tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67833572024-03-14T01:04:47.719-04:00Sr. Fab's Journal-fabsjournal.blogspot.comOccasional journal entries for bemusement, reflectionSr. Fabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266240102785270473noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6783357.post-71534715062616451882022-07-06T09:30:00.000-04:002022-07-06T09:30:15.411-04:00The Trump MAGA Movement. What is it Really? <p><span style="font-size: x-large;">The </span>movement known as the MAGA movement is made up of all
types of Americans that tend to believe that we have been lied to, manipulated
by the mass media and trashed by elites as well as cheated by the left who are
secretly and openly Marxist.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This country which has a strong history of condemning
Marxism, seems to be caving to it in all manner of ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, the openly Marxist and
anti-capitalist rioters that cover their overwhelmingly white identity with
black clad clothing, black masks and black umbrellas, and openly destroy
private businesses, attacked a Federal courthouse, and burned down a police
station, literally destroyed an Autozone store and spray painted
anti-capitalist messages inside before it burned to ground, are not being
reported with alarm!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At any other time in our history prior to Trump, all of
these things would be an automatic cause for alarm and an FBI investigation and
likely undercover infiltration operation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yet, you instead have some Democratic House members, like a NY
congressman Jerry Nadler, saying that Antifa “does not exist”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Either
they are blind because they live in a mainstream media bubble that underreports
and distorts what is actually happening, or they are simply manipulative individuals
in power not representing Americans, but rather their partisan special
interests and they only care about re-election every two years.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Trump was a very engaged president that used the power of
his office to get things done that served the American interests.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He negotiated with the newly elected
Marxist-leaning Mexican president to send 25,000 Mexican troops to our Southern
border to protect it from being the porous gateway it has always been.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He did it with a threat of tariffs if he didn’t
help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also arranged a Stay in Mexico
policy for asylum seekers to replace the catch and release that has been not
only re-implemented by the Biden administration but has been streamlined in
such a way to make smuggling illegal immigrants a major US policy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It cannot be overstated just how efficient
this new president has been in securing hotel rooms, bus or airfare, and
temporary work permits for millions of illegals that cross our border.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The border police have been reduced to just being
processing agents for the illegals to enter the country virtually legally with
the blessing the US government.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All laws
passed by Congress that outlaws this are just ignored completely.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On the question of Tariffs, the first one implemented by
Trump when he took office was on foreign steel being dumped into our
country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His 25% tariffs on steel and
his executive order to use only American steel to build the Keystone XL
pipeline that he approved immediately upon taking office, likely saved an
American industry and the jobs for steelworkers that went with it.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When Ford announced they were moving a factory to Mexico,
unlike other presidents before and after him, he publicly called them out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One thing corporations seem to be afraid of
is bad press.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, they negotiated a
settlement to keep about 1000 jobs in the US that were destined to go to
Mexico.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some complained that some people
still lost their jobs, but that does not take away from the 1000 well paying
union jobs that were saved due to Trump’s intervention.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In Europe, Trump exerted his influence to get the other NATO
members to donate more toward their portion of the costs of the military
alliance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He managed to finagle billions
more out of some countries than they had contributed in the past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This directly led to the much stronger
response that NATO was able offer when Russia invaded Ukraine. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When Trump brought up to Germany that allowing the Nord
Stream 2 pipeline to transport Russian natural gas directly from Russia to
Europe bypassing Ukraine would lead to more dependence on Russia and therefore
Putin, they laughed at his exigencies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet,
Trump put sanctions on the pipeline because he had the strength of his
convictions. What did Biden do when he took office?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, he lifted Trump’s sanctions on Putin’s
pipeline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How did Putin respond?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, he saw weakness in the American resolve
and invaded Ukraine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily, a stronger
NATO was able to prop up Ukraine’s defenses against the invasion, which is
still ongoing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trump also had been the
president<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that reversed Obama’s policy
of not sending lethal weapons to Ukraine, so they were able to fend off the
first wave of the attack while Biden was offering President Zelensky of Ukraine
a ride out of the there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s when he
famously responded, I need weapons not a ride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Far from being Putin’s puppet as he was characterized on CNN and
practically everywhere, Trump was rightly a big thorn in the side of Putin that
hobbled his ability to do what he wanted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At home, with the mass anti-Trump frenzy hyped up by the
media, Hollywood elites, the Washington Post and the New York Times, not to
mention Bloomberg, Business Insider, Twitter bans against he right, facebook
money helping the Democrats and so much more, the 2020 election became the
highest vote turnout for a <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>presidential
election in history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It set records on
both sides.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Democrats that would
normally not care or vote, were brought into the system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the right, Trump got more votes that his
first election.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, Biden from his
basement campaign managed to get a record number of votes and clinching the
election.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my opinion, uninformed
voters that get their news from the networks which never gave Trump and due
credit and always spun everything all his actions, verbal or actual in a
negative light, brought out the masses that voted for Biden’s win.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Now two years into this Biden administration, the Trump
