(Original) Dr. Who Doomsday Music
celebrate what?
Friday, July 16th, 2010
as we've just passed $13 TRILLION in National Debt - that's $13,000,000,000,000+ — with a debt of over $42,500 for every US Citizen and a debt of over $119,000 for every US Taxpayer. Remember that 47% of all Americans don't pay a dime in taxes to the US Government, although they pay sales, gas, clothes, food etc taxes on a state and local basis.
With that said, Øbummer's Regime is spending at 98% the rate of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and that can't last very much longer, or the US economy will collapse. Can you say, Weimar Republic? I thought you could.
If the tax system isn't "fixed" and outrageous spending is allowed to continue by the Congress, I feel sad that Civil War III is just around the corner. "Manifest Destiny" must take supreme precedence, over all else in this Constitutional Republic. This is NOT a "democracy, which is the fastest way to communism". And we ain't going there. 80-100 million gun-owning, Bible-clinging Patriots will see to that simple factoid. Count on it.
That is, if what BP has done doesn't kill us all first.
Around The Garden Center™
I'd truly planned to come into work on Thursday, my usual day-off, but at 6am my Sciatic Nerve was giving me such pain, that I had to call Alan and tell him I wasn't coming in, take 6 aspirin and get the heating pad on it. I slept until 1pm, when Murphy, my remain condo cat wanted watering. I'd fed him at 6:15am, while I thought I could still take the pain. I couldn't without more aspirin. I finally went out to do some food shopping and was limping noticeably, and with temps of 98°F showing on my Jeep's thermometer, I cut the shopping trip short, getting only the bare essentials, and headed home to put the ice-pak on my L-5 Vertebrae.
Jeff stopped by Thursday around 5:30pm, and check the "event error log", and it looks like my 5-yr old custom-built RAID 0+1 machine is failing semi-quickly, and I might lose it soon, so I've ordered a new HP Compaq quad-core, 8Mb RAM, identical to my office unit: with the same 8 GB RAM upgrade and 3-yrs on-site service warranty. I'll hook-up a 1-Tb Western Digital HD to it and store data, and run the restored apps from the internal HDs, as I do with my office machine.
My friend Jeff, has custom-built my last 5-6 condo machines, as well as the 2 front counter units, and my last 3-4 office machines, but it's now far, far cheaper to but a pre-built HP, upgrade it and get a 3-yr on-site service warranty, than to do what we've done for the past 15-17yrs. So that's what I'll do: get a new HP 6000 Pro with Win-7 Pro pre-installed, and install it at my condo. I'm moving data and apps over to the WD (Western Digital) HD right now, just in case the old one "shits the bed". Okay, I just ordered it through J&M Systems, our IT Folks, in Baltimore.
Saturday's rain and 25°F drop in temperature was most welcomed and needed. We didn't have any customers, so I sent everyone home at 12:30pm, to cut the day's losses. Salaries, fans, lights and computers running — electric — vs no income = loss. And a business doesn't stay in business very long taking loses. "You have to know when to fold 'em." Besides, I have several errands to run to places that wouldn't be open on Sunday, now that we're off on Sunday for July & August.
As an individual business owner, I wouldn't 'touch' anything AMEX (American Express Co) offers; they're complete dogshit. I had a Gold Card for 15yrs, when I worked in NYC's Madison Ave, and after I'd moved to York (PA), my (now) ex-wife used it to repair her 1994 Mazda Miata, after she got drunk and crashed it. She didn't tell me she was using it, signed my name to the invoices illegally, and I got a $6,700 bill from the local Mazda body shop, via AMEX, and they wanted it paid all at once. I called AMEX to explain what happened and asked if I could make it in two payments, instead of one. They said "f•ck you; pay up now!' I borrowed the money, paid it off, cut the card up into 100 pieces and sent it back to them in 1996, before the divorce went through. They've called and mailed me multiple offers to re-acquire their Card personally, but it'll be a cold day in hell before I ever do. I accept their card at my business, along with VISA, MasterCard & Discover. F•ck AMEX! They're festering, lowlife dogshit.
On Saturday afternoon, I watched History Channel "Pickers" & "Pawn Stars", and TNT's "Swordfish" (early & good Travolta Movie), and then crashed early. I slept-in until almost 12noon and went food shopping.
