February
1 February
Shangri-La RV Resort
Yuma, AZ
The weather guys almost always get the wind right although they have a difficult time forecasting anything else. We got the wind and it was blowing a lot of California into Yuma by the time we would usually do our walk. I gave it a pass and we only did a potty walk in the Park.
The wind died down during the night but never quit although the dust did settle. What wind remained this morning made it feel a lot colder than it was. Warmer this morning than it was a few days ago when I sat outside and drank my latte but felt much colder. No sitting outside this morning.
I finished drawing the most difficult quilt block yet last night. What made it so hard were the 32 shapes, all of them were rhombi rather than the squares and triangles that I have been drawing. The second half was much easier after I had established a pattern that I could mirror. It is a really pretty block.
I have not had a repeat of the Spam attack against my Shoutbox since I put it back up. There have been a couple of Spam advertisements posted that I got rid of and banned the poster.
There have been about 60 Spams sent to my email account during January, 3-4 each day during the week never any on Saturday or Sunday. All of those have been filtered out to my Junk folder either by my Spam filter or by Web Hosting Hub's filter so they have not bothered me at all.
2 February
Shangri-La RV Resort
Yuma, AZ
Yesterday afternoon was another one with the wind blowing dirt in from California. It was not as bad as Sunday so we did almost our full afternoon walk but was glad to get back inside. This morning was colder but with a lot less wind.
We did a little over half of our normal morning walk to Los Manjares de Pepe where we met kaBLOONie boonster; fellow blogger, Fulltimer and Coffee Girl caretaker. We had a good visit while eating breakfast and then drove to some State Trust Land that I have walked past. Today we let Coffee Girl and Patches run free on it while the boonster and I walked - continued our conversation.
Patches loves the boonster and Coffee Girl which is one of the very few dogs that she has made a good friend. She goes crazy when she gets to see them again and runs, runs, runs. I think she will be taking a long nap until we walk again this afternoon.
There is no beating The Hillary. The Bern came close in IA but lost ALL six coin tosses to settle six delegates. With that kind of luck she is unbeatable and you might as well start practicing your 'Madam President' and tugging on the forelocks. The coronation will soon be upon us; The King is dead long live The Queen.
President Obama has done it, he has transformed the US of A, he should be proud of his legacy. There has been no other United States president accomplish what he has. America’s Economic Freedom Has Rapidly Declined Under Obama by Anthony B. Kim has a lot of charts and information about all the countries that were scored.
According to the 2016 Index of Economic Freedom, an annual publication by The Heritage Foundation, America's economic freedom has tumbled. With losses of economic freedom in eight of the past nine years, the U.S. has tied its worst score ever, wiping out a decade of progress. The U.S. has fallen from the 6th freest economy in the world, when President Barack Obama took office, to 11th place in 2016.
3 February
Shangri-La RV Resort
Yuma, AZ
I'm starting to get the moving itch. Spent some time making up my 3x5 cards and the route maps for the two day journey to my next camp. Selected the tentative restaurants where I'll stop for breakfast and where I'll be filling Desperado with gas. Not quite to the point of doing the household chores.
It was cold again this morning. Not really that cold, it was 38° compared to the 35° that we had yesterday morning, but I felt cold. If the weather gurus have got it right it will be back in the low 50s by the time I leave and I'll be moving into low 40s. That doesn't make sense does it? But better than being there now - they have freezing temperatures still at night.
The Establishment is celebrating the demise of The Trump. They now think that he is done and they can concentrate on bringing The Cruz down. But those two are going to be like Whack-A-Moles for the Establishment. If they bring one of them down the other one pops up. They may now have all their hopes wrapped up in The Rubio but he may turn on them and start showing too much Conservatism and then they really will be in a bind. The primaries and the Republican Convention are going to provide some great entertainment. Not so much the General Election.
4 February
Shangri-La RV Resort
Yuma, AZ
I have been lining up my appointments in Sierra Vista and think I have almost everything set. There is one non-appointment visit to the VA regarding my hearing that may then require more appointments but I'll deal with that when/if it happens.
No appointment for any repair work on Desperado this time. I have a couple of things that I want the shop there to look at but I'll squeeze them in somewhere. I do have an appointment for a mobile wash and wax to come and give Desperado a grooming.
Patches will be going to the groomer also while we are there but I'll make that appointment to coincide with one of my shopping trips. I'm sure there will be something go wrong with all these plans but it is the best that I can do until I get there.
This morning was cold again but it felt colder when I came out of Fry's than it did when on our walk. It was almost calm when we were walking but a slight wind picked up while I was getting groceries. I was very glad to get backed it, hooked up to electric and inside. Even considered firing up the Wave 6 but when out of the wind it was not that cold.
Just as I leaving Fry's the 'boonster' showed up to do some shopping on his way out of town to his next camp. Patches was so happy to see him again, he is one of the few people that she barks a greeting. I think that is because he has Coffee Girl and that means she can go run with her friend - but, she may just like the 'boonster'.
I had thought about going to Sprague's again today but not willing to do the long drive there and back. I'll be doing some shooting soon after I get to Sierra Vista and don't think a little expensive practice here would make that much difference. The other reason for not going was I just feel lazy today; breakfast at Denny's and shopping is all I could manage.
5 February
Shangri-La RV Resort
Yuma, AZ
Read Will Rogers column 88 years ago: February 5, 1928The job numbers have been released but I had to hunt for any articles by the Ministry of Propaganda. This is no longer News. I'll have a full report in my posting tomorrow.
For the past six months I have been eating a lot of fish as the main course for 'linner'. Decided that I wanted something different for this week. So this morning I cooked what might be called Baked Green Chile Eggs. Stirred together a large can of whole Green Chile (chunked), a package of frozen cut corn, six eggs; this went into my Roaster with some Mexican blend shredded cheese on top. I'll find out what I have wrought when I eat some this afternoon.
This is my fifth book by Deaver and was #6 in his Lincoln Rhyme Series The Vanished Man #5 was reviewed 1 January 2015, Speaking in Tongues 8 December 2014, A Maiden's Grave 25 May 2014 and Garden of Beasts 19 March 2014. In the review for the first Rhyme book I said that I liked his others better and that continues. I think the Weekly has gone easy on him in their review and saying that the plot twists are more brain than heart is faint praise indeed. There is very little mystery in this mystery except for the MOTIVE which none of the collected evidence shed any light upon yet suddenly Rhyme has the answer. I will not let this book put me off more Deaver but I'm not so sure about the Rhyme Series.
