Running Bear’s August 2019 Coffee Shop

[migalyto]

I did do one railroad activity over the summer. UP4014 came through town and I went to see it. Very cool to be so close to it. Kind of got the juices flowing again.

 

[Raincoat2]

Good morning everyone. 86 and sunny out there at noon.

Getting on the forum a little late today - had another off-campus planning meeting this morning. Good meeting, especially when fueled by coffee and bagels!!

Terry - Very sorry to hear this - - prayers for you and your wife.
Mike - great progress on your bedrooms!
Patrick, Sir Fold, Garry, Wheeler, Chet, Flip, Chessie, IB Ken, Louis, and anyone I may have missed - thank you all for your likes and comments on my logging camp scene. It's always encouraging to hear from you, especially those who are veterans in this hobby - your suggestions are always welcome, too.

MOH is in Zion, IL (north of Chicago) at the CTCA facility there for her 6 month checkup. All labs and reports are in and so far everything is good. So I'm batching it for a couple of days. Warmed up some chicken cordon bleu and home fried potatoes, and made a root beer float for dinner last night - now is THAT a bachelor meal or what?!?!

Not much to report from the train room. Spent much of last evening in my wood shop working on birdhouses to sell at an upcoming craft fair. Did run trains for a short while. Here's a couple of photos of two trains crossing the river and lake area. It's a bear trying to get those two trains to the same point at the same time 'cause they run on different throttle settings (and remember I don't run DCC). Anyway, I throttle way down and one of the trains won't move at all and the other moves slowly:

The lake/recreation area will be a focus over the next week or so as I add some scenery and improve the recreational part of things - putting together a pier, got some fishermen, got some more playground equipment - and I'll put all of that in place. Somewhere I have some picnic benches to build - will have to look for them.

I like running two trains at the same time, but it's tough with them running at different throttle speeds. But I can run one on the longer outside main line (bottom photo, left side train) and the other on the inside main line (bottom photo, train closest to you), and they pretty well stay away from each other. Just have to watch for the faster one overtaking the slower one after the main lines converge, at which point I put one onto a siding for a while.

Have a good day everyone.

 

[Bruette]

I just received tracking information for this beauty!

The Dow might be down, but my spirit is high!

 

[Bruette]

A blast from the past!

Today we honor the 1970 Player of the Year recipient, Billy Williams of the Chicago Cubs. The left-handed slugger demonstrated impressive contact skills and power that summer, batting .322 and leading the National League in runs (137), hits (205) and total bases (373). He also delivered 42 home runs and 129 RBIs, career highs for the 32-year-old Williams.

 

[MikeInHubCity]

Even Geoffrey had a layout in his trailer

Terry- this sounds like a very plausible idea, when & if the time comes to downsize to an apartment. Another option would be a 2 bedroom apartment & use the extra room for a layout. That’s where I’m building mine.

 

[GarryCBQ]

Howdy ....

Mike ..... Love the photos of 4014 !!! .... Thanks for posting them.

Johnny .... Your layout pictures look great. It sounds like Dena is doing well, and I am glad she is.

Louis ....... I recall Billy Williams from back in the days when I followed the Cubs more closely. Great athlete! ..... I hope you enjoy the Lionel Christmas boxcar. ....... We don't need national health care. It would be a huge mistake . So what if our health care costs more than other countries? At least, ours actually cures diseases and saves lives. Also, other items such as fuel are less costly in the USA than in other countries. ... ObamaCare had too many failures. Leave our health care alone.

 

[MikeInHubCity]

Willie, that is good to hear about Walmart workers and I can concur about some people don't want full time work. My Wife's company has a policy that only managers are full time. She has offered promotions to a few that have turned it down because it would complicate. reduce or even eliminate some or all of their government benefits (in this case, hand outs in my mind).

My wife has to fill out government forms for them to receive benefits. The government does not ask if the employee has turned down additional hours or anything like that, why?! I don't know, makes no sense to me!

Not to mention my wife can't ask food stamp users for ID, in any case. Some come in with several food stamp cards and a list of pin numbers. My wife can't even ask for ID after several repeated attempts to match the cards with the pin numbers! Credit card companies want her to ask for ID to prevent fraud, but not the government!

