Shadow Adventures - First Ride

After a week of sitting on my motorcycle in the garage, I finally got to take it for a ride on Saturday. The weather was sunny, but cool. Around 60 degrees with a 15 to 20 mph wind. My first stop was to get the bike inspected.

After the inspection, I decided to get some practice in on the back roads. It didn't take long to find the sweet spot on the clutch. I decided to cruise to a local county park. I did a drive through and turned around to head home using a different route. Round trip it was about 12 miles or so.

I pulled into the driveway and was telling my brother all about the excitement of the ride. He walked over to my bike and said "What happened to your cover?" I looked and the side cover that holds the manual was missing.

I was not too happy. I thought maybe I just left it off when I took the manual out to read it. So down to the garage. Nothing there. I decide to head back out and retrace my ride. I get to the park and turn around. On my way back I find my cover sitting in the middle of the road.

I pulled off and grabbed the cover. It was scratched up, but otherwise okay. As I am putting the cover back into place another biker approaches. When he gets to about 25 feet away he guns his bike and takes off. What an idiot.

I return home and tell my story to everyone, but I am sure they are already sick of hearing about my biking adventures! So my 12 mile ride turned into about 25 miles! The adventure continues.

Shadow Adventures

Last week I picked up my first street motorcycle. It is a 2001 Honda Shadow with about 13,000 miles on it. The bike is in great shape and I think I got a pretty good deal on it as well. Riding it home was pretty nerve racking once I got to the main highway, but I had my brother following behind me to keep traffic back. I made it home successfully.

I thought I would start sharing my motorcycling adventures on my blog as well. This way everyone gets to share in the joy of a motorcycle ride.

Gas Tax

Here is a quick email I sent to our local representatives for the PA House and Senate regarding the Governor's proposal to raise the gasoline tax in Pennsylvania. If the Governor gets his wishes, Pennsylvania will have the most expensive gas in the continental United States.

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The idea of raising the tax on gasoline has been floating around Harrisburg. This is not something we need. I do not support increasing the tax on gasoline. Yes, we need funding for transportation, but we cannot continue to throw money at the inefficiencies and corruption of government. Thank you
Wes

Boycott RiteAid

Doe Valley is officially boycotting RiteAid stores and pharmacy. Read on to find out why.

Last week the doctor prescribed a vitamin drop for my daughter. I had the doctor send the prescription directly to RiteAid so it would be ready for us when we got there. I entered the store and headed to the pharmacy counter and stood there waiting as 3 people behind the counter looked at me and then looked at each other to see who would be the first to give in and actually see what I wanted.

After a minute or two, one of the ladies walked over and asked what I needed. I said I was there to pick up a prescription. She brought the prescription over to me and said that would be $16.19. I said I have met my deductible on my insurance for the year, so I shouldn't need to pay anything.

She said she didn't have my insurance information, so I gave her the card and she processed the transaction. She came back over to me and said your insurance does not cover this since it is considered over the counter.

By this point in the conversation I just wanted the prescription to get home so I just paid the $16 for it and left. When I got home I found out they gave me the generic version and the doctor specifically requested a name brand.

To make matters worse, I decided since it was an over the counter prescription I should just be able to walk into any store and purchase it. Sure enough, I checked Wal*Mart and the name brand was on the shelf for about $8 and the generic version that I paid $16 for was sitting right next to it for $4.

I don't mind paying a little extra for convenience. However, Wal*Mart was about 100 yards away from RiteAid. I could have easily went into Wal*Mart and bought the name brand vitamin drops for $8 rather than pay double for generic!

Good bye RiteAid!

Response from the White House

Below is the response I received from the White House regarding my email after the election.

Dear Wesley:

Thank you for sharing your perspective.  I appreciate your taking the time to offer your comments on the issues facing our Nation.

My Administration will continue to take bold action to move our country forward and secure a brighter future for our children and grandchildren.  In our democracy, each of us has our own opinions and deeply held beliefs, and it is not necessary for everyone to always agree.  But in the days and months ahead, we must all remain engaged and committed to work together as we build a stronger, fairer, and more prosperous America.  

To learn more about my Administration or to contact me in the future, please visit www.WhiteHouse.gov.  Thank you, again, for writing.

