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Posted by Phil Mikan on Feb. 25, 2013
What a grand time we had in Bolder Colorado, my wife and I, a great time. We were able to see people we talk to all the time and spend quality time with them. I was able to do a series of interviews with some really interesting people from the great state of Colorado…you will be able to hear them over the next week or two.
And when it’s all said and done it’s good to be home. This “ is” our home…. My wife, from East of the river, and me from West of the river; we are like ying and yang. We are the opposites that attract each other and make their world better and fun to be in. This is the time for wiser and additional growth as husband and wife, time for safe adventures. That really is what you witnessed with us…we still want to grow but at a safe and leisurely pace. We cover each other rather than smother each other…agree on a direction and help each other to get there. We experience life as a couple and compare notes… do you have any idea how great it is to have an accomplice at this time in my life.
The funniest of times in Colorado were when we realized we were in charge and could set our own time and pace, we were truly independent souls with an accomplice an accomplice with vested interests…It was a great time truly.
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Feb. 18, 2013
You know we in New England think of Avon Mountain as a big deal. That is our concept in Conn of a mountain any way. Well we, my wife and I, have had the opportunity to live on the top of a mountain for the last two weeks in Bolder Colorado and Avon CT is not close. A mountain is at least 8,000 feet above sea level and has lots of narrow unpaved roads with a lot of phenomena called switch backs. I still am not sure what a switch back is but I know I can navigate them in an all-wheel rental car. A mountain road is about 7 ½ feet wide you need 8 feet to let a car pass; in February, the road is covered with ice and snow and lots of animal tracks…I tell everyone it’s the neighbors walking their dog. But it could be deer and mountain lions. That’s what my wife tells me.
This mountain home we are staying at (I am not making this up) had a big Bear come in through the back slider screen door and eat the cat’s food, then leave…true story. The views are spectacular and the weather is changeable by the hour.
The challenge of living in this type of location is just that it’s a challenge. We have all the conveniences of civilization but we get to see deer… a small heard outside from our deck passes through the yard about 8or9 animals…tracks all over and just the greatest sun-rises and sun-sets. Every time down the mountain is a moment of reflection. Are we one with God? Are we ready to meet the good people in heaven? It obvious to me my wife is not in a rush to find out, but we are ready to thank God for these memories. What a place … Really what a place.
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Feb. 11, 2013
For those of you who travel, the next few weeks we will be talking about our travels to see Brooke; daughter #3 for me and number 1 0f 3 for my wife. You figure it out. I have through the years met a number of people doing my radio show who have turned into really good friends one of these people is Bob Beauprez former congressman from Colorado. Well Brooke lives in Bolder Co. so we decided to visit her and I asked Bob to introduce me to some people in his state, he did…so you will be meeting some great people over the next few months.
We also thought we would go by train “Amtrak” would be our new adventure. I booked the trip and we decided we would not be in coach for 60 hours of train travel one way … sooo… we booked a roomette for our trip coming and going. Now that means we would be traveling with more comfort and perks…we would get three meals going and our car had a shower, if we wanted to use it . We had our meals in the dining car and they were very good …no really better than many restaurant meals we’ve had. The staff on both of the long run cars was excellent, the Red caps took us from train to train and instructed us in what we could expect for the hour or two layover, they told us where we could eat and just made us at ease.
We learned that a very confined space could make for good conversation and some funny moments. My wife got to sleep on the top bunk, I on the bottom. We were in the observation car as the sun came up in Denver and shared some special times. I liked it…The problems encountered were small the enjoyment and love were great.
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Feb. 11, 2013
For those of you who travel, the next few weeks we will be talking about our travels to see Brooke; daughter #3 for me and number 1 0f 3 for my wife. You figure it out. I have through the years met a number of people doing my radio show who have turned into really good friends one of these people is Bob Beauprez former congressman from Colorado. Well Brooke lives in Bolder Co. so we decided to visit her and I asked Bob to introduce me to some people in his state, he did…so you will be meeting some great people over the next few months.
We also thought we would go by train “Amtrak” would be our new adventure. I booked the trip and we decided we would not be in coach for 60 hours of train travel one way … sooo… we booked a roomette for our trip coming and going. Now that means we would be traveling with more comfort and perks…we would get three meals going and our car had a shower, if we wanted to use it . We had our meals in the dining car and they were very good …no really better than many restaurant meals we’ve had. The staff on both of the long run cars was excellent, the Red caps took us from train to train and instructed us in what we could expect for the hour or two layover, they told us where we could eat and just made us at ease.
We learned that a very confined space could make for good conversation and some funny moments. My wife got to sleep on the top bunk, I on the bottom. We were in the observation car as the sun came up in Denver and shared some special times. I liked it…The problems encountered were small the enjoyment and love were great.
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Feb. 4, 2013
The new normal. For those of you born after 1968…70 you will not remember when the Bristol- New Britain areas of Connecticut were both big centers of specialty manufacturing. New Britain was the center for tools and locks and had been for over a hundred years; Bristol was the center for clocks and lots of wire. The shops and mills were the back bone of most of Connecticut’s bigger towns and cities. Manchester was fabric…Silk…Remember the Cheney’s
In a twenty year period from 1970-1990 we as citizens of Connecticut and citizens of the United States were witness to the dismantling of American Manufacturing, the powers to be sent our jobs off shore. In the late 1990s in anticipation of the 2000 computer disaster(2K whatever) “the new century” the powers sent many of the computer service centers to India because they wanted to insulate their data centers. They then hired the companies in India full time; to take over the centers after 2000 went without incident. We didn’t lose our data basis; American’s lost more jobs. The unions were blamed, the workers were blamed, and the politicians were blamed. So Connecticut towns and cities were left to the poor and unemployed.
So many people lost their jobs in so many different industries that we really don’t know how much our country changed. We have become a welfare state and our people are into the 2nd going into the 3rd generation of American underemployment. China very much a major competitor of the U. S. A. and the major manufacturing force in the world took most of our jobs.
We older people remember the noise and smoke and the dirty water of our factories; but mostly we remember the jobs…the Labor Day union picnics and the jobs…mostly the jobs.
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Jan. 21, 2013
I don’t know about you but I am still looking for a place to land after the year 2012 ended. The event in Newtown and all of its implications have set me agagill . I cannot settle into an everyday kind of rhythm .My wife and I are planning to spend some time out west with Brook our daughter and that helps… planning for a few weeks away… but things just are not the same. We as a nation and I as an individual have been truly traumatized.
I have a restless discomfort with what I feel is coming as a result of the end of 2012 a rush to judgment…Like the Patriot Act we the citizens of America will be subject to the loss of our rights and Constitutional guarantees in the name of protection, and safety…I feel we will neither be better protected or made safer by the changes the public will be forced to accept. I have a strange feeling that the changes we are looking at were already on paper and waiting for the right time to be presented to the public; kind of like Lincoln waiting for a battlefield victory to release the Emancipation proclamation. I always felt the Patriot act had been sitting in a drawer somewhere waiting for the best time to be shown the light of day. The smoking rubble of the twin towers and over three thousand American dead made Homeland Security take a very prominent place in America’s mind set. Presto the Patriot Act and TSA is here to stay…I am going out west by train…
The airports and air travel is something to dread these days, I never thought in the name of safety I would have to be subjected to the indignities air travel forces on American travelers.
The Government taking away inalienable American rights so it can better protect us and I feel more exposed and vulnerable than ever before …How about you?
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Jan. 14, 2013
This year we are looking at a large group of movies nominated for the Academy awards …”The Oscars”… Hollywood has presented us with a cross section of the best of life’s great dramas. Some of which we as people have experienced ourselves, some we will only read about.
There are nine movies nominated for best picture and the topics range from soup to nuts…from 19th century French revolution to 19th century American Revolution…to a senior citizen love story and we have a nine year old girl nominated for best actress and for best picture…Lincoln… Portrayed by Daniel Day Lewis; with a breath-taking reality … for the first time in the memory of cinema we see the 16th president as a flesh and blood being. The trials and tribulation of not just one man but the whole French 19th century culture are on display in “Les Miserables” Hugh Jackman proves he is a super star and redemption comes to those who hold the moral line. “Amore”… “Love” …how much love can you feel if your mate has had a stroke and is no more. A picture that portrays life of seniors and the oldest Actress ever nominated 85 year old Emmanuella Riva .There are others nominees, but although they are all stand outs… “The Life of Pi” is one movie in a life time… Surag Sarman… will prove to be an acting force in the cinema in years to come and He will always be remembered as PI the endless metaphor. For a year best forgotten(2012) Hollywood has turned out some of the best movies in 50 years. Go figure..
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Dec. 31, 2012
Very happy New Year to you… here we are getting ready to begin 2013 who da thought. If you are reading this the Mayans didn’t mean the world was going to end … they meant the world is into new beginnings. If you think you’re in the Elysian Fields you have nothing to worry about.
The times they are a changing and we will be changing with them…our country is a bigger melting pot than ever and the population allowed in by this executive branch…That’s right the President gets to choose who comes to America legally. Will be from parts of the world other than Europe…try Africa, and Asia and the Middle East not an O’Malley or Zazda or Delasandro in the group looks like this is someone else’s turn into the greatest country so be it. So be it…In 1965 in defense of a new immigration act which Robert Kennedy said would not change America greatly he not only publicly endorsed it but looked forward to. Resently There was a swearing in of new naturalized Americans 36 in number…3 were from Western Europe the rest Africa, China and India.
You can see around you today, not only in this country, but England and Europe as well. A flood of non-Christian families non Anglo (white ) from India ,China, Africa… and even more from central and south America. The result is we have more people of color and more people of non-Christian faiths adding to the America of the Founding fathers… This is the diversity we hear about. It’s here… the country is still predominately Christian /white but change is coming the powers that be wanted to change our country to move it in different directions…and here we are the America of the future taking shape as we speak… happy new year America
Guess what they just made America bigger and stronger. Look around you… all we have to do is work as Americans and the country is still home of the brave, land of the free.
The New Year is a time of new beginnings…God bless you all and A very Happy New Year.
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Dec. 24, 2012
I can only hope and pray that those of you celebrating the Christmas Holiday know the blessings of the God of our fathers and the joy of this special season. Your well wishes and comments have been helpful, enlightening and sometimes just down right funny. I thank you for it all…the points we ponder are the points we live by, I try and grab a memory or thought and project it out to you my readers to see if there is a connection .
Joy, love, fear, pride and growth and a sense of knowing God… All thoughts that connect us at different times in our lives to each other: experiences we all have had and understand. I saw my children born, it will never be forgotten, I saw my parents depart this world… that too will never be forgotten. This life we lead is an ongoing adventure; some things we do with others but most… we are so very on are own… we are truly on a life time quest, why are we here? Are we just energy and matter... or are we part of some greater whole…some greater life force we seek to reunite with?
Some of us have figured this out to their satisfaction. They I envy!
I still look for my answers with the given that God is my” Navigator” and many times my” Pilot.
He lets me wonder but keeps me from getting lost… that’s what God does So may you all seek his “presents” and know when you are there and feel his blessings and know when he bestows them and know the love of his spirit.
Merry Christmas! And a special Holy Holiday to you all… God Bless and Keep you….Phil Mikan
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Dec. 19, 2012
Any of you who have followed a” Point to Ponder” will understand I have a firm belief in the mercy and miracles of God… So this has been a devastating time for me, one of reflection and prayer. The damaging of the innocence of our society, our children, is one topic we as adults have a real problem handling. We cannot imagine anyone intentionally harming a child, ours or anyone else’s. It does not compute.
We during this season of joy and the festival of Christ’s light do all we can to make our children hold on to their belief in the magic of this world… We Create and advocate their belief in Santa Clause a mystical figure who rewards them for goodness and obedience. We try and make magic and miracles real. We wrap them in our love and protection. They bring us joy and let us view the world through the eyes of innocence and wonder.
These last few days have made us realize we are helpless to predict the way we can protect them…We can’t, we need help. We need to find out what can make a young man go so berserk… that nothing is dear, sacred or held harmless. Before we go and do anything we must explore the life, mind and experiences of a twenty year old that could harm the innocent as he did. How can someone not feel the joy and love of the innocence in an elementary kindergarten …Was it the Games he played. The people he worked for… the school training… Was he abused as a child …This time we must truly investigate this perpetrator of our misery and dreadful sorrow; we must find out… we must… we must… enough of blaming whatever is easy… This is truly the work of great evil, please God Bless and protect our children… from this evil…..
