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Lowell Tuttle

David.  I have a "rating" at TWC upon which I am taxed, up to the first 9,000 of each employee.  Since I have never laid off an employee, I have the lowest unemployment insurance rate in Texas.  It's about 60.00 a year.

I was wondering about this.  If you laid off 1000 or 2000 or 3000 workers, it would seem the tax rate would go way up in the future for a time.

Also, I believe they suspended the requirement for employees to seek employment.   If you don't seek out another job, supposedly, you are not allowed to collect unemployment any longer. 

I think unemployment cuts off after 26 weeks.  The employer pays a higher tax for layijng people off.  I think it is close to 50% of salary with a maximum of 520 a week or so.

Hollis Carolyn Heyn

David Cordell

I dunno, Hollis. It seems like all the rules for everything have changed.

But here is something that cheered me up today.

. 

Steve Keene

Hollis,

Though you are right in theory, ugly big government is so much better at passing out largesse than accounting for the fact that it was given out haphazardly with no accountability.  Many of the government employees were pulled from other tasks or hired as temporary workers to be able to handle the volume of benefits claimed.  Preference as usual was given to minorities and probably even illegals to pass out this wad of cash.  If there was ever a time for an individual to get back part of what has been stolen from him by big government over the years, this is the perfect scenario.  Don't you know the new employees attended training seminars on how to write checks and direct deposit money and there was little time, with the clamor for aid, to teach the more important ideas of distributing the money wisely.  If they spot check for correct dispersals you can bet there would be thousands that go unchecked.  Additionally, a report of the number of false claims or overclaims would have to be generated and would hang around the neck like an albatross for those spendthrift politicians who would see themselves be reelected for their generosity and brilliance.

Steve Keene

Lowell

The current Covid-19 disaster bill signed by the Republican Senate and the Democrat House provided for 39 weeks of unemployment.   The new 3 trillion dollar relief bill proposed by your pinup girl Nancy Pelosi proposes unemployment benefits all the way to January 1, 2021.

"It is the duty of every Patriot to protect his country from its government."

Thomas Paine

Jerry May

Lance,

Can't remember the day.....but I also thought of Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet band.

I have a live one from Detroit. Not ONE song is bad!

Steve Keene

Jerry

When looking at places I would like to travel Bob Segar had me investigating Kathmandu.  After checking the weather and the lack of oxygen I decided a better alternative was Marrakesh.

Wayne Gary

Janalu,

The comment about the Thunderbirds and thier noise.

During the Iraq war a squad of american soldiers were surronded by enimy and the air cover could not strike the enemy so the pilot went into a supersonic dive toward the fight and pulled out close to the ground "throwing" the sonic boom into the fight.  The enemy was so stunned it allowed the americans to excape.  No bombs dropped but noise did the trick.

A few years ago I was at US Naval Air Station Dallas (Hensley Field) when 4 Marine FA18s took off one at a time about 15 -20 seconds apart.  As each plane roared off they triggered a car alarm.  As soon as the alarm silenced the next plane took off and triggered the alarm again. I thought it was neat.

Janalu Jeanes (Parchman)

Wayne,

Very interesting and funny too!  Your ancedotes are always pleasant to read and offer good common sense.

When I hear you speak, it is like I'm having conversations with my relatives who always gave reasoned advice and told me of their lifetime experiences, making certain meaningful points.

Bruce Mundy

My brother Perry Mundy lives on the same block or area as Bob Segar. He saw him out walking his dog one night and they have become friends. I believe they ride bikes together and Bob has given him back stage passes  at some of his concerts which include as you can imagine some all night parties. The deal is Perry lives in a 500 sq ft cabin and Bob lives in a 60,000 sq ft mansion. 

Jerry May

Well...as long as we're on  Bob Seger.....this one is one of my favs from that same live album. I found my CD

of it.

If you hang with this one......it JAMS. Plus, you can almost hear how huge the crowd was........

David Cordell

Saw this post on NextDoor.

IF YOU WERE BORN IN 1900

It’s a mess out there now. Hard to discern between what’s a real threat and what is just simple panic and hysteria For a small amount of perspective at this moment, imagine you were born in 1900. On your 14th birthday, World War I starts, and ends on your 18th birthday. 22 million people perish in that war.

Later in the year, a Spanish Flu epidemic hits the planet and runs until your 20th birthday. 50 million people die from it in those two years. Yes, 50 million.

On your 29th birthday, the Great Depression begins. Unemployment hits 25%, the World GDP drops 27%. That runs until you are 33. The country nearly collapses along with the world economy.

