Way To Go Ruth!

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will become the first Supreme Court member to conduct a same-sex marriage ceremony Saturday (tonight) when she officiates at the Washington wedding of Kennedy Center President Michael M. Kaiser.

The gala wedding of Kaiser and economist John Roberts at the performing arts center brings together the nation’s highest court and the capital’s high society and will mark a new milepost in the recognition of same-sex unions.

During a recent interview, Ginsburg seemed excited about being the first member of the court to conduct such a ceremony and said it was only a logical next step.

“I think it will be one more statement that people who love each other and want to live together should be able to enjoy the blessings and the strife in the marriage relationship,” Ginsburg said.

She added: “It won’t be long before there will be another” performed by a justice. Indeed, she has another planned for September.  (Washington Post)

Way to go Ruth!  Just one day more...

A Repeat

Back in May I posted the comments below about U.S. involvement in Syria.  Yesterday Secretary of State John Kerry was in the news making the case for the Obama administration for a military strike on Syria. Leon Panetta was also in the news making the same arguments.

Chemical weapons were reportedly used in Syria and while that is horrendous, that doesn't change the fact that it is still a sectarian civil war.  Zbigniew Brzezinski was right back in May and any military action by the U.S. will only serve to agitate even more the religious factions in middle east.

Not unlike other presidents before him, President Obama got ahead of himself when he made the comment about a "red line" Syria shouldn't cross.  He should admit that and use any other means other than military action to avoid getting the U.S. mired in another civil war that will change nothing.  Just one day more...

Monday, May 13, 2013

WEARY

In the recent Time magazine, Zbigniew Brzezinski stated exactly what I think about those who are calling for the U.S. to get involved in Syria:

“The Syrian conflict is a sectarian war in a volatile region whose potential to spread and directly threaten American interests would only be increased by U.S. intervention.

The struggle is between forces funded and armed by outside sponsors, notably Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Iran. Also participating are foreign religious groups not directly controlled by the sponsors, namely the Sunni Salafists and Iranian-aligned militias, not to mention intensely anti-Western al-Qaeda fighters. American involvement would simply mobilize the most extreme elements of these factions against the U.S. and pose the danger that the conflict would spill over into the neighborhood and set Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon on fire.”  (Time)

Zbigniew Brzezinski is one of the most intellectual minds on world affairs and his words should be listened to.  Some in Congress have been rattling the sabers of military intervention, notwithstanding that the majority of Americans are war weary.  Weary of the cost in dollars and lives. The neo-cons had their way with civil wars in Iran and Afghanistan at a horrendous cost. The time has come to stop getting involved in sectarian and religious civil wars.  Just one day more...

Take Responsibility

A new poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation shows that many Americans are still uninformed on the Affordable Care Act  and apparently uninterested in becoming informed.

Among respondents, 63 percent have not tried to seek out more information.  In addition, 44 percent are unaware whether the Affordable Care Act is still the law of the land. The poll found 8 percent believe it has been repealed by Congress, 5 percent believe it was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, and 31 percent either don't know or refused to answer.  Fifty-one percent say they don't have enough information about the law to understand how it will impact them.

Even with this confusion, a clear majority opposes withholding funding to implement the 2010 law. Fifty-seven percent of Americans say they disapprove of cutting off funding for the Affordable Care Act, while just 36 percent say they would approve such a move.

Seriously?!  Fifty-one percent say they don’t have enough information about the law and 63 percent say they have not tried to seek out more information!?  People... all you have to do is go to healthcare.gov and you can find all the information about the law you need.

Come on you 63 percent... take some responsibility for yourself.  Make the effort to learn about the law.  Just one day more...

Nice When a Plan Works

Back in 2006 we made the major decision to purchase a new Dodge pickup with the Cummins diesel engine.  We were pulling our travel trailer with a 1/2 ton pickup and while it did the job, it wasn’t the most ideal match.  The Dodge diesel pulled the travel trailer with no effort.  

Purchasing a new pickup, rather than a low mileage used one added to the expense, however with a trade on the 1/2 ton and cash we had in savings it seemed like the right decision.  The plan was to keep the pickup in top condition and we figured that when we retired in 7 or 8 years and upgraded to a fifth wheel we would have a good pickup with about 50,000 miles on it.  My wife and I are recently retired, preparing for our first trip south for the winter and the pickup just turned 49,000 miles. 

Insurance costs and taxes & license are coming down because it is a 2006. With only 49,000 miles it has plenty of miles left, especially with a diesel,  into our retirement to pull the fifth wheel.  It’s sure nice when a plan works.  Just one day more... 

1963

August 28, 1963.  I had just turned 13 that week and while I was somewhat detached from the events of the day, I was aware of them.  I didn't understand the hate.  I still don't.  As some states in our country impede minorities from voting with voter ID laws and our Supreme Court has eviscerated the Voting Rights Act of 1968, I wonder if we have actually come that far.   Just one day more...

