Understanding the Ban on the Confederate Flag.

 I lived in the south for 25 years, more than any other place, in fact, and I've lived in Colorado, Kansas, California and even rural Missouri for the last 5 years.  In all that time living in the South, I saw a lot of Confederate Flags.  For a long time, I marked it up to "Southern Pride" and let people do what people do.  In fact, I wrote a rather tone-deaf blog post about it.

Recently, I read a fantastic article which educated me on the subject, and I feel I have to enter it here, verbatim.  So, if you have a penchant for Confederate Flags, and feel they represent 'heritage,' please read on.  

From someone who teaches AP US History:

“If you are confused as to why so many Americans are defending the confederate flag, monuments, and statues right now, I put together a quick Q&A, with questions from a hypothetical person with misconceptions and answers from my perspective as an AP U.S. History Teacher:

Q: What did the Confederacy stand for?

A: Rather than interpreting, let's go directly to the words of the Confederacy's Vice President, Alexander Stephens. In his "Cornerstone Speech" on March 21, 1861, he stated "The Constitution... rested upon the equality of races. This was an error. Our new government is founded upon exactly the opposite idea; its foundations are laid, its corner-stone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery subordination to the superior race is his natural and normal condition. This, our new government, is the first, in the history of the world, based upon this great physical, philosophical, and moral truth."

Q: But people keep saying heritage, not hate! They think the purpose of the flags and monuments are to honor confederate soldiers, right?

A: The vast majority of confederate flags flying over government buildings in the south were first put up in the 1960's during the Civil Rights Movement. So for the first hundred years after the Civil War ended, while relatives of those who fought in it were still alive, the confederate flag wasn't much of a symbol at all. But when Martin Luther King, Jr. and John Lewis were marching on Washington to get the Civil Rights Act (1964) and Voting Rights Act (1965) passed, leaders in the south felt compelled to fly confederate flags and put up monuments to honor people who had no living family members and had fought in a war that ended a century ago. Their purpose in doing this was to exhibit their displeasure with black people fighting for basic human rights that were guaranteed to them in the 14th and 15th Amendments but being withheld by racist policies and practices.

Q: But if we take down confederate statues and monuments, how will we teach about and remember the past?

A: Monuments and statues pose little educational relevance, whereas museums, the rightful place for Confederate paraphernalia, can provide more educational opportunities for citizens to learn about our country's history. The Civil War is important to learn about, and will always loom large in social studies curriculum. Removing monuments from public places and putting them in museums also allows us to avoid celebrating and honoring people who believed that tens of millions of black Americans should be legal property.

Q: But what if the Confederate flag symbol means something different to me?

A: Individuals aren't able to change the meaning of symbols that have been defined by history. When I hang a Bucs flag outside my house, to me, the Bucs might represent the best team in the NFL, but to the outside world, they represent an awful NFL team, since they haven't won a playoff game in 18 years. I can't change that meaning for everyone who drives by my house because it has been established for the whole world to see. If a Confederate flag stands for generic rebellion or southern pride to you, your personal interpretation forfeits any meaning once you display it publicly, as its meaning takes on the meaning it earned when a failed regime killed hundreds of thousands of Americans in an attempt to destroy America and keep black people enslaved forever.

Q: But my uncle posted a meme that said the Civil War/Confederacy was about state's rights and not slavery?

A: "A state's right to what?" - John Green

Q: Everyone is offended about everything these days. Should we take everything down that offends anyone?

A: The Confederacy literally existed to go against the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the idea that black people are human beings that deserve to live freely. If that doesn't upset or offend you, you are un-American.

Q: Taking these down goes against the First Amendment and freedom of speech, right?

A: No. Anyone can do whatever they want on their private property, on their social media, etc. Taking these down in public, or having private corporations like NASCAR ban them on their properties, has literally nothing to do with the Bill of Rights.

Q: How can people claim to be patriotic while supporting a flag that stood for a group of insurgent failures who tried to permanently destroy America and killed 300,000 Americans in the process?

A: No clue.

Q: So if I made a confederate flag my profile picture, or put a confederate bumper sticker on my car, what am I declaring to my friends, family, and the world?

A: That you support the Confederacy. To recap, the Confederacy stands for: slavery, white supremacy, treason, failure, and a desire to permanently destroy Selective history as it supports white supremacy.

It’s no accident that:

You learned about Helen Keller instead of W.E.B, DuBois

You learned about the Watts and L.A. Riots, but not Tulsa or Wilmington.

You learned that George Washington’s dentures were made from wood, rather than the teeth from slaves.

You learned about black ghettos, but not about Black Wall Street.

You learned about the New Deal, but not “red lining.”

You learned about Tommie Smith’s fist in the air at the 1968 Olympics, but not that he was sent home the next day and stripped of his medals.

You learned about “black crime,” but white criminals were never lumped together and discussed in terms of their race.

You learned about “states rights” as the cause of the Civil War, but not that slavery was mentioned 80 times in the articles of secession.

Privilege is having history rewritten so that you don’t have to acknowledge uncomfortable facts.

Racism is perpetuated by people who refuse to learn or acknowledge this reality.

You have a choice.”

- Jim Golden

Creating a Password Convention for Hard to Guess Passwords.

Passwords.  The true bane of our existence now that the internet is part of our daily lives.  Creating a password that is easy to remember AND secure can cause you headaches and problems unforeseen.  You could use a password generator, but again, you want one that is easy to remember and one that you don't have to keep a sticky note next to your keyboard.  What most people do is create a text document somewhere on their computer with all their passwords in it.  Maybe it's even named "Passwords.txt."  Not good.  Worse is using a password using your kids' names, pets, street you grew up on, mother's maiden name, etc.  These are all vulnerable to being guessed and therefore, unsecured. 

