September 30, 2011

A beautiful, coolish, sunny day in Carroll County Maryland.  Lots of little problems to fix this A.M., such as:  the medical technician lost my urine sample..  !?  I had even drawn a smiley face on the container....  also:  oh..never mind.  It's all unimportant in the scheme of things.

1. "Power corrupts.. etc."

Four out of the five (count 'em) Commissioners for Carroll County have voted to extend the contract for a Conservative Media Consuting Service (consisting of one person, named Simpson, I believe... no.. it couldn't be, could it?)  When a Carroll County Times reporter tried to discuss this contract with him, he refused.

Haven Shoemaker, the dissenting Commissioner said, and I quote from the CC Times: "This notion of having a person specifically dedicated... to handling media seems to me to be a frill..."  I agree, Haven. However, it could become less of a "frill" if the Commissioners would see fit to paying me the paltry sum of  $500 per month (instead of the $6,000 that Simpson is getting) to see that all of the Maryland newspapers and magazines receive news items and articles that would make Carroll County shine forth as a tourist heaven (Haven) and a place where all business money, not just for Conservative businesses, could find a good home.  What other "access" is needed, Commissioner Rothschild?

I must repeat again, that closed administration sessions (like the one in July, where the Commissioners decided on Mr. Simpson) generate a false and dangerous feeling of power.. a feeling that certain activity does not need oversight by the public..  in my humble opinion.  We will be hearing a lot more about this shortly in letters to the editor of the CC Times.

2.  Druggies?

The Carroll County Times also reports that a pair of persons has allegedly robbed a victim of some Oxycontin while trying to sell him some of theirs.  The female part of the pair may have even threatened the victim with a knife.  In Westminster!?.. by all reports, the least crime-ridden place east of the Chesapeake Bay.

This reminds me of the time when I was browsing at a used furniture store in Westminster.  Seated in front of the store were two of the workers, resting after lifting a heavy bureau.  A friend walked up and asked them if they needed something to get their breath back.  They thought that would be a good idea.

The friend reached into his pocket and brought out a prescription bottle, opened it, and offered a few pills, which were accepted.  The friend said to them: "This is good stuff, I got it from my doctor yesterday and it's already making me feel good."  I don't have the faintest idea what the medication was, but it doesn't matter.  I hope they all survived.

3.  More druggies?

I heard an NPR report preceded by a warning... it concerned six bodyless heads that were found in Acapulco, Mexico.  Do any Americans vacation in Mexico any more?

I constantly hear from Massachusetts relatives that they would definitely not want to visit Baltimore because of the crime and violence.  It doesn't help for them to watch TV shows like Homicide and The Wire.  I try to tell them that the Baltimore area is a great place to live.  Of course, there are parts of the city and county that you must avoid to stay alive.. or at least connected with your pocketbook.  But on the whole.....

There are horror stories.. such as, my fellow worker, Lou, who got lost in the city and when he asked for directions, was badly beaten up and robbed.  However, once my car broke down in a very "bad" part of town.  I expected trouble, but instead, people came right over and helped me get fixed up and going again.

4.  Optimism after pessimism

Robert Wack once again wrote an interesting column in the CC Times today, about our current "tough times."  If I might, I would like to quote part of his final paragraph, which, as usual, "nails it."

"...Things will eventually get better, but perhaps not before they get a lot worse.  Which way they go depends mainly on what we hope for and are willing to work toward."

5.  One can't always be "The Best"... why not?

Sadly, the 2011 Carroll County's Best award for a Continuing Care Community went to Fairhaven, in Sykesville, rather than Carroll  Lutheran Village,  (where I live)  which only got "honorable mention."  I guess we will just have to try harder next year.

6.  More Good news for Dick Tracy!

The October 3, 2011 issue of that bastion for truth, the Sun magazine, published by American Media, Inc reports that scientists have  now been able to fuse the genes from goats and spiders, to make bulletproof skin for our policemen, soldiers and heads of state to wear instead of those bulky bulletproof vests that they are used to.

September 29, 2011

We're back from a nice trip to Lancaster, Pennsylvania to see a show devoted to the music of Irving Berlin.  You remember that music... it was the kind that you could listen to without getting a nervous stomach, and you could also understand the words in the lyrics.. and... they rhymed!

On the way up, we had a little extra time and visited the Stauffers complex in York.. and, of course, we bought some (a bunch) of cookies.. Elaine likes chocolate animal crackers.. so, we now have a closet full of them.  Come on over to visit and help us devour them..  otherwise we will probably consume them in short order.. to the detriment of our health.

A few news items caught my eye today:

1.  Saudi Women Drivers

King Abdullah overturned a court ruling that would have given a Saudi woman driver 10 lashes.  The Kingdom has an unwritten law that restricts women from driving.  Conservative tradition holds that giving such freedom to women would probably make them vulnerable to sinful activity.

Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world that bans both Saudi and foreign women from driving cars.  No "women driver" jokes in that country.

2.  Here's looking at you..

You can now buy designer 3D glasses for around $100 a pair.  (Why would you want to?)  Theater owners will soon be selling reusable regular 3D glasses for a couple of dollars a pair.  (Same question.)

3.  Bookies

Yesterday, I found out that Big Lots is selling their $3 remainder books for $1.  I searched through the hundreds on display and found not even one book that got my attention enough to read the cover blurb.

