Welfare Bums...

Usually when we see that term, especially in an email, for years... It refers to usually a black women with several children, a man who is on some kind of disability, or even some illegal immigrant. But I think they are over looking the worse kind of welfare bum. Their description is of someone who is living off the backs of the taxpayer like you and I. Who gets many benefits that we can’t afford. Be it a new vehicle every year.. vacations, the newest toys and etc. that angers the taxpayer. Some of these bums are on the roll for years..up to 30 or more years… Many for 20 years or more. Getting checks of over $160,000 a year. Doubling and quadrupling what most of the taxpayers make. AND we have to pay taxes on this and some of these bums pay very little in taxes.. yet have the best health insurance money can buy, paid for by you and I. And some people come to these bums and beg them to take vacations all for free… to places the taxpayer can’t even afford. Some of these welfare bums are shorter time than the ones above. Because some people gets disgusted enough to get these guys off of the roll. But the long term ones are asked to stay on this roll for years …like I said for 20, 30 or more years… Who are these welfare bums that get all the benefits and the high pay? Who do little but sit in a chair most of the day.. who gets this and we seem to like it, even though we bitch about it… and get to come back year after year? YOURS AND MY.. Congressman/woman. The men seem to be the ones with the longevity going for them. The rest of us have to wait for Medicare..yet after being in office these bums get to keep their Congressional health insurance. They have a lot higher retirement plan than you and I can afford. Yet we all together pay for them. And who else gets to vote themselves a raise. I sure didn’t get to do that in my job. Heck, we didn’t have a retirement plan, other than Social Security. My Congress person votes with other states, to when you and I get it. And borrow against it…. Wonder, do they ever borrow against their retirement plan? I would bet not… I heard that Alan Simpson, Senator from Wyoming had the guts to call US greedy senior citizens. At least we paid in to the social security over the years that we worked… Do Congress person pay into their retirement or is the full source from our taxes? So tell me Congress persons, what training did you have to get this job? Besides the personality that got us to vote you in time after time.. or the money spent to spin a good story, and staff that we also have to pay for, that actually does the research and making up the bills for you to present to the Congress. I guess some of you got training in our state congress, but not all. I didn’t believe in term limits before… figured if we were smart enough we could vote the bum out, but finally figured out to think beyond my own state borders… as the other state congress person are ones who make these laws and rules.. And some of them been there for years and years, and years, and well, you get the idea. Besides, remember the Congress was not suppose to be a lifetime occupation.. it was to be a month or two that each state sent their congress person to Washington, D.C. to represent each state’s residents, not their party. Not to live and breath there for the rest of their lives. Get a real job, so you can relate to us Americans and our wages, and our health insurance, house payments and etc. Have you had to pay out of your pocket $60 for gas to fill up your car? Also if you keep standing in front of the television, with all the media grasping every word… and talking about how our government (which happens to be you) is over spending and we have to tighten up our belts… how come we never hear about you cutting your wages? Cutting your benefit package? And your freebies from the Lobbyist? And then there are the fees you get for giving a speech that is in the thousands. It is suppose to be, they are our public servant, but I think they figure it is the other way around. Is this ever going to change? Nah, we have been stuck in this mode for over 100 years, and we are as a nation, too stupid to vote them out and change it.

The Amazing Japanese

While watching the news about the mess over there in Japan, is there anything that you noticed? One of the first things that the King and I noticed was NO LOOTING.. we were amazed as we watched. We know, what happen in New Orleans when the hurricane hit there. Also as people rushed around to help others, there wasn’t any screaming at others… No one screaming into the cameras asking why me? They were too busy helping each other. Even with tears on their faces, there was the calm as they tried to help. Children, elderly, no matter who was there, they were all trying to help each other. Standing in line quietly without complaining as they waited for water and other services. Not like the ones we saw in New Orleans and Haiti.. No hoarding and grabbing of water and etc. And the 50 men who stayed with the N-reactors. What heroes are they? Thinking of their mankind instead of themselves. Restaurants helping out.. cutting prices, even giving, when some had no money at all. Instead of the gouging we normally see. I didn’t see any reporters running around the area like chickens with their head cut off, except ours, who after talking about how hazard it was in the area they were in.. checking with radiation counters. What part of stupid is that.. Do they really pay them enough to endanger their lives unnecessarily? Say nothing about them not caring about their own lives and their families who will suffer with them. Our reporters seem to be more excited than theirs were. I read that when everything went dark, that the people in the stores put the merchandise back and walked out quietly. Wow, is that weird or what.. Try that in Chicago, New York or Los Angles … right.. Yes, you really have to hand it to the Japanese, their dignity, their keeping calm and being honest. Too bad that isn’t one of the things we learn from them when we were at war with them, and won…

