TheBellCurve

• Thanks again, I hope...

  I saw a letter to the editor in our local paper the other day exalting the virtues of a meatless Thanksgiving. One of the things I'm most thankful for this Thanksgiving is that apparently nobody in my family paid much attention to that letter.
  
  The first attempts at this' [...]
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  Posted: November 26, 2009, 9:23am EST
  

• I'm afraid it's going to get awfully crowded around here...

  I've always realized the fight against bigger government is an uphill battle. As long as the government continues to rob from Peter to pay Paul, Paul is usually going to throw his support the governments way.
  
  Now the battle is becoming even harder. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has' [...]
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  Posted: November 22, 2009, 12:30pm EST
  

• Who are you gonna call?....

  A few years ago, "Ghostbusters" was a popular answer to that question. Never having been troubled by ghosts, I never had need for their services. I do have my plumber on speed dial, and the electrician. Also Gary down at the hardware store and Jarod at the lumber yard. I've' [...]
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  Posted: November 21, 2009, 9:55am EST
  

• Can you hear me now?...

  The current health care debate has generated a lot of discussion on just what constitutes a "right". I've always maintained that our rights cannot conflict with somebody else's rights. That is, if something you consider to be your right requires the initiation of force against another individual, it isn't' [...]
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  Posted: November 14, 2009, 5:41pm EST
  

• Yah, thot wood sock...

  Apparently the authors of the health care bill that the House of Representatives just passed were really serious about making sure everyone complied with the law. People who fail to buy insurance are subject to a $250,000.00 fine and up to 5 years in jail. Since the bill is [...]
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  Posted: November 12, 2009, 8:00pm EST
  

• Thanks pfor nothing...

  For those of us that still believe in private property rights, Kelo vs. New London, the case where the Supreme Court ruled that government could seize a person's home for almost any reason, as long as the seizure resulted in more money for the governments coffers, remains one of' [...]
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  Posted: November 10, 2009, 8:22pm EST
  

• Get the lead out...

  I've seen a lot of changes since starting a construction company 35 years ago. Some of the materials we use in the business is better than it used to be, and some of it is worse. Some of it isn't even in existence anymore. Some of the tools we use [...]
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  Posted: November 07, 2009, 9:56am EST
  

• Frankly my dear, I don't give a darn...

  I don't know what an acai berry is. I did see an advertisement the other day about some juice that they make from it, and the ad promised that I would be shocked by the results if I drank some of it. I'm not so sure. It's been a long' [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 7:24am EST
  

• Take it or leave it...

  Stinky Wilmont was my best pal back when we were attending Millville Grade School. I guess we had a lot of things in common. We both thought Rin Tin Tin was a lot smarter and faster than Lassie, and we were convinced Popeye and Bluto could both have done a [...]
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  Posted: November 01, 2009, 7:38pm EST
  

• End Property Taxes, Save a Tree...

  I subscribe to 3 newspapers. 2 daily and 1 weekly. I know it's not the most environmentally friendly way keeping abreast of things, but I still enjoy leafing through the pages more than surfing the web, and besides, I can't make paper hats for the grand kids out of a [...]
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  Posted: October 31, 2009, 9:49am EDT
  

• If a picture is worth a thousand words, what's a word worth?...

  There's something to said for brevity. The Ten Commandments contain 297 words. The Bill of Rights contains 463 words. Lincoln's Gettysburg Address contains 266 words.
  
  A federal directive written to regulate the price of cabbage contains 26,911 words.
  
  Sometimes governments verbosity is just annoying. Sometimes it's expensive.
  [...]
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  Posted: October 29, 2009, 8:40pm EDT
  

• Foooooore!!!....

  I've never played any golf, except for some Putt-Putt when the kids were younger, and once on the side of a mountain down in Tennessee somewhere.
  
  I never tried the real game because it seemed like it took up a lot of time, and because people seem to get' [...]
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  Posted: October 24, 2009, 9:49pm EDT
  

• Fun with numbers..