Let's take a moment and look at a new way to create your own secure hard to guess passwords. Passwords that can be remembered in a moment.  What we will do is create an individual Password Convention which will allow you to remember numerous passwords that you use every day.  

CAVEAT:  You want to create separate and unique passwords for those places where you keep or track your finances.  Banks, stock accounts, even your local computer, should all be unique.  What we're dealing with here are the dozens of other websites that require a password*. 

STEP 1: Choose two unrelated words.  No, not Butch and Sundance. Not your kids names, your pets, your mother's maiden name, your middle name or any word which means something to you personally. Best way: open a dictionary at random and find two unrelated words 4-6 letters in length  (You can choose three if you want, it's your password.  

Example: For our example I'm going to choose "crutch" and "picket" - I chose these at random as I wrote this.  

Step 1A) Decide where to place the Capital letters.  Common sense says CrutchPicket, but you can easily select something different to keep it more secure.  Such as cRuthpIcket

STEP 2: Choose an offset amount from -5 to +5. This is for choosing a special character

Example:.  For our example, I'm going to choose +1.

STEP 3: Choose one of the following:  Words, Letters, Vowels, or Consonants.  

Example: Letters

STEP 4:  Location. Center, left or Right.  Most passwords now require a number. Location tells you where this number will be placed in your password.  

Example: Center 

Using the examples above, we're created a password crutch picket with an offset of +1, and Letters, with the number in the center.  Let's  see how this all works together.  

Website: Ebay.com. 

Ebay has a total of 4 letters in it's name (EBAY).  So using the example convention, we create the password as

cRutch4%pIcket

The two words crutch and picket, capitalized as we chose above, with the number 4 in the Center and a special character +1 from that number 4 (which is the Percent Symbol "%").   

Website: Yahoo.com

Yahoo has 5 letters so the password would be cRutch5^pIcket (The offset for the special character is +1 from the number 5, or the carat symbol "^")

A convention created in this manner is usable on any site, at any time, because it is secure, and random.  You need only memorize the convention to create or remember any password at any time.  (Again, the caveat, it's only as secure as you are about sharing or giving out your passwords.  The general rule here is: DON'T.)   Each of the components in this password convention is chosen by YOU at random, and there is no way anyone will know or guess any part of this without you sharing it with them. BUT, and this is the takeaway, there is no need to write down a password created with a convention such as this because you need only remember the convention and the password is there.   

===
* A note about the convention:  When creating a convention, you can add your own level of security to the above, by having one convention for everyday sites, and another for banks, stocks etc.  You merely add a new level to your Convention.  Such as doubling the number, or adding a set of initials to it.  In this way you have a Standard Convention, and the Advanced Convention - both easy to remember once created.  

Duck Tape and Expiration Dates

Duck Tape is a wonderful thing. Everyone knows DUCK TAPE, its uses, it's history.  (If you don't know its history, click the link.) So anyway, the other day I was out doing what I do in my makeshift workshop (read: patio) when I needed my duck tape for ...well...something.  And thus began the search.  

When ever I need a tool or, in this case, my handy roll of Duck Tape, it usually takes me a while. I'll admit, I'm not one for putting the tool (or in this case, the Duck tape) back in its exact position every time. Oh sometimes I do it right and when I need it next, there it is, but most times I just set it aside and when I need it later, the search begins. This was one of those times.

So, there I was, working at finding the Silver Savior for a while, when my wife came out and pointed to a roll that sat in the corner of the workbench.  It was red...see above.  Now I am a true believer in Duck Tape (though I am known to buy the off brands from time to time) and by that I mean Duck Tape Should be Silver.  Not ...ugh...Red.  But one day I ended up with this roll of Red Stuff and kept it because....well, it's Duck Tape and it works miracles. 

So I grabbed the Red Roll because for this one instance, color didn't mean much.  I grabbed on one corner and - nothing.  I worked at it a while, thinking I could save it, but you can see, the tape wouldn't unroll.  That's when I learned two things.

Thing One; Duck Tape has an expiration date. If not used, the glue becomes sort of permanent and you'll not get it to come apart easily.  See above.  I now keep a close watch on the rolls of Duck Tape I keep around so as to keep that from happening again. For those of you keeping notes, this is from 3M's website: 3M Performance Plus Duct Tapes 8979 and 8979N can be used up to 12 months after the date of manufacture when stored under normal conditions of 60° to 80°F (16° to 27°C) and 40 to 60% R.H. in the original carton. The month and year of manufacture is stamped inside the core of each roll. Handy info, that. 

Thing Two:  I use the regular Silver Duck Tape faster than it expires.

I think that's a good thing. Yes, a very good thing.

The Feline Miracle

The Miracle Kennels - 36" x 28 x 23

During a recent cross country move (Ok, so maybe 8 hours isn't cross country, but we moved with 4 cats and a caravan of two trucks and three cars and were driving after a full day of loading said cars and trucks so there!) but anyway we experienced a sort of modern day miracle that must be noted herein concerning our cats.  Let me preface this with a bit of history on said Felines.  

Gabby

We have four cats, all living indoors.  Each of the cats is a rescue with a story of their own.  The two oldest, Gabby and Callie are siblings we rescued along with their mother (who, sadly, is no longer with us.)  They are each 16 years old.  Add to that Boo Boo Ninja Kitty, who came to us as a kitten one Halloween and never left.  He is big, nearly 18 pounds, and absolutely fearless (except for dogs, of course.)  And lastly is Ozzy Pawsbourne, Kitten of Darkness.  Only slightly younger than Boo, he is scared of everything including his own shadow.

Big Bad Boo Boo Ninja Kitty

Here is (was) our problem.  Boo and Ozzy get along well.  They rough house as only boys can.  Gabby and Callie basically tolerate each other but absolutely hate the two big boys.  Gabby runs from them which made them think of her only as prey and they chased her relentlessly. So much, in fact, that we finally had to give Gabby her own bedroom and she only came out in the evening when she could cuddle in safety with my wife on the couch.  (Anytime the boys got too near, she would high tail it back to the bedroom, however.) 

