Pope: Abortion is never OK, equates it to "hiring a hitman"
image by Let Ideas Compete
Sunday, May 26, 2019
Thursday, May 16, 2019
riverwalk, town park, strasburg, virginia
"Town Park
The Town of Strasburg maintains the Town Park located along at Park Road at the east end of Queen Street. The park includes a large playground, tennis courts, basketball courts, baseball, softball, and soccer fields, a swimming pool, and a number of picnic and pavilion areas, as well as access to the Riverwalk and the Shenandoah River. The trail connects the park with Strasburg High School on Ram Drive.
Riverwalk
Begin your walk along the Strasburg Riverwalk at the Strasburg Town Park. The gravel walkway, located along the Shenandoah River, offers beautiful views of the river and the face of the Massanutten Mountain Range called Signal Knob. The .9 mile walk ends at Strasburg High School (Ram Drive) and three benches and three doggie clean-up stations are located along the walk.
River Access
The North Fork of the Shenandoah River is easily accessed at the Strasburg Town Park. A boat landing and gravel parking lot are available for people wanting to float the river on kayaks, tubes, or canoes, and very shallow drafting aluminum boats. This is a great area to float to from the Deer Rapids access point, approximately five miles upstream. If floating downstream, please be cautious of a dangerous dam about five miles from the Strasburg Town Park. For your convenience, port-a-potties are available at the parking lot."
Town Park | Town of Strasburg Virginia
unfortunately,
unfortunately, failure to address user safety and security concerns, lack of enforcement of laws/rules and lack of maintenance have made a liability out of what should be an asset--not to mention diminishing the experience for those who use riverwalk.
The Town of Strasburg maintains the Town Park located along at Park Road at the east end of Queen Street. The park includes a large playground, tennis courts, basketball courts, baseball, softball, and soccer fields, a swimming pool, and a number of picnic and pavilion areas, as well as access to the Riverwalk and the Shenandoah River. The trail connects the park with Strasburg High School on Ram Drive.
Riverwalk
Begin your walk along the Strasburg Riverwalk at the Strasburg Town Park. The gravel walkway, located along the Shenandoah River, offers beautiful views of the river and the face of the Massanutten Mountain Range called Signal Knob. The .9 mile walk ends at Strasburg High School (Ram Drive) and three benches and three doggie clean-up stations are located along the walk.
River Access
The North Fork of the Shenandoah River is easily accessed at the Strasburg Town Park. A boat landing and gravel parking lot are available for people wanting to float the river on kayaks, tubes, or canoes, and very shallow drafting aluminum boats. This is a great area to float to from the Deer Rapids access point, approximately five miles upstream. If floating downstream, please be cautious of a dangerous dam about five miles from the Strasburg Town Park. For your convenience, port-a-potties are available at the parking lot."
Town Park | Town of Strasburg Virginia
unfortunately,
- user safety is a concern: MINDS OF MUSH: guns in the town of strasburg, shenandoah county, va: target practice at night & a man firing a shotgun from a boat in the shenandoah river next to town park
- user security is a concern:
- trees, bushes, etc. obscure sight lines
- bears
- unleashed dogs *
- potential assaults, robberies, etc.
- no video surveillance
- in more than two years, walking riverwalk almost daily, I've never observed presence of law enforcement on the trail
- dog waste--while signs are posted advising dog owners to leash their dogs and to bag and properly dispose of dog waste, since these laws/rules aren't enforced, unleashed dogs threaten trail users and dog waste litters the trail and adjacent areas
* this is a warning to all those dog owners who ignore the posted signs that say that your dog must be on a leash. if you fail to control your dog and it attacks me, then I will do whatever it takes to keep your dog from attacking me--whatever it takes. consider yourself warned.
unfortunately, failure to address user safety and security concerns, lack of enforcement of laws/rules and lack of maintenance have made a liability out of what should be an asset--not to mention diminishing the experience for those who use riverwalk.
while this photo shows the south fork of the shenandoah river,
it is typical of the north fork at riverwalk, town park, stasburg, va
Nyttend [Public domain]
Wednesday, May 8, 2019
iran, n korea, venezuela, cuba, china, russia
2020 Dems rebuke Trump on Iran, say they'd put US back in nuclear deal | TheHill
why is it that some politicians don't understand that some "bad actor" countries in the world are at war with the USA and other freedom-loving nations?
had enough?
who do you trust?
