Congress, the auto industry and the American way

You know, what congress is asking for from the auto industry is good but it should have been done when they ggave the 700 billion to the stinking financial and insurance guys that are blowing their gifts of cash on parties, not once or twice but real multiple times. STILL, no one is held accountable either in those companies or congress for that money. That's because they have egg on their faces. Yet, the auto industry can't even get a few million without deep interrogation and finger pointing. I wonder, how many of those in congress own an American car. They keep blasting the quality, hell, they don't know the quality. GM itself is above many foreign autos now in quality. The days of buy it on Saturday and take it back on Monday for warranty issues are long gone. Toyota just had a recall. Has anyone paid attention?

Congress is like so many people and they are just people. They rallied around an issue and almost 100% at the time were in favor of the action to be taken. Some since, have stood back and wondered or even denied being part of it. NOT enough questions were asked at the time. I'm glad and proud to say that no matter how many pictures Colon Powell showed me of some image and said it was a manufacturing facility, I didn't believe it. I didn't have x-ray vision. You have obviously guessed what I am talking about by now. The Irag war. Well, now Congress wants to ask questions but approx. a month ago when they became the cash cows for the financial and insurance groups, they, in all their wisdom couldn't stop and ask questions. Now that they have been taken for some sort of a ride they are going to ask questions and rightfully so, but... Time is of essence. GM, Ford and Chrysler need to get off their butts and give the real answers.

By the way, GM has more hybrids in it's stable than anyone I do believe. Have you looked at the American auto line up of small cars today and what is coming out? Go buy a magazine and read; Automobile, Auto Weekly, Road & Track and many more. Have you looked at the size of the foreign autos and checked out their mpg? This is NOT an auto industry issue as to why but an American issue as to wanting the BIG vehicle. Size, horsepower and torque.......the American way.

In Flight

Surpised me so I have shutter stutter, or shake, or the nervous hand.
Big red truck that startled the bird can be seen in the water reflection.
Running to take-off again.
Landing

Not much to write, self explanatory.

It's Dinner Time

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1) Scouting out dinner. 2) Striking out for dinner. 3) Positioning the little fish.
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4) Swallowing the little fish.

A Blue Heron landed in the pond behind our house today so I took some pictures, 90 to be exact. I've sense narrowed that down to something like 70 or so with more to go. I was afraid to try to go out for several reasons. First would be the obvious, startling the bird and second would be I didn't know if I would have enough time. The last time one of these birds came it didn't stay long. It was a younger bird. This one got scared by a big truck and flew a hundred feet away but then walked back and started feeding again. I will post some of the in flight shots. I must say, my pictures don't do the wingspan justice. It actually got spooked twice so I do have a couple of angles. Stay tuned for updates.

Sink and mirror installed

The sink and mirror for the bath are installed. Found a small sink with wainscoting on it to match the lower part of the walls in the bath. The faucet matches the light fixture that came out of the hall bath upstairs and this faucet came with a handle selection. We haven't decided whether the white one on the left or the all metal look as on the right is t he correct one for this room. Open for suggestions. Doesn't mean they will be used but if the suggestion is made with a point of interest than it will definitely be used in are process of elimination. Go ahead and post your thoughts or call, if you know the number.

Running supply lines and drain.

It looks nuts in the first and second photo but the hot and cold actually cross. Two reasons here, first when I looked at it from the back side I put the cold on the left and the hot on the right side of the stud. You wouldn't know that I flew radio control airplanes where you have to be able to think in reverse. Secondly, I actually had to run the tap ins on the main lines due to space of where I could get on the pipe with the size of fittings I had. I had 1 3/4 x 3/4 x 1/2 inch 'T' because the supply to the hot water heater was 3/4" but the hot water was reduced in this area to 1/2" thus I had to put a 1/2 x 1/2 x 1/2 inch 'T' in and it was right across from the stud. Lack of room available in the area meant that the cold water had to cross the hot. It is just an asthetic thing and I am all about the neatness of a job. It's my construction background I guess.

The third and fourth photos show the complete feed to the sink, the toilet and a maintenance line to fill the sump pump pit. This allows me to be sure the check vavles are funtioning properly as well as the battery backup system.

The worst part of this was either the three trips to the supply store or the fumes from the glue. I had a guy that was a retired plumber help me pick out my parts. He said that everything he does, including plumbing jobs, requires three trips. He was right almost. Mine took three trips but had a neighbor not had three foot of pipe and one elbow I would have made the fourth trip. This little job took twenty-four foot of pipe. I had absolutely NO scrap.

Production line and offset

Here we have our wainscoting painting facility in operation. We could get 4 boards at a time. The third picture is a better shot at the offsets that had to be made for the Ryan mistake. Coming from the back corner where the sump pump sits on the otherside of the wall we have approximately a 36" wall then a 10" offset then a 22" wall and then a 3.5" offset and then lastly where a pedistal sink will sit is a 37" wall. Not bad for an electrician by trade and an amature wannabe carpenter eh!

Paint and Trim Transition

As you can see the ceiling and the walls color is the same so to break up the supper cave effect we put cove molding at the ceiling and wainscoting on the lower portion of the wall with chair molding on top with white base boards.