When you turn 39, World War II starts. You aren’t even over the hill yet. And don’t try to catch your breath. On your 41st birthday, the United States is fully pulled into WWII. Between your 39th and 45th birthday, 75 million people perish in the war.

Smallpox was epidemic until you were in your 40’s, as it killed 300 million people during your lifetime.

At 50, the Korean War starts. 5 million perish.

From your birth, until you are 55 you dealt with the fear of Polio epidemics each summer. You experience friends and family contracting polio and being paralyzed and/or die.

At 55 the Vietnam War begins and doesn’t end for 20 years. 4 million people perish in that conflict.

During the Cold War, you lived each day with the fear of nuclear annihilation. On your 62nd birthday you have the Cuban Missile Crisis, a tipping point in the Cold War. Life on our planet, as we know it, almost ended. When you turn 75, the Vietnam War finally ends.

Think of everyone on the planet born in 1900. How did they endure all of that? When you were a kid in 1985 and didn’t think your 85 year old grandparent understood how hard school was. And how mean that kid in your class was. Yet they survived through everything listed above. Perspective is an amazing art. Refined and enlightening as time goes on. Let’s try and keep things in perspective. Your parents and/or grandparents were called to endure all of the above – you are called to stay home and sit on your couch, and watch Netflix. 

-------------------------

I would add that we seeing our rights diminished and politicians trying to make fundamental changes in our system that are unrelated to the virus.

Sandra Spieker (Ringo)

I have a question for some of you guys.  It is more of a decision I have to make in a few months time and I want a few opinions.

I have been a poll worker now for over 5 years.  This means I go to a mandatory training class before each election to get myself ready for the next set of rules regarding elections and election equipment.  There are so many rules for ID's for example.  Also, I need to be familiar with laws regarding voter rights etc.  The class is held at county election headquarters.  Once I get training I am assigned to a poll site to work.  I arrive the day before the election to set up the machines (they have seals on them that can't be broken until the morning of the election).  We set up the wiring, the placement of the machines and printers, we set up the signage etc.  This takes about an hour then we lock up the election site and return the next morning at 6:00 am.  Then we sign in and take an oath to uphold the election process, and then fire up the machines and make sure they all come online correctly.  Then we promptly open the polls at 7:00 am.  I stay until the polls close.  I am an election judge.  There are usually two judges for each poll site (one representing each of the major parties in Texas, a Republican and Democratic judge).  We also have 2 or 3 clerks as well, to assist voters, make sure the lines are kept orderly, no one uses a cell phone (yes, the law states you can't talk on a cell phone at a poll site).  During the day I can leave to eat (if it is not busy) and go to the bathroom.  At 7:00 pm. we close the polls, but anyone in line can stay and vote no matter how long the line is (as long as you are in a line at 7:00 pm.  Last election we had voters for 30 minute after we closed.  Last election I brought my own personal hand sanitizer because I was worried about the virus in early March when we had the primary.  Right now Texas has no plan for poll worker safety or virus spread prevention.  None.  Most poll workers are like me, old and retired and therefore at risk.  Again there is no plan.  None for the voters, or the poll workers. I only here cries for no mail in ballots.  I am eligible for a mail in ballot, just because I am 65.  I can quit as a poll worker, it is easy, I just say no.  I can vote by mail, so can Danny and my mother (by the way she did vote by mail last time).  If I quit, I can only imagine how many other poll workers will feel like me and quit as well.  If so, there won't be enough to fill the need and polling sites will close.  That will make the lines for the few that to remain open very long. 

Edited to add this:  I also must stay and break down the site, pack up the machines and deliver the votes to the election office with my partner judge.  We must stay long enough to make sure our equipment is delivered correctly and securely.  That takes another two hours.  Long time to be exposed.  A very long time.

So, now my question, if you were me, what would you do?  Wear a mask and hope the voters do the same?  (I doubt it here most folks think this is a joke, hoax, or no big deal.  I shop at the local grocery store and most people don't wear masks).  I have one more question, what should we do to protect the poll workers and the voters?

By the way, if you do request a ballot by mail and decide at the last minute to vote in person, you must present the mail in ballot to vote in person.  If you don't, it will be considered voter fraud and you might get in serious trouble for attempting to vote twice.

Steve Keene

I would ask my son Aaron to stand in for me this year to protect his mother and learn something about his civic duty.

Sandra Spieker (Ringo)

Steve,

So it OK for Aaron to bring the virus home to infect us, but not me. 

David Cordell

Sandra,

First, I disapprove of mail-in voting. It is too easy to cheat. I believe that everyone should vote on voting day unless they have a legitimate reason, i.e., out of town, surgery, whatever.

