Sarah, There is No "S" in the Word "Club".

Sarah Palin is out for blood (again) this time against an Alaska CBS affiliate. She's accusing the station's reporters of conspiring against Joe Miller, calling them "bastards" and suggesting that the initials CBS stand for "Corrupt Bastards Club."

Now that would work if that stupid bint was in Canada, where one of the television is the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.

But she is not.

Random Musings, and It Must Suck to Be a Kid Nowadays

If you drive like a moron, either hogging the road or overly aggressive driving, and you are driving an identifiable company vehicle, then you should not be too surprised when your boss's voicemail is overflowing with complaints that have been called in by the drivers that you so blithely offended.

I cannot wait for Tuesday to come and go. I am so sick of being bombarded with campaign ads and telephone calls. Most of my incoming landline calls for the last week have been political-begging calls. The only difference seems to be that the local Democrats have live people calling and the Republicans are using robocalls. There are a couple of clowns running that I absolutely won't vote for because I know them or of them and they are creeps.

Haven't you stupid monkeys out there ever seen a cop pull over a motorist before? Haven't you ever seen a cop park his cruiser to protect a motorist who is changing his car's tire? You'd think not, judging from the number of vehicle-operating primates who had to slow down in order to take a look. Eyes front and drive on, you stupid, stupid monkeys.

Got my candy ready. I hope the kids have fun tonight. It just feels odd to see kids in their early teens out trick-or-treating who are escorted by their parents. It must have been a different time when I was young; kids who were old enough to walk to school were let out on their own for the annual Extortion of Candy.

It's not just that. I go for walks early in the morning, starting out well before dawn. On my return leg, the school buses are picking up the young ones for school. I watched one bus pick up kids, move to the next stop, and pick up some more. The difference between the two stops was less than 100 yards. At all of the stops that I've seen, there is at least one parent in attendance. For my last job, I had to change my route to work to avoid going past a local school complex in order to not get stuck in the crush of SUVs and minivans which were dropping off kids.

For most of the school districts I attended as a child, one had to live more than a half-mile from the school to get bus service in grammar school, a mile for junior high and a mile-and-a half or two miles for high school. Less than that, you had to hoof it and it didn't matter if it was bucketing down rain or -20deg. If you got bus service, the stops were well separated and you walked to them. Other than maybe the first day of school, I never saw a parent at a bus stop. My family lived or a time in a town where there was no school bus service whatsoever; you had to walk to school or, if you lived far enough away, you were given a bike permit.

In the summer, everywhere I lived, it was the same. If the weather was good, you got up and you went outside to play. You'd come home to lunch and then it was back out the door to play until it was time for supper. If you were taking music lessons, then part of the day was allocated for practice. You and your friends were expected to make your own fun, totally without adult supervision. It didn't matter if it was a semi-rural new subdivision or an old suburb with two-decked houses and small yards, summer came and you, your siblings and your friends were on your own. Thanks to Drs. Salk and Sabin, "polio summers" were a thing of the past.

If you wanted to read, you could go to the library. If you had the money, you could go to the movies (fifty cents for kids 12 and under, 75 cents for teens and adults). There was one movie theater in the town, one screen, and one horrible summer, only one movie played for the entire summer. (Which is why, to this day, I cannot force myself to watch Dr. Zhivago.) If you wanted to roam the woods out back with a BB gun, nobody thought anything about it.

All that has changed, of course. So many kids seem to be in structured activities year-round. There is also a pervasive fear, real or not, that child molesters will hoover kids up from the bus stops if they walk to school or if they are allowed to get off the bus unattended. The local school district's buses will not let kids off at a stop if there is not at least one adult to receive them.

I suspect that it is not as much fun to be a child nowadays.

Hey YOU!

Consider this brief Public service message..

GET OFF YOUR ASS AND VOTE!!!

I really don't care for who, thats your choice. Or for that fact against whom as desired.
Only that if you didn't vote, besides being scum, you are going to be told to go whine elsewhere if you do not like the result.

That is all!

Eck!

Somewhere it's lunchtime, its true!

I'd like to repeat and follow up..

A while back there was Babylon 5:

Who are you?

