Welcome To The Weekend...
It's Friday, June 6...the anniversary of the invasion of Normandy by allied forces, otherwise known as D-Day. Take a moment to reflect on all the brave men who never returned from that battle.
Their numbered losses on that ONE day were greater than the losses we have endured in Iraq and Afghanistan combined over the last 7 years. But regardless of where or when those lives were lost, know that they were given in the name of liberty...and freedom.
Item:
Two top officials at the US Air Force, Secretary Michael Wynne and Chief of Staff Michael Moseley, were fired yesterday by the Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. The Air Force leadership has been involved in numerous recent controversies including an incident in which live nuclear bombs were flown over US airspace and for steering a contract to a retired general. The "last straw" however, according to one defense official, was a screw-up that resulted in nuclear fuses accidentally being sent to Taiwan.
Gates decided to ask for the resignations of the two officials in the wake of a blistering, and still classified, report on the Taiwan screw-up, in which four MK-12 fuses were accidentally shipped earlier this year.
"This incident represents a significant failure to ensure the security of sensitive military components," Gates said today. "More troubling, it depicts a pattern of poor performance that was highlighted to us following last year's incident involving the improper movement of nuclear weapons between Minot AFB and Barksdale AFB."
((Personally, I think someone in "middle management" needs to have their ass wailed, but since we are dealing with "protocol" here, the buck always stops AT THE TOP. The slip ups might have been as simple as a communication breakdown at the BASE level. I'm not all that concerned that a B-52 was carrying 4 nuclear-tipped cruise missiles...they probably weren't even armed))
Item:
Local Urban League Ends Summit:
Time to see if the "rubber will meet the road" when it comes to stemming youth violence in our city. With Fort Wayne on track to meet "last year's quota" of 25 murders, members of the Urban League have skulled out plans to reduce the violence, and have met with concerned parents, city officials, and citizens. A website will be forthcoming with ways people can input their comments and ideas.
((I'd like to see LESS talk...and MORE action. But I've been saying that is exactly what has been needed around here for YEARS. You can pray until your knees wear out, and you can talk until you lose your voice, but until you get your butts OUT ON THE DAMN STREETS, and canvass an area, going door to door, your impact to reduce violence and crime ON that area will be negligible at best))
Item:
Housing Market Roller coaster Continues:
We've got a greater problem with the housing market than first realized. It's not JUST about foreclosures per se, but much of the reasons BEHIND WHY these houses are being foreclosed on. We can point to job losses at one example. But the latest "word on the street" (pun intended) is that whatever EQUITY you might have built up over the years just isn't worth what it once was. People are paying more and getting less equity. Not a good sign. Many rely ON that equity to amend their retirement or rainy-day funds.
((We can't BUY a house because it costs too much, and we don't want to hock our lives away. Conversely, we can't SELL our house either, because we'll be getting NOWHERE NEAR what is even fair market value. And we'd be depending on what we THOUGHT we were suppose to get for the first house to pay for the second. A marvelous Catch-22 if ever there was one. This "fair market:" will be artificially "amended" to reflect the housing situation.))
Item:
People locked out of Northside High Graduation.
Tempers flared to near riotous proportions Thursday evening when over a hundred people were denied access to Northside High School's graduation ceremonies that were held at the Memorial Coliseum. It was pre-arraigned as to WHEN the doors would be locked, and that's a school policy with Northside.
((I call it more like LOOK AT YOUR DAMN WATCH, MORON. You KNOW what time you need to be there to see your child graduate. Do THEM a service and be PROMPT. By getting yourself locked OUT of the ceremony, you just sent your child a very nasty message that they WILL remember for years to come.
Come to think of it, the manner of dress most "parents" display at graduation leaves much to be desired, as opposed to back in *my* day. It's a GRADUATION - a once in a lifetime event. Don't go dressed like you're headed to Beerfest 2008, or a BBQ on the southside of the city for God's sake. And leave all the damn LASER POINTERS, AIRHORNS, and other annoying "devices" intended to make you look like the asshole you apparently wish to be known as AT HOME. Have a little respect for the importance OF the damn event. There's a LOT more here than meets the eye with this procedure of lockouts. Gang-related? Maybe. But we've not scratched the surface as to WHY ti was done.))
With all that said, you now know the news.
It's going to be a steamy one this weekend. Dress appropriately to avoid the sun and heat (Bedouin gear will work, but will also get you noticed by too many people).
Drink plenty of fluids.
That doesn't mean liquor, soda and beer,
They won't quench a thirst nearly as well as plain old water or juices. And then there's MY favorite - POWERADE (preferably in some BLUE or PURPLE hue).
And above all else...
DO have a SAFE weekend.
"TRUTH WILL ULTIMATELY PREVAIL WHERE THERE IS PAINS TO BRING IT TO LIGHT." ~ (George Washington) ~ Submitted for your contemplation is a compendium of commentary, news, opinions, contrasts, and similarities regarding the many facets of the human condition be they found in Indiana, or Pennsylvania, or wherever else the 4 winds blow ~ It's COMMON SENSE for the common man (or woman) ~ Your mileage may vary.
