Pigs Feet, Squirrel Brains and Chicken Necks

Those Later Years

2010-10-27T10:07:00.000-07:00

I try to refrain from telling sad stories in my life. Life can be pretty tough on everyone at one time or another, so what do they need with my depressing events. So, I'm writing this to make a point about life, not to make anyone feel bad.

We all know that life is pretty much in stages. We have the time when we are taken care of and the food just 'magically' appears on the table, the clothes are generously supplied by various stores where Mommy or Daddy stops by to talk to the nice person at a big machine for a moment. Then there is the stage where parents start telling children that there is not enough money for things like name brand jeans and those ipoddy things. That is surely a depressing time for children these days. Then there is the joy of young adulthood where love throws a rope around us and our own 'cutest kids in the world' come along.

At some point, the simplicity goes away and people around us start getting old. It is still not so real until we start making trips to the hospital or the funeral home. "They are old and must go on to heaven." The circle starts closing in on us and the hospital visits and the funeral home visits start getting closer to home. Pretty soon half the people we know are sick or slipping toward the grave. Maybe the thought comes to mind, 'This living and dying thing is pretty serious."

In the last two years, my life has been filled with dark clouds of passing loved ones. It has not been obvious in my writing because I have been writing very little. To some that might not be important, but to writers it will be very clear. My faith has been, not tested, but used very much, as I deal with the loss of several close to me. My son, my mother, my brother have all went on to eternity. Another brother and my Dad went several years ago. Among these times, friends have left this life and gone on to discover eternity.

Life is very serious. Eternity is even more serious and should be considered in our plans.

Here is where I should write a closing paragraph of some profound conclusion of the whole thing. Sorry about that. I'm still working on it.

November 2010

2010-10-22T07:34:00.000-07:00

In my opinion, this November 2010 is the most important election we have see in a long time. It is the election that will decide the direction our country goes in the next two years and I think beyond.

These past two years appear to be a failure for the Obama administration, on the surface. He has, however, changed a great number of things. He has lead like a dictator with the liberal Congress giving him a free reign without any regard for the traditions of the United States or the moral high-ground we have held for centuries.

In matters of war and the economy, he is inept and knows not what to do. But in matters of changing bits and pieces of the law, he has been expert. He has placed a huge spotlight on some matters while other very important matters have been handled silently.

I do not know the man, so I am not making a personal attack. I look at him as a leader who is either confused or very determined to change a country that he does not like deep in his heart.

Freedom is slipping away for Americans. We have leadership that cares only for special-interest groups. There are apparently enough of them to elect liberal leadership. Obviously, the elder are not important to them as shown by the disregard for their financial survival (no increase in benefits). Free enterprise is obviously not important to them, as they are using the government to run companies instead of letting their business sense make or break them. It has always been that good companies survive and bad ones demise. Not so these days. The government is propping up the companies that prey off humanity and putting more burdens on small business.

Yes. This election will determine if the American people are strong enough to say: "It's enough." It will determine if the American People are ready to tell Washington to bug out and let us run our own affairs. We will see if people can get off their couches long enough to go make a difference with their vote.

Give them two more years --- my foot.

Squirrel

2010-09-10T05:39:00.000-07:00

I just glanced out the kitchen window only to see a car pass quickly and one of our wild squirrels go tumbling in the road. I really felt sad at that moment. He gave it a fight though, trying to right itself again, but the injury was too great. When I got there, he was gone.

That would not have happened three hundred years ago. I feel sure that paved road was not there and that the local traffic would have been moving much more slowly. It could still have been dangerous for the squirrel then, with all those bows and arrows around.

Rest in peace little squirrel. I hope you had a nut filled life. I know I do.

Mama Said

2010-09-09T04:39:00.000-07:00

Mama passed away last week...

In her little book, she wrote... "You see I remember some things about my childhood. Even I stayed with Granny (Mama was always keeping the grandchildren.) I spent some times with Mama and Daddy. My sister and I had a good time playing together. We played in the playhouse we would make out of rocks. We would room them off: bedroom, kitchen, sitting room. If we didn't have enough rocks we used sticks and pine needles. We had old broken dishes and lids, anything we could find for our play house. We didn't have tea sets or pretty dolls, we had rag dolls, string balls. .... but anyway when I spent the night with mama, she would read the Bible to us, at night by lamp light."

Poke Sallet

2010-09-09T04:33:00.000-07:00

Poke Sallet from the little book Hillbilly Cookin' by The Tates

"Sprouting poke leaves by theirselves is powerful strong. Most folks pick a bait of mustard leaves, even a mixture of cress, Then they find tender poke shoots and add them to the rest of their greens. After washin good, put in a pot or kittle and sprinkle a bit of salt. Then you cut up a piece ofhog jowl, ham or shoulder hock or maybe lean bacon, and boil real hot, Keep the pot covered."

Elections, Politics, Issues?

2010-09-07T05:13:00.001-07:00

We hear a lot about the strategy, of the various political entities, to win this election and that election. We got to get rid of one dirty dog or another by electing someone else that we know little about except that they claim to be affiliated with the left or right, liberal or conservative.

Where are the issues these days? They use catch phrases which are suppose to tell the voters what the real deal is. The problem is that catch phrases can mean different things to different people. The other problem is that they are designed to be repeated by the media. After all, the media is famous for telling us just what they want us to know.

It is like they are telling us that some one's house is burning down but it is good because with the sacrifice of a few, many others will have a place to live when the new high rise gets built. Since when is stepping on people a good thing if something good comes out of it.

It is all spin. No wonder many people are giving up on politics all together. If a good person decides to put their life on display for the media to probe, so they can go up 'there' and do some good, we will not hear about what they want to do, etc. We will hear about way back when they tripped over the bicycle and yelled at the children.

I'd like to see some boring facts about what these men and women are going to do when they get to Washington DC or our state houses.

Political Stuff

2010-08-19T04:41:00.000-07:00

Iraq - Obama is pulling out the troops but putting in civilian security forces to replace them. Duh! Americans are Americans. The military is volunteer just like these security forces. I believe he said 'we' would get Americans out of harms way by so-and-so. Taking away the uniform does not get Americans out of harms way.

Florida - In a recent trip to Florida to show us that the beaches were safe, Obama also went on the stump for his favorite politician. I wonder which was his purpose and who paid for the trip.

I am not disappointed to know this...I didn't expect the whole truth anyway from this bunch.

Oil and Fish

2010-08-16T05:55:00.000-07:00

The government does not have divine power. They cannot go on a campaign to convince us that all the fish in the gulf are safe to eat and it be so. Facts are much more solid than government propaganda. I want the fish to be safe too. I want the economy in the gulf to blossom. I want the people to have their jobs back and for the water to be safe to swim in. All these are wants and they do not make everything okay.

There is a process that must go on. I do not understand all about how it works. I do believe that the offspring of those fish that are now infected will need to be inspected by someone besides the government.

I also believe that it is the long term consumption of humans that determines the ultimate risk of what they eat.

A rush to get fish back on the market that is later determined to be unsafe will have much more long term damaging effect on the economy of the gulf than if patience prevails and the job is done correctly.

Just because you can take a short stroll in the dark and not be harmed does not mean that a longer stroll is safe or that there is nothing lurking out there. Better to be safe.

Frankenstein - Dean Koontz - Book Review

2010-08-12T05:32:00.000-07:00

Frankenstein by Dean Koontz subtitled lost souls.

I reckon this is a series he is doing. I missed the first several books but plan to hunt them down. I've quit my book club Mystery Guild because their customer service is unresponsive.

Dean Koontz is a great writer. He juggles a host of characters with wonderful skill. I did find this particular book an adults only read. He still refrains from the usual curse words and ugly talk. He chooses rather to describe the word which in this book is a tactic used more often than in other books I've read by him. I hope he finds that unnecessary in future works.

Frankenstein has been with us a long time. In this book, Koontz brings him back all supercharged and using modern technology. The monster is a good guy though and has some new tricks all his own. I have to wait until December to see if all these characters are good enough to defeat the ultimate bad guy. I'm sure it will be worth the wait.

The Changing Face of America

2010-08-11T04:40:00.000-07:00

It is always a little dangerous to bring up this subject. People will cry racist and a bunch of other dirty names. BUT, whether you believe it or not, this is not about race in a bad way. It is more of a questioning, if you will, about the ever changing face of America.

We have always been made up of people from all over the world. Up until recent years, the people who come here (between the oceans) have sought to become part of the culture that was here. They learned the language. They learned the land and worked it. They learned the laws and obeyed them.

I do not see that happening now. I see people who refuse to learn the language and insist that we learn theirs. We being those who speak English, since that is the language we have been using since we started. (Hint: the constitution.) We, who have a certain kind of culture which varies from one area of the country to another, but basically we like how we make our hotdogs and cook our apple pies. We like for people to obey the law because it keeps us safe when they do.

There is obviously an ongoing effort to change our culture to fit with the culture of the orgin countries of these newcomers. Let me say it, I think women are beautiful and I like to see them smile. They brighten up the day. I think women should be treated with respect. We compliment each other (men and women). We should not be at odds with each other because we are different. I like to grow stuff, they like to cook it. That does not make the grower better than the cooker. Am I so big and strong that I have to beat a women to show how big and strong I am? Of course not.

If you are mad, please don't take it out on my computer. I'm just kicking around the thoughts in my head. I'm not saying our ways are the only ways. They are just the ways we like. We speak English here. It is probably because it was English speaking people who put everything on the line to secure our great nation. Sure we had some help. It was our idea though.

I still say 'Come on over' but I say 'Come on over' under the guidelines set down in the law, the same laws people have been coming here under for centuries. And please don't try to change me. I'm still working on my English and the religion I've been practicing since childhood. I really don't need to confuse my efforts by mixing it up with something else. If I was going to another country, I would try to learn something about it. What's the language? What do they eat? What's their faith? Is the water safe? But I'm here and I reckon I'll stay here, so let's just try to do right and leave the road signs in a language I understand.

...everywhere a leak leak... Ol' ..

2010-07-28T05:01:00.000-07:00

You plug one leak and here comes another of an entirely different kind. Don't you just hate it when the oil spews up and the truth comes out.

The young man who told all the government's secrets will get in a lot of trouble. I handled a lot of classified stuff and would never tell, even if I could remember any of it. No disrespect to the young man but he is like the pinhole in the dam where the big break starts. Soon the whole wall of water will come crashing down and lots of people will feel the effects.

One thing that keeps coming into my mind is that Obama traveled to Pakistan when he was a young man. I don't know what that has to do with anything though.

Those people in those countries we are trying to fight for will be fighting when we are all long gone. The feuds go back so far, they probably can't remember what it was all about. I'd guess some robber baron robbed a caravan and killed the wrong person back in the three digit years. So the grudge has been passed down in song and rhyme. Today it's opium and oil, next year it will be sand and wind, or who knows.

Sometimes I think we are over there because we need to do something the Russians couldn't do. Maybe it wasn't that the Russian's bullets weren't big enough, maybe, it was because they did not understand the culture. I certainly do not. Why would an otherwise intelligent man think it made him more manly to abuse a woman? He certainly does not understand women. He would get much better apple pie if he talked nice to her on the phone before he came home.

Anyway, one young man will suffer but the deed he did will be talked about for years to come. Telling the truth just don't get you the honor it use to. I personally am sick of our government having so many secrets. They twist everything up so much that by the time we get information it looks like what comes out of a paper shredder. You might could make sense of it if you had the rest of your life to sift through it.

Somethings Just Get Sideways in My Brain

2010-07-26T05:38:00.000-07:00

Admittedly, I do not have the best brain around. Of course, I haven't seen many brains lately except on those CSI shows which I've about stopped watching. Anyway, there are things which go into my ears and just wander around looking for a place to fit. If I was Spock, I'd say 'that is not logical'.

Actually, I find things that go on so ridiculous that I am overly humorous at times just to be able to coup with them. (Spell check quit. HaHa.)

I was fixing some corn for the freezer Saturday. Sitting out there in the backyard, it was rather pleasant, already a hundred, I had found a shady place. I usually put stuff like corn shucks in the compost pile but I had already decided to leave the pile there for the squirrels to play in. They could chew on the end pieces of corn and have a little feast. Then, I started singing some old gospel hymns as I worked brushing off the silks. For no reason and from out of somewhere something hit me in the back. Was someone throwing rocks because of my singing? I looked around, no one there. I decided that the squirrels had lost patience and were throwing hickory nuts at me. I did find a lone nut lying beside my chair. I almost decided to just take the stuff to the compost pile after all and make them walk down there, but I didn't. Maybe it was an accident.

Have you ever put up corn in the freezer? I do it the 'lazy' way. I just leave it on the cob after boiling it for a little bit. It takes up more room but it is quicker. I do take a knife and pop out the bad kernels, just like pulling the children's teeth long ago. (Not with a knife.)

That's not what I was thinking about when I did the title of this post.

I was thinking about the protest in Arizona over the new law they have starting up pretty soon, so they can secure their borders. Which, by the way, is the sworn duty of the executive branch, both in states and nationally. It is not about not liking anyone. That is what gets all cross ways in my brain. It is about obeying the law. If a person breaks the law to get here, what are they going to do with the rest of our laws. Yet, the feds don't get it or don't want to. Then I saw this sign held by one of the protesters against the law. It read "we will not comply" . Now that tells the whole story. They have no intention of obeying the law.

Some come here in accordance with written law and live productive lives. Welcome home! Others sneak in and take jobs that legal citizens need then send their money back to another country. They are taking jobs then the money which drains our economy.

I believe we are a nation of compassion. We are peaceful by comparison. We got a lot of people on the streets making sure the laws are obeyed. That is why we are as peaceful as we are. When people ignore the law, you get the problems that exist in other countries where gangs rule and corruption is the norm.

Why can't we just get the issue straight? Either we enforce the law or get rid of it. Getting rid of border protection would make us a 'farm' for all the other countries that need something. Do we really want to be the child who get's his lunch money stolen every day on the way to school. I don't think so. We have to have law and order and enforce those laws. Leaders who fail in this responsibility should step down for the good of the country.

A few years ago we had a peaceful town with work for about anyone who wanted to work. We had our share of weed smokers and such but nothing the law couldn't control if they took the notion. Then the mills started bringing in workers from south of the border. Managers developed a very bad attitude toward American workers because they could hire a van load any day of the week to replace them. Managers actually encouraged citizen workers to 'hit the clock' so they could hire cheaper labor. Now those people (managers) are retired and we have the situation of a bad economy and imported drugs and gangs running freely. The practice of bringing illegal workers to our town changed it forever. This theory that illegals do work that Americans won't do is bogus. Americans are some of the hardest working people on the planet. We do have to stop and fish sometimes but that's just to help the state with license fees. :)

The squirrels did enjoy the corn I left them, although I will have to get out there and clean up their mess sometime today or tomorrow or the next day.

Being Poor in a RIch Land

2010-07-22T05:56:00.000-07:00

We were poor growing up. We never thought of ourselves as pitiful. We just did not know what money looked like. I know Mom and Dad saw some green money once in a while. I do not remember having any 'folding' money until I was grown. I did work for another farmer sometimes in my late teens and I think he paid me with some green money.

I remember one winter, a long time after Mom and Dad had their problems and were living apart. Us children were with Mom. The children always went with Mama. You can ask someone else why. I hope we did not choose. I cannot imagine choosing between them.

Anyway, back to that winter. We rented a big old house. It was two story and was apparently missed by Sherman. Mama used coal to 'heat' it. It was always toastee warm right in front of the fireplace if no one bigger pushed you aside. It was in that old, cold house that I sat at the table at night to finish high school. I only needed a credit and half after the 11th grade so I went to work and finished at home. I remember Mama waking me up in the morning at 4:30 to go to work. I was still at the kitchen table with my pencil in my hand trying to write something for English literature.

One winter it snowed just before the coal truck was suppose to come to the house. Mom would order a half a ton at a time which was enough to last until the truck got back to town. Well, it was cold. I tried to get my old '55 Ford station wagon out of the drive but the snow was too deep and my sister kept yelling from the front door that I was going to kill myself.

