Warren D

This question can be asked about everything from our favorite cars to movie re-makes, but I am wondering why Yahoo Answers went from a format that was familiar and easy to understand to one I am having difficulty comprehending. And--in case anyone is wondering--I'm reasonably intelligent and usually have no trouble understanding how things are organized.

What gives? Anybody besides me confused?

An old man with a cane and a ball cap;

It says “World War II Veteran” on it.

Stooped, he walks slowly a step at a time.

His hearing’s gone bad and his glasses

Don’t hide eyes still alert and smiling.

It was a long time ago, he thinks.

No cane then—a Garand rifle he held.

He remembers a beach strewn with bodies

And the sound of enemy artillery shells,

And explosions and the sound of machineguns.

It was a long time ago. He’s seen a lot since then.

He arrived on the beach in a Higgins boat,

Then left it on another with other wounded.

It was a minor wound, good for a month away,

Then back to combat with a Purple Heart.

When he was back with his outfit only half remained;

The others were dead or wounded.

He remembered seeing some of the enemy,

Dead, later on. They were young like him,

And he wondered what they thought as they died.

Eventually he went home to places he had left

And people he knew and a job he had wanted

And a lifetime that had been put on hold.

When Korea came he thought about it,

Decided he’d pushed his luck enough.

Years, and fears and tears. That’s how he describes it now.

He was a boy back then, came back a man.

Summer days in a park with a checkerboard,

Most of his buddies now dead and gone. He sighs.

“Don’t call me a hero,” he insists to the kids.

But call him one or not, a hero he was and is.

Those bright eyes still shine and he can laugh and smile.

He paid a price and is still paying it, and will his remaining days.

He refuses the wheelchair, no walker for him, but just that cane.

He’s alive, he remembers, he looks back, and gives thanks.

(This is fairly unstructured free verse, and I could put a hundred different faces on the man it describes. I'm a veteran of a much later war, and we are starting to feel the ravages of advancing age. But I try to at least acknowledge those of that dwindling brotherhood of men who fought for us when I was just a toddler those many years ago. D-Day was June 6, 1944. 69 years ago this day. Most of those who survived that invasion are now in their 90s. God bless them all.)

A Driver’s Prayer

By Warren E. Domke

Lord, help me to keep my eyes on the road,

And to watch out for whatever is next to me,

Help me protect myself and those I love,

As well as those who share the road with me.

Help me to control my speed as well as the directions I go,

And to control my temper when others on the road do stupid things.

And please forgive me when I do stupid things while driving,

And help me to avoid doing them whenever possible.

Help me to be courteous and to remember who I am,

What I am and where I want to spend eternity.

Please guard my soul and take me home when my time has come,

And please, Lord—if it be your will—let that not be today!

Amen.

(I have been driving for more than fifty years. In that time I have been involved in four accidents, none of which resulted in injuries and at least one of which was my fault. I have spent time in military service with many hours as a passenger on all types of military aircraft. I also learned to fly an airplane myself, and I spent a year in a combat zone. I have done social work in a dangerous part of a big city. But nothing I have done is as dangerous as getting in my car to drive it to the store or anyplace else! I do pray a lot when I'm driving. I thought it might be good to have a specific prayer for that purpose.)

Hello Jane

Hello, Jane, I think I heard you say,

“I made a mistake, back in another day”

You thought it so funny to aim that gun

They smiled, you smiled, it was all in fun

You said that later, you knew you were a fool

Aid and comfort to an enemy just isn’t cool

Sober thought, isn’t it? When you come to your senses

The insults you rendered to your nation’s defenses

You cried and you said “Now I know it was wrong”

But somewhere before, haven’t I’ve heard such a song?

Benedict Arnold,you remember that traitor?

He betrayed his nation and repented it later

Oh, Jane, how could you? Do you think we’d forget?

That anti-air gun that was aimed toward our jet?

The men you betrayed at the POW place?