I'm all in favor of helping those who are trying to help themselves, but "milking" the system is just plain wrong! Id give every fraudulent claimant free health care, housing and meals, in jail!

These are just a few of the things we need to address to cut fraud/waste. It's a perfect example of what I mean when I say the solutions are complex.

I would hope it would be a federal law. I remember a story several years ago on 60 minutes about a woman with no healthcare coverage dying outside of a California hospital after being refused treatment due to an inability to pay. Maybe that story insipred a change in federal law, I would hope so.

For the record, I am a Walmart shopper. Both in store and online. I like the many low prices. I like the convince of buying a variety of things in one store. I love their cooked ham lunch meat and their prices for many frozen foods and many other reasons to shop there. I only go to Walmart early in the morning to avoid the crowds.

Louis- my wife works @ Walmart & has been there over 11 years. Many people whine about the self-checkouts, but in her store, they added more SCO’s because they can’t get people to apply/stay as cashiers. Many of the part timers are such because they are students, retirees or parents of school age children & only want to work during school hours.

 

[santafewillie]

Here in the state of Maryland we have free healthcare for low income people. The state pickups the tab for those who can't pay in emergency rooms and the hospital

For further reference, EMTALA (Emergency Medical Treatment And Labor Act) was enacted by Congress in 1986 as part of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) of 1985 (42 U.S.C. §1395dd). It is actually an expansion of a previous law, The Hospital Survey and Construction Act of 1946 (commonly called the Hill-Burton Act). The original law from 1946 did not have financial penalties.
Maryland isn't doing anything more than all the other states. Note that the law only applies to hospitals receiving Medicare funds which is over 98% of hospitals in America.

 

[chadbag]

75F at 1am in the SLC area.

We landed in SLC right after 10:30pm and we're on the curb at 11pm where my dad was waiting. Off to bed now.

Nice train shots being posted. Keep them coming.

 

[Bruette]

Louis ....... I recall Billy Williams from back in the days when I followed the Cubs more closely. Great athlete! ..... I hope you enjoy the Lionel Christmas boxcar. ....... We don't need national health care. It would be a huge mistake . So what if our health care costs more than other countries? At least, ours actually cures diseases and saves lives. Also, other items such as fuel are less costly in the USA than in other countries. ... ObamaCare had too many failures. Leave our health care alone.

Garry, "great athlete", perfect description for Billy Williams, he was a great all-around player. I wish I could have seen him play more often. The occasional Saturday afternoon game of the week was not enough.

I will enjoy the new boxcar. My plan is to run it behind the tender of my Polar Express set under the living room Christmas tree.

It's true, we do have the highest quality healthcare in the world, if you have access to it and you can afford it. I consider myself lucky. Even when I did not have health insurance I had the cash to pay my way. I'm still alive because I have the cash to allow me to work when I feel good, to eat right and not have to choses between eating healthy or paying bills. Others are not so lucky and I can't forget about them.

As it is now the United States ranks the highest for treating diseases like cancer. On the other hand, we rank 11th among industrialized nations in mortality rates for treatable and preventable diseases. I find that unacceptable.

I relate everything to sports. When a team consistently ends up last it's time to learn from what the others are doing. The one thing all 10 of those industrialized nations that have a lower mortality rates have in common, national healthcare.

The ACA was not intended to be the "be all, end all" for healthcare, It was a starting point. Instead there were those of us who worked endlessly to tear it down, rather than to build on it. As it turned out not even a republican majority could agree on what to do. Now, thanks to "just say no" we have Republican care. If you haven't noticed President Obama has been on vacation for the last few years.

"Leave our healthcare alone" I expect that will be the least likely thing to happen. It was you who pointed out we can't financially sustain what we are currently doing. Personally I think cost is not the priority, for me saving lives and improving the quality of life will be worth the cost. I just want us to be efficient in how we do it.

By the way, it's not up to me. There are millions of more people far more progressive than me. The tide is turning, the republican party is shrinking as we speak. The democratic party is as well, just not as fast. Independent voters will decide this issue if we don't.

We can sit on the sidelines, but the game will still go on, with us or without us. I'd much rather capitalists like us have some say in what happens next. I believe there is a compromise we can all live with, but we all have to participate in the debate to make that happen. Just say "no" never works.

