CHARMING, JUST CHARMING

Hello Blog World

2011-10-31T12:00:00.002-04:00

Old man winter is here! We have had cold rain and snow flurries for the past three days...the front of the winter storm that has brought much of the North eastern part of the USA to a standstill. We are still moving about...but it is the kind of weather where a self respecting Polar bear is huddled near a fire, heh.
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I have been following the tax debate in the states wondering if any politician really has the guts to do anything about a tax code that is totally fucked up! Face it people...taxes are a necessity. The government has to have revenue to provide the infrastructure for business and the public. However, the American government's problem is not so much a lack of revenue as it is politicians spending money like a drunk in a whore house with his company American Express Corporate Card. I have come to the conclusion that it is the special interest groups from big business/bankers to enviro-nuts and others that are running the country via politicians they have bought. And I may have a solution....or at least a partial solution...

How about taxing political contributors at 100 percent of the contribution as well as taxing campaign funds at the rate that top earners are taxed? And while we are at it change the tax code to tax ALL foundations, religion incomes, and charities at the same rate as the highest tax bracket. People, this would bring in a lot of revenue. Moreover, if it makes politicians more expensive to buy maybe fewer would be bought.

My late sister's husband used to say about government cutting back on the spending...everyone knows an ox needs to be slaughtered but the disagreement is over whose ox will see the knife. Yep, whose ox will get gored. And as it is now damn few programs will get cut because no politician is willing to take a chance of offending his/her special interest group and thus losing the campaign funds.

Do I sound cynical? Yeah I am...the USA is headed for one hell of a crash and neither the republicans nor democrats have the guts to do what has to be done...and that is raising taxes across the board and cutting spending to no more than the previous years rate of inflation.

The republicans are against any tax hikes...and for good reason. Congress always spends what it has plus all it can borrow. They see with good reason that the democrats only want to soak the wealthy for the sole purpose of income redistribution. The democrats want to raise taxes but only on the wealthy and the only cut in spending they will agree to is the defense budget. Now I have no doubt that the defense budget can stand some scrutiny but so can damn near every other government program. But which politician is going to stand up and tell the others that 'I will agree to tank my special interest group if you will tank yours? My bet is none of them.
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All is well here in St John's NL excepting the weather which is chilling my old bones at times. But my angel keeps me warm enough and I have found that the very best jumpstart in the world is sold here. Friends, if you have not tried Tim Horton's coffee you just don't know what you are missing. And, although the price of cackleberries is about double of that in most parts of the states I manage to have a couple when I want them. Yes boy! A cackleberry and a bowl of grits chased by the best jumpstart ever is a great way to start the day...right after my angel kisses me good morning and tells me she loves me. Y'all come, heah??

Winter is coming

2011-10-29T13:37:00.003-04:00

We had snow flurries yesterday pushed sideways by a 2 degree 40mph wind. I reckon that means winter is on the way and it is time to dig out the cold weather gear. It has been a enjoyable summer and fall but now it is time to start snuggling in and staying warm.

I am getting an appointment next week to get the old Madza ready for winter...tune up and anti-freeze checked and probably change the oil to 5W10. The car already has all season tires on it so I am not going to get studded snow tires unless I really need them. But I don't think I will....a front wheel drive does well in snow although they do handle different in an ice skid than a rear wheel drive.

We have enjoyed having the car. The first year I was here we spent enough on bus fare and taxi fares to have bought it. And now with my angel working we need it to get her back and forth to work. (I tell people I am a gopher...I take 'er to work and gopher.) The car also gives us the mobility to see the town and the sites.

Hope to get the disciple to start writing again...about all I am doing right now is comments on the NY Slimes articles once in a while of which maybe one in six get published. The Times doesn't take criticism very good! BAWAHAHAHAHAHA Y'all come, heah?

Is Democracy Obsolete?

2011-10-14T13:24:00.002-04:00

I have never been a fan of democracy...break the word down...demo, short for demonstration and cracy, well, to me it means crazy...democracy just means demonstrating being crazy. And it is crazy to support a system that allows the public to vote themselves a free lunch. No, not a free lunch but a lunch paid for by the sweat of others.

I was scanning the European news when I run across this article in Spiegel. It pretty well sums up what is wrong with both true democracy and representative governments today.

Is there an answer? Yeah, but not one most people want to hear. The public has to understand that government does not have the solutions for those who refuse to accept personal responsibility for their actions. Government of civilized societies has a responsibility to take care of those who cannot take care of themselves because of physical or mental problems. Moreover, temporary assistance for those who need help because of loss of employment or medical should be provided. But providing a living for those who refuse to care for themselves will eventually bankrupt a society. Those who are doing the providing will soon realize the 'law of diminishing returns' and either quit producing an excess that can be voted to feed the looters or else quit and join the looters.

Sunday Morning Coming Down

2011-08-28T10:21:00.003-04:00

Hurricane Irene, now Tropical Storm Irene has been on every TV station for the past few days. One would think that with that much warning that there was one hell of a storm headed their everyone would look for some place safe. Evidently not...I just heard a few minutes ago that at least eleven deaths are attributed to 'Irene'. Although the specifics of the deaths were not included in the report I just have to assume that at least part were due to Darwin's ideas about survival of the fittest...and some of those who dies just didn't have sense enough to get out of the way. I feel for their families and loved ones but just can't generate much sympathy for any who died because they were too damn stupid to leave an area when told to evacuate...if in fact that was the case.

I have been through some hurricanes...one in the South Pacific where they are called typhoons and a couple in Florida. The howling 'freight train' type noise for hours on end are enough to drive one nuts. And couple that with driving rain and then days without electrical power....well, my friends it makes one appreciate the modern luxuries of life.

Hurricanes and tornadoes and other natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, and
volcanic activity are just a part of nature on this sphere we call earth. I think Darwin was right...the fittest adapt and survive. Humans as a whole are a resilient bunch, heh?

We shall see just how resilent the good people are in NY City where the flood damage is horrific and a half a million or so have no power. Will they be as those in New Orleans? Blaming the government for their own stupidity? Or will they do as the strong willed folks in South Western Louisanna did and immediately start to work on their own to rebuild? I hope it is the latter.
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It is finally summer here in St John's Newfoundland. The air is a pleasant ( or it is to me) 73F degrees and just enough breeze to make it comfortable. The sun seems some hotter here though...I have as deep of a tan on my arms and face as I ever did down south in Florida.

My angel and I had some plans for this warm weather but looks like they will have to be put on hold for later. She started a new job a couple of weeks ago and we will not have the time to do the traveling about the island...maybe next summer when she gets her 'holiday'...(vacation to you who are not familiar with Newfie talk).

Enough for now. I have had my ration of jumpstart and now need me grits and cackleberries. Life is good my friends. My angel kissed me good morning and told me she loved me...made my day once again. Y'all come back, heah?

And I Said, WTF

2011-08-14T08:52:00.003-04:00

I took some time this beautiful Sunday morning to scan the NY Times and run across this bit that caused me to read out loud and say WHAT THE FXXX?

"The ailing economy, barely growing at the same pace as the population, has swept all other political issues to the sidelines. Twenty-five million Americans could not find full-time jobs last month. Millions of families cannot afford to live in their homes. And the contentious debate over raising the federal debt ceiling — which Mr. Obama achieved only after striking a compromise with Republicans that included a plan for at least $2.1 trillion in spending cuts over 10 years — has further shaken economic confidence."

People, what is going on in the American government? How hard is it for the president and congress to understand that it is business, not government that provides jobs? What do we the people have to do to get those who make the laws to understand that it is governments duty to provide the infrastructure and climate for business to succeed...not to make laws that hinder business success.

Yes, taxes at all government levels from municipalities to the federal level are necessary. But to tell business and the world that "sharing the wealth" is the goal damn sure does not inspire business to invest more capital.
The Tea Party republicans are dead set on any new taxes...I tend to agree unless any new taxes are coupled with a limit on spending. Seems to me that the government needs to take a look at spending as I have had to do with my personal funds many times and differentiate between 'WANT' and 'NEED' and only spend on need until such time as there are funds for want. The Tea Party understands congress better than congress understands itself...the party knows that congress will spend every dime it can get whether it be tax dollars or borrowed funds. How else can they get re-elected without taking the bacon home to the voters. And the voters? Seems the majority believes in the "free lunch" else why do they vote for the porkers?
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When NATO first became involved in Libya I wrote here that it was a mistake. I have no doubt that Qaddafi is a murdering thug. But, at least he is was only murdering Libyans after Reagan put the fear of Allah and F-111s in him. Now, if he is in fact overthrown who will replace him? MORE MURDERING THUGS!

I think it is time for the USA and Canada to tell the Libyans that if they want to overthrow Qaddafi to do it by themselves...give them the resources to do it but tell them they have to do it without putting American and Canadian forces in harms way. Time to pull up our pants and come home.
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Not Perfect But Better Than Nothing

2011-08-02T18:23:00.003-04:00

So, the bill passed the house and senate and Emperor Obama was brought down off his throne. And now he bitches: “Voters may have chosen divided government,” he said, “but they sure didn’t vote for dysfunctional government.”

Well, I agree with him there. But which party is dysfunctional? I crown both as being self centered and worried more about the 2112 elections than they are about the fiscal welfare of the country.

Some in congress are scared no doubt. The Tea Party has already targeted some more of the 'republicans in name only' and I figure some will be retiring after the 2112 elections. I also have an idea that the independent voters are sick of a lot of the democrats and will retire them also.

But what will we get in return? A congress that can get the fiscal house in order? I have my doubts unless we can get a congress who understands that government has to have money to operate and taxes are a necessity.

I don't believe that the government should 'soak the rich' but I do believe that taxes are going to have to be raised across the board in order for the country to get out of the mess it is in. I suggest a solution:

1. Do away with the cap on payroll taxes (social security taxes). I don't give a damn if a person makes a million a year tax that person on 100 per cent just as the 50 grand a year person is taxed at 100 percent.

2. I never believed business could be taxed...taxes are a part of doing business and the costs of such taxes are passed on to the consumer. But, that said I believe that the tax loopholes congress wrote to pay for campaign funds should be WELDED SHUT! Big business should have to play by the same rules as the small businessman. One example is corporations bringing money earned offshore home tax free.

3. The progressive income tax is nothing more than legalized extortion! The only way the American public has stood still for it has been the deductions for dependents and such deductions as interest on home loans. You want a 'fair tax'? Two ways of doing it...either or both will serve the country very well: A FLAT RATE TAX and/or A VALUE ADDED TAX ON ALL PURCHASES. However, although such would raise the revenue the country needs without a strong curb on spending congress would just blow it as they have in the past. All spending bills that increase spending more than the inflation rate of the past year should require a two thirds majority of both houses.

4. The playing field between business and labor needs to be leveled. Right now the laws are in favor of labor. I believe that a National Right to Work law would entice business to bring back the production from offshore to the USA. This would not only provide more jobs but would also increase the revenue for the government.

So much for my soapbox rant.
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It is a chilly 40F in St John's as I write this. It is near dark and the fog is rolling in off the Atlantic and the air is wet...not raining but wet. But the weather quacks allow sunshine tomorrow...hope so...got things to do and places to go.
Life is good my friends when you are loved with a passion. Y'all come, heah?

Sunday Morning Coming Down

2011-07-31T08:20:00.004-04:00

My angel and I are sitting at the kitchen table at times listening to the radio on this foggy St John's NL Sunday morning. I get a kick out of the station, VOCM, ( it is on line if ya wanna Google it )thirty minutes of oldies music alternated with thirty minutes of bible thumping by various hard core shamans. My angel is on her laptops...yeah she is using two...working on her Facebook Frontierville games and I have been reading the NY Times which as always gets me on a soapbox.......

This article in today's NY Times says that the best way for the USA to get its fiscal house in order is to grow its way out of debt. Yep, certainly agree...more people working and business making money means more taxes and on paper it looks good. The writer in the Times refers us back to the Clinton era when although Clinton raised taxes the national debt was being paid off and there was a budget surplus...(well, yeah sorta kinda a surplus but how can you have a surplus when you still owe trillions).

I remember those days. Bill Clinton was getting a hummer in the oval office while talking to a senator on the phone...and taking credit for a booming economy that started when Reagan cut taxes. But in any event, the writer in the Times in 'on the money' about the money. The country can grow itself out of debt; but not with a democratic administration and senate. And I have my doubts that it can with the current crop of republicans who are more 'RINO' than fiscal conservatives.

Look people, why should anyone venture capital in the USA today when they know that if they make a profit either labor unions or government is going to fight for the profit?

I say again, a national right to work law coupled with a fixed tax rate good for at least twenty years (unless congress approves a raise of taxes by a two thirds majority) would give business an incentive to expand and hire. Moreover, if the tax loopholes that allow business to bring money back home without paying taxes were closed it might give them an incentive to start producing in the USA again. Yeah, damn right and that would mean more jobs and more taxes for the government.

But I am pessimistic that it will ever happen. The American people need a rude fiscal awakening to get them to understand that there is no free lunch. They demand more and more from government and those in government for the most part provide it regardless the cost so they can get reelected.
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The jumpstart this morning tastes a little different...a brand of coffee I had not tried before. But it is strong and hot and has a kick...and that is why I drink the stuff. Life is good my friends...my angel kissed me good morning and told me she loved me. And that makes my day. Y'all come, heah?

I Am Ashamed of the American Government

2011-07-30T12:57:00.003-04:00

I am an American. I have always supported my country; at one time to the point in serving in the USAF for over 22 years. I have always believed that the representative constitutional republic that governs the USA is the best of all possible governments because of three facts. One is that the constitution protects the minority from tyranny from the majority. Second is that the election process allows for an orderly transfer of power from one political party to another as well as the orderly transfer of administrative power from on president to the new one. And finally, the USA under its Constitution has offered more freedom and liberty to more of its people than any government during the history of this earth. That said let me say this... our current president and congress seems to care more about their power than they do about the economic welfare of the USA and its people. And for the first time in my life I am ashamed of the American government.

I fully agree with the those in congress who want a drastic cut in spending. Moreover, I am a realist who also understands the need to raise more income via taxes...even if it means taxing me more every month. But, the right wingers are adamant about no new taxes and the left wingers are adamant about just taxing the wealthy...BOTH ARE WRONG!

People, the American people got themselves into this economic crises as a whole...they elected the ones who promised a free lunch and now they are finding out that someone has to pay. It will take ALL Americans working together and tightening their belts to get the country out of the mess they have created.

But before that can happen congress is going to have to come to an agreement to increase the borrowing ceiling...and then work to cut spending and find more revenue.

There are a lot of places to find the dollars...close the tax loopholes that encourage big business to move off shore for one. Others include a value added tax or maybe a flat tax that hits everyone. One thing for damn sure, the graduated income tax only encourages the wealthy to pay congress to put loopholes in the tax code!

Most of you know I am living in Newfoundland, Canada now with my wife of three months who is the love of my life. I plan to stay here with her for the rest of my life providing Canada will let me. But in any event, I am still an American and my allegiance is to the country of my birth.

Hello Blog World

2011-07-27T08:30:00.008-04:00

The weather has been beautiful here for the past three days...very similar to central Florida west coast winters with a low at night in the 40sF and in the 70s during the day. But rain is predicted for today and the next two days so we took advantage of the nice evening and took a walk in a local park with playgrounds. There were some youngsters knocking a softball around on the ball diamond and some others on the tennis court. The flora is beautiful here this time of year...the wild flowers and many shades of color reminds me of the Fairbanks Alaska area. The pictures are in no particular order...just some we took overlooking the park and of the flowers. One is a shot of a wild blueberry plant in bloom.

I hope the rain leaves us and we have some nice weather for the Regatta festival at Quidi Vidi Lake in St John's. This is the biggest event of the year in St John's and it appears that the entire city will turn out to watch their favorite crews race. The lake shores will be lined with food vendors...I am looking forward to a hot dawg and fries, heh.

Speaking of food...I have had my ration of jumpstart but ain't got my grits and cackleberries yet...thanks again for the grits, Josie. Like if good my friends when you share it with someone who loves you with such a passion. Y'all come, heah?

Hello Blog World

2011-07-18T13:54:00.010-04:00

We got to the Mount Pearl,
Newfoundland Festival grounds early yesterday so we could find a parking place...heh..only had to walk a few blocks carrying our borrowed folding chairs. But the walk was well worth the effort! Sunday is always the final and 'biggest' day of the festival. There were all kinds of games of chance...you know, the kind that rip you off and if you win ya get a China made 25 cent stuffed toy. There was a lot of over priced food concessions as well. Only Ziggy's that has the best fries I have ever ate is worth the cost....

Ziggy's prepares fresh spuds fro the deep fry instead of using the frozen Micky D kind that taste like rubber when the start getting cold. Four bucks buys a big container full..enough for the two of us. Another stand had hotdawgs for three bucks...and the fries and dawgs was supper.

We stayed through all but two of the bands...the last two were no doubt the best but after sun down a strong wet wind made the 40F degree air was just two cold for us to enjoy the music. But it was one enjoyable day and we are looking forward to attending next year.

Next month is some more free entertainment in St John's. The Royal St John's Regatta is scheduled for August 3 weather permitting. The Regatta is the oldest organized sporting event...not counting those by the native Americans...in North America. We missed it last year but this year it is definitely on our "TO DO" list. There is a possibility that Shanneyganock will perform there this year...they are the best of the best of the traditional Newfoundland groups and can liven a crowd like no other can do. We had the great pleasure of seeing the group at the Mount Pearl Days fest last year and I would sit in the cold wind to see them once again.

I enjoyed the "Celtic Connection". They played some Irish jigs as well as a lot of the traditional Newfoundland sounds.

This is "Fully Completely" a rock band that I just could not appreciate although the young people in the crowd seemed to like them...we left the grounds for a break while they were on.

http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif"Ennis" has toured with the Nittygritty Dirt band as well as others and is well known in Canada.

This band is Siochana a great sound from a local band

I reckon today is just a kick back and rest day. We slept in this morning...unusual for me. I fixed me some jumpstart and grits and read the news...but I just feel too good to let the New Times and Emperor Obama spoil my day. Life is great my friends...best to enjoy everyday of it. Y'all come, heah?

Sunday Morning Coming Down

2011-07-17T09:40:00.002-04:00

It is a usual Sunday morning for my angel and me...sitting at the table with our 'laptops' listening to the best radio station one earth, Newfoundlands VOCM, station that is broadcast all over the island as well as being on line.

I have had my ration of jumpstart though I have yet to fix the grits and cackleberries...Josie, every time I fix them grits I say "Thank Ya Josie".

We are planning on heading back to the Mount pearl Days celebration after while. There will be some eight hours of live music by some well known Newfoundland bands...mostly traditional Newfoundland music which is much like American 'Bluegrass' with a lot of 'C&W' in between. We borrowed a couple of folding lawn chairs from a cousin and plan to just kick back and enjoy the day. Just hope it don't rain. But then I reckon rain is why god made umbrellas, huh?

I took some time this morning to read the NY Times as usual...and as usual it put me on a soapbox...

Am I dreaming? Can you believe the headline? G.O.P. Freshmen Say Debt Concerns Them More Than Re-election GOTDAM I hope this is true...men and women who care more about the country than getting reelected will be a first since the time of George Washington. People, old George was one smart man and I do believe a seer as well...did you ever read his letter to the nation that is usually referred to as "Washington's Farewell Address? No? Then click the link...but for you who are not into clicks I'll tell you in a few words what he said:

YOU BEST BE CAREFUL ABOUT POLITICAL PARTIES BECAUSE THEY WILL FUCK OVER THE COUNTRY TO STAY IN POWER!

Yep, he knew, huh? It is a wonder that the country has survived as long as it has with the caliber of politicians the country has spawned. I reckon the survival is due to the fact that every few generations a true patriot leader emerges and manages to remind the voters that the USA is a constitutional republic...not a fucking democracy where the voters can vote to loot the treasury and tax payers. Maybe...and this is a just maybe...the new republicans in congress are of this ilk.

But,in any event, as I wrote yesterday something needs to give on the 'borrowing cap' if just long enough to put some fiscal controls in place. The country needs to get its spending under control but it also needs some time to do it.

All politics are about compromise...and if one side can get even 51 percent of what they want it is a start on getting more. I just hope that the new republicans can grasp this.
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Okay, I am off the soap box...would have stayed longer but my belly is telling my butt that the grits are in the cabinet and get the hell up and feed me.

Just looked out the window...looks like it is gonna be a nice day for my angel and me...now I wonder if I reach over and hug her she will give my butt a rest and fix my belly some grits? Naaaa, just kidding...she would give me the world if it was hers to give.

Y'all come, heah?

Hello Blogworld

2011-07-16T10:34:00.005-04:00

It is near noon here in St John's Newfoundland and the sun is trying to burn away some fog. We had some plans for this afternoon if the weather clears...if not I reckon I will just try to catch up on the news and maybe blog a bit.

I read the NY Times as usual trying to keep up with what is happening in the good old US of A...DAMN! It ain't all so good huh? I sure hope the country gets it act together...the depreciating value of the US Dollar is killing me here in Canada...it cost me about 540 US just to get 500 Canadian out of the ATM!

And I am on my soapbox once again:

This goat rope we call congress and the wanna be emperor we call president are dead set on bringing on a gotdam depression! Look people, the crises right now is not about spending nor new taxes nor balancing the budget although all should be on the table. The problem right now is that unless congress acts the USA will not be able to borrow the money needed to pay the bills the country owes. Yeah..I know and you know that no country can continue down the economic path our leaders have put us on and survive. But in any event the sumbitches need to agree to extend the 14 trillion debt ceiling by Aug 2 if only just long enough to get some of the needed tax/budget legislation passed.

I have often said that taxes are a necessary evil. I have no problem with taxes but I do have a problem with the graduated tax system as well as taxes on capital gain and extortionate taxes on business profits. The tax system needs a drastic overhaul...why in hell should the lower income brackets get by with NO taxes when those who have done what it takes to be high earners have to pay the share of the low earners...or no earners.

