Completion of a Long Awaited Project

After 31 1/2 long months, I finally was able to empty my storage room in Aurora and transport my property to WY on Wednesday 27 June and end one long, frustrating, and at times seemingly endless chapter in my life. Over the next two weeks I will get fully moved into my new place and make myself a home again. Hallelullah...

The process actually went quite well. I caught a break in the weather as it was partly cloudy to cloudy for the most part and the temperature got no higher than the low 80s. I was able to catch a ride from Todd's wife Tascha and her son as they were already planning to see her sister in Denver so that worked out extra nice as it saved a round trip back and forth (about 3 1/2 hours) and a tank of gasoline. I was able to load the truck completely by myself in about 4 1/2 hours with only one glitch--while reaching for a coffee table that was stored on top of the mattresses, I slipped and fell off a short ladder. I cut the shin on my lower right leg above the ankle and broke a brace that holds the coffee table leg to the table. The damage is completely repairable. My big 36" Curtis Mathes TV was able to be put in and out of the truck rather easily as I used the center cabinet of my entertainment center to wheel the TV out of storage right up to the back of the truck and then lift the 175 pound beast about four feet for placement into the back part of the truck and brace it between the mattress and my recliner. After an uneventful drive up to WY, I then unloaded the vehicle in about 2 3/4 hours by myself in largely ideal weather conditions (cloudy and 65 degrees) into the garage that comes with my unit. Everything went into easily with room to spare as I carefully engineered the placement and stacking of furniture and boxes. I only had to repair about four boxes, but I plan on replacing about two to three dozens boxes that I store keepsakes, memoriabilia, and other items in as some of those boxes have been in use for those purposes going back to the 1980s when I moved from NM to AZ.

The U-haul took about 12-13 gallons of fuel for the trip which wasn't bad --- I ended getting right around 10 mpg for that big truck with all that weight aboard.

I drank lots and lots of water to keep hydrated and fresh. I probably drank about 4 gallons of water in total for the day, and my designated moving hat served its purpose well. It was totally soaked and drenched in perspiration but the absorption was excellent enough to keep perspiration from flowing onto my faces, into my eyes, and on my glasses. Add that to taking breaks about every 20-30 minutes and towelling down my head and neck thoroughly and the level of discomfort was minimal from that point of view. Workgloves as usual were very helpful in handling the materials and eliminating any external wear and tear on my hands and wrists.
Wearing shorts and a t-shirt along with socks and tennis shoes were excellent choices for the job, allowing for comfort and ease of movement.

I did work hard but having the hand cart helped out tremendously reducing physical labor and make things more efficient. I was quite sore and stiff by days end as expected, but I took about a 20 minute hot shower to soothe my bones and muscles and then generously applied Ben-Gay ointment across most of me before going to bed. I slept solidly and uninterrupted for over 9 1/2 hours. When I awoke this morning, there was some lingering stiffness and soreness but quite a bit less than I anticipated. And I then worked all day being on my feet with bending and stretching and made it through the day with surprisingly little discomfort. I do not feel a whole lot worse than I did when I started working again fulltime in April. I surmise I must be in the best shape I have been in a very long time, perhaps back to over 15 years ago. Working jobs that keep me on my feet for hours on end and having to go up and down stairs sometimes as much as 30 times a day obviously has helped plus having a decent but by no means perfect diet. I absolutely do not believe I could have done this project with as much time efficiency and minimalization of pain 2-3 years ago so thats some good news.

People that I go without seeing for 4-6 months do tell me I look better and have lost weight so, even though I do not see it so evidently, it must be happening. Maybe in the next year or two I can get back down to 220 lbs or less which I have not been around in about 25 years.

Quite a few projects and missions were accomplished in the last couple of months which is very gratifying personally after a long period of non-accomplishment and frustration. I still need to get a post office box, a new cell phone number, and determine if I need to make any replacements or additions to my household supplies. And the somewhat costly repair expenses loom for the White Night in the next several months. Plus I need to get another job that is higher paying, offers benefits, and is least a little more mentally challenging.

But it sure is very satisfying to have gotten this big project done after such a long period of time. I eagerly await using and enjoying these possessions again in the coming near time.

Two News Articles

Briefly, these two news articles caught my attention and interest.


http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/24/magazine/24Style-t.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&ref=magazine&pagewanted=all


http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/uhaul/la-na-haul24jun24,0,4383195.story


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Busy Big Week Looms... and Some Words of Care

As this last week of June is underway and the first half of 2007 wraps up, some big actions will occur for me personally.

After so, so long, I retake possession of my property and personal assets after having most of them in storage for 32 months. I will be loading a U-haul truck on Wednesday morning and then transporting them up here to WY to the new residence and settling in to the new place the end of this week and on into next week. I have a lot of sorting through to do and going through the process of recalling just what I have as I am sure I have forgotten some of what I have. I have been thinking and I do not believe I need anything to get established in the new place with the exception of some groceries and a sundry or two.

