Today's Battles

An Open Letter to President Obama and Speaker of the House, John Boehner;

I am the first to admit that I am just an ordinary citizen, with an average intelligence and lacking in college degrees since my only school was the one of hard knocks. With that being said I have a few comments with respect to what I understand could be a problem or two with respect to our debt problems and our gun problems, two totally different, but important issues today.

 First, with respect to the debt situation; we hear on the radio, from the television, and from the news media in general,  that there are certain things that need to be cut. We should all agree  that cuts are necessary .

 

1.       Let’s quit giving a free ride to the people of our country. Presently our government is  giving free cell phones, free and/or subsidized housing,  and money (in the form of income tax returns, where the recipient didn’t pay anything in in the first place, ) to people because they think it is necessary. Maybe we should let them pay a minimum income tax, say a meager $10.00 or so per year to help offset the cost of the military needs, the various research needs ,and other necessities of the government machine, just so they can say they really love this wonderful country and take some pride is supporting it? I have heard that there are many people that not only do not pay any income tax, but after not paying taxes , they actually are receiving refunds of money they didn’t pay in the first place. 

Let’s say “No” to those unmarried mothers with the many children that were brought into this world for the sole purpose of obtaining welfare money.  

Let’s say “No” the many people who claim they cannot work, get their social security disability checks each month, and then start lawn services, babysitting services, and many other services that require physical labor, and are paid for in cash. (under the table)

Maybe we should put some restrictions on the attorneys that represent those same people.  They must make quite a sum of money if they can afford to advertise on television the way that they do.  Consider  this,  that you and I are really paying those attorneys who are legally giving our social security  money  to these double-dipping  people they represent.

2.       What would happen if we quit giving our money , in the billions, to foreign country governments who squander it, whose citizens never see any benefits from it, and who could care less whether our great country survives or not? Why not spend it on our infrastructure, on our children’s education, on our storm ravaged communities.

3.       What would happen if the colleges were to quit spending millions on unnecessary programs and certain preferred teachers, and actually used that money to cut the costs for students. What if we decided that teachers that teach politics that are totally against our form of government,  were dismissed and replaced with logical, ethical, and United States loving professors.  What if professors could no longer tell the students they have to buy their  personally authored  and over- priced books, rather than those books written by intelligent people that have knowledge outside of the classroom and actually have experienced the things they are writing about rather than assuming what they are writing is correct.

 

WE have another serious problem called weaponry. I come from a family of hunters dating back into the 1800’s. My people were those that hunted for food, spent money on hunting equipment that was actually needed ,rather than on sub-machine guns and other types of guns for military use.

I am not against guns, but I am against military weapons being in the hands of anyone that wants one just to please some organization that over-emphasizes the need for such weapons and then hides behind certain amendments of the government.

Not too long ago my wife and I were privileged to be used as finger printers for a sheriff’s department. Our job was to fingerprint anyone that needed fingerprints for licenses or other reasons, such as pharmacy, child care, child safety, concealed weapon permits, doctors, and the list goes on and on.

In order for a person in that state to obtain a permit to carry a sidearm, he/she must go through a gun training class where they were to learn how to use the gun, how to clean and store the gun and all of the safety rules regarding that weapon. An excellent idea…however, when you have unscrupulous instructors you have no program. Many examples of what I am saying came through our office. One was an older gentleman in a wheelchair, who not only could not remember his name, but had to be pushed about. Another came in with a briefcase containing the paperwork but he could not identify himself and wasn’t sure why he was there. A lady, that could not hold her hands still to write, (it took over ½ hour to get most of her prints and we wrote a memo explaining why we could not get all of the prints done well) also came for her permit. Now I have to ask you how safe do you feel,  knowing these people passed the test and were given permits.

It was not unusual ,when we asked why they were getting a permit, to have them tell us their spouse thought it would be a good idea, or since permits might be harder to get later, they should get one now, even though they were afraid of the guns.

In order for regulations to work, regulators have to have the proper training and that should include mental evaluation as well as physical evaluation. Just collecting the sum required for the training and passing people through like cattle in a slaughter house is not the answer.

Well, as usual, I have now made more people disgusted with me, have upset many more, but hopefully have also given some a new slant on things of interest today.

 

Survival or Denial?

Have you considered wondered what might happen if you were involved in a “Sandy” type storm, or if all of the electricity would suddenly be turned off for some reason or another for an indefinite period of time; or even worse, you found yourself and your family completely isolated from the rest of the world, you need to consider being prepared.

