Lookout Internet users, hear comes your old favorite, BIG Government. On December 21st., the FCC will vote on proposals that could result in a charge per word tiered pricing scheme on broad band use. Cable companies, among others, have been crying about lost revenue because of the access of free downloads on the web. This is the back door issue that will allow our Feds to forever control the Internet.

Blog #74 Posted Dec. 22, 2010
The FCC has today by a two to one vote, successfully managed to open the door that would allow our Government the power to control the Internet. Under the guise of “Protecting” the American citizen from some as yet clearly defined “threat, the argument submitted is that Uncle Sam wants to make sure providers such as Google or AOL or Yahoo or Whoever would never control users, (you and me) or restrict our God given right to choose. Thankfully, this ruling decision will be subject to Legislative review. Clearly the FCC has overstepped it’s authority.    

Blog #75 Posted Feb. 9, 2011
I don’t understand it. In Connecticut gays can marry, but one is not permitted to buy beer on Sundays.

 The right to choose is okay for one group but not for the other. Seems to me this is not only unconstitutional. It is just downright wrong.

Connecticut, along with Indiana and Georgia, maintain so-called “blue laws” that prohibit the sale of liquor on the Sabbath.

An organization representing Mom and Pop retailers, here in the Nutmeg State, have a strong voice in government. They collectively oppose any change in the law.

In my view they have no business interfering with my ability to choose the time or place of purchase. There is no argument that supports prohibition on Sundays.  

Blog #71 Posted Nov. 1, 2010

Today October 31,2010, the last Pontiac rolled off the assembly line at General Motors.

Brings a lump to my throat.

The Pontiac auto occupies a special part of my memory. You see, a Pontiac was the very first auto I owned. A 1939, four door sedan that was in very good shape. I bought it from a second hand/junkyard in Chicopee Mass.

In 1954 I had just been assigned to the 31st ATS MATS, at Westover AFB, and needed transportation around town. Not having much money to squander, the fifty dollar price tag looked very affordable.

It was wonderful to drive. Having separate switches for each of the two headlights, a starter button on the floor with a three speed stick shift on the floor, it was something out of a nineteen thirties rum running gangster movie. I loved it.

But I must be aging quickly. Because this is not the only GM brand I owned that has since become history.

A 1958 Plymouth Fury II, about as big as my daughter's first bedroom gave me many miles of comfortable driving.

These autos were serving the middle class long before seatbelts and $3.00 a gallon gas.

They were large enough to hold the high school cheerleader squad, cheap to repair and operate, and they were American made.

Thanks for the memories.

Have you noticed that just about everything in the supermarket has shrunk? Everything that is except prices. From cookies to toilet paper, from serial to frozen dinners. The list is endless.

How much money does Scott Paper save by reducing the width of one sheet, say about three eighths of an inch, times one thousand sheets, per roll?

And now they want to eliminate the tube upon which the paper is wrapped. How’s that going to spin on your dispenser?
                                     
Consider Kellogg’s savings with corn flakes dropping two ounces per box while the price remains the same. They always make a point of weight over volume. But a large box with less in it is, at the same price, nothing short of deception.

I know, I know. The rising cost of goods and services must some how be dealt with.

 But why must the consuming public be manipulated like a bunch of stupid puppets? Don’t we get that enough from congress?

That’s only my opinion.

Well the way I look at it, building a Mosque adjacent to “ground zero” is legally permitted in this country.

As Obama put it, “it’s on private property”. And then there is the freedom of Religion and all that. That’s what this great country is all about. Finding this freedom in other nations would be a little more difficult though.

But the legality is not the issue here. The thing that sticks in my craw is the insensitivity of those who chose the sight. Like building an entertainment theme park next to the remains of Auschwitz.

How many supporters of that project would you expect to see? The idea is ridiculous of course.

But that is just the point. The Towers did not just collapse. Close to three thousand people did not die on 9/11 as a result of some unearthly accident.

They were murdered and erecting a building celebrating those that may have contributed to this horror is unthinkable. 

The other day I was leaving my doctor’s office, nothing serious, just a routine exam with a small contribution to his vacation account  when I encountered a “Little Old Lady”.

She was the quintessential profile of something out of a Dickens’ story.

I stopped to offer her assistance negotiating two very reluctant doors exiting the office. She was using a walker and she accepted my help with a smile.

Beautifully dressed, crowned with lovely white hair, and slightly bent, probably in her early nineties, she was delightful.

As I escorted her in the parking lot, we chatted a bit, but I became a little uneasy because I didn’t know her destination. I asked her if she was expecting someone. She said no, she was looking for her car.

Yikes! Her car? She could hardly walk, she stood no higher than five feet.

Finally, we stood along side a very white very new auto she said her son had gotten for her. She became a little frustrated when the remote to unlock the door didn’t work. She tried several times to no avail.

I had no idea what was wrong and was about to offer her a ride to her destination, when I realized an auto horn was sounding just behind and to the right of where we were standing. It was a silver auto of about the same shape, very silver and very new.

 “Oh that’s the one”, she said with a sigh of relief. I helped her into the car and wished her a good day.

Just when I think my “Pissed Off”  cup is full, along comes something else to include. There’s the economy, illegal immigrants, the outrageous national debt, not to mention the ever growing size and controlling federal (Obama) government.

Now my phone rings several times an hour with grubby politicians seeking my vote to become one of the jackasses that populate the many public offices I support with my taxes.

How come these candidates can interrupt my fragile serenity without any control?  Can’t we block the calls like the unwanted solicitations from marketing groups?  Why not?

The Seasons are a changing. Inventories in local stores as well as the daily catalogs are all showing winter ware.

Summer apparel has all but disappeared except for the drastic 50 or 70 percent markdowns on a few remaining items. Local newspapers have published Schoolbus routes for the coming term. And a look at my yard and hostas will also reveal telltale signs of change.

I have even seen some red and orange in the trees that grow in this area.

This summer has been hot and humid. 90 degree plus days were abundant, and rainfall has been relatively scarce.

Now I’m not a cheerleader for winter, but as an old New Englander, I do look forward to the cool crisp days of autumn. I’ll never turn my back on spring and the freedom summer brings. But I love, with a little apprehension, the changing season.

Finally, the Bowling season starts at the end of August. Something ends, something begins.

