Weekend Roundup...
Made it to another Friday, and I'd bet most of us were shivering like a dog crapping bones.
We in the Midwest are due for a bit of a thaw this weekend, with temps reaching into the mid THIRTIES! (breakout the sunblock and the flip-flops...)
And don't forget the sunglasses...(for the GLARE off of the snow, and not because the future's THAT bright).
I know the bitter cold has been taking it's toll on the boys & girls behind the shield in our city.
I've been hearing a LOT of "dead battery" calls come across the radio.
Used to be an old way around that...long before the advent of all this power-sapping technology we now dump into the patrol cruisers.
You carry a SPARE battery in the trunk and "trickle-charge" it off of the engine. If the MAIN battery craps out, you flip a switch under the dash and PRESTO, to STILL have a battery to run the car, lights and siren.
But that was "old-school"...too "complicated" to figure out these days, I suppose.
It DID keep the police cars RUNNING, until you got back to the barn and swapped out the dead battery. Better than being out-of-service while waiting for the support truck to arrive at your *20*.
*** Have you heard the news?
Food prices are on the RISE.
Um, didn't I mention this a while back, and hasn't Glenn Beck been saying this for a long time, along with a lot of other financial people?
Well, I heard it again TODAY, and it's one of those moments that brings one of those wry smirks across one's face.
It's like YOU KNEW THIS, so why is everyone else a few months behind?
I know other bloggers have mentioned the whole "CORN" gig (gadlfy and myself for two) and the domino effect it's having across the board with other foods.
You want to talk "STAPLE OF LIFE" stuff...you HAVE to include CORN.
SO MUCH of our foods contain CORN these days.
Meat on the hoof or wing (fed by corn), corn SYRUP (soft drinks, sweeteners, and juices), cereals (corn flakes, frosted flakes, etc), and the list grows longer the more you think about it.
We NEED corn to survive, but recently our corn "reserves" have dropped to a 15 year LOW.
Some could say we can get by without corn (we can all eat RICE...like every other 3rd world nation starving to death).
Think of CORN much like you think of OIL.
We don't have an infinite supply (because we don't have an infinite supply of LAND), and the amount at hand is determinate upon the "crop yield".
We have some lousy weather...we get LESS corn.
Pretty simple, huh?
But there is another factor that's mucking this all up...
We are now using corn for ETHANOL.
We're growing corn specifically to support an industry of "alternative fuel", that has been PROVEN to be MORE costly per barrel to refine than OIL, gets about 75% of the energy-producing capabilities of regular gasoline (fewer BTUs per gallon), and takes away from the feed crops for both animals AND mankind.
And that's the GOOD news.
Here's a 2007 essay on ethanol starving the poor:
http://www.nytimes.com/cfr/world/20070501faessay_v86n3_runge_senauer.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print
Here's the corn IMPORT levels of 35 nations with highest usage (other than the USA):
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/agr_gra_cor_imp-agriculture-grains-corn-imports
And here's some stats about our corn EXPORTS:
http://www.suite101.com/content/most-valuable-us-food-export-is-corn-a61875#
Now think on this...
We NEED to export corn...it's good for our economy...REAL good.
And other nations NEED to import it.
What do you think would happen if we keep increasing our exports while not increasing our crop sizes (available land)?
If you said higher prices at our stores...give yourself a GOLD STAR.
And this is exclusive from all that ETHANOL production...this is ONLY food & feed.
We're painting ourselves into a really nice corner, are we not?
A runaway train that we can't afford to hit the brakes on...pretty interesting stuff.
I've seen prices inching up over the last year, in damn near everything.
What used to cost $1 and provide 13 ounces of dish washing detergent is NOW only 10 ounces for the same price.
On the RIGHT is the "old" DAWN - 14.2 ounces...cost about a buck a bottle two years ago.
On the LEFT is the "new" DAWN...about 10 ounces...same price.
What a "bargain", hmm?
Here's another...
Toilet paper has also "shrunk" in size.
Think I'm lying?...check this out.
On the RIGHT is the "old" Angel Soft TP (regular size) from about a year ago. On the LEFT is what we got the other week. (for about $1.22 for a 4-pack)
The RIGHT one is CLEARLY LARGER in size.
