Time to Fix America

                Time to End the Insanity…

Get rid of the Republicant’s and the Dumb ol’ Crat’s

   Why do I call them these names? It is pretty clear really. The Republicant’s do not get anything done but whine. They have not fixed the health care issue, the immigration issue, the budget issue, and when it comes to taxes, they exploded the national debt and called it a tax cut. The only thing they do, do is undo   what the Dumb ol’ Crat’s accomplish. They are more interested in getting re-elected than serving the country.

    The Dumb ol’ Crats are not much better.  They whine and scream if things do not go the way they want. The Kavanaugh hearings showed their anger as much as it did Kavanaugh’s lack of bipartisan views.

 

    The Senate election in Alabama showed that a small number of votes can swing an election, just two percent of the vote gave the election to the Dumb ol’ Crat’s.  It is time for a third party to rise up in America to fix our problems. They do not have to be a big party, just an active an vocal one. Just three independent votes could change the outcome. Twelve seats could even defeat a bill requiring a two thirds majority.

     Well placed votes can turn the balance. That was proven when Trump defeated Hilary. Did the Russians do it, we may never know, but we know that the Electoral College will never allow us to have a leader who the majority of the people elected.

I certainly did not want Hilary, and I did not vote for either of them. I have not voted for a mainstream Presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan’s first term.

     Reagan said it most clearly, “The government is not the solution to the problem. The government IS the problem.” It is time to fix the problem. The definition of insanity is a perfect example of what is wrong with America today. Insanity is when you do the same thing over and over the same way and expect to get a different result. It is a perfect description of politics in America today.

     The fact that many of the people on the Kavanugh hearing have been in Congress clear back to when Justice Thomas was nominated says it is time to send some of them home. Especially since this hearing was the same miscarriage of justice to the American people as Thomas’s hearing was.

    I am attaching a link to a post I wrote on how to fix America’s problem and a platform for a third party. At seventy-two I have no desire to run but something has to be done. The second link I put in is one to a post I wrote years ago and tells how we got into the crisis we are now in and how to fix it. It is very long as it was my original party platform.

    I invite you to read both links. They may open your eyes to the fact that there are solutions.  Then I also invite you to vote against every incumbent in office. We need to get rid of the old before we can have a new beginning. You have two years to change things.

Que Sera, Sera .... A Simple Diet that Works

                                Que Sera,Sera

                             Whatever Will Be, Will Be

     

      I spent some time recently pondering the meaning of things that have been happening in my life. Basically I started questioning the purpose of life. In January 2004 I had the big one after losing 90 pounds. Having reached 260 pounds, from my starting point of 350, my life was basically over at fifty-seven.  Due to getting a defibrillator installed, my truck driving days were over and I had to sell my truck and go on disability. Really it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The doctor informed me the next morning that if I had not lost the weight we might not have been having our conversation. He also explained they had lost me twice in the operating room, but bought me back. The first time they hit me with the paddles twice and I did not respond. They were giving up and one of the techs in the operating room said, 3^rd time is a charm and they hit me again. It worked and I came back. Need to find that person and thank him personally for his part in the matter.

      For twelve years things went on pretty good. In the fall of 2016 I had a very bad case of pneumonia and really wondered if I was going to survive it. In the spring of 2017 they diagnosed me with type II diabetes and I started taking insulin. If that was not bad enough I started putting on weight and found myself  back at 350 pounds again.  Even dieting and watching what I ate I could not get rid of the weight.  I found myself at the same weight in the summer of 2003 and took measures to shed some pounds. Back then fasting and exercise were my weapons along with a controlled diet. My goal had been to reach 220 pounds so I could start skydiving again. Skydiving had been the center of my life in the 60s and 70s and I had my instructor rating. It quickly hit me that this time was going to be more of a challenge. I can’t exercise and the many meds I am taking seem to defeat my normal way of dieting.

       A few days before Easter of this year a pound of hamburger changed my view of life. As I opened the door of the freezer to get something a pound of frozen hamburger fell from the top shelf landing end first on my right foot, right behind my toes. It cracked a bone and busted a blood vessel and took almost three months to get to the point I could walk again.  This unfortunately was the time of year when I usually started working in my greenhouse. This year the greenhouse did not happen. Since the bout with pneumonia my stamina and physical condition had been on a steady downhill slide. The battle lines had been drawn and I started to study my options in this new battle.

   Because of thirteen years in the Army I understood that the chances of winning any battle are much improved by knowing your enemy. I spent almost my whole life working in logistics. A big part of winning any battle is having the supplies or weapons you need, when you need them. After a year of trying to follow the six times a day dietary program my dietician was telling me to use I realized I did not have the discipline to fight my battle that way.  The weapons they wanted me to use were not working for me. Google and YouTube became my weapons of choice.

     The first thing I learned is that what works for one person may not work for another. The diet I was on when I lost my 90 pounds would still work for me, but it would require a couple of small modifications as I can no longer go for forty minute walks. My youngest daughter Glenda put me on what she called The Way Down Diet. It will work for about anyone. It is working for me now. I started at Easter and have lost twenty pounds since Easter which is about five pounds a month. It is a lot slower than the last time, mainly because of my inability to exercise. It has required me to use two or three different diet techniques and modify them to make a plan that works for me.

     The Way Down diet is really pretty simple and only has about six simple easy to follow rules. What I like most about it is that you can eat whatever you want and you don’t count calories. At the time I started it I was a truck driver and ate buffets for breakfast , lunch and supper. Usually a couple plates plus desert. This diet works if you follow the simple rules. It may take a while to see the difference. This is really more of a life style change and learning what your body really needs, not what you think you want.

Rule #1 Reduce your portion sizes every time you eat. I was eating two plates for every meal when I started. This rule is the key to success. You know how much you eat. You serve yourself and you always try to make your servings a little smaller. If you want a piece of cake and ice cream, eat it, but it must be within your portion size and it counts as one of your meals. You may have to give up other items, but make sure you stay within your portion size. If you feel full quit eating. Do not clean of the plate, your full or feel full quit. If you do not feel hungry do not eat. You do not have to eat because it is meal time for everybody else, let your body tell you when it is hungry. You will be surprised to find it is not near as much or as often as you think.

Rule #2 No snacks between meals. Period.

