Home again

Just back from a trip to Arizona. Cave Creek to be exact as that is where my sister lives. We spent a week with them. I had hoped to gather some great photos of Saguaro cacti while we were there but most of my images turned out dull and lifeless. The Saguaro are magnificent and there are so many of them! We had been  to Saguaro National Forest many years ago and I presumed that the park was where they were all contained. Not so. They are everywhere. And maybe I can give some life to my images with some careful editing.
We departed from Sacramento International and their new terminal is fantastic. Great art and even great restaurants. It's too bad you have to have an airplane ticket in hand and pass security before you can dine. Nearby residents are out of luck.
Security. I simply numbed myself and made it through without any hassle. In fact they didn't even pat me down as they usually do because of my battery powered spinal implant. For an Aspergian the whole process is very disturbing even without being touched. On the way back, security was being overwhelmed by the crowds and it took much longer to get through. And once more I was ignored. And that's a good thing. Maybe they are used to seeing batteries and wires when they do the body scan?
Arizona's airport, Sky Harbor, is showing its age. Everything is dirty. And at 2 in the PM and on a Tuesday, the crowds were huge. That I didn't expect.
Now we're home and Boo the Magical Cat is happy once more. We left her in our garage (insulated) and had our granddaughter come over once a day to check her food, water and litterbox. I'm sure she was happier in the place where usually sleeps overnight and not in a steel cage.
Getting older. I went to the Dr. today for my pre-op visit before my cataract removal/lens implant surgery. They had to measure my right eye and they also used a 'ocular sonogram'. They place a soft cup like device on your eye and move it all around as the scan the interior of your eye. It wasn't a painful experience, just irritating. 6 hours later and I can still feel some soreness. I have an eye ache.
I've seen all the surgery videos on YouTube and so I am really going to interested as to how it is done with me. I certainly hope I be can awake for the procedure. Watching it all from the 'inside' should be quite an experience.
This surgery will give me, hopefully, near perfect distant vision for my right eye. The left eye is still free of clouding though it is 'pre-cataract'. I will have to wait awhile before I can have that eye corrected. Once it's done I will be free of glasses for the first time since I was 8 years old.
The national news. I've numbed myself from this as well. I know I will have to return to it but not now. I want to rest my mind and do some more painting. I bought a portable watercolor painting kit and I like the way it works. I may take some of those small paintings and develop them on a large canvas.

Voting

How? How in the world can the voters in the coastal district that includes Charleston elect Mark Sanford to be their congressman? Sure, it is their right to choose but it puts them before the nation as buffoons. South Carolina has made far too many mistakes like this for me to ever take them seriously again...buffoons they are!

On another note but related note...why didn't the Democratic Party do something for their candidate? She was left swinging in the wind by the Democratic heavyweights that should have come to her aid. The same thing happens around here and is one of the reasons I left the party.

More spam...

I just cleared out my comment section. 34 comments waiting for my review and they were all from Anonymous...spam is everywhere!

We just got back from a pilgrimage to the Temple of Wretched Excess, or as it is more commonly known...Costco. Despite my early morning workout I had some back pain and we thought it would be better to walk the aisles of Costco than to sit around whining. Since we really didn't need all that much we decided to prowl every aisle just to see what curiosities might be there.

Oh my! We got into the camping section and we were reminded of our early camping trips. We were in our late twenties and had three small children but we did love to camp. With a three room canvas tent from Sears, a Coleman stove and lantern, sleeping bags and assorted camp gear. What a chore! And camping today? It's very different. Everything is lightweight and self assembling. LED lanterns instead of Coleman lanterns with broken mantles. A camp stove that included an oven. What sissies!

Of course our camping experiences are almost 50 years old and we see it all in a very different way. A jealous way! Why wasn't this stuff around when we needed it? That old tent must have weighed 100 pounds. And how many broken mantles did I have to replace? The camp stove required lots of pumping to keep the burners going. And we were always running out of white gas.

Tomorrow is the day I finally get to see an ophthalmologist about the cloudiness in my right eye. There may be some in my left as well but it's not as apparent as the right side. Cataracts, I'm sure. And I want them fixed as soon as possible. But first I have to fly off to Arizona for a week to spend time with my sister and brother in-law who lives in Cave Creek. But as soon as I'm back, I need that surgery. Everything is a blur now and if I were driving regularly I would have to stop. As it is, I drive three times a week, just over to the gym and back, not even a full mile each way. Because of all my other meds I have to give up serious driving. I still haven't driven our new car...the one we bought in November. Darn!

Sure, I'm rambling but I'm not in the mood to discuss serious stuff. There are far too many opinions being voiced these days and I am eager to see it settle down. Maybe then we will know the truth about Boston.

Did I mention that we have matching Kindle Fire's? They were well worth the money. We have had them since February and we haven't bought a book yet. We search out all the free books as well as the free library ebooks. The public library collection is growing every day. It's a priority for them. And the Kindle's go everywhere with us. I usually have to wait for my wife at the gym as she has a different workout routine and so I sit and open the Kindle to the current book or I play some game until she arrives.

I still love a 'real' book and have not given up on them. I love our library of books we have treasured over the years. But the ebook is part of our life now.

The ban fails

The assault weapon ban is on it's way to failure. Our congress and our senate are filled with cowards; allowing the tiny group of perverts (The NRA) to have their way despite the fact that the majority of Americans wanted the ban. Cowards!

What a life...

It's been a long time since I last posted something here. I think my medications may have something to do with my lack of ambition. Nothing can be done about that for now. I went to the doctor today...actually, he is a PA-C and more thorough and caring than most doctors I've met. Anyway, I am fine except for a rise in bad cholesterol and CO2 in my blood gases. I also told him about my suspected cataracts and I will be seeing someone for that pretty soon. I hope it's soon as these fuzzy images and tears are a bother.

And so I age...I am going to the gym three times a week for a Senior Wellness program and it's rigorous enough to keep my blood pressure in a safe range. After the exercise on the treadmill and other instruments of torture, I spend an hour in the pool doing water exercises to ease the pain in my hip and leg.

I'm not completely without ambition; I am painting and last week I took 30+ painting down to a local health club for a solo art show. And I just heard that I sold one...the most expensive one at $150. It's also one of our favorites and it had a special place on the wall of our home. Now I have to come up with a replacement. My mind is already churning away at the possibilities...

SOLD

He did what?

That darn Reagan!

• As Gov. of California, Reagan signed the Mulford Act which prohibited the carrying of firearms on your person, in your vehicle and in any public place.
• As Gov. of Cal. Reagan signed off on a 15-day waiting period for guns.
• As president he signed into law a ban on ownership of fully automatic rifles.
• After leaving the presidency he supported the Brady Bill which provided for a 7-day waiting period for guns.
• In 1994 he wrote Congress supporting a ban on assault rifles.

Re-elected! Amen!

I was just listening to the Political Junkie on TOTN (NPR) and Ken Rudin was playing a litany of spots from conservative pundits and the emphasis was on just how "Liberal" the President's speech was. As if that were something bad. You know, I'm tired of that. I'm a liberal and quite proud of it. Liberals have made this country great while conservatives have contributed nothing at all. Their record speaks for itself. And this President has bent over backwards to appease the rightwingnuts for the last four years. It has not worked. So yes, it's time to be a liberal and to move the country forward.

I left the democratic party because they were not liberal enough and I'm not sure that I can ever return. being an independent has a nice sound when stated. I don't belong to a political party...I'm independent.

