Tommy can you see me

I’m heading back to the eye surgeon this morning. A week or two ago I developed another bleeder in my eye. This time it is the right one—my “good” eye. Anytime I look at a bright light or screen it is as if I’m looking through a spider web or perhaps a piece of gauze with a brown streak . I know what it is, I’ve been through this before. 

Last time he could not laser cauterize the bleeder and tried a shot (yes a needle in the eye). When that didn’t work we had to do surgery. I’m hoping he can just laser it away this morning. 

On the scale of things this ranks as a minor inconvenience. It is not a big deal. I’ll be back to work in a couple of hours. 

This is the backside of a famous place:

Do you know what it is?

A painful post

We are but a few weeks out from the election. There is no way in this world I will vote for the vapid Veep. 

At this point unless Trump finds some economic advisor who whispers advice into his self-righteous hard head I won’t vote for him either. That pains me because I firmly believe if you don’t vote you don’t get to complain.

Trump’s tariff plan will be an inflationary disaster. I outlined my reasoning in a previous post. Everything you buy, even food, is subject to the global economy. Like your avocados? Early grapes and corn? Where do you think those come from? Pineapple? 

For a business man Trump is woefully ignorant of the world outside of real estate and entertainment. 

If you believe the businesses or exporter will pay the tariff, you are an idiot too. Businesses don’t pay taxes. It is a cost that gets built into the final price. 

I’ve dealt with tariffs and dumping duties much of my professional life. That cost gets passed right on to the customer and once he builds whatever machinery he produces that cost rolls right to the end user. 

I’m all for encouraging us to Buy American. We need to expand our manufacturing base. We need to on-shore more production. This won’t make it happen.

Why did clothing manufacturers leave the Carolinas and off-shore the production of T-shirts? Because no one wanted to pay thirty bucks for a cotton shirt forty years ago. What do you think union wages and benefit cost would add to the price of a T-shirt today? 

We live in a global economy, whether we like it or not. 

Well you ain’t nothing but a rabbit

So we find ourselves once again on Friday. I, for one am glad. I need a break. Sure I was just on vacation last week. All the more reason to be worn out. One should ease back into work after a holiday or vacation with half days or something. 

The real truth is I love my job. I also think after every vacation I could retire without looking back in regret at all. I’ve been working since I was thirteen. I’m tired of it. On the other hand there is that pesky mortgage and bills. I like to eat. A roof over my head would be nice. So yes, I will work for at least five more years. I want to be able to have those occasional vacations. So it goes. 

No Friday music today. No Friday Five. I suspect no one minds. 

I finally did a bit of writing in the second book last night. I’ve settled on a title and actually designed the front cover last week. Strangely enough my inspiration was a novel I picked up for free from Prime Reading. It had a moderately interesting plot but the writing was awful. I mean middle school bad. I kept reading in the same way one rubbernecks a car accident. 

 I only pray that the general opinion of all eleven of you who read my first novel wasn’t “okay story but lousy writing.” If so,  please tell me. Honesty is way more important than my feelings.

I fear embarrassment more than anything. Except snakes. And maybe spiders. But certainly snakes for sure. I’d rather not share my work than embarrass myself. 

Anyway, I got some inspiration and I spit out four or five thousand words. It needs fleshing out, but the plot is finally moving forward. I’m sure you were all concerned about my progress. 

Have a great day. 

Can we all just agree?

I am certainly not the arbiter of taste, even if I should be. There are a number of acts in the Rock and Roll shall of Fame that probably do not belong there. Some deserving acts are left out. 

One act that gets far too much love and respect is the Sex Pistols. 

Believe it or not, this is deemed one of their best efforts. 

I have nothing against punk music. I just think maybe the musicians should be able to actually play their instruments before we put them into the HOF.

Your opinion may vary.

I yam what I yam

One thing I learned in my college study of history is that we all have biases. I believe it is clear to anyone who has read  this blog, whether for a month or the nearly twenty years I’ve been bloviating here, that I don’t just lean right, I am a full on conservative. I readily admit it.

I read many blogs and news sites. There is one blog I enjoy, that purports to take a middle of the road facts first approach. The only problem is the blog’s interpretation of facts always skews left. Always. The author is totally incapable of recognizing his/her bias. Which is fine, it is the hypocritical self-righteousness that galls me. 

I don’t care where you stand politically. Own it, even when you are historically, economically, and morally wrong to support liberal and progressive policies. At least do not pretend to be a great non-partisan watchdog when every time your opinion leans left. 

I make no claims of unbiased analysis. I’m certainly no Republican, but I  am a small government conservative.

I know what I am. 

In the mood

 I’m in a classic rock mood today.