Lincoln Rhyme, Deaver's popular paraplegic detective, returns (after The Vanished Man) in a robust thriller that demonstrates Deaver's unflagging ability to entertain. But even great entertainers have high and lows, and this novel, while steadily absorbing, doesn't match the author's best. Geneva Settle, who's 16 and black, is attacked in a Manhattan library while researching an ancestor, a former slave who harbored a serious secret (not revealed until book's end). Amelia Sachs, Rhyme's lover/assistant, and then Rhyme are pulled into the case, which quickly turns bloody. After Geneva are a lethally cool white hit man and a black ex-con—but even when they're identified, their motive remains unclear: why does someone want this feisty, hardworking Harlem schoolgirl dead? To find out, Rhyme primarily relies, as usual, on his and Sachs's strength, forensic analysis; the book's tour de force opening sequence consists mostly of a lengthy depiction of their painstaking dissection of evidence left during the initial attack on Geneva, and every few chapters there's an extensive recap of all evidence collected in the case. Deaver offers more plot twists than seem possible, each fully justified, but this and the emphasis on forensics give the novel more brain than heart. Geneva, a wonderful character, adds feeling to the story, and there are minor personal crises faced by other characters, but as the novel's focus veers from police procedure to odd byways of American history, execution techniques and one more plot twist, the narrative loses grace and form. Even so, this is one of the more lively thrillers of the year and will be a significant bestseller. - Publishers Weekly
The United States of America, right now, has the strongest, most durable economy in the world, anyone who claims otherwise, is peddling fiction. - President Obama State of the Union January 2016
These Are the World's Most Miserable Economies is an article in Bloomberg Business, one of the President's ardent cheerleaders. Their survey seems to be at odds with the president's assertion. The United States ranks 51st or better (less miserable) than countries that are generally held to be 'miserable' such as Mexico at #46 and El Salvador #48. But worse (more miserable) than countries that are held to be really, really 'miserable' like Romania at #53 and China #57.
Last but not least filmmaker Michael Moore is in an intensive-care unit with pneumonia. I wish him a speedy recovery in whatever country they send him to since he has such a low opinion of the medical services available in this country. He thought Cuba had a great health care system, I hope they send him there!
6 February
Shangri-La RV Resort
Yuma, AZ
We did a slightly shorter morning walk. Not very cold but a cold wind that cut through me prompted the quicker return to a warm Desperado.
Another day to not do much. The new novel I'm reading has my attention so there is that plus the time with Patches on the couch. Still drawing quilt blocks on HTML5 Canvas. Some of them now seem rather simple compared to how difficult they were when I first started.
The only other thing that I did was read most of the Monthly blogs on my list. I may even become current by the end of today, or tomorrow for sure. I also want to report that my Baked Green Chile Eggs was some good eating and the likelihood of it re-heating well look good.
The Bureau of Labor released their non-farm job numbers for January yesterday that showed an increase of 151,000 jobs. I read through the News yesterday but did not find many headlines by the Ministry of Propaganda. They were not even touting the great News that the Unemployment Rate had gone down to 4.9% - what is wrong?
The CES Birth/Death Model subtracted 233,000 this month which is the pattern for January (but this is the smallest reduction since 2007, last year it was 275,000). If you look at the Household Data the number of Employed increased by 615,000 making it four increases in a row, the last two being large increases, which I will now call a good trend.
The Unemployed went down by 113,000 and the Not in the Labor Force went down by 41,000. This combination was good enough to change the Unemployment Rate by 0.1%, down to 4.9%. That would have been screaming headline News not so long ago and now the Ministry is ignoring it. I don't understand.
The Participation Rate went up by another 0.1% to 62.7% but continues to be very low by historical standards. While the Not in the Labor Force now stands at 94,062,000 down from the all time record set in September of last year.
The average earnings gained 15¢ to $25.39 an hour while the average workweek also increased to 34.6 hours. This Unemployment Rate, average earnings and workweek hours should have been shouted from the roof tops by the Ministry of Propaganda but they have remained very quiet these past three months. I continue to believe that they have been told to cool it with the hype because tough times are coming.
7 February
Shangri-La RV Resort
Yuma, AZ
Temperature was almost the same this morning as yesterday but there was almost no wind. Therefore it felt very nice compared to the icy winds of yesterday. The low temperatures are now forecast to be in the mid-50s until I leave for lows in the mid-40s. It was below freezing this morning at my next camp - what am I thinking?
Did some work on my latest SQL table this morning. That is about all that I did other than read Daily blogs and check the News. A rather quiet day so far and will probably stay that way.
The Remainderman by Patrick J. Buchanan is a recommended article. This is only a sample of what he says that I agree with.
For there is not one America today, nor two. Politically, there are at least four.Chinese Communist President Xi Jinping made his New Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road announcement on 7 September 2013. Last year, China and Russia signed the "Joint Declaration on the Silk Road Economic Belt construction and the Eurasian Economic Union docking cooperation". The declaration confirmed that Russia supports the Silk Road Economic Belt project construction and is willing to cooperate closely with China to push the declaration.
Were this Britain or France, the GOP would have long ago split between its open-borders, globalist, war party wing, and its populist, patriotic, social conservative wing.
The latter would be demanding a timeout on immigration, secure borders, no amnesty, no more needless wars, and a trade policy dictated by what was best for America, not Davos or Dubai.
Democrats would break apart along the lines of the Clinton-Sanders divide, with the neo-socialists becoming a raucous and robust anti-big bank, anti-Wall Street, soak-the-rich and share-the-wealth party.
On 5 February 2016 the first freight train arrived in Kaluga, Russia carrying components for a Samsung factory that is based there. You might think this is like one of the maquiladora factories that have been built in Mexico along the border to take advantage of low assembly labor with duty free and tariff free movement of the goods. Wrong! This factory is just a little over 100 miles from Moscow.
Meanwhile! The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a trade agreement among twelve Pacific Rim countries signed on 4 February 2016 in Auckland, New Zealand after 7 years of negotiations, but has not entered into force. To sell TPP after all this time President Obama warned that without TPP, “China will set up rules that advantage Chinese workers and Chinese businesses.” I think China and Russia are setting the rules even with the passage of TPP.
8 February
Shangri-La RV Resort
Yuma, AZ
There was a wind blowing this morning. Not very hard and with the temperature at 59° it felt good. The weather gurus have now revised their guesses for the high temperatures this week to be in the mid to upper 80s. I now look like I really know something to have selected this week to leave.
Not much happening with me. I'll be getting ready to leave later in the week but the next few days are those where I tend to do nothing other than think about leaving.
The quilt block that I have posted today has been modified slightly from what was presented in the pictures that I am drawing from. The ice cream was shown as triangles which didn't seem right so I scooped them up with an arc. Other than that the block is just another simple 9 patch.
