Just a few small Things

• How did Congressman Ron Paul get elected from Texas? He should be a left Coast guy and would do well there. He freely admits that Congress gave the President the right to wage war in Iraq and then says it was unconstitutional? At least he didn't use the term "lie" about the President, only that we were duped by the Intelligence Agencies. (Being from Texas he probably couldn't use the term lie) He overlooks the fact that the Israelis had to bomb a nuclear reactor in Iraq to keep them from escalating their nuclear weapons program and that Clinton signed a Presidential paper making Saddam a major enemy of the US. The UN had 18 sanctions against Iraq and did little that hurt Saddam. This guy is a Presidential hopeful and more mixed up than a bag of trail mix.
  
• The French have so many problems that it is inconceivable that a leader of any party will solve their problems. They have riots every time someone discusses changing the very thing that would fix the number one problem. Unemployment is at 22% of the 18-25 group and employers are hesitant to hire people from this group because of the fact they can't fire them if they don't produce. With the work week cut to 32 hours and the vacation time upping to six weeks, they get less production from a worker than about any other country. May sound like a utopia from the outside but it is a recipe for failure. The only good thing is they have a lot of great wine there.
  
• There are a lot of discussions about alternative fuels to the major use/dependence of/on Fossil fuels. We need to wake up to the fact that the very people that oppose Nuclear and wind energy are the very people oppose fossil fuel exploration in Alaska and off the coast of the US. Combine them with the Not in My Back Yard (NIMBY) section of the lunatic fringe that opposed wind turbines and solar panels and we have a quagmire of problems that Government just can't or won't fix. Just today there was an article about burning Turkey Poop in an electric generating plant in Minnesota. To be fair they do have more turkeys than any where else. If we really sat down and discussed what it cost to collect, transport and built a turkey poop plant, I'll bet it doesn't make economic sense either. But the alternative is to not eat turkey or be up to our necks in turkey poop. The EPA has banned using it as fertilizer as it is a runoff hazard to our streams. Lets make all the corn into liquor and sit around drinking and singing, "I don't care, I don't care, run out of fuel and go no where, cause I don't care".
  
• I want to know just who the hell is really measuring the inflation rate? Most of us pay more for medical insurance than they got in a raise this year. The cost of gasoline is over $3.00 a gallon (more like $3.25) and the price of groceries has skyrocketed. Hell, the cost of a hamburger (number 1 with mustard, fries and a coke) is almost five dollars at Sonic. If you haven't bought any building products at the lumber yard, be prepared for sticker shock. The new mildew resistant (their words not mine) Sheetrock is over $12.50 a sheet.
  

Now for those of you that read through this miss mash of things that set me off today, I want to remind you that I am probably the number one fan of the USA. I think our system, while it has problems, is the best in the world. We are one of the most generous nations. People forget that after freeing Germany and Japan from despots we rebuilt their countries. When the people of Europe were starving after WWII we fed them by the boatload. There is hardly an enemy that isn't better off after a war with us than before. But, with all that said, have a great day. MUD

What would I have done Different?

I think that after 9/11, the US was in a war on Terrorism. Good grief people, more people were killed in New York than were killed in Pearl Harbor. It was a sneak attack if there ever was one. The madman pictured over on the right was smack dab right in the middle of the problem. Was he the only problem or the direct link? No, but he needed to be stopped because of the carnage being done in Iraq. I would have done what the President did and given him 48 hours to leave and then sent in the "Dogs of War". It is what I would do after that that differs in the prosecution of Saddam.
I would have kept the Iraqi Armed Forces in charge. I would have gone to the Commanding General and told him he was responsible for keeping the country safe. If he could/would not comply, GO TO GITMO, do pass go, do not collect $200. I would have then gone to the next highest General and said the same thing. Somewhere about the middle of the Lieutenant Colonels someone would have stepped up. Propping up the Military would have kept much of the trained militants employed and someone in charge.
The next step was to collect all the automatic weapons in the hands of people not in charge. We don't allow them here so why is it a good idea there? I would have employed people to strengthen the border in Iraq and stopped any new terrorists from coming in. (Would do that here also but hey, "Good fences make good Neighbors")
I would tell the three parties that they have a month or so to stand up a new Government or I would split the country up into three segments and nationalize the oil wells.
Would I have been more successful? Would it have taken a more brutal leader than Saddam to lead and keep peace? Who Knows. One thing I won't do is say stupid things like the President lied or that he is stupid. My free speech rights entitle me to my opinion. (even if every time I type the word Spell checker tells me there is only one p in opinion.)
God bless the USA the President, the members of the Armed forces and the people of our country who have the best of all worlds to live in. Don't like it here, go away and you'll be back in a heart beat . MUD

