Then again, it IS April, and those showers are supposed to bring May flowers.
(and I thought a mayflower was either a moving company or the ship that brought the Pilgrims to America's shores)
The weather out here in the Hoosierland will be nice (if you're a duck).
And if you're looking for some sunshine, you'd be better off at 30,000 ft (where the sun always shines)...just bring along some oxygen to breath.
(and no hiding in airliner wheel-wells!)
Now, having dispensed with that, let's all pour a nice warm cup of our favorite morning beverage as we set about and see what the world has been doing since last we met...
*** First out of the rain barrel today, the FEDS are getting involved with that recent 500 lb pot bust, and why is that NO surprise?
Here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20140425/LOCAL03/304259978
But the two involved in this seizure have NOT been indicted yet. Now how much you want to bet that the feds will want to "flip" them to climb farther up this "food chain"?
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| LOSERS!!! |
Then again, the whole plan by the main distributor (who may have known this) might have been to "contract" this duo, so if they got caught, no big loss to the "business".
Of course, they could just be the patsies who DO get the long stay in the hoosegow, for being stupid enough to get caught.
Be nice to see how this all pans out.
Moving on...
*** I found this story interesting, only because I used to work Loss Prevention for the now defunct Circuit City stores in the tri-state area back in Philly.
Here's the link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20140425/LOCAL07/304259940/1043/LOCAL07
A J.C. Penney employee (probably a FORMER one by this time) was charged with an internal theft of about $7K of goods.
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| We're watching you.... |
Taylor V. Nash, 18 (kinda young to be getting into this crap) is being charged with one (huge) count of theft.
She provided a written confession in which she stated she stole $3417 in cash sales and another $3493 in fraudulent returns between 2 Apr and 12 Apr.
The store had a recent record of the false returns as well as a video of the thefts.
(hard to hide from the technology these days, trust me)
Nash was released yesterday on $2500 bail.
So, the bail was less than the amount taken?
WTH is up with that?
Betcha mommy and daddy are pretty damn pissed at her.
And, it's going to be damn difficult to get another job in a lot of fields because of this major brain-fart by this teen.
*** That brings me to another point...the way BAIL (bond) is set in this city.
It basically SUCKS, and that's on a good day.
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| Bonds R Us |
Here's the felony report in the 19 April paper...you decide:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20140419/LOCAL05/140419236/1041
Considering you still only have to post a TENTH of the total amount, you can easily see how simple it is to get your felonious ass back ON the streets.
And to make matters worse, some people are just "released on their own recognizance".
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| Facts don't lie...do they? |
How is this helping the REST of the community?
People get turned out when they drive drunk, have suspended licenses, and such, yet the INJUSTICE system sees fit to allow them to be in the exact same environment that led to this last arrest?
This is ridiculous.
Yeah, I know jails are overcrowded as it is, but maybe we should mete out some STRONGER punishments, or build MORE jails, or perhaps BOTH.
The FEDS are already looking to release all these "non-violent" felons...even after ten years in jail.
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| Welcome to Fort Wayne. |
No one seems to fully define what a NON-violent person could be.
Hell, a child molester "could" be considered NON-violent if he didn't strike a child. It all comes down to perception, and that is one place we have to tread lightly,. lest we start screwing ourselves over..badly.
At this rate, we'll wind up like a society from the novel A Clockwork Orange...or worse.
*** I was going to get into the GM recall fiasco, and here's a link that tells about it:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20140425/BIZ/304259944/1031/BIZ
When we (America) started farming out sub-assembly manufacturing to places like Canada and Mexico (as early as the 1970s), we should have seen problems coming.
But instead, we farmed out even MORE items for "our" vehicles that only had the FINAL assembly here in the USA.
And, this is the obvious result of such practices.
Hopefully, lesson learned?
*** Last back to the garage today...this nation used to MAKE (as in manufacture) a ton of stuff in decades past, and we were pretty damn proud of that.
In fact, everyone else came to US because of the workmanship and quality of that which we made.
Whether it was binding a book, making cans, or building an automobile...WE were #1.
Much of the East coast was filled with manufacturers of everything one could imagine.
Then, somewhere along the way, some folks got greedy, and pride took a back seat.
Later still, pride was left along the road to fend for itself, and greed drove away.
