It was raining. No, actually, it was pouring when I left home to get the rental truck.
That meant a change of plans. The initial plan was to take my bicycle along, park my car outside Bigtown, take the bike with me on the train and ride it the seven or so blocks to the rental agency. No way was I gonna do that in a "frog-strangler". Halfway along the way that decision looked even better...
The rain turned to snow.
At the desk I presented my paperwork with my confirmation number to the agent. He recorded my driver's license number and after asking the mandatory "Do you want this extra insurance? How about a few pads?" questions he said, "I'll be right back with your truck". I was shocked when he drove up with a 26-foot long diesel powered monster.
"I rented a 16-footer."
He looked at the order form and showed it to me...
Wrong-O old Greybeard breath...
I had rented a 26-foot long truck. Oh well... it was too late to change that now.
"Is there any problem leaving my car there until Wednesday?"
"No, no sweat."
Leaving the bicycle at home turned out to be a great idea.
I moved my bag into the truck, plugged in my GPS and programmed it for my destination...
Carmen said I'd be there in 9 hours. And that's another mistake I made...
When I looked at the map to see how far I'd have to drive, I mis-estimated my drive time by four hours. Too late now, I'm on my way.
In the rain.
In a 26-foot long truck that REALLY rides like a truck.
ADVENTURE!
In 20 miles I was perfectly comfortable with the monster. The wipers and radio worked as advertised. All I needed was cruise control.
Diesel fuel is about 20 cents per gallon more expensive than gasoline around here. This truck used a LOT of it... I was getting about 10 mpg.
My computer-click mistake was gonna cost me several extra bucks.
It rained.
And it rained.
And when I crossed the State line the Interstate got REALLY bad.
Big trucks are hard on concrete highways...
Kathunk, kathunk, kathunk, kathunk...
And the truck rocks back and forth like a mildly bucking bronco.
Oh well, I only have another six hours of this misery before I turn around and backtrack.
Drive. Fuel. Drive. Sandwich and Diet Coke and fries. Drive. Rest stop. Drive.
BO-Ring!
I arrive at 10 P.M., load the bike, and do a 180 degree turn.
Kathunk, kathunk, kathunk, kathunk...
At 3 A.M. I've had all I can take. My eyes are getting heavy and my butt and back are sending me painful messages. I pull into a rest area, throw my bag against the passenger door for a pillow and lie down across the seat. Sleep comes instantly.
Three hours later I wake feeling better than I could imagine. I drink the remains of my Diet Coke, turn the ignition key on, wait for the glow plugs to do their thing, and fire the beast up.
Carmen says I'll be home in five hours.
Three days have passed since I started out in the rain. My back is still sending me messages, but the bike is unloaded and I've returned the truck. I've had a chance take a good look at the bike. This machine cost me very little, but it's now obvious why...
It's gonna need a LOT of TLC. I can't even test drive it... the front brake is sticking badly.
But it starts easily and sounds good, and all the parts are there. With a little soap and water, wax, polish, and some tinkering here and there, I'm hopeful it'll be a pleasure to ride.
You'll read about it here.
17 March 2011
13 March 2011
Get Outta My Nest!
Yesterday was a Red Letter day for Tim.
You remember Tim... my UPS delivery driver?
I don't remember what gave Tim the first clue that I was a pilot...
Perhaps it was something I had ordered from Sporty's Pilot Shop?
But he asked about my flying and was surprised and pleased to learn I was a helicopter CFI.
Nice guy Tim...
A commercial-instrument rated airplane pilot.
I always looked forward to the brown truck stopping out front for two reasons...
The arrival of a treat, and a chance to visit with Tim.
Soon Tim had the money, time, and inclination to take helicopter instruction, and we flew for the first time in "the real thing"...
(Tim was also an RC helicopter pilot. That gave him an unfair advantage!)
He took to the R22 like a chimp in a banana tree.
He knew he'd likely solo yesterday.
But the forecast yesterday was wonderful, so to Tim I suggested, "Bring your helmet and come by the house". He showed up smiling, bright red helmet in hand. I pushed Pizza Bike and the '85 'Wing out of the garage and started both. I mounted the 'Wing, Tim swung his leg over the Guzzi, and we were off for a short adventure. We rode twenty miles, stopped and got refreshments, then rode a different route home.
Only afterward did I ask the question...
"How much experience do you have on bikes, Tim?"
"Well, I've ridden about 35 miles on my Honda 750, and before that I had ridden about 100 miles on my Honda 175."
I was flabbergasted.
"You mean this is the biggest bike you've ever ridden, and with that little experience?!!"
He grinned.
"Yep."
But he did fine.
And he did just as well on his solo flight too.
The sun was getting low when he first took off without me. We were both comfortable enough with his performance that he continued making circuits until he had 5 takeoffs and landings...
Two each I was able to log as night/solo/PIC for him.
Quite a day for Tim...
And for me.
There still is nothing like teaching someone how to do something that COULD be so dangerous well enough that neither of us was worried about the outcome of the flight.
Later, I eavesdropped as Tim talked with a relative...
"I soloed the helicopter today, and rode a 1000cc Moto Guzzi!"
Neat.
Truly a Red-Letter Day!
You remember Tim... my UPS delivery driver?
I don't remember what gave Tim the first clue that I was a pilot...
Perhaps it was something I had ordered from Sporty's Pilot Shop?
But he asked about my flying and was surprised and pleased to learn I was a helicopter CFI.
Nice guy Tim...
A commercial-instrument rated airplane pilot.
I always looked forward to the brown truck stopping out front for two reasons...
The arrival of a treat, and a chance to visit with Tim.
Soon Tim had the money, time, and inclination to take helicopter instruction, and we flew for the first time in "the real thing"...
(Tim was also an RC helicopter pilot. That gave him an unfair advantage!)
He took to the R22 like a chimp in a banana tree.
He knew he'd likely solo yesterday.
But the forecast yesterday was wonderful, so to Tim I suggested, "Bring your helmet and come by the house". He showed up smiling, bright red helmet in hand. I pushed Pizza Bike and the '85 'Wing out of the garage and started both. I mounted the 'Wing, Tim swung his leg over the Guzzi, and we were off for a short adventure. We rode twenty miles, stopped and got refreshments, then rode a different route home.
Only afterward did I ask the question...
"How much experience do you have on bikes, Tim?"
"Well, I've ridden about 35 miles on my Honda 750, and before that I had ridden about 100 miles on my Honda 175."
I was flabbergasted.
"You mean this is the biggest bike you've ever ridden, and with that little experience?!!"
He grinned.
"Yep."
But he did fine.
And he did just as well on his solo flight too.
The sun was getting low when he first took off without me. We were both comfortable enough with his performance that he continued making circuits until he had 5 takeoffs and landings...
Two each I was able to log as night/solo/PIC for him.
Quite a day for Tim...
And for me.
There still is nothing like teaching someone how to do something that COULD be so dangerous well enough that neither of us was worried about the outcome of the flight.
Later, I eavesdropped as Tim talked with a relative...
"I soloed the helicopter today, and rode a 1000cc Moto Guzzi!"
Neat.
Truly a Red-Letter Day!
10 March 2011
(UN)Funny Of The Day:
Knock knock.
Who's there?
Kenya.
Kenya who?
Kenya just show us the birth certificate?!!
Who's there?
Kenya.
Kenya who?
Kenya just show us the birth certificate?!!
Dennis Miller On "The Factor"-
"Holder is in over his head more than a gay dwarf hitting on Shaq."
O.M.G !
O.M.G !
09 March 2011
The Terrifying Bible/Gun Clinging Vast Right-Wing Conspirators
We were supposed to be afraid of Right-Wing "Christianists", correct?
Do you remember when they rioted and tried to shut the government completely down?
No?
Me neither.
So tell me again... we're supposed to be frightened of WHAT bunch of crazy people?
(And as usual, the comments there are as educational as the post itself. Read 'em!)
Do you remember when they rioted and tried to shut the government completely down?
No?
Me neither.
So tell me again... we're supposed to be frightened of WHAT bunch of crazy people?
(And as usual, the comments there are as educational as the post itself. Read 'em!)
The Three Percenters
Mad as HELL and not gonna take it anymore?
Go. Read. Enjoy.
But most of all, realize you're not alone.
Then start gathering with like-minded souls.
At some point we'll need to know who the other 3-percenters are.
(Added to my Blogroll.)
Go. Read. Enjoy.
But most of all, realize you're not alone.
Then start gathering with like-minded souls.
At some point we'll need to know who the other 3-percenters are.
(Added to my Blogroll.)
08 March 2011
Sanford N Son
Two years ago this summer I bought a pickup truck. My neighbor had two of 'em..
an old beater and a shiny new beauty. The shiny new beauty was a four-wheel drive extended cab Dodge Ram with a Hemi engine.
The beater was a rusty, pock-marked '88 Chevy Silverado. Its only redeeming value was its engine...
A 350 cu. in. small block that ran like a sewing machine. This tired old gal had no air-conditioning, inoperative cruise control, and an AM/FM radio that worked intermittently. But the truck ran well and shifted well, and any truck that does that has value.
This neighbor had lost his job. He'd been out of work long enough his benefits were running out.
I asked how he intended to make ends meet and he indicated one of the first things he'd have to do was sell the old beater. I asked how much he wanted for it and he replied, "$900. But be aware the rear main engine seal is leaking so you'll have to keep adding oil, and the transmission is weird... at 70 mph indicated the truck is actually only going about 50."
I went home, got my checkbook, wrote him a check and drove the thing two doors to the West.
He wasn't kidding.
The truck sat for a week and when I checked the oil there was none on the dipstick. I topped off the crankcase and drove it down the highway. It's like a dragster...
It shifts into fourth gear at about 40 miles per hour, and with its straight exhaust pipe, bellows like a bull at highway speed.
But that sound! There's just nothing sounds like a sweet running V-8 engine.
I didn't want to tackle changing a rear main seal so I took the truck to my favorite mechanic and asked him to do the job. He called back that afternoon and said, "GB, the rear main is fine. Whoever put this engine into this truck dragged the engine across a concrete floor on its oil pan and holed it. It's dripping oil from two holes in the pan."
The fix required jacking the engine up, removing the pan and soldering the holes, then re-installing the pan. Total damages: $300.
