Happy New Year! Looking back at 1982

As we all look back at the end of the year, to make amends, come clean, start anew, make resolutions, I'd like to say that NO year has ever been so exciting my my life as 1982, or so I remember.

Out of respect for my Mother and Father, here's what I remember of 1982.

(x) I chose to stay, alone and on my own, in Rhode Island, while my entire family moved to Florida. (1982)

(x) Blew the engine on a pristine 1973 Buick Electra 225, with a 455 cu in engine. (1982)

(x) Crashed into and bought a telephone pole. (1982)

(x) Totaled a wicked "full sized" blue 1973 Chrysler Satellite station wagon.  (1982)

(x) Lost my license. (1982)

(x) Got into a fist fight (and won) with a significantly larger man, over a cup of hot chocolate, only to be detained by RI State Police.  (1982)

(x) Hit a local Constabulary with a base ball bat. (1982)
(x) Went for a one way trip head first down several flights of stairs... several times at the hands of Providences' best. (1982)

(x) Lit off bottle rockets IN the car I was driving, a multicolored 1965 VW Bug. (1982)

(x) Actually floated a multicolored VW bug... on water... only for a moment... pulled it out of the water... and drove it away. (1982)

(x) Unintentionally submerged a green 1970 Vega station wagon.... three times in the same day.  (1982)

(x) Unintentionally peed on a sleeping homeless man in Boston, MA. (1982)

(x) Rear ended a brown van while "sleep driving" my VW 1965 Bug through Harlem, NY ... and lived to tell about it,   (1982)

(x) Walked home from Mystic CT... after my 1965 VW Bug broke down, and no one would pick us up.  (1982)

(x) Spent a bunch of my Summer in Newport watching the build up to the 1983 Americas Cup sailboat races. (1982)

(x) Rented a duplex ranch house, with 5 of my best friends, at the beach, and suffered amnesia for the week. (1982)

(x) Due to my "quest for more stupid shit to do" I lost my girlfriend. (1982)

(x) Personally sold a large Hefty Trash Bag worth of "special" herb. (1982)

(x) Helped a man move his family move his family, over night, before he was found by a special group of ill intentioned Italian people, all with one name, that he owed a significant amount of money to. (1982)

(x) Attended meetings held at Rhode Islands' finest Judiciary Buildings several times in 1982.

(x) Mistaken for my room mate, a Attleboro, MA based arsonist! (1982)

(x) Got "Fired!" from my position mopping floors at a nursing home.  (1982)

(x) Skipped out on a debt to a health club, (1982)
(x) Stole a Christmas Tree, from Boone's Farm, and planted it in Algebra class. (1982)

(x) Dropped out of college. (1982)

(x) Rearranged the traffic scheme leading up to a new bridge construction. (1982)

(x) Was ordered to choose whether to go to jail or join the Navy. (1982)

(x) Joined the Navy with "special herb" stuffed in my pocket. (1982)

Oh!  There's so much more!  But I'm kind of glad that I can't remember it all.

Sure seems that 1982 was pretty interesting year for me, eh?  Seems like I should have moved to Florida... but then again, I would have never met my wife, the very LOVE of my life, for nearly 30 years!


Fortunately for me, I started to take myself a bit more seriously later in 1983.  Its funny how 30 years of collective screw ups can make you a bit more reflective... at times.  So when your kids start really, and I mean REALLY, screwing up, remember that there is hope that they'll turn out just fine.

Campy Out!

Influenza Vaccination Chickens

It is a darn shame that people choose to refuse one of the most simple preventative measures against one of the most devastating viral infections the world has ever known. While it is you're choice not to get any immunization, by choosing not to get the influenza vaccination, you choose to place yourself, and your family, at risk of not only contracting this virus, and the tragedy that may ensue, but you can end up harboring the disease and actually helping it mutate to a more deadlier, more resistant form of the virus.

I'm not exactly sure of the arguments you have against the influenza "shot" or vaccinations in general, but it is your right to refuse the shot.  With that being said, it is also an employers right to limit your the exposure to the company's patrons and public as they see fit, especially during flue season.

Most people have never seen, nor read about the massive loss of life during the 1918 influenza outbreak where between 20 and 50 million people died, and 500 million people were infected.

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1918_flu_pandemic

See: http://virus.stanford.edu/uda/

And from the opposing side:

 http://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-well-being/stories/the-truth-about-getting-the-flu-shot

I choose to get my flu shot this and every year, as well as keep up on my other immunizations.  When I was in the Navy, I had the "opportunity" to see extreme poverty in Central America, Italy, North Africa, and a couple of other places. It always puzzled me as to how happy and willing these people were to get ANY immunizations we could provide them. We in the US have the ability to read and Devine for ourselves as to the safety of any immunization or medicine.  While it is our right to choose to decline immunizations, medication, or treatment for any reason, the burden on society would be so much greater if the majority of the population followed in those who refuse immunizations steps.  

Do the research... Tylenol kills 500 and hospitalizes 26,000 people each year due to chronic use, and abuse.  Aspirin kills even more people. And here's a real shocker, medical error deaths in America top 200,000 a year making medical errors the 8th leading cause of preventable death in America!  