I wasn't sure where to post this, other than on the left side of the page. Where do I begin with what should have been one great President. He believed in Compassion and in Government serving the people. His understanding of the land and having been Governor of Georgia should have prepared him for a life of statesmanship and understanding of his role.
Unfortunately, for those of us really old enough to remember, he led us down a path that created one of the toughest times in US history. We were hit with a fuel crisis, high inflation and resulting interest rates and a failed hostage crisis after our Embassy was overran.
He took one great project on in his retirement where he talked with his hammer. There is a Habitat for Humanity or two houses out there with his handy work showing on it. It is only a shame that he then turned his hammer into a "bully pulpit" to say and do things about succeeding Presidents. For those of you that think the 43rd President has a low rating I would refer you to Carter's one term in office and how hard it was for us to pay our bills. A tornado wiped my house out in 1983 and the interest rate was nearly 15 % on the refinance. Unemployment was high and interest rates higher. With a legacy like that, I hope we don't have any more.
MUD

On June 2nd, Dave and his wife will have their vows re-newed in Las Vegas. Barb and I will be staying on Fremont Street in the 4 Queens hotel. Our first weekend in Vegas was across from the 4 Queens at the Fremont Hotel. We were married in Vegas on 11 Feb 1968 at the "Chapel of the Bells". I am not sure why but Barb wouldn't really want to go to Vegas again except to be with Dave and Barb. Did I mention they are going to have their vows renewed on the Deck of the Star Ship Enterprise by a Klingon? They are like that and we love them for it.
Barb has three days with students and one day without left. We will spend a few days getting ready to take our trip out west and then face a life of retirement. So much to do and so much time.
What do you want to do with your life? Do you plan to travel, garden, read, work on old cars or just what do you plan on doing? At this point I am just not sure what I will do but I'm pretty sure it includes some travel. There is a bus that leaves from Topeka than goes to Mexico City and someday I will be on it. I know that Barb would be glad to fly there an meet me but three or four days on a bus just isn't her thing. I think that stopping at all the Mexican restaurants between here and Brownsville would be a hoot. Another Ugly American tourist you are thinking. But hey, I'm old and I am what I am. (Thanks popeye)
MUD

Ashes, Ashes we all fall down

For years I have kept a pair of old SAS shoes in the garage to use to feed the dogs. I leave then untied so I can slip them on and in the garage because it is sometimes muddy in the dog pen. Last night I heated up some leftovers and when we both finished I took the "left over-left overs" to the dogs. I slipped my old shoes on and went out to the pen. I proceeded to trip myself going over the electric fence and fall flat on my face. Barb was out on the deck and came over to see if I was able to get up. It did take me a few minutes to catch my wind and assess that nothing was broken. The black slob was way too busy feeding on the dropped food to even notice. The female, "Baby" came to me and put her head down on my leg.
The end result of all that was a bruised face, bent glasses, a scraped shin and a rock sized bruise on my left pectoral muscle. Nothing permanent but not something I want to do every day. My back was already pretty sore from all the work I had done so I think it would have hurt this morning no matter what.
My dad had Parkinson's and started falling down without wearing a stupid pair of shoes that should have been tied. Every time I have something like this happen I always wonder. Is it something more sinister or just another tired 60 year old that did too much and fell down because he was too stiff and sore to bend down to tie his damned shoes? Oh well, I will be able to do what I need to do so it is no big thing.
It seems like it is impossible that my little friend Kendra is 4. We watched her and her sister grow up and miss them like crazy. I am werry, werry sad that they are in Morocco. I know that her parents are doing what they feel they need to do so I am glad for them but I do miss my little buddies, none the less. Do you remember that I said the spices from Morocco just didn't hit the spot on the smoked chicken? Let me tell you that I used one of the smoked chicken breasts in some Alfredo sauce and it was just out of this world. The spices just blossomed and were so good that it was amazing how good it was. I guess the dry spices didn't have much taste and a little sauce or moisture was the secret.
Better get on with things here at Rabbit Run. Have a great day and a super week. MUD