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Dec. 17, 2012
This is a time of the year when we reflect about our beliefs and the God of our fathers. We, many of us, take the time of Christmas celebration to re- affirm our faith. There was a special time in 1914 where after several months of the most killing war in the history of the world… Christmas Eve had settled on the great western front. The Germany troops began to set up Christmas trees on the line and for the evening they began to sing “Silent Night “a carol written a hundred years before in Austria by a minister and his church music director. The French and English troops answered the German troops with the carol in their language for many miles along the great trench Christmas Carols filled the evening.
The troops began to exchange wine, gifts and food for the Christmas evening…They laughed and sang and wished they could be home with their families. In some areas the celebrations went on for a week or more and the troops be-friended each other.
The high Command of both armies gave the order to resume combat …many of the troops ON BOTH SIDES said NO…They would not shoot at each other after celebration the birth of Christ. The troops were moved from one end of the line to another and the fighting began once again, but for a brief moment the power of Christmas and the celebration of the babe’s birth made a Miracle. Such is Christmas…God is Real you know.
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Dec. 10, 2012
When I was in the 5th grade at the Richard J. Kinsella elementary school in Hartford… I was the star of the Christmas pageant. I played Joseph Mohr who in 1818 wrote the music for “Silent Night, Franz Gruber wrote the lyrics …or was it the other way around The Priest did the lyrics and the other guy Gruber did the music, that’s right he was the church organists. The story goes a mouse had finally finished eating the inside of the church organ and it went kaput ,done no play no more…The high Christmas service was scheduled for Christmas eve and no music so Mohr and Gruber got together and with an eight string guitar put together a world classic Christmas carol known the world over. Silent Knight captures the essence of Christmas as few other carols do.
And there was Phil Mikan dressed in a black cleric cassock in front of all 200 Kinsella school kids reenacting the first performance of Silent Night. I still had a Young male soprano voice and for this performance and this song it rocked. The carol brings forth the image of… child and mother… a calm bright night...cold and crisp…holy infant so tender and mild …sleep in heavenly peace. And a fifth grader was singing with the 6th graders in the Christmas program.
That my friend was 60 years ago and was one of the fondest memories of this man’s lifetime. Christmas is full of special memories.
Do you remember the present you got From Santa at Brown Thompsons? Where is Brown Thompsons?
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Dec. 3, 2012
My mother and father were very special people and sourly missed by the family. There really isn’t a day goes by that I don’t think of my mother or father. They complemented each and where each other’s care givers in the last end of their marriage. They learned to laugh at the things each did that the other found annoying and give each other praise or laughter whenever possible.
They crossed all the troubled times we have all known in a couple’s life together, they crossed over to an acceptances of each other on many levels. They not only loved each other in a time tempered manner, but knew that each was their own person. They accepted who each was…they loved their Grandchildren and worked in their retirement to enjoy each day as it came to them…The years passed and they would change. They walked slower, slept longer and tried to laugh with each other every day. I swear they grew closer as they moved on in their life.
My Father was the first to pass .We made his last Christmas a very special one everyone was there, lots of gifts ,lots of laughing ,lots of cover…covering up the impossible he would be gone soon. All my sons were there for my Father, as was my brother attending him; dressing and washing him “honoring him” .He was much loved. As was my mother; her time came seven years later. We all knew she was the guardian of the family she made Christmas a special time and all birthdays were remembered and new Great Grand-children were her special joy. She missed “POP’ very much and at times would say “I’ll see him soon”. She passed during the summer of 2008 and the world has never been the same. Both are gone and both brought many of us balance …Not a day goes by that I don’t find myself talking to them…A very special Merry Christmas Mom and Dad miss you both, God Bless Phil & Julie Pazda Mikan …Phil.
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Nov. 26, 2012
I can’t help but be excited about this gift giving season. Now not so much for the children( my kids) they are not kids now I think the oldest is forty seven and the youngest is 31 with a total of five we hit all the age numbers. Then you count my wife’s two now you have seven, that’s our seed… so we concentrate on the grand- children as most our age do. My grandson Sebastian reminds me of the image of tiny Tim in a colored movie…His excitement is physical; he can be seen shaking with the anticipation of the gifts and the presents of Santa Clause. He puts out cookies and milk and this year even reindeer food ( I’ve seen it in stores).
The two little girls on my wife’s side are more mature, they are older than Sebbie by a year and three years, so they know the holiday ropes or so he thinks. They play well together and enjoy each other’s company. The holidays are something we enjoy and look forward to. The shopping is kept to an agreed upon limit and the children place their orders for Santa and then hope he comes through for them.
The anticipation and wonder of Christmas is best seen through the eyes of our children…they still believe in the unbelievable and know that anything and everything is possible in this world of Christmas. May the season of Christ’s celebration bring you the joy and peace of a reality where God’s miracles are seen and understood. That’s the joy of Grandchildren. They make us look yet again at the world through their eyes.
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Nov. 19, 2012
We as in “We The People” have the holidays coming and do we need them. We have been scared by the media in general about the leadership we must choose, the safety of our families and country and we are all afraid for the job market. Will we have one come Monday? So for the next 5 or 6 weeks hopefully we should all not watch TV, check our pc or read the news .We must enjoy the people we hold most dear, our friends and family. And for those of you who need to be reminded remember the blessings of our God… That in this day and age can be tough… If you acknowledge God… you must be cool about it…Don’t look like you’re selling it … be cool.
God has socially become a hidden belief, almost something people are uncomfortable to talk about. But without my belief in God I would be a social wonderer…bumping my way from here to there. The God of my father’s gives me the anchorage and stability and grounding to go on from bump to yet another bump. So in this Holiday season tell your dear ones how truly dear and necessary they are to you. Kiss them, hug them , make them laugh and giggle and feel the joy of their presents.
Be thankful for the love you receive and grateful for the love you give; these are the gifts that matter. From my family and myself our wishes for a true thanksgiving and Holiday festival, May you and yours enjoy special times….REMBER BE COOL …The God of our FATHERS loves us.
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Nov. 12, 2012
We have another 4 years of the Obama administration and many people in the country are not happy. The President and his supporters should be very careful they do not think that they received a public mandate they did not. They proved a two point… three point majority wanted them … of the fifty percent of the nation’s eligible voters. That’s right over 50% of the country’s voters said count me out, the game is rigged, not interested…count me out.
Has this election proven something? Yes it has its proven the people of The United States Of America can disagree peacefully, it has proven most Americans are color blind and it only took 150 years. We won’t knowingly sell high offices to the biggest bidder; we might turn it over to a special interest group that remains to be seen.
The President and his supports must attempt to bring the two poles of American political life together…We The American people must be made to feel we are an active part of the decision making process not uninvolved observers.
We the people have the power to help guide our country and its leaders throughout good times and bad. We the people can protect and insure the peoples place in a fair and just and prosperous America. We the people in ordered to achieve the American goal must engage the American Political systems. We the people must share the control and power with the political professionals… Or take the consequences.
YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW…..
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Nov. 5, 2012
Tomorrow we Americans will be out and about voting for the countries leadership for the next four years. We like Chris Murphy , or we like Linda…WE think Mitt is the guy or Obamas the Man.. Whatever we think November 6th is our day; the American people’s day to help decide our future, as a people and a country.
Yet there will be probably less than a 50-55% voter turn-out., half of the eligible American voters will not bother with the American Political process. They are disengaged because many believe they make no difference…not true. The only way our system can work is if the citizens of America take their role very seriously.
The founders felt the people were not able to monitor and shape their government; we weren’t smart enough or didn’t have enough skin in the game so they built in safe guards to assure a solid election process, Women couldn’t vote, property owners were favored as were the professions…Our new America was a construct from an elite population of the overall people. We did not call everyone “citizen”. That concept grew slowly.
We the people have the power to help guide our country and its leaders throughout good times and bad. We the people can protect and insure the peoples place in a fair and just and prosperous America. We the people in ordered to achieve the American goal must engage the American Political systems. We the people must share the control and power with the political professionals… Or take the consequences.
YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW…..
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Oct. 29, 2012
We as a country are facing one of the most important presidential elections since Lincoln…I do believe that. Do we try and hold on to the voting Republic we were given in 1789 or do we go collective socialism all the way. I believe as do many other Americans Mr. Obama is wrong for this country… he has an agenda which will make the people of America answerable to their government, It’s supposed to be the other way around.
We have never been perfect in the way the governing body functions but we have never been this close to total serfdom in America…Serfdom is the reason many of our ancestors left the old country and came to the land known as America. They came with the hopes of a better future for their families and came seeking an open society, one with opportunity, fairness and a common citizen’s privilege, and they found it here in America. We are very close to losing that America found by our grandparents.
Socialism is like unionism everyone wears the same shoe size no one can be different you don’t want to kill the job or have the leaders lose control. It’s a very gray world… no hot colors or wonderful extremes; the population is secure in the knowledge of its place and privilege in a socialist society. Reality shows us we are neither safe nor secure…the boss is government…not the people. Are we the American people nothing but a great beast, a rabble that has to be kept in check, kept in control? Where is “of the people…by the people… and for the people” and do we no longer pursue “HAPPENESS” for ourselves and our families.
A point to ponder
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Oct. 22, 2012
We have the last Presidential debate scheduled for tonight I believe. The President and his challenger will face off together for the last time before the American voters and say choose me, choose me. Their last debate was like a fist fight, ya think they don’t like each other. What is really obvious, you can taste it, is the lack of manners, lack of fair play. The last debate was like a saloon brawl with the two candidates circling around each other ready to pounce. Is that the way the leader of the free world is supposed to act.
The moderator for the last debate really tried to be the star and came off embarrassingly awful, Candy large women…whatever her name was. Awful… she too did not add to a sense of national pride and discussion, but rather looked like a suffragette smashing up a bar. Is that what we as a country have come to sound bites and 30 second TV COMMERCIALS? No Douglas and Lincoln debates for our generation just rock -em sock- em politics.
Even the guys I don’t agree with understand as kids we were brought up in an America where we could be told be home by supper and our parents knew we were safe. We went to school to learn, the safety of the country was taken for granted and our parents could afford to take us out on a Sunday drive and pay the mortgage on our house. The question we need to ask ourselves can either of these two men get us back to the good times. Can they make America Sing… “I hear America Singing” Do They? A point to ponder
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Oct. 1, 2012
Suppose ten guys went out for a beer every day and the bill for the beer was a hundred dollars, now these guys are going to pay for their beer the same way we Americans pay for our taxes…Ah never mind the story was set to show you how ½ the American population pays no taxes and the other half expects the rich guy to pay most of the rest that really is kind of the way it works but I thought you might want to see our president react to a recent interview.
He was interviewed by Matt Lauer or whoever if Mr. Obama and his family were planning on being covered by the same plan all of the rest of us were compelled to buy. Well there was a very long stony silence and he simple ignored the question not answering it. A number of Senators were asked the same question and they said “they would think about it”
The Senate and Congress are exempt from the health care bill and will continue with their coverage. They will not be under the same mandated coverage as… We the People… interesting. Again when did the representatives of the people separate themselves from the people? We are pitted one against another; so we don’t see the whole game played out. I don’t think we are even playing. People… our economy is not in recession it in disintegration and who can or will want to fix it.
?”
A point to ponder
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Sept. 24, 2012
Our Republican Presidential candidate made a comment some time age about how there are at least 47% of the American people who want Obama back as president because they do not contribute to the country or the economy because they are the people who the government supports, with money. They not only support Obama but the Democrats as well .They like things as they are.
The main street press said the “Mother Jones” comments made by Romney prove he cannot be president to the American people. A live mike caught the comments when it was supposed to be safe from scrutiny but Obama was caught promising more flexibility to the Russians AFTER HE IS RE-ELECTED this on a mike thought to be off. So Romany was caught saying almost ½ of Americans are not pulling there share. IT’s True
Romney is right so say some of the experts but they say the people not pulling their weight are old white Republicans people who are retired and on Medicare and Social security.
A friend of mine has a tax service business… you know Liberty tax… that kind of thing. There are low income people who go and file their taxes and get money back because they did not make enough income. So the Government gives them more money. Did you know that? I didn’t… Obama did not win by a landslide he won by a few points.