"I'm BORED.." Spring Breaks....

This week begins some Spring break… some have it next week. Which is different than when I went to school as we had it during the week of Easter…Called Easter break.. which is not political correct now.. Now we have the kids crying already…. “I’m bored” and it isn’t even half way thru yet. I did have a solution for that at our house. The week before I would make up the chore list. Listing at least 10 chores that the kids could do. Clean up their room. Go thru their toys and take out broken ones and the ones they no longer wanted. That in itself, took hours as they played with them as they went thru them. Then there was house chores. Bring in wood, (we had a wood stove and a wood box) rake up leaves and clean up the garbage that came into the yard over the winter… and etc.. It didn’t take long for the kids to be busy with other things to do.. and disappear. This also worked for the summer. And especially when I was busy with household things and they wanted to go to the beach or somewhere like that. Told them I had all these chores to do. And as they moan and groan.. and complain, they wanted to go… I would tell them.. I would love to go too, and it was heart breaking for me as well… BUT… now if they wanted to help me get those chores done, then we could all go.. Surprising they would go for it and help me… and yes, I did take them.. And my kids said I didn’t have a sense of humor… go figure…

Make mine ENGLISH, please...

Every so often things make my teeth hurt. It is then I am so dang peeved, that it sets my jaw tight. Two days ago I got something from Frontier. Frontier is the new phone company that bought out Verizon. Which so far, the company hasn’t showed me anything. I have researched their “FREE INTERNET FOR 6 MONTHS.” I went on line to do some research. One of the things that bothered me, was the lack of Information after the 6 months. See for $40 a month you got digital phone (what is the difference of that and what I have?) and internet. Now you know there has to be a catch. And without the after 6 months charges, I was really suspicious. So I found out that one of the things wrong is, they tell you …you get the “average use” of 5 what ever the gitzmo is… but the average is really 9. That is without music downloads and etc. of such high use. One woman was surprised to get a phone bill of $99 for one month because she went over the 5. So there is one deal breaker. And still no one tells what the after 6 months bill are. Then I got the letter. So what bothered me so much about the letter? There was not one word of English on it. WTF is with that? I wrote back to the man who suppose to have written it. And said what the Hell is this… I can’t read this… I am AMERICAN…I READ ENGLISH…THERE IS NO ENGLISH HERE… Why would you send me something that is totally in Spanish? Of course I probably won’t get an answer but it sure ticked me off. Oh, well, if this is all I have to worry about, I guess I have it pretty well…but it still is one of life’s aggravations.

IT IS MY LIFE AND I WILL DECIDE....

YES, It is my life and I will decide…

In our state of Idaho, the House State of Affairs has voted unanimously in favor of SB 1070a, the bill to ban assisted suicide and make it a felony. This is so
wrong…