Summer Saturdays

Was there anything that little boys liked doing more than playing baseball in the summer? OK, I know it is no longer the 50's and with the plethora of video games they probably want to stay inside in the air conditioning and play the latest and greatest new game. For those of us old enough to have memories of the 50's (and the ability to remember the 50's) there was just nothing better than a game where a bunch of us got together and played. Often we would have to get 15 or 20 of us together to have enough bats balls and gloves to outfit the team in the field. Some of us played in organized leagues but I'll bet most of us just found an empty lot and played until it was time to run home. The difference between a home run and a "run home" was the sound of breaking glass from one of the nearby homes.
As for the majority of us, we will spend the day working in the yard and remembering those days gone past. There are a lot of projects out there today and some that will just have to wait. Barb wants a "squirrel-proof " cage to grow tomatoes. Our local squirrels think Barb is just growing a buffet made for them. They like the plants long before they have a chance to grow those wonderful red fruits. Between the oaks and the squirrels we have a lot better luck going to the farmer's market and buying tomatoes.
I have been spending some time working on learning the details of my Nikon D70 cameras. It can do about a thousand things better than I can. I am really able to put it in the Auto mode and get great results but would like to know more than I do. I have hopes of going to the Grand Canyon on our trip and getting some great pictures in the early evening. If I can get Barb to get her drugs updated she may be willing to go with me but she may just stay in the Motel while I go to the South Rim. I know she would take her old Nikon and point and shoot some great pictures. I guess men would be upset if their wives didn't have a better eye for pretty things.
Better get on with my day. Have a great one. MUD

Be Wary, Very Wary

Our Congress is about to put in place a program that will in effect grant amnesty for those illegal immigrants here and not legal. All I ask is that everyone know the true effect of bringing those undocumented workers into the systems we enjoy. Many of the immigrants have been long been working in jobs that withheld Social Security and Income Taxes but because they were working under false SSN's, they have been unable to claim the benefits of their activity. Is there going to be a restoration of rights and benefits? Will the new worker's Visa going to allow people to get refunds and rights for Soc Security later on?
One comment I read said that no matter how much lipstick you put on this pig, it is still amnesty. There are so many places for this to cost us and not benefit us that I am wary of any program that adds new mouths to our programs when their may not be deep enough pockets to pay those already in the system. I hope I am wrong but I have so many fears that those in Washington will gladly add to the number of voters without really understanding the total added costs.
Please understand that I have nothing personally against the undocumented workers. I think the short stop position is to allow all those here to continue to work and be free to travel home and back here but no citizenship for the undereducated workers. When they stop working, they need to go home. They need to pay for the services they get from the US and not gain benefits. We have a system to bring documented aliens here and for them to work towards citizenship.
Another program from Washington that will cost us more than we will benefit.
MUD

Spirit Day, Twins

These lovely ladies are teachers at T.South and are dressed alike on Twins Day during Spirit Week. They are as nice as they are pretty. I'm sorry that the only picture I took of the middle two teachers had eyes closed. This was right after school and during the retirement party for Barb. More pictures to follow of that occasion.

Barb's Day

The school where Barb teaches held a retirement reception yesterday and it was sure nice. Almost all the current teachers came and a lot of the retired teachers came. They decorated the library nice and Barb was given a lot of nice gifts. My sister Carol and her daughter Jenn came over and it was sure nice to see them also. There was also a pile of cards from everybody and Barb came home a happy camper. We took Dave's wife (Dave had to work) and our other Daughter (Barb's friend Mel) over to Appleby's for dinner.
Barb pitched her idea to help Para's get a teaching degree to three of the leaders in the system. They are having trouble replacing Barb and the other teacher and can see they need to have a program to grow their own. I see the need to talk with the State Legislature to help form some programs as well as working on getting some credit through the universities for On-The-Job experience.
For those of you that haven't read yesterday's rant, I was mildly mad at some of the antics of the system and probably got carried away. (a lot) No, I really don't care what is in my registry. I have no intention of going in and cleaning anything out. I do not fear having my life looked at. I am probably the most boring person I know and one of the most law abiding. If I break one or two small laws, hey so sue me.
Things are progressing well towards our June Las Vegas trip. I just read that one of Barb's Aunt's will be in town that day so we will probably take her to the wedding. It is possible that Barb's sister Shirley may get there as soon as she quits horsing around with Bob. (That's an inside joke, don't go there)
So far no call today so I will spend another glorious day here at Rabbit Run. Raining and I see a gutter backed up but it will wait until it stops raining (or not) MUD

Things I hate about Blogging

• First of all, the pornographic sites on my computer are there as the result of random hits and no, I do not want registry cleaner to come in and eliminate all traces of them on my computer. I really hate it when it closes Mozillza Firefox and I didn't want it closed. In fact, some of the sites that have obscene names are just fakes. BTW does anyone really know what the registry is? How do I find it and how can I eliminate it on my own.
  