Second, I wouldn't presume to tell you what I would do if I were you. I don't have a living mother to be concerned about. 

However, if I were inclined to serve as an election judge (and I'm not), I would do it in spite of the virus. I don't have any underlying conditions and am in good health.

I can't believe that there won't be instructions, materials, gloves, whatever, available. They should have those cool thermometers to shoot people at the door. I'd say that masks should be mandatory, even if the situation is better by then, and cheap ones should be available on site for people who don't get the message. They should also have gloves on hand (no pun intended) to give to voters. That's in addition to giant squirt guns of bleach.

How long can you go without seeing your mother?

Sandra Spieker (Ringo)

David, 

My mother lives here, so if I get this stuff at all I must isolate from her.  My option is the woodworking shop, or the master bedroom, and N95 masks (we have them on order - just in case).  I probably won't do the election and I suspect most of the polling sites in Parker County will close since 90 percent of poll workers are over 65.  Parker County will be strapped for cash, so I doubt they will supply any meaningful equipment to protect us, much less the voters.  I may be wrong, I hope I am.  What surprises me is how many who support in person voting care little for either the poll workers (young and healthy or otherwise).  If we still have this crap around it will spread exponentially with touch screen voting and the attitude that it is all blown out of proportion and no big deal.  Like I said, I hope I am wrong.  We will see come September, October and November.  Meantime, I plan to use a serious mask and protect all those I love. It looks like it is every man, woman and child for themselves. 

Kurt Fischer

Sandra:

You ask a really good question about the risk of catching coronavirus as an election judge.

Most practioners would define risk as a combination of likelihood and impact. 

We often make decisions about risky issues without having a quantification of the likelihood of the event occuring.

When I look at the history of corona virus cases in Plano, we have 298 total cases to date.  With a population of about 288,000, this means 1/10 of 1 percent of the population has had a case of corona virus.  And this covers the period from early March.to present with all of the interactions between people within that period.  It would seem like the likelihood of catching corora virus is very low.  I'm not sure how many interactions you would have during an election in your part of the state.  Let's say it would be 100.  Our friend Doctor Thomas would be able to tell you what the probability of would be of catching the virus from these 100.  I must admit my memory of probability theory fails me at this point.  Rats.

On the other hand, the impact of catching the virus is very high.

On a personal level, I would probably judge the overall risk of being an election judge as too high because of the potential impact.  

Janalu Jeanes (Parchman)

Lance,

I agree that China is out to beat us in every way, and already has in many ways.  I was listening to a knowledgable man talk about the 5G technology, and how it can interfere 'Big Time' with our submarines and other military hardware.  A Huawei phone could capture background scenes by way of a tiny secret camera, if it were held up to a person's ear.  The 5G phones could pinpoint neighborhood police stations, or other noteworthy places that spying Chinese monitors would be interested in viewing, were they of a mind to know what Britain's landscape held. (The British are installing the celltowers to begin use of Huawei's equipment, and the US has warned our ally that their usage could interfere with our military equipment if we should need to operate in conjunction with them once again.)  Nefarious Chinese manipulators might want to cause an explosion in a certain neighborhood, in a certain city....at a certain time of day, maybe even in a harbor, for example. 

Also, we are well aware of how the Chinese corp of engineers have constructed plane and jet runways on atolls in the S. China Sea, which of course, doesn't bode well for US ships who use that sea, or others who use it.  Looks like they intend to cause havoc there before long, don't you agree?

The Chinese and also the Russians have also launched into space, satellites that can do great damage to our satellites and orbiting craft that we depend upon. (Our military uses the satellites constantly, so if they were suddenly destoyed, it would leave us vulnerable immediately) 

 It truly is scary to see how advanced they have become so quickly!  And alot of their "know how" is because of theft from us, as you noted.  How did we become so careless?

 Recently as well, we have realized how dependent we are upon their manufacture of the pharmaceuticals we need for our daily lives!  Again....we were out to lunch when we should have looked ahead to possible, future predicaments, when our drug companies started leaving the US to relocate.

Steve Keene

Sandra

It probably would not be an imposition for Aaron to quarantine himself in the wood working shop for 14 days.  From the looks and detail in his guitars, I suspect that is already happening to a certain extent.  He could get by on take out menus and a comfortable couch.  If he does need some interraction with you and Danny, he can fire up that vacuum particle remover that you had installed in the shop.