years are looking more and more like the Golden era where we had record low
unemployment for all demographic groups, energy independence was achieved, no
new wars involving out military; inflation, gas prices, food costs were low and
real wages were rising. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The MAGA movement is stronger than ever and Trump’s America
First agenda has realigned much of the Republican party much in the same way
that Reagan did since his presidency in the 1980s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reagan was pro life, pro small government,
anti-high taxes, and pro strong military (peace through strength).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His ideals have guided the Republican party
ever since.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now Trump has managed to
make a course correction for the Reagan alignment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has basically eliminated the Tea Party
movement and replaced it with MAGA (Make America Great Again). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People that lived before 2007 had memories of
pre smartphone America, where texting and staring at your phone every few
minutes for new text messages, tweets, Whatsapp, group chats, emails, facebook
posts, Tik Tok videos, Instagram entertainment was not a way of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People talked and the phone was just a
communication device, not a heart monitor, news feed, attention getter it is
today.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So MAGA hearkens back to that time when it seems like life
was simpler and therefore maybe more great?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The word Woke only meant something in the morning when you came out of a
drowsy state.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trans movement was not
even a thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Something called the
Trevor project was never heard of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Boys
swimming in girls’ teams and breaking records?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No one would have thought of that as a possibility in this topsy turvy
world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The main thrust of the MAGA
movement however did not deal with those things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The main thrust of the MAGA movement was
slowing down or stopping the Walmartization of America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stanching the bleed of great American
factories and the jobs that go with it, that were moving overseas to China at an
incredible rate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Rust belt knew this
better than anyone and Trump gave them a voice that the Democrats they were
voting for election after election had a deaf ear and blind eye toward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over 70,000 American factories were
transferred to China and they have now become a powerhouse of manufacturing
that once was the pride of the American experiment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All those good jobs that paid so well for
generations were being replaced by Walmart jobs where the goods produced in
China that were formerly produced here are not sold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Walmart is virtually a Chinese manufacturing
outlet store.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Appliances, North Carolina
furniture factories, electronics, everything that was proudly made here was all
now being made in China cheaply and sold back to us in every big box store as
well as online.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is likely the reason the Rust belt states suffer more
deaths from Fentanyl, another Chinese manufactured import and border issue
problem, that is killing 100,000 of our youths annually.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It kills more than twice the number of people
that car accidents, our previous largest killer of Americans not related to
illness, than any other cause.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trump
expended a lot of federal resources tackling the fentanyl problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That focus seems to have fallen by the
wayside now and the focus is on streamlining illegal immigration, which also
happened to streamline illegal fentanyl into our country.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At this point the cat is out of the bag.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People know that they have been lied to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although the people that have it ok and
supported Biden and still think that Trump is Putin’s puppet and only listen to
CNN, MSNBC and ignore any news source that talk differently, those people will
likely blindly keep voting for Democrats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But many others, including a large swathe of the Hispanic population are
realizing that their personal interests more closely aligns with the American
First movement, will likely vote for the new Republican ticket, whoever it is
represented by, Trump or DeSantis. <o:p></o:p></p>Sr. Fabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266240102785270473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6783357.post-75417889395249934582013-08-18T00:48:00.003-04:002013-08-18T11:43:41.192-04:00The Dichotomy of ExistenceScience tells us how unbelievably complex life is. How everything is made up of atoms which cannot be seen. Held together by mysterious forces unexplainable but measurable on some level. It tells us of the miracle of the universe, the immensity of the sun, solar system, the Milky Way galaxy, romantically named for the way the stars within this galaxy looks on a clear night away from city lights. Yes, and how small we are on this tiny orb in space circling the sun, our star, on the edge of the milky way galaxy, made of 100 billion such stars like the sun. Science is now discovering that most stars also have planets circling them just like the sun! And yet this cluster of stars making up our Milky Way galaxy, is but one cluster in a neighborhood of other cluster of stars like this "Milky Way" with one of our nearest neighbors being the whimsically named Andromeda galaxy, our brother or sister galaxy a mere 1,000,000 light years away. A short distance in universe proportions. Since our galaxy is about 100,000 light years from end to end, that makes the Andromeda only 10 lengths away from us. Short enough for us to yell HELLO! Additionally, science tells us that the universe as we know it today, is expanding and every galaxy is pulling away from every other galaxy. It tells us how fortunate we are to live in the present epoch, because one day, all the galaxies will eventually be so far away from each other, that every creature in every galaxy will think it is alone in the universe!<br />
<br />
But yet, as amazing as all these facts are to the mind, it seems that as humans we really care more about such things as how we look. How we age. What we feel. What others think of us. Raising a family. Making those close to us happy. It's amazing that we age and our skin shows it. Because everyone's outer skin replaces itself every 30 days or so, science tells us. But, somehow those that are over 60 have a leathery aged stretchy look to their skin, while teenagers have a smooth healthful look which they do not fully appreciate until they too age. <br />
<br />
My point, is that the science behind our physical reality is not all that important, except to appreciate the love, mercy and power behind it to create this universe for us and allow us to believe in it's solidity for as long as it takes to understand the real purpose for our existence. That is to understand love, humanity, peacefulness within, harmony with our fellow man, shared joy and happiness. Yes, science, there is a purpose to life and it is not to figure out how the Wizard created the illusion, but to learn to be a better man, woman, person in the eyes of our creator. Not for its sake, but for our own sake, which is its sake. <br />
