Monday, the 3rd day of December, 2012

Hawks Bluff… There have been two reports about things happening around Hawks Bluff… First, it’s been reported that work began in Phase IV regarding the environmental issues cause by poor or inadequate drainage when roads were built… Folks have seen the pouring or rocks alongside some roads… Will encourage anyone to take pictures and post them here… Second, there is a report of intentional fires being set to brushes in Phases I to IV of Hawks Bluff; when contacted, the Piney PD confirmed up to eight fires in the four phases. A friend checked with VBC Sheriff Dept. and they had no knowledge of the fired being happening nor do they have any investigation going; they may – emphasis on ‘may’ – investigate if they have resources available when they receive the report from the State Fire Marshall… I called and was told there was nobody there to talk to me about the fires and, kindly, passed me on to the sheriff’s messaging service where I left a very unambiguous message. I suggest that everyone who can, place a call to any of the following numbers, and inquire about the Hawks Bluff fires to see if we can get any traction on this…
VBC Police Dispatch 931-946-4000
VBC Sheriff: Grayson Beasley 931-946-2118
County Commissioner representing the area: David Sullivan 931-946-2628

Weather… Jan and I moved up here in early 2009. Our first winter was the one of that year and it was rough; it was like being received with all honors. We had our first snow the week before Thanksgivings and – altogether - had about 27 inches of snow, many ice-outs and I remember saying: “Hmmm, they told us we would not get more six to eight inches of snow a year…” Time passed and 2010 came about. It turned out to be yet a stronger winter than the previous one; it snowed before Thanksgivings again; Jan and I ended up buying two snow shovels (one in a store in Cookeville - last one they had, and the other at Sears, on-line). We used them that year often and, had it not been for Danny and his tractor – which he does not own anymore, we would have been snowed bound several times. Ended up with almost four feet of snow that year! Then 2011 came about and not only we did not get any snow before Thanksgivings, we ended up with less than four inches of total snow fall; we did not get to use the snow shovels; we only needed to sweep the front entrance – with a normal brush – once! It was quite disappointing… Now comes 2012; Thanksgivings came and went and no snow yet; we have had, thought, a couple of frosts, but that’s it… Now, I am here hoping very sincerely I am wrong and that we have snow this year back to normal levels. However, I am afraid that things are changing permanently in front of our very eyes and that this winter will be warmer that last year’s… It may be too early to call it but, can you say Global Warming? No? Can’t bring yourself to swallow that one? Too much credit to Al Gore? OK; how about a Climatologically Unstable Environment? Does that sound more politically neutral or correct?

Sports… As the college football season winds down, I will be rooting for Notre Dame against Nick ‘Satan’ and the ‘Tide… I consider the season a successful one for the top Florida teams (Florida (5) & Florida State (13) – and always in that order!) and with a lot of work to do for the top Michigan teams (Michigan (19) & Michigan State (NR)). I notice the decline of top California teams (Stanford (8), UCLA (15) & USC (NR)), and admire the resurgence of Notre Dame. I see, with much chagrin, that ‘Satan’ continues to achieve success in Alabama and wonder, sometimes, is he getting ready to leave the in the lurch, as he has to so many others? On the Pros side, I believe the Lions (4-7) are cooked; they’ve lost their last three games and seem to have no answer for any team they face. The Giants are sitting pretty (7-4) on top of their division and the world is theirs to lose. The Bucs (6-6) are an enigma to me; they show greatness one week and then come unhinged the next; I’ll wait a couple of more weeks to either declare them cooked or put my hopes up. And then there are the Dolphins; they got beat by the Patriots this past week-end and I think they are done, cooked, if not numerically at least psychologically; they’ll also have to wait ‘til next year!

Reading several books at the same time… As I finish them, I will let you know the ones I like…

Food for thought…
“We have never stopped sin by passing laws; and in the same way, we are not going to take a great moral ideal and achieve it merely by law.”

- Dwight D. Eisenhower

So, stay lawful (as long as it makes sense), my friends…

Tuesday, the 6th day of November, 2012

Sports… Mixed weekend… On College Football the Gators won again and that makes the world better; the Hurricanes also on and that was good… On the pros side it was a mixed bag… The Dolphins and Giants managed to lose their games; the Bucs and Lions won their games outright. Good show!

