Another letter to the editor...

Here I go again. This one ate at me all weekend. Had to do something about it, I guess.

Re: Two articles last week (in the Austin American Statesman), Obamas can't move into Blair House early - (12.12.2008) and The Obamas waitlisted for White House guest house - (12.13.2008)
The Obamas are moving to a new town. Got the kids registered in school and thought maybe they could stay for a couple of weeks at Blair House. During their visit to the White House after the election the gals had a chat. What do you think they talked about, not having much in common? Housekeeping maybe. But most likely they also talked about the kids. Where the parks and jungle-gyms were and, oh yeah, schooling. Hmmm, schooling starts sometime after the New Years.
When they requested an early January stay they were told, "Sorry, Blair House is booked until the 15th." And, No, we can't do anything about it, sorry."
Now I imagine the Obamas were OK with that, after all they know a few folks in D.C. Heck, the Four Seasons would be a nice change for a while, sort of like a vacation. But, if need be, they could crash at Barack's old bachelor pad.
Who booked the Blair House? Didn't they suppose someone sort of important might need it. There was going to be a new president, unless they pull off the coup. John McCain could use it. Dang, maybe Sarah and the dude with all those kids might. Some of them are still in school. No, booked.
Someone should be embarrassed. Not Laura, she seems too timid to rock the boat. Probably not Geo W, "What's Blair House?" Maybe Barbara Bush, she was first lady once and fairly sharp?
Hate to say it, but it sounds like classic Rove/Cheney junk.
It's petty, Thank You. And no one down there is smart enough to be embarrassed. Good riddance.

(Photo: Blair House, 1651 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C.)

Later that afternoon the editors got back. Said it needed to be 150 words or less, OK...

The Obamas are moving. Got the kids registered in school and thought they could stay for a couple of weeks at Blair House. During their visit to the White House the gals had a chat. What do you think they talked about? Most likely they also talked about the kids and school. School usually starts after New Years.
When they requested an early January stay they were told, "Sorry, Blair House is booked until the 15th.
I imagine the Obamas were OK with that, they do know a few folks in D.C.
Who booked the Blair House? Didn't they think someone important might need it. There was going to be a new president. John McCain could use it. Maybe Sarah and her kids might. Some of them are still in school. Booked.
Someone should be embarrassed. Laura? Too timid. Not George, "What's Blair House?"
It's petty, Thank You, Good riddance.

Hopefully I didn't edit out all the sting, Thanks, Dick

All-Terrain Grill

My All-Terrain Grill

Honest!

Honest, I swear...

Mark had his bulls open and he was 52 points ahead. He nailed 2 bulls. I had a 14 and a 17 open.
Boom, red bull. Bam, green bull. Ok, Dick, go for it, BOOM again, red bull. I was stunned.

Man!

Some McCain Commentary

I’m still pissed. Pissed that McCain stole the word “Change”. He’s not about change or at least wasn’t during his 26 years in Congress. John McCain wants to be president, he wants it badly enough to do and say anything.

I’ve been getting several well written pieces via e-mail. Good, but then the next day, I’ll get two more versions of the same piece. It gets irritating after a while. I been putting this together since Sunday and have spent half of today getting it on paper (or bytes). This is only some of my argument for my Obama endorsement. As you all know, I’m a stupid artist! A visual artist! I never claimed to be a writer, little quips excluded, so muddle through this and hopefully some of my thoughts come through. Red line it, phrase it better and send it back, I’ll correct it. Better yet, get pissed (¿Correcto Roberto?)and put your thoughts together, then TELL EVERYONE!

Additionally, I’m pissed about the economic crisis. And the real pisser is that they (the grand old “They”) say they’ll fix it this weekend, and America excepts this Bull Shit. I used to think that the war in Iraq was about oil, nope. Then I thought it was about raping the U.S.Treasury, close. As it turns out this whole current administration principle is about raping the Treasury. And their doing a good job. Secretary Paulson says give him $700 Billion ($700,000,000,000.00 [I Googled it!) and leave him alone, he’ll fix it, B S. We’re not only going to get screwed but we’ll be Waterboarded, flipped over and Waterboarded again. An old friend (my oldest friend) thought they were setting us up for a coup, nah, they’re planning on walking away with all the money.

Item #1

McCain has said for a while that he didn't know a lot about economics. Now we're in big trouble and McCain says he has the answers. In a campaign speech in Pittsburgh yesterday claimed that during his 26 years in Congress he worked against the greed on Wall Street and for higher regulations. (Transcript: http://centristvoice.wordpress.com/2008/04/15/transcript-mccains-economic-speech/ )

Yet up to a few weeks ago, he had Phil Gramm his chief economic advisor and by all accounts was in line for the treasury secretary position.

Gramm was the one responsible for deregulating Wall Street. In December, 2000, while the country was in turmoil over the Bush/Gore election and “As Congress and the White House were hurriedly hammering out a $384-billion omnibus spending bill, Gramm slipped in a 262-page measure called the Commodity Futures Modernization Act.”

