 By Alvin Engelke
alvinengelke@hotmail.com
The hairy bitter cress and crocuses were blooming and the spring peepers had been in full concert. In addition, old Brer Buzzard and his tribe had returned from the sunny south to feast on dead critters littering the highways but then there was another turn of snow, rain and some high water. Earlier roadways in Creston and elsewhere had been blocked for a time.
Rev. Keith Belt filled his regular appointment at the Burning Springs M. E. church and served Holy Communion. Speaking of church matters, the high court in England ruled that Christians with traditional values are unsuitable to be foster or adoptive parents as the children risk being "infected" by Christian moral beliefs.
Camden Clark housecalls did not follow the orders for Charles Russell and he was readmitted to the burn unit at the Western Pennsylvania hospital in Pittsburgh. He is scheduled for skin graft surgery on Monday.
The price of local Pennsylvania grade crude rose to $99.25/bbl reflecting the world price of over $100. Gasoline prices have been going up and are now in the $3.56 range most places. Back when George Bush was president there was a huge outcry over the high gasoline prices and the detrimental effect such would have on the economy but now the media sirens are very quiet. Of course those screaming and blaming Bush & Cheney knew Bush was not in favor of the high prices but legally could do nothing about world energy prices. Energy Secretary Chu said, "Somehow we have to figure out how to push the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe." [which is said to be $8/gallon]. It seems the reason for this is part of their grand social schemes to force people to buy electric (coal powered) cars that have a 40 mile radius.
The idea is that this would force people to cluster in large cities as they could not commute or take long family or vacation trips. Then there would be a cry for the high speed bullet trains that are proposed by the Big Eared One's corporate sponsor GE (General Electric). Apparently someone has an idea that an "ideal America" would have most of the people clustered in dense cities, like the 14th century and powered by wind and solar which would somehow generate 21st century hygiene. Back in the Middle Ages the plague was a common problem in the cities of Europe causing the death of millions. Senor Salazar the Interior Secretary was furious that a judge ruled his agency was in contempt for holding up drilling permits and threatened to appeal until the sands of the desert grew cold.
Part of the present increase in oil prices is related to the turmoil in Tripoli the place where President Jefferson and the U. S. Navy "resolved" the problem with the Barbary Pirates. The British have gone in to deal with the dictator there while American troops are undergoing "sensitivity training" for the latest social experiment with the nation's warriors and the fearless leader went golfing.
Budget battles seem to be everywhere and those who are using reason are trying to cut back on government spending. Why should the federal government have people to tell auto makers what kind of cars they can manufacture and why should the federal government ban Edison's light bulb and force American citizens to buy Chinese made mercury vapor lights? Also there is the question as to why working Americans who pay taxes should provide money, food stamps, housing vouchers and free medical care to able bodied men and women who choose not to work? Those who travel around note that one sees relatively very few who are heating their homes with wood and coal and, apparently, food stamp recipients have no incentive to plant and harvest gardens. It was also noted that Sheetz in Morgantown was advertising for workers with a starting pay of $8.25/hour. The budget battles reflect the severe problem with both state and federal debt so that now America owes it soul to Chinese dictator Hu Fwung Dung, Arab Oil Sheik Ali Babba and various of his 40 thieves, Japan, etc.
Jimmy Henthorn who now lives in the Zanesville area advised that he was named for former W. Va. State Sen. Jim deVore who had helped raise his father after a death in the family. He noted that Mr. deVore had worked in a hotel in Chicago and was buried in a graveyard near Parkersburg. Jimmy's daughter did work with Stephanie Lynch Boster whose father grew up in the former Jim deVore residence on Ann's Run.
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