Jim

This presidential race really has me irritated. We have two candidates. One advanced by the news media because they wanted a change (?) for better for worse. One vilified by the news media because they wanted to have a change (?) for better for worse. All this so the news media could feel good about themselves in getting the sheep (us) to blindly follow whom they have selected to be the leader, regardless if he/she is qualified. Personally I believe neither should be president of the USA. Neither have the qualifications/experience to direct this country in troubled times, like NOW! Neither has our country’s financial interest in their forefront, they have no idea on what to do or how to fix it. They both say what they think we want to hear. Neither have any idea on how to solve our current social problems, Medicare and SS. In my opinion, they just want to sit in the highest seat in the world and say look at me, I made it. They both are politicians wanting to pad their resume, how sad. How can we concerned citizens elect individuals to trust and advance our country if we are continually offered mediocrity! How can we select the most qualified if we are only offered by the news media, their bias side of either individual? Don’t we deserve un-biased information? Should not we make our choice, without being spoon fed, on what either candidate states they can do for our country? It would be nice to have simultaneous news conferences with identical questions to each, broadcasted live, and thereby eliminate any tit for tat. Maybe putting each candidate in a sound proof room and have the narrator ask questions to each, one at a time, for one hour would help. Then have an open debate forum for one half hour for debate between each candidate no holds barred and based only on the question they were asked. The candidates should be isolated from hearing the response of each other in the first portion of the debate. What a wonderful way for we citizens to make a choice based on the candidates own personal opinion and not swayed by the others response. These should be a weekly event starting immediately after the primary elections. Each major news program would be required to have free debates on its schedule. These debates should be in studio, no need for extravagant out sourcing.

 

However a choice for 2008 will be made soon, for better for worse.

 

God help us all!

Jim Graham, 19464

Wind Turbine vs. Nuclear Power

 

We seem to be running towards a proposed solution to our electrical consumption needs, without considering the ecosystem. The harm from the massive wind turbines on our wildlife, open spaces, property values, health and safety of residents living in the vicinity of turbines, and the quality of rural life will suffer greatly.

 

As I traveled in CA and viewed the wind farms, there were always several turbines down for maintenance, not to mention the unsightly appearance of those wind farms. Imagine a wind farm in a hurricane prone area, this could be a disaster and very costly!

 

One wind turbine produces an average of 200 KW of electrical power. A Nuclear Power Plant produces 600MW of power. Keeping this in mind, would we wish to ravage our beautiful landscape and install 300,000 wind turbines, or would we opt for one secluded Nuclear, Coal, Hydro, or Gas plant? Consider this; we would need 12 million wind turbines to equal 40 Nuclear power plants.

 

One Nuclear Plant requires one (1) square mile of land. A wind farm with 300,000 wind turbines may require 3000 square miles of space for a wind farm. Space for wind farms to equal 40 nuclear plants would require 12,000 square miles of open land. Can we live with seeing massive wind turbines every where we look?

 

 Have we considered that the reliability of a constant wind velocity can not be predicted, damage and maintenance may be as high as 20%, and the physical damage that can be caused by one box of high power bullets in the hands of terrorist? Just one of these items adds enormous additional cost, and a reduced power output. The over all electrical output cost for wind generated electricity is the highest cost per kilowatt of any electrical generating method presently being used.

 

Our ecosystem will suffer immense destruction, all in our simplistic desires to obtain so called, FREE electrical power. Is this worth it? Don’t get me wrong as I believe wind farms in secluded areas would be fine, but where is secluded? Not my back yard said Ted Kennedy! I am with him! I agree we need solutions to our electrical needs now, and for the future of electrically driven cars. The more electric cars, the more electricity we need to generate to operate them. All this to reduce the CO2 emissions from oil usage that are one tenth the amount as produced by one volcano eruption, or from the forest or forest fires we hear so much about yearly. Why even the consideration?

 

We must consider all the ramifications associated with new energy! Let’s not get blown away by all the hot air being espoused! Our planet self heals its self; we will survive. We have 12 miles of new ice on the polar cap this year, negating the climate warming hoopla. We have new technology to assist us in a longer and better life. The Valdez is a distant memory! We have our faith to lean on. Now and in the future we shall survive, if it is his desire.

