Sparky

He looked a lot like a little red fox, but actually he was a Pembroke Welsh Corgi. His name was Sparky. Last night, Sparky died. He went inside the covered porch, laid down and died. He was my granddaughters dog, but he belonged to the whole family.

I looked out for him and Walter J, the other dog, when the kids were away. And, about twice per week, I took him treats - left over meat scraps or rice. We are all saddened by this unexpected loss and we will miss him.

In my lifetime I have lost several pets. It’s part of life’s learning process, but you never get used to it. For those that have lost pets, you understand and for those that have not, you’ve missed an important part of life. No one can truly explain the bond between humans and animals, but it is there. I can say without doubt that no other creature on this earth is as loyal and loves as much as a dog. Their love is unconditional. And, they are the only creature that I have encountered that loves you more than they do themselves.

I don’t know if all good dogs go to heaven, but I do understand what Will Rogers meant when he said, "If there are no dogs in heaven, then when I die, I want to go where they went."

Watch for me Sparky. I’ll bring you a treat.

PMO
©2013

Debt Ceiling

The debt ceiling has been raised seven times under the Obama administration. This amounts to $43,000 per household according to the Heritage Foundation - a bunch of smart people that study this kind of stuff. And, now, the Republicans are reportedly are proposing to suspend the debt ceiling for more than a year which would add $1.1 trillion to the debt.

If money is the number one cause of divorce in this country, and it is, then it appears that we need to divorce our government - trade’m in and get a new one. The bottom line is that we are broke and getting broker. Politicians don’t really care how much we as a country owes. All they want is to get perks and reelected.

The current administration seems hell bent on burying America by bankruptcy.

I can hear Nancy Pelosi saying, "We can’t be overdrawn at the bank, we still have some checks left."

PMO
©2013

Gun Debate Solution

With all the debate about gun laws, I have decided to solve the problem with a simple law: Everybody that wants a gun, get one. Everyone that doesn’t want a gun, don’t get one.

Those that don’t get one should be extra polite.

PMO
©2013

Insanity Continues

According to the Daily Caller and WHSV TV in Harrisonburg, Virginia, there are a couple of boys in the seventh grade at a Virginia Beach school that have been expelled for an entire school year because they were playing with an airsoft gun on the front lawn of one of the boys home. An airsoft gun shoots a sponge pellet, and it doesn’t shoot it very far. A neighbor who recognized that the gun was not real called the police anyway, saying it made her feel "uncomfortable," according to the report. The police took no action, but the school stepped in.

The home is 70 yards from a school bus stop and school officials feared the airsoft gun was a threat to students.

The inmates have taken over the institution. The institution is the schools that teach our children.

Don’t that make you feel all warm and fuzzy?

PMO
©2013

Rock Bottom

It’s finally happened. I’ve hit rock bottom in my life. I have been shopping on-line for dog boots. Our new dog gets her feet wet when she goes out and then tracks dirt back inside. My financial controller told me they make boots for dogs. I looked at her in complete disbelief, but it’s true. She assured me that one of her aunts had boots for her dog and used them when that dog went out.

There are a bunch of styles and colors to choose from. And, they come in sizes. Just how do you know what a dog’s size is? The dang things cost as much as I pay for my shoes. I suppose dog boots are the better deal. They get four.

That’s it folks. When one gets to shopping for doggie boots, one is at rock bottom in life. I have suggested just leaving the dog outside. That was not a popular idea.

I wonder if they have running shoes for dogs, or maybe cowboy boots.

PMO
©2013

Don't Win Too Much

Here’s a story as reported by Yahoo Sports. NBC affiliate KCRA in Sacramento reports that the Northern California Federation Youth Football League has instituted still penalties for any teams that beat their opponents by 35 points or more. The teams will be fined $200 and their coaches will be suspended from all league activities for two weeks.