Still listening to the radio, I got to hear Hillary Clinton blast some senator...as he deserved. I think it was Rand Paul. And then the old fool, McCain declared that she hadn't answered the questions to his 'satisfaction'. He will never be satisfied. He doesn't want to be satisfied. He can't get over the fact that a black man beat him in the race for President. He is a racist and AZ suits him fine. He really needs to retire...or wait? What if he did retire, would the wingnuts in Arizona elect Joe Arpaio to take his place? Perish the thought! My sister lives there and being the great liberal that she is, she finds it hard to stomach some of the idiocy that takes place in the AZ capital. I try to support her when I can by letting her know that is not alone...

A grand day...

President Obama is President once again. And the Republicans are still perplexed as to how they will best derail any of his plans. They do have some ideas and they will put them out there just to see which way the political wind is blowing. I'm not worried. A little bit irritated at them but not worried...

I just came in from my studio where I've been working on a few paintings. One is Pollock style on a small scale, only 2'x2'. I really need to go big for this kind of painting but I don't have the room for it. The other is an oil pastel piece that is 18"x10". This is one where I've been experimenting with using a heat gun to soften the pastels and then I use my finger to blend them. It works great and I love the smooth transitions between colors. What I don't like is the fact that my finger often encounters a hot patch of 'oil' and I have to grin and bear it until I've finished the stroke.

Speaking of Pollock style paintings I have another one hanging at our local Art Center in a Members Show. I'm asking $350 for it and hoping that it will come home at the end of the show. It has a decent space on our living room wall and it looks sad without it hanging there. But then again, $260 will buy a lot of paint.

I watched the documentary 'Painting Bolinas' the other night. It's a short film detailing some of the last days of the artist Peter Lee Brownlee. It was fascinating. And disturbing, as Peter Lee lived in squalor. He was bedridden at the age of 90 but he never stopped painting. His paintings surrounded his bed and were stuck in every imaginable place in his house. Despite all of this, he seemed to be very happy. Certainly much happier than I would be in that same condition. And at the same time, I envied him his freedom. The film also shows him with his friends as an art show of his works  is being prepared. I recommend the film...

And follow this link for a better view of the phenomena known as Peter Lee Brownlee.

We're still enrolled in a Senior Wellness program at a local gym. Three morning a week of cardio and core strength exercises. Afterwards, I come home and take a shower and then return to the gym for an hour in the pool. I put weights on my ankles and use 'noodles' to support myself while I float; allowing the weights to flex what is left of my normal vertebra. Four of them are fused and will never flex again. I also hope to loosen the hip connections that give me the most pain. Then I treat myself to 10 minutes in the spa at 104 degrees. Aaaahhh! so nice...

What to do?

Everything I read tells me that the 113th Congress is primed to do as much, or more, damage to our country as the previous Congress. ( I recommend reading Gail Collins in today's NYT )

So, what do we do? Since I can't be Emperor for a day...where I would allow congresspersons to serve no more than 6 years. Total!...I think that we must hound our congressperson at every turn. They must not be allowed to forget who they work for. Email, snailmail, Twitter and Facebook. Make them remember your name. Republican, Democrat or Independent (recommended), they work for you. That's something they seem to have forgotten. And it's all our fault...

Just as small children misbehave when unattended, Congress (large children) misbehaves when we are not watching them. We need to do better this year.

Fiscal...don't say it!

Here it is, a new day in a new year. And if one more person says "fiscal cliff" to me, I swear...to the moon!
That phrase has already been condemned by most groups that exist to protect our language. Oh, yes...kick the can down the road and bucket list are also verboten from now on. And not a moment too soon.

I would not be surprised to learn that 'fiscal cliff' was created by Fox news. It sounds like something they would do. What is sad is the fact that 'responsible' newscasters picked up on the phrase and used it till it lost all meaning...if there ever was a meaning. If there ever was a responsible newscaster. Edward R. Murrow is dead and we're the poorer for it.

What is sad about this negotiation is the fact that the President caved...again. $250K was supposed to be the limit. The republicans have no power. They are a tired and useless party. So why give them an inch? Look at their leaders...Mitch McConnell, John Boehner and McCain. Liars and losers! 

I guess I better watch a football game today and allow the players to dissipate my anger. After all, it is a New Year!

Words fail me

...but not for long.
I find it hard to believe that our country has has slid so far back into the mire of history that some actually celebrate the fact that another state has passed 'right to work' legislation. What are they thinking? The Governor of Michigan assures the voters that this will make the state more competitive. Competitive? Competitive with China, South Carolina, Georgia and Mississippi. Not to mention Arkansas, Alabama and Louisiana. And do they really believe that by ridding themselves of the evil 'Union' that someone will come along and invest in a new auto plant? And do they really want to become like South Carolina  where the state is famous for the number of Waffle Houses it has and the fact that they are also the fireworks and billboard capitol of the world? Or like Georgia? No, I won't say it...I don't want to go there. Arkansas and Mississippi are like the first two. Poor and becoming poorer. Just look at the data comparing the 'right to work' states with the sane states.

The employee owned company that I retired from was all union and quite proud of that fact. Why? Because we were allowed to bid and secure the largest construction projects. Even where non-union firms were allowed to compete, we secured the projects because of the skill of our workers. Would you trust a non-union firm to build a $2 billion dollar microchip foundry? Even when our bid price was higher, we got the job because we had trained union workers. How about a high rise building put together by non-union iron workers? I don't think so! The phrase 'You get what you pay for' is always true except in the case of politicians.

From my vantage point of age, 72 years, I can clearly see the turning point in our countries economy and that was when reagan gave the green light to union bashing when he destroyed the Air Controllers union. From that point on, as unions lost their strength, we lost our economy. Those union wages were buying homes and car and tv's and boats and everything else that was driving our economy. Slowly but surely, my union, the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners, lost it's influence in the construction marketplace and homes were the first to go 'non-union' and built by less than qualified carpenters. Don't like the quality of your new house? Blame reagan. But, then again, you may have come to accept that quality of workmanship and think it's just dandy.

Are there corrupt union officials? You bet! I've met my share. How about corrupt politicians? Have you ever seen any of those?The truth is, we get those corrupt officials and pols because we deserve them. We don't pay attention and we vote emotionally and not rationally. We complain about those terrible union contracts that put us on the hook for millions, yet we seem to forget that it takes two signatures to create a contract. What did the city, county or state official get ($$$) to sign the contract? We'll never know and still we blame the unions for the terms of the contract. Some people say that the governing office was over a barrel and had to sign. Not true; no one signs under pressure unless they've lost their moral compass.

It's open season on unions now and the economy will react. As people lose their union jobs they will demonstrate their anger and their will be violence. And the so called 'union' cops won't hesitate to strike a brother union member in the name of law and order. The First Amendment has been broken so many times that it really won't help. Sad times indeed.

More universes...universii

I read Wally's great post on universes and lo and behold, two hours later I found a Tumbler post that took me to a TED talk on universes, or universii?

Here's the link to that talk...
TED

The Sun is out

The storm is over, though we will see occasional rain for the next few days. Last night, the rain woke me up around 2 and I walked around the house, looking out the windows to see if I could see anything dangerous happening. Nothing, just lots of heavy rain and fierce wind. I was up again at 4:30 and although my bedside clock was flashing, I found that all the others were doing just fine. And still the rain and wind continued. I had built a barrier at our patio door as the rain had threatened it a few days ago; in the dark it was impossible to see if the water was coming close. The carpet was dry so I figured I shouldn't worry for awhile.Then, about 7, the clouds opened up. What a racket! In five minutes it was over and we were back to a steady drizzle. Now, the sun has made it beautiful again.

