You know those signs along the interstates that have FOOD and GAS on them? Have you noticed the quality is in a serious decline in the past several years?
PART #1 - Is it a joke that you get off to get gas and the little sign at the bottom of the ramp has an arrow and 5.6 miles??? What's the deal with 5.6 miles!! That is NOT gas at this exit - that is gas available in this county. Do they really think I will drive 11.2 miles up and back for gas, when the entrance ramp to get back on the highway is straight ahead?
PART #2 - So I'm tooling along the highway, and after several hours I need a cup of coffee to keep awake. Oh look, there's a sign that means the exit has a Dunkin Donuts shop. So I get off thinking of a fresh cup of Joe and what do I find? A Texaco gas station that looks third-world with a little box in the corner with two day-old donuts inside and a pot of coffee that was fresh two weeks ago Thursday. That is NOT a Dunkin Donuts Shop!!!! It SHOULD NOT have a interstate sign for this level of service!
These must be signs of the times! On second thought - this sounds like something that Becky would write - now that is a scary sign!!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Corrosion Testing - Success!!
Sandpiper at Fort Macon.
Genny with 18-inch Red Drum
Too small flounder - had to throw it back!22-bluefish & the drum - wonderful time fishing around the rain.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Saturday, September 13, 2008
#10 & #38
Well, her name is Kaira Jean Kirkman. Grandbaby #10 -whew! Corina & Kaira are doing well. It's Casey with all the other ones that we worry about!!
45 minutes old.
Big sister's got her already!!
The girls of the family.
Oh yeah!! Here's number 38 of my Alamance County Turtle Relocation Program. In the seven years since we've lived here I keep all the turtles I see along the road and relocate them to my backyard. This is number 38. All those turtles and we've only ever seen one - on a Sunday morning it was walking across the lawn.
Monday, September 01, 2008
Labor Day Pizza!
Here's some photos from the Pizza Party this evening. As you can tell Kayla didn't want her picture taken and neither did her Mom!! And then there's people who don't know how to act when a picture is being taken - like the guy in the back of the first one.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
A River Runs Thru It!!
First - here's some bread my wife made last weekend. Delicious!!
I always wished the deck & hut were on the sound.
Water running acrossed the street.
The backyard looks like the Okefenokee Swamp - well, without the alligators.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Election Season
Now that we're bombarded with constant sound bites from the far-left (Obama) and the Not-So-Far-Away-From-the-Left (McCain) I've posted a couple quotes to think about.
Benjamin Franklin: "When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic."
Thomas Jefferson: "We must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. We must make our election between economy and liberty or profusion and servitude. If we run into such debt, as that we must be taxed in our meat and in our drink, in our necessaries and our comforts, in our labors and our amusements, for our calling and our creeds...[we will] have no time to think, no means of calling our miss-managers to account but be glad to obtain subsistence by hiring ourselves to rivet their chains on the necks of our fellow-sufferers... And this is the tendency of all human governments. A departure from principle in one instance becomes a precedent for[ another]... till the bulk of society is reduced to be mere automatons of misery... And the fore-horse of this frightful team is public debt. Taxation follows that, and in its train wretchedness and oppression."
Orsen Scot Card (who ever he is, but I liked the quote): "If pigs could vote, the man with the slop bucket would be elected swineherd every time, no matter how much slaughtering he did on the side."
Woody Allen (have to include him for sanity): "We stand today at a crossroads: One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness. The other leads to total extinction. Let us hope we have the wisdom to make the right choice."
This is Chuck and I approve this post!!
Benjamin Franklin: "When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic."
Thomas Jefferson: "We must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. We must make our election between economy and liberty or profusion and servitude. If we run into such debt, as that we must be taxed in our meat and in our drink, in our necessaries and our comforts, in our labors and our amusements, for our calling and our creeds...[we will] have no time to think, no means of calling our miss-managers to account but be glad to obtain subsistence by hiring ourselves to rivet their chains on the necks of our fellow-sufferers... And this is the tendency of all human governments. A departure from principle in one instance becomes a precedent for[ another]... till the bulk of society is reduced to be mere automatons of misery... And the fore-horse of this frightful team is public debt. Taxation follows that, and in its train wretchedness and oppression."
Orsen Scot Card (who ever he is, but I liked the quote): "If pigs could vote, the man with the slop bucket would be elected swineherd every time, no matter how much slaughtering he did on the side."
