The spring is coming! The spring is coming!!!

Before going to bed, remember to----->

Set your clocks ahead 1 hour.  Otherwise, you'll be late for church or temple.

Turn your sun dial 15.012 degrees to the south.  Otherwise, you'll get moss on your sox.

Change the battery in your pacemaker.  Otherwise, you'll flunk the ECG.

Move all those Christmas decoration boxes away from the smoke detector.  Otherwise, POOF!

What One Does When There's Nothing To Do.......

Being that rain fell in Goodyear, Arizona yesterday (No kidding), canceling the Indians' spring training game, I grabbed a camera and headed for places unknown, on another gray day in northeast Ohio.  

29 miles and 1056 feet later, I came upon, "The Bomb Shelter." (No kidding again)

Being such a shy guy, I poked my head into the office and asked permission to shoot some photos.  When I said that I don't charge a cent, Kevin's face morphed into what resembled the beaming Strip, in Vegas!  Seriously, he welcomed the request and said others have done the same.  Off I browsed and I welcome you to share that visit by clicking the site below.  Once there, you can enlarge any photo by placing the cursor on it and clicking.

By the way, Kevin and gang were the nicest!!!

Saved from wallowing in boredome!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jajabob/

Friday's Political Vent

Many moons ago, I instituted and copyrighted this date in honor of those behind the front wheel and on the CB of all those 18 Wheelers, give or take, making sure we get what we need.  Thus, I say unto them---10-4!!!

As for those supposedly "running the country," and actually running it into the ground, I offer THIS:

You have to be out or your &#+@#! minds!!!  You have lost any sense of honor, dignity, truth, justice and all the other accolades you people swore to uphold, being elected based on your promises...ALL OF YOU!!!

You KNEW the economy was in dire straits L-O-N-G before you went on that collective and insidious 5 week vacation.  How Effing stupid was THAT???  What it told me and many others is that you flat out did not give a damn about anything other than yourselves!!!  "Country, be damned---I'm going home to raise money for re-election and any other benefit I can accrue, based on my self-appointed/anointed entitlements."

You are worse than a room filled with bickering 5 year old children.  If the man in that office had any spine at all, he would have called you into a large room and told you that no one goes any damned where until a workable budget is established.  Seems to me that no one is in charge and even less of you give a big fat rat's patoot when none of you consider anything other than your sick selves!

Don't respond with any cheap, self-serving rhetoric.  When in corporate America, we department heads convened at least twice yearly to review/revise the initial 1 year and sometimes, 5 year Long Range Plans.  Do YOU do that?  Sure doesn't seem so, begging the question...Would you know HOW?  It would be very interesting to know how many of you actually have experience working in a profit driven environment.  How many of you actually participated in managing a department, division, subsidiary or even a total company?  You probably began as a local "gofer" for a councilperson, filled with grandiose idealism.  As time passed, you learned or were taught about "the system" and how to make it work for you.  Climbing the socio-political stairs and as your wealth and power increased, it resulted in an equal amount of minimal representation of your constituents' wishes and needs.

Oh yeah---Most of us in the working world, have been exposed to annual reviews.  (That's where you sit with a manager and discuss how/if you were successful the previous year and how you intended to improve in the NEXT 12 months.)  If you showed NO improvement, most often, your next appearance would be at the employment bureau.  You don't have to do that, now DO you?  You are content knowing, pretty much no matter what, you have privilege in guaranteed employment for the length of the elected term.  While there, you take it upon yourselves to restructure the laws, constitution and all other methods to ensure your comfort during and after your time in office.  You've re-written the meaning of "ways and means."

You wrecked a good percentage of our economy by allowing banks and corporations to swindle the living hell out of America's citizens.  Do not even THINK of telling me none of you were aware of it!  To make it WORSE, you bailed out the very perpetrators, allowed bonuses and, in your arrogance, did not prosecute or jail one single one of those irresponsible bastards!  bernie made-off vacations in a 4 star hotel, where the only bars are probably seen at happy hour.  Those cheats are fully aware of what they planned and knew what their "consequences" would be.....hell...they either wrote the laws or paid off those who DID!  Instill some fear by closing every single white collar detention center!!!  Each and every one of them needs to be in Leavenworth, guarded by unhappy veteran Marines!

I could go on and on, yet, I hope you see what I see.  A friend in Florida sends emails, ending with, "Re-Elect No One."  It's not the total answer, but perhaps it might straighten the arrow, so to speak.  Our beloved country began a major "sell a soul to the devil" parade about the time Ike departed the white house and the gates of hell are getting closer and closer.  It took approximately 200 years to make this a beautiful country and in approximately another 50 some, we've been able to chop the heck out of it.  Fix THIS country FIRST and THEN go help others, before it all goes to that proverbial hell in a hand-basket!