Earlier in the morning I read an email from my sister and she included a link to a Photobucket site with old images of life in the South Bay in Southern California. Incredibly, I recognized a lot of the very old photos. They are now downloaded and filed away...as they should be. But , how did I become so old?

With the election over, I can return to writing posts like this one. Ah!

A snapshot

I'm sitting in my office/study/spare bedroom/computer room and I'm browsing Tumbler for abstract art. I will download some of it and store it away in  my Art folder. That folder contains contains over 5,000 images. I also have a Music folder that is 2.5 Gigabytes in size. I have no idea as to the number of individual files as I have them all arranged by genre in sub folders. I also have another Image folder that is filled with sub folders and it is over 4GB in size. Want to see an ad for a Goodyear tire from the year 1923? I've got it! All of this is my Asperger's Syndrome hard at work. Sure it's 'work', but I love doing it! (and I really can't  stop...I've tried)

Boo the Magical Cat has just made a dash through the house and is now sitting in the window next to me. She is intent...on what? Humans will never know. She had been outside perhaps five minutes ago and had wanted back in almost immediately. That's her routine now; sit at the door until I open it so that she can stick her nose out. If all seems satisfactory to her nose, she ventures out and sits about five feet away, She turns and looks at me as if she wants to make sure I haven't abandoned her. A minute later and she is at the door, wanting in. Now this is a cat that used to hunt in the barn next to us when we lived in Orland. She was fearless and would stay outside night and day if we let her. I used to bring her in before we went to bed because there were coyotes and raccoon's prowling at night. There was even the threat of Barn Owls; they could easily grab a cat her size. But as soon as we moved to the city she became a changed kitty. She loves to sleep and hide under the furniture, something she never would have done before the move. Is Cat Psychotherapy in the future for her??

Yesterday, I spent the morning with my artist friends as I do every Tuesday. We paint or draw or simply talk to one another. Intellectuals are hard to find and so I treasure my Tuesday morning friends. The majority of these artists work in watercolor and three of them are fine artists, working on commissions and selling work at local galleries. A few of us work in acrylics; I'm the only abstract artist among the 8 of us. I've sold a few painting during the past three years. One went for $75 and the others, smaller, were in the $30 range.

I'm doing most of my work at home in my garage studio. I'm using 5/16" MDF for my supports and I cut and glue integral wood frames to the backside of them. They look like a normal canvas after I'm through putting two coats of gesso on them. And all done quite cheaply. I've read that the MDF can be archival quality if it's prepared correctly and more and more artists are using it now. I do put a coat of enamel on the backside so that the 'canvas' is protected from humidity. I also use a palm sander to finish sanding the wood frame and edge of the MDF so they look integrated.

I have a show in March at a local sports club and I'm busy putting frames on paintings where I hadn't framed them before painting on them. My bad. I don't expect a lot of sales from this show as I have shown here before along with my friends. The patrons of the sports club are not abstract lovers; but it is a chance for my name to be seen and who knows? maybe someone will tell someone who will tell another, etc, etc. I think what I'm looking for is acceptance by the local art community. Being an abstract artist doesn't always win friends. Yet, I can't paint any other way. Famous abstract painters; Gerhard Richter's work is awesome. So is the work of Cy Twombly, Gerard Stricher, DeKooning, Helen Frankenthaler, Mary Heilman, Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock. And many more. I FEEL their paintings. They don't talk to me; they shout!

It's getting darker outside as the storm approaches. The wind is really whipping the trees and the first sprinkles of rain have made an appearance. This is the second storm in a series of 5? storms that are due to hit us here in the north state. Unfortunately, these are warm storms and the snow level will be quite high. We really need a decent snowpack if we are going to avert another dry year in the current drought. Global warming? You bet! I was believer from the beginning.

A dreary day

It's overcast and calm outside. But this is the calm before the storm...

Wind Advisory remains in effect from 6 am to 4 PM PST
Wednesday... 

* winds: southeast 15 to 30 mph with gusts up to around 40 mph.

* Timing: winds will increase across the region Wednesday morning
and are expected to peak in the afternoon as a cold front moves
through the region. The strongest winds are expected to be
around the Interstate 80 corridor and south. Winds will decrease
behind the frontal passage late in the day. Although winds are
expected to increase again and be even stronger Thursday evening
into Friday.

...and along with the wind we will get this...
 Flood Watch remains in effect from Thursday afternoon through
Sunday afternoon... 

The Flood Watch continues for

* a portion of northern California... Sacramento Valley... West
Slope northern Sierra Nevada... northern Sierra
foothills... Carquinez Strait and Delta... Clear Lake
area... Shasta Lake area... Lassen park... motherlode... northern
San Joaquin Valley and East Slope of the northern coastal
mountains.

* From Thursday afternoon through Sunday afternoon

* confidence is high in a prolonged period of moderate to heavy
precipitation. The heaviest precipitation is expected over
Shasta County along with Butte and western Plumas counties where
a large area of rainfall amounts of 12 to 18 inches or more will
be possible through the weekend. In the SacramentoValley... rainfall amounts of 4 to 8 inches with higher amounts
possible through the weekend. 2 to 4 inches are possible in the
northern San Joaquin Valley by Sunday.

* Impacts: debris flows likely... especially near recent burn scars
in Shasta... Tehama... Colusa... and Plumas counties. Urban and
Small Stream flooding will occur in the valley and foothills
with river flooding expected on the upper Sacramento River.
Mountain river and stream flooding above the reservoirs is possible.

The weather service had predicted another dry winter for us.

Arab Identity

Miko Peled, an Israeli, on the Palestinian's Right of Return:

I've always agreed with this author's position and have never understood our never ending defense of Israel's misdeeds.

'via Blog this'

Free Widgets

Free Widgets: Energy widgets of all kinds! You can load up your blog with all kinds of interesting information..

'via Blog this'

Radicals

Did you see the crowd in Chicago? People of every color were celebrating! In Boston, the 'white folks' were glum. What a wonderful contrast that was. Made me glad to be a liberal independent; the 'party' of the future! The party of no party!

After reading some of the Radical Right response to our President's victory I am hopeful that they will depart the Republican Party and start their own, further decimating a party that just doesn't get it. The Republican Party said 'Yes' to the ideas of Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Rick Parry and never tried to moderate them. Now they must pay for their ignorance. Hopefully, the Republican Party as we know it today will disappear...

Not again, please

I was just reading George McGovern's obituary...in 1972 he ran for the Presidency and lost. He won in Massachusetts and D.C. I voted for him. Do you remember who won that election? Yes, it was Richard Nixon; proving that the American voter is dead wrong, far too many times. If we had elected McGovern we would be a far richer nation. Not necessarily in treasure, but certainly in moral values. But we got 'Tricky Dicky' instead and he made a mockery of the Office of the President. He changed our moral values system alright...oh yes, he did.

Found this photo

This says it so well...

Back in the day

By the time I was 16, I had rebuilt an engine. I had spent hours under cars changing out clutches and rear ends. I knew how all engines operated and was unafraid to pull the heads, oil pans and manifolds off of one. I could rebuild carburetors and distributors. My hands were stained by oil and grease. At 17 I was working at a Texaco station where I learned about front end alignment and brake repair. You could say that I was well versed in the working of the automobile engine...

