Owen's Paper is back!

Random Thoughts: Headlines as 2018 makes her exit!

Democrats are the disease, Trump is the cure!

What did the Nation ever do right, that we got Trump and not Clinton elected as President in 2016? I could not even imagine the hole we would be in under Hillary's progressive grip. Not that Trump could be considered perfect. He's overly dramatic and fight the press like a bulldog. And yest, he was exactly what the nation needed at the time! Will things get rocky over the next two years? You betcha! The Democrats are sure to pull out all the stops to thwart Trumps efforts. There are even rumors circulating that they are quite willing to destroy the Republic if needed. 


Mark Zuckerberg is a patent liar!

Face Book as a social tool has been of questionable benefit. Evidence has been mounting that tech toys are exactly what is not needed by the young. A fact that the wealthy can attest to. Evidence has also come to light that Zuckerberg lied to Congress when he said he would make efforts to lock down people's privacy. He did exactly the opposite. Companies like FB, Google and Amazon are shamelessly mining people like they were cheap coal.

The Border Wall will be built!

In spite of dramatic efforts by all the members of the Democratic Party to stop the Wall from being improved, it will get the funds, in the end. The problems generated by an average of 60 thousand illegal aliens crossing each day WILL be felt as time goes on. The problem is similar to the frog in the pot of water analogy. The process has been so slow, relatively speaking, that neither the frog or the citizens of the United States really understood that they were in trouble. As December fades, we currently have about 22 million undocumented and illegal aliens living on our soil. The drain they are exerting on the Feds is in the 100 billion dollar range per year! That's a tenth of a trillion. That's a disaster waiting in the wings, in a country whose entitlement and healthcare systems are going tits up.

No CR! Shut er down!

As the date for a government shutdown approaches, many people have expressed bad feelings about Trump doing that over a tiny 5 billion dollars needed to fund border security. Schumer along with other extreme progressives really doesn't care about something that he voted for himself under Obama. No, what matters above everything else for him, is the desire to stop Trump at any cost to the Nation. That's not leadership, Mr. Schumer, that's a sign of incipient political dementia. History will record the Democrat Party actions of this and other key issues, over the past two years, in a very poor light.

Random Thoughts for December 2018!

TV Ads!

After a fair number of decades, I can honestly attest to the fact that of all the ads I've watched on the boob tube, not one has every been purchased by me. These days, with ads running over five minutes, I've fallen in love with both the mute button and channel changer. And, I can now see a time when I finally shit can Mediacom's TV charges for net only video offerings! I think that might even be a National trend!





On the passing of Presidents!

President George Bush has passed and the media has rightfully spent many days on this great loss. Yes, I had to wonder. What if Obama suddenly kicked the bucket? Would he get anywhere as much coverage. Would he get any coverage? Thinking along the same track. What about people like Hillary Clinton or Al Sharpton or...






Gas at under $2!!

 Be still my heart! I saw a sign at a local southwest Missouri gas station that read $1.999 per gallon just yesterday! Could it really be true that America is getting to be energy independent again? Could we see even lower prices on down the road? And what about the Democrats? When they retake the House in January, are we looking to see some push back by that group of zany wingnuts? Will trump fail to be elected in 2020, as we all see someone like Elizabeth Warren take up the reigns of power! What would happen then...

Tax breaks - no, Tax increases - yes. Border wall - Hell no! Energy independence - down the tubes everyone.

Random Thoughts for Oct 2018

Long Horn blues!

Where's my hash browns?

Forsyth MO. – OK, so everyone can have an off day, and apparently today was the day for my server at the Long Horn Family Dining establishment located in Forsyth Missouri. As had happened in the past I sat down and got a cup of coffee, but no menu. And, while I have a pretty good memory, it's far from perfect. Next the server had a difficult time understanding my order, and when the order came, it was on a tiny plate that was missing one of the sides. (It did finally show up a bit later). All in all, not a very good experience on this date.

Dark times at the Country Mart!

Not to be deterred, I finished my breakfast and went over to a local grocery store known as the Country Mart, located near the intersections of Coy Blvd and Hwy 160. As I walked it, it got somewhat surreal as the store was mostly dark inside. Sure, there were a few islands of light, but other isles and most notable #3 was pretty much black. Out of the corn of my eye, I could have sworn I glimpsed some kind of dark object flitting about near the spices and oils. And, even though vegetable oil was on my shopping list, I passed that isle by at a mild gallop!

Shadowrock Lodge!

In a strange but true series of events, After posting that I had no idea of what was going on with the Shadowrock Lodge, I got a call from the owner. She told me that due to some setbacks, they still planned to open in '6 to 8 weeks'. If things do work out, that would be great news for the area.

