Nailer's Thoughts

During this time of financia crisis in Illinois Gov Rod Blagojevich is closing state parks and state run historic sites to save funds.

I was just wondering if Rod Blagojevich has stopped tagging tax payers $5,800 per trip for flying back and forth to  Chicago? So far this year he has cost tax payers an estimated $76,000 for these trips. His choice to not live in the Governors mansion is his choice. He should be paying his own airfare.

Since he is not living in the Mansion, how much is the vacant mansion costing tax payers? Does the mansion still pay a full time staff  to keep the mansion open? Shouldn't the Mansion be shuttered along with the other state facilities having to closed being termed unnecessary to the state?

Go get them Elliot. After all, the people of Illinois paid for it.

One of my customers needed a plumbing repair. All of the plumbing stack had been replaced in the past except for the 10' section in the basement. This section developed a crack. They went with the first plumber who looked at it. To replace this small section of pipe they charged $4,000. This is more than my plumber charges to replace all of the drain and water lines to a second floor bath. That's a whole new stack!

I told them that if they had asked me for referral  first I could have saved them over $3000. Please get bids before committing to any work on your home. Plumbers must be licensed and their work is inspected to make sure it is up to code. Therefore the work you get will be the same regardless of which plumber you use.

I've been a remodeling contractor for thirty years and I know that estimates on work can vary widely. For plumbing and electrical work, there are standards in place which can not be altered. You will get the same product from any plumber or electrician you use. Promptness and neatness are the only things that will vary. Prices, especially on plumbing, can vary greatly. GET BIDS BEFORE COMMITING !!

Remodelers on the other hand can vary widely in quality of work and timely finish of work. Prices on work again, can vary widely. The best way to get a remodeling contractor is from referrence of a friend or neighbor. All of my work is by referral. I have never advertised in thirty years. When you provide quality competitively priced work, you don't need to advertise. Even when using a referred contractor, ask for other customers they have had. Your friend may have been the only one who had a good experience with this guy.

Get a written contract spelling out exactly what you are getting for the price. If there are omissions, point them out and be sure they are included before signing. With every job there may be unexpected things come up. Get estimates in writing before oking any extras. Many unscrupulous contractors use extras to rob customers.

In this time of tight economy we need to hang on to what money we have. Do your homework and don't settle for the first guy to show up. Keep us honest !!

We have a new President elect. How is this a bad thing? Can you not see and feel the new sense of pride and hope in the black community? Children who grew up thinking their only road to success was to be a sports star or a rapper or even a drug dealer now have a new role model. They can now see that they are not limited by their race ,but can achieve ANYTHING if they apply themselves. There is a renewed sense of self worth. The future has suddenly become a brighter place.

We as a nation need to help these children along that path. For those who only complain about the number of people on welfare, you can help to turn it around. If you are retired, join the adopt a class. Go to inner city schools and assist those children who want to learn but are having difficulty keeping up. These children may come from homes in which the parents lack the education to help with reading or math. Some of them have parents addicted to drugs. Is this a reason to condemn the children? By not helping we guarantee the continuation of the welfare  heritage. If you can't assist in the classroom, there is big brothers and big sisters. Contributions to food pantries can assure these children at least have food to eat. We need to revive the "It takes a village " mentality and not let this new sense of pride and drive to learn go to waste.

To those who are already helping, thank you.

To those who like to complain saying the government can't do it all, what are YOU doing to help end the cycle? Remember the climb to the top is  better guaged by those you assist with their climb along the way.

It is time to seize the new enthusiasm and help it flourish. GET INVOLVED !!

Well the American people have spoken. We have a new President elect.

The results I believe were not as much about the individuals running as much as the issues facing working people. The people of this country have been lied to, misled and cheated. Most people had lost all confidence in government. The root of this mistrust came from the current Republican administration. Ties to his party  was a ball and chain around the leg of McCain from the beginning.

A charismatic man came to the front chanting change. Change to let the working man have a friend in the White House, a house which had been home to big business and big money for far too long. Events of the world and current financial matters in the world are what propelled this man to the top. Had the last administration made better decisions, had not lied to the nation, had not taken personal privacy from us, had not let the greed of Wall Street take their savings, he would not have had a chance.

For you Republicans who don't like the way the election turned out, you should thank your own party for his win. The greed for more money at whatever the cost, cost in jobs, cost in honor, and most of all cost of American lives, is what lost this election for you.