- the biased news media?
- or do you think for yourself?
to fix our dysfunctional government is simple and easy--stop voting for republican and democratic party candidates, who don't represent the best interests of our country to move our country forward.
voting for a republican or a democrat is a vote for the party--the hand that holds the puppet/money strings.
even with their billion dollar donors, the republican and democratic parties will shrivel up and die if no one votes for their candidates.
nothing will be better for our country.
why is it that some politicians don't understand that some "bad actor" countries in the world are at war with the USA and other freedom-loving nations?
- iran sponsors terrorism
- n korea's kim jong un threatens the world with nuclear ballistic missiles and starves n koreans
- corrupt dictator nicolas maduro's criminal actions oppress venezuela's citizens and destabilize peace
- cuba's dictatorship attacks our embassy with microwaves, oppresses it's citizens and is a continuing communist threat to the americas
- china's and russia's policies and aggressive military actions threaten world peace and stability
had enough?
who do you trust?
- republicans?
- democrats?
- republican and democratic parties that are financed by billionaire corporations and billionaire PACs that supply us with candidates for public office?
- democrats?
- republican and democratic parties that are financed by billionaire corporations and billionaire PACs that supply us with candidates for public office?
image by Democracy Chronicles
- the biased news media?
- or do you think for yourself?
to fix our dysfunctional government is simple and easy--stop voting for republican and democratic party candidates, who don't represent the best interests of our country to move our country forward.
voting for a republican or a democrat is a vote for the party--the hand that holds the puppet/money strings.
public domain
in the next election--national, state or local--vote for someone who shares your values who is not a democrat or a republican.
even with their billion dollar donors, the republican and democratic parties will shrivel up and die if no one votes for their candidates.
nothing will be better for our country.
the same goes for biased media--stop patronizing divisive, biased media and they'll go out of business. nothing will be better for the USA.
Wednesday, April 24, 2019
lousy candidates from the republican and democratic parties are destroying our country
The two-party system is destroying America | TheHill
had enough?
the simple solution is to stop contributing to and voting for democrats and republicans. no matter how much $$$ that the republican and democratic parties get from billionaire PACs and lobbyists, if voters stop voting for their lousy candidates, then their candidates won't win elections. the democratic and republican parties will go out of business. DUH! nothing would be better for the USA.
who do you trust?
- the biased news media?
- or do you think for yourself?
to fix our dysfunctional government is simple and easy--stop voting for republican and democratic party candidates who are political extremists, and who don't represent the best interests of our country to move our country forward.
voting for a republican or a democrat is a vote for the party--the hand that holds the puppet/money strings.
even with their billion dollar donors, the republican and democratic parties will shrivel up and die if no one votes for their lousy candidates.
nothing will be better for our country.
had enough?
the simple solution is to stop contributing to and voting for democrats and republicans. no matter how much $$$ that the republican and democratic parties get from billionaire PACs and lobbyists, if voters stop voting for their lousy candidates, then their candidates won't win elections. the democratic and republican parties will go out of business. DUH! nothing would be better for the USA.
who do you trust?
- the extremist republican and democratic parties that are financed by billionaire corporations and billionaire extremist PACs that supply dishonest, extremist candidates for public office?
image by Democracy Chronicles
- the biased news media?
- or do you think for yourself?
to fix our dysfunctional government is simple and easy--stop voting for republican and democratic party candidates who are political extremists, and who don't represent the best interests of our country to move our country forward.
voting for a republican or a democrat is a vote for the party--the hand that holds the puppet/money strings.
public domain
in the next election--national, state or local--vote for someone who shares your values who is not a democrat or a republican.
even with their billion dollar donors, the republican and democratic parties will shrivel up and die if no one votes for their lousy candidates.
nothing will be better for our country.
the same goes for biased media--stop patronizing divisive, biased media and they'll go out of business. nothing will be better for the USA.
Sunday, April 7, 2019
PEretired: pulte homes, silver spring transit center, alan toothman construction, inc., shenandoah county, virginia, customer talk, good, bad & ugly, minds of mush
Friday, March 22, 2019
what the world needs more of...
9-year-old who helped supermarket cashier bag groceries makes a surprise visit Video - ABC News
What The World Needs Now Is Love / Dionne Warwick - YouTube
What The World Needs Now Is Love / Dionne Warwick - YouTube
Nevit Dilmen [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]
Thursday, February 21, 2019
hey t-rump, where's my tax cut?
comparing my 2018 federal income tax with 2017:
who do you trust?
