Drug Testing

Found this cartoon that seemed to fit the theme of this post!!

"the fucking bottom feeders on welfare can just damn well do the piss tests."


This comment totally missed the point of my last post!!  That post wasn't a rant against drug testing, this one is.  The last post was about those that make the rules should also follow those rules.  WHAT'S GOOD FOR THE GOOSE IS GOOD FOR THE GANDER!!!!!!  One of the problems in this country is there's two Americas, one for those who have to follow the rules and pay and those to whom the rules are mere suggestions and not really ones they need to obey unless they choose to obey them and to whom stuff is given freely even tho they can more than afford to pay.


Hey, if the president has to piss in a cup(and he does), then a piss-ant congress-critter can too!!!!!!
"
The real issue here is not drugs, but rather the issues of privacy, due process, probable cause, and the fourth amendment. We are dealing with a constitutional issue of the utmost importance. It raises the question of whether or not we understand the overriding principle of the 4th amendment."  Ron Paul '97

Now if it's a 4th amendment issue for Congress, it should also be a 4th Amendment issue for all of us.  I remember learning when I was in school that in this country a person is innocent until proven guilty, but with the way drug testing is done you are guilty until you prove you're innocent.  Totally ass-backwards. 

Another reason I am against drug testing willy-nilly is the tests are unreliable.  When you are going to do thousands of tests, you go with the low bidder regardless of the results.  When there is a false positive, that person will play hell trying to clear their name or may never know the result and will wonder why they are having so much trouble getting a job!!  If it's a false negative, then the test is bogus.  You haven't accomplished anything with the test and would have had the same result without the test and saved money at the same time.  Why don't they report on the inaccuracy of drug testing any more, don't think they've improved, just nobody talks about it anymore!!

When they first started this bullshit of drug testing, the rationale was public safety.  Test those that whose jobs could be a hazard to the public, truck drivers, pilots, train operators, and those in sensitive government positions, etc. (The military has their own fucked up rules and really isn't part of this discussion.)  Then it became big business to test everyone with a blue collar, pink collar, or no collar, but not white collar!!!  I say if you are going to drug test, piss test the suits, they can afford the good drugs!!!

Testing those at the bottom end of the economic scale is a waste.  The cartoon in the last post about how only 2% of welfare applicants tested positive is based on fact. Those people probably had the money to buy drugs before they had to sign up for welfare. Once on welfare, who can afford drugs, and if they spend their miserable puny amount of money on drugs, who the fuck cares???   The only ones that benefit from drug testing those on welfare, food stamps, unemployment etc. are the companies that make the tests and those that administer the tests.  Also it may give some jollies to the sadistic bastards that think if someone is poor they should suffer as much as possible.

This need to denigrate the poor and those less fortunate seems to cut across all types in society.  Religious types, non-religious, well off, and those that are one missed check from having to seek assistance, why this is is a fucking mystery to me.  I guess some people just need to be able to look down their noses at someone.

An Idea Whose Time is Way Past Due!!

Back in the '80s during the time of St. Ronnie of Reagan they started passing laws about drug testing; it wasn't enough to "Just say NO."  It probably wasn't long after that that some called for drug testing those that make the laws.

Gingrinch proposes drug testing all who get federal aid.  Does that include politicians????

Here is something from 1996 calling for the House to drug test staff.  Then in 1997 the House did a rule change calling for drug testing.  All that happened was it got sent to a committee to die.  In following years there were bills introduced calling for drug testing of the Hous;, they died in committee also.  Ron Paul spoke out against drug testing several times when the matter came up.  His argument was that it violated the Fourth Amendment, which would apply to all drug testing.  Back about this time I wrote to my CongressCritter at the time, Bart Stupak.  This was when he had only been in office for a few terms, before he got corrupted by "The Family" on "C Street".  I actually got a response that wasn't the usual form letter bullshit.  It said that before they can start drug testing they had to set up procedures on how the testing would be done.  At the time the House was run by Newt and his FuckingRepublicans who were all in favor of drug testing everyone else!!

This is an idea whose time is way past due.  All you have to do is look at what politicians around the country are doing and one explanation is that they are doing some powerful drugs (can you think of a better explanation???).  If minimum wage workers have to piss in a cup to get a job as a greeter at Wally-World, then all elected officials should do likewise.  I mean, how much can anyone endanger the public by working as a greeter, and how many millions are affected by what the politicians do???  Who does it make more sense to piss test??  Didn't this all start by saying it was a public safety issue??  If that's the case, go after those that can cause the most damage, and from the looks of things, we should have done this right from the start of the drug testing craze.  They should have to do a pre-employment test like most of the rest of us!!

They always want to fuck with those that can't fight back!!

Now if it's OK for those on welfare, unemployment, food stamps etc. etc. to have to piss in a cup, then those that make those rules should be the first in line to piss in a cup.  They should lead by example!!!!