Yesterday, we bought a new Altima to replace our old Altima. A very nice car and we spent some time going over all of the technical details before we bought it. Then, as I was waiting for my wife to come out of the showroom, I realized that I had never seen the engine. We had taken a test drive but at no point had I looked under the hood. We had actually purchased a car without seeing the engine! Back in the day...you couldn't buy a car without looking at the engine! It was usually the first thing you did when you spotted a car that interested you. If you drove by a car dealership on a Saturday morning you would find almost all of the cars with their hoods up and someone peering into the dark cavity that held the engine. I think all males were indoctrinated at an early age to know how to lean over a fender and utter wise comments on what they were seeing. I know I certainly did.

So, I opened the hood and looked at OUR engine. I didn't recognize a thing. Today's cars don't use oil and never need coolant. The batteries are sealed and electronics take care of all engine operations. I closed the hood and I'm sure it will be years before I am curious enough to open it again.

Happiest Place on Earth

Did I mention that we went to Disneyland last week? We did and we took our twin grandchildren, Steven and Abby, 9 years old and that's the perfect age for your intro to the Magic kingdom. Our son and his girlfriend accompanied us to help with parental duties...and to enjoy the trip as a family!

We stayed at the Grand Californian as that hotel opens directly into the park. It also had a multitude of pools and the kids enjoyed them all. (I'm so glad we gave them swimming lessons.) But, onto the park...

The twins were wide eyed at every attraction. And they tried almost every one in the park. Of course they had some favorites; ones that they had heard their friends talking about. Those were some of the first ones we went to...Autotopia, the Submarines, and Space Mountain. Some of the rides weren't as popular because of the age level and they soon learned to avoid rides where there were strollers were parked three deep.

I downloaded an app for my phone and it would report the current waiting time for a ride and it's distance from us. That was very useful! Despite the fact that we were in the park during a school week, there were crowds of children (and parents) and some rides went to a one hour waiting time; we avoided them until the we saw the number drop to thirty minutes or less.

Of course the park is beautifully maintained in the usual Disney manner. There is no litter. There is an army of people sweeping and even polishing the trash containers. All of the attractions seemed to be freshly painted. The beautiful garden areas contain real flowers and they are in full bloom.

Three days in the park were a little too much for my hip and back and I was dragging by the time our shuttle arrived to take us to the airport. Once more we gave the twins the window seats and they enjoyed the sight of Los Angeles at night; a million lights!

Now at home we realized that we have no more grandchildren to take to Disneyland...the others are growing up fast and the twins were the youngest. Sad. But we do have some great memories...especially the one of our taking the first seats in the first car on the California Screamin' roller coaster. Now that's fun!

Close

The election is looming. I want it to be over. I also fear that the voice of reason, our President, will be silenced. At the same time, I know that if he is re-elected, the Republicans will continue their fierce opposition to everything he tries to pass.

Every Republican candidate, state, county and city, is promising to run things like a business. As if a lack of 'business sense' has been the cause for all that ails the nation. Yet is was 'business' that got us into this mess and it is 'business' that continues to gather more cash for themselves without doing anything to promote new jobs. They are sitting on the gold and waiting to see what happens  That's business.  

Think about it; has there ever been a government that was run, successfully, by using business solutions? Not one exists. If there was one, the Republicans would be pointing to it with glee! "See, this is how we will govern." No matter where, no matter how small or how large, governments cannot be run as a business. That is basic. We should all know this and vote accordingly.

No, I didn't

I didn't watch the debate last night. I did listen and I kept a careful watch on Twitter. And it was obvious that  President Obama won...

But, this morning I was thinking about how degrading this process of debates is for both candidates and the public. Winning a debate is a measure of a man? Or a woman...if we ever become civilized. Of course not! I want to know more about a candidate than 90 minutes of sound bites can possibly deliver. The whole affair reminds me of the old days of prize fighting and the moderator is the referee of course. 'And in this corner....'
That's not Presidential. Give me a speech, one hour long, detailing the plans that the candidate has for this country if elected. That's all. If I can't make a decision after that, I don't deserve to vote.

I'm terribly afraid that this election and all elections in the future will be decided by debates and polls. Scary.

What?

My 'Smart' phone just burst out with a tornado warning. Tornado? We're in California. We can't have tornadoes. I'm sure it's in the state constitution ...

Along with the raucous warning came the message. "Seek shelter immediately" I jumped to the computer to check out the local weather where, sure enough, there was a tornado alert. I was told that I should seek shelter in my basement. Basement? We don't have basements in California! Well, some houses do but they are the really old houses. So where's my shovel?

The alert time has run out and I see sunshine. I also see a dark wall of clouds in every direction. This might not be over...

clearing my head

Just so I don't go crazy with election year fever...I am looking at my Ancestry dot com program to see where I came from. I do this every few years and I get all excited to see the origins of many of my distant ancestors. And then it becomes work and I drop it until the next burst of curiosity.

I just ran across 'Mercy Tilinghast' a 7th great grandmother on my mother's side of the family. She was born in 1680 in Providence, Rhode Island. She married at the age of 18 and died, in Providence, at the age of 89. Her father, or my 8th great grandfather was named 'Pardon Elisha Tilinghast. He was from Seven Cliffs, Sussex, England. Mercy had at least six children that I can find, including my 6th great grandfather, John Power, born in 1710. I love those names...Mercy and her father, Pardon. And Pardon has his headstone located at Corner of Benefit & Transit Streets,Providence, Rhode Island. 

Now, a mystery...Pardon and his father, also named Pardon died in 1718. the 29th and 19th respectively. So what happened during that winter? Plus, Lydia Taber, the wife of Pardon Senior and my 8th great grandmother died on the 27th of January...same year. I have to Google these dates!

I did search and I was surprised when I saw a Wikipedia article pop up as #1 in the Google search. (Providence January 1718) The article was all about Pardon Senior and his exploits. Great reading! But no clue as to why they all died. Pardon Senior was close to 96 years of age so his death was not unexpected. Now I have to find out why the others died in that month. More mystery!

It drives me crazy!

All of the candidates, from dog catcher to Presidential, refer to the 'politicians' as being the worst thing imaginable...yet that is exactly what they, the candidates, are! If you run for office, you are a politician. Don't you get it, folks? They ARE lying to you!

But there they are, on television, night after night, claiming to rid the city, county, state, and nation of 'politicians' if only we would favor them with a vote.

We have a local pol who claims to be a good old boy and is always seen leaning on the fender of his truck, a barn and tractor in the background, while he promises to get rid of the politicians that are infesting Sacramento. But...he is one! He already holds office. In Sacramento...

Doesn't anyone notice? We deserve the government we get...

Beautiful Day

The sun is out and it's supposed to be 77 degrees for our high...and then the forecast---

... Major change in the weather pattern coming with valley rain
and mountain snow early next week... 

A cold low pressure system from the Gulf of Alaska will begin
dropping into the eastern Pacific this weekend. A cold front
associated with this low is forecast to move into northern
California Sunday night passing through the north state on Monday
and Monday night. This system will bring breezy winds... valley
rain and mountain snow between Sunday night and early Tuesday
morning. Subsequent systems may bring lighter amounts of precipitation
later in the week. 

Between Sunday night and early Tuesday... valley rains of up to a half inch
are expected. Roads which have been dry for months will likely
become very slick at times due to the build up of dirt and oilsover the Summer. Motorist should allow extra time for travel especially
during the Monday morning commute. Localized heavier rain is also
possible. Areas scarred from recent wild fires over the Summer
will be susceptible to debris flow. At the higher elevations... snow
accumulations of 6 to 12 inches are possible above 5500 feet.
Travel will become hazardous there due to slick roads and reduced
visibilities at times.

