"It is better to be defeated on principle than to win on lies."
- Arthur Calwell

First Drive of Li-Ion tzero: "Wednesday, August 27th, the Li-Ion tzero was driven for the first time."

Powered by 6,300 laptop battiries this electric car can do 0-60 in 3.7 seconds! Hmmm time to trade-in my WRX.

BORED AND AWAKE

It's late, I'm bored and looking for something to write. I could write about all the tree limbs and leaves in my yard from Isabel, what a mess. I moved the big ones but I'll just "mow" the small stuff. Years ago I used to rake up the leaves, then I discovered raking them onto a tarp was easier. All this time my neighbor just mowed them. Finally I got the hint and for the last few years that's what I've been doing. It looks a little messy in the fall but by spring all that goes away and the grass is as good or better then it ever was. I'll have to thank my neighbor for that some day. Oh another thing. You might remember two years ago, as a joke, I took credit for the lack of snow because I was prepared for it. Last year I wasn't prepared and we had a boatload of snow. This year I am taking extreme measures. I bought a used Cozy Cab for my tractor and I have been working on it to get ready for the snow. Imagine that, it's 75 degrees out and I'm working on my snow blower. A good part of my ambition comes from just a bit of superstition that IF I get ready in time there will be no snow to speak of. Now you know who to give the credit too if we have a light winter... ME! If it's another bad one you can't blame me because I did my best. In an odd sort of way I'm looking forward to trying out my new cab, but one tryout will be enough so just keep the snow to a minimum. I am going all out. I've got brand new tires for the back, new chains for the front and I'm even trying to get wheel weights for the front. I have all that for the back so traction is not the problem, steering is. Even the individual rear wheel brakes don't do it completely. However, the cab adds another couple hundred pounds so that may help. I have a nice radio I bought for a car I had years ago and I'm playing with the idea of mounting it in the headliner of the cab for laughs. Too much noise to actually hear it but it would be fun to do. Maybe a CB radio with a huge whip antenna sticking out of the top, now THAT would really look stupid and cement my reputation with my neighbors. Maybe even a huge rotating orange light on the roof with a big light bar facing front. man if I do all that it will cost more that the tractor and I'll have to install a heavy duty electrical system to power it all. Can this get any more stupid? Yeah, it can. maybe a flame paint job to finish it off. Right now the slightly rusted cab matches my slightly rusted tractor. Even the faded paint on both match. Oh wait, I've got it. I'll put phony DPW like signs on the white doors. THAT will do it... my reputation is secure. Hmmmm wonder if I could get a siren somewhere...

QUIET TIMES

Things are starting to quiet down now that the caucus/election is over. Over 1500 people live in Preble, over 900 are registered voters and yet only 21 at the Democrat caucus and 46 at the Republican caucus decided who our leaders will be. Can't blame them, they know about apathy and what to do to make it all happen. Maybe I'm just too fair minded, too patriotic to play the game that way. Maybe I should do the same thing, I'll have to ponder that one though. Giving up on principles is not something I think I can do and they know that. Perhaps there is another way, I don't know for sure but we have almost two years to plan. A lot can change in two years, people move away and new people move in. That's kind of funny in a way. The farmers complain about all the new people moving in yet it is they who are selling off their farms to those same new people to move in. Guess they want their cake and eat it too. What I don't understand is what they think will change when the inevitable power shift comes. I can't think of anything really. The main thing I've been against is people like the Knapp's getting all the gold at our expense. Why would stopping that bother anybody but the Knapps? From what I've heard that is not what they are telling the "other side" Guess they must be lying about what we might do if they lose power and I guess they are believed. Oh well, nothing I can do about that. My contention has always been that if anyone took the time to look at everything I've said, and it's all here in the open to see. That if they took the time they would see exactly what I'm about. Everything I've written about and put up here is true. Everything is still here, nothing I've said has been removed. At last count it was over 300 stories. In truth I'm an open book. But you have to read it to know me, you can't judge me by what my enemies say about me. But some will and I guess that is one of those things I have to live with. I'm a patient man and one day the real truth will come out.

