Time To Resurrect!

It has been a little over 70 days that D.T. has been president!  I am sickened by what he has done thus far, and I am tired of ranting on FaceBook!  That's why I am here.

I have been disgusted by D.T.'s attack on Peoples' Health Care, the Environment, The LGTBQ Community, other Republicans, and Democrats!  He and Paul Ryan have made it very clear they do NOT want to reach across the aisle to work with Democrats, so, I am not working with them as well.

"Give him a chance," they say!  Why?  He has not once shown any desire to be the president of the People of the U.S.  His administration refers to us as "customers," not Citizens.  We ARE Citizens, and they work for US!

As D.T. would say, "You're fired!"

TWEET!!

Not sure if you have ever used Twitter, but I'm sure most have heard of it.  I "tweet" once in awhile, and love to look at Twitter to get up to date news, sometimes much faster than other places on the web.  There is not only news, but major announcements that are made via Twitter.  Ted Cruz, for example, proclaimed his running for President on Twitter.  I still do not understand all Twitter has to offer, but I am slowly learning.  (By the way, my Twitter handle is @kfrankiii).

I had an interesting, but blood boiling discussion with someone the other day over the Indiana and Arkansas Religious Freedom Laws which were/were not passed, but eventually were signed by the Governors of those states.  I would like to share some of what transpired in my back and forth tweets with a Shawn Grams@airwolf1967, who I do not know from Adam.

I began with a tweet:

"So proud of our country for the overwhelming opposition to crazy religious freedom laws! #BoycottIndiana #BoycottArkansas"

Mr. airwolf 1967 responded:

"Shawn Grams ‏@airwolf1967  Apr 1

@kfrankiii the only ones having a fit are LW Crazies btw. America Stands for Religious Freedom. #BoycottArkansas" ("LW"=Left Wingers)

My answer:

"Karl Frank ‏@kfrankiii  Apr 1

@airwolf1967 As well as Freedom From Religion!"

Mr. airwolf1967 reminded me that:

"LWers tend to bring up that point. Been there Read that"

Me: "Want to run a business for the PUBLIC, then you serve everyone, not just those you like!"

airwolf1967: "people have lost their business bc a gay couple wanted to force them to go against their religious beliefs. #RFRA is good"

This went on for quite some time until Mr. airwolf1967, wrote, If my religious beliefs were against whatever it is. There is no excuse to make me do that according to the 1st Amendment"

MY POINT EXACTLY Mr. air wolf 1967: There is absolutely no need for such a law, except to allow someone to discriminate because of the 1st Amendment which gives you, me, and everyone in the US freedom to practice their religion!

A RESURRECTION!

It's very coincidental on this Easter weekend I would be writing about a resurrection!  But I am, and it is truly very much a coincidence (I think) that I write about resurrecting Karl's Corner at this time.

I woke up this morning thinking that I really need to restart this blog.  But what will I write about?  I write all the time on FaceBook and Twitter, so do I really need to write here as well?  Are Blogs really "in" these days?  Will I just begin, write a few times, then come back here once more in 6-8 months wondering why I never wrote anything since today?  Will I write everyday?  To all these questions I can only say, "I don't know!"

However, here I go!  I will try to keep it going yet again.  I will try to put my thoughts, whatever they are worth, down in print in Karl's Corner.  I will try to make it last.

Still not exactly sure what I will write about.  I know most blogs I see concentrate on one area.  There are cooking blogs, political blogs, love blogs, and so on and so on.  Karl's Corner will most likely not concentrate on one specific topic, but whatever stirs my mind and soul on a particular day.  More than likely, Karl's Corner will be more political than not, but who knows where it will go?

So with this post I begin my journey once again.  I hope you will join me.

Am I One of the Last of the Middle Class?

The Press of Atlantic City carried a report that the number of rich, working poor is rising, the middle class is shrinking, and the rich get richer!  At the same time, companies such as McDonald's profits are in the billions!  (Yes that's billions with a "B"!).  I realized I may be one of the last people left in the Middle Class, for if things go as they are going, there will only be the Upper Class and the Poor!

