Sometimes

I have a lot to write about, but it's a jumble of thoughts, without complete clarity, and the correct words just don't seem to find their way to the top.

I guess that's best. It's been a week of drastic changes and the changes are dependent on things I have no control over.

I feel there's something profound to be related, but the feelings are just coalescing. This is a little frustrating. Maybe time will lead to something more than a post that makes little sense.

A Little Fun With a Telemarketer

I was at my mother's, when the phone rang. I answered and the woman on the other end asked to speak to my father, who died in 1989. Answering indignantly, I said: "He's dead."

There was a pause, but the telemarketer was not willing to give up. She asked if, by chance, he had a wife she could speak with. I answered: "She's in the hospital."

I waited. Will there be another request to speak to any adult in the house? Nope. She offered a quick apology and hung up.

I was a little disappointed. I was in the mood to really mess with a telemarketer, but they were unwilling to walk into my trap.

Oh well.

Hollywood History

A historian, after uncovering some documents, is reporting that Hollywood was involved with helping Nazi Germany.  Imagine that; Hollywood involved with dangerous political groups. I'm shocked.

Meanwhile, The Blame For Snowden's Leaks is Mysteriously Absent

I'm not seeing much chatter about how Snowden's access to sensitive information is the responsibility of the current administration. Isn't that strange? Maybe not. If the NSA, and this administration are as corrupt as I think, they have enough on just about every member of Congress to keep them quiet.

I don't know about you, but I'm finding the stench from Washington D.C. is as bad as that of a three day old road kill hog.

Paula Deen and Apple Pie

A few years ago, I was shopping at Sam's Club, when I spied a deep dish apple pie. I didn't really pay much attention to the brand, because I was obsessing over how good the pie looked. I'd already tasted the first bite in my mind, so it was only rational to buy the pie, follow the instructions and enjoy.

It was a Paula Deen brand pie. I saw that right after I reached home, since I was in the process of tearing off the wrapper and preparing the pie for consumption. I didn't pay the brand any mind, since it really didn't matter.....if it was good.

That was a damn good pie. It was up there with my grandmother's homemade pie. It was one of those pies you dig into at breakfast with a few slices of bacon for protein. I was impressed and quite happy.

In the few times I've returned to Sam's club, I can't find the pie, so it's probably one of those items that disappears forever. This is the second time this happened. The first time was a enchilada casserole that was addicting. I still have withdrawal symptoms.

So now we find that Paula Deen once said a racially sensitive word. That's terrible. If I happen to find one, will I quit eating her brand of apple pie? Nope, unless I find out she's been cruel to children, or caught robbing a priest, or I get completely irritated at her over embellished accent. To me, there's something less than genuine about her accent. I might be wrong, but I'm following my gut feeling on this one.



Out of curiosity, I went to Walmart's site and typed "Paula Deen" in the search bar. There's tons of products; they've even rolled back the prices on some. 

Since Walmart has officially stopped doing business with Paula Deen, aren't they supposed to pile all that stuff into the middle of the parking lot and burn it?

Bit and Pieces of the Zimmerman Trial

I'm hearing, and reading, pieces of the Zimmerman trial. It's hard to sort through the evidence as presented, since this has turned into a racial, societal pile of crap.

What I'm getting from the evidence is that the witness, that claims she was on the phone with Zimmerman before the incident, has inconsistencies in her testimony.

The biggest threat to her credibility seems to be a letter she "wrote" as a description of what she observed. In cross examination, she admitted she couldn't even read the note, since it was written in cursive and she doesn't read cursive. That's damning for a witness. The entire reason for a trial is to find the truth, present it to a jury and let them decide what the information reveals. All the rest is procedural and required to keep the event orderly.

So, what does this do? If the jury is completely fair with their assessment, they'll be seriously doubting any evidence from the witness. This has nothing to do with anything but honesty, integrity and the serious matter of deciding what led to the death of a citizen.

The prosecution, if they're honest with their efforts so far, has reached a serious impasse in their argument. Not only has their witness become a liability, all evidence is now suspect. Even if the jury feels there is no reason for the prosecution to be dishonest, the nagging thought of gross incompetence is introduced. This leads to reasonable doubts, which a good jury will use to make their final decision.

