Well, it is finally over and life can get back to as close to normal as it ever does around here. I got quite a bit of stuff, including a miniature leatherman tool. You know what they are, about 15 different tools in one, like a swiss army knife. This thing was packaged in one of those hard plastic shrink-wrap things which are basically impossible to open. I started with a fingernail clipper, graduated to a pair of wire cutting dikes, finally a butcher knife, and eventually a cleaver. I seriously thought I would be hospitalized before I was done. Whoever makes that wrap stuff should go into the automobile body business. I have had cars a lot more fragile than that package.
The seed catalogs are flowing in, a treat for me which gets me excited about the gardens again. Then I look out the window and realize the snow will slow my planting plans for a while. I do study the catalogs, mainly to see if anything new and wonderful is being offerred (and there is a lot of new and wonderful stuff) and also to compare the prices between different catalogs - and there is a lot of differance. The only way to judge is to figure out the seed count or package net weight and then compare it to an identical variety elsewhere. The last consideration is the shipping and handling costs, which means that I try to limit the number of places from which I order. Lots of time left for this enjoyable project so I postpone everything for a while.
Someone wrote and asked me about the politics of my youth, a subject that could go on practically forever. Actually I paid little attention to politics in my youth. I know that Abraham Lincoln was running for president, and that was about all. When I returned to the North Country after 30 years elsewhere, I started getting interested in politics mainly due to my mother, Eva Dean, who was a rock ribbed republican, who was convinced that Richard Nixon was a greater diety than the pope. Mom was the editor of the Potsdam Courier and Freeman, and also was a volunteer for local politicians (Republican politicians) and was active in the campaigns of Dave Martin and the late Bob McEwen. She also knew where most of the bodies were buried, particularly the St. Lawrence County Legislature, and had collected voluminous files on the more outrageous behavior of many local dignitaries. I had begged her many times to reveal this stuff to me, with no luck at all. She discussed some of it with me and I was impressed by the amount of sculduggary she had uncovered. When she got near the end of her life, I decided that at the opportune moment I would get into her files and save them for posterity. Alas, when she went into a nursing home, I discovered the files had all been burnt. Mom didn't leave much of anything to chance. Long after my "youth" I went to work for St. Lawrence County as the County Veteran's Director (A politically appointed job) engineered by Mom, who didn't hesitate to use her clout where family was concerned. The County job gave me the opportunity to observe the legislature and local politics first hand, and believe you me, they play hardball up there. I could regale you with some of the more outrageous stories but I think I will save those memoirs for another venue.
What is this country coming to department: I have read that a nationally known "star" blew her nose in a tissue, which was subsequently auctioned off (I think on e-bay) for the sum of $5300. Can you believe that anyone could be so incredibly stupid as to pay that sum for someone's used kleenex? I am not particularly fussy, but I would not only refuse to pay someone for a used tissue, but might offer them 50 cents or a buck to keep the damn thing in their own pocket.
Queen in waiting Caroline has seemed to develop a backlash over her political ambitions, mainly involving her qualifications. Someone also printed an article saying that her net worth was somewhere between 100 and 400 million dollars, a figure she refused to confirm or deny. It is amazing how successful a children's book can be. This little fairy tale will play itself out in due time, but I'm betting that the Kennedy machine will prevail. She will certainly have some value to the democratic fund-raising process.
Enough for now, I have to go tend for my chicken flock. I expect that all three of them are hungry about now.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
All Hail the Queen
I have been following with great interest, but little surprise, the efforts being made to appoint Caroline Kennedy as the Senator to replace Hilary. When asked what her qualifications are, the response is "I am a Kennedy, duh". If this effort surprises anyone they must have been living on Mars for the past 30 or 40 years. What the rank and file have to understand is that the rich and powerful are different from us, and don't ask any questions. Now if you think that isn't enough, I have found (through one of my trash magazines) that Teddy Kennedy, who is terminally ill, has decided that his wife will be appointed to replace him when the time comes. This has caused quite an uproar in the Kennedy clan, because two or three other Kennedys decided that they would get the job. Teddy's wife was not, after all, born a Kennedy. I am not sure what is going on in this country. We have had the Bush regime - father and son, the Clinton regime - old mister unzipped fly and his gorgeous wife, and of course too many Kennedys to count. I was not particularly overwhelmed by the candidacy of Barack Obama, but he is looking better every day. For once, we may actually get an elected president, as opposed to a royal succession. Hillary is scheduled to be Secretary of State, however, and although she is quite a way down in the Presidential succession sweepstakes, I would strongly suggest that Barack watch his back. I can only hope that the American people will finally get enough and throw all those old bastards out.
