Category Archives: Uncategorized

The Benefit of a Plan “B”

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Somewhere around 2010 they shut down the shuttle program, in essence discounting the most of the space program.

To most of us, it was a small thing. However, it was then that thousands discovered that they had no plan “B.” Many had families. The vast majority had bills, big bills. They likely had a little savings, not nearly enough. Many panicked. Many went down to the local hamburger place and found out that that plan “B” wouldn’t work. They weren’t hiring. Worse, the restaurants were making their money off the those that were were working for NASA. …And now, very few were working for NASA. And it was even worse. Had they got hired on and worked 60 hour weeks, they would not make the house payment. Just can’t do that on minimum wage.

It was something of a local depression. They all would have gladly sold apples but no one was buying apples. They would have gone into construction, but there were suddenly many vacancies. There was no need to build new homes. People were leaving by the thousands. It would have been a real good time to have a bunch of money to invest in real estate. The depression of land values was short. A person with a little spare change in his pocket had the chance to buy low and sell high.

Nonetheless, back to my point. It was those who had the good Plan “B” that did well. Unfortunately, there were not many. I mean, where does an aeronautic engineer go to find a job. They had one possible employer and there just weren’t many other places hiring.

I don’t know, but I would guess that most of those who had houses left. In many cases, they likely simply abandoned their homes, unable to sell them. I don’t know. It might have been one of those times it would have been better to rent. That way, it would be landlords who would be the losers when everyone started moving out.

I don’t have any idea what they all did, but I can guess it was whatever they could find, even if it was digging ditches. There is no telling how far they move from their former homes before they could find someone who would hire them.

It was worse than the catch 22. No one wanted to hire someone they knew would have to train, and then lose the instant someone starts building rockets again. It is the perfect example of being overqualified. So, suddenly, they wished they learned how to build houses, did plumbing or air conditioning in their spare time. At least then, they could go to an employer and say I already know how….

I was one of those who didn’t have a Plan “B,” though not part of the space program. I was making good money repairing computers. Then one day, I was called into the boss’s office in the late 1980’s. Need I say more.

In one day, the corporation of UNISYS decreased its employees by twenty percent. It was devastating not just to me, but to the rest of the20%. But I did see it coming. I hoped to avoid it, but hope just does not always work.

Oh, and by the way, my oldest son just started college. Wish I had had a plan “B.” They come in so handy when things suddenly happen, even when it isn’t so sudden.

News Channel 3 Anytime

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Don’t believe it. It’s a misnomer. They really need to call themselves, Sports, Weather and Ads anytime. Well, truthfully, they do accidentally have 2 or 3 news stories each half hour. However, the bulk of the Memphis channel could be mostly equally divided between sports, weather and advertising. The thing is, much of the advertising is that they bring us the news, but they don’t. As I said, sports, weather and advertising.

I can only guess, but I’d say they really don’t want to bring us news. First, it has a tendency to make the dems look bad. It makes the Memphis government look bad. It makes the schools look bad. Truly, they make the city look bad. Second. they would have to pay someone to gather the news. Yeah. That’s right. They would have to go out and ask real questions of real people.

They have all sorts of remote broadcasting equipment. That’s right. Then they use it two or three times a day… sometimes. I’m not sure they like to do that. When they do, it does makes me wonder why. What would actually prompt them to go out and gather some news? Far easier, far less expensive to look at the weather instruments and record the weather.

Which brings me to the question, what takes so long to report the weather? When I was a kid, it took 2 or 3 minutes. Just what takes so long now. Well they have maps now. Maybe they should have 6 minutes.

Now, just why do the sports need 12 minutes and local news channel 3? Just what is so important about the sports that they can’t get the sports elsewhere. Just why is it so much more important than hard news?

Regardless, if there were penalties for truth in advertising, WREG TV would be guilty of disobedience. They advertise news anytime. It’s an outright lie. Hasn’t been news for decades. I don’t think it ever will be. It is intentional deceit.

Even as I write this, I am looking at a story about Mattel dolls. I guess they considered that important enough to squeeze it in. I’m not sure why it is so important to me. If I had a daughter, I’m not that sure it would be all that important to her. Most of the little girls would get their important info about dolls from commercials. I don’t know too many kids who would watch the news if you forced them.

It is no wonder there are people who are voting for Kamala for no other reasons than that she is black and she is a woman. Ask most who will vote for her to name one good thing she has ever done, and all you will hear is crickets.

Sometimes, They Get it Right, Sometimes

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Most of time, they are wrong. As mentioned before, I frequently go surfing the web, looking for things I don’t need. I have looked at yachts before, though there is no way I could afford one, even if they gave it to me. Nonetheless, I do occasionally see ads about yacht oriented things; you know, marine oriented equipment. I have done research on Paris years ago. I still see ads for tickets, not only to Paris, but Rome and London too. I don’t even have a passport.

The current thing is those air fryers. I’m still trying to figure that one out. I don’t think I would use an air fryer if I had one. Most of the time, we go out to eat. I am spoiling my wife now. Besides, with just the two of us, if I cook at home, we end up with a lot of waste. Most of what little cooking I do is with a cast iron skillet. It works good and it is very reliable. I cook a couple of hamburger patties in about 3 minutes. Virtually impossible to ruin. If I used an air fryer, it would be difficult to save much time.