Now I don’t want you to rush out and buy five guns, fifty boxes of shells, empty the grocery shelves, dig a cave and huddle frightened in a corner, that is not what this is all about. Being prepared requires intelligent planning, cautious buying, and basic common sense.

I recently came back from Iowa where I visited a few friends and relatives. It was interesting to find that one of the friends my wife and I stayed with for a few days had a room set up in their basement that housed enough canned foods and dried foods to last them approximately 90 days. I asked why they did that and they informed me that they are members of the Latter Day Saints Church and it has been suggesting the preparedness program since the 1930’s. When we visited their son’s farm and found a larger warehouse room yet that could feed probably ten or more people for 90 days plus several bottles of honey. (I discovered that he raised bees as well.)

The other evening I met a couple of gentlemen from another county that have formed a neighborhood watch group. It is their feeling that as a group of common-sense citizens, everyone could be kept living through food, water, canning, and some sort of animal raising, long enough for the infrastructure to be repaired. After the devastating tornado they spent many long hours in a successful attempt to get folks in their neighborhood interested in the program. Presently they have a “Square Foot Garden” available for those who want to raise something they feel important, and a “Community Garden” that everyone, or anyone, can work under the direction of someone who understands what is needed to keep a group of people, their size, in eatable foodstuffs, along with the canned goods they have set aside. They have gone a step further and have asked each family to raise a type of animal or bird, namely chickens, ducks, geese or rabbits for meat, and goats for milk. (Did you know that one goat can furnish enough milk for a family of four?)

Here are some of things they have suggested:

1.If you own a gun and are not certain how to use it, contact a specialist that can train you in the proper way of handling it, shooting it, and especially the proper way to maintain it.

2. Learn how to trap or snare animals for food, and how to preserve the meat by canning it.

   Your children will find this part of the training fascinating.

2. You can Mylar Wrap freeze dried foodstuffs, grain (rice is a good example) and other foods for storage. It is suggested you go to the LDS website for information on the Mylar Wraps.

3. Consider learning (your state park can help you) what edible plants are available and how to identify them

4. Talk to your neighbors about a neighborhood preparedness group.

5. Take the time to meet and communicate with your neighbors. Get to know them.

If you would like more information on how you could start your  own neighborhood watch group, check your local internet search engine under the search word “Preparedness.”

 

Motivation

Motivation - To Provide with a motive (Reference: Funk and Wagnalls Standard Desk Dictionary) Motivation - The act or the incidence motivating; the state or condition of being motivated . Motivate – Incite; impel (Reference: Webster’s Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary)

     Those were a lot of words just to describe something so simple as, getting geared up. My dad was a great motivator. He used to say “move,” and if you didn’t, he motivated us with a razor strap. You probably have no idea what a razor strap is. Well, for those that don’t know, back when they used a thing called a straight razor ( a very sharp knife sharpened like a surgical blade) to shave with, and it started to get too dull to cut those wicked whiskers we men get, the razor strap was removed from its hook on the wall. The razor was moved back and forth across the surface of the strap, with the sharp part moving away from the surface so it wouldn’t cut into the leather, and that action sharpened the razor to a surgical sharpness.

     Now the lesser known use for that heavy leather strap was to motivate my brother and me when we needed motivated. Mom was a pretty good motivator too. Whenever we said something that we should not say, she motivated us to a better use of our mouths by putting part of a bar of soap in it. Let me tell you that in those days, with that soap…well you get the idea.

     In this so-called civilized world, that we live in today, we have so many motivation devices you can’t count them. A quick example might be these; Intimidation, Fear, Starvation, Desire, Success, lack of Success, Talent, Illness, Love, Hate, Health Concerns, Spanking, Time- outs. How many times have you said to yourself something like, I’ll starve before I eat that! Most of us have said it, but we didn’t mean it. Starving is the last thing we would really do, and if we were reaching that point, we would be MOTIVATED to eat whatever it was we said we would starve before consuming. Several years ago I wrote my first book. It wasn’t much of a book, just a book of poems describing different occupations. The motivation for writing that little book was my wife who asked, "Why don’t you answer those kids that you meet at the school crossings with a book of answers? I answered, what questions? (I was a school crossing guard at the time.) She said, “You are always telling me that they ask you why the workers that they see wear different clothing, or do different things.” In this case, The kids MOTIVATED her, through their questions to me. She MOTIVATED me to write the book. Unfortunately, no one motivated people to read it, so the book was not very successful. Perhaps I should have worked harder on the Motivation Factor. (see next week)

