Enjoy your Sunday! Rest, relax, do what makes you happy.
Any thoughts you want to share?
fnord
Sunday, 09/06/09, Public Square
Filed under The Public Square
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Enjoy your Sunday! Rest, relax, do what makes you happy.
Any thoughts you want to share?
fnord
Filed under The Public Square
PrairiePopulistsAndProgressives.net 
Football!!!
“the kids can come — we’ve got ropes and bungy cords…”
Be careful I told Fnord where to find the recipe for small children yesterday!
That Republican she is…
So we figure out the food division? I saw some great looking road kill yesterday. Should be tenderized by now 🙂
What time do the festivities begin?
BTW: When preparing small children, is it best to grill them or is smoking preferred?
grilled, they are just so cute with the grill marks on their little bodies!
Damn, or maybe it should be god damn it!
Take a trip to the Eagle’s front page online and read the “Who are the uninsured?” story.
http://www.kansas.com/news/featured/story/959531.html
Then take a Valium and read the comments section.
Scary.
I don’t eat breakfast, but if I did, it would be on my keyboard.
Sample:
“but i will NEVER! EVER! EVER! give up. i will NEVER! EVER! EVER! quit. and if i attain ANYTHING it will be because i EARNED it myself. because THAT! my friends, is the AMERICAN WAY.”
This was written by a thirty years old man that lives with his parents, unemployed, has had his house foreclosed, is about to lose his car and has untreated health issues including, obviously, mental illness.
Scary stuff from our fellow citizens.
Ever time I go to the message board these days which for my own mential health is not often. It makes the worst W.E.B.er seem almost sane!
Sail and I use to almost agree but he got to close to the edge. The Marine guy I forget his name is over that edge and I asked him if the USMC was aware he was slandgering their good name?
They all depend on the no boby knows your name to say things they would not in “public”.
I’m thinking we should shoot for eating about 4, arrive 3 – 3:30. Does that sound OK?
See you then.
A little Biker Bitchin’……………………………
Yesterday, I spent six hours with my son-in-law to install a $9.00 part on his Jeep. The wheel u-joint destroyed it’s self so we made a trip to Autozone and got to work.
After the usual pleasantries, we had the vehicle jacked and secured, right front tire off.
Removing the brake caliper went okay – two 1/2″ hex head bolts and a few judicious taps with a hammer and off it came, followed by the rotor.
Then the fun started. I had to removed the axle/hub assemby, which was attached to the hub housing by…………………… three 13mm 12 point bolts, driven from the inside.
Got one of them in your toolbox? I don’t.
So we borrowed a 3/8″ drive socket from a neighbor and went after it. No dice. King Kong had installed the bolts to about 200 ft/#’s. There was just no way to get enough leverage, so we had to borrow a 1/2″ drive 18″ breaker and socket from another neighbor to get it free. After a half an hour of cursing and pounding, I had the axle assembly out.
Three hours after that, we had the old u-joint out. The spring clips that retain the joint were not designed to be removed – no holes at the ends to employ a spreader, so it was screwdriver, hammer, curse, repeat. Then we had to smash out the bearing caps with a hammer and chisel.
Finally, right? Reassemble, button it up.
Not so fast – Autozone gave us the wrong part. Back to the parts store, exchange the part, reinstall the joint, reinsert the axle, finish the job.
Fun, eh?
Then I found that one of the u-joints on the driveshaft from the transfer case to the front diff had eaten it’s self alive also.
That will be next Saturday’s project.
(That can wait since it just makes a little noise and does not effect the handling of the vehicle, unlike the wheel joint.)
Anyone care to join me on that one?
(crickets………………………)
Ya know, they just had a cash for clunkers deal going on 🙂
Yabut, $9.00 parts and six hours of labor on a paid for vehicle is a lot cheaper than car payments, especially for a guy who’s employer is leaving town this winter.
I did check out CFC with them, but there is just too much uncertainty with employment in Wichita.
Anyway, my grandkids say that Poppa can fix anything.
Ha!
At first I thought some had stolen my tool box out of the back of the truck. Twenty years of tool congregation. Many were the ole “don’t have the right tool and no one else did so had to buy one” .
Of course many of those tool ended up a single use and then resting in the box. I was mad to say the least the box had been stolen!
Then a couple of days later I start out of town and glance in the ditch, there is the pieces of the tool box.
Slam on the brakes and pull on to the shoulder, walk over and find a few of my tools. You know the likes of a flat head screwdriver like the half dozen in the drawer in the kitchen. But none of the expensive tool I just had to buy to use once. No sign of the very good wretch and sockets that worked just right every time.
“What the H*ll?”
THEN IT DAWNED ON ME, the last time I need a tool I had sat the box on the storage box in the back of the truck bed! The day before I discovered the tool box missing.