As a person who worked in a nursing home for over 17 years, I got to see people die fairly often. I also saw a lot of them suffer in several degrees… the worse one was a man who was screaming as he died of cancer. where he was skin and bones, and the shots would not stay inside… the meds were not breaking thru the pain. As the pain was too much. I saw where people were kept alive by having feeding tubes in their stomachs, and were hydrated. I saw where family stopped visiting because they couldn’t bare to go see someone who didn’t even know they were there. Didn’t know anyone was there. Because of this, I have a living will. with extra large letters stating…NO TUBE FEEDING.. I will not be keep alive for years just so family can come see a body that formerly was me. We had several who lived for years like that. I WILL NOT BE ONE..
So back to the original reason for this subject of the state telling people they can not have a choice to have help to die with dignity. To use to justify their reason is so wrong on so many planes… I don’t know if I would use the assisted death. But I sure would want the choice… and others deserve the choice. As a believer, I also know there are others who do not. And they deserve the right to make a choice to have a dignified death and not go out screaming. And for those who say there are meds out there for that.. YES, there are.. most of the heavy ones are thru HOSPICE..regular nursing homes don’t have the big guns. So Hospice should be called in… BUT.. there are times when even those don’t do it… sit by your love one, don’t hide, those of you who don’t want assisted… sit there and hear them scream, moan and cry… can you do it? I can’t.. I refuse to have my children do it… so leave me to my choice and I will leave you to your choice.

My House

We became homeowners as of Monday. We will get the paper
work in a week or so, saying it is really ours. We have lived here
for almost 12 years. And we bought it 12 years ago… but Monday
we became home owners. Meaning that we own it…not the bank and
us.. WE. OWN. IT. As we drove in the drive way after our visit to the
bank, I told the King… well, there she is… in all her glory and warts..
but she is ours…

Never owned a house before… Owned several with different banks over
the years… but this is the first time it really does belong to us. Of course it
does have the down side.. .. now we have to pay the taxes and the
insurance. We did before in the round about way… we just sent in the
mortgage money and they took care of it all. Now it is our job to take
care of it.

Doesn’t feel quite real yet.. when we get the deed then it will really feel like ours.
When the first of the month comes and that big payment doesn’t come out of
our account. Then it will seem real. And when we fill in any form now and it
ask, renter or own home… we can really say… OWN.. That sound so nice.

Looking back over the years, I think of the different ones that have been
bought with the banks. The first one was neat old, old Roslyn house. We
bought it for $3,000… no that isn’t the down payment.. that was the total.
The house payments were $50 a month. That was in 1972. It was a 2 bedroom
2 story house with garage and large yard, with a chicken house on it. Also
a clean shed. Clean shed is where the coal miners use to go into when
they got home, and strip off their work clothes and wash up in the basin
that the wife put there, and put on clean clothes to be able to come into
the house. My kids used it for a play house and called it the Mickey
Mouse house. We sold it for $5,000.

The best house we had was in Ellensburg on 10 acres surrounded by
good hunting land owned by the state. Great riding area.. for miles for
our horses and the kids. Great place to raise kids… we had a creek
going thru it.. and they played in it, fished and also hunted for crawdads.
We bought it for $20,000 and put 3 bedrooms and a bath on the two
room house that we bought. And we sold it for $33,000.

Both of these were paid for by the next owners.. we only got to half way
with them before we sold out.
So this is great to actually fully own, our own place.

College for the rich only?

Will college once again become just for the rich?
Or well off anyway?

Idaho has a new thing about how high school isn’t
enough.. they have billboards thru the state with
the saying of Idaho..Go On… and the remarks of
how high school isn’t enough, that as time goes on
jobs are going to required more and more education.

I agree with that last line. But I believe more in trade
training than college.. unless you are going to become
a doctor, lawyer and etc. Then all the letters after your
name means more… But a trades school is more reasonable
price wise and shorter time as well, as they get right to
the subject at most of them. Where college seems to be a
repeat of high school the first half of the first year. Then
slowly it goes in to the subjects you need for what ever
you desire for an occupation.

Yet, here is Idaho, and probably other states as well,
pushing for you to go to college.. GO ON… yet they
are raising up the tuition yearly. And of course the
other expenses of living while you go, is going up too.

But it seems counterproductive to advertise GO ON
While you as a state are raising up the price of that
schooling.. And there are a lot of students who really
want to further their education but are not A and B
students in high school, so scholarships are out of the
question.

The circus is still in town

The office of being a President always brings out a naysayer
or many of them.. Obama surely brings out more than the average
share. After all, what President can you recall that was loved by
everyone WHILE STILL IN OFFICE? Not Kennedy or even
Roosevelt’s, who are thought to be great men in their time. Even
Harry Truman has his fans now.. and several others.. Lincoln..
the list could go on… But while in office, each of these President’s
has their fair share of naysayers. You would never believe they turn’
out to be loved by so many now.

