Off and on, that's the Midwest weather for 'ya.
The good news is that temps will be moderate, reaching the upper 50s today and only dropping to the mid-40s tonight.
(and yes, I DID get the back yard mowed yesterday...AND fertilized...JUST in rime.)
The bad news is that the rain brought down a LOT of leaves, so driving might be a bit "dicey" when trying to stop...plan ahead and know the road.
Rain-slick streets and wet leaves are not the BEST combination when driving about.
So, let's settle in for a day where not being able to do much might be THE thing to do.
*** First up, the answer to yesterday's WHO SAID THAT? quote:
This was attributed to Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.) quoted in Plutarch, The Lives c. A.D. 100, tr. John Dryden .
Meanwhile, back at the stables (where the work just keeps PILING UP)...
*** I started this morning washing a drape that one cat pissed on (he is damn near 17 years old), cleaning up puke from the other cat (same age), and trying to dry out a SOGGY NEWSPAPER the carrier (douche` extraordinaire that he apparently is) tossed on our steps.
(even though it WAS bagged, the concrete steps scraped the plastic enough to allow rain water inside...joy).
And this was ALL before 0600 hours...sheesh!
Well, microwave ovens are good for drying newspapers...after a fashion.I sincerely trust that the remainder of today will go a bit less angst-ridden.
CAPTAIN OBVIOUS...!
Violent crime has RISEN...about EIGHTEEN PERCENT (in 2011)...who'da thunk?
(I've been saying THAT for YEARS...finally someone else believes me)
Here's the story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20121018/NEWS03/310189957/0/SEARCH
One professor of criminology from Northeastern University, James Alan Fox said this:
"2011 might be worse than 2010, but was also the 2nd best in recent history."
Gee, well I sure feel a helluva lot BETTER now...how about you?
--Simple assaults rose 22%.
--Rape, sexual assault and robbery remained static from the previous year.
--Property crimes rose 11%.--Household burglaries rose 14%.
Sure, we can definitely do that across the country with cities cutting back staff, refusing to put through new recruit classes, and the like.
I'm positive the FWPD can put MORE officers in schools while still being 21 officers down from the authorized total of 440.
And while we're on the subject of policing our city...there's THIS:
*** Bet you didn't know that if you only brandish a KNIFE, a bank will GIVE you money.
The Wells Fargo (absolutely NO relation to MOMMA FARGO...lol) branches do, as this man found out.
Here's the story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20121018/LOCAL07/310189983/1043/LOCAL07
Naturally, this occurred on the city's SOUTH side (where else?).
A police K-9 unit was called after the robber fled, but lost the track behind a nearby McD's.
The robber is described as black (pretty obvious here) with a pink discoloration on his lower lip, last seen wearing a white baseball cap, slightly tinted glasses, and a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt.
He was also seen carrying a cane, but police believe that could have been a "prop", as the man QUICKLY fled ON FOOT.
I say whenever a man comes in, pulls out a knife, and attempts to rob you on the OTHER side of that wide counter (with partitions), YOU pull out a damn GUN...that's like beating 3-of-a-kind with a ROYAL FLUSH...YOU win (for a change).And the perp gets a free ride downtown...IF he survives.
Moving on...
Now, we realize the reason behind SOME of those increases, but let's see some common items that have risen in price dramatically.
(some of these you probably know, but not the EXTENT of such prices)
Gas:
2002 - $1.44 gal. (avg)
2012 - $3.73 gal. (avg)
Beer:
2002 - $.99
2012 - $1.44
Eggs:
2002 - $1.03 (lg doz)
2012 - $1.80
Coffee: 2012 - $5.58
Milk: (whole gal)
2002 - $2.75
2012 - $3.47
Margarine: (tub)
2002 - $.86 (lb)
2012 - $2.09
Ground Beef:
2002 - $2.28 (lb)
2012 - $3.69
The complete list for 21 common items can be found HERE:
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/not-just-gas-check-out-the-drastic-price-increases-on-these-21-everyday-items/
I have to admit that what USED to cost Wifey and I between $45-$50 per week (on the high side) at the grocery NOW costs us (easily) between $70-$80, and we're not much for frivolous items..plus, I can cook, so that saves on needless expenditures for fast food on a regular basis.
Thanks Obama...for helping the middle class (across the river STYX).
*** Sparkle the cat gets a new home, and it couldn't have happened to a cuter kitty.
She survived, was nursed back to health and will now become the prized pet of a good family chosen by lottery.
(there were THAT many queries for adoption).
There is supposed to be a media event regarding this.
*** Okay, so it's around 2AM, you're drunk as a skunk (on that more expensive brew) with nothing to do and all the time to do it...what's next?
Here's the story:
http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/crime/police-nab-suspect-in-family-video-robbery
Poor drunk had to be TASED into compliance...must be fun when you're 3 sheets to the wind.
And he blew a BAC damn near 3 times the legal limit.