Local… My hunting season is here… Muzzleloader season for deer started this past Saturday and, although I have not been out there yet, I will be going hunting sometime this week… Jan and I decided that, even though as a licensed hunter I am entitled to take 14 deer (11 does and 3 bucks), and we usually consume three deer a year, this season I will try to take four since we’ve found ourselves liking it more and more…

Politics… We’ll be just fine! I am a firm believer that either one of these two gentlemen who may become President will do just fine; I’m convinced they both have the same goal: to make this country better; they only may differ on some details on how to achieve that goal, that’s all… You see, when all is said and done, we have a strong political system with enough checks and balances that would allow not one branch of government to overpower the other two and send the country into mayhem. And if things go really wrong, there are enough tools and mechanisms to change the rules of the game (we’ve changed it twenty seven times in the last 236 years, as needed). What I’d like to see is that, whoever wins, has the support of all 300 Million American to ensure that their policies and ways to govern got the very best of tries; if it works, there will be lots of happy people in this country; if it doesn’t work, we will wait another four years and start all over, as we’ve done it now close to 50 times…

Some trivia for you… The word ‘mayday’ used by air and sea vessels to broadcast imminent disaster comes from the French expression m’aidez – meaning help me – and it is pronounced, approximately, mayday.

Food for thought… “There's never been a problem Americans couldn't solve. We are the world's leaders, and leaders don't fear change.”

 - John McCain, US Navy Officer, War Hero and US Senator

So, stay confident on our future, my friends…

Wednesday, the 26th day of September, 2012

Mike LaPointe is the name of the good person who takes the time, effort and dedication to be mowing around Hawk’s Bluff phase I. Many, many thanks Mike and Brenda! Also, regarding the issue of a business opening on Hawk’s Bluff Phase I, it appears that Paragraph 14 of our covenants grants the developer, for as long as they own at least one lot, the rights to give any owner a release from any of the covenants and a waiver of any violation, if any occurred. Rocco still owns several lots in Phase I, so he has the rights to adjudicate releases and waivers. In other words, as long as the Warners got from Rocco a release from the covenants, the Warners have the rights to do whatever they wants in their lot…

Good grief! This past week of football was simply awful… The Dolphins, Bucs and Lion all lost good games that they should have won; especially the Dolphins missing several field goals and the Lions going for that ill 4^th down were horrible! The only bright light is that, on Thursday night, when nobody gave them a chance, Eli and the Giants dismantled the Carolina Panthers… On the college side, the Gators won (and MSU also won, but only Chuck cares about that) and Michigan lost; Michigan lost to Notre Dame; Notre Dame beat both of them (Michigan and Michigan State); Father Tony could not be any happier… Oh well, there is always next week!

After a horrible week of NFL football, the cork on the bottle was that game on Monday night when the Packers were robbed of a game, plain and simple. I am not a Cheese Head, but that was a felony! Some purists may say that it is the Packers fault because they would have never let the game come to that situation… Well, does that mean that, unless you are winning by several possessions, you have the risk to have the game taken away from you? That’s B. S.!

Fall is here! This past 22^nd we bid good bye to one of the mildest summers we have had since 2008 and, from that point on, we have had glorious weather… It’s been sunny, clear, dry and cool (from 40s to 60s). Not bad!

So Jan and I are trying to incorporate walking into our daily routine… We are rediscovering muscles we forgot we had, and now they come with aches and pains… Ahhhh, the glorious experiences of growing young… We try to walk for, at least ½ hour a day (from our house to DeSalvo’s and back – 1.5 miles door to door) with the plans of increasing it 5 minutes each week until we get to 1 hr.

Recommended book: “Mila 18”, by Leon Uris. Taking as context the Nazi invasion of Poland in 1939, and specifically, the institution of the Warsaw ghetto, Uris masterfully inserts characters who take us through the struggles of the Polish resistance and the day-to-day life and survival – including romance - in and outside the ghetto.

And now, food for thought:

“None are as old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.”  

- Henry David Thoreau

So, stay young, positive and enthusiastic, my friends (it actually costs the same!)

