I, Pencil

another item that any Blog controlled by me that must be included.
The current reminder came to me from:
Why Capitalism is Awesome| by By Chris Berg| Cato Institute

I, Pencil

By Leonard E. Read

I am a lead pencil—the ordinary wooden pencil familiar to all boys and girls and adults who can read and write.

Writing is both my vocation and my avocation; that’s all I do.

You may wonder why I should write a genealogy. Well, to begin with, my story is interesting. And, next, I am a mystery —more so than a tree or a sunset or even a flash of lightning. But, sadly, I am taken for granted by those who use me, as if I were a mere incident and without background. This supercilious attitude relegates me to the level of the commonplace. This is a species of the grievous error in which mankind cannot too long persist without peril. For, the wise G. K. Chesterton observed, “We are perishing for want of wonder, not for want of wonders.”

I, Pencil, simple though I appear to be, merit your wonder and awe, a claim I shall attempt to prove. In fact, if you can understand me—no, that’s too much to ask of anyone—if you can become aware of the miraculousness which I symbolize, you can help save the freedom mankind is so unhappily losing. I have a profound lesson to teach. And I can teach this lesson better than can an automobile or an airplane or a mechanical dishwasher because—well, because I am seemingly so simple.

Simple? Yet, not a single person on the face of this earth knows how to make me. This sounds fantastic, doesn’t it? Especially when it is realized that there are about one and one-half billion of my kind produced in the U.S.A. each year.

Pick me up and look me over. What do you see? Not much meets the eye—there’s some wood, lacquer, the printed labeling, graphite lead, a bit of metal, and an eraser.

Read the rest:
http://www.fee.org/library/detail/i-pencil-audio-pdf-and-html#ixzz2afgoPvmm

The Emperor Has No Clothes: Guess What, the NSA is Reading This Blog!

First a couple of notes:

·         This is a Blog post from a harmless American citizen that doesn’t have a clue what my Government is up to… so keep that in mind before sending the ninjas.

·         I suspect Edward Snowden deserves to be punished to the full extent of the law. It is hard for me to imagine that he could work for a Federal Agency like the NSA without signing agreements that required him to not speak openly of what he learned while in their employ.  

Now on to the entertainment portion of my Blog.

Which do you think the average American fears more?

·         Having the NSA or some other agency listen to their phone calls, read their e-mail, Texts, web posts, Facebook page or Twitter account finding out that;

o   Mary J gave her Mud Cookie recipe to a few select friends

o   Jim is meeting Bob for drinks.

o    Ray put out some info- Well, it was a secret meeting in the dead of the night With mysterious sanctimony In accordance with prescribed Rituals of time honored ceremony

o   Mr Davis18 likes boobs and is giving a shoutout to his boyz at Brookland High!

o   A lady in Mississippi just told all her friends on Facebook that she will be out of town for a week.

Or?

·         While on vacation in Chicago somebody screams out Allahu Akbar “God is Greatest” right before the L blows Aunt Martha and a few other folks into tiny little bits.

My guess is that most Americans would find the Terrorist issue scarier.

note: There is a small percentage that includes concerned patriots, tax cheats, drug dealers, pedophiles, members of the 4th^h estate, one guy who lives in a bunker in Montana and a bunch of pot smokers in California.

And that brings me to today’s Blog title:

The Emperor Has No Clothes: Guess What, the NSA is Reading This Blog!

Time for a poll, we will have to go with a show of hands…

·         Russia’ Oprichnik [current version led by Putin]

·         Leaders of various Terrorist states that include, but are not limited to- Iran, Anything with a ‘Stan’, Paris, North Korea, China, Venezuela, New York City- including the entire membership of the UN, Mexico and most of Africa

·         President Barrack Obama, and staff

·         Republicans

·         Libertarians

·         Leon

·         Hollywood

·         The 4^th estate again

·         My wife

·         Me

·         You

·         Anybody I missed

Poll question [everybody raise that hand].

Before I ever heard of a guy named Snowden… I knew the Feds monitored phone calls, e-mails and all forms of electronic communications... Well except for Morse Code as the NSA lost the key pad.