See: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(11)60520-5/fulltext?rss=yes

So don't get too paranoid.  Just get the flu shot.  My friend, 51, died from complications of the flue 3 years ago.  I have Parkinson's Disease and you can bet your upper arm that I am the first person standing in line each year for the flue shot.

Peace out.... 

Republican vs Democrat? Its Votin' Day!!!

To recap my position on this year's Presidential and General election cycle: 

My issue with this election cycle isn't with either candidate, but with the divisiveness of the Republican party, and even more so with the American's for Prosperity movement, and the Tea Party movement. 

The Republican Party, of which I used to claim up until last Presidential election, seems to have convinced its base that I am not American because I don't believe there is a god, nor do I subscribe to any religion, to include Atheism.  America never has been, nor should it ever be, religiously based, because that excludes people like me from any conversation that has to do with the regulation of what people choose to do.

I gave 20 years of my life to defending everyone's right to free speech, and the pursuit of happiness, by serving in the Navy, mostly in submarines, on long silent patrols. 

My issue with the Republican party, is that while the party preaches more freedoms, less government involvement in our lives, smaller government, less regulation, and less taxes, the Republican party is willing to regulate who I choose to marry, male or female, or if my daughter chooses to use birth control, for what ever reason, her employer can deny that based on his, or her, or their, "moral" grounds, not her moral grounds.  Where's the freedom in that? 

The Republican party seems to thwart at every chance, stem cell research in Parkinson's Disease, marijuana/cannabis research for medical treatment in cases like Parkinson's Disease, regulation of environmental controls, the lack of such controls has proven to be a cause of Parkinson's disease, the regulation of energy, everyone likes the price now so lets deregulate it and see how much more money big oil can make, the regulation of basic medical services to everyone, like limiting my access to expensive brain surgery to install a quality of life preserving deep brain stimulator for the treatment of Parkinson's Disease. 

Yet the Republican party will support the Transportation Security Administration and its invasion of my right to travel, by forcing me and my service dog to endure frisking each and every time I go through the check point, (even if I "piss walk" my dog between flights), due to my brain implants incompatibility with body and wand scanners. The Republican party, under Bush 2, also created and still supports Homeland Security, even though creating a mandate to require the already in existence law enforcement, investigative services, civil patrol, and military reserves to use technology in order to communicated better would have been way less expensive than creating another paramilitary arm of government aimed at limiting terrorists access to US Citizens by limiting my freedoms and liberties.  Just try to buy any firearm in any state that maintains a medical marijuana registry, if you are legally on the registry.

Yep, its the doctrine, not the candidates that concern me the most.  Candidates follow the doctrine that have been laid before them by the richest citizens of America, the Koch brothers.  And so as sheep so meekly follow their Shepard to greener pastures, the beautiful teeth and fury of the corporate dogs of control, ensure that the sheep will make it to slaughter in time for the next generation of sheep to be raised in an even larger herd of meek, and blind, followers. 

All this for the improvement, and security of the Shepard's position, and way of life.

(Read George Orwell's,  "Animal Farm")

Campy Out!

Election Cost? 6 BILLION DOLLARS!

This is appalling! 

Almost $6,000,000,000 (That's 6 Billion Dollars) spent on this election. 

I don't believe that the cost of Air Force One and the President's staff is included in this number either, but it could be.

Just think how many people this money could have helped:

1. GET A JOB
2. LEARN A SKILL
3. CREATE A SMALL BUSINESS
4. HELP SOMEONE WITH A MEDICAL BILL
5. HELP SOMEONE OUT WITH HOUSING
6. CANCER SCREENINGS
7. FOOD
8. Any other program or project that benefits society, ie. Social Programs!

Where does all this money come from??  Mostly corporate, and privately donated money, most of which is from the super wealthy in support Super Political Action Committees, (Super PACs), that have no limit on how much they can collect, or spend, and no rules on how slanderous, or erroneous they can get... ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ISLE! 

Just think about this...

6 BILLION DOLLARS were spent, by large corporations, wealthy people, and special action groups, who are trying to convince you our economy is in the toilet, or getting better, and that the politicians are responsible. 

It takes 6 BILLION DOLLARS of THEIR money to convince us citizens that it wasn't the deregulation of the banking, housing, and energy industries, and corporate greed, that caused this economic mess our country is in.

It takes 6 BILLION DOLLARS of Corporate money to convince us citizens that following the Federal deregulation model, that privatization of health care is the right way to go.

Really???

New York Times - Total Cost of Election



Campy Out!

Presidential Candidtate vs Political Party Endorsement

I know that there has been plenty of "school yard bullying" surrounding this year's Presidential election, from both sides of the fence. Just think, next Wednesday we'll be out of this advertisement blitz, and onto the talking heads second guessing where one party went wrong and where they went right, and who's counting what state's ballots over again, and why.  

I've tried to keep an open mind concerning both political parties and their agendas by looking into and trying to poke holes in any argument that has moved me, from the United States part in the global economy, global warming, personal rights, large corporation vs small business owner/operator contributions to the U.S. economy, Presidential candidate flip-flopping, the burden of executive privilege, the court of public opinion, health care, and any of the "hot right now" topics that get turned over by hungry journalists. In reviewing my posts, I have to admit, it does seem that I have been mostly into defending the Democrats point of view for this election.