The USA economy and its government and I do believe a majority of its people are sick! I say a sick people because the majority voted for Obama expecting a free lunch for themselves paid for by business and the high wage earners. And those votes are now making them sicker. But although sick the country is still healthy enough to heal itself if the public is not to far gone to help.

It is gonna take some action by congress once a new debt ceiling is established. And damn right it will take some new taxes. But I say this...if they tax the high earners then they damn sure better tax everyone else including we old retired farts and the welfare mommas! We got into this fucking economic mess as a society and it is gonna take a society to get us out! And I am all for a balanced budget amendment that requires a two thirds majority to borrow money!

And while congress is at it I suggest and strongly recommend a national right to work law as well as a law prohibiting government employees from unionizing.
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We enjoyed an afternoon in Mount pearl Newfoundland yesterday. The city hosted a pig roast and a lot of free entertainment including a local Country and Western band that is as good as any I have ever heard anywhere! We are going back tomorrow for about eight hours of live music from a variety of Newfoundland bands...some of which play the traditional Newfoundland music that I truly enjoy. The Newfoundland music has the same roots as the American Bluegrass.

Hello Blog World

2011-07-15T11:34:00.004-04:00

Yeah, it is me again, heh. I know I don't write much anymore...hell, it seems that all I ever do is preach to the choir about Emperor Obama and his koolade drinkers but then I have been preaching to the choir about what was gonna happen to the American economy for years...way before I ever started blogging. But the current goat rope we call congress and the phony we elected as president as well as the NY Slimes editorials gave me some inspiration to bang out some thoughts today. Maybe, just maybe some left winger will stumble on here and might...just might...think a bit about what I write.

There just ain't no free lunch. The public has been wanting it way before the ancient Roman Empire decided to give free bread to the plebes to get their votes...take a look at the ancient Athens Greece democracy...the Greeks ain't changed, huh? Still wanting the free lunch from government.

Those of you who have followed this bit of shit and wit know that I figure a democracy the worst possible form of government because it allows the majority to vote to loot the ones who producing the bread. DAMN!

Did you ever wonder why the fables such as the "ant and the Grasshopper" and "The Goose who laid the Golden Egg" are no longer taught in schools? Because such fables teach that socialism is unworkable in the long run and the vast majority of the public school systems are now run by left wingers who could not hold down a job outside of the public school system.

I have written here before that even the ancient wise men knew that socialism would eventually destroy a society...one of the 10 commandments to the Israelite Tribes was about socialism and wanting a free lunch....

"You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."

I reckon the more times change the more they stay the same, huh? I will tell you this though...I don't have much in the way of material wealth...never wanted much because I didn't need much. But I damn sure don't begrudge the people who have sacrificed free time, saved their assets, and worked their butts off to accumulate material wealth. I figure they earned it and are entitled to keep it and never should have to worry (as they are now) about a gotdam democracy voting to take it away from them.

And we wonder why jobs are hard to come by? People, when the labor laws are stacked against business and the current administration is doing its best to tax away profits why in hell should anyone invest capital in the USA? When Obama told the plumber that he was gonna "spread the wealth" Obama told the world venture capitalist to stay the hell out of the USA.

Okay, I am stepping down off the soap box before I fall off. Still got a bad knee from a fall I took back in the winter. Heh

Life is good here in St John's Newfoundland although the weather the past couple of days has been less than desirable for any excepting ducks and geese. Rain, wind, and 50F degree temperature. But we have had some really good weather. Light breeze and in the low 70sF...hell, I even got back my sun tan I lost last winter.

There is a big celebration starting tonight in Mount pearl...a city bordering St John's...that we plan to attend. It starts off with a pig roast and has some local bands performing every day this weekend. We went last year and really enjoyed it.

Next month if all goes as planned we are going back to my spouse's hometown of Trouty...a beautiful village on Trinity Bay..for a few days. I want to do some trout fishing as well as visit some of the historical sites near there. One in particular in the site where the movie "Random Passage" was filmed. By the way, if you have not read the book I highly recommend it...although fiction it is based on facts about the early days in Newfoundland including how and why the people came here and how they lived.

Okay...time to finish this book. My angel allows it is brunch time and I am elected to do the cooking. Reckon I'll burn some light bread and scramble a couple of cackleberries for her. I am satisfied with some grits and jumpstart. And by the way Josie, if you happen to be reading this thanks again for that care package of grits!
Y'all come back, heah?

Road Trip

2011-07-07T10:04:00.007-04:00

We surprised her folks on Father's Day when we drove into their driveway unannounced. A good time was had by all..a nice visit and a friendly poker game.

I enjoyed the four hour drive from St John's NL to her parents home in Trouty. The scenery is spectacular...much the highway is along the coast and some through what the Newfies call 'the barrens'...rocky hills with no trees and not much grass.

The pictures are posted in no particular order...more are on my facebook page listed under Trouty trip.

This is a photo of a commercial salt water mussel farm. I have not tried them yet...my wife allows they are kinda chewy much like clams...

Part of 'the barrens' except this part has some grass and a few small trees below the rocks.

Hello Blog World

2011-06-10T10:02:00.002-04:00

I finally broke down and bought some wheels a couple of weeks ago...an older Madza Protege... and we are preparing to tour the island this summer. We are exploring St John's this month and plan to make a trip to my wife's home town of Trouty NL in July. I am looking forward to seeing all I can of this beautiful land. I hope to get pictures to post here.

Sunday Morning Coming Down

2011-05-15T10:59:00.005-04:00

The Emperor Obama is taking steps to increase oil and gas production in the USA? Hmmmmm. Maybe. I will believe it when I see the price of gasoline drop a buck a gallon. But in any event my friends, it is my opinion that if the enviro-nuts and the left wing would let the natural gas producers get it and transport it there is enough natural gas under the USA to furnish American needs for a long time...time enough for energy companies to develop an alternative to oil and gas.

According to NaturalGas.org, and educational web site about natural gas, there is as estimate of 1836.4 Trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas under the USA. What does this mean? Well, consider that There are 36.41 cubic feet of propane gas in one gallon of propane liquid and do the math! Suffice it to say that it amounts to enough propane to fuel American vehicles for decades as well as sufficient natural gas to run the power plants producing electricity.

Yes, there is a disadvantage to using liquid gas in internal combustion engines...it takes more of it than gasoline. But there are more advantages that outweigh the poor fuel economy...

Advantages of Natural Gas Cars

The main advantage of Natural Gas Vehicles over gasoline powered cars is natural gas' has a cheaper price. More or less, Natural Gas costs 30% less than gasoline.

Natural Gas Vehicles have the advantage of having much lower pollution emissions than gasoline cars. It has been determined that natural gas cars can reduce carbon monoxide emissions by 90%.

Natural Gas Cars are considered safer than gasoline-powered cars because they are equipped with reinforced fuel storage tanks, making it more resistant to leaks and puncture.
Disadvantages

However, natural gas cars usually have a smaller passenger/luggage space than conventional cars due to the bulky gas cylinders. These cars also provide less mileage per full tank. Moreover, engines burn gas cleaner than gasoline...I know this from personal experience. The engine oil is cleaner and engines last longer.
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So, why is America not using natural gas instead of gasoline and diesel? I believe that the main reasons are do the court fights with the enviro-nuts the natural gas producers have every time they try to develop natural gas reserves. It seems that the welfare of some sub-species of animal life or plant has priority over the economic well being of the American people. But then there is the expense of building pipelines to transport the gas as well as converting vehicles to liquid gas. In any event it can be done and should be done and done soon before the cost of petroleum based fuels bankrupts the American economy.
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It has been a quiet Sunday morning in St John's Newfoundland. I spent it with my angel playing on our laptops and listening to the best radio station I have ever had the pleasure of hearing. On Sunday mornings it brings us alternating 30 minutes of 'oldies pop music' and hymns and various Sky pilots telling us about Jesus. My angel has a 'Jiggs Dinner' started for supper and I am just gonna kick back this afternoon and take a nap while watching some 'Spaghetti' westerns. Y'all come, heah?

Hello Again Blog World

2011-05-09T11:57:00.002-04:00

Been a while since I have done anything here, huh? But I have an excuse, heh.

A lot of water had flowed down the creek during the past year. I moved, for all practical purposes, here to St John's Newfoundland last May to be with a woman I met who I love very dearly...and she loves me with a passion. We were married on April 23 this year by a local Justice of the Peace in a quick but moving ceremony that was attended by a few of her relatives and out 18 year old daughter.

I will write more later about the island of Newfoundland and its history...I am doing some research and hope to write an essay on how the settlement here parallels the settlement of the Southeastern coasts of what is now the USA. If I can generate the self discipline I will publish it here in parts within the next couple of months. But then summer is coming on soon and we do plan on taking advantage of it...lots of trips to the waterfront and music festivals...

Although I have started what seems a life anew some things never change. I still have my pot of extra strong jumpstart every morning as well as that cackleberry and toast...and once in a while some side meat with it. (No grits though...can't get 'em here.) Some old habits don't change, huh? I am learning to speak Newfoundland English 'some' good...but still just about every day someone asks me where I am from, ha. I reckon I have had this Southwestern drawl too long to get rid of it.

So, if you happened to stumble on here just to see if I am still alive and kicking...I am. Y'all come, heah?

No Exit Plan? WTF? Over?

2011-03-25T08:21:00.002-04:00

No exit strategy? Hmmm, didn't you already know that? There was never even an objective other than bomb hell out of the Libyan military to stop them from killing more people. What did Obama and the other limp dick leaders of what used to be the free world ( do you really consider yourself free now...? With all the government rules and regulations and big brother tactics that monitor your life from before birth til after you are worm food?) figure would happen? Didn't they understand that if they quit the offensive against Qaddafi he would just resume his offensive against the rebels?

Going to war without a plan to force the enemy into an unconditional surrender has always just prolonged the agony of war. This war against Qaddafi will be no different. Come on Emperor Obama and European cohorts...get your generals together to come up with a plan to either win this fight or get the hell out...and listen to them.

What Next?

2011-03-20T10:14:00.003-04:00

There is an adage down in Texas and Oklahoma where I grew up: "Some people just need killin'". Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, the Libyan dictator is one of those people. Qaddafi's brutality and lack of conscience stands out even in a land that has been noted for centuries for its brutality and lack of conscience. But, that said, what next after he is taken out by the allied forces of France, The United Kingdom, and the USA? Are the people of Libya capable of establishing some kind of representative government independent of Sharia (the sacred law of Islam) that will offer a semblance of freedom and an opportunity for property for the country?

I think not. Take a quick glance at the history of Libya. For you that don't have the time nor inclination to check the link suffice it to say that the people of Libya have absolutely no history of personal freedom. This country and its people have been ruled with a iron fist from the days of the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, and the Ottoman Turks. And its laws for over 1400 years have been based on Islamic law. And those of you who are familiar with Islamic law know and understand that in no way is it compatible with personal freedom.

So, what next? I have no doubt that the allied forces will stop Qaddafi. He has always been more 'hat than horse' and backs down when the pressure is put on him...remember when Reagan bombed hell out of him? He was mighty quiet for a long time after. But keeping him quiet is not going to help Libya nor make the world any safer. Will killing him help that end? No, although he does 'just need killin'".

I hope I am wrong but I figure that getting involved in the Libyan civil war will just further alienate the Islamic world against that of the west. And taking out the Qaddafi regime will leave a political vacuum that could well be filled by Islamic radicals such as the Islamic brotherhood that will be even more brutal and oppressive than Qaddafi. No? Take a look at what the Taliban did in Afghanistan...

But in any event it looks like once again the American government has decided once again to send America's best into harms way in a foreign civil war. Why? There is only one obvious answer to me and that is the crude oil resources in Libya...the same reason Bush took Iraq. If in fact the allies are so concerned about policing the earth and installing freedom and opportunity then why are they not in such places as Somalia where oppression, famine, and piracy are a way of life? Yeah, it is about the oil.

You know it, I know it, and the governments know we know it. The hell of it is that the majority of us would support securing our oil supply...but Why doesn't the gotdam government just tell us that is why it is sending our best into harms way?

If I sound pissed it is because I am. In my lifetime there has been too damn few years of peace... and WW Two was the only war that was fought with clear objectives and no holds barred. And it was also the only war won. I am not a "dove"...nor am I a "war hawk. I just say this...if you go into a fucking fight go in it to win and remember that adage..."all is fair in love and war." I hope that is what the Emperor Obama has in mind in Libya...

Terrible Terra Firma

2011-03-12T11:26:00.004-05:00

Let's stretch our imagination a bit...

We escaped a brutal world and took one of their space ships with us...enough of us to start our own colony on a new world if we can just find one. Yeah, we are humans. Our need is a planet that has the right air mixture and gravity for us plus a planet that is off the beaten star routes. Moreover, we want to find a planet that looks like it is uninhabitable although it actually is.

Then we stumble on Terra Firma. The first fly around revealed at least 100 active volcanoes and during the second we saw a wind storm hit land that destroyed everything in its path. Each of its poles had temperature so low that there was permanent ice and around its equator the heat was so brutally hot that it actually caused daily torrential rain. We saw mountainous terrain that looked impossible for us to negotiate and sandy deserts with heat in the daytime that would burn us and temperatures at night that would freeze us. And the hell of it about 75 percent of this planet was covered in water so salty that it was unusable to us.

Even the small percentage of land in what could be called temperate was just not conducive to human welfare. We saw the earth there shake and quiver and cause massive waves to race across the huge span of water and when the wave hit land it took everything in its path back to the ocean with it. One fly over the temperate climate saw a spiral cloud bouncing along the ground taking up everything in its path.

Yeah, we landed. We knew damn well that our keepers would see the same thing we saw and figure no way we were brave enough or resilient enough to try to hide here.

I have a lot of faith in the human species. I will not argue about from whence we came or who or how we were created. We just "are". And we are indeed a tough species. We do not have the speed to outrun predators nor strength, claws, or teeth to fight them. We do not have a genetic protection against the heat nor cold as do most other animals. Although most of us are gregarious to a point we are not even a "social animal". Although we do habitat together we fight among ourselves to the point of killing each other...sometimes we kill millions of us.

So how did the human race survive? Brains...the ability to use logic...well, at least enough were able to use logic that it helped the illogical among us to survive with us.

If you have read this far you are probably asking, "WTF is your point GUYK?"

Heh, don't really have one except that Japan will survive its latest disaster. It was not the first earthquake nor will it be the last and it was not the first tsunami nor will it be the last. There will no doubt be such disasters on earth as long as there is an earth. And look at it like this...Our keepers either have not found us yet...or have... and said "fuck it we ain't going there!"

Basic Economics

2011-03-11T15:16:00.001-05:00

Rule # One: There ain't no free lunch...some one has to pay for it!

Rule # Two: If you cannot in good conscience give your employer 100 percent for the wages given then quit the fuckin' job.

Rule # 3: Unions do more harm than good in modern America

Snow

2011-02-21T08:06:00.004-05:00

We woke yesterday morning to several inches of glistening new snow...just as the weather quacks had predicted. I like new snow...it covers the yellow snow and the dirty slush left along the roads by the snow plows. Of course the plows will soon have the new slush on top of the old, heh.

I shoveled my way out the door first...

Then I scooped a new path to the garbage box and finally a path to the mail box and street. I didn't work very hard at it...more snow was predicted and 'shore nuff' we got it. I heard on the radio news this morning that we have had more snow in the past 30 days then all of the past two years combined...I just figure it is a white Christmas a month late.

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I have been down for the past couple of weeks with a bad cold which settled in my lungs and sent me to a doctor Friday. The doc, my angel's primary care doc, gave me a prescription for some high powered pills to fight the infection and I feel better already...but the pills, two each day 500 mg 'Biaxin', make me sick for about a half day after I take them. Damn hard on my what used to be a cast iron stomach, heh. But I am up and around and able to scoop snow and lovin' it.

Life is good in St John's Newfoundland. The new snow is beautiful and the air crisp and clean. My angel kissed me good morning as always and told me she loved me...and a pot of jump start is brewing. Y'all come, heah?

Winter in St John's

2011-02-12T08:42:00.003-05:00

It is cold here, but I have been colder. The air has been below freezing now for some three weeks and we have had snow or snow flurries damn near every day. But the cold is not the extreme cold that I had expected. The coldest has been about 15F degrees although it did seem colder because of the 20mph wind.

I did pick up a winter cold the other day somewhere. The sniffles and a cough and all the aches and pains that go with the bad cold. But I am about over it now. Probably will be ok in a couple of days if I just stay in. But staying in is tough when my angel is scooping snow and I want to be out there helping her.

I do enjoy the winter weather for the most part...all but the wind which will cut through my jeans like a knife. I would never even think of wearing long underwear in 15F weather when I was in Fairbanks Alaska..hell, that was near summertime weather there. But here I wear long johns whenever I go out this time of year...either they just ain't making jeans as warm as they used to or else my skin in getting thinner, heh. Hmmm, maybe both? Y'all come, heah?

Winter is Here

2011-02-11T06:33:00.005-05:00

Good Morning Blog World

2011-02-04T09:23:00.003-05:00

Heh, it could have been worse! We got the snow but not the drifts from wind. And the snow was not all that much...a foot or so. It only took me a few minutes to scoop a path to the road and mail box and then about an hour later the upstairs neighbor got someone in with a snow blower and cleared most of the driveway.

The air this morning is chilly...about 15F and there is a light breeze which lowers the chill factor some. Later the wind is predicted to blow 25F degree air at about 35mp...and that will be cold. But I am enjoying it. The cold air is clean and crisp and my lungs enjoy it.

But one thing for damn sure...a pot of hot jumpstart was welcome on a morning like this! May make another pot. Another thing about cold weather is the way I can sleep in it, heh. I just don't sleep much when it is hot but give me a cool room and a sheet to cover me and my angel snuggled in next to be and I will snooze away the night.

Not much to write this morning. The weather changed our plans for the week and we are sorta kinda on hold...may go to the flick tonight and to the museum tomorrow...don't know. My angel kissed me good morning and told me she loved me and whatever we do we will do together... Y'all come, heah?

Sunday Morning Coming Down

2011-01-30T10:26:00.003-05:00

We woke this morning to an inch or so of new snow...beautiful! It has been a weird winter but I suppose the weather has been weird in a lot of places this year...and last. We have had only a few...maybe three or four...days so bad we just hunkered down and waited for the weather to change. There has been several days when the air was chilly and a 30mph wind made the chill factor unbearable without the proper winter clothing. But, HEY! This is the north country and we prepare for it.

The rock island called Newfoundland is located in one of those rare places on earth where a warm ocean current, the Gulf stream, and a cold ocean current, the Labrador current, sorta kinda collide. Couple that collision with the Nor'easter winds coming off the North Atlantic and you get some weird winter weather. Reminds me of Oklahoma where the fronts moving down from the North Pole meet up with the warm air coming up from the gulf. I have seen six inches of snow there one day and warm enough to go swimming the next.

I found the photo above 'on line' while I was trying to get a grasp on the Grand Banks fishery and just what happened to it. From the looks of what I have learned there have been a lot of people writing about it and I know that I will never be able to add anything other than my humble opinions. In any event I plan to do some more research on the history of the Newfoundland Grand banks Fishery and its social and economic impact on Newfoundland as well as the Atlantic Northeast and parts of Europe. If I can find the self discipline I may use it to do some writing here...or someplace.
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It was a bit chilly in the apartment when we woke this morning. My angel and I were snuggled up warm but I woke with a cold nose, heh. Then found that the bedroom and kitchen heat had went south! We turned on the oven and warmed the place up and then called the landlord who called the electrician who called and allowed he would be here after! Now, "after" is 'Newfie' for "later" without setting a specific time. We hope he will show before bedtime, heh.

In any event we will not freeze. There is sufficient heat from the oven and a hall way heater to keep us from hypothermia and if it gets too damn bad we will just hit the rack again..which is always a good idea anyway, heh? A little thing like a lack of heater can be aggravating but it doesn't keep life from being GOOD! My angel kissed me good morning and told me she loved me as she always does...y'all come, heah?

Good Morning Blog World

2011-01-28T10:49:00.002-05:00

The St John's Newfoundland Metro Bus system will resume services on Monday, Jan 31! The bus system drivers and technicians have been on strike since early in November 2010...nearly three months. You that have followed this humble journal know well my feelings about unions...especially government employee unions. The metro bus employee union is no different than government employee unions everywhere...they have the ability to hold the public ransom to their own desires.

The final results of the negotiations have not been published yet so it is difficult to say who gave in..the union or the city. Of course it could have been both which is the way it should be. The hell of it the whole strike was about the city asking that future metro bus employees pay half of their insurance that covers pharmaceuticals. No current employee would have been affected...only new hires.

But in any event we are happy to see the buses coming back and plan to utilize them next week. The city is offering free rides until Feb 14 and then one dollar tickets for two weeks after that. We have places to go!

Probably Tuesday night we will take in a flick...we have a couple of free passes for the movies which include drinks and a bucket of popcorn. And Wednesday after six the door fees for "The Rooms", a wonderful museum, are waived. I have been planning on spending some time there doing some research on the history of the Newfoundland Cod fishery and Wednesday night will get me started. And, I think my angel is going to make an appointment with her primary care doctor...who has an office some $30 taxi ride to the other side of town.
A free bus ride will save some dollars, huh?

We had some weird weather come in on us yesterday! We woke up to 20F air temperature and snow flurries which turned to heavy snow. By 3 PM there was at least six inches of new snow on the ground...beautiful. Then the high winds hit! The air warmed to about 36F and it began to rain...HARD! The snow melted except for the high drifts and places where the plows and front end loaders had stacked it. The rain has left us but now we have 36F air blowing near 50Mph at times. Such is life on the rock...and I love it!

