Quote o' day

You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot help the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by encouraging class hatred.
You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn.
You cannot build character and courage by taking away man’s initiative and independence.
You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could do for themselves.
—Abraham Lincoln


h/t Lex

The Polar Express...

More bears than we can bear?

This from "The Telegraph" in the UK

The ice caps haven’t been melting as the alarmists and the models predicted they should. The Antarctic, containing nearly 90 per cent of all the ice in the world, has actually been cooling over the past 30 years, not warming. The polar bears are not drowning – there are four times more of them now than there were 40 years ago. In recent decades, the number of hurricanes and droughts have gone markedly down, not up.

read more...

Newt jumps the Shark

Have all ya'll have been following this one up in NY-23rd District? The NRCC is backing a Margaret Sanger Award winner who supports Card Check.

Sound to you like the TEA party messages have really struck home, eh? /heh

Michelle Malkin is reporting regularly on the race and the wrestling match inside the Republican Party.

I think Newt jumped the shark with his vocal stand with the NRCC and the RINO candidate on this issue.

Quite a show being put on by a Conservative Party candidate (and some fun fireworks to watch as Sarah Palin and others have sided with the 3rd party Hoffman). It would seem to me, this is a strategic battle for the soul of the Republican and conservative movement.

I've given to Hoffman's campaign. Been plenty of talk about conservatives taking on professional party RINO's.

We been talking about this type of guy emerging from the community to run for office. There's been plenty of talking. Sometimes, too much talking.

Well, Keep talking. But, now is time for action. So take action while you talk the issue up. If you're so inclined, send $5, $10 or $20 towards Mr. Hoffman's campaign. LINK

Maybe the RNCC and Mr. Steele will feel your poke in their eye.

Hoffman's NY column: Link

Self Evident?

Are these truths still self-evident?

1. Liberty
2. Private property
3. Consent of the governed
4. Equality
5. Natural rights
6. Religious freedom
7. Rule of law
8. Constitutionalism

Even to this generation of government schooled people?

This list came nicely packaged in Cal Thomas's colume today at Townhall,

Matthew Spalding of The Heritage Foundation offers one component of that strategy in his new book, "We Still Hold These Truths: Rediscovering Our Principles, Reclaiming Our Future." Spalding believes, "America is unique in that universal principles of liberty are the foundation of its particular system of government and its political culture."

Part of Cal's prescription? Going Galt on public schools -- a mass exodus. hmmm...
read more...

We're facing that decision ourselves as our youngest approaches the end of junior high school. We are considering where to send her for freshman year of high school. She'd been in an excellent charter school that's a blast from the past. The school teaches history the way I learned it; with it a healthy view of American Exceptionalism.

The Charter School is in it's second year of a new high school program. We'd thought that was a fait accompli for daughter #3 since it was first announced. However, as it's developed, it's faced a lot of opposition from the Establishment and the ramp up in facilities and programs has been slower than expected. They still are making do in cramped quarters at the lower campus and hitting snags with contracting for a dedicated HS building.

Add to that daughter #3's growing interest in water polo and involvement with the team/coach/new friends at our default public high school. It's a really good public school -- as public schools go.

So, a choice between schools will have to be made -- a choice we'd thought was long since settled.

World view or water polo?

Make Mine Freedom

1948

Speaking precisely -- or accurately

A discussion about "group size" among gun nuts leads to this bit of muttering...

Accuracy as a term used by gunnies is really "precision." This is a bread and butter part of my work a day world. It's remarkable how hard it is for folks to grok. Even among degreed engineers only a few are consistently able to synthesize and apply it to their situation.

Put less precisely than the dictionary definitions but more in the vernacular that seems to "stick" with the folks I deal with:

How tight the group = how precise the (weapon) system.
How far the group deviates from the bullseye = how accurate the (weapon) system.


Lessons from quality improvement trenches:

The key to improvement is reduction of variation. Is there a life lesson lurking in there?

Along the way what all QE's should be able to articulate but not 1 in 100 Certified Quality Engineers I've interviewed can actually tell ya:

1. Make sure your measurement system has at least 10:1 better resolution than the less significant digit you're measuring.

