We did get a bit of sticker shock when we finally had our propane tank refilled after our two week long experience with sub-zero temperatures. Our provider pumped 400 gallons of propane into our tank, about twice the amount one would normally expect for one month's worth of heating. We weren't the only ones to see an inordinate amount of fuel used during that cold spell. Almost everyone I talked to about about it related a similar story.
I expect we'll see one more period of sub-zero temps before we get through winter, something that usually takes place in late January/early February. Even then it usually lasts only a few days, not for week after week as we saw at the end of December and beginning of January.
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Talk about the chickens coming home to roost!
It seems that former US Senator Harry Reid did not truly understand what he wrought when he created the so-called 'nuclear option' as a means of choking off a filibuster by the other side as means of pushing through legislation the GOP found reprehensible.
Now that Senate Democrats are grandstanding about the “Schumer Shutdown”, trying to extort the GOP into attaching poor DACA legislation onto the budget bill, President Trump has made the suggestion that Senate Republicans exercise the nuclear option to get a budget passed.
I don't blame either the President or congressional Republicans from wanting clean bills for both the budget and DACA. They want to make sure everyone knows who voted for what. With a combined bill you will have Senators and Representatives voting for legislation they really don't like just to get the money flowing again. It's a bad deal for both the GOP and the American people.
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Will the next Civil War take place in California?
I think the answer is a qualified 'yes'.
Perhaps the most accurate way to state the main causes of the Civil War was the South wanted to preserve slavery under “states’ rights” and the North wanted to protect and preserve the Union.Read The Whole Thing.
It is therefore repeating history that the new battleground over “states’ rights” is California.
--snip--
While most people will concentrate on the immigration issue, we believe there is a First Amendment component to California’s actions as well.
Think about this for a second: California is censuring people for reporting crimes and criminals.
In order to censor speech, there must be a compelling governmental interest. There is not one here.
--snip--
Secondly, immigration is a Federal concern, not a state concern. Back in 2012, the US Supreme Court decided the case of ARIZONA et al. v. UNITED STATES, in which the Court held that Arizona could not create or enforce its own laws on immigration. Only the Federal government could deal with immigration as required in the Constitution.
It seems to us that California is trying to usurp Federal authority established by the Constitution as well as going against Supreme Court decisions.
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Will the FISA Memo fully expose the abuses by the Justice Department, the FBI, and the Hillary?
The way everyone involved seems to be going into 'duck and cover' mode, I'd have to say that even if it doesn't, it will expose most of it and who is responsible for those abuses.
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I tired not to watch, but I found that it was impossible.
The New England Patriots beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 24-20 and will move on to the SuperBowl in two weeks. Now it's a matter of who they will be facing as the NFC playoff is being played as I write this. Will it be the Vikings or the Eagles?
Frankly, I'm hoping it's the Eagles, my favorite NFC team.
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And that's the (somewhat)abbreviated news from Lake Winnipesaukee, where the warm weather over the weekend took care of some of last weeks snowfall, more snow is on the way, and we still have 8 weeks of winter left.