Daylight Saving Time

Major news services remind you November 1 is the end of Daylight Savings Time.  These are supposed to be the professionals.  The correct term is Daylight Saving Time.

That the ‘journalist’ today don’t know the correct term does not surprise me.  Twelve out of ten of them can’t form a simple sentence.  “Joe Bob, he ran all the way round the bases.’  Please pick out the subject of that sentence.  There’s another error too.  Look for it.

Just turn your clocks back one hour.  You sure don’t want to be early for church.

God might not be there yet.

PMO
©2015

Hi Ho, It's Down The Road We Go

My financial controller and I made a road trip back to the Dallas area to see a new baby.  This is over four hours of driving, with a lot of it in Dallas traffic - with heavy rain.  This is something she has been planning for sometime and I only agreed to go if we could meet a friend of mine for lunch, which we did.

Now you need to know that the father of the baby is about to be 65 and the mother is in her 40's.  Whatever you said, that’s what I said and then some.  We made the trip because they are such good friends with my financial controller.  I don’t think they like me very much.

We made the trip, stayed for about 20 minutes and left.  Of course my take on the whole thing was once you’ve seen one baby, you pretty well know what they look like.

I had to say something, so I asked, “Does he do any tricks?”

Maybe that’s why they don’t like me.

PMO
©2015

Co-Signers

If you have never co-signed a loan, let me give you some advice.  Never, never, never do it.  Not, for your mother, brother or favorite child.  Give them money if you have to, but don’t co-sign a loan.  Doing so, puts you on the hook for payment and there are too many variables that can affect that outcome.

Having said that, you have just co-signed a loan for another trillion dollars or so.  When the government decides to take out loans, you are the co-signers.  A perfect example of why I just told you not to sign.  We have a group that loves to borrow money that you will pay back.  Government has no means of paying a loan except taxes and “fees” and therefore you are left holding the sack.

If government were to be told that we will no longer pay more, somebody somewhere would start to try and manage on what we already have.

I have a dream.  That someday the American people will wake up and realize before it is too late, that they have to be involved with what the government does.

Dreams sometime come true.

PMO
©2015

Short Message

This is short message to all Republican candidates for POTUS. 

The Democrats are your opponents.

Write it down so you won’t forget it.

PMO
©2015

Train To Wash Hair

Currently in Texas, a person that wishes to only shampoo a customer’s hair at a hair salon is required to complete 1,500 hours of cosmetology and barber training.  That’s more than the flight time required of commercial airline pilot trainees.

In some states hair braiders need more training than emergency medical technicians.  It can take up to 2,100 hours and cost upwards of $20,000 to get a license.  EMTs, on average, only take 140 hours to get a license. 

What does all this mean?  It means that someone needs to examine license requirements.

I can see it now.  A plane crashes and the EMTs are called.  Investigators determine pilot error caused the crash and few survived because of the emergency medical services.  BUT!

Everyone had a nice hairdo.

PMO
©2015

No Surprise

If you live in a dream world, you’d better sit down before reading further.  Your government operates under a double standard.  Whoa be unto you if you happen to be a white Christian when it comes to government.  Case in point is a press release from the EEOC on October 22, 2015.

Two Muslim truck drivers were awarded $240,000 because they refused to haul beer in their truck.  The EEOC alleged that Star Transport fired the two men because they refused to haul alcohol for religious reasons. 

But, what about Christian bakers, florist, pizza makers, and even county clerks that refuse to take part in gay or lesbian weddings?  I suppose those people should have taken my advice several months ago when  I wrote that all they had to do was pretend to be Muslim when they refused service.

I know that you are not surprised about this.  What I wonder is, ‘what are you going to do about it?’

Nothing.

That’s why there is a double standard.

PMO
©2015

Don't Fit

Roger Miller, several years ago, recorded a song titled, “Where Have All The Average People Gone.”  In the lyrics there is a line that says, “funny I don’t fit.”  Well, that’s me.  I don’t fit.  As discussed before, I look at almost everything logically.  I examine the pros and cons, the cost and benefits and finally I ask, “Does this make sense?”  This kind of thinking is very upsetting to a lot of people.  Especially family.