2. Make sure you measurement system can adequately discriminate. i.e. Gauge's variation should no worse than 1/10 of your system variation (99 times out of 100 Gage R&R is a waste of time and you're better of doing an Isoplot for this).

3. Always work to reduce range of variation (R) first. Then work to shift the average (X bar) to the target (nominal).

4. Identify and reduce the largest source of variation. Working on reducing lesser sources of variation will just drive you nuts.

If you can think in mathematical terms maybe it'll help to consider that variation accumulates as the sqrt of the sum of the squares of individual variation.

e.g. Given, you have 3 factors with variations of 3,4 and 5.
Then total of each is squared and summed and sqrt is taken for final result(variation = 9 + 16 + 25 = 50sqrt).

You see that? The largest source of variation "5", has the same total effect on variation as the 3 and 4 combined(!).

There. You're smarter than 99 out of 100 QE's I've interview and probably 9 out of 10 Six Sigma blackbelts.

So is there a life lesson in there?

pfftt. Who knows. Probably.

At a minimum that understanding and a persistent curiousity is enough to make a decent living. /heh

Lost Saturday (or "Never pay retail")

Well, not a total loss, but, spent more time running around stimulating the economy than I did actually getting things done. Takes time to do the extra running around in order to get a couple better deals. Never pay retail!

First though we spent some time, my honey and I, shoveling backfill behind a new retaining wall. 15' of wall down, 40' to go. A tractor with a frontloader would be nice but would lack the aerobic benefits. /heh

Finishing that bit of wall and planter, and cleaning up that bit of drive is a major milestone. That will open up the parking for 2 RV's and accompanying waste dumps (you can see one riser cover in the foreground in photo below). Those lines were a big project last winter. LINK

We had some Saturday fun back then too. LINK
Yeah baby, we'll be able to move the trailer down from our main parking (no more door dings and parking jams with guests) and get it on hookups for hosting overnight guests.

After lunch we finally managed to get out together for a drive out to the booneys to check on a deal I spotted on Craigslist for a couple used patio tables. We've got a lot of patio now since pouring concrete last spring but not much to put out for sitting a spell. Well this was one goose chase that paid off nicely. Got there, liked what we saw, told the lady we were interested in both sets and before I could make an opening counter offer she knocked 20% off. I woulda paid full price but hey...

That'll do pig. That'll do.

Now to muster some young backs to help get 'em home. 2 sets of table and benches. ~1350 lbs each. unnggghh...


Finally we hooked up the utility trailer for a run to my toy store (aka Home Depot). There we picked up some plants to fill in more of the empty beds around the pool: 3 Phoenix roebelenii (aka pygmy date palms), a fruit bearing Passion Fruit vine and a Trachycarpus fortunei (aka Windmill Palm) with an nice cluster of pups at the base.
I'm cheap so the 3 gallon pots will have to do. Lord willing we'll be here a good long while and enjoy watching them mature.

Speaking of new patio, the new roses in the patio planters are a riot of color the past couple weeks. Dunno if it's the weather cooling, the plants getting established, result of recent feeding or a combination of all that. Either way they're are rockin'!

Here's some photos from sunset. The lighting is a bit extreme...

Perfume Delight


Perfume Delight, "Ready for my close up Mr. De Mille."


And finally, "Chrysler Imperial." The richness of the red is something to behold -- like crushed velvet. That and the powerful sweet smell just knock my socks off.

Now off to the theatre for evening of youngest daughter dancing in the ensemble as a pirate wench in Peter Pan.

Friday Humor

Yeah the video's a bit macabre' but the lyrics have always been good for a chuckle...

Draining day

That is to say a day putting in drain lines can be draining. I'm bushed. Except for a few details at the bottom of the lines this will finally do it for getting all the lines from the upper lot down the hill and out to the street. Yea.

About 80' of trench with one ea 6", 4" and 3" lines. Clock running on backhoe rental. Warm day. Throw in a bunch of angles and a couple of "Y's" to tie various lines together and it's good manly fun. Now where's the aspirin?