We've used the truck to haul stuff a few times. When you need a pickup truck, nothing else will do the job. But there has been a problem with it...
Long trips are impractical because of noise and high fuel usage with the low gearing.
I've purchased four motorcycles in less than a year and I've had to rent a truck to go retrieve each of them. Using my old beater would have been more expensive, (and less reliable).
Two days ago another neighbor came knocking...
"I've wrecked my truck. Is your old Chevy for sale?"
"Everything's for sale!"
"How much do you want for it?"
"I'll take $1500. The drivetrain is bulletproof."
"I'll take it."
So I'm gonna make a couple hundred bucks and I've had the use of the thing for two years. For the last couple nights I've driven it to work where I'm trying to turn a sow's ear into a silk purse for my friend and neighbor. I've washed it and cleaned up the interior a little. But still, the old gal is so ugly she's endearing.
Tonight I went out to lubricate the doors and spray a little contact cleaner on the radio buttons to see if I can make it work better. My (males) Flight Nurse and Paramedic had left me a surprise...
On four sheets of typing paper taped together in a big square on the door was printed in big letters:
"Sanford N Son"
Fred and Lamont would be perfectly comfortable in this beautiful, ugly old beast.
And now I'm back in the market for a truck I can actually use to transport motorcycles.
an old beater and a shiny new beauty. The shiny new beauty was a four-wheel drive extended cab Dodge Ram with a Hemi engine.
The beater was a rusty, pock-marked '88 Chevy Silverado. Its only redeeming value was its engine...
A 350 cu. in. small block that ran like a sewing machine. This tired old gal had no air-conditioning, inoperative cruise control, and an AM/FM radio that worked intermittently. But the truck ran well and shifted well, and any truck that does that has value.
This neighbor had lost his job. He'd been out of work long enough his benefits were running out.
I asked how he intended to make ends meet and he indicated one of the first things he'd have to do was sell the old beater. I asked how much he wanted for it and he replied, "$900. But be aware the rear main engine seal is leaking so you'll have to keep adding oil, and the transmission is weird... at 70 mph indicated the truck is actually only going about 50."
I went home, got my checkbook, wrote him a check and drove the thing two doors to the West.
He wasn't kidding.
The truck sat for a week and when I checked the oil there was none on the dipstick. I topped off the crankcase and drove it down the highway. It's like a dragster...
It shifts into fourth gear at about 40 miles per hour, and with its straight exhaust pipe, bellows like a bull at highway speed.
But that sound! There's just nothing sounds like a sweet running V-8 engine.
I didn't want to tackle changing a rear main seal so I took the truck to my favorite mechanic and asked him to do the job. He called back that afternoon and said, "GB, the rear main is fine. Whoever put this engine into this truck dragged the engine across a concrete floor on its oil pan and holed it. It's dripping oil from two holes in the pan."
The fix required jacking the engine up, removing the pan and soldering the holes, then re-installing the pan. Total damages: $300.
We've used the truck to haul stuff a few times. When you need a pickup truck, nothing else will do the job. But there has been a problem with it...
Long trips are impractical because of noise and high fuel usage with the low gearing.
I've purchased four motorcycles in less than a year and I've had to rent a truck to go retrieve each of them. Using my old beater would have been more expensive, (and less reliable).
Two days ago another neighbor came knocking...
"I've wrecked my truck. Is your old Chevy for sale?"
"Everything's for sale!"
"How much do you want for it?"
"I'll take $1500. The drivetrain is bulletproof."
"I'll take it."
So I'm gonna make a couple hundred bucks and I've had the use of the thing for two years. For the last couple nights I've driven it to work where I'm trying to turn a sow's ear into a silk purse for my friend and neighbor. I've washed it and cleaned up the interior a little. But still, the old gal is so ugly she's endearing.
Tonight I went out to lubricate the doors and spray a little contact cleaner on the radio buttons to see if I can make it work better. My (males) Flight Nurse and Paramedic had left me a surprise...
On four sheets of typing paper taped together in a big square on the door was printed in big letters:
"Sanford N Son"
Fred and Lamont would be perfectly comfortable in this beautiful, ugly old beast.
And now I'm back in the market for a truck I can actually use to transport motorcycles.
06 March 2011
A Bright, Shiny Object-
Silver, which sold for $16.60 per ounce a year ago in October, just topped $36.00/oz. in the spot market tonight.
Are you on board? If not, why not?
I fear there's a lot of upside yet to come and if I'm right, it's not too late to get on the train.
UPDATED, Just under an hour later-
I just looked at the spot price again and it's up 35 cents in one hour to $36.36.
Remember the bank run depicted in one of our favorite movies, "It's a Wonderful Life"? When China and the rest of the world realize there is no "There" there, our economy will be in real trouble and the price of commodities won't be going up 35 cents in an hour...
They'll be going up $35 in an hour.
Don't believe it? Read up on the history of Germany's economy after World War I.
So, as I've warned so many times-
BE PREPARED. There's little to be lost and MUCH to be gained!
Are you on board? If not, why not?
I fear there's a lot of upside yet to come and if I'm right, it's not too late to get on the train.
UPDATED, Just under an hour later-
I just looked at the spot price again and it's up 35 cents in one hour to $36.36.
Remember the bank run depicted in one of our favorite movies, "It's a Wonderful Life"? When China and the rest of the world realize there is no "There" there, our economy will be in real trouble and the price of commodities won't be going up 35 cents in an hour...
They'll be going up $35 in an hour.
Don't believe it? Read up on the history of Germany's economy after World War I.
So, as I've warned so many times-
BE PREPARED. There's little to be lost and MUCH to be gained!
05 March 2011
The "Cool" Prez-
Headlines at "Drudgereport":
UK 'to send team of spies' to help oust Gadhafi...
British Army readies for mission at 24 hours' notice...
Obama goes golfing...
We live in interesting times.
UK 'to send team of spies' to help oust Gadhafi...
British Army readies for mission at 24 hours' notice...
Obama goes golfing...
We live in interesting times.
04 March 2011
03 March 2011
The "War On Terror"
Many don't like that term, and I can understand why...
We're not at war with an emotion. We're at war with a faction of Muslims.
And those Muslims not actively involved with the crazy faction of their faith are doing little to control those who have hijacked it.
But it's stupid to deny...
WE ARE at war.
Such sad news today...
Several are crying.
Their sons/daughters joined the Air Force.
Concerned parents probably took comfort in the fact their children had signed up to be taught a vocation that would not have them at "the tip of the spear". Those parents probably relaxed further when the orders to Germany came in...
Great.
Not Iraq.
Not Afghanistan.
Germany. Safe. Beer. Easy travel around Europe.
And then this.
Two are dead.
In "Safe" Germany.
Title it however you'd like, we ARE at war, and nowhere is safe these days.
And the sooner we realize we are all on the front lines and start acting like it, the better.
We're not at war with an emotion. We're at war with a faction of Muslims.
And those Muslims not actively involved with the crazy faction of their faith are doing little to control those who have hijacked it.
But it's stupid to deny...
WE ARE at war.
Such sad news today...
Several are crying.
Their sons/daughters joined the Air Force.
Concerned parents probably took comfort in the fact their children had signed up to be taught a vocation that would not have them at "the tip of the spear". Those parents probably relaxed further when the orders to Germany came in...
Great.
Not Iraq.
Not Afghanistan.
Germany. Safe. Beer. Easy travel around Europe.
And then this.
Two are dead.
In "Safe" Germany.
Title it however you'd like, we ARE at war, and nowhere is safe these days.
And the sooner we realize we are all on the front lines and start acting like it, the better.
02 March 2011
Why Prepare?
(Part two of that video is a click away after watching Part one.)
A MEGA-Volcano eruption in Yellowstone National Park.
Two or three consecutive years of drought conditions shut down crop growing in the Nation's breadbasket...
I've been focusing on the possibility of an economic collapse, but there obviously are many nature-caused reasons to be prepared for "troubles".
I was reminded by a link on Instapundit of another good reason for me to store food and water that will dramatically impact folks in Memphis, St. Louis, Paducah, KY, Evansville, IN, and many small towns in the Midwest-
An earthquake centered around New Madrid, MO.
Imagine if you will-
It's December and you're a resident of Memphis, Tennessee. It's 3 A.M. and you are snug in your warm bed. The earth begins to move and you find yourself first on the floor next to your bed, then pounded by debris as your home falls apart around you. Sparks fly as wiring is torn apart. Small fires start. You survive and make your way out of what is left of your home to the outside and find all the homes around yours have been destroyed. Screaming and cries for help assault you from every direction.
It's 40 degrees outside and you are in your bedclothes.
You and your neighbors are in big trouble.
If my home is destroyed, how much of my preparation will be in vain? There's no way to know the answer to that question. Dried food will survive, provided it doesn't burn. Hardware? It's still better to have it and hope it also survives.
But I'm told a huge quake will turn the river-bottom soil around Memphis literally into a jello-like consistency, and the big buildings that aren't destroyed by shaking there will be at least partially submerged in that jello. Some will topple over.
Millions may die. Millions will be without shelter, food, and water.
Unimaginable, isn't it?
Except we ARE imagining it, right now.
It doesn't take a lot to start making plans.
As I write this post, Silver has traded above $35/oz.
There are lots and lots of reasons you need to be thinking about feeding and caring for those you love.
Why not start today?
28 February 2011
California Dreamin'
Ya can't deny it's a beautiful place.
I just walked to the convenience store to buy a newspaper. Fifteen seconds walk to Main Street, Santa Ana, California, and your breath is taken away by the view of mountains to the East and North. Those to the North are snow capped.
We now find ourselves in the condition so many of our CA friends brag about...
We drove ten minutes Saturday and walked through the receding waves of Newport Beach.
I have no idea how long it would take us to drive to those snow covered peaks, (the distance to a visible mountain will fool us flatlanders), but it's obvious we could be sticking our hands in the snow in relatively short order. Folks who enjoy living here have a right to brag...
The beauty of California is undeniable.
After buying the newspaper I decided donuts would be an easy way to insure my inflated waistline doesn't precipitously shrink. The donut shop is also convenient... about half a block away across the Main Street. I walked to the crosswalk and pressed the button to get the light to change, and waited.
And waited.
And waited.