However, today, I learned that the Dollar Store has some new $1 remainder books.  I hurried in and found that a few did get my attention.. I bought 5 of them.  Let me tell  you the titles:

An Illustrated Guide to the Lost Symbol  (Connections between the Freemason's and our nation's capitol).. edited by John Weber.   It has lots of slick photographs and looks very interesting.

Zero Decibels, The Quest for Absolute Silence by George Michelsen Foy. One part of the book concerns tinnitus, which I have.

Upgrade Me by Brian Clegg.  Concerned with "humanity's self-driven instinct to evolve."

Beef, The Untold Story of How Milk, Meat, and Muscle Shaped the World  by   Andrew Rimas and Evan D. G. Fraser.   Now, how could anybody not be interested in a book with that title!

Don't Get Sick (A panic-free pocket guide to living in a germ-filled world!)  by the editors of Prevention magazine.


Now, honestly, don't you think I got a great bargain for $5. plus tax?

Of course, even being a speed-reader, there is not enough time left in my life to read these and all the other hundreds of books I want to read.

4.  How to get out of the budget abyss?

Albert Velasquez (Eldersburg, Maryland) writes to the Carroll County Times today  about the money problems of the Government, and makes a suggestion that should be written on a flag and hung outside of everyone's residence:

The tax code should be made fair for everyone. 

It's as simple as that.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if everyone paid their fair share of the expenses of running this marvelous country of ours?

5.  Otherwise Try..

If Congress does not take the steps necessary to change the tax code, what would be another step to take to get our Country going again? 

Government Bonds

"Buy a bond today!  Bonds of freedom, that's what I'm selling.  Buy a bond today!"

If you are old enough to remember this song, you know how the Country responded patriotically to Bond Drives in World War II.  We all contributed.. even kids took dimes to school to buy stamps.. get enough stamps and turn them in to a bond.  I still have some of those bonds.. uncashed.

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My hour is up again.  See ya.

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September 28, 2011

Oy! Such a day!  Up real early to  get ready for medical tests.  Fasting!  Race to Reisterstown.  Wait for an hour under a sign that reads: "Blood Draw Station"...  Race back to Westminster to find Edith Keeney to give her the only key to the Alumni Office.  Hurry up a lunch for Elaine and then  off to let Kim make me look like a movie star... then off to Pier One to buy gifts for three functions.. then off to get supper and then .. oh oh.. I forgot, at 7:00 I was supposed to  go to the Pipe Creek Civil War Round Table... can't do everything.   So, not much time left for this blog.. so it will be an abbreviated hour's worth.

1. End of an era..

Andy Rooney is retiring from CBS-TV's "60 minutes".. (I think this was the program which had a presentation on "finding your birth mother".. and started the process that allowed my brother Joe to find his Massachusetts family).. anyway, Andy started with "60 Minutes" when it started itself.. in 1978.  He stayed with the show fror 44 years!  In 1988, he began his special part of the show, before that he was involved, but not a "star."  I think that Andy is now 92 years old.. but don't write him off just yet.  I think we'll be seeing more of him in the near future.

2.  Bam!

Emeril LaGasse.. Fall River, Massachusetts' pride and joy is very sad today.  His mentor, Ines DeCosta died this weekend at the age of 79.  Ines' family ran a nice Portuguese restaurant in Fall River (8 miles from my hometown of New Bedford) and Emeril spent long hours watching her and learning how to cook.

I think that this is her Recipe for good Portuguese Kale Soup:

Take a few pounds of good green kale, and one friendly Portuguese wife.  Then get the hell out of her kitchen and let her make some kale soup!

3.  Scruffy guys..

For some time now, I have been bothered by these actors who think it is sexy to have constant 5-O'clock shadow.  Apparently, some ladies must think so too, or it wouldn't continue.  Guys like Hugh Laurie on House.. If I had a doctor that treated me and looked like a bum, I would rush for a second opinion.

(BTW: did you know that Laurie was once Mr. Bean's sidekick, and often played a kind of effeminate Prince?)

Today, the newspaper feature called "Annie's Mailbox" had this observation, addressed to a questioner with the title: "Sloppy Old Man", who also didn't seem to like partially bearded guys.. as well as women who sported mustaches:

"...A loving heart is the most important attribute of any relationship.  But there is no excuse for either men or women to become unshaven, unkempt pigs because they have become complacent." 

Many years ago, my late wife and I had fun following the careers of the Monkey Lady and the Alligator Man.   He had a bad skin condition that made him look like he had alligator scales.. and she had a flat nose and a luxurient mustache and beard.  They got married and retired to Sarasota, Florida.  They were real nice circus people who did not mind being stared at.

My point in all this is:  if you are going to allow your facial hair to grow.. go all the way!  Don't be wishy washy about it.  There is a lady in the Westminster, Maryland area who has a very nice mustache that she keeps trimmed... I admire her for that.

4.  Enlarging the brain?

A new magazine (I think) popped out at me today.  Its called Ideas and Discoveries, and is written to tickle your thought processes.  One of the provocative questions in the magazine is:  Can bodybuilding raise your IQ?

A Danish study indicates that when muscles are stimulated, a protein knows as BDNF is produced by the brain.  Apparently BDNF has something to do with forming new learning experiences.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain-derived_neurotrophic_factor

I bought the magazine because it purported to answer many of the everyday questions that humans pose.. and seldom get answers for.   Stay tuned.

5.  Zoom, Zoom.. can you hear that?

The Week magazine mentions that chemists at Tufts University have created the world's smallest electric motor out of a single molecule.  60,000 times thinner than a human hair!!

