Dear President Obama:
On this Memorial Day, a day on which we in the
David P. Hilsheimer
May 31, 2010
Monday, May 31, 2010
Email to President Obama re: Israel
Sunday, May 30, 2010
What does One Trillion Represent?
At 10:06 A.M. this morning, May 30, 2010 the cost of the wars in
- One trillion seconds ago, it was 1978;
- One trillion minutes ago, it was 108 B.C.;
- One trillion days ago, it was 113,955 B.C.
Just a little food for thought to help put things in perspective…
Letter to the Editor re: The Cost of Wars
Dear Editor:
We now have one trillion reasons to oppose the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan. On May 30, those two wars will have cost $1 trillion for
operations alone, not even counting the interest on the debt of that
borrowed money or the health care costs for returning vets. It is an
amount so incomprehensible that it can only be understood in terms of
what it could have bought rather than missiles and destruction.
For $1 trillion we could immediately give every one of the 15.4 million
unemployed people in the United States a $50,000 job and still have
$235 billion left over. We could provide free public university
education for the next 24 years to the 2 million of our children who
typically enter college annually. And those are what we can quantify.
What could $1 trillion do for cancer research or alternative energy
discoveries or any of a myriad of problems we would like to solve but
cannot because of lack of resources.
If we are not stable economically, then we are not secure as a nation.
We are now on our way to the next trillion. This hemorrhaging of our
collective resources for war has to stop now.
We now have one trillion reasons to oppose the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan. On May 30, those two wars will have cost $1 trillion for
operations alone, not even counting the interest on the debt of that
borrowed money or the health care costs for returning vets. It is an
amount so incomprehensible that it can only be understood in terms of
what it could have bought rather than missiles and destruction.
For $1 trillion we could immediately give every one of the 15.4 million
unemployed people in the United States a $50,000 job and still have
$235 billion left over. We could provide free public university
education for the next 24 years to the 2 million of our children who
typically enter college annually. And those are what we can quantify.
What could $1 trillion do for cancer research or alternative energy
discoveries or any of a myriad of problems we would like to solve but
cannot because of lack of resources.
If we are not stable economically, then we are not secure as a nation.
We are now on our way to the next trillion. This hemorrhaging of our
collective resources for war has to stop now.
Published: 05/28/10
Sarasota Herald Tribune
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Letter to the Editors re: Fair Districts Florida
For as long as I can remember, the Florida legislative branch has drawn congressional district lines in a manner to favor the party in power without due regard for the population centers and the common interests of the various constituencies. To wit: Florida's 11th Congressional District includes part of St. Petersburg; a good deal of Tampa; the western shore of Tampa Bay; the eastern half of Palmetto; and downtown Bradenton. More than half the district sits within Tampa Bay, itself and partly in the Gulf. How ridiculous it that?
FairDistricts Florida undertook a successful grassroots campaign, circulating petitions to get Amendments 5 and 6 on the November ballot to do away with gerrymandering, the process described above. On Tuesday, April 13th, legislative leaders submitted their own plan for redistricting, the provisions of which totally circumvent the protections of Amendments 5 and 6. I am not a Tea partier, but we must take our government back from those who would maintain power simply due to the fact they were elected in the first place. True representative government depends on the voice of the people. If we are not listened to, then we have little rights in determining where we go from here.
Everyone is encouraged to contact their state senator and representative, requesting they oppose SJR 2288.
Published: April 18, 2010
Bradenton Herald
Sarasota Herald Tribune
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Saturday, December 5, 2009
TracFone Customer Service--NOT!!!
Written on October 19, 2009
My wife and I had cell phone service with one of the big national companies, which shall remain nameless. Our contract with them ran out and we were on a month-to-month plan with them. As we don't use our cell phones all that much, on the recommendation of a friend, we decided to dump the carrier we were with and go contractless with TracFone.
We ordered two phones--an LG600G for me and a Motorola C139 for Pam. They both came within a few days and I got mine up and running fine. However, when it came to Pam's, it was not so easy. First of all, it was dead and I plugged it into the charger for a couple of hours to charge the battery. Still no luck. Call #1 to TracFone (India, that is). The guy told me to leave it plugged in for a couple more hours. Still no luck. Call #2 to TracFone. This guy told me to leave it plugged in overnight, which I did. Still no luck. Call #3 the next morning and, after some cajoling, I finally got them to agree to send us a replacement.