Let's pass this on, feel free to repost this and/or add your own ideas.  Let's start using all the social media available to us to shame the bastards into doing the right thing!!!  Here is a page on facebook that I found.

What Did Santa Bring You????

Repukes Remind Me of an Old Joke

The current crop of FuckingRepublican hopefuls reminds me of an old joke:  A new sailor was being shown around the ship back in the days of wooden ships and iron men, back when the ship would be at sea for months, sometimes years at a time.  After showing the newbie around the ship they come to a barrel and the newbie is told it is for relieving sexual tensions.  "When you feel the need just stick your cock in the bunghole."  The newbie asks if he can try it now and is told go for it.  He sticks his cock in the bunghole and receives a blowjob.  Then the newbie asks how often he can do that and is told anytime except Wednesday.  When he asks why not Wednesday???  "That's your turn in the barrel!!!"

Now is Newt's turn in the barrel, who's next?????????????

Here's My Xmas Song

H/T to Crooks and Liars for the vid.

????

The Old Lady's fat cat or bloated road kill??  You decide,

Trickle Down Economics Explained

The Old Lady has always said, "The term 'Trickle Down' should tell you they are pissing on you!!"

Cheetos Pet

The Dummies Sing 12 Days of Xmas

From mockthedummy.com

Mindscrews

The Daily Show Does a Good Rif on the Stupidity Concerning TLC Show "All American Muslim"

The guy's bitch was that the show didn't show terrorists!!

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

Lowes the terrorist's supply store.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

I'm a NFL owner, NO SHIT!!

Yesterday a stock sale for Green Bay Packers stock started.  I bought one share which will give me one vote(on what I don't know yet) and no special privileges what-so-ever other than bragging rights!!  

Sample illustration of the stock certificate I should receive in a couple of weeks.

They are going to use the money raised from the sale of stock to make improvements to their stadium, which strikes me as a better deal than begging for taxpayer money to build a new stadium or the team will leave like so many other teams have threatened, you know, the ones owned by Billionaires!!!!!!  Because the Packers are owned by shareholders in Green Bay and other areas, they can't leave.

Mass Delusion or What??

I've been wondering lately why most people religious or not have to believe there is a higher power.  Whether it (the higher power) is controlling things or just started the ball rolling is irrelevant. Just because Mankind hasn't been able to create life in the lab without adding a few drops of swamp water doesn't mean there has to be a higher power. NO, it just means nobody has hit on the right combination of parts and the right trigger to set it off.

There are various estimates on the number of stars in the universe, anywhere from 9 to 300 sextillion (that's a 1 followed by a shitload of zeros, 21 or 36 take your pick). There are probably billions of planets with the right conditions for life and maybe millions with life, altho' it may not be life as we know it.  The thought that we are created special and the only planet with life strikes me as being very conceited.

I go by the theory that we are a fluke of the universe, in that SHIT HAPPENS, sometimes it's good shit, sometimes it's bad shit, but shit nevertheless. The fact that I believe we are a fluke doesn't mean there aren't a lot of other flukes out there.

Ever since I figured out that religion was a big lie, I've had no problem with not believing in a higher power.  Hey, shit happens, we're here, deal with it.  The older I get and the more I learn, the more I wonder about those that would believe in a deity that would through a matter of good timing allow psychopaths (serial killers, rapists, etc.) a free ride to heaven because just before they die they ask forgiveness and accept HeyZues as  their savior, but would send someone who lives a good clean life to Hell to suffer for eternity simply because they don't believe in the deity.  What a vindictive bastard!!

I have no problem with most of the Big-Bang theory, but something I read recently had me scratching my ass!!  Recently I read something that said the Big-Bang Theory supposedly started with a single atom and some kind of spark or lightning bolt and that atom expanded millions of times a second until in the space of a few minutes or hours all the material in the universe was created.  Now that seems as fantastic to me as the story of some old bearded dude sitting around in the dark bored and deciding to create heaven and earth and all the stars (let there be light), all the plants, fishes, and animals.  Then from mud creates the first man, first woman from mud is a failure, so makes one from the man's rib.  Both the starting from an atom and starting from Adam require taking things on faith of which I am lacking.  Both seem to me like flip sides of the same coin and have no currency with me.

I've also heard that there are some who think if they build a telescope powerful enough and point it in the right direction, they can see the actual beginning of time.  See the Big-Bang happen.  What if the light from that moment passed by us a couple of eons ago???

Anywho, thinking you are powerless and there has to be a higher power to explain how shit happens is to me the epitome of low-esteem.  Once when I said the Groucho Marx line, "Any group that would have me as a member, I don't want to join."  Someone said I must have a low opinion of myself.  I said, "No, I have a high opinon of myself, just a low opinion of others, especially groups."