Now it is time to embrace the change. Time to restore the word HONOR to the American name in the world. Time to give the backbone of America a fair shake, a fair wage, a fair tax. It's time to put some of the countries money back into the hands of those who built this country instead of those who would buy it. Put money in the hands of those who will spend it and create jobs , not horde it for personal gratification.

Our country gets so hung up on labels. Democrat, Republican, Black, White, Hispanic, Gay, Straight, Christian, Jew, Aithiest.

Believe it or not, admit it or not, this is what makes us AMERICAN. Our diversity is what makes us great. Now it is time to pull together and clean up the mess which we have inherited. Let's put America to work. Lets bring our educational system back up to world class standards. Let's create an America where people can work and actually have something to show for their labors. Let's work together for a change. Not as us and them, but as Americans... together. Let's put PRIDE back in America.

I was checking out the sample ballot and ran across amendment 4.

I havn't heard anything about this. It hasn't been in commercials or on the news. The wording made me suspicious:

Limiting availability of grants and loans to public water and sewer districts only

Removing cap on available funding and existing restrictions on disbursements

Requiring loan repayments to be used only for storm water control projects.

Yes or no?

No one has spoken about this because they are depending on the apathy of voters to pass it without knowing what they are voting on. Too embarrassed  to ask  "what is this?" They will hit yes or no and the bill stands a 50 - 50 chance of passing.

Sounds like a free ride for someone to me. Turns out what this does is open the floodgates for millions of dollars of your State tax money can flow freely to the sewer district with NO oversight as to how the money is spent. 

The amendment says it will cost the state $236,000. This is the cost of setting up the system to shovel out the money. It's like handing them the key to a goldmine and saying "the key only cost $3 "

Let the voter beware. Check on what you are voting on. Research before you decide.  I say if the distribution of funding for stormwater has been working, why fix it by taking away all safe guards.

(following is quote from "gone mild" )

"The reason you don't know more about Amendment #4 is not because you're stupid. It's because the powers that be expect you to docilely support a multi-million dollar giveaway without bothering to provide you with justification or even explanation. In fact, they are probably right. I expect that this Amendment will pass, because Missourians have lost touch with their "Show me" attitude, and will assume that something like this wouldn't have made it to the ballot if it weren't a good idea. In a climate where the interests of dirt and concrete can fleece the public for $150 million dollars without even undertaking a massive PR campaign to explain why, ignorant voters are a useful tool. As long as we go along with misleading down ballot measures and can be relied on to pass them without demanding to know what they are, we will continue to be surprised by finding provisions like this one coiled and hissing in the middle pages of our ballots."

DO YOUR RESEARCH !!

I recieved my converter coupons back in June. You can apply online if you havn't already gotten yours.

https://www.dtv2009.gov/

This is the official government site. You will be asked for your name and address so they can mail it to you. You must also declare that you do not have cable or satilite service.

This is because the program is to help those who do not have cable. If you have cable you do not need the converter.

If you have already ordered your coupons but have not recieved them, you can check the statis of your order on this site as well. It takes about 3 to 5 weeks to get the coupon.

The coupon MUST be used within 90 days of mailing. EXPIRATION DATE IS PRINTED ON THE CARD.

Average cost of the converter is from $40 to $60 Shop to decide which box performs the best and which has the easiest set up and perks you would like. THEY ARE NOT ALL THE SAME. To get educated on what to look for, this site is very helpful.

Check out:

 http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/electronics-com
puters/televisions/non-digital-tvs/digital-converter-bo
xes/digital-tv-converter-boxes-first-look-3-08/overview
/digital-tv-converter-boxes-first-look.htm

My converter works OK with my old rabbit ears. If you find you need a better antenna you can get valuable imformation here:  

http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/info.aspx?page=mor
e_info

Find what stations are available and which antenna will work. (just enter zip. no need to fill all info ) go here:

http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/Address.aspx

A couple of things I've noticed about DTV:

FIRST THING

Since I have more than two TVS the first thing I noticed was the time delay on the DTV signal. If I have one TV on analog (regular free tv) and the other on Digital converter, there is a 5 second delay. This comes in handy when a ball game is on. I perfer the radio announcers to the TV guys. I listen to the radio. The radio is 5 seconds ahead of analog. I can hear the play on the radio, then see it on analog TV then see it again on digital TV.