<br />
The next time you go to Panera, or the post office, a park bench, or are even sitting in a traffic jam, take a step back with your mind, and enjoy the life you are living and know that we are all in the same boat and are all sharing the same existence in our own way. And for God's sake, smile at each other, it's not science!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Sr. Fabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266240102785270473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6783357.post-62525301724320507492011-07-22T20:06:00.004-04:002011-07-22T20:36:30.168-04:00Procrastination<span class="Apple-style-span" >Procrastination</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Procrastination is the cause of many a failures.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >It means to put off something important for something not so.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >It wastes time on Facebook, Netflix, Television and radio.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >They all want our attention, our time our precious moments.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Yet you have your own agenda. Things needing to be done.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Things that need to be ended. Things that need to be started.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Jobs that you plan on doing, but haven't taken that first step.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Why? Why? Why? Why procrastination of course.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >So much can be done with your life if you just plan it.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Schedule it. Start it. Follow through with it. And Do it!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >But, relationships have lasted longer than they should.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Jobs have taken longer than they could have.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Money was not made from a great business plan,</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Because the plan was left in your brain.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >The plan was not thought through.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >The plan was not developed properly.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Why? Why? Why? Why else? Procrastination!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >How to organize a disorganized mind?</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >How to do what you plan to get done?</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >How to clean your environment and</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >accept the rewards of accomplishment?</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >It all could be so easy, so wonderful,</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >If only you did not cave to the siren call,</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >The siren call of entertainment of the mind.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >The siren call of streaming video,</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >The siren call of flat panel hi-def!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >The siren call of surfing the Internet.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >All are but candy for the cerebellum.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Rock and roll for the mindless.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Energy and time wasters for your life.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >The life that you are now living.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >The life that requires attention.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Yes, that life. The only life you currently are subscribed to.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >The life you have to live. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >So, detach yourself from the Television</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Tear away from the monitor,</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Shut down the hard drive</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Look around you. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Notice the needs that have been ignored. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Notice the floors, the walls, the driveway, </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >The shelves full of books.</span></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia; ">Notice the many undone </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia; ">things that have fallen into disrepair.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Turn your attention toward those plans you had.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Follow through on the productive tasks</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Finish paying the bills, cleaning and organizing your desk.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Cleaning your rooms. Reading those books. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >At least attempt to perform the tasks needed</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >To start that new income stream you thought about.</span></div><div>You know what it is? You're clever. Just start like you did before.</div><div>Come back in a year. Let me know what has changed.</div><div>If nothing, then procrastination still reigns.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Sr. Fabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266240102785270473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6783357.post-73580231176268630332010-11-29T01:37:00.002-05:002010-11-29T02:09:31.373-05:00We All Exist Because of God's Love and MercyIf you ever feel the need to critique someone else's religion or belief system, remember this: everything exists because of God's Love and Mercy. Over billions of years since the creation of the physical universe from God's formless beingness, we have come a long way. The first creatures to walk the earth were giant dinosaurs, whose state of consciousness and self-awareness was primitive compared to ours today. But, it was the correct form of consciousness for newly manifested souls in a harsh world. Over time, a millenia, which is insignificant in the cosmic scheme of things, higher forms of life developed, warm-blooded creatures, mammals, birds. As souls learned to handle the God Power within from which it came, higher life forms developed to coincide with the greater awareness of itself. As far as we know, humans beings are the highest form of life for a soul to manifest. <br /><br />As you speed down the highway, passing thousands of other cars occupied by humans of all shapes, sizes like ourselves, think about how far we have taken this human form of existence in just the last 100 years. Faster and faster we go. More tight do we make our schedules. Farther do we travel in a single week taking care of out affairs than humans traveled in a complete lifetime just 150 years ago. <br /><br />Where am I going with this? just a reminder that it matters not what religion you belong to, for we are all cut from the same cloth. It matters not the name given to the source of all power, creation and sustenance, for it all comes from the same source. Mankind's many holy books are but different patches on the same quilt, and like a quilt it takes many different patches to make one blanket. The words used by different religions to convey the real and only truth are all said using the same air that we all breathe. The smile of a muslim child is just as pleasing to experience as the smile of a Christian, a Hindu or Buddhist. What matters more is the purity of it than the religion of the parents.