As I look back on the year 2014 I see I have nothing to complain
about. My health and that of the family is holding up and everyone
seems to be doing well. The weather was typical for the region with no
huge storms and no power outages-at least not at my house.
Two
notes of sadness occurred. One in August when my daughter's dog Lacey
died. She was a great dog and she is certainly missed. The other
involved a good friend of Sandi's who recently passed away.
The
grand children are all doing well with the youngest one now in
Kindergarten so my babysitting duties are reduced to days off, snow days
and school vacations when parents are working.
All in all a good year.
I hope 2015 is a year of health and happiness for all of you.
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Christmas 2014
Merry Christmas to one and all (or at least all those who celebrate Christmas!) For a look at Christmas eve and day in the Stockwell family click here:
georgeswebpage.com
georgeswebpage.com
Friday, December 19, 2014
Brief comments about two unrelated events
I have two thoughts regarding a couple of recent events.
First, I went to Newtown Pharmacy the other day to pick up my eye drops. There was one other person ahead of me and the lady checking people out was having trouble with the cash register. It would not respond to of her efforts to use charge cards or just plain make change. She was in quite a quandary. The pharmacist came over to help so the first lady got my scrip for me. The cost was $9.04 and I gave her a ten. This of course created quite a problem because she had to somehow give me $.96 change. I told her to forget it. Just give me the drops and let me get out of there. No such luck. They finally got the computer to work after a call to customer service and I was able to leave.
So that's what the world has come to. If the computer isn't working, we're screwed. Pretty sad.
My second observation regards Obama's announcement that the US will work toward normalizing relations with Cuba. My response? I say good. It's about time. As for those Congressional republicans who have come forward vowing to block funding and appointments to make this happen, they're nothing short of hypocritical idiots-especially Cuban Senator Marco Rubio of Florida. What a total jerk. He couldn't care less about Cuba or 'his people' as he says. He's got his sights set on the Oval Office pure and simple.
How voters could put this pack of jerks in the majority in Congress is absolutely mind boggling. I hope they get what the deserve.
First, I went to Newtown Pharmacy the other day to pick up my eye drops. There was one other person ahead of me and the lady checking people out was having trouble with the cash register. It would not respond to of her efforts to use charge cards or just plain make change. She was in quite a quandary. The pharmacist came over to help so the first lady got my scrip for me. The cost was $9.04 and I gave her a ten. This of course created quite a problem because she had to somehow give me $.96 change. I told her to forget it. Just give me the drops and let me get out of there. No such luck. They finally got the computer to work after a call to customer service and I was able to leave.
So that's what the world has come to. If the computer isn't working, we're screwed. Pretty sad.
My second observation regards Obama's announcement that the US will work toward normalizing relations with Cuba. My response? I say good. It's about time. As for those Congressional republicans who have come forward vowing to block funding and appointments to make this happen, they're nothing short of hypocritical idiots-especially Cuban Senator Marco Rubio of Florida. What a total jerk. He couldn't care less about Cuba or 'his people' as he says. He's got his sights set on the Oval Office pure and simple.
How voters could put this pack of jerks in the majority in Congress is absolutely mind boggling. I hope they get what the deserve.
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Burning wood-revisited
Sunday morning my son-in-law and I spent several hours cutting, splitting and hauling fire wood from his brother's property. That in itself isn't especially noteworthy but it did remind me that I promised to post a blog regarding the choice of a wood burning stove. It also reminded me of how labor intensive it can be if you decide to work up your own supply of wood. A previous post has already addressed the issue of buying firewood.
This post will therefore address two issues: your choice of stove and tools you need to work up your own supply.
First, getting your own wood. Sure it's free but have you ever heard the saying "Wood heats twice. First, gathering it. Then when you burn it." To be more precise the saying should be that wood heats many, many times. You have to cut it, carry it to the vehicle that's going to remove it, load it, unload it, split it, stack it and finally when it's seasoned, lug it into your house. That's a lot of heat.
You'll also need some basic tools beginning with a decent sized chain saw that you're sure you can handle. Next an ax, a can of gas/oil mix, bar oil, good gloves, and finally eye and ear protection. Some people go so far as to wear a hard hat and leather chaps. I don't.
Once it's where you want it to be you then have to split it-either with a maul or if you're lucky enough to have one available, a log splitter.
Finally, as I mentioned before you need a way to haul it. Pickup trucks are best so either switch to one or borrow one or buy an old wreck to park until you need it.
Not easy, is it, for that 'free' wood?
OK, so now you have a few cords of seasoned hard wood all ready to go. How about that stove?
There are numerous brands on the market. My personal preference is the Vermont Castings line but they are by no means the only game in town. Just about all of the new ones are designed to be fairly efficient so it's pretty much a matter of personal opinion. I love the looks of the Vermont Castings line but there are others that look equally attractive. Long gone are the days when stoves were just a big metal box sitting there taking up space. Do a little research and pick out the one that appeals to you.
Some things to consider: Where is it going? Fireplace installation or free standing? If the fireplace, seriously consider a steel/titanium liner for your flue. How big an area do you have available? That will influence the type of stove you buy.
There are magazine articles and web sites that can give you more exact information and things to consider so, again, do your research.
After all of this, you may well decide to stick with oil but if you're going to be in one place for an extended period of time, all of this will definitely be paid back...and then some.
Good luck.
This post will therefore address two issues: your choice of stove and tools you need to work up your own supply.