The defense, from this point on, has an upper hand in the trial. Not only can the testimony of this witness be whittled away into irrelevancy, the rest of the evidence becomes suspect and the request for a mistrial becomes a possibility.

What a circus. Besides the deplorable involvement of the media, the ugly specter of intentional misconduct by a state justice system has now appeared. If the evidence is this weak, and the prosecution is so intent on pursuing a trial that is obviously poorly prepared - for whatever reason - logic dictates the motives are not for justice. There is no justice when the prejudices of prosecutors are allowed unbridled access to our justice system.

Supremes Muddy The Water

From my vantage point, the recent Supreme Court decisions will lead to more litigation, more years of suspense and many people scratching their heads on the intentions.

I applaud the decision to force Congress to stop rubber Stamping the Voter's Rights Act and prove there's a necessity. As is, it's unconstitutional. Any changes will require hard data, and I don't think many will like the locations where discrimination is apparent.

As far as the ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act, that's been left to the states, which is where it should be at the worst. At best, no government agency should have anything to do with marriage; that's a personal oath only. If states want to offer contracts to individuals that wish to share assets, that's acceptable....just don't call it marriage.

Jambalaya

I've watched my wife make jambalaya. She learned it from her mother, who is 100% Cajun. It's simple, so tonight, I made some with cubed chicken breasts and a good local smoked sausage.

All in all, it took about an hour to make, with that time including cutting the meat and onion.

Is it good? Damn straight. I had a good teacher and I watched carefully.

When The Best Decisions Hurt

They evaluate my mother tomorrow. They'll make an assessment of her physical and mental state. I don't know exactly what the final result will be, but I do know some important decisions rest on my shoulders.

My mother can walk up to thirty feet. She can get from a wheelchair to a toilet and visa-versa. She's gained some weight and her appetite (helped with medications) is good. That's the good part.

She can remember certain family members, hold somewhat of a conversation, describe her physical state and eat without assistance. She can't remember five minutes ago. That's not good and removes any self-determination on her part. She will now need constant care and I can't do that by myself. The anesthesia, which was part of the risk, increased her dementia and the doctor said it probably wouldn't get better.

While my mother was able to take care of herself before, with me, or some other family member only at night, those days are over. I don't have the support network required and it's looking more like her next destination will be what's euphemistically known as "an assisted care facility".

So, I'll soon be faced with something I didn't want to face. The decision to take on this responsibility was mine, and I did it willingly when she asked if I would, but it doesn't lessen the hurt.  I'm researching, and weighing the options, but my decision will be completely based on the quality of life she'll have in her last years. While home care may seem inviting, the isolation and lack of constant input from more than one person doesn't seem to have the dignity required to complete her life.

I don't know why I'm writing this, but it seems important. Life is such a finite journey and we can only hope our passing is with dignity and while we're at peace.  Still, there's always that nagging thought that any decision won't be right and will haunt me for the rest of my life.

Crap. Even though I thought I was prepared for this, I'm finding it a little daunting.

They Closed The Plantation

The Supreme Court gutted the Voter's Rights Act, with a decision today. The liberal bigots on the bench didn't agree to the majority decision, but they, like Holder, enjoy the power of screwing with the elections of people that don't like being on the government progressive plantation.

Holder is threatening to punish freed states for taking advantage of the removal of their shackles. All I can write is: Go suck an egg Holder. Your bigoted, racist days of trying to keep the South down are over.

Here We Go Again

There's a huge bill being tossed around the Senate, which will "solve" our immigration problems. It's so "wonderful", we can't even imagine the wonderfullness, so we can read it after it's passed.....just like the dumbasses in the Senate - if they ever decide to read what they signed.

Some of it, from what I read, is so garbled with illegible notes, even those wanting to read the bill would still have no idea what it entails. Otherwise, the bill writers are bypassing the usual legal gibberish and going straight to incomprehensible.

I don't know about you, but I don't need another one of these efforts by Congress to "help". I vote they all go home, they close Washington, D.C. and we tar a feather the first handful as they cross the Beltway. About two dozen should do. I'm betting Harry Reid will be first in line.....we can only hope.