• I think those cell phone cameras are the worst thing to use to take your own picture with. If you didn't look sleepy enough, goofy enough or just drunk enough, add a cell phone camera at arms length and bingo stupid picture. You know who you are!
  
• Why is it that every girl in Taiwan has a blog that is pink and takes about three minutes to load and then plays sappy music? Then, they post endless pictures of themselves crammed into pictures with a dozen friends. Get a life.
• Why does some formats not give you a next blog tab at the top of the page. If after about 5 seconds I realize the blog is another teenage girl from Taiwan I cannot hit next blog, it pisses me off. I have to back up and go to an earlier bolg and even then it doesn't always go to a new blog.
• The other day I hit a blog site that you had some stupid password to do anything else. I had to do a control alt, delete and stop Mozilla to get out. Thank god that worked. There needs to be a suggestion box for Blogspot that you can complain to. Some blogs just should be banned. If you don't want people to read your innermost thoughts, don't write them on a public forum.
• What is it about the really obnoxious sites that keep coming back up if you do a random blog? Is there some tracking device that brings them back up and bothering the heck out of us? I scan and eliminate tracking cookies all the time and even then some sits just come back up time and time again. Most of them I flag after the second or third time they come back. Most of them don't have that button so all you can do is back up and hit next blog from the one you hated about 10 seconds before.
• Is your life really so booring that you must use U-Tube for everything. I don't mind when you put something in you made or a tune you like now and then but some blogsites just copy U-Tube after another. If I wanted U-Tube I would go there.
  
• The last complaint for today's rant is those theme Tags you get. Hell, if I was so stupid that I couldn't come up with something to write about I might need them but Wordless Wednesday, Feast Friday, drunk Saturday, and name 10 things that piss you off is just something I don't need. No I don't want to link to your fucking blog, I will go there if I want.
  

I am not sure where this all came from but hey it is my blog and I'll rant if I choose to do so. MUD

Disappointed

Yesterday I grilled some great chicken breasts with the spices sent from Morocco by our friends Julie & Gerald Reimer. I did my usual trick of soy sauce on a couple of them just to have a baseline. The spiced one's were OK, but not the snap, crash, wizz and bang I expected. I never use direct heat on the grill and they were nice and smokey but the heat seamed to diminish the taste. I am going to try using a good marinade and putting the spices in an olive oil that is applies near the end. The smell was out of this world but it just didn't hit a home run with the taste. I tasted the spices in the package and they were wonderful but, I'm sure that it could have some of the hickory smoke that overpowered the spice but hey, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Now on to bigger and better things. Today is the retirement party at School for Barb. After 27 years in one school she is finally ending her career. She did about 5 years at other schools also but the Tecumseh South school has been her school for a lot of years. She will miss it. We talked about a project to help Para-professionals get certified to teach. We will throw in a nest egg to get it started and explore the options with some of the local universities. Barb has had some wonderful helpers over the years and they should be paid for all the fine work they do. We'll see. I'm sure that we'll find out about writing grants and some lobbying with the Legislature this next year. It is such a good idea that it will work or else!
We had two Mother's day celebrations yesterday. In the afternoon I brought my Mom over and had a nice visit and served her brunch. Yesterday evening we had dinner for Dave and his wife. Nice tine was had by all. I steamed some corn, green beans and Vidalia Onions and man were they good. The best was the onions. I don't think there is any way to beat a good onion. These were sweet, tender and just darned good. Barb asked me to forgo the butter this time and even without the butter everything tasted good. I am sure that I could steam newspaper with the with butter and spices and make a great meal. For the things to have a clear and good taste without the yellow fat from the gods it is a true testament to the good food.
I hope the weather is fine for you there. It will be almost 90 today but nearer to 70 for the rest of the week. The grass has grown an inch in two days. I do need to do a little work on the mower to get it cutting at the peak. Oh well, sitting here won't fix that. Have a great week. MUD

Dog Days on Mom's Day?

