One year ago today: August 4, 2014, why Canadians lie so much.
Five years ago today: August 4, 2010, on Ayn Rand.
Six years ago today: August 4, 2009, Great Lakes but no great rivers.
MORNING
If it’s good, it won’t last. Now that I need the stepper motor shield, Adafruit has quit supporting the old model. Probably because it worked just fine. And the “library” has been moved to the horrid “GitHub” which floods your screen with all kinds of non-English garbage except what they know you want.
Well, the check may have bounced. Due to hoops we went through last week, all of the financing for this property is still in place. I’m saying we have the full amount of money still just sitting there. I called the agent this morning, because I’m curious why he did not contact me instantly over this. This is a fixer-upper, but surrounding places are selling for six to eight times the price.
Again, something funny is going on, but it could be the guy who bought it is flipping or just trying to get his money back. The point is, it is back on the market in a week for the same price. A divorce? A bankruptcy? I won’t move on it until I get an explanation, but I can tell everyone this is ten times the house that I ever grew up in. I’d sure as hell move in there.
NOON
”Sometimes magic is just spending more time on something than anyone would reasonably expect.” ~Raymond Teller. That’s the Teller in “Penn & Teller”.
NIGHT
Lord Trump sweeps all the lyin’ bastards under the carpet. He speaks for millions like me who watched 40 years of politicians refuse to run on the platforms that meant anything. Instead, it was always a meaningless quagmire of abortion rights, gay rights, minority rights, and endless broken election promises. I wonder, if Trump gets in, will he do anything about another major known abuse: income tax.
I know you want to hear about the real estate. Alas, no answer back yet, but something has gone wrong at the other end. The new ad, which I thought was a repeat of the old ad, shows some subtle differences since a week ago. Look at these photos, seven days apart.
The electric box covers have been removed and there is a thick layer of construction dust on the floor. The ceiling trim has been painted or removed or something. I see a typical Florida contractor’s truck out the front door. Now I’ve very curious what went wrong over there. I put my offer back in and am waiting.
The activity this morning does not negate routine maintenance on my old place and JZ was over to make some estimates. My electric bill is 45% higher than at his condo because I’m essentially paying to cool down a tin box in the summertime. Hence, I tend to have an air conditioner in each room. That way, I can pay only for the room I’m working in. This system works very well for me, but I understand some people like central air. Bear in mind I have twice as many rooms as JZ and mine are somewhat wider.
I hate to sink money into this place whose days are limited, but calculating the square feet, JZ and I concluded to install another air conditioner. I’ll need that air conditioner to sell or rent this place. This piece of property is very highly rentable, but I’d prefer to sell. I could probably double my money, but only if I have another place ready to move into. That’s why I’m awaiting a call-back from this morning. This time, I knock 10% off simply because.
NIGHT
Yes, I am concerned about social programs running out of money, and rightly so. They are the programs that I paid into, and not always because I wanted to pay. This is not a sense of entitlement on my part in any sense, for I want only what I was promised at the time the money was taken off my paychecks. But, at the same time, I am totally against welfare and against people who cook up statistics about welfare.
Forget the image of the struggling single mother making ends meet. Go down to social services tomorrow and sit in the waiting room, observing. The whole affair is a racket. Around half the country pays more on welfare than minimum wage. Of the 18 trillion dollar deficit, 4 trillion was handed out to welfare cases. A state that can’t pay its own way has no business handing out free money.
Again, I am for workfare and mandatory job training. Also, term limits on welfare. That’s 48 months per person per lifetime. Only a truly lazy liar cannot learn some manner of employment skills in four years, after that, let the charities look after the bastard. And, no welfare in large cities. Small communities only.
No, I am not heartless because most welfare recipients are scammers. They could work if they wanted to. I feel sorry for the lady in Michigan, the one who won the lottery and stayed on food stamps. Her explanation was simple. After taxes, getting a small house, and setting up college funds for her two children, she only had $67,000 left. Which is peanuts.
Why do I feel she did nothing wrong? Because winning the lottery is not income. She had no income, which qualifies for food stamps. Twenty-five percent of Michigan is on food stamps and I’ll bet you there are lots of rich people collecting. The authorities are only picking on this one lady because she recently came into money.
And only a democrat thinks you can live on a million dollars any more. Hell, just the cars and cosmetic surgery cost that much.
national debt
People who go on welfare are a burden on society. Therefore, I believe they should be drug tested monthly and attend a minimum 20 hours per week of job training. If they create “family” circumstances for themselves where they cannot attend, they are unfit parents. Getting pregnant on welfare is unacceptable. Yes, it is entirely one’s own fault if there is absolutely nothing they can do to earn money in any way. There should also be some means to ensure they are up and awake by 6:00AM every working day of the week. No, those who are leeches are not the same as other people and we are tired of hearing “statistics” otherwise.
ADDENDUM
Now, I am not talking about disabled people. They get disability and that is not welfare. I’m talking about the able-bodied who for the fact that they get welfare, don’t even bother to look for work. I’m aware everybody has a relative who was on welfare and “really needed it”, but I’m talking about the chronic, long-term, lazy with their food stamps and cable TV. You don’t need to be a redneck to hate freeloaders. I’ve lived under tax regimes where 11% of the adult population was on welfare, and they are truly the bloodsuckers of society.
As for disability, that needs investigating as well. As it stands, being stupid or fat is considered a disability. Time to start tracking down the cheats and dishing out jail time. Even if jail costs more, fraud is fraud. I’ve also lived where mental disorders like anxiety were enough to land perfectly healthy people on the dole. I’d put an end to that in a hurry. You don’t work, you don’t eat.
On the positive side, I would offer the truly destitute minimum housing and food, but no cash. And they would not be allowed to live in large population centers, where they can conduct their activities hiding in a crowd. On welfare? Your picture, age, and reason for benefits is posted weekly in the newspapers and the post office. In small towns, where you cheat once, somebody will turn you in.
I agree there is a need for welfare, but that the American welfare system is nearly 100 times larger than it should be. Maybe one person in a 100 really needs cash money help. Have you seen the stats of people from Iowa cashing their welfare checks in Vegas and Hawaii? Nuff said.
Last Laugh
Nova A.I. and Robotics Meeting
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