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Comments Posted By jdmn17

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Doing Business – The Right Way

Thanks for the tips. It’s so weird to write off things like that since I often end up in them at the grocery looking like Pig Pen from Peanuts with sawdust clinging to me. I do keep track of them but I still can’t shake the guilt, if that’s what to call it. Same thing with phone, internet etc. I put a 2 1/2 car garage workshop out back and that killed me to write off the cost. Guess I’m more conservative than I thought.

» Posted By jdmn17 On February 10, 2011 @ 6:54 am

I sat down and did the math on how much it cost me to have a suit job. I was appalled. Now I have about six pair of jeans, two work, two “nice” and two flannel lined (for MN winters). When the “nice ones get stained – inevitable, I put them into the work and toss out one of them. Shoes are even better. I just tossed out a half dozen froo froo loafers and bought some new hiking boots. I also tossed out (to the homeless shelter along with the shoes) a couple of large trash bags of dress shirts and ties and about twenty sport coats and suits. Dry cleaning? I can’t remember when I was there last. I should probably look at the one suit I have left since we have moths up here. That would be funny to get ready to wear and have it fall off the hanger

» Posted By jdmn17 On February 9, 2011 @ 12:54 pm

Canadians managed to survive the effort of the people of Quebec to separate from the Union. And I suppose bi-lingual is a real hassle out in the western Provinces but all in all that was a crisis and they managed to come together and I give them credit for it. They seemed to get what was at stake. Down here it feels like the US is getting closer and closer to another fragmentation as several states continue to challenge the role of the Federal government. I suppose we’ll have our day of reckoning soon enough

» Posted By jdmn17 On February 9, 2011 @ 12:48 pm

Zoot, I think a lot of us changed political parties in the late 60’s. We did follow a remarkably similar path. I got back from USMC and was appalled at the antipathy of people back here. On the one hand I suspected a lot of anti-war dudes were getting close to graduation and had drawn a low lottery number and it was a good place to meet women. On the other there were some very sincere people out there. The low lottery numbers seemed to have gravitated to the right where I think they came from originally. It’s one thing to be anti-war when your own ass might be on the line, it’s another to have gotten there either because you lived inside the MIC in the jungle or were raised that war is wrong. I am amazed at how many people our age claim to have been at Woodstock while they hold their TP signs at a rally. For the most part our generation has been a huge disappointment in matters of social justice

» Posted By jdmn17 On February 9, 2011 @ 12:44 pm

My mom said (85 and in the antique business since 1950) said the only difference between conservatives and liberals was the conservative would try to get you down to a fair price and a liberal would look but couldn’t afford it. She also said conservatives always wore plain color button down shirts or “Arrow” off the shelf, liberals wore checked dress shirts or flannels. She’s pretty funny about her own generation. I suspect she was real Rosie the riveter type.

» Posted By jdmn17 On February 9, 2011 @ 12:39 pm

David, Single payer health care is my biggest pet peeve. Why people who have lousy or no health care continue to scream socialism and reject something in their own best interest is beyond me entirely. Like the old folks, of which I am rapidly approaching – yikes, screaming about cutting government spending and how they hate socialism when they go home to make sure their SS checks are in the mailbox and then go to the clinic on Medicare. How they can whine about stuff and use the services is beyond me.

» Posted By jdmn17 On February 9, 2011 @ 11:12 am

I was talking to someone the other day I knew from my other life. They were asking me how I could stand the uncertainty of the income stream (hard to say it’s not scary, esp with the economy being what’s it’s been lately – things are improving though) and I tried to explain the economics of not having dry cleaning bills and fancy clothes and expenses that never get reimbursed so we moved on and for the next half hour all she did was complain about politics and all that stuff from corporate America, when she left I gave her a long hug, I am sure she had no idea it was a sympathetic hug for her and still being stuck in the grind.

Money can’t buy you love. It can by a lot of things but not a welcome stress reduced plop onto the pillow every night when you go to bed

» Posted By jdmn17 On February 9, 2011 @ 11:09 am

David, I was raised an Eisenhower republican and became a democrat during the Viet Nam war when Nixon told us he was going to make peace and tried to bomb Viet Nam back to the Stone Age. Now I know Ike sort of gave us Joe McCarthy but all in all I think Ike was right about so many things (like beware the MIC, when the top ranking General of the Army tells you to watch out for them I think he was on to something).