Biker that is the reason I am not a auto mechanic, you just describe how it is every time I work on a car.
Some how just changing oil can lead to two days of scratching my head as to what went wrong?
Apparently, I buy the wrong brand of tools, since many of mine tend to wander off all by their lone self. Maybe I should stop buying tools with the Harry Houdini logo.
Case in point – I needed a 12 point metric socket, but all I had were standard sockets. I had a full set of 12 point metrics just a few years ago, in fact, I bought them at the same time as the standards.
Where did they go?
Apparently, the same place as my 1/2″ ratchet, my 3/8″ torque wrench and countless screwdrivers, dykes, pliers and box ends.
Somewhere, there is a collection of tools, sitting by the campfire and celebrating their freedom.
The clutch on my son-in-law’s Yaris is going out. 13,000 miles on the car. Under warranty? Oh, hell no! The dealer wants $1200 to fix.
They’ve maybe cut the cost down to $600 for parts and labor, depending.
This on top of his layoff, her not working because of the trips to KC, and a 4-week-old baby having open-heart surgery on Tuesday.
I told them it’s time the tide turns in their favor. Maybe I should try a little hocus pocus? LOL
Wicked One………………. a clutch on a passenger car should last at least 40k+ miles. Even if you ride the clutch (bad idea) it should be good for far more than 13k.
The Yaris has a problem with air getting into the hydraulic activation line, which necessitates bleeding the system.
If there is no sensation of disengagement when depressing the pedal, then likely there is a problem in the actuation system.
Even if the clutch is worn out, the Toyota parts to replace the clutch should be about $230. Aftermarket suppliers do not carry those parts.
A normal full replacement is pressure plate, clutch disc and throwout bearing.
The work is tedious and requires renting a trans jack and alignment tool but it is doable for any mechanically inclined person.
I would first suggest a trip to a reputable clutch shop and have them check the hydraulics.
Or, if that it too dear, give me a call and I’ll check it out.
Will
It would ruin my manicure…
We’re off to the movies in a little while.
On the cooking kids, should that be broil maybe? Do I need to add tenderizer? They are pretty tough…
Apparently, I buy the wrong brand of tools, since many of mine tend to wander off all by their lone self. Maybe I should stop buying tools with the Harry Houdini logo.
Been there… I have two boys how many you got?
My only son is 22 with no mechanical capabilities, so the missing tool fault lies with me – loaning out tools and then forgetting to retrieve them from the borrowers.
Shouldn’t the borrower bring it back? Are you lending to Dagwood’s neighbor Herb Woodley? That guy has everything!
My aunt is married to a now former Vice President of the world bank. They mainly were in in Zaire.
She was back for a visit and told there are markets on the side streets that sell human flesh.
She said for some eating chickens or Rabbits are beneath their dignity but human flesh is not?
My grandma on dad’s side it the perfect straight person, often speaking without thinking it through.
“Well I would just like to give them a piece of my mind!”.
My aunt cracked everyone up when she responded, “Mom I am sure they would eat that too!”.
Iggy has read “The Family,” jammer and I are both reading it now, who else? Whether you’re reading it or not, you’ve all read enough to know this group of rightwing (mostly) men and the women who do their bidding plans to rule the entire world, starting with the U.S. and do it though their own particular weirdo religion.
Add Sarah Palin to this plan even tho she doesn’t live on “C” Street, she seems ready and willing to join in this cause.
Another book, written by Max Blumenthal and titled, “Republican Gomorrah,” examines the radical beliefs about witchcraft and the “serpent seed” that propelled Sarah Palin into politics.
“Most Pentecostal congregations are socially conservative, particularly those that are predominantly white, but Wasilla Assembly of God was in thrall to a radical Pentecostal trend once denounced by church authorities as heresy. Called the Third Wave, it was rooted in an explicitly anti-intellectual creation myth. According to the Third Wave’s founding father, William Branham, a rural Canadian preacher, Satan had sex with Eve and gave birth to Cain—the so-called “Serpent Seed.” “Through Cain came all the smart, educated people down to the antediluvian flood—the intellectuals, bible colleges,” Branham wrote. “They know all their creeds but know nothing about God.”
Read more (oh so much more and all so very scary!) here:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-09-05/inside-sarahs-church/?cid=hp:featureline
But . . . but . . . you can win a dinner date with her majesty if you bid enough. Now wouldn’t it be just desserts if a major league die hard liberal won the ‘prize’? Any bets on whether she’d show up?
Do we know how many are coming to the picnic tomorrow? Do we know who is bringing what?
Do we need a thread devoted to the above?
Thanks.
What do they call posting at the same time? Is it cross posting?