The way it works there are 45% of the American people who want Government to leave them alone and 45% who want the Government to take care of them, but there is 10% of the people who are the movable chess pieces… they will again decide who will be President. Last election people said a Black man could not win the Presidency of the United States. There are some who say that America will not have a Mormon President. We’ll see!
A point to ponder
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Sept. 17, 2012
What we must remember in this election cycle is we are in a major transitional time for not just this country but the world. We must ask ourselves who will be the party to bring back the jobs that our former leaders allowed the American corporations to send out of America. The steel jobs, car jobs and the service jobs were given up. . Oh yes, we lost many service jobs to other countries because of policies allowed by the Politics of special interests.
After the second world war both the President and the congress shutdown immigration and allowing foreign nationals to be considered for jobs in America. The leaders of that time felt there were going to be too many returning veterans, American Veterans, who needed work so they shut down the foreign competition…Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy held immigration down to keep jobs in America for the Americans. LBJ opened up the competition for jobs during his years as president and that was the beginning of the end for jobs and manufacturing in America and the same happened in Europe, Jobs and many companies went off shore or elsewhere. Many companies left there headquarters here but moved the workers off shore. Stanley works comes to mind as does Pratt & Whitney...
The myth of the super expensive American labor force was just that a myth. Americans were the best precision and most productive labor force ever seen…if anything they were too good .The companies had to build in obsolescence to products because our work force built things to last. They had a pride and ethic which said you should get the value paid for.
So now America has brown zones, rust zones and dead zones…empty and gutted factories and since the mid-eighties has lost not 4,000,000 jobs but over 20,000,000…women have been added as competition to what was a predominantly male manufacturing force. Manufacturing was 50% of Americas Gross income… It is now 12%. What magical political force or party can bring back or just replace it? Anyone what to open a coffee shop??
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Sept. 10, 2012
This is a critical year for this country. We are into a national and state election that is as important as anything we as a country have faced .Our land of America has been manipulated by the political forces in our country to Polarize and divide us into them and us. We are the good guys and they are the bad guys.” Good Guys …Bad guys.” But do we know who the good guys and the bad guys are? I mean really… It’s like what’s good and what’s bad…. We are down to the basic definitions. The good guys want a future for their children, a place that both intellectual and personal growth is not only permitted but encouraged…be the best you can. We are good guys if we expect to be able to pursue our right to find happiness and not have a government that tries and define what happiness is.
A Government of good guys does not impose on your life rules and regulations that require you to buy or do things you don’t want to. A Government of good guys tries and promote a world of prosperity and makes jobs available for “we the people”. A Government of good guys works for the people, the people are what they are in Washington and Hartford for, they are not looking to go to the Emerald city poor and come back millionaires.
We as Americans were very upset with the Government in power in 2008 and we threw them out of power very graphically; I think it’s time to do it again. And we keep doing it until they get it right. So now we have to throw another set of bums out…They love the power, and love the governing let’s see if they love being unemployed.
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Sept. 3, 2012
The summer is over and we are onto the next phase of the living world autumn. This is Laborday weekend, when many of us worked in factories this is when we would have our company picnics .They were like fairs… rides, for the kids and free food and beer for the adults. We celebrated our company’s success, our friends and the joy of having a job. For most of us the celebration of jobs is over.
The days will be getting cooler, shorter and darker earlier. The first week of October (Columbus week) is the last run of wonderful weather we will see for another year. The ides of winter are coming and we will feel the dark and cold coming down on us.
The fairs and fall sports we see are another time change, we see soccer, football La Cross all field games and all brought to us in the fall, gone is baseball and swimming. The days on the field will be colder …more likely wetter and get us ready for the shorter days we can expect.
We are the drivers of our children and the team providers of juice and water. The days become brisker and full of birthday celebrations, church fairs and school band programs. We go to the schools to see where our children sit and where they will be learning their next phase of ABCs .They show us their new teachers and new friends and another year of growth and change comes to us and our families. The summer was bright, warm …the days long and Lazy. The fall makes us move faster and dress warmer. We are getting ready for the winter days to come, another time of change. The first weekend of October is usually great. I really enjoy the season changes. It’s a great time to be alive! You?
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Aug. 13, 2012
We make choices for the coming election this week and they are going to be very important to the Republic and the state. This is primary week people who are running for office with-out the approval of their party and people who have the endorsement of and nomination of the party go head to head and try and become the candidate of the party’s choice and ultimately the winner and new congressman or senator for the state of Connecticut. The run is long, hard and the effort must seem endless to the family and the candidate.
The primary turnout is always small in number and not easily predicated. So the thinnest of margins can mean winning or losing, that’s why every vote in a primary is very important. We have a very important choice made by a very small portion of the citizenry: our representatives.
So if there ever was a time every vote counted this is it. We as Americans will decide who will move us into the next era of America’s history. Who will make our children’s futures what we hope for… or will they make them what we fear, that’s the name of this election “The Future “for our children, our Grandchildren and our Families. This was always a land where most of the people sought out a better opportunity. Our children would and could do better than we, their parents did. That was always the dream of America. That dream is now in the hands of so few. God watch over and protect The United States of America.
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Aug. 6, 2012
For the first time in over twenty years we of the nutmeg state have been under the rule of one party the Democratic Party. My father and mother in fact the whole family were Democrats. My grandfather was such a fan of FDR that he would give each of his grandchildren a Roosevelt dime whenever he saw them. Truman, Stevenson, Kennedy and Dodd just some of the names that we know as national and local leaders … the party has always been a party of the people and for the people. The labor movement was supported and backed by the Democrats, as was the civil rights movement and the Feminist - Gay rights movement, the elderly have found friends among the Democrats.
The level of general support from the Democratic Party to people has been laudatory … praise them loud and praise them long. But the time has come for us to ask are we Democrats, are we Republicans or are we Americans. Do we want what’s best for the country or best for us? Is a bus way from New Britain to Hartford the best way to spend a half a billion dollars? Is the support of union jobs the only way to employ Connecticut’s citizens? Is lying off state police officers the best way to negotiate with that group of civil servants and that’s the group we expect to keep us safe.
Harry Truman a Democrat made segregation no longer tolerated in the military I think in 1949, he made segregation no longer lawful in public housing at the same time. He did both with the stroke of a pen, by Presidential Executive order. He brought justice to Americans.
Look this time to vote as an American…We need American Leaders not party leaders …we need people who will fight for the seeds of the future. When you vote think of America... God Bless.
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Posted by Phil Mikan on July 30, 2012
Have I introduced you to the youngest member of my family? My grandson Sebastian. I’m not sure where his mother, my oldest daughter, got the inspiration for that name but he came into this world with the name stamped on his chest just like superman and his big “S”. But he is a child who has truly captured his Grandfather’s heart. Why are Grandchildren magical…they bring memories and thoughts of what was, to the forefront of our minds people and places we have not thought of in thirty or forty years come to our minds. His smile fills me up with warmth and joy that is almost tactile it is so real it could have handles.
This child can by explaining his latest new found discovery , He’s four, bring me back to when I too saw the wonder of the world around me for the first time. He is like a frisky puppy, trying to explain the new things he keeps uncovering in his world. His smile and bright eyes take my breath away. I pray that the God of my father’s protects and keeps him out of the harm we as adults know to be in the world around us. So we have the joy of these children but also, we protect and teach them. I really am so taken with this little guy. God bless him. Did I tell you how beautiful he is? Will you listen to me gosh all mighty!!!
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Posted by Phil Mikan on July 2, 2012
Do any of you remember when the police, schools, and firemen were NOT unionized? After the Second World War a lot of the guys that came back from combat, went to collage under the GI bill and completed collage and became teachers and some even went into the police departments. These were people who knew what real challenges were “Like staying alive” so being told that they were a professional municipal worker and could not organize did not go over well with the Vets. The old time school Administrators were used to the prewar compliant city workers. They were in for a big surprise. The war vets did not want a teachers trade association representing them they wanted a union. They wanted negotiators who knew what a strike was and what it meant if you called one.
AFL/CIO was up to it as were other union organizations. In the late 50s early 60s little women who had been in a classroom for years walked the picket line with the guys home from the war and notified the town and city governments they would no longer be treated as second class citizens it took one or two strikes and the word was out… negotiate .Teachers went from very low wages to good wages Policemen were paid for overtime, and firemen could expect a cost of living raise.
Then they lost balance the administration would stand by the contract and in some instances reinterpret its meaning and there would be a grievance filed and people got caught in a them and us attitude and presto workers and administrators were polarized .They became two different worlds them and us. That’s what we saw In Wisconsin them and us.
The public was taught if you worked for the city your salary was low but you got a pension now you got a great salary and a big bag of benefits as well as a pension and the private sector kept loosing pace with the public…not fair…the unions helped many Americans achieve a better life style… but we lost the balance.
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Posted by Phil Mikan on June 25, 2012
Do you know how important it is to inspire youngsters to do as well as they can? Very! I think all of us had a teacher in our public school careers who thought we were a special mission in their lives. They pushed us in ways and took an interest in us that not too many did. They took an interest in our success for the year we were with them anyway.
I had two or three who treated me in ways I now, 50 years later, know was special. My fifth grade teacher recommended me for a school wide competition, an essay contest, fire prevention week, if I remember right. I won, and became a junior fire marshal. I had the badge to prove it. I went out and bought myself a wallet… She also recommended me for the sixth grade Christmas pageant “The story of Silent Night” I got the lead and performed with the big guys… sixth graders
This woman, my teacher made me feel I was a special person… one with talent and intelligence; she made me feel I was a capable person and I could do almost anything. I was full of pride and confidence, the world was my oyster, all I had to do was apply myself. She did that by taking a little extra time with me. Thank you Mrs. Alice Lake …you will always be special to me. I believed you for the rest of my life and try to help some of the people I could along the way in my world. Then there was MS Shea!
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Posted by Phil Mikan on June 18, 2012
the way
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Posted by Phil Mikan on June 18, 2012
Do you remember when the police department looked like civil servants? You know guys in blue uniforms with a holster, one gun and maybe six extra rounds of ammo. And a set of handcuffs, the hand gun was a Smith & Wesson 38 special, a revolver, or a colt 38 revolver police special. Oh and a traffic ticket book just in case they caught someone going through a red light or something.
Now an officer will have a belt on his or her waist which is about forty to fifty pounds in weight. They will have a Pistol (slide gun) usually foreign, Glock, Sig Beretta or H& K any of which will have a bullet capacity of 10-15 rounds almost all 9MM .usually 2 extra magazines (another 30 rounds) a little can of mace or pepper spray ,they could also have a Taser… a shock gun and cuffs… a belt mike and personal locator; they leave the ticket book in the cruiser. In the front seat of their car is usually a police model shot gun (5 or 6 round capacity) and many and I mean many officers will have an AR15 either a semi-automatic or full automatic rifle in the trunk with several magazines. Every day our law enforcement people hit the streets as if they are going into a combat zone. These are not city cops but the officers in the burbs. You know South Windsor, Windsor, Rocky hill or Cromwell
The local Police Depts. have been institutionalized. With Para military Police departments the standard in this country, why has the war on drugs failed. The local PDs are like forts. What ever happened to officer friendly?
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Posted by Phil Mikan on June 15, 2012
The dream that was America was the “last best hope of the World” that’s what our 16th president said. Abraham Lincoln new the experiment which was America was the hope for the future of not just this country but the world. If we as a people could make our government work the model would spread. And the world would know the joy of a God- Man centered form of government. The civil war was a realignment of that government. The evil of slavery was the cancer that would kill the dream of America and had to be destroyed because it was destroying the fabric of America.
It so perverted the cultural normal behavior that it gave us definitions of good and evil which were up-side down, inside-out and truly against the universal laws of goodness. April 9th of1865 saw the war of southern rebellion end, it was over, the North won. The slave was freed and the south as a power was crushed, they were made to change…or were they. No the shooting stopped and the black man could no longer be bought and sold but equal justice for the black man was not to be attained for another hundred years the civil rights movement and the madness of the 1960’s saw America seriously attempt to bring a real American franchise to black America. We might be almost there; maybe…
The Black community has no trust of us, the majority; we lost them right after the war ended… the civil war. They were frozen into a segregated, less than second class society. They were made to hold the jobs no one wanted, live in areas no one wanted to live in, arrested and jailed on the slightest of legal infractions, watched their children trapped in the same cycle of poverty generation after generation and still sneer at the thought of they the black community getting a fair shake from the white majority.
