Point Made

Full Disclosure: I'm not a believer in the concept of taking guns away from responsible people who own them, regardless of their motivation. If someone really believes they need a gun for security, I think they should be able to have a gun. Just like I believe that folks who want to take a puff of Marijuana should be able to do it. But like marriage licenses, construction permits, drivers tests and sanitary regulations for restaurants, I think that sensible regulation of guns is also necessary. I heard a comment on one TV interview that might help put this in perspective. The comment was made about regulating automatic weapons. The statement was, "You can own a stock car if you can afford one, but you can't drive it on the highway just because you have a drivers license'. The point here is that people that actually drive stock cars have been vetted by their peers as competent. People that produce a drivers license can buy an AR-15. They have not de...

It's that time of the year when the days are growing longer. The horrible possibilities of January are in the rearview mirror. But it's too early to see birds returning. While I try to live in the present, longing for better weather is difficult to avoid. Better weather? It's kind of based on the ability to comfortably partake in outdoor activities. I know a lot of people ride their bikes year round. Poppa Jeff votes no. I can only imagine hitting that patch of black ice and ending up with a cast on two of my four limbs. I don't want to think what Molly, my bike, would look like either. Golf? As long as there is frost in the ground Golf should be avoided. First I'm concerned about the damage that could be done to the golf course. Golf is all about hitting the ball further than your divot. (Piece of sod cut from the surface when the ball is properly struck.) Usually, the divot is replaced in the hole that was created, and it grows back rather quickly. Wh...

With millions of people waiting for their $1.50 net increase in their paychecks, I'm grinning a little smugly, because I already got mine. There it was. My first increase in my Social Security check in three years. Now, to be clear I didn't get my pile of filthy lucre because of some clandestine late-night deal in Congress, No Latino's had their immigration status held hostage while my increase was debated. No, mine was a matter of an increase in the Cost of Living Adjustment. Now, I sensed that the stuff I buy has been going up a fairly noticeable rate for the past three years, but no. I was wrong. I was wrong because I did not know how it's calculated. Until...I Googled it. COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) https://www.thebalance.com/what-is-the-cost-of-living-adjustment-3305736 "The government includes COLA for recipients of  Social Security  benefits. COLA helps retirees, who are on a fixed income, maintain a viable  standard o...

You're powerless of the control your addiction holds over you. One sip, puff, bite or kiss, and you will fall under its spell. I saw them laying on a shelf in a Kwiktrip convenience store. This kind of retail establishment used to be called General Stores, back in the day before the dawn of the automobile age. They kept up with the changes by locating themselves on roads that were designed for cars and dressed for necessity by putting gasoline pumps in front. Gradually, America demanded more. On the edge of town, truckers wanted cheap food and women companions. Cities and towns hosted stations in every neighborhood so we could gas up on the way to work or the grocery store and have a place to hang 'girlie' calendars. In those days they also had a service center garage. Alas, the old model has reappeared. Once again we have General stores with gas pumps out in front. It's where many of us take advantage of the convenience of these bright...