 

No one will get a star in their crown because they wontedly destroyed our ecosystem.

 

 

Jim Graham

Hooked on Fishing 7/26/08

 

Monday, 7/21/08, I caught four bass, but I must tell you the story. I caught a 12 inch and I was taking it off the treble hook. I use a Rapala D-5 floating lure and I fish the Schuylkill River in Pottstown, PA. I held the fish in the left hand and was removing the hook when the fish gave a big squirm and the fish dropped out of my hand. Two points of the treble hook went into my thumb and fore finger pinning them together. Now the bass was dangling from the hook and the two fingers, sinking the hooks in deeper, and deeper, into my fingers as it squirmed. Painful as hell!. I managed to get the fish in my left hand and transferred it to my right hand so I could try to get the hooks out of my fingers. The hooks were deep, past the barb and up to the turn in the shank. As I pulled and tugged on the hook the fish slipped out of my hand because of another jump of the bass, this time the third point of the hook punctured the fore finger of the left hand. Now I had three fingers stapled together, each finger touching each other! The bass was dangling and squirming on the hook like a banshee. Hooks now going deeper each time the fish squirmed. I was at a loss on what to do!! I could not reach the fish, no one around to help me, and I could not drive the Jeep, I could not get the Jeep keys if I wanted! Luckily the bass squirmed enough to come off the hook after a few minutes. What a relief! Now I was still hooked together by three fingers but at least the hooks were not going deeper into my fingers. I don't know how they could have gone any deeper!! Bleeding profusely I tugged and tugged on the one hook that was sunk deeply into the left fore finger. It seemed I almost did not have enough strength to pull it out. I finally ripped it out; I was bleeding profusely from the finger. Tugging and pulling I managed to get the other two hooks out, but now all three fingers were bleeding badly. Should I go to the hospital for a Tetanus shot? NO!! other fishermen may have done the same thing, but I doubt it, and survived! I washed the fingers off in the river to clean them up. They looked a little ragged but I would survive! Punctured and torn as I was, I still went back to fishing and caught one more bass before I gave up. You know how it is, a fisherman never gives up!

 

Never is my 60 years of fishing has this ever happed to me. A lesson I will never forget. As I look back I can't help and smile and think of how funny (stupid) I must have looked, having both hands stapled together by a fish, and being helpless. Rod under the arm, hooked together buy treble hooks, a fish dangling on the lure, and at a loss for options. This is a helpless, pitiful example of a fisherman.

 

Anyway I survived and am doing fine, sore finger and all.

 

Jim Graham

To whom it may concern

I would like to take a moment to thank the Reading Hospital and it's staff for the excellent diagnosis, compassion, understanding and professional care you have given to my wife Judie as she entered the emergency ward and advanced to the stroke unit. All of your staff was exceedingly professional and friendly.

Never have I or my wife been to a hospital that cared more or showed more interest in our wellbeing and our concerns. The emergency staff were exceedingly gracious and courteous to us, Thank you all! Your staff all seemed to fully understand the life threatening situation we as a patient and spouse were experiencing or thought we were experiencing.

The Stroke unit was also exceedingly courteous to Judie and I. The attendants showed compassion and knowledge and never once were reluctant to share.

I especially would like to thank Dr. Long for the daily updates he shared with me. Those updates were a blessing to me and allowed me as a caregiver to fully appreciate what and how things were progressing, thank you Doctor Long.

May the blessing you have given to Judie and I, in your expertise and compassion, be retuned to the Reading Hospital, and your staff, many times over? May you receive these blessings from the highest caregiver of all, God?

Sincerely

Jim Graham

 

Do the Math

1- Atmospheric CO2 is not the only, not even the primary greenhouse gas. Water Vapor is the major component (95%).
2- All atmospheric CO2 from all sources is less than (three hundredths) .03 of the total of all greenhouse gases.
3- All man made atmospheric CO2 is less than (nine ten thousandths) .0009 of all greenhouse gases.
4- All US produced atmospheric CO2 is less than (three hundred twenty four millionths) .000324 of all greenhouse gases.
5- The Kyoto Protocol requires the US to reduce our atmospheric CO2 production by (four hundred eighty six ten millionths) .0000486 of all greenhouse gases.
6- This US CO2 reduction is equivalent to reducing a full to the brim standard US bathtub by ¾ of a teaspoon. A ratio of 1 to 20,576.