What do you want?

Where are you going?

Who do you serve and who do you trust?

It's fair and wise to ask those question of those that claim to lead us, advise us and use the modern term be an expert. The last time it was a look inward, this time I apply it to those that would try to propagandize me.

When I hear news or read a blog I try to understand the source, their beliefs and if any goals. Often only one of those is exposed so reading critically is required to glean those elements. Once they are understood it's easier to understand the full message and the motivations behind it and more importantly if the message is truthful, biased truth, falsehood or opinion. All are possible and exist on the Internet realm. Know the difference and why.


As usual, heads up, keep a sharp eye, be aware.

Eck!

In the hills

To be fair to rural life I have to post this..

I lived in the southern tier of the Pocono hills of PA, an interesting areas as it's along the Appalachian Trail and a really nice though parts of are remote as all get out. Life slowed down and was generally healthier. Hunting was good and not fouled with a million contradictory regulations. People there were private but would help in an emergency. The nearest Sears or other store was 45 miles away in Allentown or Wilksbarre. A car or truck was a must have as everything was a decent ride. Living there was different in small ways things like trash meant a weekly trip to the town landfill. Where on a weekend you get to talk to your neighbor from a few miles down the road. A good well was important and property that was not all rock that could pass a perk test was deemed buildable. Trees were cut for two reasons to build with or keep warm. Often they were replaced with fruit trees or the opened up area was cultivated for crops if the soil was decent.

Still makes me think of warm summer days hiking the local paths, watching for bear or maybe a snake.

Seems a different land and time long gone.


Eck!

Fire!

Lately we have heard of a situation where a man lost his house in the rural area of Tennessee. Its unfortunate that it happened and worse that animals died.

Id argue that the fire dept should have suppressed the fire if only to prevent it spreading as a fire safety measure for land and neighbors. They didn't, nothing changes that.

If the 75$ was an over sight or "ah, not needed" one wonders if same applies to insurance? What other oversights or skips existed.. unknown.

But..

There is the sticky issue of responsibility. We can argue the politics and economics of the fire till the cows arrive. The bottom line is, everyone at the end of the day is responsible for their safety and efforts to maintain it. With that said, if there is a fee to have the fire department arrive, pay it or provide a water storage, pump and hose to protect yourself or at least do control and if you paid till the heavy gear hits the driveway.

Seems harsh I realize but the key here is if your in the outlying areas the time it takes to get there may be too great to save anything. Did he have a first line of defense, Did he consider it? Hey you out there, is there a fire extinguisher in YOUR kitchen? Do you expect the fire department will arrive to put out that bacon grease fire before it destroys the kitchen?

Bottom line fires are a major disaster wherever you are! All efforts are to prevent as the damage is always extensive enough to be costly or result in being without housing. First step always is protect thyself, family and pets.

Fire protection, water, extinguishers, safety measures with flammables, electrical safety, and knowledge of how to fight basic fires go to managing risk or prevention.

Insurance, this is an after the fact device so you have a shot at getting back to normal as fast as possible. Any extra fees for rural fire service is a must and part of that.

How do I know all this.. I lived in the Poconos PA and the nearest fire department was nine miles away and the roads were narrow and nasty if snow was present. A neighbor had a chimney fire from green pine. There were 15 long minutes spent with buckets and garden hoses before the first volunteer arrived. The owner was lucky, enough was done to save the house and within three months the house was habitable again and a few more to restore all the rooms to the before fire condition. the local fire people were good but they admitted for the region getting there fast enough was their greatest problem. It can happen to you, are you prepared?

Keep your powder in a safe place and have water handy.


Eck!

poor, no you're not allowed

MA gun laws.

To own a basic .22 caliber rifle:
FID hunter safety course $100, FID $50, must be member of gun club $180 plus initiation, Also be a member of GOAL or NRA too, and not including any special hoops or barrels to hurdle..

This means if you are unable to pony up over $300 on speculation your FID will be approved you cannot exercise a right. This translates to only those that have excess money aka the rich can exercise this right.

Is this broken?


Eck!

That can't possibly be!

La, lala, la, la la.


Eck!