As you might imagine, some teams and players are upset. They can’t play football. The NCFYFL Deputy Commissioner Robert Rochin claims the rule is proactive in keeping more kids interested in the sport and teaching others how to be good sports. Seems some teams lost by so many points they quit playing. This rule is to teach compassion for the other team.

I’ve never played football. I did play baseball. Understand that it was way back a long time ago, I remember that the objective was to get as many runs as possible. When I fished in tournaments, I did not think one time about hurting someone’s feelings by winning.

What happened to play as hard as you can? And, if you lose, play harder the next time. If the teams in the NCFYFL can’t win, get some more players or coaches. Life is tough. And as John Wayne said,
"it’s tougher when your stupid."

I would not be surprised that the idea of redistributing the wealth came from California. Taking from those that work and plan to win and giving to those that don’t may make sense to some people.

Not to the working people.

PMO
©2013

Privacy

Unless you make purchases with cash only, you have no privacy. And, not even then, because you had to get the cash from somewhere, that keeps a record. So, all the government spying is nothing new in the grand scheme of living.

Marketing companies have been collecting data on you since the day you were born and will until the day you die - maybe even after. They may be selling your personal information as well as likes and dislikes to the devil. I always wonder how he knows exactly how to get to me. Hmmm.

If you stop and think about all the institutions that have information about you, it is more than just scary. Schools, doctors, banks, lawyers, department stores, and employers are just a few. In today’s world, people post information that their mother doesn’t know, about themselves on social networks. And, with all the new electronic devices - phones - not only do you not have private information, almost anyone can tell where you are at any time.

Law enforcement agencies can listen to your conversations, capture you on video, and even see through walls to track you down. Who knows who else can do what to eliminate your privacy.

Makes you wonder who is watching even when you go potty.

PMO
©2013

Cost of Education

Parents worry about the cost of education. They have to plan, if they’re smart, to spend thousands and even hundreds of thousands of dollars to educate their offspring. Sometimes students take out loans that have to be repaid after graduation. The point is that education is expensive. But the cost of schools is cheap compared to the education that comes with life.

I’m a firm believer that school proves one has the ability to learn. Advanced degrees demonstrate that one has the ability to learn a lot. The operative word is ‘ability’ to learn. That doesn’t mean that any person with a college degree will learn outside the classroom.

The whole education process is supposed to be designed to get someone off to a good start in a particular field with at least some knowledge of that field. However, as someone once said, "In school you get the lesson and then you take the test. In life, you take the test and then get the lesson." And, that’s really expensive.

It’s cheaper just to stay in school all your life.

PMO
©2013

Emmys

Who will win an Emmy? There will be millions of people that will watch boring presentations as celebrities praise themselves. Why are there so many award shows for actors? Because they are perceived as being something special. Yes, they have a craft, but why don’t we have award shows for best performing auto mechanics? Now, there’s someone special.

I won’t be watching. I’ve never watched one award show and plan to live out the rest of my life without watching one. There’s only been one Emmy awarded that I would agree with anyway.

Don Knotts as Barney Fife.

PMO
©2013

Fashion

Over the years the rules of fashion, particularly women’s fashion, have changed numerous times. But, the reaction to what someone is wearing has remained about the same. "Oh, that outfit is so cute." "I just love that purse." "Those earrings are to die for." And, "That outfit really looks good on you." It is not appropriate to say, "You look good in that outfit."

Men are not so fashion conscious. Sure, you may hear a guy comment, "That’s a nice suit." But men for the most part just want something comfortable.

All this is leading me to what I’ve been wondering. What do people say in a nudist colony. Do women still proclaim, "That outfit really looks good on you?" It’s difficult for me to believe that you would hear a guy say to another guy, "Man that’s a nice suit." I suppose, should that happen, the second man would have only one reply.

"Thanks. I got it for my birthday."

