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“You’ll need to keep that pace up as it’s likely that taxes and the cost of government will continue to rise no matter what Obama says.”
If a few extra bucks out my paycheck means that my nephews and niece have a better chance at affording college, that my mom’s social security won’t run out in her lifetime, or that our soldiers are properly equipped and taken care of as veterans, then I will not begrudge a dime.
“Now, wouldn’t it have been easier and much less time consuming if you simply explained yourself in the first place instead of taking our readers down the garden path?”
My suggestion is that you reserve judgement until you see what Obama actually does in office.
I view Obama as a politician. Let’s compare Obama with Mitt Romney. I don’t believe that, had Romney been elected President, you’d be saying that Romney was “a fraud, a liar, a cheater and a flip flopper.”
Up until about December, 2007, Romney was my candidate for President. I extolled him on high profile internet political blogs. The ironic thing is this — had he actually been nominated and elected, I think that he’d have made a terrific President. He would have moved to the center — tossing the hard Right under the bus the same way that Obama is tossing the hard left under the bus. Whatever degree of fraudulence, lying, cheating, and flip flopping Obama has done is dwarfed by what Mitt Romney did, in pursuit of the GOP nomination.
Why don’t you just give Obama the benefit of the doubt.
If/when he screws up, there will be time enough for the I told you sos.
The decisions mean Obama has half of his Cabinet assembled less than a month after the election, including the most prominent positions at State, Justice, Treasury and Defense. The team so far shares deep experience and proven ability to get things done, and it shares some characteristics with President Bush’s first Cabinet choices.
For secretary of state, both went with big names that campaigned against them in their primary race, with Obama choosing Clinton and Bush going with former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Colin Powell. At HHS, both chose deeply experienced elected officials — Obama picking Daschle and Bush choosing Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson.
They also chose experienced Defense secretaries who had already served in the position — Gates for Obama and Donald Rumsfeld for Bush. And both put well-respected governors as their first picks as Homeland Security secretary — a position Bush created — with Obama picking Napolitano and Bush picking Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge.
In some cases, Obama is choosing even more experienced hands. Jones and Richardson have more government experience than Bush’s first national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, and his Commerce secretary, Donald Evans.
I read your links. I must say, you are a very thoughtful, fair-minded critic of the President.
Mike, I think Cary’s more like liberal dave than anything else. Definitely not a moonbat liberal, but someone capable of conceding points, if convinced.
I can’t think of one example where the Patriot Act was shown to be abused and the rights of citizens wrongfully infringed. Perhaps you can
The thing is, even if there were a handful of abuses, what is the ratio to successes under the Act? Nothing is full-proof perfect; but does the risk of abuse mean we scrap a means to combating terrorism?
To me, that would be like tanking our whole judicial system, because on occasion, a good apple gets wrongfully sentenced and does prison time. If it happens just once, is that one time too many and does that mean our system “doesn’t work”? Or does it simply mean we need to continue to do what we can to tweak and revise, to legislate oversight so that such abuses and wrongful convictions are minimized/don’t occur?
In life, nothing is perfect and not without their flaws and trade-offs.
Craig
14 years ago
Wordsmith,
I know you are a liberal, you have once said it on this blog. But I do agree with Mike on the Patriot Act. That should have been done a long time ago. You need to get all the tools in ways to get to these terrorists. If government acts like “good guys”, they will get nowhere and get nobody. Think of the pedophiles, their addresses in on the Internet. People need to know where they live so they can protect their children. It is the same think for the Patriot Act, Government has the right to know, where and who they are to protect the citizen. I am all for it and I wonder why it took them so long to get that Act passed.
Craig
14 years ago
Larry,
No Larry, I will not give Obama the benifit of the doubt like you are willing to do. Why? Because I know that there will be no miracle. Obama will not turn into a beautiful prince because he won the election. He will remain a toad. The same old Obama: a liar, a manipulator, a cheater, a fraud and a crook. The difference between you and me is that I don’t believe in fairy tales.
