Election Day

I recently watched the documentary Hacking Democracy. I can not say I was surprised to see that voting machines have glitches. I use computers for pretty much everything. I know that programs have glitches in them. No one is perfect including coders.

I march myself off to my local voting place this morning and I see that they are now using Diebold Touch Screen voting machines. I mention to the voting monitors how uncomfortable I am using these machines after seeing that documentary. I was told that they are very safe and secure. I asked if they saw the documentary. I was told no. A gentleman standing next to me in the line also mentioned it would be nice to get a paper receipt after voting to make sure what we push on the screen matches up with what is recorded on the card. Again we were told that the machines are safe and secure, that they get a paper receipt of the votes cast. I told the ladies what was on the video. The part where they tested a machine and put in votes one way and on the receipt it was the opposite of what was entered.

I can only hope there are no software glitches in the machines used today and that the companies that make them were more concerned with the accuracy of their machines then the financial bottom line.

New York Excitement

I am in New York City. My son bought me a ticket to see the Broadway Show Wicked for Christmas. We are having a blast! We arrived Tuesday the 23rd of May and settled in to our Hotel, The Times Square Hilton.

Wednesday we wandered around the city and went to see a mantinee showing of the play Doubt. A friend of mine lives in the city and we managed to hook up with him for dinner and some fun at the Emerald Pub,308 Spring St. Please feel free to stop in when traveling to NY. Believe me they will take care of you!

It is Fleet Week in NY, several Navy ships are here and with them some Marines. We were lucky enough to run into a few Marines at the Emerald Pub and thanked them many times over for there service as the night progressed. We had such a great time.

The play Wicked was very exciting to see. It is based on the book Wicked, The Life and Times of the Wicked Wicth of the West, a very good read. Both offer different interpretations of the Land of Oz. Glinda is portrayed in a very different and irreverant way. The shows are always sold out so plan ahead.

All About the Money

Stengler Speaks -- Pharma Giants Threatening Natural Products Market -- Wyeth Files Lawsuit to Ban Natural Hormones

It turns out more and more women are using bio-identical hormones for menopause symptoms because it is felt that bio-identical hormones are safer then synthetic homones and that cuts into the profits of the pharmaceutical companies. If one takes the time to read literature accompanying the medicines prescribed by physicians in this country, one would see that most of the time the side effects are worse then the ailment the medicines are supposed to treat.

People have been using herbs and other naturally occurring agents for medical care for many more years the pharmaceutical companies have been in existence. The FDA has come out with a policy that says only a drug can cure a disease. That gives the pharmaceutical companies the upper hand. If man creates it, it has to be better. I do not believe that. Nature knows what it is doing.

I have personally been using herbs, homeopathic remedies and essential oils for many years, I resent that my right to use these items is systematically being taken away from me to protect the profits of the pharmaceutical companies and their stockholders.

Think of this, to treat cancer there are doctors, nurses, lab techs, labs, hospitals, tests, drugs etc. If cancer was cured all of the above listed things would not be needed. That would hurt the bottom line. It is all about the money.

First Blog

As the title says, this is my first blog. I had to sign up and log in so I could post on a friend's blog. I could have posted as anonymous but that just did not seem right. So blogging I will try.

I am not a great writer. As a matter of fact, I have not written anything since college. That was way to many years and so many lifetimes ago to remember. So English majors please be patient with me. I will do the best I can not to ruin our language any more then it has been ruined over the years!

Off I go now to respond to my friends blog.