May 15, 1947

Today is my mom and dad's wedding anniversary, May 15, 1947. That is one of their wedding pictures.

I've been busy

Thanks to aaronmentele taking this photo. Ida done it myself but I've been busy.

Sorta brings a whole new meaning to "I was tea party before tea party was cool."

Billy Long and who's that lady?

Who's that lady? Why the Tea Party will never be a viable force in MO 7

The News Leader's Cory DeVera wrote a story in this morning's News-Leader: Seminars prepare public of the worst:

Dr. Howard Shayne of Fox Grape Family Dentistry told about 40 attendees at the dentistry seminar that he believes hard times are coming, perhaps through a natural disaster like Katrina, an earthquake or a flood, an economic collapse, a terrorist attack, a government breakdown and/or a takeover.

He offered a list of items to put in an emergency pack to prevent dental problems and minimize pain or inflammation in the event of a toothache.

The list included: a tooth brush, tooth paste (optional), dental floss, rounded toothpicks, mouthwash, rubbing alcohol to sterilize, cold and hot packs, dental wax that can be used to temporarily fill in a cavity, tooth paste for sensitive teeth, ibuprofen and/or aspirin, Kank-A for mouth sores, vaseline; and a tea bag, which can be placed on a cut lip to help stop bleeding.

But what if you can't get to a dentist?

"If things go to heck in a handbasket, and there is no dentist, then things are going to change," said Shayne. "Things are going to have to be done we probably can't anticipate."

Besides an array of seminars, attendees could visit with a variety of vendors hawking everything from the "Black Ops School of Combat" training courses, courses on conducting legal research from the Erwin Rommel School of Law, custom water-treatment systems, television antenna, gardening equipment and lab tests.

Bring a toothbrush and perhaps a change of underwear.

Several frequent bus riders alerted the driver to the comments on this article, especially this one from KountryKathi, which she posted at 9:50 AM on May 15, 2011:

I went to this on Saturday and was disappointed to say the least. The flyers I saw had all sorts of things that were to be covered and many weren't. The booths had some educational info, but most all were selling their wares. This is fine, but there was no info on how to do it yourself and for less cost than say buying freeze dried food. I asked one person if their filters were interchangeable with another company's set up and she didn't know. Most, but not all, of the seminars were put on by people that were also selling something. The dental one was one that wasn't selling anything, but I didn't wait around 2 hrs to see it either. I think it took us 2 hrs to see everything and we didn't rush thru and did ask questions.

On a more positive note, ABC books was there and they carry a lot of books that would help a person be more prepared and self sufficient. There was a booth that was selling Geiger counters and he was actually explaining how any radiation from the nuclear mishaps in Japan are VERY unlikely to cause harm here in the USA.

There was a couple of booths that dealt with what I would call conspiracy theories, but I am sure others consider them the gospel truth.

I would love to see more how to do it yourself information. For example, canning and dehydrating food, how to shelter in place, bug out bags and what sort of disasters we in the Ozarks can expect. There is another one planned for this fall, so we will see.

As to the Tea Party, they had a gal at a booth and the gentleman friend I was with described her as looking like a hooker. Why?? platform heels, skin tight short dress that showed her obviously enhanced boosom and appeared to have had as much facial plastic surgery and botox as Joan Rivers, lolol. Add to that the white cowboy hat with the big feather enhancement, well, you get the picture. If that is how they want people to see them, it is their choice.

Could this be the gal KountryKathi is describing? Can't tell for sure, her face is obscured. Say, is that Senator Roy Blunt serenading her?


Maybe that's Sarah Palin Roy's serenading. Sarah wears a lot of leather. But I've never seen a photo of Sarah in a cowboy. Seen Reagan in one, seen Obama in one, but never seen Palin in one, almost seen it once, but not never.

Naw, that ain't a photo of Sarah Palin. This is a photo of Sarah Palin:

HEY! Who's that lady with Sarah? Is that our Tea Party Gal? Let's take a closer look. That's definitely a white cowboy hat.