So, I set to thinking. We were about to freeze. A few weeks before a storm had blown down the barn out back (which Sherman also missed). It was a considerable walk to the barn. They had to do that to keep the cows and horses from stinking up the kitchen. Anyway, I put on all the clothes I had and some old boots and broke trail to the barn.

The others were hovered around the one fireplace we had going. I did not have a saw or ax but I tackled that fallen down barn like it was the enemy. Really, it was our best friend on that day. I walked back and forth for all that day trying to get ahead of the hungry flames. It was easier after a few times, once I got the snow tramped down. I kicked and stomped and and bent load after load of that rich pine wood.

I don't even remember how many days I did that or if it was more than one day. The coal truck came and life went on. I don't remember much about pain or being cold. I do remember the banks of snow on each side of my trail and the blazing fire that I did not get to warm by.

Gulf Oil Spill

2010-07-20T05:06:00.000-07:00

I am glad BP got a device that seems to be working to stop the oil from leaking. I am glad they have those ships working to clean up the spill. It was a bad accident and one that they were not prepared for. But even with all the politics, they kept trying until they fixed the problem. I hope it is a step to prevent further damage.

In steps the administration. They have done nothing to this point that I can see. They had spokes people to get on the news but physically, they did nothing. So why are they so interested now that the problem has been solved? It is what is always is with the feds. Money.

If they can get BP to let the oil flow out, they can put a gage on the flow and determine its rate. Calculating backward, they can then fine BP for the leakage. The money will go into the coffers and never will be seen again.

I'd like them to get the oil out since we will be needing it to run our pollution machines. I do not want it to become a cash cow for the federal government. BP could better use the money to search for future oil and to shore up their safety procedures. Fines are just another tax that hinders progress.

I think of the federal government in terms of what our police forces have become in our country. They are purely reactionary. They wait for something to happen and dash off to the scene of the crime. It use to be that they were on the streets to prevent crime and just respond to it.

Anyway, the feds will sock it to them with fines and the money will go to the four winds. The money should stay in the gulf where it is needed. BP should handle that.

the Big Stopper in the Earth

2010-07-16T05:24:00.001-07:00

Well, they have apparently corked the hole in the bottom of the gulf. I honestly hope it works. I don't want those little fishes to suffer and people certainly don't need to be swimming in oil.

I do have concerns though. I'm wondering about all that pressure building up. Shouldn't they have a hose running to it and be capturing the oil in a ship, now that they have some control.

I have visions of the big plug blowing out of the gulf and shooting like a rocket into outer space where it knocks out the space station and numerous communication satellites. Then no one can text while driving and the accidents are reduced so much that the EMT folks go out of business and the state troopers all have to look for work.

Implications are.....

It Still Don't Make it Right

2010-07-09T05:16:00.000-07:00

Some of you are young and do not remember when people in general did not like a lot of the things that go on these days and felt that they were wrong. I don't know that I will go down the list but I will say that just because the media and some loudmouths promote things does not make doing those things right.

The truth is some people just do not like the traditional American way. In America, that I remember, people helped their neighbor. They stood up to their problems instead of getting doped up. They loved their family, raised children. They worked and brought home a pay day. Then stayed home and spent time there. They respected church whether they went or not. They talked nice around womenfolk even if they did cuss the mules in the fields. A child minded his parents or had the joy taken out of their rebellion.

Their is a different crowd around now that cares nothing for the integrity of our borders or the integrity of our people. The dollar rules today. Taxes are the goal of government. Lies are not obstacles to getting those results. I really detest the one where our local government cries about needing money so teachers can keep their job and then go build a million dollar football field. I've nothing against football but a child is better off with something in their head than they are with a ball in their hand.

I think every parent should try to drill history into their children. History that predates the 1960s which was when the world went crazy. That way they will know how it ought to be.

Over the years liberals have placed judges in office who can play with the law like food on their plate. States and federal governments can make good laws but if one judge don't like it, they can shoot it down, sending it to the Supreme Court. They time it so that their is a majority of liberal judges there. The good law is shot down and people are left to submit to that authority. The Supreme Court is no longer a judging body but a legislative body. Liberals learned that a long time before conservatives did. They've been working that angle for a long time.

Although, we are obligated to obey the law of the land. It should be noted that the law of the land is not always the same as the law of God. What the law of the land tells us is not always the right thing. We are fast approaching the time in this country when people will have to make a decision in their heart as to what they will do. This thing with Arizona is going to the Supreme Court where a few men will decide if a state has a right to protect itself and make laws. It will govern how every state legislates. It is a power grab. Do you want to live under rules made by people like that judge in Mass. that things same sex marriage is just fine. It is not only wrong, it is just not sensible.

These times are different, not better, just different. We must follow the line of truth and right regardless of what a few squeaky wheels demand.

Arizona

2010-07-07T05:46:00.000-07:00

Someone forgot to tell President Obama that he won the election. He is still after Senator McCain. Well, we all know there are higher purposes at stake in Arizona. It is still about the election but not the last one, it's the next one. Obama has alienated most American voters so he is going to have to give citizenship to some lawbreakers so that he has enough votes for 2012.

I know that is harsh but it might as well be said.

When a state cannot make laws to protect itself without getting sued by the federal government it makes for dangerous times in our nation. The president is sworn to protect and defend our borders but failed to act. Arizona is trying to do what the feds ought to do.

It is not just about one state. It is about every state that wants to set its own course for the good of the people who live there. Obama is somewhat of a lawyer so naturally he goes to the courts. I think he knows the case will go to the Supreme Court where he has stacked the deck.

If our federal government is willing to let drug runners have free access to our borders just to get the millions of votes of illegals, then I must say that we are living under tyranny and not in a republic.

It is a shame that some people can't stop fighting a war that is long past.

Economy

2010-07-06T05:34:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about our economy this weekend. There seems to be no cure for our problems. I believe there is a cure but first it will take a change in the mindset of Americans.

There was a time when we produced and sold more to each other than we purchased from other countries. We had natural resources to back up any money held in our hands. Of course, these days, the money is only as good as we believe it to be (consumer confidence). I also think of it as being only as good as our government, since the government is printing the notes (money) and standing good for its value.

I am not an economist in the college-educated sense. I have lived a pretty long time and have struggled with getting money to buy the things we need to survive. You know, housing, food, clothes, transportation, movie rentals, whoops, strike that last one, it is not really a necessity and we have probably not rented more than a dozen in our lifetime.

The problem is that the global economy is good only for those countries that do not produce their fair share of the needs of their country. Maybe it is not a kind statement but poor countries soak up the wealth of other countries like a sponge. Some countries are poor, not because of a lack of resources but because they can not stop fighting each other and their neighbors. There are countries that could do well on tourism, if it was safe to travel there.

Anyway, back to the U.S. economy. I don't know when we started borrowing from China so much. I do remember when our jobs started being exported to other countries where people had to work for next to nothing. We became a country of services. Someone decided that we would do the white collar work and let others do our grunt work. It has not worked out so well. We still have many people who had rather work with their hands and make things. Instead, their working hands must learn new trades which require a delicate touch or they must slip away into the sunset.

We are in a cycle with China. We borrow money from them to buy the things they make. It does not take a genius to figure out where most of the money ends up. The wholesale price of the goods goes back to the ones who made it with cuts from the 'middle-men'. The loans accrue interest which must be paid. There goes more money out of our country. The goods are made elsewhere, so there goes the wages which will be spent in a foreign country. There isn't much wealth staying between the oceans for us to work with.

I do not believe that an economy that produces no tangible product can survive. By tangible, I mean something you can touch. We have lots of services but you cannot eat, wear, or ride in services. Renting a car is a service but it is based on a tangible.

We must cut cost, produce products that our people can afford to buy and keep the money in our country. I'm all for teaching people how to fish so they can eat. I do not believe that one nation has enough fish to feed the world. Each nation must be taught to live on its own resources and balanced trade. One-sided trade will bleed one side dry while making another rich.

The government ought to take the lead but they will not. People will have to stop using credit like currency. "Living within ones means" is a good idea. The government gets their taxes even on credit purchases. If the debt goes bad, the government still has their cut. So, it seems good to the government to encourage credit spending. Indeed, I don't think they could get along with their current wasteful spending habits, without the 'buy on credit' tax money.

No, the government will not change. It is almost enough to turn one against education. Some of the most educated people in the world are running our country and they can do nothing but get us further into debt and let wars strip the economy. If you must buy something, pay for it. If you must go to war, win it and come home.

Hearings

2010-07-01T04:54:00.000-07:00

As I watch the hearings, now and then, about the nominee for the Supreme Court, I feel no comfort in the process. Here is a hearing to decide who will sit in the highest court of the land and decide what is best for the country. What's in her mind?

Like many others who have sat there, she cannot give a straight answer. When asked repeatedly if she wrote a document (which was in her own handwriting) she found it impossible to say 'yes' or 'no' .

She ran around every bush to pollute what ever answer she gave to a question. Thus, there would be no direct sound-bites to quote. Anyone reading her answers would soon get bored and have to wade through a bunch of gobbly-gobbly to figure out what was said. In the mean time, the mind is poisoned with the other stuff she throws in.

What I see when I look at her and listen is a person who is smart at manipulation but short on judgment. She can splash in the pool but who knows if she cares at all for those others in the water. I see someone who likes the journey to high places and has made many, but will only bask in the accomplishment of getting there and probably will do no good while she is there.

I fear that we are getting a lot of people in charge who only want to prove that they can beat the system and make it to the top. They have nothing in their soul that they want to accomplish for good. They wish only to establish the path so that other empty people can make the journey behind them and take up the space. 'I will not go in but I will stand in the door to keep you out.'

She sits there with her 'poker face' or her smirk or a laugh when a friend makes s 'small' joke. She knows the deck is stacked in her favor. All she has to do is keep her cool and talk the opponents to death and wait out the process. Then she will be on the bench and it is payback time.

There is nothing a little guy from the sticks can do about people like her. I know she will continue the killing of the unborn but my knowledge will not help. She will slim into the judge's seat just like the plan intended. Elect a liberal president, get the old guy to retire and appoint another liberal before the November elections. I don't like the purpose or the end result but I have to admit, it was a masterful plan.

Phrases that Pop Up

2010-06-29T04:58:00.000-07:00

You ever notice how phrases from the dark pages of books sometimes just pop up. You'd think that they are just fantasy words and that no one really does that stuff. I have even heard people say that it was just all in fun.

Few had even heard the now famous words 'new world order' until the first Bush mentioned it in a speech. It was shrugged off at the time by many and in days since. But we all know the G20 or what ever the number is really in existence and that it has a tremendous impact on the world. I was thinking yesterday about the stimulus thing that we just went through. Old ignorant me, I thought the U.S. thought that up all by ourselves. Now I find out that it was an agreement between many nations to do the same thing to prop up the world economy. Else, why did they all agree to start 'not spending' against the wishes of our president. It was a 'new world order' thing or at least a world order thing.

Enough of that.... there is no conspiracy.... there is no conspiracy ... there is no conspiracy....

Next on the list is 'channeling' . Channeling is a term I have seen used in books where one person receives the thoughts of another person and can speak the other persons mind. One might do this if they were not an expert on a certain field and needed help. I think this is pure (un-pure) demonology where the demon is the transmitter of the thoughts.

Anyway........... I have only read about this as a sort of scifi thing or a practice from the underbelly of society. I think the 'remoteviewing' thing is probably a form of demon channeling. That is another subject and, appropriately, is a subject for the 3 AM, late night programs.

I have heard the term in high places recently. Once when Hillary became angry at a student when she was asked what her husband thought about something. "I am not channeling my husband..." she spouted. Well, we'll see. Another time was yesterday in the Supreme Court Justice hearing where the nominee was quoted or misquoted as saying something about channeling a now demised justice. (That sentence made my head hurt.)

So, my point is are these just slips from some late night reading or do these people really go for this stuff. Are our leaders getting their information from dead people? Are we being led by the dead? 'Led by the dead.' That sounds like a movie title. Or a book. Excuse me while I go invent a story of fantasy.

Oil Slick, Spill, Political mess, career breaker

2010-06-21T06:51:00.000-07:00

Here is an idea. Take one of those big oil tankers and fill it up with sand bags. Pull over the leak and drop the sand bags. Logically speaking, it was sand that was holding all the oil down there in the first place (right?). We do use sand bags to hold back rivers. Maybe it might just work. I know they won't call it a sand bag dump but they will think of something. Let me think..... The Optional Mineralogical Oil Restraint System. TOMORS . If that is a cuss word, I didn't mean it.

Green Pea

2010-06-21T06:25:00.000-07:00

Someone once made the challenge to 'tell your faults and wrongs' . Really! Don't people dislike me enough already. Aren't there people whose job it is to cut people down and spread vicious rumors about them? Who am I to take away some one's joy by beating myself up?

No. I won't do it today. I am just too weathered, withered and worn to whack myself right now.

I have made many mistakes, most of which are not the business of most every one. Just so as not to deprive those who feast off the failures of others, I will bare one mistake that I made which has been bothering me.

I was cleaning out the dishes one day. Are you ready? I usually am faithful to wipe out all the unused food before I rinse. First off, we don't have a hog under the sink so we can't just shovel stuff down the drain. Here's what happened. A green pea rolled down into the drain before I could stop it. Sadly, I'm not even sure I tried. It stuck there in the little cross things just waiting for me to get a knife or fork or something and get it out.

Here is the bad part. You know. if you try to get that pea out, it will just squash up and fall down into the drain anyway. But you are obligated to try. On this day I did not even try to get it out. Knowing the probable outcome, if I did, I just pushed it right on through the little cross things and let it fall. I flushed it with water, probably wasting several pennies and went on to something else.

But it has been bothering me, so I am telling it here in the hall of blogs. I really do not feel better for doing so for I am afraid that people are slow to forgive. We did have to have the septic tank pumped and I know deep down in my wallet that it was my fault.

I am glad to get that off my chest. To this day, I am very careful with green peas. Thumbs up to the makers of that gel stuff because I really do hate laying under the sink waiting for someone to bring me the right wrench and hoping they won't step on me or turn on the water.

Laundry and Words

2010-06-16T04:54:00.000-07:00

What in the world does laundry have to do with words? I guess I am getting old and find a lesson in just about everything these days.

Take a pile of dirty clothes for example. Yuck! Who would want to touch that. Well, you take up the task and sort them and wash them with some good detergent and what do you get? You get some nice things to hang up and wear as it pleases you.

Words are sort of like that. They can be yucky. You pick up a little dirt here, a stain there and before you know it the words that want to spill out of your mouth are not fit to touch (hear). Now where did that come from? Where did that stain come from on my shirt?

I see it all the time. People use words without sorting them and cleaning up the pile (so to speak). To be honest, I think some words, like some clothes, are not even fit to use for rags. They can do more harm than good.

Now, you take a little time with that pile of clothes and you can come up with something fit to go out in public with. They may not be fancy but they make you feel good. A nice hair cut (do), clean clothes and shoes that are cleaned up nice will get you into just about any doorway.

Take a little time with words and they make you feel good when you say them. They should be words that make other people feel good too. Don't you just love being around someone that keeps themselves all spruced up. To be blunt: I prefer to see someone before I smell them. Yes, washing things sure helps a body out.

Using words carelessly is like pulling clothes out of the dirty clothes hamper to wear. We will all make an impression. I know people will remember bad things about me. I cannot change those things of the past. I'd like that they remember that I finished the journey in clean clothes and with words that have been washed in kindness.

Cloak of Secrecy

2010-06-15T05:43:00.000-07:00

Cloak of Secrecy : I wonder if there could be a blanket over our government where many things that happen are hidden from the public. We are suppose to be an open society. Nevertheless, we must admit that there are many things kept from the public in the name of, for example, national security. I submit that we are 'shielded' more often in the name of national embarrassment.

One instance might be if a terrorist were to get beyond all our efforts to stop them and do something that is damaging to our country. Our officials cannot tell the whole story without tipping off to the terrorist that we have a weakness. The public might be kept in the dark to avoid loosing our sense of security. There are many reasons why it would be in the government's interest for the American people to feel secure. For one thing, people who feel safe will work harder and spend more freely. It is good for the economy for people to feel safe.

Another reason for secrets to be kept is that someone might be so entangled in national affairs that if it were revealed that they had alternative motives, negotiations with foreign leaders could be damaged.