Rule #3 Never eat anything after 6PM.

Rule #4 Drink lots of water.

Rule #5 Walk 20 minutes every day. If you hit a plateau and quit loosing increase   your walking time.

Rule #6 Cut out sugar and snacks containing sugar.

The first six rules are all that apply to The Way Down Diet. As a diabetic I had to add a couple rules to win my battle with fat.

Rule #7 Cut out all starches and carbs. Yep that means no pasta, no potatoes, no pizzas, (I still eat pizza but I order double toppings and scrape them off onto my plate and do not eat the crust. You are now on a high fat, high protein and low carb diet and it works if you follow it.

Rule #8 Fat is good. If you want to see how this one works, Go to YouTube and watch the video entitled. Butter MakesYour Pants Fall Off.  I can’t explain it, but know it works. It is about eating in what is called a Keto diet style. It is hard to watch because the guy never looks at the camera, but he is sincere and what he says works.

Rule #9 Is more of a life style change than a rule. It works for me. I use what is called intermittent fasting. I eat at 9AM and 5PM, between 5PM and 9AM you eat nothing. Rules 7 thru 9 are to help control my sugar levels. It is called a 16-8 plan. A couple days a week I eat supper at 5PM and go till 1PM the next day which is a 20-4 plan. The longer the better, it helps to get your body to start burning the fat in your system.  I go to the gym right before I eat and it helps get the fat to burning off.

     This is not intended to be high speed dieting, but for someone healthier it will go a lot faster than for me. I finally realized I still would like to jump again and unless I get under 240 pounds that will not happen. There is a weight limitation on the equipment. You can buy for bigger, but starting back at it I would rather rent the equipment. A complete rig can be in the $7 to $9,000 dollar range.

    I also included a YouTube testimony about  a lady who lost 145 pounds on this diet.  As she says it is more about a lifestyle change than about a diet. If you intend to keep it off, it has to be a life style change.  It requires learning that all calories are not the same. Having a 16 ounce serving of Pepsi is a lot more fatting than having a 16 ounce serving of lettuce. To win you have to know what you are eating and what it is doing in your body.  It is not calories in versus calories out.  That Pepsi has about 200 calories.  The 16 ounces of lettuce has virtually no calories. They will both fill you up, but one will take a lot longer to get out of your body than the other one.

   

Big Brother Alive and Well

 
     A while back the internet system and control of it was changed. Many worried that it would change how the internet worked. Well it took some time but changes are taking place which make it hard to be an efficent blogger.  Where your blog used to be international, it is now restricted to your national domain. The transfer of free speech is effectively dead. The vocal cords have been cut to control the masses. Maybe I am over reacting, but I can no longer change the wording on my posts and I can no longer post on my blog. I believe we are still able to access it from outside and looking in. Posts that already exist are accessible, but putting up new posts may be impossible. I will know for sure when I finish this.  I am not a geek by any means and maybe if I understood the system there would be a way to continue to post. I will definitely be pursuing the matter. To all my readers over the years, thanks for taking the time to read my posts.

Build a Movable Greenhouse for under $200

         How to Build a Portable Greenhouse for under $200, whoops $239 forgot about inflation. Get more time to get ready to garden

    With spring being sprung, planting season is hard on us who like to get outside and work. Several years ago I built my first green house and it worked out very nice. I used it for three years and then I built myself a more permanent year round greenhouse. A lot of planning went into that first greenhouse. Three issues were important to me. Price, Size and Portability. All three of those effected my decisions when making the greenhouse.

      1st  Price as at the time I was living on less than $1400 a month disability pension and every penny counted at the time. Later I started receiving more money due to getting my Agent Orange benefit for my service in Vietnam. That is when I decided to build a permanent greenhouse.

       2nd Size as I wanted to be able to move it around the yard till I could figure out what was the best place for the thing. I found for starting plants full sun was fine, but as the season progressed it could get very hot in the greenhouse so I took advantage of a shade tree in the yard to help control the temperature. That was not something I planned but something I learned as I went along. Another part of the size was that I wanted to make the greenhouse with the least possible amount of cutting and as much as possible buying material to fit my dimensions.

     3rd Portability. at the time I was doing construction on my property and needed to be a little bit flexable. While I have plenty of ground. It is almost all wooded and the open areas are basically around my house. As where ever it would be setting would be returned to yard status, I did not want it to kill the yard. One part of the project I was building was a new and more permanent green  house. My finished size ended up being 9ft. X 10ft. That is plenty big as I had about forty trays of plants. One of the things I do is plant starter plants and sell them to help keep my costs down and help those who need help. Originally I wanted a 12ft X 16ft but found that it would be way to heavy to be mobile and the dimensions did not work without a lot of extra work. I will try to explain why each feature or dimension is the way it is. You can adjust it to meet your own needs.




                Overall height is 7ft. length 10ft. and 9ft. wide

       This is what my finished product looked like. A standard size roll of plastic is 12' wide by 20, 40, or 100 foot long. The 12 foot width allows a foot of material on each end for fastening the plastic. If you buy the longer roll you can put on a double cover which holds the heat in better. It is small enough a small heat lamp will keep the chill off as long as it stays in the 30's and 40's. I went with a single sheet of plastic and it worked well for me. Notice the cheap thermometer by the door. I had one inside and one outside so I could keep track of the temperature difference.


Pallets make for good walking especially if it is in a grassy area. With all the plant watering it can get pretty sloppy pretty fast. I had room for a row of trays on the ground under the shelves then I went up 2 foot for the first shelf and then 4 foot from the floor fot the second shelf,


As the season went along I cut a square hole in the end opposite of the door and put a box fan to push air in or out of the greenhouse to help control the temperature. As the season moved along the heat tended to get intense and I moved the house under one of my shade trees. By the time I did every thing was already sprouted.