Ozzy Pawsbourne - Kitten of Darkness! 

We tried everything to get them closer.  Feeding times were a study in frustration as Gabby even had to be fed in her bedroom or risk the boys chasing her.  Callie rarely ate with them either, but she did better than her sister.  

Callie

Now, comes the move - and the miracle.  

Just before the big move, Ozzy was experiencing a lot of stress. An influx of people seeing the house we were selling while Mom and Dad were not there led to physical problems resulting in surgery and an overnight stay in the hospital.  When we picked up Ozzy, the doctor gave us some 'Happy Cat*' to help him get over the pain of surgery. When we told him of the move, he suggested using a 'half-dose' of the 'Happy Cat*' on all the cats to keep them from getting too upset during the long 8 hour drive to our new home. Considering the stress of the move and the possible in-fighting during the drive, this seemed like a fair idea. The Vet checked each of their backgrounds and gave us the meds.

The day of the move, we planned very carefully.  We had purchased two medium cage-style kennels (see them at the top of the page) and set them sideways in our car with two cats in each kennel, Ozzy and Boo in one, and Gabby and Callie in the other. They just fit exactly in our little crossover SUV.  Each kennel would also have a small litter box with some litter from their own boxes to give them a scent to connect with. The cats were dosed with the meds and placed in the kennels and the drive began.  

Our worry was that the cats would hiss and fight with each other through the sides of the kennels as the kennels were not solid on the sides. These kennels were chosen due to it being a hot time of year and we wanted air conditioning to be able to get to all the cats. We had also planned that a cardboard barrier might be needed between the kennels if the fighting got too bad and had one ready - just in case.  We had planned for any eventuality.  

The drive went very well. Callie gave us a scare when she exhibited breathing problems (most likely due to a reaction to the meds) but we kept a close eye on her during the trip and she came through like a champ.  In all, there was no fighting and no need even for the barrier.  

We moved into the basement of our daughter's home while we put most of our stuff into storage and looked for a new house.  The cats would have full roam our small 4 room area.  There is a bedroom, a living area with a large sectional couch, a bathroom and a large storage room filled with all manner of toys, Christmas decorations and boxes of stuff.  Our main fear was that Gabby would hide out in this storage room and we'd never see her.  

We left the cats in their kennels while we moved in suitcases, boxes and other stuff and then let them out.  Now, comes the miracle.  The cats have stopped fighting.  It's as if they've been friends all along.  Oh there has been the occasional hissing and such, but nothing like we'd seen in the past.  They are all fed in the same room and for the most part there is no problems. Gabby walks around as if she is queen of the space and the boys pay her no mind. 

In moving, especially when moving with cats, there is a lot to worry about, as cats need that feeling of belonging to feel safe or to feel at home.  Our family of 4 came through with such a change, that it's truly a miracle. In fact, as I write this, my wife is in the basement taking a morning nap with all four cats asleep on the bed with her. 

Hopefully they will make the move to the new house just as easily.
=============================================
* Happy Cat is not a name of a medicine, but a nickname which the Vet's office used. Rest assured that it is a good medicine, and was prescribed by our Vet and given in small doses after very careful consideration. We are careful and thoughtful cat guardians and love our fur babies.   

Duck Tape First Aid

So, let's get the background.  I repaired a window recently.  The glass was broken when the thing was installed and it was a PVC type window and I had no real interest or knowledge in fixing it.  It was the inner pane and there was no real problem, so I left it.  I had bigger fish fix in my abode.  But it finally came to be fixed, not once, but twice.  But this is not the story of the repair, but the story of Duck Tape.  

Fast forward about a week or two after the repair and I'm walking with a pain in the side of my foot.  A simple examination discovers that it is a sliver of glass that got into my foot more than 2 weeks ago and has now worked its way into a nerve.  My wife is unable to get the dang thing out due to my screaming and jumping around while she tries to get at it with a pair of tweezers, so we turn to 'other methods.'  "Duck tape Medicine!" she says.  And I concur.  

The Internet is rife with stories of medical use of Duck Tape. (Regular readers will know this is the Duck Tape, the Silver Savior and is not Duct Tape.) There is more than enough evidence for us to try using Duck Tape to get this sliver out.  So, my wife prepares a hot tub of water and I soak my foot in it for...a while.  At least until the water is lukewarm. A long time. Then I dry the foot entirely and reach for the roll of duck tape. 

It's important to note here that we are moving and the house is a shambles of boxes and things needing to be in boxes. The fact that, while my wife heated the water, I walked into my erstwhile work area and right to the unsealed box and found the duck tape is a modern miracle by any definition.  

So, I then carefully wrapped the edge of my foot being careful to encase the puncture and the glass shard. Then, I went to bed. 

It will come as no surprise to any good ol' southerner what happened next.  

In the morning, I carefully pulled the tape off, and there, stuck to the Silver Savior, was a tiny, thin piece of glass. There are a million stories in the Duck Tape City. This has been one of them. 

Extra Internet Points for knowing the origin of the paraphrased quote above.  

I gotta go find a band aid to cover my foot.  

Southern Homeselling and the Low Ball Offer.

So, you already know we're selling our home.  It's been on the market a while and we've had a couple of offers.  The offer we just received bears note.  It was ludicrous. It was fully 10% less than our asking price. That may seem like a trifle to someone who's home is priced in the high 6 figures, but to us, it was a freaking insult.  

But it gets worse. The reason they couldn't offer more was because they only could qualify for the amount they offered. Ok, so fair enough, but why?  Why on earth would you go out looking at houses you CAN'T afford knowing you would have to offer any one of them less NOT because you feel the house is worth less, but because you can't qualify for that higher amount?  Why aren't you just looking at homes that are priced more in your budget?  What kind of real estate agent says "Oh I know you can't possibly afford this home, but we can always offer them less...."  

