To Make a Short Story Long

Last night we had Cincinnati Chili for supper. Over spaghetti; with onions. And beans; don't forget the beans.

Typically we also shredded cheese and oyster crackers too; a true Cincinnati style 5-way. Apparently while she was out shopping my wife picked up the chili spice mix, the beans and the spaghetti, but missed the crackers and the cheese.

Not a problem in this day of instant communication. She calls me and lets me know we are having Chili for supper; bring home some Cheese and Crackers. Kroger's is on the way home, I have money in my pocket; why is this a long story?

Here's why this is a long story.

When I was young Friday was Shopping Day; just like Monday was Wash Day and Tuesday was Ironing Day and Wednesday was..., well, you get the picture.

Mom and Dad would go shopping on Friday after supper, and when they got home, after the car was unloaded and everything stored away, it was time for a snack. Snack on Friday nights was Cheese and Crackers. Usually a Sharp Cheddar and Ritz Crackers. The cheese came in a foil wrapped block, and had to be sliced first. ANTICIPATION!!

I don't know why Cheese and Crackers is a favorite snack of mine still. Maybe its the cheese; loads of fat and protein. And loads of taste, because of the loads of fat. Or maybe even then this was a sign that the week had ended, and the freedom of Saturday was fast approaching. Or maybe it was because we could eat our Cheese and Crackers in front of the TV, in the living room. Everybody gathered around the plate of carefully sliced cheese and half empty roll of golden brown crackers, set up on Dad's footstool.

Anyway, on Friday I get a call to bring home Cheese and Crackers. For Chili. Simple, right? Well, part two of the story: There is also a chili, cheese and crackers connection. My Grandma made chili that was sweet- my sister has the recipe and does a great batch as well- and Dad would always eat his chili with Ritz crackers and cheese.

So there I am in the store, on a Friday, picking up Cheese and Crackers for Chili. So I pick up a box of Ritz and- SCORE!- a pound of Sharp Cheddar is on sale for five bucks!

ANTICIPATION!!

The Chili is ready when I walk in the door. The family has been eagerly awaiting my arrival so we can eat the Chili that has been simmering all day, filling the house with the wonderful smells of cooking spices and meat.

And they were expecting shredded cheese and oyster crackers. D'oh!

I'm blaming the wife. She said "Cheese and Crackers", not "crackers and cheese".

More proof that words have meaning, and should be carefully chosen.

Servant; or Master?

In the United States of America the government is supposed to be the servant of the people; we, as the voters are supposed to be in charge. Congress is supposed to listen to us, and act accordingly. The President is supposed to hear our voices and respond.

Isn't that what they tell us every 2, 4 or 6 years? Hell; some of them may even believe it.

But then the election is over and the mask slips. Then we find out out servant is a tyrant.

Take for instance the EPA and the new ethanol requirement. There has been a lot of resistance to the increase of ethanol in gasoline, but all of the complaints have fallen on deaf ears. Big, jug-eared deaf ears.

The EPA doesn't care that less than one-half of one percent of the vehicles on the road right this minute can use this fuel without damage. Knowing this administration, they probably consider that a feature; not a bug.

What type of damage are we looking at? Well, ethanol is alcohol, which absorbs moisture. so anything it comes into contact with that contains moisture will start to be dried out; things like fuel line hoses; rubber seals on gas tanks and gaskets on intake systems. Ethanol is also less cohesive than oil based gasoline; meaning it will flow past the rings in engine cylinders, washing the lubrication off of the cylinder walls, allowing the rings to mark or scar them, which will hasten engine wear.

This cylinder wall bypass will also allow ethanol to contaminate the engine oil; thinning it so that it provides less protection, increasing wear on the bearing surfaces of the internal moving parts.

Bottom line: ethanol will cost the owners of 228 million vehicles in the country money. money for either a major engine repair or a new car or truck. What are the chances you vehicle is one of the 228 million affected? Odds are pretty dang good.

I don't know about you, but in the New Normal Economy (also known as Obama's Depression) I ain't got that kinda cash.

And that is just cars. This fuel will also damage/ruin your lawnmower; chainsaw; weedeater; rototiller and snow-blower, as well as every other piece of gasoline powered equipment you put it in.

 Plus- and here is a real kicker- the addition of ethanol LOWERS fuel economy. There is less 'bang' in each quart of ethanol that there is in a quart of gasoline, so the more ethanol you burn the more fuel you will use. Since the addition of ethanol will not lower the price of a gallon of gas, the cost of your commute has just gone up.