And the cardboard ROLL on the LEFT is now LARGER (can fit INSIDE the old roll - great if you want to make a telescope for the kids).
Check the price of ground beef.
What USED to cost a "mere" $2.99 a pound for a 75% lean - 25% fat content ground chuck is now more than fifty cents costlier (per pound).
The leaner cuts like 85% lean - 15% fat content is higher still.
Fish is getting outrageous in price. Salmon is looking more like a delicacy than a regular fish you could eat every day.
More whitefish are being substituted for "fake crab" meat (which isn't bad if you do it up right).
Milk has gone from $1.99 a gallon up to $2.29 a gallon (still cheaper than gasoline, but lousy as a fuel source in ANY vehicle...lol)
Boxed cereals that used to be SIXTEEN ounces in weight are now TWELVE ounces (and change) for about the same price as the former larger counterparts.
Cream of wheat has been "off the chart" for years...over THREE bucks for one container, compared to a dollar (and change) for a larger container of GRITS (with oatmeal somewhere in between, thankfully).
What USED to cost you say...FIFTY bucks at the grocery (per week), can now EASILY cost you SIXTY+ dollars each and every week. And that's for TWO people (and 2 cats) with a sense of frugality that don't live at the fast-food joints.
(and with ever-growing kids, the increases can be EXPONENTIAL...)
Figure close to a 20% RISE in costs across the board (so far)...and I don't think it will stop there.
Now, I said all THAT...to say THIS:
It always comes down to KNOWLEDGE...knowing WHAT might be coming down the pike...and being PREPARED for it in some manner.
Keep tabs on those prices, and budget as best you can.
YOU are the one in control here...it's YOUR money and YOUR choices.
So, make the best damn choices you can, and make 'em as often as you need.
Have yourselves a great weekend.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and as always...
Stay safe out there, America.

They DID Say an EARLY SPRING...
Okay, I think I have this freezing COLD thing figured out.
When the groundhog did NOT see his shadow last week, which states (according to legend) that we will in fact, have an early Spring, I'm supposing that to mean we're going to be getting a CONCENTRATED DOSE of winter in stead of that prolonged SIX-WEEKS MORE thing.
Yeah, that's GOT to be it.
We've a Midwest morning in the Summit City with temps (adjusted for the wind chill factor) hovering in the 20s...on the BELOW side of ZERO, that is!
Thankfully, the schools have closed (we want to be able to NOT SEE the kids freezing to death on the corners, right?) and deservedly so.
The city was busy yesterday sending a "road-grader" up and down the ALLEYS to plow the snow out, better facilitating the trash trucks that will be driving down them today...good idea.
I believe it's he FIRST time I have ever seen the city do that since I moved here a dozen years ago.
This IS in addition to the "unknown plow truck" that began coming up our alley after EVERY snowfall, in order to keep OUR alley clear for all the "traffic" that obviously NEEDS to get down it (even though it's NOT a "thru-street"), such as the drug-dealers and buyers.
Sometimes, the free-enterprise system sucks-on-ice, don'cha think?
I know it still beats being awakened around 0300 hours by some loud ass BOOMCAR sitting at the damn corner in sub-zero temperatures, that I got up and lazed REAL well down the whole block as he sped off, daring him to come back to my door (so I could shoot his freaking ass and go back to sleep)!
Anyway, let's keep moving along to stay warm...
Here's that's shaking around town (other than every living creature that has to go outside today).
*** I used to work for the U.S. Treasury Department (Division of the I.R.S.), and I saw my share of waste and mis-management. I also have a conscience, which was a BIG decider in my having to leave the Feds.
When you have to all but memorize the contents of a manual that looks like a medium size city phonebook, you hate to just toss caution to the wind.
But the government LOVES to do such things.
Here's a perfect example of "waste":
(( IRS loses billions to wrongful tax credit - Stephen Ohlemacher AP
WASHINGTON – More than $10 billion a year in tax credits for low-income families go to people who don’t qualify for them, and the Internal Revenue Service isn’t doing enough to stop them, a government investigator said Wednesday.