First, getting your own wood. Sure it's free but have you ever heard the saying "Wood heats twice. First, gathering it. Then when you burn it." To be more precise the saying should be that wood heats many, many times. You have to cut it, carry it to the vehicle that's going to remove it, load it, unload it, split it, stack it and finally when it's seasoned, lug it into your house. That's a lot of heat.
You'll also need some basic tools beginning with a decent sized chain saw that you're sure you can handle. Next an ax, a can of gas/oil mix, bar oil, good gloves, and finally eye and ear protection. Some people go so far as to wear a hard hat and leather chaps. I don't.
Once it's where you want it to be you then have to split it-either with a maul or if you're lucky enough to have one available, a log splitter.
Finally, as I mentioned before you need a way to haul it. Pickup trucks are best so either switch to one or borrow one or buy an old wreck to park until you need it.
Not easy, is it, for that 'free' wood?
OK, so now you have a few cords of seasoned hard wood all ready to go. How about that stove?
There are numerous brands on the market. My personal preference is the Vermont Castings line but they are by no means the only game in town. Just about all of the new ones are designed to be fairly efficient so it's pretty much a matter of personal opinion. I love the looks of the Vermont Castings line but there are others that look equally attractive. Long gone are the days when stoves were just a big metal box sitting there taking up space. Do a little research and pick out the one that appeals to you.
Some things to consider: Where is it going? Fireplace installation or free standing? If the fireplace, seriously consider a steel/titanium liner for your flue. How big an area do you have available? That will influence the type of stove you buy.
There are magazine articles and web sites that can give you more exact information and things to consider so, again, do your research.
After all of this, you may well decide to stick with oil but if you're going to be in one place for an extended period of time, all of this will definitely be paid back...and then some.
Good luck.
Thursday, December 11, 2014
A Word About Torture
The debate rages. Conservatives and former Bush administration officials support the use of enhanced interrogation techniques (torture) to obtain information. Others oppose the use of torture citing the facts that it rarely works and that we as a civilized nation should be above that.
At the moment the official policy is the United States does not torture. Period.
The recently released report that the CIA lied and that we did in fact use torture has Congress all riled up. Here's the thing: it's old news. There's nothing new here. So why is the media making so much of this? And especially puzzling is why would the press pull out and dust off a deranged lunatic like Dick Cheney and put him in front of a camera where he can rant and rave his insane opinions?
I guess this is a really slow news cycle.
At the moment the official policy is the United States does not torture. Period.
The recently released report that the CIA lied and that we did in fact use torture has Congress all riled up. Here's the thing: it's old news. There's nothing new here. So why is the media making so much of this? And especially puzzling is why would the press pull out and dust off a deranged lunatic like Dick Cheney and put him in front of a camera where he can rant and rave his insane opinions?
I guess this is a really slow news cycle.
Monday, December 8, 2014
A few ideas about wood heat
Home heating oil prices have gone down significantly over the past few months but if you are heating a house big enough to use over a thousand gallons a year, it is still pretty pricey-especially if you're heating domestic hot water with oil as well.
For that reason many people-me included-have been supplementing their heating with wood burning stoves that either use ordinary firewood or more recently wood pellets.
The down side to wood pellets to me is that you have to buy them and during power failures, the stoves are of no use unless you have a powerful battery backup. For that reason I and many others use a conventional wood burning stove. This makes even more sense if you have access to and time to gather your own wood. It's basically free heat.
I have been lucky enough to have a consistent source of firewood available to me. I have a truck to haul it, a chain saw to cut it and a log splitter to split it. Sure, all these things cost money but the first two I'd have anyway just by being a property owner. The log splitter was a gift to me. So over a period of almost 40 years that I've been burning wood, I passed the pay-back mark a long time ago.
However there are many people who are not so lucky. For those people who for whatever reason have to purchase their firewood rather than gather it on their own there seems to be some misunderstanding as to what you can expect to get from a firewood dealer.
In this area firewood can be as high as $220 a cord. If you're burning say 3 cords a year, that's a pretty big ticket so you best know what you're doing. Here are some tips for buying firewood.
1. Do you actually know what a cord of wood is? An honest cord of wood is 128 cubic feet of tightly stacked wood. The usual configuration is a stack measuring 4 feet by 4 feet by 8 feet. Obviously, there are other ways to make 128 cubic feet but this is the way that saves the most space.
Very often wood dealers drop the wood in a loose pile in your driveway or somewhere close for them to back up to so try to be home when the delivery comes. That way you can judge the quantity by how it's stacked in the truck. If it's a standard pickup without higher sides added, you're probably getting cheated. However you do it, do the math and see what you're getting.
2. Ads that claim to offer "seasoned" wood are often misleading. Seasoned hardwood needs to be split, stacked and kept dry for at least a year. It's easy to tell if wood is seasoned. It should be cracked and darkened at the ends and darkened along the grain. Wood that has been laying around unsplit for a year is not seasoned. I've split oak logs that were two years old only to find them as green as ever inside.
3. In the above paragraph I refer to hardwood. That doesn't just mean wood that's hard to the touch. It's wood that comes from a deciduous tree as opposed to a conifer such as pine, spruce or hemlock. Hardwoods are trees like oak, hickory, ash, maple, birch and others-anything that loses its leaves in the fall. They are the best burning, high heat output fuels producing the least amount of creosote. They too are fairly easy to identify but if you can't, impose on someone who can to inspect your delivery. You pay a premium for hardwoods and that's what you should be getting.
