Blog Archives - North Florida Writer

Don't Blame the Poor Guy at the Pump

8/31/2017

Gasoline. It's one of the things that we need every day even if some say we want to stop using it. Gasoline is also the consumer product that we complain about vociferously when prices go up. Yet fuel is something we must have to live and fossil fuels are the source for most of our fuel needs, at least for the foreseeable future unless we want the economy to fatally crash.

With Hurricane Harvey starting to impact the price due to the large number of refineries temporarily closed and the interruption of transportation of the product caused by flooded roads, it is once again surfacing in the news. Oil industry analysts are predicting a fifteen to twenty-five cent increase per gallon, likely to last several months and we can already hear the howls from some when they see the new prices at the pumps. And many complain that the prices go up as soon as the problem begins and they howl that the station is gouging them since they recently took a full load of fuel.

Now I'm certainly not one to condone gas gouging, but it's important to note the amount of profit that the average gas station makes on fuel sales before we go off on the operator. While there are certain unscrupulous persons who do gouge prices, raising prices by invoice price is certainly not in that category. The most recent industry statistics I've seen indicate that the average gas station sells about four thousand gallons per day with a net profit of approximately five cents per gallon. Using this for estimation purpose, revenue per day for the gas station is about two hundred dollars, not nearly enough to cover costs such as rent or repairs, electricity, staff, equipment and much, much more. And from this baseline of information it's easy to figure how it figures its retail rate per gallon.

Most retailer gas bills are due within ten days of receipt, so the local dealer sets prices when the advance invoice cost is provided. He has to have his repayment cost factored in to insure his profit range is held and that he can make his payments on time. He can't count on his retail components in his operating store to pick up the slack and get him over the break even point and, remember, he also has to take in consideration his competition from other stations who might be on a different delivery cycle. It's not a real easy situation to handle yet to be successful in his business he must master it.

So the next time you want to complain at the pump, realize it's not the local small business operator who is the culprit. And also remember a large chunk goes to the government in taxes, an entity which provides very little for him except always demanding more revenue for its coffers. I hope we all remember these things the next time we go to an entrepreneur run gas station.

The Snarky Media Goes After Melania and LOSES

8/30/2017

A sporty Melania arrives at Corpus Christi

So yesterday as is par for the course, the mainstream media was filled with nothing but criticism for the President. But this time, they took a different tack, trying to point out something snarky about the First Lady, just one of those many pin pricks they use to try to get under The Donald's skin. It seems that in climbing on board Air Force One with the President for Texas she was seen sporting four inch stiletto heels and the female talking heads were beside themselves.

It's truly amazing how these sorry excuses for journalists spend the time that they do on the subjects they do but, then again, they are merely talking heads who spout the liberal line (93% acknowledge their liberal views) and do anything they can to avoid saying anything positive about this Administration. The also do anything they can to avoid the real issues of the day since even they do all they can to keep the public in the dark. Perhaps they like to pick on Melania because they are jealous of her grace and class, of which they have non.

But a funny thing happened on the way to Corpus Christi. Melania changed clothes on the way and upon exiting the plane looked sporty in sneakers with an open collar white blouse, dark sport slacks and a FLOTUS ball cap. Eat your hearts out, media, she outdid you again.

Now there was never any plan for the President and First Lady to tour Houston. The Bayou City has enough to deal with without worrying about security for the Chief Executive, but he did visit and hold a sit down with first responders in Corpus Christi and met with Governor Abbott in the State Capitol, Austin. And there was never any plan for the two of them to go wading in the muck and mire; his reason for coming was to show the full support of the federal government and to make sure the people of Texas were getting the help they needed.

In case you didn't know, pre-planning was all set up in advance as the President and Governor Abbott spoke frequently while FEMA was positioning over eight thousand employees in the outlying area with supplies, food and water, ready to roll on call. The biggest problem, and one which only nature can correct, is the abundance of flooding which keeps supply trucks from getting into Houston. Thankfully, the weather is beginning to break and help should be able to fully mobilize soon. But it's going to be a long haul for Houstonians and Southeast Texans, likely years, to put things back together.