Woody Allen (have to include him for sanity): "We stand today at a crossroads: One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness. The other leads to total extinction. Let us hope we have the wisdom to make the right choice."
This is Chuck and I approve this post!!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Garden Update
Getting lots of stuff from the garden right now. More figs yesterday, picked a bunch of grapes (no pun intended), tomatoes, cucumbers, and eggplant. This is the first year for so many grapes - planted the vines about 6 years ago.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Stretching Rope!
Some photos of the testing we did this morning to take the construction stretch out of 2,000 feet of rope. Pulled with a bulldozer against a dump truck at the other end. Weather was beautiful, test went fine, played with big toys and a good time was had by all.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Annapolis Pressure Testing
Its the world's biggest working Pressure Vessel. It goes to 12,000 psi, but we only tested to 7,300 psi.
Overall view.
This is the 100 ton plug that seals up the end.
Here are our cable reels going it to be testing. We did three sets of 7 reels each for a total of 21.
Lots of "down" time while the testing is going on and I had to make some use of it. What a beautiful location. That's the Navel Academy across the Severn River.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Pictures from the last two weeks
Stuffed Cabbage for the frezer.
Redoing the shed. Still have the two sides you can't see to finish. Put up a dove box to try and get some baby dove's to save on cat food - GRIN
Mocking birds in the bushes.
Garden photo.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Friday, May 09, 2008
Reading & Reviews
I've added a list of the books I'm currently reading on the sidebar. I also started a Review of at least some of the books. Hope someone thinks this is profitable.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Who's Fault Is It Anyway??
By Charlie Reese, a former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel
Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them. Have you ever wondered why, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, we have deficits? Have you ever wondered why, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, we have inflation and high taxes?
You and I don't propose a federal budget. The president does. You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.
You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does. You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does. You and I don't control monetary policy, The Federal Reserve Bank does.
One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president and nine Supreme Court justices - 545 human beings out of the 300 million - are directly, legally, morally and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.
I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered but private central bank.
I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman or a president to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.
Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.
What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits.
The president can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it. The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes.
Who is the speaker of the House? She is the leader of the majority party. She and fellow House members, not the president, can approve any budget they want. If the president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.
It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million can not replace 545 people who stand convicted - by present facts - of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people.
When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.
If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.
If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red.
If the Marines are in IRAQ, it's because they want them in IRAQ.
If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.
There are no insoluble government problems.
Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power.
Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like 'the economy,' 'inflation' or 'politics' that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.
Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible. They, and they alone, have the power. They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses - provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees.
We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!
Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them. Have you ever wondered why, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, we have deficits? Have you ever wondered why, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, we have inflation and high taxes?
You and I don't propose a federal budget. The president does. You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.
You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does. You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does. You and I don't control monetary policy, The Federal Reserve Bank does.
One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president and nine Supreme Court justices - 545 human beings out of the 300 million - are directly, legally, morally and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.
I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered but private central bank.
I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman or a president to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.
Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.
What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits.
The president can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it. The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes.
Who is the speaker of the House? She is the leader of the majority party. She and fellow House members, not the president, can approve any budget they want. If the president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.
It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million can not replace 545 people who stand convicted - by present facts - of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people.
When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.
If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.
If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red.
If the Marines are in IRAQ, it's because they want them in IRAQ.
If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.
There are no insoluble government problems.
Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power.
Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like 'the economy,' 'inflation' or 'politics' that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.
Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible. They, and they alone, have the power. They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses - provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees.
We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Tomato Plants
Raised some great tomato plants this year. Got some seeds from seedsfromitaly.com and started them on a heating pad in the living room. What a difference! I got almost 100% germination instead of the usual 15-20%. I hope to plant them this weekend. The green stuff behind the tomatoes is leaf lettuce almost ready for salads.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Henry and the Great Society
For some reason I was thinking the other day about a book I first read in 1974 (published in 1968) called Henry and the Great Society. I have an old photo copy of it that I got out to scan in as a pdf. When I googled it - there it was for sale on Amazon.com.
Its a wonderful story of Henry and the effect of technology on his life that makes for a good read. The last few chapters (not part of the actual story) where he presents the gospel is not all recommended (especially the rapture section). But the story is great!
I
Its a wonderful story of Henry and the effect of technology on his life that makes for a good read. The last few chapters (not part of the actual story) where he presents the gospel is not all recommended (especially the rapture section). But the story is great!
I
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