The latest of the circus of politics, is the complain of Obama daring
to take time to work on a basketball bracket. Is that the best you can
do? They seem to think he should not be taking the time to think of
such things when there is so much in the world that should be thought
of. Taken care of and etc…

Last I knew.. the President, no matter which one, sign on to be “on call
24/7… but I didn’t think there was a line there saying they shall not have
any other thoughts but about the trials and troubles of the world. Does that
mean, he should not go to the toilet as he has to be ready from second to
second? No sleeping, after all something could happen in Europe while
he/she were to sleep. This is so totally laughable. Screaming headlines
because a fellow (who is laughable in himself) politician thinks Obama
shouldn’t be thinking about the basketball games. And then have the
audience of tea partier and etc pickup the stream and repeat it…

Talk about petty people…Just like the same ones who scream because
Bush didn’t jump up in the classroom when he heard about the World Trade
Center attacks..really what could he have done is those few minutes
That he eased himself out of there with out scaring the beejees would
Of everyone? Yep, the circus is still in town.

Well, I have better fish to fry… I am going to make the last payment on
my house!! Enjoy the day.

Happy St. Patrick Day

Happy St. Patrick Day to all you Irish and the wannabe Irish.
And with all the happiest of the Irish, there are a lot of people
who are in the wannabe group.

When I was in school, it was a great day to have fun. We did
the shamrock and etc.. but it also was a hurtful day for a lot of
us… Hurtful because a lot of us got pinched. See if you didn’t
wear green, you got pinched… and if you wore Orange you
definitely got pinched and many be punched in the arm.

Being my mother was not one to claim another’s ancestors, she
wouldn’t let us wear green. And she was proud of her half
English. Of course not in the 40’s, did she mention the other half
being German. She traced her English ancestors back to before the
Revolution War. So that had my brother and I getting pinched
a lot. Being the English were the enemy of the Irish. And Orange
was the color of some king, which I forgot his name.

My brother and I didn’t care as we almost Heinz 57 kids. Having
mostly English, the fore-mention German and adding dad’s
English and Swedish. While in high school, I hid a small green
scarf to wear around my neck once I got to high school.

So Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all… I will be looking forward to
Corned beef and cabbage today. Watching some of the Irish
St.Patty’s parades on television.. where I came from they had
a green stripe down the middle of town for their parade. The Irish
was the second most popular nationality in our town.

So tip a brew to you all. And Happy St. Pat’s day to my daughter
who is 1/8 Irish.

The Pendulum Swings again...

Just a few days ago, they were talking about the
nuclear plants over in Japan and the damage it will
do to the air for those who live there… And the precautions
they are taking. Where it is serious..

Then of course the National news got on the band wagon,
and talked about the air detectors on the West Coast and
the possibilities of the nuclear pollution be in our air.

The scientist who work with these detectors said the likely
hood of us being harmed by the air was at a low minimum
at best. .
And he was talking about Seattle (the one they interviewed
are at the Washington coast as there are several up and down
the whole west coast.)

Then someone mention the use of Potassium Iodide, is what would
help your thyroid IF.. that is IF… the air were to be polluted. Again
talking about the west coast. So what are the possibilities of it getting
to Spokane and the inland northwest.. Well, if the scientist is correct
about the Seattle area being low minimum at best…you know Spokane
and the northwest area is going to be 1 to zero percent of getting it..

But that doesn’t stop the Chicken Little’s of our area… Every health
store is sold out of the Potassium Iodide. Even with the health departments
warning, that taking it could be more harmful than the nuclear air.
People tend to take too much of such things.. plus it is not a pill that
is to be taken for any length of time.

The scientist across the nation are saying by the time it gets to
the good old USA… that a chest X-rays would do more harm
than this radiation the people are worried about.

Don’t people listen when they talk about the low chance of it even
getting here? Don’t they listen when they say an X-ray would do
more harm.

Oh, well, the pharmacy and health stores will have a profit this
Week. Good for commerce. And the pendulum once again swings
high..