Burning wood can save you a lot of money but it is not without its down side. It requires space for storage; a lot of handling; it can be dirty causing more dust than usual in a house and it can dry out a house far more than central heat. In fact you should have a decent filtration/humidifier set up in the room where the stove is located. Finally depending on your setup it can produce hot/cold areas in your house. But if you're willing to deal with these things you can save a bucket of money.
The other component to all of this is the kind of stove you have. That will be the subject of another blog. In the meantime I would suggest you take a very close look at the Vermont Castings line of wood stoves. My Resolute is shown below but more on this later.
Good luck.
For that reason many people-me included-have been supplementing their heating with wood burning stoves that either use ordinary firewood or more recently wood pellets.
The down side to wood pellets to me is that you have to buy them and during power failures, the stoves are of no use unless you have a powerful battery backup. For that reason I and many others use a conventional wood burning stove. This makes even more sense if you have access to and time to gather your own wood. It's basically free heat.
I have been lucky enough to have a consistent source of firewood available to me. I have a truck to haul it, a chain saw to cut it and a log splitter to split it. Sure, all these things cost money but the first two I'd have anyway just by being a property owner. The log splitter was a gift to me. So over a period of almost 40 years that I've been burning wood, I passed the pay-back mark a long time ago.
However there are many people who are not so lucky. For those people who for whatever reason have to purchase their firewood rather than gather it on their own there seems to be some misunderstanding as to what you can expect to get from a firewood dealer.
In this area firewood can be as high as $220 a cord. If you're burning say 3 cords a year, that's a pretty big ticket so you best know what you're doing. Here are some tips for buying firewood.
1. Do you actually know what a cord of wood is? An honest cord of wood is 128 cubic feet of tightly stacked wood. The usual configuration is a stack measuring 4 feet by 4 feet by 8 feet. Obviously, there are other ways to make 128 cubic feet but this is the way that saves the most space.
Very often wood dealers drop the wood in a loose pile in your driveway or somewhere close for them to back up to so try to be home when the delivery comes. That way you can judge the quantity by how it's stacked in the truck. If it's a standard pickup without higher sides added, you're probably getting cheated. However you do it, do the math and see what you're getting.
2. Ads that claim to offer "seasoned" wood are often misleading. Seasoned hardwood needs to be split, stacked and kept dry for at least a year. It's easy to tell if wood is seasoned. It should be cracked and darkened at the ends and darkened along the grain. Wood that has been laying around unsplit for a year is not seasoned. I've split oak logs that were two years old only to find them as green as ever inside.
3. In the above paragraph I refer to hardwood. That doesn't just mean wood that's hard to the touch. It's wood that comes from a deciduous tree as opposed to a conifer such as pine, spruce or hemlock. Hardwoods are trees like oak, hickory, ash, maple, birch and others-anything that loses its leaves in the fall. They are the best burning, high heat output fuels producing the least amount of creosote. They too are fairly easy to identify but if you can't, impose on someone who can to inspect your delivery. You pay a premium for hardwoods and that's what you should be getting.
Burning wood can save you a lot of money but it is not without its down side. It requires space for storage; a lot of handling; it can be dirty causing more dust than usual in a house and it can dry out a house far more than central heat. In fact you should have a decent filtration/humidifier set up in the room where the stove is located. Finally depending on your setup it can produce hot/cold areas in your house. But if you're willing to deal with these things you can save a bucket of money.
The other component to all of this is the kind of stove you have. That will be the subject of another blog. In the meantime I would suggest you take a very close look at the Vermont Castings line of wood stoves. My Resolute is shown below but more on this later.
Good luck.
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Who's Responsible?
The news that the police officer who performed a choke hold on Eric Garner thus causing his death will not be charged has set off another round of outrage, rioting, protests and calls for investigations and massive changes to our system of justice. All of this has happened in the wake of the Ferguson, MO situation.
The point of this piece is not to rush to judgement about either situation. Like most people out there, I don't have all the facts and there's a great deal we don't know. The point I wish to make here is that I believe the media is responsible for much of the civil unrest that has followed the decisions of people far more informed than us.
The constant round of interviews of people too emotionally involved to think rationally, focusing attention on gas bags like Al Sharpton who in my considered opinion is nothing but an attention-seeker, distortions of facts, slandering police officers or juries or judges who are trying to make sense of all of this is the media's (and Sharpton's) stock in trade.
So why is the press doing this? Because we're listening-or more precisely, you are listening because I stopped a long time ago. And now it's time for everyone else to stop listening and thereby make the media go away. Find another issue to inflame. This one has run its course.
Hey, here's one. How about giving credit to President Obama for the low gas prices? After all, it wasn't so long ago that the republicans were blaming him for the high prices. Isn't turn around fair play? No, I guess not. And it certainly isn't as exciting. Pathetic.
The point of this piece is not to rush to judgement about either situation. Like most people out there, I don't have all the facts and there's a great deal we don't know. The point I wish to make here is that I believe the media is responsible for much of the civil unrest that has followed the decisions of people far more informed than us.
The constant round of interviews of people too emotionally involved to think rationally, focusing attention on gas bags like Al Sharpton who in my considered opinion is nothing but an attention-seeker, distortions of facts, slandering police officers or juries or judges who are trying to make sense of all of this is the media's (and Sharpton's) stock in trade.