 Yikes! Suddenly it's Fall.

But we're not worried as we will be flying South to Disneyland on Wednesday AM and we will land at John Wayne International Airport where the temperature will be 79 degrees and the sun will be shining...all week long. We will have our son and girlfriend with us as well as the 'reason' for the trip; our twin 9 year old grandchildren.

Friedensreich Hundertwasser -

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

I hadn't heard of him until this morning...where was my head? Anyway, I find his work to be fascinating. Just use Google Images to see his works. I especially enjoy his architectural works; very much like Antoni Gaudi.



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Identity of donors

 to conservative group sought - latimes.com:

""We went online and checked them out," he said. "They seemed like a legitimate group.""

Of course...because everything you read on the internet is true. Isn't that the rule?


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Too Many Mitts Says The Salt Lake Tribune

Tribune Endorsement: Too Many Mitts | The Salt Lake Tribune:

I hope this gets national attention!

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The sickening truth

 about wind farm syndrome - opinion - 08 October 2012 - New Scientist

I knew it! The closest wind farm is about 120 miles from here but even so, it's causing me gray hair, memory loss and 'stray electricity'...

Leaked Audio

Captures Romney Asking Employers To Tell Their Employees How To Vote

Why am I not surprised? He would think it's perfectly normal to act this way.


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another one

Just listened to the news and they were reporting that Fedex is consolidating services, laying off workers and will be laying off even more as automation will make their positions redundant. Our worry shouldn't be outsourcing...automation is taking jobs away and it won't be stopped. Remember the folks that used to make buggy whips? You don't? Neither do I.

Driving around

I spotted more than one politicians' plea for my vote. They're everywhere! And the the standard theme these days is to promise jobs. City council, county supervisors, state representatives, dog catcher...they are all promising jobs. Of course it's all a lie. If you want jobs to reappear you have to educate. There are only so many service jobs and they are always filled with those that didn't aspire to higher goals because their education was so poor. We didn't give them the education they deserved. In the meantime, mid level technical/engineering jobs are going unfilled for a lack of qualified applicants. When will we learn?

I'm anxiously awaiting the delivery of my ballot. I want to fill it out immediately and get it back to the registrar. I heard that California now has over 50% of the voters using 'absentee' ballots. Now if we could only turn that 50% into independent voters, we would have some power! Power to eliminate the two party system...that's what I want to see.  

Steve Jobs Quote

Top 15 Steve Jobs Quotes | Big Is The New Small: +

"Picasso had a saying: ‘Good artists copy, great artists steal.’ We have always been shameless about stealing great ideas… ~Steve Jobs"

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a moral imperative

“When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty.”
— Thomas Jefferson

Romney’s ruinous tax plan - From The Washington Post

Romney’s ruinous tax plan - The Washington Post:

Another worthy read...

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From Tumblr...Obama for America

Obama for America:

Why, oh why didn't we hear this last night? That should have been his closing statement.


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Words

I'm feeling quite 'wordy' today and so here is another thought, or two, of mine.

Regarding the debate. I was disappointed in Jim Lehrer last night. He let himself be intimidated, or so it seemed. I like Jim Lehrer a lot and it seemed as if he wasn't up to the job. Both candidates should have been sternly reprimanded at one time or another, but Romney deserved it far more often.

But, previously, I said I wasn't watching the debate. And I wasn't. But I was recording it for my wife and she watched after she got home. And so I heard it from the other room. It wasn't pleasant to hear the truth being twisted and tortured by the Republican candidate.

And that business about Mitt getting rid of PBS/NPR funding! What an idiot! The figure that I read was that .012% of the federal budget is used for that funding. Chicken feed. That sure sounds like a personal vendetta on Mitt's part. Actually, he is playing to his base; they hate NPR/PBS with a vengeance. They can't stand to hear true 'fair and balanced' news as opposed to the Fox kind.

I was also offended by the references to the 10th Amendment. If there was ever an Amendment that deserved to be removed from the Constitution, this is it. This is the 21st century and Romney is telling me that if I want the best healthcare or education, that I have to shop around among the various States and then move to the one that best suits my needs. What? And how does that make us a better nation?

I'm a citizen of the world who lives in the United States and within a region of the USA called California. Am I a patriot? Somewhat. I've learned that American Exceptionalism is a lie. I served in the Navy, which is more than most of the draft dodging Republicans can say.

There I go again, getting off topic...I better quit while I can.

Okay. One more thing...Romney threw out the 'best healthcare system in the world' lie once again. Why wasn't he called on it?

From TIME GOES BY | Loneliness and Old Age

 Loneliness and Old Age:

Ms Bennett has a very interesting subject here and since for technical reasons, I don't seem to be able to comment within her Comment section, I will just do it right here...but first, read her blog and then return.

I would probably believe the Terman Longevity Study before I would the others. I am lonely at times but it's often by choice or by temperament. I've been a 'loner' all of my life. As an INFP personality type I am extremely introverted. People wear me out! While I was in the Navy I always asked for the 'graveyard' shifts and loved them. During my career in the construction industry I always worked alone. I was foreman and I was a superintendent and you don't make friends in those positions; you might have to fire a 'friend'. As an estimator I had to be alone during the work day. Estimators were not to be disturbed because we were always counting things.

Now don't get the wrong idea; I was not anti-social. I went to all the company functions...and left early. I traded jokes with the people I worked with. But I rarely had anything in common with most of those people. I  remember quite vividly the making a friend during my days of working with my tools on. During a conversation at lunch, I discovered that he read...books! Finding someone like that on a construction site is very rare and we became very good friends.

Now 72 and retired (by choice) for almost nine years, I find that my time on the internet, my time with my artist friends, my time at church...are enough for most times. I know that I can find other sources for friendship but my 'standards' are often too high. Like that friend from long ago, I'm always looking for someone who reads...books.

I paint once a week with a group of eight other painters. They all read books. We talk more than we paint. Painting is our excuse for getting together. I scour the internet for others who read books and I've found plenty of them. We haven't met in person but I think of them as friends. Ar our church we have four pastors and they are all intellectuals who believe that there is a way for science and religion to get along. We work with the University of California, Chico (nest door) in a series of seminars about science and religion. We work with other faiths and have sponsored seminars with local Muslims as guests. I own a Koran and read it. (now and then)

But I digress...(I'm 72 and it's allowed) what I was getting at was the fact that I can choose to be lonely...or not. And this would have been my comment on Ms Bennett's blog this morning.






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polling

The debate is over and who won? Of course it all depends on who you ask and that's the rub. There never will be a winner or a loser in these contests. That's probably one of the reasons why I hate the darn things!

But on to the polls and a thought that I have had for quite awhile now...since I won't answer the phone for a pollster and since I know a lot of others that feel the same way, we are never going to be included in those polls. That's millions of people. I read the other day where a reporter attempted to conduct his own poll of a thousand voters and after two days of calling he had been able to get the opinions of a little over a hundred people.

People who answer their phones for pollsters (and then answer the questions) are a subset within the general population yet that is where the statistics are coming from. That is a small subset. I would guess that these are lonely people that are thrilled when they hear the phone ringing. Yet we believe the figures when they come out in the paper or we see them online.