Using the tax agency’s own numbers, the investigator said about a quarter of all earned income tax credits go to families that don’t meet the requirements.
The IRS has known about the improper payments for years but has not done enough to stop them, said J. Russell
George, the Treasury inspector for tax administration. From 2003 to 2009, improper payments have totaled at least $70 billion, according to a report issued by George. In 2009, between $11.2 billion and $13.3 billion was improperly paid out.
"While the earned income tax credit helps many deserving Americans, it is well past time for the IRS to reduce the amount of improper payments in the program," George said. "The loss of billions of dollars in improper EITC payments annually calls for aggressive and immediate action."
IRS spokeswoman Michelle Eldridge says the agency has worked hard to enforce a complicated section of the tax code. She says taxpayers who receive the credits are twice as likely as others to be audited.
"The IRS is strongly committed to ensuring the accuracy of EITC claims and protecting against improper payments," Eldridge said. "Every year, the IRS conducts 500,000 EITC audits as part of a broader enforcement strategy, and EITC claims are twice as likely to be audited as other tax returns.
"The IRS protects nearly $4 billion in improper claims each year."
The earned income tax credit is a favorite among advocates for the poor, who hail it as one of the nation’s most successful anti-poverty programs. In 2009, 24 million low- and moderate-income working families claimed $55 billion in credits, according to the IRS. Families earn the credits by working and earning wages, but
there are income limits, depending on how many children are in each family.
For 2010, a married couple with two children could make as much as $45,373.
The top credit is $5,666 for a family with three or more qualifying children; $5,036 for a family with two qualifying children.
Several Republican lawmakers said the report released Wednesday shows there are serious problems with the program.
Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, called the report "an absolute indictment on how badly the IRS has handled this."
The IRS said in a written response to the report that the tax credit is extremely complicated to administer.
It noted that eligible taxpayers often have changing incomes that make them eligible one year and not the next. ))
(*rolls eyes*)
Yeah, this must be the MOST successful "anti-poverty" program on the planet...everyone seems to want to get ONTO IT!
You USED to get ONE deduction for EACH dependant (living with you for more than 1/2 the year - used to be less than $1500)...that was it.
And yet here we have about 24 million families who claimed OVER FIFTY-FIVE BILLION DOLLARS.
That's a pretty decent haul when you break that down per family, right?
Most thieves don't net that much whenever they steal something.
Here's the website that explains ALL about the EITC:
http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=96406,00.html
In essence, the Treasury Dept. has basically said it's fine and dandy to be IN POVERTY (all this time), because "we" will take care of you.
Actually, the "we" they talk about is really YOU (the other taxpayers trying like hell to stay OUT of poverty).
And now, after ALL these years, the IRS says that almost TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT of EITC recipients do NOT qualify for it...astounding!
Hell, I could have told you that by looking at the baby Mommas around my block with all those Bebe's kids following in their welfare-laden wakes.
I mean, how ELSE could you "afford" that 42 inch plasma TV...or that shiny new Chrysler, huh?
WIC and welfare (alone) sure ain't paying for it.
Which brings me to a curious conundrum...
If everybody ELSE pays for all this crap, shouldn't "we" be over THEIR houses taking some of OUR STUFF the hell back?
I mean, it beats having all these dope-dealing "alpha-male" bucks robbing all the DECENT people to supplement this week's baby-mama, right?
It's just a thought.
(but a damn good one, too Bob)
Let charitable organizations take care of the NEEDY...the LAZY can just go to hell.
(they're headed there anyway, so why prolong the trip?)
*** I've been following this police-action shooting trial that;'s going on...lots to think about here.
This is the link to today's article:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20110210/LOCAL03/302109982/1039/LOCAL03
Now I didn't know that (then) Officer Bernie Ebetino testified.
He's currently a LT. in the department.
I did my ride-along with him years ago when he was a patrolman...very nice man.
Good people, and a credit to the department.
He dealt with the calls we rolled on in an exemplary manner, and if I would ever need a partner, he'd be in the top three for sure!
And he's not much bigger than I am in stature, but don't let that fool you.
We of lesser stature make up for it in much larger ways..in other words, never underestimate the little guy, kapeesh?