  The national debt is fast approaching $12 trillion dollars. Of course, that is what's already on the books. Estimates for the governments unfunded liabilities are upwards of 60 or 70 trillion. I think most people have an understanding of a million, and even a billion, but a trillion tends to' [...]
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  Posted: October 21, 2009, 9:34pm EDT
  

• Oh yeah, that's a lot better....

  The state legislators property tax solution may be starting to take affect. You may recall the push for a Constitutional amendment to cap property taxes at 1% of the assessed value for residential properties, 2% for agricultural properties, and 3% for business properties.
  
  A lot of Democrats worried [...]
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  Posted: October 18, 2009, 7:12pm EDT
  

• Give and take, or take and take...

  One of the points that was discussed at our monthly Libertarian meet-up the other night was the subject of compromise. Libertarians often get a bum rap on the subject.
  
  I think most Libertarians that I know aren't diametrically opposed to compromise, although most would share a concern as to' [...]
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  Posted: October 14, 2009, 1:22pm EDT
  

• Define "definition"...

  Definitions are rarely set in stone. In the last few years we've seen a lot people adjust the definition of what socialism is, what sex is, and even what is is. I suppose circumstances have brought about changes in definitions since the begining of time.
  
  I read a comment' [...]
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  Posted: October 09, 2009, 1:11pm EDT
  

• Big wheels and little wheels....

  I don't know what it is that makes other people want so much control over our lives, including where and when we might be allowed to ride bicyles.
  
  A couple of years ago I posted this clip of a sign that prohibits bicycles on Main Street in Hagerstown.[...]
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  Posted: October 03, 2009, 12:35pm EDT
  

• The path less taken...

  “More than any other time in history, mankind faces a crossroads. One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness. The other, to total extinction. Let us pray we have the wisdom to choose correctly.”…..Woody Allen
  
  There have been times in my life when I knew just how Woody [...]
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  Posted: October 02, 2009, 12:00pm EDT
  

• Stupid government tricks, part 26...

  It seems we've been deluged lately with stories about absurd actions by our government against its citizens.
  
  Last week I wrote about this unfortunate soul that was arrested for purchasing cold medicine for her husband and daughter.
  
  Now comes this story about a woman that has' [...]
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  Posted: September 29, 2009, 7:29am EDT
  

• Hey George, when you're right, you're right!...

  “Government is not reason, it is not eloquence, it is force; like fire, a troublesome servant and a fearful master.”...George Washington
  
  A lot of people are upset that part of the health care reform being discussed would mandate fines or jail time for people that don't comply and' [...]
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  Posted: September 27, 2009, 8:21am EDT
  

• Cold and flu season...and maybe a little jail time...

  Cold and flu season is approaching, and as usual we are being deluged with a lot of good advice on how to avoid becoming ill. I found this story the other day that shows we should also be careful even after we get sick.
  
  Apparently Sally Harpold, a [...]
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  Posted: September 26, 2009, 6:13pm EDT
  

• Be careful what you ask for...twice...

  I wrote this story a couple of years ago about how sometimes people are just way to sensitive. I'm not sure things are getting much better.
  
  If someone criticized our last President's policies, they ran the risk of being called unpatriotic. If someone criticizes our current President's policies,' [...]
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  Posted: September 22, 2009, 12:07pm EDT
  

• Cost of Government Day. Another record broken!...

  I guess it's one of the signs of being an old man to reminisce about how much things used to cost. I've been in business long enough to remember when some new houses cost what some lawnmowers cost now.
  
  I also remember, not to many years ago, when Americans [...]
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  Posted: September 20, 2009, 8:29am EDT
  

• Rub-a-dub-dub....

  We have a giant sandbox in the backyard, and when all four of the grand kids get done playing in it, there isn't much to do other than just take them in the house and dip them all in the bathtub. Its just about as much fun as the sandbox.' [...]
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  Posted: September 19, 2009, 6:37pm EDT
  

• How about some neat stuff?...

  
  About seven years ago, our county Libertarian Party started holding a Labor Day weekend garage sale. It gets a little bigger and better every year. We depend on donated items to stock the sale, and I'm amazed every year at what some people will donate, and' [...]
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  Posted: September 12, 2009, 4:09pm EDT
  

• Da Doo Ron Ron....