Also this week, I will be getting a new cellular telephone as the Kyocera I have had and been using for almost five years (next month would have gotten it to that mark) finally bit the dust. I have to order the phone from a special customer service department and have it shipped to me and then get it programmed. That probably means no phone service for 3-4 more days. Family can reach me at alternative numbers which LAC and HBL have. Friends will have to rely on email until I get back live again. I will also be getting a new phone number and I will notify those who need to know this by email after I get this change made.

With the upcoming Wednesday being the moving day, this means no day off until next Sunday, 1 July, as I will have to work on Saturday 30 June to make up for the day off. Today I enjoyed the day off and went out and wondered and strolled, looking at some retail shops in the mall including Spencers Gifts where I saw some interesting products being sold. I will need to get an A-104 tip for my new phone. I then went over to Todd's and visited and had a nice dinner.
Overall a quiet relaxing summer weekend before I undertake the task of making a house a home and getting organized.

And last, but not by certainly any means least, best wishes and prayers to VML and his family on the upcoming medical procedure he will undergo and the challenge of a lengthy difficult recovery that awaits and the successful change in lifestyle and habits for the future which will go a long way to helping with better health. After I get back into my own home, I have to buckle down and start eating more wisely and healthy again, drinking water exclusively, and exercising more again. It will be an effort in self-discipline but it is essential I do my best to continue and stay on a more healthy path in these respects for my own good and to show respect, love, and care to others who want me in their lives.

Freudenthal Taps Barasso for US Senate Seat

Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal chose Casper physician and State Senator John Barrasso to fill the US Senate seat left vacant by the sudden death of Craig Thomas on 4 June. The choice of Barrasso was considered to be some as a surprise, but I think the governor believed that Barrasso would follow the spirit of Craig Thomas more closely than either of the other two options he was given. Additionally, Barrasso may move to the center more on certain critical votes and issues. I had thought the governor was going to go with former Thomas staff aide Tom Sansonetti as the choice. I believed Lummis had no chance whatsoever of being chosen as she largely had a mediocre legislative record, strived to be devisive and combative on many issues, and used the press in a war of words with the governor just a few years ago.

Barrasso serves for basically 18 months as the interim junior senator from the Equality State. A special election looms in November '08 for the remaining 4 years on the seat. I can see Barrasso winning the election then and winning two or three after that. He very well could be in the US Senate until 2031 when he will be in his late 70s. Being a doctor, however, and having an evident love of this state, he may opt to spend only a partial and a full term in the District and return home in 2019. Time will tell...


http://www.newwest.net/index.php/topic/article/governor_appoints_dr_john_barrasso_to_fill_wyoming_senate_seat/C37/L37/


http://www.newwest.net/index.php/topic/article/barasso_marvels_at_becoming_wyomings_newest_us_senator/C37/L37/

Sadness of Loss of Old Pinedale and Sublette County

What was once an isolated, remote, sleepy town and surrounding county has changed immeasureably, and probably for the worst. Although some nice infrastructural additions have been achieved during this boom, unquestionably there has been a decline in the quality of life and a loss of innocence for this scenic community.


http://www.jhguide.com/article.php?art_id=1889

Tuesday 19 June News Articles and Observations

Here the news articles from Tuesday 19 June and some brief observations about them.


A. Many Believe That Gore is the Answer

I would agree that he is the best man out there for the enormous challenges and responsibilites that the next President will have, as the sewage spewed by the Bush Junta is thick, deep, and toxic to life across the planet and will require a real experienced leader to take on.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,2105343,00.html


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B. Bloomfield Third-Party Presidential Candidacy Looming Greater

I believe it is all but but a certainly billionaire Mike will run perhaps with Hegel on the ticket. I wonder if discussions have been held with Ross Perot, who would have elected in '92 except for a two month lapse of judgement that summer.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070619/ap_on_el_pr/bloomberg_politics;_ylt=AoBjFAYffB8v3BlCriYxjGOs0NUE


http://www.nypost.com/seven/06182007/news/regionalnews/bloomys_travel_bug_regionalnews_david_seifman___city_hall_bureau_chief.htm

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C. Australia Sets the Pace for Solar Energy

I sure would like to see similar if not larger projects throughout the High Plains and Rocky Mountain West where sunlight is in abundance year round.


http://money.cnn.com/2006/08/01/technology/towerofpower0802.biz2/


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D. Brookings Institute Report on Woes of Poor Kentuckians and How Best to Make Improvements

Most of the policy plans and ideas discussed here should be recommended and implemented in all the Rocky Mountains and High Plains states to help the less fortunate here as well. This report by the Brookings Institute is outstanding and insightful.


http://www3.brookings.edu/metro/pubs/20070618_kentucky.pdf


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E. Large Amounts of African Oil in Our Future ?