Riddle me this.
Wal-Mart is closing 154 stores in the US.
KMart is closing dozens of stores.
JC Penney shutting down almost 100 stores.
Macys shutting 36 stores.
The Gap closing 175 stores.
Aeropostale clsoing 84 stores.
Finish Line closing 150 stores.
Sears shutting 100s of stores.
Massive sales and earnings misses by Kohls, Bed Bath and Beyond, Best Buy, Ralph Lauren and many others.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics claims that there were 57,700 Retail Trade job created in January 2016 with 13,200 of them in Department Stores. Who is hiring for all those new jobs? Why?
The next act in this year's election entertainment will be playing tomorrow in New Hampshire. Entertainment may be the wrong word since an election has been described as two wolves and one lamb voting on what to have for dinner. When actually, there was never any doubt about what was on the menu. An election is really when the wolves scrap over who gets the choicest pieces.
9 February
Shangri-La RV Resort
Yuma, AZ
Started doing my household chores today and had some excitement. The holding tanks needed dumping yesterday afternoon but I put it off until this morning. That is when I had the excitement. The dump hose came off the outlet pipe and I had "black water" all over the ground and me before I could get the valve shut.
Broke one side of the plastic valve handle in the process of getting it closed. That was the minor damage however. There was a stinky mess on the ground and repeated trips to the Park office were required to get some help.
Most of the time spent by the office was attempting to get a sprayer to work and apply a bleach/water mix to the area. That never did work and finally after about an half hour they poured the mixture out of the sprayer jug. I asked them to come an apply another treatment this afternoon but do not expect that to happen.
While I was out there cleaning up things I washed the Patches slobber off the cab side windows. Then wiped down the dash and called it quits for the day before I caused any more excitement.
10 February
Shangri-La RV Resort
Yuma, AZ
I had a better day today. Went to Los Manjares de Pepe for the last time while I am in Yuma this time, I will be back if ever in Yuma again. Today I had their Spanish Omelet. What is there not to like, it was almost more than I could eat. But not as good as the traditional Mexican dishes that they offer.
This was my last shopping trip at the Fry's here on Fontura also this trip. Now that I have the layout of the store almost memorized I'm leaving. I was able to go right to the shelf where the barley is kept. Next week it will be shopping adventure time again and will take me twice as long to get everything that I want.
I filled Desperado with gas at Fry's also paying less than $2 again and 20¢ less than I did in December. I plan on filling again in Tucson and Gas Buddy shows that I will be paying less than $1.50 which I think will be the lowest since I have been on the road full time.
I was surprised that the Park maintenance guy came back yesterday afternoon. Not only did he come back but he had a big bucket of lime with him that I suspect they went out and bought after seeing the mess that I made. The bleach was good but the lime is better. I do not detect any odor so I don't think it is too bad and the lime should fix any remaining problems.
As soon as I got back into my space at the Park I apologized to the Mrs. Neighbor again for the sewage spill. She did not take it well yesterday although Mr. Neighbor just shrugged it off and said accident happen. She was not overly forgiving today so I have done what I can and said what I could.
Then got busy with household chores. Did the bathroom including the toilet which I have to say again is so easy compared to the plastic one that came with Desperado. I also did the mirrors which is not something that I do very often and never do very well but they are better than they were. That was it for today, I may finish up tomorrow or perhaps Friday. I don't want to overdo it with household chores all in one day.
You don't think the Ministry of Propaganda has a dog in this fight? Where’s The Media Orgasm Over Ted Cruz’s Showing? by Erick Erickson is an article that makes it clear that they do. The Jeb was their guy but he has made such a poor showing that they turned to The Rubio. Oh my, Oh my what to do; they don't like The Trump and hate The Cruz.
When Marco Rubio finished third in Iowa, after spending a ton of money, the media could not contain itself. It was like their chairs were vibrating on election night. The gasps and sweaty palms and yells of “Marco” overwhelmed and dominated all other coverage. In fact, subsequent to Rubio’s Iowa loss, news networks covered how the news networks covered Rubio.Erickson says this in another article "Christie may have committed a murder suicide with Rubio, but his two minute stunt on the debate stage.." Is that what is going to happen with The Jeb and The Rubio in the South Carolina debate now that the Establishment has lost Christie? I don't think The Jeb has enough fight in him so Jeb Is Dead. He Just Does Not Know It.
In New Hampshire last night, having spent less money than any other candidate, Ted Cruz came in third when the polling averages had Cruz in fourth place and some individual polls had him in a worse position.
11 February
Shangri-La RV Resort
Yuma, AZ
I was back at it this morning. Doing more household chores. Got the bathroom and kitchen floors vacuumed and washed between cups of coffee. I might even get the living room carpet vacuumed before the day is done.
The Dow Index has been on a slippery slope since the beginning of the year. The Lame Stream Financial Media make any slight dead cat bounce up headline News and do their best to remain silent on the down days. Today has been one of those down days with stocks taking another beating gold and silver moving VERY strong on the up side. The Dow Index dropping to a level last seen in 2013.
The high temperature was 83° yesterday with a forecast of 88-89° for today and tomorrow. I am getting out of Yuma only a few days late with these hotter days this week. Moving into mostly mid to upper 70s for the 10 Day forecast at my new camp. I don't expect that to last much longer than the 10 days and will not be surprised if it gets colder again.
12 February
Shangri-La RV Resort
Yuma, AZ
Read Will Rogers column 88 years ago: February 12, 1928The quilt block that I now have drawn in the Home Page margin is number 9 of McCalls Quilting Simple 9 Patch block patterns that were included in their magazine as beginner patterns. They were perfect for me to use in learning how to draw.
I have continued to select block patterns from the McCalls Quilting web site. Some of them are relatively easy and a few have been much harder. I think I'll work through the first part of the alphabet that they have the patterns group in then maybe try some other drawing ideas. This has been good fun as well as keeping the mind active.
I will be posting a little later tomorrow and the next day. I could make it to my next camp in one day - BUT. I don't like driving Interstate highways. I want to see an area that I have not seen before. I don't like driving 300+ mile days; I do it sometimes although I don't like it. I want to stop at a RV Park overnight and while there make inquiry about staying there as my 'winter over' camp next year.
13 February
Hickiwan Trails RV Park
Why, AZ
We did a long potty walk a little earlier this morning which let me get on the road at about 6:45. That had me in the Dome Valley at just about sun up. This is one of the places that I had never been to and wanted to see.