- the biased news media?
- or do you think for yourself?
to fix our dysfunctional government is simple and easy--stop voting for republican and democratic party candidates who are liars and extremists, and who don't represent the best interests of our country to move our country forward.
voting for a republican or a democrat is a vote for the party--the hand that holds the puppet/money strings.
even with their billion dollar donors, the republican and democratic parties will shrivel up and die if no one votes for their lousy candidates.
nothing will be better for our country.
the news media has this story all wrong. IRS says average refund up 1.3 percent | TheHill it isn't about refunds!!!-- it's about your total tax for the year.
tax is the total amount that you owe the federal government each year. refund is the difference between what was withheld and your total tax. if more was withheld than your total tax, then you get a refund. if it's the other way around, then you pay the difference.
get it right irs & news media! it's about total tax--it's not about refunds!
- total income up 7.6%
- 1040 taxable income up 83.7% (103.8% from qualified dividends & capital gains worksheet taxable income)
- itemized deductions down 25.3%
- federal income tax up 121.3%
my 2018 federal income tax is more than double my 2017 federal income tax! thanks, t-rump and congress!
had enough?
who do you trust?
- liars in the WH & congress?
- the extremist republican and democratic parties that are financed by billionaire corporations and billionaire extremist PACs that supply dishonest, extremist candidates for public office?
- the extremist republican and democratic parties that are financed by billionaire corporations and billionaire extremist PACs that supply dishonest, extremist candidates for public office?
image by Democracy Chronicles
- the biased news media?
- or do you think for yourself?
to fix our dysfunctional government is simple and easy--stop voting for republican and democratic party candidates who are liars and extremists, and who don't represent the best interests of our country to move our country forward.
voting for a republican or a democrat is a vote for the party--the hand that holds the puppet/money strings.
public domain
in the next election--national, state or local--vote for someone who shares your values who is not a democrat or a republican.
even with their billion dollar donors, the republican and democratic parties will shrivel up and die if no one votes for their lousy candidates.
nothing will be better for our country.
the same goes for biased media--stop patronizing divisive, biased media and they'll go out of business. nothing will be better for the USA.
the news media has this story all wrong. IRS says average refund up 1.3 percent | TheHill it isn't about refunds!!!-- it's about your total tax for the year.
tax is the total amount that you owe the federal government each year. refund is the difference between what was withheld and your total tax. if more was withheld than your total tax, then you get a refund. if it's the other way around, then you pay the difference.
get it right irs & news media! it's about total tax--it's not about refunds!
Thursday, February 7, 2019
had enough?
had enough?
who do you trust?
- the republican and democrat parties that give us lousy candidates for public office?
- do you trust billionaires and the billionaire corporations that fund the republican and democrat parties that give us lousy candidates?
here's how government operates:
or rather, doesn't operate.
the fix to our dysfunctional government is simple and easy--stop voting for lousy candidates who don't have values similar to yours and who don't represent the best interests of our country to move our country forward.
If you vote for a republican or a democrat, then it's not the person who you voted for who is in control--it's the party--the hand that holds the puppet/money strings.
In the next election--national, state or local--vote for someone who shares your values who is not a democrat or a republican.
even with their billion dollar donors, the republican and democratic parties will shrivel up and die if no one votes for their lousy candidates.
Nothing will be better for our country.
If you vote for a republican or a democrat, then it's not the person who you voted for who is in control--it's the party--the hand that holds the puppet/money strings.
In the next election--national, state or local--vote for someone who shares your values who is not a democrat or a republican.
even with their billion dollar donors, the republican and democratic parties will shrivel up and die if no one votes for their lousy candidates.
Nothing will be better for our country.
File:Two party system diagram.png - Wikimedia Commons
PS the same applies for the biased news media. if folks stop patronizing the biased news media, then they'll dry up and disappear too. we can only hope.
PS the same applies for the biased news media. if folks stop patronizing the biased news media, then they'll dry up and disappear too. we can only hope.
Sunday, January 27, 2019
new home buyers lose--again
- when county building inspectors fail to pick up obvious building code violations, then new home buyers lose.
- when the county building code enforcement official fails to cite the builder for obvious building code violations (after telling the homeowners that he was going to do so), choosing instead to "reach out" (his words) to the builder, then, besides being outrageous, new home buyers lose.