THIS DOESN'T MEAN I APPROVE OF EITHER CANDIDATE!

But it does mean that given the present choices, I feel that anyone of you are probably just as suited to be the next President of the United States. I think this election cycle will be decided by people voting on platform ideals, and misinformation, rather than for a person with a pure vision, political ability, and accurate and transparent information.

Please read Forbes Magazine's evaluation of yesterday's endorsement by "The Economist" magazine. While "The Economist" is based out of London, it holds a different view of global economics. Whether you are inclined to vote Romney or Obama, this is a good read.

The Economist Magazine Endorses Obama

And Mayor Bloomberg's reasoning.

New York City Mayor Endorses Obama

Campy Out!

Legally, what are the responsibilities of the President and Congress?

This article was sent to me from my uncle in Florida.  It's a very very good read!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

READ, WEEP, AND PRINT AND KEEP!!!

This should be on the front page of every newspaper.


Charley Reese's Final column!

A very interesting column.  COMPLETELY NEUTRAL

Be sure to Read the Poem at the end.

Charley Reese's final column for the Orlando Sentinel. He has been a journalist for 49 years.
He is retiring and this is HIS LAST COLUMN.

Be sure to read the Tax List at the end.

This is about as clear and easy to understand as it can be. The article below is completely neutral,
neither anti-republican or democrat. Charlie Reese, a retired reporter for the Orlando Sentinel,
has hit the nail directly on the head, defining clearly who it is that in the final analysis must assume responsibility for the judgments made that impact each one of us every day.

It's a short but good read. Worth the time.

Worth remembering!

545 vs. 300,000,000 People
-By Charlie Reese
Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.

Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?

Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don't propose a federal budget. The President does.

You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.

You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.

You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.

You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one President, and nine Supreme Court justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.

I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.

I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a President to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.

Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.

What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits. The President can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.

The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House? John Boehner. He is the leader of the majority party. He and fellow House members, not the President, can approve any budget they want. If the President vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.

It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it mu st follow that what exists is what they want to exist.

If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.

If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red.

If the Army & Marines are in Iraq and Afghanistan it's because they want them in Iraq and Afghanistan.

If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.

There are no insoluble government problems.

Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power.

Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like
"the economy," "inflation," or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.

They, and they alone, have the power.

They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses.

Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees.

We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!

Charlie Reese is a former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper.

What you do with this article is up to you.
This might be funny if it weren't so true.
Be sure to read all the way to the end:

Tax his land,
Tax his bed,
Tax the table,
At which he's fed.

Tax his tractor,
Tax his mule,
Teach him taxes
Are the rule.

Tax his work,
Tax his pay,
He works for
peanuts anyway!

Tax his cow,
Tax his goat,
Tax his pants,
Tax his coat.

Tax his ties,
Tax his shirt,
Tax his work,
Tax his dirt.

Tax his tobacco,
Tax his drink,
Tax him if he
Tries to think.

Tax his cigars,
Tax his beers,
If he cries
Tax his tears.

Tax his car,
Tax his gas,
Find other ways
To tax his ass.

Tax all he has
Then let him know
That you won't be done
Till he has no dough.

When he screams and hollers;
Then tax him some more,
Tax him till
He's good and sore.

Then tax his coffin,
Tax his grave,
Tax the sod in
Which he's laid...

Put these words
Upon his tomb,
'Taxes drove me
to my doom...'

When he's gone,
Do not relax,
Its time to apply
The inheritance tax.
Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL license Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Excise Taxes
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax (currently 44.75 cents per gallon)
Gross Receipts Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Personal Property Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service Charge Tax
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax
Recreational Vehicle Tax
Sales Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Nonrecurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Taxes
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax


STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?
Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, & our nation was the most prosperous in the world.
We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.

What in the heck happened? Can you spell 'politicians?'

I hope this goes around THE USA at least 545 times!!!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks Uncle "O"!  Good Stuff!

Campy out! 

Obama and Romney (Chainsaw Art)

(Obama and Romney)

I didn't really intend for this to be anything other than two mushrooms getting along... silently... until they make my spaghetti gravy taste better. 

Then I started thinking about this election cycle, and all the stuff that goes with it, and how it connects to this piece of chainsaw art . 

I would have to say that these two mushrooms represent the Republican and Democratic political parties, in that, like mushrooms, both parties are quite effectively feeding off a rotting tree, leaching every last bit of nutrients from its once seemingly endless, now nearly dead, body of resources. 

And since mushrooms grow in the dark, usually in the wet floor of the forest, I felt that both mushrooms are the like Romney and Obama relying on the deciduously rotting flesh of life, in this case, rotten opinion polls, lobbyists, special interest groups, corporations, or anyone else who can afford to affect the political system, instead of making decisions based on what is right for the people of the United States of America.

The citizens of this great country have been emotionally and provocatively purchased by the very rich founders of the Republican Tea Party movement, (see http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Prosperity).