Who remembered you well, can’t forget that face .

“Barbarella,” they said, remembering the movie

The face and the body they though was so groovy

A daughter they knew of a much-beloved actor

A sweetheart they thought, based on that factor

You want us to forgive, to put all behind,

But secretly I think you wish we were blind.

Well, Jane, you asked for it, so forgive you I will

We all make mistakes, this one’s your bitter pill

I forgive, but won’t forget, I know that I should

But my heart won’t forget, I wish that it could

What’s done is done, it will never be right

What you should do now is stay out of my sight

Out of my sight, out of sound out of mind

And someday just someday I may be able to find

The peace that you cried for and now that’s your thirst

But, Jane, you should have thought of it first.

What’s done is done, that gun was no toy

It was part of the weapons defending Hanoi

The gun, the helmet that stupid little grin

Was all a part of that long ago sin

Keep trying, Jane. Keep saying you’re sorry

We’ll listen, we’ll think, we will, don’t you worry

And maybe someday in another space and age

You’ll get your forgiveness and we’ll all turn the page

It’s over, now Jane. The war, it’s too late

We’ve no more energy, that it takes to hate

Your beauty has faded, as mine has I fear

And Jane, for us both, eternity is too near.

Goodbye, Jane, I’m glad I heard you say,

“I made a mistake, back in another day”

There’s no more water, the well has run dry

Goodbye, you’re forgiven. Just don’t ask us why.

Eatin’ Peanuts in the Afternoon

By Warren Domke

A bag of peanuts, shells and all

A meal? A snack? Either, your call

Crack ‘em, peel ‘em, Eat the nut

Some won’t crack, so I’ll try to cut

Crack ‘em, peel ‘em, shells discard

Keep the shells aside, if it’s not too hard

Gets a little messy, but that’s the price

Sweep shells up, keep things clean and nice

Sure taste good, but it’s too much work

Don’t leave a mess, or your spouse you’ll irk

Crack ‘em, shell ‘em, sweep ‘em away

A pleasant snack this time of the day

Peanuts are good, peanuts are nice

Buy a bag in their shells for a reasonable price

But I stop to ponder—is this where it’s at?

With all this work, can peanuts make you fat?

I hope mine will be and I will try to make it so. I will try to be unselfish, loving, supportive and more. I will try to minimize life's disappointments and live beyond them. I will try to share the good things in my life with others and I will try to encourage others. I will ignore most politicians except for the ones I like.

What will you do to make this your best year ever?

By "we" I mean society collectively and communities in particular.

I believe this is a time for friendship and caring, and that we are happiest when we are helping others. I have donated some toys and food items to some local drives; I have donated blood to help those who might benefit from my type. I am happy to have family members present and friends and have a great deal to feel good about.

Like most of us I have a few issues I would feel much better about if they went away, but I can deal with them and will deal with them and my life will continue to be good.

What can we do or say that would make your holidays brighter?

And how are you working to make Christmas better and happier for you and others?

Half the time my search engines don't find sites that are easy to find and most of the time they don't seem to even search for them. And the sites that are hard to find? Ha! They might as well not even exist. I don't know whether it is my browser, or the navigation sites or the websites themselves that are the problem. If I know a URL sometimes I can go to the sites that way. Even my bookmarks are unreliable. What on earth is happening?

I do when I feel the abuse or violations are legitimate. I have never reported anyone simply because I disagree with something they have said. I have seen a number of deletions, including a recent deletion of a question of mine, in which the abuse was questionable. I have had very few questions or answers deleted and I have not really reported that many. Often when I have reported abuse no action has been taken. What has been your experience with violations and deletions, and do you believe Yahoo Answers is handling these fairly and properly? (I have reviewed the community guidelines prior to posting this, and do not believe this question is in violation of them.)

Some have suggested banning firearms. I can tell you without hesitation this will likely increase, rather than decrease the danger to kids. Banning guns will only drive them underground. People will still have them, still buy and sell them and they are not the threat anyway.