OK.. even though stimulated, my brain can't handle the idea of such a motor.  However, I like the last line of the report:  "...it could one day be developed into microscopic machinery to perform single-cell surgery or power minuscule computer chips."

Can you even imagine what this world is going to be like in the next 100 years?!

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My skinny hour is over.  See Ya.

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September 27, 2011

I'm running late.  Got to get to the Social Security Alumni office in a little while for a Board meeting, so this hour will have to be a lot shorter than 60 minutes.  Wow!  What power.. to be able to change time.

1.  Money... again!

Another monetary crisis may have been averted by Congress approving a "compromise"  continuing resolution.  This puts the "body" of the Government back to life, at least until November.. when we have to go through this disgusting process once again.  It's a shame we can't update next year's elections to this year and get rid of some of these congressional "clowns" right now. (In my humble opinion.)

2.  The Birthplace of Democracy

The government of Greece will be trying to enforce a new property tax on its citizens, to try to get the country back to solvency.  Officials say that enforcement will indeed be "trying".. because  85% of the Greeks have their savings invested in their homes.. not in banks or 401 set ups, and they will probably find some very innovative ways to protect their investments, and avoid the tax. Greeks are very clever.. remember Ulysses in the Odyssey?


3.  Top Banana?

In a letter today to the Carroll County Times (Westminster, Maryland), Dave Owings suggested that we create jobs by building greenhouses in Michigan where we can grow acres of bananas; thereby taking over the place now held by Big Banana.  He also hints that this might even put buggy whip makers back to work.

As you can tell, we have another Voltaire in our midst.  Instead of bananas, I would suggest pasta plants.  Just think about how many people like spaghetti.  Why should Italy get  all the money for growing pasta plants?  Give the good old USA some of that action! 

4.  A fun job?

Today, in DC, tourists will be able to see guys rappelling down the sides of the Washington Monument.  They will be looking for cracks caused by the recent earthquake.. and having one hell of a good time while doing so.

5.  Get your TV program here!

Our local newspaper, mentioned above, will begin charging fifty cents a week  for a TV guide to be delivered with the newspaper.  I like our local paper very much, but I think that $26 a year  for a weekly TV guide is a bit steep.. especially when you can get a subscription to a publication called TV Guide for a lot less than that.  I wonder if it will work out for them.  Time will tell.. (or Newsweek or somesuch).


6.  Neither rain nor snow... but $

Postmaster General Patrick Donahue is (even as we speak, or write) on the Diane Rhem Show, discussing things that may happen to the US Postal Service:

The closing of 250 post offices.

The laying off of 35,000 postal  workers.

The discontinuance of Saturday mail delivery.

Are we (the American public) going to stand for this? 

7.  Good News and Bad News

Good:  The stock market is starting to rally again.

Bad: A typhoon has hit the Philipines and millions are being evacuated.

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My short hour is up.  See ya!

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September 26, 2011

I'm going to quickly comment on some stuff in this morning's papers and on the airwaves (radio and PC).

1.  More freedom for ladies?

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has announced that Saudi women will be allowed to vote in the 2015 elections (not the 2011 elections).  Can this be a "foot in the door" for the ladies?  Will more freedoms be allowed in the future?  Will they be allowed to drive someday?  Will they always have to be subservient to male guardians?  Time will tell.

Hasn't  Aristophanes' play Lysistrata ever been viewed by Saudi women?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/lysistrata

2.  That's a lot of ...

The last  bull has supposedly been slaughtered by a bull-fighter in the region of Catalonia, Spain.  A cheering crowd in Barcelona happily watched recently as an unfortunate bull had his innards pierced.  A regional anti-bullfighting law was passed in 2010.  It is not scheduled to take effect until the beginning of 2012, but the last of these "spectacles" took place last week, a little ahead of schedule.  

Will these "fights" go underground, like "pitbull fights" in the U.S.?  Probably.  Bullfighting is too much a part of the Spanish culture to disappear completely, in my humble opinion.

http://www.Spain-info.com/Culture/bullfighting.htm

3.  Left, Right or Left?

In the see-saw that is French politics, the Left recently took over their Senate from the Right.  This is reported to be a "smack in the face" to that fellow short guy named Nicolas Sarkozy, and perhaps a foretaste of left-tending voting that may take place in the U.S. next year, because of the obstructionist activity of one of our  political parties, in my humble opinion.

4.  Taking gas...

I have been making an effort to do all my shopping at the local Giant super market, in order to get points towards lower gasoline prices at Shell gas stations.   I got a "fill-up" last week and "saved" 40 cents off each gallon, based on Giant purchases.   Now I have heard on NPR that if I had waited  until today, I would have gotten the 40 cents off anyway, because the price of gas fell that much or more over the weekend.

I remember when gasoline cost 18 cents a gallon.. of course, at that time, I only earned $1.00 an hour (a pretty good wage rate for 1950!)  It's all relative, my friend.

5.  Food for Thought?

I enjoy reading what Rob Spring, a Conservative-leaning columnist for the Carroll County Times (Maryland), has to say every other Monday in that newspaper, even though I seldom agree with it. 

In August, he said that he would stop eating at McDonald's because he did not like them "dictating" apples over French Fries in their Happy Meals.