I've always wondered why they don't use internet polling? You have no idea who you have contacted when you use the phone and so it is with the internet. You have no idea as to the truthfulness of their answers when you use the phone and so it is with the internet. All things being equal, why not use the internet?

Someone has decided to do just that! And of course it's Google; in a trial run.


A CNN poll of debate-watchers found Mr. Romney very clearly ahead, with 67 percent of registered voters saying he won the debate, against just 25 percent for President Obama.

A CBS News poll of undecided voters who watched the debate found 46 percent siding with Mr. Romney, 22 percent for Mr. Obama and 32 percent saying it was a tie.

Google, which is experimenting with online surveys, found 38.9 percent of respondents saying they thought Mr. Obama performed better in a poll it conducted during the debate, against 35.5 percent for Mr. Romney and 25.6 percent who said it was a draw. But a second poll they conducted after the debate found 47.8 percent of respondents giving Mr. Romney the advantage, against 25.4 percent for Mr. Obama.

Do those figures tell us anything? I'm not sure yet, though I'm naturally inclined to believe the Google figures. I think Google is on to something here and I don't doubt that other pollsters will be following their lead. Perhaps then I will have my voice heard in a poll.

Now a word about the debate; from all I've read, Mr. Romney was all bluster and no facts. That is what his base loves! He talks about the 12 million new jobs he will create and yet he won't describe even one of those new jobs for us. Me, I'll take 'facts' every time.

Debates

The debates are on and I have left the room. As an INFP personality type with AS, I cannot stand the rancor. Listening to the arguing actually gives me a terrible feeling; one that I find hard to describe. my heart races and I can't concentrate on what I'm doing. Even with the volume all of the way down, I know that they are arguing and that still bothers me. If I were there, I would charge the stage and tell the two men to stop! Stop it right now! Settle your differences like grownups. 

Of course I would never make it to the stage; I would be shot dead by the Secret Service agents...so I'll just read the critics views tomorrow. Reading is going to make me angry but I will be alive. And alive to vote for Obama.

Mitt in 1985

Talking to a group of employees, caught on video...

 "“Bain Capital is an investment partnership which was formed to invest in startup companies and ongoing companies, then to take an active hand in managing them and hopefully, five to eight years later, to harvest them at a significant profit.”"

How's that for job creation?


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Poll: Romney Ahead in Presidential Race, Say Replacement Refs : The New Yorker

Poll: Romney Ahead in Presidential Race, Say Replacement Refs : The New Yorker:

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From Birds on the Brain

Birds on the Brain:
"A word about PowerPoint. PowerPoint was released by Microsoft in 1990 as a way to euthanize cattle using a method less cruel than hitting them over the head with iron mallets. After PETA successfully argued in court that PowerPoint actually was more cruel than iron mallets, the program was adopted by corporations for slide show presentations. Conducting a PowerPoint presentation is a lot like smoking a cigar. Only the person doing it likes it. The people around him want to hit him with a chair. PowerPoint is usually restricted to conference rooms where the doors are locked from the outside. It is, therefore, considered unsuited for large rallies, where people have a means of escape and where the purpose is to energize rather than daze."

These words are so true!

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From TIME GOES BY

 What Plutocracy Looks Like: Read this!

Because I don't enjoy the verbal friction among guests, found on the TV shows of political pundits, I don't even know who Chris Hayes is. But I do know a well written piece and this is one. ( I like Rachel Maddow, precisely because she has no guests...go figure)



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Isn't it time?

Among all of the voices heard during this political season, one is curiously absent. That would the voice of the last President. The one that has a real grasp on the ins and outs of the financial disaster that is plaguing us. Yet he is silent. In fact, if he has thrown his support to the Republican candidate, I must have missed it. Where is President Bush? As a senior statesman of the Republican party, you would think that he would be crisscrossing the country, giving speeches in support of Romney. Isn't it time for him to come out in support of his budget; the one that President Obama inherited? President Clinton was eager to talk about his budget!

I still have a copy of the book, The Three Trillion Dollar War: The True Cost of the Iraq Conflict by Joseph Stiglitz and Linda Bilmes. It came out in 2008 and so it doesn't include all of the costs of the war in Afghanistan. I'm willing to guess that there are at least another two trillion dollars that will come from that war. If you haven't read it, you should. Four years later and it's even more timely.

Those are Bush's wars. Those are Republican wars. Did Democrats vote to go to war? Yes, they did; based on Bush's lies.

I really don't know why I bother to point out all of this evidence. Romney Republicans don't read. They're not about to let facts get in the way of their hatred for a black/white President.

Whenever I become engaged with a Romney supporter, I just ask 'who did you vote for in 2000 and 2004?'
When they answer 'Bush' I simply say 'Well, there's your problem.' Case closed.' and I turn and leave.

US ranks 28th

US ranks 28th in Internet connection speed: report: "

"People in Japan can upload a high-definition video in 12 minutes, compared to a grueling 2.5 hours at the US average upload speed," the report said."

by the way, we also pay the very most for our connections.


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Inside the brain

I just started reading The Republican Brain; The Science of Why They Deny Science - and Reality by journalist Chris Mooney. So far, so good. It should be explained that Mr. Mooney is writing about the 'brain' of the far right wing, radicalized Republican. In other words, your average Romney follower. 

Although I could never be a Republican; it's simply not in my genes, I do know a lot of very nice Republicans. And I have to wonder what they are thinking as they see this empty suit pretending to be anything that his base wants him to be. The Grand Old Party will never be the same after this election, no matter who wins. The leadership is now exposed for the greedy poltroons that they are. 

Speaking of poltroons...I was thinking that perhaps we could start using some of the old political nicknames for our slate of politicians. How about The Know Nothings? I think it's perfect! It fits for one reason; because they were Republicans!

Although I'm happy to see Willard making all sorts of mistakes these days, I am not certain of victory for the Democrats. The people that want to own this country have more money...and greed than we can imagine. And they aren't afraid to use it.

Mother Jones via the NYT

Mother Jones Releases Complete Video of Romney at Private Fund-raiser - NYTimes.com:

I'm a Mother Jones fan and have been a subscriber to the magazine named for her, for many years. But this has to be one of the best things they have ever done to protect our freedom. I can hardly wait to read the article...



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From No More Mister Nice Blog

No More Mister Nice Blog:

Once again I've found that this blog is pretty good. These are pretty much the same sentiments that I have...


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Pictures, we got pictures!

I don't remember if I have ever mentioned the HAMB Jalopy Journal before and since I can't remember, I will proceed as if I have not. This image thread was started almost three years ago and members have contributed thousands of photos. The theme was supposed to be 'old' cars and items related to the automobile industry. That changed over the years and there are photos of just about everything...but all are 'old'. So, if you like to browse through an endless supply of photos, this the place (HAMB Jalopy Journal)
You never know what you might see; For instance, I've seen photos of my old hometown, Manhattan Beach. I recently ran across a large photo of Hermosa Beach, taken from uptown and showing the luxurious Hermosa Biltmore. Plus a lot of photos of the drive-ins that we used to cruise on the weekends. Nostalgia? Plenty of it.

From "No More Mister Nice Blog"

No More Mister Nice Blog

A brief history of the life of Steve Klein...

I never cease to be amazed at the depth of perversion that's found in the Right Wing Christian groups... so here I am, amazed and disgusted.

Some clarity

From a blog I just read... it seems that the NY Times had one story (the one below) early in the AM and then this quote was deleted in the final story. Go to Blogging via Typewriter for the story

“an adviser to the campaign who worked in the George W. Bush administration” who went so far as to say that Romney “had forgotten the first rule in a crisis: don’t start talking before you understand what’s happening.” 