Swept Under the Rug

They've been sweeping things under the rug in D.C. for so long, it's become a putrid, revolting pile of decay. Now that the rug is being lifted, those in Washington want to put it back in place and hope we forget what's there.....no way. It stinks too bad already. This needs to be cleaned up.

The "Huge" Moon Last Weekend

The moon was at its closest approach, so it was 14% larger than normal. That's something nobody would notice unless they had the typical moon right next to it for reference. Otherwise, it wasn't "spectacular", like the media reported. To the casual observer, nothing would have been different.

So, why am I pointing this out? Because too many people are as ignorant as garden vegetables and easily misled by hype.

I Have a Question

I think the government spends too much money. One expenditure I find unnecessary is that used for National Parks. This position leads to some interesting conversations.

So, other than liking the idea of huge sections of land you can't buy, use, and being responsible for upkeep, why is it such a good idea?

Oaths Without Knowledge

Snowden is now in Moscow, with a final destination of who knows where. He's avoiding arrest, which many think is deplorable, but without the entire picture, it's damn near impossible to know his complete motivation.

Snowden took and oath, according to what I've read, to protect the Constitution of the United States of America. That's a serious oath, especially if you've read the document. The requirements that prevent government from violating rights are not in some foreign language and easily understood.

Since he was involved with espionage, Snowden probably took an oath of secrecy, also. That's another serious oath. It prevents the release of classified information, which can endanger the safety of the United States.

Now, since Snowden decided one oath was more important than the other oath, he's running from what he perceives as a government lynching. He spilled the beans and the government is mad. To make things worse, the government admitted illegal activities, refuses to get rid of the bad apples and we're supposed to automatically assume they're operating with justice as their guide.

Personally, I find the entire mess unsettling. On one hand, I find Snowden's methods clumsy. While I don't know how else he could have exposed the criminal activities, his method leads to posturing that won't end well for anyone involved. On the other, I admire his bravery and wonder if he'd exhausted all resources for stopping illegal activities and decided he had no other option.

Here's the clincher: We'll probably never know the entire story. Snowden will be silenced, one way or the other. That's bad, but good may come from his efforts. Some serious problems with our government are now exposed. Hopefully, things will change for the better over time.

Pandering and Stupidity

The Federal Government is pandering to everyone, except to those that pay the bills. No healthy society will ever accept such an arrangement and the U.S. taxpayer has a legacy of taking care of their health.

Be Careful

From what I'm reading, drones are flying all over the place and we're being constantly watched by damn near anyone highly qualified people with government connections, or money with security clearances. They're keeping all the images and only using them for satisfying their prurient interests national security purposes.

So, be careful. While you think nobody will see you stop on the side of the road, because there's no exit for miles, and it's really secluded, and you really have to pee, you may be wrong. Somewhere, a drone will be taking a photo, so they can post it on the internet insure you're not a terrorist.

While I'm Not Being Polite

It's "big" news an actor that starred in the series The Sopranos had a heart attack and passed away.

I never heard of the guy until the news reported his passing; probably because I never have, or never will watch episodes of the The Sopranos. In the real world, crime is too ugly to delve into, or glorify. It doesn't matter someone is basically a good person, except when they terrorize, mutilate or kill someone else, whether directly or not. There's something about the smell of blood, fear, and bodily excretions that will ruin television night. It kinda ruins the taste of popcorn.

I Guess I Should Be Polite...

...but I won't. If you don't like the news from the alphabet networks, why do you watch their crappy shows? Nothing will ever change if you continue to support the censorship of the news with the "I only watch one show" attitude. They get revenue from your support and it only perpetuates the subversion of what was once an important outlet for accurate information.

Testing the Relief Valve

Part of my duties, while I worked offshore, was to assist in testing the safety equipment on the platforms. We tested the high and low pilots on the wells, the fire loops and the relief valves on the separators.

The separators were pressure vessels about 5 feet in diameter and 15 feet tall. The gas came through an inlet at the bottom and was forced up through numerous trays inside the separators. As the gas passed through the small holes in the trays, the moisture would condensate on the bottoms of the trays and drip to the bottom of the separator. The drier gas went out the top and the moisture was collected at the bottom as condensate; a clear flammable liquid. The separators had floats attached to valves. When the liquid reached a certain level, the higher pressure of the gas would force the liquid into the liquid pipe, after the floats opened a valve.

