The Other Shoe to Fall

You know how when you have gone to bed and you re half asleep and you hear someone come in and start getting ready for bed and you hear one shoe drop and then you don't hear the second shoe drop and you keep waiting and waiting well you get the ideal.  It tends to put you a little on edge.

That is what it is like living in today's good of USA. Just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

You have on one hand a US House and Senate that seem to be determined to play one up man ship but since they have no real interest or risk seem to not mind putting the rest of us at risk. That goes from the common man out on the street trying to beat a living out of an economy stagnated as far as income goes but inflating as cost of living goes. But, I forgot the cost of food and housing and fuel don't count in the COL index. These were things that were instituted during Regan years so as to bring the cost of inflation down which were at the time double digit.

It has been and always will be a numbers game for the politicians. If you don't like the numbers get new numbers. It does not change anything but make you feel better as you drive over the fiscal cliff.

The one thing our government is good about is passing laws that have no meaning but looks real good on paper. And, if along the way it helps out your biggest contributors well that is counted as a win win. That is exactly what the Health care Reform Act is all about. Looks real good on paper but truth is has little benefits to the common person on the street.

Take for example the requirement of all person irregardless will be required by 2014 to have health insurance. A win win for the health care insurance companies all they give up is the can't deny for pre existing conditions. But failure none the less if you can't afford it now how are you going to afford it then. If you don't then they will lay a tax on your income but if you do they will give you a tax credit.

Sounds good right only the tax credit does nothing to help pay the monthly premiums for the insurance. Combine that with high deductibles and co-pays , again what else can I say if you can't afford it now then you are not going to afford it later.

Of course they say their will be alternatives to it through Medicaid type programs for the economic challenge person. But they left a loop hole for the States in allowing them to op-out of the program. That is exactly what Texas and I believe 15 states in all have done.

That means that the Medicaid program in Texas does not receive help in paying the program and since the neo-cons who control the state representatives and senate as well as the governors mansion have no intention of providing anything like what is needed for the working class in Texas.

Let me give you an example of the lunacy that make up our Stare of Texas government.

The organization Planned Parenthood is one of the best alternatives in Texas for low income women to receive health care ie. OB and Gyn care and had been a part of the Medicaid program. But then Gov. Rick Perry and the Neo-cons in the TX Legislature backing him declined federal money because they could not refuse to continue funding Planned Parenthood for services rendered in that they also did abortions and they refused to use stare money to do so. That is their right if they are truly representing the people and this is what they want.


But here is the catch. The state had a pretty good women's and children's health care program going for the working class and poor. With US funding $9 for every $1 that the state was funding but now state of Texas is picking up the entire tab. All because they refused to pay Planned Parenthood who by the way assure ed the state the money funding women's health care would not be used for abortions.

My point is this with idiocy such as this going on can you figure out how we are going to come up with a reasonable and cost effective health care insurance program. I believe it is dead in the water before it is ever launched.

Let me remind you dear reader that in North America which makes up three countries from south to north Mexico, USA and Canada we, the USA, are the one without a basic universal health care program.

Of course this is but one issue of many in the Class war we are involved in.

So as the months tick by and we approach 2014 implementation of mandatory health care insurance I am still waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Where ever you go there you are

There are times that I am without question a reluctant writer. I think the reason why has to do with settling on a topic. That and quilt of not putting enough shop time in.

 Right now my wife and I are scrambling looking for a place to move to that hopefully will be more affordable and still meet our needs of safety, live ability and price. It has proven to be a challenge.

What may surprise a lot of you is that location and price has nothing to do with one another. You may think that living in a economic depressed neighborhood would be cheaper (that means the hood the getto). But, what you would often find is similar price for less because of the instability of the housing for the poor frequently because of loss of income.

So the hunt has become a really big project.

When my wife and I was first married almost 40 years ago it was a lot simpler. You picked up a newspaper, turn to the rental section, found what you wanted in the area you wanted and closed the deal. Now it calls for daily searches of Craig's list, frequent visit to web sites of realtors and driving thru neighborhood looking for for lease signs in front of houses. It is much like playing pin the tail on the donkey. Blind luck if you manage to win. But persistent searches pays off in the end. But it is exhausting.

The search is for a traditional house first, second choice a duplex with a garage and backyard, third, a manufactured home in a community and last and not likely an apartment.

My point in this posting is too explain why I have not post as regularly as I have on the past. But with luck I will be in the near future.

Some Things Never Change

Somehow I have allowed a month to pass from my last post. But that is not too significant when you realize that the events of the past month have been too depressing to write about. Everybody has drawn their line in the sand and now daring the other to cross it.

Somehow they manage to get your hopes up that they may actually start working together in congress and accomplish something when Republicans throw their compatriot that dared to hint at negotiation, under the bus before it even gets started.

Meanwhile so as to not have you think that I am just against Republicans, the democrats are crying foul and yet lack the political courage to stand their ground which in turn only encourages the Republican radicals.

So in short nothing has changed everything is still the same.