Do you REALLY wish our streets to look the same as in Egypt, Sudan, Syria, et al???

By the way, if we indeed DO find ourselves in hell............I don't want to share a room with a damned one of you!!!

Have a nice weekend...

ET TU, Walmart?

Hmmm.  Walmart ditches American jobs for overseas labor where employees/slaves are locked in for lousy pay and conditions.  Walmart forces small businesses OUT of business to minimize paperwork and deal with only large suppliers.  Shortcuts are taken in food that jeopardize the health of millions.  Many other yet undiscovered ways of increasing the Walmart family fortunes at the suffering of others continue, yet they immediately judge Paula Deen for a not so nice incident, yet super minor when compared to the deeds of Walmart.  Same for all the retailers who immediately cut ties while they continue to lie, cheat and steal until they themselves get caught and then proclaim innocence.  Is ANYONE watching what is happening in this once proud country???

Harry & Bess: As received from a friend

Harry Truman was a different kind of President. He probably made as many, or more important decisions regarding our nation's history as any of the other 32 Presidents preceding him.  However, a measure of his greatness might rest on what he did after he left the White House. The only asset he had when he died was the house he lived in, which was in Independence Missouri . His wife had inherited the house from her mother and father and other than their years in the White House, they lived their entire lives there. When he retired from office in 1952, his income was a U.S. Army pension reported to have been $13,507.72 a year. Congress, noting that he was paying for his stamps and personally licking them, granted him an 'allowance' and, later, a retroactive pension of $25,000 per year. After President Eisenhower was inaugurated, Harry and Bess drove home to Missouri by themselves. There was no Secret Service following them. When offered corporate positions at large salaries, he declined, stating, "You don't want me. You want the office of the President, and that doesn't belong to me.  It belongs to the American people and it's not for sale." Even later, on May 6, 1971, when Congress was preparing to award him the Medal of Honor on his 87th birthday, he refused to accept it, writing, "I don't consider that I have done anything which should be the reason for any award, Congressional or otherwise." As president, he paid for all of his own travel expenses and food. Modern politicians have found a new level of success in cashing in on the Presidency, resulting in untold wealth. Today, too many in Congress also have found a way to become quite wealthy while enjoying the fruits of their offices. Political offices are now for sale. Good old Harry Truman was correct when he observed, "My choices in life were either to be a piano player in a whore house or a politician. And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference!

Unending Soapbox

I've "preached" forever about learning as much as one can prior to making an intelligent decision, regardless the situation, person, and yes, even a teevee program! That in mind, I'm introducing you to Mr. Niel, (That's the way he spells it), Young.  Niel has a radio program and writes a column for The Weirs Times in New Hampshire.  He presents a view of our nation that you might not have yet considered.  Neither am I pulling his wagon, nor am I suggesting you hop on, rather, it's an invite to read what others take the time to offer. I tried to copy the article, but it seems today that one must "log on" to most everything prior to forwarding, etc.  I shy away from social sites and the like.  As I told the friend next door, "I don't even like that my neighbor knows where I live!"  Anyway, if you'd like to read the article, kindly use your address bar to type in: www.weirs.com  Once there, you'll see the current edition, whereupon you can use the page-turning arrow on the right, until you reach page 13.  You can also enlarge the page...directions are easy. Thanks, and, Have a Nice Country!

Ironic irony or "The department of HMMM..."

Last night's news on ABC... There's a whacked out Korean rapper who's going to "perform" in Warshington, D. C. real soon.  Previously, one of his songs(?) pleaded that a lot of murders be committed because America didn't agree with a religious(?) organization.  There were protests issued asking that this PSY...cho character not be allowed.  The current resident of the egg-shaped office said, "I have no control over who is in the show."  Hmmm.  Can he explain why nearly 5000 people have died Over There? Sad news it is that the nurse in the British hospital died.  Word is she committed suicide as a result of the prank played by an Australian morning show radio team.  If it WERE a suicide, one has to wonder if that were the only impetus.  Seems a bit strange that a relatively isolated prank would be the only cause of such a dire reaction.  However, many people are screaming that an ultimate in punishment be put upon the radio duet. Hmmm.  bernie madoff knowingly stole BILLIONS out of American retirement funds, etc., yet he spends his time laughing about it while relaxing at a taxpayer funded almost royal estate that's called a white collar prison! I'm certain you can illustrate many other examples.  These just popped into my head while waiting for the Folgers.  Incidentally, please don't chastise me for the lack of name capitalization.  Those who don't receive it, no longer deserve it.