 

[bnsf971]

Good morning. It's 72 and mostly cloudy.
Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it.

 

[Bruette]

Louis- my wife works @ Walmart & has been there over 11 years. Many people whine about the self-checkouts, but in her store, they added more SCO’s because they can’t get people to apply/stay as cashiers. Many of the part timers are such because they are students, retirees or parents of school age children & only want to work during school hours.

Mike, I love Walmart's self check outs! I go early in the morning and I never have to wait. I don't know who programed the self-checkouts for Walmart, but they work nearly flawlessly for me. Other stores the self-checkouts can be a pain, "please wait for assistance" why, who is coming, when? grrrr. Not Walmart and in the rare occurrence I do need help at Walmart, (usually my own fault) help is right there.

Automation is a fact of life. Manufacturing output has been up in the US for almost 10 consecutive years, but manufacturing jobs are down because of automation. It's progress, time marches on and people have to adjust.

Lots of people, many different circumstances, I don't have first hand knowledge of many Walmart employees. I know of several Amazon employees that have told me they are working 2 part-time jobs.

 

[Bruette]

For further reference, EMTALA (Emergency Medical Treatment And Labor Act) was enacted by Congress in 1986 as part of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) of 1985 (42 U.S.C. §1395dd). It is actually an expansion of a previous law, The Hospital Survey and Construction Act of 1946 (commonly called the Hill-Burton Act). The original law from 1946 did not have financial penalties.
Maryland isn't doing anything more than all the other states. Note that the law only applies to hospitals receiving Medicare funds which is over 98% of hospitals in America.

Thank you Willie, I was not aware of that law or of the expansion of the law. It's good to know, at least all Americans can get minimal assistance in emergency situations. That 60 minutes story I referred to must have been about one of the few private hospitals that don't participate. That's why I prefer to read, I can miss things when listening.

Maryland is different from other states. After doing some research I found In fact almost all states are different. The federal law sets the minimum standard for specific emergency situations only. Once the patient is stabilized and admitted or released they no longer qualify for assistance, follow up care is not included.

Some states like Massachusetts have nearly universal coverage. Several other states have proposed legislation to have universal coverage. New York City will soon have universal coverage. Maryland covers preventive care, hospital stays, even dental and eye care for the poor. We still have a gap for those who make above the limit for assistance but still can't afford coverage.

It's like the minimum wage, Federal law is $7.25 per hour and 21 states are still at $7.25 per hour. Maryland is $10.10 per hour and still going up incrementally. Some states are $12 per hour. Some US cities even higher at $15 per hour.

 

[Bruette]

Good morning Everybody!

It does not seem as warm as yesterday, but it's still humid.

Time for me to do some pool maintenance.

Have a great day Everybody!

 

[santafewillie]

Good Morning All. 75° and clear. Weatherman hasn't given up yet, today is the first day of a five day triple digit forecast. Didn't work last week, so we'll try again. Busy day today, an early morning grocery/beer run; I'll leave about 0700. After returning, it's today's physical therapy session for my wife at 1030. We had a great family doctor visit yesterday. My BP was the lowest that he had ever seen it at 130/80, so low that they took it again to be sure! I suffer "white-coat syndrome"; it's always around 124/76 at home. I was even lower than my wife for the first time. Lab results probably Monday. We actually spent more time with him than I have ever spent before, over 45 minutes overall with the both of us simultaneously. Usually 15 minutes is tops. Waiting room was overflowing when we left.
Joe/Sherrel - Wife is making tremendous progress with her rehab, While she is still using the cane a bit, she is doing more unassisted walking. The post-op swelling has been greatly reduced, we're now down to maybe 6 pounds of ice a day (initially 20/day). We're two weeks and four days after surgery. It has gone well here, I hope that it goes as well in your (or your wife's) situation.
Thanks to all who have sent well wishes over the last few weeks.

Thanks also to all who commented or liked yesterday's progress update; Louis, Patrick, Garry, Sherrel, Johnny, Jerome, Mike (hub city), Phil.

