Showdown shutdown

Republicans and Democrats went head to head yet again yesterday. Each vowing they wouldn't back down. Each wanting something the other side doesn't want to give them. No compromise. No bargaining. No reaching across the aisle. You could almost smell the testosterone, although you might be tempted to call it something else. If I were the Republicans, and the Affordable care act (Obamacare) was something they are so sure it will fail, then why don't they let it? If they are convinced this is bad for the country, they should let it succeed or fail on it's own merits. If it fails as badly as predicted by the Fox pundits, they could could step in and say 'I told you so', get it scrapped and abolished, then ride the wave of Republican presidents and policy.

Instead this grandstanding government shut down is the final nail in the Republican party's coffin. I'm going to make a prediction: With the elections coming up, watch the Republicans lose big time.

Americans are tired of living in fear. We don't back down from a fight, even if it's with ourselves.

After carefully weighing the pros and cons, I'm going to say the thought that is perhaps on everyone's mind: What is so bad about the law? Is it because it takes power out of the insurance companies hands? Is it because it allows people to be covered who otherwise wouldn't get health coverage? Is it because this came from a black Democrat?

The core of the Republican philosophy is; “I've got mine, now piss off, you get your own.” In part I agree with that. I've been trying to carve out a living using the tools available for my family and myself for many years. Not once have I shied away from work. I would rather earn it than sit on my ass and let others do the job for me. In taking a look at my past tax returns, I discovered an amazing fact: In the last ten years my salary has been staying the same or growing smaller. Inflation continues to rise, cost of living has gone up. My earning power is diminishing despite taking on second jobs and minimizing my personal life. We don't go out. I haven't been to a movie in a while. (for those keeping score, my last movie was shortly after fathers day.) Last night I canceled my cable TV. The phone and internet are down pending payment. This weeks paycheck is already earmarked for power utilities. If this is what the Republicans want, I will do everything in my power to stop you. Congratulations! You just pissed me off.

Far and away

For nearly fifteen years I've been deaf. Now I'm not going to tell you what it's like. Been there, done that. Telling you about the positive and negative aspects this change involved has already been written before. There's another aspect that I've had to deal with. Deaf people are by and large, shunted to the back of the social bus. A lot of my deaf friends have given up looking for work and being a productive member of society. 
I'm not at that point.
Many deaf people work 'behind the scenes'. Either learning a trade, such as electrical engineering or printing. If I had to count the number of deaf carpenters I've met, I'd run out of fingers. Which brings me to my next point of consideration.
There have been many posts by yours truly where I railed against the injustice of the crappy treatment I get in the retail business. The fact is, deaf people are ill-suited to working in a retail environment. This coming from a deaf guy who's worked in retail all his life. Imagine how stupid I feel!
And yes, waiting tables and tending bar is retail. You're selling something. Doesn't matter if you can eat it, drink it or wear it... That's retail. It also means there has to be a paradigm shift.
From time to time that phrase has come up in our lives, few of us actually knows what it means.
In a nutshell: it means to think outside the box.

I've met a few deaf chefs in my travels. Let that sink in a minute. Do you really need to hear the bacon sizzling? When I'm cooking, the other senses come into play, hearing isn't required.
Being poor for the rest of my life isn't an option. I don't wish for fame. (That'd be nice, but I don't require it.) Like a lot of things, the pieces are right in front of us, but we don't see it.
That microbrewery I inherited a while back. The class I took showing how to brew. The fact that people I've given the mead to come around asking for more. I've already decided to give this brewing thing a try. The climate I live in is good for ales and wines, lousy for lagers. No one knows what mead is. In fact, the mere mention of the word and I can see the lip sneer forming. (I read a lot of lips, it's the first thing I notice.)
When I say the words 'honey wine', everyone's facial expression changes. I also know A guy who is licensed to sell liquor in Texas. You see? If I don't know the answer, I know the guy that does... That's my superpower.

Opportunity is usually not recognized because it comes in overalls and looks like work.

First I'd have to recreate the mead. Not so tough... I have the recipe and thanks to that class, I have a few ideas about the brewing and rapid cooling process. Packaging, marketing and selling it. Well... I have two of those problems sorted out.