So why is the press doing this? Because we're listening-or more precisely, you are listening because I stopped a long time ago. And now it's time for everyone else to stop listening and thereby make the media go away. Find another issue to inflame. This one has run its course.
Hey, here's one. How about giving credit to President Obama for the low gas prices? After all, it wasn't so long ago that the republicans were blaming him for the high prices. Isn't turn around fair play? No, I guess not. And it certainly isn't as exciting. Pathetic.
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
A Very Busy 12 Days
It has been a long time since I've posted anything here on my blog spot and that's because we've been at our condo in Naples, FL since Nov. 22. We'll be returning home tomorrow.
As has become our family tradition, the entire family-6 adults and 4 children-assembled here for Thanksgiving.
The children and grand children returned two days ago but the entire time has been very busy indeed.
Here's a list of some of the things we've been doing:
Beach
Pool
Bocci Court
Outlets
Golf
Visits with Newtown friends who now have places of their own in Naples
Visit to friends in Venice, FL
Trip to the zoo
Shopping
Condo repairs
Helping friends with their new place
That's about it. Now it's back home and a return to the routine only to turn around on Jan. 2nd and come back down for another 12 days. Then it's home for the entire winter.
As has become our family tradition, the entire family-6 adults and 4 children-assembled here for Thanksgiving.
The children and grand children returned two days ago but the entire time has been very busy indeed.
Here's a list of some of the things we've been doing:
Beach
Pool
Bocci Court
Outlets
Golf
Visits with Newtown friends who now have places of their own in Naples
Visit to friends in Venice, FL
Trip to the zoo
Shopping
Condo repairs
Helping friends with their new place
That's about it. Now it's back home and a return to the routine only to turn around on Jan. 2nd and come back down for another 12 days. Then it's home for the entire winter.
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Thanks, PURA, for nothing!
The Public Utility Regulatory Authority recently approved significant rate hikes for Connecticut Light and Power and United Illuminating.
I am not a customer of UI but I do have painful experience with CL&P. I have found this utility to be woefully mismanaged. During the past few years there have been numerous power outages during snow storms and hurricanes. Granted, this is not at all unusual and in fact to be expected but the agonizingly slow response and long duration of the outages is unacceptable.
I tried to get a list of the salaries of CL&P's top management but they were able to sneak through a loophole in the law and avoid disclosure. However, their parent company, Northeast Utilities, reports salaries for top management in the millions of dollars per year.
So now the very agency who is supposed to be safeguarding the consumer and ensuring we pay competitive prices yet again rewards negligence and incompetence.
Here's a quote from PURA's web site:
"PURA balances the public’s right to safe, adequate and reliable utility service at reasonable rates with the provider’s right to a reasonable return on its investment.
My question is who oversees PURA? Who do they answer to? Surely not the consumer! We already pay among the highest rates in the country. Time to write letters to reps I guess.
I am not a customer of UI but I do have painful experience with CL&P. I have found this utility to be woefully mismanaged. During the past few years there have been numerous power outages during snow storms and hurricanes. Granted, this is not at all unusual and in fact to be expected but the agonizingly slow response and long duration of the outages is unacceptable.
I tried to get a list of the salaries of CL&P's top management but they were able to sneak through a loophole in the law and avoid disclosure. However, their parent company, Northeast Utilities, reports salaries for top management in the millions of dollars per year.
So now the very agency who is supposed to be safeguarding the consumer and ensuring we pay competitive prices yet again rewards negligence and incompetence.
Here's a quote from PURA's web site:
"PURA balances the public’s right to safe, adequate and reliable utility service at reasonable rates with the provider’s right to a reasonable return on its investment.
My question is who oversees PURA? Who do they answer to? Surely not the consumer! We already pay among the highest rates in the country. Time to write letters to reps I guess.
Friday, November 14, 2014
Class pictures are in
2014-2015 class pictures of grand children are in. Click here if interested: georgeswebpage.com From there navigate to photo page.
Thursday, November 13, 2014
A Curious Mind
I attended a Veteran's Day breakfast with my two grand sons ages 5 and 7. The 5 year old wasn't too into it because he was a little young to fully understand much of what was said and the speaker definitely bored him but the 7 year old couldn't get enough.
Following the program on the way back to their classrooms the 7 year old managed to ask me several questions. He would have kept going had we more time and he may even pick up with it again when I see him.
Here are some of the questions I was asked:
Following the program on the way back to their classrooms the 7 year old managed to ask me several questions. He would have kept going had we more time and he may even pick up with it again when I see him.
Here are some of the questions I was asked:
1.
What did they teach you to do in the Army?
2.
What was everything you had to carry with you
when you went camping?
3.
What did you do with your little shovel
(entrenching tool)?
4.
When you camped out (went on bivouac) why did
you dig a little ditch around your tent.
5.
Where did you take showers and brush your teeth
when you camped?
6.
Did you ever camp in people’s back yards?
7.
When you put up your tent with the other guy how
did you decide which side your dresser would be on?
8.
Did you ever see bears in the woods.
9.
How come you had to run so much? Why couldn’t you just walk or ride?
10. How
come they wouldn’t let you take your gun home with you?
11. Who
got it after I was done with it?
12. What
happened to all my army clothes?
13. (After
listening to a talk about Veteran’s Day in the school cafeteria) What does
sacrifice mean?
14. Why
would you think someone else is more important than you?