Traffic zipped by on six lanes, and I mean ZIPPED. Jaywalking across this street would be like a game of "Frogger".
I have no intention of being a frog frisbee.
While I waited I was thinking, "Why would anyone want to live like this?"
And the answer sorta came to me...
If you are born and raised here, this way of life is normal. You have access to the beach. You have access to the mountains. The enormous population in itself is a draw to anyone wanting a few $$$ from each of the residents...
Want to sell an item or a service? More folks means more chances to sell your wares.
But a boy raised in smalltown America has questions...
When we walked on the beach we were alone. It was MAYBE fifty-two degrees and the wind was blowing 20 mph. We were alone for a reason. We needed coats designed for Alaska to be comfortable that day. (We shoulda gone to the mountains, right?)
Nothing is easy here. The cheapest place we saw to buy gasoline was offering it for $3.639 per gallon. My son's 960 sq. ft. one-bedroom apartment costs more than the 1300' three-bedroom he had in Mesa, AZ.
Driving anywhere requires a GPS, and be prepared to hear Carmen say "RECALCULATING!" more than once until you get comfortable with landmarks and can navigate on your own.
We went to Disneyland yesterday. It was cold most of the day, warming to comfortable for a couple hours in mid-afternoon, then getting chilly again as the sun got low in the sky. Still, the park was full enough that 30-minute waits for rides was the norm. (And I was reminded once again that in some places English is not the primary language of this great country of ours. Soon, I fear, that will be the case for the Nation as a whole.) Me? I'm getting prepared...
"Cerveza, por favor."
If you're born and raised in this environment, I can see where trying to live in flyover country would seem mighty boring. And I guess those of us who love peace and quiet should be glad so many folks are willing to live in these population centers. If they all migrated outward, things in our part of the world wouldn't be so peaceful...
But that's a chapter from my "predictions" book that I really don't want to consider right now.
I'm on vacation. The cerveza is excellent. I can see snow covered mountains.
Tomorrow is another day, Scarlett.
I just walked to the convenience store to buy a newspaper. Fifteen seconds walk to Main Street, Santa Ana, California, and your breath is taken away by the view of mountains to the East and North. Those to the North are snow capped.
We now find ourselves in the condition so many of our CA friends brag about...
We drove ten minutes Saturday and walked through the receding waves of Newport Beach.
I have no idea how long it would take us to drive to those snow covered peaks, (the distance to a visible mountain will fool us flatlanders), but it's obvious we could be sticking our hands in the snow in relatively short order. Folks who enjoy living here have a right to brag...
The beauty of California is undeniable.
After buying the newspaper I decided donuts would be an easy way to insure my inflated waistline doesn't precipitously shrink. The donut shop is also convenient... about half a block away across the Main Street. I walked to the crosswalk and pressed the button to get the light to change, and waited.
And waited.
And waited.
Traffic zipped by on six lanes, and I mean ZIPPED. Jaywalking across this street would be like a game of "Frogger".
I have no intention of being a frog frisbee.
While I waited I was thinking, "Why would anyone want to live like this?"
And the answer sorta came to me...
If you are born and raised here, this way of life is normal. You have access to the beach. You have access to the mountains. The enormous population in itself is a draw to anyone wanting a few $$$ from each of the residents...
Want to sell an item or a service? More folks means more chances to sell your wares.
But a boy raised in smalltown America has questions...
When we walked on the beach we were alone. It was MAYBE fifty-two degrees and the wind was blowing 20 mph. We were alone for a reason. We needed coats designed for Alaska to be comfortable that day. (We shoulda gone to the mountains, right?)
Nothing is easy here. The cheapest place we saw to buy gasoline was offering it for $3.639 per gallon. My son's 960 sq. ft. one-bedroom apartment costs more than the 1300' three-bedroom he had in Mesa, AZ.
Driving anywhere requires a GPS, and be prepared to hear Carmen say "RECALCULATING!" more than once until you get comfortable with landmarks and can navigate on your own.
We went to Disneyland yesterday. It was cold most of the day, warming to comfortable for a couple hours in mid-afternoon, then getting chilly again as the sun got low in the sky. Still, the park was full enough that 30-minute waits for rides was the norm. (And I was reminded once again that in some places English is not the primary language of this great country of ours. Soon, I fear, that will be the case for the Nation as a whole.) Me? I'm getting prepared...
"Cerveza, por favor."
If you're born and raised in this environment, I can see where trying to live in flyover country would seem mighty boring. And I guess those of us who love peace and quiet should be glad so many folks are willing to live in these population centers. If they all migrated outward, things in our part of the world wouldn't be so peaceful...
But that's a chapter from my "predictions" book that I really don't want to consider right now.
I'm on vacation. The cerveza is excellent. I can see snow covered mountains.
Tomorrow is another day, Scarlett.
26 February 2011
We Need A Real Leader!
THIS is a leader-
Recorded during his campaign for the House seat he currently occupies:
And if it's evidence of his intellect and vision you need, take a look here.
Allen West!
Recorded during his campaign for the House seat he currently occupies:
And if it's evidence of his intellect and vision you need, take a look here.
Allen West!
25 February 2011
Broken Oaths
No, not politicians.
Me. I swore I wouldn't fly again until our government's agents quit irradiating or fondling our genitalia before boarding the big "bus with wings". And I actually did pretty good... it's been almost a year since I've been packed into an aluminum pipe with 200 or so of my "new best friends".
But I have a kid living 2100 miles away. When we begin to get that "I need to see him in person" feeling, the only reasonable way to cover that distance is to be jammed into a small seat and fed peanuts and diet soda for about 5 hours.
So we broke down and did it yesterday. I'll have to say the whole process surprised me. Honestly, I couldn't see any difference from the procedure we experienced a year ago.
We flew Southwest Airlines. I've said it before and I'll continue saying it:
Other airlines should take cues from Southwest. I don't know how much input the individual airlines have in their security check areas, but at our terminal the difference between Southwest and the others is dramatic. We got our boarding passes, checked our bag, and made it through security and to our gate in less than 30 minutes. No muss, no fuss, no hassle. I was actually a little ashamed at the stance I had taken about the TSA...
The agents were mostly wearing smiles and doing their jobs with a positive demeanor.
Kudos to them.
We flew three hours, ingested the aforementioned peanuts, "Plane Crackers", and diet sodas, landed in Denver for an hour to change planes, then a repeat of peanuts/crackers/diet soda. In another two hours and change we were looking at a bronze statue of John Wayne in Orange County, CA.
It's cloudy and uncomfortably chilly here.
There are too damned many people here.
Gasoline is 3.599 per gallon here.
But getting here was not nearly the chore I expected it to be...
Just wanted you to know.
Me. I swore I wouldn't fly again until our government's agents quit irradiating or fondling our genitalia before boarding the big "bus with wings". And I actually did pretty good... it's been almost a year since I've been packed into an aluminum pipe with 200 or so of my "new best friends".
But I have a kid living 2100 miles away. When we begin to get that "I need to see him in person" feeling, the only reasonable way to cover that distance is to be jammed into a small seat and fed peanuts and diet soda for about 5 hours.
So we broke down and did it yesterday. I'll have to say the whole process surprised me. Honestly, I couldn't see any difference from the procedure we experienced a year ago.
We flew Southwest Airlines. I've said it before and I'll continue saying it:
Other airlines should take cues from Southwest. I don't know how much input the individual airlines have in their security check areas, but at our terminal the difference between Southwest and the others is dramatic. We got our boarding passes, checked our bag, and made it through security and to our gate in less than 30 minutes. No muss, no fuss, no hassle. I was actually a little ashamed at the stance I had taken about the TSA...
The agents were mostly wearing smiles and doing their jobs with a positive demeanor.
Kudos to them.
We flew three hours, ingested the aforementioned peanuts, "Plane Crackers", and diet sodas, landed in Denver for an hour to change planes, then a repeat of peanuts/crackers/diet soda. In another two hours and change we were looking at a bronze statue of John Wayne in Orange County, CA.
It's cloudy and uncomfortably chilly here.
There are too damned many people here.
Gasoline is 3.599 per gallon here.
But getting here was not nearly the chore I expected it to be...
Just wanted you to know.
23 February 2011
Retirement And Other Bits-
I started to apologize, then realized there was no sense in that.
I work nights. I had a busy night.
Seven in the morning is my evening. Like my Dad before me I come home, watch some news on TV, have a bite to eat, catch up on the mail and watch a little more TV, then hit the sack to get some rest so I can be prepared for whatever unfolds the next day.
It's just that the "designated time" happens to be about 12-hours from what my Father used to experience.
So I hope you'll not be surprised to hear one of the things I do (which my Father ABSOLUTELY never did) when I get home is have a glass of wine.
Or two.
Or three.
My shift is over. I'm off for 7 days. Tomorrow we board a Southwest Airlines 737 for California to visit with our son. (Disneyland on Sunday!)
I came home this morning and had bacon and eggs, country fried potatoes, biscuits and gravy, and a glass of wine. This wine is in a glass jug, so it's being exposed to air. If I don't drink it quickly it'll get bad. We're gonna be gone for a week...
Can't be wasting this wine! So please, consider the following in light of the fact I'm "saving the wine" from becoming vinegar...
I drank enough wine this morning that the "return" key on this computer is really gettin' a workout!
First thought for this post-
Egypt and Bozama's performance...
What was he supposed to do?
I'll agree he miss-stepped on some of his comments.
But his best bet was to keep his mouth shut and watch things unfold.
And for the most part, that's what he did.
Good for him, good for us.
Libya-
What's he supposed to do?
There is talk that we should establish a "no fire zone" to keep Libyan Air Force jets from firing on Libyan civilians.
Isn't that what the U.N. is supposed to be doing? (HA! Does the U.N serve any meaningful purpose in today's world? Why does it continue to exist?)
What we need to do is stay completely out of this tussle until the dust has settled.
There is unrest all over the MidEast and our best hope is that it truly ends up being a fight for those "Yearning to breathe free".
Our next to best hope is that that part of the world continues down the normal path and continues with their internecine strife. The absolute worst thing that could happen to us here is that the "Muslim Brotherhood" unites all these diverse factions together in a unified force against Western values.
It's my hope that computers and the internet have exposed those societies to the fact they are about 100 years behind the rest of the world in technology and freedoms, and they'll also realize the way to catch up is not to unite behind someone who will put all women in burkhas.