Today he would be tossed to the left. Probably Nixon too (shudder as I say that) and even the grand old icon Ronnie would be way too centrist for most republicans today. The social justice comment you referenced got me a lot of negative responses from some posters on HP because I believe you can be conservative and care about the human condition. But I think you have to dig pretty deep these days for that in the US. Canada has always had a strong conservative movement not founded on religious ideology. Maybe that’s the difference here now, it’s all about catering to the evangelicals. Regardless, looking forward to your perspective.

» Posted By jdmn17 On February 9, 2011 @ 11:03 am

David – I spent almost 35 years in the medical field, as a clinician and then in the med device industry. I always had a love of antiques and restoring furniture. When I burned out on the med device field I was looking around trying to figure out my life and a friend suggested I start building furniture. The first year was horrid because I was still thinking from the 70’s as to what people liked. I stumbled onto some reclaimed lumber, made a couple of pieces that the varnish was barely dry on when they went out the door and just like that I was building from reclaimed wood. It coincided nicely with the new “green” movement so I was able to catch that wave and keep going. Like you said, I had no preconceptions. I just wanted to be home instead of constantly traveling and I love working with wood. So sometimes you do what you love. The money is not as good, or at least as predictable but in the end I don’t wake up in some strange bed in a strange city and have to orient myself to where I am and what I’m going to do that day. Instead I walk out to my shop and pick up where I left off the day before. And I never fly first class, actually I never fly anymore. I have become MN centered, nationally expanded (to include Canada of course so I can honor my family roots) for travel and purchasing materials. It’s not a huge contribution but I feel it’s important to support North American made products where I can.

» Posted By jdmn17 On February 9, 2011 @ 10:34 am

The Failure That is Fox News

Sorry, I am terribly disappointed at how many men are more taken with their fantasies of her than what she says that makes any sense or offers any alternatives.

» Posted By jdmn17 On February 12, 2011 @ 1:34 pm

My sister and brother in law are super christians. I tend to ignore them and get a laugh out of some of their foibles. Ten years ago there was a huge wind storm up in the woods where they had a cabin, they had just picked up their new Nissan SUV and were going on and on about how they were simplifying their lives by selling their Mercedes. When the winds were done blowing there were trees down everywhere but the Pathfinder had been spared. They went on and on about how god had spared them damage to it as though it was some sort of message from god they were on the right path. That afternoon he moved the SUV because he was worried about it being damaged while we cut away downed trees. About thirty minutes later we heard a crack and turned to watch as a huge pine tree came down and crushed it.

I didn’t say it but I sure thought to ask him what message god was sending him with that.

High on god indeed.

» Posted By jdmn17 On February 12, 2011 @ 1:31 pm

I agree with that. I think there are a lot of people here who I fanned because of their thoughtful words. Hell, I even fanned David P. That was the old days though. The last few months when the mods went wild I noted the posts went quieter and shorter and it was disappointing. Then the last weekend, when people were kicked off and they posted several inflammatory stories really started me wondering. Then Monday came and the whole site shut down. I left and came here to behold the words that had been missing for months from some of my favorite people.

» Posted By jdmn17 On February 12, 2011 @ 1:21 pm

I can’t tell you how many times I would write something and have someone write back and call me a troll and I should go back to Fox News. I would be astonished and write them back and ask them what it was I wrote that gave them that impression. They never answered but I found I was trying to be so clear, or sarcastic and sly to avoid the mods I couldn’t get my points out clearly. I haven’t posted anything here YET that has people writing me back and asking WTF. I say YET because I sometimes write distracted and then I can even outsmart myself

» Posted By jdmn17 On February 12, 2011 @ 1:17 pm

You have to remember that many of his biggest fans spent their childhood crawling under their school desks practicing for a nuclear attack. No wonder we are so paranoid.

» Posted By jdmn17 On February 12, 2011 @ 1:09 pm

It does make some sense since so many of her posts were about right leaning people. Even though many of them were somewhat unflattering they never the less kept those names in the news. The comment moderation might well have been her way of diminishing the impact of the story and maybe even allowed her to use it to her own advantage, oh well, gone is gone. I’m not surprised she is considering switching parties. I think she was a Hilary supporter and when she lost, AH decided to take out her disappointment the old fashioned way. Her comment regarding HCR and jobs was ridiculous. POTUS had no power with the senate locked down. How he could have ever gotten a jobs bill through is simply an impossibility as even a rube like me can tell. The republicans wanted no part of any success for this President. They should be ashamed at the way they betrayed the American people

» Posted By jdmn17 On February 12, 2011 @ 1:07 pm

Faux Facebook?