A- It is mathematically unlikely that atmospheric CO2 is the cause of global warming.
B- It is mathematically improbable that MAN MADE atmospheric CO2 causes global warming.
C- It is mathematically impossible that US PRODUCED atmospheric CO2 is a cause of global warming.
D- It is mathematically 20,576 times MORE IMPOSSIBLE that reducing US produced atmospheric CO2 will have ANY IMPACT at all on global warming.

Unknown

 

Senator Specter

  

You stated;

 

“As a member of the Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, I have worked on a number of pressing issues affecting our national transportation system. I have also worked to ensure that Pennsylvania receives its fair share of Federal transportation funding for highways, transit systems, airports, and rail lines throughout the Commonwealth.”

 

Since you are a member of the committee and a member of congress, I believe it is time for the congress to stop skimming funds from the top of the billions of dollars allocated for transportation. It is time to prioritize these funds so as to deliver them to where we need them the most! There is no need for a tax increase, just the willingness of congress to allocate and prioritize our tax dollars correctly. WE DO NOT NEED A TAX INCREASE to repair our infra structure, we need leadership.

 

Can not you as a senior member of congress insist on the prioritizing of these funds? Your work for we PA citizens is very much appreciated, however, we citizens are capable of understanding finances. Congress needs to be financially responsible for our tax money that we worked so hard for. We have worked tirelessly so that we citizens can pay your salary and retirement benefits. We also work and pay taxes so that congress can fund our projects keeping our highways safe. We citizens unselfishly do this to make our nation/state (PA) the best it can be. We expect little in return, just a sincere effective allocation of our tax dollars by congress. Is this to much to expect?

 

Thanks for your service, we citizens are watching and looking for a sincere effort by congress in the allocation of our tax dollars, and the improvements in our highway infra structure.

 

We citizens are, “the eye in the pyramid”.

 

Jim Graham   Aug 28, 2007

I would bet the house that the bridge collapsed due to being overloaded. The over load was caused by advancements in road construction and the attempt to give greater convenience to we citizen in a smoother more comfortable ride. Bridge analysis during this period of time was crude by today’s standards. Bridge analyses were completed by manual labor, no powerful computer failure analysis programs. Simple calculator, manual drafting designs, and empirical data were used in design. Not that these tools were bad but they did not take into account the improvements in technology in road and bridge advancements, how could they? As we added more road width, safety dividers, and comfort to the bridge we inadvertently add exurbanite weight that may have exceed the capacity of the original bridge design.

 

In a nut shell we can only blame old technology for the failure and our own desires for more creature comfort. I believe the answer is to re-visit the original specifications of all bridges and adhere to the original Design specs. If this means reducing the road width from the present four lanes to three lane traffic we must do so and accept the slowdown in traffic throughput.

 

Just my thoughts.

 

Jim

Senator Arlen Specter, Senator Bob Casey

 

Thanks for your reply. I do understand that the congress has been working on Immigration; it seems this issue has been an urgent concern for a very long time, before Reagan was president, a long time indeed. I understand that there is always vested interest in bills that come forward and it is difficult to have individuals take new positions. However, it is time for Congress to step back and look at the issue in a new and bold way.

 

The problem is that we have individuals, who did not come to the USA legally, and those individuals must be accounted for and the proper resolution to there residing in USA attended to. A basic problem, how difficult can a solution be?

 

I don’t wish to reiterate my opinion but I will make this statement; a national ID card would solve all the immigration problems. No card and home you go or to jail you go until you receive one. Special colors for temporary and working individuals would immediately identify the status of all individuals who are not a USA Citizen. Employers would love this as they would know immediately the applicants status. Simple finger prints, by any police officer, verifies if you are a resident and have misplaced your ID card and requires you to produce a card in 24 hours. Oh yes, only USA citizens, card holders, are eligible for any of our benefits, SS, UE, Medical etc.Why can not we make a simplistic solution to the problem? Why does the Congress always like to show their intelligence by making simple issues complex?