Here is Barb's picture of Tiger doing what he does best. He looked up only to see the camera and then promptly fell asleep again. I think the term Dog days was coined by people that really don't see the cat outside in the natural environment. Domesticated cats spend a lot of time asleep in places they feel safe. Even the outside cats that are just on this side of feral mimic this behavior. I can only imagine what they are like at night when we are asleep.
I think it is only fair that there is a mother's day to honor all of those that brought us into the world without smashing us up for being the little turkeys we were. I also think it is fitting that this day happens about the time our young people graduate from college. After all, if it was up to most dad's, the kids would be taken to the door at 18 and shoved outside to fly or die. It is only through the nagging of our mothers and in some cases financial encouragement that they attend/graduate.
My hat's off to the people that choose Education as a field. Anyone that complains about the quality of education today should be sentenced to teach a fifth grade class for a week. I know there is free speech but this is only an exception and would be good for the system. I would start with the parents of the biggest troublemakers. I'm sure that there is a big list of parents that would be shocked by the behavior of their little angels and how it gets in the way of the other kids. I would spend more to support the technology in the schools. Laptops, projectors, TVs, I-Pod's and camera should be in each room to aid the teacher in teaching. For today I will for go the discussion about the need for financial support both prior and after graduation. I would start a grant that pays for the education and pays for any student loans on a per year basis. Not loans but grants. Teachers should not have to leave the profession because they need to make enough money to pay off the debt of being qualified.
Oh well, today will be a grill day with some really interesting spices from Morocco. You could smell them when you opened the mailbox. Can't wait until the grill is finished. Add a little corn, some green beans and a salad and now you are talking some real food. Have a great day out there. MUD

Man I Must Have Been Ugly!

Yesterday evening I laid down for a beauty rest about 8:30 PM and woke up about 7:30 this morning. If that was a beauty sleep, I must have been really UGLY! I did work yesterday and Thursday so I had the right to be tired but Sheesh, 11 Hours? I woke up about 9:45 last night and had really struggle to figure out what time it was. I rolled over and next thing I knew it was morning.
Barb's Mother's Day present was really easy this year. We were at WalMart and she saw a bench that goes around a tree and decided it was on sale and would be just the ticket. I did manage to disassemble it enough to get it in the car and get it home. She never sees anything she wants when we have the truck but Bang, see something in the car and we disassemble things and drive home in the car with things everywhere. One trip home from Nebraska Furniture Mart in KC she sat in the backseat and I had to unload half of the car just so she could get out when we got home. She does have an eye for bargains so it was really a good price. At least this time she could sit up front even if I couldn't see out the rear view mirror.
School is winding down and I think there is about 8 days with one of them being a field day. Most of the elementary schools will have Friday busy outside so if I do sub it will be at the middle school or High school. Most of the schools are trying to get their outdoor sports finished and have been rained out a lot. They are playing double headers and the coaches need out an hour or two early to get the games in. Earlier this week I actually was there only one hour and five minutes in class and got paid for half of a day. Even then, we watched a video about China.
I have a full schedule of things to do here and had better get to some of them.
One thing I have been working on is the trip to Las Vegas. I can't decide if I want to go straight to Vegas and take a grand Canyon tour from there or stop in Kingman, AZ on the way and make a side trip. I think that at least once in my adult life I should see one of the wonders of the world. The rest of the trip is entirely up in the air for now. Probably will include a trip to Idaho but details are still fuzzy for now.
MUD

Interesting Week

I spent the day yesterday making a wheel chair ramp at the rental house. Now Mom can roll out to the street in her motorized chair.
After several years of the responsibility of having Mom here there is a strong prospect of her moving to Tulsa to live with my brother. She will go on a test run during my June vacation and we'll see. I know everyone in Tulsa will love having her there as much as I have appreciated her here.
I have been on the first jury pool notification in my life. I am in the jury pool 12 and so far only 1-7 has had to go in. I have a teaching gig tomorrow and Friday so I hope I can escape totally but will do what I have to do.
I was just notified that I don't need to be at the High School until 1 PM today (they get out at 2:30) so it will be short and sweet. I am a Social Studies teacher or as I told Barb a better name would be an Unsocial Studies teacher.
How do you handle a family member that insists on being negative? From now on it will be to ignore that person and move on with life. I thought we were both moving on but it seems that poison just has to spill out. Sheesh!
Oh well, I will take my shovel over to the drive and see if there is something I can do to make it easier to get in and out. MUD

History, Learn some or shut up!