The Health Department!

As I was pretty much striking out on this day, I decided to stop over by the Forsyth Mo Health Department to see about getting a flu and a pneumococcal pair of arm blaster shots just to sort of top off the morning. I'd been there on numerous occasions in the years before and yet the staff there had a hard time locating my records. Yes, it was beginning to feel like a Stephan King movie for me, at that juncture. But, the files were discovered and I was given both shots. While the nurse was injecting me, she confided that I was likely going to hate her in about 24 hours! Driving home, I then almost hit a deer less than a block from my home.....

Random Thoughts for June 2018!

Hail woes!

After leaving May behind, but not before it managed to trash my car with hail on the 31^st, I ventured bravely onward into June. A month that reminded me of the variability of what mother Nature can dish out when she's a little pissed. Half way through the month and over half the time the temps climbed to 90 and beyond! As I sweltered in the early heat, an insurance man came over and announced that I had about five thousand dollars worth of damage to my car and that they would be sending me a check in the mail. Swell. Meanwhile the weather people were calling for; heat indices above 100, scattered violent hail storms and just a smattering of tornadoes here and there. Oh, and my condominium complex, which just replaced the shingles on ten buildings at an insured cost of 200 thousand in April, would need to be replaced again. Oh, and by the way, we'd likely have to foot that additional cost ourselves! Double swell!

Chili-con-awesome!

Whenever I get depressed, which had been happening more often as of late, I turn to eating as a calmative. Recently, I made up a batch of DanO's Chili! A dish that goes together quickly with little in the way of fuss or muss. 'Give a man a bowl of chili, a can of beer and a game to watch and all is well with the world!' (Well, it'd also be OK to throw in a winning lotto ticket, a very lose woman and a crazed chimpanzee)!

I can't wait for 2020!

Even as I am rapidly advancing to the age where cliff diving seems like a good alternative, I have to admit to feeling a bit excited about the presidential election of 2020! One the one side, we will have that ornery and cantankerous man known as the Trump! On the other side... who the fuck knows??

 Most of the wannabe candidates are so far to the Left that even old George Soros might have some doubts. Let's see now; there's a few well know figures like Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. Those zany characters will be in the DNC hunt along with Kirsten Gillibrand, Kamala Harris, Sherrod Brown and Cory Booker as of this post. Of this group, Joe 'the groper' Biden seems to have the best chance to get it all together. He's sort of a mild version of Obama who, once elected, would work like mad to turn everything Trump has done completely around. That would include wide-open borders, kowtowing to foreign nationals, closing down coal mines and offshore drilling not to mention the reimposing of a billion or so regulations on corporations! That rushing sound, you'd hear, would be trillions of dollars moving back offshore...

Random Thoughts for May 2018!

Are area restaurants understaffed?

Forsyth MO – It may be hard to believe, but local restaurants sometimes get very busy. The problem is that at other times, they can be very slow. As a result, some venues may appear to be understaffed. A situation that can result in longer than usual wait times.

That was the situation, when I stopped for breakfast at an eatery, where I normally get lightening fast service. It took my order a lot longer than normal and to add insult to the situation, I had chosen a booth next to an open window. As I had no jacket, I was close to freezing the entire time, not to mention having to eat my food as fast as possible before it too was ice cold.

I took away two lessons from this experience; 1) pick only off hours to go eat and 2) make sure that the booth I picked did not have a freezing gale blowing through it.

Amnesty International, a total crud group!

Let's not mince words here, the group of nut jobs and insane lawyers that form immigrant caravans every year, just so that illegals can gain entry to the US, are terrorists in my book. Pure and simple. They are out to destroy national borders and to thereby wreck civilized societies. People who are not unlike ISIS, only they don't burn people. My thinking is to go ahead and to label them as terrorist outlaws and to place a nice bounty on their heads. You know dead or alive, and preferably the former.

Iran lies?

I wish you could see the complete shock on my face! It seems that Iran has been lying to the world for years concerning its nuclear ambitions. As a matter of fact, recent intel has uncovered the fact that if an Iranian official is flapping his gums, he is also likely lying his balls off. Turns out that now, even by following the letter of the agreement, these Islamic nut jobs can have not one, but an entire nuclear arsenal ready to launch in just a couple of years! Swell... Good job Obama you A-hole!

Random thoughts for February 2018!

The dregs of winter!

I think of early February as a period that signifies both the midpoint of each winter and a focus of my discontent. It's the midpoint of winter, as the sludge of 2017 have not yet completely dissolved off me while the promise of yet another spring is still far off! A period of time when I often find myself falling back into old habits. Let me count a few off; slothfulness, gluttony and a general lack of any desire to exercise. (Two of those are major league sins, while the last is just me being stupid....)!