So, media, take a breather and how about looking for something instead of always being negative about this President. And while you're at it, start telling the truth about Antifa and the chaos and damage they are doing to Americans and their free speech rights. America can never survive if violence is allowed to be the order of the day. Is that the end result you seek? Think about that one, won't you?

The Alarmists Strike on Hurricane Harvey

8/29/2017

It's an interstate, not a river.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words and looking at this picture of a major interstate roadway through Houston actually looks very much like a river. Sadly, a number of people have tried to leave after the storm and a number have become victims of such temporary rivers as this one. But it didn't take the media and the Left any time at all to say that this is just another example of man made Climate Change with their doomsday predictions based on emotion and not facts.

I don't think anyone questions the fact that the climate continually changes through cycles over time, but the argument is over its cause. And the argument that the science is settled and the consensus is final is bogus because science is not a consensus subject. Facing the facts, we find that there are a large number of scientists who don't buy the hype of the Left and none is more distinguished than Dr. Roy Spencer, the Senior Research Scientist on Climate at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Dr. Spencer previously served as a Senior Scientist on Climatology with NASA.

He put out a very informative article on his blog recently about the Hurricane Harvey situation and how the chief cause lies in the actual location of Houston itself. Houston is low with no land elevation above fifty feet and is near the Gulf of Mexico, a cauldron for stoking tropical storms into major hurricanes due to its high water temperature. Add to that the shallow nature of the body of water itself, particularly as it nears land, and heavy winds blowing large waves toward shore have nowhere to go but up. The Atlantic has a lot of capacity to absorb the waves due to its depth and breadth but not the Gulf of Mexico, a body of warm water nearly surrounded by land from the southern tip of Florida all the way to the Yucatan Peninsula.

Some say that this storm is a once in five hundred year event, yet Dr. Spencer points out that we've only been keeping good rainfall records for about a century. Houston has flooded seriously many times before and at the close of this commentary you'll find a picture of a flooded downtown by a similar storm in 1935.

It's important to note that the amount of rain being dropped by what was once Hurricane Harvey is no greater than any tropical system under similar circumstances. The main problem is the system is blocked by high pressure systems on both sides which have limited its movement. This has afforded the storm the opportunity to draw in and drop massive amounts of water as it spins the heavy laden clouds inland as the storm moves ever so slightly. But even if the the ultimate rainfall volume approach the feared fifty inch amount, a record for the area, it's only half the amount dropped over Eastern Cuba by a similar situation not too many years ago.

No, it's not man made global warming, or climate change if you prefer, but man does have an adverse relationship to what is happening by his development patterns. This low area with streams, rivers and bayous abounding now has twenty times the population it had during the flood of 1935. When we cover the earth with concrete and macadam of the massive scale of Houston, it limits the amount of earth available to absorb the rain. Couple that with the fact that the natural water flow from all of this development generally heads toward downtown. So, with the roadways and drainage patterns established, a fifty inch rainfall event would naturally spell disaster.

Living in a low and swampy area myself, one that is subject to flooding with a heavy rainstorm and also under development pressure currently, I can imagine such a disaster right here in North Florida should over development ultimately take place here. A fifty inch rain in that situation would probably outpace even Houston is damage and suffering.

Will we use our God-given brainpower to wake up to the reality of using the lay of the land according to what makes good sense? Sadly, we probably won't, and if we don't Houston will grow continually and once again somewhere down the road see something similar again. Of course, by that time Florida will be so heavily populated that such an event would likely make the Sunshine State uninhabitable for generations as well. I pray that we wake up to reality and change our approach.

Here's the 1935 picture courtesy of www.drroyspencer.com

1935 photo: Flooded Downtown Houston

Goodness Shines Through the Dark in Houston This Day

8/28/2017

Can you imagine looking out your front window today and seeing this sight? Well, if you live in the Houston metropolitan area, many residents are facing just that, some even more ominous. The rains of downgraded Hurricane Harvey are falling in record volume in the area as the storm is basically stationary, trapped between two high pressure systems. Until the high pressure lessens, what's left of Harvey will continue to pound the area with some prognosticators saying some areas could receive as much as fifty inches of rain.