  Every Labor Day weekend for the last seven years, we've held a garage sale as a fundraiser for the local Libertarian Party at our home on State Road 38 a couple miles west of Hagerstown. It's a lot of work, but it's also a lot of fun, and it gives' [...]
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  Posted: September 01, 2009, 10:42pm EDT
  

• Is it getting warm in here, or is it just me?...

  I’m sure we’ve all heard the old theory that if you put a frog in a pan of hot water, it will immediately jump out, but if you place a frog in a pan of warm water, and turn up the heat slowly, the frog will stay in the pan, [...]
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  Posted: August 30, 2009, 2:37pm EDT
  

• Beep, Beep....

  When I made my first trip to Washington last year, I noticed and commented on the number of drivers back there who use their car horns as a means to get stalled traffic moving. I never really saw it work, but apparently a lot of people in Washington believe [...]
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  Posted: August 22, 2009, 1:51pm EDT
  

• It's not like we couldn't see it coming...

  "When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men living together in society, they create for themselves, in the course of time, a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it." - Frederic Bastiat
  
  Bastiat saw it coming over 150 years [...]
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  Posted: August 14, 2009, 10:20pm EDT
  

• 1 in a million...or two...

  I buy a couple of lottery tickets every week. I know it's a long shot, but somewhere in the back of my mind there's a belief that I might beat the odds and hit the jackpot. Mostly though, I know it's probably not going to happen. But I keep buying [...]
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  Posted: August 13, 2009, 7:43am EDT
  

• Who's the monkee now?...

  I saw where Monkee singer Mickey Dolenz's wife was convicted of housing fraud, involving the misappropriation of taxpayer money. That's a good thing, I think, although I just hate it for Mickey.
  
  The other day I was talking with a friend who sells cabinets and counter tops for [...]
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  Posted: August 08, 2009, 2:47pm EDT
  

• Oh, the humanity!!...

  I don't remember when Fidel Castro took control of Cuba. I was only seven years old at the time, and I guess I just wasn't paying attention. As I understand it, before Castro, Cuba had rich people and poor people. Castro's solution was for the government to take control of [...]
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  Posted: August 08, 2009, 8:57am EDT
  

• Now, that would be quite a time...

  Chances are you've seen this video of John Conyers, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, making fun of the suggestion that legislators should actually read proposed bills before they vote on them. It's not anything new.
  
  Last year I questioned my State Representative, Tom Saunders, about a' [...]
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  Posted: August 02, 2009, 6:05pm EDT
  

• Tip me over...

  Right after high school, I worked at a little factory in Hagerstown that made centrifugal clutches for mini-bikes and go-carts, trying to make enough money so I could get through my first year of college. I didn’t make it on either count. Although I didn’t much care for the tedious [...]
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  Posted: August 02, 2009, 8:02am EDT
  

• That's peanuts....

  I hadn't been to a professional baseball game for 15 years. The last player strike left a sour taste, and I had pretty well adjusted my schedule to where professional baseball didn't affect my life. Then I received an invitation from my daughter and son-in-law to attend a Reds game [...]
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  Posted: August 01, 2009, 9:28am EDT
  

• Get well or die....

  I posted this observation a while back concerning the government's use of force, and potential use of deadly force, in order to assure that people mowed their yards and wore their seat belts. As much as some people don't like to admit it, every law the government makes is [...]
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  Posted: July 22, 2009, 3:47pm EDT
  

• The cinder in another's eye...

  I've never expected to agree with President Obama on to many points, but I do try to keep an open mind. And sure enough, something we can agree on finally came along.
  
  In his speech in Ghana last week, Mr. Obama chastised most of the African continent, declaring' [...]
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  Posted: July 21, 2009, 12:29pm EDT
  

• This is only a test....

  I participated, as best I could with my limited typing skills, in the Palladium-Item's P-I Live! presentation tonight, with Bob Hertzog and Nate Lamar. It was fun, but it moves pretty quick, and doesn't give much time for extended answers.
  