I was surprised that there was not more citrus but most of the land is growing vegetables and hay. The farmers got pushed out of the Yuma area so more houses, mobile home parks, RV parks and strip mall could be built. They are now in the Dome Valley and the Wellton/Mohawk area.
I had planned on having breakfast in Wellton but the few restaurants that I passed were closed. Stopped at the Del Sol Market and inquired about a place for breakfast. I had to use my VERY poor Spanish because the checkout clerk had even less command of English. Wellton has a lot of RV Parks and the Market looked to be adequate but no place for breakfast makes it a questionable place for me to stay.
Went on up the road until I came to Jac's Whistle Stop that was doing a thriving business in Tacna. They had a limited menu but I got a good Southwest Omelet (much like a Denver) and some decent coffee. Tacna is were the Copper Mountain RV Park , which I have been advised has good prices, is located. That plus the restaurant and the Market in Wellton make Tacna a 'possible'.
The drive to Gila Bend was mostly traffic free since I was on the frontage roads. Then when I got on AZ85 there was a steady stream of traffic passing me, probably on their way to Rocky Point in Mexico. Only 169 miles today on this route: N. Frontage Rd, Fortuna Rd, US95, E. County 3rd St, S. Ave 16 E, E. County 4th St, S Ave 18 E, County 6th St, S Ave 19 E, E. County 7th St, S. Ave 20 E, Old Hwy 80/County 2nd St (Mohawk), Ave 64 E (Dateland), Old Hwy 80, Interstate 8 (24 miles, Exit 78 - 102), S. Frontage Rd, AZ85 & AZ86. Note: All those County Road turns are well marked with signs pointing to Old Hwy 80.
The RV Park here is about 2/3rds full. I would guess that the snowbird migration back north began a couple weeks ago. Their temperatures have been about the same as in Yuma and didn't start seeing the 80° highs until last week. I made a tentative reservation here for my 'winter over' next year. A woman from the Tribe was in the Park Office and she acted like she had a better grasp on how to run the Park than the "Managers' they have had. We will see.
That is all I have to say about my travel adventure. I'll get up and do it again tomorrow but on a route that I have been on a few times so not much new scenery. We will be doing shorter walks this afternoon and tomorrow; I'm foot sore, it is hot and Patches needs the rest (I notice she is not going up Desperado's steps quite as vigorously). Well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!
14 February
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
Well I am home again or perhaps that should be I am domicile again however that does not sound quite right. This is my legal domicile, or near enough, since I'm only a few miles from Sierra Vista which I consider to be my domicile. That is just a legal construct and means nothing to me about how I live nor where. The government requires that you have one so I'm now there - or nearby.
We did a shorter potty walk this morning than yesterday and I was on the road at 6:30. A good time and place to be driving into the sunrise. I love the silhouettes of the saguaro and the mountains in the pre-dawn.
Then if you are very lucky the sunrise is like that on the Arizona state flag. Or, if you are just lucky like I was this morning, the sunrise is a golden glow about three times the size of the sun creeping up over the mountains on the horizon.
The drive today was 186 miles and seemed easier than yesterday, perhaps it was the simple route: AZ86, Valencia Av, Business 19/Nogales Hwy, Sahuarita Rd, AZ83 & AZ82.
The breakfast stop was made after driving for a couple of hours, which is more than I like, but there is not a lot available between Why and the western edge of Tucson. I also like Todd's because their house coffee is Arbuckles'. Arbuckles' home is in Tucson so it is good to see that a restaurant uses it as their house coffee. I had a few minutes wait to be seated and would have had a long wait if I had been 30 minutes later in arriving. Popular place this morning.
The station that I had selected as a gas stop was Cash only (or Debit Card). I had stopped there once before but forgot that they did not take Credit Cards. Cash price was $1.299 but I was charged an additional $0.35 for using my Debit Card. That brought the total price/gallon up to a little less than almost every other station that I saw.
I have read a few article that have been written about the low moral in the Border Patrol because of President Obama's barbless hook catch-n- release illegal immigrant policy. I think I saw some of that today as I went through a Border Patrol road check near Three Points, AZ.
Usually the agent will ask a question that requires you to reply; I think this was done in the past to detect accents or speaking stress. Today I stopped with my window down ready to field the usual question and received a "Have a Good Day". So, being a Border Patrol officer has become another entitlement program. To be fair, they do still have to show up, in uniform even if they don't now do anything.
The VA is closed tomorrow so I'll take a rest day. Then on Tuesday I'll go in for my non-scheduled appointment and see if they want to make one for the audiologist. If they do I know what he/she is going to say - your hearing is BAD!
15 February
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
Back to colder mornings but not that cold. It was 36° which is not too cold compared to the 15° low that they had on 3 February. The high yesterday was 83° and the weather guessers are expecting lower highs and higher lows in their 10 Day Forecast.
This morning we walked almost the total distance for one of our usual routes while here. I'm going to take it a little easier for the next few days and see if the sore feet improve. Patches seems to have, she was frisky this morning but went back to bed after she had breakfast. No sitting in her chair and watching the world go by this morning.
Drawing a quilt block that is the most difficult that I have attempted so far. I am making progress but it is slow going with lots of trial and error. That and reading my latest novel is all I have on the schedule for today.
This is another one of those articles that you will not find 'above the fold' in the Lame Stream media Could Someone Please Send President Obama a Necktie? by Claudia Rosett. My question to Mz Rosett would be "Did he wear a tie a jacket for dinner?"
Because she also says "Whatever Obama's intentions, it was an insult." If he wore a tie and jacket to dinner then you know it was. I would bet that was his intention!
In such matters as the death of a great man, respect matters -- especially from our political leaders. Dignity and sober ceremony are called for. These are not trivial requirements, nor are they mere accessories to the event. They are part of the bedrock of enlightened civilization. Surely when America's president appeared before the TV cameras Saturday evening to deliver his scripted remarks about the death of a Supreme Court Justice, the great Antonin Scalia, Obama should have taken the trouble to dress at least as well as your average law student applying for a summer job.
Instead, flanked by the flags that signal ceremony, but dressed-down after a day on the golf course, the top button of his shirt undone, Obama appeared without a necktie.
16 February
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
We did a long potty walk this morning before I took off for Sierra Vista and breakfast. I had that at The Landmark which is only a so-so restaurant but I always have the hope that it has improved. Their Southwest 'something' is Chorizo and Eggs anyplace else and it was not bad but nothing that I can recommend.
Then on to the VA for my no-appointment. I was hoping that I would get my ears cleaned today and the appointment set for the audiologist but that did not happen. The nurse Nancy took a look and said they needed cleaning but wanted me to use ear drop for a few days first.