- when the county attorney fails to cite the builder for obvious building code violations, choosing to send threatening letters to the homeowners instead, then, besides being outrageous, new home buyers lose.
- when the homeowners ask their representative on the county board of supervisors to look into the matter, and the supervisor turns a deaf ear to them instead, then, besides being outrageous, new home buyers lose.
- when the builder violates the building code and the approved grading plan that call for the ground at foundation walls to slope away from foundation walls a minimum of 6 inches in 10 feet, and the homeowners' crawl space floods, then new home buyers lose.
- when the builder connects buried flexible plastic pipes, that have high and low points, to downspouts, and buries the outlet end, then new home buyers lose.
- when the builder installs roof gutters level, instead of sloped, and roof gutters overflow, then new home buyers lose.
- when roof gutters are too small for the roof area that they drain, and roof gutters overflow, then new home buyers lose.
- when downspouts empty into crawl spaces, then new home buyers lose.
- when the builder builds foundation walls with large buried holes (presumably because the builder didn't want to excavate rock), with earth spilling through into the crawl space that is otherwise sealed to the outside, providing an easy path for rodents, snakes, etc. to get into the crawl space, then new home buyers lose.
- when the temperature inside a bedroom is more than 10 degrees colder than the thermostat setting (located 15 ft. from the bedroom), with the supply vent and the bedroom door wide open, then new home buyers lose.
- when floors go BANG when you walk on them, then new home buyers lose.
- when foul odors come from a bathroom sink, then the home buyers lose.
- when new home buyers pay from their pockets to "fix" (if they can be--some "built-in" problems can't be fixed) builders' code violations, poor construction and bad science (building a house is more than a pretty floor plan) and government inspection and code enforcement failures, then new home buyers lose--literally.
customer talk: the public isn't being protected from bad builders--take shenandoah county, virginia, for example.
virginia
strasburg
county
shenandoah
woodstock
griffey
bowman
helsley
alan toothman construction, inc.
Sunday, January 20, 2019
there's only one way to deal with north korea
A RIVER IN DARKNESS by Masaji Ishikawa , Risa Kobayashi , Martin Brown | Kirkus Reviews
POTUS & congress, there's only one way to deal with north korea--let north korea, its allies and the world know that any attack on the US by north korea or its allies will be the end of north korea. the civilized world would be better off without north korea.
.jpg)
POTUS & congress, there's only one way to deal with north korea--let north korea, its allies and the world know that any attack on the US by north korea or its allies will be the end of north korea. the civilized world would be better off without north korea.
.jpg){kind=link}
Monday, December 10, 2018
center for public integrity: how to run for congress with NO $--and WIN!
You’re young and broke. Here’s how to still win a congressional seat. – Center for Public Integrity
SMART!!!
SMART!!!
Center for Public Integrity
Center for Public Integrity [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Tuesday, December 4, 2018
the public isn't being protected from bad builders--take shenandoah county, virginia, for example.
bring it on, bowman. let's go to court. let the public decide who the victims here are. lawbreaker toothman? shenandoah county? us? ruffner? citizens of shenandoah county? citizens of the commonwealth of virginia? citizens beyond shenandoah county, virginia?
briefly, here are the facts:
1. when we purchased our house, unbeknown to us, the builder had not graded our lot per the approved grading plan and R401.3 of the virginia building code.
2. months later, after heavy rains, I found standing water in our crawl space.
3. as heavy rains continued over the next few months, the amount of water in our crawl space grew.
4. at some point I mentioned to our duplex "roofmate" that there was standing water in our crawl space.
5. our roofmate contacted the shenandoah county building inspection and code enforcement department.
6. the shenandoah county building official and an inspector with the building inspection and code enforcement department met with our roofmate.
7. after their meeting (neither me nor my wife were present; I was not home at the time) our roofmate asked my wife if the county inspector could inspect our crawl space. Jenny called me, and we agreed.
8. afterwards the building official told us "if there's a code violation then the builder will have to fix it."
9. the following day, the building official met with our roofmate and said that there was no code violaion, explaining that she didn't qualify under section 19.2-8 of the virginia code.
10. on june 30 I sent mark griffey (shenandoah county building official) an email entitled "formal complaint, building code violation". I pointed out that R401.3 had been violated. I also pointed out that we were eligible under section 19.2-8 to submit this code violation complaint. finally, I said: "Should you reject my formal complaint, then I request a meeting at county offices with you and other county personnel or outside consultants involved in the decision not to issue a notice of violation of the building code to the builder for this violation."
