A new day! Wrap up Tuesday!

 Posted by at 11:03  Blog Recaps, Plain 'ol Cantankerous
Feb 232015
 

Hey all readers of the coots!  Tuesday has been an empty hole around here so today we are going to change that.  If you have been under a rock lately and the only ray of sunshine has been the writings of the coots you may have missed the fact that all three of us have our own blogs that we write on.  Over there to the right under each of our pictures are the latest posts from our RSS feeds but I think there needs to be even more.

So starting here, today, you are going to get a whole bunch of links to each of our sites, to help you get familiar with the wonderful posts from the past week.  This one is a bit longer than most will be (except Ralph’s) but here it goes!

First, we have Bob writing for 2 blogs of his own making.  The first one is Juicy Maters over at www.juicymaters.com

An article about gardening and canning and bringing back some of the “old” ways.  Click Here.

Next, a survey to help Bob figure out what he is doing.  Click Here.

And finally, a treatise on dirt and planting with a bit of coding and programming tossed in. (Bob is complex)  Click Here.

Bob also has moved all of his political stuff over to his new blog at www.common-sense-conversation.com

Check out these articles:

First, Bob gets going on politicians again.  Click Here

He then goes on a couple of people who would like to be president but are not going to make it.  Click Here

And then to taxes….We all have to pay them and it is time to reflect on what they mean.  Click Here

 

Ralph has loads of information about old things….Retirement, nostalgia and the like.  Check out some great stuff he has written on over at www.ralphcarlsonblog.com

First up is a post about new ideas…hopefully you can get some from here.  Click Here.

Next we have one of my favorite bands, and one that gets confused for the Beatles quite often.  The British invasion had so much more to offer than the Beatles, like the Dave Clark 5!  Click Here

Next Ralph tried to post a home video of his trip to Lake Tahoe but it looks like it was yanked for copyright infringement!  Go Ralph, you Rebel!  Click Here to join this madness.

And finally a post about your perfect day.  Click Here.

And bringing up the rear (sweeping up after the horses as it goes) is me!  My blog is over at www.justinsbrainpan.com.

First up, an overview of our new family adventure in Geocaching!  Click Here.

Next, a post about my kids, and how they are growing up.  Click Here

And today, a silly poem about a fish.  Click Here.

 

There you have it for this week, Next Tuesday will be more and possible some from deep in the archives of our blogs.  Thanks for reading.

-Justin

 

 

Justin

Justin is the young Coot with a Cantankerous Soul who continues to be educated by older, more cootish Ralph and Bob. His Cantankerosity is his own.

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Speeding Ticket Redux

 Posted by at 11:03  Plain 'ol Cantankerous
Feb 232015
 
Official seal of County of Solano

Image via Wikipedia

In short order, I must resolve my speeding ticket with the Solano County Superior Court but despite the thoughtful courtesy letter shown below, many confusing issues remain.  As a result, I sent this request for clarification and I eagerly wait for their courteous response.

Continue reading »

Ralph

Ralph is the inspiration for Cantankerous Old Coots and is our Grand Duke of Cantankerousness

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Coot Lesson 9: Self Editing is not Cantankerous!

 Posted by at 11:03  Coots Lessons, Plain 'ol Cantankerous
Feb 232015
 

While discretion may be the better part of valor, and it will probably save your marriage more than once, that self editing is not cantankerous.

In previous lessons you learned to say what you think and say it when you feel it.  This lesson is really no different, just a re-iteration of what should be an ingrained part of your cantankerousness already.

Say what is on your mind and damn the consequences.

America has been proven time and time again to be a great place to live.  We have a fantastic Constitution that guarantees Citizens the right to free speech.  That has been taken to extremes in the past but it is still a a core value for Americans.

While there are several states that still strive to limit the freedom of speech that Federal law guarantees, the truth is, the pandering, mealy mouthed politicians of this country are trying to play both sides against the middle and make this country a bunch of poofy, we can all get along if we don’t talk to each other mean sissies.

Face it, you are going to piss someone off in your lifetime.  Not everyone is going to like you.  You will not be friends with everyone.  You may be likeable and people will like you, or at least tolerate you but not everyone will.  There are people I can’t stand to be around so I don’t associate with them.

The problem comes when you are trying to use this self editing to change your intent or position to try and get everyone to like you.  It can’t be done.  It is much better to come out and say what you need to say and risk offending people.  It will either work out or it won’t.  Either way it will feed your cantankerousness.

Sure, you may get in trouble, you may even go to jail, but you are still true to your new cantankerous self.  The constitution guarantees it, cantakerousness demands it, but it is still hard to get over that social block that has been beaten into us by our mothers to be nice.  Get over it.  it will be ok.