Several years ago we bought my in-laws a new television because they had the old tube type.  When they came home after I had set up the new set, they didn’t even notice they had a new TV - while they were watching it.  My brother-in-law decided, he and my financial controller should get them a new one again.  A 55" set.  There is nothing wrong with the one we bought them. 

I expressed my opinion and was promptly overruled.  Logic does not apply.  Because the in-laws live in a very small apartment now, they sit close to the TV.  The screen size will be a source for complaints.  Not to mention that “it is not like the old one.”  That’s why I am at home writing this blog while the TV is being set up.

I’m also going to send an email to the cable company and tell them to hire more people.

They are going to need them.

PMO
©2015

Say What?

Frequently I receive a usage summary from my medical insurance company.  These are known as EOBs or Explanation of Benefits.  They explain what one is charged for medical service, how much the insurance company pays and any amount you may owe.  And, there are always additional pages explaining various information about the benefits.  On my latest EOB, I discovered that I may receive adverse information in four languages: Spanish, Tagalog, Chinese, or Navajo.  I had no idea what Tagalog was, so I looked it up.

Tagalog is the Austronesian language of the Philippines and is spoken by about 57 million people.  How about that!  I’m not absolutely sure, but I do believe it may be what some people in East Texas speak.  At least the ones I talk to.

Not that I will ever travel to the Philippines, I decided to look up a translation for a very important word for grumpy old men.  The word is paliguan.  Bathroom.  And, the Spanish word, banyo also works.

I feel a lot better knowing this.

PMO
©2015

You Need

My financial controller went to have the oil changed in her car this week.  The car is now about two years old, so the shop we use went into their sales mode.  They told her that on her next visit, she would need to have some services and repairs that would cost about $500.  As expected, when she told me, I replied, “I don’t think so.”

She told me that they wanted to do something to the transmission, change the air filter, replace two tires and I don’t know what else.  Why do these people tell customers such things?  They tried all that on me on one of my visits.  I changed the air filter myself.

But, in this age of equality, the same old approach of thinking a woman doesn’t know anything about a car still prevails.  I do agree they usually don’t, but at least they should ask someone before agreeing to  the ‘recommended’ services and/or parts.

Because they didn’t give her a written estimate, I’m not sure of what they intended. 

Change the air in the tires, deep clean the glove compartment and adjust the radio station?

PMO
©2015

Rule #6

It’s time for another official grumpy old man rule of life.  This week I had to talk to a financial planner to conduct some business.  The commons with financial planners is they have an opinion, and they plan to separate from your finances.

The fellow, named David, and I did agree on one point which happens to be rule #6: “Take care of the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves.” A vast majority of the population has yet to discover this simple to becoming richer than you are.  Note, I said richer, not rich.  When one pinches the pennies, they add up rather quickly to dollars.  And, when you have more dollars, be just as careful with them.

Hey, I still pickup a penny when I see one on the ground.

I get dirty fingers but I’m always richer than I was.

PMO
©2015

American Values

As usual, I have questions.  What are the American values today? Are truth, honesty, honor, righteousness, and a strong Judeo-Christian beliefs our treasures?  How about, freedom, independence, pride, a unique culture, patriotism, strength, unity or family first?  Nope.

Doesn't leave much does it?

PMO
©2015

Mechanical Televison

Strange as it may sound, the first televisions were mechanical contraptions.  Basically, they had a mechanical spinning wheel with holes that scanned an image and converted it into transmission device and a ‘televisor’ on the receiving end with a spinning wheels with holes that allowed for a display of the object.  Pretty simple, huh.  Not really.  Through a number of experiments, a working prototype was developed in the late 1880s by a 23 year old German student.

Can you just imagine what it would be like today if we had mechanical TV?  The scanners were huge and the receivers were just about as big.  When connected you could see a still image on a very small screen.  That translates to no 24/7 football games.

I can only imagine what it was like in the early days of broadcasting images.  We’ve come a long way.

But I do wonder, since the devices were mechanical, how often you had to change the oil.

PMO
©2015

They Hate Us

If you sleep a lot or are dead you may have missed the attacks on Christians and their beliefs.  For some strange reason, a lot of people don’t like other people that spread charity (love) around the world.  And, they choose right over wrong, preferring evil over good, and are quite willing to use courts  or any means to stop Christians from doing what they do.  There are those that kill Christians and sincerely believe it is the right thing to do.

