Creative Endeavors, The Home of BoxcarOkie.com

November 27, 2008

At A Glance

Filed under: humor,Oklahoma,random,Recent,Uncategorized — ldsrr91 @ 4:18 PM
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By The Numbers

In the wake of Barack Obama’s election as president a record number of American’s are optimistic that relations between blacks and whites in America will improve.  67% said racial problems would eventually be worked out, while 30% said race would always be a problem in America, and the remaining 3% in the swamps of the Everglades could not be reached for comment.

By a margin of 55% to 37% most are Americans are not confident that Iraq will be successful in developing a stable and “reasonably democratic” government.  A significant number of Americans, 37% still believe that Iaq was in possession of weapons of mass destruction when the U.S. invaded in 2003.

Sign Here and Trust Me

Hong Kong – Asia’s richest woman allegedly gave away her multi-billion-US-dollar fortune to a Hong Kong feng shui master in return for a promise of eternal life.  Nina Wang, who died of cancer last year at age 69, signed over her vast fortune to previously unknown feng shui master as a result of the promise, a lawyer quoted by the South China Morning Post said.

The claim was made by a barrister for the late billionaire’s charitable foundation in a preliminary hearing Monday to challenge the will.  Well, I hope so, geeeze.

Phylis used to do that but they laid her off last year.

(Any resemblance to anyone living or dead named Phylis is purely coincidental.  Lawyer boys said for me to put that in there … Hah!)

Phoenix Arizona – Arizonans who have lost their jobs will have to wait nearly a month to get their first unemployment benefits. Normal wait time is 10 days. The delays are because of a surge in applicants and a lack of workers processing claims. Last week, the state received more than 9,100 first-time unemployment claims, more than double in the same week a year ago.

Get Out And Pick Up Your Trash

Louisville, Kentucky – James Gissendaner, 47, said he gathered nearly 1,000 campaign signs that were incorrectly placed in state rights of way – such as the area between sidewalks and roads, or the medians separating traffic lanes.

The final batch of more than 300 signs, from Republican and Democratic candidates, went to a city facility that will hold them for 30 days then offer them back to the candidates.  Also trash related, the Federal government reports that they pick up “nine times the national average in trash alongside Oklahoma Interstate highways” what does that tell you about the people that live in Oklahoma.  Here is a clue …. “Oink-Oink.”

Three Years For Your Thoughts

Santa Fe, New Mexico – A jury found a Japanese man guilty but mentally ill in the stabbing of an English biologist who was speaking on “thought transference” during an international conference. The verdict requires the state to treat Kazuki Hirano, 34, if he is incarcerated. Hirano accused the victim of controlling his thoughts. Hirano faces up to three years behind bars.

No Happy Trails In Utah

Logan Utah – People aren’t the only ones to suffer in this lousy economy.  Cache County has a growing population of abandoned horses because of tough economic times and the loss of horse processing facilities, according to equine experts. Utah State University veterinarian Kerry Rood said some owners mistakenly think an abandoned horse will adapt, but most horses are unable to find enough food.

New Math In The Sunshine State

Naples, Florida – The Collier County school district has replaced zero with 50 as the lowest score an elementary school student can get on an assignment. Officials said zeros are punitive and rarely reflect a student’s overall abilities. The union that represents most of the district’s teachers said the new scoring system undermines teachers’ credibility.

The last time Cup Cake and I had problems with “zero’s” was when that plumber came by, looked at the work to be done, and then whispered to the idiot kid assistant with him …. “Go out to the truck and fetch me some zero’s for this estimate.”

(Any resemblance to anyone living or dead who is or has been described as an idiot is purely coincidental)

Hide it in there somewhere … They won’t notice at all.

In case you missed this story in Creative Endeavors the other day, USA Today writes “Airlines last week eliminated or significantly lowered fuel surcharges for tens of thousands of domestic fares, but consumers are not paying less for most tickets.  We have seen a tectonic shift in domestic airfares, but it’s not great news for consumers, because the major airlines have, for the most part, simply shifted the surcharge amount into the base airfare,”  I swear it is almost as if they are reading my mind.  Check out the full story online.

Bad Taste

Now I am not a big fan of Sarah Palin, but writing articles on “her children s underwear?”  C’mon, give me a break.  That is just lame, downright lame.  That isn’t news.  What a crock that is.  Link is here. Be sure to look at comment #2 it is a hoot.  Today’s big story on the CNN Political line is how the Bush people sent out a Christmas card to a bunch of Jewish folks with a Christmas tree on it.  (Which in some circles would be considered offensive)  This is news?

Give us a break, find some news or just be quiet.  How about an article on the ghosts that live in the White House, the fundead of Washington DC.  Corpses who walk around at night with lampshades on their heads.  Yeah that would be news.

Bad Roads … Even Badder News.

SEATTLE, Washington – Expect a bumpier drive. An asphalt shortage is delaying road maintenance projects in communities nationwide. Asphalt is becoming scarce as U.S. refiners overhaul their equipment to maximize output of highly profitable fuels such as diesel and gasoline, using inexpensive — and hard to process — crude oil.

Meanwhile rumors are circulating that Exxon has sent representatives nationwide to seek out old drive in theaters because the understand a lot of there was a lot of ass felt there in the eighties ….. Wait that is not right.

(Any resemblance to anyone living or dead who ever went to a drive in and in the backseat had their … Oh never mind!)

There you go … All the news that is fit to be in print, or causes fits in print.

You be the judge, I am now going to retire to the TV Room and wait on a “settlement” of my bird and my stuffing

000

November 22, 2008

It’s Me Margaret …

Filed under: Oklahoma,Recent,Uncategorized — ldsrr91 @ 2:35 AM
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Here we go, another slow day here at the home, just sitting around waiting on Jeopardy to come on, od’ing on Vitamin E and they won’t let us go outside because the weather is bad.  Might as well write something, share a thought or two or as my wife would say …….. “What are you mumbling about?”

Today I discovered that Oklahoma City has installed some new technology at the intersections here and there around town.  If you sit there for a moment or two, after the light turns green, something activates the horn on the car directly behind you.

Pretty neat, what will they think of next.