Some of the things that have happen personally or more so to my spouse gives some hint as to what is going on here in the good old USA.

Recently my wife, a researcher and grant writer at a non-profit charity, was told she was going to be cut back to part time so that they could hire a communications specialist who in turn was going to be her boss. Of course she was told it wasn't personal and it wasn't her work it was just business. But, it is personal for it is a definite economic blow to us. For one thing, she will lose her health benefits and at our age when we need them the most.

What makes the loss of health benefits difficult in part is the Health Care Reform Law that requires everyone in 2014 to have health insurance of one kind or another.  In Texas where we live it has become even more complicated with the politics that refuses to accept the law and has opted out and leaving people like us waiting for the other shoe to fall.  Because if you didn't know this then it is that there is not a real option available right now. It is like the Federal government really didn't expect anyone to say no.

It has become a Damn if you do and Damn if you don't. Result is the ones it hurts is people like us the working class and lower middle class. People who are never heard but are the backbone of the country.

Despite the cut in wages to half and loss of health insurance  they expected her to go along with it without complaint and by the way participate in helping to choose this person that would brought in.

Of course with the job market like it is against the middle aged worker because of their usually higher pay requirements and health insurance needs they are often left out of consideration.  My wife knowing this choked down her pride and has somehow managed to push on thru and awaiting to be told to begin working 20 hours a week once her new supervisor has come on board.

Just a side comment about the middle age worker in today's work environment. If you don't realize it just take a moment to look around you. Next time you are at Starbucks or 7-11 look at the Batista or clerk and you will note a person that is older than normal and who seems to be a little of out place . If you were to take time to get to know them you might find that they are someone who had been a mid-management or supervisor making decent money 60 to even 100K a year but now after being down-sized find their self working for $8-9 and hour instead after being unemployed for a year or better.

For a number of late 50s and early 60's they often just accept a smaller pay check and retire. Hence the reason for the increase in demands for Social Security Benefits.

I am not worried about my wife and I as I know we can survive we both grew up poor and raised our family on one income until I had reached the max of what I could make and she had to go to work outside of the home to round out our living expenses. It is just a matter for us of adjustment of our thinking and looking at our income easier now that it is just the two of us.

Enough for now. Just understand that there is diffidently a class war going on. between the elites 1% and the rest of us. I always remember what Joe Bagenat has written that you can always find someone willing to take a paycheck to beat the crap out of the rest of us and that is how the fight their battles. Using one of us to beat down the rest using fear as the motivating factor.

Keep the faith baby, and remember I may be paranoid but that does not mean that someone isn't out to get you.


Projects-Books and Movies

Weather has kept me out of my unheated shop but once warmer weather arrives I am ready. One of my presents will help in simplifying what I build. A new Kreg Jig that makes a butt joint stronger has me waiting to try it out on a couple of book cases.and cabinets.

 

Books - I have managed to read Lee Child "The killing Floor" and Crag Johnston "Another Man's Moccasin." Both books were both interesting and fun to read.

 

Movies - Recently watched "Reacher" a entertaining movie. one of the advantages of beinga senior is $4 tickets also watched on DVD "Abraham Lincoln Vampire Killer". Apparently the civil war was about killing vampires. Fun to watch and not bad acting or writing.

 

Well enough for now.

Dejuv all over again

Ok the election is over. President Obama won both the electorate and popular vote so not one can claim they cheated. Yet sore losers still abound. The only thing is that it is our life that they are being spoil sport about.

So what next?

That is the question. The president is playing hard ball something he should of done from the begging not now in the last 4 years of public service. Yet the President and the Democrats have upped their game and they are surprised that the Republicans are being hard headed and are complaining about being dragged to the woodshed.

Hey democrats and Mr President just because you won doesn't mean that the rhetoric has changed. While there have been a number of congressman jumping the TEA party Norcross Pledge ship it is still not going to get Republicans to start talking. All it means is that the Republican party has taken on a Bi-polar position.

By bi-polar mentality I am saying that you have TEA party folks becoming more entrenched, Ayn Rand faithful feeling that the rich and eleite are under even more threat from the working class, and the few poor moderate running around not sure of what to do next. You end up not knowing who to talk to hence the bi-polar attitude.

To me it is again a argument for a legitimate third party that moderates of both parties might find common ground and get their voice heard. For in the end while I am by nature something of anarchist I understand that extreme positions both on the right and left will never agree even to disagree. Rather it its the moderation that get things done. Folks who see the value of listening to others and adapting to the needs of the people. These people are often the ones shouted down by their respective parties by the extremes positions that often surface.

So what's next? That remains to be seen as we approach the proverbial fiscal cliff.

Projects-Reading-Movies

Projects - Well life has intervened to keep me from working on projects of my choice so I have nothing to report here.

Reading - Somehow I have managed to read Lee Child first book on his series the "Jack Reacher' called the "Killing Floor". Not bad but at time tedious but it was his first and he had not refined the way the book flows. I have been reading Crag Johnson "Another Mans Moccasins. good read so far.