11. griffey told me in an email that he was sending a notice of violation to the builder.
12. griffey didn't send a notice of violation to the builder. when I asked him to explain why, he said that "they" had decided to "reach out" to the builder.
13. some time later, locations of underground utilities were marked and the builder brought 2 large rolls of flexible plastic pipe and placed them behind our house. I contacted griffey and asked what was going on.
14. on july 26 griffey sent an email entitled "updated drawing".
15. on july 30 I replied to griffey's email with 13 specific comments plus general comments regarding the unsuitability of the plan. griffey did not respond to my comments.
16. on aug. 7, sept. 14, dec. 3 and dec. 4 jordan bowman, shenandoah county attorney, sent threatening letters to me and my wife.
17. on aug. 14, at our expense, we contracted to have a waterproof slope installed on our property consistent with the approved grading plan and R401.3.
18. there's mold in our crawl space.
19. the floor and duct insulation in our crawl space were saturated and ruined by the flooding.
20. R408.3.1 requires: "Exposed earth is covered with a continuous Class I vapor retarder. Joints of the vapor retarder shall overlap by 6 inches (152 mm) and shall be sealed or taped." the loose sheets of moisture barrier in our crawl space were neither sealed nor taped.
21. R408.5 requires: "The under-floor grade shall be cleaned of all vegetation and organic material. All wood forms used for placing concrete shall be removed before a building is occupied or used for any purpose. All construction materials shall be removed before a building is occupied or used for any purpose." paper, cardboard, leaves, pieces of wood, conduit, air duct hangers, fasteners, brick, concrete, insulation, and other construction debris litter our crawl space.
22. there are other defects in our house that result from bad science and poor construction and inspection. e.g., the good, the bad & the ugly: alan toothman construction, inc.: BIG hole in the wall, BIG hole in the head
what is not known
- how did the water get in our crawl space?
- if our lot had been graded according to the approved grading plan and R401.3, then would our crawl space have flooded?
- maybe. the answer to this question will never be known.
- will our crawl space dry out with drier weather?
- maybe. time will tell. given the amount of water in our crawl space, it will likely take many months of warm, dry weather to dry the space out.
- is the water in our roofmate's crawl space connected with the flooding in ours?
- maybe. however, I've inspected our crawl space many times and I've never seen any standing water within 6 to 8 feet from our common wall.
- if the water in our roofmate's crawl space is connected to the flooding in ours, then how much water is coming from our crawl space and how much is coming from other sources?
- IMHO, this is indeterminable. I do know that the ground in the front and the rear of our roofmate's house slopes towards the foundation walls. IMHO, this is where the water in our roofmate's crawl space comes from.
finally:
- why has shenandoah county steadfastly defended lawbreaking builder alan toothman construction, inc.?
- why does the county attorney continue to harass us with threatening letters? (we're in our seventies.)
- why did the county refuse to meet with us as I requested (#10 above)?
- why didn't the county reply to my comments on the unsuitability of the toothman "fix" (#14 & 15)?
- toothman's and shenandoah county's "fix" does not comply with R401.3. R401.3 requires:
- "R401.3 Drainage. Surface drainage shall be diverted to a storm sewer conveyance or other approved point of collection that does not create a hazard to the dwelling unit. Lots shall be graded to drain surface water away from foundation walls. The grade shall fall a minimum of six inches (152 mm) within the first 10 feet (3048 mm)."
- "Exception: Where lot lines, walls, slopes or other physical barriers prohibit six inches (152 mm) of fall within 10 feet (3048 mm), drains or swales shall be constructed to ensure drainage away from the structure. Impervious surfaces within 10 feet (3048 mm) of the building foundation shall be sloped a minimum of 2.0% away from the building."
- the "Exception" applies only "where lot lines, walls, slopes or other physical barriers prohibit six inches of fall within 10 feet". No such prohibition exists, as shown on the approved grading plan for our lot.
- toothman's and shenandoah county's interpretation of the exception in R401.3 as being an "either/or" situation is incorrect. The exception only applies if the ground can't be sloped away from foundation walls for 10 feet. As the approved grading plan shows, this is not the case with our lot.
it doesn't pass the smell test-either toothman is jim jones and bowman and griffey are drinking the kool-aid, or something worse is going on.
despite the facts that:
- we own the property, we were denied a seat at the table--see #10 & #15 above.