The act, he declared (Gramm), would ensure that neither the SEC nor the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) got into the business of regulating newfangled financial products called swaps—and would thus "protect financial institutions from overregulation" and "position our financial services industries to be world leaders into the new century."

Read: http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2008/07/foreclosure-phil.html

Unfortunately, Gramm made a flub:

"You've heard of mental depression; this is a mental recession, we have sort of become a nation of whiners. You just hear this constant whining, complaining about a loss of competitiveness, America in decline." Senator Phil Gramm, John McCain's current Economic advisor.

Ummm, McCain fired him, or said he did. Except Gramm is still at all the big fundraisers and campaign stops. When asked why Gramm was always around after being fired, McCain said Gramm came for the food, he’s a good friend.

Item #2

In a fluff article in the Austin American Statesman (AAS) Sunday about Cindy McCain a short mention of McCain’s ex-wife of 14 years, Carol McCain said, "The break-up of our marriage was not caused by my accident or Vietnam or any of those things. I don't know that it might not have happened if John had never been gone," she said.

"I attribute it more to John turning 40 and wanting to be 25 again than I do to anything else."

http://www.statesman.com/search/content/news/stories/nation/09/21/0921cindymccain.html

Tell you anything?

Item #3

In today’s AAS, editorial writer, George Will analyzed McCains presidential qualities.

Channeling his inner Queen of Hearts, John McCain furiously, and apparently without even looking around at facts, said Chris Cox, chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, should be decapitated. This childish reflex provoked the Wall Street Journal to editorialize that "McCain untethered" -- disconnected from knowledge and principle -- had made a "false and deeply unfair" attack on Cox that was "unpresidential" and demonstrated that McCain "doesn't understand what's happening on Wall Street any better than Barack Obama does."

Then ends with:

Conservatives who insist that electing McCain is crucial usually start, and increasingly end, by saying he would make excellent judicial selections. But the more one sees of his impulsive, intensely personal reactions to people and events, the less confidence one has that he would select judges by calm reflection and clear principles, having neither patience nor aptitude for either.

It is arguable that, because of his inexperience, Obama is not ready for the presidency. It is arguable that McCain, because of his boiling moralism and bottomless reservoir of certitudes, is not suited to the presidency. Unreadiness can be corrected, although perhaps at great cost, by experience. Can a dismaying temperament be fixed?

It’s a good commentary, I hope you take time to read it.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/22/AR2008092202583.html?nav=hcmodule

Please, get mad, figure things out for your self, tell me off if you want, Great! But mostly, question everything and call a pig a pig.

I’d like you all to re-view Obama’s speech back in Philadelphia, PA on March 18, 2008. You can watch or read the whole speech here:

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=3511 , 38 minutes.

If you're busy, here's a highlight from the speech:

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=3510.

And for those with a real short attention span, Will I. Am’s version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjXyqcx-mYY , it's still good.

Thanks, Dick

Dealing with the Poodlecrats!

I, perhaps, wasn't completely clear in a mass e-mailing I did this week. This was only one e-mail that was forwarded to me. Inside that mail, the message and photographs were repeated six times, Six Times!

The offending sender thought it was cute and claimed drunkenness. Nonsense, no excuse for stupidity.

Red Light Camera Buster

.... I figured out how to defeat them, or at least keep my record clean.

Dick

I guess this blog has become more of a goof page instead of Invention &Design, but that's OK.





More on: http://picasaweb.google.com/hedge78704/

ummmmmmm

Be careful what you ask for.

On pizza and movie night (Wed.) Pops likes thin crust square pizza but he always says he's not that hungry, "I only want 2 pieces".... OK

More Furniture on Picasa site

Hey Kids,

I've been asked to centrally locate the furniture:

http://picasaweb.google.com/hedge78704/Furniture

Thanks, Dick

Let's Stretch a Pick-up Truck

Hey Kids,

Let's stretch an old pick-up truck.
Besides just liking this year of Ford, the sides are straight, easier to do and funky too.

Tré Series

Several from the Tré series. Top down: Tré 1, Tré 2, Tré 3.

2nd Try @ posting photos...

I was playing with my Picasa site and goofed, Oh well, try again. These are from the "HS" series.
Top down: HS1, HS2, HS3, HS4, HS5.

A Start (2nd try)

A Start

Howdy,

I'm not a writer. I don't argue. I'm (usually) not forceful. Remember this later, please.

I am a thinker, a problem solver, a designer, a draftsman, a carpenter/cabinetmaker, a welder, a sculptor, an uncle and hopefully a good son.

I am 55, taller than anyone thinks and male. I make things, a lot of things. I draw. I read.

Lets see how this goes. I want to talk mostly about invention, schemes, stupid ideas. Usually they will be well thought out (I think). I get interupted in conversation, I call it Hi-Jacking. This may be an attempt to try and express an idea without interferance. And... this may be a way to document and date a thought, don't know.

Some currret subjects: Blind vs. Hybrids, Train Safety Devices, Thumping Wheel, Gray Water

Here goes, Hedge