And ANOTHER kicker; burning food in your gas tank will raise the demand for corn, which will also raise the price/cost of the corn. Which means the addition of ethanol will most likely mean an increase in the cost of a gallon of gas.

Unless the Federal government continues to subsidize the ethanol industry with a larger subsidy, paid for out of our taxes. Unless of course they just borrow the money (hey; when you are $16,000,000,000.00 in debt already, whats another billion or two?) instead, meaning we will pay for the subsidy and the cost of the interest to borrow the money to pay the subsidy, in addition to paying for the repairs to our gas powered equipment caused by the ethanol we are paying to subsidize.

But that subsidy won't apply to other uses of corn; like as animal feed or creating sugar. An increase in the cost of corn will lead to an increase in the cost of any foodstuff that relies on corn. Not only Fritos, Doritos and tacos, but anything that contains High Fructose as an ingredient, or eats corn, like cattle/beef, hogs/pork and chickens.

Not to mention what this will do to the cost of moonshine and bourbon.

This is a government that is the servant of the people?

How do I fire this servant?

Oh yeah; never mind; apparently we can't fire this servant until we can find a suitable replacement.

And we have to wait four three two more years to even start the search.

Who Will Survive?

My friend and resident liberal commentator sent me a link to this article, which makes a lot in interesting points.

First how the AFL-CIO is ready willing and quick to blame Bain Capital for Hostess' demise. Although Bain had nothing to do with Hostess in any way shape or form. Is blaming Bain a knee jerk reaction or a left talking point? Hard to tell.

But we do find out that a venture capital outfit DID have a hand in Hostess. A company called Ripplewood, which was founded by Timothy C. Collins, a major Democratic donor, purchased Hostess out of its earlier bankruptcy; intending to turn it into a showcase of how to rebuild a union company.

Yeah; that worked out well; didn't it?

Who is the first person to get involved? Richard Gephardt, former Democratic House leader.

So while the AFL-CIO is spouting "Bain', like a raven perched on a bust of Pallas, it was actually the left side of the aisle that was raping and pillaging the Twinkies. No wonder we haven't seen any long screeds in the press or on CNN about the EVIL capitalists ruining the country, one poor little union company at a time.

Another interesting point is the increases in executive compensation:

Perhaps the most egregious sin of Ripplewood’s oversight of Hostess was the increase in management’s compensation at the same time it was seeking to cut employee compensation. The Confectionery, Tobacco Workers & Grain Millers International Union pointed out that the company’s new chief executive was paid $2,550,000, up from $750,000. Another “executive received a pay increase from $500,000 to $900,000 and another received one taking his salary from $375,000 to $656,256,” the union said. Mr. Collins declined to comment.

Let me say this about that; First; the company is privately held, so salaries and compensation are not of public record anywhere, so it had to be some sort of espionage, if the numbers are correct. Which they may not be.

Second; assume they are correct. That is a total increase in compensation of $2,481,256; or $134 per employee. $2.58 a week- 6 cents an hour.

Amazing how math works, ain't it?

I'm not saying Management is 100% right and the union is 100% wrong. I won't even admit to a 75/25 split.

All I know is if 10% of the country is out of work, and I still have a job, 8% is a hell of a lot less than 100% when it comes to a pay cut.

On a personal note, I worked in a union show a few years back that was going through the same thing Hostess was. My union brothers were of the opinion that if it weren't for them our industry would cease to exist. Push came to shove, and they went out on strike. We were back within a week, but the damage was done. less than 6 months later the place was gone.

Guess what? the industry still exists.

And NONE of us are working in it.

Ya Wanna Rethink That Choice?

Yesterday I put up this post, and this morning I heard somethng on the radio I just had to add.

Apparently Obama stopped at Skyline Chili for lunch before he left town.

For lunch he had two cheese coneys and a Bean 4-way.

He declined the onions because of meetings he had later in the day.

Considering the orifice he mostly comminicates from, I would have thought skipping the Beans would have been more appropriate.

I also heard that only 1200 folks showed up; for a hall that holds 3500. And the one they interviewed on the radio was from North Carolina.

Toast.

Tonight I Went Out To Eat With The Family

At a place called Golden Corral, which is a Redneck Heaven. All you can eat and they serve red meat. 3 trips through the food bars- plus 2 slices of carrot cake for dessert and I never touched a green veggie.

What a meal!

But to the point of this post, and the picture.

I saw a guy at the Golden Corral wearing this t-shirt, and I had one question (which I didn't ask him obviously)...

Did he buy that shirt or was it a gift?

Either way, you gotta wonder.