I'll be going back again on Friday. Nurse Joan(RN), my best contact at this VA Clinic, assured me that she was doing all she can to get the appointment set and has explained my travel lifestyle to the audiologist.
Then went shopping at Fry's here in Sierra Vista for the first time this visit. I sort of remembered the store lay out from my prior visits but it was still a little adventure. I had a shorter shopping list today so I probably have more excitement to come when/if I start looking for other things.
The difficult quilt block that I have been working on is coming along nicely now that I have over half of it complete. The second half is always easier, as I have said before, although it is like working on something while looking at it in a mirror.
The way that it starts to appear as I draw more and more of it is like watching an old Polaroid picture develop. This is going to be a very pretty block.
17 February
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
Yesterday afternoon and this morning we walked the full distance on two of our regular routes while here at this Park. My feet are still sore but the shorter days helped a lot. Patches gave me a nice howl when we got back to Desperado which I took to mean that she was happy to be back in the routine.
As soon as we got back I took my bag of dirty clothes to the laundry. It is small with only a few machines but not packed with people as the one in Yuma had been. I just need to get to this one early in the morning and hope that it is the same as this morning.
That most difficult to draw quilt block has now been completed. It will be some days before I post it in the margin of the Home Page but I'll be sure to comment on it when I do.
The next one that I will be drawing will be done a little differently. Most of the blocks have each shape drawn or the 'pattern' is drawn over a background. What I am going to try to do is draw the background shapes and fill with a color but let the 'pattern' show through a transparent background. That may sound confusing but if it works I'll be showing the results. If it does not work I'll be showing the block as I would have normally drawn it.
President Obama continues to think he is King rather than President. He has the Constitutional power to nominate a replacement for Justice Scalia he does not have the power to tell the Senate what to do regarding their Advice and Consent. I would like to see the Senate pass an Act that reduces the number of Justices to eight and tell the President there is no need for a replacement.
The Republican Establishment does not have the fortitude to do that however. They might suck it up and block the appointment of someone that would dismember the Constitution but that is not a given. We do live in interesting times; Communist Russia has moved toward representative government and the US of A is moving toward a Communist government.
Drudge seems to be the only place where you can find a headline that says "WHAT IS WRONG WITH HER?" and he links to another story about The Hillary having a coughing spasm. If ANY one of the Republican candidates for the nomination were to have even one coughing fit like what she has had they would been found unfit for the office.
I think The Hillary will soon bow out because of health reasons. The possible indictment will be shelved and she will go on to spend her multi-millions in peace. She might even get rid of the 'Ol Hound dog Bill now that he is more of an anchor than a sail. But they do have that testify against a spouse problem if one or both of them gets charged for some of the Clinton Foundation Crimes.
Is the United States a 'police state'? Police state is a term denoting a government that exercises power arbitrarily through the power of the police force. If seven U.S. Marshals armed with assault weapons to serve a debt default warrant is not exercising power arbitrarily then I don't know what qualifies.
What would have happened if Mr. Aker had refused the payment agreement? Will the federal government release those now held in Guantanamo so they can have a debtors prison? The Feds are out of control, armed to the teeth and ready to kill at the slightest provocation. Mr. Aker is probably lucky to still be alive.
Seven armed U.S. Marshals arrested Paul Aker at his Houston home last week over an unpaid student loan from 1987, Aker told Houston's Fox 26. The loan amount—before interest—was $1,500. Authorities placed Aker in handcuffs and hauled him down to federal court, where he was placed in a four-by-four jail cell for about an hour and then taken to a judge to work out a payment agreement. Aker claims he never received any notice about the loan.
18 February
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
The Dow Index has been under a lot of downward pressure this year but my gold mining stock fund is finally getting some love. After hitting its low on 19 January it moved up 40% by 12 February but slipped back a little this past week. My Hecla stock moved up 85% between those same dates. I am still underwater but those would have some great buys back on 19 January.
It was a little warmer this morning with the low at 44°. It then warmed up quickly and the morning temperatures have been wonderful. The expected high is to be 80 after yesterday's 86° with future days to be in the upper 70s. A great 10 Day Forecast if it just becomes a reality.
Ordered more Arbuckles' this morning and they sent an email a couple hours later that says it has been shipped. Since they are in Tucson I could have it here tomorrow but plan on picking it up at my UPS Store on Monday when I go shopping.
Obama and Republicans Are Both Wrong About Constitution by Noah Feldman is an article that gets it right. Recommended read if you want to understand what the President and what Congress is empowered to do about replacing Justice Scalia. An article that confirms what I said yesterday.
Hillary's mix of old-fashioned meds pose risk by Jerome R. Corsi is another article that the Lame Stream Media is not going to carry. The Hillary tells them that she is in excellent health and they repeat that as News. Every doctor is only practicing medicine so no two of them will probably agree on the treatment that The Hillary requires but this article does point to areas of concern. I would like to know who she has targeted as her Vice President because IF she gets elected that person could become President before the end of her term.
What I have quoted is only a sample of the risks that The Hillary is facing and may have nothing to do with her coughing spasms. I recommend reading the article.
Pharmacologist Joe Graedon, M.S., and medical anthropologist Teresa Graedon, Ph.D., two well-known authors who have written for some 35 years on the problems of prescribed medicines, warn patients in their 1997 book, “Deadly-Drug Interactions,” that Coumadin and Armour Thyroid can interact in a harmful matter in taken together. “Thyroid hormone can have a major impact on bleeding associated with Coumadin, greatly increasing prothrombin time [length of time it takes blood to clot],” the Graedons write. “People with underactive thyroids may need higher doses of warfarin than usual. If they are then started on thyroid hormone replacement, the anticoagulant may become significantly more effective (50 to 400 percent). This reaction could result in troublesome bleeding.”
19 February
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
Read Will Rogers column 88 years ago: February 19, 1928Received an email from my UPS Store yesterday afternoon with a 2:23 time stamp that a package had been received. I first thought that was my Arbuckles' coffee, delivered within about 6 hours from when I placed the order. But then remembered that I had also submitted a prescription re-fill with the VA. Received an email from them this morning that it had been delivered. I'll get both packages on Monday - I hope.
I was up a few minutes later than I wanted but had planned only a short potty walk so it was not a problem. We the went to the VA Clinic in Sierra Vista, arrived in plenty of time to do another walk which made the total a long potty walk.
I was taken in for my ear cleaning right on time and nurse Nancy did her thing. But, she still needs to do more and there is a possibility that I'll have to go to Tucson for a doctor to get them totally cleaned out. She is going to give them another cleaning on Monday and we will see then what needs to be done. A trip to Tucson was not in my plans.