I don't mind anyone legally owning a weapon.  I don't mind where people go to pray, or worship, whether it be a church, mosque, synagogue, or cave.  I don’t care whether people want to see their doctor, or dentist, or not.  I don’t even mind if anyone reads “The Star” or “The Enquirer” magazines, or “The Bible”, “Koran”, or “Tonakh” for that matter.  But I do mind when people try to tell me that it is best for me to believe that this country is a Christian country, and that I should blindly accept laws written to serve and force their Christian Based religious views upon me.  

I support the freedom that The Constitution, The Bill of Rights, and the legal decisions of the United States Supreme Court have afforded all of us.  If anyone doesn’t want to see loving people marry without regard for gender, or quality health care for everyone (yes a woman’s right to choose is part of that system), or a system of fair taxation where everyone pays his or her fair share (corporate and private), or legalized and regulated marijuana (similar to alcohol, which would decimate the illegitimate market, and reduce the amount of people in prison), then I guess the emotional ploy of wanting more freedom, and smaller government for the people of The United States is pure Republican Tea Party rubbish! 

The fabricated strategic business plan called “the Tea Party Movement”, has an emotional hold on America, and it is appalling!  How can anyone call for any legislature to limit anyone’s Constitutionally guaranteed freedoms and stand for smaller government at the same time?  The argument can’t, and doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. 

How does LIMITING MY FREEDOM to CHOOSE what is RIGHT FOR ME, make us any different from a nation ruled by religion, a dictator, or communism?

Campy Out!

Christian Nation???

And now...   My Rant...  My Opinion... My Thoughts....
 
Try to remember, I am not angry!  I just want to set the facts strait.
Now imagine me smoking my peace pipe while I speak this writing.  I am not angry, and I am not hurt.  I am quite peaceful, tolerant, and above all, happy to be in our country with you.  I write this quickly as I am fading to sleep, but I want to do my due diligence in setting what I feel is a fundamental error in American politics and popular thinking.
 
I'd like to correct misconception...  

WE ARE NOT A CHRISTIAN NATION!!!!!!  

We are a nation formed by people, in many cases, who came here looking for the freedom to practice religion free from persecution.  Remember Roger Williams, The Mayflower, and Jamestown Virginia?  All wanted to start fresh from persecution from the Catholic Church, the English Anglican Church, and Lutheranism.

"If the U.S. was founded on the Christian religion, the Constitution would clearly say so--but it does not. Nowhere does the Constitution say: "The United States is a Christian Nation", or anything even close to that. In fact, the words "Jesus Christ, Christianity, Bible, Creator, Divine, and God" are never mentioned in the Constitution-- not even once. Nowhere in the Constitution is religion mentioned, except in exclusionary terms. When the Founders wrote the nation's Constitution, they specified that "no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States." (Article 6, section 3)   This provision was radical in its day-- giving equal citizenship to believers and non-believers alike.  They wanted to ensure that no religion could make the claim of being the official, national religion, such as England had."  (Found at: http://freethought.mbdojo.com/foundingfathers.html)

I spent 20 years defending the document that separated Church and State because of that reason.  Our Constitutionally Guaranteed Freedom of Religion assures each and every one of us UNITED STATES CITIZENS that we may practice any religion we choose!! Or not to practice as I choose.   

Take a look at any fully Islamic country that is governed by Sharia Law.  In that country it really sucks to be Christian, or Jew, or female, or handicapped, opinionated, or weaponless for that matter.  Just ask that 14 year old girl that got shot on the bus, by a bunch of Armed, Illiterate, Intolerant, Fundamentalist, Islamist thugs parading around as Taliban.  

Do you get my point??? Religious tolerance is the key, not religious unity.

Quotes on religion: (Googled them all)

"Millions of innocent men, women and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined and imprisoned; yet we have not advanced one inch towards uniformity."
-Thomas Jefferson, Notes on Virginia, 1782

"Question with boldness even the existence of a god; because if there be one he must approve of the homage of reason more than that of blindfolded fear."
-Thomas Jefferson, letter to Peter Carr, August 10, 1787

"Where the preamble declares, that coercion is a departure from the plan of the holy author of our religion, an amendment was proposed by inserting "Jesus Christ," so that it would read "A departure from the plan of Jesus Christ, the holy author of our religion;" the insertion was rejected by the great majority, in proof that they meant to comprehend, within the mantle of its protection, the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and Mohammedan, the Hindoo and Infidel of every denomination."
-Thomas Jefferson, Autobiography, in reference to the Virginia Act for Religious Freedom

“The government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion”
- George Washington

“Of all religions, Christianity is without a doubt the one that should inspire tolerance most, although, up to now, the Christians have been the most intolerant of all men”
- Voltaire

“The Christian churches and Christianity have nothing in common save in name: they are utterly hostile opposites. The churches are arrogance, violence, usurpation, rigidity, death; Christianity is humility, penitence, submissiveness, progress, life.” - Leo Tolstoy

Think about this... Please!  Too many people have been killed in the name of religion.  There is no religion, that is free from this either.  Even the very supposition that someone named Jesus died for my sins makes no sense to me at all!

Good night folks!!

I love you!

Campy Out!

My National Financial Rant (For Today)

The wealth that this economy was built on, still resides at the top of the global economic food chain. 