When David Muir talks, Bob listens.....sometimes

ABC Evening News...Wednesday...11-28-12
David Muir did a nice feature on how buying American at Christmas time can create American jobs.  His take was, if everyone spent $64 of their Christmas shopping budget, a large quantity of jobs would be created in the USA.  Forgive me, as I can't recall the exact number, but it was substantial.  KUDOS, Dave!
I spend a fair number of hours throughout the year attending moving sales, downsizing sales, garage sales, estate sales, garage sales that are advertised as estate sales, swap meets, flea markets, antique malls, thrift shops and whatever other titles humans conjure up in their attempt to separate you from your dollars.  Nothing wrong with any of them.  After all, that's how many a company began.   It's also the basic form of social media, which means, you actually can look someone in the eyes, forming complete words that they'll understand, make new friends, exchange referrals, and....have some fun!  Sadly, the current economy has forced many sellers to depart with personal goods, including heirlooms, in hopes of paying a mortgage, utility, insurance or grocery bills.   But I digress.

What I saw at those aforementioned sales was an IMMENSE amount of non-USA manufactured goods.  Folks, I'm talking TONS!!!  One needn't be an alum of Wharton or MIT to see/understand what has been happening.  Not in any particular sequence...Greed caused facilities to close as manufacturing headed out of the country and Americans lost jobs.  Shareholders quickly made increased profits.  (Keep in mind that snowballs don't go uphill.)  One money person saw how rich another was becoming, so HE sold HIS company and had those goods produced in a lower labor market outside of the USA.  HE made higher and quicker profits.  More Americans lost jobs.  (Can you see the snowball now?)  As more snowballs are grown, more Americans are losing jobs.  A handful of money people are making more money and in a very short period of time.  In time, a great many Americans will not have jobs, causing the inability to afford the cheaply made products that now fill the racks and bins of American stores.  Are you getting the picture?
Back to the sales venues mentioned above.  The seller needs to raise money and has little room to haggle.  The prospective buyer has little money and wants a bargain.  The twain are having difficulty reaching an agreeable price.  The buyer moves along.  The seller makes no sale, but must pay rent if he is at a privately owned facility.  The facility owner has less vendors than in years past.  To make up, he raises the rental fees.  The sellers have to raise prices to pay the rent, but the buyers are still short on funds.  The sellers pull their wares because sales are dwindling.  The privately owned venue closes when the dwindled rental income is not enough to cover the overhead.  The local municipality loses tax revenues.  Safety and fire forces are cut.  Public assistance is pared.  Unemployment payments run out.  Less jobs are available.  Food lines increase.  More Americans are having garage sales and are setting up at flea markets.  No one has money to spend.  The sellers paid rent, but made no sales.  The venue owner didn't make enough to cover overhead and shuts down his property.  He has a garage sale the following week but no one came because there was no spendable money.  Remaining "professional" vendors are overstocked with imported items and complain to each other about the lack of sales.  I asked why they didn't sell American made goods.  They told me that the costs were too high.  I suggested they combine and buy American after negotiating better prices.  They gave me weird looks.  I asked if they were to go to a garage sale in China, might they see items made in America?  More weird looks.

SO...great advice from David Muir.  However, when the Christmas season is over, what then?  Well, I'LL tell you what then!  Go to your local establishments.  Trust me...when you look, you'll find many.  Explain how you'd love to keep them in business by purchasing their American made goods, but because your income is shaky at best, you'll need a discount.  If he can understand that he'll stay in business by allowing an equitable discount, as opposed to closing down from zero sales, it can catch on!  Ask your friends to do the same.  Know ye this: You MUST CONTINUE the practice to make it successful.  You can actually do without something once in awhile.  In a recent interview, I heard a man ask, "If you had to leave your home in 30 minutes, what would you take?"  That's a good start.  In time, jobs CAN return!  I fully realize I'll be branded insane, but the collective stance is what got this country going in the first place and made it a success for more than 200 years!  Don't let the power driven take what is yours. 

The rich are rich partly due to the risks they took and the long range sight they had and continue to have.  They shouldn't have to pay for everything.  After all, it was their money that made a lot possible.  Our government must look inside the monstrous house they allowed to grow and begin trimming therein.  With a computer driven world, the government keeps adding people to the payroll, making it the largest employer in the land.  Stop voting for people who truly don't care about you.  Vote for those with proven financial success.  I could go on, but don't wish to veer too far off track.