Wordsmith: It’s possible that Cary and I got off on the wrong foot. I don’t usually take well to people who suggest I need to pray then lecture me on civility but that’s another thread.
In my experience Liberal Dave is a special case. Unfortunately, one that is all too unique for his ability to offer his opinion and not be offended if not everyone appreciates it.
But then, anyone who gives so much of themselves in missionary work in the poorest parts of Mexico is bound to be unique.
In case anyone wants to know who we are talking about:
He and I share a last name so that may explain my objectivity.
Craig: I wouldn’t exactly call Wordsmith a liberal. You know I don’t associate with that kind of people. But Word is surrounded by liberals in Los Angeles and has managed to survive by avoiding knock down drag out fights with them at every opportunity. That’s one reason why I live in SC and not still in Washington.
Craig
14 years ago
Mike I meant a Democrat. Wordsmith once said he was a Democrat…. and I remember saying to him: “I’m sorry to hear that”… lol
But to me, Democrat or liberal is the same word. It was not an insult. I hope Wordsmith didn’t take it like that. You see in Canada, we have the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party. So to me Liberal Party is the equivalent of U.S. Democrats.
I think Craig’s point is that I’m currently a Democrat/liberal.
Which is also news to me.
And we’re derailing Mike’s thread.
I wouldn’t exactly call Wordsmith a liberal. You know I don’t associate with that kind of people.
That just sounds so…..funny. 😀
But Word is surrounded by liberals in Los Angeles and has managed to survive by avoiding knock down drag out fights with them at every opportunity.
Mike,
It’s ridiculous to say I avoid fights. I just refuse to be an obnoxious “in your face” rah-rah Republican politics-on-my-sleeve Bush-boy.
Craig
14 years ago
LOL! Well Wordsmith, maybe it wasn’t you after all. But one of the authors of this site have once said he was a Democrat, I don’t really remember who it was. But I remember telling him: “Sorry to hear this.” Do you know who it could be? Sorry Wordsmith… lol
Yes, God Bless President Bush and his family, what a ride they’ve had.
I’ve heard this morning that the President and First Lady will live in Dallas through the week and week end at Crawford, not so significant, but what they will do after their term is. Laura Bush plans to continue work in Afghanistan. She has spent quite a bit of time with the Afghanis working on women’s rights and child care, the real deal.
Don’t know what the President’s plans are, the Bush family has a history of charity, I’m sure he will be a significant contributor, work and money. It will most likely remain quiet, that’s how the Bush family is and our press won’t be interested.
Craig, our Scott thinks he is a democrat. Even though he’s such a young guy, he’s like the dems of long ago, the good kind. Wonder how that happened?
That would be the very same Scott who would be apt to tell many of his fellow DNC members that if they can’t stand behind the troops, then by all means… stand in front of them please.
Our own lovely Skye (not to be confused with Sky55110 aka “Real” American Patriot) was also a registered Dem. She recently changed her affiliation to GOP.
Mike’sA, if Word’s a gym instructor and personal trainer, I have to wonder if he’s got some martial arts there too…. Perhaps he’s an unregistered “lethal weapon”. LOL
If so, then he must restrain from doing much more than spitting in the path of the LaLa land residents (whom I unrepentently left in my rear view mirror in Nov 2000…). Or perhaps exercising his “wordsmith” skills.
Yo! Word, da man! Consider your bad “quasi” liberal (LOL) arse asked by Mr. Mike and myself. You got martial arts training on top of the gymnastics and personal trainer bit?
Or are you afraid to answer in case you have to “register” as a lethal weapon??? :0)
Scott Malensek
14 years ago
Yeah, I’m the dem, and no, they never let me forget it.
🙂
Back OT….did Pres-elect Obama call anyone in Iraq, Afghanistan, etc? No? Well then…let’s just keep this thread in our minds next Thanksgiving.