Try as we may they don’t like or trust us. We feel the same… not PC but the truth. We had set up a dynamic for a separate and unequal two part society them and us and it looks like it will take generations of Herculean effort to make the two societies come together and merge into the USA. Do you think we can do it? Not if we don’t get serious about wanting an equal society. Not politically correct but equal, a society able to breath and not always pause for right and wrong signals. The American people are like a group of children sitting at the same dinner table with their parents,(the Government is acting as our parents)as long as we expect our parents to tells us what to do we will never grow up.” Time for Americans to grow up.”
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Posted by Phil Mikan on June 11, 2012
We are into the early summer right now; I know it’s my favorite time of the year. This is the time of the year we really grow to appreciate the here and now, long term planning is suspended for a short time and we all kind of agree to enjoy.
We enjoy our kids, spouse, friends our homes. Make the lawn look great, maybe start a garden; the magic of seed growing into full blown life, that’s always fun.
Wait for the real tomatoes to come into their full greatness in August –September nothing tastes like a tomato just picked off the vine warm from the sun. You know why it’s called a fruit as you bite into the warm, red, juicy… wonderful thing. I can hardly wait …
Strawberries will be with us soon …their season is to short by months again you go pick them with the kids and they end up eating almost as many as they pick. The adults are part of the eating crew but the kids get all the credit. But what stays with you is the taste nothing but nothing is as good as ripe, red, warm summer strawberry
The kids somehow always wear white the day we go picking. So their cloths match their faces… red and drippy.
So the summer is our time to recharge our souls and bodies we try and enjoy this time of warmth, light and wonderful heat. Sweat is a wonderful way of clearing the pours and getting rid of the old stuff in the body… don’t you love summer? I think it’s the strawberries…..
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Posted by Phil Mikan on May 28, 2012
Decoration Day was our original Memorial day; in 1867 southern women decorated the graves of their sons, husbands and family men folks in different cities and towns throughout the south, they may have lost the war but nor their honor nor their sense of terrible loss (Gone with The Wind) was very real for the people of the south. One in four white men in the south between the ages of 16 and fifty were lost during that war, lost as in dead, many communities lost 80 to 90 percent of their adult males… a whole generation of southern manhood was destroyed. The north had experienced the same horror…In Connecticut over 5000 Connecticut soldiers never came home from the war, over 50,000 went to war and many came back in a state of shock (soldier’s sickness) or could not function. The Connecticut Valley Hospital in Middletown was established to treat the men who were “war weary”
The war was still fresh in the minds of all Americans and it was a devastating memory. The loss, the destruction and the total collapse of the Southern culture was for many never to be forgotten during their lifetime. “Damn Yankee” was a noun.
The freed slave was promised a franchise into American life, a promise dismissed and then forgotten. Jim Crow laws and segregation became the way of the South. Black America had to wait for a second reconstruction which took place with the civil rights movement in the 1960s. This time integration and social equality were pushed. Today we have a Black President and a black community fully engaged in American life. Have the goals of the War against Southern aggression been achieved. Did those men who we remember perish in vain or has America moved closer to “Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the lord; he is trampling in the vineyard where the grapes of wrath are stored.”
The troops who gave the ultimate sacrifice, if they saw America today, would they think it was a wasted trip.
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Posted by Phil Mikan on May 27, 2012
Decoration Day was our original Memorial Day. In 1867, Southern women decorated the graves of their sons, husbands and family men in different cities and towns throughout the South. They may have lost the war, but not their honor or their sense of terrible loss.
One in four white men in the South between the ages of 16 and 50 was lost during that war — lost as in dead. Many communities lost 80 percent to 90 percent of their adult males. A whole generation of Southern manhood was destroyed.
The North had experienced the same horror. In Connecticut more than 5,000 soldiers never came home from the war. More than 50,000 went to war and many came back in a state of shock, then known as “soldier’s sickness,” or could not function normally. The Connecticut Valley Hospital in Middletown was established to treat the men who were “war weary.”
The war still was fresh in the minds of all Americans, and it was a devastating memory. The loss, the destruction and the total collapse of the Southern culture was for many never to be forgotten. For them, “Damn Yankee” was a noun.
The freed slave was promised a franchise into American life, a promise dismissed and then forgotten. Jim Crow laws and segregation became the way of the South. Black America had to wait for the second reconstruction forced by the civil rights movement of the 1960s. This time integration and social equality were pushed. Today we have a black President and a black community fully engaged in American life. Have the goals of the war against Southern aggression been achieved? Did those men who we remember perish in vain or has America moved closer to “Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord; he is trampling in the vineyard where the grapes of wrath are stored.”
If the troops who gave the ultimate sacrifice saw America today, would they think their life was wasted?
A point to ponder.
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Posted by Phil Mikan on May 21, 2012
… Oh My what a wonderful day… On April 9th in 1865 the civil war came to a close; General Robert E. Lee and General U.S. Grant signed the surrender agreement in Appomattox Virginia .The awful war among Americans was over. The South surrendered. The North won, the slaves were free and the Federal government had established itself as the central power of American government. Now the country would heal itself and come together again as a country north and south joined “right” Well not really
The south was not about to surrender their homes and traditions and they set up local white supremacist controls to keep their former slaves in check, to prevent them from overcoming white control .The KKK would do their night raiding and terrorize the black population in ways we cannot imagine. The country settled into a fabled southern life style Uncle Remus and Br’er Rabbit, the happy share cropper and everyone fixed in place the blacks stayed on the farm and in the low end work force, except those who chose to take their shots and move up north.
The North had quickly mustered out their Armies… everyone wanted to get home so a small force of regular standing military were left to try and enforce the laws of equality and emancipation. The occupation Army was at best ineffectual and the political leaders in Washington did not want to knock the hornets’ nest over (700,000 American men had died and that was enough) by 1874 the day of the carpetbagger and the freedmen society control of the Southern governments were being dismantled. Confederate veterans started to take the control back of the political and commercial activity. The South ignored the new racial equality laws. The black communities were free in name only… The election of Rutherford B. Hayes in 1877 stopped reconstruction and the Federal troops went home.
The South settled into a hundred year sleep of black-- white inequality. We still are waiting for the end of this conflict. The second reconstruction came with the civil rights movement in the 1960s a hundred years after the Armies went home.
So here we are.
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Posted by Phil Mikan on May 20, 2012
My, oh my what a wonderful day! On April 9 in 1865, the Civil War came to a close; General Robert E. Lee and General Ulysses S. Grant signed the surrender agreement in Appomattox, Va.
The awful war among Americans was over. The South surrendered. The North won. The slaves were free and the federal government had established itself as the central power of American government. Now the country would heal itself and come together again as a country, North and South joined “right.” Well, not really.
The South was not about to surrender their homes and traditions, and they set up local white supremacist controls to keep their former slaves in check, to prevent them from overcoming white control.
The Ku Klux Klan would do their night raiding and terrorize the black population in ways we cannot imagine.
The country settled into a fabled southern lifestyle: Uncle Remus and Br’er Rabbit, the happy sharecropper and everyone fixed in place. The blacks stayed on the farm and in the low-end workforce, except those who chose to take their shot and move up north.
The North had quickly mustered out its armies. Everyone wanted to get home, so a small force of regular standing military was left to try and enforce the laws of equality and emancipation.
The occupation army was, at best, ineffective, and the political leaders in Washington did not want to knock the hornets’ nest over — 700,000 American men had died and that was enough.
By 1874, the day of the carpetbagger and the freedmen society control of the Southern governments was being dismantled. Confederate veterans started to take back control of political and commercial activity.
The South ignored the new racial equality laws. The black communities were free in name only.
The election of Rutherford B. Hayes in 1877 stopped Reconstruction, and the federal troops went home.
The South settled into a hundred-year sleep of black-white inequality.
We still are waiting for the end of this conflict. The second Reconstruction came with the civil rights movement in the 1960s, 100 years after the armies went home.
So here we are.
A point to ponder.
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Posted by Phil Mikan on May 14, 2012
In 1942 F. A. Hayek a Mathematician, a world class Mathematician wrote a little short tome on the state of American Democracy. He said we were on our way to a totalitarian state we were moving in the direction of the Germany Empire we were at war with and, he said with in a short period of time we too would be walking the road of socialism and it would ultimately lead to dictorship. Remember now when this book was written we were in a world war of unprecedented terror and modern devastation which would end with the dropping of the Atomic Bomb on Japan. Over 50 million people worldwide would lose their lives.
An unknown human disaster, we as Americans had moved closer to the central planning and Government control as we were fighting the Germans and as a country we were becoming more like them. The people were forming into a collective the individual was being lost and the group think of Socialism, and Fascism was taking hold. WE wanted the Government to take care of us and our kin.
He, Hayek, felt that a true free market and a true individualistic country would hold true to freedom and liberty.. .The rest, the slogans and efforts of the Communists and Fascists were a recipe for disaster Central control was the end of freedom for the common man. We should be allowed to follow the rhyme and reason of our constitution… if the agreement between the people and the Government were breeched the people would be the feudal vassals of a small powerful oligarchy who would control us and our families.. He then reminded us that the Feudal rulers required 3 days a week from their vassals. The rest was theirs unless the lords needed more. Do you know that we as a people pay in taxes to the different governments (state ,local, federal) all of our earnings until May 5th … We became Serfs again when we gave our Government to the few; Our tax payment is the equivalent to us working for the few… 4 days a week… Are you ok with this???
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Posted by Phil Mikan on May 13, 2012
In 1942, F. A. Hayek, a world-class mathematician, wrote a short tome on the state of American democracy.
He said we were on our way to a totalitarian state; we were moving in the direction of the German Empire.
We were at war and, he said, within a short period of time we, too, would be walking the road of socialism, and it would ultimately lead to dictatorship.
Remember now, when this book was written we were in a world war of unprecedented terror and devastation, which would end with the dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan. More than 50 million people worldwide would lose their lives.
An unknown human disaster, we, as Americans, had moved closer to central planning and government control as we were fighting the Germans, and, as a country, we were becoming more like them.
The people were forming into a collective; the individual was being lost and the group-think of socialism and fascism was taking hold.
We wanted the government to take care of us and our kin.
Hayek felt that a true free market and a truly individualistic country would lift up freedom and liberty.
The rest — the slogans and efforts of the communists and fascists — were a recipe for disaster.
Central control was the end of freedom for the common man.
We should be allowed to follow the rhyme and reason of our constitution.
If the agreement between the people and the government was breached the people would be the feudal vassals of a small powerful oligarchy that would control us and our families.
He then reminded us that the feudal rulers required three days a week from their vassals.
The rest was theirs unless the lords needed more.
Do you know that we as a people pay in taxes to the different governments (state, local, federal) all of our earnings until May 5?
We became serfs again when we gave our government to the few; our tax payment is the equivalent to us working for the few.
Are you OK with this?
A point to ponder.
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Posted by Phil Mikan on May 7, 2012
Did you know Ronald Reagan, President Reagan and his wife had the belief system of the ancients and the medieval kings as well as the Aztecs .What brings all these worlds together, think…The Planets…the system of planets and how they influence us in our daily lives? Welcome to the world of the Astrologer does the world we live in react to the invisible force of one planet pushing against another. Do the multiple forces and planet conjunctions make our world better or worse? What do ya think just a lot of poppie- cock, old wives tales, and superstition?
Really could planets influence our lives and fortunes? You don’t think so. Well let’s take a look at what the moon does to the earth… it’s called tides… The force of the energy that is produced by the moon moves the earth’s oceans in regular intervals throughout the day…day after day after day, any idea as to how much the world’s oceans weigh?
Now let’s compare me or you in weight to say the Atlantic ocean… so now the question becomes how can we not be affected by a heavenly body…Did you ever hear of lunatic, or the effect moon can have on a werewolf . So a number of planets could possible make us different right? What happens when we have a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn …we have them every 20 years…What’s a conjunction? I think that means they a line… and what does that do increase the combined force of the two planets on us …make things different…Astrology is a very very old belief system . Think about it.
A point to ponder
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Posted by Phil Mikan on May 6, 2012
Did you know Ronald Reagan — President Reagan — and his wife had the belief system of the ancients and the medieval kings as well as the Aztecs? What brings all these worlds together, think the planets — the system of planets and how they influence us in our daily lives.
Welcome to the world of the astrologer. Does the world we live in react to the invisible force of one planet pushing against another? Do the multiple forces and planet conjunctions make our world better or worse? What do you think? Just a lot of poppycock, old wives tales and superstition?