Sincerely,

Barack Obama

Book Review

Grace for the Moment Morning & Evening Edition: Inspiration for Each Day of the Year by
Max Lucado

I have enjoyed reading several of Max Lucado's books and was very excited to read a daily devotional by Max as well. As the name suggests there is a brief morning and evening inspirational reading each day. The reading includes some scripture, an excerpt from one of Lucado's books, and a couple of questions to think about.

I must say, I was disappointed in this book. It seemed like this was more of a way to sell a book or books rather than actually get people into thinking about Scripture. There didn't seem to be any type of theme from day to day or even morning to night. Often times the excerpt from one of Lucado's book didn't really even match the Scripture for the day. I also found the thought provoking questions to be rather non thought provoking.

I don't think I would even recommend this book to people as a way to introduce them to a daily devotional or to Max Lucado. It does not do either of these justice.

I enjoy reading Max Lucado. I enjoy reading daily devotions. I enjoy reading and thinking about Scripture. I did not enjoy this book. There are better devotionals out there. Sorry Max.

I hope this helps you.

Response from Sen. Casey #3

Dear Mr. Matthews:

 

Thank you for taking the time to contact me with your thoughts and concerns about the national debt.  I appreciate hearing from you about this issue.

 

I understand you are concerned about the health of the American economy and our national debt.  I share these concerns.  Despite a balanced budget as recently as 2001, the budget deficit for the 2012 fiscal year was $1.1 trillion.  Two wars, unpaid-for tax cuts for the rich and other policies have put us on a path that is unsustainable.  In addition, the economic recession has triggered increased federal spending on social safety net programs such as unemployment insurance and food stamps, as well as decreased revenues as millions of Americans have been thrown out of work.

 

Economists agree the most significant factor in any Nation’s budget outlook is the strength of its economy.  Unfortunately, nearly 13.1 million people in the United States are unemployed, including 530,000  in Pennsylvania.  Therefore, we must continue efforts to boost job creation while simultaneously exercising greater fiscal responsibility.  It is critical that the 112th Congress works in a bipartisan fashion to reduce the deficit in a manner that does not hamper the economic recovery or place unfair burdens on hard-working Pennsylvania families.

 

As required by the Budget Control Act of 2011 enacted in August, leaders in both chambers appointed twelve members of Congress to the bipartisan Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction.  This committee was responsible for identifying $1.5 trillion in spending cuts by November 23, 2011, and failed to do so.  Since they failed to reach an agreement, automatic across-the-board spending cuts of at least $1.2 trillion will go into effect beginning in January 2013.  Generally, the spending reductions will be made equally from defense spending and from all other spending.

 

Cutting spending and reducing the deficit is vital to our long-term economic security.  It is also what families across Pennsylvania and across the country are doing in these hard fiscal times: making tough choices about what is important.  I have supported a trillion dollars in spending cuts, and I am disappointed that the members of the supercommittee could not come together to reach agreement to further cut spending and reduce the deficit.  

 

We need to move forward immediately to create jobs and grow the economy.  There was a welcome example of bipartisanship when a bill that I cosponsored to provide tax incentives for companies to hire unemployed veterans was signed into law in last November. The Senate also passed another bipartisan measure which I championed, that would crack down on China’s currency manipulation.  Bills like these are the kind of commonsense measures that we need to protect Pennsylvania’s workers, create jobs and get the economy back on track.  Congress should continue pass other job creation measures, like the effort I have been leading to pass legislation to provide tax incentives to companies to hire workers.

 

Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me.  Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this or any other matter of importance to you.

 

For more information on this or other issues, I encourage you to visit my website, http://casey.senate.gov.  I hope you will find this online office a comprehensive resource to stay up-to-date on my work in Washington, request assistance from my office or share with me your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you and to Pennsylvania.

 

Sincerely,

Bob Casey

United States Senator

Response from Sen. Casey #2

Dear Mr. Matthews:

 

Thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding proposed changes to military benefits.  I appreciate hearing from you about this issue.

 

I have the deepest respect and gratitude for American servicemembers and their contributions to our national security.  Our brave men and women make incredible sacrifices so that we may live in peace and safety here at home, and I believe strongly that the U.S. government should support our servicemembers even in times of fiscal restraint.  As your United States Senator, I have consistently advocated for fair compensation for American military personnel.  