Perhaps we're affected by all those shows on HGTV.  He's a part time window dresser and she sharpens pencils at home and their budget is 1.2 MILLION?? (And the first house they go out to look at is priced at 1.5 Million?) So why can't someone qualify for our little homestead? What is wrong with their background that keeps them from that 10% more?  And it goes in circles.  If you can't qualify, why offer less and if you can't qualify why are you looking and... Ok,perhaps I'm being a bit exacting here, but it's all still insulting.  

The sign is still in the yard, and the people are still trouping in.  More later...

Selling the House and Notes to Buyers

Much like elsewhere in the US, houses for sale in the south mean several things.  1) Strange people coming through your house while you are not there; 2) that silly sign in the front lawn;  and 3) having to keep your home 'show ready' all the time.  

But it's not #2 or #3 above that drive me the most crazy. Yeah, it's the people that come through the house while I'm not home.  Here is a quick reference list of things NOT to do when you visit some one's home while considering whether or not to buy it.  

1. Lock the damn door when you're leaving!  I can't tell you how many times we've come home after a showing to discover the front door unlocked (or open!)  
2. If the house is owned by an asthmatic, don't wear heavy perfumes, cologne or drench yourself in some smelly eu de toilette before you enter said home.  The owner will come home and breathe that in and spend a nice afternoon in the ER thanks to you wanting to smell like a French whore. 
3. Cigarettes. Same as above, and don't be tossing your lit butt into the yard either.  
4. Kids. No.  Don't bring your kids.  They will chase the cats, get into things, open drawers and make messes in other people's nicely kept (read: show ready) homes and the owners will curse your progeny and your lineage when they get home. (And dang it, put the stuff back that they get out!)
5. Don't touch.  And should the horrible happen, you or your kids has touched and yeah, DAMAGED some valuable item (valuable in our eyes, perhaps, but value it has!) then at least be honest enough to own up to it and pay for it!  
6. Cats.  Ok, we have cats.  It's posted in the notes for real estate agents so that they won't bring anyone allergic into a home with cats.  So, when you review the home, and you've been inside that home, the reason you didn't buy it cannot be TOO MANY CATS. (Hey, we only have 4!) And besides that, they don't come with the house! They don't pee on the carpet and they don't attack your children so long as you keep the kids from chasing them down! 
7. The Neighborhood.  We live in a very nice neighborhood. You (or your real estate agent) should know which areas of town are and which are not good neighborhoods.  They won't bring you into a neighborhood that you don't like.  Driving up into some one's driveway and not getting out of the car because 'you don't like the neighborhood' is tantamount to sending back a well done steak because it's well done!  
8. The Open House.  Don't show up at an open house unless you're in the market to buy.  I know people from the neighborhood always go to these just to see how a house looks on the inside, but don't be showing up looking for a job, asking people if they need this fixed or that fixed. 

I'm sure I'm going have more rants before this is over, so you might want to prepare yourself for that sometime along the way.  

Next, the adventure of the new roof! 

Southern Home Swapping and Home Staging

Before I begin, let's take care of the missing elephant in the room.  Yes, I know I've not posted anything in a very log time, and I intend to rectify that.  And no, this has nothing to do with the Everlasting Living Room project which will make many of you glad beyond words.  

Recently, I decided I needed to retire from the work I am doing. Yes, thank you and yes, tears, and yes, there are reasons other than just not wanting to work, but other reasons seem more in play than I can put here. So anyway, as part of all that, we've decided to sell the house.  Yes, the house with the nifty new living room. This also means that much of the stuff we have must be sorted, trashed, and/or packed.

This also means I get to go up into the attic.  The attic is my 2nd least favorite place to spend time, right behind the crawl space under the house.  Not just because, you know...spiders, but also because there is a lot of junk up there I have no idea WHY  it's up there. I am loathe to discover a lot of stuff I'd rather not face.

So, finally the day arrives and up I go and time I spend and I discover what so many people at work already know...I'm a box hoarder. (Is there a Box Hoarders Anonymous Group? Again, I digress.)  Now this is not like those TV shows about the people who hoard newspapers and boxes and take out containers and dogs and all manner of things unmentionable.  This is just boxes. Empty boxes.

You see, at work I ship things.  The other guys will bring me some oddly shaped item or several small items and ask me to ship them off to far flung lands (state wide) and I have to have boxes to use to ship said items.  To prevent me having to spend my days spelunking in the cardboard collection bins, I collect boxes to be prepared for such shipping.  At home, it's not the same but it is the same.  I may purchase a new printer or vacuum cleaner or even a new blender and then, in case we need it, I keep the box.  This is just in case we decide that the item doesn't meet our needs, and we wish to return it. Packed back up in it's original box makes it easier to return. 

You see where I'm going here?

That's right, the attic is filled with lots of stored stuff, but I discovered that about half the boxes up there were empty.  Some going back more than 20 years!  Marv the Hoarder strikes again.

So, now the boxes are flattened, taken to recycling (I'm so green Kermit is jealous!) and I'm set to pack things off to the thrift store donation bins this next weekend.

And, in case you're wondering, we're still moving to a mid-south area. 
Cuz we likes the South, we does.  Or Mid South...you get the idea...

I Can't Contain my Excitement

This nifty little concession stand like building showed up outside our building the other day and I really marveled at the speed at which it was built. it seemed like it was not there one day and then completely built the next. I blamed myself for not being aware of my surroundings, but...then I began noticing little things, like the holes at the bottom and the style of the siding.

Closer examination revealed that this little food shop had been just delivered like this, nearly complete!  How did they do that? Was it built on a trailer, or maybe partially built at another location and then delivered? 

