From: Dennis HAMMER ('64)

Sandstorm Extra that might be political

Re: Political ? Extra

Re: Cats watching TV

Just before getting ready to write a Sandstorm entry, I decided
to watch the PBS program "Nature" I had previously recorded. 
It was a program about wildlife in the Himalayas. Soon after
starting a cat came into the bedroom and they had some snow
leopards on the program. I had noticed this cat occasionally
looking toward the TV before, so I picked her up and put her 
on the bed, pointed her head toward the TV and said, "Look,
kitties." I had to move her head in that direction a few times
when all at once she noticed, crouched down, moved to the edge of
the bed nearest to the TV, then, with her front paws on the edge
of the bed, stretched her head out over the edge as far as she
could and stared at the set until they started a scene of just
mountains and snow. I wanted to know how long she watched so 
I backed it up and found she had watched five minutes. I now
noticed she was sitting on the floor and again watching so
instead of fast forwarding five minutes I let it play. She sit
there and watched intently for 28 minutes of various animals
before she must have gotten bored and left.

I had long wondered why cats and dogs paid no attention to cats
and dogs on the TV. I thought I learned the answer many years ago
when someone asked that question in either newspaper or magazine.
Answer given was that even though it may look like a dog or cat
and sound like a dog or cat, if it doesn't smell like a dog or
cat, it doesn't count. I am wondering if maybe now that has
changed with these new bigger (although that one is only 28") HD
flat screen TVs.

To: Mary RAY Henslee ('61)

Re: Poly-Ticks (Poly means Many... and Ticks are Blood sucking
     animals)

I think this is more economics than political, but, whatever.

Got statement of our increase in cost of living from Social
Security and said, "Well, this takes care of the increase in
wife's Medicare supplement insurance, but what about the rest of
my increases in cost of living?" This year's increase is about
the same as last year and "The Wall Street Journal" had an
article calling last year's pathetic, saying it was mostly based
on price of gas going down. Then pointed out that unless they are
driving a big RV around the country, retired people buy less gas
than when they were working. I would post the link but I deleted
the bookmark a few months ago. Maybe it was a good thing the cost
of living was decided before this recent plummet in gas prices or
we might of had a reverse cost of living increase. Well, it will
probably be factored into next years and we will get 0.

I have heard the drop in gas prices called a "tax cut" and that
did get me to thinking. Putting more money in the pockets of
people and businesses to spend elsewhere, like a tax cut. Maybe
that will bring about the recovery that they have been trying to
tell us is happening since 2009. That is what happened with the
JFK tax cuts, the Reagen tax cuts, and the Bush 43 tax cuts. 
When Kennedy said we were going to cut taxes, spurring economic
growth, and then actually collect more tax money, I thought he
was Nuts! I don't think JFK lived to see it, but by the time of
graduation in 1964 I remember government class Art Dawald or
possibly Economics class Matt Greenough pointing out that Kennedy
turned out to be right.

-Dennis HAMMER ('64) ~ When computers took over drafting and I
       could no longer get job as a designer, I should have run 
       for political office. Heck, I wasn't qualified to do 
       anything else. 
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