Ok let’s see those hands… 1, 2,3………4,472,388 [hmm not as many hands on the left coast as one would think, perhaps a translator was needed and more Doritos]

For those of you who doubt my poll numbers, let me state my case.

·         Tom Clancy- ever read one of his books, how about W.E.B. Griffin or Vince Flynn… they have been writing about it for years. They find out all sorts of information by getting information from the NSA, often this leads to the killing of the bad guys.

·         Movies have featured NSA and Federal information gathering for quite some time- Conspiracy Theory, Enemy of the State, Eagle Eye, the list goes on and on. My favorites are Mercury Rising  and Red. A whole lot of movies cover the subject and the world doesn’t seem to get to upset while enjoying the films.

·         TV- Ever notice that many detective based series rely on the ability of cameras to track everybody’s movement? That they often call up some geek that works in some Government office to reposition a satellite to take pictures, or to playback a phone call from Tuesday at 12:15 outside of a bar in Georgetown? Watch a season of NCIS?

Okay that is the fun stuff, let me give you a couple of other examples.

·         Carnivore was a FBI plan to monitor-   Terrorism, Child pornography/exploitation, Espionage, Information warfare, Fraud.  1997 was the start-up date and on the surface [like all aspects of the Nanny State] the plan sounded like something that could be used for goodness and not badness.

·         NarusInsight  and the company NARUS should give everyone a little more history. Be sure and check out EFF.

·         Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act
 

Back to my point- The Emperor Has no Clothes, but he has one heck of a history of reading our mail and listening to us.

Snowden?

Obama, The Russians, The Chinese, The European Union and the rest of the world just want him to get past his 15 minutes of fame before the 'public' opens their eyes and collectively yells "But he hasn't got anything on!" 
Then we can move onto more important issues like buying cell phones that can record every movement we make and take pictures of our neighbors every action… who needs the NSA?

"Mankind are governed more by their feelings than by reason."
Samuel Adams 

I know…. Blah, Blah, Blah!

[some editing required.. goes without saying]

3 Rabbits, a tale for my children

 As a small boy I heard a tale of 3 rabbits, and this is mostly how I told it to my kids when they were little. This ones for Jessica, April and Caleb.. who are not rabbits.

Once upon a time a mother rabbit lived in the woods with her 3 baby rabbits... Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot. She had named one of the rabbits Foot, another one Foot Foot, not Foot and the third rabbit Foot Foot Foot, not Foot or Foot Foot as she already had a Foot and a Foot Foot.

The three rabbits, Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot all played together in the woods near their burrow where mother rabbit could keep a close eye on them.

One spring day mother rabbit was in the burrow doing housework, as mother rabbits often did, the three baby rabbits... Foot, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot played a game in the field of hide-n-go-seek. Sometimes Foot and Foot Foot would hide from Foot Foot Foot, sometimes it was Foot Foot Foot, not Foot who would join Foot Foot in hiding and sometimes it was Foot and Foot Foot Foot who hid from Foot Foot.

It was Foot's turn to seek Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot in the game as Foot Foot Foot, not Foot Foot, had just had a turn. Foot Foot, not Foot Foot Foot hid from Foot in a nice big hollow log and Foot Foot Foot hid from Foot, not Foot Foot as Foot Foot was already hiding, in a patch of field daises.

After too long of a time Foot Foot, not Foot Foot Foot, came out of the log to look for Foot... not Foot Foot Foot who was hiding from Foot in the daises. Foot Foot began to call out Foot's name and Foot Foot Foot, not Foot, came out to see why Foot Foot was hollering for Foot.

Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot began to search for the missing Foot. It was Foot who was missing and not Foot Foot or Foot Foot Foot, as they were searching for Foot.

Some distance from the burrow Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot found the missing Foot and Foot, who was found by Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot was very ill. It was not Foot Foot or Foot Foot Foot who was very ill, but Foot.

Foot Foot Foot told Foot Foot, not Foot who was very ill, to run back to the burrow and tell mother that Foot was in the field and was very ill. That is that it was Foot who was very ill and not Foot Foot Foot who was very ill.