I don't know how you identify and contain a sociopath, but this would seem to be the more constructive approach since the gun didn't do it, the man did. Meanwhile, what can we do to protect our schools and our children? I would suggest that locking down campuses and protecting them would be a good way to start. Armed police officers on campus might also be a positive step.

Some have suggested teachers could also be allowed to be armed. Share your ideas. If possible, let's try not to politicize this any more than it already has been.

I have a few ideas of my own, and--in keeping with my personal preferences when I post a question--the best answer may not agree with them.

Was it from your childhood, when you got an awesome present that you had always wanted? Was it one spent with a sweetheart?

I think my favorite would be when my youngest son, then 2 years old, was looking at a catalog and saw a Disney World play set and said, in perfect wording, "Now THAT'S AWESOME!" We were so tickled. Of course we had to get the set for him and he played with it for many years.

I was 44 years old when he was born. He was the second of my sons, one of five boys raised by my wife and I, and he was always a very special child to me, because I had actually given up on having another when he came along.

I loved seeing Christmas through his eyes.

Pick the environment--forest, desert, seacoast, desert island, arctic. How dependent are you on civilization to sustain you? If you had to sustain yourself through hunting or your own agricultural efforts, including forage, could you survive?

I think I could manage for a little while, but I'd be in trouble after a month or so. I would definitely need to find shelter and clothing if I didn't already have them, and food would become an issue fairly soon.

How would you do? Could you find and kill wild game, or hunt wild nuts and berries? Would you recognize the mushrooms you could eat? Do you have enough tools to keep you alive?

I don't expect to ever have to do this, incidentally, but it's something I've always wondered about.

Both are great designs but built for different missions. Who wins, in my opinion, would probably greatly depend on pilot ability especially to control the engagement, but I would give an edge to the Harrier. Its vectored thrust makes it extremely maneuverable and it would have a decided edge in a low-altitude environment. The Falcon is much faster and more capable at higher altitudes, and also has better cockpit visibility.

I would think in either fighter the gun would be the better weapon than missiles, simply because either could outmaneuver a missile if the pilot knew it was coming. The AIM-120 would probably be more effective than the AIM-9 but a good pilot should be able to evade either one.

F-16 carries an internal M61 20 mm Vulcan cannon. AV-8B would carry an external GAU-12 25 mm Equalizer cannon. Both could be highly effective in a dogfight, but both have limited ammunition supplies.

I think either pilot would find this dogfight to be a challenge. Surprise and a lucky first shot could carry the day.

...And, where do you like to get your pizza? For delivery, the top contenders seem to be Pizza Hut and Domino's. Some people prefer carry-out, and that broadens the field some, to Papa John's, Little Ceasar's and Cici's. You can order pizza to dine in at a lot of different places. Or you can buy frozen and bake it at home. Top contenders, Red Baron, Tombstone, Degiorno's, to name just a few.

I used to like Shakey's. I don't know if they are still in business anywhere but they left San Antonio. There was a place in Albuquerque and Las Cruces called Casa Luna that had really good dine-in pizza. And then there was the Italian place in Chicago with the deep crust, and New York pizza is pretty special, too.

So what's it gonna be? Well, I like Pizza Hut better than Domino's, but I'll get specials from either one. For me it's gotta be the combination with onion, pepperoni, various meats, mushroom, bell peppers and lots of cheese. Deep dish please. I'll pass on the olives, unless you want 'em, and then we can share.

What's your pleasure?

Foggy Mountain Breakdown!! Has ever a banjo been picked so artistically?

This music has been around for a good while and Flatt and Scruggs were trend setters in their particular genre. I have to admit their music is fun to listen to and I can probably listen to them any time the mood hits.

Just to let you know, though, I like a lot of different kinds of music. Country? Yes. Some rock, a lot of classical. Gospel and high church hymns. But I'll bet even God smiles when he hears Lester and Earl picking away at something like "Pearl, Pearl, Pearl."