Replacement phone comes about a week later and seemed to work. Charged up okay and, since there were only ten minutes on the phone, I went online to purchase additional time. When I filled in all the blanks and hit "enter" an error message appeared telling me the account# I had entered was wrong. After retrying it, I got the same message so I called them to make the purchase. Gave them the info, but nothing showed up on the phone. The guy told me to check the phone the next day, which I did. Still nothing, so I call TracFone once again and am told to wait an additional 48 hours.
In the meantime, I make a call on the phone but only faintly hear the party on the other end. Another call to TracFone to find out how to increase the speaker volume (it doesn't work). on Saturday a wrong number call comes in. Pam answers the phone, but cannot hear anything on the other end. She hands the phone to me and I can barely hear the person on the other end. At that point, we decide to give up and get rid of the phone.
Today, before I had a chance to call them, TracFone calls me to get the additional minutes I had tried to purchase LAST WEEK added to the phone. I told the lady I was not interested in such--only interested in returning the phone and getting my money back. After convincing her that "not no, but hell no" I don't want yet another replacement phone, I get the address and insructions on returning the phone. I then go to the local UPS store, ship it back, return home and call TracFone (still India) with the tracking number. After being on the phone for better than a half hour (the VAST majority of time on "hold") and giving the tracking number to two different people I thought I was through. But no... I had to talk with yet another lady to discuss the phone time I had purchased. Since it was "Reserved", I could not get a credit on it. I could only add it to my LG600 phone which has more than enough time on it.
Of course, I was thoroughly pissed by this time. My patience had worn extremely thin and the last two women I talked to had to bear the brunt of my frustration. I was not nasty with them; I only told them how disgusted I was at the entire situation. In looking at the receipt I had printed up when I first purchased the phones, I noted their slogan is: "The Cell Phone That Puts You in Control". I told the woman that I did not feel in control of anything and that I would think long and hard before recommending their company to any of my frineds.
So, please, all of my friends. Think twice about purchasing a TracFone and utilizing their service. I'm stuck with them now, since I have purchased time which I will have to use. Maybe my opinion of them will change in time but right now they've got a long way to go.
Addendum: A couple of days later I received a follow-up call from TracFone by a lady who spoke very good English and with a good phone connection. I let her have both barrels. She was speechless. I think I FINALLY got my point across.
My wife and I had cell phone service with one of the big national companies, which shall remain nameless. Our contract with them ran out and we were on a month-to-month plan with them. As we don't use our cell phones all that much, on the recommendation of a friend, we decided to dump the carrier we were with and go contractless with TracFone.
We ordered two phones--an LG600G for me and a Motorola C139 for Pam. They both came within a few days and I got mine up and running fine. However, when it came to Pam's, it was not so easy. First of all, it was dead and I plugged it into the charger for a couple of hours to charge the battery. Still no luck. Call #1 to TracFone (India, that is). The guy told me to leave it plugged in for a couple more hours. Still no luck. Call #2 to TracFone. This guy told me to leave it plugged in overnight, which I did. Still no luck. Call #3 the next morning and, after some cajoling, I finally got them to agree to send us a replacement.
Replacement phone comes about a week later and seemed to work. Charged up okay and, since there were only ten minutes on the phone, I went online to purchase additional time. When I filled in all the blanks and hit "enter" an error message appeared telling me the account# I had entered was wrong. After retrying it, I got the same message so I called them to make the purchase. Gave them the info, but nothing showed up on the phone. The guy told me to check the phone the next day, which I did. Still nothing, so I call TracFone once again and am told to wait an additional 48 hours.
In the meantime, I make a call on the phone but only faintly hear the party on the other end. Another call to TracFone to find out how to increase the speaker volume (it doesn't work). on Saturday a wrong number call comes in. Pam answers the phone, but cannot hear anything on the other end. She hands the phone to me and I can barely hear the person on the other end. At that point, we decide to give up and get rid of the phone.
Today, before I had a chance to call them, TracFone calls me to get the additional minutes I had tried to purchase LAST WEEK added to the phone. I told the lady I was not interested in such--only interested in returning the phone and getting my money back. After convincing her that "not no, but hell no" I don't want yet another replacement phone, I get the address and insructions on returning the phone. I then go to the local UPS store, ship it back, return home and call TracFone (still India) with the tracking number. After being on the phone for better than a half hour (the VAST majority of time on "hold") and giving the tracking number to two different people I thought I was through. But no... I had to talk with yet another lady to discuss the phone time I had purchased. Since it was "Reserved", I could not get a credit on it. I could only add it to my LG600 phone which has more than enough time on it.