Here we are, spring, finally. I know this for sure because I removed the plow from my tractor and replaced it with the mowing head. Of cause I manage to skin a couple of knuckles in the process. And for the life of me, after five years with this machine, I still need the help of the “Owners Manual” to make the switch. God knows, the instructions were written on some foreign soil.
Then it’s time for the Chipper-Vac. This tool has become an indispensable part of my arsenal of angry devices. All those with Groundkeeper syndrome will recognize the need for this leaf and small branch eater. Trouble was I couldn’t roll it out of the shed because of a flat tire. I wondered, why would some highly paid design engineer have the tire air valve on the inside of the wheel. This would make it necessary to remove the wheel to fill the tire with air. But, alas, I dream for too much.
Fortunately, the crocus came up; the Magnolia bloomed along with the daffodil and Dogwood. Finally, Day Lily and Hosta, not to mention my favorite brand of crabgrass has made their debut. 

Blog #65 Posted April 20, 2010
There’s nothing like spending some time visiting in a Nursing Home to get a sense of ones mortality.
For the past three weeks I, together with my wife, have been visiting my 93-year-old mother-in-law who is recuperating from a fall. She broke two ribs and injured her leg as well. Unfortunately some disorientation has come along with the injury. Soon, we pray, she will return to her home.
Most, if not all, “residents” are mending from an injury. Falls in the home, particularly the bathroom, account for the vast majority of injuries in this country. No one age group is immune. But the elderly suffer the most. We have had the pleasure of meeting two lovely ladies in their eighties and nineties who are on the road to full recovery.
This particular facility provides excellent health care and goes a long way to make their stay as comfortable as possible. However, it’s not like one’s home. The time spent becomes more tedious because of memory loss and physical incapacities.         
For many, old age is an alternative,  not necessarily a choice.

Blog #66 Posted July 14, 2010
I have had the unfortunate opportunity to witness at first hand the progress of an insidious disorder that afflicts countless millions of Americans today.

Vascular Dementia and its cousin Alzheimer’s disease is as crippling as Heart disease or Cancer. And it leaves friends and relatives helpless.

In fact, there is hope for a cure and remedy for cancer and heart problems i.e. surgery and medicine, but not for dementia or Alzheimer’s.

Once diagnosed there is no cure, just a slow deceptive degrading of mental awareness that is painful to watch.

Some would say that this path for the afflicted is not painful for the patient, but rather a whimsically, slightly confusing state without definition or discomfort.

Maybe so. But it is a sad state to be in.

Have you ever had a Virus or unwanted Program in your Computer? Something that caused an otherwise benign operating system go berserk? What started out as a mere annoyance turned into an uncontrolled scrambler within two days, and it cost three hundred dollars to repair. And you thought Plumbers were expensive. A hundred dollars just to look at it, plus a hundred dollars an hour to repair it. This is the second time in twelve years it has happened to me. And this I have learned, there is no program that can provide absolute protection. Constant vigil is probably the best solution to contaminated downloads. Don’t open it. The very best combatants such as Norton and Spybot plus all sorts or fire walls can not guarantee immunity from the worst of what the internet has to offer. If you don’t recognize the sender or something does not look right, AVOID it. I was fortunate in that my hardware was not damaged and was able to restore almost ninety percent of my software. Still there’s the cost and inconvenience of it all.
As Daddy once told me, experience is a wonderful teacher though it often teaches us things we would rather not know

We have finally put away the Christmas decorations. Usually they are left up until Little Christmas, or what is called in some cultures, Three Kings Day. In some respects I’m glad to see them put away. Sure it’s nice to get back to normal, however you define “normal”. But we now have to deal with the rest of winter, and a colder house, due to rising energy costs. If only I could gather up all the hot air coming out of Washington and the media, then run it through a BS filter and direct it into my house. By the way, how come this administration wants to end our country’s dependency on foreign oil yet continues to prohibit entrepreneurial drilling of domestic wells? I recently read where there has been discovered what might turn out to be the largest reserve of oil and gas, ever, in this Hemisphere, if not the world, off the coast of Louisiana. Ironic as it may seem, the argument is we would be better served to pursue the so-called “green energy” way then the fossil fuel route.  Yea sure! Burn asparagus in your Toyota.

Blog #63 Posted Feb. 18, 2010
What is so difficult about understanding our out of this world budget? If the Government spends more than it takes in, it ether has to cut spending or raise taxes. What this administration has been doing however, is borrowing from China/Japan and printing more dollars.
Our President chooses to create more government to “find an answer” to elude the responsibility of being accused of raising taxes. He has said the way to fiscal responsibility is to reduce spending. Yet he proposes a budget that increases spending more than two percent. I just don’t get it. This country is heading for bankruptcy.

I just finished putting up our Christmas decorations. Frankly, I enjoy this task most every year. There have been times when the decorations more or less exploded on our front lawn, and around the house. But as the years have gone by, we have become more economical in quantity of lights.
The era of the big bulbs has come and gone. They were easy to replace and for the most part, easy to handle. However, they became expensive to operate and hard to find. Today the strings of tiny bits of light generally found in stores, hardly last the season, are impossible to change or figure out which one, in a string of one hundred, burned out. The package usually contains tiny, tiny fuses and two or three extra bulbs. What a waste. They’ll never be used.

Blog #60 Posted January 1, 2010

Well, here we are, the last day of 2009. It has been a very interesting year. A year full of change, Politically, Economically, and saddest of all, the precipitant fall from first place for the New York Giant Football Team. It seemed to be all down hill following their opening Five game winning streak. Their performance was almost embarrassing.
The Sports world was devastated by Tiger Woods escapades. Even AT&T has dropped him. Too many woodies in his bag.
And then there was a Ponzie cloud over this land. A countless number of people suffering from the loss of their life savings. For me, a 150-year sentence does not begin to compensate for this crime.
Then there’s the first term of the Obama administration, which, for me, has been a disappointment. Is he a one term President? Polls indicate he has lost favor with both the Right and Left and the Independent vote.
And, oh yes. We learned that a jerk of major proportions got on a plane with a bomb in his shorts. Since we have to take off our shoes before boarding a plane, will this mean we will be asked to remove our shorts?
All of the above would appear to be a negative view of things. Maybe so, but for me personally, life has been good, and continues to be good.  My family, friends and general well being could not be better. My wish for all is a happy and healthy New Year.