I would like to quote John Adams or George Washington here, but I can’t think of anything appropriate so I will settle for Denis Leary.  “Life sucks, get a helmet.”  That should sum it up nicely.  Quit editing yourself and say what you think.

Unless of course it will endanger your marriage or send you to federal prison for what promises to be the “longest night of your life” (Shawshank Redemption, look it up) then, discretion is the better part of valor.

Soldier on good people,

Justin

Justin

Justin is the young Coot with a Cantankerous Soul who continues to be educated by older, more cootish Ralph and Bob. His Cantankerosity is his own.

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Superior Court of California, County of Solano responds to my letter

 Posted by at 11:03  Plain 'ol Cantankerous
Feb 232015
 
A motor officer writes a traffic ticket for a ...

Image via Wikipedia

Think back to August.

You may remember that way back in August I got a speeding ticket.  Six weeks later I received a Courtesy Notice from the friendly folks at Superior Court in Solano County.  Although it was helpful in terms of what to do, the notice was inexplicably vauge on the details of the services that I was paying for.  At first I was perplexed and annoyed.  But then I told myself.  This is California the greatest states in the USA.  They will be happy to explain.  So, like any red blooded American I asked for an explanation.  Living in a democracy where public employees are supposed to serve the public, I sent back my ‘bail’ with a letter requesting more information and questioning how speeding on I-80 should incur charges for medical airlifts and court security among other things. Well, the wait is over. I got my reply from the Court.

I have to admit being disappointed.

As you can see, it’s not even a form letter. There are 9 check box responses under a heading that promises that response to my inquiry will be found in the statements below. None are checked and when I read them, I don’t find anything resembling an answer to any of my questions. I appreciate Marilyn taking the time to type my docket information and her name in the memorandum. I know she must be busy.  Still it would have so much more satisfying if she had responded to any of my points. How could she possible believe that a meaningless piece of paper satisfies her obligation as a public employee to answer the questions of a taxpayer? What about response is so hard for her to understand?

I have been on the other side. 

What makes this more dismaying for me is that for nearly 35 years, I worked for the public myself at the municipal level. In those days, any letter received by my agency received a reply tailored to the issues raised in the letter. It was usually a nuisance, even a pain in the butt,  but we were careful to reply to each point even when the issues were ridiculous because the authors were voters. We might not be able to make them happy, but if they took the trouble to write us a letter, they were damn well going to get a letter back from us. These days, maybe they do it with emails but I bet they still make a response and anyway the court only gave me a mailing address.

It could be worse, I guess. 

I have to admit that the Court does seem to get part of the program. They sent me a written reply to my email. It just failed to provide any response to my questions. Since I still don’t have answers to my questions, I have to decide what to do next.

Ralph

Ralph is the inspiration for Cantankerous Old Coots and is our Grand Duke of Cantankerousness

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More evidence to the old….

 Posted by at 11:03  Down with, Plain 'ol Cantankerous, principles, Problems and solutions, rants
Feb 232015
 

 

English: Evidence of Logging. The photograph s...

English: Evidence of Logging. The photograph shows the main track through the woods on Houghton Moor (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I know I should channel my annoyances at my aging body into wonderfully articulate and cantankerous rants, but I am not sure I am ready for that.  As if I need any more of this getting old stuff.  We went camping this weekend for my 12 year olds birthday.  Man oh man, I felt old.

Let’s just say that this trip I was glad to have a mattress to sleep on in the tent trailer.

I was glad to sleep in until 9 AM on 2 of the 3 days.

I went to bed before midnight.

I couldn’t get up the hill without falling and messing up my knee.  Well, I probably would have done that anyway.

So here I sit.  I feel like an old man when I move.  I am slow to get going and tired all of the time.  My body is betraying me.

But then, in my mind, I feel like a 14 year old kid who is going to be in trouble all of the time.  There is not the place where I feel like the 38 year old man that I should be, well am in reality.

When do you actually start to feel the age you are?  Where do you feel like the adult you should feel like?

Hell I have 4 kids, the oldest just turned 12.  I shouldn’t feel like I am barely older than her.  But I do.

Maybe I am just tired and the constant stream of caffeine is eroding my psyche, maybe I need a therapist.  Maybe I need a big jug of rum.

Whatever shall I do…..I want to end up similar to Ralph, retired and cantankerous, living life how it comes, but right now, I am going to lose my mind and be running around the nursing home in a loincloth, waving my cane and flashing the old ladies.  Ahhh Dementia….you minx you.  When will you visit?

Anyway, what think you all?  I want some constructive information on what to do, or you can just go and jump off the short pier.

 

 

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Justin

Justin is the young Coot with a Cantankerous Soul who continues to be educated by older, more cootish Ralph and Bob. His Cantankerosity is his own.

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