Yet another corrupt hapless part of the world that we will be relying on for our motor vehicle energy sources in the future.


http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/lalumia/232


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F. Tragedy of Allowing Private Lenders to Give Student Loans

This was a grave horrible decision to have been allowed. Not only does it cause greivous financial harm to susceptible college students, but it also encourages universities and colleges to ramp up tuition and fees and not find ways to be more efficient and thrifty. Many state legislatures have also dropped the ball in a big way in not more adequately funding higher education. Student Loans should be a government function exclusively.


http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-oppri195261477jun19,0,6473310,print.story


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G. Surprise ! Supreme Court Remembers the Fourth Amendment


This unanimous decision by the High Court was greatly welcome, as many recent court decisions have given too much power to police, particularly in regards to procedures when private vehicles are concerned.


http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/n/a/2007/06/18/national/w071630D56.DTL


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H. Shi'ites v Sunnis v Iranians v Americans

It is a complicated and deadly pool we have put ourselves into.


http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070702/toensing


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I. The Challenge and Promise for Thoughtful American Citizens


The vision for a better nation for ourselves, families, children, neighborhoods, communities, working people, and society as a whole is there. More citizens need to understand and appreciate its possibilities.


http://commonsense.ourfuture.org/take_back_america_our_time?tx=3


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J. Wyoming GOP Chooses Three Finalists to Fill Late Thomas Senate Seat

These were three names that were believed early on to be among the favorites. I would predict Sansonetti will be chosen by the governor to fill the seat, perhaps as early as Thursday, 21 June.


http://www.casperstartribune.com/articles/2007/06/19/news/top_story/doc4677ebe616901321216413.txt


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Sansonetti


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynthia_Lummis


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Barrasso


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K. Major Blighted Downtown Denver Block to be Redeveloped

This small downtown block was among the most ugly and least safe areas in the downtown Denver grid. I am pleased to see another underutilized area of property about to be developed rather than see property elsewhere in the Metro area. The sooner the entire area of downtown from Wewatta to Grant and from Speer to Park Avenue is fully redeveloped to its full potential with the complete elimination of surface parking lots the better. It remains a possibility that someday I will move into a downtown apartment in downtown Denver as I would welcome the livestyle that exists there and not having to drive everywhere would be nice.


http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/real_estate/article/0,1299,DRMN_414_5592856,00.html


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L. Another Key Denver Area Real Estate Redevelopment Awaits


With the impending movement of the St Anthonys Hospital Campus to a Denver Federal Center site about 6 miles away where mass transit will be a focus, another area not far from downtown can be brought out of its long standing urban malaise. The area to the south and east of the hospital in Denver is seriously blighted and poorly developed with dumpy housing, rotting motels, convenience stores, used car lots, and substandard commercial properties. Gang activity, litter, seriously substandard infrastructure, grafitti, crime, muffler-less motor vehicles, and rap music are common evident evil in abundance in and around this area. Lakewood off to the west is much the same, although Colfax has been spruced up some. The challenge of city and community leaders will be to do something special and redeeming for that long downtrodden area in West Denver and NE Lakewood.



http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_6178617


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M. Drought Continues to Build Nationally

It is really bad across most of the West except farther east on the High Plains and in SE and Southern New Mexico. Here in Wyoming, we are in extreme statewide except the Bighorn Basin and far NE Wyoming northwest of the Black Hills, where things are about normal. The only states worse off than Wyoming are California and Arizona (both entirely in severe and extreme drought) Most of the Southeast, including Tennesssee, Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, Arkansas, and West Virginia; as well as Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, and Ohio, are in moderate to severe drought with widespread pockets of severe status in these areas where agriculture and crop production is vital. Utah, Nevada, Idaho, Oregon, and Montana also have wide areas of severe or exteme drought also.


http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/regional_monitoring/palmer.gif


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N. Streamflow Reports Fair to Good Across the Rocky Mountain West


Levels are subnormal for many west flowing stream and river basins while most east flowing basins are fair to good.


http://water.usgs.gov/waterwatch/
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O. Recommended Site to Bookmark


http://www.mongabay.com/news-index/water1.html


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Some Ways I Try to Follow to Save Money

MSN had a list today of some ways to save money and be thrifty. Many of them I have used for many years. Their list is at this link:


http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/SaveMoney/Devote15MinutesADayToBeingCheap.aspx


Some others I use include:

1) Never purchase national brands for the most part. Store brands are manufactured or processed by the same firms that make the national brands, so there is largely no difference in taste or quality (catsup is one noticeable exception). There are a few other isolated exceptions to this as with some products there is no store brand alternative.