I certainly don't feel like I'm poor, but I'm certainly not rich either.  I am comfortable, but there are many who sink deeper and deeper into debt and poverty each and every day!  Hard to believe this is the U.S. of A.!

There's something wrong when companies continue to make astronomical profits and CEO's make outrageous salaries, but the working class make less and less!  When is enough profit enough?  When is a salary more than enough!  When will companies start to give some of that profit and salaries to pay workers a decent wage?  And what is the U.S. Government going to do about it?

The Republicans led by the Teabaggers would say the Government should not do anything about it!  This is, afterall, CAPITALISM!   But enough is enough!  At some point the Government has to step in and level the playing field.  At some point, if nothing else, companies must be forced to pay their fair share of the burden.  After taxbreaks, many huge corporations pay little or no taxes! 

Stop!

Retired and Loving It!

It's been 3 months now since I have reported to work!  People told me I'd be bored!  "There's a pool in the office as to how long it will take you to get another job," said one coworker!  "You're used to the structure," said another.  But I must say, I LOVE RETIREMENT! 

There's something to be said for not having to be somewhere at a certain time!   I love the mornings when I get up (not that I'm a late sleeper), get my coffee, and just do whatever I want at my own leisure.  Read the paper!  Go on the computer!  Read a book!  Honestly, since not going to work, I have waken up the alarm clock maybe 4 times.  I LOVE IT!  However, I have to say that time is flying by!  These past 3 months seem to have moved at the speed of light!

I wish I could have taken all my coworkers with me on this "Retirement Journey."  But their time will come, as has those before me.  I wish all those left behind in State Government the best!  I learned a lot in my almost 32 years of Government employment! 

Firstly, good people have to work in a screwed up system sometimes!  Took me a long time to learn this, but it's true.  Staff bust their tails trying to serve the people of the State, and most times, staff get nothing but crap from the public as well as their employer!  There are those rare times when someone gives you a compliment, but the majority of the job is filled with complaints!  It seems personal!  But the staff are just trying to do their best working in the system they have.  In my particular area of government, most are social workers and people who really care about helping the clientele!  When this cannot be accomplished, it makes the staff feel bad just as much as the client!

Secondly, if you want to succeed in State Government, one needs to learn quickly that "its' not your company!"  Administration does not really care what you think!  The "owners" of the company set an agenda, and staff are there to follow that agenda!  Once in awhile staff's input may be sought, but this is rare.  The reality is it's no different than working for "John's Mobile."  John, the owner, hires employees to carry out his desires for the company, and the employees are there just to make it happen!    Learn this lesson quickly, and there's less headaches in the long run!

Working frustrating?  Yes!  However, there were those good moments too!  Times when I really saw my sweat pay off in getting a client something he really needed!  And of course I got paid, good benefits, and the opportunity to retire earlier than most.  For that I am extremely thankful!

My (New) Gluten Free Life

As I sit here watching the Phillies and drinking my Gluten Free beer, Redbridge, a Gluten-Free Sorghum (rice) beer, made by Anheuser Busch, I can't help but think of how this lifestyle has changed my life. 

On June 14, 2013 I went to my Gastroenterologist for a follow-up to an Endoscopy I had in April.  Although my blood work was negative for Celiac Disease, an autoimmune allergy to Gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley, a biopsy of my duodenum, the beginning part of the small intestine, showed indication of Celiac.  (For those with Celiac Disease, the small intestine does not digest the gluten which can cause all kinds of problems, especially for those very sensitive to gluten).  The Doc explained that for every person diagnosed with full-blown Celiac Disease, there are 3-4 like me who have some indication of this disease.  The Doc said it's hard to explain because they don't quite understand it, but it could be what I understood as a pre-cursor to, or a mild form of, Celiac Disease.  The Doc said I could come back in a few years and have full-blown Celiac Disease.  The Doc suggested I try a Gluten Free diet for 30 days and see how I feel.  Other than occasional heartburn and regurgitation, for which I take Nexium, I do not feel bad.  The Doc said that sometimes if someone lives with certain conditions they're entire life, they don't know what anything else feels like.  So, I decided to give the Gluten Free thing a try.  Doc said if I was feeling better I could try stopping my Nexium to see if I still have any gastro distress.