Really, could planets influence our lives and fortunes? You don’t think so. Well, let’s take a look at what the moon does to the earth. It’s called tides. The force of the energy that is produced by the moon moves the earth’s oceans in regular intervals throughout the day, day after day after day. Any idea as to how much the world’s oceans weigh?
Now let’s compare me or you in weight to, say, the Atlantic Ocean. So, now the question becomes how we cannot be affected by a heavenly body. Did you ever hear of lunatic, or the effect the moon can have on a werewolf? So a number of planets could possibly make us different, right? What happens when we have a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn — we have them every 20 years. What’s a conjunction? I think that means they line up. What does that do to increase the combined force of the two planets on us and make things different?
Astrology is a very, very old belief system. Think about it.
A point to ponder.
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Posted by Phil Mikan on April 30, 2012
Let’s ponder for a moment the magic of the number nine. Numbers have had their place in all of the world cultures, both ancient and modern.
They are the footprints of the great minds, and quite honestly I cannot imagine who came creeping out of a cave one day and thought up the concept of zero, or five times nine equals 45. Where did that reality come from? Who thought it up?
The number nine is magic. A witch doctor stumbled upon it and became chief of the crowd, I’m sure. What’s so special about nine? Let me show you.
In third grade, you learn multiplication tables — that’s about when we began our exploration of arithmetic in our school system. So watch now:
1x9=9
2x9=18
3x9=27
4x9=36
5x9=45
6x9=54
7x9=63
8x9=72
9x9=81
10x9=90
Take a look at the nine totals 18, 27, etc No big deal, right? Wrong. They have an ascending, descending order. Left side of the column: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10. The right side goes down descending, and they are in synchronous order: One comes before two on the left; seven comes before six on the right side, and all numbers follow. Cool! But hang on now — add the answers together 1x9=9, 2x9=18 (1+8=9), 3x9=27 (2+7=9) — they all equal nine. Tell me that’s not magic.
It’s just the beginning of the magic, Nine is a wondrous thing in our world. Go out and look for it!
A point to ponder.
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Posted by Phil Mikan on April 30, 2012
Let’s ponder for a moment the magic of the number 9.Numbers have had their place in all of the world cultures both ancient and modern they are the footprints of the great minds and quite honestly I cannot imagine who came creeping out of a cave one day and thought up the concept of zero or five times nine equals 45 where did that reality come. Who thought it up?
The number nine (9) is magic a witch doctor stumbled upon it and became chief of the crowd, I’m sure. What’s so special about 9 …..Let me show you. 3rd grade you learn the times table…, that’s about when we began our exploration with arithmetic in our school system. So watch now
1x9= 9 7x9=63 Take a look at the 9 totals 18,27.etc no big deal right.
2x9=18. 8x9=72 wrong they have an ascending, descending order. Left
3x9- 27 9x9=81 side of the column.1, 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,(that’s the left side)
4x9=36 10x9=90 the right side goes down descending and they are in
5x9=45 synchronous order…1comes before two on the left
6x9=54 7 comes before 8 on the rights side and all numbers
Follow… cool… hang on now add the answers together 1x9=9 , 2x9 =18 =9,3x9=27=9 …they all equal 9 Tell me that’s not Magic. It’s just the beginning of the magic nine is a wonders thing in our world go out and look for it!
A point to ponder
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Posted by Phil Mikan on April 23, 2012
You know our educational system is doing what it is supposed to be doing… turning out American citizens. The system was modeled after the school system of Fredrick the great of Prussia. After his defeat by Napoleon in 1809 Fredrick decided to create a nationalistic population that would be ready to work for the military and the government bureaucracy. If the Prussian parents didn’t comply with the government their children would be taken away from them. There were tests to be taken to enter secondary and for acceptance to college as well. The whole population within two generations was Prussian. Private schools were in name only for they too had to comply with the strict government standards .
The AMERICAN educational system was from the founding of the country always local, funded locally and voluntary… after the fifth grade many stopped school land had the equivalent of a modern high school education. They could read and write and do their numbers. They were better prepared for their world than many of our own kids graduating today. The “Normal” full schooling went until the 8th grade and then you went to the grammar school of what we call prep school (high school) which was structured on a classical education. Then… a few very well off people went to college. School was not a national industry it was a necessary social obligation provided by the community and the children’s parents.
Education was meant to make a livelihood possible as well as keep the population literate. You and your family were in charge of how you got it. Some of the people who came from this system were Able Lincoln, Tom Edison, U.S. Grant the majority of the Founding Fathers, the list would go on and on…You sought your education and made your path in life. You were not taught what to think or how to think or what was politically correct…you were expected to be able to think.
It was a time when America was on fire with creativity and brilliance… not regulation and central government control…In the 1890’s the educational system was brought into the Prussian model We were made a modern system, bells ringing, lines of orderly children, all learning the same…we were being taught to expect answers from the principal, and the questions also... So here we are.
A point to ponder
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Posted by Phil Mikan on April 22, 2012
You know, our educational system is doing what it is supposed to be doing: turning out American citizens. The system was modeled after the school system of Frederick the Great of Prussia. After his defeat by Napoleon in 1809, Frederick decided to create a nationalistic population that would be ready to work for the military and the government bureaucracy.
If the Prussian parents didn’t comply with the government’s order, their children would be taken away from them. There were tests to be taken to enter secondary school and for acceptance to college as well. Within two generations, the whole population was Prussian. Private schools were in name only, for they, too, had to comply with the strict government standards.
The American educational system was from the founding of the country always local, funded locally and voluntary.
After the fifth grade many stopped school and had the equivalent of a modern high school education. They could read and write and do their numbers. They were better-prepared for their world than many of our own kids graduating today.
The “normal” full schooling went until the eighth grade, and then you went to the grammar school — what we call prep school (high school) — which was structured on a classical education.
Then, a few very well-off people went to college. School was not a national industry; it was a necessary social obligation provided by the community and the children’s parents.
Education was meant to make a livelihood possible, as well as keep the population literate. You and your family were in charge of how you got it. Some of the people who came from this system were Abe Lincoln, Thomas Edison and U.S. Grant and the majority of the Founding Fathers. The list would go on and on. You sought your education and made your path in life. You were not taught what to think or how to think or what was politically correct. You were expected to be able to think.
It was a time when America was on fire with creativity and brilliance, not regulation and central government control. In the 1890s, the educational system was brought into the Prussian model.
We were made a modern system, bells ringing, lines of orderly children, all learning the same. We were being taught to expect answers from the principal, and the questions also. So here we are.
A point to ponder.
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Posted by Phil Mikan on April 16, 2012
Did you know that we have 27 amendments to the Constitution of the United States? That’s right, we have had a “bunch” of people try to change the basics however only 17 have made it after the first 10 which we call the Bill of Rights. Without the Bill of Rights the Constitution, as we know it, would probably not have been ratified by the 13 colonies now calling themselves states. The right to tax was given to the Congress by the Constitution. Taxes were not to be a direct. No tax on the income of the people but rather was to be drawn as indirect taxes… tariffs, excise taxes on tobacco, liquor and other commodities. The Government was to be kept on a very tight financial tether. A Government short of money was not likely to get into the faces of people. That was the premise the Founding Fathers formed this country on. They had just rid themselves of the King; George was his name. And he could spend the people’s money… as could his representatives like drunken sailors…to the point of the people suffering.
So, no direct taxes for Americans until the 1900’s, a faction of robber barons and people in high places were able to subvert the Constitution for the good of the few rather than the many… However, in order to tax the people the Constitution had to be changed so amendment #15 was proposed in 1909 and ratified in 1913. But the way the IRS collects from ‘we the people’ is by our consent; we submit to the income tax voluntarily. That is right, you really cannot change the Constitution… it is the law of the land. President Woodrow Wilson signed the ratification which made direct taxation possible and regretted it for the rest of his short life. Ya think it is odd that the 13th amendment which disallows slavery is just before the income tax. (The IRS has more statutes (Tax Laws) over… 420 or so… who’s counting now than the “Tore” has laws from God.)
A point to ponder
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Posted by Phil Mikan on April 16, 2012
How many people do you know who have gotten one divorce or two, maybe more.
Americans treat Marriage as if it were a win- lose experiment.( Let’s try it if we don’t like it we can get a divorce and get on with our life.) At one time… in this culture Marriage was a sacred vow, what we call a sacrament. A vow taken before Man and made to God in the presence of community; acknowledging a life time commitment between a man and women. You could not get out…till death do us part was very real…That’s why strong men fainted at weddings and skipped town the day of their ceremony, they knew this was a lifelong pledge… for better or worse. And the society meant you were expected to be faithful and provide for your family…you and your family would suffer the slings and arrows of those around you if you let you family down. You were shut out of social circles and made to feel as if you had two heads. It was very painful. That’s all gone now..
Now if it doesn’t feel right or if you meet someone else you like better you get divorced. Marriage is now optional .But some of the old traditions hold on like Alimony …In the old world when a women lost her husband to divorce she would expect some support to maintain herself and the courts were always generous with those married the longest. Women brought up the families, and took care of the house, made her man her life’s work… So society saw to it that she was not left poor. A husband would pay a good percentage of his estate and earnings to his former wife.
Women now are right up there with men in earnings, they are Lawyers , Doctors… fill all the professional work roles, CPAs, Pilots, Military officers…you get the idea ;Yet there are judges out there who still see them as the oppressed member of a couple and breaks the bank for the husband. Men have become the new divorce victims they leave court wearing a wooden barrel. And the band plays on. Shouldn’t we make this as fair a world for men as we made it for women?
POINT TO PONDER
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Posted by Phil Mikan on April 16, 2012
How many people do you know who have gotten one divorce or two, maybe more.
Americans treat Marriage as if it were a win- lose experiment.( Let’s try it if we don’t like it we can get a divorce and get on with our life.) At one time… in this culture Marriage was a sacred vow, what we call a sacrament. A vow taken before Man and made to God in the presence of community; acknowledging a life time commitment between a man and women. You could not get out…till death do us part was very real…That’s why strong men fainted at weddings and skipped town the day of their ceremony, they knew this was a lifelong pledge… for better or worse. And the society meant you were expected to be faithful and provide for your family…you and your family would suffer the slings and arrows of those around you if you let you family down. You were shut out of social circles and made to feel as if you had two heads. It was very painful. That’s all gone now..
Now if it doesn’t feel right or if you meet someone else you like better you get divorced. Marriage is now optional .But some of the old traditions hold on like Alimony …In the old world when a women lost her husband to divorce she would expect some support to maintain herself and the courts were always generous with those married the longest. Women brought up the families, and took care of the house, made her man her life’s work… So society saw to it that she was not left poor. A husband would pay a good percentage of his estate and earnings to his former wife.
Women now are right up there with men in earnings, they are Lawyers , Doctors… fill all the professional work roles, CPAs, Pilots, Military officers…you get the idea ;Yet there are judges out there who still see them as the oppressed member of a couple and breaks the bank for the husband. Men have become the new divorce victims they leave court wearing a wooden barrel. And the band plays on. Shouldn’t we make this as fair a world for men as we made it for women?
POINT TO PONDER
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Posted by Phil Mikan on April 15, 2012
Did you know that we have 27 amendments to the Constitution of the United States? That’s right, we have had a bunch of people try to change the basics. However, only 17 have made it after the first 10, which we call the Bill of Rights. Without the Bill of Rights, the Constitution as we know it would probably not have been ratified by the 13 colonies now calling themselves states.
The right to tax was given to the Congress by the Constitution. The taxes were not to be a direct tax on the income of the people, but rather were to be drawn as indirect taxes — tariffs and excise taxes on tobacco, liquor and other commodities. The government was to be kept on a very tight financial tether.
A government short of money was not likely to get into the faces of people — that was the premise on which the Founding Fathers formed this country. They had just rid themselves of the king; George was his name. And he could spend the people’s money, as could his representatives, like drunken sailors — to the point of the people suffering.
So, no direct taxes for Americans until the 1900s, when a faction of robber barons and people in high places were able to subvert the Constitution for the good of the few rather than the many. However, in order to tax the people the Constitution had to be changed, so the 15th amendment was proposed in 1909 and ratified in 1913.
But the way the IRS collects from We the People is by our consent; we submit to the income tax voluntarily. That’s right — you really cannot change the Constitution, the law of the land. President Woodrow Wilson signed the ratification which made direct taxation possible and regretted it for the rest of his short life.
