Jobs Lost

 

Closing 7000 post offices will take a number of jobs out of the economy.  Was it necessary, I don’t think so.  For me it is so typical of a government mend set, cut their nose off to spite their face.  Postal jobs are nice paying jobs that do not require a lots of skill or training.  So why do they let all those jobs go by the wayside?

 

One thing I have not heard is a willingness to take a pay cut to help save their jobs.  I read somewhere that most government workers are paid 22% better then their counterpart in the private sector and get excellent benefits.  Would a 15% cut in pay saved jobs…. bet it would.  Then look at the wrangling over the budget…. would pay cuts save the budget…..?  It would save me from paying so many tax dollars.

 

One of the things that strikes me, is how selfish we have become across society.

 

Small little country towns like my neighboring towns will be impacted. There are three town is the area that will be losing their post offices.  Lots has to do with the consolidation of farms and ranches.  Less people living in this part of the country.  Talking with a route driver in south east Kansas, he said some of his stops were 6-7 miles apart.  Lots of miles to drive to deliver mail to a few people.

 

This community last their post office a number of years ago but they still have their basic service.  It’s a 25 mile drive to the nearest post office for stamps or shipping but most of that can  be done through the delivery driver or the web.

This little kiosk is in a road junction and has a dozen mail slots and boxes for larger parcels.  This helps the post office and works for the ranchers.  A short drive to pick up their mail or drop off.

 

The little town I live in does not have home delivery, I have to have a PO Box and go there to get my mail.  Home delivery can be expensive.  I would like to see set ups like this in the big cities.  Here the neighborhood can pick up their mail and the route driver has only a few stops.  Wonder how much money that would save on fuel and vehicle expenses?

Then when I step back and look at things…… the government has been a failure at trying to run businesses of most type and only marginally successful in governing.  The Post Office is but one example of their failures. 

Now how to stop the know it all from getting elected to public office.  People when left alone have a tendency to thrive quite well and get along with each other.  Then the government comes along and says we are incompetent.  There are those who buy that and say….. nanny take care of me for I know not how….

With the weekend upon…. have a great one.

May God be with you in your steps.

The Cat

 

Across the yard he strolls, this is his territory.  I talk to him, he pauses, hunkers down, eyes darting.  Onward he walks, glancing side to side.  I talk to him again, he stops, looks, head tilts side to side.  Seeing nothing he walks on.  Into the ditch he ducks, disappearing in the tall grasses.  Reappearing a short distance on.  Through the gate he struts.  Into the vacant lot he moves on, prowling for what is next.

Such is the life of the neighborhood Siamese.   He is a feral feline and roams over neighborhood searching out morsels and marking his territory.  The domestics leave a wide swath for him when he struts across the streets into the vacant lots and old buildings.  There are culverts to sleep in, crawl into piles of junk, jump through broken windows.  This is his domain, here he rules.  Dogs run, rabbits scurry away and birds chirp out warnings.

King of the wild way he is.  Life without home, no human comforts to manipulate. 

Birds hopping among the leaves, gathering seeds.  Tail twitching behind the shrub.  Birds chirping and flying hither and yon, pecking away at the grasses.  Peaceful moments watching the birds gather up their meal.  Sproing, tawny fur jumps out of the shrub.  To close had the little bird ventured, he was now the meal.

His majesty dines on his capture.  Head in air he crosses to the culvert to relax for a bit and an afternoon nap.

 

Nature’s Way

 

 

Scrambling through ditches and pastures I stumble across things that fit or how’d that get there.

 

 

 

The wind gathers the seeds up and deposits them in among the grasses n weeds.  Jewels to sparkle in the green surrounds.  The beds of flowers and planters spread their bounty on the wind, finding  new places to set roots down.

Tromping among the stickers and thorns these damsels thrive, making a beauty.  Pausing for a moment, enjoy the reward, saying thanks to the ways of nature.

Along with the beauty are the ravenous monsters.  They eat each other and devour fields.  They can become so thick that the ground moves, sun light fades when they fly in hoards. The grasshopper is related to the locust and like the locust, grasshoppers can strip plants into the ground.

It is amazing anything lives after these little monsters have passed by.  There is a plan for destruction, nature renews itself, even in spite of man’s attempts to the contrary.  One of the reasons I question the greenies cry of wolf on the global warming issue.

Nature has a balance and will make changes to keep that balance… In spite of the human meddling.  We can help… but destroy………..

Not By Design

 

There are things in life that happen by planning and then there are things that occur by chance.  Working by design takes lots of effort and planning, it is also very rewarding.  Those that happen by chance are a deep pleasure, make a warm fuzzy feely moment. 

I enjoy photography and in particular railroad photography.  While back I was setting up to take some train pictures and I disturbed a four legged critter’s sleep.

 

I was walking along an overpass to catch the train [passing below and up from under the bridge popped this youngster.  I was startled but gathered myself together to get the camera up for some pictures.  He paused and stared back at me.

This went on for sometime.  One step forward, click of the shutter, pause and look back. The train was setting back in town still not moving so I just sat there and watched him. 

He is a youngster, not big enough to challenge the old bucks for the herd domain.  By himself he roams the grassland.  Sometimes these young bucks travel together but until they get some does they are loners..