I left the Doc's office and immediately headed to the local ACME to see what Gluten Free stuff they had in stock.  I just happened to run into the Vendor who showed me where all the Gluten Free products were.  Quite a large selection of various breads, flours, snacks, candies, oatmeal, etc.  I was a bit shocked by the cost!  I bought a loaf of Gluten Free bread, which was about half the size of a regular loaf of bread with much smaller slices, and it was on sale for $5.49!  I bought some pretzels and other snacks while I was there.  I have been trying more and more stuff as the weeks progress.

Fortunately for me, a coworker is also on a Gluten Free diet, and she has been a big help in locating food items.  One of my first worries was what type of beer or alcohol can I have.  My coworker assured me that wine and any hard liquor is ok as any gluten is burned out during the processing.  She said they make Gluten Free beer, but it doesn't always taste that good.  I have tried several kinds, and I find them not too bad.  So I enjoy wine if I go to dinner and cannot have beer.  I was also very pleased to learn I can have regular potato chips, Doritos, and Cheetos, as they do not contain gluten.

Eating out at restaurants has been a bit of a challenge.  Most restaurants from what I have been told, will accommodate any allergy, including an allergy to gluten.  When ordering, I usually just try to stay away from wheat products the best I can.  One of the foods I seriously miss, however, is pizza.  I bought a Gluten Free frozen pizza today and will be having that for dinner.  I'll see what that brings.

Despite the difficulty with this diet, I have to say I felt better almost immediately.  (I'm not going to give you all the gory details about my gastro system that indicate I'm feeling better, but I have noticed several changes).  I have also lost about 10 pounds, not intentionally.  Since I do feel better, I really don't want to ingest any gluten.  I did try to stop my Nexium, but felt some indigestion so started it back up the next day.  I'll try stopping the Nexium again later.

So my Gluten Free life has begun.  It's an adventure, and I think I'll keep it up.

Moving On

As I sit here this Sunday morning, coming off a week's vacation and heading back to the office tomorrow, I count the number of days left to work:  54 calendar days, 8 full weeks.  I could probably get it down to the hours if I wanted to, but I am trying my hardest not to "wish my life away!"  (My Mother used to always say, "You're going to wish your life away" whenever I'd hope for some day in the future to come).  Confident that I am making the correct decision, I still occasionally get that uneasy feeling in my gut! 

My biggest concern is what I will do with the rest of my life!  I usually respond with, "Anything I want!"  I am still young, relatively speaking, and fortunately, in good physical shape.  I have no plans to just sit around and do nothing.  Although I am "retiring" from State government, I am not "retiring" in the true sense of the word.  Firstly, I do realize I'd go nuts with absolutely nothing to do.  No routine structure in my life would become boring.  I will do absolutely nothing the first month or two, but then, I will need to find something.  Secondly, I do believe I have yet more to offer society, in some form or another.

Last weekend was spent in NYC.  Love it in NYC!  The weekend in the City is pretty quiet, but on Friday and Monday, I got to see the "everyday" life of the people.  I watched construction workers doing their thing, watched the "suits" early Monday morning making their way to work, and from the hotel window I could see the hustle and bustle in the streets below.  And was I watched, the "What's-It-All-About" question kept creeping in my mind.  I know there are lots of answers that are given to that question, but seriously, "What's it all about?"  Day in, and day out, we go about our daily routine, rushing off to do a job, and for what?  For some, work entails performing a service for others.  For others, work involves having a service performed for them while they "create" things.  But in the end, "What's it all about?"  We live, we struggle to get more and keep it, we die!  That's how it's been since the beginning of time.  In olden days, men got more land and power, others tried to take it, men defended what was theirs, and then they died!  People build fancy houses, only to have them destroyed by fire, natural disaster, etc., then rebuild or move to a new place, only to try again to keep what they have built. 

After watching this, I realize I don't just want my next years to just be a "job."  I want to do something that adds to the life of someone else.  I want to make a difference.  Because maybe, just maybe, that's what it's all about: people helping people while we exist! 

Still doesn't really answer that question, "what's it all about," but, as I like to say, "It is what it is!"  We're here for hopefully 70, 80, 90 years.  I want to make the most of my next 30 to 40!