As I said, not having a lot on my plate this day, I ventured into the “Estrogen Enriched Area” of Margaret & Helen’s today, they were talking about breast feeding in public.  I made a comment, and was again promptly shut down, I was this time summarily rebuked and chastened poste haste.  No sense of humor over there.  Just wait until we get something going on this page about overhauling the transmission of a ’56 Chevy, and they come over here, you watch and see what I tell them!

Yeashus!

Suddenly I am made painfully aware of how a mailman must feel, when walking down the street, minding his own business, a dog charges out of the house and tries to bite him.  Alas, I am the mailman of Margaret & Helen’s blogsite and didn’t even know it.  Accused of “shamelessly” trying to promote my lesser blogsite.  Yawn?  Every time I go there, someone bites my — and the Poor Monkey Never Learns.

The Barack Obama “love-hate fest” continues and Sixty Minutes the 40 year old news program had over 25.1 million viewers last week as everyone tuned in to see the new president elect and first lady to be.  I have to admit, it was kind of strange.  Witnessing the president-elect’s unorthodox verbal tick, which had Mr. Obama employing grammatically correct sentences virtually every time he opened his mouth.

But Mr. Obama’s decision to use complete sentences in his public pronouncements carries with it certain risks, since after the last eight years of old you-know-who, many Americans may find his odd speaking style jarring.

And a great many Americans tuned in to see.  A new record that hasn’t seen that many viewers since 1999.  It has so far been the top telecast prime time slot on television this year.  Bush is now so unpopular that they won’t even bother to shake his hand.

Like Frank Burns’ said on Mash …. It’s lonely at the top.

The undercurrents of the last election are still flowing deeply across the country.  Lot of angry sore losers wanting to move out of the country now and talk about where they want to go to get away from all of this can be found at a lot of Internet sites.

Personally if you feel that way, it is like Dubya (Bush) is fond of saying …. “Don’t Y’all let the door hit ya, where the good lawd split ya.” (Texan for See you later)  As Gregory Peck said, “It’s a Big Country” you could move to just about anywhere if you wanted to I suppose.

You can Live in California where…

  1. You make over $250,000 and you still can’t afford to buy a house.
  2. The fastest part of your commute is going down your driveway.
  3. You know how to eat an artichoke.
  4. You drive your rented Mercedes to your neighborhood block party.
  5. When someone asks you how far something is, you tell them how long it will take to get there rather than how many miles away it is.
  6. The 4 seasons are: Fire, Flood, Mud, and Drought … In leap years … Earthquake.

You can Live in New York City where…

1. You say ‘the city’ and expect everyone to know you mean Manhattan
2. You can get into a four-hour argument about how to get from Columbus Circle to Battery Park, but can’t find Wisconsin on a map.
3. You think Central Park is ‘nature’
4. You believe that being able to swear at people in their own language makes you multi-lingual
5. You’ve worn out a car horn.
6. You think eye contact is an act of aggression.

You can Live in Minnesota or Maine where..

  1. You only have four spices: salt, pepper, ketchup, and Tabasco
  2. Halloween costumes fit over parkas.
  3. You have more than one recipe for moose.
  4. Sexy lingerie is anything flannel with less than eight buttons.
  5. The four seasons are: winter, still winter, almost winter, and road construction.

You can Live in the Deep South where…

  1. You can rent a movie and buy bait in the same store.
  2. ‘y’all’ is singular and ‘all y’all’ is plural.
  3. Everyone has 2 first names: Billy Bob, Jimmy Bob, Mary Sue, Betty Jean, MARY BETH, etc.
  4. You believe that wrestling is real
  5. Your idea of gun control is to hold the weapon with both hands.
  6. And at the drive thru, you always say “super size the fries” for the little woman.

You can live in Colorado where…

  1. You carry your $3,000 mountain bike atop your $500 car.
  2. You tell your husband to pick up Granola on his way home and he stops at the day care center.
  3. A pass does not involve a football or dating.
  4. The top of your head is bald, but you still have a pony tail.
  5. A slow moving Bronco is John Elway

You can live in the Midwest where…

  1. You’ve never met any celebrities, but the mayor knows your name.
  2. Your idea of a traffic jam is ten cars waiting to pass a tractor or a combine.
  3. You have had to switch from ‘heat’ to ‘A/C’ on the same day.
  4. You end sentences with a preposition: ‘Where’s my coat at?’
  5. When asked how your trip was to any exotic place, you say, ‘It was different!’
  6. Where the biggest city you ever went to was WalMart.

You can live in Florida where…

  1. You eat dinner at 4:15 in the afternoon.
  2. All purchases include a coupon of some kind — even houses and cars.
  3. Everyone can recommend an excellent dermatologist.
  4. Road construction never ends anywhere in the state.
  5. Cars in front of you are often driven by headless people.

Or, you can live in Phoenix, Arizona where…..

  1. You are willing to park 3 blocks away because you found shade.
  2. You’ve experienced condensation on your butt from the hot water in the toilet bowl.
  3. You can drive for 4 hours in one direction and never leave town.
  4. You have over 100 recipes for Mexican food.
  5. You know that ‘dry heat’ is comparable to what hits you in the face when you open your oven door.
  6. The 4 seasons are: tolerable, hot, really hot, and ARE YOU KIDDING ME??!!

Personally we can’t afford to go just yet, we are still waiting on our “second economic stimulus check from the government” once we get that, we are outta here.

Wonder if Margaret & Helen would rent me a room?

000

Thanks to Trish in Louisiana.
“The cartoon courtesy of Center for American Progress” (online)


November 4, 2008

Do You want fries with that.

Filed under: humor,Oklahoma,random,Recent,Uncategorized — ldsrr91 @ 3:46 PM
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Now here is a novel concept, your order on time, and it is right.  If your next fast-food order at the drive-through has the right food in the right bag, you may have  something surprising to thank: the bad economy.  In the past six months, Carl’s Jr.’s 478 locations in Southern California in particular have been able to recruit crew members more fluent in English, and thus are able to process drive-through orders more accurately.

“It’s a no-brainer.  Hiring people who are fluent in English has always been something we’ve wanted to do.  Now we can.”  That’s because, with layoffs on the rise – particularly in hard-hit Southern California – the chain can be more selective in hiring.