Sometimes getting the right answer is not the answer we wish to hear. I recently taught a class on writing and I discovered that while most of the people, attending the class, were there to learn something, some were there to antagonize the rest of the class. Hecklers come in all sizes, ages, and descriptions. You can't look at each person entering your classroom, immediately identify them, and get rid of them so you have to wait. When you are 100% sure of which ones are the culprits, you have to go into action. Now the rub. If you are sure who they are, and generally they leave little doubt, the first thing you have to identify is whether they are helping or hindering. Sometimes the heckler causes the rest of the class to take a bit of pity on the instructor and comes to his/her defence. This does not help however, because before the subject being taught is paramount, it is derailed by the thought that the insructor can't hold his/her own in the situation, i.e. faith is lost in the instructor. If the heckler is one that imitates some comedian he/she likes, it comes out quickly and no one laughs, but rather the students immediately identify who the heckler imitating and pays no attention to him/her. The heckler has lost face and either becomes a working member of the class, or just does not return. For me the best approach has been to ignore them. Getting into a verbal battle with a joker is a good way to become the joker yourself. His/her self appointed job is to belittle you and what you are trying to accomplish. Your job is to overcome the situation, or even better, to bring them into the class as a real student. I have found an indirect approach that has worked for me is pretending to appreciate this person. I try very hard to keep close eye contact with him/her. I also tend to direct many questions to that person for their answers and/or opinions. After they give thier answers I ask them what reference I might get from them for additional informatin regarding the subject. It is soon discovered this person has very little knowledge of this, or any other subject and dislike have the spot light now thrown on them. Another sucessful direction I have used it to ignore the person by not responding to his/her questions. I have suggested that another person in the class answer his quest, and I try to pick out someone in the class that will require sympathy from the class, just in the case they answer it incorrectly. A firm and quick answer to some of these absurd questions is, "Not knowing to a positive degree of certainty, I would hesitate in making my response." You can't use this over and over of course, but when I do use that answer, I smile broadly and look directly at the perpetrator. Everyone in the class can see that I have given him/her a dignified answer that requires no answer from them. The rest of the class generally giggle, laugh, or just say, "Gosh I'm going to write that down, I like that answer and it fills a lot of voids." Oh, by the way, I can thank my brother for that answer as he used it a lot when he workd for the state as an inspector for highway construction where all the guys were big and burly and had an answere for everything...well almost everything.

A Must See Video

Elections are frequently nasty, it seems. I have watched them since 1956 when I reached that wonderful age of 21, even collected ballot boxes a time or two and transfered them for counting. I recall some heavy mud slinging as well as some more gentlemanly debates, all in the usual, although irritating at times, retoric spent from the mouths of politicians that really never intended to please anyone but themselves in the first place. This is called politics! The rule seems to be to tell the constituents anything, get elected, and then do as you please. One thing that has never been played on a national level, at least that I can remember, is the race card. I grew up with black kids, red kids, darker than normal kids, and white kids. We all got along great, played together, sometimes almost cried together. Some of my friends are no longer around, but the memories of those missing lingers on. Today I received a video that sent chills through my body. Racism should have no place in our government, especially from a person that has been elected as our president. It is a shame when a person of that office, throws away all dignity to dishonor a special day, by asking that he be re-elected not because of his actions, not because of his achievements, but because of his race. We need unity in this country, not division. You can watch this video and respond as you feel necessary. I am sending it out to all of the citizens of this United States of American and I sincerely hope you view it, digest it, and do what you think is right. Thanks and have a great, God Blessed, Day.You can paste the url below to your browser to view the video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=BdjoHA5ocwU Tom Ault

Ault's Paradise: Who Every Knew?

Ault's Paradise: Who Every Knew?http://thomasault.webs.com

Who Every Knew?

Did you know that you can do anything you set your mind to do? I bet you haven't tried it, I know that I have not carried out that exercise to its fullest extent.

Not too long ago, that is if you are as old as Methuselah, I tried my hand at selling, writing, singing, starting three companies, engraving, and some other things I have no doubt forgotten about, and can't really say I was successful at any of them. I now know why...I didn't set my mind to the fact that I not only could, but would do the task before me.

