Meddling gov't

[Jogeephus]

I found yesterday as a prime example of how obscure rules and regulations impede productivity. I had been looking at lawnmowers and was thinking of getting a ZTR mower and was looking at the different models. One of the dealers suggested I take one home and give it a try so I loaded it up and carried it to the gas station to top off the tank. After filling, the gas gauge only registered a little over half a tank. Anyhow, I carried home and mowed most of the yard and noticed the fuel gauge showed the tank was on a quarter. I again carried the mower to the gas station and filled it to the rim with 2.9 gallons. I then looked at the design of the fuel tank and noticed how it had a anti-slosh throat in the mouth of it which extended down into the tank about six inches. This throat had no ventilation so it was creating a large air pocket on one side of the tank making it impossible for gasoline to fill this void. I then returned the mower to the dealer and told him there was a problem. Two mechanics and I pulled the fuel gauge assembly and tested it and it worked fine and we both agreed it would work fine if the tank could actually be filled completely up. I then talked to the dealer explaining the problem and he said I was the only person who had voiced any concern about this and they had sold twenty something this month. The mechanic and I then explained to him what we suspected was the problem - no ventilation. The dealer then called the manufacturer and spoke with the head honcho who informed him that the federal government came into their plant and told them they could no longer sell lawnmowers for home use if the fuel capacity was over 11 gallons of gasoline so they had to install this throat which in effect reduced the amount of fuel the tank could hold by 4 gallons. Unfortunately, with thousands of fuel gauges already in inventory they could not stop production this time of the season so they installed the old gauges and planned on doing a recall later in the year when they got new modified gauges.

I then left the mower dealer and dropped by the co op to pay my fertilizer bill. As I'm standing there a fella comes in to pick up the soybean seed he had ordered. The salesman apologized to him and told him he could not pick up the seed because the department of agriculture had come in and audited the warehouse and found that the soybean seed had some noxious weed types in the noxious weed percentage that was not listed on the label. Apparently, in the case of some noxious weeds simply saying there is 2% noxious weed is not enough and certain ones must be listed. Therefore, they could not sell the seed and it would be quarantined until such time they got new labels that actually listed the noxious weed types in the 2%. Since drought has set back planting and it wasn't until now that we have optimal soil moisture to plant this fella wasn't very happy about not getting his seed. He was on the verge of having a temper tantrum when I butted in and affirmed that the department of agriculture would shut the co op down if they did not abide by this order. I'm sure many of you would find this hard to believe but I began a slight and heated tirade voicing my love of government and how the government worked on the peter principle with people being promoted to their highest level of incompetance. As it turns out, this fella changed from his anger of the situation to defense of the very system he was so made with moments earlier. Turns out he was a retired colonel.

In summary, I learned that bureaucracy sticks together and if you are a terrorist and you are wanting to run a lawn mower into a government building you are going to have to make due with 11 gallons and not 16. Oh, and stepping on some people's toes does feel good at times.

[backhoeboogie]

I then left the mower dealer and dropped by the co op to pay my fertilizer bill.

For Pete's sake I hope you put on your seatbelt enroute. Otherwise they have to fine you to ensure you are protecting yourself - unless you ride in the back of the truck - that's okay.

[Crazy Farmgirl]

There is a quick fix for the "splash gaurd" problem in the tanks. Pull the guard out and drill several holes about 2" down from the top. On our Ferris you must put the gaurd back in or the cap won't seal but the Scag we simply left it out. Was told by Ferris that it was to force you to slowly fill the tank and would stop overfilling and causing spills.

[john250]

I see a paralell here. Second hand smoke and gasoline evaporation. Neither of these has anything to do with anything, but we spend a tremendous amount of our "good causes" money on these two silliness champions.

[cow pollinater]

I'd like to invite you out here to sunny CA. You'd be ready to kill yourself before the month was over. On top of the feds we get state and then county government regulations and there's not an intelligent soul in the bunch. When an intelligent person goes to work for the county they get spotted and hired by private industry in pretty short order.

[1982vett]

I'd like to invite you out here to sunny CA. You'd be ready to kill yourself before the month was over. On top of the feds we get state and then county government regulations and there's not an intelligent soul in the bunch. When an intelligent person goes to work for the county they get spotted and hired by private industry in pretty short order.

Sorry, but I'm simply going to have to decline the invite....

[Jogeephus]

There is a quick fix for the "splash gaurd" problem in the tanks. Pull the guard out and drill several holes about 2" down from the top. On our Ferris you must put the gaurd back in or the cap won't seal but the Scag we simply left it out. Was told by Ferris that it was to force you to slowly fill the tank and would stop overfilling and causing spills.