  One of the first questions concerned our' [...]
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  Posted: July 16, 2009, 10:01pm EDT
  

• Decoration of independence..

  Chalk one up for the good guys. Government has a nasty habit of pushing in where it doesn't belong. Occasionally someone manages to push back. A feisty bunch of interior designers just pulled of a small coup in Connecticut,with a little help from the Institute for Justice, and' [...]
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  Posted: July 12, 2009, 9:00pm EDT
  

• May the force be with you... or them...

  George Washington hit the nail on the head when he said, "Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." Every once in a while we are reminded just how true that is.
  
  A few [...]
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  Posted: July 07, 2009, 8:08pm EDT
  

• Impersonating an impersonator...

  I see where recent lieutenant-governor candidate Dennis Oxley tried to avoid a public intoxication arrest by claiming he was a state representative, and was subsequently charged with impersonating a public servant.
  
  There was also a story this week that Indiana prisons are at 99% capacity. Given the [...]
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  Posted: July 03, 2009, 7:25am EDT
  

• North by Northeast, or there abouts...

  Back at Millville Grade School, Summit Taylor’s furnace room also doubled as the teachers’ smoking lounge. Nothing fancy, mind you, but it did have a couple of vinyl covered chairs, and one of those ashtrays on a stand, with a button that you pushed to send the ashes and crushed [...]
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  Posted: July 01, 2009, 2:51pm EDT
  

• And a good time was had by all...

  I haven't been to a Major League baseball game since the strike 15 years ago. Bull-headedness, I guess. I have been to a few Little League games, and a couple of Rooster games when they were in Richmond, and I sense some T-ball approaching in the next couple of years.[...]
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  Posted: June 29, 2009, 6:07pm EDT
  

• Sometimes you get the bear...

  ...and sometimes the bear gets you.
  
  I've made some deals in my life where I thought I came out ahead, and I've made some deals where I thought I came out on the short end of the stick. You don't always know how things are going to turn' [...]
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  Posted: June 27, 2009, 9:13am EDT
  

• Would you buy a used car from this guy?...

  I'm fully aware that I don't have a lot of room to pass judgement on other peoples' personal appearances. It's something I've learned to live with, and since I seldom have to look at myself, except when I'm shaving, I really don't have to think about it all that much.
  [...]
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  Posted: June 20, 2009, 8:29am EDT
  

• You go, B.O.!!!!.....

  Given our differing views on just how involved government should be in my life, I'm probably not going to have many reasons to cheer or defend President Obama in the next few years. Certainly the reasons so far have been sparse.
  
  But I will have to ask PETA to' [...]
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  Posted: June 18, 2009, 9:36pm EDT
  

• That just doesn't cut it....

  I remember a time back at Millville Grade School when Principal Baker needed to cut a few lengths of baling twine for some project he was working on. When he asked my old buddy Stinky Wilmont if he had a pocket knife with him, Stinky replied, "I got my pants" [...]
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  Posted: June 14, 2009, 8:33pm EDT
  

• That's not how it works on the television...

  I heard the other day that a lot of juries were being disappointed in the quality of evidence that was being presented at trials. The blame for that disappointment has been placed on television shows that tend to exaggerate the capabilities of police investigators.
  
  I understand how that could [...]
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  Posted: June 10, 2009, 10:16pm EDT
  

• When I'm 64...

  Thirty-five years ago I gave up a steady, albeit meager paycheck and started my own contracting business. Depending on who you listen to, between 60% and 90% of small businesses fail within five years, which raises a couple of possibilities. Either I beat the odds, or I've failed and just' [...]
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  Posted: June 06, 2009, 12:20pm EDT
  

• "I can't do that, Dave"....

  My buddy Marvin, a farmer up by Mooreland, is fond of telling the story about the time he added a new hired-hand, Ronald, to help with some summer projects around the farm. It was mid August, and one of the projects involved installing a new roof on one of his [...]
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  Posted: May 31, 2009, 5:43pm EDT
  

• The Big Wheels and your wheels...