Oh yeah, I was successful in the fact that I didn't fail, but I was never really successful. I had my mind on too many things that really didn't matter at the time, but I guess I thought they did. Never did I truly commit myself to the task, never did I say to myself, "I will do it and not look back...I will do it because I want to achieve...I will do it because I can!

Now, I ask you again, have you really tried to exceed, or have you gone about it half heartedly just like I did?

Time magazine

I just received my May 21 copy of Time Magazine. If you have the time, and the money to purchase one, please do so.

It seems to me that we are letting the wrong folks get a tight hold on what is being sent out to the nice people of our country. Maybe I am wrong, but when a three year old boy is still a suckling child it appears to me either the child has a serious problem, his mother does, or they both do.

If you agree with me, and after you look at this cover that your whole family can see, write to letters@time.com with your name, address and phone number and let them know what you think. Pro or Con would be acceptable to them I am sure.

Why-----

today, with all of the important things we need to consider, do we spend our time worrying about what a candidate did over 40 years ago? Why do we worry about same-sex marriage when we have people with bombs hidden on their bodies with which to kill innocent folks? Why do we concern ourselves with problems that weren't problems until the media made them into problems?

As I sit here and look out of my back window, I wonder if tomorrow the scene will still be there. I wonder if my friends will still be alive and well. I wonder about if a brain aneurysm is going to seriously injure a family friend, or if a member of my family will be able to use her left hand any more since it became injured a few weeks ago.

I have never been so bitter about our government executives as I have become this year. While they sit on their proverbial asses and collect money they don't earn just waiting for their retirement which is about as obscene as their salaries, our country is being sold to the highest bidder and they don't care.

My friends, and my enemies for, which ever the case may be, I don't know about you, but it is my deep concern that our country is headed where all countries ended up when the citizenry decided that they were too unprepared to run their own lives and let the government do it for them.

A couple of years we went to Russia. The area surrounding St.Petersburg was nothing but urban blight, the means of transportation was older than I am and that isn't good, the people don't smile or laugh but look they are waiting for the next shoe to fall, and yet when you ask them how they are doing, they take the potato they were allowed and tell you they are preparing a meal.

WAKE UP!

WE ARE GOING TO END UP WITH ABSOLUTELY NOTHING BUT GOVERNMENT HANDOUTS AND IF YOU REALLY THINK THAT IS A GOOD THING, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS YOU ARE IN FOR ONE BIG SURPRISE!

Am I Too Late?

Is a person too late to do things when they reach 60, or 70, or beyond? That question has no doubt haunted many of us that have reached retirement age. I recently read about a fellow who parachuted on his 80th birthday, a 92 year old that went bunchie cord diving, and then about a 18 month old that is learning to ski.

Age is apparently no measure of what a person can do, or when he/she might accomplish it.

All of my working life was spent working with a bit of golf and fishing thrown in for good measure. It wasn't until I retired and ventured out of my comfort zone that I discovered reading, writing, and the fellowship of those that enjoyed those things.

I wish I had discovered writing a lot sooner. Have you tried it yet? I wrote a couple of newspaper articles when I was upset about something, but that was just a way to vent. A couple of the companies I worked for let me write training manuals for them, but I really don't know if they ever used them. Monthly news letters to employers were fun, required some research, and went to folks who probably trash-canned them as quickly as they arrived.

Writing books is a great releaser. You can write about people (without using their names or other specifics) and tell the truth, or make things up based on the way you viewed them. You can write about places you have visited and skewer the story any way you think it should have been, in a kind and descriptive manner of course. I personally like to become one of the characters I am writing about, and let the story build from there.

Right now I just am enjoying the real Ault's Place. The early spring, the beautiful flowers in full bloom already, the flowering trees (even with the allergies they cause), and the temperature that I wish could remain all year long.

The paths we created for the deer are being used during the day by our little Schnoodle, Jake, who investigates everything and generally comes back to the house covered with matter of all types from the leaves, the ground,the thorn bushes, or the weeds and other "whatever" is growing in the woods.(that includes fleas, ants, ticks, or worse)

I hope that your visits to Ault's Place are not boring, disillusioning, disgusting or regretful, but rather informative, interesting, and pleasant.

If you have some thoughts about things you would like to read about, write a comment. I will read it and see what can be done.....

Bye for now.