06 June 2008
05 June 2008
Tales From the South Side...
For the second half of my blogging journey towards that magic *1000* post milestone, I can think of no better way than to share some of yesterday's happenings.
Seeing as how K-Mart had some really good sales this week for items we had been wanting to get (more like needed to get, you know how that "want/need" thing flies in MY house), we trekked over to see "if" they even had any left.
Well, we DID luck out. The DVD/VCR on sale for $60 (I did say SIXTY BUCKS) was the next to last one on the shelf, and the Bissell steamer/rug/floor cleaner WAS the last one (next to the display model), and at $70 was one of the BETTER prices I've seen for anything remotely close in some time (they usually cost upwards of $150 or more...mostly more).
Lastly, we nailed an EIGHT POUND bag of black oil sunflower seed for the the avian friends (and their squirrel buddies) who frequent our garden and backyard. And THAT was under $6. And to think a THREE POUND bag was costing $4...I mean REALLY.
So...mission accomplished.
Our bit for the economic stimulus had been achieved (this week anyway).
We get home, and I immediately set to work getting the DVD/VCR hooked up. But then a curious thing occurred.
There was NO COAX CABLE INPUT/OUTPUT on the back of the unit.
OK...WHEN did they change that, and WHY didn't I "get my memo"?
The ONLY input/outputs on the unit were either the S-VIDEO (not an option at OUR house), and the tried and true (and awkward) RCA connections (that would be all those YELLOW, RED, and WHITE cables you have dangling from ALL your devices at your house).
Now I'm really starting to break a sweat, bordering on sheer panic.
Perhaps I need to enlist some "outside help"?
How the hell can I hook a COAX into something that ONLY has RCA connections (so that I can utilize the STEREO capabilities of the TV)? Used to be the COAX handled all that stuff FOR me.
I know...I used to INSTALL A/V systems at local big box stores in three states when I lived in Philly.
A veritable WALL of TVs (all operating in stereo) were at my beckon call...and they ALL used COAX cable (RG-6 for you purists).
After taking a few minutes to "regroup", I found out that this NEW unit needs some "old tech" to make it compatible with MY system (which runs with COAX - even from the "new" FiOS digital box).
OK....time for plan *B*.
Apparently, I need an RF MODULATOR box (which, without getting TOO technical converts COAX to RCA plugs and vice versa). So now I have to bop out to Radio Shack (or their equivalent) and get one of THOSE. And after all these years, I got RID of that stuff when we went from 2-prong antenna connections TO one COAX cable.
SHEESH!
((Note to readers: NEVER TOSS ANY of that old stuff out,...like Bell Bottom pants, they WILL come "back in style"))
But I can use the RCA connectors to hook up the player to the other TV and get stereo...it just looks funky, and won't allow playing the FiOS signal through the unit (so I can record stuff from cable) for now. After the modulator is purchased, then we're good-to-go.
One small thing...I have to find out WHAT TYPE of RF MODULATOR (of the several hundred out there) would best serve my "specific" needs....
Someone has GOT to find me the engineer who REDESIGNED this, and bring him to my house. I'd like to have a LONG "talk" with him. I just KNOW it's a GUY that redesigned it, because a WOMAN would NEVER do such a thing. THEY know what works, and they don't screw with things that work.
That something MEN have sole ownership of.
It's a proprietary thing.
So now it's onto the RUG CLEANER...
Well, I had to assemble that...no biggie. I've always loved to build things (and take them apart). Maybe that's why my folks always got me all those building sets as a child...to make sure that the appliances stayed operational.
I mean I could see mom getting PO'ed at me when she wants to run the vacuum, and I'm sitting there in a pile of parts that just 5 minutes before WAS her vacuum. It makes sense.
I open the box, eyeball the cleaner, lay out the parts on the floor, and lo and behold...after 5 minutes (the magic number), I have a cleaner that looks exactly like the display unit at K-Mart.
Now I figured this is gonna work the first time for TWO reasons:
1) I don't need a damn RF MODULATOR to make it function (like that stupid VCR).
2) I didn't have ANY parts left over (always a nice thing).
So that says "Good enough for Government work" all over it to me.
And I'm not even going to fret over the SUNFLOWER SEEDS we bought....they work EVERY TIME out of the bag - no modulator, no electricity...just the "Circle of Life" gig working as nature intended.
Gotta love that, eh?
Now all we have to do is get the modulator, hook everything back up, and I can get to the business of shampooing the rugs...and for a lot cheaper than ALL those steamer guys can do it. Plus, I can do whatever room I want to at the pace I want (taking frequent breaks). Hey, when you're not "on the clock" that works out pretty darn well. The down side to that is that there is NEVER "time and a half" for anything done over FORTY HOURS.