A bank will not advertise their troubles because it would cause a run on the bank and effectively shut it down.

So, don't tell me there are no major secrets kept.

Some secrets we will never know. Our grandchildren might know but they will be so far removed from the situation (by time) that nothing will be done even if a crime was committed. I used to work with classified stuff and it is very easy to slap a "Top secret" stamp on a document but very difficult to declassify it. Even when they are declassified, they are edited.

We wonder about a lot of stuff that goes on and if the truth will be known. There are other things that we do not know about and those secrets will remain so until someone lets the cat out.

We are an open society. Government knows everything about us. In fact, with the Internet, just about anyone can find out everything about us. I do not believe, however, that we have an open government. There are many things that are put under the umbrella of national security when they should be made public so the people can make their own decisions.

The best we can do is try to figure out the rumors that keep popping up. One thing I have noticed is that a rumor without truth will usually die, one with a few facts will linger until those facts are explained.

Thomas Jefferson said it best but I will not repeat it here. I have enough trouble. :)

Oil Leak

2010-06-11T05:18:00.001-07:00

It is frustrating when something like the oil leak happens. Our government is so afraid that they will have a national disaster on their watch that they seem to downplay the seriousness of the situation rather than face it and deal with it for what it is...a national disaster.

We must surely have the technology to go in there and scoop up all that oil floating around. Oreck could do it. Dirt Devil could do it. Anybody got a shop vac?

We are the people who went to the moon, then did it again and again. We got rovers on Mars. So now they are going to tell me that we can dig a hole that we cannot stop up again. Get real and get busy.

Forget the politics for once. We could go tell BP: We are going to help you. You can have the oil but we are going to clean up this mess. Next time bring a stopper to work with you.

On the Radar

2010-06-09T05:27:00.000-07:00

A gentle note: You might notice from the feedjt that I am on Washington DC 's radar now, so post your comments and see them in lights or on the news. :)

Unfettered Happiness

2010-06-09T05:02:00.000-07:00

(Disclaimer: I do not approach this subject as an expert in happiness. Sometimes, I think I am more of an expert in sadness. I, nevertheless would like to approach the subject or a few paragraphs.)

A child walks down the road toward home. It has been a good day at school with friends, the family is waiting, food will be served and after a walk with daddy and mommy tucks the sheets and places a gentle kiss there are sweet dreams until another bright shiny day comes.

That seems like happiness and it is to a certain extent, but it is the happiness of ignorance, the bliss of not knowing the realities of life. I find no fault in it for such should the life of a child be.

We know though that there is a snake in the grass beside the road. The food might make the child sick tonight and mommy will be up all night tending the child. Tomorrow will find the child in bed recovering and there will be no day of play with friends at school. The snake attacks her daddy while he mends the fence along side the road and does not make it to the hospital. Mommy is forced to leave the homestead because she cannot afford the mortgage and the remaining family must live in a rundown shack near town so Mommy can pick up ironing and other odd jobs.

Sorry, I had to do that to make a point. I like those moments of happiness but it is not the same happiness as there would be if there were no snake by the road or a sick stomach and bad dreams. We find some happiness in this life but it is like a rose among the thorns. We accept it, enjoy it then go off to deal with the thorns of life.

Unfettered happiness would be if there was no snake, if we knew that there would never again be a snake beside the road. Unfettered happiness would be if we knew that there would not be a mean person down the road with a sharp pin to burst our bubble. Imagine if only the feeling the child felt, as it walked down the road toward home, was the feeling that we felt with full knowledge that it would never, ever go away and that no one could or wanted to take it away.

I believe that is what it will be like in heaven when we, with full assurance, walk in the bliss of total safety and joy. I believe there is unfettered happiness to come for believers in Jesus Christ. And with that knowledge comes peace, something that we all seek in our lives.

"And ye now therefore have sorrow; but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you." John 16:22

I have to Face the Real World

2010-06-07T06:02:00.000-07:00

Yuck! Well, it has to be done. The real world is where our bodies reside and we must deal with it from time to time.

Nowadays, there is the Internet. A person could loose themselves in there someplace and never find their way out. I like the commercial which has long stopped running. A guy comes out of his 'computer room' and looking haggard with his shorttail out and his eyes blazing like he had just been torn from the movie "The Shining" . He proudly announces: "I finished it. I surfed the whole Internet. I came to the end." Well, we know better. I did tell that to my son the other day, that I had found the end of the Internet and there was a big STOP sign there. I was joking though.

Now where was I? Yes the real world. It has to be faced. Unlike dreams that you wake up from just in the nick of time, real life goes on and on, the bills come every month, the grass grows, something breaks or leaks and the gas tank gets empty on the car. Did you hear what I just said? Is that real like? It seems rather unentertaining. Of course, you have to add friends to that. I'll get right on over to Facebook and add some friends if they will accept me. Look me up would you? I need friends. Wait a minute! I have left reality again. It is slippery in real life, we can drift off without realizing it.

Now dreams for example, there is another reality that we don't understand. How can you dream about something that you were not even thinking about and that you did not read about or see in a movie? Wow! That would be thinking about a non-reality in a non-reality world. Sounds like one of the books I wrote ( Hint: Preserved Intellect ) . Dreams though, they take you places, make you all warm and fuzzy inside and scare the daylights out of you. In the dreams, you wake up just before the guy pours in the concrete and you start seeing black. That's the good thing about non-reality.

Now, in reality for example, you don't get to wake up when things go wrong. You just have to start thinking and thinking and counting your change to see if you have enough money. Rechecking the check book to see if you might have more than you thought. Roll pennies to pay the water bill. (Nowadays, you roll quarters instead.) And one thing for sure, when they dump the dirt on you, you won't just wake up and jump in the shower to wash away the cobwebs.

Now of course if death was just a doorway to a better place, reality wouln't be so bad. Wait a minute! That is what I believe and you can jump over to http://oldoldstory.blogspot.com/ to see what all I think about that. It's the real reality.

I try not to mix my humor, politics and silliness on this blog with my very serious other blog but sometimes since it is all in the same brain (mine) it does cross paths at times. Ain't the brain a fine piece of equipment when it works. Without it (the brain), I couldn't even have said this stuff about the brain. I mean about the Real World.

Well, I'm off to getting the clothes out of the dryer so I can get the clothes out of the washer and make the bed and give my son his medication. Then, I'm off to the Mafia Wars and Kingdoms of Camelot. Oh yeah! I have to feed the dog in Farmville. I try not to get wrapped up in these games. They take too much time. Oh yeah, Fishville. I forget them fish. And I'm working on Under the Dome by Stephen King but the book is so heavy I can't pick it up a lot of days. At least, not without hurting my arm. You see I lay it behind my table near my chair and have to reach back to get it. Guess you didn't need to know that. Also got to finish a poorly written book about one reality in Boston called A date with Death by Michele R Mcphee, you know the Craig list thing. I'd hate to slip off into non-reality and not get back. I do have the sound turned off on Farmville so the dog's barking don't keep me awake at night.

Got to get those clothes back into the cycle of life before I forget..I think my brain is too full. Maybe forgetting is a blessing in a way. I mean if our brain can really get too full. It would give us a headache and we would have to sit down instead of getting the clothes out of the dryer.

Old Days

2010-05-27T05:17:00.000-07:00

I remember when I discovered hotdogs. Later, I found out they had special buns to put them on. Sometime later, I found out there were places where people cooked for you and they were not called Mama. They wanted money for the food then they wanted you to leave money on the table. What's with that? Well, we think different these days. I can tell by looking at the world that we think different. It's messed up. Duh! or Dah! or Whatever!

How'd we get here? I whipped my children and made them go to school. I'm still paying for children to go to school. Other people didn't whip their children and they are proud to be modern parents. They write their children every week in C/O some government institute or rehab center. So those children's children are wandering the streets eating pizza and getting fat.

That was gloomy. All children didn't go that way. Fact is the generation we raised is raising children with a new and modern style. Television is the babysitter and fast food is the homecooked meal they will remember. Teachers are smarter than their Mama and Daddy, so there is a continuous conflict of morals. Or maybe not.

The economy drives us these days. Once a year for a week or two is all the quality time families have together. It was the economy in the old days too. Parents and children worked side-by-side and had lots of time together. They sweated together, ate together and piled up in the old farm house to get some sleep before time to milk the cows.

I hate to say it but sometimes we had to kick the dog out of the trail. Sometimes a whack at a chicken was necessary to get it off the porch. You know, normal stuff like that.

Thing about those days, we were together in the same place a lot. The blisters on our hands didn't matter much. Mama would plaster them with something. Clothes for Christmas were a blessing and we actually smiled when we got them. Nowadays, some children will pitch a big one if they open that box and it ain't no game of some kind or a whatchamacallit.

Some things about these modern days are okay. Indoor plumbing is nice. That outhouse could get cold in the winter and stinky in the summer. Electric stoves are great. There is no need to cut wood until dark to feed a wood burner. We called them wood stoves. (Of course, if they had been wood stoves, they would have burned up.) Just have to take care of that bill every month. Wouldn't a bill back then. But back then, we had some woods we could prune for fire wood. Create smoke these days and you got to explain yourself to the fire department.

I'm telling you, back then if I wanted to shoot a squirrel, I did it. Ate it too. I didn't shoot all of them. I got some in my yard now, feed them everyday with the edges off my toast. I don't shot squirrels anymore. I don't shoot anyone I know. Not yet.

I even punched a cow once for slapping me with her tale while I was milking. She stepped in the milk bucket so I never punched her again. I don't milk cows anymore, just take the little strip off the lid of the milk jug. About that little strip, somebody knows how to torment old people!
We didn't have strips on milk jugs, just had to scoop the cream off the top and go at it. Rich stuff. It would stand you up and make you want to go load some hay.

The World is Leaking

2010-05-25T05:18:00.000-07:00

Back before the leak, I saw several news stories about the way the oil companies drill now. They sink a well and then drill sideways in several directions. It saves having to sink several wells. Well that was good for getting out more oil but now that they got a hole they can't stop up, there is a lot more oil to leak out. Yes, the world is leaking.

I think about the warnings that we have had to 'get off the can' and switch to something besides oil. Then the prices go down and we all make a national sigh of relief and 'tally ho" down the road. We got gas again.

Now we have another indication that we should switch to something cleaner to run our machines. I've always been suspicious that sucking all that oil out of the ground was causing earthquakes. It's got to be making big empty spaces down there. I know about the plates sliding around but could it be that the empty spaces are helping them along.

Maybe the dinosaurs would like to rest in peace instead of being piped, shipped and trucked all over the world to be burned in engines, blown out tailpipes and shot into the atmosphere; only to be breathed by humans, then radiated when it causes cancer, etc....... Don't they deserve some rest.

Oh, you mean oil doesn't come from dead dinosaurs, well the trees then. Maybe they don't want to be dug up, shipped, piped and trucked all over the world......

Oh, not trees either.... Well what ever it is.

One thing we have found out during this mess is that oil companies are not as smart as we thought and the government is even less so. How many organizations does it take to plug a hole in the bottom of the gulf, we will just have to wait and see. What we need instead of oil tankers is oil submarines that could just go down there and let the oil pour in. You know like jets refueling in the air, sort of...

The Supreme Court

2010-05-12T06:37:00.000-07:00

It is a false assumption, that we have, that when we elect a president or a congressman that things will finally be fixed. Abortion comes to mind. We vote for candidates to try and get the killing of the unborn stopped. That is not the only issue that conservatives work for but it is a big one. When you read history, those nations that killed the innocent did not endure the test of time. Judgment day came. So it is not just protecting the unborn that is at stake, but the preservation of the nation. Of course, many of those who condone this hideous act do not honor God in the first place and so do not understand that besides being a God of love and mercy, he is also a God of justice and historically has championed the cause of the innocent and the helpless.

So, what does that have to do with the Supreme Court? The Supreme Court has taken on more authority than, what I believe, the Constitution allows. They not only decide disputes about the Constitution but have in essence made new laws and added new meaning to the Constitution by injecting what they think the words meant. They say such things as 'that is what it says but this is what it meant' thus making new guidelines. That is how abortion came to be the law of the land. It did not come from the lawmakers in congress which is where laws should come from or from the president who can send bills to congress to be made into law. It came from the Supreme Court where they are suppose to decide matters of laws already in force, not make new ones. Read the history concerning abortion. You will find a new term which refers to the area around a shadow i.e. the eclipse of the sun, where the Constitution supposedly meant such and such.

Each president strives to put justices on the bench because he knows that important decisions will come from there and that, with the lifetime appointments, the opinions of a justice will continue for a long time. Congress and the president can make all the laws they want but the Supreme Court can throw them out if they do not like them.

The three branches were a good idea when the Constitution was written. If all three branches stayed in their place, there would be a balance of power in Washington DC. The actions of the Supreme Court have thrown this balance off.

I believe that if the Supreme Court is going to take the role (as they have) of shaping policy and interpreting the law and the Constitution in ways that have no resemblance to the original intent that they should be an elected body so that they represent the entire country and not just a segment of it. The lifetime appointment should be repealed with an amendment to the Constitution. It is not us that would be making it a political body, they have already made themselves a political body by yielding to public opinion instead of judging whether a matter is within the bounds of existing laws.

The difficult part of doing such a thing as the previous paragraph suggest is that the Supreme Court is so powerful that they could declare the amendment unconstitutional and continue to act as they do. No one should be so powerful in a society that proposes to be of the people and by the people.

Four of the Supreme Court 'justices' will be from New York if the latest one is approved. What's with that?

Mother's Day

2010-05-10T05:06:00.000-07:00

We have many holidays. Some holidays are celebrated with lots of fanfare, others are noticed (or not) as they pass by. Christmas celebrates the Lord Jesus and stands out like a bright star in the night. The Fourth of July represents our freedom and the battles fought for it. It is a proud day. Thanksgiving causes us to pause to be thankful and remind us not to take what we have for granted.

But there is this day we call Mother's Day. It gives us a special opportunity to give an extra hug, a flower or card to a most deserving person. From my point of view, as a son, motherhood is not about perfection. I think of it as being caring. The word steady comes to mind. When all the world is in upheaval, a child can go to his or her Mom and they will most likely be standing in the kitchen where they are working on something good to eat or cleaning up our mess. They are ready to bend or stretch (depending on the age of the child) for a hug, a kiss or a pat on the head or shoulder.

There are not always words of wisdom or solutions to every problem but she is there or her memory and we know that in our wobbly world, there is at least one straight line we can have to guide us.

I can see it only from my side. I cannot see the breaking heart she carries. I cannot see the urge to fly across the distance when she must stay where she is. I cannot see the aching bones when she doctors a splinter or bump. I cannot see the tiredness when she says those magic words "Do you want anything?" She is steady and she is ready to do the things she does that make us forever grateful for her love.

(Leeuna left me a nice comment but the program will not let me approve it. She said it was a nice tribute to mothers. Thanks Leeuna.)

Collection and Credit Companies

2010-05-05T05:05:00.000-07:00

Thankfully, I do not have problems with collection companies and I guess my credit score is okay. I don't really care so long as people leave me alone. I seldom borrow money and hope to never do so again. That's my disclaimer.

I consider these types of companies the buzzards of society. They have no right to gather personal information and pass it out to people who pay them money. Oh! I know we are so use to them being around that we accept them as part of our life like the IRS and the road blocks to check our papers. The thing is they have no right.

I can vaguely remember when a banker would check a few references i.e. work, some places where you did some credit and a couple of friends. From that information, he would decide if he wanted to loan you a few hundred to buy a cow or some chickens or to build a smokehouse.

Then along came these people who skimmed information from anyplace they could get it. Gradually, bankers and such started calling them because they had the 'dope' on everyone. They were the gatherers of gossip. You could walk uprightly in your community but if someone reported something to these collectors whether it was true or not, you were turned down for a loan and they could not tell you why. You have to go check with the gossip collectors.

As time moved on, the government gave these people protection under the law. They can harass anyone within certain guidelines. They can threaten with discretion.

Now, it is all tied together. The gossip gatherers report to the credit bureaus and everyone is given a number. They call it a score. We are all boiled down to two numbers our social security number and our credit score. It takes a very determined person to figure out all the elements that go into the gathering and formulation of these scores. Add to that that the scores can change daily with a little thing like someone checking your score whither you know it or not.