PMO
©2013

Dyshidrosis

Doctor me has diagnosed a problem I’m having with my hands. There are little bumps and a rash. I called the dermatologist, but it is about a month before I can get in. So, I did what I always do, I did research. Browsing through the Mayo Clinic website, I discovered that I must have dyshidrosis. I just wish I could pronounce it.

The pictures and symptoms match. And, the causes intrigued me. Stress and nasal allergies seem to be the main culprits. I am allergic to everything in the air, especially perfumes. But, I just don’t understand how allergies could cause a reaction on my hands. Maybe I should not rub my nose when it itches.

One of the prescribed treatments is to take antihistamines. I took one little over the counter pill and almost fell asleep during dinner.

The pill stopped the itching which was keeping me awake during dinner.

PMO
©2013

Just Wondering

There are opposites on the abortion issue - for and pro-life. I’m on the pro-life side as you would expect. One of the arguments for is, ‘it’s a woman’s body and she has a right to an abortion.’ If that is a legitimate argument, then why is prostitution illegal? 

If prostitution was legal, I guess there would be a lot more abortions.

PMO
©2013

Talking To The Dog

My financial controller goes into Dallas two days per week for her job. That leaves me and the dog in charge. Now, I find myself talking to the dog as though she could answer. If that is a sign of insanity, then I know several million others that are crazy too.

The dog listens intently and looks at me just like everybody else does.

Math questions really throw her for a loop.

PMO
©2013

Government Makes Liars

I read an article today that says that ‘Obamacare’ will require doctors to ask their patients about their sex lives. Another reason why you don’t let government get involved with anything but building roads, defending the borders and delivering the mail, all of which they can’t handle either.

Questions like, "Are you sexually active? If so, with one partner, multiple partners or same sex partners?" It apparently won’t matter if you go to a cardiologist or a dermatologist.  If you go to more than one doctor, give them different answers.

If people cheat and lie on their tax returns, just wait until doctors start asking these kind of questions.

Somebody will write a book about the answers doctors get.

It will be titled "Believe It Or Not."

PMO
©2013

If It Ain't Broke

There is an old saying, "If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it." And, another saying, "We’ve always done it that way." Both of these apply sometime to some things, but neither applies all the time to everything, except here. My case in point is the lack of modern technology inside our little commune. Everyone is content to live with phone, internet and televison services that were great about a hundred years ago.

Asking around about these services I get about the same response. "Well it’s the best we can get." "It’s been like that since I’ve been here." In fact, we have a fellow that ran for election to the Board of Directors for our governing body with the assurance that he would not fix anything that wasn’t broken.

It just seems to me that if two plumbers can get two politicians recalled in Colorado, we should be able to apply enough pressure to somebody to get into the modern age of technology.

Who am I kidding? Just myself. In East Texas, change doesn’t happen.

We have the only country club with horse drawn golf carts.

PMO
©2013

Snakes In The Grass

Florida has a snake problem. Burmese pythons are multiplying at fast rate and spreading out their territory. The ecosystem in the swamps and everglades apparently fit the snakes just fine. The snakes are not native but probably got into the wild by people discarding their pets, according to a Sunday talking head report.

Burmese pythons get to be huge. In May of this year, a Florida man captured and killed a 128 pound, 18 foot, 8 inch long python. Most adults get only to about 10 feet or so.

The reporter said at the end of his report that the snakes are moving into new areas and could reach as far as Washington D.C. I sure hope they don’t get that far.

We’ve got enough snakes in the grass there.

PMO
©2013

You're Fired

Two plumbers from Pueblo, Colorado, started a recall effort in their living room, gathered thousands of signatures and won. State Sen. Angela Giron promised to focus on jobs and instead went after gun control. She cancelled town-hall meetings and refused to listen to anyone that opposed her. Senate President John Morse proposed gun legislation that even his fellow Democrats opposed, and then stated on national television that he ignored his constituents and encouraged others to do the same.

And, in an article by Laura Carno, a founder of IamCreatedEqual.com and IACE, which were active in the Colorado recall campaigns, said, "The recalls speak to a bigger issue (beyond gun legislation) of the proper role of government, and the importance of politicians understanding that they work for us."