2) Plan all activities or errands for one trip. I never make additional trips and strive to only have one, maybe two of those errand trips per week. Always be aware of the fuel stations where fuel prices generally run less and make avail of them. The oil corporations and convenience stores love to play this silly little game of having varying prices in locations that are fairly close together just to gouge consumers. I would dearly love to see a law that mandates same gasoline prices for the same brand name within a zip code so this childish foolishness ceases and we can have even pricing like we do when we purchase other consumer goods (food, clothing, household goods, meals, etc.) at like businesses.

3) Never buy magazines. Read or scan them for free at a bookstore, and read them more deeply online. Use newspapers in place of paper towels for cleaning duties. Generic or store brands of most chemicals used in household cleaning tasks are just fine instead of the higher costing national brands where you are paying for advertising, corporate waste, and fat corporate executive salaries. I am considering purchasing online electronic subscriptions for newspapers that run less 60 cents per week while hardcopy subscriptions are over $2 and newstand purchases end up being $6 per week. Plus it is environmentally prudent.

4) Try to only eat out once per week, maybe twice at the most. Allow yourself only one meal out per month where the individual cost exceeds $6.00.

5) Be very careful with your clothing, apparel, and linens. Strive to not get them dirty and sweaty. This will result in minimizing having to do laundry.

6) Clean as you go in the kitchen and bathroom. Rinse the sink during and after each use. Do not use soap in the shower as it causes a buildup that needs to be attended to. Use a body wash sparingly instead.

7) Re-use plastic and metal containers for other uses and storage. Whatever else you cannot use again at home, recycle at your local recycling center or dropoff depot. Do not purchase trash bags; instead use the paper or plastic ones you get at the store from grocery purchases.

8) Keep thermostats at 57 degrees during the winter when your home is largely inactive. Use 6-10 blankets to stay warm while sleeping. When showering, do not turn on the bathroom fan as that keeps the steam in and really warms the bathroom and adjacent areas. Keep it at 63 degrees when you are active. Wear sweaters and sweatshirts and double socks to stay warm. In summer, fans are better than a/c to keep cool. Put them in windows to ventilate to bring in the cooler outside air after sunset. Wear minimal clothing while at home, no matter how disgusting you will look. Take cool showers in hot weather with minimal warm water. Only use heat from November 1st or later and not after April 1. Limit your showers to seven minutes except for one time per week.

9) Drink lots of water and try to minimize purchases of pop. Buying skim milk is always cheaper than 2% or whole milk. The more water you drink, the less hungry you will be. When you do choose to buy a pop, get it from the store brand machine out front or just inside the store. Those tasty 12 ounce cans are just 25 cents each instead of paying well over $1 for the 16 ounce cups at the fast food joints or the convenience stores.

10) Try not to eat food after 7pm or 3 hours before you go to bed. Skip supper at least a couple of nights a week. Doing this will result in better, longer, and deeper sleep that night. And its an easy way to help lose weight.

11) Hookup electronics to power strips that you can switch off so you are not giving away money to the greedy immoral electric corporations when you are not using them.

12) When available, shop at farmers markets. The produce is fresher and far less expensive than at the grocery store. Plus it is very satisfying to buy directly personally from the grower.


I am sure there are other things I do that are of a thrifty nature and I am not even aware of them. I will ponder other attitudes and behaviors I have and follow and will add them to this list.

Dead or Alive: Which Baseball Teams are Which...

This article looks about right on with the assessments given.


http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/6916072?MSNHPHCP&GT1=10136

Animal Stories

Both bad and funny here. On the funny side, it is truly unbelievable and hilarious to see a housecat attempt to "capture" an antelope by climbing on the back of one that was just lying down on the prairie grass and take a ride for several dozen yards before either falling off or getting thrown by the probably irritated antelope. The Leopard Cat, Niles, did just that and lived to have more days with possibly even greater adventures awaiting.

We also saw an antelope go to great extents to protect its young from potential predators. A fox was in the area and nearing where some antelope were grazing. Suddenly, the boss male antelope took off at a full bore and chased the fox for several hundred yards to clear it from the area where the young antelope were. One would not have expected such aggressive and forceful behavior from a critter that looks and acts largely docile. But anything can happen in the wild, even here on the lonesome high prairie.

On the bad side, this was destined to happen eventually. While on the deck Monday evening, the four St Bernards got fired up and excited and the 650 pounds of beastdom got going in a big way and knocked me down resulting in a rolled right ankle and twisted foot that is quite sore and tender. Putting on my boots has been quite painful the last two mornings but I can walk okay and better than last week when it was my left knee's turn to have gotten lightly injured. It was a wonder that it took nearly six months for the livestock to get me. As I sit here and write, the four beasts are all soundly asleep surrounding me and the volume of the snoring is quite apparent as these kinds of dogs sleep on their backs with their four legs in the air which is quite the sight with four huge dogs looking this way, oblivious to the light and the noise of the TV movie I am watching, "Running Scared" from 1985. Once I get my camera back I will have to take some pictures of the fourteen critters here and put them on this blog and ringo.