» Posted By jdmn17 On February 12, 2011 @ 1:02 pm

I saw the respect the first day I was here and believe me I was pissed as all get out. But I took a deep breath and just went for it. We actually have conversations here. What a concept, and I don’t have to post knowing I’m going to get hammered. In fact several of my last posts at HP lead off with “I know I’m going to get hammered but”. I don’t have to do that now. Never saw the need to call names, even though I did so a few times myself. It takes a lot to provoke me, less than a lot at HP. So I’m glad I came and am sticking around

» Posted By jdmn17 On February 12, 2011 @ 11:03 am

David, whatever your stance, it’s good you are here. The things you throw out are refreshing and make me think. Something I lost the skill at doing at HP. It became all knee-jerk responses. Look at this and the other threads today right here. Your words lead to more dialog. That’s powerful

» Posted By jdmn17 On February 12, 2011 @ 10:45 am

You are as OCD as me! Yeah! Someone else who copied, tweaked and posted, then it still went to pending. Argh

» Posted By jdmn17 On February 12, 2011 @ 10:42 am

But that’s the power of dialog, neither of us have to agree but in disagreeing their is knowledge and even wisdom. Every time I read a post from someone who presents an alternate view it changes me however slightly. I don’t necessarily change positions but I am more accepting of someone else’s reasons for having theirs. That in an of itself is very powerful and oddly even unifying.

» Posted By jdmn17 On February 12, 2011 @ 10:40 am

I actually think they wanted that. Instead of helping us find ourselves unified I think it paid for them to drive the wedges deeper.

Show me the money.

» Posted By jdmn17 On February 12, 2011 @ 10:37 am

David, I agree with your self assessment. I noted many times your measured responses some times gave way to less than gracious comments. I had the same problem and was often less gracious. Here I can just be me. Very freeing.

» Posted By jdmn17 On February 12, 2011 @ 10:36 am

Want to take a guess at GBeck? Be curious how a conservative views him. Personally I think he has some mental health issues. But that’s my jaded thoughts

» Posted By jdmn17 On February 12, 2011 @ 10:34 am

I come from the world of data manipulation. Market analysis. There is an old term, Spurious Correlation. MSM does that as well as anyone, Fox simply does it better than most. I always chuckle at some of their “Facts” and how they use them to lead a line of thinking. I had a VP of marketing who once had me develop a model for adding 40 sales reps to our current stable of 12. I did it using some outrageous data points. The VP loved it, presented it and everyone was happy except the CFO who was also a stat wonk. He took me out to lunch, congratulated me on my work and then told me he would be watching me closely. Gulp!

» Posted By jdmn17 On February 12, 2011 @ 10:19 am

🙂

» Posted By jdmn17 On February 12, 2011 @ 10:15 am

When they started pending one word responses you just knew it was going south

» Posted By jdmn17 On February 12, 2011 @ 10:13 am

I had to go to one-liners there because I grew tired of writing my tripe and having it go to moderation and never getting past the censors. So what good is that for learning? I’ve learned more here in a week than the time I spent at HP. Granted I was only there a tad over two years but still, more knowledge in a week?

To each their own

» Posted By jdmn17 On February 12, 2011 @ 10:13 am

I went there today to post to a friend from there about this site. She and two other high fanners were talking to each other about how they were staying because of all their friends. I am not surprised they are dissing the departed. It sounds like my memories of High School when someone leaves a clique then you really know how the remaining members felt about them. Yawn, for me I’m much happier with the dialog here.

» Posted By jdmn17 On February 12, 2011 @ 10:10 am

I would go for the lighting being manipulated. Look how a couple of tv and magazines did OJ. I saw the comparisons of the different photos and it was clear they were trying to demonize him. Not that I was against it at the time, I thought he probably did it, but it seemed unfair to demonize him and make him look more sinister. I’ve noticed that a lot, not just with people of color. One of our local “businessmen” Denny Hecker, just got sentenced for a massive scam and they always seemed to favor him in business suits and explaining away his appearance as being under stress and tired. Needless to say Denny is white and a “bitsnessman”. Even his “fiance” is always shown dressed to the nines. She’s his twenty some year younger live in who’s also on the hook.

» Posted By jdmn17 On February 11, 2011 @ 2:26 pm

MSM – Many Stupid Messages

The one I laugh at is the insistence WaPo is the biggest liberal rag out there. I lived in MD four years and that was not the least bit true. They covered both sides of issues because they needed access to both. I think it got that reputation because they went after Watergate and of course that was RMN, today he’d be a liberal.

» Posted By jdmn17 On February 11, 2011 @ 2:21 pm