Steve Keene

Lance

I have meant to tell you how sorry I am that your preferred mode of vacation experience has bellied up with the onslaught of the Corona virus.  With the cruise ships getting the reputation of holding hostage their passengers and crews and then dropping them in an unplanned for port with the prospect of a possible 14 day quarantine, I would go ahead and declare the industry a memory to be piled on the garbage dump of history.  It would seem to me that they might be able to sell their ships worldwide to be retrofitted as hospital ships.  One or two might be sold to a Saudi or Emirate prince or the President of Venezuela for their sole pleasure.

Sandra Spieker (Ringo)

Steve,

Aaron's last ambition is to be an election judge!  He is sad he can't vote by mail. The thought of standing in line for hours with a bunch of folks who don't believe in wearing masks because it makes them look like liberals turns his stomach.  He knows he can't chastise them for fear of violence so he must smile behind the mask and hope for the best.  He will vote, though. 

He wears an N95 mask when working with solvents and cedar (he is an allergy to super glue).  Those masks are wonderful to filter all vapors out of the air and particles when he does sanding!  He owns three and bought them well before the pandemic.  He feels sorry for those construction workers who can't get them anymore from Home Depot or Lowe's.  They donate all of their stock to first responders or health care workers. 

It is amazing to me that anyone over 65 can vote by mail if they want.  All they have to do is ask.  So many don't use this right in Texas.  Also, the Military has been using mail-in ballots for a very long time.  No problem.  The rules are simple for a mail in ballot.  Follow the instructions carefully, if you fail to follow them you risk your ballot not being counted in the elections office (color in the ballot as instructed!).  You can drop the ballot off in person, or mail it.  If you request one and decide not to use it you better bring it with you to surrender it or you won't be allowed to vote in person, you will have to vote provisionally if you fail to bring it, and if you did mail it and forgot you did, you might be charged with voter fraud.  Also, your signature must match your voter registration on file on the envelope containing the ballot or it might not be counted. All this will be checked before your ballot is processed.  That is why it takes so long to process mail-in ballots.

Something else to consider.  Most new poll workers are overwhelmed at first.  Most voters will present a Texas drivers license, but most new poll workers are so nervous they will look at it and forget to match the photo with the person standing before them.  Common mistake, but easily the biggest flaw of in person voting, not checking to make sure that is actually the person.  Next thing, is most conservative voters like to challenge the ID law (how do I know? These are the same folks wearing MAGA hats and asking for Republican ballots). They will literally hassel the poll worker by presenting alternate hard to validate ID's.    What is astounding is we can see from the window of the polling place, these people driving their cars to vote.  So by logic they have driver's licenses.  However, we can't demand to see them, that is against the law.  To become an election Judge you must have experience and training.  Good luck getting a whole new crew trained, healthy, and willing to risk their families lives and their own by election day.  I guarantee it will be a very long day, with long lines and a lot of voters will turn away out of time and patience.  The most experienced Judges (Republican and Democrat) are older retired folks.  The ones at greatest risk.  Keep that in mind.

Kurt,

Last election - the primary, as memory serves, we processed over 250 voters at our polling location.  The highest ever.  If they had had to stand six feet apart, they would have had a line outdoors most of the day.  Most were elderly.

David Cordell

Sandra, I will continue to vote in person. I see an ugly image: I am older and in even less in possession of my faculties and my left-leaning sons send in a vote for me.

Sandra Spieker (Ringo)

David,

I see your point.  Older folks, living with kids get their votes influenced by their kids left leaning ways....hummm.

My mother voted by mail this time.   I helped her this way:  I showed her the correct way to color in the square indicating a choice of candidate.  I left her with brochures from every candidate who sent us one by mail.  She made her own choices.  Trust me.  She did.  No help from me.  I showed her where to sign on the envelope containing the ballot, then I showed her how that envelope went into another one with the postage.  She was confused by that. 

Last year she voted in person.  We had to wheel her into the polling place.  Someone (not me) had to help her use the voting machine (computers scare her, paper ballots not so much).  I have done this numerous occasions with voters. I have to teach them to use the machine, mostly but sometimes they ask me to interpret the resolutions.  Each time a voter asks me my opinion (this has happened dozens of times).  I get:  What does this mean?  or:   Does this mean no or yes?  I have to answer the same way each time  "I can't tell you how to vote or whether that means yes or no. All I can say is if you agree with the statement, vote yes, if not, vote no." 

Hey how about husbands and wives influencing votes just before going to vote???

Sandra Spieker (Ringo)

Lance,

Never fear, I am enjoying life!  Right now I am listening to great music via Danny's iPod. In addition I have The Graduate movie playing, with the sound off, while enjoying a glass of wine with my mother sitting next to me. Danny is cooking dinner of chicken Alfredo and Aaron is playing with our sweet German shepherd. It does not get much better than that!