The unemployment rate in California hit 7.7% in August vs. the national rate of 6.1% – the most recent month from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. “When times are tough, people are willing to take jobs for which they’re over-qualified.”

Pay Attention Mr. Bush, you might learn something here.

Mexico agreed Monday to deport Cubans who sneak illegally through Mexican territory to reach the U.S., a step toward cutting off an increasingly violent and heavily used human trafficking route.  The agreement, signed by Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque and Mexican Foreign Secretary Patricia Espinosa, takes effect in one month. It also criticizes U.S. policy that generally allows Cubans who reach U.S. territory to stay, while turning back most caught at sea.

Cuban migrants in recent years have increasingly headed for Mexico – often to the coast near Cancun – then overland to Texas because it has become so hard to dodge the U.S. Coast Guard and reach Florida to qualify for U.S. residency.  The U.S. Border Patrol is reporting that some 42 incursions into U.S. territory since last October by THE MEXICAN ARMY.  Evidently a lot of drug cartels are experiencing problems getting their merchandise over the border, so they get their Mexican buddies in the Army to make probes into U.S. soil, thus pulling the Border Patrol away from the smuggling entry points.

Next Time Take The Train

Phoenix – The price of an all-day bus or light rail pass in the city could go from $2.50 to $4.50 under a proposal being considered by transit officials. The regional transit board, struggling with falling tax revenue and rising fuel prices, will consider the hike early next year.  That is a pretty hefty hike right there wouldn’t you say?  You ever notice they never say, “uh, how about giving us a quarter extra and if that don’t work out, we will be back?”

Nah, just go for the big bucks and get it over with.

I note that a lot of travel agencies are now offering fares around the world to wonderful, exotic locations and the post the price of the trip.  And then they add, Plus Taxes and Fuel Charges.  Which kind of irritates me, how were these people planning on us getting there in the first place?  You have to use some kind of fuel to transport folks.  Why isn’t that just included in the price of the trip.

Bad news coming out of Anchorage, Alaska.  No check in the mail.

The state’s oil wealth savings account lost nearly $10 billion in a year. Most of the state’s residents receive an annual check from this fund, based on its net income averaged over five years. The fund peaked at $40.4 billion last October and now is about $30 billion.  Looks like the governor will have to go back to shopping at Target.

Even More Alaska news, and no, this is not concerning Caribou Barbie so check your hormones at the door boys.

stevensSen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, left, leaves court on Tuesday after his corruption conviction with his lawyer, Brendan Sullivan. Stevens is now calling for a probe into the federal lawyers who prosecuted him.

I guess this comes under the “You did it to me, so I am gonna do it to you, fairness doctrine in the 49th state.”

Wait … It gets better.

A juror who vanished during Alaska Senators’ corruption trial told the judge Monday she lied about her father dying and flew to California to see horse races.

U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan ordered Marian Hinnant, identified as juror No. 4, to return to court to explain why she disappeared during jury deliberations. Hinnant brought a stack of handwritten notes with her to the court Monday along with public defender A.J. Kramer, and told the judge that her father hadn’t died and she was at the Breeders’ Cup in Arcadia, Calif.

She apologized for lying, and then started a long rambling story about horses, which included references to horse breeding, the Breeders’ Cup, drugs, President Ford’s son Steven and her condo in Florida being bugged.  At that point, the judge said, “I am thoroughly convinced you would not have been able to continue to deliberate,” Sullivan interrupted.

“Can I have a case of my own?” Hinnant asked. Sullivan referred her to Kramer and the federal public defender’s office, and excused her from his courtroom.

Outside the courthouse, Hinnant refused to answer questions about whether she was on medication or had been hospitalized. When asked what she thought about Stevens’ case, she said: “He didn’t do anything any of the other congressmen and senators did, so they’re all guilty.”

She then loaded up in her Ford Fiesta that she claims is powered by Oatmeal, and headed south to her home in the lower 48 that has tree’s that hum, and all the children glow in the dark.

Gonna go way out on the limb folks and say that Obammer walks away with the election today.  I could be wrong, but I just don’t feel like I am.  Why don’t war heroes win elections anymore?  Excepting George Bush Sr. it has been 48 years since a war hero won the presidency.  And it isn’t like there has been a big shortage or wars and conflicts the past 48 years, so that cannot be the reason.

So what is the problem?

Again, so many questions and so little time.  Oh well, time to gear up for 2012, I am thinking Rosie O’Donnell or Elizabeth Hassleback from The View … whadya think?

000

October 31, 2008

Good Day – Bad Day

Filed under: humor,Oklahoma,random,Recent,Uncategorized — ldsrr91 @ 3:57 AM
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Listen guys, all this stuff you have been sending me telling me that if I just forward it on and pass it to my friends it will bring me good luck.  Well, it aint working. Please just send me some money, chocolate or gas vouchers.  Thanks.

Bad Day – Good Day – What are my choices?

Time to mess with the clocks again, the only sane place in America, seems to be Arizona. They don’t mess with the clocks in Arizona, and my hat is off to them.

This coming Sunday I will have another period of time, one hour, to muse over certain things in my life that need attention.  I could for instance, give serious thought to the the idea of ending war on the planet, being as it is America that starts a lot of these conflicts.  Did you know that in 1928 all the world powers (at that time) outlawed war under the 1928 Kellogg-Briand pact.

But it evidently didn’t work.

An extra hour of time for wondering.  For instance, “What in the world is that piece of green stuff in my refrigerator and why won’t she throw it away?”  Cleaning the refrigerator girls, only will consume twenty minutes of your hour, and the life you save, may be your own!  Did you know that 28% of all American’s have some sort of fecal matter on their hands, and 55% of all the employees at Bueno Taco have it for sure.

One whole hour, I could:  Make up new jokes for the grand-kids when they come to visit. For instance: Why are ghosts bad at telling lies? (Because you can see right thru them!). What is dead and plays soccer? (A ghoulie) what happened when the ghost disappeared into the fog? (He was a mist).

One whole hour, with which, to do as I please. Why are all the craters on the planet Mercury named after famous artists.  I could pose for a picture, how about that nude guy, the thinker, just sitting there, seemingly lost in it all.  I could do that … but in my present condition I would just look like I was sitting on the throne constipated or something.