This can is evidenced by me, in an anecdotal way, by my experiences at the boat shows.  Even though the housing market was crashing and people were being forced in to foreclosure, large luxury yachts continued to sell well.  And this has been happening since the crash happened on President Bush's watch.

Luxury boats, vacation houses, and upscale town homes in posh areas continue to sell well, while median home sales are still stagnant, as are new home starts.  The money that the middle class and the poor need to pay off their debt is locked up at the top of the global economic food chain, and the rich keep getting richer, while the poor continue to stay poor.  And this is what financial redistribution is all about. 

If the republicans take office in January, we can count on more of the same solid business favoring less regulation, less government, less involvement, more privatization of services, and a reduction in social services, and less federal oversight in education and health care.  This will only serve to benefit large business, and their investors, at the cost of stripping the middle class and the poor of any remaining aid, services, and educational programs that they need.

I'm not smart enough to have a suggestion as to how to correct the problem, nor can I say that Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, and other really smart "Gajillionaires" are right when they are giving away major portions of their wealth to charities, trusts, research, and foundations.

President Obama was right on when he said "America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership."  I couldn't agree with him more.  President Obama has to introduce laws the same way members of the Congress and the Senate do.  If the Senate and the Congress pass the Bill, they send it on to the President for final signature.

No Law is created in a void!!  The President can and does create and introduce Bills, same as any other Senator and Congressman.  That Bill then gets forwarded on for review and approval, by the Senate and Congress.  How did your Representative, and Senators vote on any Bill that the President signed into Law???

Seems to me a bunch of Republicans and Democrats are to blame for this lack of leadership. 

Just think about this, Senator Mark L. Pryor (D) Arkansas stated, " You don't need to pass an IQ test to be in the Senate."  I would tend to agree with that statement as well.

Romney and Obama are smart men, surrounded by really smart people.  My fear is that if Romney gets the nod for President in November, our country will make short gains in the economy, but only as far as the lopsided world economy will support it until we suffer another economic collapse, only the next collapse will be worse due to the lack of federal aid, healthcare, and other services that were either privatized or not quite up and running at the state level when it happens.

This is a global issue, and I think we need to focus on making large and mid sized businesses help redistribute the wealth of the nation. Again, I don't have an answer, but just look at the paychecks, perks, and incentives that CEO's get each year, and the size of the profits that are being reported from the big oil, airlines, pharmacy and medical device companies. 

The republican mantra of reducing government involvement and taxation is just what big money needs to make more money... on the little guys backs.

Campy Out!

A Political Service Announcment. (FACT???)

And now a public service announcement (received this morning from a good friend, Thanks Mike!
 (I should fact check this stuff!   Presently, this is not fact, but may be this afternoon, or tomorrow! And NO I DON't KNOW WHO STAN IS!)

Dear Red States: 

We're ticked off at your Neanderthal attitudes and politics and we've decided we're leaving. "Legitimate rape." Sheesh!

We in New York intend to form our own country and we're taking the other Blue States with us.

In case you aren't aware that includes California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and the rest of the Northeast.

We believe this split will be beneficial to the nation and especially to the people of the new country of The Enlightened States of America (E.S.A).

To sum up briefly:

You get Texas, Oklahoma and all the slave states.

We get stem cell research and the best beaches.

We get Andrew Cuomo and Elizabeth Warren. You get Bobby Jindal and Todd Akin.

We get the Statue of Liberty. You get OpryLand.

We get Intel and Microsoft. You get WorldCom.

We get Harvard. You get Ole' Miss.

We get 85 percent of America's venture capital and entrepreneurs.

You get Alabama.

We get two-thirds of the tax revenue. You get to make the red states pay their fair share.

Since our aggregate divorce rate is 22 percent lower than the Christian Coalition's we get a bunch of happy families. You get a bunch of single moms.

Please be aware that the E.S.A. will be pro choice and anti war and we're going to want all our citizens back from Afghanistan at once. If you need people to fight, ask your evangelicals. They have kids they're apparently willing to send to their deaths for no purpose and they don't care if you don't show pictures of their children's caskets coming home.

We wish you success in Afghanistan, and possibly Iran as well, but we're not willing to spend our resources in these sorts of pursuits.

With the Blue States in hand we will have firm control of 80% of the country's fresh water, more than 90% of the pineapple and lettuce, 92% of the nation's fresh fruit, 95% of America's quality wines (you can serve French wines at state dinners) 90% of all cheese, 90 percent of the high tech industry, most of the US low sulfur coal, all living redwoods, sequoias and condors, all the Ivy and Seven Sister schools plus Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Cal Tech and MIT.

With the Red States you will have to cope with 88% of all obese Americans and their projected health care costs, 92% of all US mosquitoes, nearly 100% of the tornadoes, 90% of the hurricanes, 99% of all Southern Baptists, virtually 100% of all televangelists, Rush Limbaugh, Bob Jones University, Clemson and the University of Georgia.

We get Hollywood and Yosemite, thank you.

38% of those in the Red states believe Jonah was actually swallowed by a whale, 62% believe life is sacred unless we're discussing the death penalty or gun laws, 44% say that evolution is only a theory, 53% that Saddam was involved in 9/11 and 61% of you crazy bastards believe you are people with higher morals then we lefties.

