Cuyler Page wrote:
>> I am thinking of writing a letter to the local newspaper suggesting 
>> that the solution to the illegal immigrant situation is to naturalize 
>> all of them. Tho my wife suggests that I had better think about that 
>> a bit longer.
> The only solution is probably to naturalize the whole world so there 
> will be nowhere to immigrate to.
> PS: Hey Ken, I am having real trouble finding a wood/sheet-metal combo 
> set of contractors to do the lead or copper-lead lined wood gutters on 
> the 1855 Farmhouse here.   Interested in a trip to Victoria?   The one 
> guy who does the work here is booked up several years in advance for 
> roof flashing and slate repairs on the great Empress Hotel in downtown 
> Victoria.   I'm really stuck.   Maybe I should come apprentice with 
> you and then come back as an "expert".   There is so much work going 
> on here these days that an expert is someone who knows where the 
> closest Home Depot is so he can bid low based on saving driving time, 
> allowing more time for stops at Tim Horton's (Canadian donut chain). 

Cuyler,

I know Tim Horton's. Send pics and address of farmhouse and gutters. 
Considering how damned long it took me to build the 3 gutters in the 
side yard I would have to have the gig figured out ahead of time. Maybe 
we can figure out a way to make it work? I would find it interesting. 
Possibly make them here then ship them out then come out to install 
them. As to apprentice in Spastic Beach you are certainly welcome though 
you may in very short order wonder how in hell I ever get anything done.

As to length of time to get things done. I was told a story recently 
from a not-so-young fellow about when he was a young fellow he had 
business with an older woodworker. Each time that he visited the older 
'expert' woodworker the older guy was fussing around with refinishing a 
set of doors. Visit after visit the old guy was still fussing over the 
doors. Eventually the young fellow, perplexed that he could never 
discern any difference, "How do you know when they are finished?" The 
older fellow said, "Well, eventually they come pick them up."

It was like that with me and the gutters... they were supposed to get 2 
coats of finish paint, over the linseed oil primer... and I was not 
happy until they had 4 coats of paint. Eventually the grass started 
growing in the side yard where I worked and I figured it was time to 
load them on the truck. Let alone that I wanted to wait until there was 
absolutely no chance of having to install them in a blizzard. Oh... and 
the customer was ecstatic when we threw in a full new set of wood 
brackets. Too bad we could not shimmy in any natural cement... oh well.

Nation-states are an odd artifice. I don't see any time soon that we 
will not have them but I like the dream of a world without borders.

][<en

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