God, please hear my prayer.
Democracy for our Muslim brothers AND SISTERS now!
Last thought for the day from this wine-fuzzied brain...
I canceled and withdrew funds last month from a money-market account I have had for over 20 years because it was literally paying NO INTEREST.
Checking to see what is available outside the stock market today, I find about the best you can do in the way of "guaranteed return" is 1.25%.
So let's do a hypothetical here:
Let's say you have invested much of your life to the point you have denied yourself immediate gratification knowing there would be a "pot of gold" at the end of the rainbow.
Let's also say your goal was to have $1,000,000 in investments so you could be comfortable retiring, but when you get that amount invested you suddenly find yourself receiving 1.25% return on that MILLION dollar stash.
Stupid you...
What sort of party can you have on $12,500/yr.?
That's what that million dollar nest-egg is gonna net you annually...
Twelve thousand, five hundred dollars!!
Is this the retirement you imagined? Of course not.
Why didn't you buy that damned bass boat when you wanted it?!!
We live in interesting times.
The question is... will it get worse?
I work nights. I had a busy night.
Seven in the morning is my evening. Like my Dad before me I come home, watch some news on TV, have a bite to eat, catch up on the mail and watch a little more TV, then hit the sack to get some rest so I can be prepared for whatever unfolds the next day.
It's just that the "designated time" happens to be about 12-hours from what my Father used to experience.
So I hope you'll not be surprised to hear one of the things I do (which my Father ABSOLUTELY never did) when I get home is have a glass of wine.
Or two.
Or three.
My shift is over. I'm off for 7 days. Tomorrow we board a Southwest Airlines 737 for California to visit with our son. (Disneyland on Sunday!)
I came home this morning and had bacon and eggs, country fried potatoes, biscuits and gravy, and a glass of wine. This wine is in a glass jug, so it's being exposed to air. If I don't drink it quickly it'll get bad. We're gonna be gone for a week...
Can't be wasting this wine! So please, consider the following in light of the fact I'm "saving the wine" from becoming vinegar...
I drank enough wine this morning that the "return" key on this computer is really gettin' a workout!
First thought for this post-
Egypt and Bozama's performance...
What was he supposed to do?
I'll agree he miss-stepped on some of his comments.
But his best bet was to keep his mouth shut and watch things unfold.
And for the most part, that's what he did.
Good for him, good for us.
Libya-
What's he supposed to do?
There is talk that we should establish a "no fire zone" to keep Libyan Air Force jets from firing on Libyan civilians.
Isn't that what the U.N. is supposed to be doing? (HA! Does the U.N serve any meaningful purpose in today's world? Why does it continue to exist?)
What we need to do is stay completely out of this tussle until the dust has settled.
There is unrest all over the MidEast and our best hope is that it truly ends up being a fight for those "Yearning to breathe free".
Our next to best hope is that that part of the world continues down the normal path and continues with their internecine strife. The absolute worst thing that could happen to us here is that the "Muslim Brotherhood" unites all these diverse factions together in a unified force against Western values.
It's my hope that computers and the internet have exposed those societies to the fact they are about 100 years behind the rest of the world in technology and freedoms, and they'll also realize the way to catch up is not to unite behind someone who will put all women in burkhas.
God, please hear my prayer.
Democracy for our Muslim brothers AND SISTERS now!
Last thought for the day from this wine-fuzzied brain...
I canceled and withdrew funds last month from a money-market account I have had for over 20 years because it was literally paying NO INTEREST.
Checking to see what is available outside the stock market today, I find about the best you can do in the way of "guaranteed return" is 1.25%.
So let's do a hypothetical here:
Let's say you have invested much of your life to the point you have denied yourself immediate gratification knowing there would be a "pot of gold" at the end of the rainbow.
Let's also say your goal was to have $1,000,000 in investments so you could be comfortable retiring, but when you get that amount invested you suddenly find yourself receiving 1.25% return on that MILLION dollar stash.
Stupid you...
What sort of party can you have on $12,500/yr.?
That's what that million dollar nest-egg is gonna net you annually...
Twelve thousand, five hundred dollars!!
Is this the retirement you imagined? Of course not.
Why didn't you buy that damned bass boat when you wanted it?!!
We live in interesting times.
The question is... will it get worse?
21 February 2011
Up, Up And Away?
No one could be sure when the ascent would begin. But many experts have been predicting it eventually HAD to begin...
Inflation, and the rise in the price of commodities...
Food.
Gasoline/ petroleum related products, (and what isn't?).
Precious metals.
Regular readers know I have an interest in the price of Silver.
I reported on 29 January that the price of silver had topped $31/oz. but had then retreated.
Surprisingly to me and many, inflation has been slow to rear its ugly head.
But last night I was somewhat surprised to see the price of silver has now topped $33 per ounce, an increase of two dollars in less than one month.
Remember, I'm a workin' stiff with just enough investment savvy to be dangerous.
But an increase in the price of $2/ounce in less than thirty days may indicate a sleeping giant is beginning to awaken.
I still think it's a good idea to be prepared.
Or don't.
Your choice.
Inflation, and the rise in the price of commodities...
Food.
Gasoline/ petroleum related products, (and what isn't?).
Precious metals.
Regular readers know I have an interest in the price of Silver.
I reported on 29 January that the price of silver had topped $31/oz. but had then retreated.
Surprisingly to me and many, inflation has been slow to rear its ugly head.
But last night I was somewhat surprised to see the price of silver has now topped $33 per ounce, an increase of two dollars in less than one month.
Remember, I'm a workin' stiff with just enough investment savvy to be dangerous.
But an increase in the price of $2/ounce in less than thirty days may indicate a sleeping giant is beginning to awaken.
I still think it's a good idea to be prepared.
Or don't.
Your choice.
20 February 2011
No Accountin' For It.
Full moon and Friday night...
I had barely finished my preflight yesterday when the phone rang dispatching us to a local hospital to transport a Grandmother with a severe head bleed.
Having finished that flight, we were rotoring home when we were dispatched to a scene...
A teenaged female had been ejected from a pickup truck after it struck a utility pole.
After carrying her to the Trauma Center we then actually made it back to our base and got caught up on our paperwork before once again being sent flying...
To another scene and another teen ejected after the vehicle in which he was riding came to a complete, sudden stop.
What is it with these seat belts that don't hold teens in the safe living space of modern vehicles?
(Just so you know for sure... that's EMS humor folks!)
I came in tonight wondering if we'd experience a repeat of last evening.
It's almost 0330 as I type this post and the telephone has not rung.
There's just no way to predict what sort of shift you're gonna have.
And that's part of what makes this job so interesting.
I had barely finished my preflight yesterday when the phone rang dispatching us to a local hospital to transport a Grandmother with a severe head bleed.
Having finished that flight, we were rotoring home when we were dispatched to a scene...
A teenaged female had been ejected from a pickup truck after it struck a utility pole.
After carrying her to the Trauma Center we then actually made it back to our base and got caught up on our paperwork before once again being sent flying...
To another scene and another teen ejected after the vehicle in which he was riding came to a complete, sudden stop.
What is it with these seat belts that don't hold teens in the safe living space of modern vehicles?
(Just so you know for sure... that's EMS humor folks!)
I came in tonight wondering if we'd experience a repeat of last evening.
It's almost 0330 as I type this post and the telephone has not rung.
There's just no way to predict what sort of shift you're gonna have.
And that's part of what makes this job so interesting.
17 February 2011
Potable
This week our "Big Berkey" water filter arrived. All gleaming stainless steel, the top compartment contains four ceramic filter elements that are the heart of the contraption. You're supposed to be able to pour sewage into the top part of the filter and when you open the tap in the bottom part, drinking water will come out.
All this set me to thinking how rich we are and how much we take for granted...
We turn a tap and drinking water comes out.
We can drink it without fear.
We water our lawns with drinkable water.
While most of the world struggles to find enough water of any quality, we flush our toilets with drinking water!
Those of us who served in Viet Nam were quickly made aware how much of the rest of the world lives. We were careful to insure any water we drank was actually marked "Potable".
Generally the water we used to bathe and for many other cleaning chores was labeled "Non Potable".
We've all had the uncomfortable experience of turning on the tap and having no water, or flipping the light switch and realizing there's no power. At those times we know someone is out working on the supply system, trying to get our utilities back up to speed for us.
But what do you think will happen if we have economic chaos in this country and you know it's gonna be a LONG, LONG time before potable water will flow freely from that faucet?
I get the impression that more folks are realizing daily that's a possibility. President(?) Obama's revealing of his "non-budget" this week left many shaking their heads.
We have serious problems people, and so far our leaders don't seem to have the discipline and courage it's gonna take to avoid the coming catastrophe.
You'll want that drinking water to be "potable".
Are you preparing?
All this set me to thinking how rich we are and how much we take for granted...
We turn a tap and drinking water comes out.
We can drink it without fear.
We water our lawns with drinkable water.
While most of the world struggles to find enough water of any quality, we flush our toilets with drinking water!
Those of us who served in Viet Nam were quickly made aware how much of the rest of the world lives. We were careful to insure any water we drank was actually marked "Potable".
Generally the water we used to bathe and for many other cleaning chores was labeled "Non Potable".
We've all had the uncomfortable experience of turning on the tap and having no water, or flipping the light switch and realizing there's no power. At those times we know someone is out working on the supply system, trying to get our utilities back up to speed for us.
But what do you think will happen if we have economic chaos in this country and you know it's gonna be a LONG, LONG time before potable water will flow freely from that faucet?
I get the impression that more folks are realizing daily that's a possibility. President(?) Obama's revealing of his "non-budget" this week left many shaking their heads.
We have serious problems people, and so far our leaders don't seem to have the discipline and courage it's gonna take to avoid the coming catastrophe.
You'll want that drinking water to be "potable".
Are you preparing?
16 February 2011
Dylan
I didn't watch the Grammys.
I'm now my parents...
I just don't "get" most of the music today.
(Interesting isn't it... some of the best stuff today is the updated '60's and '70's music.)
But can someone please enlighten me?
What's the thing with Bob Dylan? I know, he's written some great stuff. But the "Dylan" phenomenon totally escapes me.
