Do what ever possible to stay “UNDER THE RADAR”

Posted by Greybeard on May 19th, 2011 in Political | 0 comments

Stay under the Radar,  that’s the best advice I can give to any law abiding american.

I always try to do things right,  very seldom ever take shortcuts.    Last year I had a polebarn built to store my boats in.   After it was up I decided it would be nice to at least have a few lights and and wall plugs in it, for early early and late season cleanup and minor repairs on the boats.  Short Story:   Since it’s attached to my garage,  I decided to just pull a wire through the garage wall,  from an outlet in the garage.  Since I wasn’t adding anything new,  I didn’t figure a permit was needed.  (1st Wrong assumption).   So I did just that,  pulled a wire through the garage wall from the outlet in the garage,  and extended the circuit in the gargage to add a couple and lights and a few  plugs.   All I’ll ever need.  (2nd Wrong assumption) Since it had been nearly six months since the barn was completed,  I had assumed that my builder had taken care of all the permits and such.  Then I get a call from the builiding dept.  stating that it had never had a final inspection.  Turns out the the builder had forgotton to make the call for an inspection.

Anyway the building inspector comes out,  say’s it looks good,  but he can’t give me a final Ok until I get an electrical inspection.   He say’s everything looks great,  and it should be a piece of cake.  (3rd wrong assumption).  So I send a check for multiple permits and inspection fee’s and a few days later  Elect. Inspector Sourpuss  shows up.   He doesn’t like my wiring job.   Now get this straight,  I’m not a licensed electrician,  but I do have a lot of experience pulling and connecting wires,  and my brother-in-law IS a licensed electrician,  and I got a lot of advice from him.  (I wanted to do it right and be safe).   We thought we knew the latest wiring code.  (4th wrong assumption).  Sourpuss,  doesn’t like my wiring.   1. Pull all the wires switches, and plugs out of the boxes so he can see them.  2.  Two wires 18 feet above the floor,  go around the corner posts,  these have to be taken down and moved behind the corner post,  (unfortunately the 2/4 wall frame is nailed to the back side of the post)  3. On the one outside outlet I installed (GFI),   he doesn’t like the brand of the weather proof cover,  so,  gotta change that.

My first response to Sourpuss,  was,  ”What to I have to do,  to disconnect everything,  so there’s no power in here,  and I don’t need a stinking electical permit”   Responce:  ”Can’t be done,  you are required by code to have a light and a power outlet in every new building”.   I calmly say,  ”Oh.”   (Inside,  I’m on fire,  I sure there are flames coming out my ears,  and lightning sparking in my eyes)  ”Ok” I say.   He he has me pull one switch cover,  then he pulls the switch,  disconnects the wires,  tells me they’re to short and the box needs to be rewired,  then leaves the hot wires dangling,  (by the entry door).  He then walks out of the building and say’s call me when you get everything taken apart,  and I’ll come back and inspect it again.

STAY UNDER THE RADAR

If my builder hadn’t forgotton to call for the final inspection,  I would have been under the radar,  out of sight, and forgotten by the government lackies,  my pole barn would have been safe, well built,  and finished.   Now,  because I became a visible radar blip,  I have another couple of weeks of work to do.  (I HATE WIRING,  AND IT”S BOATING SEASON)

It’s a sad state of affairs,  that an american citizen cannot own ANYTHING.  Regardless of how you see it,  EVERYTHING you think you own,  is actually just rented from the powers that be.  You may have possesion of it,  but THEY retain control.

STAY UNDER THE RADAR

An example of why it’s called GreyBeards Gripes

Posted by Greybeard on May 11th, 2011 in News and weather, Political | 0 comments

Yesterday I learned that the final inspection had never been called for on my new pole barn (boat barn).   That fiasco involved the building inspector coming out and looking over the building,  then telling me it looked good but that I’d need and electrical inspection before he could approve it.  (Begin Gripe section)

I questioned why I would need an electrical permit to pull a wire from the panel in the garage,  through the shared wall,  and hook up a  few lights in the polebarn.    I didn’t understand that apparently I now need to get an electrical permit to add or even repair a wall socket or light fixture in my house.  (Like that’s gonna happen).    Soooo,   I go online,  print the electrical permit application and my blood pressure begins to spike.

There is no check box on the application for “adding lights in attached polebarn”.   The closest check box would be for “service only”,  but of course I didn’t add “service”.   Soooo,  basically,  I’m supposed to notate that I added lights, and a few wall sockets,  then apply for a permit,   ($35 admin fee)  light fixture permit $12,  wall socket permit $7,  final inspection fee $35, and LATE FEE $35.   Evidently there going to go after my builder for the building inspection fees.

