Monthly Archives: November 2013

A Time for Travel

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I read this a while back and it is one of the most entertaining reads I have had in quite some time now.  It is based in Ireland and the author did extensive research into the real places that are told about in the story.
 I am sure that you and your kids [or grand kids] will enjoy it as much as I did.
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 A Time for Travel ~ The Christmas Project is about four cousins who invent a time travel machine over Christmas vacation. They set the time for 200 years in the past and set the location for the MarbleArchCaves in Northern Ireland. That is not where they end up!

Follow Brooklyn, Caleb, Genevieve, and Kennedy as they explore the castles and caves of ancient Ireland on their grand adventures. What will they do once they get there and their time travel machine doesn’t work? Will they find the leprechauns, dragons, fairies and unicorns they are looking for? Will they get home?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G770KGE/ref=tsm_1_fb_lk

Special elections

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Special election coming up Tuesday November 5th 2013 Wyoming

Why have something set up for a special election instead of during a ‘normal’ general election time? Well I can think of several reasons. As an example, if a currently seated politician dies in office there has to be a mechanism in place to put someone else into that office.  Another example would be if they get caught doing something wrong and are sent to prison, they will have to be replaced. Some times a temporary replacement can be appointed to either finish out the term or to fill in until a special election can be arranged. These are very valid reasons to have a special election.

Some of the logistics of special elections include the cost to tax payers to host the special election. It costs about as much to vote on one or two things as it does for 20 things. You still have to fully man all the voting precincts and who ever counts the ballets. The voting machines cost about the same to set up and then there are the absentee votes or ‘early’ voting. Another issue with special elections is the commonly known fact that the voter turnout for special elections tends to be very light compared with general elections. Mostly the few people that actually vote during a special election are either VERY for the issue that is being voted on OR VERY against the item being voted on.

Consider now the preplanning that is required for ANY building project. You have to know the plot of land that you want to build on. The site has to be surveyed and the architects have to draw up the building plans to code and make the materials list for the stuff needed to complete the project and make a guesstimate as to the time needed to complete the building project. All of that takes time and money & is not something that is done on the spur of the moment. It can take from several months for a smaller government building project to a year or more for a larger building project. Also it is not common knowledge, but enrollment at the college is reportedly, actually down this year and with the current economy will probably be down for at least the next several years.

Depending upon your point of view, you may want to have a special election for a pet project such as raising taxes to pay for expanding the local college buildings because of the expected low voter turn out. Special elections are typically used in this fashion to slip in a pet project figuratively under the citizens noses in my opinion.

So, from my point of view, some things do need to have a special election as stated above, however some things just should not be allowed in a special election such as the Laramie County Community College expansion.

Of course everyone should study out the issues and ponder what their proper course of action is before they vote – and everyone should let their voices be heard regardless of what side of the issue they are on.

Had this appeared during a normal general election I may well be in favor of it. BUT, I think that given, that it is being presented in what I consider a back door and underhanded fashion I will be voting against it.

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I would like to hear your thoughts on this.

Thx

Sanitation – toilets part 2

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What is done is the plumber or you climb up on the roof and introduce the snake into the vent stack and run it out to the street. They will then check all your drains to make sure that the system is clear.

OK, what do you do when the plumbing gets stopped up on a Friday night? You will most likely not be able to cross your legs and hold it until Monday or Tuesday when the plumber can come out at the regular rates. You could drive to the local 24 hour gas station or convenience store or Wal-mart, every time you have to go. Not a very viable option, is it? Another way to deal with the situation is to just go ahead and go and NOT flush until the plumber has taken care of the situation. Will it stink, most likely after a while it will. You could pour some vinegar into the toilet bowl. I would not use bleach as it can react with the ammonia in urine and give off a poisonous gas.  Many people have died mixing chlorine bleach and ammonia together.

Other short term options include turning off the water to the toilet and flush it so that the bowl is empty and then line the toilet bowl with heavy duty trash bags –at least 2 so that there is less of a chance for the bags to leak when you take it out each day. What do you do with it then? Some people will tell you to toss it into the dumpster or to bury it. You should check your local laws as most towns have laws against discharging raw sewage.

All of these ideas can be used after an earthquake disrupts sewer services.

A longer term solution designed for dealing doggy do is to dig a hole near a tree and installing a specially made device like a bucket with an articulating cover and as you collect the dog poo and dump it in the composting bucket. A bigger solution is to take a plastic barrel such as a 55 gal water drum or plastic trash bin with a top, cut the bottom out so that it drains well cut a few holes in the sides so that worms can freely travel between the compost and the ground and they will convert it to soil, during normal times put your leaves and grass clippings in it instead of out on the curb for the city to haul off.. During ‘normal’ times most towns frown on putting human waste into something like this – check your local laws.

Longer term ideas would be to have a composting toilet. They are more expensive up front, however over the long haul you will use less water which will save you money and it will be less stress on the environment too.  The compost is great for your plants too.

Most folks think that we are living longer and healthier because of ‘modern’ medical care. To an extent this is true. However, a major historical note, it was only in the late 1800s that modern man discovered the germ theory and started making use of better sanitation like flush toilets and hand washing with soap and clean water. BTW do you know where the term taking a crap came from? Thomas Crapper, the inventor of the flush toilet was knighted by the Queen, so from a literal point of view in the water closet is the crapper. ;]