I do not understand all of it. In fact, for years I thought I was a criminal and did not know why. I would apply for a loan, be turned down and never told why. Finally, I checked with the credit bureau and they explained that it was not that I had bad credit but that I had no credit. Dah!
In other words, I had been paying my bills upfront and therefore had no credit (pay on time) built up. Dah!

With every business, there is always a segment that disregards the law, changes their number and location often and never ever gives out their last name. Their first name is probably made up too. They call and threaten people with jail and dishonor if they do not send the money they say you owe. I know people who have gotten these calls for something they never dreamed of purchasing or charging. These people get complaint after complaint reported against them but law enforcement seems to do nothing. These people are hard to nail down. They are like the old street enforcers who would offer protection for a price and if the store owner did not accept the protection their property would be damaged and probably their person.

I'm pretty sick of the government not cleaning up the scum when they are given details of their activities. I got off on this subject when I happened onto a website where innocent people were being harassed by unscrupulous companies. I can get mad when other people hurt. I reckon.

I just do not like those people who are making a killing off the hard times citizens are going through these days, not because these citizens did something wrong but because greed has caused a financial upheaval in the world starting on Wall Street.

Is it Just Me or Is the World Nuts

2010-05-04T06:39:00.000-07:00

I can feel all the fingers pointing at me or in my general direction. I asked 'Is it just me or is the World Nuts?'. In case you missed the title.

I was thinking about going to the drug store (pharmacy) the other day. The music was so loud, on something I never listen to and that makes my nerves all jumpy, that my wife and I could not even discuss what to get our parents for Mother's day. I mentioned it to the lady at the counter where we spent our hundred dollars but she just gave back a blank stare. I could imagine what she was thinking 'Bless their hearts, they are getting old. They don't know that guy singing is on all the TV shows and Oprah and Rock whop-a-da-doo.' Maybe she was nice and just didn't know how to address our honesty. Anyway, I think the music should reflect the wishes or at least the comfort of the customer who is paying all the salaries there and not for the enjoyment of the workers.

Someone is trying to bomb New York again, Man! don't they ever get tired. Times Square is already at sea level, what-they-goin'-do. The only thing they would wipe out are a bunch of opinions that no one cares about except those stating them.

The gulf is as slick as ... well it's slick. That is absolutely the ugliest oil I ever saw. It looks like something out of a motor with a blown head gasket. I hope they trap the stuff before it kills all the oysters. I know it would hurt the economy in an area where they are still not over Katrina. Maybe they ought not party so much and go to church once in a while. I'm just saying...

We went to the grocery store on Saturday afternoon last week because it was the only time we had to do it. That was a mistake. There was an entirely different crowd there. They had no tolerance for a couple of slow moving frugal shoppers, one of which was pretty much using the buggy as a walker. Reach and grab, make an ugly face, walk in front, no 'excuse me', ... the usual crowd you would see on the freeway during rush hour. The same ones who ride your bumper even if you are 5 over the speed limit then pass on the yellow line and slam on their brakes to turn off without giving a signal. I think those people are manufactured someplace and sent here. Not even a buzzard would hatch something with so little regard for others. If anyone reading this is part of this crowd, I am so sorry. Maybe you can't help it.

Talk about noise pollution. Loud radios, boom boxes they call them, I don't get it. Why is it so important for everyone to hear their music? Is there a message in the boom-boom that I am suppose to get. Those trucks using the jack-brakes that are pretty much banned around here. They vibrate the whole house at times in the night when the only sounds should be the train in the distance, the bathroom flushing or some burglar who is dumb enough to think I got money. Why do so many people ride dirt-bikes on the paved road near our house. What is it about 'dirt' that they don't understand?

I went out the other day and a bird was hollering "pretty, pretty, pretty". Yeah right, weirdo!

Well, have a good day and keep smiling. You're up to something, ain't you?

Oil Slick

2010-04-30T04:46:00.001-07:00

I know it is a serious matter. I couldn't help to think about the title. Of course, oil is slick.

Well, back to the seriousness of the matter. I can see how this could have a big impact on the area where it makes landfall. I hope they can do something. I do not put much stock in the mechanical devices they are using. They will perhaps protect small areas.

To began with, they must get the leak stopped. I think there should be more effort there and that they should bring in some of those scientific subs to deal with the problem.

So far as the oil on the surface of the water, it seems there should be something they could put on it (spray like in forest fires) to dissolve it or cause it to clump and fall to the sea bed. I was thinking of Dawn dish washing liquid. A gallon of the ultra ought to do it. :) Maybe some cat litter, maybe some of that Rid-x stuff with enzymes in it to eat up stuff.

I just think there should be some scientific help (and thinking) to assist those already working. I know for sure that politics will not get the job done.

Illegal

2010-04-29T05:14:00.000-07:00

Our federal government seems to be having a little trouble understand the word. They apply it liberally to tax evasion, terrorist, jay-walking, etc but when it comes to protecting our borders the word illegal gets all wrapped up in racial profiling and constitutional bickering. Does the word have various meanings to be applied at the whelm of the user.

I interrupt the word illegal to mean against the law.

Now, I believe, in the oath of office for president and, I expect, in Congress that they promise to uphold the laws of our nation and to serve and protect our nation.

In my studies of criminal justice, which I admit are lacking in places, I could find no distinction in the written law that exempted anyone based on their color or national origin. There is, in fact, a clause on many documents that warn against taking any action based on race, religion or national origin and some others I don't remember.

Our borders must be protected. We go to great lengths to protect the borders of other countries. Why not ours? Why just some borders and not others?

Illegal is illegal, our federal government should act like they know what that means.

Twainees

2010-04-26T05:40:00.001-07:00

In respect to Leeuna's request for a blog entry concerning the fine people who read blogs but do not post, I have here dubbed the name Twainees. Twainees are people who enjoy reading and would love to write and perhaps do but not in the same vain as some of the subject matter they ingest on a daily basis.

Twainee is not the same as trainee. A trainee is learning and suggest amateurism. Twainees on the other hand may be reading and not commenting for any number of reasons. They could be mining for ideas, checking out the progress of the writer or just enjoying something different from their daily diet of amazing words.

Twainee suggest a certain amount of sophistication and retains the connection with literary endeavor.

While the name will never catch on in the mainstream, it is perhaps different and certainly more friendly than lurkers or stalkers which have an air of being illegal. So, in that respect, I agree with those who have already made up their minds that this suggestion is poorly written and the name unimaginative. Being self-critical saves my readers, if there are any, the trouble of formulating a well-written response to my silliness and lazy grammar.

Hope

2010-04-26T05:24:00.000-07:00

After watching the evening news and reading the stuff that search engines find important enough to put in front of, most likely, better reading, I often burn the pages of my blogs with some hot stuff about politics and our present administration in Washington DC. But I've been looking around lately and have found reason to hope.

Some new names and faces are seeking election to Congress and their ideas seem to be exactly what our country needs, i.e. integrity and doing right. I have also watched Facebook and seen some fine young people talking about family and things like that. There for a while I thought the whole world had gone after the "Idol" thing and were growing up to old age in the Arcades. But there are some young people who are not burning their brains out with drugs and other stupid things. So our future 'will' have some families and leaders with values to guide them.

I also thought about the pull, of elements in our society, away from the traditions which made our country great. Our religious faith for one. Then I thought of all the towns I've driven through in my lifetime. Almost without exception, there was a church or two which bore witness to the fact that there are people who still hold to those traditions of family and faith.

While the media would have us believe that the whole country is going the way of those they so often magnify on their programs, there are still millions who are not interested in all the hype about...whatever...and just go about the important business of raising their families and respecting their God.

We should lift up our heads with the hope that there are still those who will stand for right.

Socialism

2010-04-20T04:42:00.000-07:00

There are books on the subject of Socialism but I believe a simple definition of that form of government is when the government takes control of the resources of a nation and passes them out evenly to everyone. It sounds good on the surface but the only problem is that it does not work. Russia had socialism and their poor are among the poorest. The wealth went to building a giant military.

President Obama has been successful in taking over the health care. Now he is aiming at big business. He will attempt to put government control on the way businesses do business. You can do this but you cannot do that. It is beyond regulation where the government gets involved when there are safety concerns which effect workers or the public at large.

Free enterprise is a system where good business practices are rewarded and bad business practices are punished with no rewards. A rotten company will eventually go under except in the cases where the government propped them up. When the props go out, the same thing that brought them down to start with will still bring them down if they do not change. So in free enterprise there is a natural correction. The good businesses survive and the bad ones don't. Sometimes it takes time but the balance will come.

Socialism is not free enterprise. The government will pick which businesses survive. It may not be the best business but it will be the ones that benefit the government. Tax payers will pay the price to maintain bad businesses.

Now, I don't like the way some businesses are run. The ones I am aware of do not get my business. The loss of my little bit of money will not cause a company to crash but many people like me doing the same thing will. That is why they advertise to us because they need us. In the ultimate scenario, the government would not give me a choice. They would say these are the available companies that we approve and you must do business with them or do without the services.

Socialism is a scary thing. It takes away individual freedom. It hits people where it hurts and they must pay a price if they refuse to go along.

President Obama, for what ever reason, is trying to put everything under the umbrella of the federal government. You know how Washington runs things. Is that how you want to run your own budget? It will happen if they get control of your life and mine. We will no longer be able to sit around and discuss with our wife and family which way we want to do something. It will be mapped out the way the government wants it to happen. We can always count on them to do the right thing. So, we will be okay. IN OUR DREAMS!

If Democrats want to be socialist, they are in the wrong country. Come November, let's eliminate them from the system.

Financial Problems Good for Some

2010-04-15T04:57:00.000-07:00

We had a bad year last year. It looked like things were going to fall down and stay down. The American spirit prevailed and things are turning around. We changed our lifestyle but kept on plugging along. Things have started to get better.

Here's the problem. Those people in high places, and I don't mean the government this time, just will not get the message. It's like "Wow, we dodged a bullet so let's get back at it." They did not dodge a bullet. The economy needed a change and the way things were done needed a change. All the government could do, in our form of government, is prop it up for a while. Big business must make changes or we are still in trouble.

No sooner had they gotten the tax payer boost, they started back on the same old road with outrageous bonuses and business as usual with 'stick it to the consumer' tactics. With them, it is all about how they can get the consumer to be gullible again and how they can get around government regulations.

The hearts of executives and owners of companies must change, if 'things' are ever to stabilize again. With many companies being publicly owned, the pressure is to give the investors back some money every quarter so they will dump more money into the system. So the heart of the investor must change as well. There needs to be a 'long look' at the economy and the future of our nation.

Even in these hard times, people are making money off the hardships of others. Banks have no reason to give people a break. They have already milked mountains of interest from the homeowner and they are probably down to paying on the principal which is not where banks make their money. It's the interest baby! They can resale a home and make the fees all over again and start off with a fresh batch of interest. Charge 8-10 percent and pay out .10 percent on savings, you gotta' make money like that. That was a point 10 interest on savings.

A collapse is big business for some who wait in the wings for just such a day. Buy up stuff for pennies on the dollar and wait it out, then sell at the current market value. Some people are out of a home but someone else is fat on the losses.

I do not have the answers. I just know that greed is alive and well and it is greed that got us in the mess in the first place.

Government cannot run everything or else it would not be a free country. There must be a fundamental change in the attitude of banks and big business. For that to happen, there must be a change in the heart of people. The attitude of making it to the top on the backs of others is just not right. It is not good business either in spite of what many think.

Book Review - Caught by Harlan Coben

2010-04-13T04:50:00.000-07:00

Caught by Harlan Coben is a missing persons story and a conspiracy story. It follows a big time television reporter who in the absence of news is capable of creating some for her show. Ultimately, she is after the truth though and so we can see redemption for the star of this well developed story.

I have become a fan of Harlan Coben because of Caught. I did not read the end first so he kept me guessing and provided a nice surprise at the end.

Good story. Good writing.

Local Post for None Readers Friends

2010-04-07T08:59:00.000-07:00

People who can't read don't know about this unless you tell them. We take reading for granted.

I am disabled and spent a lot of time at home. I have stuff to do so I'm not idle.

I can set aside an hour or so to help someone learn to read. One-on-one. I have taught a couple of men who were in their forties or fifties (I didn't ask) since I started having to stay home.

I do not teach folks who cannot watch their tongue. No smoking in the house. Stuff like that.

I can teach someone who wants to learn. First they must admit, at least to themselves, that they cannot read and need help. It is amazing how well non-readers are at hiding the fact. That makes them pretty smart. I've been around people for years and did not know that they could not read.

My methods may be different from a professional. Because I teach older people, I explain a lot about words. I show them how the words are broken down. I explain the difference in how people say words. You know what we read is not how we say it. We do shortcuts and that means the words in books don't look like the words we hear.

So, if you have a loved one or friend who can spend some time with me during the hours that my wife is at work (10 hrs Tues-Fri right now), I will give it a whirl to try to teach them. It won't be a college degree but they will be able to read children's books and find the bathroom in a public place that does not have pictures.

It takes three for a person to learn to read: the learner, the teacher and most important, the one who gets them to the teacher.

As I said, I am not a professtional but I care.

Everything Breaks or Comes Apart

2010-04-07T04:48:00.001-07:00

I had to stop a leak yesterday. I want to put this simple. I hate plumbing.

I took the thing out of the wall and then took it apart. I wondered how it ever worked in the first place. Nothing was broken but there was a little piece of plastic that was preventing the water from turning off all the way. Obviously, to me, it was a piece of debris from the factory since nothing was broken in there.

These things are so fragile. They are made from stuff a baby could chew up in a minute. As I said, it didn't break but they look so breakable that I may start going to family and friends to take a shower to protect them. Maybe I'll just wrap everything in a big bubble and go stay in a motel or in a tent.

The part is a replacement for another one that already broke. It cost $50 and all the parts together would not make a plastic toy car.

I remember the day when you could trip over a water pipe. You could slip and grab it for support. It was made out of good stuff. Nowadays, if you are falling, you just as well grab a straw from the broom. Of yeah, they are plastic now, too.

You know, come to thing of it, if our temperature gets much higher, all evidence of this generation could disappear into a clump of something no one would recognize centuries from now. Those geologist will have nothing to study.

I guess all this makes no sense. You should have seen what it would have looked like if I had written it yesterday. Plastic pipes, fixtures and such could be better used in their original state and put in the gas tank. I do not like plastic. I do not like plastic. I do not like plastic.

Nothing to Say

2010-04-06T05:12:00.000-07:00

Usually, when I have nothing to say, I just go ahead and say it. Today is different. My mind is a jumbled mess. I couldn't lasso a whole paragraph of thoughts if I was John Wayne. Did he use a rope? So here is at least one thought, I'll add others if I can think of any.

I get the show 24 with Kiefer Sutherland as Jack mixed up with the evening news with one exception...we don't have Jack.

There is survival without NASCAR as proven by this past weekend. Perhaps, it is good to skip a weekend of left turns once in a while.

I wanted to say that some blogs should be called 'blohs' or 'bloohs', you know bloh-bloh-bloh but I could not find the words in Websters dictionary. That brings me to a question: Is there a dictionary of the words we really use in everyday life? While I'm asking, is there a dictionary for those 'texting' messages that everyone is using? Leave answers in comments. They will not be graded.

The big freeze seems to be over and I will soon take the coats off the back of the kitchen table chairs. That can mean only one thing: Al Gore will be back on the talk show circuit soon. He keeps a low profile when the temperature is low. That reminds me of a Hitchcock show where someone was dreaming of desert like weather only to wake up with a fever and the world was freezing over.

Obama is dropping in popularity. I know because sometimes the evening news folks say a whole sentence, sometimes two if there is a disaster someplace, before they mention him. If Tiger Woods slips again, I expect Obama to get booted off the evening news. Give the guys a break you news hounds.

To top all that off, one of the light bulbs went out in the bathroom and I'll have to change it today, or tomorrow, or next week, or... I got to mow the weeds in my yard (of course, in my yard) so the grass can see the sun...a part came in the mail for my second car (actually it was one of a long string of cars) if I can find out where to put it.