15. Why do other people want to hurt us? Why can’t
we just get along like Nicholas (his brother) and me?
As I said, it could have gone on and on with the answer to one question leading to 3 more.
Don’t believe anyone who tells you kids never listen!
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Happy Veterans Day
It's Veterans Day, formally known as Armistice Day. The name was changed to Veterans Day in 1919 and declared a legal holiday in 1938.
Prior to the all volunteer armed forces that we have now, there used to be an active induction program commonly referred to as the draft because it was at a draft board that you would register.
Millions of men served as a result of having been drafted (women could serve but were not drafted). You would receive a letter about 3 months before your scheduled departure date that began "Greetings". It then went on to explain you've been inducted in the United States Army and then it gave you instructions as to the next steps.
In those days if you weren't a student or married, being drafted was an expected right of passage. Men took it as a given that they were going to serve. They didn't whine, cry, complain, run or hire lawyers. They just went, did their two years and returned.
I often hear veterans say they should bring back the draft. I'm not so sure. I'm content to let the all volunteer system let itself work.
At any rate, at 11 A.M. this morning it is customary to take a second or two to quietly reflect on the sacrifice made by so many. It's not too much to ask.
Prior to the all volunteer armed forces that we have now, there used to be an active induction program commonly referred to as the draft because it was at a draft board that you would register.
Millions of men served as a result of having been drafted (women could serve but were not drafted). You would receive a letter about 3 months before your scheduled departure date that began "Greetings". It then went on to explain you've been inducted in the United States Army and then it gave you instructions as to the next steps.
In those days if you weren't a student or married, being drafted was an expected right of passage. Men took it as a given that they were going to serve. They didn't whine, cry, complain, run or hire lawyers. They just went, did their two years and returned.
I often hear veterans say they should bring back the draft. I'm not so sure. I'm content to let the all volunteer system let itself work.
At any rate, at 11 A.M. this morning it is customary to take a second or two to quietly reflect on the sacrifice made by so many. It's not too much to ask.
Monday, November 10, 2014
A great day in NYC & new pictures to view.
It was a great day Sunday the 9th with Pete, Jen, Cole, Nicholas and Grammy & Grampy in NYC. First the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Show. Then Rockefeller Center, the M&M store, Toys R Us and finally lunch at the Hardrock Cafe. After lunch a brisk walk to Grand Central Station and the train ride home.
New pictures to view on georgeswebpage.com. Click on 'photo albums and slide shows' in navigation bar at top of page.
New pictures to view on georgeswebpage.com. Click on 'photo albums and slide shows' in navigation bar at top of page.
Saturday, November 8, 2014
Let's Go Shopping
As we approach Thanksgiving more and more stores and malls are announcing that they will be opening their doors at 6 P.M. Thanksgiving day. It's not bad enough that the day after-black Friday-has become a feeding frenzy but now they have to open earlier.
Many people being interviewed on the news show doing this story expressed outrage. They blamed it on corporate greed and a variety of other ailments afflicting our culture. They apparently missed the point that it's the shopper who is driving this trend. If people had enough brains to simply stay out of stores then they'd eventually close. After all, no one's going to pay employees to stand around an empty store.
Common sense. It all comes down to common sense.
Many people being interviewed on the news show doing this story expressed outrage. They blamed it on corporate greed and a variety of other ailments afflicting our culture. They apparently missed the point that it's the shopper who is driving this trend. If people had enough brains to simply stay out of stores then they'd eventually close. After all, no one's going to pay employees to stand around an empty store.
Common sense. It all comes down to common sense.
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Election Day 2014
Today is Election Day-mercifully! We're not electing a president but it's still important because there are many senators, congressman, governors and a bunch of other people of lesser importance running. There's a chance-some say a good one-that the republicans will capture the senate.
In a way that's good because then in two years when a whole bunch more people come up for reelection, the nation will see how much damage the republicans did and there will be a huge turnover. Then again, the stupidity of the American electorate never ceases to amaze me so who knows.
But most important of all after today the plethora of TV ads and phone calls will stop. While it will take longer the lawn signs scattered all over town will slowly disappear too.
Speaking of lawn signs, I wonder if anyone is swayed by those signs. Do people drive along and subconsciously think "gosh, there sure are a lot of signs for that guy or gal, he/she must be better. He/she is getting my vote"? They don't influence me, that's for sure. In fact you could say they have the opposite effect.
At any rate, it will soon be over and life will go on pretty much the same as it always has for the next two years at which time it all starts over again. Democracy in action. There are worse things!
In a way that's good because then in two years when a whole bunch more people come up for reelection, the nation will see how much damage the republicans did and there will be a huge turnover. Then again, the stupidity of the American electorate never ceases to amaze me so who knows.
But most important of all after today the plethora of TV ads and phone calls will stop. While it will take longer the lawn signs scattered all over town will slowly disappear too.
Speaking of lawn signs, I wonder if anyone is swayed by those signs. Do people drive along and subconsciously think "gosh, there sure are a lot of signs for that guy or gal, he/she must be better. He/she is getting my vote"? They don't influence me, that's for sure. In fact you could say they have the opposite effect.
At any rate, it will soon be over and life will go on pretty much the same as it always has for the next two years at which time it all starts over again. Democracy in action. There are worse things!