Receive No Contributions

Yes, the Stupid Party is still the Stupid Party. They're still backing RINO's over conservatives in primaries... Even Newt is endorsing the RINO in the NY-23rd Congressional District race. LINK

arrghhh

Thought maybe they'd bought a clue after all the TEA party action this year. Well, my money went direct to Doug Hoffman this morning. Makes it easy with a PayPal button.

In your face RINOs. "RNC" once again stands for "Receive No Contributions."

How to...?

Something Paw Paw wrote recently about deer hunting got me to recalling...

Question:
How do you get peanut off the roof of your mouth?

Answer:
You can lick it off. (nunghh, nughh, nuuggnggh -- nope)
You can blow it off. (huccch, huccch, huccch, spittle flying -- nope)
Or you can scraaaaaape it off with your finger. (yep -- eeewwww!!!)

Short, sweet and for my money and sensibilities still a great summer camp skit. They just don't write 'em that good any more. No?

Yeah, I know, I know. Humor me, will ya? Chalk it up to Monty Python poisoning at an early age.

PawPaw's House: Extreme Addiction

Joe y Jose

This parable is making the rounds. It's worth repeating here...

You have two families: "Joe Legal" and "Jose Illegal". Both families have two parents, two children, and live in California

Joe Legal works in construction, has a Social Security Number and makes $25.00 per hour with taxes deducted.

Jose Illegal also works in construction, has NO Social Security Number, and gets paid $1500 cash "under the table".

Ready? Now pay attention...

Joe Legal: $25.00 per hour x 40 hours = $1000.00 per week, or $52,000.00 per year. Now take 30% away for state and federal tax; Joe Legal now has $31,231.00.

Jose Illegal: $15.00 per hour x 40 hours = $600.00 per week, or $31,200.00 per year. Jose Illegal pays no taxes. Jose Illegal now has $31,200.00.

Joe Legal pays medical and dental insurance with limited coverage for his family at $600.00 per month, or $7,200.00 per year. Joe Legal now has $24,031.00.

Jose Illegal has full medical and dental coverage through the state and local clinics at a cost of $000 per year. Jose Illegal still has $31,200.00.

Joe Legal makes too much money and is not eligible for food stamps or welfare. Joe Legal pays $500.00 per month for food, or $6,000.00 per year. Joe Legal now has $18,031.00.

Jose Illegal has no documented income and is eligible for food stamps and welfare. Jose Illegal still has $31,200.00.

Joe Legal pays rent of $1,200.00 per month, or $14,400.00 per year. Joe Legal now has $9,631.00.

Jose Illegal receives a $500.00 per month federal rent subsidy. Jose Illegal pays $500.00 per month, or $6,000.00 per year. Jose Illegal still has $ 31,200.00.

Joe Legal pays $200.00 per month, or $2,400.00 for insurance. Joe Legal now has $7,231.00.

Jose Illegal says, "We don't need no stinkin' insurance!" and still has $31,200.00.

Joe Legal has to make his $7,231.00 stretch to pay utilities, gasoline, etc.

Jose Illegal has to make his $31,200.00 stretch to pay utilities, gasoline, and what he sends out of the country every month.

Joe Legal now works overtime on Saturdays or gets a part time job after work.

Jose Illegal has nights and weekends off to enjoy with his family.

Joe Legal's and Jose Illegal's children both attend the same school. Joe Legal pays for his children's lunches while Jose Illegal's children get a government sponsored lunch. Jose Illegal's children have an after school ESL program. Joe Legal's children go home.

Joe Legal and Jose Illegal both enjoy the same police and fire services, but Joe paid for them and Jose did not pay.

You tired? Me too.

This was fwd'd to me by a friend...

"I'm Tired" by Robert A. Hall


I'll be 63 soon. Except for one semester in college when jobs were
scarce, and a six-month period when I was between jobs, but
job-hunting every day, I've worked, hard, since I was 18. Despite
some health challenges, I still put in 50-hour weeks, and haven't
called in sick in seven or eight years. I make a good salary, but I
didn't inherit my job or my income, and I worked to get where I am.
Given the economy, there's no retirement in sight, and I'm tired.
Very tired.


I'm tired of being told that I have to "spread the wealth around" to
people` who don't have my work ethic. I'm tired of being told the
government will take the money I earned, by force if necessary, and
give it to people too lazy or stupid to earn it.