But in the tragedy and the gloom there is also good news and it's news that should speak to the heart of all Americans who wish well for their fellow man. You see, a flotilla of private boat owners from many places in Texas and even Louisiana have descended on the Bayou City to help rescue stranded citizens and even their pets and take them to safety on high ground. This same effort was provided by many in New Orleans back in 2005 during Katrina and it has returned to Houston at any even greater level. And it's a true testament to the goodness in the hearts of many more fortunate than the citizens of Houston on this day. They ask for no reward or special recognition, they just savor the opportunity to help out where help is desperately needed.

Government agencies are ill equipped to handle a disaster of this magnitude on their own and without the voluntary help being provided many more would likely suffer or even die than have or will during this disaster. And the effort by these volunteers should send a message to all of us that individualism and self-reliance and the willingness to also use those traits is so critical at a time like this. After all, that is the traditional American way, yet we fall victim to believing that the government will be the salvation of so many.

Do we need government? Yes, for specified things but not for everything. And every family living in areas prone to life-threatening storms should always make advance preparations for themselves if they want to survive. We can't know when such disasters will happen or where but we need to make preparations. Then government can lend a helping hand for those instances where it is humanly possible for self-sufficiency to handle it.

No one in Houston should have been sitting on their hands waiting for the government to tell them what to do. Many likely were doing that but thankfully many "grabbed the bull by the horns" before the storm struck. And thank God for the growing "Cajun Navy" giving their all for their fellow man. It's good to see this large band of good Americans step up when they were so desperately. Sometimes it just takes a disaster to truly show the best of America. In these fine people we are seeing a wonderful example of that this very day.

SUNDAY MORNING COMING DOWN: What Hurricane Harvey Can Teach Us

8/26/2017

Empty shelves in Corpus Christi

Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.
- Proverbs 6:6-8

As I am sure everyone is aware of by now, the good people of the Texas Gulf Coast are weathering a horrific once in a lifetime event: a hurricane that hit land as a category four and has already dumped over twenty inches of rain in some places. It's hard to imagine twenty of inches of rain in one day and the prognosticators show no end in sight until at least next Tuesday. In an area which is largely low and populated with alligators and water moccasins, even those not facing severe property damage have to be on guard because wild creatures will be seeking dry hiding places until the water recedes. Now we don't know how long this will last, but we do know that the clean-up and recovery may take years and many people who woke of yesterday in a nice home with a good life may face months of agonizing stress and worry as they try to rebuild their lives. But there is comfort knowing that Americans are the most generous people in the world and they will once again rise up to help those in need as necessary.

So what can we learn from Hurricane Harvey and what it has done to tear asunder good people and their lives and dreams? Well, first and foremost, we can use it to highlight that all the things we are given on this earth are temporary, including life itself. When things are going well and all is secure, we just take our blessings for granted, but when they fall apart suddenly, as is the case of those facing Hurricane Harvey, anxiety, fear and worry can creep into our lives and make us unable to function effectively. And when that happens, not only are we incapable of dealing with what must be done, but we actually set ourselves back.

But if we only remember that God is always there for us, ready to help us and lead us back to a better future and if we only put ourselves in His hands, asking for His guidance and following it, we have the capability to rebuild things better than they ever were before. We don't know why people are subjected to things like hurricanes. Perhaps in the case of some it's a form of punishment, or maybe even a way to make us see what is really important, but we do know that God has allowed evil to exist on this earth and it will always be here among us until that appointed time when Jesus returns to rule the world. We don't know when, but we do know, if we open our hearts with faith and believe, that He will and it is our job to weather whatever burdens we face with love, determination, and the will to do all that we can to live as He would have us do.

And the picture posted with this blog was designed to bring home a special point. If we want to weather a hurricane when one is approaching, we must prepare and, of course, one of the most important needs is adequate food and water until help arrives. Those who prepared well can weather the storm. Those who don't will be hungry and thirsty, possibly even to the degree where they can't survives.

