Watching CBS Promo's aka "Trying to Watch the Golf Tournament"

I am biting my tongue.  It is all I can do to keep from cursing CBS.  Okay, so I'm watching the NASCAR race on ESPN and I only flip over to CBS during the commercials.  I have flipped over to CBS four times now to get caught up on the action and three of those times CBS was showing promo's... not commercials... promo's.  I got one brief glimpse of Tiger Woods holing out on the 18th hole before CBS cut away to commercials and promo's.  To top it off, I have had to watch CBS promo's of the PGA Championship all week long and now when I flip over to catch a little golf I am getting more promo's.  Wow.
CBS is missing a great opportunity to televise a MAJOR golf tournament.

Lazy Pot Smokers

I get sick and go to the doctor.  The doctor gives me a prescription which I get filled and take as per the instructions.  I get well.  Did I get well because I went to the doctor?  Ask any doctor.  Sometimes we do get well because we went to the doctor and followed his advice, but the fact is that we probably would have gotten well if we had just stayed home, taken aspirin, rested, and drank plenty of juices.
What does that have to do with Lazy Pot Smokers?  I'll tell you.  There are lazy people in this world... always have been and always will be.  It is a part of our "culture."
So... what does a lazy person do?  He/she sits around and watches tv and does as little as possible.  Sometimes they read books instead and sometimes they do drugs... usually somebody else's drugs.  So... does the tv make them lazy?  Do books make people lazy?  Does pot make people lazy?  If so, let's just elect someone who will crusade to rid the world of television, books, and drugs.
Come on people.  Get real.  Yes... pot does give you the munchies... a friend of mine told me that.  Pffffffft...

Definite UFO Sighting

So, you STILL don't believe in UFO's?  Watch this film clip.

http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/us/2013/08/09/dnt-ufo-in-florida-pool.wbbh#/video/us/2012/11/13/co-ufo-sightings-in-denver.kdvr

Bandits in the Kitchen after Midnight

Sissy (our dachshund) and Miss Kitty have had a voracious appetite lately and Wanda just could not keep enough food in the bowl for them. They eat during the day and before Wanda and I go to bed at night we fill their bowl up for them only to find it empty in the morning. We have been wondering how in the world these two are eating so much food? Well, we finally figured it out.
Last night Wanda got up at about 2:30 and walked into the kitchen get a midnight snack when she noticed that we had visitors. There were two large pretty raccoons having a feast of cat food and they did not even flinch when she approached them. She finally convinced them to walk out the back door and to go find another restaurant. They are regular visitors to our back door but that is the first time that we have caught them inside the house. Needless to say they are very fat because we usually leave food out for the stray cats that come by pretty regularly.
I guess we will have to start closing the back door at night now when we go to bed. That's a shame because we like the fresh breeze that flows through the house when the back door is open. Oh well, I guess the crime is getting pretty bad out here in the boonies when we have to close our back door at night. 

Forced Sterilization (Vasectomies) For Mentally Impaired

Here is an excerpt from an article on CNN.com today:

From 1907 through the 1970s, more than 60,000 Americans were forcibly sterilized. Some, like Holt, were in institutions, while others were deemed "feeble-minded" or had "unfit human traits." Others were children of alcoholics whose parents couldn't care for them.

What is your opinion on this?  I do not think it is fair.  In fact I am deeply upset about this.  Why should intelligent Americans be the only ones that have to put up with dirty diapers, screaming babies in the middle of the night, rebellious teenagers, and kids that are of legal age yet still act like preadolescents?  No sir... it just isn't fair.  What do you think?

Quick Relief for Insect Bites, Stings, and Poison Ivy, Oak

Mosquito bites, bee stings, wasp stings, spider bites, and on and on...  What can I do to stop the pain and itching?  Here is my answer.
Rubbing Alcohol (Isopropyl Alcohol)
I keep a spray bottle of rubbing alcohol handy all the time for many different reasons, not the least of which is relief from bites and stings.  The second I feel a bite of sting I reach for the bottle and spray the bite mark.  I have found that the pain and itching disappear immediately.  Another thing the rubbing alcohol is good for is poison ivy and poison oak.  Even if you have already scratched the affected area go ahead and spray with rubbing alcohol and the itching will instantly disappear.  Yes, the alcohol will burn somewhat but that is a relief compared to the itching.
Keep a spray bottle of rubbing alcohol, preferable 90% or stronger, handy at all times.  It will become one of your best friends.

You Might As Well Take My Ass To Jail

My little sister sent me this joke and I just had to share it.

  A Virginia State trooper pulled a car over on I-64 about 2 miles south of the Virginia/ West Virginia State Line. When the trooper asked the driver why he was speeding, the driver said he was a Magician and Juggler and was on his way to Beckley WV to do a show at the Shrine Circus. He didn't want to be late.
The trooper told the driver he was fascinated by juggling and said if the driver would do a little juggling for him then he wouldn't give him a ticket. He told the trooper he had sent his equipment ahead and didn't have anything to juggle. The trooper said he had some flares in the trunk and asked if he could juggle them. The juggler said he could, so the trooper got 5 flares, lit them and handed them to him.
While the man was juggling, a car pulled in behind the patrol car. A drunken good old boy from West Virginia got out, watched the performance, then went over to the patrol car, opened the rear door and got in.  The trooper observed him and went over to the patrol car, opened the door asking the drunk what he thought he was doing. The drunk replied, “You might as well take my ass to jail, cause there ain't no way I can pass that test.”

Racism: A Natural Phenomena?

Racism... not something we enjoy talking about or reading about, but is it something that just naturally occurs in nature?
Let's be clear... I'm not talking about bigotry, hatred, or hypocrisy.  We often associate these behaviors with racism, and for good reasons in many cases.  Let's just take a short moment and consider racism in it's purest form if we may.
First of all, just how prevalent is racism?  The short answer is that it is EVERYWHERE.  I see racist behavior in even those individuals and organizations who claim to espouse a referendum of a non-racism or anti-racist behavior.  In fact, I don't know that I can really tell you that I know anyone, other than maybe some (all?) politicians who even act like they are not racists.
Sure, we see the hand-holding and the choruses of freedom songs being sung by mixed crowds with big eutopian smiles on their faces as if this is the way it should be for everyone and all time, but let's be realistic.  This, too, is a natural phenomena.  Realistic or not, there have always been and there will always be idealists among us.  These are usually younger (but not always) people who cling to ideals yet seem not to have any semblance of a grip on reality.
Let us take a look at the planet as a whole.  As a rule (with many exceptions), our planet is made up of people of similar race living in micro-societies that are making an effort to work together and form a workable worldwide societal solution.  There is some degree of blending of races in our local ethnic villages (for lack of a better term) but we naturally seem to group together and make our abodes among those who are similar to us in race, creed, and religion.  This just seems to be a natural thing.  This is the way it has been for thousands of years and anything that differs from this just doesn't seem natural.  Those who live and mix with others are usually members of a society where laws (written by politicians) are trying to make it seem as if the world would be a better place if we all just mixed into one group and "got along."  The funny thing is that these same politicians tend to live in exclusive communities that are made up of folks who are of the same race as themselves.  Yes, there are exceptions.  There are always exceptions.  The problem here is that some people seem to think that we should make exceptions be our rule.  This, in my opinion, is nothing more than trying to go against nature.
We all have an affinity for others of our own race.  Is this racism?  Yes!  Is there anything wrong with this?  No!  We are not all activists like the KKK and the NAACP.  These groups give racism a bad name.  Racism is a natural phenomena.  That's just the way it is.