You think it is odd that the 13th amendment that disallows slavery is just before the income tax?
A point to ponder.
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Posted by Phil Mikan on April 8, 2012
Easter is our time for rebirth.
Easter is God’s attempt at giving us another chance. If you believe in God, keep reading; if not, the sports section starts on the back of the paper, and the girls basketball team is doing really, really well.
So we so-called Christians would sooner talk sports rather than talk God and blessing, and grace and the miracle of God’s love.
We are uncomfortable talking about the opportunities God gives us to receive His love and grace. We are ashamed to let others know that our life’s experiences have proven to us the existence of God.
I have tried to read everything I could get my hands on to prove God is with us, but nothing does it like God talking directly to you. The question is, Do you hear Him? This is a holiday season that is our time to reflect and give public witness to the wonder of the Almighty.
We have our families close to us as well as some dear friends. Enjoy these times of peace and reflection; these are the times we are close to the ones we love. But closest of all is the knowledge that God is real. Yes, He is, and if you don’t understand that reality look at the people and countries who think He is not real.
There really is nothing as empty as a godless country or person. I hope you all had a grand holiday of renewal and a wonderful celebration of spring and this time of rebirth!
A point to ponder.
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Posted by Phil Mikan on April 2, 2012
Easter is our time for rebirth …We have another chance.
The whole point of Easter is this is God’s attempt at giving us another chance. If you believe in God keep reading, if not the sports section is(C) and the girls basketball team is doing really, really well.
So we so called Christians would sooner talk sports rather than talk God and blessing, and Grace and the miracle of God’s love: we are uncomfortable talking about the opportunities God gives us to receive his Love and Grace. We are ashamed to let others know that our life’s experiences have proven to us the existence of God. I have tried to read everything I could get my hands on to prove God is with us … nothing does it like God talking directly to you .
The question is do you hear him? This is a holiday season that is our time to reflect and give public witness to the wonder of the Almighty. We have our families close to us as well as some dear friends. Enjoy these times of peace and reflection; these are the times we are close to the ones we love.
But closest of all is the knowledge that God is real.. Yes he is and if you don’t understand that reality look at the people and countries who think he is not real, anyone for a trip to “Somalia”. There really is nothing as empty as a Godless country or person. May you all have a grand holiday of renewal and a wonderful celebration of spring and this time of rebirth!
POINT TO PONDER
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Posted by Phil Mikan on April 1, 2012
How many people do you know who have gotten one divorce or two, maybe more?
Americans treat marriage as if it were a win-lose experiment: Let’s try it — if we don’t like it we can get a divorce and get on with our lives.
At one time in this culture, marriage was a sacred vow, what we call a sacrament. A vow taken before man and made to God in the presence of community, acknowledging a lifetime commitment between a man and women.
You could not get out — “until death do you part” was very real. That’s why strong men fainted at weddings and skipped town the day of their ceremonies: They knew this was a lifelong pledge “for better or worse.”
And society held you to your vows. You were expected to be faithful and provide for your family. You and your family would suffer the slings and arrows of those around you if you let your family down. You were shut out of social circles and made to feel as if you had two heads. It was very painful. That’s all gone now.
Now, if it doesn’t feel right or if you meet someone else you like better, you get divorced. Marriage is now optional. But some of the old traditions hold on. Like alimony. In the old world, when a woman lost her husband to divorce she would expect some support to maintain herself, and the courts were always generous with those married the longest. Women brought up the families and took care of the house. She made her man her life’s work, so society saw to it that she was not left poor. A husband would pay a good percentage of his estate and earnings to his former wife.
Women now are right up there with men in earnings.
They are lawyers and doctors and fill all the professional work roles: CPAs, pilots, military officers. You get the idea. Yet there are judges out there who still see them as the oppressed member of a couple and break the bank for the husband. Men have become the new divorce victims — they leave court wearing a wooden barrel. And the band plays on. Shouldn’t we make this as fair a world for men as we made it for women?
A point to ponder.
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Posted by Phil Mikan on March 26, 2012
We get more and more information about the badness around us.
I have been doing a study to try to see the difference in the violence portrayed on network television here in the USA and in the United Kingdom. The British always have been my model of propriety and gentility, real clean and decent they are. Or should I say, “were.” They definitely do not allow the use of firearms in their portrayal of killing and bloody mayhem.
Unlike their bloody American cousins, the Brits are civilized, and firearms are very much restricted, handguns in particular.
The Brits think all Americans are armed. I think this has to do with their minuteman phobia — you know, the militia and all the people who helped throw them out of America. Oliver Cromwell disarmed the yeoman of England, keeping the armed rebellion down. And that was in 1658.
So, there’s very few guns in their cop shows. But bloody and brutal can be portrayed with all kinds of things. How about tire irons, knives, axes, medical impropriety and on and on. The general public can get its fill of deviant behavior without a shot fired — they see what our “CSI,” “Criminal Minds,” “NCIS” and “Bones” viewers get every day on the Teley. Blood, gore and the complete breakdown of social mores. The world we live in is unsafe and unloving, brutal and violent.
But I ask you, is this really the world? So why show this stuff here or there?
A point to ponder.
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Posted by Phil Mikan on March 26, 2012
We get more and more information about the badness around us.
I have been doing a study….I am trying to see the difference in the violence portrayed on the network television, here in the U S of A, and that in the U K. The British have always been my model of propriety and gentility, real clean and decent they are . Or should I say “ were”. They definitely do not allow the use of firearms in their portrayal of killing and bloody mayhem. Unlike their bloody American cousins the Brits are civilized and firearms are very much restricted hand guns in particular. The Brits think all Americans are armed, I think is has to do with their minute man phobia you know the militia and all the people who helped throw them out of America. Oliver Cromwell disarmed the yeoman of England… keeps armed rebellion down. And that was in 1658.
So very few guns in their cop shows… But bloody and brutal can be portrayed with all kinds of things tire iron , knives ,axes, medical impropriety and on and on .The general public can get its fill of deviant behavior without a shot fired…they see what our CSI, Criminal Minds, NCIS and Bones viewers get every day on the Teley. Blood, gore and the complete break- down of social mores …The world we live in is unsafe and unloving…Brutal and Violent … But I ask you is it really … the world ??? So why show this stuff? …Here or there!
POINT TO PONDER
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Posted by Phil Mikan on March 19, 2012
Our world is getting brighter and brighter and warmer and a warmer…
Ok so you turned your clocks back.. Ah rather you turned the clock forward. I always get that part of daylight savings muddled. Then we celebrate the ides of March on the 20th… this year’s first day of spring. I do get spring fever and just suck up the air and light. The grill on the deck will be fired up and sending the message of the change of seasons. I really do love this time of revival… It’s like coming out of a long winters nap.
Spring is the promise of rebirth-renewal-another chance, and a grand time it is. The rush of blossoms Irises, Tulips, Crocus’s and the Apple blossoms the fruit trees… spring is truly a grand time for us all. True our winter was a calm warm one this year but if you think back 12-13 months ago… we had snow up the wazoo and it stayed from November to the first of April a long winter indeed. So we caught a break …good for us. Except maybe the October storm that shut the state down for two weeks, that was fun times… oh and the storm in August shut some of the state down for a week. So folks the snow Gods packed all of the weep and woo in the front end of winter…No Halloween remember?
All that seems so long ago… snow, dark at 4:00 in the afternoon wet, cold slippery. It’s almost over, winter is. So here comes the heat, humidity and cold beer. I love the spring and summer; and the long bright days. How bout you???
POINT TO PONDER
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Posted by Phil Mikan on March 18, 2012
To the Republican Party in Connecticut and the whole of the United States:
This election of 2012 is yours to lose.
There is a question in my mind if anyone can be successful as a sitting president. It has got to be one of the most difficult jobs ever created by mankind. We have a country of many bright and intelligent people, some very brilliant people, some very savvy, all able to move in the world with much success. Our leader is president to all Americans and must try to make a cake out of marshmallows.
I, like many Americans, am very much disappointed with our present administration. I don’t think they did well for the American people. We are in very tough shape as a country and a people. Through inexperience and just plain wrongheadedness, this administration has done some really questionable things.
If you can remember when the Republicans were in, they, too, made some very questionable policy moves. They were escorted out of power by the people. This will probably happen again, although Obama will be a tough man to beat. But there is a sense in the land that the people are very tired with the style of the Washington leadership.
We, as Americans, are not invisible; we are able to see our hands in front of our faces. Common sense and right-headedness are the hallmarks of the American people. Remember, the Republicans were brought back in force to Congress in 2010 to bring a balance to the government. You cannot do what this Democratic administration did: Ignore the population, call good, everyday Americans “terrorists,” tell us we have got to pass a law to be able to read and understand it and tell us America is not a Christian nation. So, Republicans, go win it — take it all back — if you can finally agree and support a candidate. You’ve got to really want this one, guys.
A point to ponder.
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Posted by Phil Mikan on March 12, 2012
To the Republican Party in Connecticut and the whole of the United States:
This election of 2012 is yours to lose. There is a question in my mind if anyone can be successful as a sitting president. It has got to be one of the most difficult jobs ever created by mankind. We have a country of many bright and intelligent people, some very brilliant people, some very savvy, all able to move in the world with much success. Our leader is president to all Americans and must try and make a cake out of marshmallows .I like many Americans am very much disappointed with our present administration. I don’t think they did well for the American people. We are in very tough shape as a country and a people. The Administration through inexperience and just plain wrong-headedness has done some really questionable things.
If you can remember when the Republicans were in they too did some very questionable policy moves…they were escorted out of power by the people. This will probably happen again although Obama will be a tough man to beat. But there is a sense in the land the people are very tired with the style of the Washington leadership, we as Americans are not invisible, we are able to see our hands in front of our face… common sense and right headedness is the hallmark of the American people .Remember the Republicans were brought back in force to congress in 2010 to bring a balance to the government. You cannot do what this Democratic Administration did, ignore the population, call good every day Americans terrorists, tell us we have got to pass a law to be able to read and understand it, and tell us America is not a Christian nation .So Republicans go win it… take it all back…If you can finally agree and support a candidate. You got to really want this one guys.
POINT TO PONDER
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Posted by Phil Mikan on March 5, 2012
This column marks a full year of” Point to Ponder”. That means I was able to come up with fifty different points for all of us to Ponder. The comments I have gotten from you have been, thoughtful, welcome and at times very provocative. I really do just try and say something that will make you stop and think over you morning coffee. There is so much more to our world than we realize.
We run when we get up in the morning to meet the world, during the day we get through problem after problem and then get home to decompress and try to get ready for the next day and do it all over again. Day after day after day; Times are when I am not quite sure what day it is. So we come up with a Point to Ponder.
It might be something my father, a teacher, or someone said to me, something someone told me …or something I may have read. The Points to Ponder come from our days. Good days bad days, fun days boring days…any day. Life teaches us whether we want to learn or not. This world of ours is a good place mostly…it can get challenging, but nothing we can’t handle. Have you ever met an Angel?
I got off the air one day and had just finished a show on Angels. Yes Angels! Went home and on the way home almost sped over a 16 ft. extension ladder in the middle of the highway I was on. I was able to stop but could not get out of the car for fear of an accident. It was getting very scary… Suddenly a car pulled in front of me moved onto the shoulder of the road , two young men got out of their car, picked the ladder up… threw it over the embankment gave me a smile and wave… got back in their car and left, from beginning to end it all took maybe four minutes. Were they Angels?? I say yes, what you say.
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Posted by Phil Mikan on March 4, 2012
This column marks a full year of “Point to Ponder.” That means I was able to come up with 50 different points for all of us to ponder.
The comments I have gotten from you have been thoughtful, welcome and at times very provocative. I really do just try and say something that will make you stop and think over your morning coffee. There is so much more to our world than we realize.
We run when we get up in the morning to meet the world, during the day we get through problem after problem and then get home to decompress and try to get ready for the next day and do it all over again, day after day after day. Times are when I am not quite sure what day it is. So we come up with a Point to Ponder.
It might be something my father, a teacher or someone said to me, something someone told me — or something I may have read. The Points to Ponder come from our days. Good days, bad days, fun days, boring days — any day. Life teaches us whether we want to learn or not. This world of ours is a good place, mostly. It can get challenging, but nothing we can’t handle. Have you ever met an angel?