Once again, the US Gov't is showing small business owners that it is anti-business, and this time with a renewed vengeance. With a new mandate looming that will require business owners to file millions more tax forms, the Internal Revenue Service has begun the daunting process of figuring out how to turn the law's sweeping demands into actual rules for taxpayers. This crap is truly making me want to retire from business altogether.
Here's why I answer my door every time with my Kimber 1911 "Eclipse Target II" .45cal ACP loaded, unlocked and drawn, no matter who's at the door.
T-storms rolled through the York (PA) area around 4pm, dumping another ½" of rain but it came down so hard and fast, very little soaked into the parched ground. It rained through most of the night, filling-up the retention ponds, which were at their lowest levels in years. It's nice to get some moisture back into the ground, which means we can finally start digging trees again for customers.
I'm caught-up on all of my Landscape Estimates and am waiting for Rich to give me some more plans and numbers to work on. We've got two weeks of jobs left before we run out of work. And then I have to start thinking about cutting back hours or layoffs for 5 employees. A most unpleasant task. I'm bringing-in a couple of small >$6,000 jobs each month, but that won't sustain us forever. The big landscape jobs of $40,000+ just aren't out there this year. it appears. People are afraid of what's coming from the scum in DC and in their states, and they're not spending. Instead, they're paying-off credit cards, loans and mortgages to get solvent. I can't blame them. With the exception on the usual monthly utility bills, I don't owe anyone a dime.
We've now gotten almost 6" of rain in two days and nights, and it's pouring cats & dogs right now, at 9:35am on Wednesday. Doubtful my LSCP Crew will get the Sarine Job finished today. They pulled-off the job and went home, but will finish-up Thursday. I closed-down around 3pm and went home.
Jennifer's last day was today, Friday, and she starts her new job next Thursday. I will miss her after 7 years, as I did her husband Dave, who worked here for 5 years. But I wish her best of luck and success in her new venture, and do thank them both so much for being a key part of my business. Especially, Jennifer. We all were changed by her and will miss her leaving the toilet lid seats up (We fixed that 'problem' years ago). Just kidding, Jenn! Big hug and smooch for good luck and success! You so deserve it. Stay in touch, as you and Dave are always welcome at my joint. You were my 2nd biggest "asset"; often my biggest "asset", Jennifer. All the best to you in your new position!
The “Virtual Cabin” – A Novella™
With the 4-5 days of 100°F, I decided to visit The Cabin and relax on Thursday, my day off, as well as on Sunday, our normal day off in the Summer July & August months.
The skies were "severe clear"; a pilot's term for 10+ mile visibility, and it was a mere 82°F with 45% humidity. I pulled into the circle turnaround driveway, unloaded my overnight bag, .50 cal Beowulf and Remy 11-87 Auto-Loader 12ga, unarmed the Choice One Alarm system and went inside. Jenny was all over me like a cheap suit, and her dishes needed refilling, so I did so.
I laid-out my gear on the massive oak kitchen table, and went out back to check my stock of firewood. I have about a ½ cord of wood left, so I called Randy, Roy's son at the Shell Garage & Service Station, to see if he'd split anymore firewood. He had and would deliver two cords at $125 each to me next week, and stack & tarp it for me, to allow it to "season" over the Summer months. Because of the size of my massive stone fireplace, Randy cut the splits and logs into 2ft sections, instead of the usual 18" splits most people get. He said he'd invoice me. He also asked how Jenny was doing, and how was my "critter-ridding expedition" going. I hadn't done much critter-ridding over the past few months, because of all the changes to my business back in the real world, but that as soon as things fell into place with the new personnel, I'd be back to resume the hunt.
I checked the well-stocked pantry, changed the furnace/AC filter and turned-on the AC to 68°F. I put Jenny on her leash and took Remy-1187 AutoLoader 12ga slugs and my always-with-me sidearm, Kimber 1911 "Eclipse Target II" .45 ACP along, and went for a walk to the several outbuildings. I still had plans to take most of them down, since they weren't in very good shape, but wanted to inventory their contents and check for any animals nesting over the Winter, in there.