(especially when he's packing heat)
Word to the wise there.
*** Lastly today, we've been so concerned about the goings on in our particular part of our homes, cities and lives, that we often neglect some of the "bigger picture" out there.
We worry about our children's' safety TO school, AT school, and even the friends they might "choose".
We worry about paying the bills, the rising costs of food, fuel, and utilities.
We worry about needed repairs to our houses, our vehicles and even ourselves.
And in all this, we never believe that this concern is wasted.
We care...because we would like our lives to have a lot more "living" in them.
That's not too much to ask, really.
And yet, we're besieged daily by world events, politics, and this almost overwhelming sense of dread from forces outside of our influence.
It's like I said before...none of us can do EVERYTHING EVERYDAY.
Think of yourself as a commander, overseeing your "troops".
Many times, you can't rush into battle...you have to pick and choose your conflicts in order to not only come out the victor, but also to live to fight another day, for there will come another conflict.
Preparedness is part of the equation to successful.
Another part is knowing WHEN to fight, and when to "advance to the rear" (we NEVER retreat).
Think of it as a "strategic withdrawal".
Every day you wake up is another day you can fight the good fight...or stand down. It's YOUR choice.
What you have to know is whether or not whatever conflict comes down the pike is WORTH it.
Someone once said that: "Only fools fight in a burning house".
That's what FOOLS do.
Heroes either exit or rescue those FROM that house.
And who knows...you might be a HERO today...and not even know it.
All it ever takes is making a GOOD decision.
Make enough of them, and it does get easier.
Therein lies the lesson for today.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.

Humpday Happenings...
I've been through some COLD weather in my life, but this morning has to rank in the top FIVE (imho).
It's one of those mornings where you breathe through your MOUTH, instead of your nose, because nasal breathing stings. You could get a quicker case of "brain-freeze" from the cold air than from a pint of Ben & Jerry's (and a large spoon)...trust me!
Not a fit day for man nor beast, which breaks my heart to think that some folks have left their pets OUTSIDE in such weather, without the proper precautions and resources to keep the animal from freezing to death.
If there is any good news to be had from such temperatures, it's that a lot of my "locals" will be hard-pressed to get their vehicles started.
(that does NOT break my heart, except in a sarcastic way)
These mooks leave their POS cars outside, and probably wouldn't know the correct ratio of anti-freeze to water that goes in the radiator to keep it from turning it into a Slurpee, which will ruin a water pump REAL fast, and we all know where THAT trail leads, don't we?
So, if you hear a vehicle going by, and it's making that high-pitched "squealing" noise...probably a bad water pump (or a loose fan belt).
Now, without any further ado, let's get cracking at what's making news, shall we?
*** This story got me laughing, and NOT because of the man featured in the video at this link:
http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/pedestrians-forced-into-the-streets?ref=scroller&categoryId=20000&status=true
Here's the accompanying story:
(( Pedestrians forced into the streets - Sidewalks still covered in snow in many places -Don Austin
Updated: Tuesday, 08 Feb 2011, 5:26 PM EST
Published : Tuesday, 08 Feb 2011, 4:35 PM EST
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Snow and ice-covered sidewalks in the area are forcing people to walk in the streets.
And Fort Wayne city leaders are reminding people of their responsibility to keep those sidewalks clear.
Rick Orr, Director of Transportation Administration for Fort Wayne said, "Be a good neighbor. Understand that other people need those public sidewalks and try to take care of it. Be proactive."
Fort Wayne's city code requires residents to have their sidewalks cleared by 9:00 a.m. when it snows. And those walkways are to remain clear.
The Right of Way Department handles these types of complaints and normally sends a letter to the homeowner or occupant requesting that the walkway be made passable.
"We do try to follow up to see if people are complying with the request, and almost always people are complying," Orr said. If a resident fails to comply, he or she could face a misdemeanor citation with a maximum fine of $2,500.
But city leaders admit they’ve never had to take anyone to court for refusing to clear snow from their sidewalks.
As of February 08, the city has received less than 40 complaints about snow-covered sidewalks. ))
(*ahem*)
It's funny that NOW we hear about stories like this...when someone's life may be in danger.