Yes, life is good for me here in Newfoundland. The air is clean (even when the wind is howling) and I just seem to breath much better than I could in Florida. The jumpstart gets as hot here as anywhere and my angel loves me and keeps me warm. Y'all come, heah?

Good Morning Blog World

2011-01-25T08:14:00.002-05:00

BRRRRRRRRRRRR! Winter weather finally hit St John's! It is about 16F degrees this morning and the ground is white with fresh snow. Yesterday we lugged a 10 kilo bag of salt back from the shopping center to use on our steps and sidewalk...salt does work on the ice but it also makes a mess, heh. Just have to be careful and not track it in the house.

I am enjoying the winter weather thus far. Our apartment is warm and cozy and it doesn't cost all that much to keep it that way. And when we go out I dress warm enough to be comfortable. (Those years I spent in Fairbanks taught me about staying warm in extreme cold and so far the cold here is not extreme...more like a rough Oklahoma winter.)

Our 'wild child' is going for a job interview this morning at a fast food outlet in the food court at the local mall. She is excited...this is her first ever job interview and she got it just a few hours after applying for the job. But she is also apprehensive about it...I know the feeling. I do hope she gets the job. That first job is a big part of the transition from the teenage world to the adult world where one has no choice but to accept the responsibilities that come with the privileges of being an adult.

It is not easy being a teenager. I remember those years and they were not really my happiest ones. Those years from 16 to 21 are tough...the teen is treated as a child yet expected to act as an adult with all the adult responsibility but few of the privileges. Is it any wonder that so many rebel? I just never could see the logic that figured the government could send me in harm's way at 18 years of age to dodge bullets and then told me I was not mature enough to drink alcohol.
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Life is good my friends. My angel kissed me good morning as always and told me she loved me. We are planning on donning our cold weather gear and taking a stroll in the fresh snow later this morning. Hell, I might even throw a snowball..well, toss one underhand. Just don't have the shoulder for a fast ball anymore. I am even considering a snowman, heh. Y'all come, heh?

Good Morning Blog World

2011-01-20T07:33:00.002-05:00

A New York Times article discusses the repercussions of various states raising their state income tax rates. According to the Times just a two percent such increase in New York would not only balance their budget but would cause a surplus. Moreover, it would only cost families with a medium income a grand a year and those earning 200,000 dollars only four thousand hard earned dollars a year. But the Times leaves out an important part of the economic equation...

Lets examine, for example, what would most likely happen with such a tax hike for that medium income family that would have $1000 dollars per year less disposable income. For many families that $83.33 is their entertainment or maybe their vacation budget. Sure, they can tighten their belts and do without but will it actually increase tax revenues overall? I think not...see, that $83.33 is spent every month at businesses that PAY TAXES! Taking that income away from business will actually decrease business income and thus business taxes. Very well could be that the income tax hike would be offset by the loss of business tax receipts.

"But", you say..."will the state not spend the money in the state economy?"

Some of it maybe...but the reason the states need the money is primarily just to maintain a status quo. They will not spend any more money than they have in the past other than maybe use the increased revenue to pay interest on their tremendous debt.

I have never claimed to be an expert on economics. However, I do figure that the only way for the states that are in a hole will ever climb out of that hole is to just quit spending! Some ideas are just freeze the salaries of the state employees. Outlaw or just bust government employee unions. Take a hard look at where the money is going and cut every program that is not absolutely needed. Governments from local to federal should...hell, they MUST if they avoid defaulting on their debt...CUT spending.

Senator Everett Dirksen has been quoted as quipping about government spending:

"A billion here, a billion there, pretty soon it adds up to real money."

I do think he had a point. How about you?
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Life is still good in St John's Newfoundland although my angel is kinda 'under the weather' this morning and went back to bed after taking a pain killer. She has a bad back that gives her fits some days. She is a tough woman and seldom complains but I could see the pain in her face this morning. But I suspect that after some bed rest she will be up and around by noon. In any event her aches did not stop her from kissing me and telling me she loved me first thing this morning.

I am still doing some research on the history of the Newfoundland Cod fishery. I still have to make a visit to the museum to take one more look at the archives before I start putting some essays together. I hope to get there next week and if I do I will get a big dip of Skoal and a mug pf jumpstart and start banging away on this keyboard. So, y'all come, heah?

Good Morning Blog World

2011-01-18T07:21:00.003-05:00

Brrrrr, it is chilly outside! The wind chill is -14C degrees...6.8F...and without the right clothes the wind will cut you like a knife. We went out yesterday for a stroll to the shopping mall and then to the grocery store...maybe a mile walk all total. It was good to get out although we had to walk in the streets because the city has not cleared the city sidewalks yet. I enjoyed seeing the snow. Been a long time folks since I have seen snow piled over 10 feet high in mounds beside parking lots.

Our apartment is toasty warm...electric heat is a bit expensive but safe and easy to control. And even if we didn't have it I figure we could just put on more clothes and an extra blanket and body heat would keep us comfortable at night.

In a few days we are going to start the paperwork to try to cut through the government red tape that seems to be holding the immigration door shut. It is doable but as doing anything with government is will take a while.

Needless to tell you, I am enjoying life in Newfoundland. Those of you who are not familiar with the Island should 'google it'...might surprise you to see what a beautiful and unique place this is...your American History books probably referred to the island as "Vineland"...the land found by the Vikings sailing out of Iceland. Yeah, that was about all I knew about the island also. But I have learned that Newfoundland had European settlements years before the Spaniards started killing mosquitoes and trying to convert natives in St Augustine. St John's claims to be the oldest European city in North America...probably is. Newfoundland salted cod fish fed British sailors for centuries...probably a contributing factor to Britain ruling the seas, heh...that salt cod fish is some good.

Anyway, my plan is to put together some essays about Newfoundland history...it is a fascinating as any I have read. Such will probably not interest anyone except history buffs...and sometimes I think historians only read others work so they can write an essay refuting it...hell, I have done the same, heh.

Life is good my friends. My angel keeps me warm with her love and care. Y'all come, heah?

Good Morning Blog World

2011-01-17T04:27:00.002-05:00

I am here to tell ya people if you are planning on flying now-a-days and have to make connections you best pick flights that give you plenty of time or else wear your runnin' shoes! What the hell ever happened to the time when you could depend on planes being on time?

I flew back to Florida last Thursday and returned to St John's Saturday...what a gotdam hassle. The weather caused an hour delay getting out of St John's and I had all of 45 minutes to race through customs and to the gate in Toronto. On the return it was the same gotdam thing...racing through Toronto. The Toronto airport is a goat rope at best and when you be in a hurry it is a goat rope without a rope.

But in any event it is good to be back home...yes, I consider our apartment here home. I am a divorced man now and soon will be a married one again. And if Canada will let me I plan to spend the rest of my years here. No, I will never give up my American citizenship...I am an American bred and born and will stay that way even though I am not all that proud of what the direction that Obama and his thugs are leading the country. But I am not in Canada because of that...I am here because I am in love and happier here than I have ever been.

We finally have snow! My flight out Thursday was delayed because of over a foot of it in about an hour. There is some 18 inches on the ground now and the air temperature is such that it will stay a while...right now it is about 29F out with a high of 31F predicted. I love it!

Some say living in the extreme cold will cause you some 'cabin fever'. Well, maybe for some but not for us...we get out and enjoy life regardless of the weather. That is why the Chinese make those warm clothes, heh.

Tomorrow night we are going to see a flick..."Country Strong". The advertisements I have seen look good...should be our kind of movie. Later in the week we want to take a walk in the park...it will be a winter wonderland and I want to record it with a camera.

Life is good my friends and my angel and I are enjoying it to the fullest. I hope you are also. Y'all come, heah?

Sunday Morning Coming Down

2011-01-09T09:13:00.003-05:00

I am sitting here looking out the kitchen window at some weather that reminds me of some January Sunday mornings when I was growing up in Carter County Oklahoma....not cold so much as just wet and dreary looking. The air is about 35F and a bit breezy. There is still a smidgen of wet snow in the shady areas and the sidewalks and pavement are wet from the thawing snow and misty air. The only difference in what I remember from my Oklahoma youth is that the grass here is green...the folks here use winter grain grasses for their lawns (called gardens here) and it will stay green unless suffers a HARD freeze. Snow will not kill it.

Yeah, winter time in rural Carter county Oklahoma was tough on teens. Our social life revolved around the schools and Saturday night dates (which usually meant a movie and 'parking' on a rural road hide-a-way afterwards). The schools did offer a bit of night life via twice a week basketball games and some basketball tournaments a couple of times during the winters. The games were a good reason for a cheap date on a school night and an opportunity to get in at least 30 minutes of 'necking' in the parking lot or 'parked' on the way taking her home after the games. (You say you grew up in Carter County Oklahoma and didn't do this...liar!...that is unless you didn't ever have a date.)

But times were so much different then. Those of us who lived in the rural areas learned to drive by the time we were in our early teens and many of us had a drivers license at 14 and damn near all of us had our licenses at 16...and by then most of the boys and some of the girls had cars or at least drove the family sedan when they wanted to do so. Insurance was inexpensive as was fuel and vehicle maintenance compared to now..but even so I think I spent most of my money supporting my car and girlfriend, heh.

What is there today for teens? Those in rural areas probably do much the same as we did on a cold winter night...but then maybe not, I don't know. But if not they are missing out on their education...well, come to think about it maybe not. Over half the girls I started to school with in the first grade never completed high school because of the back seat of those parked cars and their daddy's shotguns. So maybe kids today are getting a better education...
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I gotta tell you though that I prefer cold weather to hot weather! Especially now that I ain't gotta work outside in it. I can put on enough clothes to stay warm when I have to go outside but no matter how many clothes I take off in hot weather it is still HOT!

Life is good my friends. My angel and I are in love and we are living our lives to the fullest. I think today is going to be another wonderful day...maybe a walk to the local shopping center to just look around and maybe get a cup of hot coffee and then come back and cook supper together...deep fried cod fish and some fried spuds sure sounds good. Y'all come, heah?

Good Morning Blog World

2011-01-05T10:01:00.002-05:00

Will it be politics as usual when the republicans take over the house this week? The NY Times laments...or maybe not lament but wishing?...that the new Speaker of the House, John Boehner, will have curb the tea party influence. Hmmm...

Mr. Boehner, a 61-year-old Ohio native who revels in his big-family, Roman Catholic roots, now faces the challenge of harnessing the Tea Party zeal that propelled him to power without disheartening those who might be expecting too much.

Expect too much? WTF? The people voted the socialists out of power and the fiscal conservatives in. Why? Because there are enough voters who woke up to the fact that there is not a free lunch! And that they are the ones paying for it. If the new house doesn't realize this then in two years there will be another new house and next time it may be a brand new party running the show.

What will it take to get the politicians to understand that government simply cannot spend its way to prosperity unless that spending has some kind of lasting positive effect on the economy. The kind of spending that not only creates jobs (and not government jobs) but the kind that keeps an economy rolling. Bridges, roads, schools, and merchandise shipping facilities. Money spent on social programs is of course a must...but just how much is a must?

I have an idea my friends...

Those serving in the military are subject to random drug testing. How about making it a requirement that to receive an unearned benefit, ie a welfare check and/or food stamps, one must pass a drug test each month? Moreover, how about those who receive such do something to earn them? If nothing else how about just picking up trash along the highways?

Yeah, I am pissed this morning. I just found out that the $500 Canadian I got from the ATM yesterday cost me $503 American plus the usual $10 bucks in ATM and transfer fees. There is only one way to fix this rapid decline of the American dollar and that is for the new congress to do something that will convince the rest of the industrialized world that America is serious about putting its financial affairs in order and quit spending billions more each year than it takes in.
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Still no snow to speak of here in St John's NFL. We had some light flurries during the night but barely enough to say it snowed. The air is about 32F and there is a light breeze. The sun even peeked out from behind a cloud for a few minutes. All in all a nice day but still weird weather for Newfoundland this time of year. We may just take a long walk after while and enjoy it while we can...it is bound to get cold one of these days, heh.

Life is good my friends. The jumpstart was hot and strong and I am still getting by without that daily darvocet...go figure. My angel kissed me good morning and told me she loves me...and I am well and in love and happy on the rock. Y'all come, heah?

Good Morning Blog World

2011-01-04T10:39:00.003-05:00

Heh, looks like there are some in state governments wising up about unions...especially public unions. I have been preaching (mostly to the choir) about the danger to an economy when unions are allowed to dictate to management and/or government. I am glad that some governors are finally trying to bust or at least limit the union power. I still contend that right to work laws will do more for the economy than tax cuts...such would inspire business to expand and hire and the more people working the more taxes will be paid. Just the payroll/medicare taxes alone amount to 15 plus percent of wages...all wages. This adds up fast when several million are added to the work force even at sub-union scale.

Here in St John's we are seeing what happens when a union is out of control. The metro-bus employees have been on strike since early November. The city thought they had a deal but then the union came up with new demands. In the meantime about a third of the city that depends on the bus system for transportation has had to look elsewhere for a ride. Many have lost their jobs and some students have had to drop college because they have no way to get from home to classes. Others such as my angel and I had holiday plans curtailed because of the lack of transportation...Taxi service is just too damn expensive. And as it looks right now no one knows how long the strike will last.

Ronald Reagan had it right...if a public employee union goes on strike fire every gotdam one of them! Maybe the broke governments of the states will find the gonads to pass legislation that will put the brakes on the public employee unions. I certainly agree with the new governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin...

“We can no longer live in a society where the public employees are the haves and taxpayers who foot the bills are the have-nots,” Mr. Walker, a Republican, said in a speech. “The bottom line is that we are going to look at every legal means we have to try to put that balance more on the side of taxpayers.”
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It is another unusual winter day in ST John's Newfoundland. 4C degrees (nearly 40F) and a light drizzle. What snow we had is gone again although we might get some more later in the week. But the weather quacks are telling us that is will be warming back up and raining by the weekend. Hard to believe this weather this time of year this far north! I WANT SOME SNOW! Hell, we have not even built a snowman yet...but I did see some yellow snow the other night.

My angel is 'fixin' supper already...looks like a baked yardbird with dressing, a Jiggs dinner (boil cabbage, turnips, and potatoes seasoned with salt pork), and some oven bar-b-qued pork ribs. She is a great cook and I have to watch it else I will be back to 300 pounds of quivering blubber. Life is so good my friends when you are spending it with someone who loves you with a passion. Y'all come, heah?

Good Morning Blog World

2011-01-03T06:18:00.004-05:00

I make no claim to being an expert when it comes to economics...I am a 'Jack of many trades and master of none' but I do know this much. A country cannot spend its way to prosperity any more than a private citizen can. Unless governments actually own business (and those that do have never made them pay) governments only have three ways of raising money; taxes, borrowing, or printing more money. None of the three are necessarily bad for an economy unless it is done in excess. But people, the USA is doing all three in excess.

Why am I complaining this morning? Because I just checked to see what it was going to cost me this morning at the ATM to get S500 in Canadian dollars from my American bank account. GOOD GAWD GIRTY Whut a gash! The US Dollar is going to hell in a hand basket carried by Obama and his hoods and the fucking GOP just looks on and applauds. WHY?

Does the American government really think a weaker dollar will be better for the country? Such will of course make American exports cheaper to purchase and might...just might...help business some...if in fact there is any left that manufactures something that could be exported. But any gain in more exports will be offset by the higher cost of imports....especially crude oil. If you think I am just blowing hot air take a look at todays price of a barrel of crude! Yeah, damn near $92 a barrel. I reckon this is what the American people wanted when they kicked out the bums last November? Yeah right.

Is there an answer? Yeah but most of the public does not want to hear it. The public just doesn't understand that it is THEM that pay the government bills and that the only way to stop this madness is to force government to control spending. That means
a cutback in government services at all levels of government and a freeze on benefits if not a cut on same. Face it folks, we have been 'living too damn high on the hawg' for too long and it has caught up with us. There just ain't no free lunch.
Can anyone spell "JOHN GALT?"
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But life is good my friends and we will survive regardless of what the US dollar does. My angel and I were reared poor and we know how to cut back...and beans and spuds have a lot of nutrition and we ain't gonna go hungry. And it doesn't take much to heat this place. Hell, I have lived on Skoal and jumpstart for years anyway, heh. All I need is my angel's love. Y'all come, heah?

Stranger Than Fiction???

2011-01-01T14:40:00.001-05:00

I doubt that you saw this in your local news...this sounds like something Obama and his hoods would do, BAWAHAHAHAHAHAHA

BUCHAREST, Romania - Romania has changed its labour laws to officially recognize witchcraft as a profession, prompting one self-described witch to threaten retaliation.

The move, which went into effect Saturday, is part of the government's drive to crack down on widespread tax evasion in a country that is in recession.

In addition to witches, astrologists, embalmers, valets and driving instructors are now considered by labour law to be working real jobs, making it harder for them to avoid income tax.

For months the measure had been debated, protested by witches and mocked by the media.

On Saturday, a witch called Bratara told Realitate.net, the website of a top TV station, that she plans to cast a spell using black pepper and yeast to create discord in the government.

1/1/11 HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YA

2011-01-01T12:49:00.002-05:00

We brought in the New Year right! We spent the early evening with friends at a house party and then went to a club to bring in the New Year with a drink and dancing...when midnight hit the band stopped playing and I had my first New Years first minute kiss in decades. Hell, it was the first New Years Party I had been to in decades. Looks like it is gonna be a great year for us and we wish all of you the same.

Good Morning Blog World

2010-12-31T08:45:00.002-05:00

SNOW! We woke yesterday to an couple of inches of white 'partly cloudy' on the ground. And it has stayed and maybe will now for the winter. The air temperature is just below freezing and predicted to stay that way for the foreseeable future. We didn't get the white Christmas but looks like we will start the New Year off white.

Yesterday we took a long walk in the fresh snow...the air was crisp and clean and the wind had laid back. It was the first time in two weeks we had been able to get out without getting wet and/or the wind making it tough to walk...or both.

Tonight will be our first New Years Eve. We are planning on celebrating the last night of this old year and the birth of 2011 with friends. It should be a nice party.

I could write a book I reckon about this past year. But I will not. You that have followed this bit of shit and wit already know the book and for you that have not it would take a while to tell you. Suffice it to say I have a new life in a new place with someone who loves me passionately and whom I do adore.

I do hope to write more in the year 2011 but I make no promises nor will I make any New Years resolutions other than the same one I have made in most of the years past...NO RESOLUTIONS...hell, I always break em anyway so why make em? Huh?

Happy New Year to ya and y'all come, heah?

Good Morning Blog World

2010-12-27T07:31:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was "Boxing Day"...a holiday throughout the British Commonwealth although some countries take it more serious than others. In Canada it is a secular and optional holiday..that means that it does not fall under the labor laws dictating it a paid holiday...(except Ontario).

Never heard of "Boxing Day"? If not you are not alone. Most in the USA have no idea there is such a day. I heard of it a few years ago but couldn't find out much about it. If not for 'google' i wouldn't know anything about it now, heh. Even those who are part of the commonwealth are not sure how the holiday originated.

I found plenty of internet references to "Boxing Day" but if you can trust wikipedia and Snopes ( which I generally do not ) they give the best explanation.

In any event "Boxing Day" in Newfoundland has turned into a post Christmas 'white sale' much like the January sales in the USA except they take place the first business day after Christmas...today. The morning radio news and talk show was reporting the shopping mall parking lots full at 7am and crowds waiting for the shops to open. And "Baby It IS Cold Outside" !!!

We are staying in "Boxing day" or not. It is still drizzle and wind and about 35F degrees and it will take more than a "Boxing Day" sale to get me out. Yeah, something like running out of Skoal or my angel running out of diet Pepsi...important stuff such as that....
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We had a quiet and relaxing day yesterday. My angel's cousin dropped by to visit for an hour or so...I enjoyed meeting and chatting with her. Then we nuked some 'leftovers'...twice in fact. There was a movie on TV and afterwards we watched this program where a contractor was renovating basement apartments for homeowners. (I will no doubt post more about basement apartments later...they seem to be the rule rather than the exception in much of Canada.) We both dozed off with the boob tube on.

Life is good my friends even with this unusual winter weather. My angel keeps me warm with her love and care. And I do my best to do the same for her. Y'all come, heah?

Good Morning Blog World

2010-12-26T08:02:00.002-05:00

It was the best Christmas day I had experienced in many years...a day of giving and enjoying the love of my angel and wild child. Our wild child is 17 but yesterday morning she was as excited as a six year old...up by 6:30 am (she usually has to be kicked out of bed to get her up before noon, heh) and woke us...and started bring gifts to our bed. It was hilarious in a way..we all just sit on the bed and opened gifts...brought tears to me eyes folks. After the gifts were opened we 'cleaned up' the mess of wrapping paper and bags and inspected each others gifts and then put some back under the tree...damn it looked bare without anything under it, heh.

Later we put the turkey in the oven and traditional salt meat in the pot to boil. About two we sat down for a scrumptious Christmas dinner of turkey and dressing and a Jiggs dinner and all the trimmings. I tried to hold back but stuffed myself..damn. Good thing I was holding back.

After dinner our wild child left to visit a friend until after the New Year and my angel and I just kicked back and enjoyed each others company. We watched a couple of Christmas movies and went to sleep watching a 'chick flick' with lots of commercials. Some time during the night she got up and turned off the lights...I never woke up.

I remembered something this holiday season that I had forgotten...Christmas is a season to rejoice with the ones you love. We did and it was a happy and relaxing day.
Life is just so good with love and passion in it. Y'all come, heah?

Christmas Eve

2010-12-24T16:00:00.002-05:00

It is 5:30 pm as I start this on Christmas Eve...and raining. Damn. I was looking forward to a white Christmas but it is not to be, at least this year. Maybe not even a white New Years day. The rain and wind have kept us indoors for the past week although we did get out yesterday for a while to do some last minute shopping...I needed some Skoal and we picked up some mix for some baking for tomorrow.