Sigh... It would be easier if you just gave me the money now. Don't make me get up and come over there.
 

On the fly

Starting this post a little early. AT&T and I are having a disagreement over internet access. What I might end up doing is heading down to the library to use the free wi-fi there. In trying to keep the bad news out of this blog, I sometimes end up doing more harm to myself than intended.
So the internet is down pending I send them money. Unfortunately I'm sending every penny I have to the mortgage company in order to keep the roof over my head.
Things are tighter than I've ever seen them, and that's saying something. A day late and a dollar short is how the saying goes. Trying to keep my head up, but the vultures are picking at my carcass. I'll feel better when I have my brush with the law behind me.
At the beginning of the summer I got caught in a speed trap. I paid the ticket and promised to take defensive driving, which I did. I don't have the money to get a copy of my driving record, to present to the court. I should have just paid the full amount of the ticket and be done with it... Oh, wait. I couldn't afford that at the time either. The way I'm going now, I will end up paying more money for the ticket. The only thing this has taught me is to take a different way to work.
The last time I got a ticket was over ten years ago. There is a little town called Windcrest inside the city of San Antonio. We've literally sprawled over incorporated hamlets and towns as the city grows. Anyway, Windcrest has a 20 mile and hour speed limit throughout its limits. Unfortunately that border is right along I-35. My intention was to get on the access road. Eventually getting onto the highway. As I left Home Depot, those sirens and lights came up from behind me. I paid the fine. The only thing that taught me is not to spend my money over there. There are plenty of places that will accept my meager paycheck.
Fast forward to present day. As I was going to work along with the other early risers, Officer friendly nabbed the last one in the pack of travelers, namely me. All this has taught me is to take a different way to work.

DIY?

Like all people who own a home, I've had to become a Do It Yourself kind of person. Trouble is, I consider myself something of a klutz. My family will tell you tales of my earlier exploits at playing junior mad scientist and if you give me any grief, I'll make you sit through a few stories. The first 10 times are the most painful, I promise.
But practice makes perfect. Or necessity becoming the stuff of invention... or something like that.
The first time I tried to put a light fixture on a ceiling fan, I almost electrocuted myself and shorted out the apartment. I've gotten better since then. One of the projects I did this summer was put a new fan in my kid's bedroom. I'm happy to say nothing has burnt down or shorted out.
A few days ago, I talked about putting in wood flooring. But what are the basic tools you would need for day-to-day stuff?
I'm a big believer of buying a tool that you will use over and over again. If I'm only going to use a tool once, I find a way to rent it.
The Basics:

Let's say you open your magic toolbox. What are the first things you should see?
A hammer, A pair of pliers, screw drivers both flat head and phillips and a tape measure. WD-40 and duct tape should be there as well.

Now let's go beyond that.
An L square: I bought this thinking I was only going to use it once or twice, but over the years, this has become one of my tools of choice. Need to make a angle cut? How about drawing a right angle or straight line?
Saw horses: You may be tempted to get the cheapest of these, but don't. The first one I brought home was made of plastic. As soon as my dog saw it, he said, "Oh look! A toy!" and proceeded to parade around the back yard with it in his mouth. It became his favorite chew toy.
The ones I have now are made of steel and have a 2X4 attached to help prevent kick backs. Which brings up the next tool you need.
A circular saw: Yes,one day you will have to cut a piece of wood with one of these.
A jigsaw: Just as you will need to cut a straight line, you will one day need to cut a corner or curvy line.
A level: Unless you're going into the Cabinetry business, you won't need a long level. Look for a torpedo level. It's about a foot to 18 inches long.
Bow saw: If you're like me, you have to constantly beat back the branches that are trying to get under my roof eaves. 
A socket wrench set: Useful for getting a rusty nut and bolt off or a whole bunch of other stuff. Get one metric set and one SAE. You'll thank me when you're putting your kids bed together or changing the spark plugs.
A ladder: Can't decide to get either a A-frame or a straight one? They make aluminum tri-fold ladders that can switch  if you need length or stability. 
Allen wrenches: Remember those funny L shaped things that helped you put together that IKEA furniture or desk? Those are Allen wrenches. Go out and buy one SAE and Metric set. You will be using both, trust me.
A Drill: Probably my most often used tool. I have the driver bits that allow me to screw/unscrew things fast.

