I am loath to leave things like computers and other expensive electronic gear turned on or plugged in when weather like that is coming through considering the damage we had here at The Manse a little over a year ago when lightning struck a utility pole at the top of our driveway. I have no desire to have to replace our electronic appliances again.
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It seems the Obama Administration can learn a lesson after all.The U.S. Embassy in Tripoli was evacuated due to the heavy fighting taking place around the city between rival militia groups trying to seize control. Unlike the debacle of the Benghazi consulate, the State Department decided enough was enough and made the arrangements to get the embassy staff and their families out of Libya rather than allowing a repeat of Benghazi.
The evacuation entailed a heavily guarded convoy driving through the streets of Tripoli. Air cover was provided by two F-16 fighters and a Predator drone and Marine rapid response teams carried by V-22 Ospreys were on alert should the convoy get into trouble during the evacuation.
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The News Junkie links to a Slate article and comments upon the question: Who are the poor?As he states: “Everyone wants to 'help' the poor. But who are they?”
When one looks closely at the question , the poor aren't who most people think they are. It is that disconnect that is causing those who wish to help the poor get it wrong when it comes to aid.
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David Starr gives us an abbreviated lesson and some tips about electricity, specifically the electricity in your home, how it should be wired up, and reminders that if you don't know what you're doing it's best to call a professional.Having helped to restore a number of older homes over the decades, I could tell you horror stories about the gerry-rigged electrics I've found over the years, many which had me wondering why the place hadn't burned to the ground years ago. Others were still using turn-of-the-century wiring and 60-amp fuse boxes that had been 'converted' to 100-amp fuse boxes by replacing the 10 and 15-amp fuses with 15 and 20-amp fuses along with the main 60-amp fuses being replaced with 100-amp fuses.
The original Weekend Pundit Lake Winnipesaukee Manse had just such an electrical system and it made me nervous every time I turned on a light or used the microwave oven or TV or computer.
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Bogie took some much needed break time and mowed her lawn, washed her motorcycle, and got a nice picture of her cat Tory in the process.Her description of Tory's habits, that being going out only now and then and sticking close to the house when doing so, reminded me a lot of our dear departed Bagheera the Magnificent. He rarely ventured far and preferred to hang out under one of the hostas in front of The Manse.
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This isn't news to me: The typical American household is worth a third less than it was 7 years ago.That's certainly been true for us. Just the value of our home is about 35% less than it was then and 20% less than when we bought it in 2005. Our incomes haven't kept up with inflation, and by inflation I mean the real rate which includes food and fuel prices, not that piece-of-crap inflation rate the government has been peddling over the past 7 years.
About the only durable good purchases we've made over the past 7 years has been a new clothesdryer, bought just this past spring to replace the deceased one, and a new water heater bought three years ago to replace the one that was failing. We've purchased used vehicles rather than new because, quite frankly, we had better things to do with our money than making new car payments, like buying propane and cord wood to heat our home. (Those vehicles were bought to replace older vehicles that either wouldn't pass the state safety inspection without major repairs or required maintenance that would cost far more than the vehicle was worth to fix. One was starting to nickle-and-dime us to death, with monthly repairs costing twice what a car payment would even after figuring in the increased insurance cost.)
A lot of leisure activities we used to take part in are a thing of the past. The Official Weekend Pundit Lake Winnipesaukee Runabout, aka The Boat, hasn't been out on the lake for over four years because we couldn't justify the cost. We haven't taken a vacation in over 4 years because we just haven't had the extra cash we used to have back then.
So that the average American household is worth less than it was when The Won took office is not a surprise to me and my family.
(H/T Instapundit)
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Is it any surprise that young, uniformed Democrats support the Palestinian side in the present conflict with Israel?Of course not. After all they have no historical context and easily buy into the MSM and Leftist online media hype.