Not Again!
He’s doin’ it again! It appears President Obama is heeding Rahm Emanuel’s advice, “Never waste a good crisis”. That sentiment, echoed by Hillary Clinton, seems to be the modus operandi for this administration. After 2 months of claiming the oil spill is BP’s problem, Mr. Obama has now reversed his role. That’s right, he is taking control and, um, yeah, threatening our demise unless we pass the “Cap and Tax” bill.
In his first (really… his first? yes, his first.) address to the nation from the oval office, President Obama basically declared war on an oil spill. I was way ahead of the president on expressing concerns about the spill. I will agree this is gonna get ugly. I don’t believe, however, it is a time to scare Americans into paying higher taxes to make the government bigger. A bigger government can’t stop the leak. Oil experts will stop the leak. You may ask, “where are these experts?” I can tell you where, but I can’t explain why are they not working on the problem!
If you have a fire, you call a fireman. If you have a atomic reactor meltdown, you call the nuclear physicists. If you have a deep sea oil leak, you call Shell, Mobile, and Transocean and get a team of experts together. I would think stopping the leak with a team of deep sea drilling experts would be high on Mr. Obamas list. I, obviously, am not a politician. The first step as a politician seems to be reverting to speeches made a year ago and hoping you have a stronger case now. I guess Rahm Emanuel had it right…
Never waste a good crisis.
Is It Just Me?
I think I am missing something about oil prices here. When the Exxon Valdez ran aground in Alaska, prices went up. When a hurricane approached the gulf, the price went up. When President Bush threatened oil companies against price gouging, the price went up. When it took George W. 3 days to visit the hurricane destruction, the price went up. Let’s take a look at what’s happening now.
Obama has declared a war on fossil fuels and told the coal industry they are finished. There is oil leaking into the sea at a rate of about 1 Exxon Valdez a week. It took the Obama administration 12 days to visit the region. So far oil prices are dropping and no one seems to care if the administration takes charge or not.
I am starting to think Obama is the big oil man! His appeasement plan seems to be working at the gas pumps. Any thoughts?
The Home Craft Business
Patrice Lewis will be my guest on the Salt Creek Radio Show this Sunday. If you are in business for yourself, want to start a home business, or are just interested in making money in your spare time, this is the show for you! Patrice and her husband gave up their city jobs and headed up the the wilds of Northern Idaho to live self sufficiently. The family’s income is now primarily derived from their woodworking business. How did they do it? Tune in and find out.
You may have read some of Patrice’s writings in Grit, Backwoods Home, Crafts Report Magazine, Countryside, etc… (I don’t have room to list them all!) In today’s day and age, her straight shooting, hands on approach is very refreshing. We had an interview recently discussing her move from city life to country living. It was an interesting hour on homeschooling, cow milking, and her life in general. You can hear that interview here.
Please check out her e-book “The Home Craft Business, How To Make It Survive and Thrive”. In Patrice’s own words, it is “packed with suggestions ranging from tax tips to sales techniques, from wholesaling to custom work. Broken down into easy “lessons,” The Home Craft Business will guide you through the confusion of expanding a hobby into a business with the potential for some serious income.” Sounds good to me!
Join Patrice and I Sunday, June 6th at 6 P.M. Central. You will be able to call in during the show. Tune in Sunday to Salt Creek Life Radio – Self Sufficiency – Crafting 101.
Let’s Get Outta Here!
I am annoyed now! We took a trip over to Jersey and saw neither cows nor gloves. False advertising! We did find an aquarium and a battleship, so we checked them out instead.
At the aquarium we saw rays, hippos, seals, and even sharks! There were displays with starfish, jellyfish, and a cool shark tunnel to walk through. I was a little disappointed to find no seafood at the snack bars though. You would think they could spare a fish now and then!
I got in a little trouble over at the USS New Jersey. Figuring the 1200 new troops could use some help down on the border, I decided to run the battle ship down there and lend a hand. The Coast Guard and Port Authority made me bring it back. I would have argued, but I really couldn’t afford the 2 million gallons of fuel anyway. I put her back where I found her, no harm, no foul. Just in case, we headed back to the Philadelphia side of the river.
This morning I found out the state of Pennsylvania and the state of New Jersey have a reciprocity law that says they can convict me for stealing naval ships no matter which state the offense occurs in. Honey Bunches and I are headin’ back to Missouri! (i wonder if that fish i snatched from the aquarium will keep in my suitcase!)
Still Out East
This morning we were up early in Lancaster County and made a quick run to a historic eatery known as Dunkin’ Donuts. With our caffiene and sugar levels replenished, we headed off to find some covered bridges. We saw Amish kids working in the gardens, 6 mule teams pulling disks, and some horse drawn mowers cutting hay.