What a deal … What a deal.  And I still have fifty minutes left.

Someone called my blog “innocuous” this past week, that certainly was a blow to my pride.  I had never considered this little piece of the planet that I support and feed …. innocuous (unlikely to offend: not intended to cause offense or provoke a strong reaction and unlikely to do so … an innocuous comment … harmless in effect) and I was somewhat taken by surprise by this observation.

Here all this time I thought it was “hard hitting, to the point, and making a change in the thought patterns of those of us that live in the Free World.”

Turns out I am harmless.  Which at my age is proving to be mostly correct in all endeavors. But I will not bore you with the gory details.

My ##$#%! Printer quit, so I thought it was the inker, so I trot down to get a new one. The last one I bought (recently May of this year) was $21.80 and now the sucker is up to $32.44 plus tax.

Thank You so much Mr. Bush, there is a bus leaving in ten minutes …. Be under it.

Man, how much are we supposed to take, they keep passing it on to the taxpayer/consumer. Electricity last year, $110 a month, this year, $148. Natural Gas last year, $42, this year $61. City services, water, garbage, etc last year $45 this year $60. I now understand the Department of the U.S. Treasury is suggesting printing a new five dollar bill, and Abe Lincoln will be wearing a T-Shirt.

This morning I am reading in the paper where suicide is on the rise in America, divorce is up, increased financial pressures are coming home to roost. The rates have been dropping for the last ten years, but now are on the rise. Be careful on Monday, Monday mornings are the worst day of the week for heart attacks, specifically at 10a.m, this is the hour of the day they seem to be most prevalent. So if your cranky boss schedules for a ten a.m. sit down in the “how come chair” be prepared.

I could possibly grind on and on for the better part of a couple of pages on this subject, but I won’t. As my sainted Grandmother used to say …. Look for the rainbow, there is always a bright side to everything.

On your way home from work today, stop at your pharmacy and go to the thermometer section and purchase a rectal thermometer made by Johnson &Johnson. Be very sure you get this brand. When you get home, lock your doors, draw the curtains and disconnect the phone so you will not be disturbed.

Change into very comfortable clothing and sit in your favorite chair. Open the package and remove the thermometer.  Now, carefully place it on a table or a surface so that it will not become chipped or broken.

This is where the fun part begins.

Take out the literature from the box and read it carefully .You will notice that in small print there is a statement: “Every Rectal Thermometer made by Johnson &Johnson is personally tested and then sanitized.”

Now, close your eyes and repeat out loud at least three or more times, ‘I am so glad I do not work in the thermometer quality control department at Johnson &Johnson .’ ‘I am so glad I do not work in the thermometer quality control department at Johnson &Johnson .’ ‘I am so glad I do not work in the thermometer quality control department at Johnson &Johnson .’

So you see … There is a bright side.

Do your level best to have a nice day, and remember, there is always some poor soul that has a job that is worse than yours.

000

Parting Shot: “Just think, if the Indians at Plymouth Rock had given the Pilgrim fathers a donkey, instead of a turkey, guess what we all would be having a piece of for Thanksgiving?”

(Think about it it will come to ya)


October 21, 2008

Rated “E”

Filed under: Oklahoma,random,Recent,Uncategorized — ldsrr91 @ 4:31 AM
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This post is rated “E” for entertaining.  No, educational, uh, erratic.  THIS POST IS FOR EVERYONE … Whew?  Sure glad we got that out of the way.

Oh well, it is Tuesday, and as with all Tuesday’s I have my problems.  Much like a child in grammar school, I am never prepared for the lesson on Tuesday, I am geared up for recess instead.

Most of my days, were spent in desperate contemplation of the hour in Gym class and a considerable amount of time was devoted to “the fine art of pencil sharpening and the observation of the world’ just outside the window.  I excelled in that, but unfortunately, I found out later in life, not much demand for it in the marketplace.

I used to really get into recess, which should not come as any big surprise to anyone that is a regular reader of this page.

You cannot always effectively plan for the future, especially when you are young.  I remember when released from the U.S. Military, they told me that “I could use the skills that were taught to me in the service” in my civilian occupation.  So when I found out that American Airlines wasn’t hiring any tail gunners …. I went to work for the Railroad.

This is what happens to you when you major in recess, remember this.

USA Today is reporting that stress levels are up nationwide and surprisingly, the most affected, are not adults.  The highest stress levels in the past six months have been reported by the 18-24 crowd at 64% coming in second is the 24-34 bunch 55%, 35-44 at 47%, 45-54 at close behind, 46%.  The old geezers like myself, we are just laid back and cooling it, only 37% of them reported stress.

Which is reasonable, when you stop to think about it.  We moved all “those hard to live with people out of the house” years ago.  And we are not forced to watch “Dancin’ With The Stars” three nights a week.  Did you know that more American’s voted for the winner of American Idol than voted for Bush in the last election?  True.

Might be a good day to talk about that “three ring circus” (the great American Dog & Pony Show) in the Nation’s Capitol, but to tell you the truth, I am really tired of it.  So much like T.Boone Pickens latest book (The First Billion is the hardest – Crown Business, 260 pages, $26.95) I am going to take a pass.  Having the lowest stress levels in the above group did not “just naturally occur.”  Often you have to work at it.

Good and Bad News:

Phoenix, Arizona has told home builders there that they are to install water collection systems on new homes and that they are going to collect rainwater from these systems for the watering of plants and outside shrubs.  Which is a good idea and a bad idea.  It is good to be geared up to “green thinking” and all that, it is bad, because as anyone knows.  Phoenix is in the Sonoran Desert portion of the American Southwest and generally speaking …. It doesn’t rain there much, if at all.

Biting the hand that feeds them.

Hard to believe, but like beggar’s with outstretched hands the U.S. Auto companies are trying to entice the public to purchase a new car.  Only thing is, “they are going about it in the wrong manner or fashion” if you ask me.  Now they are telling us that in order to buy a new car, we need to bring MORE cash and a larger down payment is going to be required of us.

