Things to see and people to dew!

Full week ahead, I have scheduled an appointment to apply for a "TWIC" card, Thursday afternoon. Complete bulls%^t that should take up an afternoon, what with traveling and standing in line and so forth.

When the Gubmint wants to create "real jobs" for special, deserving people, they create massive bureaucracies like the Transportation Security Administration. The requirements for justifying the presence of this behemoth of waste becomes work in itself; "Every transportation worker shall be vetted and given a biometric identification card to ensure the safety of the public".

Uh-huh. Every fish will be issued with a gubmint bicycle, dammit!

No friends, we now have to pay for the thousands of ne'er-do-wells who recently had unsuccessful careers making french fries who now make twenty bucks an hour making up ID cards for a living. With benefits, retirement and all that comes with working for the Gubmint, too! Aah, 43,000 nice and fully employed people who are keeping us all safe. What did America do before the TSA? I shudder with fear...

What begins to annoy me is that the Coast Guard wants me to have this identification as a way to perform a criminal background check. I don't have a problem with the check so much as me having to pay $130 for someone to take my application and fingerprints in less than fifteen minutes. After waiting for a couple weeks, I can return to pick up a fancy card with a computer chip which will act as a pass into the secure areas at our nation's docks and waterfronts.

I WILL NOT BE WORKING AROUND CARGO OR REQUIRE ACCESS INTO  ANY SECURE AREAS! I am trying to build my own business and the Man is keeping me down. Don't make me go Galt on everyone! 

By the way, it is too late about the Galt thing. I am already there.

My intentions do not matter to the State, you see.  There is a protocol in place to ensure the safety of the American people and provide sustainable employment for those previously unable to get Gubmint jobs. There are good people who need jobs out there and they have to be paid. See; Congress can create jobs out of nothing which are self sustaining and they can employ the otherwise unemployable to perform these necessary tasks.

If you couldn't tell before, I am a strict non-conformist and I blame the Government for my social disability. I am a victim! (I wonder if I can apply to receive Government Benefits for my mental ailment(s)?)

I know, me so bitter because me cannot ever be cool enough to get hired to make ID's for my betters... It kinda sounds like a good gig and darn it, I could be good at making cards, really!

Ok, after I get this unnecessary/necessary card, I will still have to get a Gubmint Required CPR and First Aid Card (All from the nice people of the Red Cross, another sort of quasi-governmental agency which gets it's money directly from us people) which will cost about $40 apiece. Oh yeah, and the Drug test and physical examination. I will also have to enroll in a urinalysis program (More wasted money to keep another industry gainfully employed!) Whew! Finally, I pay the Coast Guard $140 bucks for my actual license card. The Coast Guard stopped making the pretty certificates to save money. I don't know how they couldn't just charge me a few more bucks for the pride of a framed certificate, always thinking of the little guy, I guess.

Yes. I understand that I am very fortunate to be whining about everyday annoyances, all with a full stomach of Government Cheese. I guess I wish that my daily job was indeed with the government so that I did not need to do my boating ID hunt on my own (unpaid for!) time.

My joy and happiness factor will improve once I get by my big to-do list and can get on with the boating-on-the-water business.

The Barco is ready and waiting to get underway and the second Florida nice season of the year is just starting with our outside temperatures being somewhat endurable. Next trip planned is an Outback Crabshack run on the 22nd with the Navy Jax Yacht Club. This will be the final event for the Barco Crew concerning the Navy Jax Yacht Club; Sadly, we will be resigning our membership after 20 years on that weekend.  Like Frankie say; "Anyway the wind blows..."



Have a nice week!