With HEARTY apologies to Dr. Seuss and his heirs. A friend of mine posted this on Facebook and I added the last two lines.
Green Eggs and Scam
I do not like this Uncle Sam, I do not like his health care scam.
I do not like these dirty crooks, or how they lie and cook the books.
I do not like when Congress steals,
I do not like their secret deals.
I do not like the speaker Nan,
I do not like this 'YES WE CAN'.
I do not like this spending spree,
I'm smart, I know that nothing's free,
I do not like your smug replies, when I complain about your lies.
I do not like this kind of hope.
I do not like it. nope, nope, nope!
I do not like Obama's plan!
His hope and change, it is a scam!
Friday, July 2, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Watch this blog
Make sure you take a peek at Unlimited Random. This gal does book reviews and is nice person all around!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Tragedy to Triumph - American Entrepeneurship at it's Best
The temporary cap on the Deep Horizon Oil Well is not adequate to collect the crude oil that copiously gushes into the Gulf of Mexico. This is a great environmental tragedy, but it is not the time to point fingers of blame at companies, to send down lawyers to threaten lawsuits or to lecture governors. Instead, it is time to encourage the American People to do what they have always done best, and that is to make the best of a bad situation by making it profitable to solve a given problem.
Technical solutions to this environmental problem are really straightforward and do not require any more studies by the federal government because these problems have been discussed for years. First, keep the oil off your main shoreline by all means possible. You can block it from coming ashore by dredging artificial islands and by filling the gaps with booms. Second, you can burn the oil on the surface of the water using fire boom technology which has been with us for years. Third, you can chemically disburse the oils, although this has been controversial lately as some fishermen have become ill from the disbursants. They are not hazard free, but less problematic than having the oil reach the shore. Finally, there are oil-water separator ships used by the Saudi Arabians and other allies that may lend us the vessels to correct this problem. These ships would siphon the oil off the water, separate it, and return unsullied water to the Gulf.
When the oil does hit the shore, and it has, you had better be ready, and not wait for FEMA or some other Federal Agency to help you. Here is what states, businesses and individuals can do:
The great American oil refineries in Houston and across this country, but led by Houston and especially GATX, should to be given presidential permission to upgrade and expand their facilities and increase their shifts to 24/7 operations in order to receive the contaminated oil. Once they have that permission, they can receive the slurry of contaminated oil, re-crack it, and turn it into products such as the petroleum engineers determine. These could be everything from fetilizers, to plastics to asphalts. More than likely, the heavy oil would only be able to be used for heavy products like plastics and asphalt because of the evaporation that occurs at sea and the weathering effect of the sun and sea on the petroleum.
Once the American petroleum companies have received permission to expand their facilities, they should invite and encourage Fishermen, Watermen and other interested parties to be involved in all aspects of the oil cleanup operation with the incentive that they will pay fair market value for the oil collected. Usually emergency HAZMAT cleanup is pretty profitable, and it would keep Americans working instead of being laid off and sitting around at the marina, drinking coffee and feeling sorry for themselves. The best of the American Spirit would rise up - that we can do something to stop and even solve this massive oil spill problem.
The Seafarers know more about going to sea and handling cleanup than the government could ever teach them. Get out of their way and let them create their own plans to collect the oil. They'll do it.
Where volunteers and entrepreneurs are lacking, use forced labor because this is a national emergency. This means prisoners, others in trouble with the law, and welfare recipients, who should give back to their communities instead of taking. This is not about skilled work. We are talking about picking up blobs of oil from the beach, putting it in trash bags, and hauling it off to be dumped in an oil bin. Obviously, work camps would be segregated according to the risks demanded by the different communities.
This is a problem that is not going to go away in a a few weeks or even a few months. The oil spill problem may last for years the way the current leadership is handling it. We may need people to collect oil and contribute to oil spill clean up for quite a while, but it is one way to keep the American private flotilla of fishing and recreational boats and the American Merchant Marine ready reserve fleet fully operational. It would also provide economic incentive to help with the clean up operations.
Scott and Ruth Seiler
Technical solutions to this environmental problem are really straightforward and do not require any more studies by the federal government because these problems have been discussed for years. First, keep the oil off your main shoreline by all means possible. You can block it from coming ashore by dredging artificial islands and by filling the gaps with booms. Second, you can burn the oil on the surface of the water using fire boom technology which has been with us for years. Third, you can chemically disburse the oils, although this has been controversial lately as some fishermen have become ill from the disbursants. They are not hazard free, but less problematic than having the oil reach the shore. Finally, there are oil-water separator ships used by the Saudi Arabians and other allies that may lend us the vessels to correct this problem. These ships would siphon the oil off the water, separate it, and return unsullied water to the Gulf.
When the oil does hit the shore, and it has, you had better be ready, and not wait for FEMA or some other Federal Agency to help you. Here is what states, businesses and individuals can do:
The great American oil refineries in Houston and across this country, but led by Houston and especially GATX, should to be given presidential permission to upgrade and expand their facilities and increase their shifts to 24/7 operations in order to receive the contaminated oil. Once they have that permission, they can receive the slurry of contaminated oil, re-crack it, and turn it into products such as the petroleum engineers determine. These could be everything from fetilizers, to plastics to asphalts. More than likely, the heavy oil would only be able to be used for heavy products like plastics and asphalt because of the evaporation that occurs at sea and the weathering effect of the sun and sea on the petroleum.
Once the American petroleum companies have received permission to expand their facilities, they should invite and encourage Fishermen, Watermen and other interested parties to be involved in all aspects of the oil cleanup operation with the incentive that they will pay fair market value for the oil collected. Usually emergency HAZMAT cleanup is pretty profitable, and it would keep Americans working instead of being laid off and sitting around at the marina, drinking coffee and feeling sorry for themselves. The best of the American Spirit would rise up - that we can do something to stop and even solve this massive oil spill problem.
