On The Edge

If you are to listen to the news then you know that the big topic of discussions is the fiscal cliff we are approaching that is to cause major disruptions in peoples life. All because the Republicans and Democrats in congress and the President don't know how to play nice.

It would seem as a no brainier after all this is what we are taught by parents and in first grade from the begging. The thing is that if you were to think about it there are things that can be done to meet both sides positions.

Example would be the Republicans want to cut welfare to the 40%  who need it the most. So instead why don't we cut the corporate welfare that benefits 1% of the people.  This would satisfy the republicans desire to cut welfare and at the same time increase revenues in to the treasury while affecting the fewest people and folks who need it less.

Example would be instead of having the military paying $1000 for a toilet seat how about send a troop with petty cash and pickup one at home depot for less than $20. But then what would Haliburton and GD and others do with their R&D departments who reinvented the toilet seat for the military.

All I am saying is that there are areas that people can agree on and bring down the cost of governing without destroying the lives of those who are in need. It is just a matter of political courage and common sense that does not seem to exist right now.

On a side note. Yesterday or rather on Sunday I watch Bill Moyer and company PBS show where a guess speaker spoke how capitalism as practiced today is unsustainable. it is well worth watching here is a link to his web site and the video that goes with it

http://billmoyers.com/episode/full-show-taming-capitalism-run-wild/

Projects -Reading-TV/Movies

Projects- Recently I began work on re purposing a old broken down chair that I have owned for over 30 years and sat in my grandmothers house for longer than that. The joints are loose and the rockers that used to be attached are long gone. But as a kid it used to be one of my favorite chairs to set in and listen to the adults tell stories and my grandmother and great aunt nanny reminisce about their days when Oklahoma was a Indian territory. In short it has a lot of sentimental value to me.

I think that I will strengthen the joints and do some patch work on the legs and sand it all down and paint it as there is no way I can make the finish come back.  I will buy a seat cushion to replace the old gold velvet seat cushion that someone a long time ago threw on it and maybe recover the leatherette back with a matching material to the seat cushion. I think I will repaint it with a umber color kind of a earthy orange just not so bright. As you can see I have a ways to go but I hope when finish it will stay in my family for another generation or two.

This is a home made push stick for my table saw that I am proud of.

Reading- Of late I have been reading Bernie Gunther detective series of the writer Phillip Kerr by reading his trilogy "Berlin Noir". This writer has managed to catch the feel and thinking of the time in Germany just prior to the outbreak of WW II and while keeping the hero engaged in finding the bad guy when it is hard to tell the bad guy without a program.  I tell you what if you are not surprised by the ending in his second book "March Violets" then I am out of words. Read the books you will enjoy them.

TV/Movies- With the newest season of "Walking Dead" started needless to say my wife and I glued to the set. But there are also other worth watching such as "The Zero Hour" and "The Following".  If you get a chance pull them up and watch them.