Once again I state with a smile:
I wholeheartedly look forward to an Obama Administration with sadistic glee for nothing will make President Bush’s foreign policy actions look more brilliant than the reversals, half-stances, inactions, and fubars of the forthcoming Obama Administration. Doubt it? Ok, then all someone has to do is ask Pres Obama, “since you opposed the war in Iraq in 2002, 2003, and you opposed the plan to secure Iraq in 2004, 5, 6, 7, and 8…should Americans support the plan to secure Iraq in 2009? Would that support make the plan easier and more likely to succeed, or is national will irrelevant in war?
btw (OT), if Obama really wants to “talk” to America’s enemies…then why didn’t he? Why didn’t he send out campaign reps to Iran, to Osama, to Pyongyang, to Cuba? Why not? Also, how’s this Sec State Clinton thing supposed to work? I mean, are we really to believe that 1) Ahmadinejad or Kim or any dictator is gonna listen to a woman, 2) to a woman as “softspoken” as Hillary, or 3) to any American? Are we really to believe that she’s gonna commit political suicide, fly to Tehran and get her pic taken shaking hands w Ahmadinejad in front of the ole US embassy that still has DEATH TO AMERICA painted on it? She’s gonna nix any future political creds and get pics of her shaking hands with Kim (if he’s alive)? Is she gonna go to Congo and stop the cannibals? Maybe she’ll go to Israel and NOT piss people off? My gawd…I dunno if I should laugh or cry.
Yo! Word, da man! Consider your bad “quasi” liberal (LOL) arse asked by Mr. Mike and myself. You got martial arts training on top of the gymnastics and personal trainer bit?
Or are you afraid to answer in case you have to “register” as a lethal weapon??? :0)
Cripes! How the hell are we so far OT?
Not a lethal weapon; but yes, on fighting arts. This was mixed martial arts before cross-training arts was sexy to do. Mostly non-traditional- stuff from Southeast Asia, boxing, grappling, lots of knife craft. Really, leaving no stone unturned and examining everything and anything (from fencing to firearms- anything related to armed and unarmed combat). Every art has something to offer if you have the mental acumen to steal from it, the benefits without acquiring any of the “diseases”.
I also trained under Dan Inosanto, Ron Balicki, a little with Erik Paulson, and many others.
If there’s anything I came away with, it’s that anyone on any given day can get his ass kicked. I don’t care who you are. There are just so many variables in life, so many environments and circumstances, the “best” fighters in the world can get sucker punched like the rest of us; they can lose a fight outside their element of training.
At one point in my life, I was doing this 7 days a week, 2-4 hours a day. 8 years ago I tapered off, then stopped entirely.
Yes, I miss it. But things happen in life, and things change.
My parents bought the lot to build our family home on from his uncle. His uncle taught him to fly, I remember watching them take off and land from a makeshift strip on the edge of the corn field across the street. After his father was murdered in Chicago his uncle built his mother a home by ours. Neither Ken or his sister ever lived there, he stayed in the city, his sister was in college then married, and a five year old brother Karl moved in to our neighborhood with who we all affectionately called Gramma Gail, Ken’s mom. Karl is now out there, somewhere by you, we’ve lost touch over the years.
Anyway, thought you might want to look at a bit of what he was like.
Ahh…. gardening… another of my favorite topics. I cut down a 25 foot oak tree yesterday using a pruning saw. Not a smart thing to do. It fell on the patio.
Anyway we might have to start calling Wordsmith by the secret code name Ninja!
no bet, we got both today. In fact, in the past 30 minutes it’s rained, snowed, then some sorta little white ice balls (not hail), rained again, then snowed, and stopped.
Mike, you must be pretty tough to be able to cut down an oak with a pruning saw! Thank goodness it was the patio and not you that took the brunt of it. We lost 23 big old elms down at the farm last December. First came an ice storm, next morning 70 mph winds, the tree tops were all broken and the trunks split. Hubby worked for months this year cleaning up the mess. The last tree he did was the biggest, he climbed up into the tree to cut off some branches, one fell on his ladder and he was stuck in the tree. Fortunately he still had one branch left and I was able to throw a rope up to him so he could tie the rope on the branch and slide down.