So Foot Foot, not Foot Foot Foot or the very ill Foot told mother rabbit that Foot, not Foot Foot Foot was very ill and that mother rabbit should come very quickly. Mother rabbit went with Foot Foot, not Foot or Foot Foot Foot to where Foot Foot Foot was watching over Foot.

Once mother rabbit reached the very ill Foot and the watchful Foot Foot Foot, not Foot Foot as Foot Foot was already with mother rabbit... mother rabbit sent Foot Foot Foot, not the very ill Foot or Foot Foot to fetch the doctor for Foot.

The doctor came to check on Foot with Foot Foot Foot but not Foot Foot as Foot Foot was already with mother rabbit watching over the very ill Foot.
Foot died.
Mother rabbit, Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot buried Foot who had died.

A few days passed and one morning mother rabbit called Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot, not the recently dead Foot, down to breakfast and only Foot Foot Foot came down, not Foot Foot. Mother rabbit asked Foot Foot Foot where Foot Foot was and Foot Foot Foot said Foot Foot was still in bed. It was Foot Foot, not Foot Foot Foot who was very ill this time and the doctor was sent for to take care of Foot Foot, not Foot Foot Foot who was fine.

When the doctor arrived to care for Foot Foot, not the well Foot Foot Foot but the sick Foot Foot the doctor told mother rabbit that it looked like Foot Foot was going to die, not Foot Foot Foot as he was well.
and mother rabbit said...
no no no, this won't do...........
I already have one Foot in the grave!

---------------------------

Below is the tale as I found it on the internet and this from Mel Tillis.


One fine summer day, three rabbits named Foot Foot Foot, Foot Foot, and Foot were sitting in their rabbit den. Foot Foot Foot and Foot Foot were the big rabbits and Foot was just a wee little critter.

While Foot Foot Foot,Foot Foot, and Foot were playing their rabbit games, Foot Foot looked at Foot Foot Foot and Foot and said, “I’m hungry!”

“So are we,” said Foot Foot Foot and Foot.

“But where can we get some food? “asked Foot of Foot Foot Foot and Foot Foot.

“I know,” said Foot Foot, “Foot Foot Foot and I can hop over the Farmer Brown’s cabbage patch. And after we eat, we can bring some back for you.”

Wee little baby Foot stamped his foot and said, “But I don’t want to stay here! I wanna go with you and Foot Foot Foot!”

“Now Foot,” said Foot Foot Foot, “Don’t make me put my foot down. You know that Foot Foot and I are bigger and faster and thus can get away from Farmer Brown.”

So finally, Foot agreed with Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot that he would stay in the rabbit den and Foot Foot Foot and Foot Foot would go over and eat the cabbage.

Foot Foot Foot and Foot Foot hopped over the Farmer Brown’s garden and started munching happily away on the cabbage. The cabbage was very good and Foot Foot and Foot Foot Foot were very hungry.

All of a sudden there was a loud foot fall and Foot Foot Foot and Foot Foot ran and hid, thinking it was Farmer Brown with his shotgun coming to get them.

After it was quite, Foot Foot Foot and Foot Foot looked around the cabbage they were hiding behind.

“It’s just me!” said Foot, suprising Foot Foot Foot and Foot Foot.

“Foot, you are a very bad rabbit,” said Foot Foot Foot. “You know Foot Foot and I told you to stay home.

“I know,” said Foot, “but when I saw you happily munching on the cabbage, I said to myself, ‘I should go join my brothers Foot Foot Foot and Foot Foot and eat the cabbage too.’ “

“Well,” said Foot Foot to Foot Foot Foot, “Since he is already here, Foot might as well stay.”

“Yes, Foot Foot, you’re right” said Foot Foot Foot, “since Foot is already here, he can stay.”

So Foot Foot Foot, Foot Foot, and Foot again started munching happily away on the cabbage.

Then Foot Foot Foot heard a loud noise. “I see you rabbits! And this time I’ll get you for sure!” yelled Farmer Brown.

Foot Foot Foot yelled to Foot Foot and Foot, “Run for your lives Foot Foot and Foot!” and scrambled back towards the rabbit den.

Now since Foot Foot Foot and Foot Foot were the older and faster rabbits, they made it back to the den before Foot did. And right as Foot Foot Foot and Foot Foot thought Foot was going to make it, BLAM!! roared the shotgun.