And our faith is the same way. If we want to weather the storm of life and ultimately inherit the Kingdom of God, we must prepare. We must keep our hearts open, pray, read the Bible and join in fellowship with others. This will provide us the spiritual sustenance to sustain us through bad times like the hurricane. Are we up to the challenge?

Dear Lord, We thank you for your love and grace and all the many blessings that you have given us and we pray for you to look over the people suffering in Texas this day. Help us to use it as a building block for always being prepared for what awaits us, known and unknown. And help us, through faith, to use our faith in you as a main building block in those preparations. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

Is a Peaceful Society Dead in America?

8/25/2017

Over the last decade or so we've seriously seen America's social values being degraded to the point where today almost anything goes. And this deterioration of a quality lifestyle can be seen at all levels as more and more allow themselves to be drawn into a mob style concept of what is right and wrong with the results being large scale chaos. And chaos is just what those who want to destroy us seek, for when chaos takes over anarchy becomes the method of operation and it's deadly.

Because of this trend, sometimes even the actions taken by law enforcement can be absurd and it's often due to a misinterpretation of the facts. A case in point involves a driver who was involved in a serious altercation which caused him to act defensively and end up being adjudged as the assailant and not the victim.

In St. Louis recently, a driver found himself on a street facing a flash mob. He looked for options other than to go forward toward the crowd, fearing the angry crowd was intent on causing him physical harm. There were no other ways to go, he was hemmed in and there were no police in sight. He decided to just calmly move forward and try to go through the crowd as unobtrusively as possible. He quickly learned that this approach was a big mistake.

Members of the crowd were screaming at him, beating on his car and attempting to open the locked doors. They pounded the car and climbed on it, continually yelling ugly words at him and he was now fearful for his life. What was he supposed to do except try to escape?

Without reaching a high level of speed he moved a little faster and several of those hanging on the car fell into the street, suffering minor scrapes and perhaps bruises. He kept moving and as he separated himself by about a block from the crowd he was then stopped by a police officer. To his surprise, he was arrested and charged with a felony.

Once again, what was he supposed to do? Should he have stopped his car and gotten out, trying to reason with the mob? Of course not, for mobs take on a life of their own and when that happens all morality takes a vacation. I think anyone faced with this situation would have done the same things and I would hope, when the case is reviewed, that the charges will be dropped and common sense should prevail. And the mob, what about them? Well, they should be charged with obstructing traffic. Roadways are for travel, not to be used as a venue for more gang banger violence.

I only mention this today to highlight the slippery slope that we find ourselves in today and it all comes from the societal trend that anything goes. Some say "if it feels good, do it", yet we never take into consideration what that means to others who want no part of it and find their freedom adversely impacted.

Wake up, America. We are rapidly allowing ourselves to slide into chaos and anarchy and when this happens our very existence as a free society is at serious risk. Do you really want to live in "Mad Max's Thunderdome?" I, for one, do not.

After Charlottesville: What a Difference Real Policing Makes

8/23/2017

Last night in Phoenix, Donald Trump did what he does best. He held a huge rally for his active followers, reiterating what his plans are and how he plans to successfully tackle them despite the unprecedented opposition of the Left and even some of the more liberal elements of his own party. But the big news wasn't the President's comments, but the way in which local police handled the rabid opposition in the streets borne of bused in troublemakers such as Antifa which states that violence against conservatism is certainly justified.

Unlike small town Charlottesville, where police were told to stand down while violent thugs threw rocks, bottles of urine and swung baseball bats at people who were expressing their right to free speech in an approved environment, the police in Phoenix, just like Boston two day earlier, kept the violence away from the rally. They held their ground and used the force necessary to keep the attendees for Trump safe, actively controlling the scene unlike in Charlottesville where the police watched people being pummeled and bloodied.