  I've always considered driving to be a utilitarian act. I use it to get from point (A) to point (B). Outside of a couple years as a teenager, when gasoline was about a quarter a gallon, and "cruising" was an integral part of the mating ritual, I've spent very little [...]
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  Posted: May 30, 2009, 7:05pm EDT
  

• Me thinks thou doth protest too much...

  Former Vice-President Dick Cheney has certainly been pounding the news circuit lately, going out of his way to bash Barack Obama's policies in handling the terrorist threat facing America. It seems we've seen more of him in the last month than we did in the last eight years. He's found' [...]
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  Posted: May 23, 2009, 8:20pm EDT
  

• Disproportionate response...

  Thomas Jefferson stated that it is the natural tendency of government to grow. It's also the natural tendency of government to overreact.
  
  We saw a lot of overreaction in the last month or so as we made our way through yet another flu season. People in the private sector' [...]
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  Posted: May 14, 2009, 8:39am EDT
  

• This is only a test...

  There's been quite a bit of attention given to state sovereignty lately, particularly with a number of states passing resolutions reaffirming theirs. The problem with resolutions, whether the New Years type or the state legislature type, is that they don't amount to much if you don't follow through with' [...]
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  Posted: May 07, 2009, 9:39pm EDT
  

• How about a real new deal?...

  Stinky Wilmont was one of my best buddies back in the days at Millville Grade School. I probably ended up in more trouble than I should have whenever I followed his lead, but I also had a lot more fun than I would have if Stinky hadn’t been around.
  
  [...]
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  Posted: April 30, 2009, 4:56pm EDT
  

• Step Two.....

  They say the first step in solving a problem is admitting that there is a problem.
  
  I was happy to see so many Republicans taking part in the TEA Party protests that took place last tax day, complaining that government had become to expensive, just like I was happy [...]
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  Posted: April 26, 2009, 7:53pm EDT
  

• The Worst First...

  Someone gave me a book a few years ago, called "The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Journal". It has a lot of suggestions on how you should react if you find yourself in a tough situation, like being stuck in quicksand, or locked in the trunk of a car, or riding a [...]
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  Posted: April 21, 2009, 6:15pm EDT
  

• Step Two

  They say the first step in solving a problem is admitting that there is a problem.
  
  I was happy to see so many Republicans taking part in the TEA Party protests that took place last tax day, complaining that government had become to expensive, just like I was happy [...]
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  Posted: April 20, 2009, 7:18pm EDT
  

• Uh-oh....

  From the "Good News, Bad News" department.
  
  First, the good news. Apparently President Obama and his family have decided to adopt a new pet, a type of Portuguese water dog named Bo. I'm sure Malia and Sasha are very excited, and whether or not Bo realizes it, he's set [...]
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  Posted: April 13, 2009, 10:08pm EDT
  

• Green Car? No Thanks...

  The other day on the radio somebody suggested that we should start buying green vehicles. All I could think of was "been there, done that". The first car I ever drove was green.
  
  It was a 1965 Rambler American. Dad bought it shortly after my older brother got his [...]
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  Posted: April 09, 2009, 7:43pm EDT
  

• Hold the celebration...

  You might think that those of us who don't imbibe should be relieved that the statewide support for the Lucas Oil Stadium and Conseco Fieldhouse will come from a doubling of the alcohol tax. Except that once the tax is adopted, its pretty well been decided that taxpayers across the' [...]
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  Posted: April 05, 2009, 7:53pm EDT
  

• Does anybody know the number for 911?...

  I have a couple of friends that are having a disagreement with the local post office concerning their mail delivery. I wish them luck in getting their disagreement settled quickly and amicably. I always figured if you upset the postmaster, you could be setting yourself up for some real heartaches. [...]
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  Posted: April 03, 2009, 7:13pm EDT
  

• Simple enough...

  Frank Schuler was the County Extension Agent when I was a kid in Henry County. Besides looking after the 4-H program in the county, Frank also kept the local agricultural community informed on the latest news from Purdue University, and helped people with their gardens at a time when a [...]
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  Posted: April 01, 2009, 9:52pm EDT
  

• There oughta be a law...