Wonder if they have a UNION for semi-retired house husbands?
And would it be prudent to picket my front lawn for paid overtime?
Nah....would never fly. The wife would just OUTSOURCE my jobs about the house.
I really need to get ALL my memos.
For the second half of my blogging journey towards that magic *1000* post milestone, I can think of no better way than to share some of yesterday's happenings.
Seeing as how K-Mart had some really good sales this week for items we had been wanting to get (more like needed to get, you know how that "want/need" thing flies in MY house), we trekked over to see "if" they even had any left.
Well, we DID luck out. The DVD/VCR on sale for $60 (I did say SIXTY BUCKS) was the next to last one on the shelf, and the Bissell steamer/rug/floor cleaner WAS the last one (next to the display model), and at $70 was one of the BETTER prices I've seen for anything remotely close in some time (they usually cost upwards of $150 or more...mostly more).
Lastly, we nailed an EIGHT POUND bag of black oil sunflower seed for the the avian friends (and their squirrel buddies) who frequent our garden and backyard. And THAT was under $6. And to think a THREE POUND bag was costing $4...I mean REALLY.
So...mission accomplished.
Our bit for the economic stimulus had been achieved (this week anyway).
We get home, and I immediately set to work getting the DVD/VCR hooked up. But then a curious thing occurred.
There was NO COAX CABLE INPUT/OUTPUT on the back of the unit.
OK...WHEN did they change that, and WHY didn't I "get my memo"?
The ONLY input/outputs on the unit were either the S-VIDEO (not an option at OUR house), and the tried and true (and awkward) RCA connections (that would be all those YELLOW, RED, and WHITE cables you have dangling from ALL your devices at your house).
Now I'm really starting to break a sweat, bordering on sheer panic.
Perhaps I need to enlist some "outside help"?
How the hell can I hook a COAX into something that ONLY has RCA connections (so that I can utilize the STEREO capabilities of the TV)? Used to be the COAX handled all that stuff FOR me.
I know...I used to INSTALL A/V systems at local big box stores in three states when I lived in Philly.
A veritable WALL of TVs (all operating in stereo) were at my beckon call...and they ALL used COAX cable (RG-6 for you purists).
After taking a few minutes to "regroup", I found out that this NEW unit needs some "old tech" to make it compatible with MY system (which runs with COAX - even from the "new" FiOS digital box).
OK....time for plan *B*.
Apparently, I need an RF MODULATOR box (which, without getting TOO technical converts COAX to RCA plugs and vice versa). So now I have to bop out to Radio Shack (or their equivalent) and get one of THOSE. And after all these years, I got RID of that stuff when we went from 2-prong antenna connections TO one COAX cable.
SHEESH!
((Note to readers: NEVER TOSS ANY of that old stuff out,...like Bell Bottom pants, they WILL come "back in style"))
But I can use the RCA connectors to hook up the player to the other TV and get stereo...it just looks funky, and won't allow playing the FiOS signal through the unit (so I can record stuff from cable) for now. After the modulator is purchased, then we're good-to-go.
One small thing...I have to find out WHAT TYPE of RF MODULATOR (of the several hundred out there) would best serve my "specific" needs....
Someone has GOT to find me the engineer who REDESIGNED this, and bring him to my house. I'd like to have a LONG "talk" with him. I just KNOW it's a GUY that redesigned it, because a WOMAN would NEVER do such a thing. THEY know what works, and they don't screw with things that work.
That something MEN have sole ownership of.
It's a proprietary thing.
So now it's onto the RUG CLEANER...
Well, I had to assemble that...no biggie. I've always loved to build things (and take them apart). Maybe that's why my folks always got me all those building sets as a child...to make sure that the appliances stayed operational.
I mean I could see mom getting PO'ed at me when she wants to run the vacuum, and I'm sitting there in a pile of parts that just 5 minutes before WAS her vacuum. It makes sense.
I open the box, eyeball the cleaner, lay out the parts on the floor, and lo and behold...after 5 minutes (the magic number), I have a cleaner that looks exactly like the display unit at K-Mart.
Now I figured this is gonna work the first time for TWO reasons:
1) I don't need a damn RF MODULATOR to make it function (like that stupid VCR).
2) I didn't have ANY parts left over (always a nice thing).
So that says "Good enough for Government work" all over it to me.
And I'm not even going to fret over the SUNFLOWER SEEDS we bought....they work EVERY TIME out of the bag - no modulator, no electricity...just the "Circle of Life" gig working as nature intended.
Gotta love that, eh?
Now all we have to do is get the modulator, hook everything back up, and I can get to the business of shampooing the rugs...and for a lot cheaper than ALL those steamer guys can do it. Plus, I can do whatever room I want to at the pace I want (taking frequent breaks). Hey, when you're not "on the clock" that works out pretty darn well. The down side to that is that there is NEVER "time and a half" for anything done over FORTY HOURS.
