Pumps' Perplexities

There are times when I believe that the American
system of government just sucks......

For the past year, there have been presidential
candidates running for a November 2008
election....."In four days" it looks like everyone
will all of a sudden become serious about their
efforts.....The Iowa Caucus is the kickoff......

As we have not heard enough political "bull"
since November of 2006, we must now endure
eleven months more of it......

What also get me is that all this rhetoric does
not produce "one grain" of truth.....All you hear
for the candidates is what "they think" you want
to hear......

I suspect that in November of 2008, someone
will begin to run for the office of the President
of the United States in 2012.......Pumps

During the last century many things were invented
that improved the day-to-day life of the world's
population......In my estimation the greatest invention
of the 20th century was the laser and its many
other uses......

However in the 21th century, I have to go with the
"One Touch" Can and now Bottle Opener......
These two little tools are making the lives of the
modern day senior citizen enjoyable.....Pretty
soon the "boomers" will know the joy of using
these little devices........

Two batteries and a button have relieved the
strain from the arthritic hands of the world......

There are movements to stop HIV, poverty
and world hunger but I think there should
be a movement that every senior should have
a "One Touch"........Pumps

It seems that the people in Australia are trying to
Go Green.....It is a Global Warming thing......

As a man in his 70's, their suggestions seemed
to have "crossed" my life somewhere along the
line......But I guess it must be a new thing for
the "boomers" and "X-Yers"......

New Suggestion Olde Fact
#1 Cut down on use of water........House only had ONE toilet
#2 Get Green Power......................Windmills have been around for a while
#3 Change light bulbs to CFLs.....Only had ONE ceiling light and ONE outlet
#4 Walk..........................................Had to olde 48 Chevy never ran
#5 Eat locally grown food..............I think it was called a Victory Garden
#6 Install solar hot water..............Tin pot on a tar roof made tea water
#7 Compost....................................Had one for the Victory Garden
#8 Grow a garden..........................See #5 and #7
#9 Buy less stuff*...........................Never had the money to over spend
#10 Get active in the GW movement.........No comment

*The reason behind this suggestion is that if you by "less stuff" you will
not product the CO2 gas to make it......

Side note: The Earth's temperature has not increased in 2005, 2006, and
2007......Something to do with inaccurate "computer weather models"......
Maybe Global Warming has come to an end......The ski industry will just love
the new Ice Age......Pumps

There was a day, some twenty years ago, that I did
not know what a "spring form" pan was......But one
day I had to buy one to make a cheesecake......

Then all of a sudden, I was making cheesecakes for
a very small restaurant in New York City.....Not
bad because I go a free dinner for two once a
week......

The major production of "The Cheesecake" has
since stopped......Age and disposal of the finished
product have become a problem......

But now, once a year, for Christmas, the famous,
non-famous, cheesecake is produced for friends
and neighbors.......

It should be noted that the recipe for "The
Cheesecake" was obtained from a recipe
book which was discarded and found in a
garbage can......There is no indication on the
page that the previous owner of the book
ever tried the recipe....Their loss......Pumps

Being an Internet junkie, as I am.....I am beginning
to read more stories regarding the use of a new
"police toy", the Taser Gun........

I will agree that police do have problems, once
in a while, in controlling a "situation"......Years
ago the policeman used his "billy club".....(It was
an "up" and personal thing.).....The use of a gun
in situations today result in countless legal
ramifications......So along come the "electric
shock gun"......Not designed to "kill" (although
it has) but just to "stun" and stop someone's
aggression........

But as of of late, it seems that this new "toy"
has become the weapon of choice by the police
or a sheriff's officer.......

Years ago you got hit with "the big stick", now
you get "zapped" with some high voltage,
FROM A DISTANCE.......

What ever happened to, "A policeman is your
friend?".......Pumps

An olde episode of a Seinfeld TV show was about
George's father, played by Jerry Stiller, that did
not celebrate Christmas.....Rather he celebrated
Festivus Day at this time of the year......

There was no Christmas tree while George was
growing up.....There was a Festivus Pole.....It
was great and a well written piece of comedy......

It seems that this year, due to the needs of
political correctness in the US, that two towns
now have Festivus Poles on "public city
property".......

Happy Festivus everyone...LOL....LOL...LOL....

I wonder when Jerry Seinfeld will start
marketing this pole?.........Pumps

Our state governor is currently working on the
state budget for the next two years.......It is the
normal "carrot and stick" deal......He wants to
bring in more income by increasing the renewal
fee on a driver's license.......That is the "stick"....
As for the "carrot", you will only have to inspect
your vehicle once every TWO years, instead of
every year.......

I really have not minded car inspections every
year......The inspections do catch a lot of people
who are driving with bad breaks or tires......
Checking for working wipers and burnt out
signal lights also helps......Some emission tests
can go a little too far but then there are some
real "klunkers" on the road......