Xmas Lights

'Tis the season!!  

Fan With No Visible Power Source

Yesterday we received our new fan in the mail.  There are no batteries and no power cord.  It uses the heat from the stove to generate enough electricity to power the motor that spins the fan.  When the stove reaches about 250 degrees it starts to spin.  The hotter the stove the faster it spins.  When it slows to the point where you can see the fan blade and think you can count the revolutions, it's time to throw another log on the fire.

There are several reasons I like this fan.  It sits on top of the stove and moves the hot air right from the source.  It uses the heat of the stove to work, so doesn't cost anything to run.  Also it only works when the stove is putting out some heat; when the stove cools down, it stops.

How this works had me scratching my ass ever since I first saw one.  Did a quick Google search this morning and came to the conclusion that it is powered by a thermocouple.

The first one I saw had a price tag of $180 and I thought it was a neat idea, but not $180 neat.  This one was a hundred bucks less.

Got My Boat Back

Friday I went and got my boat back.  About 6 yrs ago I gave it to the son-in-law.  He used it for a few years and then lost interest in it.  The registration expired in '08.

As it looked Friday morning.

After sitting in the back yard for several years, the boat was not looking too good.  I took the cover and the plastic sheet under the cover off and put them in the trashcan.  Next summer I'll have something to occupy my time fixing the boat up.  Now I'll have a chance to do the things I originally planned on doing to the boat.  Like new seats and building a seat across the back with the battery and gas tanks underneath.  Also finish stripping the paint off and repainting it.  I think the white paint on it is the paint used for painting lines in parking lots!!  When I first got it there were several cans of parking lot marking paint in the boat.

The worst of the flat tires.

 All the tires were flat, this picture shows the worst of them.  Tried to air it up using an air tank and a strap around the tire to get the bead back on the rim.  Wouldn't hold air enough to seat the bead, had to take it to a tire shop and had them put bead sealer on it and then air it up.  The other tire looked like it was just low, but had to take it to the tire shop for bead sealer too.  The spare wouldn't take air, but by then I figured I was done playing with tires.

Parked for the winter.

Spent Saturday afternoon getting it ready for winter.  Blocked up the trailer to take the weight off the wheels and springs.  Made a roof over the open part of the boat and put a tarp over it.  We seem to have a lull between snowstorms which allowed me to go get the boat and create an area to park the boat out of the way.  Come next May I'll be able to take the tarp off and start get it ready for summer.

Ages

'Tis The Season

Libya, Labia, Same Thing, Right????????????

How About We Starve This Beast??

Doh!!

Update: After the Storm

This morning we woke up to over a foot of snow on the ground.  Shortly after we got up the lights went out.  They had gone out several times during the evening yesterday, so it was no surprise.

Old school light.

 We lit the kerosene lamp and started melting snow for toilet flushing.  The one drawback of no electricity is the water pump won't run which means no water until the power comes back.

Melting snow in case we need water to flush the toilet.

 The one thing we didn't have to worry about with the power out was getting cold.  The woodstove puts out plenty of heat, at times too much.

 The pumphouse has block walls 3 blocks high and the snow is halfway up the wall.  The ground slopes away from the pumphouse, so this shot shows that we got at least a foot of snow.

My Jeep in action.

Finally got the plow going.  First I had to find where I left the battery.  Then when I got it started, it ran out of gas.  Thought about asking the neighbor to plow us out, but found out he wasn't home.  Didn't have any gas as I hadn't filled my gas cans.  Fired up my other old truck and parked it in the field out of the way, siphoned out 5 gal of gas and put it in the Jeep.  Then I had to drive it to where the plow was and hook up the plow.  After all that I was able to plow the driveway.  We paid the county road commission to plow out driveway, but they don't plow private drives until the road freezes.  That's one of the reason I bought this old Jeep and worked on fixing it up so I could plow with it.

First Real Snow

Today we got our first real snow of the season.  Reminds me of this snow story.  I doubt if what happened to the guy in the story will happen to me.  When it comes to snow, I've had tadpoles before.

Snow on vehicles.

 Just looked out and the snow is almost up to the rocker panels on the car.  We don't have to go anywhere in the next day or so, so no worries.

Apple tree with snow on branches.  

Snow on my four-wheeler.

Tomorrow I'll see how my four-wheeler goes in the snow.  Should have fun playing in the white stuff.  I think I'll unhook the trailer first.

Another apple tree with snow on it.

This apple tree is just outside the back door and the picture also shows that we've gotten about 5 inches going by what's on the pumphouse.

Bambis

Had some visitors yesterday.  These two fawns and their mother.  I didn't get any pictures of the doe as when I saw them, she had moved to where there were trees between me and her.  She spent most of the time standing guard while the fawns ate.  Took these pictures through the living room window.

