Mattes's Musings by KC2GIK

By now you have heard that during a rally in  Texas Representative Jasmine Crockett decided to take a swipe at  Governor Gregg Abbott's immigration policy. During her speech, or rant depending on your views, Crockett seemed to take a jab at Abbott, who uses a manual wheelchair, "Governor Hot Wheels".  After a few comments from people, Crockett realized her mistake, but didn't apologize.  Of course the first reaction from the right was she made fun of someone in a wheelchair, and the left's defense was to trot out the time President  Trump made fun of a reporter with a disability. There was another time where Trump order a wheelchair user removed because he refused to move when he was told he was blocking a fire exit. These two instances caused real backlash,  and in my opinion  people swooped in to defend   both people. nb  They were made into saints overnight. It's soo predictable it's sad Governor Greg Abbott didn't have that luxury! Y...

Once again I have coverted a Facebook post into a blog entry. There have been mixed reactions about President Trump shutting down the Department of Education. My only fear is what will happen to IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). W e will see what  happens   Here I am listening to all the noise about the future education in this country. I've heard parents, from those who fully endorse the public education to ones who home school. I;ve heard from teachers who of course hate the idea to students who have excelled in carter schools. Now you're going to hear from ME, a former student who survived special education, was fully mainstreamed, but lacked to confidence to continue to college. You've heard stories how I had great high school experiences, which I did, but the previous eight years before high school were pure hell. I went to a pub lic school that never recognized I had a brain. My mother fought them tooth and nail for them to provide me basic services...

 This came in the mail in early Feburary of last year, it's my new membership card signifying I paid my 2024 dues to the Automobile License Plate  Association. It's especially special because it means I have been withALPCA for 30-years, I joined in 1994 when I was 16. Well I didn't "join" I received it as a Christmas gifit from my parents, but my license plate collecting story starts a full year earlier. I decided to end my 30th year in ALPCA by writing a little about how I started and then highlighting some of  entries I have written  When I was around 14 I started to pay attention to the different licenses platess on cars. First it was antique cars that in NJ had the letters"QQ" either at the beginning or the end of the license plate. Then I looked at police cars and firetrucks had "MG" and some had "CG". I later found out later in New Jersey "MG" stood for "Municipal Government", "CG" stood for "C...

 WELL here we are folks one quarter of the way into this century!! I have been thinking about writing this email since the beginning of December but of course I am a month late. I am happy to report the Mattes Family is healthy!  Chirs, Natalie, Zander and Quinn are busy as ever! Zander is now a sophomore and studying for his written test to get his driving permit! I half to double check that fact because it's so hard to believe. Quinn is doing well in eighth grade and is on a travelling soccer team which plays in tournaments all over the country. She has one coming up in Florida in  February that dad and I are thinking about going down for a few days to watch her. They BOTH are getting as tall as their uncle Jay which is very hard for him to accept! The family adopted three kittens which as a dog person even I admit they are cute!! We spent Christmas with them and got  to see the new Bob Dylan movie, partly filmed right here in Cape May. Unfortunately, I didn't get ...

          The drones flying over Northern NJ reminds everyone about the Chinese spy balloons that flew over the country during the Trump and Biden administrations. Americans already had enough of the Chinese government after the entire Corona virus debacle. We're still waiting for the WHO to stop covering for China and admit the virus started in a C hinese lab. Then the spy ballons started. It was later revealed the Chinese were flying spy ballons sooner than the government admitted. Of course the Democrats were quick to point out that the spy ballons started under President Trump. Given the relationship between the federal government and the former president I wouldn't be surprised if President Trump wasn't given the complete picture on purpose. The conspiracy theories spread and soon after came the finger pointing. Everybody under the sun promised investigations into the ballons, but like most government investigations it disappeared from the news cycle...

This is a teaser entry for a few feature enteries upcoming for my 25th year as a amateur radio operator. Starting the first week in January I will look back on a quarter century on the air!!!!!   Made it into the final County RACES net of the year(They never do a net i n December)..........I love my position. Notice I didn't say ":authority", I said "position". Meaning I know where I stand in the City of Cape May. I was a radio officer in my old town of Woodcliff Lake, I was at the time the only active ham in town. When I moved to Cape May I joined the local ham radio club and when I mentioned I was a member of RACES in Woodcliff Lake. The head of the County RACES said "Thank you now we don't need to send a member down to Cape May every month". I sheepishly said, "I'm it?" In which he replied "You're it and if anyone give you trouble tell them to come to me." I have been the City of Cape May's RACES Officer every...