RV Alignment Morning

I recently noticed one of the tires on the 5th wheel was wearing uneven.  The trailer has less than 4000 miles on it and we have had it only 16 months.  Bummer.

It has been in the high 90’s here on the farm, so we decided to take the camper into Lincoln early in the morning (6:30 AM) to check the alignment and beat the hottest part of the day.  I had my doubts I could find anyone local to do an alignment, but when I contacted the truck service shop they said they do RV alignments all the time.  Inland Truck Service is a national outfit and it turns out they were the right ones to go to.  And it turned into a learning experience.

They checked the hubs and bearings for any play and found them to be tight, which meant an alignment was the next step.  Even though it was only one tire with uneven wear, they aligned all wheels and both axles.  The technician said both axles were out of alignment, with one more than the other.  Cost:  $200.   I told him I was surprised a new trailer would leave the factor out of alignment and he said it is common.  In fact, they have a good business doing RV axle alignments.  He said RV manufacturers use axles aligned to simple specs and most RV manufacturers don’t take the time to do an accurate alignment after the axles are on the trailer.  He said it pays to tell the dealer (or manufacturer in our case since we bought our Hitchhiker from the factory) to do an alignment before the purchase. 

The next step was stopping at a nearby tire dealership to have the spare tire switched with the uneven tire.  They are so new that it made sense to put a good tire in place of the uneven one.  Unfortunately, the spare has a painted wheel and the trailer has aluminum wheels, requiring switching tires on the wheels.  We were pleasantly surprised when they charged only $15. to do the switch.  I’ve changed tires on our travel trailer a couple of times and had far more than $15. aggravation. 

The whole morning cost us $250 and four hours of our time, but is money well spent for the peace of mind that the tires should wear even now.  What’s the old saying about preventative maintenance??  Just one day more...

Doh!

More Louisiana Republicans blame President Obama than President Bush for the federal government’s poor response to Hurricane Katrina.

In an August 16th - 19th survey by Public Policy Polling, the question for respondents read as follows:  “Who do you think was more responsible for the poor response to Hurricane Katrina: George W. Bush or Barack Obama?”

28% of respondents said President Bush was more responsible, while 29% answered with President Obama. 44% said they were uncertain.

Hurricane Katrina happened in 2005, a full three years before President Obama was in office.

Just one day more...

The do-nothings

June 8

SANTA MONICA, California - Four people were killed in a shooting rampage in Santa Monica, California, that ended Friday with the gunman clad in tactical gear dead in a college library.

The gunman who went on a shooting rampage in Santa Monica, California, killed four people. The gunman was also killed, bringing the total number of deaths to five.  The gunman was wearing what appeared to be a ballistic vest and carried a semi-automatic assault rifle.

The shooter began his rampage at a residence near the campus of Santa Monica College, opening fire in a house, where police later found two bodies. He then shot at a passing car before carjacking another vehicle.. He forced the driver, a woman, to drive onto the college campus. There he shot two people in a passing vehicle. One died at the scene. The gunman also fatally shot someone outside the campus library, where he engaged police in a gunfight  (CNN)

August 20

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Police detained a gunman who they say walked into a DeKalb County elementary school on Tuesday armed with multiple guns. The suspect, who has been identified as Michael Brandon Hill, may have slipped in behind an employee at Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy before confronting office staff about 1 p.m., officials said.

DeKalb County Police Chief Cedric Alexander said the 20-year-old suspect fired on officers as they arrived and officers returned fire.  Alexander also said the alleged gunman had multiple guns, including an AK-47. Alexander told Channel 2’s Ryan Young firefighters cut a hole in a nearby residence so children could evacuate the school grounds through the back of that home.  “We could not bring the children around to the front of the school because we didn’t know if explosives were in the vehicle,” Alexander said. “  (WSB-TV)

It has been nearly 8 months since Sandy Hook.  Hey Congress... how’s it going with the assault weapons reforms?  Oh wait... you say nothing has been done?!   Just one day more...

Rick gets it right

Rick Doyle gets it right in his blog today on Ted Cruz.

Ted Cruz is a goober hypocrite.

http://rickpaulettervjournal.blogspot.com/

Unplanned

On a whim we decided to hook up the fiver on Thursday and head to Omaha for a couple of days.  There was a bluegrass concert scheduled at the Sumter Amphitheater for Friday night, so we took off Thursday afternoon.  

As luck would have it, there was also a free concert Thursday night, with a local blues band called “112 North Duck” consisting of a drummer, two guitarists and lead singer.  The band was entertaining and their lead guitarist was especially talented.

On Friday we went to Camping World and Bass Pro Shop right across the border in Council Bluffs, Iowa.  Then back to Omaha where we stopped by our daughter’s kindergarten classroom.  She has been busy getting ready for the start of school this week.  This is the first year of retirement from teaching for my wife, so she knows full well all the work involved in getting the classroom ready for a new school year.

