The written Word

The written word is fast becoming an antique to a large degree. Texting is taking over with it's mangled use of spelling and symbols for communication. Computers and email are taking us away from human contact and the art of the written and spoken word. There was a time when a trip to the mailbox could be likened to a gift under the Christmas tree or a birthday present. Part of the fun and enjoyment was the anticipation of a magazine or a letter from a far off friend or family member. You could read words put down on paper from the authors own pen, know that that person had actually been holding that exact same piece of dried pulp, seen the same exact words and marvel at the different writing styles of each letter. You could easily pull that same letter from a dusty box years later, read those same words again while hearing the writers voice in your head as you read. Letter writing took more of the individual putting down those words with pen and ink than typing on a keyboard. A birthday card or Christmas greeting in the mail is so much more of a joy to receive and treasure than an email or text message. How crappy will our mantels be when all we have are printed emails to display about.

Even with a cell phone anymore you can not hear the actual persons voice because of texting or email. Instead of hearing the voice on the other end of the line which the voice being a major part of human connection, we see chopped up words. The actual person becomes less. We are missing and losing the connection with each other in this new electronic age. Removing ourselves from the human experience of touch and sound of another human being; a nation of hermits in the making. The sound of a mothers loving voice or humming to her infant child loses that much needed bonding if not performed in person. And it is so with our new age of communication that we are becoming lost and feel less for other persons in our lives. Why are we removing ourselves in this manner? The post offices are heading away from the simple abilities to walk in and buy a simple stamp. They are all heading to the electronic stamp purchase at a machine with a credit card. It's getting tougher and tougher to buy a simple little stamp. Then to are the removal of the blue post boxes that once could be found all around a town which makes life more difficult. We're making certain things easier for upper classes while lower classes without accesses to cell phones or computers or credit cards can't even communicate without large effort. A stamp, paper, envelopes and pen cost far far less than a cell phone or computer. Not to forget the less impact on mother earth is paper and pen. I wonder just how much more fossil fuel is used in the production of all the wares needed for cell phone and computers. My best guess would be a lot more than actual mail trucks and paper plants. I'd also venture out on a limb that the recycling expenses and landfill costs are higher for electronic communication devices than paper.

I for one had much rather hear my sons own voice on the phone instead of getting a text or email. But I also cherish cards and letters that he has made up from scratch, these I can look at time and time again. The person took the time and effort to actually go and find the perfect card or stationary to send the correspondences. Is the same for any family member or friend whom have sent cards and letters. It just seems that more of the persons life force is contained in those hand written pieces of communication. Plus, when your cell phone or computer dies the messages are lost forever. Many years back, a new electronic devise was used to make recordings of the Phantom of the Opera then stored in sealed urns and hidden away. Upon discovery not more than three or so years ago several of the recordings were deteriorated and broken. Some still intact only because of the discovery. Had they not been found in a few more years they would have been lost forever. But we have books that are hundreds of years old still intact for us to see all these years later. Nothing compares to these sort of written artifacts.

A hand written card or letter is more like a hug filled with feelings and life rather than an email or text message; sort of like viewing your new born through glass instead of holding the infant and bonding.

North Carolina's Gov. Perdue wants temporary 1 cent tax increase.


What, is this a joke? There is no such thing as a temporary tax increase. Once it's in there baby it's in there to stay. Just how many times do we have to be hit over the head with buzzard vomit before we move away?

We here in North Carolina are already still paying for a so called temporary tax hike from 2001 and unless I am mistaken, that previous increase has been extended. She also wants to punish single people who earn $500,000 or more a year by taxing them more. Married couples earning $ 1 million would be charged more as well. If you look at those numbers the married couple is actually being charged the same as a single person only it's lumped together. She wants to charge 50 cents more for a pack of smokes and 2% more on beer and alcohol respectively. This same temporary tax hike rhetoric was spewed to all the Georgia residents years and years ago, think that temp tax has ended yet? Nope.
Smokers are able to go to another state and purchase cigarettes cheaper. Bootleggers use to buy here and sell across state lines, guess it will be the other way around now. It also looks like our fair Governor will be doing her part to help start a resurgence in tobacco and alcohol bootleggers and ridge runners like the old days. Plus as we lose more companies and people their jobs, more homes get foreclosed and stand empty, more people get desperate and buy and sell drugs Perdue might like to look to California's possible situation of growing Marijuana to get her needed revenue after she squeezes all of us to leave.

You don't just keep pouring water into a bucket with holes in it and expect it to fill up and solve all your problems, you first need to patch the holes to fix the problem. Perdue seems to think throwing more money from citizens pockets who already pay some of the highest state tax's will fix everything. Hell, the Government thinks only the citizens should learn to live on a budget. Her motto should read; If you can't get blood from the turnips, you just aren't squeezing hard enough.

Job Near Burlington NC

Don't know if anyone would be interested in a Job near Burlington NC but a manager of "Quality Plus" asked me today if I knew off hand anyone interested in a job. Also known around here as "The Gas House" is a gas station & store that you live in and work out of. An apartment is attached so you live right there. No travel to or from work and other pluses. It seems like a good thing for a married couple, which is what they prefer, young or old. There are several around here and mostly the people working them seem pretty happy. I believe this job is for a brand new or nearly new unit in Graham North Carolina.
When I checked out the Quality Plus web site I found out some interesting information about the company. http://www.qualityoilnc.com/ has a restored 1930's shell gas station in Winston Salem I must go check out.

Saddlebags Part Three

Well looks like I might finally be very near the painting stage of the Saddlebag plug mold. This has been taking longer than expected but it goes that way trying to get it as close to perfect as possible. Tired of going over and over the surface again I resorted to some heavy primer which goes on much thicker then the regular primer I was using. This heavier primer surfacer fills in all the smaller pits and voids so there is less sanding and re-priming to fix these voids.
The paint should fill in many of the little surface imperfections, then sand with 400 and 600 grit paper then several coats of parting release wax should, mind you I say should, take care of any minute imperfections left.

I have re sanded the entire saddlebag and lid, shot on some more light primer to a couple of places I just wasn't happy with today. As I type theses parts are drying outside because I want the primer cured all the way through before my final sanding of the surface. If I can just force myself to quit looking so hard at these parts to move to painting.
The painter has asked what color I want them done in and I said it won't really matter because this is the plug for the mold. He says he has white, black, john Deere green, as well as yellow left over from other jobs so the paint won't cost anything. I would prefer the white but again said it won't matter. He said he has some hot pink too if it won't matter. Um mm, I gotta draw the line somewhere.