<br /><br />Everything exists because of God's Love and Mercy.Sr. Fabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266240102785270473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6783357.post-31785070784427136352010-11-14T01:01:00.016-05:002010-11-15T23:14:04.918-05:00SarcasmSarcasm<br /><br />It is the currency of the smart-aleck. <br />The M-O of the witty<br />and the bane of the humble.<br />Many assume a superior stance<br />Using sarcasm as an uppity prance<br />Only to find there is no one to dance<br />For sarcasm has pierced its sharp lance<br />Into the heart of the feeling, the timid and powerful.<br />Leaving only isolation for the witty,<br />Loneliness for the smart-aleck<br />And self-importance for the unfeeling.<br /><br />So, what is the solution?<br />Just talk like a person.<br />Leave the wit to rest.<br />Be predictable in words<br />And move up in career,<br />Improve the homefront,<br />Find solace in the moment.<br /><br />For sarcasm is Greek<br />Based on Sarcazo.<br />It means to tear flesh.<br />It's meant to be mean.<br />Whether said in jest<br />Or jested in anger.<br />Its intent is to harm<br />To maim with its words<br />Sure you’re just kidding<br />But not everyone gets it.<br />Not all are in tune.<br />It’s not a problem of wavelength<br />So, learn to be caring<br />Lord sakes they don’t get it!<br />While youre slaying them with humor<br />Your stunting your growth<br />career ladder is splattered.<br />Your role as a human, a worker, a man<br />Is not helped by an attitude<br />That appeals to the hunter<br />After its prey<br />reveling in the kill<br />Like a matador in a pen<br />The bull has no escape<br />Except to strike back.Sr. Fabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266240102785270473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6783357.post-72170828442275789232010-11-09T12:30:00.001-05:002010-11-09T12:30:54.957-05:00It's Just a PillIt’s just a pill she said<br />Nothing more, that’s all,<br />Like iPhone is just a phone<br />And like Maserrati is just a car.<br />Understatement unbeknownst<br />If all is only than none if morely<br />Heroin is just powder<br />Like talcum<br />Weed is just a plant<br />Like a rose.<br />Bullets are just lead<br />Like a pencil, harmless.<br />And anacin is acid<br />Acid asperin.<br />It’s just a pill, that’s allSr. Fabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266240102785270473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6783357.post-74030642602432783922009-09-28T21:13:00.002-04:002009-09-28T21:16:23.924-04:00Wasting Work TimeRight now, I'm wasting time<br />Spilling my brains on my pad<br />Spelling, diddling nothing particular<br />Open you time, take your money.<br />Give to the man, take it away.<br />Little bit gets done, not outdone.<br />My brain is shifting and drifting<br />Thinking of my bills, not doing what<br />I'm paid to do. Writing this stuff<br />Leaving it for later.Sr. Fabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266240102785270473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6783357.post-29332354328092488182009-09-17T17:35:00.000-04:002009-09-17T17:37:01.060-04:00Code BlocksProgramming hard blocks<br />finding reuse, hidden code<br />my brain is blocked<br />my mind is melded into the computer<br /><br />the computer does not care about me<br />it was created by someone to execute tasks<br />that person is long gone<br />I am left to struggle with the logic<br />my mind longs to understand it all<br /><br />my computer wants perfect syntax<br />why does it not ask "did you mean...?"<br />Like google who knows what I meant.<br />Don't play dumb with me.Sr. Fabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266240102785270473noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6783357.post-80027146396605923032009-09-01T00:58:00.005-04:002009-09-01T01:25:22.029-04:00If Lincoln Never Fought the Civil WarOne day I woke up from a dream that felt more like a realization of an alternate history of the world. In it, the United States allowed the Confederate States of America to Secede from the Union. Fast forward through history to World War II. The Confederate States of America side with Nazi Germany as well as South Africa which practices Apartheid. Given this new balance of power, Nazi Germany survives. Blacks in the Confederate States never get full rights as citizens. South Africa is more powerful. The world is completely different all because Lincoln did not fight and win the American Civil War. There are two Americas, one sides with the Nazi and believe in white supremacy, the other is run by liberal intellectuals and is not powerful enough to fight off the combined forces of Nazi Germany and the Confederates which are natural allies joined by a belief in the inferiority of other race of humans. <br /><br />Most of Europe falls under the Axis power control and stays there. The Soviet Union, also an ally of the Confederate states, comes to an agreement with the Axis powers that preserve them from war with Germany. Canada, the remaining United States and Britain stand alone against these powerful countries. The mainland of the United Stated experiences many of the same kind of bombing in its Eastern cities as London saw in WWII in this reality. Unable to defeat us, we all learn to co-exist in a world with Nazi's, slavery, apartheid, Communism, Fascism, and oppression and there is no one free country big and strong enough to force an unconditional surrender on either side. The whole world become prone to conquest and colonial rule into the modern era. <br /><br />African countries, South American countries are exploited by one side or the other by use of money or force. Whichever is more expedient.<br /><br />So, treaties are signed. Agreements are made. Demilitarized zones are created. Armies are kept on alert like it is between North and South Korea in this reality.Sr. Fabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266240102785270473noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6783357.post-32063460552326491722009-08-29T15:45:00.009-04:002009-09-01T00:57:18.470-04:00Would I want to Win the Mega Millions?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6qQX2kjiPSo/SpypptCWtNI/AAAAAAAAHUI/V4xEmqbkKTo/s1600-h/megamillions.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6qQX2kjiPSo/SpypptCWtNI/AAAAAAAAHUI/V4xEmqbkKTo/s320/megamillions.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376358589102732498" /></a><br />I went to my local 7-Eleven last night and asked the foreign worker behind the counter if it was too late to buy the Super Lotto ticket? He misunderstood me, but like I see all too often, instead of asking me what? He, made some kind of assumption and asked me some irrelevant question about the Virginia lotto. So, I asked him again. Is it too late to buy the super lotto with the $325 Million dollar prize?? Finally, the light went on and he said I can still buy it tonight for the big prize. <br /><br />So, I bought a Mega Millions ticket as it is really called. Forgive me for not knowing the name of the jackpot, I never buy lottery tickets. I know I am not going to win. But, what is $1 for the chance to win $325,000,000.00 in return? The numbers on my ticket are 03 33 45 46 53 and MegaBall 42. The only time I buy a ticket like this, is when it makes the news more than once because of the size of the potential winnings. If no one wins, or has won since I have not checked the numbers yet, the prize goes up to like $442,000,000 making it the BIGGEST in HISTORY!!! INFLATION.<br /><br />Someone let me know if I'm a millionaire yet?