August 31, 2017

Victim of Hurricane Ivan. 09/16/04 FEMA and me: Catch 22

I have flood insurance, but happily we didn't flood.
We live on a bay, so that's where the water went, downslope.
But the high water mark came within 10 yards of the back door.
My dock was completely under water.

Except for a tree through the roof of a screened porch, the house was relatively undamaged.

We lost 19 large oak trees.
Just blown over.
That's when I learned what a shallow root system our water oaks have.
Imagine a 20-30 foot high tree lying on its side with a root pancake 10' high.
I paid a private contractor several thousand dollar to cut the trees into shorter lengths so they could be hauled to the street where the FEMA contractor would pick them up.

The FEMA contractor can not come onto private property.
They can only pick up from the street right-of way.

I did not get one penny from FEMA.
Nor should I have under the rules in place.
FEMA is geared toward communities, municipalities, counties, etc.
NOT individuals.

And here's where It REALLY gets shitty.
I had to take those thousands out of my IRA.
That put me into a higher income tax bracket.
Every nickel you take out is INCOME.

So, to add insult to injury, I not only had to take funds out of my IRA THAT I CAN NOT REPLACE BY LAW, but I had to pay higher taxes on my "income" that year.

Screwed and screwed again.


PS: I'm not a rich bastid.
I live on a (smallish) pension and S/S.
The modest IRA is for emergencies.

August 30, 2017

OK, who's the oldest geezer here?

76
8/22/41

August 30, 2017

Mar-a-Lago charity cancellations are fake news

To: Mar-a-Lago staff
From: DJT

Subject: Upcoming bookings at the club

Please note the following changes to our schedule for next season, which is no reflection of the terrific job we all have been doing— especially me — to make Mar-a-Lago and America great again.

The American Cancer Society event for 2018 has been canceled due to inclement weather.

The Cleveland Clinic’s annual fundraiser and gala will be held elsewhere due to failings of Obamacare, which is collapsing miserably, buh-lieve me.

The American Friends of Magen David Adom, which raises money for Israel’s equivalent of the Red Cross, will not be joining us as previously scheduled next year due to radical Islamic terrorism.
Yes, I said those three words. A lot of people are thanking me for that.

Also, please scratch The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in New York from the schedule. I hear the reason is they expect a cure before the end of the year. That’s what I’m hearing.
They’re great people, the leukemia people. And they love me. But they’re saying, “Donald, we desperately want to have an event at your club, but how could we with a cure? It changes the whole ballgame.” Sad!

The Palm Beach Zoo won’t be having their event at the club either. Which is fine by me. I like the animals that aren’t captured.

The American Red Cross told me they would really love to have their event at Mar-a-Lago next year, too. But I turned them down. Their breath has been very bad in the past.

Unfortunately, we also had to remove The Dana Farber Cancer Institute event from our calendar next year because it conflicts with a dinner I had scheduled with my advisers — Sean Hannity and the cast from Fox & Friends.

By Frank Cerabino - Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
http://www.mypalmbeachpost.com/news/cerabino-mar-lago-charity-cancellations-are-fake-news/6vIZ6c5UZqJjx3qSDHwjtM/

August 30, 2017

It's a bird. It's a plane. It's a...SHITGIBBON!

August 29, 2017

U.S. Coast Guard objects to Trump's funding cut

Remember this? Just last May?

WASHINGTON — President Trump is proposing increased military spending in his 2018 budget, but the proposal cuts $1.3 billion from the U.S Coast Guard, reducing its budget by 12%.

The Coast Guard is not happy about the news.
“We have always prided ourselves as a service that punches above our weight class. Yet, as our nation’s fifth armed service, we are budgeted at the bottom,” said Admiral Paul F. Zukunft, the 25th commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, during an annual speech at the National Press Club on Thursday.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/03/16/us-coast-guard-objects-trumps-funding-cut/99274238/

August 28, 2017

We're screwed. Brilliant cartoon.

Took me a minute.

August 28, 2017

Here's what my flood insurance costs.

I've seen a lot of posts about the cost of flood insurance, so here's what I pay.
My policy is issued under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Flood_Insurance_Program

$567 annual premium
Building coverage amount: $250,000
Contents: $84,500.
$1,250 deductible on each.

I live on the edge of a designated flood plain (waterfront property) and have a mortgage, so I'm required to carry the insurance.
I would keep it even if I wasn't required to.
This property has never flooded, to my knowledge.
The closest we came was Hurricane Ivan in 2004. Water came to within about 10 yards of the house.

August 28, 2017

Everyone OK with this?

August 25, 2017

I'll just leave this here.

?w=1600

August 20, 2017

About counter-demonstrations. 'Splain me this:

It seems like the majority of DUers think that if we don't turn out en masse that somehow the 'baddies'* win.

*'baddies' = neo-nazis, KKK, alt right, etc.

I just don't see what they win if there's no opposition.
I just see some people preaching to themselves with maybe a few cops standing around to make sure they don't get hurt.

They're not there to elect a mayor or city council.
They are there to get PUBLICITY.
Yes, initially the media will probably cover the event, EXPECTING a confrontation.
And when there is NONE, and it becomes a non-event, the media will cover something else.
Or else poke fun at the gathering.

It is worth a try.
Imagine if the drone images from Boston had shown only the few at the bandstand not surround by the counter demonstrators.
Just a small island of people in the midst of...nothing.

Hey, Tina liked my idea.
I still say it's the smart way.