He is original

The election is still months in the
future, but that hasn’t stopped us
from talking about the president before.

We readily admit to the fact that Obama
is a president with many firsts. We will
mention a few in this post. Parts of this
post will come from an article we read
online, and parts will be ours.

Obama is the first president to file
lawsuits against States he swore an
oath to protect. His administration has
sued Arizona, Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

Obama is the first president to appoint
45 czars instead of elected officials. None
of his appointees were vetted.

Obama is the first president to defy a
Federal Judge’s court order. The one
concerning Obamacare.

Obama is the first president to declare
‘America is no longer a Christian Nation’.
Last we heard about 80% do consider
ourselves Christian.

Obama is the first president who told a
major company where they could locate a
factory. Not allowing Boeing to move.

Obama is the first president hide his
medical, educational, travel, and other
records. Bush caught hell for a phony
news report about his military service.

Obama is the first president who doesn’t
know how to pronounce ‘corpsman’. We
would almost pay admission to hear him
try to say ‘forecastle’.

Obama is the first president to admit
he has eaten dog. And now he makes jokes
about it.

Since he took office, Obama withdrew
existing coal permits that were legally
issued years ago, shut down NASA, and
declared an existing law unconstitutional
and refused to enforce it, among other
things.

For these reasons, among others, we
will not vote for him. We are still
with the Nobama 2012 mindset.
Comments are always welcome.

Congressional money pit?

An article caught our interest in the
River Cities’ Reader Sunday.

The article concerns getting to know
our members of Congress, complete with
charts. These charts list information on
Sen. Dick Durbin, Sen. Mark Kirk, Rep.
Bobby Schilling, Sen. Tom Harkin, Sen.
Chuck Grassley, Rep. Dave Loebsack, and
Rep. Bruce Braley.

Grassley has been around the longest,
since 1981, and his term doesn’t expire
until 2016 when he will be 82. The one
with the shortest time in office is
Schilling, who has been in office since
2011 and his term is us this year.

The last chart in the bunch is the one
that really caught our eye. Called ‘Staff
Compensation: fiscal Years 2010-2011’.

Schilling had the least cost at $481,077
and Durbin the highest at $2,833,155.
These figures are the cost of their
staff for the year of 2011.

Durbin, Kirk, Harkin, and Grassley all
had over $2 million spent for staff last
year. Between the 7 we spent over $13.5
million on their staffs last year.

Isn’t there a money problem in
Washington, D.C.? If they really wanted
to cut the deficit, why don’t they all
cut their staff until the economy
recovers?

The total figures would have to be
mind-boggling. If you add in the Earmarks,
the figures go through the roof.
Comments are always welcome.

The glass floor

We had a another visit with Dad and
we talked of several things like the
cost of living, big oil, how much we
miss Mom, and life.

We then touched on a subject that
will be talked about here, the concept
of breaking the glass ceiling.

The idea came up that perhaps there
is no glass ceiling, only a glass
floor.

We agreed that life is pretty much
like a glass floor. Walking on the
floor are the entertainers, famous
and infamous, politicians, world
leaders, and the very rich.

Walking under the floor are all the
regular folk. Those who don’t seek
attention or fame, who have come to
the realization that they will never
be rich, or just want to get through
life in comfort.

At times those living under the glass
floor take pictures or write stories of
those who walk above. Some of those above
get irritated when these actions make their
skivvies appear dirty.

Some of those above believe they are
better than those who walk below and
some of those below feel those above
must have made a deal with devil to get
to where they are.

But wherever you are, as long as you
are happy, it shouldn’t make a difference
which way you are looking.
Comments are always welcome.

Saturday snickers

Since the weekend is here we thought
we’d share these bits of wisdom, signs
we have read, snappy comebacks, and
definitions you may not have heard
before.

We have four boxes with which to
defend our freedom…
the soap box, the ballot box, the
jury box, and the ammo box.

We consider ourselves pretty good
bullshippers but occasionally like
to listen to a real pro, so please
carry on.

Sarcasm: because beating the hibity-
jibity out of people is illegal.

You have your whole life to be a
jerk, why not take today off?

“Vegetarian” is an old Indian word
for bad hunter.

Think, before they make that illegal
too!

Those who say it cannot be done
shouldn’t interrupt the people doing
it.

Due to price increase on ammo, do
not expect a warning shot!
Thank you for your understanding.

Never do anything you wouldn’t want
to explain to the paramedics.