<br /><br />Anyway, I was taking a walk this morning alone (I started with Susie, but she was walking too fast, so I detoured into my own route), and I started thinking of what an upheaval my life would go through if I were to win such a huge prize. The balance would all be lost. A new state of balance would have to be found. I certainly could not win that amount of money and expect to live my life the way I live it now! Yesterday, I was watching a show called Dr. G, about this forensic doctor that tries to find out the cause of unexplained deaths. In it, a young lady of normal weight and no apparent heart conditions, died inexplicably. In the end, her cause of death was that she started to take birth control pills and she smoked. Dr. G explained that our body has a fine balance between blood clotting to prevent bleeding to death from a cut and non-clotting to prevent clotting of the arteries and heart and lungs. It maintains this fine balance on its own. Apparently, the birth control pills upset the fine balance and increased the clotting properties of her blood. It lead to a blocking of a lung artery and her brain went dead, her body soon followed all because the fine natural balance was upset by the introduction of the birth control pills and the smoking did not help the situation. So, I thought on my walk how my life is finely balanced between working, paying bills, rent expenses, rental income, Susie doing housework, me thinking of ways that I can increase cash flow through various means, all legal. How would all that balance be upset if I were to win the lottery? OMG, it would be completely upset. I'm not sure I want that kind of upheaval. Can I handle it? I think I can. Would it take time. I'd say. Would I go in a spending spree. Yes, but not in a crazy way. What about all the leeches that would come out of the woodwork, non-profits, etc all wanting a piece of the action? It may easily consume all my private time and all that balance that I have been trying to keep in my life.<br /><br />Now I know why the superrich live apart from the masses. So, they can find peace and balance in their life.<br /><br />Here is to knowing I did not win. It is not my lot in life to win the lottery. But let me check the numbers just in case. :-)Sr. Fabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266240102785270473noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6783357.post-13399874796748767902009-04-03T00:11:00.009-04:002009-04-03T00:56:36.256-04:00Money Making Webinars Involving Real EstateWant to make money with Real Estate? Well, you've come to the right place. I have heard of numerous ways from numerous practitioners in the field of how to find the right niche that works for you!<br /><br />I am going to summarize a few of them here for your reading pleasure and possible pursuit to perfection.<br /><br /><strong><a href="http://www.landforpennies.com/">Land For Pennnies</a></strong><br /><br />Land For Pennies is the first one that caught my interest. I actually attended a seminar in Phoenix Arizona to hear it from the guru himself, <a href="http://www.jackbosch.com/">Jack Bosch</a>. The idea is very simple and possibly very profitable. <br /><br />Here is the quick rundown:<br />1. Contact the tax office in a county your are interested in (try to stay at about 1-2 hours drive away from a major city).<br />3. Get them to give you an electronic copy of ANYONE who is late in paying their taxes.<br />4. Take the list and whittle it down to just the landowners that don't have mortgage (own it free and clear) and that live out of state or not near the property.<br />5. Mail a letter to those owners and offer to buy their land.<br />6. Wait for the phone calls (about 5-15% response rate expected).<br />7. Find out if they own it free and clear, how much they want, how long they owned it (the longer the better). Hang up.<br />9. Do your due diligence to find out if there are any liens, etc.<br />8. Mail them a low offer anywhere from 5-25% of the market value.<br />9. If you get an offer signed and returned, close on it.<br />10. Sell it for about 50% of market value for cash on eBay, or other online ad.<br />11. Or sell it for full market value using owner financing for steady income or cash flow.<br /><br />Why it works. Many of these owners do not have an emotional attachment to the property, they might have inherited it. They might have had plans years ago. They might have tried to sell it years ago. They are tired of just paying taxes on it every year. They are ready to let it go for pennies on the dollar.<br /><br />That is it for one way of making money with real estate. I'll write other ways I heard of in future blogs.<br /><br />Video: <a href="http://www.landprofitformula.com/freevideo/">http://www.landprofitformula.com/freevideo/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.secretlandprofits.com/">http://www.secretlandprofits.com/</a>Sr. Fabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266240102785270473noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6783357.post-8583151678290612202009-03-23T01:10:00.011-04:002023-11-13T13:24:55.761-05:00Late Night Ramblings. Money, Politics.It's 1:10am Sunday night and I am having trouble sleeping. So, I thought maybe I'll just go and create this blog to see what comes out.<div><br /></div><div>Politics and money</div><div>I have been reading articles about how the Fed for the first time in history is buying Treasury bonds to help finance the huge federal deficit. This is truly an amazing event. Because they announced that they are going to buy 1Trillion dollars worth of US Government Ttreasury notes. Where are they getting the money? They are just going to print it. What does this mean? It means that they are going to create a lot of inflation. Where before China and Japan bought most US treasury bonds from the excess amount of money they generated from the positive balance of trade with the US, now we are spending the money and just printing more from thin air. No goods had to be produced, no services had to be rendered, no savings had to accumulated. Nothing. All we are doing is printing the money to finance our own debt. Since we now owe it to the Federal Reserve, instead of another country or investors, the USA will probably never have to pay it back. How do you think that make those other countries feel that have worked so hard to generate enough legitimate income to be able to buy trillions of dollars in US Savings Bonds and treasury notes? China just announced that they are worried about depreciation of their investments. Wouldn't you be if you paid $2000 of your money you earned with hard work and sweat, and then someone else comes in and buys the same thing with $2000 in counterfeit money that they just printed up in their garage. And before you know it, more and more of this funny money shows up in circulation where it gets to the point that stores no longer think it is worth as much, so they start raising prices because the money is too plentiful and everyone has some from the printing presses (the govt). So, they raise the prices way up to soak up all the easy money that is in circulation. So, the next time you go back to buy another item for $2000 of your hard-earned money, you find out they are charging $10,000 for the same item. And the government is still buying it up at the higher price because all they have to do is run the printers 24/7 and pay whatever Sam Goody is charging!</div><div><br /></div><div>So, you are left in the poorhouse even though you make the same amount of money you made the year before. That's called hyperinflation, and it just might happen to us because of what the Fed is doing. So, hold on to your Real Estate investments, Gold or foreign currency where they don't print money just to pay bills.