Like I said, I had nothing to say so I'm out of here (actually I'm still here, it's a figure of speech, although my English teacher would not agree). Bye.

Wabbit

2010-04-02T04:21:00.000-07:00

It ain't about the wabbit (rabbit).

I have no problem with the children having some fun. Easter bunnies, eggs, chocolate candy and pretty clothes make it a special day for the children. We certainly enjoy watching them hunt the eggs, all decked out in new dresses and little suits.

Easter is about life. We all dread the day when we are old and that stranger hangs around our house just waiting for us to get sick-to-death so he can come in and take us away from our family and friends. I look forward to heaven but I hang onto this big round ball, called earth, like a child with his or her stuffed animal or comfort blanket. I do not want to let it go. I like the flowers, the trees, the animals, the smell of fresh soil turned when it is gardening time. I like the smiles of my wife and the happy stories from the children about their children. There's a lot I like about our home in space. If you have ever worked on cars, even the sound of all eight cylinders firing at the right time can be beautiful.

Leaving all this is what we know as death. That stranger that lurks waiting for the right time.

Something happened on that first Easter. A way was made to take away the fear associated with death. Death was put in handcuffs and is controlled by a higher power.

We were always victims. Death had his way with us. Jesus came to earth and lived a perfect life. Since it was sin that gave death the victory. Jesus lived without sin. Because of that perfect life, he had the power to take up his life again after death had done his best. Death's best was not good enough to hold down the righteous one. On the third day, he arose out of the grave. He took his life again. And so we have Easter. The celebration of life. The celebration of victory over death.

We do not much like to talk about death but trusting in the real Easter story gives us a peace that we can have the same victory that rolled away the stone on that first Easter. Gifts of candy and toys are nice. It is a joy to see the smiles they bring. Teaching children the true meaning of Easter will give them peace for a life time. They will know that death is but a doorway to a brighter future.

I Don't Like Change

2010-04-01T05:16:00.000-07:00

Okay, I said it. I don't like change. Perhaps, there was a time when I found it exciting when things got shook up a bit and I could watch where it all landed. Not any more. When I look for something, I expect it to be where I left it. I like for things to have a place and for them to be put back in that place. Grumpy? Well, I reckon.

Recently, the neighbors cut down the trees across the road. We liked those trees. They got all green in the spring and summer and sometimes the deers would venture into those woods to munch on the persimmons. I had to look that up because we always said 'simmons'.

Anyway, it looks all bare now. I reckon they are going to do something with it. It's their business and the American way.

Looking out this morning, I noticed that I could watch the sun come up over the mountain. It was beautiful to watch. Then the brightness became so great that I had to turn away and look at the places the rays of the sun hit. We have a yellow bell bush, several in fact along the front. They love the sun and just light up when it hits them.

That led me to Easter and the resurrection. It led me to when Paul the apostle encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus. It tells of the brightness of the Lord. Then I thought, we cannot look directly on our earthly sun and the Bible tells us that the brightness of the Lord was too great to look upon. But as with the sun rays on the yellow bells, we can see the effects of the Lord on other people and events. We can still understand the beauty of that which we can not look directly at.

Change is still not my favorite thing. I suppose, though, that I can still find some excitement over it if I put it in the right perspective. Easter made the difference for the world. It can still be a rough place but there is beauty to see in the effects the Son has on it.

My books.

God and Country

2010-03-30T04:33:00.000-07:00

We are perhaps the only nation on earth that knocks our own religion(s). By religion, in this case, I mean a belief in one God. Generally, in some form, the United States has been a nation that honored God. Individually, there are differences of opinion and different styles of worship. Collectively, there has been a 'looking up' to the higher power for help when we were in a bind.

These days, in the media at least, when God or Jesus are mentioned, there is a slur attached to the story, most of the time. If there is a story that involves a Christian going wrong, it will make the big story. Not all broadcasters are guilty, many are.

I wonder why it is us, the city on the hill, who think tolerance must mean forsaking the goodness of God in our lives. It is total arrogance to think that we are the most powerful. It is also most dangerous. We have been blessed for our charity toward the world. We have been blessed for our friendship with Israel. We have been blessed because we give credence to God.

There are voices that talk loud and long. They are often heard and adhered to as if they were the majority. It is not right to do so. Those who go quietly about their lives without trying to impose on others, also have a say in how our nation looks or does not look to our Creator. Those who speak by their actions of being a good neighbor, helping the poor and defending the defenseless are just as much a part of this nation as anyone who yells louder than the majority.

Administration of 2010

2010-03-26T05:13:00.000-07:00

Just as the cry went out to remember the Alamo and then remember 9/11 so will the cry go out to remember 2010. It is a time when a few people (compared to the population) decided to take away substantial freedom from the American people. They were not foreigners but our own leaders. Leaders are not always right. The only thing that will stop the slid toward socialism is for the people to realize that freedom is too great a price to pay for creature comforts.

I heard the story about one state where this program was already in place (Health Care 'Reform') and one person waited 44 days before they could see a doctor. Is that what we want when our child is sick and running a fever? Do we want to be under some government agency that will tell us when the fever is too high? Will they answer the phone or will we get a recorded message?

Only the people saying, it is enough, will stop these haters of liberty and freedom from wrecking our country beyond repair. We have a peaceful way to do it and it starts in November. We need to show some of that good old American backbone and stop this mess before it goes any further.

If you want a USSR type of government, just keep on believing the junk that is coming out of Washington DC these days. You did not see democracy at work in Congress, you saw a manipulation of grand proportion. A game of rules to outwit a smaller force.

Their victory in Congress with the Health Care legislation may be the biggest defeat for this country since Pearl Harbor but we will be back.

Let Freedom Ring

2010-03-23T06:43:00.000-07:00

Little by little, Freedom disappears. The ringing is not so loud anymore.

It seems harmless sometimes, a little is taken here, a little there. Sometimes, like Sunday, a lot is taken. I found it ironic that such a major action was taken on the Lord's day, a slap in the face to our founding fathers who honored that day.

There are a number of things that were done in the past that would not be allowed now. Some were wrong, some were necessary. The point is it was citizens taking care of business without government telling them they could or could not do it.

The way it works is that they let things get in such a big mess in the first place that many will cheer when they finally step in and fix something that they generated.

Government involvement in private affairs never works.

There are times when people must be protected from themselves. We have to have law and order. If someone does something that is harmful to another, they must be held accountable. That is protecting freedom not taking it away.

An example might be in order. It use to be that if a dog kept on eating chickens, which were providing food for the household, that dog would be shot. It had learned a behavior that was harmful to the livelihood of the family which it could not unlearn. The taste of the chicken was to much for the dog to overcome, no matter how many times it was told to stop. In our society, that reasoning would not work. It would be called animal cruelty. The dog is on a higher plan socially than the chicken. The freedom lost is that the family is not allowed to decide what is best for them. The choice was a dog that would not mind and was killing valuable resources or the chickens which provided food.

Another example is that if I found gold on my property, it would not belong to me but would belong to the government. Why? Because they decided one day that it was theirs and sent out a notice. Property owners could get a lawyer and claim the minerals for themselves if they wanted to fight the government in court. Who ever wins that battle? And, who can afford it? Certainly not a normal working person.

People use to have a barrel in their back yard where they burned mail with personal information on it and other paper products. Now, it is illegal and can reap a fine if it is done. I know, we must be concerned about air pollution. Maybe, it is no longer appropriate to do that. The point is we are not allowed to decide. it is taken to the landfill where it will rot and be treated with chemicals. Some will seep into the ground but at least we can't see it.

Freedom! We enjoyed it for a time. The generation that is graduating now will never know what real freedom is. It use to be that if I got hungry for some kind of meat, I would just take my gun and go shoot one and cook it for supper. I'd be afraid to slap a bug now if anyone was looking. Cruelty! Cruelty!

Now, I go to the doctor. He ask me a few questions. Takes my blood. Then, if it is within government guidelines, he can treat me as he determines I should be treated. If it is something insurance will pay for and as I said within government guidelines. Even the doctor cannot treat patients based on his years of training and practice.

Freedom lost! It is slipping away. You have to live a while to see it.

You know I use to could wash my car when I wanted to. Better be careful these days. It might be the wrong day to do that.

Freedom going away! We can still do more than a lot of people in other nations. If it is to stay that way, governments must be forced to stay in their place of protecting the people without running their day-to-day lives.

We have the election process. People must educate themselves on the details and not just vote the way the media sways them. We need to pray that there will not be so much damage done in this four years that it cannot be fixed when some sensible people are elected in November.

The Health Care Reform Bill

2010-03-23T04:29:00.000-07:00

Making history is not always a good thing. The health care thing they passed over the will of the people will certainly make history but then I've read some pretty awful things in history.

I think many people just don't get it. Giving up freedom, whether a little at a time or in big chunks is still going to cost us in the long run. Answer this question: Do you like making up your own mind about things? Well, enjoy it because that privilege is going away with this administration and this congress.

Eating and Cooking

2010-03-17T05:03:00.000-07:00

No! I am not an expert at cooking, although I do pretty good at eating.

Since I became disabled, I have learned a lot of things. Number one on the list is that me letting my wife stay home to raise the children while I 'slaved' away in the work force was not doing her much of a favor. Being home and doing all that stuff is hard word. Okay. My hat is off to you ladies.

I have learned a little about cooking. Maybe I don't have it right but I'm trying.

I like to have several colors on the plate when all is done. I think that gives you several of the things your body needs but I like it because it looks good. Well, it taste good too. I also like to have a variety during the week. Usually, there is one day when omega-3 is out the window and we have something with beef in it. My wife's favorite is chili, I think. Although, I can whip up a good slow-cooker of beef stew like Mama use to make. I cook these little biscuits that are a little crunchy and work great under some beef stew. My secret to the biscuits is a little pancake mix and pancake syrup. Yep. Taste good.

I also discovered the omega-3 thing and we have salmon and cod fish several times a week. You have to cook them very differently though. I let the salmon cook in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour covered at least half way with water and covered with foil. This after letting it soak in some good spices most of the day. Lemon and pepper are essential. The cod fish only takes about 7 to 10 minutes to cook. Flip it a couple of times. I never can get the breading to stick. What's up with that? I put it on anyway.

Got to have those greens. They just make you feel healthy. If they are fresh, it takes a little salt to make them taste good. Cornbread under them makes them like an ice cream with cake treat but I don't cook cornbread much anymore. Talk about bloating. If you can still run 3 miles, go for the cornbread. Don't go to sleep on it. Good though.

I found out that the most nutrition is just under the peel of potatoes or apples. Peel them thin.

Frying is the worst thing to do. Still, once in a while it is a real treat. Oh, those fried 'tators. Give me a bowl full. Stewed is great too. Soup is good off of stewed potatoes.

This ain't cooking but it is great: If you can afford to get together several different kinds of fruit and blend them, it makes a really healthy, after supper, snack. It is filling too. I use a banana, kiwi, two apples, 4 1 inch cubes of cantaloupe, some blueberries (to taste) some strawberries-about 3, a peach if I got one and a half pear. Put in a little apple juice to help it blend and a splash of cranberry juice, two prunes and you are set. Drink it slow. One shopping spree will get several days of drinks.

Well, I've had my say about cooking and I feel better. May the world have plenty to eat.

NASCAR - Everyone is talking about it

2010-03-09T05:21:00.000-08:00

They came around the track at near 200 MPH, one had no chance to win the race, the other had a shot at getting close to winning. A driver named Carl Edwards decided to take out the driver who might have won. It was a cheap shot by a driver who had made me proud with his gentlemanly attitude and his respect for his parents and others. So, what happened?

I don't know the whole story but from what I heard, it started back in the other racing series. One wrecks the other and they take offense and wreck them in return. One might be an accident due to inexperience, the other on purpose. Why?

These drivers race for big bucks. They are able to buy airplanes and helicopters and do quite well financially after they have paid their dues in the lower series, much like the minor leagues in baseball. The players do their time and when they get to the big leagues they make good money and enjoy fame on television and in the stadiums.

These race car drivers are business men as much as drivers. They risk their lives for a price.

I enjoy the racing. I like to see the strategy of the pits and the drivers maneuvering through traffic. Some teams take the whole race to finish their plan to win and often do. It is a few seconds here and more there until they are leading the race. The wrecks on the other hand are usually the result of a driver or drivers not being gentlemen on the track. Perhaps a driver sees his income slipping down and knows his lifestyle will suffer and so he takes it out on someone else instead of blaming his own lack of skill or drive to be a winner.

Some drivers loose it. I've seen winners turn into 'not winners' after they suffered a serious wreck. It is understandable. Who of use does not slow down after we make a mistake and almost have a wreck?

Edwards was wrong for taking his frustration and anger onto the race track. Perhaps he had been wronged before. Perhaps he was the victim of a rookie mistake. Regardless, Carl is a better man than that. He being the senior driver should have taken the high road with the whole thing. He has damaged his reputation seriously. He may have even put his career into a steep nose dive. We will see in the next race if he is not suspended. Remember these are teams and such behavior could spill over onto other drivers. I hope they will all forgive and forget and let the sport continue in a respectable manner.

Depressing News

2010-03-08T04:45:00.001-08:00

I can usually take the news with seriousness but with a 'grain of salt'. Lately, it seems either the world is falling apart or the media is bent on depressing all of us. Earthquakes (I don't think they did that one), people attacking government buildings (well, we'll see about that one), the ocean flooding coastlines, terrorist trying to maintain attention, tour buses into gang controlled sections of cities, a shooting a week (or a day) just up the road in our medium size city are shown over and over and over.

Still there are those who believe that things are getting better on our little planet. I wonder what channel they watch. I guess if you get doped up enough, things can look pretty good. The problem is, the problems still are. The dope and drunken crowd just leave others to deal with the problems.

You won't find an answer to this discussion on this page. Even if people quit killing each other and innocent people, the world would still be a pretty shaky place. The Biblical prophecy, that there would be wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes in many places, still stands. We are in a temporary place, we just don't know how temporary.

Medical and Old Age

2010-03-04T05:06:00.000-08:00

At a time when a person should be able to relax from the intensity of life and the complication of figuring it all out, along comes prescriptions, insurance, medicare and a truckload of forms and letters with 'lawyer speak' explaining what should or should not be done. Any attempt to call a responsible party requires a day of your time playing phone tag and waiting for that call that is bound to come at supper time. Such are the problems of growing old and dealing with the medical side of things.

They don't give out college courses to explain all this so a person could learn it while their mind is fresh and quick. No! It comes at at time when everything is slowing down. There are still children to advise, grandchildren to play with, deductions to consider, shelter to consider, getting help with repairs that use to be easy. It comes at a time when people are just not agile enough to deal with it properly. I for one do not feel like debating over the phone with someone who I know is going to win in the end, because I will get tired. The end result will be me paying and them getting a monthly premium.

What do I need and what can I do without? Good question. I will let you answer it. NO! You don't get off that easy. You have to make a decision and live with it or .... you know. The bad part is you don't get to be around to know if you got it right or not. Did you leave a mess for your most loved to deal with or did you leave them worry free. Yeah, right... in this day and age.

So we have some good days and bad days. We know we are slipping down hill physically and like a vulture the hospital waits to soak up what ever assets you have. Then they will send you home, perhaps all in one piece except for the pieces they took away never to be seen again. Gloomy! Sure it is and it should not be that way. BUT as long as we got politicians making medical decisions and the bottom line is the main thing for the big medical companies, that is how it will be. The days of compassion for patients is long gone except in the hearts of a few professional medical people who care.

Tell me I am wrong. I could live with that. I am not inexperienced in firsthand contact with hospitals and the medical side of things. Truth is I wouldn't feel like telling you the details and sadly no one in authority will ask.

Earthquakes

2010-03-03T05:29:00.000-08:00

Only the big ones make the news but I've seen a map showing earthquakes in many areas where people just don't think about them. Didn't one change the course of the Mississippi once? I find it amazing that the land masses we live on just float around on something, great lava beds I think. Those things get to slamming together and you got devastation from the ground falling and the ocean sloshing around. We are not so much in control, are we?

Haiti and Chile are both trying to recover but in reality these events are just about too big for even the super powers to pull countries out of. Again, I say, it amazes me!

