I love this country, but I get so confused!

I don’t see a lot of news, mostly what I read on headlines when shopping or headlines here on the internet. But today I was drawn to the planned execution of an illegal in Texas who was found guilty of a terrible crime and sentenced to death. Now the Federal Government says it is against international law to execute him.

A man is sentenced for killing an American citizen but we cannot apply our laws to him? Is something wrong with the picture?

Georgia passed a law that law enforcement can ask for identification to see if a person is illegally in this country. Illegals, I mean ‘illegals’ stopped traffic, even sat down in the road, protesting such a ridiculous law. Illegals interviewed said, “We have earned the right to be here! How?”

What makes me so upset is that I cannot see any improvement in the future. I am frustrated that both Parties have allowed this to happen. Neither party, Democrats or Republicans have secured our borders, then in the last couple years have chastised states for wanting to enforce the law that the federal will not.

I just get confused. Is it politically correct we are trying to be? Is it Liberal we are shooting for? Is it votes we are trying to get? Are we really that sympathetic that we will invite guests in that we cannot afford to feed? And will in doing so let someone who is a citizen, go hungry because of it?

I’m sorry, I did not mean to make this a political blog, that headline just ticked me off. It’s okay to execute an American citizen, but not one who broke the law to get here but then killed one of our citizens after he got here.

Weird… and I am confused.. Thanks for coming this way.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

GOOD SAMARITAN
A Sunday school teacher was telling her class the story of the Good Samaritan. She asked the class, "If you saw a person lying on the roadside, all wounded and bleeding, what would you do?" A thoughtful little girl broke the silence, "I think I'd throw up.."

Someone spent $170,000 on a milk truck for this go anywhere vehicle. Land or sea!

We believe what we want to believe

(featuring pictures of classic RV’s)

(Listed for Sheila, Jean & Helen, Early Alabama RV)

Some of us believe the press is biased. We feel that there is an unwritten rule on TV & papers that this country needs to have a liberal slant. UNLESS THEY SAY SOMETHING WE AGREE WITH, then we say, “Hey, look, they finally got something right!”

 

I didn’t like the idea that many programs began to promote live-ins vs marriage, before I quit watching TV. It appears to me that movies and programs have a ‘conservative’ guy or gal, they are always the office clown or Dufface.  The alternate lifestyle guy or gal is the cool office person.

(Texas RV, Specially for Paula!)

I do not like it when a person is tried and found guilty by the press (UNLESS I THINK THE SUCKER IS GUILTY TOO!) Then it is okay, they deserve it.

I still believe in the court system although in my life there have been two incidents where I was found guilty when I was as innocent as Snow White. You actually feel like getting a shotgun and several boxes of shells and blowing the whole bunch to ….Well.         Well, that is how I felt.

(This is the Camera house, for us picture takers!)

You know what? I thought OJ was guilty. But in all honesty, only OJ and possibly one other person knows for sure.

(Specially or the Wisconsin bunch, It can double as a heated deer stand for mama!)

I received an e-mail once, the first line said: “I don’t know if this is factual or not, and I haven’t checked it, BUT I BELIEVE IT. Right then I thought, that is the way we are, we believe what we want to believe. We do that with gossip, we do that with news reports. Oh, and we love to hear something terrible happening to someone we just do not like. We spread the word, especially if it is Johnson, I cannot stand him. “Hey man, I hate to say this but did you know that Johnson’s wife has been seeing Billy down at the feed store? I sure hate that for old John (grin)!”

Even good honest folk (like myself, haha) sometime act like that.

(We are working on getting this one, but I know Joe wants this for Lucy!)

 

(A classy RV for my friend Fred and the Boomer, A good view of the mountains as you drive)

But believe me, I like you guys, thanks for reading this junk!

Nite Shipslog

PS:

SAY A PRAYER
Little Johnny and his family were having Sunday dinner at his grandmother's house. Everyone was seated around the table as the food was being served. When Little Johnny received his plate, he started eating right away.
"Johnny! Please wait until we say our prayer." said his mother.

"I don't need to," the boy replied.
"Of course, you do his mother insisted. "We always say a prayer before eating at our house."
"That's at our house." Johnny explained. "But this is Grandma's house, and she knows how to cook."

Probably some good food here, at one time!

And finally for Betty  and Y and the rest of us who are cool!!!! The Amphib, they only want 1.2 million for this!

OUCH!!!!!!!!

Assume, the definition.