That's the basics. You may find yourself collection growing depending on your projects. Use them well and don't forget the safety goggles.
 

A day off from my day off

Friday and Saturday were spent cleaning, sorting and throwing out stuff. Oh no, slick Willie is having a neat attack! Rather than throwing things out indiscriminately, I read or identify each scrap of paper. This slows me down a bit, but I find stuff that was misplaced. For instance I found my 2005 tax returns. Normally my tax documents are in a filing cabinet near our family computer, how it got mixed in with the photos of the family reunion, I'll never know. Side note: I was audited a few years back and got a copy of my missing tax returns sent to me, so I'm good.
At this point I'd like to thank my lovely wife for helping me with this project.  Minion # 2 and 3 helped out too, mainly as sherpas.
Sunday morning we got the bed out. 

Ignore the closet, it doesn't count

Vinyl tiles were from an earlier project

 A few months ago, some Pergo wood flooring came my way. 14 Boxes worth. There were more, but that's all the powers that be at Lowe's were willing to part with. Hindsight being 20/ 20, I should have asked for two or three more boxes. Let me show you why.

Oh hey look, the sun

 Floor laying 101: always lay the planks in the direction of the sun. If the sun comes in through one certain window, that's way you lay them. This hides mistakes and looks better when the project is finished.

Always start in the middle

One side finished

Now here's where I cheated. I finished a complete row of planks and pushed the floating floor the 3 inches over. This way I didn't have to rip cut (lengthwise) the planks. I was running low on material.
Looking back, I just realized I used a few terms people might not be familiar with.
A floor put down with no glue is called a floating floor. In the same way a house contracts and expands between summer and winter temperatures, the floor will go along with it. We've all heard of a house settling. That's all this is. A floating floor just makes sure your floor stays where it's supposed to. It will 'breathe' along with the house.
Normally you would trim a plank vertically to fit the length you need. A rip cut is a horizontal cut, turning a 2X4 into a 2x2.
Cutting the planks, you would need something that cuts in a straight line. A circular saw or a miter saw is perfect for this. You can get away with short cuts using a jigsaw, but only if you can cut a really straight line. Laser sights are not cheating, they are the weekend warrior's equivalent of spell check.

My wife cuts a straighter line than I do

 
 I've used several brands of wood flooring and wood laminate. Pergo is great and pretty easy to put in. Ever play with Legos as a kid? Same concept.
Here are some essential tools you will need: A rubber mallet, a pullbar, and a tapping block. An L square, pencil and measuring tape would not go amiss either.
Wherever you go to buy the wood flooring, they will have the items I mentioned above.
I was just thinking I could turn this into a post about tools every person needs for DIY projects. I still might do that. Here's what the floor looks like now.

Almost there

 All told it was about 8 and a half hours work. Don't forget to stagger your planks. the picture where I first started laying the floor down is a good example. This adds strength to the floor and looks nice. If you were to put the planks side by side evenly, you will break the boards when you walk on them, that much I can guarantee.

We figure two and a half boxes more and we'd be done

There is a special saw to get around door jambs and trimwork. I forget what it's called, but it looks like a spatula. Basically it'll trim the bottom centimeter or so off the door jamb so you can put that last troublesome piece in.

One transition piece coming up

I used the scraps with every layer of new flooring, thereby staggering the planks. Also, the pieces in the doorway are all scraps. Neat job, huh?

Some people will say, it's not the same color or style. Well, beggars can't be choosers. This stuff was given to me and I consider myself lucky to have come close.
Next time I'll talk about what tools every person needs in their toolbox.

Irony

This story is a few months old, but it resurfaced today. 

• The unofficial spokesman for the Heart Attack grill in Las Vegas dies of... a heart attack. Here's the whole story.

Talk about asking for it. From what I'm told, the food there isn't all that much to write home about.

• Two men were banned from an all-you-can-eat restaurant for eating too much. Umm... isn't that the point?