The door latche is utter simplicty and helps keep the hardware cost down. They are functional but cheap and cheap was the key word on this project

Materials are pretty simple.
2 hinges 3inch or 4 inch will work. Pieces of webbing make good hinges to but the door tends to get floppy.
8 pieces of 3/4 inch X 10 foot long PVC pipe. 
6 4foot by 8foot 7/16 inch OSB is enough for both ends.
14 2X4's 10 foot long
2   2X4's   8 foot long
2   2X6's 10 foot long 
1   2X6  12 foot long
2   1X6  10 foot long These are not in picture, go along bottom 
                                  sides to keep weed eater from hitting  plastic

1 piece of plastic sheeting that is 12 foot X 25 foot and preferably       at least 3 mil thick. ( cheapest is drop cloth 10X25X  3.5 mil)
                                 --this size requires cutting plastic in 2 pieces
6  1X6 salt treated fence panel boards. I get them at Lowe's or you can simply pry some pallets apart to make tray supports. I cut them a little longer than the gap. about 26 inches and put a cleat on the bottom side of each end to keep them from sliding off the shelf supports.

The total cost with the add ons today is $239.94 as priced at Lowe's. Prices on lumber are up because of the hurricanes last year. When I built mine in 2009 OSB was about $5.60 a sheet, right now it is $13.95 a sheet. Before the hurricane it was about $8.50. 
It can still be done for under $200 by eliminating the 1X6 vinyl guards on the sides, making the shelf supports out of used pallet boards, but the fence panel boards are salt treated and the water does not hurt them and they will last for 3 to 4 years.

                                        Shelf Cleets
   The finished size for my greenhouse ended up being controlled by the PVC pipe. At 8 foot wide I had to much left over pipe. At ten foot wide the pipe was to short at 9 foot wide and 7 feet high the pipe would flex and bend just right and I drilled a hole about 3/4 of the way thru from each side for the pipe tips to go into the ridge beam each hole was about a 1/2 inch from the top edge of the beam.

The back end is two full sheets seperated by a one foot strip, after lining it all up I screwed them to the 2 X6's and put a second layer on the outside two foot wide. The full sheets were cut to seven foot long which is plent high. I am short so I cheated on the front wall. I cut two pieces seven foot long and then cut a piece out of them for the door. I made a one foot by six foot cut. Which reguired a one foot by one foot piece above the door. If you look at the door you can see how I put a 2 foot wide by one foot piece above the door. If you look close you can see how I used 6 inch wide strips to make the door stops.

The shelf framing is pretty simple. I made the outside boards a little longer only for structural support, you will have to make your own curve for the ends. I did it with a jig saw. Each piece of tubing goes into a predrilled hole completely thru the board. Notice how they weave in and out of the shelf boards. When done it is pretty solid.  When I wanted to move it I screwed on a 2X4 flat to the OSB on the front and back wall that was 12 foot long and gave me something to lift with. When I got it where I wanted it I removed them. To move it I bought 4 ten foot long round wooden fence posts and fed them in cross wise about 2 to 3 foot apart and as you roll it forward they will come out the back. Tedious I admit but one person can do it all, but two would make it easier.
  Any questions you can e-mail me at sclaus2u@hotmail.com and hopefully my instructions are simple enough you can figure it out from the pictures.

The only problem  I had with it was that all my plants with big seeds like melons, gourds and sunflowers kept getting dug up and chewed off right after sprouting. Set some mouse traps and found out it was moles which kind of shocked me as they were on the the top shelf.

The only change I would make is to add a board like the one the ribs go into on the inside edge of the shelves goes and put a short vertical piece there also. I always took the trays out to move it, but I think with those extra pieces it would support the shelves when moving. They would also make it roll over the logs easier.

Good Luck and hope you have a Blessed Growing season.

                    Pictures of My New Greenhouse




When you got lemons you make lemonade. Had a shed and no flat ground so I adapted

A normal door would not do so I made a gravity controlled sliding door

How to Fix the Shooting Problem in America.

                       
          How to Fix the Shooting Problem in America.

                    

                                  Some people will say you can't do that.

                            Well if our Founding Father's thought that way,

                                   We would not be a nation today.

                              

                                   You have a problem, you fix it.     

                             Fixing the Gun Problem in America  

  The first thing we need to realize it is about saving lives, not controlling guns,

     

The recent school shooting in Florida broke a very sad record in America. It bumped Columbine from the top ten list of the worst school shootings. The problem is not guns. The two worst mass killings in America did not involve guns at all. Oklahoma City and 9/11 both happened without a shot being fired.  The problem is a lack of respect for the sanctity of life. As God has been removed from our society we have fallen into a state of Anarchy. The only way to restore order is to make consequences of civil disobedience so severe that no one wants to pay the price. Criminals have far more rights in the American justice system than the average citizen, and are better served by the court system. It is time to reverse the corruption in our system of government.  It can start by passing the laws recommended in this post, or we can sit by complacently till the talons of anarchy tear into our own lives. Congress can fix this problem. The right to own guns is given by the Constitution, therefore laws concerning their use should be Federal Laws and Crimes. About thirteen thousand five hundred people are killed by guns in America each year. Over one hundred people are shot every day, and over forty of them die every day. While school shootings focus our attention on the problem, there is a bigger problem.

    We might as well fix two problems while we are at it. Decriminalizing the use of plants will destroy the profit incentive which the drug culture is based on. The criminals who depend on the high profits will fade from existence just like the rum runners did at the end of Prohibiton. Another American mistake created by an incompetent government of the time.  Notice I did not say legalize. I said decriminalize because the laws concerning drugs should never have been passed in the first place. A little studying will make clear that growing plants is a God given right. A right validated in the Declaration of Independence which will open enough jail cells to start incarcerating people who violate the new laws I am proposing. The present drug laws are useless. The waste of money on agencies that only perpetuate their own existence thru incompetence and indifference is insane. It would be far cheaper for the government to grow and distribute pot to the abusers at a nominal fee which would eliminate the need to resort to criminal means to pay for their habits.

     Pot did not become illegal until the end of Prohibiton. The laws against pot were pushed by the alcohol industry who wanted their business back.  My grandfather who was a WW I veteran told my cousin and I that pot was the alternative high during Prohibition era and became very popular. The present drug enforcement system is an asinine use of our tax dollars. Nobody has ever overdosed on pot. They might die from doing something stupid on pot, but not from pot. That can be verified by the fact that it is legal to have up to two ounces of pot in your possession in Washington, D.C., which shows the hypocrisy of our government. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson both raised and sold marijuana on their farms. They both left detailed records of their farm operations. Probably did not sell it as pot, but as the raw material for making hemp rope, cloth and burning for heat. The financial benefits from job creation, product production and industrial potential, such as ethanol, far out weight the threat of a few thousand pot heads. God made clear in Genesis 1:29 that "all" plants bearing seed were for our use. The Declaration of Independence makes clear we have rights given by our creator.  In Genesis 1:31 God said he had finished creation and it was good. He definitely knew the potential for misuse. It must not have bothered him. Alcohol is a far bigger problem for mankind but Jesus turned water into wine. So was Jesus wrong. Our priorities are a little messed up.