Perhaps in such a global economy, there is still a need for what we USED to do when it came to making things...and making them RIGHT.
Why should cheap (read slave) labor always trump pride in craftsmanship and quality of product?
Things tend to run in cycles throughout history, and maybe, just maybe, manufacturing shall return to THESE shores again, and we'll lead the world with innovation, expertise, and quality...the way we USED to be.
It's just something to ponder.
Be well, make a difference to someone today, and as always...
Stay SAFE out there, America.
8 comments:
"...and no hiding in airliner wheel-wells!"
But Bob, that's the only way I can afford to fly anywhere these days. :)
I've been getting those recall notices from GM, several in the last month. Of course, my daughter totaled that car last year, so it's a moot point. But it's nice to be reminded every so often that I'm down a car. Helps to keep the blood pressure up. Wouldn't want it to drop down to normal or anything.
BTW, I checked into the comments you were leaving at my blog. Two were held for moderation, and a baker's dozen wound up in the spam filter. No idea why that happened. All have since been approved and posted. Sorry for the inconvenience.
John D.:
Let's run this in REVERSE...
--You can delete any DUPLICATE posts...dunno why that happened, but when I went to IE-8, the posts showed up. Google was having a brain fart I guess.
--As to the GM recalls. I was supposed to get a recall back in 1086 for the Firebird seatbelts...never got one, and they both FAILED a few years later. I fixed them a couple times, but taking down the roof-liner is a bitch!
Now, it's WAY beyond the cutoff date, and since GM buried PONTIAC 2 years ago, I've little love left for GM at all.
Someone must know how to fix 'em.
(beside ME, that is)
Wifey's car is 13 year old (love that big-ass Caprice Classic) and now we've got to get the window regulator fixed when school lets out.
--Wheel wells...not the BEST way to fly, but yes, the only way these days, considering the costs...LOL.
Have yourself a great weekend and DO stay safe out there.
I think I said this somewhere before: "You can keep trade barriers up and make your nation better than any other nation, or you can remove the barriers and sink to the level of mediocrity that everyone else has."
Used to be, you couldn't get car parts and fabric and gluten and what-have you cheaper in China or Japan. And quality could be found in American manufactures.
Now, Velveeta says, "well it basically tastes the same if we cut the swiss and cheddar cheese, and add artificial flavors and cellulose, and something no one can pronounce to make it melt better, so why not do that, save money in production, so that when we "Have" to raise prices, we'll make even more money!"
Even hot dogs- you notice lately, instead of tasting like a hot dog, they taste like they shredded up old bologna and stuffed that in the tube?
"...and there's a slow, slow train comin', comin' 'round the bend..."
Chris:
I think is the "spirit" of fitting in across the globe, we ARE (and have) indeed been sinking into mediocrity.
(and too many don't even give a rip)
BTW, I HATE Velveeta - always have!
Many times we're bamboozled into "sales" when they went and RAISED the price and even AFTER the sale, we're still out additional money.
Yep, we're not headed in the correct direction.
As for "hot dogs"...we buy NOTHING BUT NATHANS or HEBREW NATIONAL...!
(all BEEF, and at least, they're kosher, even if WE are not...lol)
Thanks much for swinging on by today and commenting.
Have yourselves a great weekend & stay safe up there.
Hmmm... Hebrew Nats... hadn't thought about that...
CWM:
By all means, grab the all beef koshers...now, you have to check when they are on SALE at Krogers, but it's WELL worth the wait.
And they taste better than any other hot dog out there (even those so-called "ballpark" franks), whether you boil them or M/W them.
(and don't forget the rolls...lol)
There is no easy answer to the domestic manufacturing problems. You are right that greed played a role, and quality struggled but unfortunately, we can't compete with having to pay reasonable wages while other countries pay whatever they want to.
Though, there are still opportunities for the niche manufacturer. Companies sure need to have smart leadership and employees that can pass drug screens though.
I hope your weekend went well Bob.
Slamdunk:
I agree that many of the SMALLER companies will most likely be on the forefront of innovation, but this administration is doing all it can do defeat the small businesses with just the healthcare debacle.
there IS no easy answer, that's for sure, but I feel WE (here) can do better, and we have to.
We ca't legalize drugs and then pass drug screenings, can we?
(talk about a Catch-22)
Hey, thanks for stopping by to comment today.
Stay safe out there.
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