 It only takes one or two guys to ruin it for the rest of us.

• A man who worked at a stress ball manufacturer punches his boss and goes postal.

 Can't imagine why he got upset.

• A newswoman doing a story on ice safety falls into a frozen lake.

I can't make this stuff up people. Over the last couple of days I've been thinking about the ironic situations going on in my life. Then I'm trying not to get fired for opening my big mouth and letting all the snark fall out. It's tough trying to keep a straight face some times. As bad as you might think you have it, another person has a crappier job than you. Or worse luck, or bigger financial problems.
If I could only meet those sexually frustrated nymphomaniacs...

Idiocracy

Back in 2006, a movie called Idiocracy was released. Director Mike Judge (of Bevis and Butthead fame.) satirically lambasted the dumbing down of society.
The reason I bring that movie up is that I think Judge's vision of stupid becoming the accepted norm needn’t be set 500 years in the future. One only has to look at that reality show Jersey Shore, or better yet, the 2013 Miss America pageant.
Yeah, I usually find out about the pageant the day after it happens. These ladies won the genetic lottery, I get it. They are beautiful, smart and all things wonderful. Nina Davuluri is from New York, born and raised in the U.S of A. Her family lives in Syracuse. Her parents immigrated to Missouri back in 1981. Yes, she is of Indian decent. We all had to come from somewhere. Having been born in 1989, she is American. Hey teabaggers, there is a reason we're called the great melting pot.
Faux 'News' revealed their true colors (again) when their radio host Todd Starnes commented that Miss Davuluri didn't represent 'American Values' and the better choice would have been the blond, blue eyed gal from Kansas, Miss Theresa Vail. Then the bile laden tweets came out. I only read a few of them before I had to walk away. These people represented the lowest of the low, stupidest of the idiots.

The morons are dragging us to their level.

Case in point: A 12 year old girl from my wife's home town jumped to her death after being bullied by more than a dozen other girls online.
I'd bet money that poor girl had a very high grade point average. The teen years are tough enough as it is. Intelligent people feel emotions more intensely than others. My gut reaction is these girls had a pack mentality... a mob mentality.
My daughters got bullied in school. To an extent they still do. Constant communication helps stem the worst of it, but I can't be there for them all the time, no parent can. The only thing I can do is to listen, talk to them and help them cope with the pressures of being a teen girl. Often times I help them develop strategies for dealing with the idiots. And let's face it, there are a lot of stupid people in the world. I'm not saying my girls are the smartest people on the planet, I'm saying they are smarter than most of their classmates. Wanna compare test scores? My kids break bell curves. When dealing with these problems, I took a line from Dan Savage: It gets better.
(By the way, Dan Savage's project, appropriately titled 'it gets better', is nothing short of brilliant.) Go to You tube and check it out if you don't believe me.
My middle daughter lamented the fact that the boys in her high school were so boring because they were (in her words) dweebs and immature. I had to reassure her that the boys she would be interested in were in college. Not the frat boys, but the ones who had the dreams... the ambitions and goals.
Yes, intelligence is an aphrodisiac to my kids. What I also taught them was just because a boy is in a dead end job, doesn't mean you automatically write them off. Probationary friend zoned... sure, but don't hang around them if they don't have a plan.
Now back to the redneck hicks that believe Faux News: When I think of journalists and newscasters with a high caliber of morals and ethics, my first thought is Edward R. Murrow, Walter Cronkite, Dan Rather, and Ted Koppel.
Glenn Beck, Bill O'Rielly, Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh don't have a fraction of the integrity these real news reporters do. Faux incites and stirs up the masses with FUD. Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt.
One of the first things I wrote when I started this blog: I don't do fear. 
Fear of the unknown. Fear of the what if. Fear of the maybe. Blind fear of the unfounded.
I got your fear right here.
Think for yourselves people. Faux news is to real news what Wrestlemania is to the Olympics.
Those awful comments about Miss America 2013, Nina Davuluri? Read them here.
This open letter from Political Garbage Chute drops a few f-bombs, but sums up my feelings about this whole matter.
The rednecks and teabaggers are trying to drag you down to their level. Please be smarter than that.