 

In the past year, I have introduced, cosponsored and voted for a variety of legislation in support of our active and retired servicemembers and their families.

 

Helping Veterans Transition to Civilian Life

 

· S. 1104, the Veteran Transition Assistance Program Audit Act of 2011, which would improve the effectiveness of programs that provide job training, benefits and transitional services to veterans.

· S. 951, the Hiring Heroes Act of 2011, which would provide the job skills training that veterans and severely injured members of the Armed Forces need when entering the workforce.

· S. 1540, the Help Veterans Own Franchises Act, which would provide a business-related tax credit for a percentage of the fees incurred by a veteran for the purchase of a franchise.

· S. 411, the Helping Our Homeless Veterans Act of 2011, which would authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to collaborate with state or local government agencies and nonprofit organizations to expand and improve housing services and related outreach for veterans.

· S. 745, a bill to protect certain veterans who would otherwise be subject to a reduction in educational assistance benefits.

 

Improving Mental and Physical Health Services for Servicemembers and Veterans

 

· S.AMDT. 1253, which would allow members of the reserve components to continue to receive pay, benefits and reintegration services such as physical and mental health evaluations following an extended deployment.

· S. Res. 202 and S. Res. 455, designating June 27, 2011, and June 27, 2012, respectively, as “National Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Day.”

· S. 1018, the Defense Sexual Trauma Response Oversight and Good Governance Act, which would increase the number of full-time Sexual Assault Response Coordinators and Victim Advocates within military units, provide for the inclusion of sexual assault prevention and response training in professional military education and first responder courses, and entitle all members of the Armed Forces and their dependents who are victims of sexual assault to legal assistance and confidentiality.

· S. 1798, the Open Burn Pit Registry Act of 2011, which would require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish an open burn pit registry to ensure that all members of the Armed Forces who may have been exposed to toxic chemicals caused by open burn pits while deployed are able to obtain information regarding this exposure.

· S. 1629, the Agent Orange Equity Act of 2011, which would extend presumptive coverage for herbicide-related medical conditions to certain Vietnam veterans, called blue water veterans, who served up to 12 miles off shore.

 

Ensuring Fair Compensation for Servicemembers and Veterans

 

· S. 855, the Pay Our Troops Act, and S. 724, the Ensuring Pay for Our Military Act, both of which would guarantee that service members receive their pay and allowances in the event of a government shutdown.

· S. 344, the Retired Pay Restoration Act of 2011, which allows service-disabled veterans to collect both military retired pay and disability compensation.

· S. 260, a bill to repeal the requirement for reduction of survivor annuities under the Survivor Benefit Plan by veterans' dependency and indemnity compensation.

· S. 2112, the Space-Available Act of 2012, which authorizes transportation on military aircraft for active duty, reserve, and retired members of the Armed Forces and their dependents on a space-available basis.

 

Supporting Military Families

 

· S. 697, the Military Spouse Job Continuity Act of 2011, which would provide a tax credit to servicemembers’ spouses to ease the heavy burden placed on our military families when they are required to move across state lines.

· S. 842, the Military Spouse Employment Programs Evaluation Act, which would require the Department of Defense to report annually on the results of military spouse employment programs (became law as part of the NDAA for 2012).

 

Supporting the National Guard and Reserve Component

 

· S. 3354, the Transition Assistance Advisor Act, which would create a Transition Assistance Advisor program to assist members of the National Guard in each state in accessing benefits and health care, discovering employment and educational opportunities, and obtaining information on other services available to members of the National Guard and their families from federal, state, and local agencies;

· S. 866, the Reserve Retirement Deployment Credit Correction Act, which would allow servicemembers to collect retirement pay three months sooner than the sixty year eligibility age for each ninety days of active duty performed in two consecutive fiscal years.

· S. 1025, the National Guard Empowerment and State-National Defense Integration Act of  2011, which would promote the Chief of the National Guard Bureau to a position on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, enhance the National Guard’s capacity to prepare for and respond to domestic emergencies, and authorize funding for the State Partnership Program (became law as part of the NDAA for 2012).