We cussed those messy trees for years, but now we’re sad that they’re gone. Won’t miss pulling thousands of baby elms out of my gardens every single spring or picking up branches, but from a distance they were lovely and shady. Really changed the scenery.
Scott, it’s time for winter fun with the kiddies, hot chocolate, snowmen and sledding. My kids always liked to make little snow sculptures that we could light up with our old Christmas lights. Just plug them in a couple of times and they are happy and on to their next ideas.
Almost forgot, our neighbor used to make a big snowman football player and used his a sprayer his wife had for cake decorating to spray food coloring on it so it had Packer colors. He also sprayed his kids snow angel wings, pink for his daughter’s and blue for his son’s.
Missy: My chain saw broke the year before and I’ve been too lazy to replace it. The pruner is one of those electric models on a pole and not the best thing to use on a tree that big but it did work. But then the blade that the chain runs on broke when the tree fell and I had to clean up the mess with a bow saw.
I don’t recommend anyone else to try my method. Save yourself the headache and spend the $300 the tree people would charge to do it.
@Mike’s America:
“Why go on and on about how you weren’t going to respond only to respond with that laundry list now?”
I think you can accept that as a concession to the point you made. Plain and simple.
“Most of us feel a desire to protect civil liberties even in a time of crisis. You won’t find any Republicans who have no concern on that score.”
I’m truly glad to read this.
“I can’t think of one example where the Patriot Act was shown to be abused and the rights of citizens wrongfully infringed. Perhaps you can.”
Well, yes I can, as I provided in the comments section of my blog on the issue:
http://www.amconmag.com/article/2004/oct/11/00021/
“You’ll need to keep that pace up as it’s likely that taxes and the cost of government will continue to rise no matter what Obama says.”
If a few extra bucks out my paycheck means that my nephews and niece have a better chance at affording college, that my mom’s social security won’t run out in her lifetime, or that our soldiers are properly equipped and taken care of as veterans, then I will not begrudge a dime.
“Now, wouldn’t it have been easier and much less time consuming if you simply explained yourself in the first place instead of taking our readers down the garden path?”
Yes. Thus my concession.
Craig.
My suggestion is that you reserve judgement until you see what Obama actually does in office.
I view Obama as a politician. Let’s compare Obama with Mitt Romney. I don’t believe that, had Romney been elected President, you’d be saying that Romney was “a fraud, a liar, a cheater and a flip flopper.”
Up until about December, 2007, Romney was my candidate for President. I extolled him on high profile internet political blogs. The ironic thing is this — had he actually been nominated and elected, I think that he’d have made a terrific President. He would have moved to the center — tossing the hard Right under the bus the same way that Obama is tossing the hard left under the bus. Whatever degree of fraudulence, lying, cheating, and flip flopping Obama has done is dwarfed by what Mitt Romney did, in pursuit of the GOP nomination.
Why don’t you just give Obama the benefit of the doubt.
If/when he screws up, there will be time enough for the I told you sos.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h2qtj24vzZZS2Jid8I03W0bz7zXwD94PII2O1
– Larry Weisenthal/Huntington Beach
Cary,
I read your links. I must say, you are a very thoughtful, fair-minded critic of the President.
Mike, I think Cary’s more like liberal dave than anything else. Definitely not a moonbat liberal, but someone capable of conceding points, if convinced.
@Mike’s America:
The thing is, even if there were a handful of abuses, what is the ratio to successes under the Act? Nothing is full-proof perfect; but does the risk of abuse mean we scrap a means to combating terrorism?