Wonder if they have a UNION for semi-retired house husbands?
And would it be prudent to picket my front lawn for paid overtime?
Nah....would never fly. The wife would just OUTSOURCE my jobs about the house.
I really need to get ALL my memos.
04 June 2008
Happy Humpday...
And what better day to usher in my new technology, than with a personal milestone here...FIVE-HUNDRED POSTS (that's *D* to all you LATIN aficionados - that's halfway to *M*)
Didn't think I had it IN me, did'ja?
So, welcome to NOW...!
Where FiOs is now part of my lexicon.
After only a 4 hour stop to install Verizon FiOS at our humble abode, we have bent to the pressure of our technocracy, and have entered the current century, leaving "ye olde dialup" in the dust.
And to use the words of Darth Vader: "...Impressive. Most impressive".
The TV package is better than we hped for, but ALL those channel number changes are testing this "seasoned" man's personal memory storage capacity...LOL! Looks like it's tme to make SOME MORE lists!
The remotes we were provided with are fine, and work well, but that basically renders all our OTHER remotes useless. They DO make nice DOORSTOPS, though.
On our direct line (w/adapter) set, we can't scan through "favorite" channels, and that bugged me, but the other set in the living room (the 25 year old Mitsubishi with stereo expansion on the external speakers) scrolls fine through my favorite channels (after I aced the selection and scrolling gigs).
The internet package IS fast. Reminds me of the old 486 days with Prodigy CLASSIC on Netscape. Feels like I've come FULL CIRCLE yet again.
And the phone package is well....still a phone, but at least NOW, I can be ON the computer and STILL receive calls. Like having a second line in...only better.
But amidst all this frivolity, there were OTHER things happening aside from our install...
--FWPD chief Rusty York has decided to allow an "objective" outside agency evaluate the proceedings of the lethal shooting of a Fort Wayne man (who was an illegal from Guatemala) by a rookie officer.
Even Prosecutor Richards noted that there was insufficient evidence to warrant a trial.
So what's up, Doc...I mean Rusty?
Just because this officer is a Marine vet that served in Iraq doesn't make him a born killer. He was merely reacting to a situation that had the immediate potential to seriously injure if not kill other officers at the scene of the "routine" car stop.
And didn't we loose an Indiana State Trooper due to a ROUTINE car stop last year?
You of all people should know, Chief, that there is NO SUCH THING as ROUTINE when it comes to the streets in THIS day and age.
A civil suit for wrongful death is being levelled against the officer, and the attorney is Mark Gia Quinta. I thought Mark was made of sterner stuff that this.
And don't those HEADHUNTERS from IAD have some pull any longer? Cripes, it's sad when we have to "outsource" investigations...and to what COST, I might add. If Internal Affairs can't find anything wrong, or is not allowed to investigate, how weird does that seem?
Methinks I smelleth another witch-hunt. Let's hope not. This is probably a damn fine officer that made a decision that definitely saved lives. "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."
Spock said it
I believe it.
That settles it...(for now, anyway) .
--Urban League holds meeting to stem youth violence.
And although it WAS covered on the TV news locally, I didn't see ONE WORD in the local paper this AM. And that's troubling. Perhaps the J-G isn't backing this noble effort by our black population to stop the killings?
Granted when perps kill perps, they're NOT killing innocents, but when this initiative was talked about, it seemed a positive thing to do...even though I personally felt this was something that SHOULD have been enacted YEARS ago. Better late than never, I suppose.
But maybe it just didn't make the morning edition...yeah, right.
This is one of the reasons this city fails on several levels.
If you're going to institute REAL change...you just don't talk about it, hold a meeting and call it done. That doesn't win ANY battle in ANY war. Never read about anything like that in history, either.
You want to make a difference?
Get in peoples' faces...make a stink (the louder the better), and become that "burr" under the saddle of the status quo. You may not become popular in the process, but you will get noticed, and thereby allow others to know what's really going on. THAT is when change begins to occur.
Lastly, we had a FWPD code 25 last night before 2300 hrs. Right in the middle of our intersection. And this is something I;ve told the quadrant captain about for YEARS. We've got too damn much SPEEDING in the area, and I was proven CORRECT AGAIN when we had a rear-ender that trashed an Olds Achieva as well as a Chrysler Concorde. The driver of the Olds was a young black girl, who began mouthing off to the officers on scene. She was promptly "cuffed and stuffed" and her car was given the "once-over". Officers found several aerosol cans in the vehicle (either tagging or huffing).The victim's car had enough damage to warrant the hook as well.
So the "new" neighbors across the street from us don't have a vehicle now, thanks to a speeder with more attitude than brains.
Like I said...NEVER A DULL MOMENT around here.
Designed to keep you on your toes.
Still...it makes for good copy (and the occasional laugh).
Welcome to the jungle.
And thank you all for your support and input over this time. I couldn't do all this WITHOUT you.
So, here's to the NEXT 500!