CNN Does It AGAIN.

I know... I'm picking on CNN again.  Well folks, I can't help it.  Give them a gun and they shoot themselves in the foot.  Give them enough rope and they hang themselves.  I don't make this stuff up.  I'm not THAT smart.
So, you ask, what have they done now?  Well, if you remember a few days ago I wrote about a new scientific study that shows just how harmful soda's and artificial sweeteners are for your health.  Maybe you read that article on CNN.com.  Some of the CNN staff read that article and decided to do some research of their own to see if all of this hullabuloo is the real thing.  So how did they research the subject?  They went back and read the OLD research studies that have just been found to be flawed and based their findings on that.  Based on the old research they are saying that the new research is not correct.  They never said exactly why, but the group of CNN staffers all agree that soda and artificial sweeteners are not bad for your health. Okaaaaaay. 
Way to go CNN... you did it again!

A Note To the Honorable Reverend Jesse Jackson

Yes, Rev. Jackson, racism was involved in the Zimmerman/Martin debacle. Racism will ALWAYS be involved in incidents like this any time those involved are of two different races. Race was involved from the very outset in this incident beginning when Martin realized that "some Cracker" was watching him. Isn't that what Neighborhood Watch members do? You are calling for "Justice." Will you be satisfied when a black man kills Zimmerman and ends up serving a life sentence? Of course you will, because that will give you another chance to get your face on national television. And as for Martin not getting a trial by his peers, may I call to your attention that Zimmerman was the one on trial, not Martin... and the jury was not made up of Mr. Zimmerman's peers... unless you call one black/Hispanic woman his peer. Incidentally, she was as close to being one of Martin's peers as she was to being Zimmerman's peer. I know... that is all academic. The point is that you were able to get on CNN again will holding hands with the "oppressed" preaching your sermon of vengeance. Good for you "Reverend" Jackson.

Is Microsoft Going to the Dogs?

I sell a lot on eBay and I print my own shipping labels on my home/office printer... it saves me a lot of time at the Post Office and also saves me about 10% on postage.  The other day I had an especially large package to ship so I decided to ship it via UPS which is much cheaper than the USPS when shipping large boxes.  When I went to print the UPS label I had a problem.  The label that came out of the printer was all jumbled up and overwritten on the left side of the label.  No problem... I just printer another one... with the same result.  Wow.  I have an account with UPS so I made the phone call to see what the problem might be.  Well, as it turns out, Microsoft Internet Explorer is not compatible with the label printing program that UPS uses. I had to switch to Mozilla Firefox as my browser in order to print the label.  No problem... all's well that ends well, I guess. 
Now, I understand that this could be a problem on the UPS end of things, but I have also been having other new and recent problems with Internet Explorer.  After some automatic updates it seems that I am now using I.E. 10, and I have found several bugs in it already.  Don't ask if I tried to report these bugs to Microsoft.  Actually, I did, but I couldn't even understand the guys on the other end of the customer support line.  Yes, guys... plural.  I called twice and I believe I was speaking to guys to whom English is a second language... or third... or fourth.  I got pretty darn frustrated so I did some research, which always helps give me peace of mind.  lol.   What I found out is that it is virtually impossible to report a bug to Microsoft.  It is so frustrating that I won't even go into it.  If you really want to get upset just "Google" the words Microsoft bug report.  I read where one guy even paid $35 to register his complaint.  You can look the details up for yourself.  Yes, there are two sides to every story.  The only problem is that this is a story that repeats itself "ad nauseum."
I have used Google Chrome as my default browser and yes it is faster than Internet Explorer but there are a couple of I.E. features that I guess I have grown so accustomed to using that I hate to make the switch permanently.  Mozilla Firefox is a good browser but there is a definite learning curve involved in using it.  I may give it a test drive... who knows?
All I can say for sure is that lately Microsoft had been very disappointing for me.  Whatever.

Soda Enhances Arthritis Knee Pain?

I am a very large man and I also happen to have osteoarthritis.  My arthritis, while not totally debilitation, results in fairly significant pain from time to time... so much so that I consume far too much ibuprofen and Naprosyn in an effort to curb the pain.  My worst pain is in my knees and I always figured that it was a direct result of my weight.  In an effort to control my weight I use Splenda, a well-known artificial sweetener, in my coffee.  I drink a lot of coffee.
Recently I have been reading about how artificial sweeteners actually are worse for you than the sugars that you are trying to avoid by using them and I decided to cut out all artificial sweeteners from my daily diet.  In an effort to cut back on sugar consumption I also decided to eliminate all soda drinks from my diet.  These decisions were made only a few days ago.
Since I made those changes in my diet I have noticed an extreme change in my body... extreme.  My days are usually filled with pain... so much pain that I hate to even mention it to my wife anymore.  The last couple of days have been virtually pain-free and I have been feeling great.
While reflecting on my new-found pain-free life I remembered reading about arthritis pain possibly being associated either with soda, sugar, or artificial sweeteners so I did a quick Google search this morning and found what I was looking for.  Last year Harvard University released the results of a study they had conducted on the relationship of soda consumption and pain.  The study concludes that there is a definite possibility of a link between drinking soda and experiencing arthritis pain from osteoarthritis... especially in the knees.  Also the study concludes that this pain is not weight-related.  In fact, people with less body mass were actually affected more than the larger people in the study.  If their pain was worse than my pain has been being, I certainly do feel sorry for them.  Here is a link to that study:

 http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/health&id=8889220

It is too early for me to draw any definite conclusions but it certainly is not too early for me to report that I feel great and I hope this absence of pain is something that will continue.  I will keep you updated as to whether this condition persists and as of this time it is only my best guess that cutting soda from my diet could be the reason for my lack of pain recently.  We will see...

Fish Oil May Cause Prostate Cancer?

According to an article on CNN.com Fish Oil has been linked to prostate cancer.  How many other foods are taking for out health that may possible causing our premature demise?  Are we ever going to be able to believe the people who are telling us exactly what we should and should not eat in order to insure our future health?

http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/12/health/salmon-cancer-time/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

Where Are The News Channels?

I am a news junkie.  I watch news channels and I search the net for interesting news stories every day.  Even though there are billions of people on our planet a huge number of cameras being carried by many of those same people, it is becoming more and more difficult to find newsworthy events that are getting coverage these days.  I remember when Headline News (HLN) was a "pure" news channel.  I would watch HLN at every opportunity because I love to watch news.  Real news is not a result of a script... it is a conglomerate of real-life, real-time events that are occurring all over the planet at any given moment in time.  Real news is everywhere and is easily documented in this day and age of advanced technology and instant communications.  But real news is becoming more and more difficult to find on the television.  There must be a reason for this and, if I am guessing correctly, the reason is not pretty.
News Channels have become Entertainment Channels.  Why is this?  My guess is $$$.  The corporate bottom line has become more important that the substance of the product in this day and age therefore the sponsors of the News Channels dictate what these channels include in their programming.
No, Proctor and Gamble does not call CNN and tell them which programs to schedule.  But CNN knows which type of programming will draw the masses that the corporate sponsors want to reach with their advertising dollars, therefore they are wielding a lot of influence in regard to the programming we see on the News Channels.
I mentioned "the masses" that the advertisers are wanting to reach.  Unfortunately these masses do not include a high percentage of "news hounds."  Many of these people are not interested in pure news but prefer drama and entertainment to a good news story.  Therefore the News Channels have changed their format to include drama and entertainment as their top priority and pure news has taken a back seat.
The latest fad is the televising of courtroom drama.  Maybe the fad isn't so new but it's dominance of the "News Channels" certainly is.  We can probably thank the judge who allowed television cameras in the courtroom during the O.J. Simpson trial for much of this.  Most of us watch quite a bit of that trial and that fact did not go unnoticed by the sponsors and the networks who know a dollar when they see it.  I am not against courtroom television.  I only wish the trials could be shown on channels other than the News Channels.  My news programming has been trumped by this courtroom drama.
I sit here waiting for the latest courtroom trial to come to an end so that I can watch some news again... at least until the next big televised trial comes up.  Oh well...