The only issue worth discussing in the Tiger Woods fiasco is whether or not the correct club was used. I believe, if the newspaper reports are correct, Mrs. Woods used a Driver, when in fact a Nine Iron would have been the optimal chose.

I have just come to the conclusion that if it were not for the likes of  Glenn Beck, Limbaugh, Gingrich, Hannity, Palin, Coulter, Cheney and yes Lettermen, we as a nation would not have the slightest hint of what was really going on in this great country of ours. I mean I don’t have any idea whom or what was “Acorn”. A tree I thought, or a seed maybe. But through the services of the aforementioned, I learned that Acorn was and I guess still is, a corrupt organization. The New York Times and even the president didn’t know this. So, thank you folks. To bad the media is doing such a lousy job of informing us church-going gun-carrying boobs. By the way, it was Beck who suggested if you could read this far, thank a teacher. If you could not, thank a teacher’s union.

Blog #54 Posted Oct. 5, 2009

This is just a delightful Football season, so far. It is for Giant fans. Four and 0, and Manning looks great.

True story. I’m at the hospital visiting my mother in law. She was feeling very poorly. We just received the results of a recent blood test and it showed that this 93 year old women was suffering from severe anemia. Her doctor recommended that she be taken to a nearby hospital as soon as possible. This we did, and she consequently received two pints of blood. The next day we went to visit her and she seemed much improved. We chatted a while when a nurse came into the room to look after the other patient next to my mother in law. She had fallen and injured her face and seemed to be a bit confused. The curtain was drawn but we couldn’t help hearing the questions the nurse was asking this elderly woman. The nurse prefaced her questions by saying they were required by the hospital and routine thou they may sound ridiculous. What’s your first name which she answered correctly. Where are you? She was not sure, though she thought she might be in the doctor’s office her daughter brought her to. Incorrect. What is your birth date? August 10, 1910. Holy Cow, we looked at each other, she’s dam near 100. What year is? The nurse asked. 2009 was her reply, and who is president of the United States? She answered, Obama……son-of-a-bitch.
It took a while for the room to quiet down.

The other day I was tending to a task I rarely enjoy or look forward, writing checks to pay bills. I admit, I still prefer snail mail to online transactions. Anyway, on the list was my cable bill. It includes service charges for television, telephone and Internet. This “bundling” of services I’ve discovered, provides the lowest cost. Among the charges was a 22.07 amount for “adjustments, Taxes and Fees.” Included, and I quote, was a charge for;
Cable           Sales Tax                                               5.33
                     Gross Earnings                                    4.91
                      FCC User Fee                                       0.07           
 Telephone   Sales Tax                                             0.06                                                 
                     E911/disabilities Access Fee              0.47
                     State Telephone Relay Charge          0.01
                     End User Common Line Primary     6.50
                     Federal Excise Tax                               0.20
                    Telephone State Sales Tax                  2.15
                    Regulatory Cost Fee                             0.27
                    Federal Universal Service Fund         2.10

Except for the taxes, what the hell is the rest all about? A fee for pig training could be added and know one would ever know of care. It seems to me that if additional monies is needed to fund the new health system, whatever it’s called, all the Feds have to do is raise or add additional fees that none of us would ever know about. Somebody is going to have to pay.

For some, the recent number of Town Hall meeting are loud out of control shouting fests, while others view the meetings as expressions of free people exercising free speech. I guess it depends on which side of the argument one finds oneself. Because I have much time on my hands and of an inquisitive nature, I did some research on this so-called health care reform. With little difficulty, I found the U.S. House of Representatives Bill H.R. 3200, “To provide affordable quality health care for all Americans”, all 1017 pages of it. Also the yet to be numbered U.S. Senate version, all 611 pages of it. Both documents are accessible through Googol.
Now I don’t suggest that I read these documents entirely, I doubt anyone could. They are fine examples of what a gaggle of high priced lawyers can come up with if given the task to put together a complicated, confusing, tangle of perplexing rules and regulations. Health Care, a simple idea, yes? Not to our government. Look at what it can do delivering mail. Lose millions of dollars. Okay, so we look at section 1233 of the House Bill and we find the Senior Citizen horror movie in progress. The so-called end of life feature. No doubt we will at some time have an end of life moment. However, this section would seem to provide a government procedure and instruction for getting there. Simply, to end health care. As president Obama put it use the blue pill. Or was it the red pill.

I happened to be in a Doctor’s waiting room the other day when I became aware of handout advertising material from a well-known pharmaceutical company on the tables around the room. In addition, there was a TV playing a Loop of some kind of a medicine commercial over and over. Now this physician was by no means the exception in this improper use of a trapped audience. I’m not sure when I became aware of this practice, de facto pill pushing, but I strongly object to it.
I feel something is going on between the doctor and the manufacturer of drugs that may not always be in my best interest. Do we as patients ever have a choice with medication other than Brand Name vs. Generic? I mean it’s not like we’re in Stop and Shop in the Laundry Soap aisle and we have so many brands to choose from. Besides, insurance may determine the drug.
I don’t have an issue with being bombarded with advertisements in the Sears Auto Repair waiting room. But please, not in the Doctor’s office!

Well, I have just about heard enough about Michael Jackson. It may be tragic he died at an early age, but as it is true with so many celebrities, death seems to follow some kind of drug abuse, whether a controlled substance or by prescription.
Michael Jackson was, in my view, an entertaining dancer and a mediocre singer, and in his final years, a freak of sorts. Though  acquitted, he never quite escaped the shroud of quilt. He spent millions paying off his accusers.
Now it is time for the media to turn his memory into some sort of God. After all, he did love children and monkeys.

I just could not help thinking, while watching some of the events today on TV, that the body of Michael Jackson was traveling around town without a brain. Yea, that’s right. Because of toxicology testing, his brain had to remain in the LA crime lab. That would make a hell of an album cover. Talk about a thriller.

Well I watched our President on television tonight in the hope of learning all about the proposed Health Care Plan he so wants to have enacted into law this August. For the life of me, I didn’t understand a word he said. Not that I really expected him to explain the 1500 page proposal, but at least tell me how and who was going to pay for this program, how, as a senior citizen, my health care would be affected. I mean I just expected more from him. Health Care reform is long over due. But I’m not sure the present proposal is the answer. I often wondered what a congressmen’s health care plan looked like.