And what better day to usher in my new technology, than with a personal milestone here...FIVE-HUNDRED POSTS (that's *D* to all you LATIN aficionados - that's halfway to *M*)
Didn't think I had it IN me, did'ja?
So, welcome to NOW...!
Where FiOs is now part of my lexicon.
After only a 4 hour stop to install Verizon FiOS at our humble abode, we have bent to the pressure of our technocracy, and have entered the current century, leaving "ye olde dialup" in the dust.
And to use the words of Darth Vader: "...Impressive. Most impressive".
The TV package is better than we hped for, but ALL those channel number changes are testing this "seasoned" man's personal memory storage capacity...LOL! Looks like it's tme to make SOME MORE lists!
The remotes we were provided with are fine, and work well, but that basically renders all our OTHER remotes useless. They DO make nice DOORSTOPS, though.
On our direct line (w/adapter) set, we can't scan through "favorite" channels, and that bugged me, but the other set in the living room (the 25 year old Mitsubishi with stereo expansion on the external speakers) scrolls fine through my favorite channels (after I aced the selection and scrolling gigs).
The internet package IS fast. Reminds me of the old 486 days with Prodigy CLASSIC on Netscape. Feels like I've come FULL CIRCLE yet again.
And the phone package is well....still a phone, but at least NOW, I can be ON the computer and STILL receive calls. Like having a second line in...only better.
But amidst all this frivolity, there were OTHER things happening aside from our install...
--FWPD chief Rusty York has decided to allow an "objective" outside agency evaluate the proceedings of the lethal shooting of a Fort Wayne man (who was an illegal from Guatemala) by a rookie officer.
Even Prosecutor Richards noted that there was insufficient evidence to warrant a trial.
So what's up, Doc...I mean Rusty?
Just because this officer is a Marine vet that served in Iraq doesn't make him a born killer. He was merely reacting to a situation that had the immediate potential to seriously injure if not kill other officers at the scene of the "routine" car stop.
And didn't we loose an Indiana State Trooper due to a ROUTINE car stop last year?
You of all people should know, Chief, that there is NO SUCH THING as ROUTINE when it comes to the streets in THIS day and age.
A civil suit for wrongful death is being levelled against the officer, and the attorney is Mark Gia Quinta. I thought Mark was made of sterner stuff that this.
And don't those HEADHUNTERS from IAD have some pull any longer? Cripes, it's sad when we have to "outsource" investigations...and to what COST, I might add. If Internal Affairs can't find anything wrong, or is not allowed to investigate, how weird does that seem?
Methinks I smelleth another witch-hunt. Let's hope not. This is probably a damn fine officer that made a decision that definitely saved lives. "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."
Spock said it
I believe it.
That settles it...(for now, anyway) .
--Urban League holds meeting to stem youth violence.
And although it WAS covered on the TV news locally, I didn't see ONE WORD in the local paper this AM. And that's troubling. Perhaps the J-G isn't backing this noble effort by our black population to stop the killings?
Granted when perps kill perps, they're NOT killing innocents, but when this initiative was talked about, it seemed a positive thing to do...even though I personally felt this was something that SHOULD have been enacted YEARS ago. Better late than never, I suppose.
But maybe it just didn't make the morning edition...yeah, right.
This is one of the reasons this city fails on several levels.
If you're going to institute REAL change...you just don't talk about it, hold a meeting and call it done. That doesn't win ANY battle in ANY war. Never read about anything like that in history, either.
You want to make a difference?
Get in peoples' faces...make a stink (the louder the better), and become that "burr" under the saddle of the status quo. You may not become popular in the process, but you will get noticed, and thereby allow others to know what's really going on. THAT is when change begins to occur.
Lastly, we had a FWPD code 25 last night before 2300 hrs. Right in the middle of our intersection. And this is something I;ve told the quadrant captain about for YEARS. We've got too damn much SPEEDING in the area, and I was proven CORRECT AGAIN when we had a rear-ender that trashed an Olds Achieva as well as a Chrysler Concorde. The driver of the Olds was a young black girl, who began mouthing off to the officers on scene. She was promptly "cuffed and stuffed" and her car was given the "once-over". Officers found several aerosol cans in the vehicle (either tagging or huffing).The victim's car had enough damage to warrant the hook as well.
So the "new" neighbors across the street from us don't have a vehicle now, thanks to a speeder with more attitude than brains.
Like I said...NEVER A DULL MOMENT around here.
Designed to keep you on your toes.
Still...it makes for good copy (and the occasional laugh).
Welcome to the jungle.
And thank you all for your support and input over this time. I couldn't do all this WITHOUT you.
So, here's to the NEXT 500!
03 June 2008
Tuesday Tidbits...
Gonna be on the "short n sweet" side today, as the FIOS guys are coming to "hook us up", and I hear that takes a good part of the day to accomplish.
--Rock legend Bo Diddley has died at the age of 79.