Movies - Watched the newest Spiderman movie with grand kids and the high body count movie "Expendables 2" a movie with so many one liners from old action stars you didn't know whether to laugh or cringe. I laughed and enjoyed the movie.

For Profit World

I heard yesterday that we are now the only country on the North American continent to not have Universal Health Care. Mexico went as Canada did so many years ago and guaranteed health care for all legal residents.

During the interview that CBS was doing they were talking to several US citizens who were living in Mexico for the obvious benefits of lower cost of living and now the benefit of health care. One of the interviewed was a US doctor who committed that the care was equal if not better than what is available in the US.

I am not going to say much more than this. If Mexico a country that is equally economically challenge as us if not more so can do it then why can't we? The answer is because who would profit from it.

If we are not careful we are going to allow the rich and corporate fat cats drive us into a third world state as if we are not already what I call a 2nd world state.

Lately I hear a lot of folks calling for vouchers for use to send your kids to private schools. pulling the money from the public sector to do so. This is nothing more than the rich resenting the fact that some of their meager tax money goes toward educating our young while they pay for the kids to go to private school with them bearing the total burden of the cost. The problem with the voucher system is that the money used to cover the voucher come from the public schools systems that are already on the ropes resulting in further limiting the educational opportunities of the children of the working class.

For those who are of the working class who think that the voucher system is a great ideal than I would suggest that you give this some thought. Most likely the tuition cost would not totally be covered by the voucher's/ That means you would have to pickup the difference. If you think that means you will get little johnny into some Ivy league prep school think again.

The bottom line again is this if the elite 1% and corporate America cant see the profit then they are going to be against it. Whether it is health care for profit or education for profit. Bottom line again it is about the profit not about the needs of the average Joe.

Let us make no mistake we are in a class war.

Things you Learn in Life

I have been reluctant in posting for a number of reasons mostly because I grow tired of ranting and without anything to post on projects I have been reluctant to write. But it is time to do a little of both.

First on the Rant

Watching the Presidential and Vice Pres debates on TV has been like watching Sumo wrestling. Seeing two big old boys butting bellies against each other trying to knock the other down.  Trying to prove that there belly or ideals or positions or whatever you want to call it is bigger and better. Yet in the end they both have the same old belly no different then the other one.

What it boils down to me for now is to vote for the one who closely represent my ideals and let us not forget least likely to do the harm. For me that is President Obama. But then again I am a bleeding heart liberal.

In the mean time while this great debate is going on the economy continues to do show signs of life but not because of any great effort on the part of our government or the elite who have no reason to invest in the economy. I mean after all how many exotic cars and home can you own.

It struggles on because the middle and what I prefer to call really the working class continue to do what it must. It must feed, house and care for itself and the ones who can't our children and elderly. Consequently if it means they must cut back on the few luxury items they can afford they do. If they must sacrifice the quality of food they eat to make sure that the no one goes hungry to bed they do although this usually means health problems if not now then later. And, if this means that to do so they must take a job doing the same thing they use to do at a living wage but now must take a job that pays significantly less as much as a 1/3 or better less. than they do.

Why? Because this is what the working class always do and always will do.

Recently I had watched The Bill Moyers show on Sunday morning on PBS and you can watch on line that spoke of the Plutocracy. Now historically we tend to think of the Plutocracy as something they have in Europe particularly of Russia today. But the reality is that it exist among the world elite or umber Rich. They could care less as to how we do as they are insulated from the reality of poverty.

Again if you get a chance to watch Bill Moyers and Company
http://billmoyers.com/episode/full-show-plutocracy-rising/




Projects - Books- TV and Movies

Projects has taken a back seat for now due to money issues but hope soon to get back started. But I have managed to get a Bosch router table off of Craigslist for $20 and will help out once I start back to work in the shop soon i hope.

Books- Recently I have read the following books
"Sky Woman Falling"  By Kirk Mitchell a excellent mystery that does not easily reveal who is the serial killer until the near end of the book. a 4 of 5 stars
"Bait and Switch The futile pursuit of the American Dream" by Barbara Ehernreich a book of how corporate world of middle class white collar jobs have been systematically turned into sweat shops at significantly lower pay. I give it a 4 of 5 stars for readability and thoroughly documenting it's argument.

Movies and TV shows - concentration of what we have watched of late has been from TV and cable networks hear are a few of our favorite shows
"The Walking Dead" AMC series on Zombies great series
"Copper" A BBC of America series that just finished about New York cops in 1865 as the Civil War winds down. watch it if you can but be prepared for some very blatant sexual and violent episodes.
"The Last Resort" a ABC series that has a rogue US atomic submarine involved in a political conspiracy
"Revolution" a NBC series on what might happen if the the world lost all electrical power. Pretty good show.
Of course there are also the usual favorites such as "Fringe" "Grimm" "Alphas" "Haven" and the season finale of "Hell on Wheels"
I am looking forward to two films coming out one in November "Skyfall" a James Bond show and the other "Reacher" coming out in December based on reviews and trailers must be seen.

Well that is enough for now

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.