Weird thing is, I've been pitching a fit over ALL the people that walk down the MIDDLE OF THE STREETS around here FOR YEARS...and that's when the sidewalks are PERFECTLY CLEAN and FREE FROM ANYTHING.
Around my part of the ghettohood, these mooks do this ALL YEAR LONG (must be a "cultural thang").
Here's a little "adventure in pictures" to illustrate what I mean:
And nothing is EVER done about THAT.
People walk in the street, confront one another in the street, push their infants in strollers in the street, kids play with discarded tires in the street, teens hang out and swap spit in the street, kids sit in the street, half-dressed males talk on their cell phones in the street...it's pretty much a utilitarian item to have when you already have those unused SIDEWALKS a mere several feet away, isn't it?
And this is not a "dead-end" street in the traditional sense (only in the morally and ethical ways is it a DEAD END). There IS traffic going up and down all the time (and often speeding...a situation that I've been informing the FWPD about for YEARS...still waiting to see some results).
I can understand how the man in the video is frustrated, but too many folks don't give a damn.
That's also why you will see ME out clearing MY sidewalks before the crack of dawn...I DO give a damn.
But, I clean MINE off to no avail, apparently, other than a sense of civic pride and compliance with the ordinance, which is never really enforced to the degree it needs to be, otherwise we'd see a lot LESS snow-covered pavements, right?
I guess these sidewalks will never be cleared unless the government steps in and does it FOR these "people"...or they get socked in the old "hip-national bank" a few times to wise them the hell up.
Used to be a time when ALL our sidewalks in our block were always CLEAR from snow. Of course, that was when we had real neighbors, who happened to be white...AND working...AND owned the houses they lived in...AND gave a damn.
Since they're all gone now, I'm all that's left...the Lone Wolf of the bunch, and I still do what is required because it's the RIGHT thing to do (for everyone concerned). And I'm not getting any rewards for doing it (now do I want any)...it's just WHO I am, and HOW I was brought up.
I guess the day I stop caring is the day I stop breathing
(I'm sure the locals will celebrate that day)
In the meantime, I want nothing more than to "rub their noses in it" as it were.
I want everything I do here to reflect my sense of integrity...or pride, and of civic duty, and I want to be that burr under their saddle each and every day.
I want to make them feel ashamed every time they look at me or our house, because we're NOT doing anything OUT of the ordinary...
We're just doing what is NORMAL (under extraordinary conditions) for ANY American.
*** This is more information regarding an ongoing case.
(( Tenant heist string hits 8 as north-side man mugged - Dominic Adams The Journal Gazette
FORT WAYNE – Police believe an attempted armed robbery at a north-side apartment complex Monday night is connected to seven other robberies at nearby complexes.
Fort Wayne police responded to Woodbridge Apartments off St. Joe Center Road just before 8 p.m. Monday and found a man at 1878 River Run Trail bleeding from the right side of his face and head.
The victim told police a man approached him with a black semiautomatic handgun and demanded money.
The gunman told the victim, "Give me your wallet. If you don’t hurry, (I’m) going to shoot you in the leg," according to a police report.
The victim told police he thought he was about to be shot and started to fight the robber. The gunman
pistol-whipped the victim before fleeing northeast around the apartment building. Police said the man left the gun at the scene.
Throughout the scuffle, the victim screamed for help, but no one came to his aid until after the gunman fled, the police report said.
The ordeal unfolded in the front row of parking spaces just a few feet from the apartment units.
Monday’s attempted robbery is the latest in a string now totaling eight holdups at apartment complexes near Clinton Street and St. Joe Center Roads, including Woodbridge, Stone Pointe Apartments and West Wind Apartments.
Police said the gunman fits the same description in all the robberies, which started at the end of December.
He is a thin black man wearing a black baseball cap, black jacket and black pants.
"It appears the suspect is sitting – or waiting – for his potential victim," officer Raquel Foster, Fort Wayne police spokeswoman, told The Journal Gazette in an e-mail. "The victims have all been approached in the parking lot, and most have been alone when they arrive or depart their home."
Police believe the gunman parks in another location, commits the robbery and runs to his car.
