John G

My Comments (625 so far…)

Have you ever gotten sick and then experienced health care in another country?

They can be deadly. In our case, I was stung mildly and my wife rather severely (and the woman in the next cabin also). The stinging part(s) apparently draped across her thigh (she still has a scar). She had vomiting, high fever and shakes all night (we were on a cruise). I took her immediately to hospital on arrival in Cairns (the friggin’ cruise "doctor" was worthless, and the cruise captain did nothing… I had to flag down a cab…), where she received excellent treatment. She was fairly out of it for a couple days afterward.

Have you ever gotten sick and then experienced health care in another country?

My wife had treatment for box jelly stings (very nasty things!!!) in Cairns, Australia. Very competent doctors & facility. We’ve been healthy for our other trips, fortunately.

The Day Grandma Left Heaven for Dead, by Sheila Nevins

pDP, I really do not care if anybody reads my post. I just like to state my opinion publicly.

The Day Grandma Left Heaven for Dead, by Sheila Nevins

This is one of those thread topics that I will not read the other posters’ posts as I’m fairly sure of the content, and either you believe or you don’t.

Those who do will be beyond themselves to convince those (of us) who don’t that they’re (we’re) wrong, and in being wrong it’ll cost them (us) dearly post mortem. Those (of us) who don’t will be stating their (our) position (as did the OP), realizing as they (we) do that our belief system has absolutely nothing to do with biological reality.

Do you watch 'live' television anymore?

TiVo is your friend ;-)

Only live TV I ever watch is on PBS if I forgot to record the show… they don’t have commercials (at least during the show). Commercial channel shows I miss I either set the TiVo to grab ‘em on rerun or find ‘em on the internet, or rent them from Netflix (much better picture & sound than TV!).

What's the most physically grueling/challenging thing you've ever done?

While it’s trivial compared to some posted here (what can compete with childbirth or overcoming a physical disability?), hiking Bright Angel Trail in half a day (20-years ago) comes to mind as particularly demanding On a lighter note, keeping clear of mule droppings and urine was difficult, too.

Does money buy happiness? How much does it cost?

Marlo’s quote says it all…

Has there ever been a presidential election wherein you didn't exercise your right to vote?

I cannot believe there are any NO votes. Abstinence is not an option for not liking the choices (OR teenage pregnancy rates OR AIDs prevention!)

Best American Wine Getaways

Chrome, sadly I haven’t been to Oregon for pinot, but I do "import" Oregon pinots and love them! Not to the exclusion of Sonoma pinots, however, and Burgundy is still my favorite producer of wines from that grape.

Pride Mountain Vineyards in Napa/Sonoma (they’re on the county line). Every wine they make is an outstanding example of the grape/grapes.

Joseph Phelps Vineyards in Napa.

Caymus Vineyards (the BEST cabernet in the business).

Groth Vineyards and Winery in Napa.

Stony Hill Vineyard in Napa.

… and so on.

What is the most dangerous thing you have ever done?

I’ve experienced several terrifying things in my life, though a few were only terrifying after the fact, and I’m very lucky to have lived through some of them to be reporting them today:

When I was 7 I used a hammer on a 22 Cal bullet in the middle of a circle of friends… it fired and luckily did not hit anything but the neighbor’s garage.

When I was 10, I fired a target arrow straight up into the air. It landed about a foot away from a friend and me.

When I was 14, I stood up in front of my history class to do an oral report and was so frightened I could not speak, and could not do oral reports until college.

When I was 34 I got married (again).

When I was 40 I was on an Eastern Airlines flight to Washington DC that landed and then took off in a massive thunderstorm when making a stop at Kansas City… even the stewardesses were screaming scared! My arm-hair still stands up thinking about that one.

When I 57 I had my right hip replaced, my first operation ever.

When I was 61, I had a instant loss of central vision in both eyes and thought it was a stroke… fortunately it wasn’t, according to the doctors.

Do you think ground combat positions in the armed forces should be open to women?

added: just like politics, the medical profession, the legal profession, board rooms, etc… if women are allowed in, htere’s a very good chance it’ll be changed for the better!

Do you think ground combat positions in the armed forces should be open to women?

This seems familiar…

but yes, women should be able to kill and to be killed in the most terrible ways, too.

Which season is your favorite?

The best weather in any country I’ve been to around the world (England, France, Holland, Switzerland, Austria, Scotland, every State in the Union including Alaska & Hawaii, Australia, Thailand, Philippines, Hong Kong, Turkey) is in Autumn. Since being outdoors is the thing we do on vacations, Autumn gets my vote.

However, I will say that any season is great as long as you’re prepared for it.

Baby Boomers Are Binge Drinkers, Too

My wife and I split a 750ml bottle of wine almost every night. I have the occasional beer, too. I assume that puts (at least me) into the binge-drinkers list…

Are you a saver or a spender?

When we married, I was $3000 in debt and my wife had more than $10000 in the bank. Money that she had been saving since childhood. Needless to say, I stopped spending and started saving ☺ We both started IRAs, and when they became available, maxed out our 401ks. We saved more than 30% of our income and simultaneously paid off our house in seven years, helped by our company’s stock ascension and judicious stock sales. We didn’t buy anything (but the house) unless we could pay for it cash. I was able to retire at 55 (could have at 50, but my wife wouldn’t let me ☹). Now, at 62, I spend what I want if I want.