     So what is the solution?  God gave clear directions about the price of taking a life. He did not hedge, he made it clear in Genesis 9:5-6

           I created humans to be like me, and I will punish any animal or person that takes a human life. If an animal kills someone, that animal must die. And if a person takes the life of another, that person must be put to death.

     The laws I am recommending are what God commanded and will go a long way to fixing the problems in America. The problem in America is not guns. It is a lack of the respect for the sanctity of life. A lack of respect reflected in the abortion industry, another crime that God recommends capital punishment for. There are several more offenses that God recommends capital punishment for. If all the laws were enforced it would probably reduce our population by over fifty percent. My goal however is not to kill people but to make sure that the right to life is held sacred as God proposed it. Many of the crimes are moral and can be debated. The taking of a life which is God given is a crime against God. Therefore what God says is just, and is not excessive. Not enforcing what God says is a crime against mankind is a lack of responsibility. The removal from society is not excessive, but an obligation for the safety of the rest of mankind. If someone sticks a gun in your face and threatens to blow your brains out would you want him roaming the streets.                                                                                                                           

     The Declaration of Independence says we have a God given right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Therefore anyone taking away those rights should answer to God and the punishment he commands. That being said, when I look at the crime in America it is easy to see that the main cause of most of our crimes is a lack of respect for the sanctity of life. Our government has created an environment that promotes the problems facing America today. The government has created a society that does not promote self- sufficiency.  What we have instead is a valueless dependent class. One that has no respect for law and order, but are a law onto themselves.

      Many I have talked to say my recommendations will never stand a chance. Well America is at a point that this is the only hope of saving our nation. If it is not done it will lead to the only other alternative mentioned in the Declaration of Independence and that is the overthrow of the government and rebuilding of our country. With almost as many guns as people in this country, the thought of revolution is not a choice I care to see America make.

                                 The Right to Bear Arms

     The right to bear arms is a birth right of the American people. In the movie the Patriot when his home is burnt by the British, he runs into the burning home and saves his guns. He had four sons and he had guns for each of them.  It made an interesting point as they had been taught how to use them at a very young age.

   Over the last two hundred years guns have evolved.  The Constitution was made to be adjusted over time.  It is time for the Amendment to be amended to reflect the world we live in now.  There are definitely two classes of guns and they should be clearly defined. The original weapons will still do what they were intended for. They will still provide for our security.  This category I call Constitutional Weapons.  In this day and age there is need for a second class of weapons.  Just for the record the majority of all capital crimes are committed with what I call Constitutional weapons. Revolver pistols would be exempt from license as Constitutional Weapons and would be exempt from taxation. Semiautomatics however fall into the category of Recreational weapons.

 

                           Weapons need to be put into two categories.

     Constitutional Weapons, in this category would be muzzle loaders, like the ones that were used to gain our freedom from Great Britain. It would also include shotguns, breach action guns, pump shotguns, lever action guns, revolvers and any other weapon that requires a break in firing between rounds. Most of the deaths in America happen from these kinds of guns, mass shootings happen with guns in the next category.

      Recreational Weapons, in this category are all weapons that can be fired continuously by simply pulling the trigger. All recreational weapons would be licensed and taxed annually just like cars. If I have to license my recreational canoe, gun owners should be forced to do likewise. There will be no licenses, limitation, or fees placed on Constitutional weapons.

    The nonregistration of Constitutional weapons means they are not in a database and no one can go on a computer and see how many weapons you have. Some of the single shot Constitutional weapons are accurate at two miles away. The skill of the marksman will accomplish as much or more than filling the air with bullets. This does not control or take away gun rights. The Federal government has already done that in banning the ownership of certain types of weapons, like machine guns. Licensing guns is not unfair, the government already licenses cars, boats, planes and many other things. In Indiana even horse and buggies are not exempt from the requirement, the Amish have to plate their vehicles.

     This may not solve the gun problem but it will make those who have the weapons responsible for paying the fees that help finance the programs to fix America.  The fees can be used to create a better system of controls, background checks, mental evaluations, security systems in our schools.

   This is my view on the matter my view is to buy a gun you must show proof of citizenship. Gun ownership is guaranteed to Americans. If you are not a citizen you have no right to a gun by my opinion, but that is my view on the matter

                          Laws to Fix the Problem

Law #1 Commission of a crime with a gun will result in a Federal Felony Conviction and no less than ten years in prison. The punishment is for having a gun during the commission of a crime. The issue is not whether the person used weapon but that they had it in their possession.

Law #2 Use of a weapon causing bodily injury will result in a minimum sentence of forty years to life.  If a life is taken it will result in a life sentence without parole. There will be no plea bargains allowed.  This is a just law. It is not cruel and unusual punishment. Releasing a known predator back into society, would be cruel and unusual.

The right to self-defense and protecting one’s life, family and property may make exceptions to the mandatory penalty, but only from provable self-defense.

These sentences are not unfair. It should not be a problem as killing people and robbery are not the intent of honest gun owners. In England police officers do not even carry guns. Their view is that they are to serve the public, not to suppress the public. England averages about 40- 60 gun deaths per year, which are mostly suicides.  In 2014 the number of gun deaths in Japan was six. Seems to me we have a problem with a lack of respect for life in America.

    Once the public sees that this is the law and it starts being enforced I assure you the crime rate will drop.  The multiple offenders will not be released to prey on society. They will be removed from society. When people understand that picking up a gun requires one to be responsible for ones actions and that the misuse of a weapon will cost them dearly, attitudes will change. A respect for life is the only cure for the problem America is facing. A lack of moral values is the source of the problem.