Was Rob "pulling our legs?"  Happy Meals are for kids.. and senior citizens like me, who look for bargains to supplement our meager pensions.. I know, I know.. he was probably just talking about the food that children eat.. and, yes, I get the point, he doesn't want Government dictating what our kids eat.  But, should we have Governments that do not care about us?  And since when has McDonald's allowed anybody to influence what they serve?

Anyway, I really like the final paragraph in Rob's column for today: 

"People should open their minds and think for themselves.  Don't trust me and don't place all your trust in media outlets that agree with you.  Research outside of the media you regularly frequent, but always find the source story, not an interpretation of it."

I hope that Rob's TV viewing habits include programs in addition to Fox News.

6.  That's puzzling..

I want to put in another plug for The Week magazine.  One of their features is "The Puzzle Page".  There, you will find a crossword puzzle replete with topical clues,  a Sudoku puzzle (if you are so inclined), and "The Week Contest", where you are asked to come up with a clever title or phrase related to a specific topic.

In the May 13, 2011 issue, readers were asked to name the top tune that whales (the Sinatras of the Ocean) were crooning.   Elaine had, what I thought was a winner:

"I am so blue, without you."

In the September 2, 2011 issue, readers were asked to name the smaller of the two original moons orbiting the Earth.. you know, the one that crashed into the bigger one and is now part of it.  My picks were:

"Blew Moon"

"Boo Moon" (Actually, the moon we see at Halloween,)

I know... not too good.. sorry about that.
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My hour is up.  See ya!
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September 24, 2011

Listening, watching and hearing lots of news this morning about "Break ups", I thought that this would make a good theme for today's blog entry.

1.  Breaking up is....

One of my famorite Carpenters song is "Breaking Up is Hard to Do"..  when my kids (and I) were very young, we would lay on the carpet in front of the massive stereo set  after supper and listen to our favorite Carpenters long-play album.  You ask:  "Who the hell are the Carpenters?"  Check Wikipedia, young person!

2.  A Satellite is breaking up.

On the news today, I learned that parts of the falling NASA satellite could either be in the Pacific Ocean, Canada, North Africa, or the Atlantic Ocean.   Stay tuned.

3.  REM is breaking up.

I ask:  "Who the hell is/are REM?"  Something to do with sleeping?  Check Wikipedia, Joe!

4.  Aaron is breaking up.

Aaron Sorkin (West Wing) recently head-butted himself in a mirror and broke his nose.

5.  Arizona heat wave is breaking up

Today, the residents of Tucson were enjoying a break from the current heat wave.  I'm told that the temperature is  now down to 96.

6.  The United States Postal SERVICE is breaking up

I hear that the House has already passed a bill to cut Saturday mail delivery.

7.  NETFLIX is breaking up

With the separation of DVD and streaming movie services.. QUIXTER has been born.  However, the name Quixter is already being used by a guy named Jason, who describes himself on TWITTER as a "girl-loving dopester."

8.  No child left behind is breaking up.

President Obama is now going to allow States to opt out of the No Child Left Behind program.  Virginia is probably first in line.

Lastly:

9.  Fat cells may be breaking the bank soon.. 

A "fat bank" has been established in Orlando, Florida as a place to store the fat that you have had liposuctioned off of your body... because, you may want to have it back sometime.. in surgery?  To get fuller lips?  To cover up wrinkles? To make your sunken cheeks come back to life? To round out your sorry aging butt?  How about you, Santa?  Joe?

(Remember the WWII ad:  "Ladies, take your fat can down to your butchers."  Fat was needed in the 1940's to grease artilliary, and civilians were encouraged to keep a can ready in the kitchen to hold used lard, and fat like that.)

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My hour is up.. and I'm starting to break up.. so I am signing off.  See ya!

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September 22, 2011

(If you are looking for "Chicken Little", you need to see my blog entry for September 21, 2011.)

Today, which I think is the first day of Autumn, I woke up to Good News and Bad News.

Good News First:

1.  Hi!

I woke up!

2.  Thank you, President Kennedy

Today is the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps, an Organization that shows how great we are as a Nation.. 

3.  No Chubby Checkers

Operation  TWIST has been initiated.  Maybe the financial outlook will improve.

4.  Publication

A book called Time for Outrage has been published in the U.S.  It is an English translation of Indignez-vous, a European best-seller written by Stephane Hessel, a 93 year old diplomat, French Resistance fighter in WWII, and a concentration camp survivor.

Mr. Hessel challenges young people to fight the outrageous things that are going on.  He wants them to stand up to what is wrong in the world, and like Lou Piel indicated in a recent column.. get off of one's butt and take action.

5.  Get lost!

Corn mazes are suddenly appearing around the area.  There is a remarkable one being unveiled at the Ag Center in Westminster, Maryland.   That MAZE is really AMAZING!  Bring the kids and get lost in the maze for a while. It's a lot of fun.

And now for the BAD NEWS!

6.  I'm Going Broke again!

The Stock Market is way way way down again and banks are paying almost nothing for the use of your money.  But I'm told that is OK because inflation is low.  I'd rather have a little inflation.. perhaps that would cause us to have some job creation.

7.  Ah Choo!

Once again, the 5 (count 'em) Carroll County (Maryland) Commissioners, in their wisdom, have cut funding for the Department of Health, and FLU shots are no longer going to be given by that organization.    People will have to get their shots out in the open  at Rite Aid or WalMart or Giant.  Some Medical Offices will be giving shots, at least to people over 65.. I guess that is because Medicare may subsidize them.