Out in the train shed, I did almost nothing except run trains. I did get that industry spur to the oil distributor nailed in, after a tough time soldering extra feeders. I might be able to get out there today and connect the feeders and start track testing. Thought that I had a few pictures of other stuff, but I must have mis-labeled the file folder and I just don't have time to trace them.

Patrick - That sounds like a nine year old. Waiting for the photos so I can decide whether to add one to my layout.
Mike - Kind of missed you here in the Coffee Shop, but now I see why. Quite a project there. Great pictures of UP 4014.
Johnny - Somewhere along the line I missed commenting on the logging scene. It is coming along nicely. I also like your lake scene.
Chad- Glad to read of your safe return.

Everybody have a great Friday, I gotta go.

 

[Raincoat2]

Good morning everyone. 68 and rainy out there. Cold front w/thunderboomies moved through around 3 a.m., right on schedule - woke me up, but it watered the garden and lawn, so I don't have to. MOH comes back today!! Time for coffee and doughnuts, please, Flo.

Terry - continued prayers for you, your wife, and everything that's going on in your life.
Willie, Chad, Flip, Garry, Wheeler, Louis, and anyone I may have missed - thank you for the comments and likes about my train photo from yesterday.

Not much to report from the train room this morning. Spent the evening hanging out with our son, and didn't get home until late. Bachelor meal last night: soup and toast An MJKlein order came in last evening: a couple of cars, a couple of trucks, some people, some Rustall weathering paint, several bags of scenery, and two Walthers structure kits: Ranch Tract House and Old Country Barn. Actually starting to run out of room for structures on the layout, but I have planned for these two. Can't wait to get started.

Here's a closeup photo of the lake/recreation area I'm going to work on next - need to add a pier, fishermen (fisherpersons?), some more playground equipment, a couple more cars, more trees, etc. Will post some photos when that's done.

Have a good day everyone.

 

[GarryCBQ]

Good morning ....

Louis. .... Uncle Sam has huge deficits primarily because of the health care plans he is paying for already. Taxes collected for them (mostly payroll taxes) is not enough to pay for them. Uncle Sam must at least break even with existing health care programs before considering adding more to them. We don't want to have Medicare for seniors diluted to pay for health care for others, and we don't want Uncle Sam's debt to keep growing.

Willie .... It is good to hear the doctor appointments were good. Glad to allow you to take a day off with posting photos. You deserve a break.

Johnny ....... That is a great lake scene !

 

[GarryCBQ]

Here are some NP and GN units .....

 

[GarryCBQ]

If anybody wanted to bid on James Bond's Aston Martin DB5, they are too late. .... It sold for $6.4 million.

 

[Sirfoldalot]

Good Morning -- Temp reached 101* the last two days - only supposed to reach 94* today - the record was 104* in 2015.

It's like the minimum wage, Federal law is $7.25 per hour and 21 states are still at $7.25 per hour. Maryland is $10.10 per hour and still going up incrementally. Some states are $12 per hour. Some US cities even higher at $15 per hour.

A little wage story and government: Out here we are charged a 5 cent (tax?) on each drink can/water bottles which go into a "special fund". RePlanet provides redemption centers where you can recycle and pays you a slightly reduced price - when weighed 3.5-4 cents each - for your wares; there are 4-5 of these places throughout the city. RePlanet is paid from the "special fund", so now RePlanet has shut down because they cannot pay their workers the higher State-imposed wages.
Not sure where this is going to wind up? Charge more at the store, or quit the program all together?? California is supposed to be awash with money, but even so, former Gov Brown tried twice to "raid" the fund which has a surplus of several million dollars.

Wife is making tremendous progress with her rehab, While she is still using the cane a bit, she is doing more unassisted walking. The post-op swelling has been greatly reduced, we're now down to maybe 6 pounds of ice a day (initially 20/day). We're two weeks and four days after surgery.

Willie - That is really good news!

Johnny ....... That is a great lake scene !

Johnny - I second that! Really neat, pretty scene.
Garry - Very nice photo of the various power units - almost looks like a California freeway!

MIKE - Your remodeling job there is a feat in its self! I did that twice to 60-70-year-old houses. I was much younger and in much better shape than now - can't do it as much as I wish I could again.
Are you going to hang and finish the sheetrock too?