 

A national ID card would eliminate many services, Drivers license, SS card, and so on. The money saved would allow immigration to be cost neutral. Yes I know new ID tamper proof methods would cost money and the equipment would be an expense but the money is allocated for a fence, why not use that money for equipment. Of course it takes intestinal fortitude to make a complex problem (sis sic) easy to solve.

 

One other thing, we bitched at Russia for their fence, now we wish to be hypocritical and build our own? Shame on Congress!! Do we need Putin to say, Mr. Bush tear down that fence?

 

I thank you for your many other contributions you have completed for we citizens and that I agree with. I know you will continue to work for we the people. Let’s hope Congress can develop a simple solution and one that can be cost neutral.

 

I am a very good tree shaker, only the good remain.

 

Thank you

 

Jim Graham   7/17/07

War on Terror

Thank you for allowing me to share your time where ever you may be. I would like to take a few moments of your time to present my opinion on the war against terror and the impact our retreat would have on us citizens. First allow me to express my deepest condolences to the families whom have endured the personal losses of loved ones. Our causalities unselfishly gave of themselves for us citizens and our children, so we may live free without fear of oppression and terror. We families have made these sacrifices ever since we the USA became an independent nation. We as a nation have endured much heartbreak over the last two hundred years and now in the last few years we shed many tears again. We will also shed more tears in the future, but in other areas of the globe, and as long as we wish to remain freely living in a democratic society. Freedom is not free. We honor and revere all those whom have fallen in all these endeavors, may God be with them all now and in the future.

There seems to be many whom have forgotten why America is fighting the war against terror, and yes world war two was caused by a terrorist. We as a nation are not against peace and a loving friendship. We are not against all people serving and believing in the God they wish to believe in, we only wish peace and goodwill to all. However there are those whom have dictated a life of terror and wish to have us citizens and all the people in the world succumb to their warped ideology of self destruction and it is being done in the name of their God. Their mission is to break the will of the world’s people, and bring their controlling mandate to all of us, no matter how many innocent individuals are affected, no matter how long it takes.

Terrorism is a very difficult war to fight. Some countries have been at war fighting terror for many years without eliminating the threat. They have realized some degree of a peaceful society but the threat remains the same in those countries and all countries. Some countries have not fought against terrorism and have been living in a society that is well below the normal expectation of its citizens, no jobs, no food, no medicine and no elevation ones self esteem to a higher level. We in the USA could not live without the freedoms we presently enjoy. Should the threat of the terrorist be forgotten we citizens could live in a society filled with violence and destruction? Our children would be sacrificed and relegated to living in a terrorist society, something we all wish not to endure. We must persevere! We must spread freedom and democracy to the world.

If you will, take a moment to visualize what life would be like should we the USA remove all our troops from the countries that we presently have a show of force, used to prevent dictatorships and fight terrorism, and not just in IRAQ. Terrorist would rule the world controlling the importing and exporting of all essential goods to each country. Dictatorships would flourish! Our freedom would become mandates that would conflict with our freedom of choice. Could our present way of life continue to grow if there was no exporting of the goods we manufacture, could we continue to grow our crops without being able to sell them, could we continue to harvest our beef, poultry and fish without a place to sell them? What do we do with our manufactured goods? What, no air travels to other countries? I believe this would be a sad state of affairs for our country should the terrorist achieve their goals of world dominance. We would no longer be able to influence and support friendly countries (if any) or the poorer countries like Africa. We would be like a puppet on a string being tugged and pulled in any direction the terrorist wish us to go. We can not allow this to happen, ever! We must defeat terrorism wherever it is, home or abroad.