Well, here are my thoughts about all that.  There are lots of reasons to be a true Christian.  The after death benefit alone is worth signing up.  Not to mention all the church suppers.  Plus, you get to learn things you will never learn from other religions.  Like, love, forgiveness, peace, understanding, and insight that escapes most of the world.

So, I am convinced that Christianity is the way to go.  I personally have witnessed a miracle that had a lasting impact on me.  But that’s just one event.  Think about it, the world hates us.

If you are hated that much, you must being doing something right.

That’s what Jesus said.

PMO
©2015

Driverless Cars

Toyota, Apple and Google are working on a ‘driverless car.’  These little bugs are supposed to take the worry out of driving and make decisions based upon the data received.  They speed up, slow down, yield to traffic, navigate obstacles, maintain safe distances from other cars, and honk the horn at good looking women.  I made that last one up.

While these are all in development stages, Google is reportedly working with the city of Austin, Texas for some test runs.  Another new technology is taking the place of human responsibility. 

Don’t scoff.  They laughed at the “Dick Tracey” watch too.  Before long we could see cars zipping along the roadways with no driver.  Which presents at least one problem.  Who are you going to make an obscene gesture to if the car cuts you off?

With all the advances in artificial intelligence, I suppose that driverless cars will someday be just another common traveler on the road.

My opinion is that artificial intelligence beats no intelligence.

Try driving in East Texas where most drivers have none.

PMO
©2015

Play For "Zish"

Back in the old days when I was in the Army, I used to play pool.  Before you think it, I was not in the Continental Army.  Truth is, I never learned to play pool very well.  But, there was an old black man that worked in one of the rec centers on post that tried his best to teach me.  He was very good.

One of the things he stressed was to play “zish.”  That was his term for position.  He would say, “Boy, you gotta know where the cue ball is going if you make the shot or miss.  You have to play two or three shots ahead.  And, if you don’t make your shot, at least leave your opponent in a bad place so he can’t make a shot.”  There’s a life lesson in playing “zish.”

How many of us plan two or three shots ahead or  what to do if we fail?  Yes, you plan to win, but just like in combat, you always need to know how and where to retreat if you have to.  Having a plan keeps one from being a failure, or getting killed.

Whatever your plan for life is, be sure that you think and plan ahead.  And, know what you will do if you don’t make your plan.  Plan your plan and plan for a failure.  I still play for “zish.”

Now days my plan is to sit.  If that fails, I take a nap.

PMO
©2015

Misused And Abused

In my non-humble opinion, the most powerful word in the English language is constantly misused and terribly abused.  The word is love - LOVE!  It is used to describe someone’s feelings about everything from puppies to laxatives.  Despite what the TV commercial says, people that “love” their laxative have  more problems than constipation.

Do people really love their car?  I hope not.  That would mean they could marry the car.  Yet, everyday we hear people say they love this or that.  What they really mean is that they like something or enjoy something.  The word love has become a throw away word.  The true meaning has been lost.  And, perhaps that’s why we live in a throw away world.  If we love a new material something, but throw it away when we are tired of it, then it’s okay to love someone and throw them away after we tire of them.  It happens everyday. 

We get our language from a variety of other languages including Greek.  There are six or maybe seven Greek words that we translate as love.  Agape and phileo are two of them. 

Phileo translates to a feeling for someone, such as a friend.  This is what we often feel about those that are close to us as we navigate this little journey called life.  But, some even take this word lightly.  “Oh, I just love him/her,” someone might say about someone they barely know.  Usually it only takes one misunderstanding or mistreatment for the love word to change to the hate word.

The word agape is complex, but what it really means is love.  Love, in all circumstances and conditions.  You might call it unconditional love.  Unlike other words we use loosely, agape includes action.  How many mothers would stay up all night with a sick child without this kind of love?  You have to do something that you may not want to do.  Perhaps swallow your pride, forgive when you have been terribly wronged or even suffer severe emotional or physical pain.  That’s love.

This is the kind of love that God has.  After all, he sent his only son to die.  Can you love that much?  I don’t think I could.  Sacrifice an only child for people that hate you?  I can only compare that to our military, police and firefighters.  Sometimes they die to protect others and the best we can do is honor the wife, mother, father, children, brother or sister for their sacrifice.

STOP!  Before you say it again.  Do you really love this or that, or do you truly just like it or have affection for it?