Looking Forward to 2014

I don't usually look ahead to "next year" but so many of the economists are saying that the US (and the World) economy is very likely to rebound next summer.  I look forward to that happening.
The state of our economy usually doesn't affect me much because I am on a fixed income and my wife's income is pretty much the same regardless of economic conditions.  Actually, when the economy slumps it is a little better for us because prices tend to be lower during times of recession.  So, why am I looking forward to a surging economy?
I have just recently begun to try my hand at selling my hand-made (mostly from available parts) bird feeders and accessories on eBay and I am in the process of trying to set up a small online store of my own.  I doubt I will ever be able to sell as much merchandise on my own website as I can sell on eBay but at least what I sell on my own site will not be subject to eBay's 10% auction hosting fees.  That extra 10% could be nice if I can get some sales off of my own site, but even if I only get eBay sales a better economy will mean more extra money for my buyers.
Right now sales are generally slow all over eBay.  I see Sellers discussing this on the forums and I think it is mainly due to family vacations that so many people take during June and early July.  They are saving every extra penny for that family outing and their mind is not on buying other things right now.  I think sales will begin to pick up again in a couple of weeks after most families have returned from their annual summer vacation.  That will be nice.
And it will be even nicer if the economy is doing well this time next year.

More BBQ Tips from a Pro

Here are a couple of recipes I saw on CNN's website.  They are from a world-famous BBQ Chef and are really simple.  Also, take a look at the tip at the bottom of the page.

The Only Barbecue Rub You'll Ever Need
Makes just under 2 cups
1 cup packed light brown sugar
 2 Tbsp chili powder
 2 Tbsp mustard powder
 2 Tbsp onion powder
 2 Tbsp garlic powder
 2 tsp cayenne pepper
 2 Tbsp kosher salt
 2 Tbsp freshly ground pepper
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients. Stir thoroughly to combine. You can store this rub in an airtight container for up to one year.

The Only Barbecue Marinade You'll Ever Need
Makes 1 quart
3 cups apple juice
 1 cup distilled white vinegar
 3/4 cup sugar
 3/4 cup kosher salt
In a large, heavy saucepan, combine the apple juice and vinegar and whisk over medium heat. Whisking continuously, pour in the sugar and salt. Continue whisking until the seasonings are completely dissolved, but do not allow the mixture to come to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and cool completely. If reserving for a later use, use a funnel and pour the marinade into a large bottle or container. You can store this marinade in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for up to one year.

Tip:
To get that all-important glistening look on your ribs, smoke them for 30 minutes then spritz them with a simple solution of half water, half apple juice at 15-minute intervals for the duration of the cooking time. It keeps them sweet, moist and beautifully mahogany.

Busy with Bird Stuff

I haven't written anything for a while because I have been pretty busy with the bird stuff.  I sell a few of my wild bird feeder (hummingbird) designs on eBay and have been working at getting a business license so I can sell legally at the local level.  I have a renewed respect for small business owners because I now know how many things a person must go through to open even the smallest and simplest business.  I plan on doing business online with an option for local pickup and maybe supplying a few stores with wild bird accessories.  I'm not going to get too ambitious because this is a competitive business but maybe I can pick up a little pocket change down the line if all goes well.  For the moment I am pretty much treading water with the expense of buying office and shipping supplies pretty much draining my little budget.  Obviously the State of West Virginia is not getting in too much of a rush to mail my new business certificate to me and until I get that I can't get my wholesalers lined up but it should be in the mail pretty soon.  I am hoping to combine my creations with some of the better low-cost bird feeders and next boxes so that my customers will have an affordable choice of wild bird accessories.  I will be staying away from the higher-priced ornamental items and will focus on form and function rather than style, although I am hoping to incorporate style at a low price when possible.  I will be catering to the po' folks and not to the rich unless they are really budget conscious and tight with their money.
I never realized how much time would be involved in even the smallest business venture but since I am basically doing everything myself it is very time consuming.  I have been designing business cards, letterheads, and a new website (arbucklestore.com) as well as learning html programming.  I piddled with programming years ago with machine language and some Basic and Pascal, but my programming skills have escaped me and I am having to relearn everything.  I can't put any products on my new website until my business certificate gets here but I hope to get it going in the next month of so and intend to be in full swing by time next spring gets here.  I have a few new designs I want to get out but right now I am pretty much pressed for time to do anything except the basics. 
Anyway... just wanted everyone to know that I am still around and don't plan on going anywhere for now.  I'll be updating you on occasion and maybe even sharing an opinion or two from time to time but right now my little brain is pretty much in overload mode.  Did someone say "nap time?"  Sounds good to me!

http://arbucklestore.com/cgi-bin/online/storepro.php

http://www.ebay.com/sch/arbuckle_bill/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686

Online Selling "For the Birds"

Over the years I have dabbled at online buying and selling... mostly just buying things for around the house but occasionally selling things I no longer need.  I never actually made any money selling but it was fun when I was able to get a little bit of money for something I would otherwise just have thrown away.  If only I could sell something in quantity at a price that would give me a little extra pocket change I would really be happy.  It used to be pretty easy to sell stuff online but nowadays it has become really competitive because a whole lot of folks have the same idea that I have.  I figure I need to come up with something new to be even a little bit successful at it and I think I may have some ideas... maybe.
Last month I was getting my bird feeders ready for the season and I thought maybe I would upgrade my feeders since they were all so old and in need of retirement.  I was looking at hummingbird feeders when I noticed these big domes that hang over the hummer feeders to keep the midday sun from getting the nectar too hot and to also keep the rain off of the feeder.  I thought this was a great idea but the prices are outrageous.  I began to wonder if maybe I couldn't put something together myself that would do the job and save a few bucks.
After giving it a lot of thought I came up with a design that I figured would work and ordered some parts to make a few.  I would try it out and if it didn't work I wouldn't have lost too much.  And who knows?  Maybe it might end up something I could sell on eBay.
I made a "Big Red Dome" and it worked great.  It cost more than I had figured it would but I had enough parts to make a few extra and put them on eBay and they sold pretty quickly.  I ordered some more parts and sold some more.  Then I came up with a design for keeping the rain off of my dry feeder and made a few of them.  I found that both designs also are pretty good at keeping squirrels from getting on the feeder and that the folks that bought them loved them.  So, I will try to see if I can get the parts at a cheaper price and maybe make enough to pay for the gas it takes to drive the two miles to the Post Office and back.
Enter the ants.  We have a lot of ants around here and I guess that just about everyone else can say the same thing.  I built some ant moats a few years back out of empty tuna cans but I figured if I could come up with a better design that might be something I could sell online also.  I spent hours and hours looking all through the listings on eBay in search of something I could use as a basis for a new design and the only thing I found was a stainless steel cup that holds 2.5 ounces, but it looked great.  The only problem is that stainless steel is VERY difficult to work with.  I bought some of these, some stainless steel tubing, some stainless steel hooks, and some silver solder and went to work.  I finally succeeded in getting some made and, if I do say so myself, they came out pretty nice.  I put them on eBay and they sold immediately.  In fact, the folks who bought them wanted more... so many that I couldn't keep up with the orders.  In fact, I soon realized that I had created a monster because these things are a pain to fabricate.  Maybe I could just patent the design and sell it but I doubt it.  The manufacturers these days don't care about quality... they can make big bucks just selling plastic ant moats that need to be replaced every year or two, so why make something that will last for years to come?  Oh well... like I said, I have created a monster.
Anyway, I will continue to sell my "Big Red Dome" and my aluminum "Rain Guard" and maybe the occasional "Stainless Steel Ant Moat" on eBay but I don't think I will be getting rich any time soon.  At least I have a hobby that will benefit the birds, and when you think about it maybe that makes it worth more than a few bucks.