We're taking the good weed too. You can have that crap they grow in Mexico.
Sincerely,

Stan Singer
Citizen of the Enlightened States of America


Campy Out!

Where were you September 11, 2001?

Time does very funny things to people...

(This was written as an answer to a friends statement in Facebook, about today's subdued coverage of September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, and the national news preferential treatment of the Kardashian's butt jobs, over the solemn nature of this day in still recent history.)

September 11, 2001, began a 3 day ordeal for me as our Navy Hospital went on lock down.  However we couldn't close our Emergency Room due to the number of people we ended up seeing in shock, quite literally hearts broke. My shipmates and I stood outside the front gate of the base, and triaged many people into emergent and pass to the Emergency Department, or asked them to please go home and wait for us to call you.  We recorded all the names, and called them all over the next week, as we set up a temporary hospital in a more advantageous area for our public.

I'll never forget how understanding everyone was, how they brought us food, coffee, umbrellas, and general thanks.  We, as a nation, felt part of something very very terrible.  We, as a nation, were all numb, stunned, and breathless.  As anger tried to set in, it was everyone lining the streets with OUR FLAG and OUR NATIONAL pride started to soar, like OUR precious Bald Eagle flying higher and higher about to strike it's prey, but when the time was right.

I've been retired now for 10 years.  I knew two people who died in the Pentagon, and one who died in the Towers.  I have never watched an episode of the Kardashian's. I despise the political rhetoric that we are forced to lay witness to, and I hope to never forget that on September 14th, 2001, I was sailing on the Puget Sound with my family in an very quiet bubble... no flights, no ferries, no tankers, no other boaters except the US Coast Guard.

We were most respectfully pulled over and searched by a team of young professionals that understood what they were doing, and why they had stopped us, and after hearing each others stories, let us sail off, as we were CITIZENS of this worlds GREATEST FREE SOCIETY.

Don't sweat the Kardashian's. Don't worry about the absence and subdued nature of remembering September 11th, or December 7th for that matter. This nation is continually protected by the best people there is in the world. They are your sons, your daughters, your uncles, aunts, fathers, and mothers.

They are on watch, in order to protect your right to watch the Kardashian's, post and spread political rhetoric, say and speak to whom ever you chose, hold a job, and to pray where ever and to whomever you chose, among many other liberties. And it is done quietly, almost silently, and some have died for your RIGHT to do so.

Remember quietly if you need to, loudly if you feel the need to, and if the urge hits you write something, or sing, or cry, or remember someone's laugh, and laugh for those who will never laugh again.  But be sure that you will be able to do it tomorrow, next week, and next year, and as sure as your are a CITIZEN of the GREATEST and MOST FREE NATION WORLD HAS EVER KNOWN, for the rest of your life.

PEACE TO ALL OF US!


Campy Out!

More Chuckle Head Boaters!

Hello again!

In keeping with this week's theme of safe boating.  Here are a few pictures of people who were not so safe around us as we "sailed" around Kitsap Peninsula in our 1973, 22 foot, Catalina Sailboat. I don't know who these people are, however most of these boats had large boat name decals, or name and origination port painted on the boat somewhere.  These pictures were taken with a standard hand held digital camera simply set on "landscape" or "anti blur."

So here goes!  My hat is off to all you ignorant power boaters! May you all hit a submerged log at speed!

First here is a series of pictures as a 40 foot trawler that really came up on us fast.  The only reason we can figure that this chuckle head slowed down was to navigate his way through all the fishing vessels off of Point No Point.  As soon as he passed the last fishing boat, he resumed his cruising speed... and his wake!

I have no doubt that this guy had seen us, because he waved at me! Chuckle Head!!!

This next guy is crazy!  He passed us as we went under the Agate Pass Bridge.  There was little room for error due to the narrow span of the cut.

And this last chuckle head is in a pretty cool boat.  I actually want to buy one just like it!  He came so close I asked him if he wanted to shake hands.  He said. "SURE!" and proceeded to get even closer.  I estimate that if I can do 5 to 6 knots, he must have been cooking along at about 10 or 12 knots.  He then turned into me as if to follow through with my request.  To which I asked him if he was stupid, or something. Hearing that he quickly turned away, magnifying his wake which was about 3 feet tall.

I'm going sailing again this next week with my sister. We are so looking forward to having no company from other boating chuckle heads since they're all back at work, or back at school.  We'll be sure to grab more pictures if we see any.

Campy Out!

Rules of the Road for Vessel Navigation

A story of danger at while underway.

BACKGROUND

I’d like to state rather clearly, that this isn't a letter to anyone in particular, especially to the Skipper of the large white motor yacht named “Flying Colors”. 

This letter is a special request to anyone who boats anywhere, whether you are the captain of an approximately 60 foot, significantly well powered, Motor Yacht, or the captain of a vintage 1973, 22 foot, blue Catalina sailboat, with a white top, and a 5 hp outboard, named "WINDSOCKET," to understand and know that there are basic internationally accepted and understood navigational “rules of the road” that all vessel captains are bound to adhere to.

The “Rules of the Road” are published under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, by the United States Coast Guard.  An updated copy can be found by “navigating” any computer, or smart phone to the following link:

http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=navRulesContent .  