The turkey is thawing and hopefully it will be thawed enough to put in the oven in the morning. We will have a big Christmas dinner...enough for a dozen or more even though there are just the three of us...and our wild child will be leaving right after we eat so it will be just the two of us grazing on leftovers for the next week.

After while we will open one gift each...one of my angel's Christmas traditions. And in the morning we will open the rest of the gifts...the first time I have opened gifts on Christmas...or any other time excepting a surprise birthday party some blogger friends sprung on me at a blog meet in Kerrville a few years ago. I am looking forward to a good day. I wish you all a most enjoyable Christmas day.

Good Morniing Blog World

2010-12-23T07:34:00.003-05:00

Looks like the retired city employees of Prichard Alabama have found out what all of us will probably find out eventually...government as well as many company retirement plans are ponzi schemes. They all depend on new money coming in to cover the money going out...and too damn much of the new money is borrowed money.

Prichard Alabama run out of money...just was not enough to provide services to its residents and pay the retirees...so the retirees didn't get paid. Why did the city run out of money? According to the linked article mostly because the city lost forty percent of its population and thus tax base over some twenty years. The article says 'white flight' caused the decrease in population. Hmmmm, sounds like the Atlas Shrugged theory in action...the producers left because they were tired of being looted. And now there are none left to loot.

Many of us have been preaching to the choir about the social security ponzi scheme for at least two decades. ( Yeah, damn right I am getting mine and should break even in a couple of years where I have received about what I contributed) But the social security ponzi scheme is just a part of the overall ponzi scheme. State and local government retirement programs all over the USA are in trouble...it don't look good for the future folks. I hope you are not one of the millions depending on a government retirement check...as I am.
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I had a restless night...didn't sleep much but did a lot of reminiscing. Some bad memories kept popping up as well as good. I tried to dwell on the good ones however everytime I dozed off a nightmare would come out of that closet in the back of my mind I usually am able to keep locked. Dreams of the war years and a 'Dear John' letter that devastated me when I was a young man kept waking me up. When I was awake I concentrated on the good memories...places I have been, happy Christmas mornings and days with my Oklahoma family years ago, and the happy days I have spent here in Newfoundland with my angel.

Part of the restlessness was worry. Yeah, I fret at times over things over which I have not one gotdam bit of control. Last night the worry was about the green dollar which I fear is going to tank soon. For most of you who have manged to wade through this bit of shit (and damn little wit) thus far a falling dollar will not effect you much...Walmart prices will go up but a falling buck might help American exports and bring about a job or two or three. But for us ex-patriots a falling dollar usually hurts our standard of living.

See, six months ago when I went to the ATM and got $500 Canadian it cost me about $480 American plus a $5 ATM fee. Now it cost me $500 American PLUS the gotdam ATM fee. Doesn't sound like much but figure that four times a month...I have lost some 80 bucks worth of buying power. And I worry I am going to lose more. Damn.

Life is still good here though regardless of what the American dollar does. My angel kissed me and told me she loved me this morning and as long as I have her and her love life will be good. We have cleared a lot of roadblocks thus far and I figure together we can clear any others that occur. Y'all come, heah?

Good Morning Blog World

2010-12-22T11:17:00.003-05:00

I had heard of the 'Nor'easter' storms...now I know what one is all about. 70mph winds and drenching rain...and chilly. I can just imagine if it was cold enough for the rain to be sleet or snow! Damn. It hit last night...took out some of what was left of the neighbors fence after hurricane Igor hit us...and blew all night. It is still raining but the wind has slacked off some...maybe 30mph now. Weather quacks allow that it will be on us til Friday. I am sure happy we have our shopping done and do not have to get out in it for anything barring an emergency.

I am still hoping for a white Christmas and it is still possible if the 'Nor'easter' moves out Friday and the temperature drops. Maybe some snow flurries instead of drizzle.
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I got a "care package" from my sister in Oklahoma in the mail this morning...about four pounds of shelled native pecans...the good kind that have a taste to them. I do like me some pecan pie! May just have to brave the weather and head for the grocer and get some Karo syrup, heh...But then maybe not. We have enough sweet stuff here to put 20 pounds on me if I am not careful.

Not much to write about this morning. Our wild child came home yesterday to spend the rest of the week and Christmas day with us. She is going back to her Boy Friends place Christmas night til don't know when. She does light up this place when she is happy and right now she is happy, heh.

I have to go back to Florida next month for a couple of days...leaving on the 13th and coming back on the 15th. Wish my angel was flying out with me this time...next time she will.

Life is good my friends...a pot of hot jumpstart and loving arms are keeping me warm and Christmas is just tree days away. It is the happiest holiday season I have had in many years. Y'all come, heah?

Good Morning Blog World

2010-12-21T10:47:00.002-05:00

It is wet and cold outdoors today...well, not so much cold...about 42F...but some wet! And windy...an east wind is whistling at about 50MPH with Cat one strength gusts...damn. So much for a white Christmas, heh.

But folks, this kind of weather is not limited to Newfoundland. The coldest I have ever been in my life was on the flight line on an Air Force Base on the outskirts of Tampa Florida. It was about this time of year and it was raining, about 40F, and the wind was coming off Tampa Bay at 50 mph and the USAF powers to be on the base decided that it was safe to refuel some big ass bombers....yeah those big ass bombers ramp loaded at 212,000 pounds of JP-4...and at 6.3 pounds per gallon that is a lot of jet fuel...do the math! Yeah, I was a young lad working in Aircraft Refueling at the time and I froze.

We were not issued the right kind of weather gear for such weather...wool of course was out of the question on the flight line because of static electricity problems. The field jackets did not have any kind of liners and I doubt that Base Supply has any kind of long underwear to issue, heh. But I only froze until payday when I headed for the Base Exchange and bought me a wool sweater and some long johns. And damn right I wore that wool static electricity be damned. I figured that if it caused a fire at least I would get warm!

I don't have to worry about staying warm here. I have the garments for cold and wet weather if I need to go out and our place is cozy...and my angel keeps me warm.
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We have finished out Christmas shopping...gifts are wrapped and stockings stuffed and food for Christmas dinner in the freezer and fridge. We are gonna bake a turkey (no not Obama...he is already half baked) with stuffing and all the fixings plus a traditional Newfie Christmas meal of salt meat and boiled vegetables. There will be enough to feed a lot more people than the three of us...but I do like those leftovers! Yep, I am some lookin' forward to Christmas day this year. (See, I am some learnin' to talk Newfie and now know what it means when someone says "where you to?")

Just finished helping my angel start supper. How abouts some chicken livers cooked in water with onions...and a seperate pot of turnips, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, and an onion all boiled up with some salt pork ribs? Mmmmmmm GOOD! My angel is a great cook and I do love her and her Newfie meals. Life is good my friends when there is love and passion in it. Y'all come, heah?

Good Morning Blog World

2010-12-20T04:53:00.002-05:00

I seldom agree with Obama and his hoods about anything but I do believe that the bill passed Saturday that allows Gays to serve in the military is the right thing to do. Most of us who served knew (or at least has some suspicion) some of our brothers and sisters were Gay...and most of us could have gave a damn as long as they carried their load. I believe that no society can be truly free when it harbors bias against those of different color, religion, or sexual persuasion. (Keep in mind though that there is a difference between being biased against a religion than there is being adamant about fighting a religion that preaches limiting your rights, ie, Islam.)

Although I do agree with the bill I also think congress pulled the usual congressional stunt...it passed the bill without also dealing with problems/questions it will bring up and are leaving it up to the judicial system to sort it out. For example, will openly Gay men and women be assigned seperate living quarters...or will the services now not segregate room assignments by sex or sexual persuasion. Will showers and wash rooms be open to all? Or will there have to be a third such facility? Will Gays be allowed to marry if assigned to a country or state that allows such? How about if they decide to visit a country where Gay marriage is legal (Canada for example)...will the military recognize the marriage? You see, for every action there is a reaction and congress as usual failed to take in consideration the possible ( and probable) reactions.
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Looks like the American workers are finding out something that business has always known... labor is a commodity and the price of labor is going to rise and fall with supply and demand. And when government regulations make the cost of labor too expensive business either refuses to hire new employees or else hires part time/temporary labor. Some small companies with less than twenty employees stay that way because if they expand and hire over twenty employees the company will fall under too many restrictive government regulations. One way to expand and still show a profit is by using contract labor...been there, done that, and wore out the fuckin' T shirt...and damn glad I am no longer a part of that rat race.
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We had a relaxing and most enjoyable Sunday. The wet weather (and my angel's bad cold) helped us make a decision to just stay indoors and take it easy. My angel prepared a delicious "Newfie" meal of baked pork chops and fried cabbage...I helped by nuking a couple of spuds and making some gravy. Prior to and afterwards we just cuddled on the sofa and watched Christmas movies then were in bed by 10:30...early...or at least early for us. Life is good my friends. My angel kissed me and said "Good morning handsome" first thing this morning...(hmmm, I reckon 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder', huh?) I do adore her. Y'all come, heah?

Sunday Morning Coming Down

2010-12-19T10:19:00.002-05:00

The gifts have been purchased and wrapped and placed under the tree...and the Christmas stockings are stuffed. There are even some under the tree with my name on them...something I have not had in many years. And my stocking is FULL! But my best gist is my angels love and she is all I want for Christmas...

I had a blast last night. We made some Holiday treats...a big tray of Rice Krispy squares, over six dozen "Snowballs", and baked and iced a big tray of brownies. Later we will bake a cake or two and probably make some pudding...and maybe even a pie!

The weather is still warmer than a lot of the USA! Go figure. It is about 45F degrees and raining with more rain predicted. Here the talk shows rant about global warming and climate change...and I suppose they might be right about climate change but it is gonna be some difficult to convince a Floridian that there is global warming when they are paying their November/December heat bill. I was hoping for my first White Christmas since 1986 but it doesn't appear that it is gonna happen. Maybe a white New Years day.

One thing about New Years Day in Newfoundland...we will celebrate it and hour and a half earlier than those on Eastern Standard Time...don''t ask me why...I have no idea why there is the odd half hour time difference from the rest of Canada and the USA. Heh, we scan the TV schedule on the half hour.

Not a whole lot to say this morning except that life is good here in St John's and my angel and I are making the most of it! Y'all come, heah?

Good Morning Blog World

2010-12-18T09:12:00.002-05:00

Christmas is almost here...this is the first holiday season I have prepared for and somewhat celebrated in many years. It has been fun for the most past although the hustle and bustle and crowds in the stores has been stressful at times. And of course the age old problem that many of us have...just can't afford to spend what we want to spend on gifts. But I will say that we have done a little to stimulate the St John's economy...and I am glad Christmas only comes once each year, heh.

I was hoping for a white Christmas but so far it looks like just a wet one. It is still in the 40'sF degrees and raining with more rain predicted. Ironic, huh? Warmer here way up north than in the southern USA. But this could change overnight if a front heads our way from the arctic.

I finally broke the gotdam cold...I've been able to sleep the past couple of nights without coughing my guts up...but now my angel has it and has been coughing the hard cough for the past couple of days. But no doubt it will pass and as she tells me...she is tough. And she is...just one of the reasons I adore her.

Our wild child is visiting a friend and not due back until Christmas Eve although she may return earlier if the mood strikes her. I am looking forward to watching her opening gifts on Christmas morning...Christmas to me is about the kids and watching the joy in their eyes as they tear open the wrappings.

Merry Christmas to all!

Just for Glee

2010-12-16T02:47:00.002-05:00

Just opened my e-mail and found this from my friend Butch...I have just now managed to get the laugh down to a chuckle and post it here for your reading pleasure:

I thought you might appreciate this fine example of standard government logic.
Never spend $1 on an instant cure (a bullet) when you can spend $10,000 to leave the problem unresolved.

A FAR MORE APPROPRIATE COMMENT ABOUT OUR POLITICAL PROCESS!!!!!!!!!!!

The Sierra Club and the U.S. Forest Service were presenting an alternative to the Wyoming ranchers for controlling the coyote population. It seems that after years of the ranchers using the tried and true method of shooting or trapping the predators, the Sierra Club had a "more humane" solution to this issue.

What they were proposing was for the animals to be captured alive. The males would then be castrated and let loose again.

This was ACTUALLY proposed by the Sierra Club and by the U. S. Forest Service. All of the ranchers thought about this amazing idea for a couple of minutes. Finally an old fellow in the back of the conference room stood up, tipped his hat back and said; "Son, I don't think you understand our problem here", "These coyotes ain't Fuck'in our sheep - they're eatin' 'em!"

You should have been there to hear the roar of laughter in that room.

The meeting never really got back on track.

Good Morning Blog World

2010-12-15T06:46:00.002-05:00

WTF? OVER? The Washington Post reports:

"Weeks after swearing off earmarks, many senators stand to gain tens of millions of dollars for pet projects in a massive spending bill that could be their last chance at the money before a more conservative Congress begins next month."

And what really chapped my ass was this statement by Sen. George Voinovich (RINO-Ohio):

"I have a disagreement with my colleagues on earmarks," Voinovich told reporters. "Earmarks really don't add to the cost of government. What it does is it says that the money's going to be spent for something else. We're fooling the American people when we tell them the problem [with the deficit] is earmarks."

Voinovich must figure I am stupid when he tells me the 'earmarks don't really add to the cost of government'. Moreover, the voters back in November tried to send a message to congress of both houses that they were tired of 'business as usual' and wanted some changes. Instead the senate just goes on with business as usual...spending money like drunks in a whorehouse.

I do hope the voters in Ohio remember what Voinovich said about earmarks when he comes up for reelection. Kick the bum out. damn...makes a man want to move to Ohio just to vote against him.
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It is a balmy 5C degrees (41F) this morning here in St Johns...warmer than parts of Florida...go figure. Here the people believe that there is global warming but I suspect it is hard to convince a resident of North Florida who is ice skating on his swimming pool that global warming is happening. Heh.

I still have this gotdam cold...coughing and sneezing and generally feel like a semi run over me and then just stopped. I am taking a witches brew cough medicine made in Canada that works...at least for a couple of hours at a time. BUCKLEY'S has a taste very similar to the smell of horse urine and one has to be sick to try it the second time. But a dose of this liquid horror chased with some strong jumpstart along with a darvocet gets me ready for my morning cackleberry and toast. Hell, I can't be all that sick...I am still eating.

Ailing or not, life is still good my friends; and my angel and I are enjoying it to the fullest. I have learned that life is just too damn short not to do so. Y'all come, heah?

Good Morning Blog World

2010-12-14T07:41:00.004-05:00

Hmmmm, “educational differences” are a root cause of income inequality. Well, DUH! Or, as the old adage goes, "NO SHIT SHERLOCK! But I will tell you this...if EVERYONE had a PHD there would still be income inequality. Some would still be at the bottom end of the income scale. A college education might help getting in the door...what happens after that is up to the individual.

I have hopes that a new House of Representatives might inspire some confidence by business that would inspire them to start spending some money...but after the deal they cut with Obama on keeping the Bush Tax cuts I lost that hope. Looks like business as usual.

People, listen up..."THERE AIN''T NO FREE LUNCH!" No government can indefinitely spend billions more than it takes in. Unless congress soon takes some drastic steps to cut spending...and raise taxes the board...the government is going to be bankrupt and paying employees and retirees in IOUs sans California. DAMN!
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As I try to bang this post out I am also sorta kinda listening to a local talk show hosted by a mayor of a nearby city. A caller was lamenting about the socialized medical system in Newfoundland...his doctor ordered a MRI...took eleven...YES...eleven months to get it. Free medical care is great, huh? And this is the system that Obama and his socialists want for you?

I actually have no problems with socialized medicine provided it is funded to the point that the needed services can be offered in a timely manner. Of course the biggest problem with that is that the public is reluctant to pay the taxes needed to support such a system...and as I said above, There ain't no free lunch.
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It is a brisk -1C degrees outside this morning...about 31F to you who never learned the metric/Celsius system. We still hope for a White Christmas...looks like most of the rest of the province goiing to enjoy such...but still green here. We gget a bit of snow but then it warms up and rains...damn.

But regardless of a white or green Christmas we are going to enjoy it! The gifts under the tree keep piling up...more came in from my angel's family last night...even some for me! But to me Christmas is not about receiving...it is a season for giving and rejoicing life. My angel has given me the best possible gift...her unconditional love. Y'all come, heah?

Good Morning Blog World

2010-12-13T06:36:00.002-05:00

Free speech...the First Amendment...there has been argument about free speech and its limits every since the Constitution of the USA and the Bill of Rights was approved by the original 13 states. Perhaps the best know decision from the American Supreme Court about the right to free speech is embodied in this quote from Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.'s opinion in the case Schenck v. United States, 249 US 47 (1919), a Supreme Court case that explored the limits of First Amendment protection of free speech.

"The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man in falsely shouting fire in a theatre and causing a panic.

The court doesn't seem to have been consistent with its decisions about free speech...in fact it appears to decide the question by the merits of the cases that comes before it. And there may be another one headed its way as Face Book tries do determine what it will allow on its pages and WIKILEAKS supporters hack web sites looking for data that will expose perceived (or actual) wrong doings by the USA and allied governments.

It will be interesting to read the court decisions...does in fact anyone have the right to "hack" a web site? Anyone's web site? I can understand government investigators "hacking" a site...provided they have probable cause and a court approval...the same needed for a search warrant. But what gives a private individual the right to invade any web site? To wit....nothing. If they invaded my home in Florida I would have the right to shoot them...should I not have that right if they invade my web site or web page? And shouldn't governments have the right to prosecute, convict, and lock away those who invade government web sites (regardless of what is exposed)?

Maybe the question is where does the right to free speech and the personal right to privacy begin and end? Do I have the right to offend with my free speech? Do I have the right NOT to be offended? Could it be that the phrase "You had better smile when you say that pardner." would solve a lot of the problems? Hell, it worked for John Wayne in the movies.
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Yeah, I know...if you have got this far you figure I didn't put much work in this post...and you are right. No excuse except it would take more than a blog post and at least a week of research to do it right and even then there would always be the question about what really constitutes free speech...as I wrote above...lawyers and courts have been trying to decide it for two centuries. So if you want to cuss me for this bit of shit and wit...well, you best smile when ya do it pardner.
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Life is good my friends when you wake to a kiss and an "I love you." My angel and I have been planning our future the past couple of days...some of which includes a trip to the US of A sometime maybe in Feb or March. We hope to spend a day or two with our good friend the Catfish and maybe even take a quick tour of Micky Mouse World. Y'all come, heah?

Sunday Morning Coming Down

2010-12-12T06:24:00.006-05:00

The tree is decorated and stockings hung...and full...and the gifts are stacked under the tree with more yet to come. I am looking at the tree as I sit here at the kitchen table with my angel...sipping my second mug of jumpstart on this raw St John's Sunday morning...and the tree and the weather (27F degrees, wind, and a bit of snow on the grass) bring back a memory of a Christmas past in Oklahoma. ( My syntax sucks this morning...so tell Santa to bring me a box of rocks with a grammar book on top of it...)

I was seven years old and I wanted one of these so damn bad I was begging for it! "Please, please, I will be good I will be careful...NO Dad I will not shoot out anyone's eye! I know how to shoot the .22, remember? You taught me, please Daddy please?"

And all I got was, "Not yet son, you are still too young...maybe next year, I'm sorry son."

And I was heartbroken. I knew damn well that my friends were everyone gonna get a brand new Red Ryder for Christmas and that they would rub it in that I didn't get one. In fact one neighbor brat (who I despised and managed to kick his butt when I could catch him...he could run pretty fast) was already bragging that his Dad took him to town and let him choose between the Daisy Pump and the Red Ryder...and he was gonna get the Red Ryday and 10,000 BBs...DAMN!

The closer it got to Christmas the worse it got...I was saving my nickels and dimes to just buy that Red Ryder. But then that Saturday came when the family went to town to do our Christmas shopping...my nickels and dimes were soon gone for gifts for my sisters and Mother and Dad. All I could hope for was a miracle...hmmmm, maybe there is a Santa...

Christmas morning came...my little sister shook me awake before daylight, "can we go look to see what Santa brought us yet?"

I didn't want to go look...I knew I would be disappointed. But little sister was excited and just knew that Santa was gonna leave her what she had asked for. I had helped her write the letter and she knew that it had been mailed because she had given it to Mom and Mom took it to the post office. So, I dragged myself from bed and reluctantly went to the tree in the living room with her.

Mother and Dad were there listening to the radio and drinking coffee. I stood in the door as my sister ran to the tree and started unwrapping presents and giggling at each. Finally I walked to my Mom and Dad and hugged them and thanked them for our gifts.

"Yours are behind the tree, son." my Dad said.

I stepped to the tree and looked...there were several gifts stacked there and under them I saw it...

I can tell you stories about that Red Ryder. No, I never shot out anyone's eye...but I did shoot the brat with the Daisy Pump in the butt...he was fast but could not outrun a BB. (Got my butt whupped for it and the Red Ryder put away for a month but it was worth it.) I learned a lot about guns and gun safety with that Red Ryder...and a lot about life...and death. I killed my first (and last) song bird with that BB Gun. I cried as I watched that sparrow die. I have hunted animals since but never killed for the sake of killing. I think I grew up the year I got the Red Ryder.
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I reckon most men my age who were reared in a rural area had a Red Ryder BB Rifle when they were boys. The Red Ryder was blamed for our mischief and no doubt a BB did blind some eyes and I know of at least one boy who got a BB in the butt. I also know of a couple of windows shot out...but it was a daisy pump that did it. But the Red Ryder also was part of our growing from boys to teenagers to men...

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Life is good my friends even though I still have a bad cough. Woke with it this morning about 5:30 and had to get up. Don't cough much sitting and standing but lie down and look out. (But I got some cough syrup that works...the taste will gag a maggot but it does the job, heh. And a mug of jumpstart rinses the taste away.) My angel got up with me...kissed me and told me she loved me...she takes good care of me. Y'all come, heah?