So we’re well over $100 dollars for permits,  for a 8 hr project that cost me less than $50.   Am I a bit angry,,,  livid might be a better word.   I’m totally appalled at the state that this country has come to.   NOTE to Government:  GET OUT OF MY LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bottom line:  The local government is telling me that my 40 plus years of building, fabricating, machining, wiring,  tech. support, and networking,  mean absolutely nothing without a government stamp of approval,  and,  get this,  they can TAX me on it,  BEFORE it’s approved as completed!!    (AND THEY HAVE)

So Far:   It’s cost me $19.65 per light in local government fee’s,  to put eight lights in my Boat Barn!

Waiting for “SuperMan”

Posted by Greybeard on Feb 25th, 2011 in News and weather, Political, Technology and Music | 0 comments

A Groundbreaking film from the Academy Award winning director of, “An Inconvenient” Lie,  er,  I mean “Truth”.  ”It’s impossible not to be inspired”,  ”An Electrifying call to Action” , “Top Ten Movie of the Year”.

Wow,  where have I heard all that hype before?  Ok,  I’ll admit, I haven’t seen the movie yet,  and I’m not sure I want to see it.  ”An electrifying call to action”,  ya,   that’s what I’m afraid of.  If the science of this documentary,  is as far off base as “Inconvenient” ,  and it calls thousands of do-gooders to action,  (THE WRONG ACTION),  where will we be then???  As we suffer though the coldest winter of the decade,  with record snows,  it’s hard to put another round of  belief into this director.   And,  belief is kind of important in supposedly fact based documentaries.

As a former employee of a public school,  I don’t argue with the fact that they are very much in trouble, (mirroring the troubles in government and big business maybe).   I’m just not sure I can suspend my senses long enough to believe anything this guy has to say.

IMPRIMIS Jan. 2011

Posted by Greybeard on Feb 22nd, 2011 in Political | 2 comments

Brian T. Kennedy has an excellent article in this month’s IMPRIMIS.   It is a -must read- by ALL INFIDELS,,,,  or you could just read Surah 9, verse 5  or Surah 9, verse 29,  or Surah 5, verse 51,  or even Surah 3, verse 28.   Either way, I think you’ll get the idea.  P.S.  There are currently around 7 million Muslims in the U.S.A.

You guessed it,  I’m an Infidel.

Letter to the Governor

Posted by Greybeard on Feb 21st, 2011 in Political | 0 comments

I wrote this to Gov. Rick Snyder today:

Gov. Snyder,

I had held high hopes for the future when I heard you were elected.   And now,  I hear of your plan to add state income tax onto my pension.   Contrary to what I previously thought,  this pretty much proves that you don’t understand the situation of retiree’s in Michigan.   I have 30 years at General Motors,  and 10 years at the Mich. public school system,  and having just turned 60,  I can now start a meager pension from the school system.

For the past 2 or 3 years,  I’ve been dipping into my retirement savings nearly every month,  to pay monthly bills,  and dipping heavily when taxes are due.   I had held high hopes that the small pension coming in from the school retirement plan,  would lift us up out of that declining state.  (at least for the monthly bills,  if not for property tax and insurance times)   Then I heard of this ill advised plan,  and pretty much all hope goes out the window.  The state taxes on both retirement checks will more than eat up the school retirement check,  leaving me with less income that I had, before it started.    On top of that I hear:

1. Gasoline is going up
2. Heating fuel is going up
3. Groceries are going up
4. Electricity is going up.
5. Property taxes are going up
6. Clothing is going up
7. Medical costs are going up

Without all the other raises,  my new pension will be eaten up by the income taxes,  leaving me in worse condition that I was before the second pension started.  I’m back to watching my retirement savings quickly dwindle,  and wondering how long they will last.   Governor,,,  One this is certain,  you don’t understand what it’s like to live on a fixed income!!!!

And while copying the text of the letter here,  I realized that I had left this out:

“And before you start to answer this letter,  and talk about entitlements being a drain on the economy,  UNDERSTAND THIS:  The word Entitlement,  does not compute!   I have paid into my retirement systems for 40 years. Hundreds of thousands of dollars,  more than I will likely ever get back.   Please, Don’t talk to me about ENTITLEMENT!”

I had hoped that with the election of Mr. Snyder,  I could start agreeing with State Government once in a while,  apparently I was Wrong!