They said the last one actually shook the whole earth and even changed the clock for a short time causing us to loose that time. Awesome!

Chile

2010-03-01T05:17:00.000-08:00

Our thoughts are with those in the earthquake in Chile.

Health Care - New Tactic

2010-02-23T08:55:00.000-08:00

Well, the snake is not dead. There is a new tactic on 'Health Care Reform' to shove this legislation down the throat of the American people. They are using technical rules to get the bill past the Republicans. It only shows the true heart of Democrats. They will cry for bipartisan support so long as there is no other way to do as they please. Then, lo, 'there is another way we can do it without Republicans, let's get it done.'

May no mistake, this is about fall elections.

What Can the President Do?

2010-02-17T04:19:00.000-08:00

Now it seems that Washington has reached the end of the Big Buzz and the cameras are drifting away from the scene of the non-event. The snow has blanketed the capitol in more ways than one. A new future is brewing and I think some of those who were leading the wolf pack are now concerned for their future in politics. I think it is too early for Republicans to gather around the carcase though.

In the end of the discussion, if that ever where possible, it is the country that is most important. It is not the survival of any particular party. It seems that which ever party is in command at the moment, they always get a little arrogant and forget about the people who elected them.

So, what can the president do, now that the fire from the election is burning low. He can get down to the business of running the country the way it was meant to be run...with three branches of the government, with checks and balances. There is little glory in sitting behind a desk and making things happen without the continuous news flashes and the glory speeches. Doing the business of the country is what the chief executive does.

He has three years to get down to business. Sometimes a president just needs to be quiet for a while and study the situation. Sweeping changes make news but they are not always the best way to go. Do some simple concrete things that need to be done. I could think of a few but I am not in charge up there and do not want to be.

Beating of the Young Girl

2010-02-15T05:39:00.000-08:00

We have seen the video of the young girl being beaten on the sidewalk by another young girl while the security guards and citizens watched. It makes you grit your teeth. Of course, we do not know the history behind it but that is beside the point for this discussion. The fact is, this was in America where we look in dismay at other countries where innocent people are beaten in the streets. This is no different, it is a terrorist attack.

Upon seeing the video several times, I finally picked out what appears to be an adult directing the young girl who was doing the beating. That woman should be arrested and questioned by police.

It is a shame that we have streets in our nation where people have to fear for their lives. Police should not be allowed to avoid such streets simply because they have a history of problems. It is the city leadership's responsibility to not let gangs rule any part of their city. Citizens expect it.

As for the security guards, what they did was within the rules for security guards but not within the rules of being human. Security guards are nothing more than private citizens who are employed to protect private property through deterrence. They have no police authority and can be sued just like any other citizen who over steps the law. It is an awkward job. At the same time, they do have the same rights as a private citizen. They can engage in self defense which includes the application of force to protect themselves and others.

We keep seeing these type of things and it is heartbreaking. Bullies are alive and well. I experienced it in school. My children experienced it. It is still a major problem in schools and on the streets. Some children are blessed with more strength than others, it is sad that they use that superior strength to bully instead of protect the weaker. They learn from adults.

Farmville

2010-02-13T10:32:00.001-08:00

Discovered Farmville on Facebook. It is a riot. Planting and harvesting all from the comfort of my home. Friends too! Can't beat that.

Nascar

2010-02-09T04:59:00.000-08:00

Here they come, rounding that last turn before they let those horses go...NASCAR is coming.

I like racing but it has become boring in the last couple of years. I really do not like wrecks, although I watch the replays. What I like is the maneuvering the drivers do. I like to see some passing going on. All this going around in circles in a single file is not racing, it is playing follow the leader. I've said for years that races were won or lost in the pits but still I want to see some racing on the track.

They have made some changes that might give the drivers a chance to race but a lot of drivers are so accustomed to just riding around that I don't know if those drivers can actually race their cars. This might be the season when the race car drivers stand out from the race car riders. Anyone who says they are just out there to ride around should be fired for not doing their job. I think many drivers get to the point where they are afraid of racing but stay out there for the money. I understand being afraid, it is a dangerous business, but when they get to that point they should find something else to do.

Go get 'em.... and .... be safe.

Politics not Performance

2010-02-09T04:52:00.000-08:00

We are in the days before next November's election. It is a time when politicians are looking to see how many seats they can fill in Congress. Many actions taken now are not for the purpose of accomplishing something good for the country but are to put the other party in an embarrassing situation so they will not get elected come fall. You will remember, I hope, how democrats blocked everything Bush tried to do in his last years in the White House so it would appear that he was doing nothing. The result was a democratic party in control in Congress. I know there are good people in Congress but they cannot do what they want to do if they are not reelected to their seat. We should keep this positioning in mind when the media tells us what is going on up there. We will only get the slant they want us to have.

Competitions

2010-02-08T05:29:00.000-08:00

It seems that the reality shows are trying to get everyone to compete against each other. I fear it will never play out. They will just keep on finding something new to throw out there. It is cheaper than good television. I can't help but believe that there is an underlying purpose for all this, I just can't put my finger on it. It could be social acceptance or something. Go figure.

There is one disturbing thing that is going on. The church choir competition is over the top (so are the others). Church people are not suppose to be in competition. I suppose it might stem from Christian Schools where choirs go to a convention and the best youth choir gets a trophy. In that case, it is just to encourage the children to sing. The new thing with church choirs competing is a different thing all together. I see it as a yielding to the things of the world. The church is suppose to be a solid rock that stays in place and does not join in with the main stream.

Well, I won't stop it. All the things that we are not suppose to yield to are out there to tempt churches to go along and there are always blinders to say there is no harm.

Super Bowl

2010-02-08T05:25:00.001-08:00

It was a very good game. Both teams are to be complicated for their conduct during the game with one exception when the player drove his helmet into the ribs of another player. It was a cheap shot. Both quarterbacks did well. Obviously Bres was on his game more or at least his receivers were. It takes both. Wayne missed a couple of crucial catches but he has also caught many more crucial ones. IT"S FOOTBALL. I was for the Colts but New Orleans won and I can live with that. The picture of Bres with his little boy is a keeper. This Super Bowl was very entertaining.

Toyota

2010-02-05T11:22:00.000-08:00

I know they got all these engineers and experts trying to deal with the problem of out of control vehicles. I still have something to wonder about. The cruise control and the brake system work together, i.e. you tap the brakes to disengage the cruise. I am wondering if something is in backwards which would actually cause the brake to act like a reset button for the cruise. Example, you were on the interstate cruising at 75 mph. The next day you are in town or on a country road and you tap your brakes to slow down. The cruise control kicks in and since the system is whacked out, every time you hit the brakes you are actually resetting the cruise for that higher speed. Well, I guess it sounds crazy but it's something to investigate and they certainly seem to not know what to do.

I am posting this on my blog because it is virtually impossible to get an email address for any large corporation official.

notice me: Toyota, Super Bowl, Brakes, accidents, news

Going to the Moon - Scratch That

2010-02-02T06:52:00.000-08:00

Going to the moon, or not, ought to be a decision made by more than one person. There is something in all of us, as we struggle day to day, that makes us want to reach out beyond all the mess to something that might be more amazing.

When I thought of the president cutting funds for the program, I thought of the westward push of early pioneers. There was a lot of pain along the way and some of it should not have been done, i.e. the Indians, but we forged ahead into the unknown. It was a spirit of adventure and a realization of a need that drove people to leave security to establish something daring and new.

The government played a part in backing the railroads but that was after others had marked the way west. Maybe it will not be government that takes us into space. We all know they seem to do everything the most expensive way. I am sure that after private enterprise cuts a trail back to the moon and beyond, the government will have a moon-tax and a Mars-tax to support their regulations of the venture.

I think Obama made a mistake. Beyond that, I think it is near-sighted when it comes to why our space program exist. It sets us apart from most of the world. There is something to be said for doing it first. It seems a shame that once we figure out how to do it that we just lay everything aside. There must surely be resources there that we can use. The moon would make a great place to launch other missions. What's the deal? I know they talk about money but while they talk about saving it, they are looking for ways to spend it.

It comes down to taking away the dream. Humanity has been reaching out since we got here. Like those before me, I too have a dream. I dream of when going into the rest of our solar system is no more unusual than reading about our forefathers coming across the ocean in ships or going across the continent in covered wagons. One president will not stop that but he can delay it while he is in power. It is sad.

Flying High - Well, about 500 feet anyway

2010-02-02T06:22:00.000-08:00

I haven't flown a lot in my life. A few trips up in small planes with the family just for fun and some long commercial flights while I served in the military. The small planes were by far the most fun.

I remember once when we went up in a little private plane for a spin around town. My wife and I knew there was an element of danger so we usually flew separately so one of us would survive in the event of a crash to take care of the other children. It sounds morbid but we thought of it as the practical thing to do and it took nothing from our fun.

Our daughter was not yet a teenager and she was totally fascinated by the flight. We were looking out the windows and trying to spot various landmarks. She looked out some but her biggest fascination was with the controls. She watched the pilot move the wheel around and then she watched the one in front of her respond. Once she could not help herself and reached toward the wheel. Being a well-disciplined child, she immediately pulled her hand back and looked apologetically at the pilot. He was a great guy and told her "Go ahead take the controls." And she did. It was a great thrill for her.

Once when I was much younger, I went up with my brother who was learning to fly. Back then, all you had to do was drag a can of gas to the airport and give the owner a few bucks and he would teach you to fly. My brother had had a number of lessons but had not yet soloed. The owner of the plane was going to supper and my brother was very disappointed. The owner told him "Go ahead and take it up, you can fly it, you just like to have somebody sitting behind you. Take your brother with you." And so he did. We flew around for quite a while. The landing was a little rocky. I think we tried it a few times before actually landing. I got to take the stick for a minute and do a wing dip or two. It was fun. I had a thought while we were up high enough for the trees to look like hedge bushes. "Isn't this illegal?" I asked. "Won't we get in trouble if we crash?" He replied: "If we are high enough it won't matter, If we are low enough we won't tell anyone." I thought that was pretty sound reasoning, so I forgot about the issue.

Presidential Administration 2010

2010-02-01T07:23:00.000-08:00

With Health Care Reform being virtually dead, it seems the president is trying to stir up every issue he can find. I wonder if it is a desperate effort to get something passed before this years elections. He fell into the health care trap just like the Clinton Administration did. It took up the first year with nothing accomplished. I hope they learn that it would be easier to break the process down into single issues that could be explained and passed instead of rolling everything into one big ball like a snowball rolling down a hill.

I think the big rush to get it passed before the end of the year was because of the election over Kennedy's Senate seat. But that is water over the rocks already.

We will see but I think we are in for three years of getting nothing done. It is pretty much a deadlock with Democrats not going along with the president because they want to get reelected and Republicans protecting their turf and waiting for the next presidential election.

Yak! Politics!

Grammy's

2010-02-01T07:21:00.000-08:00

I got a glimpse of the Grammy's on Good Morning America. I hope it is not an indication of the State of the Union. I'd like to see them try to get good ratings without all the naked women on stage. It seems it is always the same old thing these days. No wonder some people threw their televisions in the river back in the day.

Too Funny

2010-02-01T07:19:00.001-08:00

From a Gregory Peck movie Pork Chop Hill:

Speaking of it being cold in Korea, a Texan referred to the cold in the panhandle: "It was so cold there that sometimes when we talked the words just froze and fell to the ground. We had to put them in the frying pan and thaw them before we knew what we were talking about."

In light of the weather we have been having, I thought that was really funny.

Getting Visitors to My Blog

2010-01-29T17:18:00.000-08:00

I guess most bloggers would like to have some folks stop by and read what they write. You know our deepest thoughts on any number of chosen subjects. The current events of Washington DC and the New York Stock Exchange, Wall Street.

Getting those visitors from the millions is tough because it seems that websites are like opinions. We all got ours. I often wonder what tricks people use. There are many. Some may insert a lot of senseless words and phrases into the post which are not visible to the human eye but work very well with the search spiders roaming around websites. They might mention some new movie or a celeb who slipped and fell or found a new beau. It would ring a bell someplace and there you go with the hits. Maybe that's not it.

I don't think it is quality content because I have seen some strange sites at the top of search engines. Often, I have to go down to find a site that has useful information. It is a mind boggling experience to do research on live Internet. You never know if it is true or not.

Maybe people study current events and insert those key words i.e. Haiti, earthquake, fishing in Alaska, mudslide or snow storm. It may have nothing to do with the article but provides words that will get people there when they do a search of a word or phrase that is popular.

This posting is basically nonsense. I am doing it as an experiment to see if any of these words will pick up strangers coming to my website. If they come, maybe some of what I have to say will make them want to come back. Maybe not. We will check the counter to see if my meter runs up. I could throw in making money online and probably get a few hits but that would not be fair to those who actually need to make money online. I already put it in so I guess I will leave it since I already explained that this is an experiment. You could call it research. You could call it curiosity. I've written about dogs, politics, cows, rain and just a whole range of subjects. So we'll see if this works so next time I will know how to get visitors. I won't cheat though, I'd just like to know. Here's hoping for a landslide of people checking out my writing and thinking.

Dogs

2010-01-28T07:23:00.000-08:00

I do not want a dog and I do want a dog. Crazy right? I have had several dogs. Some of them were family dogs, some of them were, what I would consider, my dogs. I have only had one cat. I named him Nebuchadnezzar. He was mean and bit me. No offense, I do not like cats. A good dog, however, is priceless.

We had a dog named Butch. He was a collie. I do not know exactly which kind but he was rather small and of a lighter color. No long nose. Butch was a good farm dog and very good around children. Once my Mom spanked my brother for crawling off our high porch backwards. Butch saw her. The next day we heard him (my brother)crying and when we went out there (we wouldn't far away anyway), there was Butch with one foot on my brother's back stopping him from crawling off the porch. Collie's learn very fast.

There was another dog that was of the collie breed but he was black and white. He was smaller than Butch but very quick. When I went up on the hill to pray, he would always go with me. He never bothered me and would lay down a few feet away. He just came to our house one day. I called him Traveler. He left the same way. Guess he got homesick for his real home.

We had another dog that we raised from a puppy. His name was Major. He was a mean looking black German Police. He wasn't only mean looking, he would try to assault any trespassers. We had to keep a tight lease on him. His genetics controlled him more than we could. I think he got stolen but I cannot be sure.

Buck was a good dog. He was reddish color with short soft hair. Good natured too. We were down on our luck while we had him and lived out in the woods in a camper. Buck did okay. He found a neighbor that ate better than us and so really had two homes. Once he came running down the hill after me and was looking back over his shoulder while he ran. He about knocked me over when he hit my legs at full speed. There was a big old owl that use to swoop down after him but he was too fast for it. We left him with the guy who could afford to feed him steak.

The last dog I had came to us (I think someone put him out). He would not leave and looked rather mean. I was afraid he might bite someone. Since he would not leave, I made friends with him. He became my pet. I never had any trouble getting him to do what I said. He did not like for us to leave the house and would try to follow us. He was named Dog and was part chow and part shepherd. His prior training was his downfall. He was apparently taught (in a prior life) to keep children out of the road. So when a little girl came by the house, he latched onto the bicycle wheel and held it. I was not home then. They tried to get him to turn loose but, in the dogs mind, he was rescuing the little girl. Someone thought it was aggression and shot the dog. I can understand. The little girl is much more important. Thing is, I do not want another dog because I do not want to loose another dog. I find it very sad that people do not keep up with their dogs better and train them correctly, i.e. where the property lines are located.

Ford County - John Grisham - Book Review

2010-01-28T07:09:00.000-08:00

Ford County - Stories - by John Grisham book review. Doubleday, 308 pages. A collection of 7 stories.

John Grisham is one of my favorite authors. I enjoy reading his stories. He can usually surprise me along the way. These short stories are not his best work, in my humble opinion. He has cleaned up his writing considerably in his full length works. Still, he does not get nasty. He lets the characters be who they are in the stories. I suppose lawyers deal mostly with people like these. The stories are no where near what we see on television and, for an adult, they give some insight into areas we do not normally see, unless we are one of those who travel in darker circles.

I almost forgot to mention. For a writer, the one paragraph in the front of the book is worth the price of the book, coming from John Grisham.

