December 30,2006  The Last Days of 2006
 
As 2006 winds down I find myself looking forward to 2007 and better things to come.
 
Not that 2006 was all that bad... I met some new friends and enjoyed the company and communication with some old ones. By and large my health issues have had their usual ups and downs. Family members and some friends have gone through good times and bad times but so far all are well and of good spirit.
 
But, our fearless leader George Dubyah (who needs an armored vehicle to hide out in during a little Texas gully washer) has continued to keep us at war so that we can seize those huge stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction....oops, that's right, there weren't any such weapons found. So then the war was on terrorism. Yet the only terrorist captured was Hussein, and now that Saddam is just so much pig fodder, the war must have another purpose, like bringing democracy to Iraq, only not many of those people want democracy. They also don't want to fight except amongst themselves, but not in away that removes the pressure on our troops. Now GW is eagerly looking for an excuse to put even more troops in harms' way. GW wants to be victorious above all else. The only reason I can figure is that so far George has bungled virtually everything he has attemped, and he'll do anything to try to proclaim that HE won in Iraq... and I thought they just hung the crazy dictator that wanted the very same thing!
 

 
I survived a whole year with other pure idiots, these being my moron neighbors from hellinois.
 
And I managed to get through the hard parts of protecting my mom's accounts from a bout with identity theft, and, after two full days of struggling with the totally moronic structure of Medicare Part D pharmaceutical plans, I finally got one that fits mom's needs.
 
GeoTruk is finally drying out...the driver's side door seal loosened without my noticing and I just happened to go to one of those high pressure touchless car washes the other day. Those sprays are darned powerful, even when they come through a tiny crack. Needless to say, I didn't have to take a shower that evening. And I had to borrow mom's turkey baster to get the water out of the map wells in the door.
 
So I am enthusiastically awaiting the arrival of 2007 and whatever it brings. Especially if it brings a winning lottery number. And a Shetland Sheepdog. And lower prescription drug prices. And lower taxes......
 
Until later.....DKHT
 

December 20,2006  Battling Identity Theft
 
Just a few days ago my 81-year-old mother received a phone call that awakened her from her brief afternoon nap. The caller said she was from the doctor's office and was having difficulty getting Medicare to accept mom's Social Security number which was thought to be in error...would mom please give her the correct SSN?
 
I've been reminding (lecturing) mom for years about identity theft and being cautious of giving out information to anyone who called her even if she though she knew who they were. But this time she simply read her number to the caller.
 
After hanging up, mom began to realize that it was probably a mistake to provide that information, but instead of mentioning it, she spent a sleepless night worrying, and didn't tell me about it until the next morning.
 
We didn't know where the caller had gotten mom's name; it could've been from the phone book or somebody dumpster diving at one of the businesses mom had bought gifts. I immediately began making a list of who we had to contact and what we had to do...

 
We still have to closely monitor mom's credit and be prepared for surprises for at least 6 months to a year. We have to wait for paperwork to be provided, returned and processed to allow access to two accounts.
 
So, my recommendation to you is to be extremely careful about giving out information. If you have elderly relatives, try to convince them how devastating one little slip-up can be.
 
And, if you have one of those old WWII "Loose Lips Sink Ships" posters, I'd like to put it above mom's telephone.
 
Until later.....DKHT
 

 
To report Identity Theft:
 
Contact http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/
 
Equifax (800) 525-6285 or write CSC Credit Services, PO Box 981221, El Paso, TX 79998-1221
 
TransUnion (800) 680-7289 or write TransUnion, PO Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92634
 
Experion (888) 397-3742 or write Experion, PO Box 9530, Allen, TX 75013
 
Be certain to also file a local police report and get a case number.
 

December 13, 2006   Thoughts of Thanks and Hope
 
First off, I missed the 1st year anniversary of DonKeyHoeTee.com being online. I started the first blog on November 18th of 2005 after spending several weeks reacquainting myself with basic HTML after several years hiatus. The site would've been nearly impossible without the help of Paul whose BadgerTech.net has also hosted this site. Paul's friendship and patience were invaluable in getting this old duffer online. I hope everyone will enjoy the improvements I have planned for DonKeyHoeTee.com. I thank Paul for all his help.
 
But this particular ramble is about special people and the spirit of the season; the thanks for wishes granted and the hope and promise ahead.
 
***Michelle***
 
Michelle is Paul's wife and has gone though treatments and tests relating to thyroid cancer. Just recently her tests indicated the cancer had been eradicated. I realize that the recent weeks have been very difficult for the family, and I'm so pleased that things worked out well for Michelle and the family. It's yet another time to give thanks for this special holiday gift.
 
***Keith***
 
I just received an email from another friend of many years. We'd worked together at Quaker Oats R&D (now Pepsico's Gatorade Research Center) in northern Illinois, way back when. She recently celebrated her 33rd year with Quaker (Pepsico bought out Quaker a few years back, but long-term Quaker employees still feel an allegiance to Quaker). She recounted the following to me:
 
Her son, Keith had encountered some of the difficulties typical of many young men's lives in those times when a fella tries to find his particular path.
 