</div><div><br /></div><div>Check out the articles in this website: <a href="http://www.europac.net/">http://www.europac.net/</a></div><div><br /></div><div>SO, this binrgs me to a great new idea I thought of. Since we are now just printing money to finance the Federal Governemnt spending and deficit, then why don't we just take the taxpayer completely out of the loop? Think about it, the whole Federal budget could be financed with printed money. The wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, elsewhere. The stimulus package. The huge beareaucracy. Everthing! The whole enchilada. Just print the money and keep us hardworking taxpayers out of the loop since most of us don't really support all this spending anyway. Remove all taxation. Who needs it? We can just print our way out of this. And as long as the world still believes that the greenback is worth something, and most third world countries certainly do as well as the developed world at this point, the populace can be lifted of the burden of taxation. If this were done, we would not need a stimulus package since we would have so much more money to spend on our own. It is the least they could do for us in case the hyperinflation occurs as predicted by many.</div><div><br /></div><div>Let's end taxes. Who needs it? Just Print the Money!</div><br /><div></div><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/LfascZSTU4o&hl=en&fs=1" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/LfascZSTU4o&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425"></embed></object>Sr. Fabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266240102785270473noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6783357.post-32929853089079145022008-12-11T10:49:00.002-05:002008-12-11T10:58:19.679-05:00To Do - 12/10/2008<span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Work</strong>:</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Read the RFP for Arlington count handed to me yesterday and create a Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM) for the proposal.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Talk to Joe Robinson about the RTM.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Talk to Glenn about the Robohelp project I am to work on.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Business</strong>:</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Send McDowell an offer for the 6.32 Acres in Cacapon. Call tax office to find out how much she owes in taxes.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Job Search</strong>:</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Research SQL tuning for DBA position sent my K-Force this morning.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Home</strong>:</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Thank Susie for doing such a good job of packing a nice lunch every single day!</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Call Pocomoke City to find out about water bill.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Saturday</strong>:</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Babysit either at home or in New Market so Michelle and Enoch can attend Bridal Shower.</span>Sr. Fabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266240102785270473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6783357.post-66901156618740561652008-12-05T21:09:00.004-05:002008-12-05T21:39:29.497-05:00Things to do listI need to make a list of things to do. I'll just use this blog as a convenient place. It's not like anyone reads this anyway...:-)<div><br /></div><div>SQL Server tasks: Allow mulitple rates for the Berkeley Springs Cottage Rentals Caculator based on time of year or holiday. </div><div><ul><li>Either add new fields to the Cottage table for Winter Rate and Summer Rate and Holiday rate</li><li>RateSummerWeekday, RateSummerWeekend, RateWinterWeekday, RateWinterWeekend, RateHoliday</li><li>or, create a new table that just contains rates and link it to the Cottage table</li><li>Rate_ID, RateType, RateAmount, CottageCode</li><li>RateType is a lookup code for type of rate (winter weekend, summer weekend, holiday, ...)</li><li>I'll have to create some way to figure out if it is a holiday weekend.</li></ul><div>Send mailing to the Morgan county landowners that live in MD, VA and DC.<br /></div><div>Send a sample mailing to landowners that live in Morgan count to test response differences<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Clean my desktop off. Get the Apprentice Desk Organizer from Staples. Clean and organize the home office. </div><div><br /></div><div>Go to Eastern shore and put up a For Sale By Owner sign at my Pocomoke City property. Also put up a For Rent sign. Fix hole in Ceiling in middle bedroom in Pocomoke house.</div><div><br /></div><div>Put up christmas lights in the mid size tree in front of my house in such a way as to simulate Palm tree branches. Maybe it will work better on the small willow tree.</div><div><br /></div><div>Buy new set of pots and pans at Costco for Nestled Pines Chalet and deliver them to the house.</div><div><br /></div><div>Buy and put up a Christmas tree.</div><div><br /></div><div>Check oil on Celica (I know it must be low)</div><div><br /></div><div>Wish List:</div><div>Get new fridge for NPC</div><div>Get new fridge and dishwasher for QO Condo</div><div>Get new windows for QO condo</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Sr. Fabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266240102785270473noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6783357.post-50248552659182073792008-09-29T21:08:00.006-04:002008-09-29T21:44:07.168-04:00Financial Meltdown - 9/29/2008Wow! What a day on Wall street and the Capital! Here is the vote tally:<br />FOR the Bailout:<br />140 Dems<br />65 Reps<br /><br />AGAINST the Bailout:<br />94 Dems<br />133 Repubs.<br />The nays have it.<br /><br />As you can see, if the democrats were more united, they could easily have gotten it passed since they has 65 Republicans on their side. But Nancy Pelosi poison-pilled it by being totally partisan and blaming the Republican White house on everything! Even though it came to a head under the watch of the Democratic Congress and most everyone agrees that the Federal Reserve Policy of low interest rates cause the housing bubble that led to this fiasco. Rather, than lead at the crucial moment when every vote was needed to pass this staggering $700 Billion bill, Pelosi thought she could play partisan politics with the Republicans and still get her way. Just watch the first couple of minutes and tell me she wasn't being partisan.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/n3J8HpoDDJY&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/n3J8HpoDDJY&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />She fails to mention anything about 9/11/2001 as a possible cause for anything related to the budget.<br /><br />As it turned out, "Main Street", as the media calls it, was overwhelmingly against the bailout and they made sure their congressman knew it. Since all spending bills must constitutionally come from the House of Representatives, the representatives did their job Representin' and defeated this bill. Give it up for the US Constitutional form of Government!<br /><br />Here are some things that stick out in my mind about this whole drama that has been playing out for the last week.<br /><br />Democratic Representative Barney Frank was showing indignation last week because the Republicans had the nerve to propose an alternate plan after the "leaders" already agreed on the massive spening plan. Well, excuse me Mr. Frank. But we are talking about spending or rather printing $700 BILLION dollars! I'm sorry I couldn't come up with an alternate plan a day sooner for your taste. Did it interupt your dinner plans? Hello? $700 Billion Dollars! Are we on the same planet?<br /><br />Flooding the economy with that kind of free money will only further devalue the already meager dollar. At what point does the Federal government say what most everyone else has to say in their lives every day. 'We just can't afford it'? We are already living on borrowed money. Deficit spending. We just don't have the money for this. Sorry. We are fighting two wars, paying billions already in interest on the National Debt; my pockets are empty.