Anti-Islam Filmmaker

Anti-Islam Filmmaker Went by 'P.J. Tobacco' and 13 Other Names from Wired Magazine

Mystery solved. And there was a piece of human garbage involved. And then he found more just like him to help... what isn't clear is the question of criminality. Did he commit a crime by making this film? I certainly hope so!


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I feel so much better

I left Facebook...the management at Facebook seems to have lost their moral compass or they have lost control of their employees. Besides that, it is a big waste of time.

From now on it's Blogger, Twitter and Tumblr.

I suppose you could call those three 'time wasters' as well, but they seem a little bit cleaner.

Mitt Romney and the "Libya Surprise":

Mitt Romney and the "Libya Surprise": How it Unfolded : The New Yorker:

But he couldn't wait to shoot his mouth off. Facts, Governor. The world operates best on facts.

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Libya

Mitt Romney is an embarrassment to the human race. Or is he just Rove's puppet like the last Republican wannabe President? He criticized the President as soon as Rove heard the news and told him what to say but he didn't bother to verify anything at all. Is this how he would govern us? That last Republican President (the one whose name cannot be said) governed that way and we all know how that turned out.
Something serious, very serious, happened in Libya and Mitt needs to butt out and let the grownups work on it.

News Flash

"After months of rampant rumors and hype, Apple debuted the company's latest smartphone today, claiming it is the world’s thinnest."

Who did they steal that idea from?

memories

I was just reading Left Leaning Lady's post for today and the memories cane back. I was in Grandview, Missouri at the time, teaching a future estimator how to use our software. There was a television on in the break room and we soon heard the loud voices through our closed office door. We couldn't make sense of what they were talking about so we went to the break room to see for ourselves. Everyone was talking at once, and since I couldn't fathom the thought of an airliner hitting the building, told my 'student' that we ought to continue where we left off. We had just sat down when the second tower was hit. Now we knew. We closed the office and I drove back to my hotel room in Lenexa, Kansas. I turned the TV on and sat there dazed, trying to grasp the enormity of it all. I called home and we shared our fears over the phone. I needed to be home; I knew that. But I was in Kansas and home was in Northern California and there were no planes flying. I checked with my boss and he got our travel coordinator to arrange for our rental cars to be driven anywhere they needed to go. We had staff scattered all around the country so there were about 2 dozen cars involved. It wasn't until later that I realized how lucky I was to have that rental car. I set off the next morning. As I traveled, the radio would fade in and out as I passed the towns on the prairie. And all I heard were stories of great bravery. Amazing!
Traveling on I-70, I soon noticed that the majority of the cars on the road were rental cars. Everyone without a flight to take was heading home. After about 12 hours I was approaching the Denver Airport and as I passed the turnoff I looked up and scanned the sky; not a single plane to be seen. Eerie! I got as far as Eagle, Colorado that first day after driving for 15 hours. I got the last room at the hotel and the clerk told me that every car in the parking lot was either a rental or one that had been purchased just for this one trip home.
One advantage to driving all by yourself across half the country is...plenty of time to think. And I thought about what had just happened almost continuously. And I think that long drive healed me in a way; I was no longer fearful. I was putting it all in perspective; my perspective, certainly, but still calm and rational.
The next day was a 17 hour day, but I was home. The day after my long drive, I returned the car to Avis at the Sacramento Airport. 'Life' began again.
To be honest, I'm not much for physical memorials. No one is returned to life by erecting them. If they comfort someone...fine. The memorial to the victims of the 9/11 attack is embedded in my memory and will never go away. The only physical memorial I approve of is the Vietnam War Memorial. It should be law that every President, Senator and Congressperson walk around this memorial to those killed in a wrongful war, once every year. Have them read the names as they go...
 

Foreign Policy Team:

Mitt Romney Foreign Policy Team: 17 of 24 Advisors Are Bush Neocons:

Doesn't that bother anyone in the MSM? I know it scares the heck out of me! (especially Cofer Black and John Bolton. These people are evil)

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Teachers’ Strike in Chicago

Teachers’ Strike in Chicago Tests Mayor and Union - NYTimes.com:

"Kelly Farrell, a kindergarten teacher at Higgins Elementary on the city’s South Side, said her class had so many pupils that she did not even have enough seats for them all. “They are 5 years old,” she said. “They want their teacher’s attention, and there is one of me and 43 of them.”"

It's not always about money...but it's a fact that taxpayers don't want to buy new classrooms. They don't want to buy new books. They don't want to buy paper and pencils. They don't want to buy computers and software. But they do want their children educated. So I guess it is about money and it's also true that you get what you pay for.


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From the Nameless Cynic:

Nameless Cynic: Why Does The GOP Loves Mitt Romney?:

Flipping and flopping...you need to read this. Or, you should read this. What a difference fifty years makes.

From Who Hijacked Our Country:

 Are You Better Off Than You Were Four Years Ago? YES

Click on the link and see the headlines from September of 2008...4 YEARS AGO! And who was President? The man that no one (Republican) will mention...George Bush. He did this to us. And the Republican Party wants to do it again. Apparently, they didn't get all of our money last time.

Relativity

I've been fooling around with genealogy once more. It's fascinating and I will enjoy it for a month or so and then the 'facts' begin to inundate my poor brain. Then I have to stop for awhile; perhaps a year or so. Just long enough for my brain to recover.
I've always used Ancestry dot com for my research and the program has become easier than ever to use. A plus for me as I need all the help I can get. And speaking of help; I have found two relatives that are deep into genealogy and they have helped immensely. One is my second cousin, a relative I didn't know about until I began to explore, and the other is the wife of my wife's cousin. They are both wizards! Generous wizards.
Anyway, one of the relatives I found, died in an insane asylum in the 1800's. Terrible! And one of my relatives is Jane Seymour. Yes, that Jane Seymour; the mother of King Edward and a wife of Henry the VIII. She is my 12th Great Grand Aunt.and that's a long way back. Born in 1509 and died 1n 1537 from ?infection? following childbirth at the age of 28. She did give birth to a male heir (Edward) so if she had lived, she would have been the luckiest of Henry's wives. The others, if they did not produce a male child, were disposed of. In that day they did not know that it was the male that determined the sex of the baby.

Time does go by

I was reading a favorite blog, Time Goes By, and Ronni Bennett was noting how aging affected her. That happens to be a favorite subject of mine as I'm reminded of my age every ten minutes, 18/7. I find it more difficult to get out of the chair or off of the couch. Not because I don't want to, but because my body refuses to spring into action and catapult me into an upright position. I watch myself as I try to find some leverage spot that will ease me upwards. And I can't help but compare what I see with what used to be. We go to a gym now in an effort to slow the aging process and that's where I'm faced with brutal reality. It's hard work! But we persevere and then I go to the pool to join a group of elders in an elders water fitness program. I want to hide. My once trim body (I was a sheetrocker! 6'2" and 180#) is now overweight (6'1" and 240#) and my belly is hanging over the edges of my swim trunks. I debated leaving my shirt on but since I would be the only one doing that, I decided to bare it all. Well, not ALL, but my stomach was going to be exposed. I joined the elders in the pool. Oh, my...they were all old. Really old! Was I 'old' as well? I try not to think about it. We do this three times a week for an hour each time and I think...that my bracelet is a little bit looser now. That's progress. And if it continues, I will be able to take the covers off of the mirrors at home.