Monday, the 17th day o September, 2012

There has been a question circulating, via e-mail, amongst some of us Bluffites… It has to do with one of our neighbors in Phase I converting their property into a nature farm and opening it up a business. The question has literally been ‘Is anyone concerned about this?’ It includes the link to the mentioned business http://bakermountainfarm.com/index.html.  There have been some answers (six to be precise) with different levels of acceptance or tolerance; no expressed definite concerns at this time. I guess that folks have other more important things to worry about… Personally, I’d rather not see it there since it goes against the Hawks Bluff covenants we all signed and bought into. Others are of the opinion that, as long as the farm is not detrimental to the community and it does not become a nuisance, there’s nothing to worry about. Regardless of our opinions, whether we are bothered (or not) by the existence of the farm as a business within Hawk’s Bluff, there is a danger of precedent setting. If we all passively allow this breach of covenant, one of these days another neighbor/owner may decide to open up a pig farm or an animal hide tanning facility (both stinky as hell!), which are also against the covenants, and we would have lost all moral authority to object. (Sue Taylor mentioned the idea of a brothel… You go, Sue!)

Gators beat Tennessee – convincingly - and Michigan came back to the winning ranks… All is good in the world! The rest is miscellaneous like FSU beating the Little Sisters of Wake Forest or the ‘Canes beating the Blind Saints of Bethune-Cookman, yeah, yeah, yeah… FSU is ranked higher than the Gators; however they have not beat (or have in their schedule) a top 20 ranked team; wassup with that? On the other side, MSU (Michigan State University, for those of you outside if the Midwest) battled with Notre Dame to a painful loss. Father Tony Mulderry is happy (the Irish won); my friend Chuck Burk less happy; oh well. On the Pros side, the Dolphins won (yeah!) proving that miracles do happen, and then very mixed emotions with the Giants win at the expense of my Bucs… The stinkin’ Jets did not play Tebow and lost; serves them right! And later, the Lions lost to the 49ers in a game in which only the 4^th quarter was worth watching since that’s when the Lions showed up…

Ahhh… Dove hunting… Humility at its best… Went hunting and this time there were only two of us: a local kid by the name of Ethan Hillis, 22 years old, he has been hunting since he was two, got his first shotgun when he was five; and then there was I, a guy who started two years ago, never having shot anything on the fly!… He got ten doves; I got seven; very respectable I would say. Ethan graciously gave me his doves; I cleaned them up and now I have available 34bites of dove breast (one breast per dove; two bites per breast). I have to say that my seven doves came on 1 ½ box of shells, giving me a ratio of 36:7 or roughly a ‘batting average’ of .194, mediocre for Base-ball standards, but normal for dove hunting standards, and pretty damn good for me!

So, some marginal right wing extremist, a low-life with a criminal record, produces a homemade movie in which he expresses views offensive to all and especially to Islam believers; he publishes it to the Internet via YouTube. Some small groups in some Islamic countries  launch protests in front of American Embassies and consulates; some particular militia (out of the over 40 known) in Libya decided to do this on the anniversary of 9/11. We lose the ambassador and three other diplomats. Tragic; cannot be allowed; people who are responsible for these acts need to be dealt with swiftly and publicly. And then some amongst us chose this moment of international turmoil to make political attacks; not cool; we fight in-house but we always unite when attacked from outside; ill-conceived and irresponsible leadership. Now, we are all shocked and surprised by these protests; think about this: most of the countries experiencing protests have new democracies. Before the democracies they were ruled and oppressed by ruthless dictators whom we supported for years and decades… Does it come as a surprise to anyone that now, when they find themselves with some freedom and without the US-supported-dictator, some people protests against the US?  As they say on ESPN, c’mon man! It is part and parcel of the whole ‘world power’ gig, and a consequence of the strategy we’ve followed for centuries…

Recommended book (oldie but goodie):”In Search of Excellence” by Top Peters & Bob Waterman. The by-line reads ‘Lessons from America’s best-run companies’. They found that, regardless of the field they operate in, top companies share the same eight basic principles of management

Some weeks ago, in the ‘Food-for-thoughts’ section, I published an anecdotic dialog between father and son regarding how when you break a plate it gets broken forever and, even after you apologize to it, it remains broken. The actual moral of the story is that words and time are two irretrievable dimensions: once past or spoken, they cannot be reverted.  The ensuing recommendation was to think twice before speaking or writing… As time has passed, I’ve learned there are people for whom thinking twice or more times would not change what they want/need to say at all; they cannot help it; they will say it because saying it is the most important thing to them.