Keith finally found a job in construction that he enjoyed, where he felt comfortable, needed, useful and capable. However, on September 28th of this year, while Keith was working alone on a construction site, the Stihl saw that Keith was using and had been fitted with a new blade just earlier that morning, suddenly bucked when the blade crimped and the saw jumped into Keith, severing his clavical and his arm, the artery behind, then ran down his chest and finally through and under his armpit. I know from past experience that sudden and severe trauma actually delays the pain response in us, which may accout for the fact that Keith was able to run to the nearby highway to flag down help. Those who stopped were beyond being good samaritans, for several had the skills necessary to to provide advanced first-aid while others called for help.
 
Keith was taken to a local hospital, but that facility didn't have sufficient resources to treat Keith's wounds. So the Flight for Life helicopter arrived and transported him to a Milwaukee hospital where 30 surgeons spent 15 hours saving Keith's life and, miraculously, his arm! The surgeons decided to try to save his arm since the cut was too far back for ultimately using a prosthetic device. After 18 pints of blood and additional trauma from other necessary medical procedures, Keith is thankful to be alive. He faces additional surgeries to repair severe nerve damage as well as years of healing and therapy.
 
We all hope for his continued recovery and wish him the strength and endurance to continue the healing process.
 
***Mayra***
 
Mayra is my nephew's bride of 2-1/2 years and is a much loved addition to our family. Not long ago she was diagnosed with fibroid tumors and has suffered while awaiting further tests and surgery. Surgery is finally scheduled just before Christmas but the extent of the surgery is unknown. These are anxious times for this young couple and for the rest of the family who shares their concern. Our prayers are with Mayra and Dan in the coming weeks.
 
******
 
So, while we trim the trees and sing the carols in this holiday season, let's pause a moment to give thanks for the Michelles in our lives, hope for the Keiths whose support and encouragement from us is so very important, and for the Mayras we love and pray for while they anxiously face unknowns. This is the real spirit of Christmas giving.
 
It's a season associated with miracles, and while no miracle is guaranteed, it's our nature to believe, and to rejoice when a miracle is granted.
 

 
Until later.....DKHT

December 7, 2006  Remember Pearl Harbor
 
On Sunday morning, December 7, 1941, the cowardly Japanese attacked the US Naval fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii resulting in gigantic loss of American lives. Cowardly because they attacked without provocation and without declaring war.
 
One of the ships that were sunk with most hands on board was the USS Arizona. The USS Arizona was taken off the active service rolls in 1942, but the ship remains where she sank, a tomb for the brave men who served her and served our country. The National Park Service in cooperation with the US Navy has erected a memorial over the Arizona.
 

 
My dad was always proud of his military service and of his country. Although dad was in the Air Force (US Army Air Corps back in WWII), when he and my mother had an opportunity to visit Hawaii with friends in 1979, he was eager to get a chance to visit the Arizona memorial and pay his respects.
 
Dad was excited to see the memorial, and his anticipation grew as the ferry closed on the memorial landing. Dad later related to me the emotions he experienced in seeing the engraved names of lost US troops, and the pictures of the devastation of that day.
 
And, he told me how infuriated he became when a number of honeymooning Japanese couples were pointing at pictures of burning American ships and laughing and giggling and making bragging gestures.
 
It is our duty to honor those who gave their lives in past military conflicts, and we must learn lessons from all those past encounters. We must realize that we are frequently dealing with cultures that have no regard for our morals, standards or beliefs, and however righteous we may be, other cultures are really out for themselves. That's a part of war that's never won.
 

 
The US has not won a war or major foreign military police action since WWII. The best we have done was to move foreign forces out of Kuwait. These losses have been primarily due to insane political leadership and skewed military leadership. However, our troops have always risen to the task at hand and have done their duty.
 
In-depth studies of the US involvement in Iraq have indicated that our strategy was totally faulty, the situation there is volatile and degrading, and that military action was not going to solve any of the problems there and would only result in further loss of life.
 
George Dubyah Bush says we will not abandon our troops in Iraq. I agree....get them the hell out before we lose any more just to support GW's egocentric mania.
 
DKHT's Revised Strategy
 
First, impeach George Dubyah on grounds that he's just plain stupid. Send him to Japan where he can run for Emperor and finally get the bowing and respect he thinks he deserves without losing face.
 
Second, send Dick Cheney on a hunting trip with a bunch of his buddies and hope for the best. Be sure Dick is only shooting blanks.
 
Third, pull out our troops in Iraq, but make certain that our naval and air forces are handy to nuke the hell outta any escalation that occurs beyond that country's perimeters except on the Iranian side (Two birds with one stone theory).
 
Fourth, since Tony Blair (P.M. England) is foolish enough to believe in George Dubyah, convince him to have England to invade France so that we don't have to deal with those arrogant frogs who seem to delight in insulting us. Remind the French who pulled their foolish butts out of the fire in WWII.
 
Fifth, use an IQ test to figure out who the next president of the US may be...anything below three digits is unacceptable.