White tails are not common around here, we get mostly mulies.  Mule deer are native to the area.  Like the white tail, the mulies are being forced to find new land to roam.  Deer were far and few far between on the plains but that is changing as development forces them out of their homes...

Eventually he moved on down the hill to open field.  He will find a small harem, become feed for a predator or possibly a trophy for the great white hunter.  In the meantime I appreciated the moment of encounter.

Oh and the train… it went into reverse and I gave up waiting for it..

Do Not Use….. May Cause Damage

 

Warning labels, on literally everything one buys.

The most infamous label is on the cigarette pack, and then there was the incident with the coffee in Albuquerque.  What is your favorite warning…….?

A fellow blogger bought a new small electrical appliance and it had a warning of not to take it to bed or sleep with it.  Apparently some people have done just that, hence a warning notice.  With the millions of people in the country a few have absurd behavior and it results in an accident.  because of the actions of a few, all have to pay the price of their consequences.  How much extra cost to the product do you think these warning notices add?  There is the oblivious of paper use and extra printing.  There is also the legal review expense and the board decision making time.  These little things add a small bit on the price of items which the consumer pays.

Why the notices in the first place, am I really that incompetent I can not take care of my self or is there something else going on here.  Personally I feel is a little bit on the “Nanny State” thing but a bigger issue is a lawyer thing.

So many lawsuits over frivolous things, yet there is big money, greed is a major force behind lots of these lawsuits.  Next thing to look at is the people who pass the laws and regulations.  The legislators at most levels of government are attorneys and so are most of the executives.  When these people get elected, they do not leave their jobs, most retain a vested interest.  A few leave their jobs to be public servants.  An attorney that is elected retains a interest in their law firm.  The firm generates income for them so it behooves the legal beagle to pass laws that will benefit his firm.

If adding warning labels is to their benefit….. guess what.  If the law firm is a litigator of damage suits…. laws will be brought forth to enable the firm.  The list rolls on, it becomes a cycle that we as voters have enabled.  For whatever reason we keep voting lawyers into the halls of congress.

I read somewhere that about 95% of the Democrats and over 50% of the Republicans are attorneys.  Looking at that one can see why so many laws are passed.  The more convoluted the language is the more a person needs a legal interpreter.

Next time you see a warning notice….. consider who will benefit the most…….?

 

 

When the rain pours here it can fall in buckets and make fields look like rice paddies.  The railroad ROW makes a nice dam and collects run of real quick making small pools.

Some of this fell as ice cubes, turning things white.  I should of planted some rice in the little paddock.

Time Marches

The weekend has arrived.  Time to take care of the chores, relax some or go out and play.  There is rain and the green stuff  grows and some of the unwanted green things have to be removed to find the other green things.  Some where over there under the mat is a grill….. hmmm… maybe should use it a little more  often.

Grilled brauts and a beer,  for me good weekend dining.  Let others indulge in the flank pieces of meat.  Put some relish, chopped green onion and brown mustard on and I’m happy.  The garden is putting out lettuce so will have a salad.  Sit in the little courtyard, hope the mosquitos are not hungry.  Watch the sun set, clouds pass over and change colors.

The weekend brings many adventures, sometimes no further then the yard.  Birds flit around, flowers wave in the breeze, trees make shade and good food.  It is time to savor the march of time, pause to listen to the rhythm.

 

 

Whatever you chose for the weekend may God bless you in your endeavors.

Have a great one.

Bombs Bursting

Independence day has passed into history and we await the one for next year.  Headlines jump out proclaiming FREEDOM.  Have you ever wondered freedom from what and what really is freedom?

Took a few pictures of the local fireworks few of them came out nice.

 

 

It was a great show.

I was lucky enough years ago to get a tour of Chesapeake Bay.  One of the tour spots was Ft McHenry, where the national anthem was written.  There is a buoy in the bay, supposedly marking where Key sat in his little boat making notes for a song that would be forever etched in the fabric of the USA.

Fireworks displays of today symbolize that battle and others during the revolution.  It was a time when people wanted to throw off an oppressive government.  They wanted to rule themselves, a freedom from restrictive government rules, one of them being taxes.  The biggest was self governance.  Not an absent government that was way over there some where.

Self determination was one of the key factors of the founding fathers used when they trashed the articles of confederation and replaced them with the constitution.

So does the constitution give you freedom to express yourself, live the life you chose or walk a different path.  Within the fabric of the constitution is a very broad avenue for people of the US to travel.

Today can we travel with the freedoms that our founding fathers gave us in the late 1700’s?  Why have we been willing to give up so many freedoms?

When July 4th rolls around I visit the cemetery where many of our freedoms have been placed and wonder if we will get any back.  What changes do I need to make, what should I demand of the politicians?

Look at the real reasons for the Civil War…….. It had very little to do with slavery.

The Puter Is On Trial

Had a catastrophic crash couple of weeks ago.  Don’t know if it will be repairable but will march on with another puter.  The old one will go the examination cubicle to see if repairs are worth while.  So in the meantime I will fumble along with new keyboard and gadgets.

Will also work on getting around and catching up on posts, that I have neglected.

 

Today is July 4th….. So Happy Birthday USA.

Trials

There comes a time in the life of me to stand back and watch for I no longer have the vinegar of youth…… Hah.