And now more food for thoughts:

“I’d rather be happy than right; that’s the key for 25-plus years of wedded bliss”

 - Ice T, the rapper

So, keep our important things in front of you, my friends.

Thursday, the 13th day of September, 2012

And so, Jan and I survived the Fall-Creek-Falls-State-Park-Mountaineer-Folks-Festival-Leadership- Van-Buren-Class-of-2012-BBQ-in-a-Jar-fund-raising-sale on Saturday and Sunday September 8 & 9. Lots of cooking, lots of work (it takes a lot!), lots of fun, lots of laughs, lots of rain (on Saturday), lots of sun (on Sunday), lots of lessons learned. Not lots of, but enough, sales for there to be a profit for the scholarship fund that the LVB Class of 2012 has started! Many thanks to all who contributed to this effort in one way or another; the cause, helping HS Seniors qualified to take college dual enrolment classes but who cannot afford it, is worth the effort!

Football is here, and so are the cheers and the heartaches...  In the college ranks, cheers for the Florida Gators and Michigan St. Spartans (the FSU ‘Noles also won but we don’t cheer for them!), and heartaches caused by the Michigan Wolverines (that loss to ‘Bama and Nick Satan was painful) and the Miami ‘Canes (they would look better playing in Div. III, seriously)… In the pros ranks, cheers for the Bucs (oh yeah!) and the Lions, and then heartaches caused by the Dolphins and the Giants… (I heard the Dolphins would be sent to the European League, if there was still one..!) Rough spot here: cheering for Tebow but rooting against the stinkin’ Jets!

Due to the work at the aforementioned festival, dove hunting and music inventory were put on hold for this past week; but there is this weekend coming up…

All political ads were pulled from the airwaves during this Tuesday, September 11^th out of respect to the solemnity of the date; is shows respect and full understanding of the meaning of the date. Proper statements were also produced showing dignified leadership; well done both sides! However, that did not stop some of the typical characters to come on radio and TV with the insinuation that another attack is impending due to blah, blah, blah… Well, another attack has been impending since September 12^th 2001 and it has not happened; and there are reasons for that! These people would cut their noses to spite their faces; I think many of them wish there was another attack, regardless of the price on human life, just to say they were right… These are the same brilliant ones that, when economics news that affect millions of people in the world come out and are not favorable, start high-fiving each other… Real patriots!

Recommended book (maybe a little too serious): “The Wealth of Nations”, by Adam Smith. The most influential book on economic policy and, by extension, the world’s population material well being. A fundamental foundation for the understanding of Capital and Wealth.

And now food for thoughts:

“If you are not ready to handle the answer, do not ask the question”

 - Anonymous

So, beware of your questions, my friends.

Friday, the 7th day of September, 2012

Saturday, September 1^st was the first day of Dove hunting season… On Friday I got out my shotgun, checked it out; got out my bucket seat and washed (again) the inside cooler and kept it ready for Saturday; last, but not least, checked out my ammo: I had five boxes of #7 shot. READY! Saturday came and, as any other dove hunting day, it was time for expectations, pressure, (had to get, at least, one!) anxiety, humility and last, but not least, lots of fun! Those little birds are about four inches long, have a tremendous eye sight, fly at about 37 MPH, and have an extra-sense that allows them to tell where the sound and the energy is coming from and, therefore, turn on a proverbial dime… If you think you’re good shot, try dove hunting… It is like golf, or bowling: you think you are on top of your game and then you flop! At any rate, I got only two on the first day (the guy that got the most got six!), and I hope to do better next time.

Somebody continues to mow on Hawks Bluff Phase I; almost all of the main drag (Hawks Bluff Rd) has been mowed and, to make things better, all the area around the entrance sign has been cleaned up: the grass and the dead bushes have been cut. A big THANK YOU!

Two projects have been consuming 95% of my time: (a) the planning and organization of the BBQ in a Jar event at the FCF State Park. Much effort has gone into making sure that we are compliant with the Health Department requirement, and that we have adequate coverage for food preparation and delivery during our time at the park. Jan and I cooked, pulled, bagged, stored and transported - and will eventually serve - 250 LBS of pork shoulder (the pork part of BBQ in a Jar). I am hoping for, and looking forward to, a successful sale. And (b) the consolidation of all my music (in electronic/digital format) into a consistent and only source; started out with five different sources in two different computers, with different naming conventions and with about 80 to 90% overlap… My eyes are crossing!