I sure hope next week does not continue this mini-streak of injuries as in fourteen days (Wednesday 27 June) I have a day of box moving and weight lifting ahead of me between two trips of 130 miles each or four trips totalling 520 miles moving my property.

Wednesday 13 June News Articles and Observations

13 June 2007 had some news articles that I observed and had a brief opinion about.



A. Words of Wisdom from Gary Trauner

Trauner is a thoughtful observer who lost by less than 1000 votes for the US House seat from Wyoming in November 2006. I posted an earlier commentary from him which was quite insightful. I hope he opts to run for public office again in the future as he would be a great voice for Wyoming.


http://www.newwest.net/index.php/topic/article/trauner_information_is_power_democracy/C37/L37/


http://www.newwest.net/index.php/search/results/8537ea532377b3820adcb039b7d62c42/


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B. Wesley Clark on Joe Lieberman

The retired General and recent candidate for President is certainly of greater wisdom concerning Iraq and the Middle East than the Connecticut Senator.


http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/11980


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C. Progressive Wave to Consume Conservatives ?

I sure hope the view of what the near future public policy direction most Americans want to take is what is expressed here.


http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2007/06/13/americas_progressive_majority.php


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D. The Rampant Epidemic of Corporate Crime


This is a far greater problem in America than most citizens are aware of, and in urgent need of being given a greater priority by law enforcement officers, district attorneys, and the grand jury system. There has been far too much emphasis by those people on crimes by citizens that are of far lesser importance than those being done by corporations and their executives and management.


http://www.corporatecrimereporter.com/


http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/06/13/1859/


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A Delightful Step Back in Time

I made a pit stop into a Safeway store just north of downtown yesterday and was surprised to see a grocery store so small and quaint. The design was clearly vintage 1950s with only about 12 aisles about 30 feet long, a relatively low ceiling, a tiny bakery and produce section, and just 5 checkout register counters. I would have thought these size stores, particularly from a giant like Safeway, would be all gone, particularly in a small city like this. I would have to think this relic from the past's days are numbered as the massive superstores with 30 or more aisles;huge bakery, produce, meat, and frozen food sections with delis, floral departments, and pharmacies; ceilings that are 50' above the floor; and at least 15 check out lanes with some that are self serve have become the norm everywhere. This recent experience I had was very cool.

The Treachery and Evil of American Corporations

They are robbing citizens blind and then asking the taxpayers for handouts. They pay their officials and executives pornographic amounts of money. They contribute little to the benefit and well being of our society and the communities they do their dirty work in. And only the intelligent insightful citizens like yours truly is aware of this. Let the work of Ralph Nader and others continue and grow with great success...


http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/06/12/1828/


http://taxjustice-usa.org/


And here is a publication that sheds even more light on this evil shadow that is so harmful to so many.


http://www.amazon.com/Secret-History-American-Empire-Corruption/dp/052595015X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-4808519-4794825?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181707863&sr=1-1


http://www.buzzflash.com/store/items/650

Great Blog to Bookmark

This looks to be a good reference to check in on with news that is pertinent for the future.


http://www.cleantechblog.com/

Monday 11 June News Articles and Observations

Here are Monday 11 June's news articles that caught my attention and some brief reaction to them.


A. Loss of Honeybees: Colony Collapse Disorder Growing

The ramifications of this development are indeed grave and of great concern for all of us.


http://www.alternet.org/environment/53491/


http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-sci-bees10jun10,0,4460235.story?coll=la-home-center


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B. City of Denver Plans Widescale Attack on Local Sources of Global Warming

I like what I read here, but it is rather ambitious and will require a major change in the consciousness of many of the locals there and corporations and business. During my ten years working there, I must have thrown into the trash about three tons or so of cardboard being scrapped by braindead employers that I worked for. I wonder if this waste will be included in the program. And what about all the waste generated by retailers and restaurants ? The quantity those businesses waste is incredible. And most of it will have not decayed in a couple of thousand years or more.


http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5580343,00.html


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C. Changes in Suburban Planning

News that is certainly for the better, as it will keep more people from giving their money indirectly to terrorist Arabs who are killing our soldiers.


http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20070611/a_transitvillage11.art.htm


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D. Lieberman Urges War on Iran; Israelis Eager and Ready to Join


The only questions are when and to what extent...


http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003596777


http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1181228588702&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull


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E. This Should be the Case for All Transportation

Hopefully, Salt Lake is at vanguard of an inevitable universal trend that grows extremely fast.


http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_6108450


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F. Does Bill Richardson Have the Right Stuff ?


Despite his upbeat message in his campaigning so far, the New Mexico governor has done little to capture the imagination of the electorate thus far. His record on the all important issue of health care is so-so, and he has offered little to deal with the reality of Iraq beyond the blind cries of most liberal Democrats. He better come up with some new ideas and policy proposals because it looks like he will a goner in the race by the end of next February based on what we know today.


http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/62841.html


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070610/ap_on_el_pr/on_the2008_trail;_ylt=AlJb7H.HRtrNzrMklkX_rjys0NUE


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G. Irradicating Poverty: America Must Do This Soon !