After a bit, Foot Foot Foot and Foot Foot looked outside. To their sorrow, there was poor Foot lieing their dead, killed by Farmer Brown’s shotgun.

Foot Foot loooked at Foot Foot Foot and said, “we can’t just leave Foot there, Foot Foot Foot.”

“Quite right Foot Foot,” agreed Foot Foot Foot. “Let’s give Foot a proper rabbit burial.”

So Foot Foot Foot and Foot Foot dragged little foot to his favorite spot in the meadow and started digging. And they dug, and they dug, and they dug (remember Foot Foot Foot and Foot Foot don’t have opposable thumbs).

They were almost done covering Foot up when Foot Foot looks up a Foot Foot Foot and says, “All this work has made me hungry again. Come on Foot Foot Foot, let’s go back to the garden and eat more cabbage.”

“Foot Foot are you crazy?!?” exclaims Foot Foot Foot. “Can’t you see that we already have one Foot in the grave?”

Pet Peeves and the Entilted

CGF
last night while having our daily discussion "she who must be obeyed" [Horace Rumpole] told me of a call she received on her cell phone that went something like this.

Phone alerts CGF that she has a call via some sort of irritating tune.
CGF - Hello
Male Caller- "Who is this?"
CGF- Who were you calling?
Male Caller- '... a name*...' [I forget who she said, not important]
CGF- tells him you have a wrong number and she hangs up.

When one calls another person or a business it is proper to identify oneself as soon as the line is answered. [unless you are calling a government snitch line, the police to say where the bomb is, your own mother- as she knows who you are and will tell you so... wow! I could write a whole blog on times not to blurt ones name out when making a call.. but I digress.]

The caller should have simply said something like this-
CGF - Hello
Male Caller-"Hi, this is Tom. Is Bill around?"
CGF - No, you have called the wrong number, goodbye.

------------------------------

  A pet peeve is a minor annoyance that an individual identifies as particularly annoying to them, to a greater degree than others may find it.

and that brings me to my current number 1 pet peeve... The Entitled Smoker. 
Folks, I really don't care if you smoke.
Like the song says-
Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! that cigarette.
Puff! Puff! Puff!
And if you smoke yourself to death,
Tell Saint Peter at the golden gate
That you hate to make him wait,
But you got to have another cigarette.

What I don't understand is why those who smoke are entitled to extra breaks at work? [And to dump their cigarette butts out on the parking lot.] 
I work
I am a Felkins and that is how our people were raised.
Somebody pays you to work, that is what you do.
Salary pay means you work from the start of the work day till the end of the work day, however that is defined by your employer.
Most days that includes a lunch break and perhaps a morning and afternoon break.
In my case it means one 15-60 minute break for a meal per day.
My experience in working in both large and small offices is that most smokers average a 15-20 minute break per hour.
They almost always start smoke breaks by recruiting other smokers as it is a social activity as well.
It seems to be some sort of entitlement program.

“One of the consequences of such notions as "entitlements" is that people who have contributed nothing to society feel that society owes them something, apparently just for being nice enough to grace us with their presence.” Thomas Sowell

So while the employer expects a full days work and the non-smokers are putting in 6-7 hours of work during an 8 hour day.. the average smoker is grinding out about 4.
Somehow they are entitled to it, because they are forced [by Government] to work in an office that doesn't allow them to smoke in the office.
After all I can sit at my desk and drink my 7-12 Diet Cokes a day.

Smoke on your lunch break.
Smoke on your twice  daily leg stretching breaks.
Smoke at home.
Smoke in your car.
Smoke in the park.
Smoke around your kids.
Blow smoke in the face of your pets.

Just don't do it at work... so often.
Unless you have a contract with your employer that allows you unlimited smoke breaks.
That would truly make you entitled.

and somewhat reduce my peeved state.

But I'd give her a kiss and a little squeeze
And she said, "Phil, would you excuse me please,
But I got to have a cigarette."