Today an editorial in the local paper made many negative remarks about the President and made a lot of other untruths about former President Clinton. The major theme was that Clinton's lies got no one killed and everything was rosy on his watch. Here is a small list of the things that happened when Clinton was President:

• Feb 26, 1993 - - New York City, a bomb in the World Trade Center exploded killing 6 and injuring 1,040 more. Granted this was right after Bill took office but it was on his watch.
• Apr 93 - Waco, TX. 4 A.T.F. shooters killed and 16 wounded. 80 Branch Dividians Died.
  
• Apr 95 - OK City, OK In response to the Waco disaster, Tim McVeigh exploded a truck outside the Federal Office Bldg killing 169 people or which 19 were children.
  
• Nov 95 - Riyadh, Saudi Arabia a car bomb was exploded outside the US Military Compound killing 5.
• Aug 98 - Bombs hit the Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania killing 224 people and injuring 4,500.
  
• Oct, 2000 Aden, Yemen the Destroyer USS Cole was hit by a small boat that exploded alongside killing 17 sailors

This brings the list of people killed due to terrorist activities (both internal and external) to over 500. The list of injured goes on into the thousands. Why? What was the response by the person elected to keep us safe?

To Me, it is fairly obvious, the war on terrorism started long before the current President took office. Who Lied? Were we at war and no one noticed? For brevity, I will not get into the personal lies President Clinton told and the resulting failed impeachment. I will point out that Bill lost his law license for telling lies to a Federal Court. Just so you know he did have sex with that woman depending on what your definition of sex is?

History is a fickle mistress and will come back to slap you if you don't pay attention. If you don't believe this list, look it up on line, I did!

Have a great day! MUD

Flooding in Topeka near Dave's House

This is a bridge a couple of blocks from Dave's house and normally walkers and bike riders cross under Gage on a path in the left part of the picture. That puts the water at least 15 feet above the normal level. It is down about five feet in this picture and is not going over Gage at this point.
Dave and Barb live far enough uphill that the flood would have to come up another 10 feet to get to their house. Downstream needs to get ready as the ditches are still flowing towards the creek and the creek is flowing to the Kansas River. We had well over 10 inches of rainfall. Soggy Doggy. MUD

High School PE

I was just called to go to the Senior High as a PE teacher. Haven't done that yet so it will be a new experience. Hi Ho, off I go. Should be a fun day. MUD

Rain, Rain and More Rain

For those of you that have been listening to the National weather, you know it has been raining hear in the heartland. We are at 5.5 inches in the last 36 hours and a prediction of 3 or 4 more in the next 24. Can we spell flash flooding boys and girls? Thank god all the tornadoes have been south and west of here. There seems to be a big weather system spinning across the Midwest and sucking up moisture from the gulf. It meets the cool air and spins out rain like it is the monsoon season. Having spent one monsoon season in SE Asia I can attest to the similarity.
About the time I got the bacon frying this morning, I looked out the window and there was water flooding across the drive and bypassing the bypass drain. With the trees finally opening all their leaf buds there is just enough loose junk to plug up the grill on the drain. I went out and cleared it once but it quickly plugged up again. The cat came in the garage and declared squatters rights. It is way too soggy to be an outside cat.
Barb looked through the ads this morning and promptly left to see if there were any bargains in the city. She likes to shop and doesn't spend much so what do I care. I am in the laundry chair and will also run the vacuum later today. When I had a house full of guests due to arrive the old vacuume decided to die. I bought a new one and then found out that the old one needed a new cord. I now have two. One for the upstairs and one for downstairs. Now if I could just muster up the urge to use either.
Friday and Saturday were work outside days. I managed to cut the grass on the 5 acres I have to mow and then go over and clean up Dave's yard. It needed to have the leaves mulched up and then bagged. I took home five 50 gallon bags of finely chopped leaves. My compost piles are full and by fall should be some pretty darned good compost. Barb managed to get a lot of plants in the ground here, at the School and at Dave's. We both had to take a nap in the late afternoon.
What are they going to do with your remains when you die? There is a program on TV this morning talking about the options. Traditional Burial, compression into a diamond, scattering of your cremains or launching them into space are just a few of the options. Barb would like to be cremated and have her ashes be tilled into a garden. Me, I don't care.
I am on the Jury list for next week here in Shawnee County. I am in group 12 so I don't have to report tomorrow. I won't know about Tuesday until late Monday. I will stay available until they don't need me. I hope to be available for Thursday and Friday to teach at T. South.
Gotta run, stay dry out there. MUD