On the local front, our St. Lawrence County Legislature is laboring mightily on several fronts. They are having a hell of a time selecting a new chairman and this issue is still very much up in the air. I would like to see Fitzrandolph in the job, but I think he has pissed off too many people to persevere. He has a habit of marching to his own drummer, which scares the power cabals on both sides of the aisle. The ethics hassel is still going full bore, and aside from its entertainment value doesn't amount to a hill of beans. The recent "secret" meeting broughhaha chaired by the County democratic chairman is quietly dying a natural death. It appears that they invited a local and horribly powerful newspaper editor, and even though he didn't attend, he was mollified enough to publicly state that nothing illegal was going on. You never know where your friends are in St. Lawrence County, although there is little problem identifying your enemies.
The home front is pretty calm (as calm as it gets just before Christmas). We will have our traditional family buffet, the cost of which I am directed to ignore, and everyone will have a good time. I am getting tired of plowing snow - not only is it a pain in the ass, but my farmall is not very well heated. I plowed a couple of days ago when it was 7 degrees, and todays plow-out was done is 22 degree weather - a heat wave of sorts. Enough for now, it is time to hit my easy chair and rest up for my nap.
On the local front, our St. Lawrence County Legislature is laboring mightily on several fronts. They are having a hell of a time selecting a new chairman and this issue is still very much up in the air. I would like to see Fitzrandolph in the job, but I think he has pissed off too many people to persevere. He has a habit of marching to his own drummer, which scares the power cabals on both sides of the aisle. The ethics hassel is still going full bore, and aside from its entertainment value doesn't amount to a hill of beans. The recent "secret" meeting broughhaha chaired by the County democratic chairman is quietly dying a natural death. It appears that they invited a local and horribly powerful newspaper editor, and even though he didn't attend, he was mollified enough to publicly state that nothing illegal was going on. You never know where your friends are in St. Lawrence County, although there is little problem identifying your enemies.
The home front is pretty calm (as calm as it gets just before Christmas). We will have our traditional family buffet, the cost of which I am directed to ignore, and everyone will have a good time. I am getting tired of plowing snow - not only is it a pain in the ass, but my farmall is not very well heated. I plowed a couple of days ago when it was 7 degrees, and todays plow-out was done is 22 degree weather - a heat wave of sorts. Enough for now, it is time to hit my easy chair and rest up for my nap.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Holy Cow Poop
You can relax - we are the Government and we are here to help you - the most interesting government announcement was made recently regarding the plan by the EPA to tax farmers for the odors emitted by their cows and pigs. Seem like some suit in Washington decided that our environment was not safe because of cow and pig poop. The answer to this dilemna was, of course, to impose a new tax (surcharge, rollback, penalty) on farmers for raising milk, beef, and pork producers. The farmers in all of the rural areas (that's pretty redundant, not too many live in cities) are outraged by this stupidity with good cause. What in hell were they thinking of? We are getting ready to load a few hundred billion dollars to save the automakers, who, as we all know, do not contribute to atmospheric pollution, but we are going to tax farmers for the occasional cow or pig fart. I am reminded of folks who build houses in rural areas next to farms that have been there for generations. When the farmer starts spreading manure, which they have also been doing for generations, the screaming begins - oh, the odors, the distress, the infamy of it all. I am the proud possessor of a chicken flock (3 chickens) which I keep around for entertainment value as much as anything. Am I also going to get swept up in this manure nightmare? I have had very little luck in persuading chickens to poop in designated areas, and in my youth had the same luck with cows and pigs. Let's hope that this latest stroke of genius dies a natural and quick death.
On the home front, the St. Lawrence County Legislature has been toiling mightily for several months over an Ethics Law, which would require legislators, department heads, committee people, etc to divulge their financial souls for everyone to take a look at. Most people don't really want to do this, of course so the law isn't moving along very fast. When I worked for St. Lawrence County, I had to fill out the Ethics Law forms in place then, and it wasn't much of a burden for me - I didn't have any money anyway. In addition, the rules in place then were pretty vague, such as: "Do you have between $10 and $1,000,000". I don't really see any need for an ethics law anyway - this county is so small and incestous that anyone commiting a financial crime will get squealed upon almost before they reap a profit. I notice the latest suggestion was to dump the enforcement into the lap of district attorney Nicole Duve, who very wisely dumped it right back. Nicole's position was - bring me proof of a criminal act and I will prosecute - otherwise leave me alone. One can only wish that other lawmakers could follow her example, do their job and then quit.