When I was an instructor, the one thing I always stressed, ‘do not assume’. It is not original, the definition has been around for years. As the Wise Man of old said, “There is nothing new under the sun!”.

To Assume, makes an ASS out of U & ME.

Yep, I still do that myself.  When Shirl was going thru the huge job of ‘downsizing’, she had to learn to depend on someone doing what they promised, she had to learn not to assume that the ‘painter, electrician, plumber or carpet man’ will  be there when he said he would. Until you learn that, your stress level will go thru the ceiling.

There was a time when 90% of all tradesmen would give their word, and you could take it ‘to the bank’. Today that percentage has declined (in my opinion), to less than 10% keeping their word, to the letter. Sherry & Shirl always say, “At least they could call!”  They are right of course, but that urgency is not there anymore. The attitude is more like: I’ll get there when I get there!

When I started building, I learned that getting upset and changing ‘subs (sub contractors)’ usually back fired except in rare cases. They all seemed to be running on the same fuel. Ever get in a traffic jam and try to go around it, and find out that too many others are trying the same thing.

In the last couple days we have had contractors come by to give some estimates for paving. They have been on time. I hope when we choose, that the work will be done on time.

I also have learned ‘Do not assume’ that because the turn signal is on, that the driver is going to turn. He may be deaf like me, and his wife is not there to tell him, the signal light is still on!!!

Living in an RV and leaving your awnings out when you leave, is ASSUMING that you are not gong to have any high winds’.  Lose one awning and you will NEVER assume that again.(voice of experience)

Sorrowfully, I do not assume that every marriage is going to last. Just in the last few months, marriages that I thought were solid as a rock, have broken up.

If you need to apologize to someone, DO IT, do not assume you or they will be around next week, one of you may be pushing up daisies by then.

Now I hope I will be back tomorrow. Thanks for being here today.

Nite Shipslog

PS: A spiritual thought!

BEING THANKFUL
A Rabbi said to a precocious six-year-old boy, "So your mother says your prayers for you each night? That's very commendable. What does she say?"
The little boy replied, "Thank God he's in bed!"

According to some, this is one of the worlds ugliest cars, not that bad to me The AMC PACER:

A pregnant roller skate with front doors of different sizes.

Garages and stuff!

I have built a few garages in my life time, attached to homes and detached. I have noticed something about southern folk. They had rather store their ‘stuff’ in the Garage, than their car.

Now me?  I prefer to push a button, raise the door and drive in out of the weather, rain, sleet, snow or just cold. I always hated scraping our windshields when the cars were parked out doors in the winter. 

Many folk close in the garage as a recreation room, I’d still rather have the garage. I was talking to my ‘hope to be grand daughter in law’ a few days ago. She is now a registered nurse, but has paid many dues like riding a fire truck. She said they paid calls on the elderly  when they had not been seen in a while. Once they answered a call that the lady had fell in her ‘stuff’ and could not get up. She had eventually died. Jennifer said there was only a path thru the house about 4” wide just enough for one foot in front of the other.

We Americans are addicted to stuff. So much so that we need extra space to store it.  The first thing to go is usually the Garage.

I am not immune to collecting ‘stuff’ even in this motor home. I have a BIG empty space  below decks now since I removed the lights, lecture and drawing material.  I hope I will be satisfied to paint and read for my own enjoyment from this day forth. But I will probably fill that hole with something.

I have a mental problem though, I want to do every thing to prove I can. Once many years ago when Sherry wanted a new dress, I said, “I’ll make you one.” She picked out the pattern and  I done good until the zipper in the back. I could not get the seams straight. My mama and sisters could zip right up the line, but not me. So I lined a ‘kite’ for the back held on by three snaps to cover the zipper.

My girl saw a small grand father clock she wanted, it was around $65. A small wall model not a floor model. So said I, that is simple to build. I built two of them.  Something in me says I can do it. Therefore, like my buddy Joe in Nebraska (who lives and puts up with Lucy (LOL)), I hold onto things, I might need. I was telling someone the other day, I still cut the tongues out of my leather shoes, in case I need to make a sling shot. hahahaha

(This and pepper spray is the only weapons we carry)

Thanks for coming this way, and if you  filled your basement and garage with stuff, that is your business not mine.

Nite Shipslog

PSShirl uses her slingshot but I am not talking about it! hahahaha)

She sent me information by a guy named Randy Pausch, at the time he was dying of pancreatic cancer, he said:

It is none of your business what others think of you!