A good indepth article in the New York Times with a couple of supporting ones that say much about this serious growing problem that should not exist with all the wealth in this nation. John Edwards remains my choice for President because of his aggressive stand on this issue, among others.


http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/10/magazine/10edwards-t.html?em&ex=1181707200&en=92b80d973b9eb6e6&ei=5070


http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/10/magazine/10payne-t.html?em&ex=1181707200&en=14090a6e40af6b56&ei=5087%0A


http://mytown.ca/zepp/


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H. Republicans Salivate over Open Wyoming Senate Seat


Not too many names that create any enthusiasm. We will find out next Tuesday, 19 June, who makes the finalists list.


http://www.casperstartribune.com/articles/2007/06/11/news/wyoming/doc466d857723a40632393851.txt


http://www.newwest.net/index.php/topic/article/republicans_will_crowd_for_open_wyoming_senate_seat/C37/L37/


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I. Signifiant Energy Infrastructure Investment on the Horizon


This is indeed more good news that will be of great benefit to citzens as we try to diversify sources for energy.


http://www.casperstartribune.com/articles/2007/06/11/news/wyoming/d85b65da65541233872572f7000336bd.txt


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J. More Wisdom and Insight from Professor Krugman


He is always right on target with his editorials.


http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/06/11/1798/


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K. Progress on Wilderness Expansion Bill in Idaho


Any growth in wilderness areas in Republican-dominated Idaho is good news, but so much more is needed there as in other Western states.


http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2007/06/08/opinion/editorials/113774.txt


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L. Republicans Support Sinking Everywhere

What will be the impact on GOP candidates including incumbents in the November '08 elections ? This poll does not paint a good picture at all.


http://www.newwest.net/index.php/topic/article/poll_republicans_losing_ground_in_rural_america/C37/L37/


http://www.ruralstrategies.org/default.html


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M. College Degrees are not the Ticket to Success and Prosperity


Many individuals, including my brothers, among others, know this is true and I certainly am well aware of it as well.


http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/11/opinion/11mon3.html?em&ex=1181707200&en=4316131177e885aa&ei=5070


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N. A Not So Welcome Milestone Looms for Sports Fans in the City of Brotherly Love


On a lighter note, its been tough to be a Phillies fan. At least some can see the humor and achievement in being one.


http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/12/sports/baseball/12phillies.html?hp


http://celebrate10000.com



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Insane, Immoral Pay of Corporate Officials

The pay of corporate officials is truly wrong. Tax and other public policy must be reformed to stop this destruction of American capitalism. I will ponder over the coming weeks some of the public policy actions that must be employed and implemented as quickly as possible to get this under control and reduced. For the American economy and our democracy to be in balance and working properly for as many citizens as possible, all publicly traded and held corporations must pay their executives, officials, and management no more than 15 times that of what the lowest paid employee in that corporation is paid. One can look back in history 40-45 years ago and more to see that was the case in America. And by no coincidence, this was the perioid of the greatest success for the working class and when family life in the US was in balance.


http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/money/article/0,2777,DRMN_23908_5577618,00.html

Some things That are Now Gone That Were Reality When I was Born and an Infant

Some of the big changes that have occurred on a more visible level during my long lifetime:


-- there were only 48 states when I was born, and most of Africa and Asia were still under colonial control of Britain and France.

-- there was no such thing as an imported automobile being sold and driven in the US for the most part, and we had six domestic automobile manufacturers.

-- the Interstate Highway system was barely in existence, so most drivers had to take two lane roads when driving anywhere.

-- there was no such thing as fast food, microwaves, color television, frost-free freezers, flourescent lighting, electric dishwashers, air conditioning, digital watches, and unleaded gasoline.

-- most automobiles still had manual transmissions, bias ply tires, and no power accessories.

-- nobody had contact lenses, and all containers were made of glass and metal as nothing was constructed of plastic or aluminum for products to be contained in.

-- Baseball was the national sport and pastime but there was only 16 teams, and the two new teams in California, the Giants and Dodgers, had only been playing in the Golden State for a few months, being the first teams west of the Central Time Zone.

-- not many people paid attention to pro football, as there were only 12 teams. Nobody watched or heard of pro basketball or pro hockey except for a very small number of fans in the largely Northeastern cities where the 16 teams were located (10 in the NBA and only 6 in the NHL).

-- there was no such thing as a Zip Code, and US postal mail was delivered twice daily including Saturdays, and there was once daily mail delivery on Sundays. First Class Postal Stamps cost 2 or 3 cents each.