Words have meanings.  The word “love” is the most important and powerful word you can ever use.

Don’t waste it.

PMO
©2015

Very Interesting

The top Republican contenders for the 2016 presidential election include candidates that are white, black, Hispanic, and Indian.  There is a woman too.  And, in the Democrat corner, you have a bunch of rich white people.  The woman they offer is a habitual liar and is running on the fact she is a woman.  (I am going to accept that she is a woman.)

This seems interesting because the demagogues constantly point to the republicans as a bunch of old white rich men.  But the real interesting fact is, that millions believe them.

Again, you can’t fix stupid.

PMO
©2015

No More Chuck In A Truck

In our little commune, we have an intranet bulletin board which allows one to ask for recommendations on various trades.  In the three years we’ve been here (seems like 300 years) I’ve asked for help in locating someone to do a job at a fair price.  I’ve also asked neighbors and friends.
We just had the windows replaced by a company which has several trucks, a website and a BBB rating of A+, but they don't have an address.  That's because they don't want anyone to know where they are.  Just a phone number.

I have now made myself a promise that whatever I need done, I will do it myself, which takes forever even on the simple jobs, or I will not get it done.  I have yet to find anyone that I would want to hire again.  Hence forth and evermore, I promise me that I will only deal with large companies.  At least there I can get someone to do a job right once in awhile.

Right now my garage needs a complete update.  So, I’ve told my financial controller that I will do it myself, even it kills me. If this blog goes away, you will know it did.

At least I will die with my boots on and a paint brush in my hand.

PMO
©2015

How To Get Richer

There are a few million get rich schemes that millions of people fall for everyday.  And, the end result is always the same.  The schemers get rich.  In case you haven’t noticed, rich people get there through hard work and planning.  Emphasize planning.

It doesn’t matter how much your income is, you must have a financial plan.  And, you must pay attention to your plan.  Part of your plan has to be control expenses.  I think I just lost most of my readers.  People don’t like to control expenses.  They like making more money.  That’s why there are a lot of rich people.  They get the money you don’t control.

We are a people of wants and more wants.  So what if I spend the rent, I can make up a story or wait until next month to pay.  I want the latest and greatest something. 

Recently I read a brief story about a family that shut down expenses except for the essentials - food and shelter.  They went into an absolute “control expenses” mode for a year.  This meant that if something non-essential broke, they repaired it or did without it.  Yes, they had a good income, but they had not controlled expenses and wanted to see what would happen.

Believe it or not, you don’t have to have all the sports channels, the latest phone or TV or even a new refrigerator just because you want one.  Really rich people, that deal in millions and billions of dollars, will tell you that without controlling expenditures, you will never get richer.

With controlling expenses, you have no financial future.

PMO
©2015

A Secret

Marines are tough.  When Donald “Donnie” Dunagan was 18, in 1952, he joined the Marine Corps.  He became the youngest ever Marine Corps drill instructor.  Dunagan served three tours in Vietnam and for his service he received a Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts.  He retired at the rank of major in 1977.

Marines are tough, but this marine had a secret.  A secret he kept, even from his wife, for 25 years.  When he was a child, for a short time he was an actor and at one time he was the main source of support for his family.  No, that’s not the secret.

Major Dunagan was a Marine, and Marines are tough.  Not only did he serve as a drill instructor, he became a commanding officer for training recruits.  A decorated hero, now living in San Angelo, Texas, he now readily admits his secret. 

During the time he was a child actor, Disney released the film, “Bambi,” in 1942.

Major Donald Dunagan, the tough Marine, was the voice of Bambi.

PMO
©2015

Friends

It has been said that you are known by the friends you keep.  If that is true, then I am confused.  Over the years I’ve had friends that are very smart, well educated and sophisticated.  And, I’ve had friends that are not smart, not educated and might be considered crazy.

My friends range from one that has a PhD in economics to one that I’m not sure if he ever finished high school.  Many of my friends are engineers, but I am not.  I have friends that are common laborers and some that are executives in large corporations.  There are a couple of medical doctors on my friends list.  And, then there is the Baptist preacher, Dr. Wild Bill.  You have to know him to understand why he is ‘wild’ Bill. 

My friends range from the very rich to poor people.  Most probably fit in the middle class when it comes to money.  I don’t ask for a financial statement before making a friend.