 

Recognizing Veterans’ Service

 

· S. 1348, the Veterans Day Moment of Silence Act, which would direct the President to issue an annual proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe two minutes of silence on Veterans Day in honor of the service and sacrifice of veterans throughout the history of the nation.

 

Finally, I have consistently voted in favor of pay raises for servicemembers.  For a compilation of resources available to servicemembers and veterans, please visit my website.

 

The Department of Defense (DOD) is under intense pressure to reduce its expenditures.  In January 2012, the DOD released a proposal to reduce future spending by $487 billion over the next decade, as required by the Budget Control Act of 2011.  This proposal includes general recommendations for changes to military personnel policies.  In February, the Obama Administration released its budget request for the 2013 fiscal year, which outlines specific proposals for changes to the military’s compensation, health care and retirement systems.  Although military compensation currently accounts for approximately one third of the DOD’s budget, the administration’s proposal would derive only about ten percent of the required spending cuts from  these programs.  The Administration’s budget request has not yet been debated through the appropriations process in the Senate.

 

Military Pay

 

The Department of Defense’s budget request does not propose pay cuts for military personnel.  In 2013 and 2014, the DOD proposes increases in basic pay of 1.7 percent per year, equivalent to the Employment Cost Index and similar to the expected growth of pay in the private sector.  In an effort to control costs, the rate of pay increases would decrease gradually beginning in January 2015.  The budget request also proposes that the basic allowance for housing (BAH) and the basic allowance for subsistence (BAS) be increased annually beginning in January 2013 based on a “by location” housing market analysis and a food cost index, respectively.  The average increases in 2013 are expected to be 4.2 percent for the BAH and 3.4 percent for the BAS.

 

Military Health Care

 

The military’s budget for health care for servicemembers, retirees and their dependents exceeded $50 billion in 2011, amounting to nearly ten percent of total defense spending.  This is partially attributable to the increase in eligible beneficiaries and the expansion of care over the past several years.  In addition, the amount that beneficiaries pay for Tricare has not kept pace with the costs of care, as healthcare costs in both the military and civilian sectors have increased more rapidly than overall inflation.  

 

In order to reduce the growth of military health care costs while maintaining benefits, the DOD has examined several changes to the military’s health care system.  According to the DOD, these proposed changes would not affect active-duty servicemembers or their families.  In addition, medically retired servicemembers and survivors of those who died on active duty would be exempted from all proposed changes.  

 

· Tricare: Under the proposed changes, military retirees under age 65 would pay additional enrollment fees to participate in the Tricare program.  The DOD has proposed a tiered approach to fees based on retired pay, under which senior-grade retirees would pay more than junior-grade retirees.  All retirees would continue to pay lower fees than comparable civilian equivalents.

· Tricare-For-Life: Military retirees ages 65 and older would pay a new enrollment fee to participate in the Tricare-for-Life program.  The same tiered approach proposed for Tricare would be used for Tricare-for-Life.  The resulting fees would be well below comparable civilian equivalents.

· Tricare Prescription Drug Plan: Tricare beneficiaries would be encouraged to use generic medications and mail-order prescription services through increased pharmacy co-pays.  

 

On May 24, 2012, the Senate Committee on Armed Services passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2013.  This bill does not authorize the establishment of enrollment fees for Tricare Standard or Tricare-for-Life.  Please be assured that I will have your concerns in mind when the NDAA comes before the full Senate for consideration.

 

Military Retirement

 

Rather than proposing specific changes to the military retirement system in its 2013 budget request, the DOD requests that Congress create a commission to conduct a comprehensive review of the military retirement system within the context of overall military compensation.  The proposed commission would determine whether there are cost-effective changes that should be made to the current military retirement system.  The DOD recommends that all current military personnel and veterans be grandfathered into the existing system — that is, any changes to retirement benefits would affect only future recruits.  

 

I am gravely concerned about any proposal that would reduce retirement compensation for our servicemembers.  Our servicemembers and their families make enormous sacrifices, and our Nation is committed to supporting them after they have completed their service.  The current military retirement system is also an important incentive for the recruitment and retention of servicemembers, and changes to this system may undermine the future of our Nation’s all-volunteer force.  For these reasons, in 2011 I sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, urging him not to undertake any detrimental changes or reductions in military retirement system.  I also wrote a Letter to the Editor of the New York Times, available here, emphasizing the sacrifices made by our servicemembers and their families and the importance of upholding our commitment to them.  