A Boy, A "Fanner 50", and a Horse Named Charlie

When I was a boy I loved to ride horses... especially George Eager's horse named Charlie.  Mr. Eager said that it was good for Charlie to get ridden occasionally but I don't think that Charlie would necessarily agree with that.  Any time I could get away from town and ride my bicycle out to George Eager's farm I would saddle up Ole Charlie and away we would go.
At that stage of my life I also liked cap pistols.  My favorite cap pistol of all time was the "Fanner 50" I got for Christmas one year.  It was nice and shiny and came with a great holster.  You could pop the caps either by pulling the trigger or by fanning the hammer.  It made a kid feel like a Wild West Gunfighter.  It was awesome.  You could really make some serious noise with a "Fanner 50."
Shortly after Christmas that year I rode my bicycle out to the farm and took Charlie for one of our more memorable rides.  Of course, I had to take my "Fanner 50" with me... I took it everywhere I went.  We were inseparable.  So off we go for a nice horse ride... Me, Charlie, and my "Fanner 50."
After a bit we got out to the part of the farm where Mr. Eager had put in a little lake he named after his wife.  He called it Lake Laura but we always just called it Eager's Pond.  I spent a lot of time fishing and swimming there as a kid.   It was just across the road from JoRee's Mill Pond... out of sight because it was down below eye level and you couldn't see it from the road.  That area is a subdivision now from what I hear.
Anyway, after a bit it was time to ride back to the barn and get Charlie in the barn and ride my Schwinn Wasp back to town.  I got on Ole Charlie and we began the ride back to the barn at a leisurely pace.  Something came over me and I just had to whip out my "Fanner 50" and pretend I was chasing outlaws or something and so I began popping caps and hollering like a wild idiot... which on that particular day I guess that was a pretty apt description of my actions.
How was I to know that Charlie didn't like cap guns?  Heck, I thought everybody liked cap guns.  Even the horses in the movies don't seem to mind them too awful much, or do they?
Anyway, when Charlie heard that "Fanner 50" popping caps, all heck broke loose.  If we'd been in the Kentucky Derby that day we would have Secretariat look like a pack mule.  I mean to tell you that Charlie was "putting it in the wind."  It was the most fun I'd had in a while, but when I looked up ahead of us I realized that I had a problem.  We were coming up to the highway (Jerry Jones Road) right in front of the dam at JoRee's Mill Pond and our little dirt road dead-ended (came to a "T") right there and there was no way that we were going to be able to turn when we got to the road.  "Whoa Nellie!"  Charlie had no ideas of slowing down and I wasn't about to jump off that horse... not as long as he was going 90mph... no way.  I guess I was going to just have to ride this one out.  Or so I thought.
When we got to the road Charlie dropped down about halfway into the ditch on the right and used it like the banking on a race track and made a very, very sharp high-speed turn to the right.  Yes sir, that horse made one fantastic right turn.  The only problem was that the kid on the horse, me, didn't make the turn with him  Nope, when Charlie turned right, I kept going straight.  All of a sudden I was flying through the air with my "Fanner 50" still in my hand.  It wasn't really so bad until I landed.  It knocked the breath out of me and I thought surely I was dying.  Really.  I thought this was the end.  All because a horse didn't like cap guns.  I surely never thought this was the way I was going to die.  Actually, at that age, I thought I was pretty much immortal.  Oh well, what a way to go.
After a bit I was able to breathe and so I stood up.  I found my "Fanner 50" and put it back into it's holster and decided that I was going to have to walk back to the barn.  My vision was just clearing up and my brain was beginning to function somewhat and that was when I saw Charlie standing just a few feet away from me waiting for me to get back on so we could go home.  I think that inside he was laughing at me.  In fact, I KNOW he was laughing at me.  I guess I deserved it.
Charlie took us back to the barn and I unsaddled him and threw him some fresh hay.  Then I got back on my bike and rode the long ride back home.  I didn't tell anybody about our famous ride for a few days but I had to tell Mom something because I was so sore I could hardly move for a week.  If you have ever busted up your ribs you know what real pain feels like.  I was never going to do that again.  Nosiree, not me!
Who knew that horses didn't like cap guns?

Grandma's and Grandpa's Aren't As Old As They Used To Be

Funny thing about how much younger Grandma's and Grandpa's are nowadays...  I remember when I was a kid how old all of my friends' parents were and I was really glad that I wasn't old like that.  I'm telling you, these folks were ancient!  Miraculously it's not like that anymore.  These days the parents all seem to be adolescents and most of the grandparents are just kids.  It must be science or something.
I am in my 60's and I will tell you that if I didn't have a mirror I would think that I am still just a kid.  I mean, I see things a little differently these days but it still seems that I am looking at the world through the eyes of a youngster.  The only difference is that everybody else the world seems to be younger than folks were when I was a kid.  It's crazy.
When I watch a college football game and the quarterback on the sideline takes off his helmet I think to myself, "Why this guy's just a kid!"  Wow.  And the other day I was watching a show about fighter pilots in the military on one of the Discovery channels and I'm telling you, they have little kids flying those jets nowadays!  What is the world coming to?
Surely it's not just me.  Has anybody else who was born in the 40's or 50's noticed this?  Heck... by the time my grandkids grow up the astronauts will probably be wearing diapers!
Go figure...