DID YOU KNOW...

Almost three years ago I was reading or listening to an expert who said that there is a 2% error rate in any election no matter what equipment is used because the error rate is in the people who vote, not the equipment used to cast those votes. It makes sense once you think about it. First time voters, confused voters, elderly or just ordinary folks making a mistake while in the booth. Puts all this controversy in perspective doesn't it.

"In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Man Fails in Uncontested School Board Race
Man loses in race for uncontested school board seat after nobody votes for him.

At least SOME of our people voted.

KING OF THE HILL

Remember playing king of the hill as a kid? One kid would get on top of the hill and the rest would try to knock him off. If the kid was too big you would partner up with another kid and knock the big kid off. Then you or your partner would take over the hill leaving the other behind. Is this starting to sound like Preble politics to you yet? Life manifests itself in similar ways in just about everything we do, starting from childhood till the day we die. Some bully always wants to be king of the hill and makes alliances with others to stay there. What promises they make, what lies they tell, whatever is necessary to stay king of the hill is done. Human nature is a fascinating subject, especially if the subjects you are watching are so darn entertaining. Now I'm starting to wonder if all that will change. There are going to be at least one maybe three good people on the board after January. What fun will that be for me if the Preble Town Board starts doing the right thing? Oh well, maybe I can start going to the county legislature meetings in that case.

ARE YOU IN CONTROL?

Prove for yourself, whether you are in control of your right foot.
It's worth a try... This is too funny! It works!!

While sitting at your desk make clockwise circles with your rightfoot.

While doing this, draw the number "6" in the air with your righthand.

Your foot will change direction..... anticlockwise...

99 YEARS YOUNG

Tuesday we celebrated my mothers 99th birthday. She was born on September 16th, 1904. Family and friends stopped by and we had cake. I decided not to have candles, first because I was concerned about fire and at 99 I was afraid my mom would have trouble blowing out the candles. Nobody likes cake ala dentures anyway. :-D We had a nice time.

Playboy comes knocking at Wal-Mart - Sep. 15, 2003: "NEW YORK (CNN/Money) -
If you're a female cashier or a corporate officer at Wal-Mart, age 18 and over, and you're not afraid to shed your inhibitions in front of the camera, Playboy wants you"

WATER PROTECTION COMMITTEE MEETS

Wed. Sept. 17th, 7 PM at the Town Hall

Two funny things that showed up in my email today.

"There are two kinds of people who never amount to much: those who cannot do what they are told, and those who can do nothing else."
- Cyrus Curtis


Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a total mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

A CRITICAL LOOK AT THE REPUBLICAN CAUCUS with suggestions for improvements.

First kudos to Bill Underwood for doing a very good job running the caucus. It helped a lot that there were no tie votes as happened at the Democrat caucus. But there were some things that were done that should be changed in the future. The big problem is with the venue, the Fire Hall. As in years past the trucks are moved out and the doors are left wide open. There is no crowd control, not even a yellow tape to prevent people from milling in and out all night. Also there was no separation between Republicans and others who could not vote. Bill made a small effort at the beginning to separate the two but it was ineffectual. The only control used to insure that only the proper people voted was a vote count. On one of the very first ballots there were two more votes than there were people signed in to vote. Bill asked if anyone voted who did not sign in and two people came forward and signed in. As the evening wore on some people left which shows in the diminished totals but there was no way to insure that someone could not have voted twice after that point. I am confident that did not happen but the possibility existed because of the way the venue was laid out. When I was at the Democrat caucus at the Town Hall there was only one way in and out and that is what needs to be done at the fire hall. A simple yellow tape across the big doors and a monitor at the entrance to prevent people from coming in who did not sign in. Even non voting people at the caucus are supposed to sign in but there was no way of knowing if they all signed in as the sign in was towards the back of the garage nowhere near the big open doors. In addition there was no separate place designated for non Republicans to sit or stand. This makes it impossible for the tellers to know who is and is not supposed to vote. On two occasions Democrat nominees were allowed to speak which is against the rules. If they were in a separate area the chair would have been better equipped to know this fact. The three tellers wandered all over the room. Sometimes I got a blank vote from one and gave it to another later. People are honest and I am positive no one cheated at the caucus but there was confusion and the opportunity to cheat was there. If at some future caucus you have a tie situation as happened at the Democrat caucus and these loose rules are not fixed you will have many think that someone cheated. My suggestions for using the Fire Hall for a caucus in the future. Cordon off the open doors so that no one can go in or out there. Move the sign in into the big room by the small doorway and make that the only entrance. Cordon off an area for non voters to sit/stand to prevent intermingling which will make the tellers job much easier.