I'm tired of being told that I have to pay more taxes to "keep people
in their homes." Sure, if they lost their jobs or got sick, I'm
willing to help. But if they bought mansions at three times the price
of our paid-off, $250,000 condo, on one-third of my salary, then let
the left-wing Congress-critters who passed Fannie and Freddie and
the Community Reinvestment Act that created the bubble help them with
their own money.


I'm tired of being told how bad America is by left-wing millionaires
like Michael Moore, George Soros, and Hollywood entertainers who live
in luxury because of the opportunities America offers. In thirty
years, if they get their way, the United States will have the economy
of Zimbabwe, the freedom of the press of China , the crime and
violence of Mexico, the tolerance for Christian people of Iran, and
the freedom of speech of Venezuela. Won't multiculturalism be
beautiful?


I'm tired of being told that Islam is a "Religion of Peace," when
every day I can read dozens of stories of Muslim men killing their
sisters, wives and daughters for their family "honor"; of Muslims
rioting over some slight offense; of Muslims murdering Christian and
Jews because they aren't "believers"; of Muslims burning schools for
girls; of Muslims stoning teenage rape victims to death for
"adultery"; of Muslims mutilating the genitals of little girls; all
in the name of Allah, because the Qur'an and Shari'a law tells them
to.


I believe "a man should be judged by the content of his character,
not by the color of his skin." I'm tired of being told that "race
doesn't matter" in the post-racial world of Obama, when it's all that
matters in affirmative action jobs, lower college admission and
graduation standards for minorities (harming them the most),
government contract set-asides, tolerance for the ghetto culture of
violence and fatherless children that hurts minorities more than
anyone, and in the appointment of US Senators from Illinois.


I think it's very cool that we have a black president and that a
black child is doing her homework at the desk where Lincoln wrote the
emancipation proclamation. I just wish the black president was Condi
Rice, or someone who believes more in freedom and the individual and
less arrogantly of an all-knowing government.


I'm tired of a news media that thinks Bush's fundraising and
inaugural expenses were obscene, but that think Obama's, at triple
the cost, were wonderful; that thinks Bush exercising daily was a
waste of presidential time, but Obama exercising is a great example
for the public to control weight and stress; that picked over every
line of Bush's military records, but never demanded that Kerry
release his; that slammed Palin, with two years as governor, for
being too inexperienced for VP, but touted Obama with three years as
senator as potentially the best president ever. Wonder why people are
dropping their subscriptions or switching to Fox News? Get a clue. I
didn't vote for Bush in 2000, but the media and Kerry drove me to his
camp in 2004.


I'm tired of being told that out of "tolerance for other cultures" we
must let Saudi Arabia use our oil money to fund mosques and madrassa
Islamic schools to preach hate in America , while no American group
is allowed to fund a church, synagogue, or religious school in Saudi
Arabia to teach love and tolerance.


I'm tired of being told I must lower my living standard to fight
global` warming, which no one is allowed to debate. My wife and I
live in a two-bedroom apartment and carpool together five miles to
our jobs. We also own a three-bedroom condo where our daughter and
granddaughter live. Our carbon footprint is about 5% of Al Gore's,
and if you're greener than Gore, you're green enough.


I'm tired of being told that drug addicts have a disease, and I must
help support and treat them, and pay for the damage they do. Did a
giant germ rush out of a dark alley, grab them, and stuff white
powder up their noses while they tried to fight it off? I don't think
Gay people choose to be Gay, but I damn sure think druggies chose to
take drugs. And I'm tired of harassment from cool people treating me
like a freak when I tell them I never tried marijuana.


I'm tired of illegal aliens being called "undocumented workers,"
especially the ones who aren't working, but are living on welfare or
crime. What's next? Calling drug dealers, "Undocumented Pharmacists"?
And, no, I'm not against Hispanics. Most of them are Catholic, and
it's been a few hundred years since Catholics wanted to kill me for
my religion. I'm willing to fast track for citizenship any Hispanic
person, who can speak English, doesn't have a criminal record and who
is self-supporting without family on welfare, or who serves honorably
for three years in our military... Those are the citizens we need.