(I suppose today's modern (c)rap music killed him)
--Yves St. Laurent has also died.
(Ditto for the fashion world - few know how to dress properly these days)
--Baby found in a mobile meth lab in Auburn.
(What part of BE A REAL PARENT AND ROLE MODEL did these adults NOT understand?)
--Harrison Square to cost an additional $75 MIL in "interest".
(Verrrrry interesting, and yet it's not as though those of us against this financial debacle in the making didn't TRY to tell everyone....is it?)
--Pfc Ross McGinnis latest recipient of the Medal of Honor for falling on grenade in Iraq to save his comrades.
(Goes to show when desperate times call for desperate measures, the "go-to" guy will be someone from Pennsylvania - and yes, I am available)
--Space shuttle Discovery delivers the goods.
(I'll bet those guys in the space station were SO happy to get their potty fixed as well. In space, no one can hear you cry out when you gotta take a leak)
--Vera Bradley golf tourney for breast cancer awareness in Ft. Wayne crosses the $1 million mark again.
(And why didn't I see THIS girl on the links? Makes me want to reconsider my overall VIEW of the game I like to call "Hit it and go git it".)
--After earthquake, China works to prevent epidemics.
(It's called have FEWER people to catch the diseases. Oh wait, that's what epidemics are for in the first place).
--Designer of Pringles can buried in his own creation.
(Amazing how many diverse ways life imitates art, isn't it?)
--Supreme court redefines "Money Laundering".
(And here I thought that ANY money used in the commission of ANY crime that was "diverted" to avoid detection and confiscation was fair game. Picky, picky, picky)
So while I await my "upgrade" to a better way of life (yeah right), and my wife deals with my kicking and screaming as I am dragged into the 21st century, I leave you with these words to consider.
God MUST have a sense of humor.
My life is proof of that.
That's why he keeps ME around...for comic relief.
See you on the flip (FIOS) side!
Gonna be on the "short n sweet" side today, as the FIOS guys are coming to "hook us up", and I hear that takes a good part of the day to accomplish.
--Rock legend Bo Diddley has died at the age of 79.
(I suppose today's modern (c)rap music killed him)
--Yves St. Laurent has also died.
(Ditto for the fashion world - few know how to dress properly these days)
--Baby found in a mobile meth lab in Auburn.
(What part of BE A REAL PARENT AND ROLE MODEL did these adults NOT understand?)
--Harrison Square to cost an additional $75 MIL in "interest".
(Verrrrry interesting, and yet it's not as though those of us against this financial debacle in the making didn't TRY to tell everyone....is it?)
--Pfc Ross McGinnis latest recipient of the Medal of Honor for falling on grenade in Iraq to save his comrades.
(Goes to show when desperate times call for desperate measures, the "go-to" guy will be someone from Pennsylvania - and yes, I am available)
--Space shuttle Discovery delivers the goods.
(I'll bet those guys in the space station were SO happy to get their potty fixed as well. In space, no one can hear you cry out when you gotta take a leak)
--Vera Bradley golf tourney for breast cancer awareness in Ft. Wayne crosses the $1 million mark again.
(And why didn't I see THIS girl on the links? Makes me want to reconsider my overall VIEW of the game I like to call "Hit it and go git it".)
--After earthquake, China works to prevent epidemics.
(It's called have FEWER people to catch the diseases. Oh wait, that's what epidemics are for in the first place).
--Designer of Pringles can buried in his own creation.
(Amazing how many diverse ways life imitates art, isn't it?)
--Supreme court redefines "Money Laundering".
(And here I thought that ANY money used in the commission of ANY crime that was "diverted" to avoid detection and confiscation was fair game. Picky, picky, picky)
So while I await my "upgrade" to a better way of life (yeah right), and my wife deals with my kicking and screaming as I am dragged into the 21st century, I leave you with these words to consider.
God MUST have a sense of humor.
My life is proof of that.
That's why he keeps ME around...for comic relief.
See you on the flip (FIOS) side!
02 June 2008
Monday Musings...
Schools' out...for the summer (well, for most kids around here), and I can think of no better way to kick off MY summertime activities than with...(drum roll, please)...getting FIOS.
Now before you all go off on me for selling out as the newest prisoner to all this technology, I have a very good reason as to why we've decided to ditch Comcast, our dial up Internet and the "regular" phone and combine them into ONE monthly bill:
Dialup access even with a SEMPRON II processor just isn't going to cut the muster here, folks. Whenever I log onto the "information superhighway", think of it much like Mario Andretti driving a YUGO...UPHILL!
One of the "nails in the coffin" for Comcast, was the fact that we awoke Saturday morning to find the cable OUT. After spending about an HOUR on the phone to get a warm body to tell them about the outage, the wife and I decided that Verizon FIOS was going to be a better gig. At least that's the premise.
If any of you out there already HAVE Verizon FIOS, let me know what YOU think about it, good OR bad. BTW, we already know it will take the better part of a day to do the install, but if it's going to give me faster Internet, decreased pixelation on cable channels and a lot less hassle when trying to contact service...I'm all for it.