He also has attacked from a blocked view, such as from behind a trash bin.
Fort Wayne police and the Apartment Association of Fort Wayne-NE Indiana are asking residents to be vigilant
and aware of their surroundings at all times, and if a person or vehicle appears suspicious, to call police at 427-1222.
The apartment association issued a written statement last month addressing the robberies.
Anyone with information on the rash of robberies is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 436-7867.
The management of Woodbridge delivered a letter to all tenants Tuesday.
The letter said Sgt. Chad Thurston and officer Michael Joyner of the Fort Wayne Police Department will attend a crime watch meeting for residents Thursday.
Residents will receive any additional information police have on the robber and discuss crime prevention and safety tips, according to the letter.
For resident Dan Bickerstaff, the previously scheduled crime watch meeting is too little, too late.
He lives right next door to where Monday’s attempted armed robbery occurred. Bickerstaff said he heard a man yelling for help and he looked out his window to see the assault taking place.
Bickerstaff, who has lived in the complex for four months with his wife, later called police.
"As soon as the lease is up, I’m gone," he said. ))
Now here we FINALLY have a description of the perp. (big surprise THERE, hmm?)
This thug could be any number of people in and around MY area...they all dress the hell alike.
Good news is that the GUN was retrieved and prints may be able to be lifted from it (amateur thugs don't use gloves with guns...at least not the PROPER shooting gloves that LEOs have) Wonder if it was even a REAL gun (remember the look-alikes the media mentioned a while back, and the YEARS I mentioned it before that?) or a BB pistol, which, even if they're made of "white metal" (zinc alloy) WILL leave a mark when used to bludgeon someone.
It'd be some REAL justice if a resident at the complex shot this thug ass DEAD in his snowy tracks when he decides to pick the WRONG person to rob.
We can but hope.
*** Lastly today, got some "must-see" TV beaming our way this week.
Last night on History channel was the premiere of Larry the Cable Guy show: ONLY IN AMERICA on the History Channel.
He went to Dawsonville, GA to visit the roots of moonshining and NASCAR, and then got a course in "etiquette" with the grandson of Emily Post, and finally wound up in Calaveras County to participate in the jumping frog competition. It was a hoot to watch, and educational at the same time.
With Larry, who knew?
Also, the History Channel had their 2nd season opener for TOP SHOT, hosted by Survivor's Colby Donaldson...kinda like Survivor...with guns, only a lot less filthy and no starving people...just things to shoot at, like billiard balls (progressively farther away). You vote someone out by shooting at their name on a target, then the two with the most "hits" go head-to-head and the winner of THAT competition gets to stay on for another week.
Here's the link to see the marksmen this season:
http://www.history.com/shows/top-shot/bios/
And YES, guys, there are TWO ladies this time around.
Got to see the 1911 Colt .45 ACP and the S&W model 29 .44 magnum in action...God, I love the smell of cordite in the (foggy) morning!
Tonight, we have the 2nd season opener for the FX channel show: JUSTIFIED.
(Hence the phrase..."die trying")
A federal marshal with a hair trigger in a small Kentucky town with plenty of crime to deal with, as well as a lady or two along the way...
And, we also have another new episode of my favorite police drama: BLUE BLOODS (starring Tom Selleck and Donny Wahlberg). Excellent portrayal of the NYPD from the trenches on up to the top brass. The dinner scenes are especially true-to-life.
Tomorrow night...another "double-tap" of POLICE WOMEN OF CINCINNATI. Two new hours of the ladies behind the shield, keeping it real and keeping the streets safe. Guns, women, and flashing lightbars...what's NOT to like about that?
Looks like we still have a reason to keep cable TV around our place for a while longer...LOL!
Better to stay INSIDE today anyway...it's TOO damn cold out there.
Dress appropriately "if" you must be outside, and don't stay out for long without coming in...hearing a tad too many cardiac calls on the radio. One man was found outside by his wife. He was transported and doing OK at last report.
This weaher WILL kill...if you allow it.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe (and warm) out there, America.

Another Day...Another Snow Shower...
I swear I can't recall a time in recent history when I saw this much snowfall. Granted the total accumulation in these past several events wasn't "all at once", and only added up to about 17 inches, but we've seemed to have gotten in this "rut"...