-- telephone service was quaint and of no technological sustance. Telephones had rotary dials, were always black in color and owned by AT&T, the one and only phone company in existance. Phone numbers consisted of only five numbers, and most people shared their phone service with others nearby in what was called a party line. No long distance calls were ever made except in case of extreme emergencies and important holidays, and the average monthly telephone bill was between $2 and $3.

-- there were only three or four television stations to watch at the most, and they went off the air around midnight at the latest and were not back on the air until 6:30am at the earliest. In most places there were only 3-5 radio stations that could be heard, and most signed off at sunset and played only music with news on the top of every hour.

-- many people only wore one set of a clothing throughout the week, and on Sundays they wore their nicest clothing for church and stayed in them through the whole day, especially for the all-important Sunday Dinner which was the best and most elaborate meal of the week in which Mom worked long and hard to prepare and the time when all family gathered together.

-- for many people, baths and showers were only taken once per week, usually on Saturday nights.

-- electric or gas dryers for clothing were unheard of, and everywhere you could see clothes hanging to dry on clotheslines.

-- most fabrics and materials in clothing and household products were made completely of cotton or wool, as artificial fabrics were still in their infancy for everyday use. Clothes were repaired and kept up and not viewed as disposable and changeable.

-- nobody except teenagers wore tennis shoes, and adults were always dressed impeccibly, with hats, suits, and shoes. No one over age 18 wore sandals, shorts, or tshirts except at the beach. Most people had only one or two pairs of shoes and they were expected to last a long time and were often resoled or repaired to accomplish just that. Blue jeans were only worn by farmers and cowboys.

-- all men kept their hair cut very short and visited the barber shop monthly, and all women made trips monthly or bimonthly to beauty shops to keep their hair looking good.

-- the only sports on television was one baseball game on Saturday afternoons, one college football game on Autumn Saturday afternoons, and one pro football game on Autumn Sunday afternoons. There was no basketball or hockey televised, and only limited amounts of golf and tennis. Televised auto racing did not exist, but boxing, wrestling, and trotting and horse racing were broadcast even on evening slots.

-- the only businesses that were open after 5pm or so were the odd gasoline station and liquor stores. Most restaurants closed by 7 and all stores by 6. Movie theatres and drive in theatres always started their last showing before or at dusk except in the biggest cities. Nearly every business was closed on Sundays to honor the Sabbath and to provide for quality and quantity family time.

-- airlines were only flown by the few wealthy people, government officials, and celebrities. Everyone else took the train or buses to get around outside of their immediate areas, which were considerably smaller than what is normal today -- nobody had any kind of a commute to their workplace, shopping, or other activities regularly done in ones daily life.

-- atomic and nuclear power was considered safe and viewed as an important part of the future in many different ways and applications, including energy, medicine, transportation, communications, and electronics.

-- virtually all oil being refined, used, and consumed originated from domestic sources, resulting in gasoline being priced around 8 cents to 15 cents per gallon. Most homes were heated with firewood, coal, heating oil, or steam heat, as natural gas usage was still in its infancy.

-- most shopping was still done in small neighborhood stores where there was a personal connection and intimacy as the shopping center was still a new phenomena. Sears, Woolworths, Montgomery Wards, and Gimbles were the retail giants of the day, and they were tiny in size, both physically and in number of outlets as compared to the Wal-Marts, Targets and other big box retailers that rule today


I will add more to this list as things come to me, or I will make a new post with those new entries. Contributions, comments, suggestions, and items I have overlooked are greatly welcome.

Corporations Gone Wild

Taxes and regulatory reform is what is necessary and essential to get these amok businesses entities reined in and in their proper place in a citizen democracy. A great first start would be a complete and extensive implementation of an across the board 2% revenue tax on all corporate revenue in excess of $180,ooo annually. Additional revenue taxes need to be accessed on the one hundred largest corporations, revenue emanating from sources outside the United States and Canada, and on those who pay any officer, official, or manager income that exceeds that of the President of the United States or is greater than 15 times that of that corporation's lowest paid worker.

We can reclaim the Golden Age of the American Worker and the Middle Class than existed in the 1950s and 1960s here in the United States if we get the corporacy and big business and their evil soulless leadership and management reined in and under firm hard knuckle control.


http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2007/06/08/taming_corporations_gone_wild.php

Continuing to Be Harnessed by Truck Repair Expenses

The White Knight continues to require largely unanticipated maintenance to be done and yet more still probably awaits. On Friday, 8 June, I had to take the truck into the shop for some new repairs. The starter suddenly died on Tuesday, 5 June, forcing me to have strategically park so I could push start the vehicle for three days. Not a pleasant proposition considering I had a bum knee. Fortunately the wind was blowing like all get out so all I had to do was disengage the truck out of gear and release the brake and the wind would push the truck down a low grade slope so it could be started. I also had an ongoing issue with the temperature guage sender unit which required replacement. The guage was reading completely inaccurately which is not good in the summer months and anytime for that matter as one has to be able to be aware of the engine system temperature.