Another hit on Free Speech

Just today a Judge dismissed a suit by two local Law Enforcement Officers against the Police Department for punishment they were given for writing an editorial. Their editorial was written against a column written by the local head of the NAACP. They basically told her to get a life when she said to have pity on a poor black man standing before the court alone. They said this guy was a habitual offender and even his own family has given up on him. The judge said the Police department had the right to punish the officers in their efforts to maintain an efficient force.
I hate the fact these law enforcement officers could not write an editorial against a columnist in the local paper without being charged with racism, hate speech and impending good order.
The columnist had the right to say what she said and I feel the officers had the right to publish their point of view in the same paper. Either we believe in Free Speech or we don't.
MUD

Funny Stuff

Someday you will be old(er) and this will all make sense. In the mean time, laugh and be glad it is not you. (Unless it is true for you then don't laugh) MUD

Did I say That?

Well boys and girls, we have lost round one and are moving on to round two in the erosion of Free Speech. You all know that that sorry horses ass Don Imus stirred up the pot and was fired for his lapse on that stupid radio show. Compared to the crap I see on YouTube from Howard Stern's program it was an off hand remark and should have died. Imus is now suing CBS and wll collect a good portion of the rest of his salary, that was a lawsuit filed this morning.
Now, I read in that same paper that I can't mention Homosexuals, blacks or some religions for fear that it might be hate speech. What is hate speech? I agree that if I beat up a black American because he is black it might be a hate crime, but hate speech? Am I not allowed to say I hate something without the polite police arresting me? This is round two and soon, all those Nappy Headed Judges will have us being arrested for hate thoughts. First they came after the people that do bad things, then they came after the people that say bad things, next the will come after those that Blog bad things and finally they will come after thoses of us left that think bad things.
For the record, Free Speech is every one's right to say they disagree or think something is bad, wrong or just stupid. You must allow the other person the right to walk away and not fight because you disagree. You may not use an amplifier to annoy me, you can't shout fire in a crowded movie theater and you must obey the laws about parades and such but until our congress screws with it you can say I hate about anything or anybody. There might be a few liable loop holes but most of the time if the person/place or thing is well known you can say about anything.
This right was so designed to allow people to redress their grievances of oppressive governments /dictators that caused our ancestors to come here in the first place. There are several others such as the right to bear arms that I won't get into today but to me Free Speech is one thing I will defend with my last breath.
Yes, I am biased. I without a further thought love McDonald's French fies, Delmonte Catchup, 57 Chevy's and my wife. I hate stupid, people who don't learn and are capable and laws that are impossible to enforce.
On another note, did you see the Republicans Presidential Candidate Debate last night? It was a hoot. Guess what? non of them thought it would be a good idea for Bill Clinton to be back in the White House. DUH! can you imagine that? MUD

TAG, I'm It

I was tagged and asked to post 10 things most people don't know about me. This creates a problem in that I'm almost transparent and most people that know me don't want to know any more. Oh well, here goes:

1. I am a retired soldier with many medals, awards and decorations. I have a Bronze Star for serving in Vietnam and an Army Commendation medal with a "V" device for Valor for doing something incredibly stupid and yet brave. With a very short time left in Vietnam I went out to the guns (155mm Howitzers) and traded shots with a recoilless rocket from a hill top on the opposite side of a valley. I should have stayed in the bunker and let the Chief of Smoke direct the fire but just couldn't. Everyone in the para pit where we were firing from was wounded but me. Our scout team said the hillside opposite us was covered with blood from where I wounded the shooter(s) but all the bodies were carried off.
2. I was awarded one of the highest peacetime medals you can be awarded, "the Legion of Merit". It was for retiring without totally getting fired or embarrassing my boss as I left. In fact I had to hunt to remember exactly what it was.
   
3. I have been ambushed, shot at, mortared, fired at with both a 122mm rocket and a recoilless rifle. I have never been wounded. Well, my dad did nail me to a box one time but that's a whole different story.
4. I never cease to be amazed how little we know about the many people we all know in common. Here in Tecumseh, almost everyone "knows" everyone else but really don't know all the facts, only the public face of the people. I describe it as a mile wide and an inch deep. (Thank God)
5. After 30 years in the Military I can hardly think without swearing. Because of my public face as a Substitute teacher I have to work hard to keep from saying things totally inappropriate. Well, Fuck that, I'm not going to work there any fucking more!
6. I tell everyone that I hate cats and yet I have an outside kitty that I sit with and pet. I feed him and check him for ticks and am concerned when he doesn't show up for a day or two. It is the most verbal cat I have ever seen. He meows to me almost constantly. He doesn't stop until I feed or pet him. We sit in the sun and just chill out - a lot.
   