(Have you ever thought of that? Think on it. Really think on it!)

The ‘World’s most desired car’, a Bugatti Veytron, this one was run into a lake, one month after the owner in Galveston, TX paid $1,2 million for it.

(Not the most desired in my opinion, but if you give me one I will certainly drive it until it was sold)

The Fourth OF July, Independence Day

The folks in the 1700’s thought this country was strong enough to be itself.  So they declared our independence. I’m sure, like all of the British possessions, we could have lived under the English rule, many places did, the British empire was huge and far flung.  Our Canadian neighbors did; they have survived nicely. However we did not wait, and with the help of France, we won our independence.

It is a sore spot with some, but history pretty well bears it out, without Benjamin Franklin going to France and getting assistance, we would not have made it. As time went on we paid France back in Spades, along with the British and other allies, in the mid 1940’s, France was liberated from the dictator Hitler.

Last night we walked down town Belmont to watch the fire works, our small town was packed.  It is sorta funny as we remember this small town, and knowing a lot of folks here, that ain’t the case anymore. The mills are shut down and now our claim to fame is a bedroom for Charlotte, NC. Where mill hill boys mixed breed dogs used to run loose for everyone to feed and pet, now we have the pedigreed dogs on leashes.

We within a 1/2 mile of where Sherry lived when I met her. She lived on the Imperial Mill Hill. The houses have long since been razed and homes up to a million dollars are there now.  A far cry from the four room mill houses for 25 cents a room per week rent. I think the most rent reached was $2 a week. I think that included water and sewer. Now? Mansions there, with manicured lawns.

The development is called Hawthorne. Sherry lived at 129 Hawthorne St. I wrote many a letter to that address.

Anyway the fireworks display was good, the walk was good. Sherry declares she would not like to live in Hawthorne.   Hawthorne St is no more. It is now Ft. Williams Drive.

I am glad we have our Independence of course, I am so sorry many folks on all sides had to die that it could be so. So to all Americans “Happy Independence day”. Lets Appreciate it and love your country.

God Bless America.  Thanks for coming this way,

Nite Shipslog

PS: (dedicated to Ora’s Chaplain husband, Mixon!)

UNANSWERED PRAYER 
Amy noticed that her father always paused and bowed his head for a moment before starting his sermon. One day, she asked him why.
"Well, Honey," he began, proud that his daughter was so observant of his messages. "I'm asking the Lord to help me preach a good sermon."
"How come He doesn't answer it?" she asked.

Sorry, Sir!

We saw one of these on the way to the fireworks. This is a Nash Metropolitan. 1950’s car

Independence does mean Free, there are Taxes

Here in America we are proud of our independence. We considered ourselves free. But every country must have some form of government, with leaders who are supposed to keep the people in mind. We elect representatives and send them to the Legislature that we think represent the values of the majority.  That is not to step on the minority opinion, but to ensure the government is most responsive to a majority.

Over the years, that dream has changed.  We have elected men who ‘appeared’ to be great folk. Someone with a heart and love for their constituents.  BUT we have sent folks who had their own agenda. Who lined their own pockets. Who promised the moon while selling out to some interest group.

It will never be simple again. When men left their jobs went to Washington for a few days to handle what problems had arisen. The back to their jobs/farms/or other occupations.

Being honest, the government has spent our SS money and Medicare money. We are now in trouble. Not my fault, not your fault, we paid our taxes, someone just miss-spent the money.

Now like yesterday, we cannot bring it back. How do we recover instead of going ‘deeper in debt?’ What ‘entitlements’ will have to be cut? Can you make the decision? Would you cut Farm subsidies? Yep! But others scream, NO!

Did you know there is a Yacht subsidy? Yep. Cut it!(You do and you cut 10,000 jobs), heck we can’t do that! 

We must have a million subsidies, each one protected by some lobby. Which will get cut? The ones with the least ability to YELL, that is who.

Cut Social security? ARE YOU CRAZY??????

Cut Medicare? ARE YOU CRAZY???????

Now it is financially a fact, raising the tax on the rich will not fill the hole. There must be more cuts, WE ARE BROKE and BORROWING TO LIVE!

The politician who votes to cut SS & Medicare will be voted out. BUT it will have to be done. I am not talking the folks who get $280-$900 a month, but the folks who are drawing the maximum, it should be cut about 10%. they could cut Medicare 5%.  No matter how much us old folks are gonna be up in arms.