GM ain’t dead, it’s just a little sick. For those countless thousands of GM product owners, the impossible has happened, and, for that matter, is still going on. The car buying public has already lost the Oldsmobile. And now we face deleting the Pontiac brand. Chapter eleven is not the end of the road, but rather a Pit stop of sorts. GM gets to change some tires, make some mechanical and maybe personnel adjustments, add fuel, clean its windshield, and push off for another start. Let’s hope it works and we all are the better for it. If I had any criticism, it’s just that this should have happened long ago. The Tax paying public would have been saved a few billion. But, that’s just my opinion. By the way. My very first automobile was a Pontiac, At the tender age of nineteen; I bought a 1937 model sedan for thirty bucks. That was in 1953. And to make it look sleeker and snazzier, I removed the running boards and hood ornament. Then added three Buick rings to the hood. What memories.

It has become apparent to me that we as a society have become very angry and sometimes unwilling to accept the fact that other people may have a differing view of an issue. Rather then engage in a spirited debate, some choose to defame and disgrace the person expressing the differing view. I believe one may be passionate about their belief and vigorously pursue the salient points of their argument. But please do not disrespect that person. I will agree that religion and politics are subjects that bring many to a breaking point. What one may believe, as “undisputed proof” is another’s heresy. Faith is a state of mind not easily understood or accessible. My father was of the opinion that an argument was “won” by the loudest voice. He was right, he always won. But he accepted the fact you were entitled to another opinion even though it was wrong. I agree.

Blog #41 Posted May 02, 2009
It has been a while since I posted a Blog. Not because I have not had something to say but rather I have chosen to wait and see how things developed. Unlike the Cable News networks such as MSNBC, CNN or Fox News, (there’s an oxymoron) I do not have to examine in minutia every comment uttered. Rather I chose to look for an overall direction this new administration wants to take the country. It matters to me not that the Vice President fears a New York subway ride. Or that GM is going to drop the Pontiac from their line (long overdue in my opinion). I hate to see Chrysler in such a jam.        

James Madison once wrote “In framing a government which is to be administrated by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place  oblige it to control itself”. The first few moves by this government my very well be open for criticism. Let’s wait and see.

It’s that time of year around belly-acres, when spring brings out the best and worst. Most of my lawn is lost to weeds and a very interesting variety of mosses. The plow is exchanged for the grass-cutting head on my lawn tractor, and the hanging plants are repotted.
The rear deck has been painted, along with some of the lawn furniture. All of the afore mentioned observations and events are part of Spring around these parts. And so long as I have the ambition and good health, I will continue to perform my duties. I just wish my neighbors had the same will and desire.
The Dogwood, Japanese Maple and Magnolia trees have bloomed already along with some other plants the names of which I have long ago forgotten. Also the several birdhouses have been repopulated and the activity around them is quite enjoyable to watch.
There are many that warn us of global warming and urge that earth’s industrialized nations change current attitudes of fossil fuel usage. And though I’m not convinced that mere man has that much impact on the globe's environment, I have chosen to let my small patch of select species of weed grow just a little bit longer between cuttings.

How do we stop the fall of the Stock Market? How do we protect years of investing in 401’s for our “golden years”? From what I have seen these past few weeks, the Obama administration does not have a clue. To be sure Health Care, Education and Energy issues are legitimate concerns. But what do they have to do with the Market losing over 20% since the President took office? And how will 9000 Earmarks lead to stabilization of the economy? I truly want to see this country succeed and prosper, but this country’s strength lays not in government give-a-ways. This country is strong because the belief that success is rewarded, and that hard work and basic values will sustain us through hard times. I believe the heart of our current problem is within our banking system. Easy credit and a housing collapse just to name two have led us to fear the future. We do not have to abandon our basic beliefs to restore confidence in America. Capitalism has worked well. So has the belief that everyone has a chance to succeed. Mr. Obama, we need a Plan and some HOPE.

It’s that time of year. The time to reflect upon the events of the past 365 days. That’s not very easy for one who can not remember what he had for breakfast, but I’ll try.

First, it was English Muffins and coffee, for breakfast that is. The election of a black African American to be President of these United States of America is the single most memorable event for me.

Those personal memories concern the simple events of everyday life. My grandson’s baseball games, my mother-in-laws ninety-second birthday and the purchase of my first four wheel-drive pick-up. I have owned pick-up trucks before, but never a four-wheel vehicle. Almost new (2003) it runs like a dream.

There are countless other moments that brought joy and sadness to be sure, but that’s life. We raise a glass to those who have gone before us, and celebrate those family and friends that are still with us.

Happy New Year.

Now that the color line has been broken, and an African-American has been elected President, the next, and maybe the final barrier would be for a Black lesbian Jew to seek the highest office in this country.

I have seen enough of the Barack Obama administration to have come to the conclusion that I neither trust his choices for cabinet members nor support the so-called stimulus bill. Nobody but nobody has had the opportunity to thoroughly examine this document. We are asked to simply trust the Democratic controlled congress. Nothing I have heard or read leads me to believe this piece of legislation can avert a collapse of our economy. In my opinion this bill reflects the greedy and outrageous desire of people who want to capitalize on their newfound power. Finally, I can not escape the uneasy feeling of government control of every thing we, as a people, do say or think.

I recently celebrated my seventy fifth birthday-well maybe not so much a celebration but rather an observance. Age is more than a collection of years.
For me it’s a collection of events. Some planned some just serendipity. For better or worse, I am a believer of everything that happens does so for a purpose. Not so much predestination, because we all do have free will, and do affect our future. But others in our lives can affect us also. Parents, teachers, friends, the whole world influences our future. How one reacts to what happened, is the question. What constitutes a fulfilled life I’m not absolutely sure. Having pleasant memories is part of it. Being pleased with tangible results of ones efforts is another. Having the opportunity to see ones family grow and prosper and be successful is, for me, the best part. To think I had played an influential roll in my children’s life is sobering. I have always been thankful for what I have. As the wise old sage said, I think it was Ralph Cramden or Daffy Duck,” Life is a journey, not a destination.”