What really worries me is the proper
maintenance of vehicles owned by are new
"guest worker" class of people......Have you
ever seen what they will drive?......If the
vehicle has four tires and a steering wheel
it can be made mobile by repairs done on
the street but are they "road worthy"?...

For our governor to say that "these" vehicles
will now only be inspected once every TWO
years is a shame......Pumps

Mr. Yvo deBoer is a Dutchman who works for the
United Nations......For the last 12 years he has
tried to convince the world to follow his beliefs
on Global Warming.......

There was a meeting in Bali recently, of world
leaders, regarding Global Warming......All the
people walked away from the "table" and
nothing was accomplished on the subject of GW....

This is the first time I have seen a Dutchman
cry.......No one is listening to him, it seems.....

Have you noticed that any time a TV reporter
now covers the topic of Global Warming it
is from the prospective of "saving money".....
Dang, we did that years ago when I was
poor.......

I guess that the money saved now allows a
household to be that big flat screen TV that
they always wanted.........And boy are they
"carbon credit eater-uppers"......

So who is saving what?........Pumps

Having worked in the paint industry, for many a year,
as of late this industry has been the target of
litigation.....The reason was lead poisoning of
children who lived in the inner cities of America
in buildings which were not properly
maintained.......

The lawyers BEAT big tobacco.....The next
conquest was to be big American chemical
companies.......

They, the lawyers, almost had a good thing
going for them......In fact they did win one
"nuisance" suit in the State of Rhode Island.....

But things have changed......In today's world
on does not say, "Lead" and think of "Paint"...
One says "Lead" and thinks of "China".....
China and children's toys.....Pumps

In these changing times, I have noticed one little
simple thing......Trying to send a package via
UPS or FedEx has become more complicated......

If you try to call up one of these "little stores"
for a shipping rate, they, almost, ask for your
grandmothers birth certificate before they
will give you a shipping cost......

A small package is a small package.....Why
the heck do you need the width + length +
girth to get a shipping cost.....

Let's face it, half of the people of the world
do not even know what "girth" really is......
Pumps

Today's papers are filled with people with credit
and mortgage payment problems.....Granted the
Boomers and the X-Y generations have never
been concerned about frugality......

How can they be when their TV Cable Company
and in some cases their Cell Phone monthly
bills far exceed, #1 their monthly real estate
taxes?......Or, #2 their monthly electric bill?......
And #3 their monthly "supermarket" expense?....

Years ago "one" wanted a roof over your head,
a warm surrounding and food on the table.....
It appears some people are sacrificing these
basic tenets of life for their personal monthly
entertainment.......

God help us when the clowns stop dancing....
Pumps

Well today was the first day that the residents of
Central Virginia got a taste of winter.......

It appears that starting about 8:30AM, at the
end of rush hour, a little rain fell and caused
some icing of the roads and overpasses......

There were some 100 vehicle accidents during
a one hour period.......The State and city police
had to prioritize and respond to accidents which
had personal injuries first........

One TV reporter questioned a man who, while
being stuck in traffic, did not have an accident....
She asked him, "How did it feel driving in the
weather conditions"......He replied, "I'm from
New England and it is not a problem".....

This post is dedicated to my friends who know
and respect the snow when driving....Pumps

Well, I am happy to report, that Jabunyaville has seen
its first snow fall.......All 0.04 inches of it........There
was this little "dusting" on the fallen leaves and then
the sun came out......All gone......

While it is currently in the high 30's now, we expect
temps to be back in the 60's next week......I do so
love winters in Virginia......

Our coldest temperature spell is usually between
mid-January and mid-February.......Any
accumulation of snow, of course, can occur
anytime between late December and early March....

No rock salt used yet........Pumps

Well it appears that winter is about to unleash
itself upon my friends in the "north country"...
I must say that, "I have been there and done
that"......

Even when I was there, I was advised that
retirement was better in Virginia.....It was
never a truer statement and I never regretted
the move......

Oh yes, we do get snow here in Jabunyaville.....
But all it does is remind you that it is Winter....
For the younger generation, with their SUVs,
it reminds them that they never learned how
to drive, and respect, the snow......

The kids love the snow but it is really tough
to find a "hill" or a decent "slope".....One
must go west, of Jabunyaville, to find them....
The mountains are a good place to look,
I have been told.......

Tomorrow I shall prepare......Bring out the
bucket of ice melt, which I have had for
two years, along with the aluminum shovel.....
It really does not help much because when
you live in a "cul-de-sac" it may take the
great State of Virginia Department of
Transportation to plow you out, after 6-8
inches of snow.......

6-8 inches is just a "dusting" for my
northern friends.....Ah Winter......Pumps