Closer inspection proved what I was looking at.  This building was once a shipping container!  It was the holes in the bottom that caused the tumblers to drop into place. 

Once in place, it only took a couple of weeks for the insides to be fitted out and then food was served!  The idea is that a different food vendor will be using the space every day. 

Couple this with the new music space just to the left there (You can't see it, I'll take more photos when it's complete) and you have  a new downtown relaxation destination. 

IT'S TIME TO IMPEACH

I'm going to go off the standard southern insights for this post and touch on something more national, if I may.  

If you're like me, you've grown more than irritated in seeing those articles and videos (lots and lots of videos) posted everywhere which decry 'This Reporter Slams Trump!' or 'That Celebrity Eviscerates Trump!' each and every one of them shows some person of interest (reporter, senator, celebrity, soccer mom) all speaking simply the truth of the lies and terrible leadership skills that President Trump has shown in his first 3/4 year in office.

Basically, the one thing so many of us want to happen is to have  Trump Impeached. But the question remains: WHEN? Ok, so why not now?  Your next question might be 'what does it take to impeach?' Let's get down and dirty and get the information we need now and quickly.

First and foremost, Impeachment is decided and instigated by the House Judiciary Committee, which then turns to the Senate to convict.  

Historically, this committee has issued Articles of Impeachment for acts in three general categories:

 1 - Exceeding the constitutional bounds of the powers of the office.

 2 - Behavior grossly incompatible with the proper function and purpose of the office.

 3 - Employing the power of the office for an improper purpose or for personal gain.

It has been suggested that Trump has exceeded the bounds of office, but no one can actually state for sure, even though most Americans feel he has.  As for numbers 2 and 3 above? Trump seems mostly concerned with number 2 (no pun intended.) and more and more it seems Trump is concerned with  #3, making money for himself and his "1%" friends.

So, with this knowledge, what can we do?  It's time to force Impeachment Proceedings.  In order to do that, we need everyone to ACT NOW!  

1. Write your Congressman and Senator.  You can do this quickly using Resistbot. Text 50409 with the Word RESIST, and follow the instructions.  
2. Sign petitions. Click here to Sign the Petition
3. Contact the members of the Judicial Committee and demand they begin impeachment proceedings
4. Share this page with your friends, your co-workers, your dog groomer - in short - everyone.

Below is a list of the Judicial Committee members and their email addresses. Most of them only accept email contact from their constituents, but the Chairman has a House.Gov email address.  Here is what to say: 

"As a taxpaying and voting citizen of [Your State] I am formally demanding that the House Judiciary Committee begin the immediate impeachment of President Donald Trump on the grounds of behavior grossly incompatible with the proper function and purpose of the office of the Presidency as well as employing the power of the office for personal gain." [Be Sure to include your full name.]

Here is the list of Current House Judiciary Committee Members. Everyone should email the Chairman, Bob Goodlatte. There are also 3 names below that accept emails from anyone*. For the rest, find your Congressman on the list and use the address/email form beside their name and send them the above letter.

..REPUBLICANS.. (Majority)
Chairman Bob Goodlatte (VA-06)	EMail Bob Goodlatte
Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, Jr. (WI-05)	Contact Page
Rep. Lamar Smith (TX-21)	Contact Page
Rep. Steve Chabot (OH-01)	Contact Page
Rep. Darrell Issa (CA-49)	Contact Page
Rep. Steve King (IA-04)	Contact Page
Rep. Trent Franks (AZ-08)	Contact Page
Rep. Louie Gohmert (TX-01)	Contact Page
Rep. Jim Jordan (OH-04)	Contact Page
Rep. Ted Poe (TX-02)	Contact Page
Rep. Tom Marino (PA-10)	Contact Page
Rep. Trey Gowdy (SC-04)	Contact Page*
Rep. Raúl Labrador (ID-01)	Contact Page
Rep. Blake Farenthold (TX-27)	Contact Page
Rep. Doug Collins (GA-09)	Contact Page
Rep. Ron DeSantis (FL-06)	Contact Page
Rep. Ken Buck (CO-04)	Contact Page
Rep. John Ratcliffe (TX-04)	Contact Page
Rep. Martha Roby (AL-02)	Contact Page
Rep. Matt Gaetz (FL-01)	Contact Page
Rep. Mike Johnson (LA-04)	Contact Page
Rep. Andy Biggs (AZ-05)	Contact Page
Rep. John Rutherford (FL-04)	Contact Page
Rep. Karen Handel (GA-06)	Contact Page
..DEMOCRATS.. (Minority)
Ranking Member John Conyers (MI-13)	Contact Page
Rep. Jerry Nadler (NY-10)	Contact Page*
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (CA-19)	Contact Page
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18)	Contact Page
Rep. Steve Cohen (TN-09)	Contact Page
Rep. Hank Johnson, Jr. (GA-04)	Contact Page
Rep. Ted Deutch (FL-22)	Contact Page*
Rep. Luis Gutierrez (IL-04)	Contact Page
Rep. Karen Bass (CA-37)	Contact Page
Rep. Cedric Richmond (LA-02)	Contact Page
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08)	Contact Page
Rep. David Cicilline (RI-01)	Contact Page
Rep. Eric Swalwell (CA-15)	Contact Page
Rep. Ted Lieu (CA-33)	Contact Page
Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD-08)	Contact Page
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07)	Contact Page
Rep. Brad Schneider (IL-10)	Contact Page

* These Representatives allow emails from anyone.

Family, At All Costs

Southern people are family oriented. Anytime there is a gathering, it's always a family gathering. Big families or little families, it's an important connection.  And it's amazing to me to see several generations of the same family all living in the same little holler* and seeing each other every day. I grew up in a close family, but we now live in different parts of the country and rarely actually see each other face to face. We communicate a lot, but distance keeps it down to emails and social media. Even if we had only landlines and snail mail, we would regularly connect.  I know this.  Family is important. 