These past few weeks have given all of us enough news and Media coverage to last until the cows come home. How about the clown governor of Illinois trying to sell a vacant Senate seat. Or the clown former Kennedy wanting a senate seat for free in New York. My head spins over the 25-year swindle of 50 BILLON dollars from the so-called intelligentsia, a shame some charities have gone broke. Can you believe Jesse Jackson Jr. an FBI agent? I bet Will Smith plays him in the soon to be filmed “James Bond, The Dark Side”. Ridiculous you say? How about Tom Cruse assassinating Adolf Hitler?  You may ask about a face lift, would you consider a face CHANGE?
Fear not, we are in safe hands. Hillary is Secretary of State. The shoes are flying and GM is about to go broke. I wonder if Santa Clause will get off the ground this Christmas. Happy New Year.

And the beat goes on. For a lot of reasons, the Presidential Champaign has succeeded in making me feel very uncomfortable. Here’s two respectable gentlemen trying to convince Americans that their way to a better America is with leadership and policies they offer, but resort to distortion, character assignation and just plain lies. They each blame each other’s political party for everything that has gone wrong in this country including inclement weather. I’m convinced that both candidates believe all Americans have little or no memory. Maybe we don’t have ready access to the Congressional Record, but with a little effort and some research the facts of an issue can be uncovered.
Please Gentlemen don’t insult me with arguments based on political rhetoric. Convince me with logical reasoning based on verifiable facts. And for God’s sake, stay away from the lunatic fringe.

Well, here we are, just three days to history. I have made up my mind, but my choice may not be a popular one. I feel both men are qualified and have some of the intuitive gifts to be successful leaders. However Mr. Obama troubles me somewhat. His long time association with questionable people make me uneasy. Specifically, his relationship with known terrorists. Look at it this way. How would you feel about voting for a man who had close associations with a member of the Ku Klux Clan? I just would have second thoughts. I’m not voting against Mr. Obama, rather I’m choosing someone who has demonstrated strength of character and a love of this country. In my view, John McCains’ fiscal and foreign policies make more sense to me than Mr. Obama’s.
 I hope and pray this election does not drive a bitter wedge into our midst.  What has disappointed me the most about this election is the behavior of the Press and Media coverage. The viciousness and rancor has been, in my judgement, overwhelming. Character assignation and downright disrespect of Mr.McCain and his running mate Governor Sara Palin by the Press and TV was just awful. I thought Free Press meant unbiased reporting, and left the opinions to the Editorial Page. In addition, how many times did the media cover Third Party candidates? You had to search out C-Span for that. Come to think of it, why not President Ralph Nader?

Congratulations to President Elect Barack Obama. As he so graciously suggested in his acceptance speech, he has the next four years to win the vote of those that chose Senator John McCain. Mr. Obama does not plan to just bask in the warmth of victory, but rather hit the bricks running, as well he should. His victory was made possible by the looming clouds of recession. Then too, he is faced with an unpopular war in Iraq and Afghanistan. These issues as well as Global Warming demand the concentrated efforts of government to find solutions. The honeymoon will have to be a short one. My personal concern remains with a very weakened opposition party. Our strength in government lies in the ability to allow responsible checks and balances. Our Forefathers foresaw the danger in one party, one-segment rule. They constructed and designed government to provide voices for dissent, and a means to satisfaction. I prey we do not lose these essential tools to the power hungry. 

I have been watching with much interest this 2008 presidential campaign. What an event. Here we have the unprecedented opportunity of watching history in the making. This is no ordinary election year. I wonder how history books of the future will explain these current events. So much is at stake. But I choose to believe the American People will be up to making the Right decision.

 I choose to disregard the extreme Right or Left of ether Party. They do not speak the truth but rather preach hatred and fear. I also believe that we are endowed by our Creator, by whatever name you choose to call him/her, the right to pursue happiness as a free people. Our Founding Fathers trusted in God.

My decision, I pray, will be based on the policy and believability of the candidates running for office. Not their Party or Gender or Color or Age. It is what they believe in that is of importance to me.
And if my choice does not win, I will support him because he is my President of these United States.

I always felt that I had a grasp of our economic system. After all I was a business major in college. Attended A.I.B. (American Institute of Banking) for two semesters. Employed by AT&T in their Treasury Department, served as a Head Teller with The Emigrant Industrial Savings Bank, New York’s main office, and for twenty five years until retirement, a Marketing Specialist with Olin Corporation’s Chemicals Division. But in all that time I never heard of investment bankers buying worthless paper based on promissory notes sold by questionable institutions. And now our government is asked to buy these worthless notes with my money! What the hell is going on here?

Hurrah for the Supreme Court. I applaud their most resent decision. What a most effective way to curb the population growth. Add this to a long list of positive ways including birth control pills, contraception devices, not to mention droughts, starvation, floods, earthquakes, Wars and the ever present threat of Global warming we are taking giant steps in reigning in the population growth. There are just too many people on this planet. Carl Sagan warned us that we were fast approaching a point where planet Earth would not be able to support the growing population. So again kudos to the Supreme Court. And, a nod to the Gay community for their efforts at curbing the population growth.

The answer to our “Oil Problem”, some would suggest, is conservation and substitution. Both remedies are simplistic and complicated solutions.

The recent dramatic rise in gasoline prices at the pump, have brought this vexing problem to every ones attention. But gasoline, though a big part of our consumer profile, is not the only byproduct of crude oil.

The chemical structure of petroleum is composed of hydrocarbons. At the refinery, these hydrocarbons are separated by distillation, treated by other chemical processes and used for a variety of products and purposes. For example: Home Heating Oil, Plastics, Lubrication, Wax (used in packaging of frozen foods), Asphalt, Sulfur or Sulfuric Acid (Basic to Manufacturing and Agricultural uses), Aromatic Petrochemicals used in other chemical production, and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) just to name a few.

One can see from this list, our daily lives are dependent on this natural resource. I for one firmly believe there is a finite source. Many experts disagree on the date. Some would have had the world using up all deposits in the 1960’s. Some claim by the year 2040 the tank goes “E”. As a result of technological advances, we are discovering many new sources of oil never before considered.  I believe we should include new discoveries when  considering altenatives. Major among them being our environment  and  the resulting impact. Trouble is usage by countries such as China and India have increased by astronomical amounts. Their concerns do not always coincide with ours.