The US Coast Guard also has a very good Frequently Asked Questions Page with can be found at:
http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=navRulesFAQ#0.3_7

The Navigation Rules are much like the rules of the road on the highway. They establish a consistent way to navigate safely and avoid collisions when two boats are crossing paths, are on course to meet head-on, or when one boat wishes to overtake another. Also found at:
http://www.uscgboating.org/regulations/navigation_rules.aspx

Washington State also requires that any pleasure boat captain on Washington State navigable waters obtain a Safe Boating Certificate.  The course is on line, and can be found at:
http://www.boat-ed.com/wa/index.htm

THE STORY

My wife Sue and I were on a week long sailing trip on the Puget Sound.  We had planned on sailing down Hood Canal to Union or where ever we ended up. We departed Port Orchard on Monday, August 27th, 2012 for Port Ludlow Marina.  We had a pleasant  but choppy motor sail in breezy but warm conditions.  We were in our 22 foot Catalina, “WINDSOCKET” that we had owned and sailed since the spring of 2000. We are very comfortable in our small boat, and especially enjoy going where the big boats can’t go.

After spending the night in Port Ludlow, Sue and I departed the marina and headed for Pleasant Harbor Marina, Tuesday, August 28, at about 0900 hrs, in order to capitalize on the southward movement of the flooding tide.  We had gorgeous blue skies, unlimited visibility, and very smooth water.  As we reached a point roughly about two  miles north north west of Hood Head’s Point Hannon, at the very mouth of Hood Canal, I noticed a large motor yacht exiting Port Ludlow just east of Tala Point just outside Port Ludlow.

Having no radar, I made mental note of where the motor yacht was and I watched her in order to “guess” her speed and course.  I noticed that she changed heading to follow in our general direction.  I was satisfied that this larger motor yacht was well astern to us, yet on a similar course, and I assumed that the motor yacht captain could, or would at least soon, see our sailboat in the near perfect conditions. My wife Susan had also noted the vessel and mentioned it to me casually.

I was attempting to steer as close to Hood Head, in attempt to make the shortest distance possible between our position and the west rise of the Hood Canal Bridge, and to allow the deeper drafted motor yacht to do the same as he would at some point over take us.  I felt that by cutting the corner  as close as possible keeping Hood Head to my starboard, favoring the shallower water, the deeper vessel would overtake us to our port side.  We’ve learned to think this way over the years of traveling in a smaller boat.  

As a matter of note, I feel it is pertinent to mention that the WINDSOCKET has only a basic hand held, chartless, Garmin Etrex GPS, no radar, and no auto pilot, but we do have a fixed Marine VHF, and a hand held VHF radio that is always on when underway. It’s pure, old fashioned, Popeye styled, hands on the tiller, and eyes on the water navigation for the entire journey.

At about 1000 hrs, I noticed that the large motor yacht was closing in on us, and would soon overtake us. As I am a believer in the unofficial physical law of tonnage, being that this vessel was enormous when compared to our vessel, I attempted to move further west toward Hood Head in an attempt to get out of his way even though, according to the rules of the road, we were the “stand on”vessel in an overtaking situation and had the responsibility, and supposed expectation to the overtaking vessel, not to change our course.

A short time after that things got a bit dicey as the larger motor yacht passed us at no less than 50 feet to our starboard, at cruising speed, which I can only guess was approximately 15 knots.  The vessel’s wake was quick to hit us, and at over 4-5 feet in height left Sue and I in a precarious situation.  I was at the tiller and decided to quarter the vessel’s wake.  As WINDSOCKET rode the first wave up and slammed into the following wave, submerging her bow, Sue and I held on for dear life, quite literally.  Fortunately our boat is well built and well maintained for her age, and we both wear auto auto inflating PFD ‘s while under way. 

We did a quick assessment of each other, and then a check of the boat for damage.  We never learned the vessel’s name until we got to Pleasant Harbor and saw that the larger vessel was at anchor. I also had innocently placed a camera on the bow pulpit of the WINDSOCKET in order to record our journey.  This following picture was snapped as the motor yacht “FLYING COLORS” over took us and continued down the Hood Canal.  This picture has not been altered in any way, but it was taken by the automatically timed bow camera, after we had made a course correction that put directly in the larger vessel’s wake.


Please remember that his is only my side of the story, as I saw it when it happened. I do not know what the view was from the flying bridge of the larger motor yacht.  No doubt the view from 30 feet above the water, the same height as my mast, must have seemed less ominous than Sue and I had experienced. 




The once overtaking, now passing vessel was very large, and comfortable, well appointed, well built, luxury yacht. As such I would imagine she would have many modern electronic navigation systems, such as radar, GPS chart plotter, auto pilot, remote helms, communication systems, such as a VHF radio system, and audible warning systems, such as a ships whistle.

To make light of the situation, Sue and I sat in WINDSOCKET’s cockpit and I decided to list a few easily overlooked issues that I felt may have been actually honest and/or innocent errors that could have been made by any chuckle head, including myself, who has piloted any yacht, at any time, anywhere in the world.  In doing so, I had hoped to level the playing field by removing the question of personal wealth and thus, privilege and self worth, from the equation. 
 