Good Morning Blog World

2010-12-10T05:47:00.003-05:00

I woke this morning feeling about 90 percent better than I did when I went to bed last night...no need for the darvocets this morning, heh. Must have been a bug that bit me...from what I am hearing it the bug must a bit a lot of people in ST John's...well, at least it didn't pick on just us foreigners. My angel took good care of me...saw to it I got my chicken soup and aspirin...yeah my friends...chicken soup and aspirin is as popular hear when you be ailin' as it be in US of A.

I also woke to winter weather again...goose egg Celsius predicted to be -6C tonight. There is a bit of snow on the ground...again...with a couple of inches predicted for today and tonight. Feels good...I can breath in the cool air. Only thing I worry about is slipping on the icy sidewalks...too late in life for another busted leg, heh. But not to worry...it is supposed to be warmer and raining by the middle of next week. We may....or may not get a white Christmas.

I still have some last minute Christmas shopping to do...need to get my angel's Christmas Stocking filled as well as a couple of more things for our 'wild child'. May try to do that later this morning...

Just rambling...I have not even read the news yet...might later just to see if it pisses me off as usual. But I am in a good mood and don't want to spoil it. Life is good my friends and too damn short to spend most of it aggravated about something we have too little control over. Let me give you some facts about history...if it was not for the gotdam politicians the American west would still belong to the Indians...people just got tired of the bull shit and went left...only direction at that time that offered freedom from the bullshit. Of course after the land was taken at risk of life and limb the preachers and politicians came...and we got Oral Roberts and California and ...damn.

The jumpstart is hot and maybe a bit too strong this morning...my spoon disappeared. But my angel just kissed me and told me she loved me...maybe she took the spoon? Y'all come, heah?

Good Morning Blog World

2010-12-09T09:25:00.003-05:00

I spoke too quick about not needing the darvocets! I came down with something yesterday...a cough, sneeze, and hurting bones. Actually feel like I have been run over by a gotdam truck and the sumbitch then backed up over me. But I will survive...two big mugs of tea, a darvocet, and an aspirin have me functioning now. Took a while though, heh.

Kinda gripes me that I took sick...actually it hit me last night...I have a lot to do and can't get it done by just layin' around. But there is always tomorrow and the day after. My angel is worried...says she only found me a few months ago and is afraid I am gonna croak. I told her it will take more than a gotdam cold to kill me...but if the sumbitch backs up over me with that truck again he might succeed.

In the meantime my angel is taking good care of me...fussing over me of course but then I fuss at her when she doesn't take her meds when she is feeling poorly. I reckon we all do that when we are trying to take care of the ones we love. I suspect with her care and the meds I will be up and around by tonight or at least by tomorrow.

I did forego my jumpstart this morning for a couple of mugs of strong hot tea...hot tea ain't bad...just prefer coffee. But some allow that tea has some medicinal properties and I felt so bad this morning I would have drank a cup of kerosene if someone had told me it would have helped, heh. And I did have my daily ration of cackleberries...just wish I had some grits. Life is good my friends even when I am ailing. My angel loves me and tells me so even when she is fussing over me. Heh, I kinda like being fussed over. Y'all come, heah?

Good Morning Blog World

2010-12-08T07:30:00.003-05:00

Who would have thunk it? 7.2C Degrees! WOW! Warmer here in St John's than in Tampa where it is as I write this a chilly 37F degrees. For you that are not familiar with Celsius, 7.2C is about 45F...I am pleasantly surprised it is this warm this late in the year. But St John's weather can change within minutes and there might be six inches of snow on the ground in the morning. I love it!

We are going out in a bit...got to do some shopping this morning...a few groceries and some Christmas shopping and I am just about out of Skoal...and I get grumpy when I ain't got my morning dip. Hell of a habit...a half liter mug of coffee strong enough to melt a plastic spoon and a lip full of tobacco...talk about getting your heart pumping. Yep, a JUMPSTART

The Metro-bus system here is still on strike...and I get a little more pissed about it every day because it is screwing up our plans for the holidays. We want to go to a big shopping center on the other side of town as well as attend some festivals later this month. Looks like we will not be going because of the bus drivers strike...just to expensive to take a cab. I still have not bought a vehicle for here and really didn't want to. I prefer walking to driving when it is feasible and next spring/summer I will get a rental to see the island. I reckon the buses will run again someday...but sure is pissing me off right now.

Life is good my friends. I have learned some valuable lessons in my old age and the main one is that money is not everything...I would rather have love and happiness than all the gold on earth. Y'all come, heah?

Lest We Forget

2010-12-07T07:22:00.003-05:00

On this day in 1941 the Imperial Japanese attacked the American fleet in Pearl Harbor Hawaii nearly destroying the American pacific fleet. The next day President Roosevelt requested congress to declare a state of war with Imperial Japan...a war that was won at great cost of American and allied lives as well as the lives of hundreds of thousands Japanese military and civilians. It was also a war that changed the course of history as the USA emerged as the strongest nation the earth had ever witnessed as well as a beacon of economic hope and a symbol of freedom for most of the earth's population...and soon engaged in a "cold war" with the USSR.

And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all [these things] must come to pass, but the end is not yet. Matthew 24:6

But the people of earth including the USA have short memories. Yes, we pay lip service to Pearl Harbor Day...but are we prepared both mentally and economically to fight and win another war such as World War Two? Do the American people have the internal fortitude and self discipline to suffer the sacrifices required to fight such a war once again?

It has been said that history repeats itself...that we do not really learn from the past. I believe that this is true...since 1979 when the Iranians stormed the American Embassy in Tehran and murdered several Americans and held 66 hostage for over a year the USA has been as war with militant Islam...but the American public generally refuses to acknowledge this. The list below is of Muslims attacks though 2004 and there have been numerous attacks throughout the western world since then. Do we have the intestinal fortitude to fight and win? Or, are we so politically correct now that we refuse to realize that we are at war with a culture that believes that murdering infidels will get them to a Paradise...

Terrorist Attacks 1968 - 2004

1968

June 5 - U.S. presidential candidate Robert Kennedy murdered by Palestinian Sirhan Sirhan, in Los Angeles, which causes further terrorist attacks, as Arab terrorist groups demanded his release.

1969

Feb. 18 - Boeing 707 attacked at Zurich, Switzerland, killing the pilot and 3 passengers.

Aug. 29 - TWA 707 hijacked from Rome to Damascus, released with only wounded.

Nov. 27- EL AL office in Athens, Greece attacked. Innocent bystanders killed.

1970

Feb. 21 - Swiss airliner blown up over Switzerland, killing all 47 people on board.

Feb. 23 - PLO terrorists open fire on a busload of Christian pilgrims killing 1 and wounding 2 Americans.

April 21- Bomb explodes aboard a Philippines airliner. All 36 aboard are killed.

Sept. 6 - “Skyjack Sunday” in Jordan. 3 planes (TWA, Swissair, Pan Am) en route to the U.S. hijacked, 400+ hostages, planes blown up in Jordan, Governments agreed to PFLP’s demands, released terrorists from jails and hostages released.

Sept. 14 - The PFLP hijacked TWA flight to Ammon, 4 Americans injured.

1971
Nov. 28 - Jordanian prime minister Tal killed by terrorists at the Sheraton Hotel in Cairo, Egypt.

Dec. - Jordanian ambassador to London, England is shot by hit squad.

1972

Jan. 26 - Bomb explodes on a Yugoslav plane killing all but one passenger.

May 30 - Ben Gurion Airport, Israel attack killed 26, and wounded 78 U.S. citizens from Puerto Rico.

Sept. 5 - Palestinian terrorists seize 11 athletes in the Olympic Village in Munich, Germany, 9 hostages and 5 terrorists killed, plus David Berger from Cleveland.

1973

March 2 - Khartoum, Sudan. Cleo Noel, Jr., U.S. ambassador, and George C. Moore, U.S. diplomat, were held hostage and then killed by terrorists at the U.S. Embassy.

Aug. 5 - Suicide squad attacks Athens airport, Greece, killing 3 civilians and injuring 55.

Dec. 17 - Bomb explodes at Pan Am office at Rome, Italy killing 32 and injuring 50+. The terrorists take 7 Italian policemen hostage and hijack an aircraft to Athens, Greece, killing one of them.

1974

March 1 - Diplomats taken hostage from Saudi Arabian Embassy in Khartoum, Sudan, 2 that are killed are Americans.

April 11 - Kiryat Shmona Massacre at an apartment building killing 18 people, 9 were children.

Sept. 8 - Athens, Greece. TWA Flight 841 exploded from bomb in cargo hold, all 88 passengers killed, including 32-year-old Steven Lowe, an American citizen.

Nov. 23 - British DC-10 hijacked at Dubai, UAE, flown to Tunisia where a German passenger was killed.

1975

Jan. 19 - Arab terrorists attack Orly airport, Paris, France, seizing 10 hostages from a bathroom. French provided the terrorists with a plane to fly them to safety in Baghdad, Iraq.

Sept. 30 - Hungarian airplane explodes killing all 64 persons on board.

Dec. 21 - Carlos “The Jackal” holds 11 oil ministers and 59 civilians hostage during the OPEC meeting in Vienna, Austria. Flew to Algeria, got $300,000,000 in ransom money, Carlos and his Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine terrorists escape.

1976

Jan. 1 - 82 innocent travelers are killed aboard a Lebanese plane.

June 27 - Air France airliner hijacked, forced to fly to Uganda. Some 258 passengers and crew are held hostage. 3 passengers killed. July 4th, Israeli commandos rescue the remaining hostages.

Aug. 11 - Terrorists attack Istanbul airport, Turkey, killing 4 civilians (1 from U.S.) and injuring 20.

Dec. 4 - Terrorists occupied the Indonesian Embassy in The Hague, Netherlands, 1 official killed.

Dec. 14 - Passenger train hijacked and passengers were kept hostage, 3 were killed.

1977

Jan. 1 - F.E. Melov U.S. ambassador to Lebanon, and Robert O.Waring, the U.S. economic counselor, kidnapped and later killed in Beirut.

Oct. 13 - Palestinian terrorists hijack a Lufthansa Flight 181 Boeing 737 and order it to fly around a number of Middle East destinations for four days, pilot is killed by the terrorists, 90 hostages rescued.

1978

March 11 - Gail Rubin, niece of U.S. Senator Ribicoff, among 38 people shot to death by terrorists on a beach near Tel Aviv.

June 2 - A bomb kills 2 people at the CHOGM meeting in Sydney Australia.

1979

July 29 - Terrorist bombs two railway stations in Madrid, kills 7.

Nov. 4 - Terrorists seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took 66 American diplomats hostage. 13 freed, but the remaining 53 were held until their release on January 20, 1981 - 444 days - at the inauguration of President Ronald Reagan.

1980

April 30 - Terrorists took over the Iranian Embassy in London, holding 26 hostages, 2 of whom died on May 5th after being tortured. Much of the embassy was destroyed by fire.

1981
April 19 - 13 people killed, 177 injured in a terrorist attack in Davao Philippines.

May 13 - Pope John Paul II seriously wounded in assassination attempt in Rome, Italy, by terrorist Mehmet Ali Agca.

Oct. 6 - Egyptian President Anwar Sadat machine gunned dead by Islamic Jihad in Cairo for working for peace. 7 others killed, 28 wounded. The assassins are later executed.

1982

Beginning of the 8 years of terrorism in Lebanon.

July 19 - David Dodge, President of the American University in Beirut kidnapped, spends one year in captivity.

Aug. 19 - Two American citizens, Anne Van Zanten and Grace Cutler, were killed along with 6 others when the PLO bombed a Kosher restaurant in Paris, France.

Sept. 14 - Lebanon’s President Gemayel and 26 others assassinated by a massive car bomb in Beirut.

1983

Mar. 16 - 5 Marines wounded in hand grenade attack on Beirut International Airport.

April 18 - CIA’s Middle East Director, and 83 others are killed, 120 injured in truck bomb on the US Embassy in Lebanon.

Sept. 29 - Gulf Air Flight 771 is bombed, explodes killing all 166 aboard.

Oct. 23 - Simultaneous suicide truck bombs in Lebanon: 1st crashed into lobby of US Marine Corps Headquarters, 241 Marines dead, 82 seriously injured - and 2nd was French compounds killing 58 paratroopers.

Dec. 12 - US Embassy in Kuwait targeted to destroy the building with a truck bomb, attack foiled by guards and the device killed 5 people and injured 80.

1984

Jan. 18 - Malcolm Kerr, President of the American University of Beirut, was killed by two Hizballah gunmen.

Mar. 8 - Rev. Weir and wife kidnapped in Lebanon and held for 16 months.

Mar. 9 - Car bomb kills 80 (22 Americans) and wounds more than 200 civilians when it drove past the checkpoint at the U.S. Embassy in Awkar.

Mar. 16 - Hizballah kidnapped, tortured and killed William Buckley, an officer at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut.

Apr. 12 - Hizballah bombed restaurant adjacent to US Air Force base in Torregon Spain, 18 servicemen killed and 83 Americans wounded.

Sept. 20- US embassy in the Beirut is bombed - 2 servicemen and 23 employees are killed, 21 Americans injured including the U.S. and British Ambassadors. 50+ Lebanese were injured.

Dec. 4 - Terrorists hijacked Kuwait Airlines Flight 221 and demanded the release from Kuwaiti jails of some members, serving sentences for attacks on French and American targets. 2 Americans murdered.

1985

March 16 - US journalist Terry Anderson kidnapped in Lebanon, finally released in Dec. 1991 - 6 years later.

April 5 - Bomb explodes outside Hezbollah headquarters in Beirut killing 80 people.

April 12 - Bombing of U.S. soldier’s favorite restaurant in Madrid, killing 18 and injuring 82.

June 14 - TWA Boeing 727 Flight 847 hijacked en route to Rome, 8 crew and 145 passengers were held for 17 days, U.S. Navy diver was murdered. After being flown twice to Algiers, the hostages were released after the US pressured to release 435 Lebanese and Palestinian prisoners.

Sept. 30 - Four Soviet diplomats kidnapped in Lebanon, 1 killed but other three released unharmed after a relative of the terrorist leader’s was kidnapped and killed by the Soviet KGB.

Oct. 7 - Terrorists seize the Italian cruise liner, Achille Lauro, during a cruise in the Mediterranean, taking more than 700 people hostage for 3 days. Disabled U.S. citizen, Leon Klinghoffer, was murdered in front of other hostages by throwing him in the ocean, before the Egyptian Government offered the terrorists safe haven in return for the hostages’ freedom.

Nov. 23 - 98 passengers and crew of an Egyptair Flight 648 are held hostage by Palestinian terrorists in Malta. 5 passengers shot, 2 died, later 57 additional passengers killed when the terrorists set off explosives in the aircraft.

Dec. 27 - Suicide grenade and gun attacks in passenger terminals at Rome and Vienna, Italy airports results in 16 people being killed plus 5 Americans and more than 100 civilians injured.

1986

March 30-April 2nd - A bomb exploded on a TWA flight 840 from Rome as it approached Athens airport. The attack killed 4 U.S. citizens who were sucked through a hole made by the blast, 1 infant, and 9 injured, although the plane safely landed.

April 6 - An explosion at the “La Belle” nightclub in Berlin, U.S. soldiers’ hang-out, was bombed, killing 3 and injuring 230 people, including 79 U.S. soldiers.

Sept. 5 - Pan Am Boeing 747 Flight 73 en route to Frankfurt and on to New York hijacked by Palestinian terrorists, with 379 passengers, including 89 Americans, 22 hostages killed, 127 wounded.

Sept. 9 - Hezballah kidnapped Frank Reed, President of American University in Beirut, and held for 44 months, and Joseph Cicippio, and Edward Tracy who were each held for 5 years.

Sept. 17 - A 10-month series of terrorist bomb attacks in France begins. One bomb in Paris kills 5 and injures 52.

1987

A car bomb exploded outside the back gate of the U.S. Embassy in Rome and rockets were fired at the compound from across the street. One passerby was injured in the attacks.

1988

Feb. 5 - US Marine Corps Lt. Colonel Higgens, Chief of the U.N. Truce Force kidnapped and murdered by Hezbollah.

March 16 - 4000+ Kurdish civilian bodies found after Saddam Hussein ordered nerve gas attack (weapon of mass destruction) in northern Iraq, after they revolted against his rule from Baghdad. 1.5 million relocated, 200,000 disappeared.

April 5 - 122 held hostage after a Kuwaiti Boeing 747 was hijacked and diverted to Iran, then Cyprus. Kuwait refused requests by hijackers to release 17 convicted terrorists. After 15 days the hijackers were granted asylum in Algeria and released their hostages.

June 26 - US Naval Attache killed in Athens, Greece.

Dec. 21 - Pan Am Flight 103 - Boeing 747 from London to New York, blown up over Lockerbie, Scotland, by a bomb. All 259 passengers and 11 on the ground were killed, including 35 Syracuse University students and many U.S. military personnel.

1989

June 12 - A bomb exploded aboard an unoccupied boat used by U.S. consular staff.

Sept. 19 - 171 passengers killed when French UTA flight 772 explodes in mid-air over Niger.

October 11 - Izmir, Turkey. A bomb went off outside a U.S. military PX.

1990

Feb. - Attack of tour bus in Egypt killing 11.

1991
Feb. 7 - Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, U.S. civilian contractor shot as he was getting into his car.

Oct. 28 - Ankara, Turkey. Victor Marwick, an American soldier serving at the Turkish-American base, Tuslog, was killed and his wife wounded in a car bomb attack.

Oct. 28 - Two car bombings killed a U.S. Air Force Sergeant and severely wounded an Egyptian diplomat in Istanbul.

Nov. 8 - Bomb destroyed part of the American University in Beirut, killing 1 and wounding 12.

1992

March 17 - Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, destroyed by bomb killing 29, injuring 60.

Hotel in Yemen bombed and U.S. servicemen killed, Operation Restore Hope.

1993

Jan. 25, Virginia, U.S.A. A Pakistani terrorist opened fire with AK-47 on CIA employees standing outside the building. Two agents, Frank Darling and Bennett Lansing, were killed and 3 others wounded.

Feb. 26 - World Trade Center in New York badly damaged by a massive bomb by Islamic terrorists. The van bomb was planted in an underground garage and left 6 people dead and 1042 injured and almost � billion dollars in damage.

Feb. 26 - A bomb exploded inside a cafe in downtown Cairo killing 3, 18 wounded, 2 U.S. citizens.

July 5 - In 8 separate incidents, 19 Western tourists traveling in southeastern Turkey were kidnapped, including U.S. citizen Starger, after weeks in captivity, they were released.

Oct - Killing of U. S. soldiers in Somalia.

1994

July 18 - 86 civilians killed and 300 wounded in bomb attack on Jewish social centre in Buneos Aires, Argentina.

July 26 - Israeli Embassy in London is car-bombed, wounding 20.

Air France Flight 8969 is hijacked to crash the plane in Paris but didn’t succeed.
A small bomb explodes on board Philippine Airlines flight 434, killing a Japanese businessman.

1995

Jan. 22 - Islamic Jihad militants blow themselves up amid a group of soldiers near Netanya, killing 21. Operation Bojinka is discovered on a laptop in a Manila, Philippines apartment, in which Osama bin Laden was planning to blow up 12 planes as they flew to the U.S., plus kill the Pope.

March 8 - Attack on US Diplomats in Pakistan.

April 9 - Islamic Jihad suicide bomber attacks military convoy in Gaza, killing 7 soldiers and an American tourist.

May 5 - Five foreign oil workers murdered by Islamic GIA terrorists in Algeria.

June 26 - Assassination attempt made against Egyptian President Honsi Mubarak by Islamic radicals who ambushed his motorcade.

July 4 - Six tourists, including two U.S. citizens taken hostage in Kashmir, India. Terrorists demanded the release of Muslim militants held in Indian prisons. On Aug. 13 the decapitated body of the Norwegian hostage was found with a note stating that the other hostages also would be killed if the group’s demands were not met. They were not and all other hostages were killed in 1996 by the terrorists.

July 25 - Islamic terrorists explode bomb in metro station in Paris, France, killing 7 people and injuring 84.

Nov. 13 - Car bomb exploded at US Army Office of the Program Manager for Saudi Arabian National Guard Modernization, in Saudi Arabia, killing seven, five of them U.S. citizens, and wounding nearly a hundred.

Nov. 19 - Islamic radicals plant bomb in Egyptian embassy in Pakistan killing 17.

Dec. 11 - 15 concurrent car bombings in Algiers kill 15 civilians and over 200 injured.

1996

Feb. 11 - Terrorists explode car bomb in Algiers killing 17. The following month, 2 more killed in another bomb and 10 are killed in a train ambush in western Algeria.

Feb. 25 - A suicide bomber blew up a commuter bus in Jerusalem, killing 26, including 3 U.S. citizens, and injuring 80 others, among them another two U.S. citizens.

April 19 - Eighteen Greek tourists were gunned down near the historic Pyramids in Egypt by Islamic terrorists aiming to destroy the country’s tourist industry.

May - Osama bin Laden unites the Islamic Fundamentalists worldwide in their Jihad against Jews and Western Gentiles, such as al-Qaeda, Palestinian Authority, Hezbollah, Hamas, Mujahideen, using the Taliban’s organization to help fund the operations.

June 25 - Terrorists explode a truck bomb next to a USAF Khobar Towers housing facility at Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, killing 19 American servicemen and 515 injured including 240 U.S. personnel.

Islamic terrorists attack tourists in Luxor, Egypt, killing 71 people, most of them vacationers.

Aug. 26 - Sudan Airways A310 Airbus airliner hijacked en route to Jordan and diverted to England. British authorities negotiate with hijackers who release all the 13 crew and 180 passengers unharmed.

Dec. 3 - A bomb exploded aboard a Paris subway train, killing four and injuring 86 persons, including a U.S. citizen.

A terrorist opened fire on tourists at an observation deck atop the Empire State Building in New York City, killing a Danish national and wounding visitors from the US, Argentina, Switzerland and France before turning the gun on himself.