  I don't know if it's human nature to avoid things that annoy us. Some people seem to seek those things out.
  
  But the Brighton, Michigan, City Council decided to make it easier to avoid being annoyed by adopting a ban on being annoying in public.
  
  The [...]
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  Posted: March 31, 2009, 8:26pm EDT
  

• Give 'em an inch, and they'll take 36,420 square miles...

  You may remember that when Indianapolis was seeking financing for the Lucas Oil Stadium, they found it necessary to expand their tax base to include the counties that surround Marion County. They called them the donut counties.
  
  Apparently now they want a bigger donut.
  
  The Indianapolis Capitol Improvement [...]
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  Posted: March 29, 2009, 8:43am EDT
  

• Yours, mine, and theirs....

  It's been a few years since I bought a truck, and my old Chevy is getting some miles on her. I thought this might be a good time to find a deal on a new one. My wife didn't think it was that good of a time, so we compromised [...]
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  Posted: March 27, 2009, 7:47pm EDT
  

• On the road again...

  I've never been much of a traveler. I can usually find about everything I need within 10 or 12 miles of Hagerstown, and as I've mentioned before, I don't much care for driving on interstates around cities where the posted speed limit is merely a suggested minimum.
  
  Still, occasions' [...]
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  Posted: March 22, 2009, 8:18pm EDT
  

• A time for every purpose....

  I spent a goodly portion of last Monday sitting with a roomfull of past candidates in front of the Indiana State Election Commission. I had been summoned to appear before the commission because a friend of mine had placed an ad in the New Castle paper during the last campaign, [...]
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  Posted: March 22, 2009, 8:30am EDT
  

• So what...

  I couldn't help but chuckle over the feigned indignation of so many on capitol hill concerning the $165 million in bonuses AIG handed out to some its employees after it had received billions of government bail-out dollars.
  
  It did make a good show, and it certainly plays into the' [...]
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  Posted: March 18, 2009, 6:39pm EDT
  

• Stick 'em up...

  I don't think there's much doubt that Bernie Madoff is a crook. He swindled a lot of people out of a lot of money by convincing them he was investing it wisely, when actually he was running a Ponzi scheme where he took money from investors and paid off earlier [...]
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  Posted: March 15, 2009, 11:54am EDT
  

• 1,2,3 GO!!...

  The push is on by a lot of folks to convince the Indiana Legislature to pass the Constitutional caps on property taxes, one of the steps necessary to allow the caps to go before the voters in 2010, and possibly become permanent. The proposed caps would limit property taxes to [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2009, 1:14pm EDT
  

• Boo, and this time we mean it....

  A little over a year ago I made this observation about how the government likes to threaten the elimination of essential services when faced with revenue shortfalls, sort of a backdoor way of telling us to shut-up and pay our taxes.
  
  Well, it's not just a threat.' [...]
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  Posted: March 11, 2009, 8:59pm EDT
  

• Roll out the presses...

  There certainly are a lot of large numbers being tossed around these days. I remember as a kid being impressed with the thought of Jed Clampitt having a few million dollars. Nowadays his fortune wouldn't operate the government more than a few seconds.
  
  I wrote an article' [...]
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  Posted: March 08, 2009, 1:16pm EDT
  

• Uh-oh...

  I wrote about the return of the buzzards to Hagerstown last March. They normally make it back on or about the 12th.
  
  This year, they came in on the 5th. I think most people would agree that times are tougher now than they were a year ago [...]
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  Posted: March 06, 2009, 9:06pm EST
  

• Have you seen the bigger piggies?...

  Ever have a song that you just can't get out of your head? I haven't been able to shake this one since the new stimulus package was passed.
  
  I have a friend that says it's only pork when someone else gets it, and I suppose that is how' [...]
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  Posted: March 04, 2009, 6:19pm EST
  

• "Our game, our rules"....

