Lindsay's Book Chat: The Viking and the Pictish Princess. New Romance N...

Lindsay's Book Chat: The Viking and the Pictish Princess. New Romance N...:   THE VIKING AND THE PICTISH PRINCESS https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08LTGYTHV/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i20 https://amzn.to/3jA5bDv...

LIVE VIDEO: Astronauts Return to Earth from Space

NASA Making History Today - Continuity Between Space Shuttle Endeavour and Space Capsule Endeavour

Hi All,

It’s time - August 1st the SpaceX capsule Endeavour a joint project with NASA and SpaceX to again send astronauts to space from US soil and then back for a big splash by Florida journey home begins today at 4:15 p.m. To get exact timing check out YouTube here:  https://youtu.be/13OkD0C_TWU Free to watch and live.  Splash down will be tomorrow within 40 hours of undocking from the space station.

This is history in the making - 45 years since the last US space capsule splashed down.  

I hope you’re able to watch the event live.  This is what committed effort looks like.  There’s lots of excellent videos from the International Space Station so take some time today to see what’s happening in Space and how much it is helping science all around the world and galaxy.  

Here are some pictures of the test splash down of the SpaceX Dragon Capsule from earlier in the year before people were in the space craft.  This pic where taken from a YouTube video - https://youtu.be/QVEBO6Zuppk

August 2 - live streaming now on https://youtu.be/H-l6f4wcv2I

My Ideas to Improve the United States Presidency in 2020

Here are my ideas for how to manage the United States Presidency now that we are in the year 2020:

1. Must have a physical made public before running at Walter Reed Hospital.

2. Must be younger than 65.

3. Must have yearly 3rd party physicals made public including psych evaluation while in office.

4. Income taxes for past 10 years must be made public before nomination and every year while in office.

4. DOJ is elected position term to be 10 years and not to have election on Presidental election year - candidate must have legal background and Law Review contributor in their career/schooling.

5. Limit pardoning power for the executive - must be non-political and have no prior relationship with the President

6. Executive orders shall not be related to anything that is under rules to be completed by congressional action and all executive orders must be passed by majorities in house and senate

7. Treaties shall not be originated with the Executive branch but may be vetoed with the ability of the Senate to overrule with 2/3rds vote

8. Executive shall conduct themselves with decorum at all events no profanity in any public setting

9. President shall not confer any medals without first getting congressional and pentagon approval for appropriateness

These are a few I can think of off the top of my head. I also believe there should be no more State of the Union. The President shall hold press conferences/ press releases which may be televised or published depending on media outlets discretion and not to be used as a ratings or circulation boost.

All press should be conducted as fact reporting and opinion reporting will have to be noted with disclaimer that no facts are disseminated in the show or opinion article.

The President may be sued for false statement that cause harm to people or policies.

The President shall not be able to reallocate funds apportioned by the Congress, this includes holds.  If a hold is needed it must be submitted to Congress and rule on with super majority.

All announcements will be done following rules of public service announcements.

It’s my hope that somehow we can bring back the founding fathers ideals into the United States politics and that the Chief Executive will represent the majority of this counties views and beliefs and that the office be regulated similar to how the workplace operates.  No Fortune 500 would tolerate the kind of talk that is currently on display in the Whitehouse or at President Trump’s Rally’s.  

May we all apply the simple rule, you can’t yell fire in a crowded theater as a means of free speech.  The US is a huge theater and at this point we’ve had way too many “cries of fire” from the Executive branch.  Please stop.

Sincerely,

Melissa Blanchard

Minneapolis Minnesota

Do It Yourself Bike Repair - Flat Tire

Hi,
I’ve been using YouTube to repair my back tire flat on my Bianchi bike.  I find I feel like I really own the bike now that I’ve been able to take the back tire off, remove the tire and the tube all in under 2 hours.

Some tips - don’t start the quick release of the tires until you’ve disengaged the brakes.  Always shift to the highest gear first (smallest gear) so you can figure out getting the gears back on the derailed.

Disengaging brakes - biggest thing is that the you can get enough loose cable when you squeeze the the 2 sides together to allow you to get the little clipping device free of the cable - its all about getting the fattest part clear of the clip then the cable comes free easily.  I don’t have all the parts names memorized but you’ll be able to figure it all out from the YouTube videos I’ll Link below that helped me get the job done:

How to Unlock Bike Brakes
How to Remove Back Bike Tire
How to Replace Bike Tire and Tube

I highly recommend Park Tools for carrying with you on the bike and to have available whenever you need to do bike repair.  My many thanks to all that publish videos for bike repair - you make bike ownership fun and rewarding.