Can we a close-up?
In God We Trust! Is it her? It's got to be! This has got to be the gal manning (no pun intended) the Tea Party Booth at the doomsday festival!

And that, bus riders, is why the Tea Party will never be seen as a real political force in MO 7.

A Dairy Queen Blizzard to whomever can identify the gal!

Billy Longs kicks the dog further down the road, reveals new pricing plan

Billy Long, after the Missouri Senate and House of Representatives neutered the vote of the people on Proposition B, is kicking the dog further down the road:Congress pushes for probe of HSUS:

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) – a national, tax-exempt organization not affiliated with local animal shelters and the most powerful anti-hunting group in the nation....supported a ballot initiative in Missouri (Proposition B) by pouring in some $1.85 million (plus another $300,000 in non-cash contributions) into its Missouri front group’s bank account.

The measure passed by a slim three-point margin and sets regulations for the state’s dog breeders including how many dogs are allowed per facility. At the root of the issue is whether the HSUS attempted to influence legislation as a “substantial part” of its activities.

In a letter to Inspector General Eric Thorson in Washington, D.C., six members of Congress from Missouri and Alaska — Don Young (R-Alaska), Vicky Hartzler (R-Missouri), Blaine Luetkemeyer(R-Missouri), Jo Ann Emerson (R-Missouri), Sam Graves (R-Missouri), and Billy Long (R-Missouri) — have requested a federal investigation into the level of funding and participation of HSUS in Missouri’s affairs.

In the letter, Long and the other Missouri lawmakers also cite efforts by the Humane Society to influence legislation by having its employees urging the public to contact members of legislative bodies for the purpose of proposing, supporting, or opposing legislation.

Long chose not to state in the letter that he received, according to FEC documents filed by him, $4,800 from Andrew Hunte, president of The Hunte Company, Goodman MO, a puppy mill operation. The money has come in the form of identical $800 contributions on Oct. 12, Oct. 19, Nov. 2, Feb. 7, March 4, and March 31.

Long is complaining, basically, that Humane Society urged its members to contact their congressmen in support of Proposition B while he accepts $4,800 in campaign contributions from a business that is directly opposed to Proposition B.

Also today Long released his new pricing plan.

Beads of sweat glisten on Billy Long's face as he cyphers his new pricing plan

Please read carefully as the pricing plans have changed:

Dropping a bill costs $5000.00.

Writing a letter now costs $4800.00..

Running to microphones every time one is put in front of his face is still free (limited to D.C. area media only).

Holding public townhall meetings is no longer available.

Answering unfiltered questions from the press or constituents is no longer available.

Dumb looks are still free.
Little Bear would not be happy, Billy.

I don't just pick the low hanging fruit: Box Car Bowtie

See, I don't just pick the low hanging fruit.

Last month my wife and I took a trip to Eureka Springs, Arkansas.


I just had our Airstream buffed out and polished. I wanted to see if polishing it went down the road any faster. I couldn't tell but I did set the woods on fire.


In the railyard just east of town, off highway 23, I saw this sitting on the tracks next to some old boxcars.

It was a hard shot to take, we were shooting from the highway through brush. But you get the idea.

I know it's a Chevrolet, probably 1949? Don't know who did the conversion but it sure looks nice!


I sent that text and a copy of that photo to Longrooffan and Dan Stohl over at Hemmings Blog. He's a guy who, like my brothers and myself, likes unusual vehicles and other neat automotive stuff.

Dan used the photo in the May 13, 2011 Hemmings Motor News Blog: Boxcar Bowtie

Jim Lee, he of the Lee clan, recently took a trip to Eureka Springs, Arkansas, where he spotted this railcar, most likely an inspection and service unit that’s been long since retired, just east of town off Route 23. From the remaining trim, we can see that it was converted from a 1951 Chevrolet Styleline Deluxe four-door station wagon, the most expensive Chevrolet in the lineup that year.

