Homestead Report Number 56

This is Thomas R. Welch reporting to you again direct from the homestead on the south side of Atlanta, Ga.

Everything is great at the homestead, not perfect, but all it would take to be perfect would be for Yun’s skin condition to clear up. 

New televisions are working well, and so is the Wii.  I’m still Wii bowling a little above professional level.  I know that Wii bowling is not the same as being on an actual bowling lane; but still a good score.   

I watched a news story yesterday about a competitive eating contest, wherein one Joey Chestnut stuffed in 103 Krystals Hamburgers, in eight minutes, to gain the title of World Krystal Eating Champion, and a $10,000 prize.  I have no idea how many Krystal burgers it takes to equal one McDonald Quarter Pounder, but being a fairly generous person, lets assume it takes eight.  This means then that Mr. Chestnut consumed the equivalent of at least 12.87 Quarter Pounders.

I don’t care if Mr. Chestnut eats 12.87 Quarter Pounders if he is hungry, and I don’t care if he eats that much to win $10,000 in a competitive eating contest, but when we do this type of thing are we sending the subliminal message to the starving masses around the world that we don’t really care about them?  I’m afraid so.  And that’s all I have to say about that.

Emailed the below suggestion to Senators Chambliss and Isakson.

“Sir,

It strikes me that now would be a good time to recommend a study be
conducted to determine the feasibility of constructing a canal connecting our waterways on the east coast from the Mississippi to the countries major metropolitan and agricultural areas.  This would provide us (1) water from a source that is now draining into the Gulf of Mexico, and (2) possibly reversing a dead zone wherein aquatic life can not live which, by some accounts, is the size of New Jersey.  All the data regarding river paths and land elevations are already in the possession of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  Then, if it is feasible, you should introduce a Bill to make it happen.  I did not mention cost because (1) some things need to be done regardless of cost, and (2) if we can afford a trillion dollars (and I actually think it's going to cost us a lot more that that), for Iraq and Afghanistan, we can afford a canal system.

Thank you for your time,

Sincerely,

Thomas Ray Welch”

More later (There is always more, later not so much)