At the top of each separator were two flanges. One flange was for a rupture disk, which was a piece of metal designed to rupture at a pressure below that of the vessel. It was the fail-safe, when all else failed. The other flange mounted a relief valve to the separator. This was calibrated to relieve pressure. My job was to hook up a hose from the high pressure of the well to the valve, and turn a nut to calibrate the valve.

Access to the top of the separator was by a ladder. There was a tiny platform on which I would stand to hook up the hose and perform my task. After placing ear muffs to prevent hearing damage - due to the noise when 1200 psi gas was released to atmosphere - the safety man on the platform would pressure up the hose until the valve released. If the pressure at relief was wrong, I calibrated the valve until it was right.

One winter day, while working on the platforms, the temperature reached the point it was too hot to wear a coat zipped up, but too cold to go without. We were calibrating a relief valve, so I climbed up the separator, hooked up the hose and waited, while the safety man pressured up the hose.

I was soon rewarded with the deafening blast of gas and a new sensation: floating horizontally, while I held on to the top of the ladder. It was like one of those cartoons, when Wiley Coyote held on for dear life. Within seconds it was over and I found myself standing on the tiny platform; shaking like a coon dog passing a peach seed.

My coat, which was unzipped, caught the full brunt of 1200 psi gas shooting out of a 4 inch pipe. I'm sure a physicist could figure out exactly what force was exerted and I can attest it's substantial. If my reflexes hadn't kicked in, I would have been launched in an arc that would have ended 30 feet down into the Gulf of Mexico - if I missed everything on the way down.

From that point on, I was obsessive when we checked relief valves. Nothing was loose and I was damn sure to stand as far to the side as possible. I was lucky one time. Nothing guaranteed I'd be lucky again.

Eighty by Eight

Locally, the high humidity leads to little radiation cooling overnight, so the early morning temperature hovers in the upper 70's, unless there's a thunderstorm. The usual result is a temperature of at least 80 degrees by 8:00 in the morning.

We've reached that condition, so the next few months will be a repeat of that pattern. If you've never worked at night in temperatures just below 80, with near 100 % humidity, don't go searching for the experience. It's not pleasant.

Hero or Traitor?

Snowden is being praised, and vilified. What is he? A hero or a traitor?

Although I can't depend on the media to be truthful with this event, I can read between the lines and finding my irritation increasing daily. I don't like being spied upon and I dislike our government collecting information without a warrant. Even worse, the only excuse they can come up with is that they've prevented terrorists attacks. At what cost? And if this illegal data mining is so wonderful, why in hell did the Boston terrorist attack happen? How about the fact Snowden had access and revealed information that was supposed to be protected from casual observers?

The newest reports say that this information is being used by any government agency that feels it has the need. So, not only is your privacy invaded, the strong-armed tactics of government agencies (I.R.S.)  to promote their ideological beliefs are fortified with personal information they can use against you. Otherwise, all citizens of the U.S. are at risk of being singled out for their beliefs and enduring vindictive efforts by bureaucrats, who have complete access to anything they say, do, or record electronically.

So, is Snowden a hero, or a traitor? Personally, I believe neither applies. From my perspective, he took his oath to uphold the Constitution to heart and followed his conscience. The Fourth Amendment isn't in some foreign language and is specific on what government cannot do. They did, Snowden spilled the beans and now they're scrambling in reaction to the damage to foreign relations, the trust of U.S. citizens and the obvious criminal actions of entire government agencies.

Now we wait and see how this plays out. Hopefully, honesty and integrity are the results of this abuse of power, instead of the shameful actions by bureaucrats as with the Benghazi murders, the I.R.S. abuses and illegal gun running in Mexico.

We're Supposed to be Relieved?

According to the news (I'm too lazy to link what's all over the internet) the NSA is not abusing the information they're collecting illegally. How do we know? A secret court is in charge of preventing abuses of the information.

If you're so much of a dumbass, you cannot understand the ramifications of these actions, don't vote in the next election. You're not qualified and the best thing you can do for the U.S. is to find the nearest bridge and do your civic duty.

It Seems Like Yesterday

It was Thanksgiving day, 1989. Life took some unexpected turns the months before and the changes were almost overwhelming.