Moving to the Midwest, we have politics as usual in Illinois where the Governor, to no one's surprise, seems to be a little crooked. If you have followed politics in Illinois for any length of time you know that the questionairre for any political wannabee in that state contains the question, "If you are offerred a bribe, will you accept it and keep quiet about it?". Only "yes" answers are acceptable. To my delight, I read that the House Speaker in Illinois is demanding action and is suitably outraged by the Governor's perfidity. The Attorney General (Lisa Madigan) is threatening a lawsuit, presumably against the Governor to put an end to his shenanigans. What caught my eye was the fact that the House Speaker is also named Madigan and the Attorney General is his daughter. I guess nepotism doesn't count either in Illinois.
On the home front, the St. Lawrence County Legislature has been toiling mightily for several months over an Ethics Law, which would require legislators, department heads, committee people, etc to divulge their financial souls for everyone to take a look at. Most people don't really want to do this, of course so the law isn't moving along very fast. When I worked for St. Lawrence County, I had to fill out the Ethics Law forms in place then, and it wasn't much of a burden for me - I didn't have any money anyway. In addition, the rules in place then were pretty vague, such as: "Do you have between $10 and $1,000,000". I don't really see any need for an ethics law anyway - this county is so small and incestous that anyone commiting a financial crime will get squealed upon almost before they reap a profit. I notice the latest suggestion was to dump the enforcement into the lap of district attorney Nicole Duve, who very wisely dumped it right back. Nicole's position was - bring me proof of a criminal act and I will prosecute - otherwise leave me alone. One can only wish that other lawmakers could follow her example, do their job and then quit.
Moving to the Midwest, we have politics as usual in Illinois where the Governor, to no one's surprise, seems to be a little crooked. If you have followed politics in Illinois for any length of time you know that the questionairre for any political wannabee in that state contains the question, "If you are offerred a bribe, will you accept it and keep quiet about it?". Only "yes" answers are acceptable. To my delight, I read that the House Speaker in Illinois is demanding action and is suitably outraged by the Governor's perfidity. The Attorney General (Lisa Madigan) is threatening a lawsuit, presumably against the Governor to put an end to his shenanigans. What caught my eye was the fact that the House Speaker is also named Madigan and the Attorney General is his daughter. I guess nepotism doesn't count either in Illinois.
Monday, December 8, 2008
A Few Things I Don't Understand
I usually watch the news several times a day (don't want to miss anything - Britany Speers may do something extra stupid). Anyway, I often catch the Wall Street stock market opening or closing. You have probably seen this performance too. A group of suits and a couple of women in red (power outfits) stand up in the Stock Market and applaud when someone rings a bell. They are all wreathed in smiles and do high fives and beat their hands together until they must hurt. I fail to see the reason for all of their joy - working people are losing their jobs, their savings, their medical coverage, and their 401k's and these guys are happier than hell. Doesn't anyone think to tell them that their financial acumen, while lining their pockets quite nicely, is raising hell with the common herd. I suppose the reason for their happiness is that they do not realize that the common herd exists, except as servants. The latest news is that the CEO of one of the automobile companies is campaigning to get a 10 million dollar bonus. Talk about living in a dream world - could his timing have been any worse? While the auto makers are in Washington begging for a huge chunk of taxpayer money to bail out their companies, someone expects to get a 10 mil bonus. The sad part is that he will probably succeed.