When the radio says "it's a long fly ball !! " on the digital tv the ball hasn't left the pitchers hand. You can amaze your friends with a radio headset and call balls and strikes before the pitcher throws the ball.

SECOND THING

I noticed. If the weather is at all cloudy, the digital signal gets weak and the station breaks up. It is a slightly better picture than anilog but not as dependable.

THIRD THING

You get more stations. PBS has 4 stations on digital. One is PBS Kids. kid shows 24 hours a day. There is also a weather channel. ( I'm not real impressed with it)

Just about  all of the questions are answered here:

http://www.dtvanswers.com/dtv_faqs.html

Hope this helps some of you !!   Enjoy !!

The IRS report of 2006 earnings just came out this spring. 

http://www.irs.treas.gov/pub/irs-soi/06inreturnbul
.pdf

(Figures taken and totaled from table on page 8)

 This chart does not take into account those who didn't make enough to file a return.

The results show why Obama will win the election.

In 2006 Approximately 138 million returns were filed.

Of these approximately 92 million Americans earned under $50,000 in 2006

Approximately 46 million Americans made over $50,000

The 46 million ( 1/3 of the returns) added together comes to approximately SIX trillion dollars (6,000,000,000)

This means that one third of the country made 77% of all money earned in 2006  Leaving  23%  for 92 million to split.

One group, (12 million people) earning between $100,000 and $200,000 Made one trillion six hundred million (1,600,000,000)

These 12 million made nearly as much as 92 million working stiffs combined.

The largest group of Americans on this chart (37 million) fall into the “under 15,000” category.

Who does the Republicans give the tax break to??  The ones with all the money!!

If people vote their ranking on this chart, Obama should win by a land slide.

Which side of the dividing line are you on? Over $50,000 or under?

Follow this link to read how we followed the same path which led to the 29 depression almost exactly to where we are today.

http://www.gusmorino.com/pag3/greatdepression/<
/p>

In short it goes like this. You start with a Republican President ( Cooledge then)

Add in tax breaks for the rich. Soon the wealthy have most of the money.

In the twenties production increased by 32% while wages for worker went up only 7 to 9%

one tenth of one percent of the population had 42% of the money and 80% of savings.

Working people could not afford to buy the surplus of goods that were around. The wealthy could not buy 40 cars and 40 radios to make up the difference.

Then the great idea of CREDIT hit. Workers were now able to buy goods today and pay with tomorrows money. Problem was, they couldn't afford to live AND make payments.

Sound farmiliar?

It all comes down to putting the all of the money in the hands of the few at the top. Soon the economy has to grind to a halt.

That's where we are now.

Did we learn from 1929 crash? No... the Republicans are STILL shouting how trickle down works. Appearently they don't look at history.

It's bad enough that congress totally ignored the people of this country by passing the 700 billion dollar money grab.

Look at what was tacked on to the bill to get the required votes. Weirdest stuff ever.

1.  Rum excise tax  Estimated cost  $192 Million over 10 years

Puerto Rican and U.S. Virgin Islands governments use the money to finance infrastructure and public services. The rebate — which sends back all but 25 cents of the $13.50 in federal excise taxes levied per proof gallon of rum produced in the islands — expired at the end of 2007. The bailout bill extends it through 2009 and makes it retroactive to Jan. 1.

2. TV and movie production   Cost: $478 million  (poor movie makers need a break)

 Increasing the single-year deduction in production costs, from $15 million to $20 million, that film and TV productions may take if the costs are incurred in economically depressed areas. In an effort to keep film and TV productions in the U.S., it also allows more companies to use a domestic production deduction.

3. Wooden arrows Cost $2 Million

Exempting wooden practice arrows used by children from an excise tax of 39 cents per arrow. Oregon's two senators and two Wisconsin representatives previously introduced legislation calling for the action, saying the tax was meant for more expensive archery arrows and is untenable for makers of toy arrows that may cost only about 30 cents apiece. The bill would affect about a half-dozen manufacturers nationwide, including one in Oregon; the Oregon senators said they didn't seek its addition to the bailout, however.

4. Employees Bike riding  Cost $2 Million

Allowing employers to exempt from taxation what they spend on some fringe benefits for workers who commute to work by bicycle, for example reimbursing the cost of parking the bikes.

5. American Samoa Cost  $33 Million

Extending tax credits that expired at the end of 2007 for certain domestic corporations involved in American Samoa economic development.