This and That....

Rokon looking out the window and wonders if it is safe yet.

We have GRASS… in our front yard. But.. I am not holding
My breathe…. We have had grass in our front yard twice in
the past month before only to have snow thrown down on it
in hours later.

Potato or Patato
Tomato or Tamateo
The sounds are different (sound spelt is by me)
But in recent weeks I am confused as
is it Gadhafi or Gaddafi?

The several newspapers have it Gadhafi, yet the
magazines have it as Gaddafi. Which one is
right? After all the man’s name is what it is..
so there should be a definite spelling of it.

Today is the Ide’s of March, which sounds like it would
be an Irish thing (with St. Patrick’s day 2 days away)
But it is actually a Roman date (warning to Julius Caesar).
But I always thought it was an odd spelling of it as it sounds
like eye’s of March.

Do as I say, not as I do??

Eleanor Roosevelt is right… when she said
'No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.

And I have told my children, as well as some friends, this very
quote. Yet when some one made remarks that made me feel inferior,
it flatten, sadden me and I felt humiliated. So why didn’t I
follow my own advice? I don’t know.. I guess because it
was a friend. So to be publicity down dressed.. it hurt.
I take it from strangers, easily, because they don’t know me..
but a friend? It cuts to the quick.

So now I am trying to put it in perspective. Was the person having
a bad day? Don’t they know the sharp words hurt? If I was having
a bad day, I would think I would have apologized for my words. But
then again, I wouldn’t have made the remarks in public in the first
place, I would have emailed them.. so we could understand our words,
not in a public form. Yes, I am a work in progress.. putting into
perspective of how I feel. See if the words still seem hurtful after
the hurting is over.

I sure will have a different perspective when I get ready to says
Eleanor’s words again.

Our Visitors...

We have been getting lots of rain... which is thrilling us as it means

the more rain ...less snow AND the snow we do have will melt...

Well, the downside of this is... flooding... so it starts.. and you can see one of the

small ponds here... and see who came to visit it on Friday.

Not fun

It dawn on me that I started this blog 6 years ago today.
Actually yesterday...
And over the years I said I would continue as long as it is fun.
Today... it isn't fun...
So I am going to take the rest of the week off and rethink this.

Sorry, my friends who are kind enough to read this each day
Monday thru Thursday.. I humbly appreciate your time.
Really I do...
But for now, I have nothing to say...

Warp Society

We are a warp bunch of people.. Those of us in the good old USA.
I wonder about other countries… Not the 3rd World ones as they
don’t seem to have time for the media rises and falls. But does
Britain, France, Russian people have the same warpness that
we seem to have with what is going on in our own country to
our fellow citizens?

What am I talking about? The attention we pay to the likes of
Michael Jackson’s death, Lindsay Loman’s court hearings and
of course the latest binge is Charlie Sheen. Dateline, 20/20,
each of the early morning shows…seem to showcase these
antics. Yet each time we lose precious life overseas, fighting
a war that none of us wants… These precious men and even
women.. get barely a mention in their own paper. Never mind
the National media. How warped it is that? The closes we get
is Sunday morning when at the end of a show, they have how
many, who they are, where they are from, who passed that week.
Pretty sad. Well, at least ABC does that. But pretty sad, that we
as a nation, don’t take a moment of silence each day we lose
some of our troops. They at least deserve that.. especially when
their funerals are not being honored.

Once I thought I was blind.....

I once was blind and now I can see…
as time has gone by, it seems it is harder
to read and I wear glasses..

One of the places I like to read my paper,
is at the dining room table.. with my cup of
coffee. And it seems it is harder and harder
to read the fine print.

Even at the couch, which is my second place of
reading area. Mostly magazines and books.
Now I had my eyes checked last year and got
new glasses, so I should be in good shape.

And with this being the year of my renewal on my
driver’s license, it has me worried if I will pass the
reading test.

I was at a friend’s house and she gave me something
to read…. AND I COULD SEE… I could read it with
no problem at all. Now why could I read better there
than my own home? I mention this to her and she
asked me if I had read anything in my kitchen? No,
I told her. She said when you go home, read something
in your kitchen and if you can.. I will tell you why it is
so hard else where, with the exception of her house.