Off on another subject. It is rumored that local lawbreakers are refusing to be sentenced to parole with the understanding that they will be incarcerated in the Gouverneur Correctional Facility. Think about it, they get three squares a day, a warm bed, and all of the sexual activity they can stand, courtesy of the Facility's female employees. I must admit that from the pictures I have seen, none of these gals is going to win any beauty contests in the near future, but if you are locked up with a few thousand other men, a sheep would look good after a while. Actually, letting a sheep in there would probably result in a cruelty to animals charge. Interestingly, as I read it, the women who have been uncovered (heh, heh) are going to be charged with rape, under the legal provision that prisoners are incapable of giving their consent. Huh? Are you kidding me - they (the prisoners) are probably conducting lotteries to pick who the next rape victim will be. I wonder how the guilty rapists pulled this off - aren't prisons places where folks are pretty carefully supervised? As the investigation continues, I suspect that the angry finger of the law with unearth more supervisors who are involved. I suspect also that the prisoners are pretty unhappy with the person or persons who narked out their little part time hobby. This whole episode reminds me of the arrest a while ago of several school teachers who were using teen aged boys for other than homework. Of course several parents screamed how their little darlings were traumatized by this treatment and demanded justice. By justice, I think they mean, set the school up for a lucrative law suit. My old buddy Pete Drake and I were watching this unfold on the TV and got quite a kick out of the whole performance. We are both old, but we can remember being teen agers. Pete and I agreed that the most obvious expression of the trauma these kids experienced was that you couldn't wipe the smile off their faces with a two by four.
Off on another subject. It is rumored that local lawbreakers are refusing to be sentenced to parole with the understanding that they will be incarcerated in the Gouverneur Correctional Facility. Think about it, they get three squares a day, a warm bed, and all of the sexual activity they can stand, courtesy of the Facility's female employees. I must admit that from the pictures I have seen, none of these gals is going to win any beauty contests in the near future, but if you are locked up with a few thousand other men, a sheep would look good after a while. Actually, letting a sheep in there would probably result in a cruelty to animals charge. Interestingly, as I read it, the women who have been uncovered (heh, heh) are going to be charged with rape, under the legal provision that prisoners are incapable of giving their consent. Huh? Are you kidding me - they (the prisoners) are probably conducting lotteries to pick who the next rape victim will be. I wonder how the guilty rapists pulled this off - aren't prisons places where folks are pretty carefully supervised? As the investigation continues, I suspect that the angry finger of the law with unearth more supervisors who are involved. I suspect also that the prisoners are pretty unhappy with the person or persons who narked out their little part time hobby. This whole episode reminds me of the arrest a while ago of several school teachers who were using teen aged boys for other than homework. Of course several parents screamed how their little darlings were traumatized by this treatment and demanded justice. By justice, I think they mean, set the school up for a lucrative law suit. My old buddy Pete Drake and I were watching this unfold on the TV and got quite a kick out of the whole performance. We are both old, but we can remember being teen agers. Pete and I agreed that the most obvious expression of the trauma these kids experienced was that you couldn't wipe the smile off their faces with a two by four.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Keeping up with the Rourk's
My sister Pat has a blog, which I can occasionally find - I am really not very computer literate. Anyway, she wrote about the boxes of tangled Christmas lights, and it struck a nerve because Shirley just brought down about 6 "totes" from the attic, along with a Christmas tree and several cardboard boxes of decorations. My comment was, we have got enough s___ to decorate the mall. SM's answer was "I am going to get rid of some of this stuff" - a reply which I know is a complete lie. The boxes don't get smaller - they get more numerous. We had recently strung the lights around the house - not too bad a deal. I made up some hangers out of Romex wire and put them up for the light strings. They are a lot bigger than those cup hook things we used to use, and I can use a long pole to slip the strings into the hangers.
Christmas lights have to get tangled, they spend a year in a dark box and breed. Then they go visiting each other to show off the new batch - how could they not get tangled? She was off today to do some work at the Legion and she already has the tree assembled and waiting for decorating. Her parting remark was ' "go ahead and decorate that tree while I am gone". You betcha - I tried helping once and everything I put on the tree was removed and replaced about 2 microns from where I had it. The logic escaped me, and so did the decorating business. If I had any choice I would do what an old bachelor buddy of mine used to do. He had about a 2 foot tree, complete with bulbs and lights, and a box that would hold it nicely. He brought it out every Christmas, plugged it in and was in business. After the holidays, he unplugged it, popped it back in its box and was good for another year. His decorating took about 15 seconds.
With all this decorating going on, I am curious to see how Hank Robar takes care of his lot in Potsdam - you know, the one with the toilet commodes full of flowers around it. The Potsdam officials have been having a fit about Hank's decorating for a few years now to no avail. I think they brought it upon themselves when they refused to rezone so Hank could sell the lot to Dunkin Donuts - and the result was what I call "Robar's Revenge", an eclectic collection of toilet bowls, and occasionally flower, trees, old brassiers, and various other artistic articles. To add insult to injury I recall Hank comparing his creation to the artwork at SUNY Potsdam to the howls of protest of every art conniseur in the area.