Stopping at a country fabric store, I pointed out the gas lighting to Honey Bunches. (you notice these things when you are 6’4″ and there are gas lamps burning just above your head!) On to the main event…
In Strasburg, we toured the raiload museum and bought tickets to ride on the Strasburg Railroad. While the tickets cost more to be in an open car, it was worth it to hear the steam whistle and see the smoke and steam belching from the old locomotive. The sun came out just in time for our 9 mile journey through the Amish countryside.
Soon we were on our way back to Philadelphia, taking detours when something caught our attention or when the map was wrong! I fought my way through Philly afternoon traffic like a true Show Me State boy with a rental car. Once I got Honey Bunches to let go of the dash, we turned what was left of the car back over to the rental company and returned to the hotel to plan more adventures for tomorrow.
I don’t know much about Jersey. I think they make gloves and cows. Come back soon and see what else is over there!
Old Iron… And More Horns
Before coming to Pennsylvania for vacation, I had been in contact with a gentleman who lives near Lancaster and has a large collection of unique tractors. He wishes to remain anonymous, so I will not give you a name or exact location. We stopped in and were given a gracious tour of his farm and equipment tucked away in Amish country. From his house (circa 1790), to his tobacco barns and sheds full of old ag iron, it was a memorable treat.
It was hazy today, but not enought to stop us from seeing lots of farms and cows. These are the same Holstien cows I am used to seeing back in Missouri. The biggest difference I noted was horns. Just like the cars in Philadelphia, there are lots of horns here. Speaking of which…
Who named these towns!?! Were the Dutch Amish just trying to make it embarrassing for us to travel here? We have been through Intercourse, Buck, and Blue Ball. So far we have avoided Climax and Stalker. I am glad we don’t have kids traveling with us!
So, on with the schedule for tomorrow… A train ride from Strasburg through the countryside, Gettysburg, then back to Philadelphia. Stay tuned…
Honk If Your In Philly
While visiting Philadelphia, several things have been amusing me. One is the thought that people back in Missouri would be surprised if their horn did not work during a vehicle inspection. They probably haven’t used it (unless calling cows) since the last one! In Philly, I believe the most used accessories on a car would probably go, in order; brake, horn, accelerator, and finally, steering wheel!
Food is also quite different. The markets are full of “locally” grown veggies, meats and cheeses. Organic and small farms seem to have the corner on the market. At home, people would laugh at me for trying to sell food as “local” that I brought in from another state… Aahh marketing! I will say, I have seen more varieties of produce than I ever see in one place at home. It is a nice change to stop into different markets and look for new things.
Today we are heading out into the Pennsylvania countryside to see where all this food comes from. First, I have to get a rental car out of downtown without hitting anything. I am not sure I will be able to navigate all the one way streets, but Honey Bunches says she will remind me to honk like the locals!
Easy Listening
Want more info about rural life? Be sure to check out my web radio show. Interesting guests, live shows, and a chance to call in and ask any questions you have!
If you like talk radio and rural values, you need to listen to Salt Creek Radio.
Upcoming guests include Jack Crowner, Patrice Lewis, and others.
Jack has been involved in farm broadcasting since 1955. Want to visit the past and future of farming? This is the show for you. Jump into the conversation May 16th at 6P.M.
Patrice is a freelance writer for magazines, websites, and has an ebook about crafting and making a living at it. Call in and join us June 6th at 6P.M. Central.
Find more info and listen in here.
Tractor Tinkerin’
When I bought the Farmall “A” early in the winter, I knew there were things that needed fixing. There was actually a hole in the carb. I got the rebuilt carb installed, and it started and ran fine. In fact there is a short video of the first firin’ up. I could tell at this point the little tractor wouldn’t idle down. While I knew how to adjust the linkage from the govener to the carb, I found that it was impossible to get the linkages to match up. A quick trip over to Yesterdays Tractor got me some answers.
Within 30 minutes of my post, I received a response from
Andrew Z. He gave me the URL for a parts breakdown. Listed some parts that may be worn out. In fact he told me the balls can fall out of a bearing inside the govener. Was the advice any good? I took the offending part off. If you click o the picture of the case, you will see balls from the bearing stuck in the grease. I think this guy has done this before!
I also received an email offering to insert brass bushings into the case to tighten up the throttle linkage rods. The case will be shipped to Iowa for some reworking on Monday. If you are working on an old tractor, I can testify to the efficiency and accuracy of Yesterdays Tractor members!
Renegade Radio
Many of you have heard my Blog Talk Radio interviews. This week, we are doing something different. Zan Asha from The Renegade Farmer will be interviewing me this time! To hear the show, please go to The Renegade Farmer Radio Show.
Tune in Sunday the 21st at 5 PM central time. Call-ins are welcome. There may even be a giveaway! Make sure to tune us in, or see some of my posts at Zan’s site at The Renegade Farmer.