- I have a degree in civil engineering, we were denied a seat at the table--see #10 & #15 above.
- I held licenses to practice civil engineering in Virginia and several other states, we were denied a seat at the table--see #10 & #15 above.
- I have over 40 years' experience in civil engineering and construction, we were denied a seat at the table--see #10 & #15 above.
citizens:
- you deserve to be protected from construction that doesn't meet the state building code
- you deserve competent building inspection and code enforcement
- you deserve county and state government that defends you--not lawbreaking builders
➤ SPEAK OUT
➤ SPREAD THE WORD
➤ VOTE virginia
shenandoah county
building inspection
code enforcement
mark griffey
attorney
jordan bowman
conrad helsley
alan toothman construction, inc.
Friday, November 30, 2018
builder alan toothman + shenandoah county, virginia = poorly engineered and constructed new homes
what do you get with a bad builder and a virginia county that doesn't enforce the building code?
answer: angry homeowners with poorly engineered and constructed new houses.
bad science
1. ground that slopes towards the house, instead of away from the house, as the virginia building code and the approved grading plan require. result: flooded crawl space. https://www.prettypurpledoor.com/yard-grading-how-to-grade-a-yard/ Amy knows this! How come a virginia builder and shenandoah county's building official, shenandoah county building inspectors, and shenandoah county's attorney, who handles building code violations, don't?!? bad science.
2. level roof gutters that overflow and add to the crawl space flooding. how come builder toothman doesn't know Why Gutter Slope is Essential to Your Home? when I asked toothman why all of the roof gutters are level, she said "they're all that way." great!!! all of the roof gutters on toothman's new houses are level!!! bad science.
3. flexible plastic pipes connected to downspouts with high and low points and buried outlet ends. how dumb is that?!?
our house came with level roof gutters and 5 downspouts--3 with flexible plastic pipe attached to them and 2 with splash blocks. the outlet ends of 2 of the 3 downspouts with flexible plastic pipe attached were buried.
I notified the builder when rain from one of the downspouts with splash blocks missed the splash block and went into the below ground access well to the crawl space. the builder replaced the splash block with a buried flexible pipe and extended the buried flexible pipe on one of the buried plastic pipes.
later, after a heavy rain, water from the roof backed up in the other pipe with the buried outlet end, backed up in the downspout, and backed up in the level roof gutter such that all of the runoff coming from that section of the roof was overflowing the level roof gutter. it washed out a slope onto my neighbor's driveway. when I told toothman, she said "we would never bury the outlet end". this after toothman had already unburied 1 of the 2 buried outlet ends on our property! talk about dishonest!
roof drainage should flow by gravity, which requires a straight grade--no dips or high points and open outlet ends. water and air trapped in flexible plastic pipes by low and high spots require pressure to flow. when water backs up in downspouts, they leak, and the weight of the stored water can cause downspouts to break away from the house. bad science.
4. holes in the foundation wall: MINDS OF MUSH: alan toothman construction, inc.: BIG hole in the wall, BIG hole in the head. what?!? bad science.
5. a room where the temperature is ten degrees colder than the thermostat temperature. (the thermostat is located in the hallway 10 ft. from the cold room.) bad science.
poor construction
1. floors with low spots that go BANG! when you walk on them.
2. gutters that leak and a downspout that empties into the below ground, crawl space access door well.
3. a foul odor coming from the bathroom sink.
4. sloppy trim.
shenandoah county, virginia's poor inspection and followup failures
1. during and following construction shenandoah county's building inspectors failed to identify that the ground sloped towards the house instead of away from the house. this is a clear violation of virginia's building code. also, the approved grading plan shows the ground sloping away from the house. in addition to not knowing what the building code requires, apparently the inspectors can't read plans. even so, how can one not see the difference between a hill and a swale?
2. even though shenandoah county's building official told me that the county was going to cite toothman for violating the buiding code, shenandoah county did not. when asked to explain why the county wasn't citing the builder for a building code violation, the building official told me that he chose instead to "reach out" (his words) to toothman. what?!?
3. shenandoah county's attorney, who works for a private law firm in the neighboring county, wrote us threatening letters.
http://mindsofmush.blogspot.com/2018/08/how-shenandoah-co-va-mishandled-clear.html
https://mindsofmush.blogspot.com/2018/09/another-letter-from-jordan-bowman-sigh.html
what?!?