6.Valdez fishermen settlement Cost $49 Million

Allowing commercial fishermen and others hurt by the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska to average out damage awards over three years rather than taking a one-year hit from the IRS.

7. Nascar Race Tracks Cost $100 Million

Extending for one year a seven-year depreciation timetable that NASCAR and other motorsport racing facilities have had for some years, the same tax break that amusement parks enjoy. Without the extension, the tracks would have to depreciate the cost of their improvements over 15 years, raising their taxes by $100 million.

8. Wool rebate  Cost: $148 million  (For our thriving textile industry)

Extending for five years a program that reduces import duties on some wool fabrics. The tariff relief benefits U.S. worsted wool fabric producers that use imported fibers and yarns. .

And the list goes on. It seems nothing gets done in congress,(even things we don't want) unless special interest gets involved.

Every vote in our government is for sale !!

$700 billion just wasn't enough. No one could figure out how to get thier hands on the big bucks so they had to get something for thier vote!  Both sides of the isle are guilty.

This stinks..  What do you think?

I wish McCain a long life but I was thinking.

What if McCain died before the election? Who become the Republican candidate?

By rights it should be who evere came in second in the primaries. After all isn't it the people who decide? 

Would it fall to Palin simply because she was McCain's choice? The people didn't choose her.

Would there be another primary? Or would Cheney be required to fill in LOL !!!!!!!!

Anyone know protocal?

It is predicted by the census that by  2042 whites will be minority. Due to mixed marrages the white race will no longer make up the majority in America or Europe.

Reminds me of a joke by Jay Leno. " Minorities make up 85% of LA.  85% ?? At what percent do you stop being minority?

This opens up a world of possibilities !  Who will the now minorities blame for their lack of success?  Will we then be able to have "the White Miss America" contest without being called racist?  How about the White Expo down town? The White Police organization? The NAAWP because a mind is a terrible thing to waste. Government contractors forced to hire white people? Affirmative action for whites?

A lot of people are going to label me racist for this blog. If you look at all of the things I mentioned, they already exist with black substituted where I have white. Why is my mention of these things being a white thing racist when they altready exist for black without the racist lablel?

Can anyone explain this? Not racist, just curious.

I must admit when I first saw the video of the attack on innocent people by a group of 40 young black guys, my first reaction was  vigilantly  justice. Sit at metro with an AK and wait for them. Shoot about 20 or 30 and the next gang may think twice. (ever see the movie" the vigilantly"?)

After thinking about it tho, I cooled down and felt sorry for these weak little people. To me joining a gang says " I'm not man enough to stand on my own two feet. I need 40 of my buddies to make me feel like a man. I need to make someone else feel weak to make me feel strong."  The man sitting there with his family was more man than these punks will ever be.

I don't want to hear about the angry young underprivileged black man either. If you noticed on the video, these guys were all well dressed. I'm sure they go home to cable tv and video games. Besides, they are making great strides in making it more difficult for them to be accepted for a job. After seeing this video, how many employers are going to look at this well dressed black man sitting at an interview , wondering if he was one of the guys in this attack.

Why is this glorified by the black race? In music, movies and on the street? Why isn't there peer pressure to stop this? Why isn't there parents stopping this? Why isn't society stopping this? If the music and tv and society would impress on young people that joining a gang makes you look weak, not cool, maybe it would make a difference.

Their fellow black students  (the real black men) trying to make it in this rough world must be so proud of them. The black race must be so proud of them. Their mothers must be so proud of them. 40 against 4 takes a REAL man right?

This is what makes a mother with her child cross the street when they see a black man coming. Be offended ,but blame these cowards, not her.

A black man running for President leading the way against racism and then these fools pushing it back. One step forward, two steps back. Wake up people.  It's not whitey keeping you down .. IT's YOU !! Stop being a stereotype.

I'm not racist but I call it like I see it. No holds barred, no feelings spared.  A real man can take hearing the truth.  A real man can say it.

Seems that documents released about the Kennedy years have unearthed behavior by then CIA director George Bush which indicates the lengths this family will go to turn public opinion.

When Bush was CIA director, Salvador Allende's former ambassador to the USA, Orlando Letelier and his assistant Ronni Moffitt were murdered on September 21st, 1976, when a remote-controlled bomb ripped apart Letelier's car as they drove down Massachusetts Avenue, a stately section of Washington known as Embassy Row. Allende, the world's first democratically elected Marxist President was ousted in a bloody CIA-backed coup that lead to his assassination in 1973. The attack on Letelier was later attributed to CORU.