My Favorite (and Not-So-Favorite) Holidays

Yesterday was Memorial Day... one of my favorite holidays... and I enjoyed it very much. We cooked a large pork roast on the grill and I took some pics of the birds on the bird feeders.  Sissy (dogger) soaked up some Sun while Miss Kitty got in some serious tree climbing in her best effort to impress us.  It was a nice day.  
Some holidays are not that enjoyable.  Sure, some of us get the day off to celebrate whatever that particular holiday commemorates, but many holidays come with baggage.  Actually, depending who you are, maybe all holidays come with baggage... but some are worse than others... and here is why.
Let's start with the big one... Christmas, or whatever you wish to call that holiday season.  Call me a Scrooge if you will, but no matter, Christmas is just not all that enjoyable of a holiday.  Sure, it's great to watch the kids get their toys and laugh and play on Christmas.  Some of us get to see our extended families during the Christmas season also, and that is good... sometimes.  But here is the catch.  We are all EXPECTED to buy gifts for people on Christmas Day.  Sometimes that can be a LOT of people.  And that can be a LOT of money.  We are expected to spend money during what is a very tough economic time of the year.  Layoffs (of full-time jobs) are rampant during the Christmas Season.  Factories shut down and stores virtually quit ordering new merchandise.  They have already stocked up for Christmas and now must sell down their inventory to avoid paying too much tax on their inventory come the new year. Warehouses slow down, trucking slows down, and generally employment goes way down during the season.  Utility bills go up because of the cold weather and our household budgets get strained to the limit.  It is just not a time that I can honestly say that I enjoy.
There are other holidays where we are expected to buy gifts, but not all of them are really that bad.  We are expected to buy gifts on Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Birthdays (other than family), and probably others that I am forgetting about.  Now, don't get me wrong... I am not against buying my loved ones a gift every now and then.  I am a gift giver and I enjoy doing it.  So far this year I have gifted quite a bit and most of it had nothing to do with any holiday.  (Wifee's chocolate diamond ring was the exception, but I know better than to forget HER birthday... lol.) 
As I said, I enjoy giving gifts.  I just don't like to be told that I HAVE to buy gifts for folks that probably feel the same way about it as I do.  That is my main complaint about some of the holidays.
I do enjoy the holidays where I am not compelled to give gifts but can just enjoy the time with my family and friends.  New Year's Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving are My Favorite Holidays.  These holidays are meant to remember and to enjoy.  Memorial Day is tough... a lot of us have lost friends and loved ones who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country.  I take time to do this on Memorial Day and then I do my best to enjoy the off time.  I think this is the way that they would want it.  It is a meaningful and enjoyable (for the most part) holiday.
And then there are the meaningless holidays.  Columbus Day comes immediately to mind.  I won't go into this one, but you already know how I feel about Christopher Columbus if you have read all of my earlier blogs.  Why in the hell is it even a holiday?  Go figure.
Easter is one that has really gone down the tubes.  It has evolved into a day where we go out and watch little kids run around and try to find and eat all of the chocolate Bunny eggs possible.  Nuff said.
Halloween... All Hallow's Eve.  I say let the kids have their fun. 
And let's not forget Groundhog Day.  Puxsutawney Phil and his silly band of characters.  Wow, what a zoo... pun intended.  At least Groundhog Day is good for a laugh or two, so maybe it's not so bad after all.

Abused Women... Leave... Now!

Jodi Arias says she was abused so she retaliated by stabbing, cutting, and shooting her boyfriend.  Lorena Bobbitt says she was abused so she sliced of her husband's manhood while he was asleep.  Whitney Houston was obviously abused by Bobby Brown but she chose not to leave him.  She ended up taking her own life in desperation.
These people are famous now but domestic abuse is a very prevalent occurrence in virtually every nation on the planet.  Domestic abuse is not something that "works itself out" over time.  In almost every case the abuse only gets worse as time goes on.  The only way out of the situation is for one of the two parties involved to separate themselves from the other.  Unfortunately this does not happen nearly often enough.  Women tend to stay with the men who beat them and they end up getting beat over and over again.  Don't ask me why this is the case... I simply don't know.  Some may say that she stays because of love.  If this is the case then it is not the kind of love that I am familiar with.  Women who are being abused need to get away from the man who is abusing them and they need to do it now.
That is all that needs to be said about this situation.  It is the only solution.
Abused women... get out... now!

A Really Good BBQ Sauce

I used to eat nothing but Kraft BBQ sauce but when I moved to WV I was treated with this simple homemade BBQ sauce that Wanda and her sister Brenda made for the many cookouts they have and it is delicious.  I love it on everything and it is especially good on pulled pork.  Wanda and Brenda don't use a recipe... they just throw it together and taste it as they go.  I have attempted to quantify it into a recipe but remember to adjust it as needed while you are fixing it.  Try it... you'll love it.

Ingredients:
32 oz. ketchup
1 cup mustard
1/2 cup light brown sugar (dark brown is fine)
1 oz. (by weight) chili powder
1 oz. (by weight) paprika
1 tblsp. black powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp powdered cayenne (red) pepper
1/4 tsp celery salt or powdered celery
beer (This is used to thin the sauce and does add some good flavor.  The alcohol cooks out quickly.)

You can estimate the weights of ingredients by referring to total weight on jar label.

Notes: Beer can be substituted with apple cider or cola... I do not use vinegar.
            Make adjustments after sauce has simmered for at least 5 minutes.

Put all of the ingredients in a pot and cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally to keep sauce from sticking.  Try not to let it boil because thick liquids can be messy when they begin to bubble.  You don't have to cook this for very long... just long enough for the sugar to melt and for the flavors to combine.  Adjust to your taste.  Enjoy.

Bill's Dry Rub Recipe

Are you about to cook a nice big chunk of meat and you want to add some zing to the flavor?  Try a rub... that will do the trick.  Here is the recipe for the rub that I throw together when I want a really tasty slab of good meat.

Bill's Dry Rib Rub Recipe
Ingredients
5 tablespoons paprika  (the darker the paprika the better the flavor... avoid cheap generic paprika unless you plan on using a LOT of it.)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin (This gives it the smokey flavor.)
1 tablespoon garlic powder (Don't worry about your breath... everybody will have garlic breath and won't notice yours... lol.)
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 tablespoons brown sugar (light or dark... I usually use light.)
2 tablespoons kosher salt (I use sea salt... much better flavor than regular table salt.)
1 teaspoon powdered cayenne pepper (more of less according to your taste)
1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon white pepper (optional... you can substitute this for black pepper... actually it is immature black pepper... milder and much more tasty.)

Don't worry about going strictly by the ingredients. Basically a dry rub is spiced-up paprika (as is chili powder) and all of our tastes are different.  If you are going to use the rub on light meat like chicken or turkey then you may want to add some oregano, parsley, chives, basil, and/or allspice.  Of course these ingredients will have to be ground into a powder.  Just fly by the seat of your pants... you really can't mess up a rub.  Taste it as you go and you will have a feel for what it needs.
Combine ingredients and store in an airtight container and shake well.  Be sure to grind any ingredients that are not already powdered.  It probably wouldn't be a bad idea to grind all of the rub after you get all of the ingredients mixed.  I use a cheap blade spice grinder... works great and really helps the flavor to penetrate the meat.  Don't use your good coffee grinder.  The coffee flavor won't hurt the rub but I doubt you will want your fresh ground coffee to taste like BBQ.
Sprinkle the Rub on the meat before you put in on the grill or in the oven.  This Rub uses sugar so remember not to cook the meat too hot or the sugar will burn.  This Rub is similar to a Memphis Rub but lacks the mustard powder that most Memphis Rubs contain.  You can also use a BBQ sauce with this rub but I would recommend adding the BBQ sauce toward the end of the cooking so that it, too, won't burn.  Adding BBQ sauce early in the cooking stage is a common mistake among folks who only BBQ on rare occasions.
Note: You can baste your meat in the refrigerator overnight by mixing some rub with some beer and maybe some apple vinegar. Some folks even use Coke in their basting mixture, but I use beer... any brand will do.  If you plan on basting, make a separate helping of the rub to use in the baste and hold out the salt because a salty baste will remove moisture from the meat.  The alcohol will evaporate quickly as soon as you remove the meat from the bag and the barley, oats, and hops in the beer will add a wonderful flavor to the rub that will keep all of your guests wondering what that delicious flavor is.  Just tell them it is your "Secret Ingredient."  Beer also is known to help tenderize meat that is basted overnight.  Cheap wine is another option to use in basting.  If you prefer not to baste and you really don't like to use the rub dry you can make a thin paste using the beer (or wine) and the rub.  Just don't let the kids see you doing this... lol.
I hope all of this helps and I really hope I haven't confused you with the extra information.  My brain works(?) in very mysterious ways.  Enjoy...