I can't watch him. He can't sing. He's now older than dirt. (And I've become a leading expert on O.T.D.!)
So what's with the continued adoration?
Elvis... er, Dylan has left the building.
I'm now my parents...
I just don't "get" most of the music today.
(Interesting isn't it... some of the best stuff today is the updated '60's and '70's music.)
But can someone please enlighten me?
What's the thing with Bob Dylan? I know, he's written some great stuff. But the "Dylan" phenomenon totally escapes me.
I can't watch him. He can't sing. He's now older than dirt. (And I've become a leading expert on O.T.D.!)
So what's with the continued adoration?
Elvis... er, Dylan has left the building.
14 February 2011
Yesterday
All my troubles seemed so far away.
The sun was bright.
The thermometer said 54 degrees fahrenheit.
We donned black leather boots, black leather jackets, black leather gloves, and topped our noggins with black helmets.
We fired up the Goldwing and set out to see if we could get ourselves truly lost on two-lane roads.
We failed miserably at getting lost.
But the sun on all that black surface felt wonderful.
In a car you don't have the same sensations...
We felt the wind.
We smelled dead skunk, steaks being grilled, cow manure being spread on the fields.
Alive.
That's what we were.
The sun was bright.
The thermometer said 54 degrees fahrenheit.
We donned black leather boots, black leather jackets, black leather gloves, and topped our noggins with black helmets.
We fired up the Goldwing and set out to see if we could get ourselves truly lost on two-lane roads.
We failed miserably at getting lost.
But the sun on all that black surface felt wonderful.
In a car you don't have the same sensations...
We felt the wind.
We smelled dead skunk, steaks being grilled, cow manure being spread on the fields.
Alive.
That's what we were.
Furkids, And Goin' West.
It's been a while since we've been to California.
You may remember that Big Bubba came home for Thanksgiving alone after Desi the Dachshund went off on a solo sojourn, but the two of them came home together for Christmas. My schedule and other constraints have kept us from making the trip West since May of last year. One of the obstacles we face when we want to leave home for any length of time is doggy care...
And Yogi is the problem.
Lucy is intelligent and well-behaved, and we have friends that actually look forward to caring for her. They've let us know more than once they would take her off our hands anytime we want to give her up.
Yogi is a different story. Given the chance he'll go off on an an exploratory journey and will travel so far he cannot remember how to find his way back where he started. He's a sweetie and a lover, but caring for him is labor intensive. Our friends know this and are not in a position to care for both dogs. So we've been on a search for a week to find someone to dogsit Yogi while we're gone.
There is a Veterinarian here in town who boards dogs. Knowing Yogi would be safe and well cared for, the cost for this service is not unreasonable. But we'll be gone for a week and the cost of boarding him that long approaches the cost of putting him in a carrier and taking him along.
Finally, another friend volunteered last night to care for Yogi for the week.
This friend knows dogs and we know he will do a great job. Now our only question is, how will Yogi fare being separated from Lucy that long?
Dogs are more trouble than kids.
You may remember that Big Bubba came home for Thanksgiving alone after Desi the Dachshund went off on a solo sojourn, but the two of them came home together for Christmas. My schedule and other constraints have kept us from making the trip West since May of last year. One of the obstacles we face when we want to leave home for any length of time is doggy care...
And Yogi is the problem.
Lucy is intelligent and well-behaved, and we have friends that actually look forward to caring for her. They've let us know more than once they would take her off our hands anytime we want to give her up.
Yogi is a different story. Given the chance he'll go off on an an exploratory journey and will travel so far he cannot remember how to find his way back where he started. He's a sweetie and a lover, but caring for him is labor intensive. Our friends know this and are not in a position to care for both dogs. So we've been on a search for a week to find someone to dogsit Yogi while we're gone.
There is a Veterinarian here in town who boards dogs. Knowing Yogi would be safe and well cared for, the cost for this service is not unreasonable. But we'll be gone for a week and the cost of boarding him that long approaches the cost of putting him in a carrier and taking him along.
Finally, another friend volunteered last night to care for Yogi for the week.
This friend knows dogs and we know he will do a great job. Now our only question is, how will Yogi fare being separated from Lucy that long?
Dogs are more trouble than kids.
11 February 2011
The Country Is In The Best of Hands!
This week our National Intelligence Director informs us the "Muslim Brotherhood", one of the factions involved in the turmoil in Egypt, is a "secular" organization.
Right.
And remember this?:
Obama's staff may sleep well at night once they get to sleep.
The rest of us?
Not so much.
Right.
And remember this?:
Obama's staff may sleep well at night once they get to sleep.
The rest of us?
Not so much.
09 February 2011
When?
I read his post and smiled.
It's more than a little weird how much our Fathers were alike, we Boomers.
I think they modeled themselves after the heroes they saw on the big screen as they grew up-
Randolph Scott. Bogart. Gary Cooper. John Wayne.
Bigger than life. Tough. Stoic. Get the job done well. Never let anyone see ya cry.
His Dad was like mine in so many ways.
I've written here before about Dad and how everyone knew he was able to do most things well...
Many of those things he did BETTER than anyone else.
And he knew it.
Another thing I think most of the men of that generation also had in common...
They were proud, and one of the few things that really scared them was the thought of being embarrassed in front of others.
Dad hated that. When we were both men I noticed he'd often not take on a task if he feared he couldn't do it well.
He quit school after 9th grade and took a job delivering telegrams on a bicycle.
He joined the Indiana National Guard and on his 20th birthday...
December 7, 1941, he received an unimaginable, ugly present.
He went off to war in the Pacific, took a chunk of shrapnel to his foot, and his Purple Heart earned him a trip home a couple months before the war ended.
He took a job with Indianapolis Power and Light Company as a grunt lineman, and after 36 years found himself in a job titled "Multi-crew foreman"... mid-level management.
For years I'd hear him grumble about his immediate boss. He liked the guy personally, but there was always something Dad could see that could have been done differently to make the work more efficient. Sometimes he'd make suggestions to his boss and the boss would implement my Dad's ideas, then accept the praise without letting others know the ideas originated with Dad.
I know now how that must have hurt and irritated my old man.
But he always knew someday his boss would retire and that job would be his. And knowing that made the irritations and slights bearable.
My Dad was 62 when his boss retired. The company interviewed several men for the position, including Dad, but since Dad was the most senior guy... the guy that knew the job better than anyone, he was SO confident the position would be his. He could then spend the next three years before retirement showing everyone how much better he could do the job than his predecessor.
But another man got the job...
A MUCH younger man.
It was a crushing blow. Dad soothed his own ego by telling himself the company made that decision so they wouldn't have to go through the process again in three years.
But he was hurt. And embarrassed.
He put in his retirement papers.
Dad lived another 20+ years in retirement, and he and Mom lived well. Money wasn't a problem. They traveled, Wintered in the South. Bought and enjoyed nice things. When he died he left my Mom financially situated so the biggest complaint she now has is why the cook in her "Elegant Senior Living" facility, (and it IS), is replaced so often she can't get accustomed to the food they serve her and the other "elegants" twice a day in the beautiful dining room.
Dad, ya done good! Thank you.
So now I'm older than Dad was when he retired, and although I still LOVE my job I too am irritated by the little things I think I could be doing better than my mid-level and higher managers. And there's always the question in the back of my mind...
"Is it time to hang up my wings?"
Dad knew when to pull the trigger.
I hope I do.
It's more than a little weird how much our Fathers were alike, we Boomers.
I think they modeled themselves after the heroes they saw on the big screen as they grew up-
Randolph Scott. Bogart. Gary Cooper. John Wayne.
Bigger than life. Tough. Stoic. Get the job done well. Never let anyone see ya cry.
His Dad was like mine in so many ways.
I've written here before about Dad and how everyone knew he was able to do most things well...
Many of those things he did BETTER than anyone else.
And he knew it.
Another thing I think most of the men of that generation also had in common...
They were proud, and one of the few things that really scared them was the thought of being embarrassed in front of others.
Dad hated that. When we were both men I noticed he'd often not take on a task if he feared he couldn't do it well.
He quit school after 9th grade and took a job delivering telegrams on a bicycle.
He joined the Indiana National Guard and on his 20th birthday...
December 7, 1941, he received an unimaginable, ugly present.
He went off to war in the Pacific, took a chunk of shrapnel to his foot, and his Purple Heart earned him a trip home a couple months before the war ended.
He took a job with Indianapolis Power and Light Company as a grunt lineman, and after 36 years found himself in a job titled "Multi-crew foreman"... mid-level management.
For years I'd hear him grumble about his immediate boss. He liked the guy personally, but there was always something Dad could see that could have been done differently to make the work more efficient. Sometimes he'd make suggestions to his boss and the boss would implement my Dad's ideas, then accept the praise without letting others know the ideas originated with Dad.
I know now how that must have hurt and irritated my old man.
But he always knew someday his boss would retire and that job would be his. And knowing that made the irritations and slights bearable.
My Dad was 62 when his boss retired. The company interviewed several men for the position, including Dad, but since Dad was the most senior guy... the guy that knew the job better than anyone, he was SO confident the position would be his. He could then spend the next three years before retirement showing everyone how much better he could do the job than his predecessor.
But another man got the job...
A MUCH younger man.
It was a crushing blow. Dad soothed his own ego by telling himself the company made that decision so they wouldn't have to go through the process again in three years.
But he was hurt. And embarrassed.
He put in his retirement papers.
Dad lived another 20+ years in retirement, and he and Mom lived well. Money wasn't a problem. They traveled, Wintered in the South. Bought and enjoyed nice things. When he died he left my Mom financially situated so the biggest complaint she now has is why the cook in her "Elegant Senior Living" facility, (and it IS), is replaced so often she can't get accustomed to the food they serve her and the other "elegants" twice a day in the beautiful dining room.
Dad, ya done good! Thank you.
So now I'm older than Dad was when he retired, and although I still LOVE my job I too am irritated by the little things I think I could be doing better than my mid-level and higher managers. And there's always the question in the back of my mind...
"Is it time to hang up my wings?"
Dad knew when to pull the trigger.
I hope I do.
07 February 2011
Civility-
Aren't we all seeing a lot more of this sort of behavior?
The comments there are worth reading and I agree with BZ...
In the future we're gonna see more of it, and worse.