Providence or Coincidence

                      Providence or Coincidence

     Sometimes life throws us curve balls we don’t plan on. I have been dead twice already, but that was fourteen years ago. As you will read later in this post, I think I will be here for the rapture, but it better get here pretty quick. I am receiving Agent Orange Compensation for my heart condition, also was diagnosed with congestive heart failure.  My mobility has really gone downhill the last three years.  It has reached the point I use the electric carts at Walmart.  I remember thinking those people need to get up and exercise, but now I realize that is not always possible.

      My daughter tells me I need to exercise and I tell her if it was that simple the government would not be giving me the money they are. My answer to those people now is, “ You know how you feel when you want to do that one extra rep and it is just not there, Well that is the way I feel as soon as I standup.  At seventy plus years old I have several other problems also. Obesity is a big part of it. In the past right before my heart attack I lost 90 pounds, but now not being able to exercise it is a lot harder.  I need to try though as part of the “vision” I had requires me to be walking.  So if I am going to be here for the rapture it needs to be getting here.  My walking is up to a mile at a time now. I have to use my walker with a seat to get it done, but I am walking. With this virus and as susceptable as I am with several respiratory issues I won't survive it if exposed.

    In the course of writing this I learned something else I had never noticed before. You will see why I find April Fool’s Day significant when you read the story, but I just learned some more trivia on the matter. Well Easter and April Fool’s Day are on the same day this year.  Checking Google to see how often that happens, it seems the last time was in 1956, which is a bit ironic. I have a brother who is 10 years younger than me and born in December 1956. That means, counting back nine months he was conceived around Easter1956. It sure surprised my parents, as they were told my Mom could have no more children after I was born.  I almost killed my Mom kicking my way out. The irony in it is that I find Easter and April Fool’s Day have been significant in my life more than once and at seventy plus years of age I just realized that.

                                               A Vision?

       In January, 1967, I went to bed, and, best as I can remember, everything was normal.  I had not been drinking nor doing drugs. I did at that point drink sometimes, but I had never tried drugs other than those prescribed by a doctor.  The next thing I knew, I was standing at the window of my room in the barracks looking out.  The window was open, and it was a nice spring like night.  As I looked, I saw two people walking down the street across from the barracks.  All of sudden, I realized one of the two people was me. I was telling the person with me about the Bible and the coming of the Lord.

      It was or seemed like a spring like night. One thing I noticed was that I had this peace about me. It was a peace that surpassed all understanding.  It was a peace to the core of my being.   Believe me, that was not the state of my life at that moment in time.  The next thing I knew, the heavens parted and I saw Christ coming forth on a white horse, with an Army in white, and a golden staircase preceded him. Trumpets blared, and the earth shook, and people started running in all directions and screaming.  Again I noticed that peace about me. All of a sudden, it was over.

        The next thing I knew, I was standing at the window and looking out. However, it was not a spring like night.  It was blowing snow and freezing cold, and about six inches or more of snow was on the ground.  I stood there a couple of minutes kind of dumbfounded by my experience. I looked around the room. The light was on.  It was a four man room, but all my roommates were gone.  It was very late. I closed the window and watched as a couple of cars passed by.  Slowly, I went back to my bed, turning the light off on the way.

  

      I laid there and tried to absorb what I had just experienced.  It was some time later when one of my roommates came in.  That was a relief.  It was not the rapture, and I had not been left behind.  I remember his asking if I was okay.  I said yes, but wondered if my voice betrayed my concern. He never mentioned it again.  Sleep was hard coming, but sometime later it overtook me.

        The next day I talked to Allan who lived in the next room.  That was his last name, at least I think it was, and I do not remember his first.  After all, it was forty plus years in January.  That is not an excuse, because I can close my eyes and replay that moment almost as vividly as the moment it happened.  It had not been my custom to talk to Allan; in fact, he was almost a social leper. He was a born again, Bible thumping Christian.  In the course of the day, I managed to get alone with Allan and discuss my “experience” with him.  He seemed to tolerate me.  While I had not played any of the tricks on him that the others had, I had not shown any sympathy or compassion either.  His main advice was to pray on the matter.

        While I did not do much praying, I did consult a Bible.  My success was limited to a verse a member of our church had written in the Bible before giving it to me on my return from Bible camp. It was Proverbs, chapter three, and verses five and six.  Since that day, they have become my life verses.  The fact I still had that Bible was a miracle in itself.  At that moment in time, it was my Rock of Gibraltar. It was all I had to cling to.  It was the needle that led me out of the haystack of confusion, although it was some time before I truly even grasped its significance.

      Slowly, I came to the conclusion that the Rapture was going to be in the spring.  So I came up with my plan.  Like Jonah, I ran.  I volunteered for Vietnam.  In my peanut brain and higher logic, I expected God to put everything on hold while I went to Vietnam. Spring came and went, and I was still in Germany.  Finally, in May, I got my orders for Vietnam and had to wait till the 20th of June, 1967 to leave.  In my job as a parachute rigger, I thought I was going to go straight to Israel instead. God was playing a trump card and sending me straight to Armageddon. Let me say that Israel was going to have backup if they needed it. The Israeli Six Day War came and went though, and off I went to Vietnam, with a short stay at home in the states.

       After forty-five days at home, it was time to go on to Vietnam and my appointment with destiny.  My year in Vietnam was a strange one to say the least.  It turned out to be more of a Jonah experience than I realized.  The units I was assigned to were over- staffed.  Upon arriving at the 101st Airborne in Phan Rang, I spent ninety days guarding water pumps for the Air Force.  After that, I returned to my unit, only to be transferred to Cam Ranh Bay.   Shortly after arriving there, it was my privilege to again be sent on temporary duty.  I managed to survive three months of driving convoys up and down the coast on Highway One.  Little did I know that this would open a door later in my life . Finally, when the Tet Offensive started in February of l968, it was my chance to perform in the field the Army had trained me for at great expense.  Many units were cut off and completely surrounded, our job became vital. We were returned to our home units.  Supply by sky, or by parachute specifically, became the sole means of getting supplies and equipment to many units. It was around the clock work for almost sixty days.

      Finally, my time in Vietnam came to an end.  When I had volunteered for Vietnam, it was really to get back to the states a little quicker.  At this point, I need to give a little background as to how I got to Germany the first time.  I had reenlisted to go to France, and upon getting there in September of 1966, my dream got cut short.  French President De Gaulle told the Americans to leave.  You know who left with the advance party.  Not being impressed with Germany helped me make my decision to volunteer for Vietnam.  The vision or dream I had also helped encourage me to leave. Otherwise I would have spent three years in Germany and then my last year in the States.  However, by going to Vietnam, I would get back to the States almost two years earlier and finish my time there.