Here’s what I know so far about our gettogether —
These people have said they will be here:
Linda and Wayne (fnord and Griffin)
DavidB (David)
Steven (Iggy), maybe daughter
John (jammer)
Chuck (anniethemoose) (??Family)
Vaughn (6176), maybe daughter, maybe Bob
Will try, don’t know for sure —
Julie, Roy and kids
Will, maybe granddaughter
Rox (??Family)
Rick (tstb), wife, grandsons?
Jay (maybe his Mother too)
Wendy, family
I heard from Mary, she and Dave will not be here.
I also invited my Mother, one friend whose name is Gaye, and my daughter and son-in-law. I think my Mom and Gaye might come, never know about Tonya and Steve.
I think we will have 10 – 12, maybe as many as 20 people. WHO did I forget to mention?
I have the hamburger meat, brats, ‘fixins’ (onions, pickles, mustard, ketchup…), soft drinks, iced tea, beer. I thought I would make a potato salad and some deviled eggs. I have ice, plates, napkins, silverware, glasses.
Steven is bringing fresh home-grown tomatoes, fresh peaches, buns (both). He and I will probably argue over brats and he will win.
Will is bringing either corn on the cob or cole slaw.
If my friend Gaye comes she said she has a selection of delicious-sounding cheeses and fruits.
We could use some American cheese for the burgers, chips, other side dishes of your choosing, cake, cookies, pie… — or you could just come and let us enjoy being together.
OK, what needs tweaking?
BadBiker won’t be able to join us this time.
I can bring a cut up chicken and some curleys if we’re bbqin’. If not, then a cake or pie.
We might have a full grill, but we can empty it and fill it up again. In fact — we can fire up two grills 🙂 You choose! I’ve made enough decisions and surprises are good.
I am arguing for the brats, and consider myself victorious. Thanks.
OK, bring the brats.. We aren’t very good at arguing. Let’s NOT practice.
I will also bring cheese for the burgers.
Grilled portobello mushrooms and some fresh homemade hummus…
Now that sounds yummy!!
I’m bringing some squash and asparagus for grilling.
ARGHH… fnord, I don’t know where you live! Do you have my email address? I think I may have given it to you once upon a blue moon ago…
I sent an email to the address you use here — it’s the only one I have. If you don’t know which one that is, can’t find an email from me then I’ll give you my throwaway addy and we’ll get in touch that way.
Wendy, send me your email addy to:
rockpainter2003@yahoo.com
Enjoy
Great video, David! I might have to listen again to all those wonderful words used to describe ALL OF US!
Ah, we didn’t deserve such great words, just great numbers, but those ‘others’ got some well-deserved descriptive words (I especially like the Glenn Beck description!).
Very quickly. A review on All About Steve
It was fun, it was entertaining. Many in the audience laughed at various points. The theater wasn’t packed (auditorium at Warren 21st street), but it was far from empty. People were seen smiling and laughing as they left.
What it was not: It was not a deep psychological look into anything. It wasn’t boring. It wasn’t something that needed to be looked at closely to discover a “real meaning” to the story.
I went to be entertained and have a few laughs. I got what I paid for and am I glad I went. 🙂
😛 to the critics and reviewers.
I will try to be there. Folks I have not met.
Was all day on a demolition job today, so I may be a little gimpy. But every time I swung that hammer I was wishing some con a headache.
.Was all day on a demolition job today, so I may be a little gimpy. But every time I swung that hammer I was wishing some con a headache.
Awesome!
About Cash-for-Clunkers: I recently had the unexpected joy of riding with a tow-truck driver. He informed me that cash-for-clunkers has helped the flagging towing industry quite a bit (apparently, package deals for autos and/or insurance have been cutting back on free tows).
Some of this stuff isn’t rocket science. Extra food stamps means more food dollars into the economy. Adding $25 to unemployment insurance means more cash to the usually-broke to try to get the hell out of that situation.
And trading in clunkers for more environmentally-friendly vehicles is a win-win, well, unless you work in the demolition derby business!
A resource for some info:
/www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sickaroundtheworld/etc/notebook.html
T.R. Reid is a veteran foreign correspondent for The Washington Post, a commentator for National Public Radio and the author of nine books, including three in Japanese. He is currently working on his 10th book, The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care, to be published by Penguin Press in the summer of 2009.
Excerpt:
It was interesting to learn in the report that some of Switzerland’s drug companies make one-third of their profits in the U.S. market. Are we subsidizing these other nations’ prescription drugs, and what would happen if America clamps down on prices?
Yes, we subsidize the whole world. Americans pay more for pills than people in any other country. Sometimes, the same tablet made in the same factory costs $1 in the U.S. and 20 cents in Britain. If we could negotiate lower prices in the U.S., the drug companies would then try to raise prices overseas to make up for the lost revenues.