I also had to have the tires rotated and the tire that was my spare had to be moved to the wheel that was on my front passenger side as I have a bad wheel that I only keep as a spare to use temporarily. My right front passenger tire was going bald on the outside with the metal belt already showing throught the rubber. This was of a great danger as I could have had a blowout easily with my 50-mile round trip commute which is primarily done at speeds in excess of 65 mph. The reason for the tire damage and wear is due to bad kingpins in the front suspension. The kingpins are original equipment on the truck and keep the tires and wheels at the proper cant. When kingpins are going bad, the wheels and tires invert inward in an ever so small way which puts additional stress, pressure, and wear on the outside of the tire surface.

While not a pressing safety matter, the replacement of the kingpins is something I need to attend to before years end for also reasons of maximizing the cost of investing in tires which are around $65 each. Replacing the kingpins on both front wheels and the suspension system is about $550, largely for labor which takes about six hours to do the job with all the disassembly and reassembly and making sure it is down with exact precision and alignment.

Another sizeable expense for the vehicle that also awaits will be installing a new clutch and replacing and aligning the flywheel. I suspect I will have to get this done also before years end. The clutch in the truck now has been in there since 1999 so I have gotten an excellent amount of time from this critical part. In the past, some clutches that were installed lasted less than 24 months so it was nice to have a correct and excellent installation done last time. I believe that in the 21 years I have had the truck there has been five or six clutches installed. The new starter I had installed today does not line up correctly with the existing flywheel so I will have to deal with a painful metal cutting grinding sound when engaging the clutch while turning the ignition key for a few weeks until the flywheel cuts a groove on the starter housing. The starter I got has a lifetime warranty so I should be okay with any future problem that may arise in the future. This clutch/flywheel repair job is also around $550 to get done. I need to bankroll funds so as I can be prepared if this expense happens suddenly.

Other expenses that I need to get done some day include replacing the entire exhaust from the manifold on back; getting those mirrors replaced; new rocker gaskets; a new power steering system as leakage occurs while driving at freeway speeds for a lengthy period of time during warm months; and the perennial practical and cosmetic issues that need addressing such as the inside door handles, the tailgate release assembly which is missing a plastic coupler, and paint and body work. Something annoying that has just happened is right turn signal indicator light on the instrument panel burning out -- it never occurred to me that this could happen so now I never really know if my signal to turn right is on since I see no visual evidence inside that it is engaged except for the turn signal arm being put into the proper position. I will have to keep an eagle eye on the bulbs to make sure they are in working order.

There are two choices for most people about motor vehicle transportation: have a newer vehicle and make car loan payments that are usually in excess of the vehicle's real value or have an older vehicle that is completely paid for and have to make regular and sometimes expensive maintenance and repair expenses. I have opted for the latter option which I think has made sense for me in most ways over the last two decades given my overall failure and ineptitude in most of the other areas in life. At least when one has the vehicle for as long as I have, generally I am completely aware and understanding what is going on and what the problem is when something arises, although I can still get stumped as what happened in late April and early May when rotting wiring that was not evident left me perplexed about why the Ford would not start.

At least I basically will get a free oil change and lube on Monday 11 June as the result of having spent over $250 on Friday 8 June for all the other repair and maintenance work I had done and availing myself of coupons that the repair garage had placed in the local Cheyenne newspaper.

Fortunately I will be moving into town in the next three to four weeks or so and then I can walk to work ( it will be about a 1.5 mile journey each way) saving alot of money and wear and tear on the truck. Living in a small city like Cheyenne will enable me to be able to walk to most places unlike if I had stayed in Denver. I will have to drive only to go to the grocery store, bookstore, and to visit my friends. I had hoped to get my property from Colorado by this weekend but once again circumstances will force a delay. The targeted day now for moving the property here is Wednesday 27 June. Apologies to HBL for having to continue to make adjustments to this timetable and having you continue to hold those 12-15 items in your garage for an even more longer period of time than you would like and trying your patience on this matter.

A Record Cold 8 June Morning Throughout the High Plains Region

It was a frosty morning across the Front Range Region on Friday, 8 June. Here in Cheyenne, an official low of 31 degrees was observed for a new record, but out where I stay it got down to 27 degrees.

In Denver, the official low was also 31 degrees, the second coldest morning low ever recorded and the latest sub-freezing temperature observed in any June day.

There were dozens of other communities across the region that also set new records, and in Castle Rock, where my brother's family resides, the low was 28 degrees.

I know Summer will get here eventually...and this global warming crisis sure has not been evident in this part of the world since early last November !

39 Years Later: A Deep Loss That Still Hurts for So Many

If there was ever a crossroads in history in my early life, the assassination of Senator Robert F Kennedy was one of the most significant. The loss of this man destroyed much of the promise, the hope, and the idealism of America, and it has never returned.


http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/06/08/1745/