And one thing in particular I want to point out. When plastic bottles or water balloons filled with urine are hurled at the police or people gathered, that is a trademark of what Antifa does, a violent organization made of those paid to inflict discomfort on others. That is not something that needs to be tolerated in American society and I'm glad the Phoenix security team dealt with it effectively, but not with overkill.

Some tidbits are already starting to come out about Charlottesville that show there could possibly be a relationship between those representing themselves as Nazis and the Antifa activists. I don't know if it will ultimately be borne out, but if it were to prove to be so, this entire effort to paint the Right as Fascist will fall directly on its own sword. And speaking of Charlottesville, now we learn that an ESPN commentary, one Robert Lee, was pulled from covering the Virginia Cavaliers opening game for fear of backlash over his name. Really? Robert Lee, an Asian American, has been removed from the game.

Come on, America, it's time to wise up. Surely we are better than this, and smarter, too, don't you think? I guess only time will answer that question.

MIZZOU: The Slow Demise of an American University

8/22/2017

What happens when a fine university is faced with angry and sometimes violent agitators on campus and instead of applying the rule of law and order caves to the demand of the agitators? Well, as we have witnessed over the past two years in the case of the University of Missouri, a good school begins to wither and die.

It was just about two years ago that agitation by Black Lives Matter and supporting groups began to protest around the clock on the Columbia campus, threatening those who disagreed with them and giving a long list of unreasonable demands for special treatment to the Administration. And while most students went about their business of trying to get an education, the protestors expanded around campus and created disruption of the other students, actions which should have generated disciplinary action and removal of those in their midst who weren't even students.

What did the University Administration do? They caved and ultimately resigned, at least the two top officials, and the result was continued mayhem and disruption which has adversely impacted the ability of the school to carry out its educational mission and sullied its reputation as a place of higher learning. And now two years later, the result is the university having to make significant budget cuts as students transfer to other schools and parents who attended the school seek other educational institutions for their children.

In the two years since the trouble started, the overall attendance at the school has dropped by two thousand students and, more critically, the number of freshman entering the school has been reduced by thirty-five percent. Athletic teams have suffered, most recently noted by basketball games being played in an arena at least one-third empty which used to be routinely sold out.

Dormitories are being closed, over one hundred staff employees have lost their jobs and another three hundred vacant jobs are not being filled. The money has just dried up with the drop in tuition and the legislature is unwilling to throw more money into a bad option. But the school likely will survive, but it may not thrive, at least not anytime soon if it doesn't wake up and focus on what it is supposed to be.

Why am I picking on Old Mizzou? Well, it's not to single the school out but merely to point out what happens when any organization allows disorderly behavior and anarchy to run unchecked. No one is going to spend the money for college tuition for a tainted product and Mizzou is just one of the most visible problem schools that we see in academia today. Education needs to get back to free speech (peaceful, of course), debate and learning. That doesn't come from safe rooms and controlled speech. When schools are turned into propaganda mills everyone gets hurt, but no one more so than the naive student who receives a degree before realizing it has qualified them for nothing. And that means more and more twenty-somethings return to the family nest while figuring out how to pay the bill for their outrageous student loan which will follow them for years.

I truly hope the University of Missouri is able to successfully overcome her problems and return to the ranks of quality education providers. This will require honesty, good and honest debate and the courage to support the free and open exchange of ideas. Otherwise, the entire process is a waste of time anyway and you might as well enroll in a trade program and become a plumber. At least you'll have a job.

The Solar Eclipse: What is it's Message to Mankind?

8/21/2017

Normally I kick off Monday morning with a political blog after a two day weekend holiday from the subject, but I thought today's solar eclipse brought with it a much better opportunity. After all, we mortal men and women have a way of thinking we are all important, all self-capable and always right, but when we are faced with the presence of such a monumental and visible event as an eclipse, we need to realize our severe limitations.

Everything around us, from the stars and the celestial presence in the sky above to the beauty of what we share on earth is God given. This also includes all the people in our lives, our family pets, and all of the things that man creates. Without God, none of these things would be possible, for he has given us all of the abilities that we have to do what we do and despite his grace we so often fail Him miserably.