Really close friends have been people from various races, colors, and religions.  I don’t notice things like that with a friend.

What do your friends say about you?

PMO
©2015

Not Funny

According to Buzzfeed.com, there are people that believe the movie, ‘The Martian’ is based upon a true story.

These people vote too.

PMO
©2015

Dr. Ben Again

Dr. Ben Carson is at it again.  Now he says that if Jews had been allowed to have guns, the holocaust would have been much harder to implement.  Can you imagine that?

Dictators don’t want armed subjects.  If you have a plan to annihilate a race, the last thing you want is for them to have the ability to fight back.  All through the history of mankind, the tactics of dictators have been pretty much the same - keep the peons in place with force.  Force doesn’t work if the peons have weapons.

Have you ever wondered why our government wants to take away all the guns?  Dr. Ben has.

And, so have I.

PMO
©2015

Really Late Term Abortion

California Governor Jerry Brown has signed a measure to make physician assisted suicide legal in that state.  The law will not go into effect until January.  Oregon already has a law on the books.  Didn’t Jack Kevorkian go to jail for this?

The new plan is to allow a terminally ill patient to administer his/her own drugs (pills) to end life.  The target population is those that are ‘suffering’ and without insurance coverage that will cover treating them.  Insurance will pay for the ‘pills’ to stop living.  Ain’t that nice.

The patient must make the decision and take the medication while a doctor sits or stands around watches them die.  Has the Hippocratic oath turned into the hypocritic oath?  Looks like they can get you coming or going - abortion or suicide.

No, I am not going to get into the arguments about ‘right to choose’ when one’s life should end.  It just seems that hanging around would be the sensible choice.  As long as you are alive, you have a chance.

I would like to ask the ‘elite’ where they got authority over human life.  And, I would like to know what they will do when ‘their time comes?’

If life means nothing we may as well become a nation of criminals, sexual deviants, masters and slaves,  communist and haters of right that focus on whatever feels good and whatever a few can make the others succumb to.

Oops.  We’re already there.

PMO
©2015

No Common Sense Please

Dr. Ben Carson, candidate for president, has gotten into trouble for his comments about guns.  The good doctor suggested that having well trained and licensed teachers in classrooms could deter attacks such as the recent community college in Oregon.  These kind of comments start a feeding frenzy with liberals and media talking heads.  I hate to mention it, but there is a tiny community in north central Texas near where I grew up that now has a sign posted on their schools.   The signs proclaim they have armed teachers.  No gun free zone for them.

Dr. Carson also said that had he been at the Oregon shooting, he would not have stood still and let the killer shoot him.  He said that he would have yelled at everyone to charge the shooter.  Yes, some may have been shot, but the carnage would have been a lot less.  It is called the rule of 21.

The rule of 21 simply states that if you have three or more unarmed people, within 21 feet or less, charging at you, and you have a gun, at least one of them will get to you.  Reality is that you can’t shoot fast and accurately enough to get all three before they can get to you.

Dr. Carson appears to be a man with common sense.

No wonder he has so much opposition.

PMO
©2015

News Update

In case you missed the latest news, here is my update.  Politicians are still lying and getting rich.  Radicals in every extreme are rolling over everything that makes sense.  Hatred for Christians, guns and white people continues to rise.  The country is not going broke, it is already broke and we are living on how much we can borrow.  The populous is focused on football and iPhones.

And, the average desk contains more bacteria than a toilet seat.  You should not eat at your desk.

Perhaps you should eat sitting on a toilet seat.

You’ll be prepared for all of the above.

PMO
©2015

Sick Humor

Okay.  I know I sometimes have a weird sense of humor.  Usually it is caused by some sign or ad posted for all to see.  My mind seems to race to questions.

I saw a website for a funeral home near my lean-to.  There was an ad stating they take credit cards.  This appeared a little strange to me.  Think about this.  The funeral is all over and when they ask for payment a relative tells them payment will be made by credit card.  It is in the deceased’s pocket and he’ll have to sign the receipt.

Or how about the notice that they are handicapped accessible.  Well, if you are dead, I guess you would be handicapped.

Sometimes I worry about me.