<br /><br />I'm willing to ride this out even if the value of my house goes down. So, why can't you?Sr. Fabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266240102785270473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6783357.post-71847084235079706342008-01-11T16:50:00.000-05:002008-01-11T17:48:12.291-05:00Clutter-free EnvironmentSince moving to Fairfax in November, I have had the chance think and do something about the clutter of years worth of accumulated clothes, knick knacks, 'collectibles', tools and more. <br /><br />And now that my daughter is moving, she will have to deal with the issue for multiple reasons: selling the house, moving to a new house, not repeating past mistakes, etc. My son-in-law lived with a roommate for years before hooking up with my daughter. The first time I went to visit his apartment, he did not want to let me in because of the mountains of clutter stewn about the house. To be fair, his roommate shared in the guilt. My kids mother, Patricia, comes from a household of unrelenting clutter. My two kids were mostly raised in that environment, so they are more used to it. I was raised in a house where my mother pretty much single-handedly kept the place neat and the clothes clean and folded most of the time. So, although I have sustained various degrees of clutter as a bachelor for many years, I was never comfortable in it. But my upbringing trained me to expect help in that department from the female of the house, and I was rarely home long enough to stew in it so I could do what it took to get it under control.<br /><br />Anyway, since I was moving, it was an excellent opportunity to separate the riff from the raff. I donated much clutter to the Salvation Army. This included collectibles that I bought for the purpose of ... collecting? A crockpot I bought at the Salvation army. I could not stand to just throw away something that I thought someone might want, so I donated it, including clothes, toy cars, McDonald happy meal toys, Kitchen appliances sitting in cabinets for year, books collecting dust, housewares, stoneware and maybe even an underwear! Ties. Pants. Shirts. Teeth molds.<br /><br />But it wasn't enough. At the new house, Suzanne suggested that ALL the boxes (except for a few obvious ones), be put in a single unused bedroom in the basement. I had the movers put all the boxes in there in rows separated with enough space so I could walk between them and examine them any one at will. I could then unpack them piecemeal when time allowed, or a particular item or box was needed. This worked out pretty well.<br /><br />Some books I felt I could not just throw out so I tried opening a seller's account on Amazon to see if anyone would want to buy any of them. Surprisingly, I sold one the very first night that I put it up. I have since sold another. I have many more I could list, but that takes time, although listing is fairly easy. (I smell a procrastination blog in my future). I think I will set up a rule, that if not sold within 60 days, I will de-list and donate. If you are interested in selling though Amazon, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?ie=UTF8&nodeId=1161232">click here</a>. To see the books I have listed, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/shops/index.html?ie=UTF8&sellerID=A3I0HUUJXE5N1C">click here</a>. Free delivery to the metro DC area. :-)<br /><br />Unbelievably, my house is currently clutter-free in the all the living areas. Kitchen, LR, DR, bedrooms, family room (home office needs some work). I was even able to take out my entire Coco-Cola collection that I actively pursued back in the 1990s that have been in boxes in my previous home since 1999! They are all proudly displayed in the large basement family room in some glass-front shelves that are built into the wall!<br /><br />With all this in mind, I found this article that motivated me to write this blog, that I will share with whoever is interested:<br /><br /><a href="http://zenhabits.net/2008/01/the-minimalists-guide-to-fighting-and-beating-clutter-entropy/">The Minimalist’s Guide to Fighting (and Beating) Clutter Entropy</a><br /><br />By the way, there are still about 40 boxes in that basement bedroom that I am in no hurry to add them to my living environment. About a year ago, I actually started a site called <a href="http://slobsanonymous.org/">slobsanonymous.org</a> to help people with this problem. The background picture is actually of my home desk as it looked at the time. Michelle even wrote an article for my site newsletter I had planned. But, my procrastination tendencies got the best of me, and there the website sits as you see it since September of 2006.<br /><br />Here is Michelle's article:<br /><br /><a href="http://fabsites.com/slobs/confessions.html"><u>Confessions of a Slob</u></a><br /><br />Happy decluttering.Sr. Fabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266240102785270473noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6783357.post-2538150346846054402007-07-10T21:10:00.000-04:002007-07-13T21:55:02.770-04:007-7-7As many of you know, youtube had a big gathering in New York this past weekend on 7/7/07. <br />Here are a couple of youtube videos that came out of the event as it was upcoming and during.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xCAeq5kE0Ko"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xCAeq5kE0Ko" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>Sr. Fabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266240102785270473noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6783357.post-12533851820115740542007-06-21T12:54:00.001-04:002007-06-21T13:27:42.336-04:00Diet Must MatterThere is a guy here at work named Hartman that just had a heart attack while on vacation. He's in the hospital getting a balloon put it. Today, those are all unremarkable facts. But here is an interesting aspect to the story. He is an avid bicycler. He says he was in the Olympic biking team in 1984. He lives in Rockville and occasionally rides his bike to work on Fridays 25 miles each way. He enters races where they routinely race 60 miles in a day. So, how can one that exercises that much get a heart attack at the age of 49? Well, maybe it's the fact that he goes to McDonald's for lunch every single day! That's right, every day he goes off to Micky D's and eats alone and reads a book while eating that gar-boj. <br /><br />So, the lesson here is diet matters, even if you exercise or are skinny. <br /><br />Peace, and don't forget to use olive oil in your diet!Sr. Fabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266240102785270473noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6783357.post-10290929090783243742007-05-18T18:54:00.000-04:002007-05-19T09:17:07.876-04:00Rag Tag Game7 Random facts<br /><br />Sometimes I enjoy watching old movies because it gives me a glimpse of another time when it seemed the roles of men and women were more clearly defined. Also, I look for the old guys in the movies and then think "wow, that guy was probably like 75 in 1940, that means he was born in the 1860s! He probably knew people that fought in the Civil War." I feel like I can learn something about the history of our culture through the living characters on the screen.<br /><br />My favorite shows on TV are the Office and the Apprentice. I like to see the dynamics of successful people in the Apprentice. The office is pretty funny but you can't miss a minute of it or you will not get some of the subtle humor.<br /><br />My first car was the family car I inherited when I was 16 years old. A 1965 beige Rambler American station wagon. I called it the Mirmobile. Since I was mostly a year older than my school peers (started 1st grade when I was 7), I drove several friends to Cardinal Dougherty HS every morning in exchange for some gas money. Gas was only about 29-32 cents a gallon in 1971.<br /><br />Growing up, I never had pets until my brother Delio left us with his German Shorthaired Pointer he named Rommel after the German Field Marshall from WWII. Rommel always escaped from the backyard and people would report sightings of him blocks and blocks away from where we lived. He was hit by a car a couple of times, but survived. Delio eventually released him in some farm in Pennsylvania. I always wondered what happened to him.