Which makes it all the more confusing to hear stories of families who don't speak to one another. To me this is hard to understand.  I hear stories all the time about "Oh I haven't spoken to my brother since he broke my pen in the 3rd grade."  or "She wore my blouse and stained it and I haven't spoken a word to her since."  Of course I'm making light of this with insignificant examples. To me, regardless of the transgression, regardless of the affront, there has to be a way in which we stay in communication.  I've had cross words with my family and yet we still stay in touch.  We live at opposite ends of the country but we still do what it takes to stay a family.

30 years ago, I had the misfortune of attending my great aunt's funeral.  She was one of 11 children and was the last of her siblings.  I remember her saying "Well, there's only me now." Without family, she was feeling lost. Most of them had lived close their whole lives. AND they stayed in constant contact. (This, before cell phones and social media!) She died less than a year later. The connection to family is life giving, life sustaining, important beyond your-my-their needs or wants. Do whatever you can do keep that connection from being lost.  This is why we're here, to be part of that family part of that connection, part of that love.  

Look at those people who pop up on the news, relatives of some mad bomber or murderer. There they are, supporting their kid, their brother, their family, even after he/she's brought down the full weight of the media and the world on them.  Why?  Family.  The ties that bind. A connection that cannot, should not be denied. It allows them to say "We love you in spite of what you've done, what we've done, what's been done; and we're beside you regardless of those events."

Why we choose to cut off a family member is not as important as realizing that the connection is lost.  Be it a blood relation of sister, brother, mother, father or cousin or the family and extended family, adopted brothers, children, step fathers, step children, the list goes on.  Love does that. I would say "Blood does that" but we all know that true family goes beyond blood. Love does not cut ties. Love doesn't hold a grudge. Love doesn't determine who's worthy or not. At least it shouldn't. It doesn't matter what happened in the past. Leave it there.  Create new memories now and in the future before it's too late.  When you or they are gone, there is no going back and rekindling the love you once had.

And if you're the one that broke the connection, there is hope. You see that connection is still there, still waiting for you.  Regardless of what you've done, or said, or felt or thought, family is family.  

I could fill this little blog post with all manner of quotes both biblical and secular about how family is above all; forgiveness is more important than anything but the one thing that matters is that  you need that person, those people, in your life. You need it, they need it we all need it.  No matter how large of a transgression, no matter of what was said, Familial Love conquers all. That connection stands far and above any  misunderstanding you may have.  Look past it, look at the love.

There is no time like the present to reconnect.

================
*In the south east mountains of the united states holler is used instead of hollow; a small rising valley region between two hills or mountains;often containing a creek or other fresh water source.

Southern Sun and the Eclipse

It comes as no surprise to anyone that the US had a solar eclipse run across diagonally from Oregon to Georgia.  It should also come as no surprise that Nashville, my home, was in the 'Path of Totality' for said Eclipse. What did come as a surprise to me was that I had to work on Aug. 21.  At least my office set up to see the eclipse first hand, out on the plaza in front of the building. 

One of the guys in our office ordered in some special glasses (yes, the good ones) and we forwarded the phones to voice mail and headed out a good 30 minutes before to the moment of totality.

The plaza was full of folks from all over, and when the moment of totality came, it was breathtaking.  In a matter of moments, the sun winked out, and the lights in the adjacent buildings could be seen with the naked eye.

In some areas I'd heard that people shouted and cheered when the sun was covered.  At the Nashville zoo the cheering may have caused the animals a bit of concern but here in the downtown, people were a bit louder, but overall it was more a moment of awe.  To see something so amazing that could very well be a once-in-a-lifetime moment was enough to make you just stand and watch.  

The full totality of darkness lasted only 2 minutes.  Then the lights came back as the shadow of the moon moved on. Some people headed on back to work, others standing around using their special glasses to watch the event in it's entirety. 

Many years ago, my daughter and I watched a partial eclipse and used a pinhole in a piece of paper to see the shadow travel partially across the sun without looking at it.  The light around us then merely dimmed.  We still enjoyed it. Oddly, she is living in Cheyenne Wyoming which was also in the path of totality this time around.  The next one won't come until 2024 and maybe the two of us will be together again and can travel down to see it.  

One can only hope.  

Causual Friday - Redux

The building I work in gives us free coffee.  It's a big 26 floor office tower with more than just my office group.  We take up only 1 floor and 2 half floors.  I say this as a precursor to the events which lead up to Causual Friday - Redux.  Yes, Causual, as in I caused this to happen.  

So, now imagine the amount of coffee that is prepared each morning.  I get  here about oh-dark-thirty and am waiting for the coffee when they open at 7.  There are usually 3-4 big containers of coffee to pick from.  Mmmm ....coffeeee....

But now comes the dilemma. Which coffee bin is the hottest?  Over time, I've developed a routine for this.  Usually, I bring my own refillable coffee mug.  Mug? More like barrell.  36 ounce.  Yes,  you read that right, 36 ounces.  (Don't judge me.  I like coffee.)  So, what I usually do is grab a paper cup sitting beside the big bins (it's self serve) and then run a couple of tablespoons of coffee into the cup. Taste. Pour what's left into my coffee mug barrel and move to the next bin. In only a few seconds I've found the hottest and fill my coffee mug barrel with it.

To help those that come after me, (read: late co-workers) I put the paper cup on top of the bin, flagging it as the hottest.  There was no big decision to do this, it's more of a habit that formed over time.  I didn't know how much I had affected the entire building. Every so often, I'd run into some guy from another office who would say "Hey, you're the coffee guy!"