Friday evening was the bluegrass concert and the first band on the stage was “The Devil Makes 3” with a banjo, guitar and bass fiddle (first photo).  They did a great job of warming up the crowd for the main act, “Yonder Mountain String Band” (second photo).  The four guys in this band played the mandolin, guitar, bass fiddle and banjo.  Their bluegrass was a bit contemporary, rather than old timey, however they were great.

  

Photos aren’t the best from the cell phone.  Our son plays in a rock band, so maybe someday we'll see him at the Sumter Amphitheater.

We came home Saturday afternoon so we could attend a local auction of old motorcycles and cars today.

   

I’m not so much into bikes as cars, so I was surprised when one of the Harley’s brought $40,000.  It was a 1961 knucklehead and obviously rare.  It’s hard to imagine that after about $10,000+ in restoration any money can be made.  There were a couple of other Harley’s, but they brought less than half of the knucklehead.

The cars were a 1929 Pontiac 3 window coupe, 1934 Chevrolet 2 door Coach, 1930 Model A coupe and a 1930 Model A Tudor.  They ranged in the $7000. price.  

There are still a number of old cars sitting in buildings around this area and every so often they surface at auctions. After the auction we went to the local bar and had a couple of beers with two of our old car friends.

All in all it was a enjoyable weekend, especially since it was unplanned.  Sometimes the best times are had when there isn’t a plan.  Just one day more...

Plain stupid

Parking signs popping up in Houston, Texas, this week are sparking major controversy.

Placards that read, “No Muslim parking in the Westview Shopping Center” were recently posted outside of a local mall. In addition to issuing the faith-based crack-down, the text also pledged to tow anyone who violates the stated rule. The mysterious messages have since been removed.

Store employees, though, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the outlet that it’s frustrating when individuals attending the El Farouq mosque take parking spots meant for Westview Shopping Center customers. Since the mall and the house of worship are across the street from one another, this apparently happens frequently.

When KPRC-TV spoke with some of the workers at the center, one said that owner Steve Kwon posted the controversial messages. But in an interview with the outlet, the businessman denied doing so.

The owner has since removed the signs, but he pledges to tow any cars that improperly park at the shopping center.  (The Blaze)

Most businesses post their parking “for customers only”, however this mall decided  to target Muslims.  Putting up the signs was inciteful and just plain stupid.  Likely the mall owner put them up, even though he denied it, and for that he (or whomever put them up) is a butthead.  Just one day more...

Get out of the way

Last week the do-nothing Congress left for a five week vacation, but before they left the House held a vote to repeal the Affordable Healthcare Act (Obamacare) - for the 40th freakin time!  

Most Democrats said the House was wasting more time by passing a bill that was sure to go nowhere in the Senate. Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), who was recently honored as the longest-serving member of the House in U.S. history, offered his own historical take on the GOP bill.

"Aren't you embarrassed to go a 40th time in a fruitless, hopeless act?" he asked. "The Republican Party is like the Bourbons of France: They forget nothing because they never learned anything."  (The Hill)

Is it any wonder why this Congress has the lowest ratings ever, wasting time and taxpayer dollars on meaningless legislation?  

And, now comes word that six states - not coincidentally GOP controlled - will not uphold basic consumer protection reforms of the Affordable Care Act, including the ban on denial of coverage based on pre-existing conditions.

Arizona, Alabama, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wyoming will not enforce the most popular health insurance reforms of the law.  They have refused to implement an insurance marketplace and instead will make consumers use the federal marketplace.  They are also refusing to police the marketplace to make sure consumers are protected.  Instead, consumer complaints will have to be investigated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). 

The obstructionists in Congress and some states are bound and determined to undermine the Affordable Care Act in any way they can, all the while those who need it most are left in the lurch. They had their chance for years to reform health care costs and blew it.  What they need to do now is get the hell out of the way and let the program work.  Just one day more...

County Fair Time

August is time for the county fair.  We don't do the rides, but sure take in the rest of the fair.

Nicely restored tractors:

Nice Ford Jubilee:

Livestock always interesting:

And finally, one happy porker:

Gotta love those county fairs.  Just one day more...

Trees on the farm

Today I spent the morning trimming trees.  When we bought the farm acreage it was surveyed off of the farm ground and the tree lines were not part of the survey.  For us that was not negotiable.  We wanted all the trees on the farmstead included because we didn't want someone in the future taking out all the trees to farm the ground.  Unfortunately, the tree lines were neglected and we spent weeks cleaning out the brush and trimming.  The photos below show before and after one of the tree lines.

In visiting with the couple who owned the farm we were told that the trees were planted by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) circa 1936 (a public works project that shows the merits of government programs).  Because of the age of the trees they shed branches and require annual attention.  So, today was pruning day.  

As far as I am concerned trees on a farm are part of living on a farm and we'll do whatever it takes to maintain them.  In some of the photos you will notice new trees which we have added.

And, random photos of the farm.

Life on the farm is good and trees help make it so, thanks to the foresight of the CCC.  Just one day more...