Wanda's Fabulous Hot & Sweet Salsa

This is the recipe for the best salsa you will ever taste.  It is hot, sweet, and out of this world.  Everybody who tries it loves it!  We call it Wanda's Salsa but it is actually a hand-me-down recipe that came from others.  Wanda just made it famous with her charming personality and her special touch.  Even Robert Redford loves this stuff.  It is very easy to make and will make you a movie star like Redford.  Here is the Robert Redford story:

Several folks have requested that I tell the story of how Robert Redford came to taste some of Wanda's salsa, so here goes.
Sue, one of Wanda's sisters, lives in Fostoria, Ohio and for a long time she was the Commander of the American Legion there.  Sue had been in the army and was stationed in Germany for a time.  It seems that Wanda had left several jars of her salsa with Sue and it turns out that Robert Redford's bus driver is from Ohio and comes back to visit from time to time. When he is in town he often stops in for a beer at the American Legion.  On one of his visits he and Sue got to talking about the salsa and Sue ended up giving him a jar of it.  As the story goes he took the jar of salsa back to California and shared it with Redford and apparently he loved it and wanted some more.  The next time the bus driver was back in Ohio he dropped by the American Legion and told Sue how much Robert Redford liked the salsa and he wanted the driver to pick up some more of it.  Wanda's memory isn't real clear on this part of the story but she thinks that Sue gave him one more jar of the salsa and after that Sue started making the salsa herself.  Wanda isn't sure if Sue gave the driver any more salsa after that and she keeps forgetting to ask sister about it.  That's the plain and simple story about how Robert Redford came to try and enjoy some of Wanda's wonderful salsa.

Before I give you the recipe I want to tell you that Wanda does not grind this salsa up into a paste.  She slices the banana peppers into rings and uses them just like that.  You can cut them up a little more but I'm not sure how this would work if put into a food processor.  It would probably still taste great.  If you do this let us know how it turns out.  This recipe is easy, easy, easy.  Give it a try.

WANDA'S ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC HOT & SWEET SALSA
Ingredients:
~60 Large Banana Peppers
1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 Cup Vinegar
32 Ounces Ketchup
2 Cups Sugar or Splenda (or 1 cup of each)

Chop Banana Peppers (or use Food Processor) and mix with all of the Ingredients listed above.
Bring the mixture to a near boil and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Place hot salsa in canning jars and seal.
That's it... times and amounts may vary according to pepper sizes and taste.  Note: Wanda uses Splenda which measures just like sugar.  Spicy characteristics will vary according to the peppers used (of course).  Also, you can boil the above mixture on a low boil for about 15 minutes and then simmer for about 10 minutes with the same results... just sort of fly by the seat of your pants on this one.  Enjoy...

Wanda's Fabulous Hot Dog Chili Recipe

Today's blog is a little different from my previous ones.  My wife has some really good recipes of her own and I thought I would share one of them with you today.  As with most recipes, hers was developed by slightly modifying others' recipes.  They should be given credit for their work also.  Below is the recipe in both original large format and also in a converted smaller format.  Please let us know if the smaller version needs to be adjusted as we have not tried it since the conversion.  Enjoy...

WANDA'S FABULOUS HOT DOG CHILI RECIPE
30 lbs Lean Ground Beef
1 cup Chili Powder (or 6 Tblsp.)
 8 Large Onions (finely chopped)
 Salt
 Seasoned Salt (any generic brand will do)
 1 and one half tablespoons black pepper
 4 cups Light Brown Sugar
 1/2 cup Yellow Mustard
 260 oz. Ketchup (any brand)
Put about 1/2" of water into a large pot.  Add hamburger meat and sprinkle salt and seasoning salt over meat to taste.  (You can always add more salt later but it is important that at least some salt is put in the chili early in the process.)   Add all of the other ingredients except for the ketchup and cook on medium heat (low boil). When meat is brown I use a hand blender or a wooden spoon to break the meat into smaller chunks.   As it cooks, the water will become greasy with meat fat.   Scoop out most  of this grease (but not all, leaving some of it for flavor) before adding the ketchup.  Now add the ketchup and cook the chili on medium low heat, stirring often for about 60 minutes.
Below is the recipe converted to a smaller potion.  You can freeze any excess chili for use at a later date.

Note:  I am getting feedback from those who have tried the smaller recipe and they are all very positive.  Some said next time they will make it spicier by adding more Chili Powder, Black Pepper (BP is hotter than most people think if enough is used.), and/or maybe adding some Powdered Red (Cayenne) Pepper.   This is understandable since this recipe is for retail consumption where many of the buyers are getting this for their kids.  Adults will find this recipe to be mild, but very tasty.  When Wanda brings the mild version home from the store I like to top it off with chopped onions and Texas Pete.

2 lbs.  Lean Ground Beef
1 Tbsp. Chili Powder
1 Small Onion (or 1/2 Large Onion) finely chopped
Salt (to taste)
Seasoning Salt (to taste)
Black Pepper (to taste)
1/4 cup Light Brown Sugar
1 tsp. Mustard
16 ounces Ketchup

I Hate Telephones

Maybe "hate" isn't the appropriate word for how I feel about telephones but it is probably pretty close.  Telephones can be a wonderful thing... but they can also be a pain in the butt.  We need telephones for medical emergencies but I am having a difficult time thinking of any other reasons we really need them nowadays.  Most of my family interaction comes via social media (Facebook, email, etc.) these days and I very seldom use the telephone anymore.  When I say "telephone" I mean the one that we call a "land line"... the one that is hardwired into the house.  I really think these are soon to be another dinosaur in the big scheme of things.  I figure they will follow the transistor radio, pagers, and vinyl record albums into the archives of oblivion very soon.
Why do I despise telephones?  Mainly I hate them because they are an invasion of my privacy, which is the only reason I should need.  I value my privacy and I do not appreciate it when it is invaded.  I get telephone calls when I am trying to sleep, when I am busy doing something I feel is important, and when I am just sitting here enjoying the silence.  Maybe 1 in 100 of these phone calls is pleasant, but most are calls reminding me about doctor's appointments, filled prescriptions that have been filled and need to be picked up, requests for donations, political surveys, etc.  Once in a great while I get a telephone call that I really enjoy... but that is a high price to pay for the intrusion this blasphemous device brings to my solitude. Yes, I could just turn the ringer off, but then I might miss that "important" phone call that we all seem to be waiting on but never comes. What a mess.  I am thinking that it won't be much longer before I decide to just toss this infernal thing into the river.  I don't really need it anymore.
My wife has a cellphone and she loves it.  She has a large family and they are very close.  The cellphone allows her to stay in touch with them and to access the internet as well as take pictures of memorable moments.  I can even text her on it using my email client on my computer.  Cellphones aren't bad... as long as they belong to someone else.
There was a time in my life when I thought that I couldn't live without a telephone.  That time has passed.  I really don't need a telephone anymore.  Is that a bad thing?  I don't think so.

What the Hell Did Dr. Spock Know?