Refusing to be ignored, ordinary citizens came together and organized a recall. Imagine that? We hired you. We can fire you.

We need to find two plumbers in every state and watch them go.

PMO
©2013

Puppy Problem

My financial controller has a new puppy, which means I have a new puppy when she is away on business. Why is it that when she is out of town, the dog has a problem? When I say problem, I’m talking doggie diarrhea. That’s right, and I’m talking white carpet. This is not in my job description.

After getting the dog outside and thinking about dyeing the carpet brown, I called the vet for solutions. That was another mistake. Veterinarians always want you to bring the dog in for a check up. I won’t bore you with all the details, but they gave the dog a shot of something, a bottle of medicine to take home, with no explanation or diagnosis and a bill. Medical doctors don’t charge as much as vets. I did get a senior discount of five percent. Heck, I get a ten percent discount at the Dairy Queen.

Next time, I’ll take the dog to the Dairy Queen.

PMO
©2013

You Don't Have To Believe?

A number of news sources are reporting that Pope Francis has stated that non-believers would be forgiven by God if they followed their consciences. In other words, you don’t have to believe and have faith to get into heaven. If this is true, it sounds to me like the Pope has pooped his pants. The Washington Times reports that the Vatican says that the Pope got it wrong.

Apparently Francis wrote a long open letter to Eugenio Scalfari, the founder of La Repubblica newspaper and made the statement. Mr. Scalfari reportedly responded to the letter and said the Pope’s comments were "further evidence of his ability and desire to overcome barriers in dialogue with all."

Letting your conscience be your guide won’t get you into heaven. If it were possible and you could live a life without any evil thought or action, never intentionally hurting anyone and forgiving everyone that hurt you, giving generously to help those less fortunate, lending a helping hand at every opportunity, treating all others as you would like to be treated and knowing you will not be, and finally letting your works speak for what a saint you are but having no faith or belief in God and the Christ, you will not get into heaven. Regardless of what any person says, it ain’t going to happen. Don’t believe me, then try it.

See how that works out for you.

PMO
©2013

Another Dumb Feature

If you have been paying attention you will know that I have been car shopping. All rhyme, reason and logic is against buying a new car. It just does not make sense. There is nothing that depreciates faster than a new car. That’s why I get really annoyed when a sales person comments, "So your thinking about investing in a new set of wheels." Investing?

In all my research, there is one feature that stands out to my financial controller. It’s the ‘wave you foot under the back bumper to open the tailgate on an SUV.’ Auto manufacturers tout it as ‘what do you do when your arms are full?’ solution. Let me ask a question. I always have questions. If you are literally loaded down with packages, do you dare raise up one foot and try to find the sweet spot under the bumper? I can’t stand on one foot without any packages.

If they can activate the temperature controls by voice command, why can’t they raise the tailgate by voice command? I can just hear it now, a bunch of people with that feature, out on the parking lot with arms loaded with sacks and boxes shouting at the top of their voice.

OPEN you *^#+%#*!!!!!

PMO
©2013

$45,000 Vacuum

Honda Odyssey now offers a vacuum cleaner on board. Say what? That’s right, if you buy the top-of-the-line Touring Elite, sticker price $45,280, it comes with a vacuum cleaner. I know family haulers get some tough use, but is there a need for a built in vacuum? Come on people. If your family is so trashy that you have to stop and vacuum out the van every few miles, you need to change your lifestyle.

The vacuum operates with the engine running so I guess you could vacuum why you drive. Here’s a picture: driving along, sending text messages, listening to your satellite radio, checking out your GPS navigation screen and cleaning up the food you drop while doing the aforementioned. It only operates eight minutes with the engine off, so you may have to hurry to get all the debris out.

Do you really want or need a vacuum in the family van? What’s next? A flushing toilet? Hey, that’s not a bad idea.