<br /><br />I am grateful that my son and daughter have settled into positive productive lives with their spouse after a rocky HS and have brought such great grandchildren into the world that I can enjoy into my retirement years.<br /><br />I own 5 homes and half of my mother's condo in Miami as well as 5 cheap acres of land in Costilla County in southern Colorado. I have been dabbling in real estate investing since 1997.<br /><br />I got my first gray hair when I was 26 and it seems like only yesterday.Sr. Fabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266240102785270473noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6783357.post-67482258662730487912007-04-19T14:10:00.000-04:002007-04-19T14:27:07.109-04:00Some Neat LinksSometimes <a href="http://www.neatorama.com/">Neatorama.com</a> has some really cool links. If you think you are a good cake maker, check out these Russian cakes:<br /><a href="http://englishrussia.com/?p=851">Intricate Russian Cakes</a><br />Example: <a href="http://englishrussia.com/?p=851"><img src="http://englishrussia.com/images/art_cakes/37.jpg"></a><br /><br />I also love to see the latest headlines of real news as made up by users of <a href="http://fark.com">fark.com</a>.<br /><br />My best friend growing up in Philly was Ukrainian. His dad made the most awesome intricate Easter eggs around. Check out <a href="http://www.cs.unc.edu/~yakowenk/pysanky.html">this site</a> of some of the design types I remember growing up seeing. Or learn how to <a href="http://www.learnpysanky.com/">make them </a>yourself.Sr. Fabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266240102785270473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6783357.post-87055646631723892232007-04-16T10:19:00.000-04:002007-04-16T11:01:30.090-04:00Leading Noise HitchhikerOn my way to the Nestled Pines Chalet to finalize the hot tub installation, I picked up a native American hitchhiker on I-70. He looked like a classic American Indian from a reservation. A big guy with two very long braided pigtails and few randomly missing teeth in the front due, I'm sure, to the poor conditions of life on an Indian Reservation. Here is a summary of what I found out about him while we rode together for about 20 miles:<br /><ul><li>He is from the <a href="http://www.geocities.com/bigorrin/munsee_kids.htm">Munsee Delaware tribe</a><br /></li><li>he is hitchhiking from Miami back to Detroit, his home, because he split up with his girlfriend.<br /></li><li>In Miami, he was mostly picked up by Spanish speaking people and they assumed he spoke Spanish too. He would just say to them "no Indio" to let them know he is "Indian".<br /></li><li>he was working as a laborer for peanuts (around $7/hour).<br /></li><li>I told him about how local community colleges can teach you Construction Trades and he could learn to be a plumber, HVAC, carpenter, etc... And I'm sure he could get financial aid.<br /></li><li>His 'Indian Name' is Leading Noise. He's not sure why but maybe it was because he made a lot of noise when he came into the world.<br /></li></ul><br />Before I dropped him off at the I70/I-68 split I gave him a roll of Ritz crackers and couple of bucks to help him along his way with a reminder to check out the Community college when he gets back. He was appreciative and happy to see the I-68 split only 1/2 mile away and said he will check out the college courses.<br /><br />I'll get back to the hot tub when I get more pictures ready.<br />PeaceSr. Fabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266240102785270473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6783357.post-36353560077743150312007-04-10T14:14:00.000-04:002007-04-10T14:40:15.733-04:00Pero Mira Que Cosa Tiene Ese Muchacho!Estoy trabajando y practicando mi espanol. Hasta luego muchachitos y muchachitas.<br /><br />HOT TUB UPDATE!!!<br />After talking with the deck guy. It would cost too much to reinforce the front deck for the hot tub. Also, the electric setup would be a lot more expensive since it is so far from the electric panel. So, the hot tub will now go on a specially built platform in the back of the house under the back deck on the slab. This has the advantages of being closer to the electric panel, and since there is a bathroom in the basement, it is more convenient to dry off or wash before and after the hot tub use if needed.<br /><br />Did I mention it has 44 jets, seats six people and has mood lighting? <a href="http://berkeleyspringscottagerentals.com/cottage.asp?code=NPC">NPC</a><br /><IMG SRC="http://berkeleyspringscottagerentals.com/cabins/NPC/hottubtopview.jpg" /><br /><IMG SRC="http://berkeleyspringscottagerentals.com/cabins/NPC/hottubside.jpg" />Sr. Fabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266240102785270473noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6783357.post-24547056385945211322007-04-07T17:14:00.000-04:002007-04-07T18:31:40.063-04:00Hot tub PlacementDrove to Berkeley Springs to check out placement for the Hot Tub coming this Thursday. I stopped at Home Depot to get some pavers I thought of putting under the hot tub. The guy convinced me that is a bad idea. The pavers may break apart under the exteme weight of a hot tub. So, I just bought 15 of them and will probably use them at home in the back. I decided that the best place for the hot tub will be on the front deck. I hope to get it reinforced before then!<br /><br />Here is a shout out to <a href="http://samuel-moses.blogspot.com/">Sammie</a>, Enoch's brother. <a href="http://encouragementformoms.blogspot.com/">Michelle</a>, for success on her fairly new blogger blog, and all the other bloggers on her site.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.afi.com/silver/new/nowplaying/2004/v1i11/images/napol.jpg">Peace out</a>.Sr. Fabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266240102785270473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6783357.post-41020170926088425302007-04-06T15:52:00.000-04:002007-04-06T16:29:52.736-04:00Starting out simple. Today I ate leftover pizza for lunch that I made with whole wheat pizza dough I bought at Trader Joe's last week. It's Good Friday the 6th (not to be confused with Bad Friday the 13th which is next week!)<br /><br />Plans for next week include installation of a Hot Tub at the <a href="http://nestledpines.com/">Nestled Pines chalet</a> I am still not sure whether to put in on the Front deck in front of the screen porch or below the back deck outside the basement. Anyone who has a suggestion on this topic is welcome. More pictures here:<br /><a href="http://berkeleyspringscottagerentals.com/cottage.asp?code=NPC">NPC</a><br /><br />last night I Picked up the Bible and read Genesis. I can't believe this is taken literally by so many people. I will continue reading it, I'm sure it gets better. (Born Again note: don't read too much into this). I was thinking about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Stevens">Cat Stevens</a> (now known as Yusuf Islam), who converted to Islam while he was at the top of his pop music career. I saw an article once where he said when he read the Quran he thought it was so beautuful that it must be of God. That caused him to convert. That's what got me going on picking up the Bible. Although, I'd like to see what he was talking about with the other book.<br /><br />Note to would-be bloggers: This takes longer than you think because of spelling, grammar and content errors that are constantly updated.Sr. Fabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266240102785270473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6783357.post-1082066440225475702004-04-15T17:59:00.000-04:002008-02-10T23:35:23.609-05:00I found this blog after I started reading riverbendblog's fascinating first-hand account of life in Iraq. So, now I created my own ID and am not sure what I will be doing with it at this point.Sr. Fabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03266240102785270473noreply@blogger.com0