On the way back to the Park I stopped at Sunny D's in Huachuca City for breakfast. They have a good selection on their menu but I went for their Huevos con Chorizo and was very satisfied. I'll be going back a trying some of their other items.
One more stop at Chosin Cycles that is within walking distance and on one of my routes. I stopped there earlier this week to see if they had any .45 Auto ammo but did not want to carry a box back with me when walking. The business name is Chosin Cycles but they also have a fair selection of firearms and ammo.
I'll be shooting some of that tomorrow. In fact I'll be out a good part of the day tomorrow so the daily posting here will be much later than usual.
Black Lives Matter Activist Snubs White House Invite by Maya Rhodan is an article that Time would not have carried during the past 7 years. Time and Pulley see through President Obama for what he is and what he has been and neither are willing to carry his water any longer. He has built his legacy but it is not the one that he is trying to sell.
[Aislinn Pulley] the co-founder of Black Lives Matter Chicago has rejected an invitation from the White House to sit down for a meeting with President Barack Obama and a group of veteran Civil Rights leaders...On Thursday, the activist‚ who has led protests against police brutality and other issues through Black Lives Matter Chicago since Ferguson, suggested the meeting would be little more than a photo-op for the president. She writes:I have thought of something that would make its mark in history and President Obama's legacy. I think he should resign as President and the very first action by President Biden would be to nominate him as a Supreme Court Justice to fill the Scalia vacancy. The Senate could then take quick action on approving the nomination or turn him away. I am willing to chance that he would be approved; either way he would be history.
I was under the impression that a meeting was being organized to facilitate a genuine exchange on the matters facing millions of Black and Brown people in the United States. Instead, what was arranged was basically a photo opportunity and a 90-second sound bite for the president. I could not, with any integrity, participate in such a sham that would only serve to legitimize the false narrative that the government is working to end police brutality and the institutional racism that fuels it. For the increasing number of families fighting for justice and dignity for their kin slain by police, I refuse to give its perpetrators and enablers political cover by making an appearance among them.
20 February
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
I finished drawing the quilt block where I drew the background shapes and filled them with white. Then when the Canvas is placed on a web site with a dark background the pattern appears with that color. I will be posting examples and maybe a better explanation soon.
Meanwhile I have started to draw another difficult block. The last one was very easy since it was done between two hard ones. The one I'm drawing now will keep me involved for a few days.
I was a long day for Patches and I. We started with a short potty walk and then I went to Denny's in Sierra Vista for breakfast. Tried something new; their Green Skillet with sausage, spinach, broccoli, red potatoes and some avocado. It was pretty good so I may switch back and forth between it an their Santa Fe.
Arrived at the concealed carry class that I was attending only a few minutes early. That lasted until around 12:30 and then drove out to the Sierra Vista Shooting Range. There were 6 of us that attended the pistol workshop which AZ no longer requires for a concealed carry permit. The instructor was great and I think I learned something. Didn't shoot too badly but was not at the head of the class nor last although two of the participants had never fired a pistol before.
I was very late getting 'linner' but put that on the stove as soon as I got back in my RV space. Did some of the typing for this posting while it cooked. Patches laid down - she was completely exhausted after sitting in the drivers seat all the time I was at the Range. She was a good girl most of the day; I could not even find much fault with her barking at a guy that got a little too close to her house.
I took Patches for another potty walk after my 'linner' but she was happy to be back on the couch. A very short walking day but it was hard on us both.
21 February
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
The quilt block that I have now placed in the Home Page margin was the hardest one to draw at the time that I completed it. The Radial Gradient background effect was the new thing that I learned how to do. There are two colors that radiate out from the center creating the very pleasing background which enhances the pattern. I think this is a very pretty block.
The placement of the utilities for the spaces at this Park are poorly designed. You need to have the front of your RV almost in the street to be connected to them all at the same time OR have a LONG sewer hose.
I needed to take on fresh water and dump holding tanks but did not want to move today because I'll be going back to the VA tomorrow. But when I thought about it I would have to move tomorrow if I were to dump when I got back from town and wanted to be parked where I like in the space. Took care of that chore today and left Desperado closer to the front of the space than I like but it is just for today.
I have the VA appointment tomorrow plus 5 other places where I need to go. I will be late in posting again because one of the places does not do what I needs to be done until 11:30. Strange but that is they way it is.
This is the first book that I have read by Iain Pears. The Weekly does a good job in their review but rather than saying people will find this book 'far more accessible' than Eco's books I believe they should have said "Pears writes far better books". I did not like the Eco book that I have read and thought this was one of the better ones that I have read in a long, long time. I suggest this book be put on your must read list!
This massive, delightfully titled literary thriller (it's a quote from Sir Francis Bacon) is the kind of gamble it's great to see a publisher taking in these often timid times. The English author, responsible so far for a series of conventional mysteries, has gone back to 17th-century Oxford for an absorbing, macabre tale of murder, politics, faith and betrayal. Featured in more than incidental roles are such real-life characters as John Locke, Sir Christopher Wren, Robert Boyle, King Charles II and the Earl of Clarendon. The murder by poisoning of Robert Grove, a Fellow of New College, and the subsequent trial and execution for the crime of Sarah Blundy, daughter of a freethinking early Socialist and anti-Royalist, is the heart of the action, which is related in four separate first-person accounts, each the length of a short novel. There is Marco da Cola, a good-hearted Venetian visitor whose irritable reflections on the English are witty and betray a perfect period ear; Jack Prestcott, a fiery young lawyer devoted to proving that his father, disgraced as a traitor, was himself betrayed; John Wallis, priest, mathematician and cryptographer of genius (also a real character), whose coldly cynical schemes set off a series of dazzlingly complex political maneuvers; and bookish scholar Anthony Wood, a background figure to the rest, but whose consuming love for Sarah makes him ultimately the central actor in the drama. Pears's grasp of the thought of the time, with its scientific zeal curbed always by what seems now like excess religiosity, its ferocious plotting and counterplotting, its struggles for power and position, is sure. Though there are many digressions, most are fascinating, and the book boasts an overall narrative momentum that carries even an ill-informed contemporary reader along. There will be inevitable comparisons with the work of Umberto Eco, but it seems likely that many of those who have bought Eco's books will find Pears by far the more accessible.- Publishers Weekly
The Looming Inferno by sundance is a good blog posting about what The Donald's win in SC foretells.