Fisa, piza, niza! Who really cares?

All that there seems to be in the way of political news has been the forever crusade to find Trump guilty of something. Anything! Womanizing, colluding with the Russians and even insanity top the charts for more than a year! And while this has been a white hot topic, for many on the Left, it has left me searching the channels for something else to watch. Sadly, advertising has now taken up the lion's share of most show's. I've even managed to surge a series of twelve stations in a row, never once hitting on anything other than ads for stuff I'll never buy. I can now see a time, where that tube will get someday get turned off, never to be restarted by moi... Too much garbage in too small a can.

Elvis has left the building!

As the midterm elections draw within sight, a veritable host of Republican Senators and Representatives are throwing in the towel and have announced their retirements. Even, Tray Gowdy, a man who some thought might try for the presidency has given up. This wave of Republicans will leave the door wide open for many weird minded Democrats to fill some seats in November. Putting these people in positions of power will be much like handing the keys over to you 17 year old hormone crazed kid and telling him, 'Go do what you want!' Well, it could make for a few interesting stories for the boob tube bunch...

Mediacom. A poster child for the limp!

After subscribing to Mediacom, a cable provider, for well over ten years. I can attest to fact that the number of outages I've experienced number far too many for me to remember. The company seems to put millions into advertising, but precious few pennies into infrastructure. Mediacom, a company that offers great discounts to new subscribers (for a year), and then seems to suffer amnesia soon thereafter. Mediacom, a company who fully takes advantage of being a true monopoly. King of the hill and Lord of the Flies!

Random thoughts for October 20, 2017!

Rebooting the French Dip!

One of my favorite restaurant foods would be the French Dip with a side of au jus! A truly delectable combination of bread, beef and sop, if ever there was one! However, there's one thing wrong with that name. Interestingly, this culinary creation originated in America, not France! Apparently, some LA California eatery called Philippe’s came up with the first recorded mention of it way back in 1908! (Even French fries (which are often served as a side), were originally invented in Belgium! So, you can't always go by a name when trying to figure where some foods originated from. A rather messy way to go about naming foods, in my book. So, I thought that perhaps now was the time to 'reboot' the French Dip into something more PC...

Recently, i launched a campaign to rechristen it to the 'LA Dipper.' And, while I was at it, I felt perhaps that the beef drippings, (aka the 'au jus') could also be changed to plain old 'slop'. So, now when ordering this classic, you could ask for a LA Dip n Slop with a side of Belgium fries! Wow! Talk about being political correct! Inspired by my genius, I've even tried to call Governor Jerry Brown's office to see what he would think, but so far he's been out of the office each time I've tried...

Bernie Sanders is leading the polls!

Speaking of French Dips. Just look at Bernie Sanders and the fact that he was currently leading the 2020 Presidential candidate polls on the Democratic Party side! (A factoid that is driving many Republicans mad with happiness). Both they and I can just imagine what a wide appeal such an avowed Socialist would have in the upcoming general election in 2020!

Yes, I can just see it now. Old Bernie standing up there on a podium in early 2020 under the glare of media cameras, doing his best to convince voters everywhere that piling trillions more debt on top of the staggering amount we already owe, would not be completely insane! I mean, what could possibly go wrong with that kind of thinking? Go Bernie!

The Country Mart crawl!

As the years have flown on by, increasingly, my body has become more and more infirm and in meed of exercise. I'd begun to look, ever more longingly, at those neat enclosed malls where old farts like myself can get in a bit of exercise while also staying out of the elements. I think they're referred to a Mall Walkers! You can catch packs of them shambling around in endless circles most every morning in the neighboring town of Branson. Wikipedia even has a neat definition; 'Mall walking is a form of exercise in which people walk or jog through the usually long corridors of shopping malls. Many malls open early so that people may mall walk, however stores and other such facilities generally do not open at this time, though vending machine concessions are available.' Wow! I found myself in total geriatric envy...

Then it came to me that even though there was no mall in my particular town, we did sport a nicely sized grocery store! It's called Country Mart and I've discovered that if you are very careful, you can get there early and walk and walk and walk....

Random thoughts for September 2017!

C's Pizza and Bowl-O-Rama!

Forsyth MO. – Call it divine inspiration, drunken meanderings or just an old brain that is short circuiting. Whichever is true, a thought came to me one afternoon while sitting on a bar stool at one of my favorite watering holes....