Tighter credit standards are forcing many car buyers to put up more cash in order to qualify for a loan.  The average down payment last month was $3,108.00 which is up 42% from the same time last year ($2,194.00).  It is like some kind of shark feeding frenzy on the American consumer these days.  General Motors wants to buy Chrysler and of course, they are lining up at the Federal trough to see if they can get some creative financing in the Great American Give-Away currently enjoying a nice run in Washington DC these days.

These dumb-bells ought to take a lesson from U.S. Oil, we stopped buying their products, and we effectively proved to them that we can do without oil based-products and we can do without these new cars too.

Eat Your Oil

OPEC (namely Venezuela and Iran) are crying the blues, they are now saying that they are cutting back on spending and projects in their respective countries because of the low demand for oil.  It seems that their profits are down some fifty percent and they are experiencing a hardship.  Now everyone …. All together now … One big collective sigh for our poor energy rich oil partners. Now didn’t that feel just swell boys & girls.  Actually that is a misnomer, we (America) get most of our foreign oil from places other than Venezuela and Iran.

Canada and Mexico for instance, are big suppliers to the U.S. and it is not $700 billion as previously reported but rather around $230 billion per year, big difference.

Anchor’s Aweigh

Not to be deterred, the Boys in Dubai went shopping this week, the oil rich energy czars bought the Queen Mary II and she is going to sail to Dubai on her last voyage.  After four decades of plying the oceans of the world she is being retired and will be converted into a five-star hotel in Dubai, the flashy Arab resort Center of the Middle East (United Arab Emirates).

This leaves the sister ship with the same name still plying the oceans for a little while longer, with peak oil, there will come a time in the not so distant future, when all of them are parked and converted.

“Uh, maybe the Woodpeckers were not a good idea?”

Everything I need to know about life, I learned from Noah’s Ark . One: Don’t miss the boat. Two: Remember that we are all in the same boat. Three: Plan ahead. It wasn’t raining when Noah built the Ark. Four: Stay fit. When you’re 600 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big. Five: Don’t listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done. Six: Build your future on high ground. Seven: For safety sake, travel in pairs. Eight: Speed isn’t always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs. Nine: When you’re stressed, float awhile. Ten: Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.

No matter the storm, when you are with God, there’s always a rainbow waiting.

Now, wasn’t that nice? Pass it along this Tuesday, tell all your friends, and make someone else smile, too

000

October 1, 2008

Quiet Peace

Filed under: Oklahoma,politics,random,Recent,Uncategorized — ldsrr91 @ 8:18 AM
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The dogs were barking this morning, you go outside and you sit on the porch with a cup of joe, and you just naturally want to experience some peace and quiet. But around here, that is a rare commodity, a morning with nothing but the melody of a songbird is rare, especially when you live in the big city.

So as I am still at this point in life, a child in the imagination department, I reach deep down inside me and dredge up another memory. I think about Jerome, Arizona.

I first encountered Jerome at the ripe old age of about eleven as I remember it. My parents introduced it to my sister and I on a family vacation one year.

Jerome is located south of Flagstaff, Arizona some 60-65 miles and due west of Sedona, Arizona one of John McCain’s favorite haunts.

Jerome is an old abandoned copper mining town, sitting on the side of a mountain, quiet and serene on most days. Having been there several times, I hope someday to visit it for a day or so again. You can stand on main street in Jerome, look north and see the San Francisco peaks in Flagstaff some 60 plus miles away and the views there are nothing short of drop-dead gorgeous.

If quiet and solitude are what you are searching for, there still remain small vestiges of it in America, but you have to search them out. North Cascades National Park is rated as one of the quietest parks in this country. Absolutely one of the best is Glacier National Park in Montana, but see it while you can. This park as others are falling to the effects of Global Warming.  Great Basin National Park in Nevada , it is one of the west’s’ lesser known parks, but well worth the trip, summer or winter.

Big Hole National Park in Montana is another, history and peace abound. Muir Woods in California is really hard to find (in the Bay Area of San Francisco) a jewel in the midst of modern day suburbia.

You might possibly note: The Grand Canyon and Yellowstone were purposely avoided, they are overcrowded, noisy and generally speaking “Being Loved Too Death” and I would say skip them completely, unless you have never seen them, that is. I am sure that there are great area’s still left in Alaska, but I find that too hard to get to, plus there is the added possibility that the Governor might come by in her gun-toting moose-gooser-gunship and I certainly do not want to be there for that.

B’sides, one of my primary reasons for seeking out these areas of majestic beauty in our country is to get away from it all. Big city noise, the constant clamor of society, media blather concerning politicians and the likes of all that. I wonder where the other politicians go to unwind; we know where McSame goes, he heads for Sedona.

Where do the rest of them slink off to when they are not running for office or prostituting themselves for political funding?  Perhaps a fast trip to the Bohemian Grove for a quick refresher course on screwing the masses.

One afternoon a politician was riding in his limousine when he saw two men along the roadside eating grass. Disturbed, he ordered his driver to stop and he got out to investigate. He asked one man, “Why are you eating grass?”

“We don’t have any money for food,” the poor man replied.“We have to eat grass.”

“Well, then, you can come with me to my house and I’ll feed you,” the politician said.  “But sir, I have a wife and two small children with me.  They are over there under that tree.”

“Bring them along,” the politician replied. Turning to the other poor man he stated, “You come with us, also.”

The second man, in a pitiful voice, then said, “But sir, I also have a wife and SIX children with me!” “Bring them all, as well,” the politician answered. They all entered the car, which was no easy task, even for a car as large as the limousine was.

Once underway, one of the poor fellows turned to the politician and said, “Sir, you are too kind, thank you for taking all of us with you.” The politician replied, “Glad to do it.  You will all really love my place …. The grass is almost a foot high!”

Seasons change … Rivers wind … Tumbleweeds roll and the stars shine

Wind howls and dawn breaks … The day moves on and slowly slips away

And I need a quiet place to lay my head.

000


September 30, 2008

September Wrap

Filed under: Oklahoma,politics,random,Recent,Uncategorized — ldsrr91 @ 7:19 AM
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Take it to the Car Wash.