That would capture the old people market.

PMO
©2013

Why Nannies

I complain a lot about the "Nanny" government. You know, the kind that tells you how to live your life, what to believe, what to eat, what to think, and all those what not to do’s. And, they watch your every move to see what you are doing or not doing.

Well, I have come to a conclusion as to why we have nanny government. First and foremost, people in political office are there because they want - they love - to tell other people what to do. It doesn’t matter how crazy or stupid their ideas are, they want to force you and I to do or accept their ideas and ideals. Never mind what they do. They are exempt from their own rules.

Next, there is a growing number of the population that want a nanny government. They are those that are incapable or are too lazy to make decisions that require a little thought or education. These are the "sheeple" you hear about. They are willing to give up freedom and independence for security which is a false dream. Read a little history 101.

But, the main reason that we have nanny government is possibly because the people in office think that the rest of the country is like them.  They need nannies.

And, training wheels.

PMO
©2013

Attention Criminals

While I must admit that I would not make a very good criminal - I’m too nervous - there seems to be a growing opportunity for them. If Auntie Nanny - used to be Uncle Sam - has her way, it won’t be long before all law abiding citizens will be without firearm protection. Only auntie, and the chosen ones will be allowed protection from people that want to hurt you.

Guns have been a deterrent to crime for centuries. Yes, we have crime, but when citizens are not allowed to have guns and criminals do, it is not a level playing field. There have already been cases where victims of a criminal attack have been prosecuted for protecting themselves or their property.

In case you haven’t heard, criminals don’t abide by laws - including gun laws.

PMO
©2013

In my lifetime I’ve had a number of bad haircuts. No, the Army haircuts were not the worse. The only way to fix a bad haircut is to wait about three weeks.

The new dog had to go to the groomer for her first haircut. She is half Havanese and half Shih Tzu so she has a bushy face and head. Well, she had a bushy face and head. When my financial controller picked her up after leaving her for about four hours, the groomer had given her an Army haircut. The poor little dog got a buzz cut.

I think she knows that she no longer is that cute little hairy face dog. She will probably have to have therapy to restore her self esteem. I wonder how much that will cost.

All she needed was for them to trim her up and get the hair out of her eyes. Well, I guess they did that.

I’m going to buy her a hat.  Maybe an Army hat.

PMO
©2013

Old People

If you have read this blog more than once, you know that I have a problem with everything. That’s the way grumpy old men are. Today, I have a problem with old people. That may sound strange, since I are one.

What is it that makes old people want to tell you all their medical problems in great detail. I have a friend that just went through a hip replacement and I can give you the names of all those that had anything to do with the procedure. That’s details! Why would anyone think that I would want to know? This is why when I greet people at retiree meetings that I conduct, I never ask them how they are. I just comment, "It’s nice to see you" or "You’re looking good."

I can see no reason why anyone would want to hear an hour of more of my problems with in-stage Lyme disease that I’ve had for years.

To all old people, don’t tell everyone your problems. Eighty percent don’t care and twenty percent are glad you have them. Talk about more important things.

Fishing and the price of ammunition are important things.

PMO
©2013

Stand For Something

Aaron Tippin and Buddy Brock wrote a country song awhile back that I happened to hear today. "You’ve Got To Stand For Something" was a big song for Tippin. As I listened I began to think of how many folks today really stand for something. Politicians change sides in the blink of an eye. Things that were absolutely wrong just a short time ago now are accepted as being right. I am so confused.

The song says, "Now Daddy didn’t like trouble, but if it came along, everyone that knew him knew which side he’d be on. He never was a hero, or this county’s shining light, but you could always find him standing up for what he thought was right. He’d say, you’ve got to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything. You’ve got to be your own man, not a puppet on a string. Never compromise what’s right and uphold your family name. You’ve got to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything."

I wonder what would happen if we had a few million men today that stood for something.