It is well know that the owner of Charlie's Steak, Ribs and Ale is planning on changing its name to C's Pizza and Pub or some such nonsense as that. OK, so it's gonna become a pizza joint that serves booze on the side. I can live with that. But wait! What if they were to throw in a nice bowling alley and then change the name to C's Pizza & Bowl-O-Rama Pub thingy or CPBORP for short? Now that would be something for the small town of Forsyth to be really proud of! You could meet your friends for a quick game, down some pizza, get drunk and then stagger on home. What fun! I can just hear the young people saying, 'Hey! How about we scoot on over to Sipborp's for a quick throw of some balls?'

The FCC and the Internet!

Washington DC – Whenever things get a little crazy and everyone is sure that the public attention is on other stuff, departments like the FCC like to make their best moves. When it's not attacking net neutrality, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is currently pushing a second proposal that could also limit internet freedom. It seems that Ajit Pai who serves as Chairman of the United States Federal Communications Commission has introduced legislation to impose new and more stringent restrictions on what is defined as 'broadband', which devices use it and at what speeds! According to a letter submitted by some politicians, 'such a striking change in policy would significantly and disproportionately disadvantage Americans in rural, tribal, and low income communities across the nation'. Just another example of your government working hard, while you sleep....

That Bull Shoals Bridge Project!

After years of delays, floods and other red tape, MODOT is finally getting ready to move on the building of a new bridge over the Bull Shoals Lake on Hwy 160 just to the south of the city of Forsyth Missouri. And, while I'm sure there will be some problems taking the form of traffic delays, I had to wonder about a line in a local paper. It that stated 'During the last two weeks of the project, Highway 76 will be closed so the new bridge can be connected with the existing road'! Hmm, I wondered, with that critical artery closed, just how in the world will commuters and emergency vehicles get from one side of the rive to the other? This is scheduled to happen just about one year from this this post in the fall of 2018. Should be interesting....

Random Thoughts for late November 2016!

Steak with stir-fried peppers and onions!

Take a braised steak and combine with some stir-fried banana peppers, sliced onion, oregano, rosemary and dried basil and you've got yourself a great start to any breakfast!

Throwing together a tasty breakfast that's under 500 calories takes a bit of planning. This meal deal combines a small portion of steak (100 grams), that is grilled for a few minutes in a convection oven. To this is added a small batch of stir-fried home grown banana peppers (40 grams), onions (35 grams). The spices included a dash of dried Rosemary, and a teaspoon each of dried oregano and basil. Those guys added only about 350 calories to the total meal and when you added a cup of milk it came to 476 calories all told. See! I'm really trying to lose some weight here! Hey Washington DC! That's a hint! I'm trying to slim down and perhaps you should too!

Speaking of Stir-fried!

Rumors abound, these days on Capitol Hill, that Nancy Pelosi is on the way out! Who would have figured that such a nice, sensible woman would fall into such disfavor. Perhaps it's because the Democratic Party is currently holding a fire sale and she is their poster child. Fare thee well Nancy, I knew you not!

Future site of the DNC?

I went to no expense to grab a picture of the proposed new location for the next Democratic National Convention. It's a small 'planet-toid' named Ceres that is pretty far 'out there' in the Oort Cloud someplace. Now, while the surface of the site is rather cold and bleak, I thought it a fitting location for a political party whose style of thinking is also often sorta 'out there'!

I'm hoping, from time to time and over the coming decades, we hear from these people... Sorry, that's a fib.

Mediacom, WTF is wrong with you?

Over the weeks, month and years that I've been forced to subscribe to Mediacom Internet service, I come to realize what the word incompetent really means. By far and away, this cable company's managers are the most sorry bunch of failures and CF's I've ever had the displeasure of being associated with. I pray the new incoming President will make it a priority to draft legislation to help and escort these bums out of a business they are so ill-suited to perform.

Shots from the hip!

Taney County Weather, what weather? - I sure don't want to jinx up the thing, but this sure has been a nice and fuzzy spring! Sure. We could have used a little more rain, but gee where are those big thunder boomers we would get exposed to most every year right about this time? One would almost imagine that the weather systems were running down a bit... Currently, Taney County is quite a few inches behind the curve, but wait! The NWS is now predicting a fun fill week starting Monday May 23^rd with storm after storm after storm...

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River Run Park – For years now, I've felt that the Corps of Engineers have maybe dropped a ball bearing or two out of their collective noggins. Take, for instance, the gates on Baker street in a small subdivision near River Run Park. Earlier this spring, one of the two gates near Highway 76 was opened as conditions in the park area proper appeared very ship shape. However, due to some mental process I'm not aware of, the Corps decided to leave the second gate closed thereby blocking Baker street access from the subdivision. A situation that could easily hinder emergency vehicles when every second counts....