My father had fallen at work. He'd sustained a back injury that wasn't improving as anticipated. Months of treatment yielded few results, until an x-ray revealed an ominous spot.

Tests revealed a malignancy. The strategy was to go to the best hospital, which was in Houston. He was transported by ambulance and treatments were started.

My wife and I walked into his room around noon. I was shocked to see how much weight he'd lost and how he didn't seem to be aware of our presence.

We visited for a few minutes and decided to go eat Thanksgiving dinner in the cafeteria. We needed to discuss the treatments and I knew my mother needed the time away.

It was a surreal experience. Even though it was a beautiful day, the hospital environment, isolation and conversation were far from the pleasant Thanksgivings we'd shared in the past. There were no happy thoughts, the warmth of all the family was missing and my mother's words of the discovery of more malignancies were ominous.

We discussed the strategy. More treatments were needed, but they could be performed at a local hospital. The game plan was transporting my father in a little over a week, so he could be at home.

After we finished our dinner, we returned to my father's room to visit a little longer. He was the same. After the visit, I rose, took his hand and told him I'd see him later. He squeezed my hand and weakly nodded. I fought back my tears as I hugged my mom.

That was the last visit I ever had with my father. He was gone the second day he returned. I think that was the plan; I just wish somebody would have told me.

So, if you still can, spend some time with your father tomorrow. Life whittles away the opportunities and you can't get them back.

The Heat Is Brutal

According to the NWS, the temperature has been in the upper 80's and lower 90's the last few days. It probably is, 5 feet above the ground, in the shade, with a northern exposure.

In my world - on top of sun baked concrete- it's over 100 and the high humidity doesn't allow any cooling.

Can you say heat cramps? Good. I knew you could.

A Bothering Thought

I'm pretty sure the majority of people that are citizens of the U.S. haven't a clue of what is written in the Constitution. This bothers me, especially when polls say that almost half of the citizens polled don't have a problem with the government spying on them.

It's not an option, for those that are ignorant. Collecting information on any citizen requires a subpoena, with details that specifically describe what is being collected and for what reason. All of this requires court approval, so overzealous law enforcement is not allowed to abuse the power of law.

So, this NSA crap is getting irritating. I don't care they have a ton of citizens willing to give up their rights out of ignorance, or that a bunch of ignorant, piss-ant hired lackeys in Washington thought it was a good idea. They don't have that power, shouldn't have that power and anyone that abuses that power should be thrown under the jail.

I have Some Thoughts

I have some thoughts I need to write about, but they just won't jell. Maybe later, or tomorrow.

Somewhere...

...someone is thumbing through your personal life, while picking their nose and wondering if the pictures they have are current.

Perverts. The government calls them the NSA.

Inconsistency

The NSA is trying to reassure everyone that the huge amount of data they collected, which they say is only used if required, will not be abused and we should trust them with their task.

Meanwhile, a government employee spilled the beans, told the world how he had the power to observe anything electronic he wished, and the data collection is expanding daily.

How safe do you think it really is? How can we trust the government to not abuse our privacy?

I don't know about you, but the events over the last few days convinced me our government is out of control and our elected leaders are doing damn near nothing to protect the Constitution.

They're Spying On Us

While some are shocked, I doubt many are surprised. The government has been spying on citizens for a long, long time. Remember J. Edgar Hoover?

So, why is this different? Is it because the current administration has shown it's willing to allow federal employees to abuse their power? This isn't new either. If you want an example, look at the internment of U.S. citizens during WW2 due to their Japanese heritage.

This crap has gone on for as long as this country has been in existence and it will go on in the future, but it can be controlled if more people would take a little time to read the Constitution, become active in determining their elected officials and demanding the media becomes accountable by refusing to watch their shows, or read their periodicals.

Things never change, until enough people demand the changes and insure they happen. How this is accomplished can be my many methods, but no method works if enough people are not involved.

When Old Folks Break

My mother fell and broke her hip. The options are:

- Do nothing, which means she'll be bed-ridden, more than likely get bed sores and eventually die from complications of the sores, or pneumonia.

- Screw the ball at the top of the long bone back to the bone, spend weeks recovering and probably not be able to walk, due to constant pain.