I’m not a complete idiot… some
parts are missing

Ignoranus-
Someone who is both stupid AND an
asshole.

LSHMSFOAIDMT-
Laughing so hard my sombrero falls off
and I drop my taco

Condoms aren’t completely safe. My
friend was wearing one and still got
hit by a bus.

Oh, I’m sorry… did the middle of
my sentence interrupt the beginning
of yours?

Humans are the only creatures in
the world who cut down trees, to make
paper, to write “Save the trees” on.

Common sense is not a gift, it’s a
punishment. Because you have to deal
with everyone who doesn’t have it.

Common sense is like deodorant, those
that need it the most, don’t use it!

There are 3 kinds of men:
the ones who learn by reading,
the few who learn by watching,
and the rest who have to pee on the
electrical fence.
Comments are always welcome.

An opinion post

By now most have heard that the
Guardian Angels are in
the local news again.

It seems the ‘victim’ is suing those
involved in the incident, an Alderman,
the city, various chapters of the
Guardian Angels, and basically anyone
who may have money and can still fog
up a mirror held under their noses.

You should know by now where we stand
on this issue, but for those new here
we will say a little more.

Our first thought was why would the
‘victim’ go all the way to Newton to find
a lawyer. We have good attorneys right
here in the Quad Cities. Could it be
nobody locally would touch the case on
a contingency basis?

Then, some of those contacted by the
paper for the story admit they knew
nothing about the lawsuit. Wonder if
there was a leak to press before papers
were served?

And of course there is the fact that
there are a lot of groups and people
being served. If this guy was truly
hurt by the actions of 3, why sue the
rest of the people mentioned?

We know no more than what we have
heard on TV or read in paper but we
admit to being biased on the subject.

At least this time the story had a
reference to someone not buying the
‘victims’ story about how bad he
was injured.

Although we are no longer members, we
still support the Guardian Angels, and
believe in what they are doing. As to
rest, we’ll just have to wait and see.
Comments are always welcome.

Farm news, cruise-ins, and a crash

We’ll get to the motorized in events
shortly as we wanted to mention the
fact that the Department of Labor (DOL)
withdrew the rule on children and family
farm operations.

We’re not sure how the farm families
feel about this news as it means
their children can still operate a
cordless screwdriver, and pressurized
garden hoses without supervision but
we think they’ll be able to cope.

And now a few shows, cruise-ins, and
a crash-

Friday, April 27th, is the Friday
Night Cruise In at Sycamore Mall, Iowa
City, Iowa. Starts at 6 pm and is
hosted by the Classy Chassis Cruisers.
For more info call 319-354-5830.

Saturday, April 28th, is the first
Cruise-In of the year at SouthPark Mall,
4600 27th Street, Moline, Illinois. If
it isn’t rained out things kick off at
6 pm. If you want to know if the event
was called off or not, call the Cruiser’s
Club Event Hotline at 563-355-0036.

Sunday, May 6th, Car Blessing & Classic
Car Display from 1-4 pm, at the Zion
Lutheran Church, 8th & Marquette Streets,
Davenport, Iowa. It’s a free event, but
we know they won’t do an exorcism. We
were told it was wrong religion for that.

Sunday, May 6th, is also the date for
the JC Whitney Car Show, 761 Progress
Parkway, LaSalle, Illinois. Show is free
and runs from 9 am to 4 pm with 31
classes, trophies, and dash plaques to
the first 200 entries.

And finally, a video of the April 14th
crash of Ian Metz’s Topolino Altered.
Comments are always welcome.

The more things change….

Some people think that the recent
moratorium on drilling in the gulf,
banning words not considered
politically correct, and other such
actions are a recent occurence.

Others remember prohibition, the ban
on certain books we read as children,
pesticides, caffeine and many others.
We are going to mention a few here.

“The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”
by Mark Twain was first banned in
Concord, Massachusetts in 1885.

“The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”, also
by Mark Twain was banned from the
Brooklyn, New York library in 1876.

In 1911, the government initiated
‘United States v. Forty Barrels and
Twenty Kegs of Coca Cola’ to try to
force the soft drink maker to remove
the caffeine from its product. Coke
won this one.

Remember hearing of the ‘Hollywood
blacklist’ era from 1947 to 1956. A
time also known as the Red scare.

Remember 1954, when the government
censored EC Comics because the
government declared the comics were
“the marijuana of the children”?

In 1964, the government passed laws
to require warning labels on tobacco
products, and restricted tobacco ads.
It was the beginning of the end for
Joe Camel and the Winston Cup.