Could we stop an eclipse in mid-stream if we wanted? No, we could not. Or how about a hurricane, can we change it's course to avoid destruction? Likewise, there is no way we could do that. Yet God, the Creator, the One who made all things can also change and/or destroy all things if He wishes and when we put ourselves on a pedestal instead of Him we always fail.

So, when you experience the eclipse today, whether it be a partial viewing or the full scale event in that seventy mile wide band from the coast of Oregon to the coast of South Carolina, marvel at how our all powerful God can create such actions with such specificity of timing and space to quietly show his power and presence. And remember that this all comes from God, Our Gracious and Loving Father, who only wants us to live in the image He created for us. And also remember that this same Father also gave us His only Son to die for us so that we could be cleansed of all sin and live for eternity with Him when this life is done.

While the eclipse is an amazing event, it is nearly nothing compared to the events and things that God has in store for us later. Look at the eclipse as a sign of his wonder and grace with your heart open and your eyes clear and you'll come to that same realization as well and it will put you on track to a real future. Enjoy the eclipse today, just recognize that it's just one small sign of what He can do for our lives if only we pay attention and believe.

SUNDAY MORNING COMING DOWN: God's Nature in Action

8/19/2017

He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.
- Matthew 16:2-3 ESV

Yesterday was truly a "Dog Day in August". It began sunny, hot and humid and by late morning it was nearly unbearable. So, I completed my chores and went inside to write in the air conditioning. I was planning on bringing the horses into the barn no later than mid-afternoon to give them a break from the sun, but I dozed off, sleeping blissfully until I was awakened by the commotion outside.

Coming back to consciousness I realized it was thunder and it was coming from the west. Menacing gray clouds were rapidly approaching and the thunder roared even louder with bolts of cloud to ground lightning flashing in the sky. Shortly thereafter, the rain began and within a minute or two it was raining so hard that I could barely distinguish the barn fifty yards away. I knew the horses would have to stay where they were until it abated.

To make matters worse, once the storm reached us, it slowed down as it met the Atlantic sea breeze which kept it stationary. For just under two hours some of the heaviest rain I've ever seen in Florida pounded down, the metal roof pinging while the water began to rise. But then, just as fast as it began, it slowed to a drizzle and the sky lightened. That was a good thing for in that short span of time the skies dropped almost five inches of rain on our property which has received heavy rainfall all summer.

As I slogged out to the barn in my waders, I looked down pasture and beheld a beautiful sight. The horses were grazing on a high part of the property, surrounded by a family of deer and a flock of egrets. Between us was a short-lived lake, caused by the rain, which would remain until the drainage could keep up with the water volume. And I thought about how peaceful it was to see different groups of animals share space together while we humans have trouble getting along. And it also reminded me how lucky my family is to have this "little peace of heaven" where we can enjoy nature up close and personal, removed from the traffic and mayhem that is so much of today's modern world.

As the last of the animals came in through the gate, one of our two wonderful Great Pyrenees, Salvador, pulled his usual trick, sneaking out the gate into the pasture. He romped through the water, then rolled in the sand, reveling in his little game. He never runs off but just enjoys being a big tease to let me know who he is. And then he came back, performed his usual shake off all over me, and went into the tack room for his dinner. He was pleased with himself and, once again, was covered with grime. I guess it fends off the bug and mosquitoes.

Later, as I sat on the porch looking at the lush green that is rural Florida after a summer storm, I thought about the scripture that opened this commentary. We can interpret the weather pretty accurately from God's signs in the sky, often better than the weatherman, but we just can't seem to figure out what the signs all around us as humans indicate. God made us in His image, obviously wanting us to live in His image as well, yet we can't seem to come to grips with that simple truth, thinking we have all the answers ourselves. Oh, how inadequate we are to accomplish anything without His guiding hand. We've truly got a lot of learning to do.

Dear Lord, We thank you for the signs in the sky that you give us to prepare ourselves for each day. And we ask that you give us the common sense to realize that only you can guide us on the signs of the times and help us prepare for what may lie ahead. We ask in Jesus' name, Amen.