I think I have all the robot posts removed from this journal, so it should be all LJ content rather than a bunch of recycled Twitter comments.

I still don't know if I'm going to keep up with this, but at least if I do, I feel better about looking back over my posts.

Well, sort of, but not really. I am in the process of deleting all the old twitter rebroadcasts. I think that broke sometime in 2010, and it wasn't all that wonderful even when it was working.

Also, as an introvert, not sure I ever really got in to the whole journal/blog/tweet thing. But, be that as it may, I plan on taking the time to clean up this account, and make it at least moderately current.

The way this question is phrased, my answer has to be "disagree", and "sustains". However, if I were to rephrase the first question to ask if I think that each citizen should be required to spend a period of time in service to the country as a whole, then my answer would be, "most definitely agree".

I believe there are valid reasons for a person to have moral, and/or ethical objections to bearing arms. But service to the country, and the experience of public service, working for something more than just yourself, has far more options than just military service. Back in the day, far before my time, there was the Civilian Conservation Corp that created some outstanding projects across America. That was not armed service. The Peace Corp has been in existence for a long time, and continues today.

Being willing to put yourself in harms way, in defense of your country is an honorable pursuit. Along with that, there are many paths equally honorable, and personally fulfilling that provide service to our nation as a whole, that do not involve carrying a rifle.

Since I prefer the mandatory service route (just not exclusively armed forces), I do believe that would be the most equitable. A draft, without loopholes (which is not what I experienced) would be almost as good. With our current model of an all volunteer force, I think the opportunity for employment is more appealing to lower income brackets. Certainly there are people that serve because they believe it's the right thing to do, but there are also a lot of people who serve because it's a job that pays. We all live here, so I think we should have an equally representative strata of the population in service to the nation.

It's been a while since I made a post. I've mostly been on Twitter, since it "Journal Lite". My id there is the same as it is here.

So what's prompted this is that I got a new phone recently, and wonder of wonders, it is NOT an iPhone. I'm still a happy Verizon customer, so I've stuck with Verizon. I did go for spiff though, and upgraded to a Blackberry Tour world phone. The world part means that it's both GSM and CDMA so it ought to work darn near anywhere in the world that has cell coverage. I just need to start visiting those other parts of the world.

When I decided to get a new phone, I backed up all my contacts through Verizon's backup utility. What I didn't know was that the backup utility does not work with a Blackberry. (sigh) I've got the old phone on "airplane" mode, no cell service, and I'm going through the slow process of writing down all my contacts on a piece of paper. Next comes the fun process of retyping them into the Blackberry.

Fortunately, I have found that Google has a sync module for Blackberry's. Cool deal! So rather than entering all that into the phone, I'm going to transfer it all to my Gmail contact list. A bonus is that that the gmail contact database has much more information in it that an older LG phone is capable of. I finally have exceptional motivation to update and consolidate my address book. I used to maintain it on a Palm Pilot, but that is long since gone. I'm discovering the Blackberry has just as good an addressbook, and it's not a separate device to carry. I think this solution will allow me to have a backed up address database, and automatically sync it with my phone every two hours. Bonus! I just have to populate it all...

A boy and his dog... Feb 09, out on the prairie.

Phena and I normally go for a walk out past the airport on the weekends. It gives her a chance to run free, and me to not worry about her eating someone's pet poodle. I've managed to break her of chasing after deer, but rabbits are still fair game. ;)

LOS ANGELES — Bettie Page, the 1950s secretary-turned-model whose controversial photographs in skimpy attire or none at all helped set the stage for the 1960s sexual revolution, died Thursday. She was 85.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,465846,00.html

She didn't have an easy time of it, but she sure did seem to have a full time of it.

My New Housemate Late with a post to gillian16 this is my news. ;)

I'm traveling this weekend, probably without web access. So, an early Happy Birthday to zaratyst Hope it's an awesome one.

There is no reciprocity. Men love women, women love children, children love hamsters.
- Alice Thomas Ellis

Happy Birthday to lexica510 and dianthus. Hope it's an awesome day for you.