(before Social security)

Sure I think all Government employees who make more than $200K a year should accept a pay cut. Including the President and all congressmen. This would do little to balance the budget because over all it isn’t much, but it would be a token of ‘showing we care’.

I’m just saying, SOMEBODY IS GONNA TAKE A CUT! or we are gonna borrow more from China to live on next year. Next year the same thing will come up, and it will be harder, because like Tennessee Ernie, we will be ‘deeper in debt’.

NIte Shipslog

PS:

FOUR GREAT RELIGIOUS TRUTHS:
1. Muslims do not recognize Jews as God's Chosen People.
2. Jews do not recognize Jesus as the Messiah.
3. Protestants do not recognize the Pope as the leader of the Christian world.
4. Baptists or Mormons do not recognize each other at the liquor store.

Old auto-s and steam engines are wonderful!

Can You Borrow Yourself out of DEBT

I honestly wish I was smart enough to understand the economy. I wish I was smart enough to know who was. Remember Greenspan? I used to try to understand what he was saying, the guy must be very smart. His IQ is 155, Einstein was 160+, at age 18 mine was 145. (Now it is 63.5). But my score on the rifle range was 239. (Now that is genius in the USMC)

(Did you know that IQ rates one’s ability to REASON! Not your education level or knowledge.)

I am not very educated, but I have ALWAYS  known that we could not spend more than we made. Now don’t give me the LOUD argument that, “the Republicans have done this.” I don’t even want to hear “The Democrats done this.” They both are at fault. they both have been in power at one time or the other and for the last 50-60 years we have been steadily headed for bankruptcy. 

Every congress has agreed to more spending.  More give away programs, more grants. Forgiving more loans, etc. All for the sake of more votes. The politicians saying, “LOOK WHAT I HAVE DONE FOR YOU!”

It is  strange to me, that after dreaming up so many programs ( pay you not to grow, pay you not to cut, pay you not to work etc), once they are enacted,  YOU CANNOT CUT THEM. They become entitlements. IF a politician does not have the money, he surly cannot cut the programs or he will be voted out, SOOOOOO, the Congress votes to borrow more money to finance these programs, (the ones we could not afford to begin with). Many countries in the middle East and Europe are in trouble for spending more than they had.

Greece is in deep trouble. The Parliament is being forced to cut programs and the people do not like it. I don’t blame the people, I blame the politicians who got them into the mess.

Now this Debt Ceiling thing we are facing. It sounds like the argument given for the BIG BAIL OUT, the sky is falling down if we DO NOT DO THIS!  And it may well be. All I know is, AN AMERICAN FAMILY CANNOT BORROW THEMSELVES OUT OF DEBT, THEY SINK FURTHER IN DEBT, THEY ONLY DELAY THE INEVITABLE, someone is coming to come and get the car, the house the furniture the TV, etc.

So my question is, how does China collect on the debt? They sure ain’t coming over to get the empire state building and taking it home. (They cannot have the Golden Gate Bridge I already bought it). They can’t take Ft. Knox, the boys want let ‘em have it.

I am just frustrated at the ‘intelligent (?)’ men we have elected, that do not understand a basic budget, when the pocket is empty, you stop spending.

We are in deep trouble, led there by politicians. If you are a Democrat, it is the Republican’s fault.  IF you are a Republican, it is the Democrat’s fault. There should be a mass firing of every one who has been in Washington over 12 years.  Some should be fired who have been there less than 6.

Knowing that politicians are making this decision…… the debt ceiling will be raised, and we go deeper in debt.

Nite Shipslog

PS: the Washington creed:

> Tax his land,
> Tax his bed,
> Tax the table,
> At which he's fed.
>
> Tax his tractor,
> Tax his mule,
> Teach him taxes
> Are the rule.

Remember candid camera?

There have been many copies and funny things pulled on folks since then. A lot of celebrities pull elaborate pranks on friends. But being a car nut I loved the ones with cars. Once they rigged a car to run with a wheel missing and pulled into a service station.

But I loved this one, my cousin Ken sent this to me. My system is slow but I finally got it to run. Click on the site below if you have time, You gotta see it:

http://www.wimp.com/disappearingprank/

Helen from upper Bama sent me several pictures of what happens to old bumper cars, check this out:

Thanks for coming by the log,

Nite Shipslog

PS

Hollywood Squares:
Q. According to Ann Landers, what are two things you should never do in bed?
A. Paul Lynde: Point and laugh

That is the final Hollywood Squares memories. Thanks.