The comments there are worth reading and I agree with BZ...
In the future we're gonna see more of it, and worse.
05 February 2011
$3.149
My title indicates the cheapest fuel price along my route to work right now...
$3.149
And if you asked me about fuel prices in my area I'd tell you about that particular fuel stop by saying "Fuel is three dollars and fourteen cents there."
But look again at the title of this post.
That AIN'T three dollars and fourteen cents, is it?!!
(And gasoline vendors have used this distraction since 'way before I was a gas-pump jockey in 1963... maybe since gasoline was first sold.)
Devious.
And brilliant.
04 February 2011
Am I Prepared?
"Big Berkey!", he said.
"Berrr....?" I responded.
"B-E-R-K-E-Y" he said.
He's a former student of mine.
He's also the former Chief of Surgery at a hospital here in the MidWest.
I'm proud now to call him "friend".
Like me, he fears what's coming. So whenever he calls we inevitably end up talking about bein' prepared.
"We have plenty of deer", I said. "We also have a five-acre spring-fed pond full of fish adjoining our property to meet our water needs."
"Got a water filter?" he asked.
"Not yet. Got a suggestion?"
"Get a 'Big Berkey'!"
I did some research and liked what I saw, so this week I bought one.
As you may have read here earlier, we had a weather scare here this week. The forecast weather failed to materialize, but, like realizing you need new windshield wipers only when it's too late after the rain has started, for us it was a reminder...
Our home is total electric. If we lose power we lose everything except the ability to build a fire in the fireplace, and that inefficient thing won't heat our home.
So I made a mental note...
We need a way to keep pipes from freezing in the event of a total power failure.
Back online for research...
This heater puts out 18,000 BTU's and with proper accessories can be made to run for weeks on its fuel supply.
I bought it.
Now I'm in the market for a portable generator and I could use your advice...
We were in the Big Box store last week and I was amazed to see a 4,000 watt (peak power) model for sale for less than $300. That seems like a pretty great deal, and might meet all our needs if I shuffled it around and hooked it up intermittently to our various power users.
Whatd'ya think? Is 4,000 watts adequate, or should I be in the market for MORE POWER?!!!
So I think I am almost at my goal:
Guns and ammunition.
Food.
Water.
Shelter.
Precious metals.
I'm still tryin' to figure out how I'll defend our home, but our neighbors are of like minds and I think we may be able to come up with a workable plan.
I'd love to hear your advice and comments.
"Berrr....?" I responded.
"B-E-R-K-E-Y" he said.
He's a former student of mine.
He's also the former Chief of Surgery at a hospital here in the MidWest.
I'm proud now to call him "friend".
Like me, he fears what's coming. So whenever he calls we inevitably end up talking about bein' prepared.
"We have plenty of deer", I said. "We also have a five-acre spring-fed pond full of fish adjoining our property to meet our water needs."
"Got a water filter?" he asked.
"Not yet. Got a suggestion?"
"Get a 'Big Berkey'!"
I did some research and liked what I saw, so this week I bought one.
As you may have read here earlier, we had a weather scare here this week. The forecast weather failed to materialize, but, like realizing you need new windshield wipers only when it's too late after the rain has started, for us it was a reminder...
Our home is total electric. If we lose power we lose everything except the ability to build a fire in the fireplace, and that inefficient thing won't heat our home.
So I made a mental note...
We need a way to keep pipes from freezing in the event of a total power failure.
Back online for research...
This heater puts out 18,000 BTU's and with proper accessories can be made to run for weeks on its fuel supply.
I bought it.
Now I'm in the market for a portable generator and I could use your advice...
We were in the Big Box store last week and I was amazed to see a 4,000 watt (peak power) model for sale for less than $300. That seems like a pretty great deal, and might meet all our needs if I shuffled it around and hooked it up intermittently to our various power users.
Whatd'ya think? Is 4,000 watts adequate, or should I be in the market for MORE POWER?!!!
So I think I am almost at my goal:
Guns and ammunition.
Food.
Water.
Shelter.
Precious metals.
I'm still tryin' to figure out how I'll defend our home, but our neighbors are of like minds and I think we may be able to come up with a workable plan.
I'd love to hear your advice and comments.
03 February 2011
Walk Like An Egyptian
Yeah, I know almost nothin' about Egypt...
I know most people there are poor.
I know there are a LOT of people there.
I'm ashamed to say I just learned this week that most folks there are Sunni Muslims.
A friend emailed and asked what I thought about the situation and what I thought would happen there. I responded that I was pleased she wanted my opinion, but that she probably knew every bit as much about Egypt as me.
Egypt has a HUGE population.
The VAST majority of those folks are home, tending to business.
I think few would argue their lives could not be made better if their government wasn't so corrupt.
BUT-
Those of us over the age of fifty or so have seen something very similar happen in our recent history.
Those of us over the age of fifty warned that Obama looked like a bad memory from our past...
And now we're recalling an incident involving that peanut farmer from Plains, Georgia.
And those of us that remember that nightmare would like to point out that the people of Egypt had better be very careful what they wish for.
Life is bad there.
But it can be MUCH, MUCH worse...
Especially for the females.
I know most people there are poor.
I know there are a LOT of people there.
I'm ashamed to say I just learned this week that most folks there are Sunni Muslims.
A friend emailed and asked what I thought about the situation and what I thought would happen there. I responded that I was pleased she wanted my opinion, but that she probably knew every bit as much about Egypt as me.
Egypt has a HUGE population.
The VAST majority of those folks are home, tending to business.
I think few would argue their lives could not be made better if their government wasn't so corrupt.
BUT-
Those of us over the age of fifty or so have seen something very similar happen in our recent history.
Those of us over the age of fifty warned that Obama looked like a bad memory from our past...
And now we're recalling an incident involving that peanut farmer from Plains, Georgia.
And those of us that remember that nightmare would like to point out that the people of Egypt had better be very careful what they wish for.
Life is bad there.
But it can be MUCH, MUCH worse...
Especially for the females.
01 February 2011
The Sky Is Falling!
We're all gonna die!
We've been hearing the pounding of drums for two days now...
"It's gonna be the worst storm we've seen since 1958!"
The forecast said it would start with rain, turning to freezing rain, becoming sleet, turning to snow, culminating with an accumulation of 12-24 inches of snow on top of all that ice.
I wish I had a nickel for every time someone said "a span of powerline between two poles with an inch of ice on it will weigh 500 pounds"...
Meaning that was what they expected and if it happened we could expect widespread power outages.
The response was typical.
Folks stampeded to the grocery and emptied the shelves of milk and bread.
School administrators preemptively closed schools.
Businesses closed early.
I'm sure some spent money on kerosene space heaters and portable generators.
All this ugly stuff was supposed to start in the wee hours yesterday morning. We woke expecting to see icicles.
Nope.
Not even raining. So we turn on the TV to see when the disaster is gonna start.
Chagrined, our local weather guy says, "It'll start SOMETIME today".
And we waited most of the day for the pending disaster.
The rain finally started at 4 P.M.. But temps stayed above freezing so our windshields, roofs, and roads got wet. And temps stayed above freezing all day while folks, I guess, made sandwiches and drank glasses of fresh milk.
It's still raining.
But the wind has picked up now and temperatures are finally dropping so we MAY actually see some frozen precipitation soon. And I know from correspondence from friends that there are actually some folks getting dumped on right now...
But not in our area.
So think about it...
How much money was lost because of this Chicken Little forecast?
How would you like to be paid very well to be as wrong as these guys are SO OFTEN?!
I may go back to school to be "educated" for a second career.
We've been hearing the pounding of drums for two days now...
"It's gonna be the worst storm we've seen since 1958!"
The forecast said it would start with rain, turning to freezing rain, becoming sleet, turning to snow, culminating with an accumulation of 12-24 inches of snow on top of all that ice.
I wish I had a nickel for every time someone said "a span of powerline between two poles with an inch of ice on it will weigh 500 pounds"...
Meaning that was what they expected and if it happened we could expect widespread power outages.
The response was typical.
Folks stampeded to the grocery and emptied the shelves of milk and bread.
School administrators preemptively closed schools.
Businesses closed early.
I'm sure some spent money on kerosene space heaters and portable generators.
All this ugly stuff was supposed to start in the wee hours yesterday morning. We woke expecting to see icicles.
Nope.
Not even raining. So we turn on the TV to see when the disaster is gonna start.
Chagrined, our local weather guy says, "It'll start SOMETIME today".
And we waited most of the day for the pending disaster.
The rain finally started at 4 P.M.. But temps stayed above freezing so our windshields, roofs, and roads got wet. And temps stayed above freezing all day while folks, I guess, made sandwiches and drank glasses of fresh milk.
It's still raining.
But the wind has picked up now and temperatures are finally dropping so we MAY actually see some frozen precipitation soon. And I know from correspondence from friends that there are actually some folks getting dumped on right now...
But not in our area.
So think about it...
How much money was lost because of this Chicken Little forecast?
How would you like to be paid very well to be as wrong as these guys are SO OFTEN?!
I may go back to school to be "educated" for a second career.
31 January 2011
Out. Of. Control.
I now own three perfectly good motorcycles.
I need another bike about as much as New York City needs snow.
So I gotta quit looking at bikes on EBay.
But with the near certainty of gasoline prices increasing dramatically I have been cruising there watching the price of bikes in general. I still think it's very likely that folks will be looking for ways to save on fuel prices, and many will consider buying a motorcycle rather than an econobox as a fun way to save on gas.
I'm just lookin'. There's no harm in lookin', right?
And then I saw this BMW...
A 1980 with only 30,000 miles. Always garaged. Clean as a pin. The owner listed his preventive maintenance program along with new stuff he had added to the bike. He's owned it ten years and loves it, but due to a financial setback he has to sell it. When I first took notice the bidding was at $2500. I showed it to Sara Jean...
"Honey, look at this beautiful thing! I think it's worth close to twice that price and it's only *** miles away, so we could go get it in a day."
Her response was instantaneous and at about 120 decibels...
"Are you KIDDING? A fourth motorcycle? The house needs a new roof. There are a ton of other things we actually need! "
I let that sink in for a few minutes. Of course she's right. But I KNOW this bike is worth much more than the present bid!
I thought about it some more.
The kicker was the notation "Reserve not met" beneath the present bid.