The bloodiest battle still lays ahead...The full weight of the GOPe apparatus, Wall Street, the U.S. CoC, K-Street and the affiliated professional political class will now work hand-in-hand with the Democrats and left-wing media to destroy that which threatens them; namely Donald J Trump. Attacks in all forms are only going to get worse from here on out...Yes, the GOPe would rather lose to Hillary and retain their place at the trough than to see entry into their cloistered club by the Vulgarian Donald Trump.
22 February
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
We were up and at it again this morning with a short potty walk. Then when we got parked at the VA Clinic in Sierra Vista there was time enough again to do a second potty walk.
The ear cleaning went reasonable well today. I have about 50% of my hearing back maybe even a little more than that. The left ear was my better ear before and now my right one is the better of the two. I'll be going back again next Monday and nurse Nancy will give the left ear another go. If it results in as much improvement as I got with the right ear today I will be skipping any audiologist appointments.
Then went to Country House for breakfast. This is close to D & J RV Center where I have stopped many times when I am going to D & J as I did after eating. I needed 12v light bulbs, put in the last one that I had a couple days ago.
I also wanted a replacement handle for the plastic dump tank. I was able to dump yesterday with only the half handle but it would be a big problem if the other half broke off. Picked up a flush ball seal for the toilet also. Will not replace the one in the toilet yet but will have what I need on hand if it starts to leak more. Bad news though, Mitch the owner is no longer working there so I am a little concerned about what may happen to the quality of service. Still the owner but no onsite supervision - we will see.
Back into Sierra Vista and to my UPS Store where I picked up Arbuckles' and VA prescriptions and mostly junk mail that they were holding for me. A reasonably quick shopping expedition in Fry's to pick up eats for next week.
That had me arriving at the police station about 45 minutes early. They do fingerprinting for the concealed carry permit application processing but only do it from 11:30 to 12:30 M-F excluding holidays. So, they offer the service but they do not make it very convenient. Not too bad for us old farts that have nothing better to do but if I were working it would be a big inconvenience.
That took an hour. On a very good day the Police department could not handle more than 8-10 people wanting their fingerprints taken. Last stop was at the post Office where I got a Money Order to pay the state for granting me a permit. Mailed all that to them and I might receive said permit before I leave here; 6-8 weeks for them to process the paperwork. By that time the wind had really kicked up so it was a white knuckle drive back to the Park. I sure am glad it was not a travel day for me.
P.S. While typing this I could hear the sound that the keyboard makes. This is the first time in a long time that I could hear that it made a sound.
23 February
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
Back to our regular scheduled program today. Nothing expected now until Thursday when I have a mobile wash and wax guy coming to give Desperado her first bath and waxing since she got her new paint.
I have a new quilt block drawing in the margin of the Home Page that I like very much. This is a very pretty pattern that was not so hard to do after I had finished the last one I displayed. The one that I am working on now is coming along but I knew it was going to be difficult and take some time. I was right.
We had some 40mph wind gusts yesterday afternoon which I decided was not something in which I wanted walk. Patches seemed to agree. But she was ready to go this morning. It felt a little cooler so I went back and put my wool cap on before we went very far. The forecast for tomorrow morning is a cold 36° so I'll go out with cap and gloves.
The Donald just threw down the gauntlet As president, I would prosecute Clinton. The Republican Establishment hates him, the Democrat Establishment hates him so he doubles down AGAIN and put The Hill on notice. She now knows that if he gets the nomination she MUST become president to stay out of jail. I love it!
Donald Trump said Monday night that he believes Hillary Clinton will likely get away with her use of a private email server while she was secretary of state, but said that as president, it's only fair that he'd look to prosecute Clinton.
24 February
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
I finished that difficult quilt block that I have been working on for the past few days. What made if difficult were the 24 diamond shapes that had to be drawn and they had to be drawn in two parts or 48 shapes. The reason for that was a line needed to go through the diamond. This was the first time that I have tried to do that and it took a number of trials before I found a way to do it. A really great block.
The weather guys called it right this morning, 34° was the low. It will be cooler today with the high expected to be 69°. Then if they can get it right again the rest of the 10 Day forecast will have the highs in the upper 70s, maybe 80, and lows in the low to mid 40s. Pretty nice for the last part of February.
The downside today is the wind again. It started picking up around 10:00 like it did on Monday. The weather guys think it will drop back to almost calm by this afternoon. They are usually good about forecasting wind so I have some confidence that we will get to do our walk, this morning was perfect for Patches - she likes it cold.
I don't pay too much attention to my StatCounter reports but do like to scan through them to see how people have found my Home Page. There are some people that find me on other blogs where I have posted comments and have left a link or the blogger has linked my web site.
I appreciate all those readers but it is the more rare ones that give me some entertainment. A few days ago I had someone find me when they did a Google Search for "edward frey obituary". I think they were disappointed to find that I was still alive and still posting because they have not been back. O well, you can't please everyone.
25 February
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
The weather gurus were providing a Chamber of Commerce forecast for the low this morning. It was 35° rather than the low 40s that they claimed we would have. I am now a Doubting Thomas as I look at all those 40s forecast for the next 10 days.
They did get the wind right yesterday, as I expected, and we had a good walk. Patches thinks these morning walks with the low in the 30s are good walks. HA
The mobile RV wash and wax guys showed up 30 minutes late but they got here and went to work on Desperado. I'm not too concerned about the wash, she seems to be able to handle a little dirt and still look good.
It is the wax protection that I am mostly wanting to get on her so she keeps looking good. They are using ProtectAll on her which has good reviews on Amazon. When looking for RV wax reviews I found this advice, "The best product to protect you RV is the one that someone else applies!" I'm following that advice and will see how it works out.
It was expensive but Desperado is looking GOOOOOD! The guys claim the wax job will last six months so I'll be checking her appearance in August and decide what I need to do.
Finished another star pattern quilt block this morning. All of the star patterns are difficult because of the diamond shapes. The squares and triangles have become very simple for me but even when I look at the diamonds as being two triangle joined together they still remain hard for me to visualize where the lines need to be.
Started on another block that is all squares and triangles but getting the color gradient right has been a new learning experience. All the previous gradients have been radial and now I'm working with linear and that is proving to be difficult.
26 February
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
Read Will Rogers column 88 years ago: February 26, 1928Not doing much today. It was a little warmer this morning and has turned into one of those days when all the snowbirds thumb their noses at those 'back home' about what great weather they are having.
I should finish another quilt block drawing by the end of today. Then again I may not. I started a Roman mosaic a week or two ago and have been working on it some this morning and it has now got my attention. Sort of like a jigsaw puzzle that reaches the point where you can finally see a picture starting to appear. That gives you encouragement to keep working on it. That is where I am now at with the mosaic.