I got off the air one day and had just finished a show on angels. Yes, angels! I went home and on the way home almost sped over a 16-foot extension ladder in the middle of the highway I was on. I was able to stop but could not get out of the car for fear of an accident. It was getting very scary. Suddenly a car pulled in front of me moved onto the shoulder of the road. Two young men got out of their car, picked the ladder up, threw it over the embankment, gave me a smile and wave, got back in their car and left. From beginning to end it all took maybe four minutes. Were they angels? I say yes — what do you say?
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Feb. 27, 2012
During the month of February we celebrate the birthdays of our 1st and 16th presidents, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln; The president who started our country and the president who saved the union… both extremely important in the history of this country and both, the best we have had.
Lincoln was the first American president to come from what was then the west and was what some called the new Americans. He was the man most responsible for the establishment of the executive branch of government .He set up executive orders some of which still stand to this day. He turned into a dictator for the duration of the civil war, became the first civilian to invoke the status of commander in chief of the military. He made the treasury print money and came-up with the greenback (a national currency). He formed the IRS to collect income taxes to fund the war and established wars bonds as well.
But the most important thing he did was made a national policy statement about slavery. He said it was a terrible wrong. It was a sin against God and man.
When Lincoln first came on the national stage as a possible presidential hopeful he was a typical white politician he felt Africans could only enjoy the good life if they were rejoined to their own world (sent back to Africa) and advocated for such during his presidency…But at the conclusion of the war and after seeing over two hundred thousand black troops take to the field he changed.
He not only saw the black veteran as a citizen but thought they should vote alongside the white man.
His plan for reunification of the county called for a quick reuniting of north and south… with his death the black American population wondered in a vast waste land for another hundred years… Lincoln should be celebrated …For what he did and for what he might have done.
Point to ponder
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Feb. 26, 2012
During February we celebrate the birthdays of our first and 16th presidents, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln — the president who started our country and the president who saved the Union, both extremely important in the history of this country and both the best we have had.
Lincoln was the first American president to come from what was then the West and from a group that some called the new Americans. He was the man most responsible for the establishment of the executive branch of government. He set up executive orders, some of which still stand to this day. He turned into a dictator for the duration of the Civil War and became the first civilian to invoke the status of commander in chief of the military. He made the Treasury print money, and came up with the greenback (a national currency). He formed the Internal Revenue Service to collect income taxes to fund the war and established war bonds as well.
But the most important thing he did was made a national policy statement about slavery. He said it was a terrible wrong, that it was a sin against God and man.
When Lincoln first came on the national stage as a possible presidential hopeful he was a typical white politician. He felt Africans could only enjoy the good life if they were rejoined to their own world (sent back to Africa) and advocated for such during his presidency. But at the conclusion of the war and after seeing over two hundred thousand black troops take to the field he changed.
He not only saw the black veteran as a citizen but thought they should vote alongside the white man.
His plan for healing the country called for a quick reuniting of north and south. With his death, the black American population wandered in a vast wasteland for another hundred years. Lincoln should be celebrated — for what he did and for what he might have done.
A point to ponder.
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Feb. 24, 2012
Ok if you were given the opportunity to speak before a group such as is in the room today how would you approach the topic of republicanism…We all pretty much know the history of how the party started… as the answer to the demise of the American wig party. You all know that Lincoln was elected as a Whig to the house of representative for one term he with the agreement of the party limited himself to one term. Yes term limits were of concern in the 1840s’
Then in 1856 John C. Fremont the famous California path finder… ran for president as a Republican and lost. In 1860 Lincoln was able to win as a convention “Dark horse” candidate… a brokered candidate he… did not take one southern state but was majority winner in the north and before the vote was counted the southern states started to leave the union…secession and the bloodiest war in the history of the republic was to be the reality for the Republican party..
The Republican Party was at the helm of a burning ship and the south was determined to jump ship and go off on its own under the banner of states’ rights. The South willing and able to fight for the right to keep their Agra-slave culture and fight they did.
Lincoln would not negotiate the dissolution of the union to him it was a contract forged in the blood of the American Revolution and was fixed by the constitution. Lincoln as President said no deal…the union must stand… The free land, free labor, yeoman party the Republicans were in the fight of their lives... This was to be a winner takes all war… brother against brother, friend against friend; Father against son. The war would make a new nation formed and controlled by the Republican Party.
The point is Lincoln was the right man at the right time to fill a Presidency which was almost beyond human ability. He did the job with humility, with the total belief he was right in his saving the American model of government and he did it with some common sense and perhaps most important with a keen sense of humor. He tried not to take himself too seriously. Yet he never doubted the need for success. The union must be preserved.
The first (so called) union victory…the Battle of Antietam saw tens of thousands killed and forever maimed on the field of battle :Lincoln released the Emancipation Proclamation (the first major claimed union victory) The north again showed its growing combat ability to check the south on the battle field in July of 1863 in the small border town of Gettysburg Penn. This engagement was a more frightening loss of men the than the last victory over… 50 thousand Americans were killed, wounded or captured in this three day campaigned more capsulitis that D Day a little over a hundred years later in France .
The union fielded 93,000 men
3200 were killed 14,000wounded and 5,369 missing…..
The south fielded 72,000 men
4700 were killed 12693 were wounded and 4700 were captured or missing.
Minnie ball….! Ounce of lead…Leg arms lost mortality high..
North killed /wounded 17,686….c/m5,369…23,055
South killed/wounded 17,401…c/m4,708…23,231
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The decision was made to make the battle ground a cemetery. Four months after the battle the soldier’s national cemetery at Gettysburg was dedicated and the President Abraham Lincoln was asked to make comment.
He wrote one of the most concise statements about Americans and America ever! a corner stone of American Political writing.
“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation. Or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle field of the war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who gave their lives, that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow the ground. The brave men living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract.
The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.
It is for us the living, rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who have fought here have thus far so nobly advanced, it is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us…That from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion.
That we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain…that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom… and that Government of the people, by the people, for the people ,shall not perish from the earth.”
So what does this all have to do with us here today..
Many people believe that we are in a very similar place we were in 1860s. and the republicans need to field a Lincoln Good Luck…! But not so fast Abraham Lincoln was a marginal success in his own time he became a legend after his assassination and though the years his fame and greatness grew as most icons do… he became bigger than life. Even he would have trouble being Abraham Lincoln today..
So don’t look for a 16th president look for what is it the 44th 45th..The man you as a party choose has the best chance in a long time to take the House , Senate, and Presidency…Americans are not happy with the way they have been treated, the way their government has made them feel invisible…Bring the American people back into the light and you can have the win….remember The Government of the people, by the people and for the people. must not parish from the earth.
A point to ponder
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Feb. 20, 2012
Did any one of your friends send you the internet pictures of the five little piglets that were dressed in tiger stripes so a female tiger who had just lost her litter of tiger babies would take care of them, the pigs that is …so she would not miss her own lost babies. It worked you see the pigs without their stripes and they are surrounding the momma tiger. So they didn’t become supper, they became family. Somehow the call of motherhood crossed interspecies boundaries for good.
Or go to the internet and search for the crow and the cat. That’s rights a crow adopts a kitten that was abandoned and takes care of it as if it was her chick. The crow feeds it bugs and worms and keeps it safe and in food. A Massachusetts couple saw the relationship between the bird and the cat come together in their backyard. The crow would keep the kitten from crossing the street when it was not safe and just plain took care of the kitten. You can see it for yourself on interspeciesfriends.blogdot.com
Then there is the story of a young squirrel that fell out of a tree and was taken over by a Papillion expecting puppies. She moved the cage the squirrel was in next to her cushion, when the puppies were born the little gray thing became puppy number 6 end of story.
If a bird and a cat or a tiger and piglets, or a squirrel and dog can take care and befriend each other, there has got to be hope for we poor human types. We as a species know better… the other animals just got lucky …or are they the smart ones? God works his wonders in ways we can only wonder at.
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Feb. 13, 2012
Ok… so we now have 27 amendments to the constitution of the United States. And I am not making this up but there were Ten thousand attempts since the ratifying of the constitution to add amendments. Would you like to hear some of the failed amendments? Good I thought so!
How about the one that disenfranchises an American citizen if he or she takes a title of nobility from another country, this one is still pending, it has not failed but not passed either, it was proposed in 1810. How about the 1991 attempted Amendment to mandate a balanced budget by our congress, that one failed. Then there was the 2005 amendment to birthright citizenship, just being born here would not make you a citizen your parents had to be born here as well. That failed. In 2003 an amendment was attempted to make a marriage legal in this country between a man and woman only…it failed.
English as the official language of the United States was attempted in 2005 that failed, and the amendment to make the IRS and income tax illegal in 1997 failed. The amendment for women’s equal rights not only failed but failed after the 7 year ratification period was extended for an additional 7 years.
To ratify an amendment to the constitution ¾ of the states must ratify the amendment… the amendment must first pass both the house and the senate and is then sent onto to the states for ratification. If an amendment proves to be a bad law it can be repealed with another amendment. That’s what happened with the prohibition of alcohol, the amendment was passed in 1919 and repealed in 1932 it was one of the major promises of FDR’s presidential campaign. This was the only time an amendment was literally overruled by the people they ignored it and many just broke the law. Compromise cannot be forced. It must be agreed on. It was a regressive law. Point to ponder
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Feb. 5, 2012
We, as a country, have been watching the preparation of our Republican citizens for the coming general election.
Mr. Obama is looking to be a very formidable opponent — very formidable. As it should be, the power to run my country should be something worth fighting for and difficult to win. The Republicans want the power back. They have been brawling all over the country trying to prove who the best-qualified candidate is to be the leader of the United States. And they are now getting down to fish-or-cut-bait time. As I am writing this, I think the former speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, should get the nomination.
He has a sense of the way things can get done in the House and the Senate, and should be able to surround himself with qualified people to help achieve the regenerating of the America I remember, where people were not frightened; they were proud to be Americans and knew their children were looking at the best future opportunities possible. We are the land of the free and home of the brave — a Norman Rockwell painting.
Mr. Obama talks the talk, but I have not seen him walk the walk. The oil pipeline he deferred on is the kind of thing you are damned if you do and you are damned if you don’t, but America needs the energy and the jobs. We need a president who looks like Mitt Romney and thinks like Newt Gingrich; a man of the people and for the people. Mr. Obama is a mystery in his thinking and a disconnect with the American people. We need a JFK or FDR or Andrew Jackson — a composite president, a person we put together from a number of different parts from different candidates. We can make our own Frankenstein leader. Why not?
A point to ponder
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Jan. 30, 2012
We as a country have been watching the preparation of our Republican citizens for the coming general election. Mr. Obama is looking to be a very formidable opponent, very formidable. As it should be, the power to run my country should be something worth fighting for and difficult to win. The Republicans want the power back. They have been brawling all over the country trying to prove who the best qualified candidate is to be the leader of The United States. And they are now getting down to fish or cut bait time. As I am writing this, I think the former speaker of the house Newt Gingrich should get the nomination.
He has a sense of the way things can get done in the house and the senate and should be able to surround himself with qualified people to help achieve the regenerating of the America I remember, where people were not frightened, they were proud to be Americans and knew their children were looking at the best future opportunities possible. We are the land of the free and home of the brave a, Norman Rockwell painting.
Mr. Obama talks the talk but I have not seen him walk the walk. The oil pipe line he deferred on is the kind of thing you are dammed if you do and you are damned if you don’t but America needs the energy and the jobs, We need a president who looks like Mint Romney and thinks like Newt Gingrich a man of the people and for the people. Mr. Obama is a mystery in his thinking and a disconnect with the American people. We Need a JFK or FDR or Andrew Jackson. A composite President a person we put together from a number of different parts from different candidates. We can make our own Frankenstein leader.Why not?
A point to ponder
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Jan. 23, 2012
Ok here’s one for you, what’s your phone number? Ok what are you kids phone numbers. How about, what is the phone number to the house, the office, your best friend. At one time I use to know at least 15-20 different phone numbers. You know off the top of my head. The only number I know now is my number, my cell. I don’t dial numbers I call names on my auto dial. I have about 150- 200 phone numbers on my dial up but without the phone I am lost like the poor little lamb was in the rhyme. “I’m a poor little lamb and I have lost my way ba- ba -ba “ There are people who would have a hard time trying to call home . If I leave the house without my cell I am not only without a major part of my brain but an important form of identification and contact with my immediate world.