4. it doesn't pass the smell test.
alan toothman construction, inc.
woodstock
virginia
shenandoah county
building official
mark griffey
attorney
jordan bowman
strasburg
conrad helsley
stony pointe
answer: angry homeowners with poorly engineered and constructed new houses.
bad science
1. ground that slopes towards the house, instead of away from the house, as the virginia building code and the approved grading plan require. result: flooded crawl space. https://www.prettypurpledoor.com/yard-grading-how-to-grade-a-yard/ Amy knows this! How come a virginia builder and shenandoah county's building official, shenandoah county building inspectors, and shenandoah county's attorney, who handles building code violations, don't?!? bad science.
2. level roof gutters that overflow and add to the crawl space flooding. how come builder toothman doesn't know Why Gutter Slope is Essential to Your Home? when I asked toothman why all of the roof gutters are level, she said "they're all that way." great!!! all of the roof gutters on toothman's new houses are level!!! bad science.
3. flexible plastic pipes connected to downspouts with high and low points and buried outlet ends. how dumb is that?!?
our house came with level roof gutters and 5 downspouts--3 with flexible plastic pipe attached to them and 2 with splash blocks. the outlet ends of 2 of the 3 downspouts with flexible plastic pipe attached were buried.
I notified the builder when rain from one of the downspouts with splash blocks missed the splash block and went into the below ground access well to the crawl space. the builder replaced the splash block with a buried flexible pipe and extended the buried flexible pipe on one of the buried plastic pipes.
later, after a heavy rain, water from the roof backed up in the other pipe with the buried outlet end, backed up in the downspout, and backed up in the level roof gutter such that all of the runoff coming from that section of the roof was overflowing the level roof gutter. it washed out a slope onto my neighbor's driveway. when I told toothman, she said "we would never bury the outlet end". this after toothman had already unburied 1 of the 2 buried outlet ends on our property! talk about dishonest!
roof drainage should flow by gravity, which requires a straight grade--no dips or high points and open outlet ends. water and air trapped in flexible plastic pipes by low and high spots require pressure to flow. when water backs up in downspouts, they leak, and the weight of the stored water can cause downspouts to break away from the house. bad science.
4. holes in the foundation wall: MINDS OF MUSH: alan toothman construction, inc.: BIG hole in the wall, BIG hole in the head. what?!? bad science.
5. a room where the temperature is ten degrees colder than the thermostat temperature. (the thermostat is located in the hallway 10 ft. from the cold room.) bad science.
poor construction
1. floors with low spots that go BANG! when you walk on them.
2. gutters that leak and a downspout that empties into the below ground, crawl space access door well.
3. a foul odor coming from the bathroom sink.
4. sloppy trim.
shenandoah county, virginia's poor inspection and followup failures
1. during and following construction shenandoah county's building inspectors failed to identify that the ground sloped towards the house instead of away from the house. this is a clear violation of virginia's building code. also, the approved grading plan shows the ground sloping away from the house. in addition to not knowing what the building code requires, apparently the inspectors can't read plans. even so, how can one not see the difference between a hill and a swale?
2. even though shenandoah county's building official told me that the county was going to cite toothman for violating the buiding code, shenandoah county did not. when asked to explain why the county wasn't citing the builder for a building code violation, the building official told me that he chose instead to "reach out" (his words) to toothman. what?!?
3. shenandoah county's attorney, who works for a private law firm in the neighboring county, wrote us threatening letters.
http://mindsofmush.blogspot.com/2018/08/how-shenandoah-co-va-mishandled-clear.html
https://mindsofmush.blogspot.com/2018/09/another-letter-from-jordan-bowman-sigh.html
what?!?
4. it doesn't pass the smell test.
citizens of shenandoah county, virginia and elsewhere:
- you deserve to be protected from construction that doesn't meet the state building code
- you deserve competent building inspection and code enforcement
- you deserve county and state government that defends you--not lawbreaking builders
➤ SPEAK OUT
➤ SPREAD THE WORD
➤ VOTE alan toothman construction, inc.
woodstock
virginia
shenandoah county
building official
mark griffey
attorney
jordan bowman
strasburg
conrad helsley
stony pointe
Wednesday, November 7, 2018
a victory for good behavior, a defeat for poor behavior
trump, you lost! hurrah!
thanks be to God that most Americans don't behave as poorly as you and much of "your base" behave.
hopefully in 2020 the majority will finish the job and sink the bad behavior candidates of BOTH the republican AND the democrat parties.
here's how:
who do you trust?