The DNC is over! According the pundits, it was better organized than the RNC. According to me, it was more of the same empty rhetoric both parties and candidates seems to have mastered… One side says that regulations and big government are killing us; the other side said GM is alive and Bin Laden is not… Nobody, specifically, said anything about their plans to fix this mess. Laissez-faire (anything goes with nominal regulations and minimal government) would not work – never has; continue to spend money we don’t have running deficits at record rates would not work either – never has. The answer is somewhere in the middle but there is not enough courage or selflessness (or should I say, stones!) to walk towards that middle ground and meet there! Thank God things are much better here in the mountains of Tennessee! ;-)

Baseball playoffs are almost here, and Football is back... All is good in the world!

And now food for thoughts:

“Man is the most intriguing of creatures… He sacrifices his health to earn wealth; then spends that wealth trying to regain his health. He is so anxious about the future that does not enjoy the present and ends up not living in either one. He lives like if he was never going to die, and then dies without actually having ever lived…”

 - The Dalai Lama

So, keep your priorities straight, my friends.

Friday, the 31st day of August, 2012

T.S. Isaac, as of this writing, seems to be another dandy… Hit Haiti (like kicking a downed man), Cuba, the FL Keys, the South end of the FL Mainland and now will threaten LA, AL, and MS. Then, once a hurricane Cat 1, it was ironic that Isaac hit New Orleans and the SE end of Louisiana precisely seven years to the day from when Katrina did it. Here is hoping the damage is not comparable, but it sounds like déjà vu…

The Fall Creek Falls State Park Mountaineer Festival is coming up on September 7, 8 and 9. The Leadership Van Buren Class of 2012 is having a booth where we are serving a one of a kind culinary experience: BBQ in a Jar! This is a multi-leveled savory journey delivered to you in a mason jar that you get to keep… The Class of 2012 is sponsoring this offering (and working it!) along with LVB Alumni, as a fund raiser for our 2012 class project which is the creation of a scholarship, LVB Scholarship, to benefit Van Buren County High School Seniors who are qualified to attend dual enrollment college classes but not able to afford the costs on their own… So, if you go to the festival and get a little hungry or curious (or both) come by for a treat! 100% of the revenues go to the fund, which is a non-profit organization. Supply is limited and we are there only on Saturday until closing or until we run out of food, whichever comes first!…

RNC: a couple of summary points, from where I sit:

(a)   Ann Romney made a good account of herself on her quest to become a first lady.

(b)   Paul Ryan is a very smart, creative and now imaginative guy; Fox News agrees.

(c)    Clint Eastwood still can make a lot of people’s day.

(d)   We all have gotten the message already – loud and clear, seriously – that it is all Obama’s fault; got it! So, now I need to hear from somebody, anybody, preferably Mitt, how – precisely; no more generalities – he will solve the problems, as identified ad nauseam at the RNC:

a.      Sputtering Economy

b.      High unemployment

c.       Toxic tax codes

d.      Insurmountable public debt & deficits

e.      Crumbling infrastructures

f.        Inadequate/underfunded Armed Forces

g.      Broken health care system

h.      Inadequate education system

i.        Unaffordable Social Welfare systems (Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security);

By the way, all that is to be accomplished with, as promised and pledged during the Primaries, lower taxes and higher quality of life for all Americans (not just a segment of the 300+ millions).

I need to hear SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time bound) propositions!

I hope that my next topic does not stir up a semantics storm; it is only a small difference in colloquialism depending on the origins of your English roots… It has to do with the difference between the use of the prefixes “this” and “next” in date sequences. Some people use ‘this’ instead of ‘next’ to identify the next occurrence of a day; when they say ‘this Monday’ they mean the one coming up next. Some other folks, do not necessarily process this semantics variation, and they protest. These other folks believe that the only time you may say ‘this’ Monday is if today were Monday; otherwise you are expected to say ‘this past’ Monday for the one just past, or ‘this next’ Monday for the upcoming one. Furthermore, when you say ‘next’ Monday, you are referring to the upcoming one and not two over as the other side think… At any rate, as long as they are talking in the same terms and meaning the same thing with the same terms, there should be no problems, right? Yeah, right…

And now food for thoughts:

“I wish you health, love and wealth, and enough time to enjoy them!”

 - Old Spanish toast

So, be generous with your wishes, my friends.