The Seafarers know more about going to sea and handling cleanup than the government could ever teach them. Get out of their way and let them create their own plans to collect the oil. They'll do it.
Where volunteers and entrepreneurs are lacking, use forced labor because this is a national emergency. This means prisoners, others in trouble with the law, and welfare recipients, who should give back to their communities instead of taking. This is not about skilled work. We are talking about picking up blobs of oil from the beach, putting it in trash bags, and hauling it off to be dumped in an oil bin. Obviously, work camps would be segregated according to the risks demanded by the different communities.
This is a problem that is not going to go away in a a few weeks or even a few months. The oil spill problem may last for years the way the current leadership is handling it. We may need people to collect oil and contribute to oil spill clean up for quite a while, but it is one way to keep the American private flotilla of fishing and recreational boats and the American Merchant Marine ready reserve fleet fully operational. It would also provide economic incentive to help with the clean up operations.
Scott and Ruth Seiler
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Introducing a New Blog
The blog named "Seiler's Little Paradise" is about the transformation of a small piece of property into a micro homestead.
These folks will explore the joys of remodeling, gardening, poultry raising, alternative energy including wind, solar and hydro power, and self sufficient, self reliant living.
Having a little piece of earth to call your own and to try to live off of is a dream that this family is trying to make a reality.
These folks will explore the joys of remodeling, gardening, poultry raising, alternative energy including wind, solar and hydro power, and self sufficient, self reliant living.
Having a little piece of earth to call your own and to try to live off of is a dream that this family is trying to make a reality.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
A Diagonal Dishcloth
This one is a little more challenging as it teaches the beginning knitter add stitches and remove stitches.
Cast on 3
Row 1: Knit 2, Yarn Over (YO), Knit to end
Row 2: Knit 2, YO, Knit to end
Repeat these rows until you have 43 stitches on the needle or make the dishcloth as large as you want. Then......
Knit one, Knit 2 together, YO, Knit two together, knit to end
Repeat this row until you have three loops left.
Cast off.
This is a very nice simple dishcloth.
Cast on 3
Row 1: Knit 2, Yarn Over (YO), Knit to end
Row 2: Knit 2, YO, Knit to end
Repeat these rows until you have 43 stitches on the needle or make the dishcloth as large as you want. Then......
Knit one, Knit 2 together, YO, Knit two together, knit to end
Repeat this row until you have three loops left.
Cast off.
This is a very nice simple dishcloth.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Knitted Dishcloths
Greetings, seekers of the simple life. How about a simple project that is not expensive, is relaxing, and creates a useful household item? I'm talking about knitted dishcloths. These cotton beauties are durable and attractive. The patterns are forgiving, and who cares if you mess up a stitch when you know that you are contributing to sustainable living by making a washcloth instead of buying one woven in China or some other place! Those may be cheap, but making these dishcloths and using a US or Canadian produced cotton thread helps to keep jobs here on this continent.
I won't ask you to grow your own cotton and spin the fibers into something that resembles a worsted weight wool, although some self-sufficient types have a thing or two to teach me about that basic aspect of the cotton fiber. You can get lovely cotton thread anywhere you can buy wool or fabric. I'm using the Peaches and Cream worsted weight cotton. It is perfect for the job.
If you are a beginning knitter, these are good learning projects for you. The first is a simple checkerboard/basket weave patterned dishcloth.
Basket Weave Face Cloth
Use size 8 knitting needles. If your tension is too loose, try a smaller needle.
Cast on 40 stitches
Rows 1 - 4: Knit
Rows 5 - 10: K4 *K4,P4* 4 times, K4
Rows 11 - 16: K4 *P4,K4* 4 times, K4
Repeat Rows 5 - 16 until desired length
Knit 4 rows
Cast off
Use a crochet hook to weave any extra threads into the cloth.
Since rows 5 - 10 make 8 squares to a row besides the garter stitch edging, I just made an 8 x 8 square.
To be continued......
I won't ask you to grow your own cotton and spin the fibers into something that resembles a worsted weight wool, although some self-sufficient types have a thing or two to teach me about that basic aspect of the cotton fiber. You can get lovely cotton thread anywhere you can buy wool or fabric. I'm using the Peaches and Cream worsted weight cotton. It is perfect for the job.
If you are a beginning knitter, these are good learning projects for you. The first is a simple checkerboard/basket weave patterned dishcloth.
Basket Weave Face Cloth
Use size 8 knitting needles. If your tension is too loose, try a smaller needle.
Cast on 40 stitches
Rows 1 - 4: Knit
Rows 5 - 10: K4 *K4,P4* 4 times, K4
Rows 11 - 16: K4 *P4,K4* 4 times, K4
Repeat Rows 5 - 16 until desired length
Knit 4 rows
Cast off
Use a crochet hook to weave any extra threads into the cloth.
Since rows 5 - 10 make 8 squares to a row besides the garter stitch edging, I just made an 8 x 8 square.
To be continued......
How Simple is Life?
In my reading of articles and magazines, so many writers are bemoaning how complicated life is and how we need to return to a simpler lifestyle. Today's economic situation, the coming higher taxes and surcharges, and the rising unemployment (thanks a lot, Congress!)make a return to the simpler life and a lifestyle of less consumption increasingly attractive. The Radiant Times staff is examining our current lifestyle and looking for ways to uncomplicate our lives. There will always the reality of long commutes and job requirements, but we are beginning to develop a method whereby we can live healthier and more simply.
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