Dec. 23 - A car bomb in the Algerian capital, Algiers, kills three and injures 70 people in cafe near the port. Again a week later, a car bomb kills 28 people and injures 35 people. 3rd car bomb in the past two weeks, killing additional 13 people and injuring more than 250.

1997

Jan. 2 - Major cities worldwide and U.S. get letter bombs with Egyptian postmarks at newspaper bureaus in DC, New York, London, Riyadh, S.A., and Leavenworth, KN. Experts defused all but the 1 in London, injuring 2.

Jan. 7 to 21st - Islamic terrorist rampage during these 14 days with car bombs and beheadings in Algiers, total of 238 dead, 139 wounded.

Feb. 23 - Palestinian gunman opened fire on tourists at an observation deck atop the Empire State building in New York, killing 1 and wounding over a dozen visitors before turning the gun on himself.

March 7 - Two killed in bus bomb attack in Beijing, China.

April - Terrorists behead innocent civilians this whole month with a total of 272 murdered and over 100 injured. Knives, axes and chainsaws were used and many of the bodies were burned while still alive.

Sept. 18- 9 German tourists killed when Muslims fire bombed bus in Cairo, Egypt.

Nov. 12 - 2 Terrorists shot to death 4 U.S. auditors of a Texas petroleum company and their driver at a Sheraton Hotel in Karachi, Pakistan.

Nov. 17 - 58 western tourists killed and 30 injured in gun attack at historic monuments in southern Egypt. 6 of the Islamic terrorists are killed in shoot out with police.

1998

Jan. 15 - U.S. Embassy bombing in Peru.

Feb. 23 (Published) - A Statement signed by many Islamic Jihad Leaders from most Muslim countries, first by Sheikh Osamah Bin-Ladin: “…In compliance with God’s order, we issue the following fatwa to all Muslims:
The ruling to kill the Americans and their allies–civilians and military–is an individual duty for every Muslim who can, in any country in which it is possible… We — with Allah’s help — call on every Muslim who believes in God and wishes to be rewarded, to comply with Allah’s order to kill the Americans and plunder their money wherever and whenever they find it. Unless you go forth, Allah will punish you with a grievous penalty, and put others in your place.”

Aug. 7 - Simultaneous bombs in US Embassies in Kenya, and Tanzania, heavily damaged by massive attacks. In the Nairobi attack 292 people were killed, including 12 Americans, and 5,000 injured. 10 people were killed and 86 injured in Tanzania incident for a total of 302 dead, 5086 injured within an hour.

Aug. 25 - 3 people killed and 25 injured in bomb attack on Planet Hollywood restaurant in Cape Town, South Africa.

Dec. 28 - 16 Western tourists kidnapped, 12 Britons, 2 U.S. citizens, and 2 Australians on the main road to Aden, Yemen. Four victims were killed during a rescue attempt the next day.

1999

Aug. 31 to Sept. 22nd - Russian apartment bombings kill almost 300 and injured 100.

Oct. 31 - EgyptAir Flight 990 crashed off the U.S. coast of Massachusetts, killing all 217 people on board, including 100 Americans.

Nov. 12 - Six rockets were fired at the U.S. and U.N. offices in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Dec. - Millennium terror plots foiled as customs agents arrest a man smuggling in explosives. Plan to attack Los Angeles airport and other sites intercepted by CIA. Also Jordanian authorities foil a plot to bomb US tourists in Jordan, pick up 28 suspects.

Indian Airlines Flight 814, en route to Delhi, India is hijacked, 1 passenger is killed. After negotiations with the Taliban, the hostages are released.

2000

The last of the 2000 millennium attack plots fails, as the boat meant to bomb USS The Sullivans sinks.

Oct. 12 - A suicide boat exploded next to the U.S.S. Cole (guided-missile destroyer), blowing a hole 40 feet in diameter, killing 17 American sailors and injuring 39.

2001

Feb. 5 - A bomb blast in Moscow’s Byelorusskaya subway station injures 15 people.

March 28 - Bombing at bus stop in Yemen. U.S. citizens injured including a 15 year old boy from NY.

Aug. 9 - Bombing at Sbarro’s pizzeria, killed 15 and wounded over 90, 2 of which were U.S. citizens.

Sept. 11 - 4 U.S. jetliners hijacked and forced to crash into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon like missiles, and 1 crashed in Pennsylvania on the way to the Capital Building in D.C. In all, 266 people perished in the four planes, 2602 people were killed on the ground, plus 343 firefighters, and 184 people at the Pentagon. Almost 5000 injured, 500 rescue workers now have respiratory ailments. 7 buildings collapsed in NY and 23 damaged, plus 4 subway stations.

Paris embassy terrorist attack plot foiled

Oct. 27 - Darya Khanah bombed

Dec. 13 - Terrorist attack on Indian Parliament.

Dec. 22 - Richard Reid, attempting to destroy American Airlines Flight 63 from Paris to Miami, is subdued by passengers and flight attendants before he could detonate his shoe bomb.

2002

Jan. 27 - A Palestinian woman triggered a massive explosion in Jerusalem killing 1 Israeli and injuring more than 150, including American Mark Sokolow, his wife, and both teenage daughters. Sokolow had survived the 9-11 attack on the World Trade Center, escaping from his law office on the 38th floor of the South Tower before it collapsed.

Feb. 16 - Bombing in Karnei Shomron, in a group of teenage girls from the U.S. 2 killed, 4 wounded.

Singapore embassies terrorist attack plot foiled

March 24 - 20 people die and 93 injured in 3 bomb attacks on Russian towns near the border of Chechnya.

April - Explosion at most historic synagogue in Tunisia left 21 dead, most are German tourists.

May 9 - A bomb exploded in Dagestan kills 42 people and injures 130 during Victory Day festivities.

French oil tanker Limburg bombing off Yemen

Kidnapping and murder of journalist Daniel Pearl

Oct. 12 - Bali car bombing of holidaymakers in a nightclub kills 202 Australian citizens.

Zamboanga bombings in the Philippines<

Oct. 19 - Car bomb explodes at McDonald’s restaurant in Moscow, killing 1 person and wounding 5.

Oct. 23 - Moscow theater hostage crisis begins; 120 hostages and 40 terrorists killed in rescue 3 days later.

Nov. - Kenyan hotel suicide bombing kills 16 safari tourists.
Marines attacked / murdered in Kuwait

2003

May 10- Suicide bombers killed 36 (10 U.S. citizens), at housing compounds for westerners in Riyadh, S.A. Many wounded.

May 12 - attack outside U.S. Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan, killing 12.

May 14 - 16 die in a suicide bombing at a religious festival in southeastern Chechnya.

May - 4 bombs killed 33 tourists (8 U.S. citizens) in Casablanca, Morocco.

July 5 - 15 people die and 40 are injured in bomb attacks at a rock festival in Moscow.

Aug. 1 - An explosion at the Russian hospital in North Ossetia kills 50 people and injures 76.

Aug. - Suicide car bomb killed 12 and injured over 150 at Marriott Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Sept. 3- A bomb on a passenger train in southern Russia kills 7 people and injures 90.

Oct. 15 - Bombing of US diplomatic convoy in the Gaza Strip: 3 U.S. citizens killed.

Nov. - Explosions rocked a Riyadh, S.A. housing compound, killing 17.

Nov. - Truck bombs detonated at London bank and British consulate in Istanbul kills 26, injures 22.

Dec. 5 - Suicide bombers kill 46 people in an attack on a train in southern Russia.

Dec. 9 - A blast in the center of Moscow kills 6 people and wounds at least 11.

Bombings of United States expatriate housing compounds in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia kill 26 and injure 160.

Attacks in Casablanca, Morocco leaves 41 dead. The attack involved 12 bombers and 5 targets. The targets were “Western and Jewish”.

Istanbul Bombings: Within five days, truck bombs go off at two synagogues, the British Consulate, and the HSBC Bank in Istanbul, Turkey

2004

109 Kurds are killed in 2 suicide bombings in Arbil, Iraq

Feb. 6 - Bomb on Moscow subway kills 41.

Feb. 27 - Superferry 14 is bombed in the Philippines by Abu Sayyaf, killing 116.

March 11 - 10 Simultaneous bombings of busiest rush hour commuter trains in Madrid, Spain kills 202 people and injures more than 1,400.

April 21 - Bombing of a security building in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia kills 5.

May 29 - Al-Khobar massacres–Islamic terrorists kill 22 people and one American at an oil compound in Saudi Arabia.

June 8 - Robert Jacobs, a US defense contractor employee is assassinated at his home in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia by Al-Qaeda terrorists.

June 11 - Terrorists kidnap and execute Paul Johnson, Jr. in Riyadh.

Aug. 24 - Russian airplane bombings kill 90.

Aug. 31 - A blast near a subway station entrance in northern Moscow, caused by a suicide bomber, kills 10 people and injures 33.

Sept. 1 - 3 - Beslan school hostage crisis in North Ossetia, Russia results in over 330 dead.

Sept. 9 - Australian embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia was bombed, killing 9 people.

Oct. 7 - 3 car bombs explode in the Sinai Peninsula hotel, killing 32 and wounding 114, most of them tourists.

You tell me....do we have the will to fight and win? If not what are our other options...learning Arabic and buying a prayer rug?

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

2010-12-06T10:41:00.004-05:00

Why do so many people celebrate the Christmas season by putting a decorated evergreen tree in their homes? There are several references on the internet that try to answer this question...I believe the best that I have found is here... But for you that don't follow links I will try to explain....

The evergreen tree was seen by the ancients in Scandinavian Europe as well as among those who followed the advise of the Druid priests as a symbol of life. I figure that when the hard winters of Europe hit those folks they wanted and needed reassurance that spring was coming. What better assurance than an evergreen bough that reminded them that all would be green again with new life in just a few new moons?

Some say the tradition was hi-jacked by Christian missionaries...maybe...but I prefer to believe that Christianity was hi-jacked by the pagans who took what they wanted from the teachings of Jesus and incorporated those teachings with their pagan beliefs...Christmas and the Christmas tree as well as Easter...by the way...why does the Easter Bunny deliver chicken eggs?

But whatever the reason I do hope each of you have a pretty tree in your home this year and that you all enjoy a most Merry Christmas season! I am having the best in many years...

Sunday Morning Coming Down

2010-12-05T07:52:00.005-05:00

I know I have not blogged in a while...but I got me an excuse..been busier than a cat covering up doo doo on a sidewalk! It is the Christmas season and in St John's Newfoundland we take the holiday season serious. The tree goes up by December one and will not come down until Old Christmas Day. Of course there are gifts to purchase and wrap ( we have started but have a lot to do yet )and the traditional Christmas turkey will be stuffed and baked for Christmas dinner. (And a ham on New Years Day) There are parades and festivals all over the Island and the mood for most is a mood of joy...mine included. This is the first time in years that I have actually celebrated Christmas. And I am having the time of my life.

Yesterday afternoon we dressed in warm clothes and took the fifteen minute hike to Bowring Park...along with maybe 5,000 other brave souls...and enjoyed the Bowring Park Music and Light Festival. There was an hour of Christmas music from local performers...great sounds!...free hot chocolate and cookies and then the ceremonial lighting of the lights in the park. I think every tree there had lights strung in them...breathtaking when the switch was turned on.

We missed the Santa Parade downtown St John's...the bus drivers are on strike and I just didn't want to pay a taxi...we watched in on TV instead. No doubt those of you who have followed this bit of shit and wit know exactly how I feel about the strike...if I was running the show I would be hiring new drivers. There is something morally wrong with a union that will wait until the Christmas season to strike knowing full well that it will hurt business as well as limit the enjoyment of at least a third of the population. And the hell of it is the strike is not about wages for the current employees...or even the future ones. The company wants future employees to share in the cost of medical insurance and the union refuses to have a two tier system...fuck 'em...I might have to buy a car after all and they will lose my business.

I just looked over what I banged out here...looks like enough for one morning. Life is good my friends...my angel kissed me awake this morning and told me she loved me. I made a pot of jumpstart that will float a silver spoon and choked down my meds...all but that damn darvocet I used to have to have to function in the mornings...go figure, huh? Must be the St John's air.

Just one last thing...you that know me know I am not nor do I make any claims to be a Christian. And those who know anything about history also know that the winter holidays were celebrated centuries before Christianity came along. But let me also say this..."When in Rome Do As The Romans"...we are on a continent where the majority of people follow the Christian faith and if they want to call it Christmas it works for me! It is a season to rejoice life no matter what the reason...So,

Good Morning Blog World

2010-11-24T08:16:00.003-05:00

Well, the snow didn't last long. Weather here in St John's reminds me of Oklahoma...it changes about every hour...damn near as fast as the local TV stations there change weather girls, heh. It is supposed to be drizzle and flurries and a little above freezing for the rest of the week...sure was looking forward to some snow to play in.

I think we will go out later today for a walk...if only to the local shopping center to just window shop. (We still have some Christmas shopping to do but will do most of it later.) I have gotten used to a long walk just about every day and when I don't get it I feel deprived...but walking in sub-freezing 40mph wind is just not my thing. Good thing the weather does change so often.

Life is good here my friends even though the weather does get brutal at times. My angel loves me and keeps me warm inside and I have coats for the cold weather. And the jumpstart and cackleberries taste the same everywhere...well, not everywhere...ya gotta try some of that brew they call coffee in Turkey! Y'all come, heah?

SNOW!!

2010-11-23T09:41:00.003-05:00

It is snowing in St John's Newfoundland this morning...and the first time I have watched snowflakes since 1967...I love it even though I know I will be scooping snow out of the driveway and off the sidewalk later today. The weather quacks said it would just be flurries...but then I have shoveled six inches of partly cloudy with flurries before...

Hello Blog World

2010-11-20T12:09:00.003-05:00

HEY! We went dancin' last night at Darlene's (my angel) favorite Juke joint...'Tol's Time Out Lounge' in Mount Pearl Newfoundland. Mt Pearl is just a 16 dollar taxi ride from us and well worth the trip.(Take a look at the link...Darlene took the pictures and helped build the web site a few years ago.)

The band was "Lone Rider" a local two man band with electronic back up that rocked the roof. They played everything from a Newfoundland jig to Abba with some CCR and old time C&W belly rubbing music in between. I danced them all except the Jigs...I just watched Darlene and a friend dance them and rested, heh! It was a good night...brought back memories though of those days when I used to drink heavy and keep a few clubs in business. What a change from those days...instead of a $200 bar bill I had all of four bottles of beer during the six hours we were there...and damn fewer trips to the men's room, heh. ( and I don't miss the hangovers)
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It is some cold in St John's this morning...-1C degrees and snow flurries. The light snow is sticking but there is not enough to take a picture of...at least yet. But maybe later..the weather quacks are calling for flurries the next three days...three days of flurries will build up, heh.

The holiday season has kicked off for real here. We did a bit of Christmas shopping for the wild child yesterday...and will do a lot more I reckon before Santa gets here. Been a lot of years since I had a kid to shop for...I had forgotten how much fun it was...
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Yes, life is good my friends when you make it good! I found something before it was too late...age is just a number. One can sit back in the rocking chair and wait to croak...or one can kick it out of the way while one is kicking up their heels. I strongly recommend kicking the damn chair out of the way. You are never too old for love...and life with love and passion is worth fighting to live for. Y'all come, heah?

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

2010-11-19T18:33:00.004-05:00

The Christmas season has started already in Newfoundland. The shopping centers are crowded...parking lots full...and yes, I have the Christmas spirit this Christmas for the first time in years. We put up a tree yesterday...been a long time for me since I helped hang lights on one. It is a small one...we don't have room for a big one...but it is ours and our first one of many to come.

Good Morning Blog World

2010-11-18T09:11:00.002-05:00

Yes, it is a "Gray Foggy Day" in St John's today...45F, some wind, and drizzle. One of those kind of days when it is best to stay in and snuggle with my angel and watch a good movie. Just hope it is better weather tomorrow...we have plans...

There is a great band playing at a nearby club tomorrow night...I think I will spring for the five buck a head cover charge and take her dancing. Been a long time since I have cut a rug...except here on the living room floor. Found out I still can, heh. The band is a Newfie band that plays the Newfoundland sounds as well as C&W...looking forward to a night out with my angel.

Life is good my friends. My angel kissed me good morning and told me she loved me. I don't want to spend another moment of my life without her with me...by my side and holding my hand. Y'all come, heah?

Back Home Again

2010-11-13T17:55:00.002-05:00

I am back in St John's Newfoundland after spending nine days in Florida taking care of some business. DAMN it is good to be home. I will try to get the self discipline to start blogging again next week...but I got some homework to take care of first....y'all come, heah?

Hello Blog World

2010-10-28T12:21:00.004-04:00

Fall is in the air! Although we have only had one light..and I mean a barely...frost the deciduous trees are shedding leaves... beautiful gold colored leaves on grass that is still as green as last summer. We took a long walk late yesterday afternoon...it was cold...4c degrees and the air was crisp and clean. The walk was as an enjoyable one as any we have taken so far. We take our time...just strolling holding hands and talking...sometimes taking turns snapping pictures with the trusty Kodak. I am looking forward to walks in the snow, heh.
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Our wild child...pretty as a picture and laughter that makes you have to laugh with her when she is happy. She is probably the typical 17 year old girl...still has to be reminded to make up her bed although she does keep her room neat other than that...heh.

The two of us had a stormy time at first...she didn't want me here and told her mother that and let me know it also. Then a couple of days ago out of the clear blue Newfoundland sky...yeah we get it sometimes...I get a message on facebook that she had listed me as her father. I bubbled with pride (and accepted on facebook) and called her to me and kissed her cheek and told her thank you. Now I know she may change her mind...I hope not...but for we are getting along and the storms of the past may be gone...again I hope so. She is a great kid with the problems suffered by most teenagers. Just hope I can be the Dad she needs.
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Life is good my friends when there is love with passion in it. Nothing like waking to a kiss and an "I love you" then sharing a smoke and e mail. The jumpstart is hot and strong and Newfie chicken lay good cackleberries...even if the food markets are damn proud of them, heh. Y'all come, heah?

Good Morning Blog World

2010-10-26T08:40:00.003-04:00

I was browsing through some pictures I took here back in the summer. This shot is indicative of St John's Newfoundland..up and down hills, heh. We walked this one back in August on the way to a park...long and enjoyable walk.

I took a look at my blog stats this morning for the first time in a while...kinda amazed that there are still an average of 113 hits a day on this bit of shit and wit...down from a high near 500 a couple of years ago but losing readers was expected for several reasons. One of course is the emergence of "Facebook" as the number one social network. Another is the fact that bloggers in the past did a 'recip'...you read my crap and I will read yours and of course the links to the other sites...and I have quit reading hundreds of blogs everyday and no doubt most other bloggers have done the same...not enough hours in the day for everything, huh? And of course the fact that my marital status and physical location has changed has upset some that I know of...sorry folks but as the bumper sticker reads..."Shit Happens'...and I have found that being happy myself is more important than blogging or worrying about what others think.

But in any event this humble piece of crap now has had as of date 499,298 visits. Some actually came by to read what I wrote but then I have to tell you that that there were a lot of "Googlers" looking for information about '14 year old Indian virgin girls' as well as some who wanted a recipe for cooking Amberjack. And I will guarantee you that some code words like 'Filipino Business Girls' or even 'best blow'
will get you some visits on your sites...if you are still blogging that is...

If you are reading this you know I have slowed down writing here. I still am as full of it as always but just don't feel the need to vent that I used to feel. I have not give up on American politics...just figure that there are too many that do the venting better than I do and mostly all I was doing was 'preaching to the choir' and got the idea I was wasting my time and yours.

Now I have some other compelling interests...my angel whom I dearly love and our small but all so comfortable home here in St John's. I also am learning the history of the island of Newfoundland and someday I plan to write it...not as a history book or essay with the 'ibids' but as informative and hopefully interesting bits about Newfoundland and the 'Newfie' people as well as the various cultures... the 'townies' and the 'bay people' that make this such a fun place to live.

Life is good my friends and I sincerely hope each of you have or finds the love that my angel and I bask in every moment every day. Y'all come, heah?

Sunday Morning Coming Down In St John's

2010-10-24T11:00:00.002-04:00

Here it is another Sunday morning in St John's Newfoundland. We slept in as usual...damn it is good to be retired and getting that rocking chair money, huh? And, listen up all you that are still working...work hard, huh? And get that overtime when ya can...the uncle needs your money so he can transfer it over to us old retired people enjoying the good life. Your turn will come someday....well, maybe. (Hope you recognize some dark humor when you see it....)

Winter has not set in here yet. More like a southern Oklahoma November thus far...40 to 50 during the day, windy, and some rain. At night it is a few degrees above freezing and so far only one light frost. Every day I expect to see a forecast for snow...want to see my name in yellow, Heh.

The apartment is starting to look good...of course I think my angel would make us comfortable in a pup tent. The landlord put in a new front door yesterday and his hired hand is in the process of "fixin" everything that needs fixin before winter sets in. Next month when I get back from Florida I am planning to get us a clothes dryer hopefully some other things we want and some we actually need. Could be some Santa Claus stuff...hmmm, a ribbon on a sofa bed? And later maybe a ribbon on the bumper of a mini van or some rice burner.

Can't say we REALLY need a vehicle though, at least in the near future. We are within walking distance...couple of blocks...from the local grocery store and shopping mall. A small convenience store (local ripoff artists) is about 150 yards up the hill and when the wind is blowing in the right direction it don't take long to get up that hill, heh. But I do want to get something we can travel in...and a mini van will do the trick. There is just so much on the island I want to see, put in pictures, and write about and we need the vehicle to do that. And with gasoline @ over $4.00 a gallon I don't want a hemi...huh? And, we might just drive out to the states next spring...my angel is not excited about flying...