How about Mercurochrome? Thanks to
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
it isn’t readily available in the
U.S. Threat of possible mercury
poisoning, even though we can’t recall
anyone ever dying from using the stuff,
is the main reason.

Now of course we are going to lose
the incandescent light bulb, drop-side
cribs, polycarbonate baby bottles, lard,
our basic religious beliefs, and a number
of words and our freedom to speak them.

There are those who claim we live in
a more advanced, kinder, gentler time.
Sometimes we wonder.
Comments are always welcome

Looking back

Since talking with Dad today we’re
going to take a little cruise down
memory lane, and you’re welcome to
come along for the ride.

In the late 60s I stopped by the folks
house to visit and noticed an odd, boxy,
little white van sitting in the driveway.

I jumped out of my Impala SS for a closer
look and realized I had never before
seen such a critter.

Dad came out and asked me if I liked the
little van, to which I replied that it
was different.

He then informed me it was a 1960 Thames
400E van from England and if I could figure
out what was wrong with it, and get it
running, he would give it to me.

The little English Ford van had a
wheelbase of 84 inches, a four-cylinder
engine with 58 bhp, and a four-speed
manual transmission with column shift.

The 400E series began in 1957 and ended in 1965 with virtually
the same body style. Left-hand drive
was available from day one for export.

The 400E was considered a commercial
vehicle so it didn’t have any bells
and whistles. No power steering or
brakes on this van.

The gauge cluster was one big gauge with
speedometer, gas gauge, and ammeter
combined. The truck did have 2 bucket
seats but did not have seat belts.

We don’t remember what all was involved,
but do remember we got it running like
a swiss watch and drove it for about a
year. It wasn’t fast, but I could drive
to and from work on about fifty cents
worth of gas a week.

Since we sold it we have a never seen
another one and only a few pictures of
other vans the same year.
Wish we had it today.
Comments are always welcome.

Is the circus back?

To some of us gearheads, it appears
the city government is dead set against
us enjoying our hobby.

It started with a suggestion to start
to call certain places ‘junk yards’.
Three of those mentioned we frequent.

Those who have no idea of what they are
looking at are trying to tell those of
us who do that they don’t want us in
town.

Those who are offended because every
vehicle inside a lot isn’t shiny and
new looking, upset those of us who know
that a vehicle 60-80 years old is not
going to look perfect. We call it
patina.

Now comes a proposal to issue parking
tickets to people parking in their own
yards. So what if a car is on the grass?

In some areas a vehicle is a lot safer
in the yard than on the street. Instead
of dreaming up new regulations for non-
existent problems, do something.
Enforce the existing laws.

If someone is operating a business
out of their home without a license
or proper zoning, shut them down.

If someone has weeds growing around
things on their properties make them
cut the weeds down.

Homeowners have enough ordinances now.
Adding more will neither get rid of
the problem or encourage people to
move here.
Comments are always welcome.

What if?

The Mint Act of 1792 defined $1 as
371.25 grains of silver. Congress fixed
a 15:1 ration of silver to gold at
around the same time.

In 1834 we went to the gold standard of
23.2 grains of gold per dollar.

The Gold Standard Act of 1900 stopped
the bimetallic standard by declaring $1
as 23.22 grains of gold which set the
price of gold at $20.67 a troy ounce.

In 1933 gold coins were confiscated
under Executive Order 6102 issued by
FDR. At that time the gold standard was
again changed to 13.71 grains of gold
which set the price of a troy ounce of
gold at $35.

America stayed on the gold standard
until the early 1970s. None of this
should be, or is intended to be, news.

Now, what if another country has been
planning to knock us off the top of the
money standard heap? Since our money
isn’t backed by gold anymore it is
worth the paper it is printed on.

There is one country whose miners
produce 300 tons of gold of year and
every ounce must be sold to the
government.

This same country has been quietly
buying gold producing companies around
the world to further enhance their
coffers.

And if within 5 years this country
announced it would go on the gold
standard; would the dollar still be
number one in the world?

This could potentially cause real
problems for our economy in differing
ways. It would affect loans, interest
rates, and could lower our standard of
living by up to 25% across the board.

We (the U.S.) owe this country $1.5
trillion and perhaps they believe we
can’t pay it back. Perhaps they figure
if they can’t get it back, they’ll
get even.

If we don’t want the yuan replacing
the dollar as the monetary standard,
we should aware of what may be in
our future.
Comments are always welcome.