- Attach a synthetic ball to the top of the long bone and start aggressive physical therapy within days of the surgery. The typical method is a controlled rehabilitation environment for weeks before considering a return home. This method will allow her to walk.

Her cardiologist says the risks of either surgery are equal, so he deferred to the judgement of the orthopedic surgeon, which suggested the partial hip replacement.

This happens tomorrow in early afternoon. After that, it's a crap shoot, due to my mother's age and her willingness to keep on trying.

The waiting process has started. The results will only be known after it's all over. I can only hope for the best and pray for her relief.

Update: The surgery went well. The surgeon said the surgery is the easy part; rehabilitation is the tough road. She'll be in pain, the therapist will be aggressive and nobody knows how a person will react. While my mother always was a fighter, there's no guarantee she won't throw in the towel for the peace of passing. 

Time will tell. 

The First Amendment

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Considering the actions by some administrative branches of the government, this amendment is something they don't like, and ignore. To make matters worse, the media ("press", when this was written) has abandoned this precious right to fall into lock-step with political figures that don't want dissension and use their power in an effort to remove this right. 

I don't know about you, but I feel betrayed by the media and our government. They've abandoned what was  so important, people gave everything - including their lives - to secure this right. May the future hold a realization by both of their errors, a strong push for cherishing these rights and a feeling of relief they never allowed their dereliction to reach the conclusion that created the right in the first place.

Just In Time For Summer Vacation

Human breast milk lollipops.

"... I don't know if it's because I'm getting older, but it seems like all of my friends are having babies these days," Jason Darling, the owner of Lollyphile, said in a statement. "Sure, the kids are all crazy cute, but what slowly dawned on me was that my friends were actually producing milk so delicious it could turn a screaming, furious child into a docile, contented one. I knew I had to capture that flavor..."

I know there are some that are curious about the flavor; they may even buy some. Personally, I find it a little creepy.

This Is Disturbing

A secret Israeli military installation was revealed by bid requests, including a substantial amount of pages with accurate details of the proposed facility. From a strategic standpoint, it sucks for Israel. From the standpoint of a U.S. taxpayer, of which I am one, it follow the rules of transparency, which requires the government to show expenditures and details methods to secure bids.

So, this one is disturbing. From the article, you can see a substantial amount of money is being funneled into Israel, which is constantly fighting for survival. Also, you can see how feckless the U.S. government has become and how the hand that feeds may not be feeding who is intended.

Meanwhile, our government fights against energy independence, which forces us to continue buying oil that helps fund the enemies of Israel. It's madness and I'm tired of sweating all day to pay for it.

A Needed Invention

I occasionally have to stop for a school bus. The law says I have to stop, or face terrible fines and a social stigma. It can be maddening to wait, especially when the kids take forever to wander from the bus.

We need a small, air-powered spring board to help them unload. They just walk to the door and  "poof" they fly a few dozen feet away from the bus.

It's a good idea and I don't care what you think.

Current Politics and Filth

There are scandals brewing, broken promises and a slow realization by even the most uninformed citizen the bureaucracy - in all its unwashed splendor - is a monster of incompetence, out of control and on a mission to destroy all detractors of its current political master.

The supposed "bold" in the media are being terrorized by the monster. Their privacy is gone and their efforts to expose the corruption are met with veiled threats of being accused of crimes.

Meanwhile, the rest of the media is either supporting the monster, or wringing their hands in worry. They helped build this monster, yet too many don't realize it can't exist unless they become part of its daily feeding.  They continue with their support in the hope it will be satiated before it's their turn for dinner.

According to some polls, the path of our government is not what most citizens want, yet it continues without any restraints. Laws are broken by high officials; money is withdrawn to show disfavor; citizens are forced to pay for activities that endanger the economy or safety and those that should be long removed from power for their efforts continue with impunity.

I'm seeing more and more comments about how this won't change by voting. I'm beginning to think that's right and the constant efforts to remove arms from the public only reinforce my belief government authorities know they've crossed a  line and fear the results.

Time will reveal how this turns out, but it always leads to freedom - no matter how long the path. Politics and our government have become corrupt and resemble the worst of criminal organizations. It's filth and there's no other way to describe it.