worry about time, for you see, you have all of eternity.

I got a comment about blogger's block suggesting I get a picture of myself in a chicken hat if all else fails - this is the next worst thing.


1. Have you ever been searched by the cops? No, other than traffic tickets I have had no communication with the police.

2. Do you close your eyes on roller coasters? Never, I started out terrified of them, but have learned to love the adrenaline rush.

3. When was the last time you went sleigh riding? Around 1945, my grandfather had a sleigh on the his farm.

4. Would you rather sleep with someone else, or alone? It depends on who I am sharing with.

5. Do you believe in ghosts? Oh yes. Never seen one, but friends described one in one of our houses that sounded just like a woman that used to live there.

6. Do you consider yourself creative? Perhaps at one time, but not now.

7. Do you think O.J. killed his wife? 75% positive.

8. Jennifer Aniston or Angelina Jolie? I like bad girls, but with a venier of good girl, so Jennifer.

9. Can you honestly say you know anything about politics? I try to keep up at a high level, but get lost in the details.

10. Do you know how to play poker? Yes, but I hate to lose money and I always do.

11. Have you ever been awake for 48 hours straight? Couple times in the service, once for work.

12. Do you kill bugs that are in the house? Yes

13. Have you ever cheated on a test? No.

14. If you're driving in the middle of the night, and no one is around, do you go through red lights? Once in a while.

15. Do you have a secret that no one knows but you? Yes, but I won't tell.

16. Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees? Could care less.

17. Have you ever ice skated? Yes, but the last time I went skating it was roller skating and I trashed my left elbow - no more skates for me.

18. How often do you remember your dreams? Seldom.

19. When was the last time you laughed so hard you were crying? Never, I have laughed so hard I made myself sick.

20. Can you name 5 songs by The Beatles? Dr. Robert, Nowhere Man, I am the Walrus, When I'm 64(This summer), Baby, I can drive your car, Paperback Writer, Eight days a week, .......

21. Do you believe in love at first sight? Nope, I believe in LUST at first sight.

23. Do you know who BaBa Booey is? No.

24. Do you always wear your seat belt? Always.

25. What talent do you wish you had? Musician, any kind.

26. Do you like Sushi? No.

27. Have you ever narrowly avoided a fatal accident? No. barely avoided a few, but none I think would have been fatal.

28. What do you wear to bed? Underwear .

29. Have you ever been caught stealing? No, never been caught.

30. Does size matter? Of course, big nails need big hammers.

31. Do you truly hate anyone? No.

32. Rock and Roll or Rap? Good Rap, Good Rock & Roll, along with Bluegrass, Blues, Old Jazz(20s-30s), Classical.

34. Do you have a relative in prison? Not that I know of.

35. Have you ever sung in front of the mirror like your favorite singer? You betcha.

36. Do you know how to play chess? I know the basic moves, but am not competitive skill level.

37. What food do you find disgusting? Raw fish.

38. Did you ever play, "I'll show you mine, if you show me yours?" When I was 6 with the girl next door. Could not understand what people were so excited about.

39. Have you ever made fun of your friends behind their back? No, I try not so say anything I would not say in front of them.

40. Have you ever stood up for someone you hardly knew? Possibly, I don't remember the situation arising.

41. Have you ever been punched in the face? No, threatened with a knife one time.

42. When is the last time you threw up from drinking too much? Around 1963, in the Navy. Stopped drinking after I got out.

43. Have you ever walked out on a movie at the theater? A few times.

44. Do you ever sit through a bad movie, just to see how bad it got? Nope - give me the remote - I am a surf-aholic.

45. Would you consider yourself obsessed with anything/anyone? Not now, perhaps 10 years ago, I was going through a weird time then.

46. Have you ever met someone famous? Met, no. Run into (literally), yes. Anthony Quinn walking into a store when I was coming out.

47. Have you ever been stood up? No and never stood anyone up.

48. When's the last time you screamed at the top of your lungs? I do that frequently while driving in my car.

49. Did you ever do something that you didn't want to, but did anyway just to fit in? Probably, when I was young I cared about that crap.

50. Tag? Anyone who wants to, or has no life because I apparently lack one.

Post-WW2

As you can tell, I am not much of a blogger. For the most part I find my life pretty boring and not worth repeating, however, someone asked for a followup on my father, so here is a brief entry to let you know he came back safely.

My father was in Europe for about 11 months, from October 1944 through September 1945. He was discharged shortly after returning to the states having been on active duty since June 1941. History of the 11th Armored Division is available at http://www.11tharmoreddivision.com/ , if you are interested. He was as an Air Liason Pilot, which meant he flew small aircraft primarily for artillery spotting and was active during the entire period the division was in combat.

After the war it was GI Bill, and the American dream, more or less, until his death in May 2002. I sometimes wonder if he thought it was all worth it. He once commented that the War was the most exciting and interesting time of his life. I think he spent the rest of his life wishing he could recapture some of that excitement again.