Did I hear that

Driving home from work this evening a news item came on the radio that made me say What. The Cuyahoga County Health and Human services department has been under fire for not being careful enough when returning children to homes they have been removed from. In response to this they decided to do background checks on every person living in a home where children are to be returned. This is a policy that won't exclude blood relatives or parents. This common sense policy is coming under fire from family activists who state that this is an uncalled for invasion of privacy. Now this isn't the statement that caught my attention they also stated that criminal history has no bearing on how good a parent someone will be.

Sometimes I have to wonder if people think at all before they speak.

The Golden Rule

The Rabbi Richard A. Block had an article in Saturday's paper extolling the virtues of the Golden Rule. The golden rule says to love your neighbor as yourself or do unto others as you would have them do unto you. In his article he went on to stress that politicians especially when they are campaigning should follow this rule. No doubt he like many of us is dreading the upcoming election season.

His article was all well and good until he started with examples of the failures of the last election season. His examples included the idea that the right is particularly adept at slamming their opponents through grotesque character assassinations. He also pointed to some of the accusations thrown at Barack Obama in 08, being a Muslim, and not being an American. No where does he use an example of the Left's misdeeds. His one sided treatment of the issue made me think his Golden Rule was do unto others before they do unto you.

If your going to call for more civil discourse you better be ready to talk the talk.

Lillian Greene

Who is Lillian Greene, she is the Cuyahoga County Recorder and she's what's wrong with today's politicians. I wrote about Miss Greene in the past when The Plain Dealer published an article on double dipping. Not in the chip dip but at the public trough. She got elected to a county job the paid less than her previous government job 74,000. So she retired so that she could collect pension as well as salary. Miss Greene said this isn't double dipping because I need the money to live the life I've become accustom to.

Well Lillian Greene just keeps on giving yesterday's paper brings word the Miss Greene has filed suit to keep her job. You see the voters in Cuyahoga county voted to change their charter to change the way the county government is administrated and staffed. Part of this change eliminates her job and like most politicians she feels she's entitled to lifetime employment.

Maybe she needs to hear it from Donald Trump, Your Fired

Going green

During the spring the Lorain county metro parks runs a hiking stick program. The parks have a list of events, you participate in 6 hikes at 4 different parks county wide and receive a hiking stick. Lynne and I decided to ask some friends of ours if they would like to do this together

We completed the mission but in doing so we came across a program that looked interesting. This was a program on how to make your own rain barrel. So we now know how to make a rain barrel in fact I've made 2 barrels already.

One of the local service departments (Avon Lake) Has 55 gallon drums made of plastic that they get from food service usage, they give them away. You cut a hole in the top to hold a strainer to keep debris out of your water, we used a square basket with some screening. Secondly you cut hole for over flow to be diverted back to the storm sewer. thirdly you drill a 1inch hole for the faucet You screw in a 3/4 inch faucet.Next you disconnect your down spout and place the barrel so that you can run the down spout into the strainer and the over flow into the storm sewer. There are flexible down spouts to make this easier. I placed my barrels on 4 cinder blocks stacked 2 high in 2 piles. Total cost was about 16. dollars according to the program 4times using the rain from the barrels defrays the cost.

After installing the barrels I was curious how long it would take to fill them, one rainy morning filled them to the top.

Green is good when it is cost effective this seemed like a good way to save money and keep from overburdening the storm sewers. This may not be for everyone but we have a large garden and watering can be expensive. Not to mention the fact that our sewer bill is based on water used so we pay a sewer charge for watering the garden even though that water doesn't go through the sewers.

Renovation

I've posted recently about gutting my kitchen, Walls and ceiling down to the studs. I'm glad to say we are done it took total about 6 weeks. I do all the work myself or with the help of my wife or children. Sometimes there are inconveniences that go along with the work, dust and dirt, tools all over the place, Heck we had our refrigerator in the dining room for the whole project. So far I've done similar projects in 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, living room, dining room,laundry room,and family room, so I know the level of disruption that can ensue during a project.

Yesterday I read an article about a local women's homeless shelter. I was irritated when reading the article by the comments of a homeless advocate. You see while they are renovating the normal shelter they have temporary accommodations that include only one shower. This advocate said this was unacceptable and demanded more showers be installed immediately or to move the residents to a place with more showers.

While I don't favor willfully mistreating anyone this is ridiculous. After all they are staying for free they should be grateful for the efforts of the shelter providers. Cutting expenses sometimes most overrule hardships especially when there is an end in sight, the new accommodations are to be re-opened in the fall.

In fairness the article did say some of the residents weren't happy but realized they just had to tough it out. We would all be better off if we lived this way realizing everything doesn't have to be perfect right now. That we can grow and improve and work towards our goals and ambitions and some times even our needs.

Nationalization

The Obama administration has flirted with nationalizing several industries. With the bailout and majority interest in G.M. and dictating who can be ceo the auto industry has moved towards nationalization. With the giant health care reform bill they have hit two birds with one stone. Coming close to nationalizing both the health care industry and the insurance industry.

Now Rosie O'Donnell is calling for the nationalization of the oil industry. My first thought when hearing this was if you're going to call for an industry to be nationalized you ought to be willing to have the industry your involved with nationalized as well. in Rosie's case that would mean nationalizing the entertainment industry.

But then I realized it's hard enough as it is to get good entertainment without letting Washington foul it up.

Unions

Now here's a union to support. In China the Honda workers are on strike. They are asking for a raise. You might say that's crazy the economy sucks right now they aught to be happy just to have a job.

The Chinese workers want to make 280 dollars a month, the greedy buggers. This is why the global economy is so hard to deal with. It's also why China's economy continues to grow at a pace that out strips the rest of the world. When your starting so low there is only one direction to go.