We hiked about four or five miles yesterday. This is a beautiful lake we passed.

This is 'J.J" he is a SOBO (South Bounder) From Louisville, KY he started at Katahdin in ME, he will walk to Springer MT. in Georgia, (he plans, he has hiked nearly 800 miles)

This is 'Smiling Bandit'. He is a NOBO (Northbounder) he has hiked nearly 1200 miles since spring. He is from New York, so he stopped and spend the fourth with family, worked out great for him. And yes, he has a disarming smile.

Sherry at a squeeze, She could just barely get her pack turned.

Here we are, I am the fat guy on the left! Maybe I will lose that paunch if we make it 300-400 miles. This is a practice hike. We will begin in eanest in a little over a week. We must stay close to a PO to receive my hearing aid that is hopefully fixed by now. We hope to meet the AID in Lebonan, ME.

Before I delve into POLITICS I want to say:
MARK UP ONE MORE FOR THE GOOD GUYS. THE LOCAL POLICE AT HOME (GASTONIA, NC) SHOT AND KILLED THE SERIAL KILLER FROM GAFFNEY, SC. (They had no choice, he fired at them using the same weapon he had killed five people with.)

NOW TO POLITICS (MY WAY)!!!
I have been saying this for years and Charlie Reese, once a writer for the Orlando Sentinel. Wrote an article from which I want to borrow. He entitled it 545 people.
We have 1 president, 100 Senators, 435 Congressmen, and 9 Supreme Court Justices. All laws, taxes and spending are controlled by these people. Individually they spend most of their time telling us they do not want deficits, red ink, high taxes, but want a balanced budget. And blindly every year we believe them, we justify our support by saying or thinking, most are crooks except MY MAN/WOMAN! Or (Democrats /Republicans)
The thing is, all our history and future is determined by these folks. The House of Representatives is responsible for appropriations and taxes. If they have a budget and the president vetoes it, they can over ride the veto, etc.
What I have said all along is if neither the Democrats or Republicans want deficits, then why do we have them?
If they all want a balanced budget, then why don’t we have one?
If nobody wants us to have high taxes, then why do we have them?
If they all want us to have a simple tax system, why is it so complicated?
If we have a budget that is in the RED it is because these people want it.
IF we have troops in Iraq, Afganistan it is because these people want it.
If we run a big deficit, it because these people want it.
Try to pay attention, and look at this: basically things continue on as usual, no matter who is in office. Those 545 people want us to think it is someone else’s fault, but when it comes down to it, THEY GET WHAT THEY WANT AND we continue on.
If the politicians have a golden parachute, great retirement (not Social Security) and great medical. It is because they want it that way!!!!

They & we get irate when a CEO gets a big bonus, but if you add up a congressman’s benefits you will see his ‘package’ is not a small pittance! It has become a MISDIRECTION GAME, finger pointing, When the Democrats are in charge, the republicans blame them, When the Republicans are in charge the Democrats blame them.

They have even convinced ‘WE the citizens,’ that it is the other parties fault, or the other parties’ president’s fault. So much so that some of us will fight our neighbor over political names.
It is time for TERM LIMITS on the house and senate and time to do away with a job called ‘Professional Politician’. Let a person go in for four to 10 years then he is OUT.

BUT THEN WE WON’T DO THAT, BECAUSE THE DEMOCRATS MAY GET THE ADVANTAGE, OR THE REPUBLICANS MAY GET THE ADVANTAGE.

Folks the politician wants the job, if he knew it would get him elected, he would run as a DUCK.
Thanks for coming this way,

(MY LAST POLITICS TOMORROW (promise)).
Nite Shipslog

PS: Confucius Says:
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Man who fish in Other man's well

often catch crabs.

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Crowded elevator Smell different to midget