Going to Church in the Old Days

2010-01-27T05:45:00.000-08:00

It must have been about three miles from our house to the little white church. Sometimes most of us children walked to church, sometimes it was just some of us. I do not remember a time when we all went at the same time. My brother just older than me usually went every Sunday. It was hard on the little girls to make the trip but they did very often.

(In my early childhood, I remember us all piling into the '48 Ford and going to cottage prayer meetings. I always got the space over the back seat under the big back window. Even earlier than that, I remember going to church on a wagon with no bed but it had rubber tires and was pulled by mules. But back to my story.)

The road was dusty with dried out clay. I think it was what they used to make the roads passable in those days. That stuff was two inches of dust in dry weather and two inches of sticky yellow mud when it rained. Usually the cars would make two tracks in the wet clay and it would be a hard packed place to walk but you had to keep your balance. When a car came along, we'd have to get out of the tracks. Since cars did not always stay in the tracks, we got off in the trees until they passed. By that time, we would have sticky mud on our shoes which we had spent some time getting clean.

We tried to wipe them off with pine needles or leaves but inevitability we would get to church with mud on our shoes and half way up our britches' legs. It dry weather we'd be covered with dust from passing cars.

Walking into church we would always be greeted with smiles. The thing I remember most about church was the beautiful singing. I was really shy so I seldom went to the choir. I loved to hear the ones who did go though. Another thing I remember was the smell of gas from the gas heaters. There is just a certain smell from gas heat whether the heaters are on or not. Then there were the wasps that would start to swarm when the church building got good and warm. That was usually about the time the preacher got going good. Sometimes one would get stuck in a lady or a girl's hair and us boys would sit and try to decide whether to grab it, knock it or just watch it. You might get stung by the wasp or the girl if she thought you were flirting.

Going home was always an experience. Sometimes we would get a ride. One lady had a T-model pickup and we would pile in the back or hang on the running board. Others had regular cars and would sometimes give us a ride. Once we rode home on the back of a pulpwood truck, loud mufflers and all. It had no bed so we just hung on to whatever we could. I had the pleasure of hanging on to one of the girls who sung in the choir and to a cross member on the truck. When she lost her hold on the truck, I was holding me and her both to keep us from falling in front of the dual wheels. As much fun as it was, I was never so glad for a vehicle to stop.

There were many times when we walked all the way home in the dark. Sometimes there was a moon, sometimes we walked by the outline of the trees beside the road. We had to walk beside a pasture fence part of the way. We often heard some critter walking along beside us just on the other side of the fence. We later discovered that there were panthers in those woods beyond the pasture.

In the following years, because we seldom had a working car, I still walked to church but often it was alone. At one place we lived there was a dark woods on both sides of the road most of the way home. People had to go to work the next morning so mostly I walked home after church. I remember that after this last patch of woods there was a long stretch where there were no trees and I could see the porch light that Mama left on for me. I always looked forward to seeing that light. It did nothing to light my way but I knew that I would be home soon. It seems now, that I am growing old, that I am in that last patch of woods looking for the porch light.

President's Freeze and Health Care Reform

2010-01-26T05:53:00.000-08:00

With the election of a Republican in Mass. the Democratic Health care reform bill is pretty much done for. Suddenly the president announces a freeze on programs directly related to health care, i.e. medicare. This seems a little like vengeance to me. It is as if he is saying, 'all you conservatives want to play hardball, I can do that." I do not know if that is his thought or not but it certainly seems that way. I just don't get why he is so set against the elderly. I don't have the numbers but I expect that was a block of the population that did not sweep him into office, although AARP did support his reform bill. That was the organization AARP, not the people of AARP.

When it comes right down to it, the government had rather send billions to foreign countries to try to bribe them into not killing each other than to see that Americans are provided for. We are not looking for a hand out...we'd just like to keep the money we have paid in here where it belongs.

Tin Roofs

2010-01-25T05:46:00.001-08:00

If you have never lived in a house with a tin roof, you have missed an experience. Mostly, the thrill comes when it rains. I've heard it rain so hard that it would block out all other sound. Other times, it was just a gently rain that made it about impossible to stay awake.

I remember once, my sister and I, were just little tots. Mama sent us over to the neighbor, who was also our landlord, to buy a dozen eggs. We didn't have egg cartons, so we had to carry them in a brown paper sack. You had to be really gentle with the bag or the eggs would squash together and crack.

We were on our way home, about a half mile, when a summer cloud came up behind us. We were just kids but we watched the weather. For one thing, you couldn't chop cotton when it was raining so we got a break and we could sit in the house and break beans or something. Sometimes we'd get to cut corn off the cob. Yeah, kids with knives. We learned early to use tools without cutting our throat.

Well, we started walking faster so we could get home before it started raining. Getting wet would not have been so bad but being wet with it lightning was not so good. Even then we had sense enough to get in out of the rain. It seemed the cloud was determined to catch up with us. Finally, we started running. I held the eggs with one hand and pulled my little sister with the other hand. I was the runner in the family and her little legs were barely touching the ground.

Even with pulling her, carrying the eggs and running; I still remember looking back and seeing the big drops of rain hit the dust behind us. We rain faster. Just as we topped the steps onto the porch it started to rain very hard. The old house had a tin roof as well as the porch. It pounded down with a roar but we were dry. We had outrun the storm and were safe under our tin roof. The eggs survived although a couple were cracked.

Later Mama and some of the other kids told me they had been watching us and the rain trying to catch up with us. They smiled at our speed and victory over the cloud.

If there was no work to do, I had a haven from our large family and the clutter of the day. When I saw a rain cloud coming, I'd take off to the barn which also had a tin roof. There was nothing more peaceful than lying in the loft on the big bags of cow feed (cotton seed and crushed corn) and listening to the rain and thunder while I watched it puddle up in the barn yard.

Infrastructure of the United States

2010-01-22T10:00:00.000-08:00

We have outgrown our roads. Anyone who travels will know this to be true. You might cruise along for a while but when you get within a hundred miles of one of the major cities, you are in for a stressful trip. It shows up in the way people drive. It shows up in wear and tear on vehicles and fuel consumption. It shows up in time lost. Time equals production in our economy. You cannot just count road time. You have to count recovery time for those who get to work and must come down from the trip.

Our present highway system was a great idea and has served us well. We need a new great idea to take us beyond this point. If the world stands, the population will only increase. For our country, it means everyone who can scrap together some cash or credit will want a car when they get old enough to work a few days a week. Something has to be done but it must be done with freedom in mind. You cannot just wait until there is a national bottleneck and a national emergency to start thinking about it.

There must be some ways the traffic on our highways can be diminished without telling people what to do with their lives.

I think Disney World can offer one suggestion. The train they have going around the park would make a great way to travel between major cities. Locally, they talk about a train between Chattanooga and Atlanta but this talk only peaks when gas prices go up. Then, it dies down again. We actually need a nice train from Chattanooga all the way to the coast of Georgia, then south to Florida's major cities. Since tax from gas is a major source of revenue for the state, they will have to change their mindset for this to happen. Such a system would benefit everyone if carried out properly. You'd want a paying system set up that would be not so costly to build. That leg would support future building. The way to do that would be to build a leg to the beach where everyone would like to go once in a while if they could afford it.

Washington and the Baltimore area desperately need a system to carry their local traffic around the area.

Another way to cut down on the mess would be for businesses to put forth a dedicated effort to let people work closer to their home. For example, people with identical jobs could swap jobs on a voluntary basis. The incentive would be the savings in transportation. Business travel could be traded for teleconferences. It would cut down on travel expenses, airport congestion and those late night bar room deals where customers prefer entertainment to quality service.

We need a long range vision but a short range goal. Do what we can afford. Pick out two cities and build a nice transient system. Use it for a model to encourage others and to work out the bugs.

I hate to say it, since I love the sound of a good engine when it accelerates, but for the future, cars should be a diminishing thing, the railroad should be used more instead of so many long haul trucks. It will require a complete change in the mindset of America. It will require a vision. It will require a willingness to turn lose of a fun time and plan for a better day.

People and Cars Everywhere

2010-01-21T06:04:00.000-08:00

The new Republican Senator from up north, when asked about future plans for president, said to give him some time "...I haven't even been down to Washington yet." So, he is in for a surprise. He should take his truck and put on bumper guards.

I have had the misfortune of driving in and around D.C. It is nightmarish. I could not help but wonder if the driving frenzy on the roads also drives the attitudes in the halls of Congress. They are bound to be in a bad mood by the time they get to work. No wonder Biden takes the train. Even D.C. drivers would think twice before bullying a train. (I think.)

I am building to a point. Getting something done in D.C. must be like working in a room where there is standing room only or in the crowd on 'black' Friday. It is just too crowded.

My solution to this problem is workable in our day of advanced communication. I would suggest moving some federal agencies out of D.C. altogether. For example, the Agriculture department could be moved to the Midwest where a lot of the farming goes on. If they want to tell the president or Congress something, they could send a couple of reps out. The department of Natural Resources could go even further west, perhaps to Montana. And so on!

I think it is a good idea. It would not have worked in 1776 but it would now. Even those in D.C. probably talk on their berry phones anyway.

Impact by Douglas Preston - Book Review

2010-01-20T16:11:00.000-08:00

Impact by Douglas Preston, A Tom Doherty Associates Book, 2009, 364 pages.

I'm very mixed on this book. I would not read it again. The plot is very interesting but the book is laced with profanity. I therefore cannot recommend it to anyone of whatever age.

A strange thing has happened from outer space, in particularly a planet in our solar system. The story takes the star around the world but the mystery is ultimately solved by a surprising character. It involves politics, jungles, boats and planets so obviously there is something for everyone including some jabs at religion.

Mister Preston would be a writer I would follow if he could clean up his act and stop talking like someone from the back alleys.

Cowboy without a Horse

2010-01-18T10:19:00.000-08:00

I asked my wife last night: "Have I ever been a cowboy?" She said she didn't think so. At least, I hadn't told her if I was. That got be to thinking...Do you have to be on a horse to be a cowboy? After all, I did use to take care of cows on the farm. I had to take hay out to them and break up the bales and spread the hay around. They seemed to appreciate it, although, they never said.

Cows are pretty docile if you don't spook them, just like on the westerns. Spook them and it's 'katie bar the door'. They will run over everything in their way.

On this cold winter day the ground was frozen and me and the cows had frosty breath coming out of our noses and mouths. I was minding my own business getting hay off the trailer and spreading it around. Butch was our collie. He herded cattle by making them mad and letting them chase him to the desired location. That day he was just being a bad dog. I tried to tell him but he kept playing around. He would pinch a cow with his teeth on the back of their leg and then run under the fence where they couldn't get to him. He was having a ball.

I on the other hand was out amongst the cows breaking up bales of hay. They couldn't get Butch so eventually they turned their anger toward me and my red shirt. Don't ask me why I wore a red shirt. I knew better. Probably it was because my other one was dirty. I tried to give the cows extra room while I went about my work. They continued to crowd me until I was separated from the tractor and trailer and my load of hay. I decided to sprint away from them and circle back around the old building that was there. That was a bad idea.

The first cow started to cut me off and was followed by the rest of the herd. I didn't know that cow was in charge of the whole bunch. You are right. Butch must have gone to the house now that his fun was over. Anyway, I started to jog and so did the cows. I looked nothing like Butch. He traveled on all fours and ran low to the ground. I ran on twos and was taller than Butch. Somehow the cows got me into open pasture. It was a half mile to the next fence. There were no trees. I was no longer jogging. I ran flat out for the next fence over, that divided our pasture from the neighbors. It took me a quarter of a mile to get enough distance so that the cows could no longer see me. I started to circle and so did they but they lost sight of me finally. Did I say I was fast on my feet?

I made it to the dividing fence and started to climb with the intention of jumping into the other pasture and following the fence line back to my barn. Just as I started to leap I looked down and saw the biggest red bull in the world. It was the neighbors bull who appeared to be watching the whole thing as if it was some kind of show. I threw on the jumping breaks and noticed our cows had gone back toward their breakfast.

I know Butch, the red bull and our cows all had a good laugh over me running down across that pasture not caring what I stepped in. I was not laughing although I do find it a little funny now. I still don't know if that makes me a cowboy. I expect I'd still have to have a horse but on that day I'm sure I could have out run even a horse.

Shipping and Handling

2010-01-18T09:55:00.000-08:00

Have you fell for the 'shipping and handling' scam yet? You see these great deals on television where you get one free and all you have to pay is shipping and handling. I've seen the back door discussion on these deals. 'They' tell sellers to make their shipping and handling enough to cover their cost and make a little extra. Often the offer does not say what the shipping and handling is going to be and they want you to leave your credit card number.

I know it is an old scam but I just felt like mentioning it again. Typically, the shipping will be much less than is charged, i.e. 4 bucks for postage with a charge of 10 bucks.

Some offers are real and they will show a shipping cost upfront for us to choose from, i.e. postage or 2 day and so on.

We should all look at those television deals more closely and when we see that thingado we would love to have, check out the fine print and think several times before giving out important information to an 800 number. Caution and restraint is the best route.

Relentless by Dean Koontz- Book Review

2010-01-16T14:18:00.000-08:00

Relentless by Dean Koontz, Bantam Books, fiction, 356 pages.

Like a train chugging up a hill, the book moves nicely letting you get use to the scenery and the movement of the train. Then it tops the hill and starts to pick up steam. Soon, you are carried breathtakingly down the mountain with blinding speed to a surprising end.

It is a story of a family, of a writer, of a woman with a gun and a boy genius. They are all full of surprises as the bad man comes after them without cause.

I enjoyed the book. I like it when ordinary people defend themselves against a cruel world.

Earthquake Victims

2010-01-15T16:32:00.001-08:00

I'm getting flashback to Katrina with the way rescue efforts are NOT going on in Haiti (sp). Somebody had it right, no one is in charge. I was just a lowly sergeant but I could form a human chain and pass out some water and food pkgs. The local people could be organized to clean a street by hand so relief could get in. Helicopters could fly over and spot crowds of people and return with a water and food drop. It does not have to be a huge bureaucracy before some help can be sent in.

They need to get off their duff. I am sure someone would raise cane if the military took charge for a while to get the stuff moving but it will take such an organization that is already organized in a change of command to get it done.

The administration seems to be more interested in the election for Kennedy's seat than for the hurting people over there.

I'm a little mad over the whole thing. I can imagine the people must think those in charge of relief efforts are a bunch of nuts.

Recent Earthquake

2010-01-14T07:13:00.000-08:00

If we plan to help the people there, it should be done with extreme caution so far as the Internet is concerned. As you have heard, scammers will blossom in email and with fake websites. It helps no one to send money to the wrong place. I'd recommend dropping money by a local charity outlet that is helping and then only a check that you can account for later.

State of America

2010-01-14T06:55:00.001-08:00

We have been and are going through some hard times in America. It seemed very gloomy a year ago and with good reason. It was mostly because of greed on Wall Street and in huge banks. There they play with money like it was never going to go away. They reward each other with big bonuses and claim it is because their talent is so valuable. I cannot see the value in managers who let their companies go under and who take chances with other peoples money.

They did not learn their lesson last year as evidenced by their actions now. The money is flowing again thanks to the American people. Still people are getting kicked out of their homes. Where is the promised help? I think the attitude by Washington and Wall Street is to just let it run its course and make what they can off the situation. There is no compassion, only words.

One banker said 'it's complicated' like the American people are too ignorant to understand. We understand alright. The government and big banks are like vacuum cleaners made for the sole purpose of sucking all the money they can get out of the American people and the economy. If it were blood, we would be down to just enough to sustain life. Of course, they think that is all we need since we are too ignorant to know what to do with more.

I think it is time for everyone in America to go local. Bank local. Buy local. There is not much we can do about Washington DC. They will take what they want, by force if necessary, to run their pet projects. They will soft-soak us with 'support the troops' (like we would let them down) then proceed to waste money on junk.

My country is very dear to me. This is not criticism of America. It is criticism of those who think America is their own gold mine to take out what ever they well please. It is money they want, so, let us deny them that money. I think most can do without credit cards. It is a ripoff. They let you use their money then charge you gangster interest on it. It is nothing less than a title pawn or a payday loan. When Americans learn to live within their means, Americans will not be so easy to scam.