Today is Mother's Day here in the United States and I feel compelled to say a few words about all of the mothers out there.  Don't ask me why, but one of the first things I thought about when my fingers touched the keyboard was Dr. Benjamin Spock and the books he wrote about raising children in the 1940's and later.  Here is an excerpt from Wikipedia about him:

Benjamin McLane Spock (May 2, 1903 – March 15, 1998) was an American pediatrician whose book Baby and Child Care, published in 1946, is one of the biggest best-sellers of all time. Throughout its first 52 years, Baby and Child Care was the second-best-selling book, next to the Bible.^[1] Its message to mothers is that "you know more than you think you do."^[2]

I love that last sentence.  Even though Dr. Spock was a learned pediatrician he never gave birth to a child.  I am sure that he was a wise man but can a man really possess the feelings and instincts that a Mother is born with and develops through motherhood?  I certainly am not going to sit here and bash him, but I have oftentimes wondered how a man ended up writing such a prolific book about child-rearing when it seems that this would have been a woman who authored such a prominent book.  Oh well.  We men think we know it all and the women just let us keep on thinking that, I guess.  Aren't women wonderful?
Anyway, I want to say a huge "Thank You!" to all of you Mothers out there and here's hoping that you have a truly wonderful "Mother's Day."  You certainly deserve it.  Bless you all. 

Don't Let Your Kids Talk to Strangers

This is common knowledge but it really strikes home now that we see what has happened to the 3 girls who got into the car with Ariel Castro, a complete stranger, a decade ago in Cleveland Ohio.  This type of thing scares me to death.
We look forward to spending our Golden Years watching our children and their children mature.  It is one of the sheer pleasures of life.  To think that it can all be snuffed out in a moment of inattention by one of them is terrifying.  It is unimaginable, completely incomprehensible what kind of horrors those poor girls have gone through over the past decade because of one little slip-up.  This can happen to any of our kids or grandkids simply by their having one little weak moment when an evil stranger approaches them.  What little kid would say "No" when someone asks them to help them find their lost puppy or kitten?  The same thing goes if a stranger approaches them and tells them that their Mom has been in an accident and she sent him to pick her up and take her to the hospital.  This is absolutely horrifying to me.  Let's make sure we drill this into our kids.  We can't just take it for granted that they would know better.  We need to talk to them now... today.  Please, just do it.

Mark Twain- "The Voice of Reason"

Almost all of us (in the U.S.) know who Mark Twain was.  His real name was Samuel Clemens and he was from Hannibal Missouri.  He wrote many books under the famous pen name of Mark Twain and we read several of these in our childhood.  I will never be able to forget Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer... and Jim the faithful slave.  I really enjoyed the books and even now I watch the movie renditions from time to time.  I still enjoy them as much as I did in my youth.
But do we really know the man who wrote these wonderful stories?  I don't think that very many of us do.  I am going to make this short and sweet by listing a couple of facts and several of his famous quotations.  You can do research (Using Google will give much more about "Good Old Sam.") and check my facts and quotes for authenticity.  Read, research, and see if you really knew him.  Keep in mind that one of his nicknames was "The Voice of Reason"  Here goes... and I promise you that you will either love this or hate it.  I don't think many will straddle the fence on this one.

Samuel Clemens moved to Virginia City, Nevada in order to elude the draft during the War of Northern Aggression.  If you remember your history you will remember that Missouri saw a lot of action during the war and much of it was internal.  Missourians were split down the middle as to their loyalties and beliefs and this cause much violence during the war.  I guess Sam felt that he would just let the others settle the issue.

Here are a few of his more famous quotes.  Research will yield many more for he was a prolific speaker and writer.  Keep in mind that he was a Presbyterian.

"Faith is believing something you know ain't true." 
                 

"'In God We Trust.' I don't believe it would sound any better if it were true." 
                 

"It ain't the parts of the Bible that I can't understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do
 understand."    
              

"Religion consists in a set of things which the average man thinks he believes and wishes he was certain of."    
              

"There is no other life; life itself is only a vision and a dream for nothing exists but space and you. If there was an all-powerful God, he would have made all good, and no bad." Mark Twain in Eruption    
      

"Our Bible reveals to us the character of our god with minute and remorseless exactness... It is perhaps the most damnatory biography that exists in print anywhere. It makes Nero an angel of light and leading by contrast" Reflections on Religion, 1906 
 

"[The Bible is] a mass of fables and traditions, mere mythology." Mark Twain and the Bible       

"Man is a marvelous curiosity ... he thinks he is the Creator's pet ... he even believes the Creator loves him; has a passion for him; sits up nights to admire him; yes and watch over him and keep him out of trouble. He prays to him and thinks He listens. Isn't it a quaint idea." Letters from the Earth    
      

"If there is a God, he is a malign thug."    
              

Mr. Clemens was once asked whether he feared death. He said that he did not, in view of the fact that he had been dead for billions and billions of years before he was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it.

    
"[The Bible] has noble poetry in it... and some good morals and a wealth of obscenity, and upwards of a thousand lies."

    
"In religion and politics people's beliefs and convictions are in almost every case gotten at second-hand, and without examination, from authorities who have not themselves examined the questions at issue but have taken them at second-hand from other non-examiners, whose opinions about them were not worth a brass farthing." Autobiography of Mark Twain by Samuel Clemens

 

Internet Sales Tax

The U.S. Senate is expected to vote today on a bill that would require all major (whatever that means) online retailers to collect sales tax on all transactions.  Here is my opinion on that.
I do a lot of shopping online, mainly because I just don't care much for leaving the house and shopping.  I can usually find a pretty good price online and most of the time I do not have to pay sales tax on my purchases.  However, I do have to pay for shipping.  Even when a seller states that shipping is Free I know that he has already covered the transportation costs in his price he has set for the item.  No problem.  I do the same thing when I sell online so I understand that this is really just a game.
Why do we have to pay sales tax?  Sure, the country needs a LOT of money to keep everything running but isn't that what income tax is for?  I really don't thing it is fair for my income to be taxed and then the same money is taxed again when I purchase something, unless it is a food item, which is not taxed in my state.  I guess that this means that food is a necessity so I don't have to pay tax on it but nothing else I buy is a necessity so I have to pay sales tax on it.
When I buy something online and do not have to pay sales tax I feel like a petty criminal.  I really shouldn't have to feel this way and I don't think it is right for me to have to feel this way.  Neither do I think I should have to pay sales tax on any other thing I buy.  Just because we have been doing it all of our lives doesn't make it right.
I have a proposal that I think would work for our country... and all other countries.  Why don't we all pay income tax on our earnings and cut out the sales tax?   The "big guys" don't have to pay income tax at the same rate I do therefore the country has to make up for it by charging sales tax.  I say "Not Fair!"
The big guys will jump in and say "Wait a minute, we give a lot of people jobs."  Sure they do, and these workers pay income tax and buy the products others have produced which keeps people working.  It isn't just the company bigwig who keeps the economy going.  The little guy has just as much to do with keeping our economy viable as the big guys do.  Maybe more, since our money is taxed twice!
Why don't we just all pay a fair share of our income tax and do away with sales tax?