Saturday, November 1, 2014
Happy November
Halloween has come and gone. Happy November. To learn more about the month of November, click here: georgeswebpage.com/almanac
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Returning to Eastern Standard Time
I always confuse Daylight Saving Time with Eastern Standard Time. Which one are we returning to in a few days? Well, the answer is Eastern Standard Time. Daylight Savings Time happens during the summer months.
There are several theories attempting to explain the DST system. One is that by turning the clocks ahead in the spring farmers would have more time to get their work done. That of course is ridiculous. Farmers long ago didn't care what the clock said. They worked from sun up to sun down. Period.
Another theory was that DST was adopted during war time to conserve energy and increase productivity thereby saving money. That one is a little more plausible but equally wrong.
A third explanation I've read and actually believe over the others is that it was completely arbitrary. It's thought that Ben Franklyn started the custom because he simply liked having longer evenings of daylight. It had nothing to do with saving time or money or increasing productivity.
So Saturday night we set the clocks back. News people keep saying how nice it will be because we'll supposedly gain an hour of sleep but I find that to be untrue. For me it just means I'm going to be awake earlier until my body adjusts to the change. Let's face it, can anyone really force themselves to sleep an hour longer? I suppose some people can but not me. I'm awake the same time every morning no matter what.
If I had my way I'd leave the clocks the way they are now all year and call it Eastern Standard Time. At any rate, don't forget to change them or you're going to be showing up everywhere an hour early-or is it an hour late? Whatever. You're going to be out of step!
There are several theories attempting to explain the DST system. One is that by turning the clocks ahead in the spring farmers would have more time to get their work done. That of course is ridiculous. Farmers long ago didn't care what the clock said. They worked from sun up to sun down. Period.
Another theory was that DST was adopted during war time to conserve energy and increase productivity thereby saving money. That one is a little more plausible but equally wrong.
A third explanation I've read and actually believe over the others is that it was completely arbitrary. It's thought that Ben Franklyn started the custom because he simply liked having longer evenings of daylight. It had nothing to do with saving time or money or increasing productivity.
So Saturday night we set the clocks back. News people keep saying how nice it will be because we'll supposedly gain an hour of sleep but I find that to be untrue. For me it just means I'm going to be awake earlier until my body adjusts to the change. Let's face it, can anyone really force themselves to sleep an hour longer? I suppose some people can but not me. I'm awake the same time every morning no matter what.
If I had my way I'd leave the clocks the way they are now all year and call it Eastern Standard Time. At any rate, don't forget to change them or you're going to be showing up everywhere an hour early-or is it an hour late? Whatever. You're going to be out of step!
Saturday, October 25, 2014
And on and on it goes...
Yet another school shooting. This time a thoroughly deranged young man wielding a hand gun of some kind wanders into a high school in Marysville, Washington and opens fire. He hit 5 students killing one before turning the gun on himself. It has been reported that one of the students he shot was a girl with whom he had tried to date.
Everyone interviewed said he was a popular young man, a freshman at the high school, played sports and was generally liked. Undoubtedly more will come out as investigators try to make sense of this but everyone is wondering why on earth these things continue to happen.
As expected, gun control advocates are asking anyone who will listen what's it going to take while gun rights advocates are saying when are we going to turn our attention to the real problem of mental instability.
I come down squarely in the middle. Both groups are right. Not enough is being done to keep guns out of the hands of people who shouldn't have them and clearly not enough is being done to identify troubled people.
I know one thing for sure-there are way, way too many guns in this country. I also know I don't see any hope of this ever changing.
Everyone interviewed said he was a popular young man, a freshman at the high school, played sports and was generally liked. Undoubtedly more will come out as investigators try to make sense of this but everyone is wondering why on earth these things continue to happen.
As expected, gun control advocates are asking anyone who will listen what's it going to take while gun rights advocates are saying when are we going to turn our attention to the real problem of mental instability.
I come down squarely in the middle. Both groups are right. Not enough is being done to keep guns out of the hands of people who shouldn't have them and clearly not enough is being done to identify troubled people.
I know one thing for sure-there are way, way too many guns in this country. I also know I don't see any hope of this ever changing.
Monday, October 20, 2014
Reminder
1)Don't forget: To view recent and past photos, video and other items of interest visit georgeswebpage.com
2) Thirty two degrees this morning-the coldest morning since last April. Yes, it's coming. But I'm ready. New wood stove is working beautifully.
2) Thirty two degrees this morning-the coldest morning since last April. Yes, it's coming. But I'm ready. New wood stove is working beautifully.
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
A Suggestion Regarding Ebola...
About 100 years ago this country was dealing with a massive influx of immigrants. The vast majority were processed through Ellis Island in New York. Part of the procedure was a medical exam and if anything suspicious was found the new arrivals were placed in a 21 day quarantine.
The screeners looked for things like TB, cholera, small pox, typhoid or any other infectious disease.
While many of these diseases are no longer prevalent, we now find ourselves dealing with an entirely new kind of threat-Ebola.
So my question is, why aren't folks arriving from western Africa also being quarantined? Is it a violation of their rights? I shouldn't think so. We need to start using common sense!!
The screeners looked for things like TB, cholera, small pox, typhoid or any other infectious disease.
While many of these diseases are no longer prevalent, we now find ourselves dealing with an entirely new kind of threat-Ebola.
So my question is, why aren't folks arriving from western Africa also being quarantined? Is it a violation of their rights? I shouldn't think so. We need to start using common sense!!