Snow2010 SomewhereInAmerica

2010-01-13T12:36:00.001-08:00

Picture January 2010

2010-01-13T12:27:00.001-08:00

Old House on a Hill

2010-01-12T06:04:00.000-08:00

It is gone now, that old house on the hill, but I remember it well. There were tragic events there and more pleasant ones.

I remember my first sweetheart. I use to get flowers off Mama's flower bush and cram them into my lunch poke (sack, bag) and give them to her on the bus. We never talked at school, just on the bus. Her dad was the bus driver. I remember she was the only one who beat me in handwriting competition. I might have won except I had been outside playing and got some sweat and dirt on the paper. I am glad I lost though.

My sister and I use to have us a playhouse under the front of the big high porch. There was a dug out area where we could stack up rocks and generally get dirty. Someone said later that there were snakes under there. Guess we had protecting angels watching over us. It was there that we made an Indian tee pee out of canes and cardboard boxes. We also tried to sell green beans down by the road.

Our outhouse was on the other end of the garden. Early one winter morning while the ground was frozen I was making my dash there when my foot slipped and I fell hitting my chin on the ground. I guess I had my tongue out for I bit a hole through it. The scar is still there.

It was at this old house where I chased a rooster through the woods and under the house until I caught it. All because Mama wanted to have chicken for supper. It was the story of that chase that got me an A in English and was probably my first effort at creative writing.

My tricycle broke there. It was a big fine machine that I could ride on two wheels when I wanted to. The big kids sat on it and broke it. I still remember it sitting in the yard all broken down. I never got another one. I had an old bicycle later but it was a hand-me-down and did not have brakes. I just coasted to a stop or hit something.

A truck driver lost control and died there when he came down the hill beside the house and crossed the busy highway in front of the house. I remember the blood.

The 'goat man' use to camp across the road. He pulled a wagon with a bunch of goats. We could smell when he arrived and when he left.

My brother practiced the guitar with a neighbor. My other brother found some blasting caps and put them in the heater. I got stung by red wasps and cut my foot on a broken coke bottle.

It's a shame children don't remember better. Oh yeah, Mom and Dad seemed in love then and Grandma Goins came to visit. She played army trucks with me.

Avenger by Frederick Forsyth Book Review

2010-01-12T05:53:00.000-08:00

Avenger by Frederick Forsyth of The Day of the Jackal fame. 340 pages. 2003 St. Martin's Press.

My book review. In a phrase, 'It is a good book.' I was not disappointed after remembering the suspense when I discovered and read The Day of the Jackal. I sometimes have my doubts whether an author can do it again but Forsyth did. But he doesn't need my praise at this late date, the cover is loaded with praise from high-powered people who probably got free copies.

Avenger pretends to be a mild-mannered lawyer. He is pretty good at that job. He was also a tunnel rat in the war. A job that I would rather be shot than do. He suffers a loss while he was a powerful city lawyer and left that life for the country. Secretly, he has another life. I think you will enjoy discovering his other abilities and his code of honor.

Seven years Later

2010-01-11T05:31:00.001-08:00

Seven years ago I went someplace, the weather was better then. Now where was that? I have experienced the worst interstate weather since my military days and the major snow fall of the 1970 winter or there abouts. Imagine snow, ice, rain the windshield freezing over and nothing but trucks and a car with up and down mountain roads. Well the rest is personal but I do understand why vacations are traditionally taken in the summer.

Book Review - Breathless by Dean Koontz

2010-01-11T05:01:00.000-08:00

Breathless by Dean Koontz is a fictional novel of 335 pages. Bantam 2009

I finished reading it last night. I call it a very entertaining read. It is a cuddle up book where you can just get lost in the story.

Mister Koontz managed to capture the nature of humanity as a group in the vivid detail of his characters and brings those characters together magically. All this while telling the story of something new and something adorable.

The rest of what he did can be revealed by reading the book. :)

Twitter

2009-12-30T07:22:00.001-08:00

Well, it is a good month, that December. I got a good hat and found Twitter quite useful for those short comments. Follow me at: Upinyears if their little search thing works. Got the url http://www.twitter.com/upinyears

Where was Homeland Security?

2009-12-30T06:05:00.000-08:00

The talk concerning the recent terrorist attack is all about a report that was on a desk prior to the failed attack. It was my understand that Homeland Security was suppose to be the one body that put all the information from all the agencies together. It was a clear failure of failing to fulfill that mission.

Why do terrorist pick such a time of year to attack? I think because someone thought 'it could wait until after Christmas'. That is unacceptable in that type of work. It should be a time of high alert when every bit of information is taken seriously.

It is not the agents in the field who are to blame. They are producing the information. The problem, as usual, is in Washington DC. Political appointees just do not get it. They cannot just sit there because they are buddies with the president. They have a job to do.

I think it is time for the administration to take terrorism seriously so the terrorist will take this administration seriously.

Those Young Terrorist

2009-12-29T06:15:00.000-08:00

It is difficult to find sympathy for a young man who would strap explosives to himself and try to kill hundreds of innocent people simply because they live in a certain country, in this case, the United States. Like the citizens of any country, all our citizens do not agree with all the decisions made by our government. That is not, however, the point of my discussion.

I'd like to zero in on the young man with the bomb. Most who have had their story told are discouraged with their life in some way. They apparently feel like losers. They feel like life has given them a raw deal and so they search for someway to get back at the world. That is not the way for a man to go. It is a cheap way out. The manly thing to do is to take life by the horns and deal with it. It is not necessary to take some action on the world stage to be important in this world. I think the most important people in the world are those who serve their family and community in obscurity for their whole life. They are the backbone of any society. They exist all over the world. They keep plodding on while governments do what they do. They will be around after governments are dissolved.

So for the young man who searches for those terrorist groups so they can make a statement, I would say make a statement, but by not being used by thugs who are too big a coward to strap a bomb on themselves. They must seek out some vulnerable young person to die just so they can be the head of some outlaw gang. Young person, you do not have to die to prove a point. Educate yourself on the subject and lead people toward peace. Words can sway more people than bombs. Of course, bombs hurt. Bombs take away parents that would be there for young people just like you had the bomb not taken them away. If hurt is all there is, then we as a species are lost.

Yes. Young people are being used to do the dirty work of terrorist leaders who hide in the cracks of society. In the end, they crave power and are quick to let their own people die to keep it. Don't be a dork, or what ever the proper term is for someone being used, these people seek you out or are on the alert for discouraged people to use. Don't let them. Your life will end and they will keep spreading their message of hate.

Flying

2009-12-28T06:27:00.000-08:00

There may be sometime in the future when I have to board an airplane and go someplace but I doubt it. These people are suppose to be so smart, yet flying gets more complicated all the time. I know we can't blame airline management for terrorist but we can take exception with them for not having better security. They have the government at their beckon call and more money than you can shake a stick at so why don't they just get it right and fix the problem. It seems that the average citizen is put through the wringer while terrorist can just make themselves a walking bomb and go anyplace. Maybe I am not being fair. I do not know if I am or not.

One thing that stands in the way is the fear of racial profiling. We want to get along with all people of the world and do a pretty good job of it. So, in our effort to do so, we are careful not to offend people traveling from places where terrorist breed.

There is also the fact that when no terrorist attempts are made for a while, things just drift back to the same old way of doing business.

Doing strip searches for all to see is not the answer. What is freedom and liberty if you have none. 'You have the right to take off your clothes or let a computer see your skin or you have the right to let a strangers feel you all over.' Flying is just not worth it. There are still some people who want to keep what is private that way. There are still some people who would take offense at having a stranger feeling of their wife all over. That is plain but that is what a pat-down is. 'So ma'am, are you wearing plastic underwear for your trip today?" Really, just blow me up, you've destroyed my dignity anyway.

Well, to put aside the 'bare facts' for a moment, there might be a way to let people have some privacy and still protect them. I was thinking of redesigning the airports. The first section would take the baggage and such that will not be carried on board. The second section is the security check with private rooms for necessary stuff. Then a boarding area where people must wait without leaving the area until they board the plane. That is a simple version but it would eliminate the 'in front of the world' embarrassing part. Planes should be redesigned without greed in mind. I know they got to have certain design factors to fly but there could be some stuff put in to separate the passengers better. I just think putting a hundred people in an open area is asking for trouble. Why not make seating compartments like the old train cars where each riding area could be reinforced.

These are just off the cuff ideas. My main point is that airports and planes will have to be redesigned to handle this terrorist threat. It cannot be just such things as 'don't bring your shampoo aboard.'

People may have to just find another way to get there or evaluate if they even need to go. In the day of technology that we live in, many trips could be eliminate if folks would use the flying money to improve other ways of communicating. The reduction in flying traffic would give the airports more time to concentrate on their jobs.

Things I Wonder About

2009-12-22T05:45:00.000-08:00

It is probably me just getting old and grumpy. Things make me wonder though.

You take healthy eating: Salads are good eatin'. I bought one the other day at the grocery store. It was a small one and my wife and I split it. Then, I got to wondering...did they wash those vegetables before they made the salad? Did they wash the container they put it in? They wear gloves, but just what all do they do with those gloves on? I have seen them brush their hair back and then go back to the food with the same hand. I don't get mad at them for it, they are just working folks. These hand actions are so involuntary that I doubt they even know they are doing it, but still a healthy salad can become unhealthy real quick.

And what about the meat? Is that good looking piece of beef really beef or some other animal that wondered into the pasture? I know generally what beef taste and looks like but I have to be honest, I do not know what giraffe meat looks like or buffalo for that matter. I am also suspicious about some of the tricks they might use to make the meat have that special color we all like. Don't let me turn you against it, I was just wondering.

Just a little hint. I have been in the warehouse of a grocery store and it made me start washing the tops of all our can goods before opening them. I won't explain but you should wash your cans. When you open the can, where does the lid go before you fish it out? Right. Right in the top of the contents.

Now on to something else I wonder about. Why is it that people who never want to talk or listen will suddenly want to do both when you are writing or reading? Maybe it is because they suddenly realized that we are intelligent because we are sitting there giving advice to the world or soaking up information. I am not mad at them. I was just wondering. I think it is the nice thing to do and listening to others should take priority over personal endeavors but what about the rest of the time when you could not get their attention by beating a kitchen pan with the broom?

Also, If I was a child and believed in that sort of thing would Santa Claus be putting up a tree every year for his family? I mean, he is gone anyway. Does he bring back presents from all over the world? Does he ever get mixed up in apartment buildings? I think our blessings come from an entirely different giver but it is a cute story anyway. Now Frosty the Snowman is another matter. He is a sight, that fellow. I wonder if he eats snow cream for nourishment or if ice cubes are his popcorn.

You may not have the answers to all these questions, that's okay, I was just wondering.

End of the Year

2009-12-21T08:23:00.001-08:00

Let the year end just any time now. I am ready. I like the Christmas season and the reason for it all although I am afraid many forget the real story.

It is the end of the year buzz that bothers me. Taxes comes just before Christmas. Those telemarketers try to beat the last of the year quota by cheating on the 'do not call list'. All they want is a slight 'okay' and there comes the stuff you don't have to keep but send it back in the same package and call this number.... etc and etc. Please hang up, I'm waiting for a call. Then, besides property taxes (did I mention it comes just before Christmas) there is the annual water bill increase and the county talking about the budget. We all know what that means. The option of cutting out that project, we will only hear about sometime later, is off the table so raising taxes is the only thing that is left.

Too, we can all stand in anticipation of whether we will pay more federal taxes or get a dab back.

All the stores are trying to get the last dollar we have with black Friday, cyber-Monday, super-Saturday and those items that are really suppose to be $80 bucks but they are giving them to us for a mere $9.99.

I understand, I really do. I like some of the people who work in these stores and I know they do not make policy and such and what we spend helps them keep their job. BUT it is enough. I am tired of being sold. I just want to get on past the end and start over next year. Maybe, it will be better. Maybe, it will be more peaceful. Maybe, there will be a jubilee year and governments will declare a no tax year. Maybe, I'll be 25 years old again and my military service will be finished and I get a fantastic job with a wall street proof retirement.

Well, maybe my ears will get a rest for a few months until they put up the Christmas decorations again and start advertising the first sale.

I wish the terrorist would just all decide that they got it wrong and go plant a garden and feed their families.

President

2009-12-20T08:37:00.000-08:00

Well, I get pretty wordee with the president but it wouldn't do for other countries to take my loyalty lightly. We have a system for electing officials and it is peaceful. I like peaceful. He has his ways and his agenda and some of it I don't like much. We are, however, Americans and we support our leaders when it comes down to the nitty-gritty. Our troops are our boys and girls and they do a fine job of protecting us. We don't believe in going around killing people just to prove a point or impose our beliefs on others. We will, however, get tough when we must, to protect ourselves.
It should be presumed that we are together on the main stuff and will argue about the rest but when it becomes the law we will respect it whether we like it or not. That is how it is in a peaceful society.

Television Shows

2009-12-16T11:20:00.000-08:00

I must confess I watch a few shows on television. I watch the news although I know it is bias. By listening closely to see who or what the media is promoting, I can decide more clearly that I disagree with what ever it might be. Besides the news, I like the old shows too. You know, Andy and Barney. Some of the new shows intrigue me as well. I like science fiction and solving crimes, so, NCIS, Criminal Minds and Fringe caught my attention.

It bothers me, though, that writers throw in these lines with double meanings that have nothing to do with the character speaking the lines or the plot of the story they are telling. It is as if they are trying to include that segment of society that speaks and hears only with a gutter mentality. You can tell that even the characters are uncomfortable with saying what is written for them. Then, of course, there is the hidden agenda where the producers of the shows try to squeeze in their own political or other orientations. Thinks that would not even be allowed on a job application.

The worst are those series where the actor makes so much money that he/she can now insist on directing or producing the show. I have never seen a good movie where the actor directed himself. It just does not work well. Maybe some can pull it off but not that I've seen.

We have watched Smallville since it first started. It was a nice story about the younger days of Superman. Then, the children got out of school and the writers did not know where to go with them. They could have just let them grow up but then they would have lost the younger crowd that followed them and the advertisement revenue that went with them. Now, with no place to go, the stars have gone to bed and they seem to not be able to get out and do anything. It just ruined the show and we no longer watch it. I guess Superman will have to learn to fly without us.

I must not forget those reality shows that are so cheap to produce and provide a good excuse for not doing the work and spending the money for something that is truly entertaining. Viewers will probably change without the knowledge of the producers and regular television will turn into just another infomercial that only the sleepy-eyed watch.

Glitter and Glamour

2009-12-14T06:48:00.000-08:00

We are in one of the worst financial situations our country has ever been in. Yet, governments still act like there is nothing wrong. Oh, there is talk aplenty. They run the numbers at us every day. This is up, that is down. People, they say, will just have to endure some hardships before this thing is over.

Tell me. What about governments from the White House to the state house? Do you see them cutting back on their parties and purchases? Do you see them staying home to conserve?

What you see is business as usual. Go here. Go there. Use that expense account. After all, the money has been allotted to us!

There was recently a big deal made of a couple who sneaked into the White House. Well, they should not have done that, of course. The real scandal is that that party could have paid off several mortgages for people who are probably now in a shelter someplace. Those fancy SUVs for every one and their cousin, those political jobs for friends and relatives could pay a few mortgages.

The government is living like the folks who bought above their means and are maxed out on all their credit cards, but are too proud to admit it. They will not lower their living standards. They must keep up appearances. The whole world knows that the United States is in hock up to our eyeballs. We could at least, at some point, admit it and start making good on our debts and tightening our belts a little.

I believe the primary reason that the American people are in such financial stress is because of taxation and fees placed on them. We just do not have enough left to spend on things we need and things we would like to have. Those needs and likes are what keeps the economy going. So long as the government takes more than their fair share of the spending money of the American people, things will be stressful.

For the sake of the country, I wish governments would cut down on their runaway spending. Does everyone in DC have to have an assistant to carry their coat? It cost millions to run the president's aircraft and he is going so much I bet they just keep the motor running. It is not just the president though. Where is your representative sneaking off to this holiday season on the taxpayers dollar?