Of course, I was thoroughly pissed by this time. My patience had worn extremely thin and the last two women I talked to had to bear the brunt of my frustration. I was not nasty with them; I only told them how disgusted I was at the entire situation. In looking at the receipt I had printed up when I first purchased the phones, I noted their slogan is: "The Cell Phone That Puts You in Control". I told the woman that I did not feel in control of anything and that I would think long and hard before recommending their company to any of my frineds.
So, please, all of my friends. Think twice about purchasing a TracFone and utilizing their service. I'm stuck with them now, since I have purchased time which I will have to use. Maybe my opinion of them will change in time but right now they've got a long way to go.
Addendum: A couple of days later I received a follow-up call from TracFone by a lady who spoke very good English and with a good phone connection. I let her have both barrels. She was speechless. I think I FINALLY got my point across.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Taking a Break
I sit right now in our best friend's house in Miami relaxing from a very full week of pleasure, refreshment, and learning. Having been named Clerk of Sarasota Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), I am eagerly serving the Meeting, something I feel I was born to do. Knowing I have much to learn about clerking, I was thrilled when the Meeting agreed to pay my tuition to a Clerking Workshop at Pendle Hill, a Quaker study center outside of Philadelphia. Thus, began my break from the usual, with a bit of a trip down memory lane.
Pam and I drove to Miami, along with all our pets on Monday, Nov 16th. After an overnight stay, I flew to the Washington, DC area where I stayed with my sister, Becky and her significant other, Paul Silva.
On Wednesday morning, I went out to the new Air and Space Museum near Dulles Airport, where I spent the morning. The highlight of that visit was seeing the actual plane I had ordered a major and his family off of when I was in the Air Force. It was a Lockheed Super Constellation C-121, which had just returned from the Caribbean and stopping at Charleston AFB, SC. I was told that a major and his family on board were going to continue on to the plane's base in Martinsburg, WV. Since civilians were banned from flying domestically on Air Force planes, the practice being in direct competition with the airlines, I had to tell them that, while the major could fly, his family could not. How blown away I was when, reading the fact sheet on the plane to learn it was the one I had such a memory of! That afternoon, it was off to see my high school sweetheart, Sally Eckbreth Rosholt. We have been in touch over the past few years but had not seen each other in over 40 years. How the years melted away. We had a fantastic visit with each other. It was quite fortuitous that her husband, Don, was doing some substitute teaching that day, so I didn't have to share her with anyone, save her 2-month old granddaughter. The 3 1/2 hours we spent together flew away in such a hurry.
Thursday it was off to the U.S Capitol and its new Visitors Center, the Smithsonian Museum of American History, and Ford's Theater. On the way back to Becky's on the Metro, I did run into a bit of a problem, though. When I arrived at the Courthouse station and tried to exit, I found that I needed an additional 45 cents to exit. Putting a dollar bill and the fare card in the exit fare machine, both were rejected. I found the attendant and a very nice lady gave me a couple of quarters, but refused to change my dollar bill. I graciously accepted them and went back to the machine, only to have them rejected as well. Having visions of Charley being stuck on the MTA, I called to the attendant, who was leaving at this time. He opened the gate for me and let me exit. Fortunately, the lady was still there and she got her two quarters back.
On Friday, it was time to go to Pendle Hill, with a stop in Baltimore to visit the B&O Railroad Museum and Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum. At Pendle Hill, I had a very fulfilling weekend learning the ins and outs of clerking from Arthur Larrabee, General Secretary of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting and a person who is well-known in Quaker circles for his expertise in clerking and the training of clerks, be they meeting clerks, committee clerks, or those simply interested in personal enrichment. Learning "at the feet of the master" was a great experience. While I am fairly well skilled at conducting meetings in an orderly fashion, the workshop really gave me some great pointers at handling matters from a spiritual perspective.
After the workshop was over and before I headed back to Becky's, I met one of my all time best friends, Tom Hoopes, who is on the faculty at The George School, a Quaker secondary school in the Philadelphia area. Having known Tom when he and his wife, Beth Castiglione, were in Madison, I had not seen him in over 13 years. It was such a delight to spend some time with him and his two boys over pizza before departing. Unfortunately, Beth was not feeling well and I was disappointed in not being able to see her.