There has been NO word, that I'm aware of, as to why they are keeping that f'ing gate closed. And while I'm positive they must have a good reason, the Corps of Engineers never have made much of an attempt at informing we the public other than perhaps a few posts on Facebook!

Be that as it may, River Run Park is there for the enjoyment and recreation of the public! And, I really don't care much for any excuses by them or anyone else from the government these days. Just please take care of your responsibilities and get the gate open!

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Forsyth Patriot Parade – On Saturday the 21^st, Forsyth Missouri will be hosting a parade to honor all of our vets, both past and present! I've included a link here from the Hometown Daily news site in case you desire additional information. The weather for Saturday should be exceptional!

Random thoughts to close out January 2016!

Cranking out some incredible barbecued chicken lags!

Yes, it was a warmer than normal Sunday in late January. A time of year when most everyone should have been found hiding inside as the cruel winds of winter raged outdoors. Only, that wasn't the deal down here in southwest Missouri at least on this particular day! Happily, from time to time, us 'pseudo southerner's' get a much needed reprieve in the form of dishwater styled southerly winds. And then, as soon as the mercury gets much above 60 degrees, those of us that like to grill are out doing our grilling thing. Note, however, the strange behavior of the outside temps early on...

Tongs in hand and a hot charcoal grill set the stage for one aging gnome standing on his condo balcony in shorts! I had placed eight check legs into the grill about an hour earlier and was getting ready to slather them with from official KC Barbecue sauce. Does it get any better than this? I mused to myself as I idly contemplated the word 'slather'. That word sounded somehow both sexy and a little sick at the same time. (According to the Webster dictionary, to slather is to spread or smear (a substance) thickly or liberally. As in to "slather on some tanning lotion"). The chicken took a lot longer than they had last time I grilled, of course it was in the 90's then.

'Well!' I said to no one. 'I'm gonna slather the living be-jesus out of these legs!' I then got down to the business of turning a so-so gathering of cooked chicken flesh into a tangy assembly that made my mouth water in anticipation! That job accomplished, I eased myself down into a cheap folding chair to better contemplate strange English words, hot n tangy chicken and my place in the scheme of things. As I sat there, sipping my beer, I thought about grilling and temperatures.

What's the perfect grilling Wx temperature, anyway?

While there is little scientific evidence to go on. My best guess is that for most, there is an acceptable 'grilling range temperature' below which grilling is not done. (Sure, there are a few hardy souls who grill out all year. But, those are the really oddball types who do all sorts of zany things anyway. While they are fun to watch, the more sane members of the grilling clan choose to get their equipment cranked up after the mercury is above at least sixty degrees). Other factors that may influence the decision to grill out probably include; the chef's state of sobriety, clear or partly clear skies and calm winds. (As I can only speak for us men, I can tell you from experience that alcohol consumption often sometimes plays a pivotal role in there somewhere)! Getting that urge to grill is also linked to the first day in the new year when a really awesome weather day presents itself. Sort of like it did on January the 31^th!

On that day, I arose promptly at about 9AM and gathered together all the tools I needed to proceed. I had purchased some chicken along with a six pack the day before and thus shuffled out onto my condo third floor balcony to go and 'get er done'.

As you can see, my minimal efforts paid out as just an hour later the chicken looked freaking awesome! 

Random thoughts for January 2016!

On the left, (and mean that literally), we have the Democratic Party that is currently supporting a well known crook and and an avowed Socialist as model figures to lead this Republic forward. Not to be out done, the average Republican voter is championing anyone who can yell the loudest! And, that would be Donald da Trump, at this time.

As of mid January, the Socialist and the Wall Street aficionado appear to be headed towards the Presidential playoffs in November. [What happened to Hillary, you ask]? The FBI is preparing indictment papers, as I write this, so I’m pretty sure good old Biden will be tossed into the fray at the last minute. (The problem there is that the average Democrat will gravitate to whoever promises free stuff forever, and that would be Bernie)! So, there you go it will be Bernie, a man who is known to shout versus a man who shouts even when it’s not called for….

Exactly what the outcome will be in November is still unclear. But, what is for sure will be a country with most voters still literally at each others throats. I hear Fox News can hardly wait to cover that chaos!

On being politically correct!

Just like most fads (remember the mood ring?), the PC crowd will fade rapidly away as the real plight of the Nation begins to sink in over the next few years. The Middle Class, (what remains of it) will unceremoniously be dumped into the poverty level just a the uber-rich will begin looking for a new continent to fuck up. They will be following the stampede of corporations that will prefer to be anywhere but in America. More and more, this once great Republic will begin to resemble a scene out of Mad Max; as the poor, sick and starving elk out lives that will mostly be brutal and short! And, at some point along that road, the PC crowd will have evaporated like the morning mist.

