Category: Holiday

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Happy Independence Day!

American FlagToday is July 4th. In the United States, this day commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence which declared America’s independence from Great Britain. Today is supposed to be a patriotic holiday celebrating our country. People will celebrate by taking to the lakes for boating and swimming, and having cookouts and family gatherings.

As I ponder the meaning of this day, my thoughts drift to SOPA, ACTA, and CISPA, to AT&T and Comcast, to our youth who seem to be the most fearful generation, to our politicians who seem to have forgotten their role is to represent the people, and to the corporations who have usurped power from the people. Each of these threaten our liberties as we know them. September 11, 2001 terrorists attacked this country. Terrorism is a violent means to bring about change. We said we would not allow the terrorist to change us but they won. I have not known independence like I grew up with since September 11, 2001. Now, instead of being confident in our individual independence and freedoms allotted to the people, I feel we struggle each day to maintain those certain unalienable Rights referenced in the Declaration of Independence. And although I am at political odds with the Tea Party and the GOP, as I re-read the Declaration of Independence, I wonder if our government has not lost its way.

when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism

[Source, Archives.gov, The Declaration of Independence: A Transcription]

This brings to mind the Bush tax cuts, the corporate hold on Congress, and the one percenters. As the middle class is beat down, more power falls into few hands and we move more toward a Despotic nation. I feel my voice falls on deaf ears when I communicate with my elected officials. Wwhen your voice is not heard, and votes in legislation fall contrary to what the resounding public appear to favor, how can one feel the words of the Declaration of Independence reflect today’s society?

Today is a patriotic day. It is a day to be celebrated. It should also be a day of reflection. Re-read (or read for the first time), the Declaration of Independence. It won’t take long to read. Read it and reflect upon your life and your government. (And if you don’t want to do that, here are some pictures of women in American flag swimsuits.)

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Happy Memorial Day

In case you are unclear, Memorial Day is the holiday we remember the fallen soldiers. Veterans Day is when we honor the living soldiers. Memorial Day has its origins from the Civil War in a practice called Decoration Day when people would place flowers on graves of the soldiers. May 30th was Memorial Day. In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act to increase the number of three day weekends for federal employees. Memorial Day officially moved to the last Monday of May in 1971.

Please be safe this weekend. The weather is beautiful! Relax some and be sure to take a moment to remember those soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice.

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Memorial Day Weekend

This is Memorial Day Weekend. To comply with the Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968, in 1971 Memorial Day was moved from May 30th to the last Monday of May thus creating a beloved three day weekend. Some people want to return the holiday to May 30th as they feel people have forgotten the roots of Decoration Day, a day of observance to mourn the dead of the Civil War, and that respect for our fallen solders has been overshadowed by vacations to the beach.

This Memorial Day weekend, I celebrate two of my children’s birthdays, I plan to spend 30-40 hours on a client’s project, dig through a decade’s worth of statements and receipts, and I will remember our fallen solders.

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Easter Weekend

Had a phenomenal Easter weekend. My daughter came home from college in New York so the entire family was together. Her siblings really miss her. The weather was perfect! I have grass on the lawn for the first time since…well…since I bought the house in 1997. And we had a great Easter egg hunt although I believe the Easter bunny needs to be a little tougher on hiding eggs next year.

As for Monday, I need a pick me up. Must have spent all my happiness this weekend.

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Happy Pi Day!

Apparently WordPress does not appreciate me posting one million digits of pi so here’s 314 digits of pi:
3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510582097
4944592307816406286208998628034825342117067982148086513282
3066470938446095505822317253594081284811174502841027019385
2110555964462294895493038196442881097566593344612847564823
3786783165271201909145648566923460348610454326648213393607
26024914127372458700660

[Source, piday.org, One Million Digits of Pi]

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Weekend Project – Little Miss Playhouse update

My daughter received a pile of building materials for her 8th birthday with my words, "I can build this in a weekend." A year and 3 months later, we are nearing completion. The plans came from Woodmanor.net.

The project has been captured in timelapse videos posted on Qik and Flickr (front only).

What is left to do? This weekend is all about installing the flooring. Right now the western red cedar is drying from a sanding sealer. The quantity of debate which went into deciding on the flooring material was insane. We finally settled on 240 linear feet of western red cedar.

Cedar-Western Red Cedar: Another wood porch flooring material is cedar. It is noted for it’s beauty and durability. Colors range from mellow ambers, to reddish and sienna browns. Red cedar is naturally resistant to decay and insects due to inherent oils.

You need not treat red cedar unless it is in contact with the ground. It has less than half the swelling characteristics of other softwoods and tends to lie flat and stay straight. If maintained properly red cedar can last for many years and is ideal for porches in all exposures.

Cedar comes in four different varieties for flooring: Architect Clear for the discriminating porch floor enthusiast to Custom Knotty which is less expensive.

[Source, Front Porch Ideas and More, Wood Porch Flooring]

Next we will size and tongue and groove the planks. Then a vapor barrier will be installed followed by nailing the wood to the sub-floor. Some quarter inch molding will be installed to cover the expansion gap. The front door will be resized to accommodate the height of the flooring. The front door will be installed. The three vent windows will be built and installed. And finally the trim work will be touched up.

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It’s April 20th and everyone is stoned

That’s right, if you are not aware, today is a holiday for imbibers of marijuana. You can Google to figure out the various reasons people attribute special meaning to "420". Obviously this means the roads will be riddled with crazed drivers disregarding all rules of the road, maniacs disregarding the rules of society, and wild-eyed reefer madden thugs looking to beat and murder innocent people as well as engage in sexual acts without protection!

I believe in a short time you will see marijuana legalized all over the United States. Even Tennessee has proposed legislation to legalized medical marijuana but Governor Bill Haslam is opposed. There’s even a Facebook page. See also Volunteer TV’s discussion.

A bill that gained approval in three legislative committees last year has been reintroduced in the Tennessee legislature. Sen. Beverly Marrero has introduced “The Safe Access to Medical Cannabis Act.” The bill, SB 251, would allow patients with certain serious illnesses – HIV/AIDS, cancer, and multiple sclerosis, to name a few – whose doctors recommend marijuana to legally purchase it from state-licensed distributors.

[Source, Marijuana Policy Project, Round 2: Sen. Marrero reintroduces "Safe Access to Medical Cannabis Act"]

Tennessee Leger which covers legislative issues in the 107th general assembly lists the proposed medical conditions which would qualify a person for medical marijuana in TN. Tennessee Leger also has a poll which at the time had 60 voters all claiming they’d vote Aye on the bill.

I was the president of Students for a Smoke-free Campus while an undergrad at the University of Tennessee Knoxville. I like smoke-free buildings and despise walking through cigarette smoke to get into a building. That said, I believe we are at the beginning of seeing marijuana legalized all over the United States. I think we are living in times not dissimilar to when Prohibition (for alcohol) was breaking down. Even former U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders supports legalizing marijuana.

See more of Garfunkel and Oates.

Extensive discussion can be made regarding the for profit nature of the US penitentiary system and the cost of enforcing marijuana laws both monetarily and socially. Instead, let’s look at a couple of maps. First, cannabis laws around the world:

[Source, wikimedia]

And now, marijuana laws by state in the United States:

[Source, NORML]

If you feel your tax dollars are wasted on marijuana laws and enforcement, write your representative.