Nonetheless, I turn to the left and I see the benefits of air fryers. I turn to the right and I find out I can fry fries without frying them. Pardon me, but doesn’t that mean they aren’t fries. Don’t know what they are called.

The ads don’t bother me, but I do laugh at them. I see the ads when I play Free Cell. At any time of any day, as I go through the channels, I see them advertised on TV. They pop up in bunches in my emails. I just laugh at them. They serve no purpose. If I should decide I need one one day, I think I would go down to Walmart and get one. Thing is, I would not even need to make a special trip. I went right by one yesterday when I went to the bank. Worse thing about those air ovens, they take up space. With a 900 square foot house, I need space more than an air oven.

I thought about making a list of things that they advertise, aimed specially at me, that I have no use for. Then I could write a book about them. That way, I could share the humor.

As a side note, there are some things I’ve seen ads for, I just might find out what they are and what they are used for. Those that read the book might could tell me.

The Factchecker Just Got Factchecked

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The mediator said that there was no killing of animals. He was implying that Trump was a liar. Indeed, he would have liked to have Trump wear the label forever if he could manage it. But the label didn’t stick. Indeed, the label now belongs on the factchecker. He said, the animals were not being killed, but even now the dems are having to back off of it, as the city council is having to admit to it. Indeed, a 911 call is now making its rounds on the internet. In addition, it is starting to be reported in other cities.

Now the dems are trying to trivialize it. For many reasons, it is not trivial. Most of all, you, mr. factchecker, should, in writing and publicly, make an apology for calling a fine honest man a liar.

I don’t expect that to happen though. It is not in the blood of dems to admit being wrong. They simply will not, even if the facts are starring them in the face. It is certainly not in their blood to make any kind of an apology at all, ever.

I Was Half Right, Maybe

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I knew Kamala would want another debate. My best guess now, they looked into the surveys they have been doing since the last debate and they realize their win did not have the affect they hoped for. It’s sort of the thing that happens when you dodge all the questions as if they were bullets.

However, Pres. Trump decided against another the debate. I didn’t expect that when I said I expected another debate. From the way Trump spoke, it sounds pretty much set, although it may yet change. It is always something of a gamble to fight when the outcome is somewhat established already. I understand he is now leading by a point or two. That would mean he is ahead by four. If Trump does come up with an agreement for it to take place at FOX News, he might take it. There is no way that Kamala would get away with not answering questions there and the meet just might amount to a knockout punch, if you will excuse the horrible euphemism. For the same reason, I don’t think Kamala will agree to FOX, unless she becomes desperate.

On a slightly different note, what Pres. Trump said about Kamala’s crowds is real. They rely on paid attendees or big name singers to draw the crowds. Trump manages to draw the crowds all by himself. However, I must admit that I must give some to Kamala too. Some of his followers do leave. I would likely have to be one of those who did. At my age and fitness, I simply could not stay over an hour, if that long. He is about my age and I shake my head when I see him do it. After an hour, I would certainly run out of energy.

One Score = Twenty Years

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Actually, it means 20 anything. According to Reference.com, it was originally used to count livestock. Marks, or scores were made on a convenient piece of wood to keep track of the scores. Only, back then, it was old Norse and was spelt skor.

More recently, people have used it for speeches, like the Gettysburg Address. I guess old Abe realized that four score and seven sounds so-o-o much better than just simply saying eighty-seven years.

Actually, I never figured on writing all that, but as I decided on my title, I figured I should double check. I mean, considering how my memory has failed me lately, I wanted to make sure it wasn’t for ten. Then as usual, when I looked it up, I found out so much more.

So to get back to my original thought, I mean, the idea that one score makes 20 years. A few days ago I got to thinking about it. I know. As my wife says, I do entirely too much time thinking. I would suspect some of those reading this agree.

At any rate, I figure it this way,

At an age of 1 skor, I realized I would never be a major league, or even a minor league pitcher. How disappointing. When I was 12, I was so looking forward to it.

At the age of 2 skor, I realized I would never be president. I knew I would never be a millionaire. How horrible. Worse, I had to start wearing reading glasses. I was no longer able to do 200 sit-ups non stop. (Really, when I was in high school I could and did.) What a horrible thing to be confronted with.

At an age of 3 skor, I already had my first heart attack. Worse yet, it was a realization that the 2 skor thing was really real. It was a reinforcement that I was getting old. I mean, I was really looking at retirement. It was hiding right around the corner.

Well now, it is 3 skor and 16; almost 4 skor. Can you believe that? I can’t. Even so, every time I go out and work in the yard for a while, I am reminded. Every time I try to read instructions micro-printed on the side of a bottle, reality comes knocking on the door.

Then too, there are my 2 mile walks. Even when the outdoor temp is 64 degrees, I fall in my easy chair after, sweat dripping off of me.

It causes me to wonder at the start of each day, am I going to make it to 4 skor.