Back in DC, I spent Monday visiting Dad and my Uncle William at Arlington National Cemetary before heading to the George Washington Memorial Masonic Temple in Alexandria and then down to Mt. Vernon for the afternoon. It has probably been 50 years since I visited there. They have a beautiful new visitors center with many exhibits and movies depicting the life of George Washington. On the way back, I blew past our first DC area house, 219 Guthrie Ave in Warwick Village, Alexandria. My, how the area has changed!
Back to Miami yesterday, Tuesday, where we plan to spend Thanksgiving before heading back to Bradenton on Friday. It has been a very full week and a half so far and my energy level has been great. Although I would sit down and rest from time to time, I never felt tired or fatigued. I imagine it is the fact I have kept very active and not sat around. Looking forward to a productive visit with my cardiologist next Tuesday. I am hoping the worst of my health concerns are far behind me. Time will tell...
Pam and I drove to Miami, along with all our pets on Monday, Nov 16th. After an overnight stay, I flew to the Washington, DC area where I stayed with my sister, Becky and her significant other, Paul Silva.
On Wednesday morning, I went out to the new Air and Space Museum near Dulles Airport, where I spent the morning. The highlight of that visit was seeing the actual plane I had ordered a major and his family off of when I was in the Air Force. It was a Lockheed Super Constellation C-121, which had just returned from the Caribbean and stopping at Charleston AFB, SC. I was told that a major and his family on board were going to continue on to the plane's base in Martinsburg, WV. Since civilians were banned from flying domestically on Air Force planes, the practice being in direct competition with the airlines, I had to tell them that, while the major could fly, his family could not. How blown away I was when, reading the fact sheet on the plane to learn it was the one I had such a memory of! That afternoon, it was off to see my high school sweetheart, Sally Eckbreth Rosholt. We have been in touch over the past few years but had not seen each other in over 40 years. How the years melted away. We had a fantastic visit with each other. It was quite fortuitous that her husband, Don, was doing some substitute teaching that day, so I didn't have to share her with anyone, save her 2-month old granddaughter. The 3 1/2 hours we spent together flew away in such a hurry.
Thursday it was off to the U.S Capitol and its new Visitors Center, the Smithsonian Museum of American History, and Ford's Theater. On the way back to Becky's on the Metro, I did run into a bit of a problem, though. When I arrived at the Courthouse station and tried to exit, I found that I needed an additional 45 cents to exit. Putting a dollar bill and the fare card in the exit fare machine, both were rejected. I found the attendant and a very nice lady gave me a couple of quarters, but refused to change my dollar bill. I graciously accepted them and went back to the machine, only to have them rejected as well. Having visions of Charley being stuck on the MTA, I called to the attendant, who was leaving at this time. He opened the gate for me and let me exit. Fortunately, the lady was still there and she got her two quarters back.
On Friday, it was time to go to Pendle Hill, with a stop in Baltimore to visit the B&O Railroad Museum and Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum. At Pendle Hill, I had a very fulfilling weekend learning the ins and outs of clerking from Arthur Larrabee, General Secretary of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting and a person who is well-known in Quaker circles for his expertise in clerking and the training of clerks, be they meeting clerks, committee clerks, or those simply interested in personal enrichment. Learning "at the feet of the master" was a great experience. While I am fairly well skilled at conducting meetings in an orderly fashion, the workshop really gave me some great pointers at handling matters from a spiritual perspective.
After the workshop was over and before I headed back to Becky's, I met one of my all time best friends, Tom Hoopes, who is on the faculty at The George School, a Quaker secondary school in the Philadelphia area. Having known Tom when he and his wife, Beth Castiglione, were in Madison, I had not seen him in over 13 years. It was such a delight to spend some time with him and his two boys over pizza before departing. Unfortunately, Beth was not feeling well and I was disappointed in not being able to see her.
Back in DC, I spent Monday visiting Dad and my Uncle William at Arlington National Cemetary before heading to the George Washington Memorial Masonic Temple in Alexandria and then down to Mt. Vernon for the afternoon. It has probably been 50 years since I visited there. They have a beautiful new visitors center with many exhibits and movies depicting the life of George Washington. On the way back, I blew past our first DC area house, 219 Guthrie Ave in Warwick Village, Alexandria. My, how the area has changed!
Back to Miami yesterday, Tuesday, where we plan to spend Thanksgiving before heading back to Bradenton on Friday. It has been a very full week and a half so far and my energy level has been great. Although I would sit down and rest from time to time, I never felt tired or fatigued. I imagine it is the fact I have kept very active and not sat around. Looking forward to a productive visit with my cardiologist next Tuesday. I am hoping the worst of my health concerns are far behind me. Time will tell...
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