Don’t want to pay income taxes?

Thank goodness we now live in a world where anything goes. That mantra includes doing pretty much whatever you want without any fear of reprisal – ever! Our political leaders, the Department of Justice and the IRA have faithfully paved the road for the rest of us. Seriously, the sheer bulk of corruption that innervates all of Washington would make even the most hardened criminal get a a hard on. And anyway, who really cares anymore? Not the Fed, that’s for sure! Our National Debt disgrace reminds me a lot of the game of Monopoly. As a youth, I played it a bunch and always knew when the end game was getting neigh. That moment when I would survey the board and see nothing but red plastic hotels on almost every square meant just thing! There was no point in playing any more – you just tossed the dice in a listless manner until that inevitable moment when your liabilities greatly exceeded your pitiful assets. Right now, I just tossing those dice….

Random Thoughts for November 2015

Posting in the 21st Century is troubling for lots of reasons. At any given micro second, here in 2015, there are hundreds of millions of words, blogs and mindless texts being created by would be authors who toss their creations out into the ether we all know as the Internet. The vast majority of which, like sperm striving to impregnate some intellectual egg, will ultimately fail and be rejected by an unfeeling digital matrix. (I completely understand that reality and personally have billions of dead sperm words lying stillborn about my feet). Still, I rise up each day, and hit the keyboard as though it was a blushing virgin and I an anxious teen.... Well then, let us go bravely forward...

Mediacom, just a symptom of the times or a full blown Internet disgrace?

When one finds oneself intimately [or at least contractually] associated with an Internet service provider, (which is all too often the only Internet provider available), well one might take a pause before dissing said partner in print! Truth be told. I no longer really care. As the recipient of substandard service over a protracted period of time, I've grown very accustomed to inferior or substandard performance. Even the simple act of writing out this blog entry was subject to problems.

But, I do dwaddle and so apologize to my very few readers. Let me now get to the real meat of this issue. (For as I have been often told, the meat is sweetest as one gets nearer to the bone of an issue).

Mediacom is really just a simple phone company. Did you know that? That's how the government classifies them, at any rate. They are licensed under the FCC, and are charged with providing  reliable Internet communication. Ah, but as Shakespeare might well have intoned, there is a rub. Q: Is their concept of the word 'reliable' the same as mine or yours? Put another way, are they providing the very best service they can or, are they performing a crude balancing act? You know, where you max corporate profits even as you test the patience of your subscribers to near a breaking point! And, are you charging very healthy corporate fees while riding on the back of an antiquated, rotting and aging digital infrastructure? Good questions to ask. After all, wasn't it President Obama, who boldly promised America a better and faster Internet for all in 2008? I dunno. Personally, I've become pretty disgusted with this group over the past decade and suspect the problems I experience are shared with many of the other providers. What say you?

Fox News! A media gem surrounded by really horrific advertising!

I get it that the stuff that comes over my TV daily is politically massaged by whatever station I happen to listen to. It's fun, at times, to switch my channel to MSNBC or ABC or CBS or even CNN which tries to look like a politically centralist channel, so damn hard, it makes one cry. And then there is the Fox Channel - a real gem in that they seem to actually try and be fair in what ever story they happen to be 'reporting'. I mean, they even have token Left leaning commentators who are black for chrissakes! What's more fair than that?

But, let me get right to the chase! Of all the media reporting channels I watch, none are as insulting as the sheer advertising crapola put out by Fox. I find them to be either insulting (pills for that special moment), degrading of the poor (what's in your gold portfolio), or downright scary as a cadre of pharmaceutical propaganda machines attempt to convince you that you must take their Cadillac crap.

And, sadly, this media outlet is offering a GOP debate - you know men and women candidates that may dictate your future if elected - only people like me will not have the ability to watch it on my cable TV as Mediacom doesn't feel like offering it as part of a basic package to the like of me... nope, I'd have to pay for a premium service package. What the fuck is wrong with you people that you are letting a bunch of bat wing leftists take over this Republic?

[More on this topic later in a later rant].

Hillary marches boldly on!

In truth, I secretly respect Hillary and those humongous balls she must have hidden somewhere under her skirt. The word scandal clings to her persona like a second skin. These days, she's like some insane General marching madly down a hill in WWII, filled with exploding bombs and whizzing bullets! The women appears almost magical. And should she become our next President, I will die laughing!

Random thoughts on food!

Is chili becoming a gourmet dish, cost wise?