Conservation, to be successful in my opinion, has to be every ones preoccupation. But who is to say how large a house we should live in. Or, how many vehicles we own? Who sets the limit on each and every ones consumption?  The Government? Bush? You’re next door neighbor? I don’t know. That’s why, among other reasons, I feel the answer may be found in some, as yet unknown, undiscovered, technology. A new resource may yield the solution to mankind’s dilemma.  I recall someone of great renown observed, “The Stone Age did not come to an end because we ran out of Stones”. Man discovered Metals and how to make them useful.

The other day I embarked upon my favorite activity. No, that’s wrong. Root Canal is my favorite pastime. Hanging wallpaper is the second most popular way to a frustration fun-o-rammer. The only saving grace is I chose the smallest room in the house.

Our Bathroom, according to my spouse, my helpmate, my lady, my wife, had become, in just ten years or so, a room that would compare to something one might discover in the Black Hole of Calcutta. And therefore, needed a do over. Have you ever tried to remove old wallpaper? I think tearing down the wall would be a better idea. There are many ways to accomplish this task. But no getting away from it, one has to spend hour after hour scraping to get the job done.

A good result depends on the preparation. If shortcuts are taken, the end product will show it. The Devil is in the detail. And as if I was not having enough fun, I decided to install Crown Molding. Now there’s a nightmare of angles and compound angles. But that story is for another day.

There he goes again. Foot in mouth. Don Imus asked “What color is he” and Al Sharpton ran for the nearest microphone. We all knew that Imus was expressing, in a clumsy way, the fact that public opinion was judging an incident based on a person’s color. But does the Media see it that way? You betcha it don’t.
And by the way, does anyone running for president of this great country understand what is going on? Have they all lost their way? I for one do not feel that McCain or Obama have come up with a solution to our Global warming threat, let alone Health Care expense and rising gasoline prices and decent care for the elderly.
Where is Pat Paulson when you need him.
God rest the funny soul of George Carlin.

I must be going through some kind of a phase that tells me I’m fed up with too much negativity in the atmosphere.
I mean, I can not stand to hear one more word from Candidates or Talking Heads and Pundits about who should be President of this great country. I can not stand to hear one more word from the idiot now occupying the White House. I can not stand to see still another increase in gasoline prices. I can not stand to hear of still another American Soldier killed in Iraq. Why do we, as a nation, continue to turn out students that fall below scholastic standards of many other nations? And why did Charley Brown have to lose his season opener?

I think it is safe to say that Spring is really here in southern Connecticut. That’s a good thing. Time to check out the garden tools, clean off last year’s dirt and rust, and replace the plow with the mowing deck. Did your lawn tractor or grass cutter turn over on the first pull? Did you check the oil? Oh and by the way, wait till you fill the gas can all the power equipment will need.
The work that ordinary yard and gardens require produces the most gratifying results a homeowner can experience. To be sure, the more effort invested the greater the returns. I have found success with the traditional plants. This part of the country has a short growing season. Consequently, the tried and true varieties do better then some exotic types. Here on belly-acres we love our trees. As a result shade abounds. Our most prolific plant around these parts is Hosta and it’s many varieties.
I’m not familiar with the technical names of the many flowers and shrubs around here. But we do love the Daylily, Peony, Daisy, Hyacinth, Petunias and the ever-popular Geranium.
The main event continues to be grass. For me, grass has been the most difficult plant to maintain. A continuing battle with nature’s very own wall to wall carpet, moss, is an opportunistic opponent. So I scrape off and re-seed. Keeps me fit.

Around our house these days, the conversation usually gets around to the cost of a gallon of Gasoline. At this writing, I have seen $4.09 & 9/10 per. This is getting to be really scary. But the scare you to death Media are not content with this reality. They have to punch it up with the announcement that four dollar per gallon may seem cheap when we hit Eight dollars per.
Aside from wondering what the hell is going one here, the dimwits laughing referred to as Journalists are selling airtime or newspapers or whatever by scaring us. Where did these people suddenly become prophets? I thought comments of this nature were left to the editorial page or the talking heads on cable television. In any event, I can not grapple with the idea of eight dollars a gallon. That would make me a prisoner in my own house.
That reminds me, I have to call my stockbroker and buy Schwinn.

It was only six years ago, but oh, how time does fly! I could no longer put IT off. My doctor said it was time, and the appointment had to be made. The seriousness of the issue could not be denied. The relative discomfort might be argued to be “minimal”. But yet..

So, the time and day was arranged. And today was D-day, or rather C day. My Colonoscopy was at hand.

To be sure, there are other procedures and tests that are more intimidating, but not for me. Few would deny this examination is most successful in identifying a curable type of cancer, a subject that just scares the s--- out of me. Speaking of which, that stuff one has to consume they euphemistically call “prep solution” will do just that. I don’t know who came up with that cocktail, but it is a combination of the worst elements ever mixed together to do a very dirty job. And it takes a gallon, eight ounces at a time, every ten minutes. Ouch!

Everything is fine. I got two thumbs up. No pun intended. And look forward to the next six years.

Blog #18, Posted March 30, 2008

This is a true story. Who could make this up? Proper names are not important here. Most everyone involved are intelligent and responsible professionals; they just didn’t talk to each other.

This past week I had the unfortunate experience of spending about two days in the local hospital. I chose to go to the emergency room without the aid of an ambulance. I was in abdominal pain, which I believe was induced by a recent colonoscopy.

We arrived at the emergency room at 10:45AM. I was admitted and placed in a room at 11:00 PM that evening, approximately 12 hours later. During those twelve hours many people were obliged to perform tests of one kind or another, there were five in all, in an effort to determine the source of my pain. Between these specific examinations, I was confined to my gurney in the hallways of the emergency center. About three hours into waiting, it became clear, lying on the stretcher that I had to urinate. A gurney jockey was dispatched to place me in a vacant trauma room, to do my thing. I was told to “ring” when I was finished. I did as I was told and presently an obviously new in training orderly returned. He looked puzzled. I explained that I was to return to my position in the hallway. “Oh, okay”, he said and left. A while later another gurney jockey returned and proceeded to yank me out of the Trauma room at about 30 MPH, not realizing that I was attached to an I.V. hanging from a walk-around.