LITTLE BIT OF A BEHIND THE SCENES LOOK AT THE CAUCUS'S

I probably shouldn't be revealing this but what the heck, it's two years before the next caucus, so why not. First let me say that the Democrat caucus was a learning experience for me. Going there showed me a way we could deal with the Republican caucus more intelligently. First thing I wanted to know was how many votes we had on our side. There is no way of really knowing because many people will tell you one thing and then do another, that's experience talking by the way. So the question was how to find out what the real numbers are. The first thing that happens is the chair of the caucus is nominated and is usually approved. I knew that the chair they nominated (Bill Underwood) was one of 'them' so I talked a willing sacrificial lamb, who everyone would know was on 'our' side to run against their guy. I won't embarrass him any more by telling you his name but I am grateful to him for taking the hit. The vote was 47 - 29 against us. Boy, were we in deep do-do. Not much chance of winning tonight but I wanted to know one more thing and that was if their was a split between the Pitman/Knapp camp so I talked another sacrificial lamb into running against Pitman when they nominated her for supervisor. We lost that one 55 - 27, jeesh it was getting worse. We didn't stand a chance so there was no point in putting up any of our candidates and getting creamed. Now I could have fun, sir back and watch the show.

What a show it was.

First they put up Dave Morse AND Barb Albro at the same time. This was a huge mistake because it was for the 4-year term and they should have put up Edinger. Dave Morse knew it was wrong and tried to let the others know by asking the chair if he was on the Dems as a 2-year candidate could he also run as a 4-year candidate. He was told no by the chair and he declined the nomination. This should have told their head guy (or girl) the mistake they made but they didn't catch on and left Albro on to run against Dick Martin who was nominated by D. Whiteman (I think). Anyway, this was a major screw up on their part but I didn't realize it at the time. I knew they planned to run Knapp cross endorsed but I didn’t know they were going to do it with all THREE of their candidates from the Democratic caucus. Albro wins the first 4-year slot by 47 - 39.

Next they seem to get their act together and nominate Knapp for the second 4-year slot and Dick Martin runs against him again. Knapp wins this time by 46 - 41. Martin is gaining ground.

Now it's the 2-year positions.

Now they run Edinger so I wait till the nominations are over and I point out that they screwed up because Edinger won a 4-year slot on the dem caucus and if they run her for a 2-year at the rep caucus it will not cross endorse her as they planned! I watch bemused as they slowly comprehend what happened. There is much confusion all around as they finally realize their screw up. (I'm sure Dave Morse knew what was going on and will probably tell them later that he tried to tell them they were screwing up.) After much mumbling, scratching their heads and what not, the chair told the crowd that if Edinger won and gave up the position (2-year nomination) their replacement committee would name another candidate to fill the slot. They couldn't remove her because she was seconded and accepted etc. This didn't appease the crowd and they voted overwhelmingly for Dick Martin and he won 59 - 25. By the way that makes Edinger the big loser for the evening and I'm sure she will be really annoyed at losing a guaranteed position on the board.

The last run was for the last 2-year term and Dave Morse was nominated for this against Jim Doring. The vote was 42 - 41 for Morse proving yet again that ONE vote really counts for a lot.

I have to admit I was beside myself, almost giddy with glee, when they screwed up and I did take special pleasure in pointing it out to the crowd. To be truthful it was the height of the evening for me. If they hadn't screwed up they could have had ALL their people on the board but now they will have at least one, maybe two who isn't one of them.