And did I mention we'll be saving $.84 in POSTAGE every month because of the combined billing?
Now...all we have to do is decide to dump AOHELL (unless we can get it free with Verizon, which is what rumors say) and use Verizon net as our new emails, which means contacting all the people we've been doing business with and change the accounts from one address to the other, but that will save us money. And today, every penny saved one place will result in pennies applied elsewhere.
After all, we're not part of the "Gimme" Guard.
We don't mind getting OUR money the old fashioned way...EARNING IT.
(Of course an inheritance or lottery win now and then might not be all that bad)
My personal feelings about this new tech coming into our house is mixed (as usual). I have this inherent mistrust for anything that becomes over-complicated (and expensive) while delivering the same goods as in years past.
Sure, it's the "wave of the future", and now we'll be on the cutting edge, but I didn't even want all this in the first place. I was much happier as a kid with 4 channels on the TV (which went dark after 1AM), radio, and albums. We had other things occupying our time. We didn't need a blu-tooth glued to our ears, or an iPod affixed to our skulls. We hummed, whistled, and used a phone booth to call someone (for a nickel no less).
When we got single-channel, 1/4 mile ranged "walkie-talkies" (powered by those 9 volt batteries), we thought we were Buck Rogers. We could talk without a PHONE.
Funny thing about all this...as each successive technology came along, we were "told" we HAD to have it. And in the beginning that wasn't really true. We might have WANTED it, but we did NOT "need" it.
Today, it's a whole other animal.
You have a TV with an antenna that works perfectly and that you're happy with? Come February 2009, tough $hit. You will NEED a CONVERTER BOX to receive the new DIGITAL signals that will supplant the tried and true analog signals for TV reception. OK, another $40+ gone down the crapper.
But wait, we're not done.
The TV itself is fast becoming a dinosaur, and by that I mean the CATHODE RAY TUBE-powered device sitting in most rooms across the nation. It's history...almost. Soon, you won't be able to BUY one of them. Get ready to purchase either a PLASMA screen or LCD screens set (at considerably HIGHER cost to you), not because you "need" it, but because the manufacturers are going to be making nothing BUT them.
The same can be said for automobiles. Time was you COULD purchase a plain old base model car. The ONLY thing that was "power" was the person behind the wheel. Manual shifting, standard brakes (no power or ABS), manual steering (think driving a school bus when attempting to parallel park), manual door locks and window CRANK handles, no A/C (that was what the "vent" was for - 2 vents open at 60 MPH or "2/60 Air"), and an AM radio (if desired). Now, we've got CD players, power EVERYTHING, electrically-heated seats, remote starting, individual "comfort zoning", GPS (learn to read a damn map) and a DVD screen to watch movies while driving.
It's no wonder we have more accidents...it's not that we have more CARS on the road...we just have MORE DISTRACTED PEOPLE behind the damn wheels OF those cars. But who needs to pay attention to DRIVING when we can be entertained in our vehicle of choice? And here I thought entertainment in one's vehicle consisted of a bottle of liquor, a cute girl, and a spot to park along the river at night...silly me.
So you can see where all this technology can take us BESIDE the poor house (but it will take us there in STYLE at least - we can watch a DVD movie). If we only had the wisdom to go along with all this knowledge we're allowing into our homes and vehicles, things might actually BE better, but until that happens, I'm not going to be all that convinced. I will remain skeptical and cautious.
Must be the cynic in me.
Still, we'll get FIOS, not because everyone ELSE is getting it, or because we "have" to have it (which we would eventually succumb to anyway they way "they" plan things)...we're doing it, like I said...
"For da Money".
So remember, everyone has DISPOSABLE INCOME...it's how we choose for these companies, governments, and utilities to DISPOSE of it (for us) that really matters.
We need to eat, be able to get places, have a roof over our heads, and be somewhat comfortable in the process. But we sure don't NEED a lot of what others are saying we do "need". I might WANT it (somewhere down the road), but I know what I truly NEED (as should you), and what they're selling sure ain't it.
This week, we get FIOS at our house.
We're saving money.
Welcome to the 21st century, Bob!
(rolls eyes...)
Yeah, rrrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiigggghhht.
Show me the "Wow", 'K?
Schools' out...for the summer (well, for most kids around here), and I can think of no better way to kick off MY summertime activities than with...(drum roll, please)...getting FIOS.
Now before you all go off on me for selling out as the newest prisoner to all this technology, I have a very good reason as to why we've decided to ditch Comcast, our dial up Internet and the "regular" phone and combine them into ONE monthly bill:
"...For da Money!"
I mean when the package was presented to us, and we bounced it against what we're NOW paying separately for ALL THREE, we're saving enough money to make it worthwhile, as well as getting much needed SPEED for the Internet as well as what would have to be better customer service for cable.