To me, that would be like tanking our whole judicial system, because on occasion, a good apple gets wrongfully sentenced and does prison time. If it happens just once, is that one time too many and does that mean our system “doesn’t work”? Or does it simply mean we need to continue to do what we can to tweak and revise, to legislate oversight so that such abuses and wrongful convictions are minimized/don’t occur?
In life, nothing is perfect and not without their flaws and trade-offs.
Wordsmith,
I know you are a liberal, you have once said it on this blog. But I do agree with Mike on the Patriot Act. That should have been done a long time ago. You need to get all the tools in ways to get to these terrorists. If government acts like “good guys”, they will get nowhere and get nobody. Think of the pedophiles, their addresses in on the Internet. People need to know where they live so they can protect their children. It is the same think for the Patriot Act, Government has the right to know, where and who they are to protect the citizen. I am all for it and I wonder why it took them so long to get that Act passed.
Larry,
No Larry, I will not give Obama the benifit of the doubt like you are willing to do. Why? Because I know that there will be no miracle. Obama will not turn into a beautiful prince because he won the election. He will remain a toad. The same old Obama: a liar, a manipulator, a cheater, a fraud and a crook. The difference between you and me is that I don’t believe in fairy tales.
Wordsmith: It’s possible that Cary and I got off on the wrong foot. I don’t usually take well to people who suggest I need to pray then lecture me on civility but that’s another thread.
In my experience Liberal Dave is a special case. Unfortunately, one that is all too unique for his ability to offer his opinion and not be offended if not everyone appreciates it.
But then, anyone who gives so much of themselves in missionary work in the poorest parts of Mexico is bound to be unique.
In case anyone wants to know who we are talking about:
http://www.adventurenotes.blogspot.com/
He and I share a last name so that may explain my objectivity.
Craig: I wouldn’t exactly call Wordsmith a liberal. You know I don’t associate with that kind of people. But Word is surrounded by liberals in Los Angeles and has managed to survive by avoiding knock down drag out fights with them at every opportunity. That’s one reason why I live in SC and not still in Washington.
Mike I meant a Democrat. Wordsmith once said he was a Democrat…. and I remember saying to him: “I’m sorry to hear that”… lol
But to me, Democrat or liberal is the same word. It was not an insult. I hope Wordsmith didn’t take it like that. You see in Canada, we have the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party. So to me Liberal Party is the equivalent of U.S. Democrats.
I didn’t know Wordsmith used to be a Democrat? At least he grew out of it.
News to me.
I think Craig’s point is that I’m currently a Democrat/liberal.
Which is also news to me.
And we’re derailing Mike’s thread.
That just sounds so…..funny. 😀
Mike,
It’s ridiculous to say I avoid fights. I just refuse to be an obnoxious “in your face” rah-rah Republican politics-on-my-sleeve Bush-boy.
LOL! Well Wordsmith, maybe it wasn’t you after all. But one of the authors of this site have once said he was a Democrat, I don’t really remember who it was. But I remember telling him: “Sorry to hear this.” Do you know who it could be? Sorry Wordsmith… lol
Yes, God Bless President Bush and his family, what a ride they’ve had.
I’ve heard this morning that the President and First Lady will live in Dallas through the week and week end at Crawford, not so significant, but what they will do after their term is. Laura Bush plans to continue work in Afghanistan. She has spent quite a bit of time with the Afghanis working on women’s rights and child care, the real deal.
Don’t know what the President’s plans are, the Bush family has a history of charity, I’m sure he will be a significant contributor, work and money. It will most likely remain quiet, that’s how the Bush family is and our press won’t be interested.
Craig, our Scott thinks he is a democrat. Even though he’s such a young guy, he’s like the dems of long ago, the good kind. Wonder how that happened?
My post is being moderated, P&T
Craig, it was Scott who told you he was a registered Democrat.
That would be the very same Scott who would be apt to tell many of his fellow DNC members that if they can’t stand behind the troops, then by all means… stand in front of them please.
Our own lovely Skye (not to be confused with Sky55110 aka “Real” American Patriot) was also a registered Dem. She recently changed her affiliation to GOP.
