Friday Follies...
Had some really nice T/storms last night, and even early this morning here, and I have to give Mother Nature credit; She SURE knows HOW to shut up those damnable BOOMCARS in our area...LOL!
(If you can't beat them...be LOUDER than them)
With that in mind, let's Sallie forth into the weekend, shall we?
** If you're NOT driving on tires made in CHINA, count yourself among the minority. Bet'cha didn't KNOW that, did you?
The majority of tires SOLD in the USA are coming from CHINA, and that's hurting the AMERICAN tire industry (like we need another group of companies going belly up NOW, right?).
In fact, this situation has become SO bad, that the International Trade Commission voted 4-2 on it. They will be voting for a remedy in the very near future.
China counters that it's the ECONOMY (stupid) that's hurting the American tire market, and NOT imports.
Really?
China regularly ignores the "rules" when it comes to trade...rules they initially AGREED with, but you know those wacky Commies. Maybe Obama could appoint a "Tire Czar"?
...And pass the Kung Pao chicken, please.
** If you own a vehicle in Allen County, Indiana, expect to PAY MORE for the cheap-ass plates that ride on the ass end of it.
The Allen County Council voted 4-3 to RAISE the wheel tax and surtax to pay for the bridge repair and maintenance costs within the county.
And some council members are a little cheesed off by this.
Allow me to "splain" it...
The COUNTY will receive 65% of the revenue, while the CITY (Fort Wayne) gets the other 35%. Seems OK, right?
Not so fast., says the county.
The CITY has a LOT MORE vehicles than does the COUNTY (even though the county includes Fort Wayne), so the money the CITY gets will be actually greater than the county revenue, in spite of the county's "higher percentage".
Seems a bit confusing, but since the COUNTY can't do a "double dip" with CITY-owned and plated (citizen) vehicles, they get the short end of the stick...sorry, folks.
You play the game...you take your chances.
This means the city will really receive a "surplus" of funds originally intended for bridge work. So WHERE exactly will ALL this EXCESS money go, I wonder? I am certain our TAXES (elsewhere) won't go down, and I'm POSITIVE the SEWER PROJECT won't be the happy recipient of this excess wheel tax money either, so we're still pretty much BONED...as usual.
Nice to know SOME things never change, doesn't it?
** And while we're busting on the Allen County council....they unanimously APPROVED a $600,000 TAX ABATEMENT for our local GM plant (gee, isn't that the company that got a free ride, thanks to the Obamanomic bailout program?)!
Now I just wonder WHO is going to foot the bill for this $600K abatement anyway (looks in mirror)....seems I've seen that face somewhere before....
** That "agency" that fights for all the wrong agendas is at it again.
The ACLU is trying to fight a recent ordinance regarding landlord/drug house activity.
Here's the link to the whole story: http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20090619/LOCAL03/306199996/1039/LOCAL03
Now, I have to say we had a similar situation across the street from us a few years back. A young woman moved into another rental crib (which used to be a nice OWNED home), with her 4 kids (from at least 2 dads), and all was relatively quiet. Then she latched onto this young black male, he "moved in", and things went progressively downhill from there. HE started having HIS friends over, and then HE was selling DRUGS along the street, accompanied by the typical loud music, boisterous behavior, littering, and overall annoyances that are associated with such people.
Suffice it to say, he was eventually caught (driving without valid tags), and was later learned to have active "14s" (warrants) FOR ...of all things....DRUG DEALING. (I suppose I had something to do with aiding the police, but I'm not looking for thanks...just some peace and quiet).
So here comes the ACLU...never looking out for the decent folks, trying to make it easier to have landlords renting out houses that druggies can infest...nice, huh?
** Lastly, this Sunday is FATHER'S DAY (and the summer solstice, AND our anniversary - the missus and I), and I have to admit to still missing my Dad, even after 31 years (he passed a week short of Valentine's Day, 1978). Be nice to chat him up for just one more afternoon, let him know that all he taught me didn't get wasted along the way.
As personal mentors and heroes go, he was at the top of my list...and that's a hard thing to forget.
But this Sunday, I will raise my glass to him, and thank him for what he managed to show me in the time he was allowed to be a part of MY life.
As for a lot of the others in my neighborhood...well, it's just going to be one of the MOST CONFUSING days on the planet for those kids....not know WHO sired them. And I feel for them in that respect.
Having known WHO your dad was, good or bad, helps define...and refine who YOU become.
You are a product of him, whether he was there for you...or not.
And how YOU deal with that, will determine how strong a person you can become, and to what level of personal achievement you can reach. Sure would be nice to have all children lay claim to their true fathers, and learn from the experience.
It would surely bring America back to her roots...
As HER (founding) fathers' intended.
So a Happy father's Day to ALL you Dads out there, and to everyone else (including Dads)...
Stay safe out there, America.