Life is good here my friends. There is not a lot of difference between the good people of Newfoundland and the people of Southern Oklahoma where I spent my early years. They are independent and friendly and for the most part believe in "whatever floats your boat provided they don't have to provide the motor"...and you that have followed this bit of shit and wit know I feel the same way.

Yes life is good...and my angel and I are enjoying it to the fullest. Love is grand and love with passion is grander... Now I need one more mug of jumpstart and then take a look at this crap I wrote and see how many typos I made...y'all come, heah?

Hello Blog World

2010-10-23T19:27:00.002-04:00

It is nearly 2100 hours Newfie time and we are kicking back...playing on laptops and listening to C&W music on the radio. Newfoundland is big on C&W and the Newfie folk music...I like both.

It has been a lazy and enjoyable week. Last night we went to see a flick...second time I have been in a movie theater in over 20 years. (We get "air miles" at the local grocery store and save them to trade for the movie tickets...otherwise probably would not go even now....) The movie was Secretariat...one of the best movies I have enjoyed in a while and the best racehorse story on film since Sea Biscuit...

Don't know what we will do tomorrow...probably just another lazy day...maybe a Jiggs Dinner an watch a flick on TV. Life is good my friends. My angel even after six months kisses me good morning every morning and tells me she loves me and I love and adore her with a passion. Y'all come, heah?

Sunday Morning Coming Down In St John's

2010-10-17T10:44:00.003-04:00

We were up late last night playing "POGO" poker on the web with friends and listening to "Cabin Party" on the radio. (Cabin Party is four hours of C&W Classics from the last century. It airs from 7:30 PM to 11:30 PM Eastern time on VOCM...the best radio station I have ever listened to. Check it out next Saturday night if you are just playing on the computer...bet ya like it.) We had planned to sleep in this morning but nature called me about eight and just stayed up...my angel got up too...says she don't like to lay in that bed alone...Heh.

It is a slow morning. We did our facebook farming and I drank my usual pot of jumpstart. She put a load of clothes in the washer and maybe they will get dry this afternoon...supposed to be in the fifties and sunny... sorta kinda...cloudy at times and forty percent chance of rain. But beats the foul weather for fowls we have had the past couple of days.

I am looking forward to a Newfie Sunday dinner...the traditional Jigg's Dinner.mmmmm. I do love them boiled veggies with salt meat.

Gonna just kick back the rest of the day...life is good my friends when you live it to the fullest with someone you love and who loves you with passion. Y'all come, heah?

Good Morning Blog World

2010-10-16T10:13:00.002-04:00

The weather can change in a hurry here in the north land island of Newfoundland. Yesterday morning was one of those Chamber of Commerce days...warm, sunny, and just a slight breeze. But by mid afternoon it was windy and then just plum cold last night. And today it is foul weather only fit for fowl...ducks...chickens would find their eggs frozen. But it will change, Heh.

Just had some brunch...some split pea soup I made in a crock pot yesterday...mmmmm good and just hit the spot on a cold windy morning. Still have it in the crock pot and might just graze on it all day.

Not much this morning...too lazy to read the news...besides it is depressing what is happening to the USA...dollar is about to head south again and it is gonna hurt in more ways than one. Exchanging USA for Canadian dollars at the ATM costs enough as it is but makes it about one for one. Now that the USA buck is headed south it will cost me more to get Canadian dollars...DAMN

But I don't worry too much about that. Life is good my friends and as long as I have my angel, a roof over our heads and beans for the table I will be happy...I can even get by without jumpstart...well, I might be grouchy for a day or two but I can do it..HAH. Y'all come, heah?

Good Morning Blog World

2010-10-14T11:36:00.002-04:00

Time has flown by...I have been in St john's Newfoundland now for nearly six months...my tourist visa expires soon and I will be flying back to the USA November third for a few days and then return here on Nov 12...in time for a north land winter for the first time in many years. But if the winter here this year is similar to last year it will not be so bad...hell it was colder in Citrus county Florida some days than it was in St John's...just didn't have the 20K wind.

We have had a busy week. Canadian Thanksgiving day was last Monday and we had a baked chicken and all the trimmings plus a salt meat veggie dish that included turnips, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and cabbage all boiled up together...mmmmmm GOOD! Then yesterday was my angel's birthday...we had a great day even though the weather was nasty.

Yeah, nasty is about the best way to describe a day of 45F temperature and rain and wind. Not so much cold as wet and miserable to get out in. But we did...today is the same kind of weather and we are just gonna kick back at home.

I am anxious for next spring and summer to get here. We have plans to buy a vehicle and travel the island...maybe even drive out to the USA long enough to reestablish my tourist visa for Canada. (If we don't do that we plan to fly to Georgia and spend some time at Catfish Manor with the catfish and his missus.)

Newfoundland is a beautiful island...several national parks and over a hundred secluded villages along the seashores...it has fjords and bays and deep canyons as well as forested hills and desolate windswept coast line. There are picturesque centuries old buildings and beautiful farms. And a half day trip on a tourist boat will give one a chance to get close to whales and icebergs...an amateur photographer's dream. I want to see it all, take pictures, and write about it.

Life is good my friends...my angel kisses me and tells me she loves me first thing every morning and shows me that love all and each and every day. I still have my ration of jumpstart every morning..and some mornings and extra ration...hot and strong enough to float the spoon. I like that hot tea but nothing will replace the coffee..heh. Y'all come, heah?

Good Morning Blog World

2010-10-08T08:30:00.003-04:00

It is one of those strange Newfoundland weather days...the clouds are moving across the sky faster than a NASCAR driver can steer left. When there is a break in the clouds the sun is blinding bright...but the breaks don't last long. It is not cold..13C degrees and not much wind on the surface...had it all last night, heh...100K wind...

My angel and our wild child are still ailing...damn flu bugs are hard to kill..I hope the anti-biotics stomps on 'em today.

Monday is Canadian Thanksgiving Day.. We are baking a chicken and dressing and fixin' all the trimmings. I reckon we will celebrate American Thanksgiving in November too..we have a lot to be thankful for...

Life is great my friends...and my angel and I are living it to the fullest...life with love and passion. Y'all come, heah?

Hello Blog World

2010-10-06T13:29:00.003-04:00

We slept in until 9am this morning...it was a chilly 6C degrees last night and good sleeping weather. Wild child was out late and we walked to the metro bus stop to meet her...just kinda hate to see her walk the few blocks home all alone at midnight...crime is not bad here like it is in the bigger cities in the states but there are still enough 'bad guys' that make us worry...

Looking out the kitchen window and seeing the sun shine one would think it was warm but then I look at the St John's weather...10C...winter will be here soon. I am actually looking forward to it and seeing snow.

I am down with a slight head cold. My angel and wild child both have a case of the flu...coughing bad. They saw a doctor Monday who gave them some anti-biotics for the chest infection...bronchitis. Hopefully it will clear it up...I hate to go off to Fl with both of them sick.

The army had the roads damaged by hurricane Igor back to passable...barely in some places. But at least supplies can be trucked in now. It will be next spring before work will start on permanent replacement. Some of the seafood processing plants that were damaged may never reopen....put a lot of people in a financial bind. But Newfoundlanders take care of their own...money is coming in from Newfoundland ex-patriots from all over the world and local fund raisers have raised at least a million dollars to aid those who lost everything.

Life is good my friends...my angel loves me and assures me that she will keep me warm this winter, heh. A head cold has never kept me down long...a couple of extra mugs of jumpstart and a kiss from my angel and I am up and running. Y'all come, heah?

Sunday Morning Coming Down..Just Rambling

2010-10-03T08:34:00.005-04:00

The sun is a ball of fire and the reflection off the white house next door through my kitchen window is nearly blinding. A slight breeze is pushing the crisp 12C air through my open window... smells as fresh as a spray from an aerosol can. Fall is in the air...and this is a beautiful fall day. Makes a man want to go fishing!

The picture shows the kind of cod fish caught off the shores of Newfoundland...these are being salted at a village near my angel's hometown. These were fish in at least the 30# class if not bigger...lotta eating there.

We are having salt cod for our Sunday Dinner. It has to be soaked overnight in fresh cold water before it is boiled with onions and potatoes...delicious! And if there are any leftover fish I make fish cakes...good stuff.

The store here are geared up for Halloween...here on the island every such Holiday is celebrated...homes decorated and children of all ages going 'Trick or Treat'...seems they don't have the meanness here that is so prevalent in the states where parents are afraid to let there kids out on Halloween lest they get a poisoned apple or such. We are going to decorate some and of course have a supply of treats. Canadian 'Thanksgiving Day' will be celebrated on Oct 11 this year and my angel's birthday is a couple of days later...looks like a busy month, heh.

We might get down to the park later this afternoon...I want to get some pics of the fall flowers as well as see what damage was done to the park by Hurricane Igor. I saw on the local news that the river running through the park was at least 30 feet over its banks....tremendous unbelievable damage.

Life is good my friends. My angel and I are in love and celebrate life every day. The pot of jumpstart is gone...y'all come, heah?

Hello Blog World

2010-10-02T12:10:00.002-04:00

The local weather quacks were wrong...again...it is a BEAUTIFUL fall day in St John's Newfoundland. Maybe 20C degrees and a light wind and the sun is shining. WOW! And the weather quacks said rain. But the saying here in Newfieland is "if you don't like the weather when you come in my front door just on on out the back...it will probably be different then..."

I bought round trip tickets back to Fl yesterday to take care of some business...will fly out on Nov 3 but will return on Nov 12 for another six months for 24 hours unless I can get the Canadians to give me a permanent resident status card by then. If not will have to leave the country for 24 hours and return. But next time my angel is going with me...

The province is still trying to recover from hurricane Igor. News this morning reported that all communities now have access roads although many are poor and for emergency or supply vehicles only. The army is still here working on the roads but it will be months if not years before the island recovers and even then it will never be the same. Things always change but normally not this damn fast.

Added insult to injury not only were so many homes totaled there are hundreds of jobs lost. In Port Union a sea food processing plant was damaged so bad it will be next year..if then...that it will reopen. 215 or so jobs gone until then and the community's livelihood depends on the payroll from the plant. Of course the Canadian government will lend aid to the unemployed but such is never enough to pay the bills.

My angel is in the process of putting together albums of pictures (taken during and after the storm by Trouty residents) of the damage in her hometown of Trouty. When she finishes we will sort them and publish them on facebook with comments. But those we have talked to in Trouty who have taken/seen the pictures allow that they do not do justice...the damage is unbelievable.

Now that the road is open we are going to try to get to Trouty for a weekend visit with her folks...maybe in November after I get back. I am looking forward to it.

Life is so good my friends. My angel always kisses me good morning and tells me she loves me and I worship her and let her know it all that I can. The morning jumpstart was good as ever...and a scrambled cackeberry and fried Newfie Steak ( baloney )with a piece of toast kept my blood sugar right...y'all come, heah?

Good Morning Blog World and Just for Glee

2010-09-28T10:54:00.003-04:00

Got this from my friend Pat this morning...BAWAHAHAHAHAHA

I stopped by the Toyota Dealership yesterday for a look at the new Tacoma . Just for fun, I took it out for a test drive.I wanted to sense that new "feel" before they become extinct... The salesman (wearing an Obama "change" lapel pin) sat in the passenger seat describing the truck and all its "wonderful" options. The seats were of particular interest. He explained that the seats directed warm air to your butt in the winter and directed cool air to your butt in the summer heat. Feeling like messing with his mind, I mentioned that this must be a Republican truck. Looking a bit angry, he asked why I thought it was a Republican truck. I explained that if it were a Democrat truck, the seats would blow smoke up your ass year-round. I had to walk back to the dealership........asshole had no sense of humor.
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It is a beautiful morning here in St John's... 13C degrees (55F for you that have not been initiated into the metric and Celsius system) and the sun is shining bright. The weather quacks predict drizzle later today but right now it is the kind of weather the local Chamber of Commerce likes to brag about.

The tough folks in Trouty Newfoundland have been battered but they are pulling together and will come back tougher and stronger than ever. My angel's parents tell us that they are ok though still somewhat isolated...the military has put in the temporary bridges that will allow them to get outside for food and medical needs but it will be next spring before work will start on permanent bridges. The hell of it when the winter ice breaks in the spring the temporary bridges will no doubt be history...damn. But such is life in the north land...ya gotta tough to live here...

My angel has been 'under the weather' for the past few days with a bad cough and head cold...just hope it does not turn into pneumonia. She is trying to get an appointment with her doctor sometime this week for some antibiotics to fight the cough. The coughing has made it hard for her to sleep the past couple of nights...been there myself. I think tonight I will prop her up with pillows as if she was sleeping in a recliner...

But she kissed me good morning and told me she loved me and she knows that I love her and will do my best to take care of her. Life is so good my friends when love like this is in it. Y'all come, heah?

Sunday Morning Coming Down

2010-09-26T07:55:00.003-04:00

I am sitting here with my second half liter mug of hot strong jumpstart and listening to a local talk show...the host is Randy Simms, the mayor of Mt. Pearl, Newfoundland, a city on the outskirts of St John's. The talk show runs ordinarily Monday thru Friday but is on this weekend for call-ins from the communities hit hard by hurricane Igor.

The Canadian military hit the shores running yesterday with portable bridges and some heavy equipment and are working with the island department of transportation to open the roads to the communities isolated by the storm. The Canadian navy has three ships with helicopters anchored just off shore and are busy transporting food, water, and medical supplies to those in dire need. Electrical linemen from the mainland came in the day after the storm and with their help power is being restored...my angel's folks now have power and water and a trail out has been built although it takes a 4X4 to drive it.

The islanders are amazing people...they remind me so much of the independent and self reliant I knew growing up in southern Oklahoma and north Texas. Even before the flood waters subsided the men were trying reach neighbors to help. Food and water and tobacco was shared even though they didn't know when they would get more. The stores that were not washed out opened their doors. One store without power used what looked like in the video a 500 watt generator to run a small pump. Men were lined up getting the gasoline in 'Jerry' cans for their home generators and four wheelers. They are survivors!

But then the coastal Newfoundlanders have always been survivors...had to be to last the summer storms and rough cold winters. I had to smile yesterday when my angel was talking to her Mother on the phone...I asked how they were doing and she said her Mother was laughing at the situation. Just like the Okies of the days of my youth...we figured it was better to laugh than cry and just make the best of any situation.

It is a 45C degree morning with some drizzle but at least the wind has laid back...but tomorrow is supposed to be clearing and gusty. Winter is just around the corner and we could get freezing weather and snow any day now.

I am gonna get me another mug of jumpstart and maybe a cackleberry and some side meat. Life is good my friends. My angel kissed me good morning and told me she loved me. We are planning another good day. Y'all come, heah?

Good Morning Blog World

2010-09-25T10:14:00.004-04:00

We had good news from Trouty Newfoundland this morning...they have power again and with power the water well pumps are working. The army will be in today with portable bridges and by tomorrow there will be a way to the outside and they will no longer be isolated.

But even so it will be a long time before things are back to normal in Trouty and so many other coastal Newfoundland communities that were devastated by hurricane Igor. Homes were totally destroyed and will have to be rebuilt and although there will be passable roads within a few days permanent roads will not even be started until next spring....winter is just days away.

My angel's sister's home was for all practical purposes totaled by the flood water...and not being in a flood zone they had NO flood insurance. The hell of it her sister's husband was laid off from his job just a couple of weeks ago and money was already tight. But they have the family support and will survive. And the federal and provincial governments have promised financial help for all that need it. Problem there is that governments being governments it will take some time before the promised aid gets to them.

Fall, if not winter, is in the air here this morning. It is 7C degrees...45F...and misting rain...the kind of morning that one wishes they had just 'slept in', heh. But we got what shopping we needed to do yesterday and will just cuddle in today.

Believe it or not I am looking forward to my first winter here...and my first real winter in many years. Life is good my friends. I had an extra big mug of jumpstart this morning...hey! It was cold here and I needed it! My angel and I are in love and I believe that love will conquer all. Y'all come, heah?

The Aftermath

2010-09-24T07:42:00.005-04:00

These are just a few of the pictures of the horrible damage done to Newfoundland by Hurricane Igor. Although St John's and the metro area will soon be back to normal communities such as Trouty (shown in the pictures below) may never recover. At least five major bridges plus portions of the road into Trouty are gone...and power cannot be restored until the power company can get men and equipment into the area. This will take weeks if nor months and winter is just around the corner.

Word from Trouty is that the community is pulling together to survive. The only business in Trouty other than a small 'Bed and Breakfast' place is a bakery. The bakery opened its doors and told the people to just come and get it. Others are sharing their food and water supplies.

My angel's father smokes...rolls his own much as my Dad did in the old days. He has run out of tobacco but neighbors have shared with him even though it means that they might run out themselves before supplies can get to them.

Although many there have generators for emergencies, gasoline is in short supply and there is no way of getting much in until the roads are repaired. One of the pictures below shows a fuel tank floating...one individual in Trouty has some heavy equipment and apparently had plans to buy fuel in bulk...

The Federal and Provincial governments are making a lot of noise about fixing roads and bridges and some progress has been made. But as I write this the military has not been called up to fly in supplies by helicopter...a local talk show asked the question of the day..."Should the military be called in?" Hmmmmm...yeah I reckon so.

I have always believed that there is a 'silver lining in every cloud'...but it is hard to see it in this cloud. Maybe it is just that communities hit hard (such as Trouty) come together as a community to help each other through the crises. I don't know...but humans have been fighting nature for survival for a million years or more and we are still here. The creator is kinda weird, huh? The only basic defense mechanism she gave us humans...or at least some of us...is the ability to think. Then she made a earth a violent place to reside making damn sure we had to use that sole defense mechanism.

Life is good in spite of stormy weather. Love will conquer all...not only the love between a man and a woman but the love of humanity itself. Yes, we fret and worry about our friends and family...my angel is in tears a lot right now because of being isolated from her family and unable to help. But they know she loves them and will do all she can. And she kissed me this morning and told me she loved me and she knows my world revolves around her.

The jumpstart was hot and strong and got me going as usual this morning. Now I need my cackleberry and toast...maybe more later if more pics come in. Y'all come, heah?

Igor Gone but Damage Remains

2010-09-23T07:57:00.003-04:00

There are still thousands on the island of Newfoundland isolated and without power and water...only way in or out is by helicopter. My angels relatives in the coastal community of Trouty among these. At least they still have phone service and we are able to communicate with them.

The wind did some damage but it was the deluge that devastated so much of the island. Fifteen inches in less than twelve hours in many places causes flash floods that the bridges and culverts were not built to handle...it was just one of those 100 year storms and we may not get another for another 100 years like it...DAMN I hope not.

I have pictures of the damage posted on my facebook page for you that are interested...I will leave the page open to the general public for the next couple of days.

It is a chilly and wet 14C (57F) morning and the wind is whistling at about 20mph...a good day to stay indoors. We are OK except that my angel and our wild child have bad colds. Life is good my friends. My angel woke me with a kiss and told me she loved me and the jumpstart is strong and hot. I reckon a storm is just the creator's way of reminding us that we are just mere mortals and she can fuck with us whenever she wants...or maybe it is her way of making us appreciate what we have. So many of us never appreciate what we have until we lose it. Y'all come, heah?

Igor Hit Hard

2010-09-22T18:01:00.002-04:00

As storms go it would not be considered severe by those who have hunkered down for hurricanes...but Igor did some damage for a cat one storm. The city of St John's was hit hard with sustained 50 to 70 mph wind and a deluge...bridges and road were destroyed in the city and power is still out for at least 25,000 people. (We got ours back this afternoon.)

But the most serious damage was to small communities along the southern and eastern coasts of the Island of Newfoundland. A report this morning stated that at least 27 communities are now isolated because of flash floods destroying the roads and/or bridges to them. Moreover, it will be difficult to get supplies to them by water because the storm also took out the piers and wharfs. There communities are now without power and water...

The provincial and federal governments have stated that they will do everything possible to render assistance as well as rebuild the ridges, roads, and waterfronts. But it will be some time before it is back to business as usual in Newfoundland.

Igor report

2010-09-21T12:49:00.001-04:00

It is 2:20 pm Newfoundland time...the wind has changed direction and is hitting us at about 50mph...lost a section of fence and a lot of debris in the air...no hard rain yet but supposed to get it.

Igor IS HERE!!!

2010-09-21T11:38:00.002-04:00

We still have power although the lights are flickering some...lot of flooding and some of the coastal villages have been hit hard. My angel's folks live in a small village on Trinity Bay...they have a basement full of water and the bridge and road in has washed out...isolated for all practical purposes...power out but they still have phone service...

The eye of the storm is still a bit off shore from us and the worst is yet to come. The prediction is for a nine meter storm surge on the coast around St John's...that will flood 'Water Street' but should not get many of the buildings except those right on the water.

We are still high and dry...luckily protected by that damn hill I walk up just about every day. But when the eye passes and the wind hits us from another direction it might get rough...but I do know how to hunker down.

My angel has been in tears...and mostly on the phone with her parents...all morning. Her sister's place is flooded out and a friends house there washed down the river. She just couldn't believe that a storm could do this kind of damage. One thing about it though...I have no doubt the Newfoundland government will step up the pump and help out those who suffered the damage.

More later if I still have power.

EGADS! IGOR!

2010-09-21T09:29:00.002-04:00

Igore hit Newfoundland with maximum winds of 80mph and enough rain to drown a frog! As storms go it is a weak one...but cat one storms just don't hit Newfie Land and we are not prepared for a foot of rain in a few hours as they are in Florida. The picture below come from one of my angel's friends who posted several on Face Book this morning...bridges are gone and homes flooded. But would you believe the postal service will be delivering the mail? Neither rain nor snow will stop the mail...just a biting dawg...

The worst is yet to come...the eye is still a bit south of us. It is raining hard right now and the wind is probably 45mph or so. We are somewhat protected from the wind by a steep hill and the water so far is running away from us. But the folks at the bottom of this grade are getting soaked...damn.