Dialup access even with a SEMPRON II processor just isn't going to cut the muster here, folks. Whenever I log onto the "information superhighway", think of it much like Mario Andretti driving a YUGO...UPHILL!
One of the "nails in the coffin" for Comcast, was the fact that we awoke Saturday morning to find the cable OUT. After spending about an HOUR on the phone to get a warm body to tell them about the outage, the wife and I decided that Verizon FIOS was going to be a better gig. At least that's the premise.
If any of you out there already HAVE Verizon FIOS, let me know what YOU think about it, good OR bad. BTW, we already know it will take the better part of a day to do the install, but if it's going to give me faster Internet, decreased pixelation on cable channels and a lot less hassle when trying to contact service...I'm all for it.
And did I mention we'll be saving $.84 in POSTAGE every month because of the combined billing?
Now...all we have to do is decide to dump AOHELL (unless we can get it free with Verizon, which is what rumors say) and use Verizon net as our new emails, which means contacting all the people we've been doing business with and change the accounts from one address to the other, but that will save us money. And today, every penny saved one place will result in pennies applied elsewhere.
After all, we're not part of the "Gimme" Guard.
We don't mind getting OUR money the old fashioned way...EARNING IT.
(Of course an inheritance or lottery win now and then might not be all that bad)
My personal feelings about this new tech coming into our house is mixed (as usual). I have this inherent mistrust for anything that becomes over-complicated (and expensive) while delivering the same goods as in years past.
Sure, it's the "wave of the future", and now we'll be on the cutting edge, but I didn't even want all this in the first place. I was much happier as a kid with 4 channels on the TV (which went dark after 1AM), radio, and albums. We had other things occupying our time. We didn't need a blu-tooth glued to our ears, or an iPod affixed to our skulls. We hummed, whistled, and used a phone booth to call someone (for a nickel no less).
When we got single-channel, 1/4 mile ranged "walkie-talkies" (powered by those 9 volt batteries), we thought we were Buck Rogers. We could talk without a PHONE.
Funny thing about all this...as each successive technology came along, we were "told" we HAD to have it. And in the beginning that wasn't really true. We might have WANTED it, but we did NOT "need" it.
Today, it's a whole other animal.
You have a TV with an antenna that works perfectly and that you're happy with? Come February 2009, tough $hit. You will NEED a CONVERTER BOX to receive the new DIGITAL signals that will supplant the tried and true analog signals for TV reception. OK, another $40+ gone down the crapper.
But wait, we're not done.
The TV itself is fast becoming a dinosaur, and by that I mean the CATHODE RAY TUBE-powered device sitting in most rooms across the nation. It's history...almost. Soon, you won't be able to BUY one of them. Get ready to purchase either a PLASMA screen or LCD screens set (at considerably HIGHER cost to you), not because you "need" it, but because the manufacturers are going to be making nothing BUT them.
The same can be said for automobiles. Time was you COULD purchase a plain old base model car. The ONLY thing that was "power" was the person behind the wheel. Manual shifting, standard brakes (no power or ABS), manual steering (think driving a school bus when attempting to parallel park), manual door locks and window CRANK handles, no A/C (that was what the "vent" was for - 2 vents open at 60 MPH or "2/60 Air"), and an AM radio (if desired). Now, we've got CD players, power EVERYTHING, electrically-heated seats, remote starting, individual "comfort zoning", GPS (learn to read a damn map) and a DVD screen to watch movies while driving.
It's no wonder we have more accidents...it's not that we have more CARS on the road...we just have MORE DISTRACTED PEOPLE behind the damn wheels OF those cars. But who needs to pay attention to DRIVING when we can be entertained in our vehicle of choice? And here I thought entertainment in one's vehicle consisted of a bottle of liquor, a cute girl, and a spot to park along the river at night...silly me.
So you can see where all this technology can take us BESIDE the poor house (but it will take us there in STYLE at least - we can watch a DVD movie). If we only had the wisdom to go along with all this knowledge we're allowing into our homes and vehicles, things might actually BE better, but until that happens, I'm not going to be all that convinced. I will remain skeptical and cautious.
Must be the cynic in me.
Still, we'll get FIOS, not because everyone ELSE is getting it, or because we "have" to have it (which we would eventually succumb to anyway they way "they" plan things)...we're doing it, like I said...
"For da Money".
So remember, everyone has DISPOSABLE INCOME...it's how we choose for these companies, governments, and utilities to DISPOSE of it (for us) that really matters.
We need to eat, be able to get places, have a roof over our heads, and be somewhat comfortable in the process. But we sure don't NEED a lot of what others are saying we do "need". I might WANT it (somewhere down the road), but I know what I truly NEED (as should you), and what they're selling sure ain't it.
This week, we get FIOS at our house.
We're saving money.
Welcome to the 21st century, Bob!
(rolls eyes...)
Yeah, rrrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiigggghhht.
Show me the "Wow", 'K?
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