Fast forward to recently.  I had taken a long weekend and was back at work, getting my coffee.  The lady who runs the cafe where the coffee is available is bustling about preparing for the day and she stops by to tell me how people had come in all morning the day I was out, and not finding the empty coffee cup on top of the bin would stand there, lost.  "Which one's the hot one?" they would murmur. You got to wonder at the fact that no one thought to do what I did, taste them all and then leave a cup as a marker.  No, they just felt...lost.   After a bit they would pick one and hope for the best.

So, once again, I've caused a Friday meltdown. Causual Friday.
Trademark, Copyright and Patent Pending.

Shutter Eye Land

 A few years ago a tornado came through our little estate and took off with some shutters.  A search of the surrounding neighborhood and subsequent  yard sales found that my shutters were forever gone, leaving my house looking a bit askew. For years I've searched in vane to find matching shutters.  So, finally (Ok, so it's been nearly 20 years) I decided it was time to remove the remaining shutters and give my poor abode a more complete 'look.'

Not a major project, but let me digress and tell another story (as I always do) about the number of wasps that seem to hang around my yard, watching me work, buzzing me and in general making pests of themselves. For years I've always thought these pests were just part of the Southern Experience (yes, in caps, like it's a tourist destination or a ride at Six Flags.)  I also wondered where they all came from and blamed my neighbors for not being more proactive in getting rid of nests.  

So, I removed the first shutter and found:

Wasp nests.  Wasps will use old nests and mud daubers constantly build new ones, so it's important to get rid of them when found. And I found the mother lode!  Behind each of the 6 shutters I pulled down, I found literally dozens of nests for 3 kinds of wasps!  I even found a small birds nest.

With my favorite metal putty knife, I dispatched them all.  (And laughed maniacally the entire time!) The result is now that my house looks a bit more normal and less lop sided.  And will hopefully be less wasp attractive in the future!

Now, I just gotta do something about those posts by the walk.

Street Smarts and Music Appreciation

This last week was a busy week here in the Mid South.  Not only did we have the CMA Music Festival (Fan Fair for you older folks) but we also had the Bonnaroo Music Festival AND the Stanley Cup Finals! Today, as I'm typing this is the final day of Bonnaroom, the final day of the CMA Festival and Game 6 of the Stanley Cup plays here in Nashville.  I'm so glad I'm not downtown or on the highways! 

It's exciting to see so much of music and arts and sports happening in this area, but for someone who works downtown and commutes from one of the many bedroom communities, I have one complaint.  

People, People, People: Stop crossing the street without looking! 

I take the bus.  We all know that, I remind people of this constantly here in my blog.  The bus is 58 feet long and weighs ..um... a lot. Even more when it's full of commuters. It goes without saying that if you step out in front of the moving bus without looking one of two things will happen.  

1. You will meet your maker, be he the big G.O.D., Buddha or the F.S.M.  In any contest of person versus bus, you will lose.  And it will be painful while it happens.  
2. You will be lucky in that our talented bus driver will slam on the brakes causing all the people in the bus to loose their seats, sliding forward into other people's laps.  (Me? I lose my place reading, we all know this too.) 

When the first option happens, understand that we all will miss you, and your CMA tickets will be sold for face value.  When the second option happens, the bus horn will sound.  At you.  This is not a signal for you to show us your middle finger, but to get out of the frakking way, so that the bus full of commuters can make their way home.  

It's not difficult. Just look both ways before you step off the curb. (Something we all learned or should have learned at a very early age!) Stop looking at your phone, stop looking at that girl with the tight top, tight shorts and cowboy boots.  Look both ways.  Cross. 

I hope this little diatribe finds its way into the the mindset of those who attend CMA/ Bonnaroo next year.  

Oh and Go Preds! 

The Southern Man's Tool Box - The Snow Shovel

It's a sort of running joke in my family that I own a snow-shovel.  "A snow-shovel?  In the South?  What you use that for, shade?" followed by the requisite "Hardy Har har!" Yes, here in the south we do have need of the wide mouthed, light weight shovel for the scooping of snow.  But sill they persist, they are jokers all.  

We do get very little snow here in the south.  (I am reminded that my family back in Colorado this week has had lots of snow. Yes, in May. Colorado, go figure.)  But I find that owning a snow shovel is important, but just not in the snowy seasons.

Oh yes, I do use it to scoop snow, sometimes as much as three days a year!  But where it truly helps to own a snow shovel is in the hot summer when I'm mowing the lawn.  

After I mow the yard, I clean up the mower by tipping it on it's side and using a putty knife to scrape out all the moist, finely chopped grass (read: chopped weeds) which collects on the underside of the shroud and above the blade.  Not cleaning this out in a humid environment means it will mold by the next time I get the mower out and that's no fun at all.  In addition, mold leads more to rust and my handy fossil fuel powered tools don't need that.  

So, I scrape out all the clogs and bunches of chopped grass (read: chopped weeds) and they form a pile there beside the mower.  It is the snow-shovel I turn to to get this pile scooped up quickly and efficiently.  I've used other shovels, with flat blades but I usually have to stoop too low to get things up into the scoop.  With the snow shovel, I have an ergonomic handle so I don't have to stoop so much and the scoop of the snow shovel is deep and holds enough that one scoop is all I need.  

I suppose I should start calling it a grass-clippings shovel,  but no one would look at me right again. 

Thus is the life I lead.  

Southern Storm Elves

My brother smelled a blog post.  He was right.  Early last week, on Tuesday night, here in Nashville (ok, the suburbs of Nashville) we had some spectacular storms. There was lightning, thunder, rain and heavy winds. Trees were downed, electricity was lost, beers were spilled. (It really was a lot more damage than my witty commentary lets on.)  Most importantly, my big stick tree lost some major branches.  I call it a stick tree because, normally after every windy day, I find sticks of all sizes in the yard. Usually I just meander about the yard, morning coffee in hand while I pick them up and pitch them into the brush pile, but this was different. These were massive branches. You can see the far branch there next to my jeep was taller than the car itself.  These were so heavy I couldn't even lift them to move them to the brush pile. 