(These same  Commissioners have; however, found the money to hire a hot-shot Conservative advertising expert... as well as to contribute to a hot-shot lobbyist for the Maryland General Assembly.)

Another thing  that bugs me about these Commissioners...they like to have their planning sessions in private.. at least they used to before people complained.. when I was Chair of the Carroll County Commission on Aging, I had to make sure that all of our meetings were publicised and open to the general population.

8. "They look alike.."

Twenty six year old twins have been charged with burglary and other crimes in Counties surrounding our relatively crime free Carroll County Maryland.  The madula oblongata apparently has yet to mature in these two guys.  Its a shame we still don't have a Draft.. maybe that would have gotten them off the streets and into a program to learn a more useful skill than thievery.

9.  Did he or didn't he?

The Supreme Court opted not to hear the appeal information for convicted cop-killer, Troy Davis.  Apparently, most of the people who testified that they saw Troy do the crime, recanted their testimony. I would think that this would cause a reasonable doubt in the minds of most people.  But Mr. Davis was executed anyway... he maintained his innocence to the end.

Finally.. Hope?

10.  In an editorial in The Nation magazine dated September 26, 2011, four actions are outlined that President Obama can take, on his own, to relieve the jobs situation.  These are actions that do not allow for immediate obstruction by an obstructionist Congress.

a.  Forgive the mortgage debt for the millions of homeowners facing foreclosure.

Supposed result:  Put 71 billion dollars a year into the economy and create one million jobs.

b.  Enact trade and tax reforms and penalize the offshoring of jobs.

Supposed result:  Stop the accumulation of trillions of dollars in debt and keep jobs in the U.S.

c.  Let Government create pilot programs and public jobs.

Supposed result:  The generation of 2.2 million jobs.

d.  Let the Federal Reserve lend direct financial support to producers and workers, as they did to the financial sector.

Supposed result:  The end of this damned depression.

Do you think that the President will do any of these?

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Well, I think that I got  quite a lot into this day's hour.  At least, I got my juices flowing.  See ya.
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September 21, 2011

While I wait for a bus pickup that will take a bunch of us old timers to a "crab feast" on Kent Island, on Chesapeake Bay in  Maryland, I have an extra hour, so I can bother you with some more news observations.

1.  A B'ar in a Bar?

An 800 pound stuffed bear has been stolen from in front of a bar.  No comment. You really don't want me to tell any of the 18 bear jokes I have in my files.

2.  Filling a Need?

The town of Sykesville, Maryland was recently mentioned twice as a nice, cheap, safe place to live in the U.S.  Part of the Sykesville area is called Eldersburg.  There is a bare corner at Route 32 and Route 26 in Eldersburg,  a very heavily traveled intersection.  This corner lot has been  an empty lot for lots and lots and lots of years. 

Today's Carroll County Times says that a major fast food gas station is being considered as a tenant for the spot. OKAY!  Just what we need.. another fast food gas station.  How many are there now within a space of an eighth of a mile?  A bunch, I'll bet.

3.  Headline of interest to ornithologists?

Also in the Carroll County Times:

FALCONS BOUNCE BACK AGAINST OWLS

4.  State vs Federal

Tom Zirpoli is a columnist for the Carroll County Times and he writes today:

"...Why is (Governor) Perry asking for Federal funds to cover State services in Texas?  Isn't this the same Perry running for President on the primary issue of cutting spending, including funding for FEMA.  Isn't this the same man who wants the Federal Government to stay out of his State?..."

5.  Chicken Little was Right

In a couple of days, a 7 ton NASA research satellite will enter earth's atmosphere, where it will break up into hundreds of pieces, some of which will be quite large.  The chance of being hit with any of this debris is estimated as 1 in 3,200. 

This doesn't make me feel very safe.  I recently won the large amount of ten dollars in the Maryland State Lottery.  My chances for winning that small amount of money was also 1 in 3,200.

In 1997, a lady in Oklahoma was hit by a small part of a Delta-2 rocket.  She told NPR that she hopes that this time the space debris stays clear of her State.


 6. Something fishy here?

The United States Army is investigating how omega-3 fatty acid supplements might help soldiers cope. Besides being good for heart health, this fatty acid may also relieve the symptoms of certain types of depression.

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My hour is up.  See ya!
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September 20, 2011

Maybe I can keep this one-hour thing going for a while. At least I will try.  Of course, the Allen Curve may make an appearance after a short period of enthusiasm.  Anyway, here are an hour's worth of news from local sources, with my commentory, for what it is worth.

1.  A dead man rises again.

The former owner of a Maryland cemetery had been convicted of fleecing over five hundred people out of cemetery services, and he apparently thought that it was time for him to disappear and start a new life.  So, he conned his brother into thinking that he had fallen overboard into Chesapeake Bay.  While rescue teams searched for his body, he was busy setting up a new identity in Texas.

However, this scumbag didn't count on the TV show "America's Most Wanted."  Viewers turned his sorry butt in, and now he is facing a total of 16 years in the slammer.

2.  The politics of Social Security

Texas Governor Rick Perry has said that Social Security is a Ponzi scheme.  Acting like a George W. Bush look-alike, Rick is trying to swagger his way to a Republican nomination for President.   However, with this Social Security statement, I believe he has sealed his fate as an "almost-ran."   Even Mitt Romney says: "If we nominate someone who the Democrats could correctly characterize as being against Social Security, we will be obliterated as a party."