End of the week

We watched the DNC last night by way of our recorder. We were out and about on Thursday, so a recording had to be made. It was great! What else can I say?
I'm no longer a Democrat, having left the Party about 12 years ago because they were becoming the party of the center and I'm a liberal. We lost our fit. But last night I was glad to see that the Democrats had regained some courage. There was no centrist appeal to their message. And the audience in the convention center was fantastic!  Every color of humankind was represented. There were Muslims! They would never have made it past security at that 'other' convention. There were Sikhs with their colorful turbans. They too would have been viewed with suspicion at the RNC.
With the conventions out of the way, the Republicans are unleashing all that money that Romney's 'friends' have promised him. The American public has shown themselves to be gullible and with this flood of money we are looking at the buying of a Presidency and a nation. But why? Why on earth would you want to return to the same failed policies and think they will work this time? Reagan proved it didn't work. So did Bush #1. Then Bush #2 proved it in the most destructive way possible, leaving the country in financial meltdown. Didn't any voter notice that Bush #2 wasn't invited to Tampa nor was his name mentioned? Doesn't that make anyone suspicious? If it doesn't, I give up on the American voter...  

PolitiFact | Barack Obama's file

PolitiFact | Barack Obama's file: versus Mitt Romney's file

but I forgot...the Romney Campaign said they didn't care about 'facts'. Well, that's obvious!

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From BLOGGING via TYPEWRITER.

 - Hey after Michelle’s speech go back and find Ann Romney’s and watch that too and cringe at the insincerity.:

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A dumb question

From No More Mister Nice Blog:

 "Suppose your house is on fire and the firefighters race to the scene. They set up their hoses and start spraying water on the blaze as quickly as possible. After the fire is put out, the courageous news reporter on the scene asks the chief firefighter, "is the house in better shape than when you got here?""

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Where did the time go?

It's a day off! (I'm retired, so every day is a day off...) and what am I doing? I'm scrolling through Tumblr and then 'pinning' interesting Tumblr posts to my Pinterest account. It's a  terrible time waster but I excuse it by saying that I have a painting that is drying, and this scrolling is educational. Both things are true. I do have a painting that is drying and I will be adding to it in just a few more minutes. And Tumblr can be educational if you pick the right people to 'follow'. I have followed artists of all schools and so I'm constantly seeing great works. And I see great work by unknowns as well. Tumblr and Pinterest are definitely habits...the jury is out on whether or not they are bad habits.

John Deere

Last night, I was watching a television program that I had stumbled across and it was all about the making of Combines by the John Deere Company. And it showed just how those combines worked for the farmer. Great stuff! Really. And as I watched these huge machines being assembled, I was struck by the fact that robots were being used all over the factory floor in different operations. Now John Deere is a fine All-American company, so nothing was being outsourced, but the humans were slowly being replaced by the non-complaining robots. This same scenario is being played out from coast to coast. I don't know how to solve the problem but I do know that it is growing. In a year or two, we will be our own worst enemy and we won't be able to blame outsourcing for the disappearance of jobs. So what do we do? It might help if industry and our school systems worked hand in hand. Why are we educating children to do work that is disappearing?

What's going on?

I have not decided to allow a third party to advertise on this blog, yet I found one that had sneaked on to my blog...Text Enhance. Where did that come from? I have a feeling that the search and remedy will take me some time. Blogger, you frustrate me!

Once again

     It's that time of year. I've made it to the age of 72, an age that would have made me snort with laughter when I was 16. Who could possibly be 72 years old? Maybe that old man, Ed Sullivan; he might be 72. At the age of 16, my world vision was quite limited.
     I received a birthday greeting last night from my second cousin who lives in St. Louis. She found me while working on her family tree. I'm sure glad she did! It's nice to have a little more family, even when she's half way across the country. Someday I hope to meet Cece in person...
     We're not going to the gym this morning. We did that yesterday and had a full workout. We've only been going to the gym for about two weeks now but I think I have begun to firm up the stomach once again. Ever since my first surgery, I have put on about 40 pounds. Fear of pain kept me out of the gym until we decided to use the Silver Sneakers free gym membership offered by our AARP supplemental insurance. I had no pain after the first trial workout and so I'm continuing with it until I see 200 pounds on the scale once again.
      I am going to be painting again this morning. I have half a dozen pieces that I'm working on; some in acrylics and some in water soluble oil pastels. I love getting my hands into my work and the oil pastels are perfect for that kind of pleasure. Recently, I had an offer to show my work at a local sports club and I'm going to need more pieces than I have hanging around the house. I have until February to put the show together and that should be enough time.
      I'm trying to avoid framing my work. Frames are the worst! They're expensive and if you make the wrong choice in the frame, it doesn't matter that your art work is stunning, you'll never sell it. I have been using MDF panels that I cover in 2 coats of gesso and then 'frame' them with wood backing. I sand the wood and the edge of the MDF at the same time and leave them unfinished. I like the look. Or, I put a frame that is smaller than the piece and then it looks like the piece is floating on the wall; another nice look.
       We still have smoke in the air from the two fires that are not fully contained. Other than that, it's really just another ordinary day around here. I like it! Now I think I'll go paint for awhile...

Fact-Checkers Howl

Fact-Checkers Howl, but Both Sides Cling to False Ads - NYTimes.com: "

“We’re not going let our campaign be dictated by fact-checkers,” Neil Newhouse, the Romney campaign’s pollster, said this week during a breakfast discussion at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., that was sponsored by ABC News and Yahoo News. He said that fact-checkers brought their own sets of thoughts and beliefs to their work, and that the campaign stands behind its ads."

Facts are thoughts? Facts are beliefs? Not on this planet. Facts ARE facts. Period. Mr. Newhouse is a liar. Disgraceful!


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Lies?

I just finished another morning of reading about the lies. You know, the Republican convention lies. Apparently, the Republicans have decided to abandon all integrity and take the lowest road in the quest for the White House. The party has already declared that they were not going to be dictated to by 'fact checkers'. If not the 'fact checkers', than who will moderate their speech? You would think that the moderate Republicans would be speaking out on this issue and calling for more honesty from their candidates. You would think that moderate Republicans would be embarrassed. Are there any moderate Republicans left? I don't think so and that's a terrible loss for our country. We no longer have the give and take between the parties that used to be a symbol of our democracy. Now the Republican rhetoric is 'slash, burn and take no prisoners'.

(Check out PolitiFact for the latest count on Pants on Fire lies...it's depressing)

Why not?

Isn't it time for our President to start naming names and pointing directly at those Republicans that are lying? He should just say it...Mitt Romney (pause) is a liar. Ryan (pause) is a liar! Now say it again and again through all of the speeches and as a topper, ask directly for an apology!This is not politics as usual; the Republicans have declared war on the truth because they know if it's said often enough, it will become "truth" to the masses of uninformed. The masses that hate the thought of a black man in the White House.

Wooden, but Wishful -

From the - NYTimes.com:
 "Neil Newhouse, a Romney pollster, recently explained that “we’re not going to let our campaign be dictated by fact checkers.” Or the facts themselves, obviously."

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Day two?

Day 2 of the RNC has passed and we still don't know anything about that empty suit named Mitt. We do know that his wife stands beside him in her own empty suit. What did she say? Important? And that was followed by the disgrace that calls himself governor of New Jersey. Again, emptiness. Devoid of any meaning. The standard lies were repeated as expected and that was that...

I'm not sure I can take much more of this... I need to get my brushes and paint.