I know... Blah... Blah...Blah
  



Horace Rumpole: If it wasn't for crime, the democratic process would grind to a halt.

side note on Pet Peeves, yes dears... no one really knows how a barely literate man could have spent the greatest part of his life in the company of you three. For all errors in grammar I offer my apology.
You are entitled to that. kbf

The Little Red Hen

No blog of mine would be complete with out this tale, and while there are many versions this one is my favorite.
And is as true today as the first time it was told by some Russian child's grandparent back before the days of the Tzar.
--------------
 Red Hen as told by President Ronald Reagan 
 November 1976 | Ronald Reagan


A modern day little red hen may not sound like or appear to be a quotable authority on economics but then some authorities aren't worth quoting. I'll be right back.
About a year ago I imposed a little poetry on you. It was called "The Incredible Bread Machine" and made a lot of sense with reference to matters economic. You didn't object too much so having gotten away with it once I'm going to try again.

This is a little treatise on basic economics called "The Modern little Red Hen."

Once upon a time there was a little red hen who scratched about the barnyard until she uncovered some grains of wheat. She called her neighbors and said 'If we plant this wheat, we shall have bread to eat. Who will help me plant it?'
"Not I, " said the cow.
"Not I," said the duck.
"Not I," said the pig.
"Not I," said the goose.
"Then I will," said the little red hen. And she did. The wheat grew tall and ripened into golden grain. "Who will help me reap my wheat?" asked the little red hen.
"Not I," said the duck.
"Out of my classification," said the pig.
"I'd lose my seniority," said the cow.
"I'd lose my unemployment compensation," said the goose.
"Then I will," said the little red hen, and she did.
At last the time came to bake the bread. "Who will help me bake bread?" asked the little red hen.
"That would be overtime for me," said the cow.
"I'd lose my welfare benefits," said the duck.
"I'm a dropout and never learned how," said the pig.
"If I'm to be the only helper, that's discrimination," said the goose.
"Then I will," said the little red hen.
She baked five loaves and held them up for the neighbors to see.
They all wanted some and, in fact, demanded a share. But the little red hen said, "No, I can eat the five loaves myself."
"Excess profits," cried the cow.
"Capitalist leech," screamed the duck.
"I demand equal rights," yelled the goose.
And the pig just grunted.
And they painted "unfair" picket signs and marched round and around the little red hen shouting obscenities.
When the government agent came, he said to the little red hen, "You must not be greedy."
"But I earned the bread," said the little red hen.
"Exactly," said the agent. "That's the wonderful free enterprise system. Anyone in the barnyard can earn as much as he wants. But under our modern government regulations productive workers must divide their products with the idle."
And they lived happily ever after, including the little red hen, who smiled and clucked, "I am grateful, I am grateful."
But her neighbors wondered why she never again baked any more bread.

---

My wife and her Mud Cookies-

In 1955 my mother got a new stove and me.  The stove came with a

Good Housekeeping Cook Book and this recipe was included.  The name

given in the book is "sputniks."  Guess the Russian space launch was

around that time.  My kids have always called them mud cookies because

they look like mud pies.  Other names are no-bake, stove top, boiled cookies,

or old fashioned oatmeal.

 

Mud Cookies

2 cups sugar

1 stick margarine

4 tbls cocoa

1/2 cup milk

2 1/2 cups quick oats

1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla

Waxed paper

 

In a metal pan over med high heat, bring to a boil the sugar, butter, cocoa, and milk.

Let boil 1 1/2 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and add oats, vanilla,

and peanut butter.  Stir till all coated well.  Spoon onto waxed paper and allow to set.

Lift the edge of the waxed paper and pull up from counter top to loosen the cookies.

 

Do not use a non stick coated pan.  Your cookies will never set.  I don't know why

but it sure is true.

 

I sent them to the senior adult center with my mom for Halloween this year.  They were

supposed to bring something sweet and themed.  I put them in a box nestled in green

Easter grass and made a little sign that read "cow patties" and it was a big hit.

They all said they hadn't had these in years.  I get that comment a lot.

 

 

Carol Felkins

The general theme of this Blog is my very own thoughts and ramblings.
So for most of you it will sound[read] like
Blah, Blah, Blah...
for those under 10 or so
Wah wah woh wah wah

That about sums it all up.
kbf
http://about.me/kevin_felkins