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Happy 7th birthday to grand son Cole
Happy 7th birthday to grand son Cole. For more birthday pictures of Cole and other things see georgeswebpage.com
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
What is Chris Christie doing here?
New Jersey governor (R) Chris Christie is set to make another visit to our state. His purpose is to raise money for gubernatorial candidate Tom Foley. He'll meet with residents of Greenwich which is already heavily republican.
Aside from being a fellow republican to Foley, as everyone knows there's been an ongoing feud between Christie and Governor Malloy. They are constantly sniping at each other.
My problem here is not necessarily that Christie is coming to the state. Fellow elected officials always visit other states to support colleagues in their party. President Obama is even coming here to raise money for Malloy. Interestingly, Malloy is not going to be there. He is basically dissing the president. Politics is politics. It always has been and always will be.
So what's my problem, you ask? Basically it's that Christie is such an obnoxious blowhard that he's just too much to take. It's bad enough we have to hear from him on national news where he's constantly being asked if he's going to run for president(of course he is!). But now he has to come here, right in our faces, by way of a New Jersey state police helicopter of all things.
Stay home, Christie. You're a jerk and we can take care of ourselves in Connecticut. I would add and shut up while you're at it but I know better.
Thus endth my rant for the day.
Aside from being a fellow republican to Foley, as everyone knows there's been an ongoing feud between Christie and Governor Malloy. They are constantly sniping at each other.
My problem here is not necessarily that Christie is coming to the state. Fellow elected officials always visit other states to support colleagues in their party. President Obama is even coming here to raise money for Malloy. Interestingly, Malloy is not going to be there. He is basically dissing the president. Politics is politics. It always has been and always will be.
So what's my problem, you ask? Basically it's that Christie is such an obnoxious blowhard that he's just too much to take. It's bad enough we have to hear from him on national news where he's constantly being asked if he's going to run for president(of course he is!). But now he has to come here, right in our faces, by way of a New Jersey state police helicopter of all things.
Stay home, Christie. You're a jerk and we can take care of ourselves in Connecticut. I would add and shut up while you're at it but I know better.
Thus endth my rant for the day.
Friday, October 3, 2014
A Note to My Devoted Reader(s)
October 2014
I started my web site georgeswebpage.com in May of 2005. I started this blog in Janurary 2008. My original intention for starting a blog was to serve as a forum where I could express my opinions on various matters. The blog therefore coexisted with my web site
It seems that over the years the lines of distinction between the two things have become blurred. Many things that would normally appear on my web site make it here. In an effort to restore the two endeavors to their original purpose, I will from now on only be posting pictures, video and albums of various items of interest to my web site. Very few will appear here.
So if you've been reading this blog to see pictures of family, nature and other things you'll have to go to my web site from now on. Just click on the 'photos and photo albums' link at the top of the page and you'll be there. From there you can reach this page by clicking on the appropriate link.
Thank you.
I started my web site georgeswebpage.com in May of 2005. I started this blog in Janurary 2008. My original intention for starting a blog was to serve as a forum where I could express my opinions on various matters. The blog therefore coexisted with my web site
It seems that over the years the lines of distinction between the two things have become blurred. Many things that would normally appear on my web site make it here. In an effort to restore the two endeavors to their original purpose, I will from now on only be posting pictures, video and albums of various items of interest to my web site. Very few will appear here.
So if you've been reading this blog to see pictures of family, nature and other things you'll have to go to my web site from now on. Just click on the 'photos and photo albums' link at the top of the page and you'll be there. From there you can reach this page by clicking on the appropriate link.
Thank you.
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Heading Home
This is our last full day in Florida. We didn't get the lanai floors tiled but at least we arranged to have it done in our absence and ready for our return in November.
As it happens it was a very good thing we were here this week because our new upstairs neighbors were having work done and the contractors did something to cause a leak into our master bedroom bathroom. It hadn't gotten to the point where a lot of damage was being caused because the water was running out of an A/C duct so I just put a bucket under it.
The owners were extremely cooperative and the contractor looked at it soon after I reported it. They too were very cooperative and in fact they were working late into Friday night to repair the problem which required the removal of some newly installed tile.
I will have a 'do' list waiting for me when we get back here. The water shut off valve is not working and one of the overhead fan lights needs a new pull string.
It's always something-whether it be in our house or now our condo. But I guess I shouldn't complain since we're lucky enough to own two places.
So it's back home to beautiful autumn weather and then....well, you know!
As it happens it was a very good thing we were here this week because our new upstairs neighbors were having work done and the contractors did something to cause a leak into our master bedroom bathroom. It hadn't gotten to the point where a lot of damage was being caused because the water was running out of an A/C duct so I just put a bucket under it.
The owners were extremely cooperative and the contractor looked at it soon after I reported it. They too were very cooperative and in fact they were working late into Friday night to repair the problem which required the removal of some newly installed tile.
I will have a 'do' list waiting for me when we get back here. The water shut off valve is not working and one of the overhead fan lights needs a new pull string.
It's always something-whether it be in our house or now our condo. But I guess I shouldn't complain since we're lucky enough to own two places.
So it's back home to beautiful autumn weather and then....well, you know!
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Day Two-Sunny (Not) Naples
Well, here we are, day 2, Naples, Fl. It has been cloudy with off and on thunderstorms for two days. This happened last year at this time also. So why, you would logically ask, do we continue to come down here this time of year. Well first, we had some work to arrange on our condo-which brings me to an observation about the work ethic and general approach to business of many of the people here. It's definitely different than at home.