Won the Debate, Lost the Campaign

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It is a shame, but if Trump had done one thing at the beginning of the debate, it would have ended right there. At his first turn to speak, he should have pretended waiting a few seconds and said, I’m still waiting. You never answered the question. Go ahead right now. It will take five seconds to answer. I’ll give you ten. However, I do expect a real answer.

It would have stopped her cold. She would have had to remain silent and look bad or she would have had to give an answer and look bad, maybe worse.

Regardless, as they say, that is water under the bridge. There is no way to get it back. It is on the way to the sea, or at least a lake.

However, as I think back over it, the American people are still pretty smart. They knew what was happening. They could figure out that Kamala was getting a tremendous amount of help from the umpires. The American people do have a since of fairness. Maybe, when all is said and done, in the long run, Kamala just might have really muffed it. I have heard a few voters interviewed who said as much.

Moreover, and worse, I am sure I am not the only one who noted that Kamala avoided answering any of the questions. In essence, she usually simply repeated the question in a different form and then went on to answer the question that was never asked.

It is the method of evil. They don’t lie. A lie is too easy to see. They use deception or redirection, which always has an element of the truth, but only part of it. For instance, she quoted part of the thing about some good from both sides. She left out the important part, which negated the part she quoted. Hence, you can always tell when a person lives by deceit. He goes around telling part of the truth, but only part of it. It is worse than a lie and it is always more successful in deceit. Those that have read the Bible can tell you, it is the primary method used by the devil repeatedly.

For sure, do we really want a person in the White House who operates by deceit and misdirection? Do we want a president who never will provide the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Revisiting My Time As a Civil Engineer

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Honest, I never was a civil engineer. Never got past my first year of college. However, there was a prompt that I replied to in which I pretended to be an engineer for a short time. One of my suggestions was to do away with two way streets. One way streets have a lot of advantages.

As you could tell by my post, I would not make much of a city planner. Nonetheless, I did think of a few more advantages to one way streets. However, let me review the advantages I already mentioned.

Left and right turns would equally difficult. No one would ever need to wait for apposing traffic. Going into and out of businesses would be far easier, especially leaving a business onto a 3 or 4 lane road. Because of no turns against apposing traffic, there would be no need for left turn signals. Currently, much of the time shared in the intersection is reserved for left turns, north, south as well as east west. Though traffic must wait for all left turns.

Now for a couple of things I just thought of. The head on collision would almost totally be eliminated. I say almost, because there are cities like Memphis where some drivers would drive the wrong way. And, of course, head on collisions are usually the most deadly because of the relative speed. Two cars hitting each other at 40, have a relative speed of 80.

The U-turn would be unnecessary. 2 left or 2 right turns would serve the same purpose and would be far safer, though, I must admit, the driver would have to travel one more block. Some might not want to admit it, but having to look into headlights is tiring, and maybe even harmful. With one way streets, it would be very rare to have to look into headlights. Incidentally, it would also improve vision, especially at dusk.

As a little aside, considering the number of miles driven each day, there are very few accidents. Mostly, it is when a person disobeys a law either by accident or intentionally. Possibly, it is because of impatience or being in a hurry. I witnessed a few of the intentional ones, mostly running red lights. In Memphis it used to be against the law to turn right on a red light except where posted. They changed the law to read that you can make a right turn when safe and only after coming to a complete stop. It would seem there are many who just go barreling on through as if the light is not there. It makes me wish they never changed the law. It doesn’t hurt to wait a while. It can be far worse without the without the wait.

Kind of a sudden afterthought. It might after result in less out of “out of court settlements” too.

An Impressive Reporter, Maybe

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When Trump brought up the point that illegal aliens were killing pets, the commentator quickly pointed out that they checked with the city manager who said there was no evidence of it.

Now that really confuses me. Why did they check with the city manager. What prompted them to do that. I would suspect, truth be told, he didn’t do any checking. I wish I could ask him face to face. He probably had some flunky new-be check it. Moreover, we now know that they did a sorry job of checking into it, if at all. We now know that Trump was right. The story has been confirmed by many, not just one flunky.

One might be very impressed by the reporter, but, guess what, he not only had it wrong, he interrupted the former president to be wrong with an air of being absolutely right, this even though he was wrong, and I suspect he knew he was wrong all the time. He knew Trump was likely going to bring it up. And he knew, right or wrong, he could not let that story stand. He knew, while killing the unborn child is very acceptable by our society, killing helpless animals is not.

And by the way, he was wrong and Trump was right. Do you really think we should put our trust in any reporters, or news networks as this?

Forward???

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Kamala kept saying we need to go forward. Actually, I would like to go back…

Back to $1 a gallon for gas.

Back to $100 weekly grocery bill.

Back to before there were any wars in Ukraine or Israel.

Back to when there was a trickle instead of a flood of illegal aliens across the border.

Back to when criminals were in prison instead of out on the streets.

Back when our young men in the military were not forced to take shots that don’t work.

Back before the students were illegally forgiven of their loans.

Back before dangerous shots were give to children who don’t need them, even if they did work.

Back when our military was strong.

Back when our corporations were being run to the benefit of the stockholders, not the color of skin or sex preference.

I do have a few more, but I think you get the idea.