Seattle Washington is considering the banning of washing cars on the driveway. They say that all the pollution and run off (chemicals, brake dust) is harmful to the Puget Sound environment. I find this kind of hard to believe (must be my day to be a skeptic huh?). Our last visit to Seattle we went to the aquarium there, Seattle has a world class aquarium and we spent the day down on the bay.

One of the exhibits there was a sewer intake/outtake exhibit for the Puget Sound Region.

They had these huge concrete pipes in the museum about ten feet in diameter and a map of all their locations in the Puget Sound where they were, discharging effluent (treated sewage water) into the bay. You press a button and it displays on a board mockup of Puget Sound the locations of these outlet pipes. Some “44 of them.” So I would say the Salmon and other residents of the bay have more to worry about than car washes.

Here is some more sewage news, when the poo-poo hits the whirly-dirly (When “it” hits the fan Y’all) in Alabama they don’t have the change to pay for it.

Birmingham, Alabama, Jefferson County Commission President Bettye Fine Collins said the county will probably default on part of its $3.2 billion sewer debt but not file for bankruptcy. A so-called standstill agreement with sewer system creditors expires Tuesday. Once that happens, creditors can demand payments the county says it can’t afford. I mean how embarrassing is that? You owe $3.2 billion on your sewer bill.

My favorite door stop that can talk is on TV this morning.

Bush is coming on television sometime this morning, and I suppose he is going to play the “scare card” again. You ever notice how he does that? If we don’t take Osamma Been Forgotten, the Free World will be at risk. If we don’t go into Iraq and get Saddam, we will be at risk from all his nuclear weapons that did not exist. And now it is banking and Wall Street.

Perhaps Bush is using his version of new math?  Once again he will dig deep into his grab bag of political tricks and use the scare card.  Check your local listings or better yet, just check out, as we pointed out before, these people have a massive credibility issue.

Others do not agree with bailing out Wall Street and say it isn’t so.

Much of the country’s political and economic leadership has been running around raising the prospect of the Great Depression and a breakdown in the banking system (I actually had taken the latter seriously). These stories are absolutely not true. There is no plausible scenario under which the no bailout scenario gives us a Great Depression. There is a more plausible scenario (but highly unlikely) that the bailout will give us a Great Depression. There is no way that the failure to do a bailout will lead to more than a very brief failure of the financial system. We will not lose our modern system of payments. At this point I cannot identify a single good reason to do the bailout. Click here.

What is wrong with this picture?

Boston – The Justice Department said Massachusetts must provide Spanish-language ballots and materials to Puerto Rican voters in Worcester to settle allegations the state violated the Voting Rights Act. Federal officials said the state’s failure to provide the translated materials to Worcester residents in 2001 resulted in Puerto Rican voters not being able to access the polls or cast an informed ballot. State Sen. Dianne Wilkerson decided to seek a recount after her 228-vote loss to challenger Sonia Chang-Diaz in last week’s Democratic primary. Wilkerson, of Boston, is gathering signatures for a recount in five wards.

Juan is having problems down by the border.

Phoenix – The families of some illegal immigrants passing through the state are getting ransom demands from criminals claiming to have kidnapped their loved ones as they were sneaking into the country. What isn’t immediately clear to these families is that they’re targets of “virtual kidnapping.” The extortion scam has escalated to an average of one case being reported each week.

Your friends in the Oil and Gas Industry are in the news

Charleston – Royalty payments are awaiting state residents who had oil or gas leases with Dominion Resources. The energy company will pay $40 million to $50 million to 25,000 owners to resolve a lawsuit that alleged Dominion cheated them out of royalties. The dispute centered on whether gas drillers could deduct production costs before calculating royalty payments.

One honest man in Pennsylvania

Harrisburg – Pennsylvania‘s highest court said a judge can’t refuse an 11% pay raise. The high court upheld a lower court ruling that said Superior Court Judge Joan Orie Melvin cannot legally reject the salary, which went from $145,658 to $162,100 in September 2006, when the high court reinstated a pay hike that had been repealed.

Another Looney law in a long, long list of curious oddities in America.

  • New, New Jersey, forbids the sale of ice after 6 P.M. without a prescription.
  • South Foster, Rhode Island, any dentist who extracts the wrong tooth mush have a similar tooth pulled by the village Blacksmith.
  • And map that does not prominently display the city of Lima, Ohio, is illegal to sell in Lima, Ohio.
  • In Portland, Maine, it is illegal to tickle a girl under the chine with a feather duster.
  • In Seattle, Washington, it is illegal to carry a concealed weapon that exceeds six feet in length.

And if you think that is ridiculous or bad you ought to live in Oklahoma where it is illegal to: Read a comic book while operating a motor vehicle. Oklahoma will not tolerate anyone taking a bite out of another’s hamburger. Whaling is illegal. It is illegal to have the hind legs of farm animals in your boots.

The really sad part of all this, it is real, and not made up. Who writes this stuff?

People like this.

I am outta here … See you in October.

000

September 26, 2008

Water Woes

Filed under: Oklahoma,random,Recent,Uncategorized — ldsrr91 @ 4:58 AM
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All day I face, the barren waste, without the taste of water, cool, clear water. Old Dan and I, with throats burned dry, souls that cry for water, cool, clear water.” Did you know that “Dan” in that song was a donkey?

Yup, true.

The last time I ventured into these familiar waters (pardon the pun) I was called an “Eco Freak” by some knot-head that wanted to go round and round with me on the subject. Personally I prefer the term “Tree Hugger” it just seems to me, more personal and friendly.

The city is raising the rates on my water again. Not because I am using a lot of it, but because they are a city, and they KNOW that they can always milk the consumer for the life blood that he needs, and he will pay it.  You see, “You need water, and if you live in a city, you are going to pay for it.”

Some big challenges facing this country in the future, providing we make it thru this Wall Street debacle. One of them is going to be water. Fresh water is running out on a grand scale worldwide. The world is running out of potable water, which unfortunately, is a key ingredient to life as we know it. The last time I checked, the current numbers reflected less than 5% of the worlds water is now drinkable (potable) and that number is shrinking.

The latest data suggests we might be in big trouble, when it comes to water.

