Just a couple of Thoughts

I have been watching the events of the Arab or Muslim world and have come to the conclusion that they are bi-polar. That is the only explanation I can come up with. Any other explanation leaves me dazed and confused.

But the conclusion I have come up with we the US of A need to only maintain a minimum presence in the Arab world. Let our diplomatic corp deal with these crazies that what they are trained for in making sure our economic and governmental relationship are covered.  They should while there maintain a low profile but there should never be any question that though they speak softly they carry a big stick of the full force and might of our Military should the rulers of these Arab countries forget and allow as well as encourage at times their people to act out their frustration on our people.

This concept is nothing new in our history it was coined in the late 19 century the ideal of Gunboat Diplomacy and no one used it better than Theodore Roosevelt and his "speak softly but carry a big stick." Back then it was understood that as long as you operated in good faith so would we but if you took violence upon our diplomatic reps well that was where the term "Send in the Marines" came from. I once more thank that while this tends to be a isolationist diplomacy it is more of a staying in the background and acting in our own best interest and quit thinking of nation building. The Arab world does not want it. If they do then they need to do as every country who has initiated democracy over some kind of plutocracy by the force of their own nature and not artificially acted on by a foreign force. Instead of giving away blindly our wealth in form of aid we now trade it for positive action.

Again step back to Theodore Roosevelt concept of "Speak softly but carry a big stick."  Maintain a low profile like we used to but know that in the background waiting if needed is the full force of the US Military, our big stick.

 On another tack on what is going on here in the good ole USA the war on the working class continues. While it is not a war of guns it is still a war of attrition of the simple old beat down until you have no more energy to fight the good fight.

It is the numbers that show this to be true. Unemployment remains high while there are some job growth they do not represent a living wage that or at best is really just a survival wage. Unions that usually represent the working class in the form of collective bargaining continue to be under attack by throwback governmental policy and economic war of if you don't do as we say then we will move our business off shore taking your job with it. All this began back in the Ford administration and continued thru today with the FTA or Free Trade Acts treaties that has allowed big international corporations to dismantle our industry that made us a powerhouse and turn us into a nation of no real wealth except on paper, and paper has no wealth other than as toilet paper.

One of the big Democratic selling points for President Obama was his stepping in and supposedly stopping the flood of cheap flawed tires from China. It was met with popularity among the working class who the Dem's are depending on to vote so they have been talking the talk of protecting our jobs even at the risk of a trade war. Even the republicans are talking the say way out of the sides of their mouth. But just because you talk the talk are you willing to walk the walk? At least the dems have shown some intuitive to do so. The Republicans on the other hand have no incentive to do so as it would hurt their base the elite 1% .

This is a question you will have to answer for yourself. I believe until we have a strong enough of a 3rd political party you will not be able to keep the Dems or the Republicans honest and beholden to the majority.

Projects-Books-Movies

The book case I am building for my wife's cookbooks and gardening books has changed from a mission or arts and crafts style to a "shaker" style or country look. Again using pine or Douglas fir for the frame but redwood or rather cedar for the panel insert on the side of the book case.

My thought would be to paint the frame and back panel either a solid color or with a milk paint finish and the side inserts of cedar natural. I would appreciate any comment on what other wood workers think as the above ideal came to me during the night while I was waiting for sleep to come to me.
This is the style I was thinking of.
Books

Finished reading "The Devils Hearth" by Phillip Deploy and found it a good and solid read. The setting in north Georgia in the edge of the smokey mountains reminded me of my families ties in rural central Oklahoma. 

The book I have undertook "Bad Things Happen" by Harry Dolan on the other hand is starting out slow and proving difficult to maintain my interest. Hopefully it will pickup the pace and action.

Movies

Recently rented the movie "Battleship" a great movie well worth the rental fee where ET came to kick our ass but we kicked his instead. Think "Independence Day" instead of in the skies on the seas instead.

Enough for now.