Circa early October 2015. Here was the cost breakout for a pot of homemade chili:

Ground beef, 453 g $4.59

Petite tomatoes, 441 g $0.97

Red beans, 411 g $1.25

Williams chili mix $1.49

Total $8.30

Was this kind of expensive for a bowl of red? You betcha. I purchased my ingredients at a Country Mart grocery store located in Forsyth, Mo. I estimated there were about five servings at a per serving cost of $1.66. Ergo, homemade chili is still cheaper than buying it at a restaurant, but the margin is getting more narrow all the time! Note that back in 1970, a bowl of chili purchased at a diner cost only about fifty cents!

Stretching restaurant food!

Case in point: An order of ten chicken wings with fries and a tub of Ranch dressing. Cost $12.

Take home orders offer distinct advantages over eating at the venue. My purchase was also without tip, a savings of 15%! When I got it home, I broke up the order into three servings at a cost per serving of $4.00 with the Ranch dressing serving as a bonus that went on a simple salad I made myself! This was a win win as not only did I enjoy three great meals, but the smaller portions also helped to keep the calories at a manageable level!

Random thoughts for Mid September 2015!

Mid September 2015 and gas at $2.10 a gallon!

Forsyth MO - What the heck is going on? As the price of a barrel of oil continues to plummet, prices at the pump for most of America is expected to dive below $2 a gallon before the end of the month!

While lower prices at the pump were a welcome change for most motorists, the wild market fluctuations continue to highlight serious troubles in the world's financial markets. And, with the Fed meeting for two days starting on Wednesday the 15th, rumors of a rate increase have left investors wary.

That synergistic effect everyone is waiting for!

We certainly live interesting times. There are many issues that seem to be coming together and which may interact in ways that may do the word synergy justice! Lets skim over just a few, shall we?

1) The vast explosion of hate for the US by all Muslims seems to be growing exponentially.

2) International money markets continue to remain unstable and in bubble status.

3) Russia and China are working hand in hand to destabilize the Mid East, and are succeeding.

4) America seems ready for a major show down in 2016 as she fights to regain her world status. Disenchantment with Congress grows ever more widespread.

5) The EU is in trouble and could easily dissolve. This alone could cause a partial or even a complete collapse of the American dollar.

6) The US southern border remains ultra porous, allowing a flood of illegals to enter freely. A situation that places American support programs under crushing weights.

7) Federal entitlement programs are in dire straits and seem certain to fail in the long term.

8) Potable water reserves all across the planet continue to shrink.

9) Key states are likely to go bankrupt and will require a Federal bailout.

10) Iran will use limited nuclear strikes in an attempt to erase Israel from the map.

 

Any one or a number of the topics mentioned here could come together and form the basis for world disaster. And, on a scale of 1 to 100 the probability for disaster of that magnitude is at 200.

Obama, a man on a mission!

The question is... What mission? And, for whom? One could easily argue that this individual is actively working for ISIS. The only exception is that he hasn't personally beheaded anyone...yet. The damage he has manged to do, will take a generation to undo.

Random Thoughts for November 2014!

Wilson vs Brown!

A black man the size of a Chicago Bear linebacker charges a much smaller officer, ignores repeated stop orders and tries to grab the officers gun away from him. He is duly shot down dead as a mackerel. Not big surprise there. And sadly, no big deal. Blacks are killed most every night in the streets of Chicago, occasionally by a white office, but more often than not by other blacks. The difference in this case, was a liberal dose of ignorance on both sides augmented by special interest groups that are always attracted to media events. The end result – a protracted event that saw riots and many businesses burned to the ground. Today, the crowds are dispersing, leaving a small town completely gutted. My only sad thought was that I was glad I don't live in Ferguson.

Obama slips another one into our collective derrière!

Over Thanksgiving, President Obama is set to announce thousands of new Federal regulations that will not only affect business but individuals as well. One such regulation will have to do with new food labels on just about everything consumers buy. An expensive process for the food distributors who have announced their intention of passing on the cost increase to consumers. The EPA is also set to start ratcheting down the emissions of coal fired plants – a move that will see many of them shut down over the coming years. And yes, that will translated into skyrocketing energy costs! The list goes on and on and on – but, in the immortal words of Nancy P – you'll have to find out what's in them after they pass.

Obama and his Executive Orders!

Say what you will, Obama sure has a way of dividing an already divided Congress! Just last week, he granted what amounts to amnesty to millions of illegal aliens by granting them temporary work permits. And while this is supposed to be a temporary thing – no one in their right minds believes that. Every one of these individuals will stay permanently all the while advertising to millions of other foreign nationals that now is the time to come on down to the US! The water's fine.

Random Thoughts for May 2014

Is it finally warming up out there??