My tires are 700 x 38C and seem to run best for me at 70 PSI so far.  It’s all about the load you have on the tire and what the max pressure is on the tire.  It’s best to give yourself at least a 10 PSI room in the tire for load - more if the load increases - be sure not run below 60 PSI or you’ll loose efficiency and risk more punctures.

I’ll get some pictures to add the post next time I’m on the bike to add to the post and when I next replace my regular weather tires with all weather tires.

No matter your age or physical condition you can work on bikes, especially the new models that have quick release wheels and aluminum bodies.  The rest is all about how to use YouTube and Amazon to get great instruction and excellent product lines.

Happy Trails everyone and keep on believing in the possibilities.

Sincerely,
Melissa Blanchard

Family Connections

Hi All,

Today is the date my Mom was born.  She would have been 76 years old if she had lived past March 30, 1996.  But she died at 53 years old (a month and few days short of her birthday).

It’s a day for reflection.  My Dad died January 6, 2018 and will be buried on May 22, 2018 at Noon in Des Moines, IA in the family plot.  22 years after Mom died, its funny how numbers have a way of coming together.

Here’s the website of the cemetery:

Chapel Hill Garden at Merle Hay Road

I hope they have good weather for Dad’s coming home.  He’ll be with his Grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. George E Holt, his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Dean Blanchard, and his great-great Uncle Harvey - Mr. Harvey E Holt.  The plots are on a hill under some shade trees if all remains the same since I last visited for Grandpa Dean’s burial, July, 1979.  He had a massive coronary- the doctor said his heart exploded so no chance of reviving him.  He was 69 years old when he died.  He retired when he was 65 and filled in when needed at the Capitol Building Restaurant where he worked for most of his working life.  He was a cook but he had chefs bringing food to his widow after he died.  He was well respected in the industry.

Grandpa Dean taught us all how important it was to have a job and to work hard.  He wanted his grand kids to succeed.  He was very proud of me for graduating High School, he had to drop out to support his Mom when he was in 9th grade.  He wanted me to go to college so I went to UW Stout.  He paid for my class ring, my letter jacket and wanted to go to the graduation but wasn’t able to - he died the summer before I graduated.  Grandma Effie went to my High School graduation and her cousins Arlo and Cecil McGonigle.

I completed the degree in Industrial Technology with a concentration in Technical Writing in 1984 and Dad and Grandma came to the ceremony with my friend Susan - a year behind me we met through my first friend at college.

It took a few years out of college working at temporary jobs since when I found my first job with a pathway to professional standing in July, 1987.  It was an evening law clerk job - mostly data entry but it was full time with benefits.  Within the first week of my job, July 23, 1987 my friend Susan’s brother died in the 100 years flood in Minneapolis MN.  He drowned in 9 mile creek which usually ran at with a trickle of water turned which turned into a into a torrent that night with all the rain.

I stayed with the legal publishing job moving up through the ranks from evening to days to finally a professional job back then called Database Coordinator.  I learned the skills to manage data and deadlines and saw NAFTA come into being and allowed my job to be outsourced to China.

I found a job working with data again at a health care system.  My knowledge of data warehousing was helpful in developing a instrument reprocessing tracking system.  I started that job in February, 2001 and soon moved up to a professional postition with opportunities to learn how large software works within a module system that allowed for detailed customizations.  I’m still learning this huge data management system that allows smaller applications to integrate seamlessly to the end user.

So now I look back on 34 years in the workplace and I’m glad Grandpa taught me to work hard - he taught Dad that too.  Dad was always working at the transmitter in Ostrander and before that he worked as a police dispatcher in Cedar Falls, IA - where I spent the first 6 years of my life.  The rest has been spent in Minnesota with a 4 year stay in Wisconsin to complete my University degree.

So life goes full circle now with my brothers and I all that is left to carry on the Blanchard name for our generation.  I know we all do our best to be productive and a credit to our family.
This scripture brings me comfort and I pray Dad was delivered to God by an Eagle to heaven.


Isaiah 40
“31But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.+”

Excerpt From
NLT Study Bible
Tyndale House Publishers
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/nlt-study-bible/id493917720?mt=11
This material may be protected by copyright.

Interesting Books to Check Out

Hi All,
I enjoy reading so I’m sharing one of my favorite author’s blog. Check out the link below and find some stories worth reading and some beautiful photography as a bonus.
Lindsay’s Book Chat