  Our two-party system is pretty protective of itself. Ballot access laws and election commission requirements contribute to the 96% re-election rate that incumbent elected officials enjoy. Occasionally, a third party tries to throw a wrench into the works.
  
  A couple of weeks ago, Ed Coleman, a member of [...]
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  Posted: March 04, 2009, 8:44am EST
  

• Tea time....

  Back in 2003 I made this observation about the obstacles Orville and Wilbur Wright would have faced if they tried to invent the airplane in today's world:
  
  As we prepare to celebrate the 100th anniversary of powered flight this year, I think we can all be thankful that' [...]
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  Posted: February 28, 2009, 2:06pm EST
  

• Rock and roll....

  Summit Taylor was the janitor, groundskeeper, and sometimes recess monitor at my alma mater, Millville Grade School. He lived just across the fence on the other side of the big pile of leavings where he dumped the ashes from the coal furnace in the basement of the school building. One [...]
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  Posted: February 25, 2009, 8:32pm EST
  

• Better late than never...

  It seems that three Republicans from the Indiana Senate have proposed a resolution requesting that the federal government begin honoring the Constitution, and specifically the Tenth Amendment. To me, it would have seemed a little more sincere if they would have proposed the resolution a couple of years ago, but [...]
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  Posted: February 23, 2009, 10:04pm EST
  

• Bizarro Economics....

  In a Bizzaro world, people do the opposite of what they normally do or should do. Sometimes I have to wonder if we aren't venturing further into such a world.
  
  The news is full of stories about workers that are taking pay cuts in order to protect' [...]
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  Posted: February 21, 2009, 8:43am EST
  

• One bite at a time...

  Edward Coleman, a member of the Indianapolis City-County Council, has decided to leave the Republican Party and join the Libertarian Party. Good for you Edward, and welcome aboard.
  
  Mr. Coleman gave his some of his reasons for his actions in this press release:
  
  "This is not a decision" [...]
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  Posted: February 17, 2009, 8:50pm EST
  

• Well I'll be doggone....

  About every time I think I've got my blood pressure under control, something like THIS comes along.
  
  Taxpayers in California just spent $13 million on a foot bridge, $196,000.00 of which was for statues, including statues of dogs doing dog stuff. All different kinds of dog stuff.' [...]
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  Posted: February 14, 2009, 3:45pm EST
  

• Who knows where the time goes...

  My father has always had a theory on determining how long ago something happened. He maintains that if you aren't sure, and that if you would guess how many years ago an event took place, and then double your guess, the second figure would be closer than the first figure.' [...]
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  Posted: February 11, 2009, 7:13am EST
  

• Thanks for the advice, but No Thanks...

  The world has always been full of bad advice.
  
  In March 1990, Republican Clayton Williams, Jr. was running against Democrat Ann Richards for Texas governor. Williams compared the Texas weather to rape, saying "if it’s inevitable, then relax and enjoy it." I'm happy to report that Williams' [...]
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  Posted: February 08, 2009, 1:47pm EST
  

• On the brighter side...

  Our government is renowned for the unintended consequences it so often brings upon us. Those smelly Chinese Lady Bugs that crawl into your home each fall were brought to the United States by the Department of Agriculture to eat aphids off of soybeans. Who knew they wouldn't care for our' [...]
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  Posted: February 05, 2009, 6:31pm EST
  

• If I had my druthers...

  Barack Obama wants to make sure that any company that receives bailout money from us taxpayers doesn't pay it's executives more than $500,000.00 per year. That's a good start, but I can't help but believe that if we put the limit at $5000.00, maybe those executives would work a little [...]
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  Posted: February 05, 2009, 8:24am EST
  

• Great Expectations

  The California Second District Court of Appeal has upheld the decision to award James Stevens $2.4 million because of some sexual harassment that occurred at his work place. Apparently Mr. Stevens was offended by it, and didn’t feel like he should be subjected to such treatment on the job. I’m [...]
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  Posted: February 01, 2009, 7:48pm EST
  

• Everybody knows.....

  I learned a long time ago that everybody doesn't necessarily know what "everybody knows". I'm always a little leery whenever someone starts a conversation with "You can't argue with the fact that...", or "Practically everybody agrees that...".
  