That’s right…. Scott voted for Dems in 2006 and I don’t intend to let him forget it.
But Wordsmith… do you mean you DO engage in knock down drag out fights with these lefty La La Land goons?
If only I was close enough to join you in the rumble. Alas, I have to do it from afar.
Mike’sA, if Word’s a gym instructor and personal trainer, I have to wonder if he’s got some martial arts there too…. Perhaps he’s an unregistered “lethal weapon”. LOL
If so, then he must restrain from doing much more than spitting in the path of the LaLa land residents (whom I unrepentently left in my rear view mirror in Nov 2000…). Or perhaps exercising his “wordsmith” skills.
Mata: Word has never fessed up to any martial arts experience… Perhaps we should ask?
Yo! Word, da man! Consider your bad “quasi” liberal (LOL) arse asked by Mr. Mike and myself. You got martial arts training on top of the gymnastics and personal trainer bit?
Or are you afraid to answer in case you have to “register” as a lethal weapon??? :0)
Yeah, I’m the dem, and no, they never let me forget it.
🙂
Back OT….did Pres-elect Obama call anyone in Iraq, Afghanistan, etc? No? Well then…let’s just keep this thread in our minds next Thanksgiving.
Once again I state with a smile:
I wholeheartedly look forward to an Obama Administration with sadistic glee for nothing will make President Bush’s foreign policy actions look more brilliant than the reversals, half-stances, inactions, and fubars of the forthcoming Obama Administration. Doubt it? Ok, then all someone has to do is ask Pres Obama, “since you opposed the war in Iraq in 2002, 2003, and you opposed the plan to secure Iraq in 2004, 5, 6, 7, and 8…should Americans support the plan to secure Iraq in 2009? Would that support make the plan easier and more likely to succeed, or is national will irrelevant in war?
btw (OT), if Obama really wants to “talk” to America’s enemies…then why didn’t he? Why didn’t he send out campaign reps to Iran, to Osama, to Pyongyang, to Cuba? Why not? Also, how’s this Sec State Clinton thing supposed to work? I mean, are we really to believe that 1) Ahmadinejad or Kim or any dictator is gonna listen to a woman, 2) to a woman as “softspoken” as Hillary, or 3) to any American? Are we really to believe that she’s gonna commit political suicide, fly to Tehran and get her pic taken shaking hands w Ahmadinejad in front of the ole US embassy that still has DEATH TO AMERICA painted on it? She’s gonna nix any future political creds and get pics of her shaking hands with Kim (if he’s alive)? Is she gonna go to Congo and stop the cannibals? Maybe she’ll go to Israel and NOT piss people off? My gawd…I dunno if I should laugh or cry.
@MataHarley:
Cripes! How the hell are we so far OT?
Not a lethal weapon; but yes, on fighting arts. This was mixed martial arts before cross-training arts was sexy to do. Mostly non-traditional- stuff from Southeast Asia, boxing, grappling, lots of knife craft. Really, leaving no stone unturned and examining everything and anything (from fencing to firearms- anything related to armed and unarmed combat). Every art has something to offer if you have the mental acumen to steal from it, the benefits without acquiring any of the “diseases”.
My primary teacher.
I also trained under Dan Inosanto, Ron Balicki, a little with Erik Paulson, and many others.
If there’s anything I came away with, it’s that anyone on any given day can get his ass kicked. I don’t care who you are. There are just so many variables in life, so many environments and circumstances, the “best” fighters in the world can get sucker punched like the rest of us; they can lose a fight outside their element of training.
At one point in my life, I was doing this 7 days a week, 2-4 hours a day. 8 years ago I tapered off, then stopped entirely.
Yes, I miss it. But things happen in life, and things change.
Now what’s the topic again?
Now can we talk about gardening? Just kidding.