SW MO. - I'll walk out on a very thin limb and predict that May 1^st will be the start of a proper and fit spring with a warming trend that will see us in the high 70's most days with 50's for nightly lows! So, based on that prediction, I'd say it's time to get all those plants you have waiting in your garage out and in the garden!

There are a number of factors that might make a vegetable garden a good way to go this year. The continued drought in California will drive produce prices upwards. Historically low cattle herds will also insure that meat prices will stay at record levels! And last – a sagging National economy will all but guarantee continued high energy prices as we move through the year of 2014!

Liar, liar, their pants are on Benghazi fire!

Washington D.C. – Evidence has come to light, in the form of an email, that leads many journalists (perhaps correctly) to conclude that there was an intentional and premeditated cover up by the White House as to the real political reason behind cause of the Benghazi incident in which four Americans died! The question is, do we really want this bunch of idiots leading the United States any more? I'd bet that Jay Carney wished he was somewhere else.... Mr. President - Al Qaeda is not on the run. Truth be told, they are growing stronger than ever! Main stream America understands that fact!

China to surpass the US in economic productivity!

OK! There's a lot of dissent among the 'experts' as to what constitutes a 'standard measure of production'. Maybe China will, or will not surpass the US this year, but they are close! – And, the thing is, if and when they do, there has never been an instance in recorded history for any society once passed by to ever regain its superiority. WTF is going on? Am I the only American who is concerned that this Congress, that this Administration, that this President is leading a once great Republic to economic and spiritual ruin? Is anyone out there in the blogosphere even vaguely awake? I'm wondering...

Random thoughts for late April 2014!

Anniversary of Boston Marathon bombing!

What kind of sick mind would ever think that going out, blowing up and disfiguring and killing innocent people, would ever advance any cause? Islamic extremists would think that way and that is why they need to be eradicated from the face of this planet! One would think the average Muslim citizen would agree. I fear, however, that the sentiments against these people will continue to sour as time moves on....

The Ukraine: Our feckless and presumably dick-less leader continues to dither and to make meaningless threats towards Colonel Putin. A thug who is now openly laughing in his face! What shameful time for Americans everywhere. While we may be tired of fighting, that doesn't mean we would ever run from one!

I'm guessing that if Obama manages to do anything at all – it will be to involve the US in a World War where the threat of the use of thermonuclear weapons could be realized. What he doesn't understand about about foreign affairs (everything) could be the ruination of us all!

A rainy day in Forsyth: This Monday, April the 21^st is shaping up to be a rainy and overcast day. Just the perfect treatment for the plants that were placed in my small garden over the past weekend. With a pattern shaping up that will see daily highs in the low seventies and night times only dropping to the low fifties, I even ventured to leave some tomato plants outside for a super early start on the season!

Random Thoughts for late March 2014!

Six million sign ups for Obama-Care?

Six million!! That's the number released by the Obama Administration today. What's that mean? – absolutely nothing as the government has yet to release any figure as to how many of these people; 1) have actually paid an insurance company and therefore are really covered, 2) how many of these figures are sign ups were for Medicaid and 3) how many were young healthy people – people needed to make the entire Ponzi scheme work!

Russian troops invade Ukraine!

How long before the news media will be able to post the headline, 'Russian troops march into Ukraine!' I'd say not very long and I say this for a rather simple reason. It takes a lot of rubles to support a standing army stationed on another country's border. Russia currently has somewhere between fifty and one hundred thousand troops on the Ukrainian border as I made this post late in March 2014. With not so deep economic pockets, I have to wonder how far into April we'll get before either an invasion takes place or the troops will have to be sent home for lack of resources?

And what of our President during this critical period of time? I can personally guarantee that Obama will do absolutely nothing. He might shake his finger, he might bow some more, but as far as offering any real resistance? You can forget about it. All of Europe is already aware of this fact and is prepared to cower in unison as the next of a series of Russian takeovers kicks into a higher gear.

President Obama may even be calculating that if he can just stall long enough, World War III will be the problem of some other President.... I know that many of us Americans are sick and tired of war. God knows we've been involved in enough conflicts. Live have been lost and trillions spent. But, the willingness to get involved when other people's rights are trampled is exactly what's set our country apart from all the others over so many decades! Now, is not the time to turn our backs on others in need!

Prices rising and no end in sight!

While the economy continues to wallow along like a drunk fighting a hangover, creeping inflation in the form of rising prices for grocery items (a 3.5% increase this summer according to Fox News) and gasoline. Neither of these areas are discretionary, but rather mandatory areas of expense and that is hurting more and more Americans.

What's Obama doing about this state of affairs? His EPA Bureau is moving silently forward to insure that your energy costs for heating and cooling your home will continue to skyrocket.