So I went home and got the paper and stepped into
the kitchen with the light on.. and lo and behold.. I could
read fine.. So I called and told her.. She said, yep, I thought
so. You have good light in your kitchen with the neonlight,
but your other ones are 60 or less watts, right?
I told her I think so, but why?

She went on to explain that with the save electric and etc.
We have been told that 60 watts will do just as good as
the 100 watts we have used in the past. That even the
lights fixtures that we replace ..recommends 60 watts.
But if we were to use 100 watts we could see. It is all a matter
of lighting. And that makes sense to me. She also told me that
I will feel better too, being I suffer from S.A.D. (lack of sunlight)



When we replaced our 1950 type light in the dining room
it came with those little tiny light bulbs. I think they are 25
Watts, just that there is 3 of them. Same with the lamp
that is next to the couch, 60 watts only.

I am going to check out new lamps, and if I have to..
I will go to a used store and find an old one.. this is the pits…
the worse of it all is I have heard they are going to get rid
of all the round bulbs and have only the corkscrew like circled
bulbs. Which I have found not to have it very bright either.

So once I felt like I was blind… and now I CAN SEE!!!

Some days are just like that....

Some days are just like that, and today is one of them

I was reading the paper, looking out at another gloomy day.
Thinking about how I didn't go to the Council meeting for
our little town last night. Weather was too crappy, and I
was warm and dry at home... nothing on the roster of interest..
so I stayed home... Just didn't seem like it was worth the
effort.

Same thing the night before, they were having a
meeting to explain the school levy. Nasty weather,
heck, Sandpoint voters will pass it anyway.. why bother?
I will go and vote, just didn't want to bother listening.

As I read the paper and thinking about my dishrag
attitude, and thinking about how my friend was leaving
soon on her trip. I turn on the computer so I could go
read her blog this morning. Left the computer and got
another cup of coffee... and then notice my friend had
called.

I called back my friend so we could touch bases as she
is leaving tomorrow... I have said I would help out on
the home front while she is gone to Ireland.

After the phone call, talking about her trip and how
wonderful it is going to be... I return to the paper and
my second cup of coffee... and I felt so light and happy.
So thrilled for my friend.. I think it has elevated all who
know her and what a great time she will have...

So... safe trip, Marianne Love, will be looking forward to
the blog on your adventures... and looking at Annie's
as well. Just the thought of Ireland, GREEN... lol...
heck, who can't be thrilled and cheerful...

Gadhafi and Sheen

What is the difference of Gadhafi and Charlie Sheen? Gadhafi
kills his country men and Sheen just might kill himself.

But other than that they have a lot in common. Both of them
suffer from the delusions of grandeur. Spouting off of how
great they are and how their followers love them. That their
way is the right way for them. I fully expected to hear
Gadhafi to say, “that is just the way I roll.”

Gadhafi thinks he is in charge because his inter circle tells
him so. But when the end comes, watch the rats desert the
ship. Right now they are with him, because there is power
and money involved. Once that is gone, Gadhafi will be a
very lonely man, or dead.

Charlie seems to think he is what makes his show. WRONG!
I wish CBS had continue the last 4 shows without him. I think
Alan, Jake, Bertha and Evelyn could have carried it off. All
they had to say is Uncle Charlie was in jail for DWI…like who
would be surprised… right.

Now, I will admit, I like Two and Half Men … But Charlie
Sheen was just playing himself with humor… the rest are actors.
Each one being a very important part of the show. But most
of all, it was the writers.. With out the words.. the show would
be nothing. With out these particular actors… it wouldn’t be
the same. Just try putting 4 other people in the show with
Charlie Sheen and it would fall flat.

Conchata Ferrell is a great comedian with face to go with
her humor, as the right acid tone to go with it…
Angus R. Jones has done a bang up job of being a kid. And
now that he is a teen, it is getting better. Holland Taylor is
great as a warped mother. And Jon Cryer has proved his salt
with awards each year. So no, Charlie Sheen is having
Delusions of grandeur.