North America: The United States and Canada are the largest per capita consumers of freshwater, double that of our neighbors to the south in Mexico. Though supply has been abundant in the past, that may change. The High Plains Aquifer in the central United States that Mr. Pickens wants to deplete is expected to “decline dramatically.” Pollution, invasive species and under-priced water add to the stress of the region. In Canada, the demands put on water to harvest oil-sand petroleum is ruining the Frazier River Basin at an alarming rate.

South America: Due to fast population growth, the region’s major environmental problem of the next decade is expected to be a shortage of potable water.

Europe: Western Europe is pricing water at levels that allow for reinvestment and management of an adequate water supply. Easter Europe and the former Soviet Union, on the other hand, are still using more water per capita than Western Europe. In Eastern Europe, a business-as-usual scenario estimates water use will nearly double. Overall, water issues have more to do with quality and ecosystems than with quantity, which appears for the time being, sufficient.

But then again, Global Warming enters into the picture. A lot of people in Europe live below quickly melting glaciers, their primary water supply, when the glaciers have receded and are gone, then what?

Africa: More than half the population has no access to safe water, fewer today than in 1990. Almost half the population of the areas suffer from water-related diseases. In southern Africa, a business-as-usual scenario estimates water use will rise by half in just a few short years.

Asia: Nearly a third of the region has no access to safe water. Central Asia is already using 85% of available water, and South Asia nearly half that. Per capita availability of water has dropped by 70% in Central and Southern Asia since roughly 1950. In China the same applies, another business-as-usual scenario sees water consumption doubling in that country by 2025. Recently China has had to import huge quantities of rice, because acid rain has ruined the water in the surround country side and they are now growing crops in sterile soil.

Australia: Water usage increased by 25% in the mid ‘90’s, compared with the mid 80’s. At the same time, the water supply has been degraded, particularly in the Murray-Darling Basin in the southeast. A prolonged drought hasn’t helped matters at all.

You pick up any newspaper in this country and each day there is an item in there about the shortage of water or the possible contamination of an Aquifer that is used for public consumption. Water who most of believe is just plentiful and everywhere, is in fact, a precious resource (mostly non-renewable) and is being squandered.

Monroe Louisiana – Sixteen parishes in northern Louisiana depend on the Sparta Aquifer for drinking water, but one expert said the water is slowly deteriorating in quality because of drawdown. Ben McGee, a supervisory hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, said the aquifer is tapped into at a rate of 70 million gallons a day by users from paper mills to residential homes.

Shapleigh MAINE – Voters in Shapleigh, in a setback for bottler Poland Spring, imposed a six-month moratorium on the testing or large-scale extraction of water. Residents voted 204-38 to adopt the moratorium, intended to give the town time to work on a regulatory ordinance.

Rockingham, North Carolina - Residents in three counties are concerned that pesticides used by peach farmers decades ago may be polluting well water. The Charlotte Observer reports that tests by health officials found 117 tainted wells in Montgomery, Richmond and Moore counties. For now, state officials are delivering drinking water weekly to affected homes.

Lubbock Texas – Billionaire T. Boone Pickens put plans on hold for a pipeline to send water from a Panhandle aquifer to cities downstate. A Pickens spokesman said the suspension of the Mesa Water pipeline has nothing to do with a Justice Department ruling in August that blocked changes to Texas law that helped create a water supply district. The district was dominated by employees of Pickens. He is all set to drain this aquifer (Ogallala) to supply Dallas with drinking water. He has however one big snag, “no one has asked him to provide them with water at this time.” Meanwhile, on the western fringe area’s of this water system they are starting to suck sand.

Slowly people are starting to realize that we have to do something to conserve this resource or we will perish. This week in Tucson Arizona, a dry and arid portion of the United States legislation was passed to conserve or re-use water. Homes built there after 2009 will be required to have wastewater systems that use drainage from sinks, showers and tubs to irrigate landscaping.

The ordinance adopted by the City Council requires new homes to have “gray-water” plumbing systems separate from piping that takes toilet waste to sewers. The new systems will cost about $500 per house.

It isn’t much, but at least it is a start.

000


September 11, 2008

The Simpatico Jogger

Filed under: Oklahoma,random,Recent,Uncategorized — ldsrr91 @ 6:19 AM
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Big Daddy Is In Trouble

Big Daddy Is In Trouble

Ran into a friend at the Mall the other day, I went out there to carouse the book store and get some chinese, I like that Chinese Food.  He said “How you doing, I notice you have put on some weight.”

Which I thought was rude and I just told him that “I was my perfect weight if I was seven feet tall.”

And left it at that.

Contrary to popular belief, I do allow one every now and then to slip one by, and let them win a round.

Came home and turned on the TV, sat down with my take out of Moo Poo Gia Pan and finished off the day.  Watched the news and some infomercials.  There could be a small grain of truth in the statement, “Television will turn your brain to Oatmeal.”

I suppose if you watch it enough, it could be possible. I am especially drawn to those wonderful late-nite commercials where all the smiling people invite you to lose “30 lbs. in 30 days.”

Which we all know, is of course, impossible.

That was yesterday and this is today.  This morning, I am down around my ankles, wiping off the morning shower with a big fluffy towel, that is oh so warm and inviting, a caress to my tired old wrinkled skin. I am bent over and I am dutifully drying my ankles and I am wondering to myself, “Do I need to do anything else why I am down here, because I am definitely not coming back down here any time soon.”

And then there is the other nagging question of “Is a quart of water supposed to come out of your belly-button when you bend over?” … is that natural?  I wipe the condensate from the mirror and look upon my reflection in the mirror and I think to myself, “I need to lose some weight.”

Once again, I think of the “lose 30 lbs. in 30 day thing” as I scratch parts of my lower extremities I have not seen in close to five years now. It is appealing, the thought of being able to lose all that weight with the mere snap of a finger.

Stop and consider right now, how convenient that would be. You come home from a hard day at work, open the old mailbox and there it is, “the invite to the Class Reunion” and you suddenly discover that you have but six months to lose 30 lbs and of course, find a life.

But we all know that unless you are willing to sacrifice a limb or check yourself into a concentration style fat farm in Sunny-Southern-Arizona, losing 30 lbs in 30 days (yet alone six months) is virtually impossible.

As I am somewhat pragmatic I always try to do the math, see if it actually adds up.