      It almost worked.  I did go back to the States after leaving Vietnam, and spent almost eight months in a heavenly place known as Fort Bragg, North Carolina.  It was not Germany, and it definitely was not Vietnam, so for the time being I was happy.   At least till February of 1969, when I got orders to go back to Germany.  It was funny how Germany no longer seemed like such a bad deal.  After all, I was not going back to the same unit I had left.  At the time, there were only two company size units with my job specialty in Europe. At least I was not going back to Idar.

      As they say, God works in mysterious ways His wonders to perform.  My time flew by, and I took my short leave and off to Germany I went. Arriving at the airport of Rhine-Main in Germany, I got off the plane still in a fairly exuberant mood. The Rapture had not happened, and I was back in Germany, but not where I was before. As I exited the terminal a young specialist walked up to me.  He asked my name.  He was there to pick me up.  Well, first, they do not send a jeep to pick up a specialist, and secondly, he was not wearing an Eighth Division patch.  He was wearing the patch of the unit I had left almost two years before. In short order, I explained these minute details to him.

       He smiled and handed me my “new orders” explaining I had been transferred en route back to my old unit.  My cheeriness of moments before was gone.   Getting my bags and the almost three hour drive back to my unit was all a blur, and truly hardly any of it is remembered.  My conversation was mechanical, as I was lost in deep thought all the way.  How could this be, I kept asking myself.  Finally, we arrived, and I came out of my stupor.  There were a lot of smiling faces, a lot of back slapping and shaking hands.  The job field I was in was small.  After just four years in the Army, I had served with and went to school with many of the soldiers greeting me.  Also, as I said, it was a three- year tour, and I had only been gone two years. So some of the faces were familiar from when I had left.

       It was almost surreal as I came “home” the conquering hero.  They carried my bags in and took me to the First Sergeant and introduced me.  He shook hands and welcomed me to the unit.  Then he explained he would get someone to take me to my room.  I remember telling him that would not be necessary as I knew where I was going.  He explained that was impossible as he had not even told the clerk where he was putting me yet.  I smiled and looked at him, and by this time I knew where this journey would end.  I had literally gone clear around the world and was back in the same Company, in the same barracks, on the same floor and in the same room.  I explained to him my room was the second from the end on the right.   He looked at me puzzled.  I just smiled back and left with my entourage.

     As I reached the room, I opened the door and looked in. The bed on the right was taken the two by the windows were also taken.  Finally, I looked behind the door and sure enough the bed and wall locker were empty.  I had gone all the ways around the world to come back to the very same bed and wall locker I had left almost two years before. However it hit me that God does have a sense of humor.  The day I arrived was April 1 1969.  At that point, I became a little overwhelmed by it all.  I asked all the people to give me a few minutes alone.  I sat down on the bunk and leaned back against the wall.

       Many might dismiss all this as coincidence, but I felt God had actually showed me the reality of his Being.  As I sat, there I told God, “I do not know what all this is about. I will not be a hypocrite and get down on the floor and plead and beg. But I know now you are real and there is a meaning and a purpose to all this. I intend to continue on with my life, and, when it is time, you give me direction.  I will do whatever it is you want me to do. I do not know what it is, but I will do it.  My life is in your hands; do with me as you please.  When you call I pray, I have the wisdom to answer.  The call came in April of the year 1984.  At least the call to start turning my life around and get some direction to it seemed pretty clear at that point.

      That moment is also etched in my mind and was a moving experience.  However, this whole thing is not about me. It is about knowing God and His Word and having the faith to live by that Word.  In the course of this testimony, I left out a lot of the details, because, while they are important to me, they are not what this is all about.  It is about a revelation I have had over the years in my time in the Word of God.  There is nothing new here that has not been there all the time.  It is just looking at it all from a different perspective and saying why is this here?  What does it actually mean?

       To me, it means if we are willing to get into and truly search his Word, the answers are there.  The whole plan is laid out for us to see.  We just need to open our eyes.  The stories are not for entertainment, but for enlightenment.  All I am about write and explain came from asking God to answer one simple question.  He has been over twenty years answering it.  The answer gets more and more detailed as time goes on.

       Many years ago, when I first started walking the way the Lord wanted me to walk, at least I felt it was the way he wanted me to walk, many things troubled my mind.  Some things I could not grasp. Had I any clue how detailed the answer would be I might have tried to change my profession, had I felt called in that way.  To this day I have not felt called, just blessed.  At least that was the way it was till I started this project.  This has become a consuming fire.  Often I wonder if I have waited too long or put it off too long, but I do not feel that is the case. There is a purpose to all that God does, and, after, all this time I know He would have put a boot under me or sent the message to another.  Only time will tell, but it is my belief I will be here for the rapture.  Sooner or later “it will happen.”  My belief is that we are closer to sooner than we are to later.  My recurring question is, will I know that person I was walking with in my vision when I meet him?

     There is a certain irony about all of this. At the time I had my heart attack I had that peace about me. Over the last fourteen years it has been a struggle, but I have finally returned to that point in life. The last fourteen years have allowed me to share my experiences with others.  Hopefully inspiring them to trust and follow God. The Lord has prepared my path and I am ready to follow it wherever it leads me. Having lived my life in Gabbatha,  You will find that in John 19:13 and it is only used one time in the Bible, it means the pavement, which means the place of judgment.  We will be judged by how we have walked our lives.

How to Fix America and Our Problems,, The C.A.R.P. Party Platform

                                       WARNING   
   Before you read my rant check out Webster's definition of Carp. You can then skip to the main part by skipping to the first break after my rant. The following link will take you to my political platform  https://carpforamerica.blogspot.com/2019/03/politics-end-insanitythere-is.html


                               Author's Rant 

     Recent events have made me add this short forward to the following post as these events make clear why we need to fix things in America. (Forward 972 words and explains why we need change, Post total 3292 words which lays out solutions on how to fix the problems America needs to fix.)