3.  The politics of deadly vaccine

Michelle Bachman is now saying that her claim that a vaccine intended to prevent cervical cancer caused mental retardation did not represent her view.  She just says she was relaying what a woman told her.   Come on, Michelle, you know that everything you say these days is going to be picked up by the media and thrown back in your face. 

4.  Movies by mail?

Guess what?  Netflix for mail subscribers is about to be renamed: Quickster.  Wow!  Competition from Hulu, Amazon,  and other companies have caused the company to rethink their service.  Now, I think, we will get a bill for mail Netflix (Quickster) and also for online Netflix.  Is this another instance of GREED?  We'll probably rethink it all and cancel some service and pay for another.  I love Netflix by mail. Right now, I can order all kinds of esoteric movies and a few days later, they appear in my mailbox.

5. Facebook for Churches?

Wevival is a social media service and a local business involved in web development.  The company recently launched its first offering, Shop My Church.  This is a social church directory where people can promote their church for free.   http://www.shopmychurch.com/  How are they going to make any money if their services are free?

6.  Jobs

In looking at  today's Carroll County (Maryland) Times newspaper classified ads, I see ads for the following: (in order)

Honda Salesman
Automobile Technician
Another Honda Saleman
Car Washer and Detailer
Carpenter's Helper
CDL Driver (whatever that means)
Cleaner for a day care center
Construction Workers (Heavy Equipment Operators)
Egg Company Driver/ Deliverer
Tractor Trailer Driver
Another CDL Driver
Family Investment Specialist
Farrier (or helper)
Roofing Field Job Supervisor
Gardener
Grounds Maintenance Persons
Groundskeeper
Another CDL driver
Caregiver
Health Worker
Housecleaner
Liquor Store Clerk
Town Maintenance Worker
Medical Assistant
Newspaper Carrier
Optometric Assistant
Optician
Pharmacy Technician
Receptionist
Office Assistant
Another Receptionist
Restaurant Manager
Battery Warehouse Clerk
Veterinary Technician
Part-Time Driver
Licensed Therapist
Financial Agent
Grant Agent
Agricultural Agent
Diesel Technician
Medical Assistant
Landscaping Laborers
Landscaping Foremen

In addition, I see "HELP WANTED" signs outside most of our fast food restaurants.  And these ads are printed in the newspaper of a rather small town on a week day.   Why are people not taking these jobs?  Is it because they can get Unemployment Benefits now for such a long period?

Once, in the 1960's, a New Jersey Representative gave a talk at the Social Security Administration office in Woodlawn, at which he read off hundreds of job openings in New Jersey that were not being filled, even though unemployment was at an all-time high rate.  He later became the Secretary of Labor and tried to get those jobs filled.   So.. not much has changed in 50 years, I guess.
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Oh.. time's up.  See ya.
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September 19, 2011

Let's see if I can keep this "one hour" stuff going.  Today, I will do something different.  Elaine and I went on a bus trip to Chesapeake City for lunch.  Along the way, I saw some signs that interested me.  I want to share them with you.

1.  Felix the Cat

On a telephone pole near Westminster was a square white sign with the following words only:  Felix the Cat.  I don't have the faintest idea as to why it is there, but it reminds me of when I was about 7 or 8 years old.  I loved the  Felix the Cat cartoon strip and I wished that I was rich enough to spend ten cents to buy the Felix the Cat comic book.

Marcia, the little girl I liked who lived across the street, using all of her inborn feminine wiles, told me that if I would take her mother's note to the store and get the things that her mother needed, she would give me a copy of the comic book I so desired.  All excited, I took the note to the store, gave it to the clerk, and he gave me Kotex, lip stick and such items, and a note to give back to Marcia's mother (probably telling her to hurry and pay her bill).

My anticipation overruled my embarassment, and I gave everything to Marcia, and waited for my Felix the Cat comic book.  Marcia laughed, went home, and left me empty-handed and probably tearful.

Not  being a quick learner, this scenario played out a few more times until I learned a great lesson... at least with Marcia.. but of course, I promptly forgot the lesson when I received other promises from pretty females.

http://felixthecat.com/

2.  Sooner or Later

A billboard along the roadway said:  "The Future is Sooner Than You Think!"

What on earth does that mean?  What on the moon does that mean?  Every second we enter the future, which then suddenly becomes the present, and a second later, the past.

3.  Podiatrist?

Another billboard sign said:  "Relax, it's feet first."  

I assume this is an ad for a podiatrist... maybe not.. maybe it's an ad for a swimming pool, because that is the way I enter a pool.  I test the water with my big toe first.. doesn't everyone.

However, many many years ago, some of us guys froze our big toes by going swimming in Buzzard's Bay (Massachusetts) every Easter.  Were we crazy?  Sometimes the ambient temperature was close to freezing.  (Wait a minute.. is this true?  Or did I dream this..?)

4.  Computer ad?

The billboard sign read:  "Talk, Surf, Play, Listen"

I assume this is an ad for Internet access.  Or, it's an ad for Hawaii, or Ocean City, Maryland. 

Talk to the local natives.
Surf in the ocean.
Play in the sand.
Listen to the waves.

I like signs like this.  I can read the big letters from a distance, but I can't see the little letters, so I have to use my imagination to figure out what the words are trying to convey.