Way off topic:
Wordsmith, have you heard of Ken Knudson?
http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:TCxn-WEjK3EJ:www.sybaris.com/modules/company/MAD-feb2003.pdf+ken+knudsen,+karate&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=6&gl=us
My parents bought the lot to build our family home on from his uncle. His uncle taught him to fly, I remember watching them take off and land from a makeshift strip on the edge of the corn field across the street. After his father was murdered in Chicago his uncle built his mother a home by ours. Neither Ken or his sister ever lived there, he stayed in the city, his sister was in college then married, and a five year old brother Karl moved in to our neighborhood with who we all affectionately called Gramma Gail, Ken’s mom. Karl is now out there, somewhere by you, we’ve lost touch over the years.
Anyway, thought you might want to look at a bit of what he was like.
Ahh…. gardening… another of my favorite topics. I cut down a 25 foot oak tree yesterday using a pruning saw. Not a smart thing to do. It fell on the patio.
Anyway we might have to start calling Wordsmith by the secret code name Ninja!
I’m jonesin’ for gardening so bad that my mother-in-law gave me her gardening DVDs to tide me over for a bit.
Snow SUCKS!
I’d love to see some snow Scott. I’ll be in Ohio for Christmas and what do you bet it rains instead?
no bet, we got both today. In fact, in the past 30 minutes it’s rained, snowed, then some sorta little white ice balls (not hail), rained again, then snowed, and stopped.
ugh
overcast ceiling is probably 500-1000ft. Visibility 1mi. Strong winds (nice wind chill). Roads clear.
Winter SUCKS!
Mike, you must be pretty tough to be able to cut down an oak with a pruning saw! Thank goodness it was the patio and not you that took the brunt of it. We lost 23 big old elms down at the farm last December. First came an ice storm, next morning 70 mph winds, the tree tops were all broken and the trunks split. Hubby worked for months this year cleaning up the mess. The last tree he did was the biggest, he climbed up into the tree to cut off some branches, one fell on his ladder and he was stuck in the tree. Fortunately he still had one branch left and I was able to throw a rope up to him so he could tie the rope on the branch and slide down.
We cussed those messy trees for years, but now we’re sad that they’re gone. Won’t miss pulling thousands of baby elms out of my gardens every single spring or picking up branches, but from a distance they were lovely and shady. Really changed the scenery.
Scott, it’s time for winter fun with the kiddies, hot chocolate, snowmen and sledding. My kids always liked to make little snow sculptures that we could light up with our old Christmas lights. Just plug them in a couple of times and they are happy and on to their next ideas.
Almost forgot, our neighbor used to make a big snowman football player and used his a sprayer his wife had for cake decorating to spray food coloring on it so it had Packer colors. He also sprayed his kids snow angel wings, pink for his daughter’s and blue for his son’s.
Missy: My chain saw broke the year before and I’ve been too lazy to replace it. The pruner is one of those electric models on a pole and not the best thing to use on a tree that big but it did work. But then the blade that the chain runs on broke when the tree fell and I had to clean up the mess with a bow saw.
I don’t recommend anyone else to try my method. Save yourself the headache and spend the $300 the tree people would charge to do it.
@Missy: Yes, I’ve heard of Ken Knudson. Hope someday you’re able to reconnect with Karl.
@Mike’s America:
Illegals? 😀
Illegals would charge $200. But if the tree falls on one and kills him you have to bury him in the backyard.
Well since we’re on the topic… Scroll down to “Bob And Tom – Mr Obvious – The Dishwasher” near the bottom of this link and click the plus sign for a good laugh.
http://www.dizzler.com/index.search.dv8?q=Bob+And+Tom&pg=2
http://flash.vg.no/grafikk/2008/bush/kast_sko.html
This is the “throw a shoe on Bush” -game.
In the upper curve you adjust the angle.
In the lower curve you adjust the strength.
And if that wasn’t it, this guy has 3 shoes!
(When it pops yellow you have a hit, when it is red you must throw again)
Kast skoen = Throw the shoe
Kast igjen = Throw again