7. I really care for people but the ADD side of me can make people think of me as the most thoughtless person alive. Believe me when I say that I have to work hard to remember to do nice things. If I forget something that is important to you it is probably just because it was one of the thousand of things I forgot that week. If it is important I try to write it down but even then, I forget to read what I wrote a lot. Thank god for my Franklin Planner. It has my brains and my passport. When I make a list of things to do I can get a lot done. When I am not working a list I can spend more time doing nothing than anyone I know.
   
8. If I were to win the lottery, I would turn into Jay Leno and have more old cars than I should. I would have to hire a good mechanic but I would do my best to drive them as often as I can.
9. In spite of our reputation of saving almost every dollar we can, I buy lottery tickets. It is a whole bunch less than I wasted on beer and pipe tobacco but yes, I know it is a stupid bet.
   
10. I had to change the spots to numbers to keep track of how many things I posted. My attention to detail is only compensated for by the fact I know so much stuff it is scary. I listen to Jeopardy and know a lot of the answers if I am working on the computer. Somehow I can focus on that if I am distracted by something else. It was kind of the same way in school. I would listen to music as I studied. For some reason classical music was the best for me.
    

While this was a total waste of time, I did it anyhow. I will now get busy and do some of the things on my list to do today. Let me see, where did I put that damn list. What list? Oh shit, now I don't have that piece of paper with that bunch of things written on it. Oh, read the paper, I think I did that. Oh well, turn on the radio to see what is happening. Did I spell check this? MUD

Stormy End to the Day

Yesterday as the school day was to end, the sirens across Topeka went off and we were rushed to the basement of the school. The kids were pretty well behaved and probably thought it was just another drill. I went into one of the classrooms and Googled the weather bureau. It was for real as there was a line of severe storms from Silver Lake to Perry. (north of Topeka) There were several tornado sightings but no reported deaths or major injuries. It delayed the buses but at least 30 minutes and I'm sure it will give the new Principal something to work on this summer. It wasn't handled as well as I would have liked even though it was fairly well done. I would give him an A for effort and result and a C+ for the plan.
The teachers handled it well and the students just did their normal average. One or two of the kids were crying when they realized it wasn't just another drill. One shortcoming in the plan is there is no bathroom in the basement. Major shortfall as several of the little guys and gals needed to back upstairs. I escorted several of them.
Oh well, another day another dollar, as today as I am going to be a Para Sub today and work with the sixth grade boys again. Yesterday the gig as a Librarian went well even though I was on my feet a lot. Nothing that a little Aleve can't handle today. I will spend a lot of time just working in the resource room helping the boys finish the mass of homework they have.
Hope you all have a great day. MUD

Tuesday at Tecumseh South

Yesterday the Librarian asked me if I could sub for her today. I subbed at the Middle School a couple of weeks ago and I do know they system to check out books. I guess I am elected to go there today and show a video about the book fair and see that all the little guys and gals get a book. Yesterday I was a Para-Sub and worked with three sixth graders. I'm sure they thought they would have an easy day but I worked their little butts off. We accomplished two things that were major projects (at least for them) and did them in fine style. The Poems were a major step for the guys. They just didn't want to be involved in things so girly. Between a firm hand and stern guidance they all accomplished what they needed. One of the sixth graders gave me that old line, "I can't read and I can do multiplication facts". After the hard run at the projects we split up the flash cards and did them as a game. You got to keep the one's you got right and the one's the other guy got wrong. He won and afterwards was just sure that he had gotten away with it until I made the announcement that he won. Busted!
I will get a chance to smoke those little guys on Wednesday and Thursday. I just smile while we work. No excuses, no prisoners. JUST Work! Lots of it.
The school is taking on a lose look right now as the teachers and the students anticipate the summer arriving in 17 days. Not me, I will retire from this profession in 17 days. Barb and I can both see the light at the end of the tunnel and it isn't an oncoming train. Our new song is, "I don't care, I don't care, Take this job and put it you know where, cause I DON'T CARE! "
MUD
PS, I really do care but I have to keep telling myself that I don't