PMO
©2015

Help Wanted

I am officially posting my help wanted ad.  Needed: plumber, painter, carpenter, window installer, electrician, and just about any other trade worker.  All the jobs require that you work fast, sloppy, incompetent, and make a lot of messes.  You will need to show up for work when ever you get in the mood and always leave early.  Pay is a fair price for a good job, but since you won’t do a good job, I won’t know until you are finished.

If there is a competent trade worker in East Texas, he/she is hiding from me.

PMO
©2015

News And Commentary

It is time for some lawsuits against every news network and most local newspapers, radio and television stations.  The issue is that they pretend to present the ‘news’ when they actually present a bit of news and a lot of their commentary.

Every news source should be forced to add a disclaimer that the opinions expressed about the news may or may not have anything to do with what really happened.

Said disclaimer should be conspicuously placed or announced repeatedly throughout the broadcast or publication to ensure that readers, viewers or listeners understand that commentary is strictly an opinion and is an attempt to sway an audience into believing their side of a story.

Here’s a simple example:

At (name of publication or broadcast facility) we believe that we should never let the facts or the truth interfere with a good story.

PMO
©2015

Gun Free?

By now, unless you are dead, you have heard about the terrible shooting at a college in Oregon.  I won’t bore you with details because by now you’ve heard more than you need to.  Let us all pray for the families and those that are wounded.  You can never have too much prayer.

The point today is that as expected Obama is back on gun control, which is really just ‘control.’  The school was a typical ‘Gun Free Zone,’ which means law abiding people will respect the law, but those that are intent upon doing harm only see it as a safe place to kill while no one can defend themselves. 

No, I am not advocating guns in schools, but I do know that criminals don’t act when enforcement is present.

If you think that this tragedy was a gun’s fault, you live in a make believe world.  Personally I know a dozen ways to kill people without a gun.  Yes, I do mean kill more than one or two, without a gun.  What we have is a people problem.

We’ve created, or allowed a society to be created, that we don’t want to live in.  If you think that guns are the problem, consider this, “guns may be the solution.”

At least temporarily, we may have to resort to guns to put the criminals and terrorist back under control.

It’s obvious that what government is doing now is not working.

PMO
©2015

NDSAM

A friend of mine sent me an email to make me aware that October is National Down Syndrome Awareness Month.  He has a young grandson with Downs.  It has been a learning experience for the entire family to learn how to deal with a ‘special needs’ child.  Because my financial controller worked with ‘special needs” for many years as an RN, she has offered support and information to the family as they need it.

Last week there was a story in the Dallas Morning News about a family and how they were dealing with a similar situation.  So, today I am repeating a post from 2011 to all those that have ‘special needs’ members in the family.  Please read it slowly and think about what it really says.

Special Needs

The doctors said she would never walk, talk or interact with other people.  In the beginning they had no real diagnosis.  She spent a lot of time in doctor offices, hospitals and therapy centers.  But she did learn to say some words.  And, because she couldn’t walk or crawl, she rolled.  She rolled to the TV and by the time she was two she could operate a VCR to play the videos she wanted to watch.

As time progressed, the diagnosis came to light. She had a very rare syndrome. There are only a couple hundred others in the world.  There is no treatment.

But, there is the human spirit.  Today, she walks, but does not like to walk very far, especially if it is hot weather.  She talks, not in sentences but in words that communicate what she wants or needs and how she feels.  It is interesting that when she is really tired, she speaks in sentences.  Her brain slows down and she can communicate.

She went to school and a teacher noticed that she loved books.  She can read and does for hours at a time.  If it is electronic, she probably can operate it.  Her favorite entertainment is a computer.
She has social friends developed from school in the Special Ed class, and from just about anyone she meets.  She always has a hug.

Bad days are few.  Her attitude is always, “everything is okay.”  I wish I could say that.

Society has given her and millions of others the label of “special needs.”  I would argue that it is not them, but us that have special needs.  We need to see them succeed, play, laugh and push harder to do anything that we take for granted.  It is us that can learn more from them than they can learn from us.  We don’t think we have time.  They have all the time they need.

My granddaughter is twenty one now.  She stays with me during the day sometimes.  I know and she knows that she rules me.  That’s the way it should be.

I have special needs to be more understanding, more patient, more loving, more determined, and more focused on the things that are really important.  She shows me how.

I am a slow learner, but she is patient with me.

©2015