5.  Who is this guy?

Almost every truck that passed our bus had the following name stenciled on the back:

MAX  GROSS 

I can't believe that this is the Max Gross I went to High School with.. he could not possibly have amounted to anything... the last I heard, he had tatooed his head with all kinds of racist epithets.  Surely, he is in jail right now... however, I just read about a guy who was a big shot Skinhead for twenty years, "saw the light" and had all of his ugly tatoos laser-whipped off his body.  Maybe that happened to Max and he was able to go into his Uncle's trucking business.

6.  This gets my goat!

One ad I saw by the side of the road said: "Boer goats for sale."

I had never heard of Boer goats before.  Now I know that these were goats bred for meat by the Boers (farmers) in South Africa, beginning around 1900.  Visit this location to learn all you need to know about this breed.. don't let the Afrikaans words scare you.. the main information is in English.

http://www.boergoats.co.za/

7.  Other signs that intrigued me

o  Popeyes:  "We have naked strips."

o  McDonalds:  "Ever fit a pineapple thru a straw?"

o  Some beer company:  "Catch the camo can."

I assume this is a camouflage colored can.. ??

Or, it is a can for Camo Black Ice beer (American Malt Liquors, Las Vegas, NV)

o  Dentist Office sign:  All Smiles Dental Care

8. Signs that Beckon

These two signs invite you to visit two neat places in Havre de Grace, Maryland.. they sound intriguing to me, and I will visit the businesses mentioned.  Their ads worked.

Bahoukas Beer Museum

Haxel Flagpole Warehouse

I'm not sure, but one of them may be on Red Toad Road, and the other on Bullfrog Lane.

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OK, my hour is up.  See you next time, I hope.

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September 18, 2011

Today is Sunday, September 18, 2011, and I think that I will do something different.. mainly because I don't feel like opening the Sunday paper yet.  Instead, since I just did the crossword puzzle for The Week magazine issue of September 23, 2011.. I will make some observations about news events clued in the puzzle.  My one hour starts.......now.

1.  The Amazing Sarah

Guess who showed up in Iowa last week and participated in a "half-marathon".. that's around 13 miles, folks.  An incognito Sarah Palin.

She came in unannounced and disguised by sunglasses.  Some people finally recognised her and she posed for a few pictures.  She did her 13 miles in a little under two hours.  I think that is a respectable 11 mph rate.  (I couldn't do it).  After the race, she hurried to New Hampshire to talk to some Tea Party folks.

The "half Governor" never ceases to amaze me, but not enough to make me want to vote for her..Elaine has always said that if women ever run for President, they will get her vote.... however, she makes two exceptions:  Sarah and Michelle.

2.   Yummy Ice Cream?

Ben and Jerry's has come out with a new flavor: schweddyballs.  The name relates to a Saturday Night Live routine... I went out to the Internet and tried to view the episode.. but, my lack of computer power won't let me.  I'm sure the routine is hilarious.

By the way, I got an email from my friend Jeremy (Larry) Johnson, a New York actor who graduated from New Bedford (Massachusetts) High School with me.  He has done some Saturday Night Live skits as special characters.  His next gig is as a mustachioed guy in the pilot for "Eugene" on Comedy Central.

Elaine and I had fun visiting Ben and Jerry's ice cream factory in Vermont a couple of years ago.  We tried a lot of their great desserts.  However, their prices are a bit high when it comes to ice cream in the super markets.. but I'm sure it is worth it.  Cheap guys like me will probably stick to Edy's.

3.  Jobs?

President Obama says: vote, vote, vote... for the American Jobs Act.  Republicans say: maybe, maybe, maybe... or.. maybe not, maybe not, maybe not...  Here we go again!

4.  Another Pavarotti Lost!

Operatic tenor Salvatore Licitra died recently at a young age.  He was being praised for probably becoming another Luciano Pavarotti.  In my opinion, nobody has ever come close to sounding like Luciano.  (My late lamented Tuxedo Cat, had several names, one of which was Luciano, shortened to Lucky.  He was named Luciano because some of his meows were quite melodious and reminded me of Pavarotti.  I have never heard a human sound as good as Pavarotti.. even my hero, Placido Domingo, who made the part of Torrido come alive in Cavalleria Rusticana.)

5.  Where is she now?

Yma Sumac.. Peruvian singer from the fifties with an amazing voice.  She still has an active fan club that has a website called sunvirgin.com.  I will not link to it, because the website says not to because of a picture that they are legally bound to not have duplicated.  In fact, they claim that the picture is "watermarked" so that violators can be tracked.....!?

6.  Can you name the seven dwarfs?

Doc, Dopey, Sleepy, Grumpy, Happy, Sneezy, and Bashful.  Hey, I got them all right!

(Incidentally, the amateurish cartoons that I show on my blogs from time to time, are from drawings I would make each night before bed on notebook paper and with cheap crayons.  This was fun for me. I hope that I am not violating some copying law by letting people see my childish renditions.)

7.  How are your arteries?

Denny's Restaurant has a new specialty:  the Mac 'n Cheese Big Daddy Patty Melt platter... with 1,690 calories and 99 grams of fat. 

8.  Purple contact lenses?

I guess you can't call contact lenses jewelry.. so I guess they won't be included in the mass of Liz Taylor's jewelry that Christie's will be auctioning off in December.  You will probably need to get your bid in early.. they expect a big crowd.  Bring lots of dough!

Didn't Ms Taylor play Cleopatra?  Besides the puzzle clue about Liz' jewelry, there is another clue nearby that reads:  "Egyptian cobra".. the answer, of course is, appropriately: ASP.

