Its been a while since I did a bio thing so I thought I would give you a little history lesson and  tell you about my time in rural America and specifically about putting up hay.  I know most people who have any idea of hay think of those big six-foot diameter bales that strewn around the countryside but in my day hay bails were smaller, much smaller. The picture at the right show how it was done in my day.  When the wagon behind the baler was full it was unhitched and taken to the barn and an empty … Continue reading Puttin Up Hay…

Gen. John F. Campbell, commander of the United States forces in Afghanistan, told a Senate panel on Tuesday that the hospital was “mistakenly struck” as a result of a decision “within the U.S. chain of command.” Doctors Without Borders, which has likened the bombing to a war crime, said the purpose of the investigation would not be to establish criminal liability, but rather to clarify the laws of war and the conditions under which medical teams can operate in situations of armed conflict. Source: Doctors Without Borders Calls for Inquiry Into Kunduz Hospital Attack – The New York Times Doctors … Continue reading Ready, Fire, Aim….

What do older people regret when they look back over their lives? I asked hundreds of the oldest Americans that question. I had expected big-ticket items: an affair, a shady business deal, addictions — that kind of thing. I was therefore unprepared for the answer they often gave: I wish I hadn’t spent so much of my life worrying. Source: The Most Surprising Regret Of The Very Old — And How You Can Avoid It | Karl A. Pillemer, Ph.D. Fortunately for me personally I spend very little time worrying. It just seems to be something that doesn’t accomplish much. On the … Continue reading The Most Surprising Regret Of The Very Old

The Fed put us in zombie ZIRP-land almost ten years ago by cutting short-term rates to zero. In ZIRP-land, senior citizens spend sleepless nights watching their wealth shrink as puny interest earnings fail to cover the cost of life. In ZIRP-land, stock prices twitch up and down, transferring wealth from the poor, old and financially unsophisticated to the rich and powerful. Source: Column: We have met the enemy, and it is the Fed I will admit that I haven’t thought this post out entirely but I , like so many other seniors, am tired of the feds putting my life … Continue reading Abolish The Fed…

I think this editorial cartoon by Mike Lukovich says it better than I ever could.  The monied interests just have too much power in our national affairs.  That could be easily reversed if only ALL of us would simple vote.  How severe does the income inequality need to get before some of us realize that basic fact? Continue reading The Golden Rule – The Capitalist Version…

I got my macro lens out recently to take this picture. It looks like a bunch of filing folders but in reality it is the underside of a toadstool I found in the yard. Continue reading What Is This??

I’m not paranoid so I don’t think they are targeting me personally but I am once again very annoyed by my news feed of choice for the last year or so. Let me give you a little background before I wade into this topic. I have discovered that I am without any doubt a morning person. I just don’t seem to be able to conjure up anything in a creative nature after lunch. For that reason a part of my usual morning routine is to browse the news from  the past day. I do this so that I stay informed with … Continue reading Goodbye ATT/Yahoo News…

Of the 2.3 million inmates crowding our nations prisons and jails, 1.5 million meet the DSM-IV medical criteria for substance abuse or addiction, and another 458,000, while not meeting the strict DSM-IV criteria, had histories of substance abuse; were under the influence of alcohol or other drugs at the time of their crime; committed their offense to get money to buy drugs; were incarcerated for an alcohol or drug law violation; or shared some combination of these characteristics, according to Behind Bars II: Substance Abuse and America’s Prison Population. Combined these two groups constitute 85% of the U.S. prison population. … Continue reading About Drug Addictions…