If we don't lose power I will try to get more up later...at least I got my jumpstart this morning. Life is good my friends... even in a storm when you have someone that loves you. Y'all come, heah?

Good Morning Blog World

2010-09-20T11:11:00.003-04:00

My angel and I are sweating out a storm...Hurricane Igor is headed our way and will pass just to the east of St John's sometime tomorrow...it will be a tropical storm by then but still will hit us with 90 K winds...(little over 50 mph) and 150 mm of rain over 12 to 15 hours...and that is a bunch for here. We are on the side of a hill and should not have any flooding but down below may catch some heavy flooding. But one thing for damn sure...I lived in Florida and I know how to just hunker down and wait it out. Just hope we don't lose power and the internet, heh...we are addicted.

We took late yesterday what was probably the longest walk since I have been here...two and a half hours with a stop over at a dairy Queen for a high dollar ice cream...hmmm and we by passed Mickey Ds where it was just a buck...anyway it was an enjoyable hike. We took a circular route through a residential area and about three fourths of it was up hill and it was some STEEP hills! But I made it home not even breathing hard...heh...must have been the ice cream. (But my shirt was wet from sweat and it was only about 50F degrees out...)

Life is good in St John's my friends. My angel loves me and I adore her and try to let her know in words and actions every day. Hunkering down with her and our wild child might even be fun if Igor does hit us hard...just gotta figure how to make a pot of jumpstart if we lose power. Y'all come, heah?

Sunday Morning In St John's

2010-09-19T09:05:00.002-04:00

It is a beautiful Sunday morning in St John's Newfoundland...12C degrees (54F) and a slight breeze. The sun is shining bright...a welcome change from five days of damp weather that ranged from a thunder storm downpour to hours of mist and drizzle. But such is the weather on the North Atlantic...reminds me of Oklahoma weather in that if you don't like it today just stick around for a few days because it damn sure will change.

Hard to believe it is mid September already and I have been here four and a half months. It has been a wonderful summer although we didn't do everything we had planned...but there is always next summer. By then we will have a vehicle of some kind and will travel the island...see the parks and some of the remote bays and beaches...Newfoundland has some 6,000 miles of coast line, several national parks and numerous provincial and municipal parks and I plan to see them all eventually as well as attend the many music festivals and other such events around the island.

We still don't know if I will be able to get permanent residence status in Canada...if I was younger and wanted to work there would be no problem. But it seems that the government really doesn't want someone to retire here...I just have to convince them that I don't need their social system...I can take care of me and mine without it. If I can't get the Canada "green card" it means leaving the country for
24 hours every six months...it is aggravating and can get expensive.

Living here is different in many ways but the same in so many others. American and Canadian cultures parallel...except of course French Canada. (Can you believe that everything from signs to labels on retail goods are printed in both English and French? DAMN....nearly as bad as the states where you gotta press one for English. Best I remember my history the Brits kicked hell out of France and took Canada...but leave it to the French to refuse to assimilate into a new culture and learn the language...kinda like the illegal immigrants and ragheads in the states, huh?) But I digress...

The cost of living here is about the same if not less than most American cities this size...and the Canadian dollar and American dollar are close to par right now...$481 US bought $500 Canadian a couple of weeks ago...and of course the money changers got nine bucks US the exchange. Grocery prices are about the same for most items...chicken about double in price but beef and pork at least a buck a pound cheaper. And Canadian beef is as good as any in the states. Fresh fish is plentiful and reasonable...cod fillets @$4.99 a pound and fresh Atlantic salmon @$6.99 per pound. (I have learned to think in metric again and translate back to pounds and ounces and quarts and gallons and feet and yards.) Utilities are a bit cheaper than Florida but most of you know that gasoline in Canada is pricey...over four dollars a gallon right now. And the sin tax on tobacco and alcohol is unreal...13 bucks for a six pack of beer, 13 dollars for a small tin of Skoal (DAMN), and smokes @$77 per carton of ten packs.

Life is good my friends...and I am enjoying every minute of it. My angel loves me and tells me so every day. We spend damn near every minute of every day together and I hope to do so for the rest of my life. We seem to just march to the same drummer...Y'all come, heah?

Good Morning Blog World

2010-09-16T08:33:00.003-04:00

And the wind blew and the shit flew and things won't be the same for a day or two! Yeah there was thunder in more ways than one around St John's last night. One hell of an electrical storm early this morning but the storm from our wild child was louder...and can't say I blame her.

She fell for a line of baloney from a smooth talking man last week...I met the man and liked him...fed him supper a couple of nights and must say he conned me also. Yesterday she found that he was living with another woman...and needless to say the shit hit the proverbial fan...and blew all over the con man.

I never claimed to be a saint...halos just don't fit me. But I have never nor never will lie to a woman about my relationships...I did not lie to my angel nor to my soon to be ex-wife. And it does piss me off that he hurt our wild child. But such is life. If one is unwilling to take a chance on love it is probable that one will never love. Yeah, busted relationships hurt...but hurt usually heals some with time and at 17 there is a lot of time left to heal.

It looks like a busy day ahead of us. My angel and wild child have a doctor's appointment this afternoon and we plan to do some grocery shopping when we return. The weather is calm after the storm...at least it is outside. Inside I still get that feeling that the calm pool of water is about to turn into the rapids again.

Life is just so good my friends. My angel loves me and I do adore her. Now I gotta get me something to eat and get ready for the day. Y'all come back, heah?

Good Morning Blog World

2010-09-15T07:44:00.005-04:00

The Agony and the Ecstasy...no not the movie...just the emotions of a beautiful 17 year old teenage girl who is in between wanting to fly the nest yet wanting the security of her mother. When she is happy her face lights up the room and when she is not...well, not only is the room dark she manages to cause the room echo with her thunder. At times she reminds me of a mountain stream tumbling over a series of rocks that flows into a deep calm pool with just a whirlpool next to an eddy to remind me that there is another series of rapids coming. I call her our wild child.

There are some who look back on their teenage years as the 'good' years. I don't. I remember them well...the heartache when my 'steady' broke up with me. The frustrations of those who wanted me to act like and accept the responsibility of an adult yet treated me as a child. Oh yes, there were some good times also...but my memories are more of the agony than the ecstasy. And because of those memories I can sympathize with our wild child.

But I also understand her mother who is hesitant to let her fly the nest. She is the baby and it is always hard to let go of the last one home. So at times there is friction but always no doubt that there is love. Some day she will find her wings and her mother will help her fly....til then I have no doubt it will be agony and ecstasy...I just hope as time passes more of the latter.

Life is good my friends. My angel loves me, our wild child has a new boyfriend and is happy for now, the jumpstart is hot and strong and the air outside is crisp and clean. If I had a bowl of grits to go with my cackleberry I could not ask for anything else. Y'all come, heah?

Good Morning Blog World

2010-09-13T08:21:00.003-04:00

It is 11C outside and drizzling rain...but my angel is hanging out clothes anyway...says the rain will just rinse the clothes a bit better and they will dry eventually, heh. I love her and her logic. No, we don't have a dryer...yet...but I will be damn sure we have one before the cold sets in.

This is the fourth day of rain, mist, and drizzle. I love it. I never did mind walking in the rain...hell people, there have been songs written about walking in the rain. I just don't like to walk in the rain when the wind is driving it 40mph and the lightning is knocking the top out of Pine trees. And that don't happen much here.

No more sleeping in! School started here last week and out 'wild child' started grade 12...it has been a long time since I had a kid in school. I had forgot what it was about...new clothes and school supplies and lunch money. But we had fun doing the shopping with her even if out idea of what is appropriate for school and hers differs...and I never did mind getting up early...hey...I get rocking chair money and I can nap during the day, heh.

Life is good my friends. My angel kissed me tenderly and told me she loved me first thing this morning....as always. I got wired on an extra cup of jumpstart...hey! It is cold outside and I got things to do and places to go. Y'all come, heah?

Good Morning Blog World

2010-09-10T20:00:00.007-04:00

On September 11, 2001 group an Islamic terrorist group trained by al-Qaeda attacked and destroyed the World trade center in New York city murdering over 2,000 civilians. Muslims from around the mid-east were shown on the national media celebrating attack by dancing in the street. Prior to the 9-11 attacks there were numerous attacks by Islamic terrorists on Americans including the murder of over 200 marines in Lebanon by a Muslim suicide bomber and an attack on the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Cole (DDG 67) on October 12, 2000 in the Yemeni port of Aden. 17 American sailors were killed, and 39 were injured.

On December 8, 1941 President Roosevelt addressed congress asking it to declare war on Japan...."Yesterday, December 7, 1941 -- a date which will live in infamy -- the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the empire of Japan." Although the USA and NATO allies have invaded Afghanistan and made war (somewhat) on the Taliban and al-Qaida to date war has not been declared on the countries harboring the terrorist...Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sudan, and Iran. Instead the government of the USA has given the military rules of engagement that in effect tied the hands of the combat troops by prohibited them from defending themselves from attacks when the attacks come from behind the skirts of the Islamic women. Moreover, the American president now refuses to call the terrorists terrorists...

But I will never forget who it was that killed so many innocent people. My president and his left wing kool ade drinkers can play the politically correct game but they cannot force me to do so. You see, I know it was not an old Christian lady in tennis shoes who flew the Jet liners into the Trade Center buildings nor was it some redneck with a gun that blew up the Marine barracks in Lebanon. I know it was a raghead terrorist and I also know that Islam has been at war with the western world for over 1000 years...the west is yet to accept and understand that fact.

I want to see a poster put out by the American government much like the one below...except the words should be "fight the ragheads to win!" Or else just get the hell out of Afghanistan and the mideast completely and circle the wagons at home. But keep in mind that war is only won when it is taken to the enemy...

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It is a wet day and probably will be a wet weekend in St Johns but I am loving every minute of it...life is good my friends. My angel told me she loved me first thing this morning and I love her so dearly. Y'all come heah?

Good Morning Blog World

2010-09-10T06:06:00.004-04:00

The Florida shaman has "suspended" burning a Koran allowing he is rethinking doing same. He also contends that a Muslim shaman told him that the ragheads were not going to build their mosque near the site of the destroyed World Trade Center...a contention that the raghead shaman denies. People, I tell you once again...the world would be better off without ALL religious shamans. Anytime anyone tells you that their religion is the only TRUE one and is insulted to the point of violence...or incites violence in the name of religion...you had best examine their logic as well as their premises. And ALL organized religions that purport that their deity and their ideas of how to worship that deity are based on circular logic. And if you don't understand what circular logic is about check this LINK

But in any event again I tell you that I will fight for the shaman's right and for YOUR right to worship as you please, read what you want, say what you want to say, and build your places of worship where ever you can get a building permit to build them. But I also reserve the right to tell you that freedom works both ways and you cannot possibly be free as long as you restrict my freedom...or that of anyone else.
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It is some wet in St John's Newfoundland this morning. It started misting rain yesterday and then the mist turned to drizzle and then rain last night. The weather quacks allow rain all day...maybe 3 or 4 inches of it and then mist and drizle for the next three days. Makes good sleeping weather at night and just lazing around during the day. And makes me glad I got my 'rockin chair' money and don't have to work out in it.

But even if it is wet life is good my friends. My angel hugged me and told me she loved me first thing this morning. The jumpstart is hot and strong and gets my blood circulating and in a few I will get me a cackleberry. Y'all come, heah?

Good Morning Blog World

2010-09-09T09:29:00.003-04:00

Those of you who have followed this bit of shit and wit know how I feel about organized religion...any kind of organized religion. And the nutcase preacher who plans on burning a Koran just reinforces my beliefs that organized religion is nothing more than a want by the shamans to walk on water. Don't get me wrong here...I will fight for nuts right to burn the Koran or any other book and his right to believe whatever he wants to believe. And if it insults Islam so WTF. Islam overall insults every other religion every day it survives...if you don't think so you are naive and have never lived in a country where Islam was the predominant religion.

But all that said I have to wonder why the nut shaman wants to burn the Koran? Seems to me he is more after attention...or maybe a death wish. If he really wants to stop Islam from taking over the world he should study and learn the history of Islam, what it stands for and then preach against it in every way and place that he can...but he should also study and learn the history of Christianity and understand that only 300 or less years ago people were executed by Christians for being heretics and even today there are religious Christian nuts who would force their religion and religious beliefs on everyone else if they were allowed to do so. I have an idea that Terry Jones, the book burning Shaman from Gainesville, Fla. is one of those type Christian nuts.
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Those few who can remember my early days will remember that I was a fat kid. Lot of reasons for it but mostly it was that I liked to eat...and still do. But somehow by the time I was a teenager I found the discipline to get rid of the fat...part of it was working hard in the oil patch to support a car and a high maintenance girl friend as well as late nights and early mornings and skipping meals.
But one thing about it in those days...kids got their exercise on the school grounds during recesses and lunch break. Nowadays the school systems are afraid to even put in a playground lest a kid get hurt...they had rather ban sodas and candy from the school premises. DAMN...
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Fall is in the air here in St John's Newfoundland. It is a chilly 55F...not really cold per se but the breeze has a hint of arctic air in it....kinda reminds me of my days in Fairbanks Alaska when I woke every morning this time of year expecting to see snow. And the folks here seem to be doing the same. But not to worry...a couple of snow scoops and an electric blanket will keep my angel and me well and healthy. Heh, nothing like shoveling a couple of feet of snow out of the driveway to get the blood flowing, the lungs in shape, and an insulted snow scoop...yeah I have cussed one before...even knowing an inanimate object has no feelings I still have this tendency to talk bad about its mother. Hmmm maybe some oak tree is looking for me with a club?

Life is just great my friends. My angel tells me she loves me first thing every morning. The jumpstart is hot and for some reason ( and I ain't complaining ) I don't have to pop a pain pill every morning to get my fingers to work...hmmmm maybe Arther Rites don't live in Newfoundland. Y'all come, heah?

Good Morning Blog World

2010-09-07T14:13:00.003-04:00

Actually it is not morning...it is 1545 hours which for you that can't tell time the little hand is on 3 and the big hand is on 9....but whatever. I am just now getting around to jotting down a word or two.

Fall is in the air in St John's Newfoundland...19C (65F) right now but getting cold now at night...8 to 10C. Makes for great sleeping weather. I asked this morning when to expect snow...she says anytime now. Works for me. I have not seen snow in over 20 years...betcha I can still wield a snow scoop and make snow cream and a snow man...and maybe even write my name in yellow snow.

My life is good my friends and I hope yours is too...y'all come, heah?

Sunday Morning Coming Down

2010-09-05T12:14:00.006-04:00

The pictures below were taken Sep 3 while we were strolling through a local 50 acre park about a mile from our apartment. It was an hour or so before dark thirty but we managed top catch some shots you might enjoy. I do love walking in this park...the chipmunks were too fast for me to catch on digital but we did get a shot of crows eating berries...

Good Morning Blog World

2010-08-29T10:02:00.004-04:00

I took a look at my stats this morning...this is post number 9,874 that I have somehow managed to put on this humble bit of shit and wit. According to my site meter 492,836 people have for some unknown reason clicked on this place since I first started it July 24, 2005. There was a time (post face book) that the daily average was over 400...now about 100 a day and most of them looking for fourteen year old Indian o should have went are still around and Virgins via Google...

I have seen bloggers come and go...some stayed TOO long and some others not long enough. Some, such as my friend, the unforgettable Acidman who wrote gut rumbles, have passed on to that laptop in the next life. And others just transferred to face book.

"GOOD GAWD GIRTY WHUT A GASH! What's the fucking point Guy?" you ask.

Don't have one...just reminiscing the past five years.
...hey! It is Sunday and that is whut I does on a Sunday.

But anyway, been a lot of hay through the bull since I started telling you jokes and
war stories here. The jokes and tales seemed to have turned to rants on the political chaos in the country...and after a while it just seemed I was blowing off steam ad mostly preaching to the choir...and the choir sings loud but the only one hearing is them.

I am about done with the rants. I will come back here on occasion to give you an update of my life if you are interested. Those of you who have followed this blog know that I have separated and now live in St John's Canada with a woman I love very dearly...and plan to remain here. I will never give up my citizenship...I love the country I devoted a large portion of my life to. But it is not the same country I dodged bullets for. I am not saying Canada is any better but at least they try to control illegal immigration...and the Canadian government seems to now understand that 'there ain't no free lunch'.

So, so long now. I gotta get my morning ration of jumpstart and cackleberries...my angel just kissed me and says breakfast is about ready. Oh, by the way...I am learning to speak Newfie talk some good...where you to....Y'all come, heah? yah boy

Sunday Morning Coming Down

2010-08-15T11:48:00.004-04:00

It is a beautiful summer Sunday day here is St John's Newfoundland...one of those kinda days when I really don't want to stay in the house. But we don't have any plans for today other than to clean the place and catch up on the laundry. I think my angel has a "Jigg's Dinner" planned for tonight's meal...a delicious mean I some enjoy! (I am learning this Newfie talk some good..hey boy, huh?)

Someone asked on my last post when I was going back to Florida...my plan is to go back for a couple of weeks the first of November and then come back here for another six months.

I know that some of you are out of the loop so I will try to explain. Sweetthing and I have separated...we are still and always will be friends. I have met a wonderful woman that loves me and I who love dearly who lives here in St John's. If I can convince the Canadian government to give me a "green card" I plan to live here. In fact, I plan to live here no matter...I will just have to leave the country for 24 hours and then return for another six months.

Immigration to Canada is a bitch for someone my age. I reckon it is because they are afraid I will be a drain on their social system. So far they are telling us that although I have the income to support my angel and myself she has to sponsor me and show that she can support me...WTF? OVER? Moreover she has to have $10,000 in assets plus the income. She has neither right now. So, it may be a matter of us just moving to the states although neither of us really want to.

I am healthier here than I was in the states. Maybe it is the air which is a damn sight cleaner. I am able to breath and that gives me the ability to walk which we do a lot of...every day! My diabetes is a lot easier to control because of the exercise and I have been able thus far to keep the weight off even though Newfie eating is high calorie, heh. (Deep fried Cod Fish and French Fries are some GOOD!)

I hope to be able to stay here where it is peaceful and relaxing enough that I might be able to find the self discipline to do what I have wanted to do for some time...write. I have the stories outlined in my head and some on file but just have not been able to find the energy nor discipline to put the tales on paper...wish me luck, heh.

We don't have a vehicle yet. I would like to bring my Ram up here but it doesn't look like an option because of the expense driving it here...high dollar gas in Canada plus the expense of getting across the water on the ferry. We will look into buying something here later...kinda want a mini-van...something that will get some good mileage plus room to carry camp gear next summer if we decide to move to the states. We also want to tour the island and see the parks as well as visit her relatives.

Life is wonderful my friends when one wakes to a hug and a kiss in the morning. And the jumpstart tastes just as good here as anywhere else. The cackeberries and toast kinda make up for the lack of grits...so far...may be asking for a care package from Georgia one of these days, heh. Y'all come, heah?

Good Morning Blog World

2010-08-13T12:56:00.002-04:00

I have been here in St John's Newfoundland for over three months now...seems like a week. I am having the time of my life here. The people are great, the town beautiful with lots to do, and the summer weather although windy and sometimes wet is a pleasant change from the brutal Florida heat and storms.

We have stayed busy! We have enjoyed several music fests, went to a flick one day, caught the metro bus to the end of the line just to see the scenery and nearly every day taking a long walk.

This afternoon after supper (salt fish and spuds and the trimmings) we plan to walk about a mile and a half to a shopping center I have not seen yet except from a metro bus window...and doing it just for the walk. The clean air and exercise are doing wonders for me...I feel 20 years younger.

Life is good my friends. My angel loves me and tells me so every day...several times. The jumpstart is hot and strong and the cackleberries taste the same as in Florida..just cost more, heh. Y'all come, heah? Next time I might have a rant but right now I am just too happy to get pissed at Obama and the kool ade kids.

Hmmmm

2010-08-07T12:34:00.002-04:00

I am on record here as a supporter of Gay rights, including the right to marriage, and my rationale is the same as federal judge, Vaughn Walker...the 14th amendment. But the problem is that it is not only Gays who suffer from discrimination....how about the millions of white people who have been the victims of 'reverse discrimination' because of civil rights acts?

It is well and good to say that all are born equal and have equal rights guaranteed by the constitution. But too many people misinterpret the 14th amendment and seem to think that equal rights/opportunity means equal success! And demand that those who have sacrificed time, energy, and money to be successful share with those who have not done so.

St George Street Festival

2010-08-03T12:42:00.002-04:00

Finally! Tonight is the last and best night of the St John's George Street music festival...a full night of "Newfie Music" entertainment by Newfoundland bands.

Newfie music is much like the folk songs of the American frontier...and no wonder. Both were settled by the country folk of the British Isles who brought their music with them. It should be a most enjoyable evening.

Sunday Morning Coming Down

2010-08-01T08:58:00.002-04:00

It is a balmy Sunday morning...about 19C degrees and drizzle rain...and just a slight breeze coming through the window. The prediction is for heavy rain later today. Looks like a trip to the George Street outdoor music fest is out for us. Damn. Tuesday night is when I really want to attend...several hours of "Newfie Music" which has become my favorite.

We have been mostly just kicking back and enjoying life for the past week. We manage to get out every day for a stroll somewhere but the heat (75 to 80 F degrees) is tough on my angel. Of course it is Florida winters to me and I enjoy it. We did take one long hike last week...nice going but a 25 percent grade on the way back and the mile uphill got to both of us. We had to stop for a rest several times..she out of air and me out of knees, heh. Surprises me that here I can breath and climb the hills...just need some new knees.

I reckon I should apologize for my lack of blogging...but I am not. I will continue to put up posts from time to time...especially when I have a rant. But I came to the conclusion that I was preaching to the choir with my rants and the only reason I will post one now is to blow off steam...and Obama and his hoods do steam me up...

Life is good for me my friends. My angel loves me and tells me and shows me her love in every way. I have all a man could ask for plus more. Y'all come, heah?