Innocent Errors - My Emotional Dump

1.  Loss of common sense, which tends to escape even the smartest of us at times.

2.  Lapse of judgment, which also tends to screw with the best of us.

3.  Big vessel captain or crew didn’t, or couldn’t, actually see my little yacht on the big wide Hood Canal.

4.  Didn’t know how to turn off the auto-pilot when the little boat was identified as something other than flotsam or jetsam.

5.  Large vessel engine was stuck in drive while at cruising RPM.  This will eventually happen to all of us!  And it is my opinion that the bigger the boat, the more maintenance has to be farmed out, making skipper/owners of larger vessels more financiers than engineers, especially when shit breaks. This poses big lack of resources issues when underway. 

6.  Vessel captain was otherwise occupied doing, or getting (… you fill in the blank…), and thus he and the other two ladies on the bridge missed seeing the little 22 foot boat.  I’ll cut this particular guy a load of slack here, because every skipper (male and female) have all secretly dreamed of getting our “wild thing” on while at the helm. 

7.  Dozed off???  We’ve all done it! And you know it!

8.  Now this particular captain is probably a really nice guy.  But somehow I got the feeling, after meeting him, that he could be any one of the uber-wealthy, eye rolling, nose thumbing, self centered, service expecting, baby boomer, Mercedes SL driving, yacht club burgee jacket wearing commodore wannabe, uppity douche bags, that have actually lost touch with reality, and actually believes that this world revolves around himself.  In which case, nothing I could have done at the time, nor in retrospect, would have changed the outcome of what had actually happened.

Now that I'm over the emotional trauma of the event, Sue and I decided to do a root cause analysis of the event in an effort to learn more about boating. Here is our result:

My Errors

In all honesty, I committed four errors in judgment that I’ll own. 

1.  Rule 5 - Lookout:  I did not check the overtaking motor yacht’s progress toward my vessel more frequently than I should have and corrected my course as appropriately due to the unofficial and unwritten “law of tonnage” in an effort to protect our vessel.

2.  Rule 7(c) - Risk of Collision:    I assumed that the vessels captain understood basic seamanship (in how damaging his wake could be), navigation (understanding that I was making course adjustments to proceed past Hood Head to my starboard), rules of the road (larger vessel passes outboard the smaller vessel and the hazard due to the deeper water), and just plain common courtesy.

3.  Rule 34(h) - Maneuvering and Warning Signs:    I  did not attempt to radio the captain of the overtaking vessel to inquire of his intentions.

4.  My personal rule: I chose to go boating on one of the three days I KNOW are the worst days to boat on.  These three days are in my opinion are the most dangerous days to boat on due to excessive speed, boating under the influence of alcohol, and lack of consideration for other boaters.


~Memorial day, When recreational boaters use their boats for the first time of the year  
~July 4th, When boaters are hurrying to parties and fireworks displays and may be drinking,  

~Labor Day, When boaters can be mad at paying for their boats all year long and not using them.  

Errors (In my judgment) the FLYING COLORS captain committed

Rule 2 - Responsibility:  The captain did not show due regard with respect to our smaller vessel and the ensuing danger he placed us in with his wake his vessel was producing at the speed he was travelling, and at the distance at which he overtook us.

Rule 5 - Lookout:  The captain if the larger vessel did not keep a proper lookout in order to properly see us, recognize us, and avoid our smaller vessel.

Rule 6 - Safe Speed:  The separation between the two vessels was minimal at best, which required the larger vessel to reduce speed to a safe speed that would not jeopardize the stand on vessel.

Rule 8 - Action to Avoid Collision:  The captain of the larger overtaking vessel had minimal distance between Hood Head to starboard and our smaller vessel.  This reduced his maneuverability and increased our risk of damage as he passed between our smaller vessel and Hood Head.

Rule 16 - Action by Give-Way Vessel:  The larger vessel was the give-way vessel which obligated him to give way, or move to a safe distance in order to pass my smaller vessel which was obligated to stay our course as the stand-on vessel.

Rule 34(a)(c) - Maneuvering and Warning Signals:  The larger overtaking vessel was required to signal his intent to pass me on my starboard with one short blast on his horn or whistle, or two short blasts if he intended to pass us on our port side.  He also should have tried to reach us on our VHF radio. 

CONCLUSION

After Sue and I looked back at this as a learning opportunity, it was painfully obvious that we who take to the waterways in smaller vessels, cannot depend on the captains of other vessels to know, or do, what is expected of them in by the rules of the road. In essence, when dealing with pleasure craft of any size, only we aboard our vessel control the safety and ultimate fate of our vessel. 

Only by learning our vessel by inspecting our boat, and performing our own maintenance, learning how to sail, learning how to properly navigate and abide by the rules of the road, obtaining the required Washington Safe Boating certificate, and depending on our past experiences in dealing with negligent, or ignorant vessel captains, can we operate a safe vessel.  

As always, plan we must and assume the worst situation and adjust our boat’s condition accordingly.  We cannot depend on other pleasure boat captains to show due regard toward our vessel, nor to perform due diligence in maintaining and operating their vessel.

Campy Out!!