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My hour is up.  Thanks for listening.
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Quick Local News from September 17, 2011

This blog will  appear periodically and just cover items quickly observed or read in local newspapers within a one hour limit.  This set of items is from the Carroll County (Maryland) Times for Saturday, September 17, 2011.

01.  Religion

(Apologia: Some of you may know my views on religion, and what I write about may or may not be what I personally believe; however, it is what I am very much interested in and concerned about.)

Lou Piel, fellow CLV resident and preacher published a column with the title:  Express God's Love in More Tangible Ways.  Lou says:  "... ask God, through the spirit, to intervene in our lives... so we would accept the responsibility God has given us."

Lou quotes Francis of Assissi: "Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace."

He also quotes Jim Robinson: "...if we're free, that means we are responsible."

I like Lou's premise, that we shouldn't sit around waiting for things to happen to us.. we need to get off of our butts and help others..

I also like one phrase of Lou's that tells me a lot about him:  "In the act of creation, no matter how you understand it. (evolution, creationism)..."

I think that I will send Lou an email.

2.  Religion

The Vatican is trying to get a break-away traditional Catholic group to rejoin the church.. but first, they must accept some core church teachings of the current Roman Catholic faith.  The ultra-conservative Society of St. Pius X is opposed to the liberalizing reforms of the Second Vatican Council.  That group was founded by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in 1969 and split with Rome over some issues, such as the church's relations with Jews and allowing the celebration of the Mass in languages other than Latin.

I believe that the Mass is now allowed to be celebrated in Latin..  I'll have to look further into the Jewish issue.. which may be related to a Bishop who denied the Holocaust.

3.  Inventions and Such

President Obama signed a bill on Friday that overhauled the U.S. Patent system.  The new law was set up to address the almost 700,000 patent application backlog.   It now takes about three years to get a patent.  (The article mentions that Thomas Edison only had to wait for seven weeks to get his photograph patent.. did they mean the phonograph?)

The act  calls for the hiring of almost 2,000 examiners.

Wow!  Republicans went along with this bill!

4.  Religion again

In a letter to the editor, Wayne Butcher of Hampstead writes what may or may not be a tongue-in-cheek statements:  "... a large number of Christians in this country believe the Bible to be historically accurate..."  and:  "Apart from the fact that the Bible definitely teaches that the Earth is little more than 6,000 years old, some simple observations reveal that the Earth is quite young..."

Wayne then gives some examples... as I read them, I do believe that Wayne is pulling our legs.  He either is a reincarnated Voltaire, or a misguided Fundamentalist.  (And "there is nothing wrong with that"... as Seinfeld would say.)

5.  Even more Religion

Robert Wack, who I believe is, or was,  a CLV Board Member, and a member of the Carroll County Common Council, writes about "...yet another back and forth about evolution versus creationism or intelligent design."

Bob believes that both sides of the argument are correct, because they are talking about two different things.  His final paragraph bears repeating here:

"Science is about facts, evolution is science and the theory works, as well as our theories of gravity and electricity.  Creationism  is about feeling and faith, and it too works, but it is not science.  Where science ends, faith begins, and it is on that frontier the two can coexist in harmony."

Good job, Bob.  Let's hope Fundamentalists someday agree with you.

6.  Elder Abuse

As the civilian coordinator of the TRIAD/SALT group in Carroll County, Maryland, I am very much interested in the apprehension and jailing of persons who abuse Senior Citizens.  TRIAD is a group of three interested parties.. Police Organizations, AARP, and interested Senior Citizens.  SALT is an acronym for Seniors and Law-enforcement Together.  We meet regularly to address crimes against our elderly population.

The newspaper mentions a woman who has been charged with embezzling over $100,000 from an elderly woman with Alzheimers, for whom she had legal power.  If true, this is an example of Elder Abuse.  (Of course, being charged with a crime does not mean the person is convicted of a crime.)

According to a probable cause statement mentioned by the newspaper, "... made approximately 3,900 purchases out of the account of (the alleged victim) for ... own personal gain."

How much of this goes on is unknown.  In TRIAD, we try to teach Police and Citizens how to spot and report instances of Elder Abuse.  This is a big subject and we are getting ideas from Ombudsmen and other professionals.  We are also planning to institute bank teller training, so they can be more alert to questionable withdrawals. We meet on the third Thursday of every month at the Westminster, Maryland Senior Activity Center.. at ten am.  Everyone is welcome to attend.

7.  Stink Bugs

Bryan Butler, regional fruit educator for the University of Maryland Extension Service in Carroll County writes that our area was spared a lot of stink bug damage because of the heavy rains and excess vegetation to distract them from produce.  A second generation of the bugs did not appear. However,  a lot of work is still being done on the problem.. as well as the on-going problems with gypsy moths and Japanese beetles.

Well, nobody told our stink bugs that they were not much of a problem.  We had four Earthboxes with zucchini squash, yellow squash, cucumbers, and lots of tomato plants.  Stink bugs destroyed the zucchini and yellow squash plants (after we got a few good sized squash though) and almost destroyed our cucumber plants. (We are still getting some stunted cucumbers.)  After they did their damage there, they began to shove their probiscus points into our tomato fruit.  I now have to pick the tomatoes  while they are still green, before they are attractive to the bugs.. and hope that they ripen in the kitchen. 
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OK.. the hour is up  See you next time.  Meanwhile, visit my website: http://joe-vaughan.com/.

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