I could be half way to the office and if I have forgotten my phone I go get it. It is my sales manager, my receptionist and the first bill paid every month. The cell people have dunning down to the lowest common denominator so no matter how faithfully you have paid your bills every month is a new month if you become tardy they shut you off, no matter how well you have managed your account. This is a very effective way to make sure your client base stays current. We as a people have become trapped by a technology, we’re almost a hostage to it not quite but it has become more and more important to our daily life. A phone, a cell phone…Whod –a- thunk it was possible. And we are
still waiting to see if it can cause the brain cancer some are shouting about. Smoking may have not been so bad!
A point to ponder
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Jan. 2, 2012
Here we are at the beginning of the new beginning. That’s what this is a new time for us all. We as a group of people try so hard to make ends meet and keep are families from bad times. Some time we win sometime we lose but we are always in there pitching. We as a nation have a very uneasy feeling about our governments, we don’t trust them. Publicly we say we don’t trust congress but it really is all of governments we don’t trust …national, state, and local we get a sense that it’s them against us…and it’s very unsettling.
Examples…. Why when we as a group see lines in the sky day after day. We know they are manmade, we SEE the planes making them, many at a time, time after time after time and we hear nothing from our delegation in Washington… home land security no one .It’s as if we were making it up, no reports on the news stations as to what they are and why they are…we know something is going on but the Government is silent. The wackos on the internet call these lines “chem trails”…Chem as in chemicals. They are seeding the land with something …anyone ask us.
We have about three hundred people in the Hartford who run the state and pretty much do as they want… they get us in debt, tax us and tax us again to get us out of debt…they cause a problem and run on a platform to correct it.
The local town and city governments have the “ you against me” mentality, down to an academic science. The board of health can put you out of business, the fire marshal can shut you down, a dead-beat dad goes to jail until he pays up…we use to call that debtors prison …The zoning board will shut you down because the sign above your door is green. If your child is not vaccinated you go to jail and he can’t go to school. You get the picture So for this new year I am going to see about replacing all our governments with new people… you guys wanta help. Happy New Year.
A point to ponder
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Dec. 26, 2011
This was a very strange holiday season, Thanksgiving jumped us, it literally snuck up on us and was just there. So Christmas was right behind it. The time, sometime the best times are after Christmas. I take the week after Christmas off just to get ready for the challenges of the New Year, Just to reflect and try and see where I can save myself some time and skin in the coming year. The New Year comes in a lot slower these days we usually watch the ball come down and go to bed sometime we watch the ball the next day, we record the big event. Is that cheating?
Lots of calls to friends and family wishing them much happiness in the coming year and many wishes that those who are no longer here, know how we miss them. The years pass, the kids turn into adults and like the seasons we all are subject to our time of change. We go from spring, to summer, to autumn, and finally winter; changes that is the one thing we are sure of “ changes.”
I’m not going to try and lose weight this year; I should, but not this year. I will try and let the people who are important to me know just how much they are in my thoughts. The world moved in such a strange way this year. Did you feel that? It’s like we are on some kind of fast conveyor belt a time warp or something…Maybe it’s just me but I want the world to slow down a little. I had some great times with and without my family, but I think I need some simpler times… time to cheer my family, time to love my wife, time to enjoy my grandson and time for the exploration of this our wonderful world.
Happy New Year to you all may the God of our Fathers Bless and keep you all in his grace and presents…May the New Year be yours for the taking.
Phil Mikan 1-1-2012
A point to ponder
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Dec. 5, 2011
The year was 1925. All the children, born in this country, were Polish Americans and they knew Santa was coming on this special Christmas Eve. They, as most children of the new Americans, were bi-lingual; without knowing it they were the representatives for their family in America… they made possible the American experience for their Parents.
The story was told many times by my mother, now a grandmother many times, of how the four little ones were up at the top of a flight of stairs in a four room cold water flat. They poked their heads out the door and saw their father talking to Santa Clause at the foot of the stairs. He was talking to the old boy in Polish; their eyes went as wide as possible and they in that moment became the best four little children ever. They scampered to their beds, held their breaths and waited for the morning…. they waited for Christmas morning.
My grandfather was a day labor and made minimum wage… things were tight but not that Christmas. That Christmas Santa came to town; brought oranges, nuts, new underwear, and dolls for the girls and, are you ready for this, a drum for my uncle.
At age seventy my mother Julia remembered the Christmas Santa brought a beautiful blond-haired doll. She told the story to her grandchildren every year and showed them what a special Christmas was. These children of Americans!
A point to ponder
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Nov. 28, 2011
Do you remember the beginning of the Christmas season not that many years ago really. We didn’t have black Fridays then not the way we do today but we did have a kick-off of the holiday shopping ... Usually Friday after Thanksgiving Day, we would have the big Parade that started the season. That’s right a parade! In New Britain D&L, the department store would be the sponsor and the shopping would begin…The city streets were a-glow with lights and Christmas wreaths and such… Santa Clause was receiving children and getting their last minute requests for the special presents they wanted. The Holiday was a month in preparation for the, shopping, buying, spending and wrapping …lots of present wrapping.
In Hartford it was very much the same except they had G Fox department store as well as Sage-Allen, and Brown –Thompsons and Wise-Smith if I remember right. .And everyone would try and find which of the stores in Hartford had the best Santa that was a big deal really. There were elves and Santa’s work shop and long lines of kids waiting to talk to the old guy one last time. Some stores had pony rides yup right in the store… The season was charged with expectation and excitement .We shopped the whole month getting ready for Christmas Eve and Christmas day…
The cities were alive and the citizens were making ready for the celebration of the year, the birth of the “Christ”, the star of the Christmas season and the cornerstone… the reason for the Holiday.
Middletown had its store… Bunce’s, Manchester had its store …so did Waterbury and Torrington and they all opened the holiday season as a community .People walked and shopped from their neighborhoods to the stores.
As they did on Christmas Eve they walked from their homes to their church to give thanks for the savor, the Christ.
They went home and celebrated as a family… the joy of the season. So may you my friends… I pray… so may you…
Merry Christmas.
A point to ponder
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Nov. 21, 2011
Have you ever finished one in a series of books and found yourself obsessing for the next book. I have not often but when it hits it’s something to behold .I didn’t grow up a reader but due to the nature of the business I found myself in became a reader. There are times I have three or four books going at the same time .All are different in topic and are areas of interest for me. But there are times when a book series will call to me. No joke! I will be in a Barnes and Noble and be going through their discount books…the ones that were big a year or two ago…know nothing about what I am thumbing through and fall into a wonderful world that someone has spent years researching and creating just for me . A brilliant Australian author… the author of “The Thorn Birds “, Colleen McCullough has done just that for me.
She has written about 17 books many on different topics, none have been the runaway international success that “Thorn Birds” was but all have been very well done and have shown her to be a writer of the highest caliber. She did a series of novels on the fall of the Roman Empire or tried to. And what a series it was, or rather is. She has been able to translate the customs and times of a civilization, its politics and military adventures; most of us have no real sense of. She shows the relationship to us todays. We are not that much different than the Romans of two thousand years ago. We fight wars and elect people to political office we shouldn’t. Rome was run by the Elite of the time the Patrician Roman upper class.
Her first book in the series was “The First man in Rome” it told the story of how a non-patrician becomes the first man of Rome and all the power plays that go with the effort. She does the series to try and figure out why the Romans lost their republic. Her effort was years in the doing and at least seven books devoted to the stories of Sculla, Julius Caesar, Mark Anthony and Caesar Augusta the real first emperor of Rome.
She was able to go into the customs, politics and traditions of a very similar civilization to ours. Really they were in many ways just like us. The citizens of Rome got bought off with the free circuses, they were bought off with free bread, they were made to believe they were special…the citizens of Rome saw their world fall because they lost control of their government. The greed and quest for élite power broke Rome. The privileged held power and the people let it happen… they lost everything.
You know we are supposed to learn from history, I think that’s why they don’t teach it any more.
A point to ponder
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Nov. 14, 2011
Ok, I love camping just like the next guy. Well, not really, camping to me use to be black and white television and now it’s a color 19’’ TV. So 75% of the state was thrown into a major camping event… it’s called no electricity .From all over the state we had reports of the power lines down and huge trees in the middle of the road it was a real mess. The state had experienced a perfect early or late autumn nor easter…19” of snow …very wet snow… fast falling wet snow. It was as if the state was at war with Mother Nature and Mother Nature won this one. Some of our state residents might still be out of power the storm hit on the 29th of October and held most of the state hostage for 7 to 10 days this was one in a hundred year storm.
Ah… well except for the tropical storm we had at the end of August that was special because it stayed longer than expected. The trees came down on the lines… then too! due to wind and water … ok, ok, ok! It’s nobody’s fault. Right…WRONG! If you look at the past the history of storm interruptions, it has not been good.. We are at the mercy of the utilities, their holding companies and our state legislators. CL&P turned over 3 BILLION dollars in profits to Northeast utilities. A good year, I guess!
A major effort has got to be demanded of the state government and the utilities to attempt to prevent this kind of storm disaster. Lines underground ,Trees radically cut back from lines, and constant tree maintenance… trees grow fast. The storm damage should not be covered by the rate payers only…The state, the utilities and the towns should all be held partially responsible for prevention. They all should have some skin in the game. Is there any way they can lower our electric bill? It’s almost cost effective for home owners to go off the grid and generate their own power as they do their home heating… (Search independent power, on line.)That‘ll get someone’s attention… The power companies would be going the way of the post office or movie theatres slowly disappearing, winter hasn’t even started yet. Ouch.
A point to ponder
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Nov. 7, 2011
Do you think our young people are smarter than we were at their age or are they just brassier, have we as adults given them permission to see our mutual world through their eyes? A fourth grader walks into his class:
Teacher: Why are you late?
Student: Class started before I got here
We seem to think our children are slow when in reality they do very well with the knowledge we give them. But every once in a while they use their own brains and interpret our meanings.
Teacher: Glenn what is the formula for water
Glenn: HIJKLMNO…
Teacher: What are you talking about???
Glenn: Well yesterday you said the formula for water was H to O
Spelling was always a difficult item for me to wrap my mind around as a youngster and once we say it’s too hard… it becomes too hard. So in the second grade I decided spelling was very tough and so it has been all my life.
Teacher: Glenn how do you spell Crocodile?
Glenn: k-r-o-k-o-d-i-l-e
Teacher: No, That’s wrong
Glenn: Maybe that’s wrong, but you asked me how I spelled it (I love this child)
Teacher: Glenn why are you always so dirty?
Glenn: Because I’m closer to the ground than you.
A question that makes perfect sense to an adult will quite unintentionally be turned upside down by a youngster and make perfect sense.
Teacher: Now Clyde tell me true do you and your family say a prayer before you eat dinner at night?
Clyde: No we’re very lucky my mom’s a good cook.
Kids can get a feel for the world around them and see things we miss, smell things we miss and feel things we have not felt for years.
Teacher: Harold what do you call a person who keeps talking when no one else is interested?
Harold: A teacher…..
Be a kid once in a while… it really is fun.
A point to ponder
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Posted by Phil Mikan on Oct. 31, 2011
The story that comes to us from our Irish American cousins is about Stingy Jack. The celebration of Halloween falls on the last day of October. It also is the celebration of the end of summer and the beginning of the cold season. But let’s get back to Stingy Jack. The story goes that jack tricked the devil on several different occasions, kind of like Darby O’Gill does with the king of the Leprechauns. Jack is a trickster and a good one, you would have to be to fool the devil, he bets him a drink that he can hide in a tree he does and then Jack traps him there but the devil gets out and being stingy Jack… reneges on the bet… and gets away with it. Jack dies and God wants nothing to do with this unsavory guy but the Devil has promised he would not take Jack to hell for a ten year period.
This was due to his tricking the devil. The devil curses him to wander the earth with the head of a turnip, carved to look like stingy –Jack and with a candle inside he becomes Jack-o-Lantern. So on Halloween in Ireland you see carved turnips on porches and in windows everywhere. When the Irish came to America they brought Stingy Jack with them but rather than a turnip his head was made from a pumpkin.
The celebration of Halloween is a change of season’s holiday, meant to remember the bounty of summer and think of the scarcity coming with winter, tough times. We have our children have one last fling with their trick and treat and allow them to enjoy their childhood. But we as adults get ready for the tough winter in front of us. Get ready!
A point to ponder
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