What do you think?

It's not my phone. I don't have an expensive mobile phone. But a family member does and he chose to wash clothes without checking his pockets. The phone won't turn on. It appears to have some moisture inside but it won't turn on. (Sorry. I haven't a clue exactly what kind it is, but you can't remove the battery.)

Is there a way to dry this little beastie out and make it work without resorting to a repair? (We will find a place to repair it if we have to.)

Any advice will be welcome. Again, I didn't do it!!

A little known provision would allow Texas to divide itself into five states. The number of districts in the House of Representatives would remain essentially unchanged or only changed slightly, but this would add eight Senators.

Personally, I'm not in favor of it. While Texas, by and large, is a fairly prosperous and economically viable state, not all parts of it are as strong. We would be introducing some fairly robust states into the mix along with some that would be among the poorest in the country.

So my answer would be, don't mess with Texas. What would your answer be?

I've worked in journalism off and on since I was in high school. Mostly it's been broadcasting but I've done a little work in print. When I was learning the trade I was taught to get the facts and keep my opinions to myself. In other words, I didn't take political positions or try to solve mysteries. I listened to the experts and reported what they said, and attributed it.

While in college radio I was in the position of being able to editorialize and I did so rather controversially. Not one of my prouder moments. Many years later in local radio I was allowed to broadcast opinions in a segment for that purpose. When reporting news, however, I do so in as unbiased a way as I can.

I'm older than most people who are today's journalists, so I may be a little more principled. But is it too much to ask that news media stick to reporting and not try to slant their reporting or stack the evidence? Is journalism a lost art? When some reporters make things up and others ask only the questions that support their pre-supposed conclusions, are we still practicing journalism or are we trying to change the world instead of depicting it?

This question is aimed at anyone who is interested in news, be it written or electronic. Reporters or consumers of news, share your views. Am I wrong, or has my beloved avocation become a lost art?

Why?

By Warren E. Domke

Why are some people so selfish and mean?

“It’s my way, not your way, nothing in between.”

Why?

Why must they hate and try to cause pain?

“I’ve nothing to lose, and everything to gain.”

Why?

Do they draw comfort from other folks’ tears?

“Why should I care? I don’t even like my peers.”

Why?

Why do some murder and injure and maim?

“If I’m going to suffer, I wish you the same.”

Why?

No reason, no answers, just silence I fear.

“Your pain is your pain, for you I’ve no tear.”

Why?

My life has been long, I laugh and I love.

And I look to the angels and to God up above.

That’s why.

And I’m grateful for every moment of life.

I’m happy for peace, and times without strife.

That’s why.

If tears I must shed, let them be tears of joy.

If people must notice, please smile, not annoy.

That’s why.

I wish you the same as I would have my life be,

A span of many decades, with horizons to see.

That’s why.

Please join me, I’ll offer my outstretched hand.

A band we will be, but I’ll hope it a happy band.

That’s why.

We’ll smile, we’ll sing, we’ll heal, we’ll caress.

We’ll share the joy, share the care, no more and no less.

We’ll live, we’ll laugh. With never a sigh,

Never a protest, no, not an excuse, just to get by.

We’ll make this world better, you, you all, us and I.

So all can be happy. And that, friends, is why.

(This was inspired by the untimely death of a friend of mine, murdered by a person he was trying to help. He was a pillar of our community, a good man. I’m trying to find something good in his passing, and I think I might have found it.)

While I can see some advantages to satellite radio I still prefer local "free" radio. I work for a country music station and listen to it almost exclusively, but I also like talk radio and listen to certain programs regularly. I watch very little television, mostly the History or Military channels, so radio is my main electronic medium for entertainment and news. What's your preference? And, if it's music, what kind of music? My station plays mainly classic country, which is my preference. I also like most classical music and sometimes tune in that type of station. On the road I'm as likely to listen to an mp3 player instead of the radio.