This is also being done on a HTML5 Canvas using javaScript to draw all the squares, fill in the colors and the 'grouting' between the squares. This is a small piece but is going to require 272 lines of code to complete enough of the repetitive pattern to show it well. I'll put it up in the Home Page margin when I finish it. Maybe below the quilt block that I'm displaying at the time.
Speaking of quilt blocks. I have posted a new one today. There is nothing very special about this block pattern, just something about it that appealed to me.
I received a Shout that reminded me that I need to get started on the next month's Will Rogers weekly articles. I'll do that this afternoon and maybe finish all the formatting by Monday. Will not get much done tomorrow, if the weather is like today I'll go out to the range again and see if I can poke some holes in a silhouette target.
27 February
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
I didn't do much of anything I thought I would yesterday afternoon. Was reaching the end of the novel that I was reading and had to finish it. There was more excitement wrapped up in the last 50 pages than the previous 500.
I take that back, I did get started on the Will Rogers weekly articles. I didn't get much done but still think I'll have all the formatting finished by Monday. Didn't finish the quilt block that I have been drawing. But did make a little progress on the Roman mosaic; I'm half way with it and the second half will go faster.
My time on the range today went much better than last week. Then I was trying to shoot my new gun like I did the single action revolvers that I used in Cowboy Action Shooting some 8-9 years ago. Today I shot double action and was much more able to do what the instructor was trying to teach me.
Last week I was terrible on the shoot and move scenario. Today I did so much better - even had one dead center bulls-eye. Watching me shoot double taps last week was not a pretty sight. Today I moved and shot double taps on 4 targets which included a re-load and I was on target with all 4. With practice I may learn!
This is the second book that I have read by the sisters Pamela and Mary O'Shaughnessy that write under the pen name of Perri. I enjoyed Writ Of Execution which I reviewed on 3 April 2014 so it was good to find another by them. The Weekly does a good job in their review and were not as critical as they were with Writ. These are not great books but they are entertaining and both were placed in Lake Tahoe/South Lake Tahoe which I know fairly well and the books present the area accurately.
Nina O'Reilly, the solo Tahoe lawyer with an attitude, is back. So are her loyal but surly assistant, Sandy, and her oddly detached lover, ex-homicide dick Paul. This time the legal issue is palimony. Wealthy, aggressive Mike Markov tells his wife, Lindy, that he's leaving her to marry a young employee of the business Mike and Lindy have built together. Lindy, a maverick not averse to keeping secrets from her own attorney, hires O'Reilly to bring suit against Mike for half the business - reckoned in millions. Mike hires a shark, Jeffrey Riesner, who makes O'Reilly feel so outclassed that she hires smooth co-counsel Winston Reynolds, who turns out to be an addicted gambler. The case is much bigger than any O'Reilly has tried before, and it plunges her into a tangle of reversals, deceits and snarly legal traps that the author, actually two sisters writing under the pseudonym Perri O'Shaughnessy (Obstruction of Justice) handles adroitly, snapping out plenty of twists on the legal and moral sides of a midlife crisis. Although the jury deliberations drag and the action-adventure climax in boats on Lake Tahoe is unbelievable, O'Shaughnessy's courtroom strategies and her characters' idiosyncrasies keep ringing true. - Publishers Weekly
28 February
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
I did not do that much walking while at the range yesterday but I did a lot of standing. I took Patches for a short potty walk when we first got there. The standing wears me out as much or more than walking so we did only a short potty walk yesterday afternoon. Back to the routine this morning.
I will finish the Will Rogers weekly article formatting by the end of today. That will put that project off for another month. Maybe finish drawing the quilt block that I have been working on. Or, maybe do some more drawing on the Roman mosaic this afternoon. Won't get much done tomorrow with another trip into town to the VA and then shopping.
US government releases its 2015 financial statements by Simon Black is a must read. I have classed it a 'must' read because it points out what none of the presidential candidates are talking about.
The Trump and The Cruz have talked around the edges of the problem but no one has made it a 'problem' that they are going to correct. As a matter of fact The Bern, The Hill and Kasich (the other Democrat running in the Republican primary) have been campaigning to spend even more. They are trying to outdo each other in how much 'free' stuff they can promise to buy votes.
For 2015, the government reports $3.2 trillion in total assets....Curiously, the single biggest line item amongst these listed assets is the $1.2 trillion in student loans that are owed to the government by the young people of America.
On the other side of the equation are a reported $21.5 trillion in liabilities, giving the government an official net worth of negative $18.2 trillion. This is down from last year’s negative $17.7 trillion and $16.9 trillion the year prior. It just keeps getting worse.
29 February
Quail Ridge RV Resort
Huachuca City, AZ
I got everything finished yesterday. Will Rogers weekly article formatting for another month, the quilt block that I was drawing and the Roman mosaic that I was drawing.
I have a new quilt block shown in the margin of the Home Page today that I like a lot. Probably because it was the first one that I did which involved all diamonds. This was difficult for me because most the angles were off the 90° and 45° that I used when drawing all the previous blocks. I have drawn more with diamonds since then, they still give me trouble and I look back at this one and think I did a nice job with it.
I have also added the Roman Mosaic to the margin just below the block. As I said a few days ago the bottom half was so much easier to do than the top. I could have stopped with only top half done but that does not really make the pattern show up until it is repeated. I'll be doing some more of these with the difficulty increasing as it has with the quilt blocks.
Short potty walk and back into Sierra Vista again with breakfast at Denny's. No short walk before I went and checked in at the VA. My appointment was for 8:00, I waited about 5 minutes and was then taken in 10 minutes early.
When was the last time you had a doctor appointment and were taken in early? There are a lot of things wrong with the Administration of VA but I have received good patient care. Once you get past the Administration the VA works as well as does the private sector which is also buried in government paperwork.
Nurse Nancy worked on the left ear some more but still has not got in cleaned out. My hearing loss is mostly due to dry impacted ear wax. With that removed from my right ear my hearing improved greatly. I'll be going back again next Monday and they will try some more; maybe another week of ear wax drops will soften it up enough to get it all cleaned out.
WOW - Is this really what the people in this country want? Someone that will build on the 'record and accomplishments' of President Obama. In the debates she has been pointing out all the things that the president has not accomplished now suddenly she going to continue the progress he has made. One of those significant accomplishments has been the slowest GDP growth of any president in the past 85 years. Now that is a legacy I'm sure she can continue!
On Saturday, Clinton won a landslide victory in the Democratic primary elections in the US state of South Carolina. "I am so looking forward to working with the congressmen to make the changes and continue the progress that we can build on the record and accomplishments of President Obama," Clinton said on Saturday in her victory speech in South Carolina.