     The recent school shooting in Florida broke a very sad record in America. It bumped Columbine from the top ten list of the worst school shootings. The problem is not guns. The two worst mass killings in America did not involve guns at all. Oklahoma City and 9/11 both happened without a shot being fired.  The problem is a lack of respect for the sanctity of life. As God has been removed from our society we have fallen into a state of Anarchy. 

     The only way to restore order is to make the consequences of civil disobedience so severe that no one wants to pay the price. Criminals have more rights in America than the average citizen, and is better served by the court system. It is time to reverse the corruption of our system of government. It can start by passing laws recommended in this post, or we can sit by complacently till the the talons of anarchy tear into our own lives.

     Congress can fix this problem bymaking some drastic changes. They could start by decriminalizing marijana which will open enough prison cells to start incarcerating the people who violate the tougher new laws. Our present drug laws are useless and a waste of money on agencies that only perpetuate their own existence thru incompetence and indifference. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson both raised and sold marijuana on their farms. The financial and beneficial job creation from regulation instead criminalization, will manifest itself in the form of job creation, product production and industrial potential which far outweight the threat of a few thousand pot heads. God made clear in Genesis 1;29 that all plants bearing seed were for our use.  In Genesis 1:31 God said he had finished creation and it was good.

      Most people have seen the scenes of plastic polluting the ocean. There are ways to turn that around. One group built a solar powered skimmer that can remove debris from the ocean, A better solution is to solve the problem before it gets there. Hemp based materials could be made into trash bags which are biodegradable. In Canada a company made the body of a car from hemp based materials. These changes would reduce the demand for petroleum based materials. Reducing the pollution from the plastics manufacturing process.

   For those who think this is the raving of a wannabe pothead, I am seventy plus and have to leave the room when people are smoking legal stuff as I can't get my breath. My goal is to put an end to the evil that is slowly taking over our system of government. Getting back on track God definitely knows the potential for misuse. He must have believed we would act responsibly. Alcohol is a far bigger problem for mankind than pot,but Jesus turned water into wine. So was Jesus wrong? Or are our priorities a little messed up  God gave directions about what to do when a life is taken. He did not hedge, he made it clear in Genesis 9:5-6 
           I created humans to be like me, and I will punish any animal or person that takes a human life. If an animal kills someone, that animal must die. And if a person takes the life of another, that person must be put to death. 

     The laws I am recommending are what God commanded. They at least use his guidance for creating our laws. 



                                How to Fix America

    The recent tax fiasco proved to me that America is totally broke and needs a major overhaul. The last election set the stage and from there it has been steadily downhill. When Congress can add one and a half trillion dollars to the national debt and call it a tax cut I realize they are delusional. The fact that the professing Republi-can’ts, which is my term for Republicans, put the weight of the party behind a man who is neither, a politician nor a Republican, show me that keeping control of the White House outweighs the needs of America.

     The reason for calling them Republi-can’ts is pretty simple, they can’t fix the budget, they can’t fix healthcare, they can’t fix the immigration problem, and they can’t stop spending money the government does not have to spend.  While blaming it on the Dum-Ol‑Craps, another party with a ton of problems of their own.

    Recently we watched as the Republi-can’t  Congress showed that they truly have no conscience, morals or values as they stood on the steps of the White House and kissed a Pig’s Ears. If you raise the national debt by one and a half trillion dollars over ten years that is not a tax cut in any way, shape or form. At its best, it is a case of slopping the hog trough of the wealthy at taxpayer expense. The true picture of how abominable of a deal it is can be seen in the fact that they failed to pass a health care bill. The results of which will leave over nine million children without health care coverage. Not to preach but that action goes against the principles this nation was founded on. One of the duties given to Congress by the Constitution is to provide for the welfare (as defined by Webster) of America. When I think of welfare it does not include the rich. The following Biblical quote shows who it should include and the price that will be paid, it also addresses the issue of immigrants.

   

        Exodus 21Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. 22Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child. 23If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry; 24And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.

   The vote on the tax bill shows that neither party has a viable solution to the problems facing America. Supposedly the definition of insanity is doing something the same way over and over and expecting to get a different result. If that is the case, America is insane and needs other parties to change the direction things are going.

     The Declaration of Independence states,  Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

      It also says. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,

     America has come to a point where it is our duty to fix the system. It can be done by either creating new parties with more reasoned solutions to America’s problems or rising up in revolution. While I prefer the former, my opinion is that the present direction of our government will lead to its inevitable collapse.

     My solution to the problem is to create my own party which I call the Constitutional Antifederalist Reform Party or CARP, the acronym is pretty much self-explanatory just check out Webster if you don’t get it. My party believes the Constitution rules and state’s rights are equal to the federal government. It is our opinion that the Federal government has managed the government to their advantage. There was no West Virginia before the Civil War which was created by secession.  Which is something the Federal Government holds to be wrong, unless it is in their favor. The following solutions are based on the Constitution.

      The Constitution gives Congress three duties.  1. They are to levy taxes and pay the bills of the United States. 2. They are to provide for the security of the United States.  3. They are also supposed to provide for the Welfare and infrastructure of the United States. While it is not stated I believe the Founding Fathers expected the Congress to keep a balanced budget also, but nowhere does it state they are to lavish wealth and benefits on the wealthy.

    The need to create taxes and the authority is not contested. While the government is to provide the funds to operate the government, it should also account for how those funds are to be disbursed in a clear and concise budget which is a matter of the public record. The following views, ideas and suggestions are what I view as part of the platform for CARP. Anyone and any party is welcome to share the ideas and push to get them implemented which might save America from collapsing under the weight of the presently mismanaged system.

                                                     Article 1

    The expenditures of government funds need to be done in compliance with the directives of the Constitution. The first order of business is to raise and fund a military. The first expenditure should be the pensions of those who served our country.  The 1st priority should be given to disability payments of those who served and were disabled while on active duty. The 2^nd priority should be to the pensions of those who are retired from military service. The 3^rd item is the payroll of the active duty soldiers and military. The 4^th is the expenditure for equipment and supplies necessary for the defense of our nation.

                                                    Article 2

     The government is commanded to provide for the welfare of the people in this country.  I prefer to use Webster’s definition of welfare, which is far closer to our Founding Father’s definition than Congress. Therefore the first article to be taken care of by welfare is the healthcare of every citizen. Healthcare for every citizen is a duty of government. We need to get the insurance companies out of the healthcare business. Their only goal is to maximize their profits. Healing the sick is not even part of their equation.