In order to lose one pound of body mass (without sacrificing or losing a body part) you have to create a 3,500-calorie deficit. You can accomplish this feat in one or two ways. You can either feed your body, 3,500 fewer calories than it needs to support itself, or you can increase your activity level and burn off an extra 3,500 calories.

If you want to lose 30 lbs., you’ll have to create a total caloric deficit of 105,000 calories. The average person, eating 2,800 calories a day, consumes only about 84,000 calories. The average person, eating 2,800 calories a day, consumes only about 84,000 calories each month.

Even if you stopped eating completely, you’d still have to burn an extra 21,000 calories through exercise to lose some 30 lbs. in 30 days. (Is you’d a real word?) Running two miles or engaging in two hours of intense aerobic exercise every day for an entire month would take care of those extra 21,000 calories.

Maybe you can combine total starvation with a strenuous daily workout, but in my case, I just do not see that happening. Running two miles per day would put me some sixty miles out into the Panhandle of Oklahoma and a tad bit lighter.

Nope, that sure isn’t happening here, not today.

A wise person knows his limitations in life, I am not that heroic guy who rides the Tour De France with courage and ultimate victory, a Lance Armstrong I am not. I cannot make laps in an Olympic size pool and swim like a seal. I have to shoot for lesser events in my life, like maybe walking to the end of the driveway and back.

Might shoot for the Annual Mt Airy “Mayberry Festival” in Mt. Airy, North Carolina, where they celebrate each September “The Andy Griffith Show” and attend Mayberry Days. There is a statue of Andy and Opie and replicas of Floyd’s Barber Shop, the jail and Andy’s house.

I might fit in just fine there.

Screw the reunion, I am gonna have a Twinkie.

000

September 3, 2008

Reverse Migration …

Filed under: Oklahoma,random,Recent,Uncategorized — ldsrr91 @ 4:27 AM
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Here is the “no brainer” for Wednesday.  People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) want to rent ad space on the controversial U.S.-Mexico border fence. PETA’S proposed billboard would depict obese Americans and warn in English and Spanish that “if the Border Patrol doesn’t get you, the chicken and the burgers will – go Vegan.”  PETA says the signs will warn potential illegal immigrants that “if they cross into the U.S.” they are putting their health at risk by leaving behind a healthier, staple diet of corn tortillas, beans, rice, fruits and vegetables.

Perhaps someone should take some time to edumaycate these PETA Do-gooders and point out that these people are flocking to our country specifically because the do NOT have a staple diet of corn tortillas, beans, rice, fruits and vegetables where they are currently living.

They come here for a number of reasons, one being, poverty.

Which means you do not have enough to eat where you live what a bunch of PETA dummies.  It might be better to just post the latest “economic figures” and let them read the statistic’s on our economy, when they see that, they would most likely turn around and head back on home.

Typical American attitude, “we are always locking the barn door after the horse has already gone.” Illegal immigrants are returning home to Mexico in numbers not seen for decades – and the Mexican government may have to deal with a crush on its social services and lower wages once the immigrants arrive.

The Mexican Consulate’s office in Dallas is seeing increasing numbers of Mexican nationals requesting paperwork to go home for good, especially parents who want to know what documentation they’ll need to enroll their children in Mexican schools.

“Those numbers have increased percentage-wise tremendously. In fact, it’s almost 100 percent more this year than it was the previous two years.”  The illegal immigrant population in the U.S. has dropped 11 percent since August of last year, according to the Center for Immigration Studies. Its research shows 1.3 million illegal immigrants have returned to their home countries.

Some say illegal immigrants are leaving because a soft economy has led to fewer jobs, causing many laborers to seek work elsewhere.  Others argue that a tough stance on immigration through law enforcement has spread fear throughout the illegal population.  One noticeable reminder, the remittances that illegals send home has dropped off dramatically over the short term, and money order sales at Western Union are down.

Reports are already coming out of Mexico that the large number of illegal immigrants returning home could drive down wages and put pressure on social services – the same concerns many Americans have with illegals living and working in the U.S.

So as Dr. Phil would say … “How’s that working for ya?”  A little taste of the hair of the dog that bit you … We have been putting up with it for years.

Also on the Mexican front.  Mexico has said “No Gas For Gringo’s!”  Mexico has begun fining Americans who cross the border to buy cheap Mexican gasoline.  The Mexican government subsidizes diesel, so it costs just $2.25 a gallon, about half of what it costs in the U.S.A..  American truckers are allowed to fill their own tanks, but they may not load up extra barrels with fuel for export to the U.S.  The city of Acuna, across the border from Del Rio, Texas, said it had caught four Americans filling barrels with diesel and would charge them a fine of 70% the price of the fuel.

Must be part of their new “good neighbor policy.”

Did you know that Taco Mayo has a racial slur on the menu?  Yeppers, it is called “The Old Gringo” only in America can you take a racial slur against “white people” and put it up in plain sight and get away with it.

Now here is one that I am having a little trouble with.

Phoenix Arizona is now studying the idea of importing filtered ocean water from a costal Mexican resort some 60 miles south of the border.  The move would help sustain urban supplies in Arizona by bringing in potentially billions of gallons a year.  Then the article says that Arizona water managers would like to team up with Puerto Penasco to build a desalination plant to serve both countries.

We have already sucked the Colorado River dry and now we are going to start to work on the ocean?  Water is a finite resource, sooner or later, it will become scarce, the last I heard, only 5% of the worlds freshwater was potable.  Here’s an idea, you live in desert, why not try CONSERVATION.

Just a thought.

Meanwhile cities in the southwestern desert states and the arid parts of California have reverted to re-using “treated sewage effluent” for drinking water and golf course watering.  In Los Angeles there is currently a plan to pump treated effluent back into the earth, let it filter down to a pumping station (about fifteen miles underground) and then pump it back to the surface for drinking water.  Officials say that it will take about 8 years to move the fifteen miles underground, thus, filtering the water.

So that is the bad news, if you live in Las Vegas or LA you are soon to be drinking treated sewage water.  Now for the good news …….. There is more than likely, not going to be enough of it to go around.

Hasta La Vista Amigo’s!

000

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: “Birds of a feather flock together and then they crap on your car.”

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