That's exactly what I plan on doing but the "splash guard" is fixed in place. I thought I'd take a manual hand drill and drill two holes in the guards to let the air out then it will work just like it was originally designed before the idiot brigade tossed the monkey wrench into the works.

CowPollinator, I'm really torn on that idea. While I've given great thought to visiting mecca if I'm given only a month to live and giving them a lesson in suicide bombing the idea of going to California and visiting one of those Occupy the Farm areas might be the blast I'm looking for.

[cow pollinater]

There are still rebel strongholds here in central CA where you can get a taste of it and still leave the state with your sanity. We do alot of civil disobediance in the middle part of the state. It's kind of fun because farmers/business owners have gotten fed up enough that we're turning the same tactics back on them.
A few years ago we had a farmer whose land was being taken via imminent domain by the enviro nazis who wanted to flood his place to save a small species of fish who pleaded to another enviro nazi group who were concerned with the impact of flooding his property and turned them against each other... He's farming away and the whole thing is tied up in court.

[Jogeephus]

Good move. I find it ironic that the Occupy the Farm bunch is taking a stab at Whole Foods. Its almost as if they are saying Whole Foods is not green enough. I, like Ron Swanson, would much rather visit a Whole Foods Market than visit a zoo. My son's room mate is a liberal greenie and he is continually jumping on every Occupy Whatever he can. At the moment, this kid and a few others are boycotting a large grocery chain because they are buying tomatoes from a farm that uses immigrants to pick the tomatoes and the workers are in the field at sunrise. Imagine that. Starting your day before it gets hot. They are also upset that these workers must work in the weather where there is no A/C. They think this is inhumane. This kid's view of the world and agriculture is so screwed up. He has some strange views on cattle prodution as well. Apparantly we torture them and butcher them while they are still alive. My son is having a field day with this nut and confuses him with facts. Apparantly they don't like facts. Makes them angry. But if they want to debate, they best find someone other than my son cause he is sharp as a tac and has a lots of science and practical agriculture knowledge under his belt so they won't be converting him.

[ANAZAZI]

:D Good move. I find it ironic that the Occupy the Farm bunch is taking a stab at Whole Foods. Its almost as if they are saying Whole Foods is not green enough. I, like Ron Swanson, would much rather visit a Whole Foods Market than visit a zoo. My son's room mate is a liberal greenie and he is continually jumping on every Occupy Whatever he can. At the moment, this kid and a few others are boycotting a large grocery chain because they are buying tomatoes from a farm that uses immigrants to pick the tomatoes and the workers are in the field at sunrise. Imagine that. Starting your day before it gets hot. They are also upset that these workers must work in the weather where there is no A/C. They think this is inhumane. This kid's view of the world and agriculture is so screwed up. He has some strange views on cattle prodution as well. Apparantly we torture them and butcher them while they are still alive. My son is having a field day with this nut and confuses him with facts. Apparantly they don't like facts. Makes them angry. But if they want to debate, they best find someone other than my son cause he is sharp as a tac and has a lots of science and practical agriculture knowledge under his belt so they won't be converting him.

You raised him well!

[Jogeephus]

Got the low down on why the seed was condemned. Apparantly the inspector was confused by the color of the hilum on the seed because it was a little different color than that seen on the internet so the inspector was unsure whether or not it was truly soybean seed. This is understandable since soybean seed had already been inspected by the department of agriculture and bore its tag and soybean seed looks so much like cotton, okra, peanuts, wheat, rye, ryegrass and corn seed - doesn't it. May God help us.

[hooknline]

Nature has no natural variances. Everything is always the same within a known group. Didn't you know that?

[Jogeephus]

I don't know what soybean farmers did before the internet. How in the world did they know what they were planting.

[Workinonit Farm]

I don't know what soybean farmers did before the internet. How in the world did they know what they were planting.

I know I'm grateful for the internet, it has made me feel so good, like winning the lottery, I've been shown by the internet that all those years I was just so lucky to have guessed correctly the difference between the seeds of corn, soybeans, lettuce, beets, clover etc. 'cause they all look alike!

Bozos.

Katherine

[Kathie in Thorp]

I don't know what soybean farmers did before the internet. How in the world did they know what they were planting.

I know I'm grateful for the internet, it has made me feel so good, like winning the lottery, I've been shown by the internet that all those years I was just so lucky to have guessed correctly the difference between the seeds of corn, soybeans, lettuce, beets, clover etc. 'cause they all look alike!

Bozos.

Katherine

Seeds . . . . Have you seen the movie, SECOND HAND LIONS?