The resulting tug pulled the needle out of my left arm. That hurt. It took three nurses six more attempts before another successful hookup was made.
The first nurse tried twice, but she kept “blowing the line”. It hurt. She left without a word. Nurse two tried three more times one of which resulted in excruciating pain in my hand and sent electric shocks to my thumb. Her comments to me as she replaced the first nurse were not amusing. “Some people can’t hit the broad side of a barn”. Thank you, but I didn’t feel like a barn. Any way she left without word and nurse three tried her lot. She was successful. She used a smaller needle, a 22 versus a 20 to be specific. I know because I asked her what the hell was going on.

During this period, I had nothing to drink except 24 ounces of a distasteful concoction in preparation for a CAT scan. As a matter of fact no food or water was allowed until the following day at 2:00pm. At around 11:00AM, an associate of the proctologist who preformed the colonoscopy stopped by to say that every test taken found nothing out of the ordinary. If I felt okay, there was no reason to remain in the hospital and he would arrange for my discharge. I had felt a great deal of pain. And from time to time a very effective chemical was added to my I.V. that relieved me. For this I was very thankful. I still felt some discomfort, but I wanted to get out of this place as fast as possible to recuperate a home.

Now nurses were aware that I was to be discharged, but had to wait for the “paperwork” to make it official. So I waited and waited to no avail. It wasn’t until my wife returned to pick me up did I get something to eat. She had been with me the previous day comforting me and attempting to move the bureaucracy along. Her persistence got me a chicken salad and a hot cup of tea. Unfortunately a shift change at the nurses desk would further delay my release. So it wasn’t until 5:00PM, some five hours later, I was permitted to leave.

Looking back now I believe if I had eaten a couple of small yogurts after the colonoscopy I could have avoided the hospital. The Prep solution removes all the bacteria both good and bad from the colon. Yogurt can and does help to get the digestive system functioning again. I do not understand why someone in the hospital didn’t try it.

I can’t wait for the hospital’s survey questions to arrive!

Blog #15 Posted Feb. 17, 2008
Here we are now in a space continuum, somewhere between Football and Baseball. As stated earlier, a sports fan, except for the New York Football Giants, I am not. Okay all you English majors that were a clumsy sentence. But you understand.

I do not enjoy basketball except for the cheerleaders that is, and I’m not into Ice Hockey. That old observation, “I went to a fight and a Hockey game broke out” sums up the sport of Hockey for me. Anyway. NASCAR, unlike other major sports, has their Super Bowl/World Series before the season begins. And Horse racing has yet to stage the Kentucky Derby.

Ice Skating? You got to be kidding. A sport? Naw. But there is something new on the horizon. It’s congressional hearing season. Are they counting goals, points, and touchdowns? No you misguided fools of human endeavor. They are counting injections in the ass.

Winners to be announced.

So why do I continue to replace rather then opting for a U.S. Post Office box in town? I love walking to the mailbox. I love getting out into nature and revel in the excitement of opening the box to discover what crap the US Postal system has brought. And with today’s rising gas prices ($3.369/reg) it’s much cheaper than driving to the Post Office.

I discovered that at least 200 mailboxes were destroyed the same night. And guess what? I can not find out who is liable. Certainly not the plow driver. Could be his brother owns a hardware store that sells mailboxes. Who knows?

Well this one will be replaced too. But it will be more of a Home Depot style than anything else, and further from the road!

Blog #17 Posted March 12, 2008

Okay, so this Governor, what’s his name, hooks up with a Hooker, and was linked to a high-end prostitution ring. He has a great job, a wonderful family, three kids and a loving wife and the admiration of thousands of people. Why on earth does he risk his life and career and bring disgrace on his family for a five thousand-dollar an hour one night trick? What? Five thousand dollars? That’s right. And my wife asked me what could that woman do for five thousand dollars. I replied “everything”. Client number 9 just wanted some fun.

I have a theory. The cause for his behavior was due to a lack of a hobby. If he could turn to something creative like woodworking or pottery, maybe finger painting, those sexual urges could have been abated. He could direct that nervous tension to a wet and gooey potter’s wheel. Why not?

It works for me.

Blog #12 Posted January 13, 2008
The holiday season is over. For me it is. Now comes the hard part. Packing everything away for another year.

Where the heck did all this stuff come from? Will I have enough room in the attic? Do I really want to keep it all?

These are pressing questions, with few satisfactory answers. Among which is, why do I have so many tree lights that don’t work? And why do I seem to keep them? Is it because I believe they will in some mystical way come alive next season?

With each new year I promise myself to reduce the number of decorations. The days of trudging through the snow to find that perfect tree, cutting it down and dragging it home are just faded memories, to be replaced by an artificial evergreen beauty that has also been downsized a few times. Still, there is the never-ending temptation to buy new stuff.

Blog #13 Posted January 23, 2008
I am not what is referred to as a Sports Fan. I do, however, have a casual interest in some sporting activity. Ever since the Brooklyn Dodgers left Ebbits Field, baseball is of no interest, though I do feel good when the Red Sox defeat the Yankees.
The one exception to the forgoing is the New York football Giants. Since the Y A Tittle era, I have been a dedicated fan. It’s not easy being a Giants fan. Example, the Division final with the Green Bay Packers. The tension and stomach turning anguish of the final four seconds, only to end in a missed field goal attempt epitomizes the grief experienced by all Giant fans. Last minuet failure. Following that incredible disappointment and terrifying moment, comes an exhilarated feeling of euphoria. An interception, find this incredible group of ball players back at the point they just a few moments ago. Now, after two failed attempts at field goals, the third attempt is about to be made. Can you stand it? Well, I have been living with this kind of agony for the past fifty-eight years.
On to the SuperBowl. I love the Giants!

Blog #14 Posted Feb. 4, 2008
Can you believe it? The Giants up against what most fans and experts would characterize as the greatest Football team, the NewEngland Patriots, come away winning Superball forty-two.

Following two impossible pass catches, the Giants go ahead seventeen to fourteen with thirtyfive seconds left in the game. They manage to hold on to win. They stage the biggest upset on record. I have been a fan since the Polo Grounds era but there has never been a more exciting end to an impossible season as this one. Being underdogs in just about every game played this season, the Giants did not have a chance at winning this one. That’s what everyone thought. Everyone that is except the Giants.
                                    