    As far as I am concerned there are two possible ways to accomplish this.  One is to expand the present social security deduction to ten percent and remove the present caps. The reason for this is that those who are Blessed and have profited from the system are helping those who provided the labor to get them to where they are at. You don't quit giving ten percent to God and the church, you should not quit giving to the retirement and halthcare system either as long as you are alive to enjoy its benefits. The retirement system would remain the same except for the removal of the caps. The difference between social security and the ten percent would be used to provide healthcare for the needy. If that amount will not cover the healthcare a new ten percent tax should be levied just for that purpose and the social security system should be left as is. A federal law should be made and enforced that the federal government may not borrow funds from the retirement fund and within ten years all funds that have been borrowed must be repaid. Those actions should secure the social security system. Removing the caps on the system will let the wealthy pay a fair amount into the system. The rich use the infrastructure just as do the poor, but they pay virtually nothing into the system.

       Figuring out which system works would be the requirement of government. Those who are not working will be able to apply for government housing and food cards.  They will not receive money from the government as long as they are dependent on the system for food and housing.   They will have medical coverage so they should survive. It is not the responsibility of the government to provide luxury like television and internet.  Whichever system is chosen all members of the government must be under the same system as the general populace. They are not entitled to a special system of their own.

 

                                                  Article 3

    To fix and maintain the infrastructure system one half of all business taxes collected shall be spent on maintenance and upkeep of the interstate system. The money spent in this manner will create jobs and income from those jobs will in turn be taxed.

 

                                                Article 4

4a. Weapons will be put into two categories.

Constitutional weapons, in this category would be muzzle loaders, like the ones that were used to gain our freedom from Great Britain. It would also include shotguns, breach action guns, pump shotguns, lever action guns, revolvers and any other weapons that requires a break in firing between rounds.

Recreational Weapons, in this category are all weapons that can be fired continuously by simply pulling the trigger. All recreational weapons would be licensed and taxed annually just like cars. If I have to license my recreational canoe, gun owners should be forced to do likewise. There will be no licenses, limitation, or fees placed on Constitutional weapons.

The nonregistration of Constitutional weapons means they are not in a database and no one can go on a computer and see how many weapons you have. Some of the single shot Constitutional weapons are accurate at two miles away. The skill of the marksman will accomplish as much or more than filling the air with bullets. This does not control or take away gun rights. The Federal government has already done that in banning the ownership of certain types of weapons, like machine guns. Licensing guns is not unfair, the government already licenses cars, boats, planes and many other things. In Indiana even horse and buggies are not exempt from the requirement, the Amish have to plate their vehicles.

This may not solve the gun problem but it will make those who have weapons responsible for paying the fees that help finance the programs

4.b Commission of a crime with a gun will result in a Federal Felony Conviction and no less that ten years in prison.

4.c use of a weapon causing bodily injury will result in a sentence of forty years to life,  If a life is taken it will result in a life sentence without parole.

These sentences are not unfair. It should not be a problem as killing people and robbery are not the intent of honest gun owners. In England police officers do not even carry guns. Their view is that they are to serve the public, not to suppress the public. England averages about 40- 60 gun deaths per year, which are mostly suicides.  In 2014 the number of gun deaths in Japan was six. Seems to me we have a problem with a lack of respect for life in America.

                                                 Article 5

I want to preface this article with something that should be considered. Jesus turned water into wine. Surely he knew the dangers of alcohol. Proverbs 31:4-9 address the use of alcohol, the Bible does not ban it. It does command the wise use of alcohol for specific purposes.  God created all plants and said they were made for our good. The abuse and misuse will happen of almost anything given the opportunity. Cars and guns are perfect examples, they can save lives or they can take lives. Which happens is determined by the one using them.

All seed bearing plants will be legal and will be decriminalized. Genesis 1:29 states man has the right to use all plants bearing seeds and in verse 31 God looked on what he had created and said it was good. It is if used for what its function was meant to be. Each state will be able to make and enforce its own laws, which is the way it should be. Most of the illegal crops can be used to make beneficial products from rope, clothing and building materials. While cutting down and in some cases replacing many of the petroleum based products like nylon used in carpets and clothes.  The industry and jobs created will more than replace the cost of incarcerating addicts. People in prison for drugs will be released and offered treatment.

Decriminalizing plant based drugs does not mean that they can’t be regulated. In fact regulation to collect taxes on commercial products and make sure drugs are grown safely and not polluted just to make and extra dollar will be necessary. Every citizen has the right to grow anything they want "for their own perssonal use"

While heroin and cocaine are made from plant based products they are manmade.

Manmade products should be manufactured under license from the government. Those making and selling drugs without a license should be charged with attempted murder. With the number of overdose deaths that is not an unfair charge. I would recommend a sentence of forty years to life.  The penal institution will be the final authority if a person is rehabilitated or not. A second offense is a mandatory life sentence.

These points don’t fix all the problems but sure give a good start.

1. Congress should be required to put forth a balanced budget.

2. Congress should be required to pay off all of this nation’s debt within ten years.

3.  Create a national healthcare system which all people can use and the Congress must use the same system.

4. Congress should put forward and amendment to the Constitution to do away with the Electoral College. When it was created it took weeks to cross the country and served a purpose to complete an election expeditiously.  Today the outcome can be determined in hours and as our most recent election showed it is no longer needed. In this day and age it is used to manipulate the outcome.

5. When it comes to the issue of abortion.  It should be strictly between a woman and her physician.  The government should have no role in the matter, including the paying for an operation that is made by choice.

                                                  Article 6

The Supreme Court should be reduced to its original seven members. This should be done by attrition. The judges should also be forced to retire at eighty years of age.

                                                   In Conclusion

     While I cover a number of points, there is only one that matters, either this nation turns back to God, or God will turn his back on this nation. The rainbow was created by God to show his mercy. Gays have corrupted it into a banner for lifestyle that does not agree with Christianity or the values it holds. Their lifestyle choice ensures them a trip to hell, but that is their choice. The Bible says EVERY KNEE,  will bow before God, they can argue they won't bow, or hell does not exist. They are the ones who have to live with the consequences of their actions, that is a choice every person must make.