I'm tired of latte liberals and journalists, who would never wear
the` uniform of the Republic themselves, or let their
entitlement-handicapped kids near a recruiting station, trashing our
military. They and their kids can sit at home, never having to make
split-second decisions under life and death circumstances, and bad
mouth better people than themselves. Do bad things happen in war? You
bet. Do our troops sometimes misbehave? Sure. Does this compare with
the atrocities that were the policy of our enemies for the last fifty
years and still are? Not even close. So here's the deal. I'll let
myself be subjected to all the humiliation and abuse that was heaped
on terrorists at Abu Ghraib or Gitmo, and the critics can let
themselves be subject to captivity by the Muslims who tortured and
beheaded Daniel Pearl in Pakistan, or the Muslims who tortured and
murdered Marine Lt. Col. William Higgins in Lebanon, or the Muslims
who ran the blood-spattered Al Qaeda torture rooms our troops found
in Iraq, or the Muslims who cut off the heads of schoolgirls in
Indonesia, because the girls were Christian. Then we'll compare
notes. British and American soldiers are the only troops in history
that civilians came to for help and handouts, instead of hiding from
in fear.


I'm tired of people telling me that their party has a corner on
virtue and the other party has a corner on corruption. Read the
papers; bums are bipartisan. And I'm tired of people telling me we
need bipartisanship. I live in Illinois , where the " Illinois
Combine" of Democrats has worked to loot the public for years. Not to
mention the tax cheats in Obama's cabinet as well.


I'm tired of hearing wealthy athletes, entertainers, and politicians
of both parties talking about innocent mistakes, stupid mistakes or
youthful mistakes, when we all know they think their only mistake was
getting caught. I'm tired of people with a sense of entitlement, rich
or poor.


Speaking of poor, I'm tired of hearing people with air-conditioned
homes, color TVs and two cars called poor. The majority of Americans
didn't have that in 1970, but we didn't know we were "poor." The
poverty pimps have to keep changing the definition of poor to keep
the dollars flowing.


I'm real tired of people who don't take responsibility for their
lives and actions. I'm tired of hearing them blame the government, or
discrimination, or big-whatever for their problems.


Yes, I'm damn tired. But I'm also glad to be 63. Because, mostly, I'm
not going to have to see the world these people are making. I'm just
sorry for my granddaughter.



Robert A. Hall is a Marine Vietnam veteran who served five terms in
the Massachusetts State Senate.


All I can say is "Even so, come Lord Jesus."

Sunday Afternoon. Getting Stoned and Swinging Out.

Well in a manner of speaking.

While the Divine Miss M(egan) hosted a rehearsal of her 11th grade swing dance numbers for the big Homecoming Airband competition this week,...

It was breaking down a bit at this point as the testerone poisoning turned into horseplay. Gotta love Mel's body language as she waits for the boys to settle.
... I picked and fit stones for the new walkway to swinging sounds of Michael Buble.
Took a pic of the work in progress when the Chief Inspector showed up and created a work stoppage.

Leadership lessons

Moving beyond Nobel prizes and other tomfoolery, but still thinking about and praying for leaders (as instructed -- "that we may live godly and at peace"). These verses from Proverbs 25 in this morning's reading stuck with me...

4 Take away the dross from the silver,
And there comes out a vessel for the smith;
5 Take away the wicked before the king,
And his throne will be established in righteousness.

Leaves me praying for a house cleaning.
Whether it's in DC, Sacramento, Chicago or all of the above, I'd take any of it with thankfulness.
Whether initiated by the Executive, legislative inquiry, the AG or suits brought by we the people -- not matter.
Pray changes things: not the least of which is the one who prays.

Yeah, I could use some changing. Knuckleheads and crooks get me worked up and frustrated when they prosper and are allowed to persist in afflicting a people and nations with foolishness of Biblical proportions.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phil 4:6-7

Hope in God, not in man...

“Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise. Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.”- Proverbs 19:20-21

It's 5 o'clock somewhere

Don't intend to stumble anyone by broaching this subject before 1700hrs on a Friday, but...

An old school chum asked about the etymology of the word "cocktail" on Facebook today.