They have not always been fun to watch and sometimes down right annoying, but they are World Champions and deservedly so.

I love the Giants……

Blog # 9 Posted Dec. 7, 2007
One of the scariest things I have to face, from time to time is something to do with Plumbing. I remember a cartoon by Gary Larson, of Far Side fame, that was entitled “ The Earliest Plumber”. It depicted a caveman couple standing in the doorway of their cave looking at another caveman staring into a hole in the ground beside witch, was a branch stuck into the ground with a roll of toilet paper on it. The caption read, “ oooo …. This not be cheap”.

This past week, I needed the services of a licensed plumber. Believe me, cheap they are not. For what took only 15 minutes to repair, amounted to 148 dollars. Now I’m not totally without some plumbing knowledge. Daddy, early in his working career, was a Steam fitter and Plumber.  He taught me various techniques and procedures used in the trade. I chose not to pursue that way of making a living. There is a reason why toilet knowledge and general sewer building disappeared following the fall of the Roman Empire, not to reappear until after the Dark Ages. The topic of disposal of human waste is at best unpleasant for most of us. Now I have no problem with hooking up water lines. Installing or replacing sink faucets and the like. It’s the other end of the flow at issue.
So, I salute those who choose this line for their livelihood, I just do not understand why the cost has escalated as much as it has.
Even in our technological age, waste removal has remained about the same. Just the hole in the ground has changed.  
If there is a pot of gold, it’s not at the end of a rainbow anymore.

Blog #11 Posed Jan. 2, 2008
Trust everyone had a pleasant Holiday, I did. But here I am in only the first week of the New Year and I have encountered one of those dam frustrations the Packaging industries continuously throw at me.

The need arose to change a baseboard thermostat in the Bathroom. On the scale of difficulty, from one to ten, ten being the most difficult, the project is about a two. Providing you have the least amount of knowledge of electricity, and have the sense to shut off the current.

However, removing the new devise from its packaging requires the skill equal to a nine and the patience of St. Jude. The so-called “Blister Pack” has become most popular over the past years for reasons not entirely clear to me. The item purchased looks inviting hanging there in the store. But there is no warning that the plastic it is surrounded by has the tensile strength of 302 stainless steel. A sharp knife, there’s the first warning, a pair of scissors, there’s the second warning are essential tools for extracting the item you long to hold in your hands.

And by the way, the Instruction Pamphlet is thirteen pages long; of which only three are in English. What’s that all about?

Did you have a nice Thanksgiving? I hope so. I did, though I can remember Thanksgivings of the past that were just north of disaster.

Like the time on Chanute AFB Ill. following the traditional meal, the entire squadron including the Chaplain came down with “the runs”. Or the time CL&P quit on us. A complete blackout. I went to my auxiliary power source, a portable generator, until it quit, I think in sympathy with the Electric Company. The turkey was about two hours into a three and a half-hour-cooking schedule, when it was decided to complete the cooking in an outdoor barbecue. But, did I have enough briquettes? No! What a day. A house full of people getting hungrier by the minute. And me running around trying to maintain an air of normalcy. I was this far away from phoning out for Pizza.

However, my propensity to keep and maintain an inventory of wood scraps, saved the day. And you thought this had nothing to do with woodworking.

The small pieces of various hardwoods not only substituted for charcoal heat, but also added a pleasant aroma to the cooking process.

Even though I was successful, I would not endorse this procedure. Stick with the traditional way.

Wait until springtime or change the method of heating my shop I guess, or just bite the bullet. Phooey! The Big Oil Companies have got me again.

Oh, and one more thing:  Did you hear about the Spanking Law Massachusetts is considering? You know "Government" can send our kids off to an illegal war to face death or terrible injury and that seems okay. But a parent disciplining a child may be cause for jail time. Something is wrong here.
 
As a people, we are "Governed" by the Feds, State, Local and job related rules. Not to mention a Higher authority. Orwell was right.
 

Did you ever have one of those weeks? I mean the kind that just make you crazy?  Well I have. The dreaded words from my wife “ Honey would you come here for a minute” usually mean water on the bathroom floor or some  appliance isn’t working. This time an electric space heater stopped working . Earlier In the week my chipper stopped working and a woodpecker attacked my house. What! A woodpecker? Yes. Here I was, sitting at my computer, reading e-mail when I become aware of a tapping noise. I stopped what I was doing to listen more closely and then realized the sound was coming from somewhere on the house. I recognized the sound and carefully walked to the area I suspected. There hanging onto a cedar shake was this white and black bird chiseling a perfectly round inch and a quarter hole in my house. Not one but two! I guess he had a condo or duplex in mind.

As I have noted earlier, I hang onto scraps of wood, leftover pieces from other projects and whatnot. So from this inventory I selected what was a former broom or mop handle. Cut a short length, it happened to be inch and a quarter in diameter, what a bird, and inserted it into the hole. With a little glue and wood putty, and a dab of stain, the repair was complete.

As for the space heater and chipper I have yet to figure them out.

And, how do I keep woodpeckers off the house?

Blog #6 Posted November 12, 2007
Well, today is Veterans Day. Or Memorial Day, which ever feels correct. For me this day is special for two reasons. The remembering of so many in uniform who gave so much. It is also my wedding anniversary.
      My very first recollection of War came to me on December 9 1941. I was sent to pickup the New York Daily News. Mom would let me walk the one block to the local candy store in East Flatbush, Brooklyn. On the front page, in large bold headlines, was the one word, WAR. Franklin Delaware Roosevelt asked and received from congress a decollation of war following the attract on Pearl Harbor. (a procedure Mr. Bush seems to have forgotten).
     Then in March of 1943 my biggest hero, my Dad, reinlisted to serve in the US Navy. He was already a veteran of WW1, serving from 1917 to 1924. He was there onboard the USS Crownshield off the coast of Vladivostok Russia helping escaping Americans fleeing from the Bolshevik revolution.
     My turn to serve came on June 11 1953. Enlisting in the USAF for  what amounted to eight years.
The eleventh is a very special number to me. For I have been married to my sweetheart for 45 years.