What would it hurt to bid the minimum increase just to see if I could find the reserve requirement, right? So I bid $50 over the present bid, and was immediately informed I had been overbid by someone else.
Well, it can't hurt to bid again and see if I'm overbid again, right? Right?!!
"You are the highest bidder!" read the response. "But you may be overbid. Would you care to increase your maximum bid?"
The auction would end in 18 hours. Uh - oh. What now?
I went to sleep last night wondering how I would explain myself to my loving, understanding bride.
I woke this morning and checked again...
I was STILL the high bidder.
Oh well. All I can hope for is that someone else will recognize what a wonderful deal this bike is and bid the price up shortly before the auction ends, (as often happens).
I was away from the internet most of the day and the auction occupied a little corner of my mind that entire time. When I finally was able to get online and check there was a note in my email box...
"You've been overbid".
Relief.
And when I went to EBay to check the final sale price my suspicions were confirmed:
Sale price- $4100.
I would NOT have paid that for the bike. But if I could have purchased it for something in the vicinity of $3,000-$3,500, there was money to have been made in a few months.
Still, I want to keep peace in my marriage.
I'm gonna avoid the motorcycle section at EBay for a while.
30 January 2011
Saudi Arabia
The biggee.
Iran was a problem. Syria and Libya have, at times, been irritations.
Trouble in Egypt has our attention. Rumbles in Tunisia, Jordan, and Algeria are a concern for Westerners.
But Saudi Arabia...
That's Hillary's "3 A.M. phone call".
We live in interesting times.
Iran was a problem. Syria and Libya have, at times, been irritations.
Trouble in Egypt has our attention. Rumbles in Tunisia, Jordan, and Algeria are a concern for Westerners.
But Saudi Arabia...
That's Hillary's "3 A.M. phone call".
We live in interesting times.
29 January 2011
Tunisia. Egypt. Jordan.
Like many of you I've watched with anxiety and interest as events unfold halfway around the world. How will things turn out there?
Who knows? (Our "smart diplomacy" folks in our State Department appear clueless.)
One thing is reasonably sure-
The price of oil next week is gonna be interesting to watch. Oil price increases mean increased transportation costs of ALL goods. Your beans and potatoes will soon cost more too.
I've been surprised lately at the price of precious metals...
After topping $31.00 an ounce a couple weeks ago the price of Silver has retreated, as has it's upper-crust brother Gold.
It'll be interesting to watch over the next weeks to see if we all should have taken a second mortgage on our house to buy precious metals during this retreat.
If you're interested, you can follow the price of commodities with me here.
Who knows? (Our "smart diplomacy" folks in our State Department appear clueless.)
One thing is reasonably sure-
The price of oil next week is gonna be interesting to watch. Oil price increases mean increased transportation costs of ALL goods. Your beans and potatoes will soon cost more too.
I've been surprised lately at the price of precious metals...
After topping $31.00 an ounce a couple weeks ago the price of Silver has retreated, as has it's upper-crust brother Gold.
It'll be interesting to watch over the next weeks to see if we all should have taken a second mortgage on our house to buy precious metals during this retreat.
If you're interested, you can follow the price of commodities with me here.
The Prez Sez-
President(?) Obama is asking us all to "tone down the rhetoric".
So let's all be more civil, okay?
And should we end up warring with one another, let's try to make it a "Civil" war.
So let's all be more civil, okay?
And should we end up warring with one another, let's try to make it a "Civil" war.
27 January 2011
Controlled (?) Crash
{Deep sigh}.
Well, a guy could hope.
But hope don't pay the bills.
I teach people to fly.
Turning someone loose to go solo in a helicopter for the first time is an anxious, exhilarating time for both student and instructor. For the instructor it's a chance to see you've done your job well, (or at least you HOPE you have!) For the student, it's an OMG! moment...
The little R22 weighs only 1300 pounds full of fuel with two aboard, and unloading 200 pounds from the left side of the aircraft changes the feel of the machine pretty dramatically. And now the student has to fly that foreign feeling machine, knowing if anything goes wrong he'll have to resolve problems without the aid of an expert in the left seat.
By the time I kick 'em outta the nest I have normally emphasized to my student one of "Greybeard's pieces of wisdom" several times...
"If you crash this son-of-a-bitch, fly it until the wreckage comes to a
COMPLETE. DEAD. STOP."
The reasoning should be obvious.
It's better to crash with some control than to turn things loose and be along for the ride.
And that's how I now feel about what's going to happen to our country... to our economy.
I hoped it would be obvious to everyone at the controls of this enormous system that we were probably gonna have to crash, and that it would be better to have some control over that crash than to be along for the ride.
But it's obvious we are now gonna push the throttle full forward to see how thoroughly we can destroy this sucker. Some "experts" are still saying we haven't spent enough to bring us out of our doldrums.
Others are gonna kick and scream about mistreating Senior citizens or kids in school or some other "touchy-feely" thing to try to guilt those of us seeing the approaching disaster.
Once again I hope I'm wrong.
I hope it soon becomes obvious a crash under control would be FAR better than having things spiral hopelessly out of control.
Medicare, Social Security, Defense...
We're gonna have to feel some pain in all areas to minimize the damage.
Do our "leaders" have the discipline to fly the S.O.B. until the various parts come to a halt?
I really doubt it.
Well, a guy could hope.
But hope don't pay the bills.
I teach people to fly.
Turning someone loose to go solo in a helicopter for the first time is an anxious, exhilarating time for both student and instructor. For the instructor it's a chance to see you've done your job well, (or at least you HOPE you have!) For the student, it's an OMG! moment...
The little R22 weighs only 1300 pounds full of fuel with two aboard, and unloading 200 pounds from the left side of the aircraft changes the feel of the machine pretty dramatically. And now the student has to fly that foreign feeling machine, knowing if anything goes wrong he'll have to resolve problems without the aid of an expert in the left seat.
By the time I kick 'em outta the nest I have normally emphasized to my student one of "Greybeard's pieces of wisdom" several times...
"If you crash this son-of-a-bitch, fly it until the wreckage comes to a
COMPLETE. DEAD. STOP."
The reasoning should be obvious.
It's better to crash with some control than to turn things loose and be along for the ride.
And that's how I now feel about what's going to happen to our country... to our economy.
I hoped it would be obvious to everyone at the controls of this enormous system that we were probably gonna have to crash, and that it would be better to have some control over that crash than to be along for the ride.
But it's obvious we are now gonna push the throttle full forward to see how thoroughly we can destroy this sucker. Some "experts" are still saying we haven't spent enough to bring us out of our doldrums.
Others are gonna kick and scream about mistreating Senior citizens or kids in school or some other "touchy-feely" thing to try to guilt those of us seeing the approaching disaster.
Once again I hope I'm wrong.
I hope it soon becomes obvious a crash under control would be FAR better than having things spiral hopelessly out of control.
Medicare, Social Security, Defense...
We're gonna have to feel some pain in all areas to minimize the damage.
Do our "leaders" have the discipline to fly the S.O.B. until the various parts come to a halt?
I really doubt it.
25 January 2011
As Young As I'll Ever Be
Yeah.
If you're lucky enough not to die unexpectedly you may, like me, find your hearing and vision slowly headed South. I just got my first pair glasses that I'll wear sort of semi-permanently because I see better with 'em than without 'em.
My hearing? Did you ask about my hearing?
It's a joke. My wife makes fun of me in front of friends by standing behind me, talking to them in a pitch that is totally inaudible to me.
I don't mind. It's one of the hazards of an occupation that has not been "work" for me. A disability I knew would eventually catch up with me if I continued to do the job...
A job that I still love. A job that provides me with the satisfaction of knowing for almost 25 years now I have had a positive effect on many, many lives.
And another thing about my hearing...
Many peers who, like me, have been aviating 43 years are almost completely deaf.
Thanks to little yellow pieces of foam, I'm not deaf.
I can still hear the BK117 coming at least 5 seconds before Sara Jean can.
So you won't hear me complaining.
I still love my work.
Much to my surprise, I've been with the same woman over 30 years now and I'm still dumbfounded at how beautiful she is.
My friends put up with me in spite of my tendency to express strong opinions in a voice so loud my wife has to shush me.
And many of them are so loyal it brings out the John Boehner in me if I think about it hard enough.
Yes, I am blessed.
Mom, how's it feel to have a 64 year old son?
23 January 2011
All I Know Is What I/We Like
Ever met a wine snob?
Haven't we all?
I watched the movie "Sideways" with amusement as the characters stuck their noses deep into their glasses and waxed eloquently about the differing characteristics of various glasses of Pinot Noir they tasted. I was more amused at hearing the price of Pinot Noir went up considerably after the movie started getting street talk.
We all want to catch the next popular thing...
We're such rubes!
I like wine.
I like most any wine.
Like many of my generation I started drinking wine out of bottles marked "Annie Green Springs" or "Boone's Farm". I've had my fair share of "Mogen David Cream White Concord".
I think I've even had "Thunderbird" a time or two.
Buying these wines meant you had to walk the aisle past other wines...
Cabernets. Burgundys. Rhines. Rieslings. Even the Pinot Noirs.
Out of curiosity I bought a few. I found I like some of the dry wines...
My Mom even accused me of drinking vinegar.
When I first met Sara Jean she was still in "Boone's Farm" mode and would only drink the sweet wines. I hoped she would eventually graduate to drier wines so I could find one we could enjoy equally. I waited for years...
Didn't happen.
Christmas a year ago I was gonna be on duty for a week. SJ made arrangements to go visit her family in Chicago for the holidays. When she came home I found she had developed a taste for a wine that doesn't gag me...
The wine pictured above...
Almaden's "Mountain Rhine".
I don't want to say it's cheap. Let's say it's "reasonably priced".
But I know what I like and I know what she likes. So I buy it two 5-liter boxes at a time and we enjoy a glass or two together now and then. Few stores carry it, so I have to buy it at a Supermarket along the way when I'm on my way home from "BigTown".
I stopped just before Thanksgiving to stock up for the holidays...
The slot for the product was empty.
I've stopped several times since. The tag for the wine is still there with the price listed, but for over two months now there's been no Almaden Mountain Rhine to bring home for my family.
"Reasonably priced" begins to take on new meaning when you consider all the time/trouble/gasoline I'm spending taking the exit to find an empty wine slot where the wine I want to buy SHOULD be available.