Looks like this summer's fawn, might be a young buck.

Close-up on the one I think is a young buck.

Fawn eating Canadian thistle, that they can eat all they want.  The Old Lady gets pissed when they eat her flowers.

Different Season, Different Birds

Chickadees attacking suet/seed cakes.

Took down the hummingbird feeder after Labor Day as they seemed to be gone for the year.  Put up the suet feeder for the chickadees.  Last year I did the suet feeder in a tree earlier in the year(summer) and the jays(Blue and Canadian a.k.a. Camp Robber Jays) destroyed the suet in a couple of days.  Now it is hanging from the eave of the house and although a jay tried to land on the feeder, it didn't stay on it.

They Lie

The only way you can optimize your fuel economy is if you can come up with a way to move the truck without starting the engine!!! Eight miles to the gallon is not fuel economy!!

Back Home Again

Video showing me arriving UP on the Tundra.

Any day now the scene in the video could look like the picture in the header of this blog.

Shaved Beaver

Scrap the Cap

H/T to jadedj at Banquet of Consequences.

Cash is no Longer Legal Tender in Louisiana

Law says you can't pay cash for used items.  How fucking stupid is that??????

H/T to Crooks and Liars for the link to the video.

My First Pumpkin Pie

Made my first pumpkin pie yesterday.  This ain't my first rodeo(pie making), just my first ride in this event.    In the process used up the shortening we had on hand and the salt.  Only salt left is in the salt shakers.  Also used a can of pumpkin and a can of evaporated milk.  Less stuff to pack and move next week.

In the words of The Old Lady, "It's edible."

Calvin and Hobbes on Capitalism

H/T to Skippy for the link.

I May Join Whoever This is Next Month

Who's Gonna Feed Them Hogs??

The Old Lady's brother-in-law has a few hogs and has discovered that when you have animals you are tied down by them.  The fact that he was only able to bring his wife here to the airport and then had to head home again brought this song to mind. This song is for you Tracy.

Next Month

Next month I'll probably need to change the title of this blog as I'll no longer be in Crackerland and have no plans to return to Crackerland except maybe to visit, but that's highly unlikely.  On the first of next month we should be unloading the U-Haul(or is it Y'all-Haul down here in Crackerland??) into the storage unit UP on the Tundra.  I rented a storage unit to put all of our stuff into and the stuff will stay in the storage unit until it's been cold enough, long enough, to kill any critters that hitch a ride with our stuff.

I have been kicking around several ideas for a new blog title:  Yooper No Longer in Crackerland; Yooper Has Left Crackerland; Crackerland, This Yooper Not There; Yooper Has Said Goodbye to Crackerland......

I thought I had the "Paddle faster" thing stored on this confuser, but when I went looking for it, couldn't find it(too much guano), had to google it.  The Old Lady will be pissed that I used it before she got a chance to do it.

The Difference Between Tea-Baggers and OccupyWallStreet

This Old Fart is making a lot of sense, unlike the Tea-Baggers.


More commentaries by Old Fart Rants.
H/T to Crooks and Liars for the link to this video.

They're Still Fighting the DIRTY FUCKING HIPPIES After All These Years

It took the corporate media almost a month to start reporting on the protests going on around the country.  When the media did have anything on OccupyWallStreet, the comments I heard from most of the pundunce (that is the plural for pundit, ain't it??) were things like they need some deodorant(DIRTY), stop making love(FUCKING), and they need to get a job(HIPPIES).  That tells me they are still fighting the DIRTY FUCKING HIPPIES long after most of the hippies went mainstream and are now part of the establishment!!

Watch live streaming video from globalrevolution at livestream.com

You do have to admire an idea or philosophy that has had the establishment shitting bricks for fifty years.  There has always been a small percentage of every generation that has believed in some of the ideals of the hippies.  The ideals have changed or evolved(no wonder conservatives hate them) thru the years.   Some of these ideals have been around longer than the hippies, if fact, that's part of what the Declaration of Independence was about in 1776.

Instead of reforming Wall Street or creating jobs they want to kill PBS and NPR and pass bills that oppress women.

The pundunce also have been saying they don't know what the protesters want.  The name OccupyWallStreet should have been a huge clue.  They want economic justice, they've seen Wall Street get bailed out while all the rest of the streets paid for it.  Instead of those who caused the financial mess being put in jail, they got multi-million dollar bonuses.  The pundunce also say the protesters hate capitalism, NO, THEY HATE THE OVERT FUCKING  GREED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Finally An Illustration that Shows Trickle Down in Action

The Old Lady has always said the name Trickle Down tells you they are pissing on you!!

Balls Out Jeans

"Balls Out" Jeans - watch more funny videos

Watch all the way to the end.

Another GIF

Food???

Is this the best of both worlds or what???

I can't see chewing meatball flavored gum.