Next time...wait until they OPEN...might save some hassle.
This stuff only happens up north or anyplace OTHER than the SOUTH side and with good reason...we DON'T have such stores that people want to break into...drunk or otherwise.
We just have banks that hand money over to perps with knives.
Yep..crime's definitely on the RISE...along with STUPIDITY.
*** Got me a new BB pistol too, and apparently JUST in time to take care of whatever stupid this way comes...LOL.
I call it the:
"X-ceptional Bobby Gun"...!
It's a bit on the light side, and looks like someone married a Walther P99 to a Springfield Armory XD compact.
It's CO2 powered, and gets about TEN mags (18 rounds each) before you have to change out the cartridge.
The BEST part, I snagged it on Amazon.com for UNDER $30...no tax and no shipping charges.
THAT is the LOWEST price around...believe me now and listen to me later on this...LOL.
Tore the hell out of some former lawn trash - a Magnum (ghetto swill) 24 oz can.
Should toss it back on someone's lawn as a warning...
"see what I can do to this can? I can do likewise to YOU, moron..."
(that might be a bit much)
Made of composite ABS plastic (tough stuff), the pistol feels good in hand, and is an honest shooter...it puts the BBs where you aim it, and with fixed sights, that ain't too shabby.
Has a long trigger pull and a soft break to it (DAO semi-auto) and has a drop free magazine.
Definitely worth the price...and the fun...(and the intimidation when the neighbors see it on my hip - perfectly LEGAL to display and they don't know it's not a REAL pistol...which might ALSO be in my waistband anyway...bwahahahaha)
*** Lastly, in today's world, you have to honestly look for ways to pursue that happiness we're all ensured (in our founding documents), and with rising crime, rising prices, and rising concerns about the future, it sure as hell ain't that easy.
There comes a time to "work", as well as a time to "play", and we HAVE to know the difference.
Sometimes, if we're extremely fortunate enough, we can merge the two, but not always.
And believe me, if we do just that much, we will enjoy the fruits OF our labors so much more.
And that sounds like a damn good plan to me.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay SAFE out there, America.
6 comments:
I will start by saying I am on Social Security. I worked about 40 years and paid into it every payday. I am very thankful for it and starting next January I will be getting a 1.7% increase. Yay me. With the way the prices are going up maybe I can afford an extra grape or banana each month. I don't expect much.
MsN:
I know what you're talking about.
When my Father passed, Mom was on a fixed income (his SSI), and that was rough...VERY rough.
She was denied food stamps (back then), and she asked the person at the agency "if she was the wrong color?"...
I was more than a little embarrassed, but I knew she was also correct.
And the "raises" the gov't tosses at the SSI recipients RARELY covers the inflation rate.
Some years there was NO "cola" raise at all.
I think those of us that HAVE worked for x-amount of years and HAVE paid into it should get every penny back (with interest and adjusted for inflation all those years)...
Then, maybe we could invest a portion of it and have our money make us some MORE money...especially with such rising costs for damn near everything.
Just a thought.
Thanks so much for taking time to stop by today and comment.
You stay safe (and socially-secure) down there.
I'd have never guessed that quote. Seems a little hypocritical coming from Alexander...well maybe a LOT hypocritical. Was he a Democrat?
CWM:
Hard to say, considering he was NEVER defeated in battel, conqureed the Petrsian empire and yet DIED at the young age of 32 (many believe due to poisoning at the hands of Macedonian assassina).
Seemed he had more going FOR him than AGAINST him (until his death)...can't say the same for someone like...Obama, right?
(who has less going for him just in OUR economy than everywhere else combined).
Still since he was responsible fpr the spread of the Hellenic culture throughout his "empire", one COULD always say he was a tad hypocritical in that his ARMIES suffered from similar foibles as those they concquered.
Thanks for dropping by t6oday and commenting.
Stay safe up there.
Old Alex had a way with words but he didn't do well in Baluchistan. Wiki says that "Baluchistan (lit. Land of the Baluch) is an arid, mountainous region on the Iranian plateau in South Asia: it includes part of western Pakistan, south-eastern Iran and south-western Afghanistan. . . . In the south (Makran) lies the desert through which three out of every four of Alexander the Great soldiers died before the army finally reached Babylon."
In case you didn't know, the real mastermind of 9/11, Khalid Sheikh Mohammad is a Baluch, His prelim hearings are going on now at Gitmo and the court proceedings are in a constant state of disruption. I am warming up to the idea of doing a blog post on this feller.
Gadfly:
Wow, I did not know that KSM was in any way "related" (hiowever distant) to those that caused Alexander the Great SO much trouble.
Nice to know we're not the ONLY ones that have problems with this troublesome area of the globe.
You SHOULD do a post on KSM...might open a lot of eyes a bit wider.
Truth needs to get out.
Thanks for stopping by today and commenting.
STay safe out there.
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