 

Based on the administration’s request, the current Senate version of the NDAA for FY 2013 bill would establish a Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission “to review elements of military compensation and retirement benefits to ensure the long-term viability of the All-Volunteer Force, enable a high quality of life for military families, and to modernize and achieve sustainability of the compensation and retirement systems, while grandfathering current service members and retirees.”  The bill is currently under consideration by the full Senate.

 

I understand that some of the proposed changes to military compensation, health care and retirement benefits would have a significant impact on our retired servicemembers and their families.  As your United States Senator, I believe strongly that we must not balance the budget on the backs of American servicemembers and their families.  As the Senate considers reductions in defense spending, I will work to identify areas in which spending can be reduced without compromising our national security or undermining our commitment to our servicemembers.  

 

Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me.  When the NDAA or other legislation regarding changes to military benefits comes before the full Senate for consideration, please be assured that I will have your concerns in mind.  Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this or any other matter of importance to you.

 

For more information on this or other issues, I encourage you to visit my website, http://casey.senate.gov.  I hope you will find this online office a comprehensive resource to stay up-to-date on my work in Washington, request assistance from my office or share with me your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you and to Pennsylvania.

 

Sincerely,

Bob Casey

United States Senator

Response from Sen. Casey #1

Dear Mr. Matthews:

 

Thank you for taking the time to contact me about abortion.  I appreciate hearing from you about this issue.

 

As you know, I was elected to the United States Senate as a pro-life candidate.  I believe that life begins at conception, and that the role of government is to protect, enrich and value life for everyone, at every moment, from beginning to end.  These principles guide my actions as a public official.  I will work in the Senate toward the goal of reducing the number of abortions by targeting the underlying factors that often lead women to have abortions.  I will also continue to work within my party to ensure that both political parties are welcoming and open to such initiatives.

 

We cannot say we are pro-life without providing support to women who choose to carry their pregnancies to term.  That is why I was proud to reintroduce the Pregnant Women Support Act on May 13, 2009.  Many women who face an unplanned pregnancy do so with little or no support.  Under such circumstances, the decision to continue a pregnancy can seem overwhelming.  The Pregnant Women Support Act offers common ground on how we can reduce abortions by offering pregnant women real and genuine alternatives.  More than anything, this bill is about helping women who are pregnant.  It provides pregnant women more information, better medical care and stronger support during their pregnancies.  It strengthens existing programs and adds new ones that support both mother and child after the baby is born.

 

I am pleased that all the major provisions of the Pregnant Women Support Act were included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the health care reform bill that became law on March 23, 2010.  Please be assured that I will continue to advocate for resources and support for pregnant and parenting teens and young women.

 

Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me.  Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this or any other matter of importance to you.

 

For more information on this or other issues, I encourage you to visit my website, http://casey.senate.gov.  I hope you will find this online office a comprehensive resource to stay up-to-date on my work in Washington, request assistance from my office or share with me your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you and to Pennsylvania..

 

Sincerely,

Bob Casey

United States Senator

Bic Flex 3

Another two months has gone by since I purchased the BIC Flex 3 razor. My expectations were pretty much the same as the Bic Flex 4 only with one blade less. I had a coupon so the cost for 6 razors was about $0.50 a piece. Not a bad deal, but how does it compare?

Like the Flex 4, the Flex 3 is an okay razor, especially for $0.50 a piece. It gave an acceptable shave for about 2 weeks, but by week 3 I could tell the blade was getting dull. I don't think it cut quite as good as the Flex 4, but very close to it.

The head is large and easy to clean out debris, but it also makes it more difficult to shave some areas.

I can say that I liked the Gillette 3 series better. They shave a little closer and are easier to maneuver in those tight areas.

However, due to the price I would rate this razor about 87%. It ranks up there with the Mach 3 Turbo (3 blade) and the Fusion Proglide (5 blade). However, with a coupon and on sale, the cost is much lower for the Bic Flex 3. I have 4 left and will be using them again in the future, however, I will probably change them out every 2 weeks.

Until the next time, the adventure continues.