  There will always be somebody willing to argue about whether something' [...]
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  Posted: January 29, 2009, 4:11pm EST
  

• I been thinkin'...

  about money:
  
  *I saw the other day that John Thain, ex CEO of Merrill Lynch, had spent $1.22 million on remodeling his office. He had some fine tastes in furniture, too:
  
  Area Rug $87,784
  Mahogany Pedestal Table $25,713
  19th Century Credenza $68,179
  Pendant Light Furniture [...]
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  Posted: January 27, 2009, 7:41pm EST
  

• Is everybody happy?!?!

  
  
  Our oldest granddaughter, Hannah, (left) is three years old today. Within the next 26 days all 4 of them will celebrate their third, second, and first birthdays respectively. Like most grandparents, we take a ton of pictures, and we're downright obnoxious about flashing them around.[...]
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  Posted: January 24, 2009, 9:17am EST
  

• 100 years ago...

  "When men get in the habit of helping themselves to the property of others, they cannot easily be cured of it."
  — The New York Times, in a 1909 editorial opposing the very first income tax.
  
  And after a while, it becomes the accepted norm. Very few people [...]
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  Posted: January 22, 2009, 6:41pm EST
  

• And that's the truth....spllllllll...

  Facts are facts, and opinions are opinions. Truth, like beauty, is often in the eye of the beholder, and what qualifies as truth could fall into either category. With that in mind, we might want to keep a wary eye on State Representatives Randy Truitt and Mark Messmer. They have [...]
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  Posted: January 16, 2009, 7:17pm EST
  

• Now, that's an emergency..

  Apparently, there are some concerns that the $15 million government has set aside isn't enough money for the upcoming presidential inauguration. In order to be able to spend more, President Bush has declared a state of emergency in Washington D.C.
  
  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28650363/
  
  I'm thinking this isn't anything' [...]
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  Posted: January 15, 2009, 9:49am EST
  

• That's just the limit...

  When I was a kid back at Millville Grade School, my old buddy Stinky Wilmont used to tell stories about his Uncle Pug. It seems he had a fondness for hard liquor, and according to Stinky, Uncle Pug knew his limit when he began to imbibe. The problem was he [...]
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  Posted: January 06, 2009, 7:08pm EST
  

• Thanks for the warning...

  It's always nice to get a "heads up" about a potential problem. This morning, I heard on the news that people who received gift cards for Christmas should redeem them as soon as possible. Apparently, people who study such things have predicted that due to business failures, as many as' [...]
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  Posted: January 02, 2009, 7:17am EST
  

• The times, they are still a' changin'...

  "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was" [...]
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  Posted: December 25, 2008, 8:28am EST
  

• That's not fair...or equal...

  Good news!!
  
  The Indiana General Assembly's efforts to make property taxes fair and equal are about to pay off. Even if they don't agree to allow Hoosiers to vote on making the property tax caps part of the Indiana Constitution, we can still sign up, by December 31st, [...]
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  Posted: December 23, 2008, 9:05pm EST
  

• Do as I say, not as I do...

  About 40 years ago, Arlo Guthrie blasted his draft board for questioning whether or not he was moral enough to kill people after having been accused of littering. I always thought he raised a valid point, although I still didn't think it excused his littering.
  
  A couple of [...]
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  Posted: December 20, 2008, 9:08am EST
  

• 217 years old and holding...barely...

  December 15th is the 217th anniversary of the ratification of the Bill of Rights. That's the first ten amendments to our Constitution, set in place to protect our already existing rights from government usurpation. There is a wide range of views on how effective they have been in accomplishing that [...]
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  Posted: December 14, 2008, 3:14pm EST
  

• Smile and the world smiles with you...

  ...unless your trying to get a drivers license.
  
  In it's latest efforts to assure that people aren't too happy, the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles recently announced that persons posing for their driver's license photograph will no longer be allowed to smile.
  
  Apparently smiling distorts facial features to [...]
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  Posted: December 13, 2008, 3:07pm EST