Meanwhile some of my more personal musings can be found on G+.

chart by Gabe courtesy of MoveOn.org

Well, it’s tax day again and I just thought I’d remind those of us who are retired and working, that  while we are  counting our pennies and deductions before the dreaded deadline, there are entities of our society that would like to be treated as though human but not suffering any of the duties of taxes.

A few weeks ago, Senator Bernie Sanders released a list of the ten worst companies for paying their taxes.  You sorta knew that Exxon Mobil would be there as number one, but check out some of the other names.

John at work

My friend John has started a really cool blog on fashion. Not your usual “she looked terrible in that dress,” but actually historic critiques of what fashion is.  You can visit his site here.

I considered the possibility of  just using the same frames and getting new lenses and using a local eyeglass store, but having all the options I wanted was still going to cost me a a pretty penny.  Besides, I wanted a more up to date style frame.

My ophthalmologist* said my prescription hadn’t changed, and he gave me a prescription to get filled.  One thing I found out, is that if you’re going to order online, you need to know you PD or pupillary distance. Usually the optometrist at the store measures for this, but your doctor can do it just as well… it might even be in your file already!

*(Before retiring, my occupation was/[is?] as a photographer and photo editor. I never take chances with my eyes. I have them examined by my eye doctor yearly.)

I did a great deal of research before placing an order, and I found I could get two pair of glasses for less that the price of one, if I was willing to do the footwork.  In the past, getting glasses with all the options like thin lenses, scratch resistent, anti-glare etc., cost close to or over $500 at a local national chain.

There are one or two things I might have done differently, but I’m totally happy with the glasses I got, and will stay with online purchasing now that I know what I’m doing.  The first thing you’ll need to do, is

measure your present glasses (especially, if you like the way they fit).

Of the online stores I visited, all measurement settings are in millimeters.  Don’t have a millimeter ruler, use one the online converters to change from inches to millimeters. The store I found most helpful (telephone contact is encouraged and I took advantage of their toll free service)  was Zenni Optical.  I should state right here, that I have no affiliation with them in any way.  All glasses come (at no extra charge) with full UV protection, anti-scratch coating, a hard case and microfiber cleaning cloth.  Their web site leaves a little to be desired in terms of design, but it’s easy enough to get around in.

These are the ones I spent the most money on.  The frames were only $12.95.  As most glass wearers know, the bulk of the price comes from the options. The most expensive of which was Transitions® lenses ($139.00).  I also got Anti-Reflection coating ($4.95) which is great for keeping glare down, especially at night.  The total … $156.90 (including the approximately $5 shipping charge.  I got a second pair without the Transitions®, but with everything else, and with clip-on shades for a total of about $52.  As I said, I was very happy with the telephone help prior to my purchase.  I had a lot of questions about the measurements and how to make them.  Oh, I forgot to mention that delivery was very fast for me… a little less than a week

What made it good anyway, was that I still got surprised by the ending. It has a twist that I wasn’t expecting. If you have a chance, go see it.

Leonardo DiCaprio is fantastic! And great direction by Scorsese.

I also wanted to see Surrogates but I think I’m going to have to wait until it comes out on DVD.

It is understandable that he chose – or as some suggested, was told – to bellow “You lie!” when the President was explaining for the umpteenth time that undocumented immigrants would not be covered under health care legislation. After all, Wilson’s extreme anti-immigrant positions are well known.

Albor Ruiz hits the nail on the head in his column in today’s Daily News. He cuts right through the crap and hits right to the main belief system of the GOP extreme right wing (or is it their middle ground?).

Much of what they have to say, is based in racism and hatred.  Maybe one day, the Conservatives will take over from the hatriots.

Thanks to Watergate Summer for the link.

Senator Kennedy

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