Within four months of forming in 1976, CORU claimed to have killed 76 people in North and South America, including Letelier. CORU were later described as a terrorist group which had "the active support of the CIA". CORU members also had close links with Chile's feared secret police, DINA, which was also implicated in the murder of Letelier. Two Cuban exiles and a US citizen were later charged with Letelier's murder. Many CORU members served with the CIA's contra terrorist movement in Nicaragua.

Under George Bush, the CIA leaked a false report that not only cleared Chile's military dictatorship - it pointed the FBI in the wrong direction. The bogus CIA assessment, was spread through Newsweek magazine and other American media outlets, was planted despite CIA's now admitted awareness at the time that Chile was participating in Operation Condor, a cross-border campaign targeting political dissidents, and the CIA's own suspicions that the Chilean junta was behind the terrorist bombing in Washington

In a 21-page report to Congress on September 18th 2000, the CIA officially acknowledged for the first time that the mastermind of the terrorist attack, Chilean intelligence chief Manuel Contreras, was a paid asset of the CIA. The new report was issued almost 24 years to the day after the murder Letelier and Moffitt. In the new report, the CIA also acknowledged publicly for the first time that it consulted Contreras in October 1976 about the Letelier assassination. The report added that the CIA was aware of the alleged Chilean government role in the murders and included that suspicion in an internal cable the same month.

Bush, who is the father of the current Republican nominee for the presidency, has never explained his role in putting out the false cover story that diverted attention away from the real terrorists. Nor has Bush explained what he knew about the Chilean intelligence operation in the weeks before Letelier and Moffitt were killed. In 1988, Parry said that when the then-Vice President Bush was citing his CIA work as an important part of his government experience, he submitted questions to him asking about his actions in the days before and after the Letelier bombing. Bush's chief of staff, Craig Fuller, wrote back, saying Bush "will have no comment on the specific issues raised in your letter."

Proof has recently emerged of the lengths that the CIA would go to carry out acts of terrorism against civilian targets and, even more pertinently, how the agency was prepared to fabricate evidence "providing irrevocable proof" that Cuba was responsible for terrorist actions which they knew Cuba was not involved in. The Guardian reported the existence of Operation Dirty Trick - a plan to blame Cuba for any mishap during John Glenn's pioneering Earth orbit flight on February 20th 1962. This would be accomplished by "manufacturing various pieces of evidence" which would "prove" electronic interference by Cuba. This evidence was among 1500 pages of classified documents released by the Assassination Records Review Board - the agency that oversees the release of papers connected with the murder of President Kennedy in 1963.

In a March 1962, an U.S. army memorandum entitled Possible Actions to Provoke, Harass or Disrupt Cuba suggested "downing a US plane and blaming it on Mr Castro", or showing "convincingly that a Cuban aircraft has shot down a chartered civilian airliner". It also proposed sinking a U.S. warship - and presumably killing their own servicemen - "which could be blamed on Cuba". The CIA would use Cuban exile terrorists who would fly close to the island to "distract local pilots with radio conversation's with the aim of causing the crash".

 After reading the accused acts by Bush sr. It is not hard to see how the current president would feel it was OK to manufacture evidence to invade Iraq. I'm beginning to wonder if the 9/11 at tack was part of the scheme. The Bush family has long been suspected in the assassination of JFK as well.  

After watching the opening ceremony for the Olympics, I must say... I'm impressed.

China has definitely set the bar higher. I doubt this one could be topped. The shear number of people performing and the degree of precision just blew me away. Not only the performers but the displays as well. Using the roof as a screen was awesome.

Getting a marching band to move in unison is hard enough, but there were 2000 moving with precise timing.

It was quite a sight to behold. Well done China !

( I liked the commercials too )

Back in the day.. (mid 70's yeah I'm old...) I fequented the night clubs. My favorite spot was the Grainery on 157 in Illinois. The hot local bands of that day were Mama's Pride and Star Castle. When they played, the club sold out. These groups played a mix of popular songs and their own material. Both bands by the way made albums and went national. ( that's right I said albums not cd's)

I'm obviously out of the loop now. I was just wondering if there are any really hot local bands out there. If so, who are they and give a breif discription of their style.