The next two years are going to be really fun for me. This stuff is lots better that TV.

PS: It is possible that Knapp wanted to get rid of Edinger who is best buddies with Pitman. What happened tonight almost guarantees that Edinger will lose against Albro and if that was Knapp's plan it worked very well.

Man! I LOVE this stuff!

TOWN BOARD CAUCUS RESULTS

Betty Pitman is reelected supervisor, as well as Jane Davenport clerk and Jeff Griswold Highway supervisor. Lynn Webb is elected JP. Town board positions are below.
(And no I don't know why there is such a large spacing between the tables. Must be something I'm doing wrong with the HTML, oh well.)

(Vote for any two (4 Year term))
REPUBLICAN	Peter Knapp (R)	Barbara Albro (R)
DEMOCRAT	Peter Knapp (R)	Kate Edinger (D)

(Vote for any two (2 Year term))
REPUBLICAN	David Morse (D)	Richard Martin (R)
DEMOCRAT	David Morse (D)	Richard Grant (D)

It was a fun night for me with lots of good things to laugh about. Congrats to Dave Morse who was the only one who understood how it all worked. (Besides me of course.) I'll get a story together later about the whole thing but right now I've got to get ready for my mothers 99th birthday tomorrow. I'll see if I can get a good picture of her for you all to see. 99 years, man that is a lot of years.

It's off to the races and whose going to win. Is your candidate going to be the one? Will you be happy or sad at the end of the evening. Check back late later and I'll post the results.

LATE BREAKING NEWS AT NOON...

The Republican Caucus is TONIGHT 7:30 PM at the Fire Hall. Best get there early at 7 PM.

Latest word on the street is that the GOBs, John Steger, Peter Knapp and Anne Brennan (remember her) are running Barbara Albro for town board. Albro was named to the Planning Board last year and I know little about her. Reports are that she shows up late for the meetings, unprepared, doesn't know the subject and still votes whatever way she is told. Guess that's why they picked her.

I talked to Bob Howe and he confirmed that they cannot stop anyone from coming in at any time to the caucus. They just have to sign in and can vote but not for a vote in progress. New people can come in to break a tie which is what happened at the Democrat caucus. The caucus is an open meeting under NYS law.

Many people do not think that Underwood will be running. That rumor seems to have started because he was appointed to chair the committee as I surmised.

The phone lines are burning up all over Preble and many people are tired of getting called.

I may have more info later in the day.

DON'T BE THE ONE...

The Democrat Caucus was a tie, FIVE TIMES!!! Three positions for the town board were decided by ONE vote! Both sides will be calling everyone they can to get them to the caucus. If you get a call and decide NOT to go AND it comes down to ONE vote and your side loses.

YOU WILL GET THE BLAME!

DON'T BE THE ONE!

The Republican Caucus will be Monday, September 15th, 7:30 PM at the Fire Hall.

WHEN IN ROME...

Under the current circumstances it is unfair of me to restrict my Republican friends. Until principled people, at least those who have the same principals as mine are in power I will have to "do as the romans do" as it were. Therefore, I have decided that because the democrat GOBs voted in republican Peter Knapp at the Democrat caucus then it is just and proper for the Republicans to vote in any Democrat they choose at the Republican caucus.

WHOSE GOT THE MONEY HONEY…

Two weeks ago I sent a FOIL request to the Farmland Protection division of the NY State Ag and Markets. I requested a list of all those in Cortland County who applied for Farmland Protection money and what amount if any they got. I got my reply today and what do you know. Who do you think is the ONLY one to get any money? I'll give you a hint… Their last name rhymes with Knapp. Have you guessed it?

There were 5 farmers who applied for money. The Knapp's are the only ones to get any. They sucked the well dry so to speak and didn't leave any for the rest of the farmers. At the last town board meeting Anne Henderson asked for and got the town board to send another letter of support for her getting some dough. But I wonder with the budget so tight in Albany, weather she or any of the others will ever see any money. But I'm sure that if she and the other GOBs elect Peter again he will do everything in his power to see they get theirs.

SUCKERS!