It happened during the day and when I got home that night I worked with a pruning hand saw (my chain saw has gone on to that big garage in the sky) to get those branches next to the house moved away from the air conditioner so that I could see any damage. Thankfully, the damage was nil. (Ok, so  I ruined a good pair of khakis but they were tight in the seat anyway, so not really a big loss there.) 

As I sat down to dinner, (late) I mused at the busy schedule I had for the weekend and the fact that I'd need to rent or even buy a new chainsaw to get these heavy behemoths out of the yard. I had to leave the branches where they were from Tuesday night until - most likely - Sunday. (Saturday was already full of prior commitments.)  

Then....well....strange things happened. 

4 days later, Saturday morning, bright and early, I'm up and out of bed, headed for the coffee maker.  I'm normally up during the week at 4, but on the weekends sleep in until about 7, so the sun is up and the birds are singing. As I reach for the coffee grounds, I glance out the front window and see - nothing. (Cue frozen moment while I blink a couple of times and expect the view to change.) Well, yeah, I see grass and a couple of squirrels and my neighbors house across the street.  BUT what I don't see is the big branch that has been irritating me for 4 days.  Remember the branch taller than my car? It was literally gone. Gone!

Leaving my coffee for a moment, I head out to stand on the porch.  All the branches are gone.  Not just the one in front of the house, but all of them are just gone.  Even the few smaller branches I tossed into the brush pile are gone! The entire brush pile is missing!  The big city trucks with their big chippers would have alerted me to the work being done, but there was nothing the night before or early in the morning. I was stumped. I got coffee and stood by the window musing over what had truly transpired.

I came to one conclusion. 

Elves. Southern Elves. I mean, it couldn't be 'cobbler elves' as this wasn't shoes.  I hadn't left any cookies out for any of the North Pole type elves, and they don't clean up fallen branches, anyway. It also comes to mind that the Wizard Dresden (Dresden Books, by Jim Butcher) leaves pizza out for the elves that clean his apartment, but again, no pizza was left out on the porch.  We aren't affluent enough to have our own Harry Potter type house elves, so that leaves only one thing.  

Southern Elves.  Southern elves never-heard-of-before clean up fallen branches and wear camouflage (so you can't see them).  In the middle of the night they work quietly and completely carrying off the branches for bonfires and crafts.  It's the only explanation.  

Oh, but if that's the case, I think I owe them a case of beer.  I mentioned this to my neighbor who admitted he was the one to came out in the night and using an electric chain saw (electric?  really? In the south?) he chopped up all the wood for bonfires and marshmallow roasting.  Not making any fuss or sound, he was able to round them up and get them into his back yard in a matter of a couple of hours; all while I was on the couch watching TV. 

I thanked him. I praised his thoroughness. I shook his hand.  I retreated to my coffee.
No, I'm not giving him a case of beer.

Wax on, Wax Off

When you think of visiting Nashville, you probably don't think of wax figures.  You probably think of finding Marv and giving him a big hug or a hearty handshake.  Yes, most do.  But in truth, Nashville has just become home to the newest of attractions, one of only 22 in the entire world, Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum.  Joining the ranks of cities like Berlin, Bejing, London and Hollywood, Madame Tussaud's Nashville location is set to open TODAY.  

But there's a catch, so to speak. 

It will be Madame Tussauds’ first music themed attraction and the only location in Tennessee. This group & family-friendly attraction will provide an interactive experience, where you will be able to touch, see, feel and photograph the figures. (Within reason of course.)

Step into immersive iconic scenes and musical performances that are unique to Madame Tussauds Nashville. Take a musical journey from past to present, in this one-of-a-kind, music themed Madame Tussauds. Celebrate your favorite country, rock, jazz, and blues artists in brilliantly themed interactive settings.

So there you have it. A great new reason to visit the South, and Opry Mills Mall.  Like you needed a reason before.  

Thank You For Being a Friend

When I was a kid, I had a lot of friends. As I grew, my friends grew with me, and as I changed from High school to college, I garnered more friends; and lost a few along the way.  That's  how friendship works. Proximity, interests, even work can give us new friends both permanent or temporary.  

When I came to the South, I had no friends living here.  I had to move from Colorado to find work. Colorado was in the midst of the 'oil crisis' and there were guys who had PhDs in Oil Engineering looking for the same jobs I was and it was getting harder and harder to cope. Nashville welcomed me. That's the south.  They accept and bond without question.  This is all part of that 'laid' back attitude that the south is known for.  All the more shocking when things go differently.

More than just the city; the people accepted me. I had new friends and new family almost from day one. People talk to you in the grocery line as if you've known them all your life. I know I go on and on about the Good Ol' Boys and the Good Ol' Boy Network, but without the friends I've made, the South would have been bleak indeed.

Everyone who reads this blog knows of my neighbor Bubba.  Neighbor Bubba (not to be confused with Brother Bubba) is not an actual person, but more a writer's amalgam of a lot of southern men I have known and admired.   One of these men whom I have had as an honest to goodness neighbor has recently moved from my neighborhood.  And, oddly, the friendship seems to have moved with him.

Our relationship wasn't too deep, but we spent many a long hour in projects and conversation along the way.  The man was a veritable fount of knowledge when it came to home repair and the use of power tools and a quick sense of humor that kept the work times lighter.  I miss that information as much as I miss the camaraderie we had while working. Even my wife enjoyed his jokes and easy going manner.

Without him, the Everlasting Living Room Project would not have been as easy.  He was there to help dismantle the fireplace.  Later, his expertise and knowledge were invaluable in getting the joists installed properly and to code.

So, now what.  Now, I guess I have to go and make  friends with those new folks that just moved in down the street and hope they know how to swing a hammer. I just hope they ain't nawtheners...