Our country is divided about the war of terror, according the media. I wonder if there really is a divide in public opinion, or just a longing of the media to have something to talk about or to push their own opinions in a direction that favors the next president. Sacrificing our way of life and destroying our country unity, is this treason? Could the media possibly be attempting to sway the public’s opinion based on the media as a whole being a pacifist?  I venture a guess that 90 percent of the world’s people would support the fight against terrorism if they would only consider the consequences, and if the media world wide would present all of the ramifications of a terrorist victory in IRAQ or the world as a whole. Those who can not visualize living in a terrorist society do not have the capacity to view life and its many paths in the loving and peaceful democracy we all enjoy.

“If we look to the answer as to why for so many years we achieved so much, prospered as no other people on earth, it was because here in this land we unleashed the energy and individual genius of man to a greater extent than has ever been done before. Freedom and the dignity of the individual have been more available and assured here than in any other place on earth. It is time for us to realize that we're too great a nation to limit ourselves to small dreams. We have every right to dream heroic dreams. Those who say that we're in the right place at the right time when there are no heroes, they just don't know where to look. You can see heroes every day going in and out of factory gates. Others, a handful in number, produce enough food to feed all of us and then the world beyond. They're individuals and families whose taxes support the government and whose voluntary gifts support church, charity, culture, art and education. Their patriotism is quiet but deep. Their values sustain our national life.

No arsenal or no weapon in the arsenals of the world is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. It is a weapon our adversaries in today's world do not have. It is a weapon that we as Americans do have. Let that be understood by those who practice terrorism and prey upon their neighbours." (Reagan)

May our future be blessed with friendship, honor and duty, and may God bless us all!

 

Jim Graham   7/10/07

Bass Fishing   7/05/2007

 

It has been a poor year for Bass fishing for me in the Schuylkill River, 2007. Understand I am not a die hard fisherman as I only fish for an hour to two at a time but twice a day. I have been fishing most every day since Bass season opened in June. The water is somewhat murky due to rain and the water is flowing faster than normal. I have not caught one large or small mouth Bass this year but have caught Rock Bass and Sunfish in numbers. I don’t understand the reason for not catching a big bass this year except that maybe the fishing is poor caused by over fishing by the numerous fishermen. Boat and bank fishermen are numerous at times in the Heritage Park where I fish. Over the last several years Bass fishing was great, what a disappointment this year is for me.

 

Pottstown has been making numerous up-grades to the park and it is looking better each week. This week they completed a band concert section. Several tiers of seating plateaus and a raised area for the band have been completed. The grass is just about ready for cutting and the ground needs to settle a little more before we can sit and walk on it. It looks great and I hope their work is appreciated and used by the public. Nice work Pottstown recreation department.

 

The bicycle and rest area completed this year by the Rotary Club is also very nice. A very nice pavilion with benches for seating, bicycle dock, and bricks with the names of supporters are engraved under a beautiful blue pavilion. The Pavilion is great for a rest after a walk or ride in the park, or just a place to sit and enjoy the summer in full view of the river and activities. Did I mention the Kayak boat ramp the Rotary installed, not complete but a great start.

 

Enough said about improvements, I want to try my luck at fishing again. C Ya on the bank!

 

Jim

 

NASCAR

 

It is Thursday and the NASCAR Race at Pocono, PA still bugs me, Sooo!

 

The race at Pocono, PA was a complete abomination by NASCAR. In effect NASCAR caused the outcome of the race to be skewed. Two accidents went without an obvious caution periods that should have been called. A caution was thrown for a piece of chewing gum wrapper (debris) on the track, was this warranted? This caution also skewed the race results, nice going NASCAR. Maybe the race driver who complained about improper cautions being called by NASCAR was correct and NASCAR can skew the outcome of any race. I know NASCAR wanted to get to halfway in the race before the rain was due at the track. I know the drivers/owners did not want to spend another day at Pocono; however there is no reason to the throw caution flags unnecessarily. There are obvious reasons to throw caution flags when debris is being distributed on the race track by cars that have blown tires or hit the wall, but NASCAR did not do so. If rain stops the race so be it, but lets be prudent in what cautions are thrown.

 

These controlled infractions are causing NASCAR to have competition that is boring and give the perception of being fixed like wrestling. Let’s allow the drivers to win races legitimately as they can. NASCAR must return to safe competition without a mandate and use the caution flags legitimately.

 

Jim