The massive beams and the wood were in good shape and could be sold for reclaimed wood, possible to Jeff, a friend of mine. I'd have to get him up here for a few hours for a walk around and appraisal before any demolition took place. I'm an expert on marketing, plant material and firearms, but Jeff knows his woods and his wines (I used to know wines). I'd arrange that visit in a week of so.
I heard Jenny growl and snarl, and sure enough, around the west corner of the stable lumbered a 400+lb black bear, who stood-up on his hind legs almost immediately. I tied her to a hitching post, took the safety off the Remy, took aim at its head and waited for the bear to make the first move. It did: back down on all fours and high-tailed it back into the woods. That confrontation thankfully averted, I untied Jenny and we continued to the equipment storage barn.
Nothing of any value in this building except possibly the massive wooden beams and thick sideboarding; Jeff would have to be the judge of that. The equipment was sold-off when the previous owner(s) auctioned the 64-acre farm, and the few rusting pieces of scrap iron plows and hitches weren't worth messing with. It would need to come down, as well. The tobacco-drying building was in complete disrepair and need razing; nothing salvageable there. Though it did 'smell good' inside from all those years of drying high-grade tobacco, and 'seasoned' the wood. Too bad it was in such shoddy shape, that not much, except the beams, were salvageable. Again, Jeff would have to be the judge of that.
I just kept thinking back to when crazy Dewey Holtzapple threatened to kill me if I didn't let him set-up a meth lab in one of the two solid buildings, and I had to shoot and kill him, in self-defense after he pulled first. Meth labs blow-up for a number of reasons, and these two outbuildings were only 100-150 yds from my Cabin, which would have done some real damage to The Cabin's windows. The woodshed was only 25ft away, slatted and open on the south side. It would have absorbed some of the blast, possibly. Meth is poison, and there was no amount of money in the world that would "coax" into any such "arrangement" with the Holtzapples. I despise drugs and crime.
I took Jenny up on to the front deck, tied her leash to the railing, and sat down at the extra-large picnic table, to survey my property. I thought that I'd like to bring-in some "Princeton American" Elms, as well as species "American" Elms (Ulmus Americana) in to plant on the property, since many of the indigenous trees were dying at their tops and would have to come down soon. The Elms grow 4-6ft/ year and would replace many of these old, worn-out, diseased and insect-infected trees with 10-15 years. After getting Jeff to appraise the wood in my outbuildings, that's what I'd do next: plant more trees, and take the bad ones down.
I called Karl & Allen at ACE Hardware to ask if they had any recommendations for quality tree-cutters; they did and would put him in touch with me on my cellphone. I flagged about 25-30 trees that could damage The Cabin, if they fell on it, during a blizzard or ice storm. That direction was going to cost me plenty, unless I could get a logger to come in a take them down for free and pay me a pittance for the wood, but at least the cutting would be free. I'd check both angles before making any final decisions.
Time to get back to York, so I refilled Jenny's dishes, armed The Cabin, and headed out to reality, once more.
Things Which Make Your Head Explode™
Once again, the US Gov't is showing small business owners that it is anti-business, and this time with a renewed vengeance. With a new mandate looming that will require business owners to file millions more tax forms, the Internal Revenue Service has begun the daunting process of figuring out how to turn the law's sweeping demands into actual rules for taxpayers. This crap is truly making me want to retire from business altogether.
Where's the Duct Tape®?
Some of the most racist assholes in America — NAACLP (National Association for the Advancement of Liberal Colored People) — has passed a resolution that condemns what it feels is rampant racism in the Tea Party movement. Members passed the measure on Tuesday at the NAALCP's 101st annual convention being held in Kansas City, Missouri. Fuck you, liberal hypocrite sambos!
Microsoft turns over all Win-7 and server source code to Russia's new FSB? Huh?
My eyes are squirting blood! Where's the Duct Tape®?
Some People Just Need Killing™
This will do it!.
Yes, I agree with the premise of this article, that "the death penalty is a Noahic Covenant with God, in a post-flood world". Well said, Joe Farrah.
Ohio, thank you for making my week, by sending subhuman, piece-of-shit William Garner, 37, to rot in hell, for the murders of five children in a 1992 Cincinnati apartment fire he set in an attempt to destroy evidence of a burglary. 18 years too late!