The new Lowes is going up in Potsdam despite the constant hassel over water, sewer, and anything else the Potsdam folks can dream up. This is done in conjunction with the constant claims about how much business they are bringing into the community. I got in trouble with my publisher over my comments about the Potsdam attitude toward business - but this forum is strictly my own and I can ignore any criticizm as I usually do.
Christmas lights have to get tangled, they spend a year in a dark box and breed. Then they go visiting each other to show off the new batch - how could they not get tangled? She was off today to do some work at the Legion and she already has the tree assembled and waiting for decorating. Her parting remark was ' "go ahead and decorate that tree while I am gone". You betcha - I tried helping once and everything I put on the tree was removed and replaced about 2 microns from where I had it. The logic escaped me, and so did the decorating business. If I had any choice I would do what an old bachelor buddy of mine used to do. He had about a 2 foot tree, complete with bulbs and lights, and a box that would hold it nicely. He brought it out every Christmas, plugged it in and was in business. After the holidays, he unplugged it, popped it back in its box and was good for another year. His decorating took about 15 seconds.
With all this decorating going on, I am curious to see how Hank Robar takes care of his lot in Potsdam - you know, the one with the toilet commodes full of flowers around it. The Potsdam officials have been having a fit about Hank's decorating for a few years now to no avail. I think they brought it upon themselves when they refused to rezone so Hank could sell the lot to Dunkin Donuts - and the result was what I call "Robar's Revenge", an eclectic collection of toilet bowls, and occasionally flower, trees, old brassiers, and various other artistic articles. To add insult to injury I recall Hank comparing his creation to the artwork at SUNY Potsdam to the howls of protest of every art conniseur in the area.
The new Lowes is going up in Potsdam despite the constant hassel over water, sewer, and anything else the Potsdam folks can dream up. This is done in conjunction with the constant claims about how much business they are bringing into the community. I got in trouble with my publisher over my comments about the Potsdam attitude toward business - but this forum is strictly my own and I can ignore any criticizm as I usually do.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
In the Beginning - Dec 2, 2008
I have an old Blog "NNY Gardening" which I have not been very good at keeping up to date. I think I am burnt out on the gardening stuff, and in the winter time up here there is not a hell of a lot of gardening going on.
I have decided to start this new blog with a title I used when I wrote for the Watertown Daily Times. The "Edge of the World" title came from a trip my family and I made from Virginia many years ago when I lived in Virginia and occasionally came home to the North Country. We had made a gas stop in Watertown, where I complained to the gas station guy about the way gas prices increased the farther we went north. After the typical north county delay while he "pondered" my remarks, he said, "well, you are getting pretty close to the edge of the world, you know".
One of the things I have missed after I quit writing for the Times was the chance to take a shot at some of the local politicians and politics in general. Some of their shenanigans were a great delight to me, although they sometimes didn't appreciate my interest. I firmly believe that someone has to shine a light on them occasionally, and let the chips fall where they may. The beauty of the blog is that there are no editors looking over my shoulder to criticize my opinions, and this reminds me of the old drinking toast - "Here's to those who wish me well, and all the rest can go to hell".
I will try to keep more current on this new endeavor, although I don't know who long it will last - I am not getting any younger, you know. Brace yourselves - who know what might develop.
I have decided to start this new blog with a title I used when I wrote for the Watertown Daily Times. The "Edge of the World" title came from a trip my family and I made from Virginia many years ago when I lived in Virginia and occasionally came home to the North Country. We had made a gas stop in Watertown, where I complained to the gas station guy about the way gas prices increased the farther we went north. After the typical north county delay while he "pondered" my remarks, he said, "well, you are getting pretty close to the edge of the world, you know".
One of the things I have missed after I quit writing for the Times was the chance to take a shot at some of the local politicians and politics in general. Some of their shenanigans were a great delight to me, although they sometimes didn't appreciate my interest. I firmly believe that someone has to shine a light on them occasionally, and let the chips fall where they may. The beauty of the blog is that there are no editors looking over my shoulder to criticize my opinions, and this reminds me of the old drinking toast - "Here's to those who wish me well, and all the rest can go to hell".
I will try to keep more current on this new endeavor, although I don't know who long it will last - I am not getting any younger, you know. Brace yourselves - who know what might develop.
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