No live townhall meetings for Billy Long

When The Turner Report published, on May 1, 2011, Don't expect traditional town hall meetings from Billy Long, most of the people who follow politics thought as Turner did:

Anyone waiting for an opportunity to ask Seventh District Congressman Billy Long about the issues that affect southwest Missouri and the nation might as well forget it...Long's aides are letting it be known that the Congressman feels he reached more people through his recent telephone town hall meeting than he could reach through in-person meetings.

Left unmentioned is the obvious: With the telephone meeting, Long may have reached thousands of people, but all they had a chance to do is listen to Long reel off folksy one-liners and take questions from carefully pre-screened listeners. I might add that in the one hour town hall meeting, Long only fielded five questions, with one of those being specifically about one man's problems with the Veterans Administration.

Turner was invited to be a participant in Long's first tele-townhall. He was suitably unimpressed: My wasted hour with Billy Long's telephone town hall meeting.

Frequent bus riders will remember my attempts to ask Billy Long questions about his votes to kill Medicare: "What's the difference between a duck." While he didn't answer my questions or let me in his press briefing, (Billy Long doesn't play well with news media) Billy did tell the group of assembled senior citizens not to believe everything they read in the paper about the Ryan Budget plan and its effect on Medicare.

When Billy Long stood in front of that group of his constituents and told them that, he owed it to them to at least told them why he said that.

Long should have been well versed enough in the budget he voted for to explain what the misconceptions are and what the effects will or might be.

All that can be gathered about why Billy voted for the Ryan budget which killed Medicare is what he told "The Erstwhile Conservative": "(S)omething needed to be done because the system was designed when people only lived to be “48 years old.”

Lots of folks down here in MO 7 have questions for Long and, without knowing when his next town hall will be held, if ever, wonder if Billy will really be listening to them.

A frequent bus rider wrote Billy asking him these very questions.

Long's reply (exactly as written, less recipient's name):

Dear Xxxx,

Thank you for contacting me about holding town hall meetings. I sincerely appreciate the benefit of your views.

America has a long tradition of Constitutional representative government where the people select people, out from the body of the general public, to go to the halls of institutions from the Courthouse to the White House to act as stewards of our local and national affairs in accordance with rule of law. These citizen-officials exercise their limited powers at the consent and pleasure of the public. In order to be responsive to the public it is necessary that our elected officials to listen to the public regularly; own halls are one way in which some representatives attempt to listen to the public.

With the advent of modern technology, we have more options available to us than we did at the beginning of our nation when meetings required expensive, slow, and exhausting travel over non-existent roads using beasts of burden. I have begun to use modern technology to bring together large numbers of citizens to get their views and keep them informed of what is happening inside their government. At my last Tele-Townhall event more than 12,000 individuals in the Seventh District participated in an hour-long event. I hope to repeat this process regularly because I want to be your eyes and your ears in Washington so that you will know exactly what is going on behind the scenes.

However, I understand that even with all our technology, events like the Tele-Townhall system have drawbacks in terms of one on one interaction and lengthy dialogue that can only be done comfortably in close informal settings. I frequently return to the Seventh District whenever the schedule of the Congress permits me to do so and have set aside blocks of time for individual meetings with constituents such as you. If you would like to meet with me individually, please contact my District Office at (417) 889-1800 and schedule a meeting.

Hearing the views of all Missourians gives me the opportunity to better understand how important issues could impact the people of Missouri and the future interests of the nation.
For additional information regarding current legislation and my representation of the Seventh District, I invite you to visit my website at http://www.long.house.gov.


Sincerely,
Billy Long
Member of Congress

I encourage ALL bus riders to call Billy and request a meeting. Tell him you are a constituent and you would like to ask him some questions about votes he has taken since he has been in D.C.

Since Long won't come to you, you'll have to go to him. Let me know the results.

Developing: Long involved in D.C. shoot-out.