"One man with courage is a majority." - Thomas Jefferson

PMO
©2013

Sad But True

You never really know what to expect on this blog.  I know I don't.  So today, this one may just be a little different.
At a meeting of retirees this week I saw a lot of old friends that I hadn’t seen in years. It was one of those meetings where you really don’t get to visit and catch up, but try to at least say hello. One old friend said to me, "What have you been up to all these years?" I thought about that and replied, "Disappointing the Lord - but trying to do better."

Think about that for awhile.

PMO
©2013

Need To Know

Will Rogers said, "We are all ignorant, just in different subjects." I may be ignorant in more subjects than most people, because I just don’t need to know. My case in point is portable washing machines. I had no idea that they were still available, nor that a need exist. Browsing today, I saw an ad for such an appliance. Back in the day, we had portable washing machines because they were the only kind one could have.

I do remember helping to push a huge wringer type washing machine to the kitchen sink to hook it up to a hose to do the family laundry. And, we had wash tubs for rinsing the soap out. If this sounds like a lot of work, it was.

First you had to get the dang machine full of scalding hot water. Then you washed the white clothes. Usually you added about ten gallons of chlorine bleach to kill what ever the hot water didn’t get. Then you ran the clothes through the wringer, sometimes more than once to get the water and some of the soap out. Next was the first rinse tub which you poke the clothes around by hand. And the final rinse was a repeat, except you would ring out the water by hand.

The not portable dryer was about fifty feet of rope strung between two post where you would hand the laundry using clothes pins. This was true solar power clothes drying. Once you had the first load drying, you started the process over again - using the same water.

I suppose that some apartment dwellers, college students and perhaps a few others need portable washing machines. I hadn’t thought about it. I didn’t need to know.

If I had to go back to the process of the old days, I would just wear my cleanest dirty clothes

PMO
©2013

No New Car

One of my problems, I seem to have lots of them, is that I look at everything logically. Therefore we are not getting a new car - (see DO Not Buy A Car). The primary reason is that a vehicle that would be acceptable is not available. And, then of course there’s the money.

Car dealers order vehicles based upon what they like. And, manufactures build cars with option packages. Option packages are like buying a music CD to get one song. There are just some options that I cannot justify buying. My financial controller on the other hand looks at the one or two features she wants and is willing to accept all the other stuff that just cost more money.

Admittedly I do focus on the mechanical options - like engines and gas mileage. I really don’t want a navigation systems just to get a back up sensor. I still have maps and I can always look up a map on-line. Cup holders don’t mean a thing to a grumpy old man. I’ve never used a lighted vanity mirror in my life. Deluxe wheels and oversized tires are not worth what they charge. And, I really don’t want to talk to the climate control system to set the cabin temperature. My rear end doesn’t need to be heated or cooled. I like it the way it is.

Oh, it’s not over. We will get a new car. And, we will get stuck with junk that will never be used. But, it will be after the battle.

What ever happened to windows you could roll down and a three speed shift on the column?

PMO
©2013

Boil The Water

The main water line broke in our little commune. The whole community was without water for several hours. Now, before you can drink or cook with the water you have to boil it. It comes out of the tap at a lovely yellow color. I’m not boiling yellow water. I guess the water is yellow because our water comes from a MUD - Municipal Utility District.

For some time now I have expressed my "displeasure" with this place, and now the water is yellow. We are being taxed an additional amount on our water bill so the system can be replaced. That is going to happen when? In the meantime, we get mud water. They did say we only have to boil the water until the state inspection agency runs a test. On a holiday weekend, that is not going to happen anytime soon and it is the opening of dove season. If you have forgotten, everything here is controlled by the season. Dove season is one of those controls.

Let me recap the perks of living in a private gated community as opposed to living where I was. The water cost is three times as expensive. The garbage service is twice as expensive. There are HUD and Club monthly fees. And, we get yellow water!

Oh well, here’s MUD in your eye.

PMO
©2013