Some time ago we had gotten an estimate from a tile man who was referred to us by our home watch person (who I'm happy to report is extremely competent). Before we left I emailed him and left two phone messages to set up a time when we could get the work done. Nothing. So we went to plan B-an estimate from another tile company. We went out to see them and were told by the lady there that she'd give her boss a copy of the estimate and the message he should call us to set up an installation date. Nothing.
Now we're to plan C-yet another company but higher price of course. Anyway, they'll be out next week to do the work.
The second thing we have to do while here is check on the construction of a friend's house. That we'll probably do tomorrow.
That's the news from Naples. Oh, except for the fact that we remembered on the plane that we forgot the keys to our condo. Fortunately we were able to get a hold of our home watch person who let us in. Then my daughter-in-law went to our house at home and Fed Exed the keys to us.
Exciting, isn't it?
Some time ago we had gotten an estimate from a tile man who was referred to us by our home watch person (who I'm happy to report is extremely competent). Before we left I emailed him and left two phone messages to set up a time when we could get the work done. Nothing. So we went to plan B-an estimate from another tile company. We went out to see them and were told by the lady there that she'd give her boss a copy of the estimate and the message he should call us to set up an installation date. Nothing.
Now we're to plan C-yet another company but higher price of course. Anyway, they'll be out next week to do the work.
The second thing we have to do while here is check on the construction of a friend's house. That we'll probably do tomorrow.
That's the news from Naples. Oh, except for the fact that we remembered on the plane that we forgot the keys to our condo. Fortunately we were able to get a hold of our home watch person who let us in. Then my daughter-in-law went to our house at home and Fed Exed the keys to us.
Exciting, isn't it?
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Visitors
In the 28 years that we have lived in our current location
there have been three political candidates who have bothered to make the long walk up our
steep driveway to talk to us. The first
was a few years ago-Chris Lyddy. The second person was Kim Fawcett who is running for a seat in the CT senate and the third was just yesterday. We were sitting on our front porch when we spotted a young man walking up our driveway. He introduced himself as Matt Cole and told us the position he was running for-Newtown's representative to the CT House of Representatives.
There are probably many people who would advise us to count our blessings. Who wants people knocking at your door all the time but I believe they should be commended for making the
effort. It is my opinion that a visit
from a candidate is more meaningful than being bombarded by negative ads from so-called
“independent” organizations.
By the way, for what it's worth all three candidates were democrats. I wonder if that's just a coincidence or if the republican counterparts to these folks think because Newtown is a republican town, they have the election locked up so why bother.
There's still over a month to the elections. Maybe someone will show up today. What are the odds?
Thursday, September 18, 2014
The demise of the wallet?
Corresponding with the release of the latest iPhone, The Today Show ran a
piece suggesting the demise of the wallet. It seems the iPhone is now
configured in some way to allow its users to pay for things thus
eliminating the need to carry both cash and credit cards.
Several men were interviewed and the overwhelming majority agreed they stopped carrying wallets a long time ago.
In light of this I decided to take inventory of my wallet to see what I could do without. Here's what I have:
1. Some cash, two credit cards and a blank check.
2. My drivers license
3. My Medicare and Medicare supplement cards
4. My dental care card
5. My CVS Caremark card
6. My organ donor card
7. Two lists of my medications
8. Several small pieces of paper with passwords and PINs on them
9. A list of important phone numbers
10. My AARP membership card
11. My Audubon membership card
12. Four pictures-one for each of my grand children
13. My Stop & Shop discount card
14. My Allstate insurance card
15. A few of my wife's and son's business cards
That's about it. Can I do without most of these on a daily basis. Sure but then I'd have to remember to get those I do need from time to time and that's not going to happen. So for now I guess I'll hold on to my wallet.
Sorry, iPhone. Maybe next year.
Several men were interviewed and the overwhelming majority agreed they stopped carrying wallets a long time ago.
In light of this I decided to take inventory of my wallet to see what I could do without. Here's what I have:
1. Some cash, two credit cards and a blank check.
2. My drivers license
3. My Medicare and Medicare supplement cards
4. My dental care card
5. My CVS Caremark card
6. My organ donor card
7. Two lists of my medications
8. Several small pieces of paper with passwords and PINs on them
9. A list of important phone numbers
10. My AARP membership card
11. My Audubon membership card
12. Four pictures-one for each of my grand children
13. My Stop & Shop discount card
14. My Allstate insurance card
15. A few of my wife's and son's business cards
That's about it. Can I do without most of these on a daily basis. Sure but then I'd have to remember to get those I do need from time to time and that's not going to happen. So for now I guess I'll hold on to my wallet.
Sorry, iPhone. Maybe next year.
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
A Big Day in the Stockwell Family
Two anniversaries to celebrate today. Sandi and I were married 47 years ago and Pete & Jen were married on this day 8 years ago.
It's been an extraordinary journey.
It's been an extraordinary journey.
Monday, September 15, 2014
Happy Birthday, Courtney
Courtney was 8 years old yesterday so the kids celebrated with one of the last swims they'll probably take for the summer. In another photo Brooke & Courtney proudly display the quilts they each made for a neighbor who is having twins. Also shown is their grandma who assisted them. In the third photo Courtney & Brooke pose in the rocking chairs they got for their rooms.
Don't forget to check out the links on georgeswebpage.com
Friday, September 12, 2014
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