- the republican or democrat parties?
- their lousy candidates?
- or do you trust billionaires and the billionaire corporations that fund the republican and democrat parties and their bad behavior candidates?
- or do you trust someone who you know who has similar values to yours?
here's how government operates:
or rather, doesn't operate.
thanks be to God that most Americans don't behave as poorly as you and much of "your base" behave.
hopefully in 2020 the majority will finish the job and sink the bad behavior candidates of BOTH the republican AND the democrat parties.
here's how:
who do you trust?
- the republican or democrat parties?
- their lousy candidates?
- or do you trust billionaires and the billionaire corporations that fund the republican and democrat parties and their bad behavior candidates?
- or do you trust someone who you know who has similar values to yours?
here's how government operates:
or rather, doesn't operate.
the fix to our dysfunctional government is simple and easy--stop voting for lousy candidates who don't have values similar to yours and who don't represent the best interests of our country to move our country forward.
If you vote for a republican or a democrat, then it's not the person who you voted for who is in control--it's the party--the hand that holds the puppet/money strings.
In the next election--national, state or local--vote for someone who shares your values who is not a democrat or a republican.
even with their billion dollar donors, the republican and democratic parties will shrivel up and die if no one votes for their obstructionist candidates.
Nothing will be better for our country.
If you vote for a republican or a democrat, then it's not the person who you voted for who is in control--it's the party--the hand that holds the puppet/money strings.
In the next election--national, state or local--vote for someone who shares your values who is not a democrat or a republican.
even with their billion dollar donors, the republican and democratic parties will shrivel up and die if no one votes for their obstructionist candidates.
Nothing will be better for our country.
File:Two party system diagram.png - Wikimedia Commons
PS the same applies for the biased news media. if folks stop patronizing the biased news media, then they'll dry up and disappear too. who knows? maybe cable tv and the internet will improve without all the hateful rhetoric. we can only hope.
PS the same applies for the biased news media. if folks stop patronizing the biased news media, then they'll dry up and disappear too. who knows? maybe cable tv and the internet will improve without all the hateful rhetoric. we can only hope.
Saturday, November 3, 2018
are you fed up with government--at every level--like I am? and the biased news media too?
the good, the bad & the ugly: virginia gives supreme authority for building code violations to the counties. when the county and the builder don't pass the smell test, then virginians are screwed.
stinks, doesn't it?
who do you trust?
- the republican party or democrat party?
- do you trust billionaires and the billionaire corporations that fund the republican and democrat parties?
- or do you trust someone who you know who has similar values to yours?
here's how government operates:
or rather, doesn't operate.
stinks, doesn't it?
had enough?
who do you trust?
- the republican party or democrat party?
- do you trust billionaires and the billionaire corporations that fund the republican and democrat parties?
here's how government operates:
or rather, doesn't operate.
the fix to our dysfunctional government is simple and easy--stop voting for obstructionist candidates who don't have values similar to yours and who don't represent the best interests of our country to move our country forward.
If you vote for a republican or a democrat, then it's not the person who you voted for who is in control--it's the party--the hand that holds the puppet/money strings.
In the next election--national, state or local--vote for someone who shares your values who is not a democrat or a republican.
even with their billion dollar donors, the republican and democratic parties will shrivel up and die if no one votes for their obstructionist candidates.
Nothing will be better for our country.
If you vote for a republican or a democrat, then it's not the person who you voted for who is in control--it's the party--the hand that holds the puppet/money strings.
In the next election--national, state or local--vote for someone who shares your values who is not a democrat or a republican.
even with their billion dollar donors, the republican and democratic parties will shrivel up and die if no one votes for their obstructionist candidates.
Nothing will be better for our country.
File:Two party system diagram.png - Wikimedia Commons
PS the same applies for the biased news media. if folks stop patronizing the biased news media, then they'll dry up and disappear too. who knows? maybe cable tv and the internet will improve without all the hateful rhetoric. we can only hope.
PS the same applies for the biased news media. if folks stop patronizing the biased news media, then they'll dry up and disappear too. who knows? maybe cable tv and the internet will improve without all the hateful rhetoric. we can only hope.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)