The Stray Cat and the Flypaper

This is the story of a really bad day in the life of a stray cat.  You may think this story is funny but I very much doubt that the cat would agree.  This may well have been the worst day of this particular cat's life.
It was a pitiful-looking yellow/orange stray cat.  You just had to feel sorry for this skinny little cat as it sat outside of the back door looking for a little bite of food.  It looked like it was about to starve to death so we put out some food and water for it on the back porch and after we went away it finally walked over and ate the food.  I guess it liked the free handout because it came back for more but it never let us get close to it.  This was a feral (wild) cat and it just didn't trust people.
Now we generally keep our back door open because we like the cool air blowing down off of the hill to cool us off in the summer but that presents a problem.  Sometimes we get flies and other insects in the house and that can be a little unpleasant so we put up those terrible stick fly strips that you stick to the ceiling with a thumb tack and the flies just love to land on the sweet-smelling stick strips.  Problem solved.
Back to the cat.  As time went by the cat got a little bit braver and my wife was able to coax it into the kitchen to eat and sometimes it would even lie down on the blanket on the floor under the table.  We had to leave the door open so that the cat would have an escape route and when I came into the kitchen the cat usually took off.  It hadn't gotten to know me and it didn't even like for me to look it's way, so I gave it plenty of room and was careful not to look it in the eye.  This cat was wild.  I doubt it had ever been inside of a house before.
Then one day I was sitting in the living room and I heard this terrible terrible squalling coming from the kitchen.  I got up out of my chair and went to see what the hell was going on in the kitchen.  The first thing I noticed was that the wind had blown the back door shut and this had obviously caused the cat to panic.  So, I eased over to the door, careful not to make eye contact with the cat, and opened the door so the cat could get out.  And out the cat went... acting like an idiot... jumping, twisting, squalling, and carrying on like you've never seen before.  The can made it's way down the driveway, did a couple of flips up into the air and took off into the bushes.  I have no words to describe how that cat was acting.  Of course, I always suspected that cat was possessed or something and it looked like it's demons had finally gotten the best of it.  Oh well.  So long, cat.
When my wife got home from work I told her what had happened and we both just shook our heads.  Who would have thought that a cat would be so claustrophobic that it actually went crazy when the door got blown shut.  Whatever.
My wife likes to sit at the kitchen table with the back door open and the ceiling fan on and just enjoy the sight of the birds feeding and watching the other animals that we usually have on the hill out behind the house and that's where she was sitting (I was in the living room sitting in my recliner.) when all of a sudden she broke out into a hysterical laugh.  I was thinking, "Oh no, not her too!"  She had gone crazy just like the cat did.  I'm not going back into THAT kitchen.  No sir.
Well, wifee was finally able to walk and she stumbled and laughed her way into the room where I was and with tears in her eyes she was finally able to speak.  "I know what happened," she said.  "Okay, will you let me in on the secret?"  I asked.  She looked at me, laughed some more and then coughed out the words "The fly strip is missing."
Evidently the fly strip getting blown around by the ceiling fan had been too much for the cat.  It must have gone nuts laying there under the table watching the wind blow the strip back and forth and finally just had to attack it.  That may have been the biggest mistake that cat ever made, because apparently the fly strip won that fight.  At least that explained why the cat was jumping up in the air and doing all of those crazy flips.
Several days later the cat returned, looking even worse that it did when it first showed up at our back door.  It was covered in sticky brown glue and had obviously had a rough time over the last few days.  Wanda (wifee) cleaned the cat as best as she could and fed it.  Poor cat.  You certainly couldn't blame it for being paranoid.  Everybody and everything was out to get this cat.  I can only imagine the nightmares it must have had when it finally was able to get to sleep.  Poor cat.
Well, the cat hung around for a few weeks and I guess it finally felt good enough to head back out into the world to seek out it's fame and fortune because one day it was gone and we haven't seen it since.  I wish it the best.
I'll bet you one thing, though.  That cat will never attack a fly strip again.

A New Pacemaker for An Old Geezer

I got a new Pacemaker yesterday and a friend wanted to hear about the experience, so here goes.
I have a Pacemaker/Defibrillator because my heart has some muscle damage and also tends to go into atrial fibrillation (flutter) occasionally.  It's really no big deal.  Lots of folks have them and they are really pretty neat.  They aren't too big and the doctor just cuts a slit in the skin and slips it in.  Of course there's a little more to it than that because they have to hook up a few wires to the heart but it isn't really anywhere near to being major surgery.  The only problem is that the battery only lasts about 5 years and they have to replace the unit periodically.  That's what they did for me yesterday.
I had to be there at 7:30 a.m. so Wanda and I got an early start headed to the hospital.  I wasn't allowed to eat or drink after the previous midnight so I was just dying for some breakfast.  What I would have given for a steak, some eggs, and a big cup of coffee!  Oh well, maybe I'd live until lunch.  Maybe.
I got checked in on time and was escorted into the cardiovascular surgical unit.  As soon as my butt hit the cot I was swarmed by 5 beautiful nurses.  It was awful. (pffffft!)  I felt like a movie star.  They were all so nice and they certainly knew their jobs.  They stuck me with an I.V. (which I was to really appreciate later) and shave off the only hair I had on my chest.  Darn!  I hope it grows back.  Thank goodness they let me keep my grey ponytail and beard.
It was obvious from the beginning that these girls had a sense of humor and knew how to "cut the fool."   If you know anything at all about me then you know that I love to "cut the fool."  In fact, I've been doing it for so long that I've forgotten how normal folks really act.  Anyway, I jumped right in and had a blast cutting up with the ladies.  They made the morning fun and if we could have sent out for pizza and beer it would have been a heck of a party.
Next it was time to be wheeled down to surgery.  Time to get serious.  Not!  The folks in surgery were cut-up's too.  Please pardon the pun.  Right out of the gate a cute little nurse asked me, "Well, are you ready to do it?"  Now there's an opening I just could not refuse.  "Not now Honey, but maybe after the surgery we could work something out."   Everybody in the room broke into spontaneous laughter and I could see this was going to be fun.  And it was.  We cut up right up to the point to where the Doctor stabbed (I mean sliced) me.  It wasn't bad.  Local anesthesia but they covered my head so that I couldn't watch.  I guess they thought I had fallen asleep because sometimes I don't breathe real quietly and it sort of sounds like a snore.  I listened to the whole thing.  It was pretty interesting.  When it was over I told the girl that I was awake the whole time.  "Riiiiiiiiiight..." she said.  I don't think she believe me.  Oh well, what's new?  The story of my life.
Now it was time to be rolled back out to recovery.  The group of nurses was still out there and as I said before, it wasn't bad at all.  The only thing bad was that laying flat on my back and not being able to move for a few hours was causing my arthritis to kick into action.  My knees, hips, and shoulders were definitely letting me know that they wanted some attention.  Wow.  I was in pain.  When I told one of the nurses I figured she would say something like, "Don't worry, it will all be over soon."  But I was in for a huge surprise when she asked me, "Are you allergic to morphine?"  What?  Are you kidding me?  I'd kill for some morphine right now.  I told her I was definitely not allergic to morphine and in a matter of only a few minutes she was shooting the "good stuff" into my I.V. bag.  Heck, no need for that.  She could have just stuck the needle in me and saved herself some trouble.  "This may make you a little sleepy," she said.  Sweet words... but I forced myself to stay awake.  I wasn't about to go to sleep now... not with pretty nurses everywhere and me being the center of attention.  No sir.  This old boy is going to stay awake.
Wifee came in and I was told it was ok if I wanted to eat now, and my sweet wife slipped down to the cafeteria and picked me up a burger and Coke.  I can't tell you how good that little burger tasted.  And the Coke was heavenly. 
Soon it was time to leave and so we got into the car and headed back toward our little house on the river.  It sure was good to get home.  I thought Sissy (our little weiner dog) was going to have a stroke.  She was so happy to see us and we were happy to see her.  Home Sweet Home.  There's no place like.
So folks, that wraps it up.  I made it through my little surgical procedure and am now all charged up (that's a pun folks... lol.) and ready for the Spring and Summer.  Bring it on!