I've suggested we should try another Rhine wine. She's being resistant. That's the way she is.
But she's no snob, and I bet if I buy another she may learn to like it.
I'll keep ya posted.
20 January 2011
The 2012 Republican Nominee
I think the Republican party needs to be served notice early, so I'm pounding the drum now-
2012 is a crucial year. The G.O.P. needs to be VERY careful about who they nominate. If they pick the right candidate they can win this election with numbers every bit as convincing as we have seen in the mid-term. If they do things as they have in years past we'll see the two-party system destroyed.
Nominating a candidate in '12 because it's "his/her turn in line" ain't gonna cut it.
And that means don't nominate:
Mitt Romney,
Mike Huckabee,
Jeb Bush,
Rudy Giuliani,
or any other comfortable, old-time Repub stalwart.
They'd better be thinking Ronald Reagan.
Oh I know... that's a mighty TALL order!
But there are a few candidates out there right now that would excite T.E.A. Partiers-
LTC Allen West.
Thaddeus McCotter.
Herman Cain.
(And with the election of either of two of the above candidates you'd get the added benefit of having the first TRUE black President in the White House, IF that's still an important ticket that needs to be punched.)
Fair warning, Republican party...
Choose carefully.
It's time for true hope and change.
2012 is a crucial year. The G.O.P. needs to be VERY careful about who they nominate. If they pick the right candidate they can win this election with numbers every bit as convincing as we have seen in the mid-term. If they do things as they have in years past we'll see the two-party system destroyed.
Nominating a candidate in '12 because it's "his/her turn in line" ain't gonna cut it.
And that means don't nominate:
Mitt Romney,
Mike Huckabee,
Jeb Bush,
Rudy Giuliani,
or any other comfortable, old-time Repub stalwart.
They'd better be thinking Ronald Reagan.
Oh I know... that's a mighty TALL order!
But there are a few candidates out there right now that would excite T.E.A. Partiers-
LTC Allen West.
Thaddeus McCotter.
Herman Cain.
(And with the election of either of two of the above candidates you'd get the added benefit of having the first TRUE black President in the White House, IF that's still an important ticket that needs to be punched.)
Fair warning, Republican party...
Choose carefully.
It's time for true hope and change.
18 January 2011
Sumdood At The Door
Yeah, FlightFire thinks I'm a right-wing nut.
You may think so too. If you do, ignore the following link.
For the rest of you, a reminder from our wise old Navy friend.
And to paraphrase my comment there, "Be prepared. This sort of thing is gonna happen more and more often."
You may think so too. If you do, ignore the following link.
For the rest of you, a reminder from our wise old Navy friend.
And to paraphrase my comment there, "Be prepared. This sort of thing is gonna happen more and more often."
17 January 2011
There WILL Be A Ceremony.
I MAY have just done something exceedingly stupid. Only time will tell.
The balance on our mortgage was $23,319.45. Calculator at hand, I multiplied my mortgage payment by the number of payments remaining and was somewhat shocked at the figure:
$62,400 and a little change.
So this month my check for that loan read $23,319.45. I'm sure there will be adjustments to come... escrow issues, etc., but those should be minor.
Our house no longer belongs to us, the bank, and taxing authorities.
It belongs TOTALLY to us, AND the taxing authorities.
Over the next months I'll get the answer to my question...
Would I have been better served instead to have taken that money to my silver merchant? Silver and Gold are both down a little as I write this, so it's actually a good buying opportunity. And if the bottom does fall out of the economy, the $$ I'd have used to pay the remaining loan would have been of lesser value, maybe even near-worthless.
But it's one less responsibility to worry about, and I now have a few extra disposable dollars to use monthly to buy silver, ammo, water purifiers, or whatever.
So whatd'ya think?
Smart move, or dumb,dumb,dumb?
14 January 2011
Buggy Whips
My title refers to something you may or may not have heard before...
As the popularity of the automobile made numbers of horse-drawn carriages dwindle, one of the industries that suffered was those making buggy whips...
There was just no need for them any longer... the world had changed.
Folks making buggy whips had to find new jobs.
In the mid 1980's an acquaintance lost his job as a butcher in a small grocery. For weeks he tried to find employment to no avail. Finally he and his wife decided to take a risk...
They pooled all their savings, rented a vacant store near a busy intersection, bought a ton of movies on VCR tape, and opened a store renting movies.
It was an almost immediate success.
They worked together, both putting in more than 70 hours a week, paying themselves modest salaries, putting most of their profits into new movie releases.
Business increased to the point they bought the space next to their store and expanded their inventory. For five years their numbers increased and they did very well, but both were still putting in very long hours to insure the store's success.
Then the construction across the street started.
The sign out front said "Future location of 'Blockbuster Video'".
They struggled against the competition for a year but would have been better off financially if they had closed their shop the moment Blockbuster opened.
Buggy whips.
Lots of folks out there are in that situation now...
Their skills no longer apply in the world of today.
They can either accept that fact and get an education toward new employment opportunities, or they can sit at home and collect unemployment for two years, then try to learn a new trade when they're two years older.
Econ. 101, Soc. 101, Psy. 101...
Tell me again...
What are we REALLY rewarding these days?
As the popularity of the automobile made numbers of horse-drawn carriages dwindle, one of the industries that suffered was those making buggy whips...
There was just no need for them any longer... the world had changed.
Folks making buggy whips had to find new jobs.
In the mid 1980's an acquaintance lost his job as a butcher in a small grocery. For weeks he tried to find employment to no avail. Finally he and his wife decided to take a risk...
They pooled all their savings, rented a vacant store near a busy intersection, bought a ton of movies on VCR tape, and opened a store renting movies.
It was an almost immediate success.
They worked together, both putting in more than 70 hours a week, paying themselves modest salaries, putting most of their profits into new movie releases.
Business increased to the point they bought the space next to their store and expanded their inventory. For five years their numbers increased and they did very well, but both were still putting in very long hours to insure the store's success.
Then the construction across the street started.
The sign out front said "Future location of 'Blockbuster Video'".
They struggled against the competition for a year but would have been better off financially if they had closed their shop the moment Blockbuster opened.
Buggy whips.
Lots of folks out there are in that situation now...
Their skills no longer apply in the world of today.
They can either accept that fact and get an education toward new employment opportunities, or they can sit at home and collect unemployment for two years, then try to learn a new trade when they're two years older.
Econ. 101, Soc. 101, Psy. 101...
Tell me again...
What are we REALLY rewarding these days?
11 January 2011
10 January 2011
Bigger Is Not Necessarily Better.
That's a photo of a Harley Davidson "Sprint", the motorcycle I bought at the age of 16 when I decided it was time to graduate from motorscooters to motorcycles.
It had a single-cylinder 250cc four-stroke engine that produced about 15 horsepower.
At the time it would still out-accelerate most cars on the road because it was very light and even at 15 horsepower it probably had a higher horsepower-to-weight ratio than most family trucksters of the day.
Top speed was 85 miles per hour, me literally laying across the fuel tank with my legs stretched straight out horizontally behind to lessen wind resistance as much as possible. (Another of those things I did as a youth that makes me shake my head in amazement that I survived beyond my 18th birthday.)
You may remember my critical review of this bike from previous posts...
That is to say, it was better than having no motorcycle at all.
I didn't care what kind of gas mileage it got so I never checked. I wish I had.
For whatever reason, motorcycle manufacturers are showing renewed interest in the 250cc segment of motorcycledom. I think a few (but not all) of the reasons for this is-
Like cars, if they can get someone to buy a 250cc "Fireball", the customer is more likely to graduate to larger "Fireball" motorcycles.
More and more gals are beginning to ride. Smaller bikes with their lower seat height make this more comfortable for those of shorter stature.
Many of these 250cc street bikes get upwards of 70 miles per gallon, yet they ARE real motorcycles, not toys. They have enough power to safely travel the Interstate highway system. They can (sort of comfortably) carry two people around town and (depending on your threshold of pain), for short distances out on the highway.
They are really, really, really maneuverable and fun to ride.
If gas prices do in fact approach $5 per gallon, I think it's possible we'll begin to see lots of people taking another look at small bikes.
And when they do they'll find several manufacturers with very nice examples for sale:
Honda.
Yamaha.
Suzuki.
07 January 2011
Blogging... A Waste of Time?
I've been trying lately to have a discussion with a left-leaning blogger who thinks they are a moderate. I've asked pointed questions and gotten the run-around. They either ignore my questions entirely or answer the questions they want to answer. (But not mine.)
It's sort of akin to going to the Doctor after hitting yourself on the forehead repeatedly with a hammer saying, "Doc, it hurts when I do this" and having him say, "Then don't do that."
I'm laying my hammer down now.
Thanks Doc.
It's sort of akin to going to the Doctor after hitting yourself on the forehead repeatedly with a hammer saying, "Doc, it hurts when I do this" and having him say, "Then don't do that."
I'm laying my hammer down now.
Thanks Doc.
05 January 2011
In Columbus Ohio-
I pray there is a happy ending to this story.
If you hear anything further about him, please update us.
UPDATED:
Google is our friend.
More here.
Truly a second chance.
Just A Thought-
Two days ago I was listening to Mark Steyn, filling in for Rush Limbaugh on his show.
A caller challenged Mark, who was calling the (CFL) bulbs "Curly-Fry Lightbulbs" to quit making them sound cute...
He suggested the moniker "MFL's" or "Mercury Filled Lightbulbs".
I like that.
Glen Beck had a bit on his show demonstrating what you are supposed to do if you drop and break one of the stupid things.
"Call your local authorities for a community hazardous-waste collection point"!?
OMG.
I wonder what would happen if I cover a cookie sheet with MFL's and walk the halls of congress with them...
Think "Security" would consider me a threat?
Give me back my incandescent bulbs!
03 January 2011
Think It Cannot Happen Here?
I think it can, and WILL.
Be prepared.
Updated-
Silver tested the waters well above $31.00/oz. today, with the closing New York Spot price at $30.69.
Gold, silver, and lead...
Are you buying?
Be prepared.
Updated-
Silver tested the waters well above $31.00/oz. today, with the closing New York Spot price at $30.69.
Gold, silver, and lead...
Are you buying?
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