Off and on snow showers, or some freezing drizzle, or sleet coming off of the Great Lakes.
This morning we're looking at "white-out" conditions...(joy).
It's as though someone doesn't want to see a clear, dry pavement anywhere, 'ya know?
Our residential streets yesterday were marvelously LOUSY to drive on, thanks to absolutely NO plowing over the weekend.
Well, it WAS "Super Bowl" Sunday, right?
Can't have the road crews miss any of THAT, can we?
Mrs. Bobby G. called the *311* number for the city and told them about it, and Brad Baumgartner was very cordial in taking care of it. we had TWO plows come through last evening - one went S to N, the other W to E, so we got something accomplished down here in the ghettohood.
Amazing that people like OURSELVES have to call, and NOT any of the "locals".
Then again, they much prefer to have the city butt out of their lives, as is evidenced in the manner in which they choose to park ALONG our residential streets.
BTW, they call it PARALLEL PARKING...for a REASON, you morons!
Which reminds me, where the hell IS "Parking Control" anyway? Shouldn't they be down around here ticketing these mooks or what?
I mean, if Chief Rusty WANTS more citations...we sure as hell GOT 'em...all he needs to do is send some officers around to see.
But anyway, we've got other fish to fry today, and they're ALL a lot tastier.
So here we go...
*** Saw a good article in Forbes magazine about those nasty "energy hogs" in our homes (and we're not talking about your teenagers).
Now, let me start off by saying I'm one of the "holdouts" to OLD technologies...if they work well, why mess with them, eh?
And yet, I'm more than willing to "change up" if something comes along that does what THEY claim (whoever "they" happen to be), is AS SAFE to use as the old stuff, AND saves me money, instead of transferring that cost from one aspect to living to another.
--The CFL bulb debate - bad idea. Don't want THAT much mercury in MY house...ever.
Gimme those incandescents ANY day!
--Converter boxes for "digital TV"? BIG energy hog, because it's ON all the damn time, (even when it's "off").
Used to be a LOT better when we had ANALOG cable TV...no converter box needed, hence energy BEING SAVED.
--Next, we have PLASMA TVs...ANOTHER energy hog!
They use about 3 times the energy as the "old" CRT sets of comparable screen size. Amazing.











And what TYPE of TV set can we NO LONGER PURCHASE these days?
If you said CRT sets, give yourself a GOLD STAR!
--If you are even THINKING of buying an electric car like the Leaf or Volt, think about THIS:
If you live in ANY climate other than a constant warm setting, don't even waste your time (and energy...lol) buying one.
There is one, VERY SIMPLE reason WHY it's not a good idea.
Batteries don't play nice in COLDER weather!
The chemical reaction needed to generate the electricity diminishes when it gets COLD out...slows down the process, ergo, they don't maintain a charge AS LONG, nor do they expend the amount of electricity for as long a time as in warmer weather.
And that could literally SUCK-ON-ICE should you get stranded in a BLIZZARD for like SIX hours in that electric car of yours.
That couple hundred-mile range for the vehicle could drop to UNDER 100 miles...REAL easy (and fast).
Not to mention, suppose it's cold out...an ice storm hits.
You're charging your electric car in the garage when the POWER GOES OUT.
Gonna be "interesting" explaining to your boss as to WHY you couldn't make it to work because your car couldn't get fully-charged.
Or, what if you ONLY get a partial charge and that gets you ONLY TO work...and then strands you AT work, unable to get home?
And let's NOT forget that ALL that electricity needed to CHARGE YOUR CAR typically comes from a COAL-FIRED power plant, so where's the "eco-friendly" savings THERE, hmm?
Wow..it's like "someone" wants us to all do some really DUMB things with our relatively NORMAL lives...and WHY is that, do you suppose?
Why are we all being "herded" like cattle in ONE particular direction, anyway?
We HAVE to do this...or we HAVE to have that, in order to have the same lifestyles we USED to have for a lot less money (and energy consumption).
This has GOT to have you scratching YOUR head as much as it had me scratch mine, right?