Seems apropos of this day that is both Friday and the day when another worthy Nobel Peace prize winner was announced. A man who some might think of a as a bit Peacock.

Cocktail. Peacock. Get it? oh well...

Is it fair to compare him to a peacock? Being that peacocks are the ultimate narcissists? Oh well, sometimes you just have to

Back to the subject at hand...

From the May 13, 1806, edition of the Balance and Columbian Repository:

“Cocktail is a stimulating liquor composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters — it is vulgarly called a bittered sling and is supposed to be an excellent ... Read Moreelectioneering potion, inasmuch as it renders the heart stout and bold, at the same time that it fuddles the head. It is said, also to be of great use to a Democratic candidate: because a person, having swallowed a glass of it, is ready to swallow anything else.”

That darn cat

Some folks are like the cat that sat on a hot stove. It learned a lesson alright but not the right lesson. For ever after it won’t even sit on a cold stove.

Lex has a worthwhile post up today,

Thirty-four years on, the Vietnam War is still shaping perceptions at the top levels of government and the military. Not surprisingly, those perceptions are shaped as much by participant’s predisposition as it is by the facts on the ground:

The two draw decidedly different lessons from the Vietnam War. The first book describes a White House in 1965 being marched into an escalating war by a military viewing the conflict too narrowly to see the perils ahead. President Barack Obama recently finished the book, according to administration officials, and Vice President Joe Biden is reading it now.

The second describes a different administration, in 1972, when a U.S. military that has finally figured out how to counter the insurgency is rejected by political leaders who bow to popular opinion and end the fight.

...more

Live from NEW YORK!

..wonder if they'll do a bit the "O" iconography?

The Power of Legend

Very insightful, this from the Belmont Club.

So when an African-American President gets up on a stage in Copenhagen and dons sack-cloth and ashes; apologizes for his culture and all the rest, he is really telling two stories. To the domestic audience it is the familiar tale of guilt and redemption. But to the international audience it is in some ways a totally different narrative. It says, “we are only the man behind the curtain. The Mighty Oz is nothing but the flacks I have around me.” He is the demolishing the very aura that brought him there, because when you come down to it, the invitation was extended not to him as a person, but as the leader of the once mythical and legendary United States of America. He was careless of his legacy.

The "Power of Legend." Sort of like when we say "It's not enough for the other team to lose. They must be beaten." Sets up an expectation of your superiority and dominance that extends to shape future encounters.

Trade that for power for standing among fickle friends at home and abroad? Apparently not even enough to land an Olympic city win. How much will it buy us in the big game where they play for keeps?

read more...

Ready to roll (and rock)

Two weeks and out. Carpet laid yesterday. Lifted baby grand up this morning. Turned the musicians loose to rehearse for tomorrow morning services. Whew.


Young yokefellows did yeoman work getting this done. Over a 120 volunteer man hours invested in this job. About 100 by 2 individuals. As I write this they're still there cleaning up main hall. All the overflow of construction materials and fixtures into the fellowship was dealt with, cleaned up and setup for tomorrow before I left there.

Check one major project off the facilities list...

Youth conference in November. More stage lighting and embedding of stage sound system wiring needs wrap up before then to take full advantage of the new stage.

Sorry, No Oprahlympics in 2016

Chi-Town eliminated in the first round of balloting. OUCH!

How's that legacy looking Mr. Daley?

Chicago has been eliminated from Olympic balloting in the first round of voting by the International Olympic Committee, a stunningly swift defeat for the U.S. bid personally pitched by President Barack Obama...


...in 2016, it won't be Chicago.

The 2016 Summer Games were to be Mayor Richard Daley's legacy. Now the mayor comes home to face recession-driven budget woes and concerns about violence that plague Chicago, without the ability to change the public dialogue to Olympics talk...

...But things got complicated when it came to Chicago politics

link

Chicago politics? Complicated?

Not at all. Simple as pie. Pay up. Stay in line. Keep your kneecaps.

No sweat for Barry and Michelle. Nice date for them. Copenhagen should be nice this time of year.

Never mind the culture of corruption took a hit in the knees. The Daly machine will find someone else to get a vig from.