If having one "superior" technology is causing us more money being laid out in several OTHER places in our lives, where EXACTLY is the damn savings?
If, by having HDTV on some plasma screen set is costing us more money at the stores (purchasing said items), more money in our utility bills, and losing jobs in America in favor of jobs in Asian nations, WHERE the hell is OUR "savings"?
I just ain't seeing it, people.
Maybe it's just the age of my eyes and my (corrected) vision showing, but I don't think so.
I believe we're all being "hoodwinked" and we're all being taken for some ride (to an unknown destination) by the type of strangers we were once told by our parents NEVER to get into that car with in the first place.
THESE are the things we, as Americans should concern ourselves with, because I feel we are losing the whole "who we are" aspect to our lives as a result of this constant "pushing" us in a specified "direction".
We really need to ask some pertinent questions and expect some HONEST answers for our troubles.
I sure know I hate being lied to, especially by "amateurs"...and I think YOU do too.
So...let's take a couple minutes this week to nose around, find out some facts, and ask those questions.
We might even surprise the hell out of ourselves.
*** Another article on the Forbes website showed the 20 most MISERABLE cities, and I have to admit that I'm sure GLAD I don't live in FL or CA!
Here's the link to the article:
http://www.forbes.com/2008/01/29/detroit-stockton-flint-biz-cz_kb_0130miserable.html
Now, if ANYONE thinks that having EMINEM driving through Detroit in some nice, new Chrysler makes that city ANY better, you'd best check yourself into the nearest emergency room, because something is definitely wrong with you.
*** A family of a Ft. Wayne man fatally shot by the FWPD 5 years ago is suing a LOT of people connected with this case.
Here's the link to this story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20110207/LOCAL03/302079978
Now think about this:












You're a suicidal person (who has somehow managed to get a gun), you dosed yourself liberally with cocaine (and Christ knows where you got THAT as well), locked yourself in a closet in your apartment, refusing to come out for family members, and have held off the negotiators for several hours...
WTF can the entry team conclude from all THAT, hmm?
Personally, I feel the police did ALL they could, considering the situation, not to mention that entering a HOUSE is one thing while entering a CLOSET is part of that whole "fatal-funnel" gig that can get YOU, as a responding officer killed REAL quick.
When police saw the gun, they fired and killed Rudy Escobedo.
Were they wrong?
I don't believe so, as they did everything "by the book" up to that moment.
They exhausted all possible resources to get Rudy to dump the gun and come out (which he chose not to do).
And now, we get to go to trial, and see what happens.
My hope is that those officers are exonerated, but you have to remember that I don't get THAT depressed that:
a) I don't seek some kind of help
b) Get a gun and snort some snow
c) Force the police to try and take me
d) Get them to shoot me dead
*** We ALL go through times we'd rather not deal with nor recall, and many of us will get damn depressed over something...that's just part of being HUMAN.
Some of us will need help to get back on track while others can make it on their own, or (usually) by the grace of God.
I'll admit that I dove into a couple of bottles along the way, and I found myself near the bottom of the heap more than once.
And yes, grief...loss, and whatever else comes your way CAN be devastating at times.
A friend once cited it as being "profound", and that's about as close a descriptor as you're going to get.
But that's not to say that life doesn't always have the crap end of the stick stuck in your face, either.
Life has a LOT more to offer, even if it doesn't seem like it at the moment.
Life is something none of us ever get a "second-chance" at.
You check out of life, you can't come back.
There is NO "reset" button or do-overs.
Yet, there IS always the opportunity to come out the other side of whatever is bothering you a lot better person.
Doesn't mean you dismiss the trouble...or the grief...or the strife. You just learn to live WITH it.
Think of it as something that keeps YOU on that straight and narrow, rather than wandering all over the damn place.
As I always say here...every day should be one that finds you better than the previous day, and not by those giant leaps and bounds, but by all that "fine-tuning" we need each and every day.
We can't do everything every day, but we sure can manage to do SOMETHING, right?
MOVEMENT IS LIFE...always remember that.
Our lives needs to be moving, preferably forward, because we know what the alternative is.
Just a little something to think about today.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.