The Scorched Pig: Squeals from the Desert

Obama Needs All the Help He Can Get (and give)

2008-11-14T19:59:00.002-05:00

I haven't written anything for quite some time due to the fact that I have been busy searching for a job and watching how things keep getting worse and worse. Now that my Unemployment (Extended) has run out, I will soon be among the homeless. Currently, I am living in a boarding house, which I'd love to stay at, and I might be able to eke out another month if I avoid paying bills.

On a positive note, this past Monday I received my Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language from the Boston Language Institute. I also got my passport last month when the money was still coming in. I had hoped on traveling to Southeast Asia, China or Madagascar, as that is where most of the succulent plants that intrigue me so much hail from.

On another positve note, I found an old friend, Steve, with whom I worked a few years back at Wentworth. I found him on LinkedIn. I wasn't sure if it was him, since thre were about 50 users with a similar name, but I figured he was in the Virginia/North Carolina region. I found him in Research Triangle Park. He made me aware of a career fair for the Wake County Public Schools, but since I don't have any practical experience teaching yet, I figure not to get any hopes up.

When you look at the constant drumbeat of bad news all around the world, its a wonder there isn't more general outrage against the CEOs and execs who we trusted to be smart enough to manage the economy. When people get jail time for smoking pot, but screwing up the economy and constantly laying off workers to pay for executive jaunts and conferences with tax payer money, why aren't they getting jail time?

I spend most of my time looking for work, either in any capacity in IT or as a way to get into Teaching ESL. I am also working on creating a very large Cactus and Succulent database that I have been working on for a few years now. The goal is to eliminate invalid species (over 2400) that would be 'verified' by the Cactus and Succulent Society of America. Someday, I'll get my hands on a digital camera, take a few hundred pictures, add growing instructions, get it self-published, and voila, instant book.

I spend most of my days now, using wifi at my friend Bruce's new business, "Let's Go Clay', a paint your own pottery (ceramics) business located at 699 Adams Street, Quincy, MA. Check out his website at letsgoclay.com I used to spend a lot of time at the Library, but their public wifi was often sporadic and I got hassled by the cops for no good, apparent reason.

On Election Day, here in the US, I had to actually get in line to vote. I don't ever recall that happening to me, other than being 2nd or 3rd in line. But this line was coming out the dor and it was mid-morning! I felt vindicated when I saw crowds in New York, Chicago and Boston, dancing and celebrating Obama's victory. This 8 year nightmare of a Presidency couldn't come to an end soon enough.

Another attempt to avoid the issues - with just 53 days to go...

2008-09-11T15:47:00.002-04:00

This is how bad the US election has sunk. Barack Obama uses the phrase 'You can put lipstick on a pig, but its still a pig!'. This is a phrase that is in common usage, in fact John McCain used the very same line concerning Hillary Clinton's Health Care plan.

But conservative bloggers are all over Obama viewing it as an attack on Sarah Palin. How ridiculous. They are claiming that it was a sexist statement because she used the word 'lipstick' in her acceptance speech at the RNC. If it weren't for Hillary running for President, Palin would never have been considered. Do women really know what they are getting with Sarah Palin? This is just a crass attempt to avid the real issue, like the loss of jobs, homes and the destruction of the middle class under 14 years of GOP rule.

Something you always knew... the National Park Service is in bed with the Oil Industry. NBC news reported yesterday that employees of the Department of Interior were not only having sex parties with the employees of the oil industry and their lobbyists, but with themselves - in other words some of them were DOI toys.

A lot of stuff needs to be cleaned up in DC, but McCain and Palin are not the ones to do it.

Democratic Cave-in on FISA

2008-07-11T15:28:00.003-04:00

The other day, the FISA bill which would allow the US Government to open and read your email and monitor your overseas phone in the name of national security passed despite the so-called Democratic opposition. Bush and Co., essentially had gotten all that it asked for and Barack Obama allegedly supports this latest assault on our privacy. Phone and ISP providers have essentially been given a green light from immunity from future prosecution. This merging of corporate and government power united against us, amounts to nothing less than fascism.

But if the Democrats are going to act like Republicans why bother talking about 'Change'. Do Democrats have a plan and or a backbone?

Ted Koppel is doing an interesting series of reports on China as we approach the Olympics, called "The People's Republic of Capitalism". In espisode 2, they began the talk about politics in China and he interviewed a former Seattle art student who lived in Seattle and has since returned to his native Chonqing, China. When asked about China's crackdown on dissidents he answered: "I do not like my government, but I trust my government." Do you trust yours.

The Chinese government to its credit at least palns for the future. The series concerns Chonqing and China's plans on making it a high tech and business hub of the Southwest part of China. I wish the US government had the same commitment to the future of America's rusr belt areas and give residents in the Midwest and Northeast hope for their futures.

After the disaster of Hurricane Katrina, I'll ask the question again, "Do you trust your government?

Banks are at it again!

2008-06-20T13:11:00.002-04:00

My bank is in the town over from me, so I usually take money out from an ATM at my supermarket. The ATM owner is Citizen's Bank and they have just raised their fees from $2.00 to $2.75. That's almost a 40% increase just to use their machine. While I won't argue that there is a cost incurred for them to fill the machine, this fare increase can't be justified. Don't blame it on the high cost of fuel, I know that's a tempting excuse for justifying any increase whatsoever. These fees are now equal what you would pay at a 'captive audience' site like an airport or a casino.

But you come right down to it, aren't the banks one of the prime culprits of America's credit meltdown? While conservatives like to blame individuals for taking on risky debt, it was the loan officer's responsibility to ensure that bad loans not get processed in the first place. Back in the 1980's the issue reason for the economic collapse was the same - banks being to greedy with mortgage interest rates. Now they want *US* to pay for their bad decision making.

Is it any wonder why the American consumer is in so much debt. Back when people had equity in their homes, banks encouraged people to take out home equity loans to pay off their debt to credit cards (also owned by banks), and Bush's response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, was to 'go out and spend more money'.

In view of the fact that America's credit meltdown is due in large part to the banking industry's call for gluttony, they should take the lead to get the country back on its feet, by not ripping us off when they WANT us to use their machines by putting them in places where people on tight budgets go to same some cash, their local supermarket instead of an expensive night out at a restaurant.

Citizen's Bank should change its name - they have nothing in common with the people they serve.

****

Congratulations on the Boston Celtics upon winning their 17th Championship against their storied rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers! Paul Pierce and company did Red Auerbach proud!

Go Red Sox!

Go Bruins!

Go Patriots!

An Appeal to Hillary

2008-06-04T15:52:00.002-04:00

To Hillary Clinton:

If you don't want the country to wake up to George Bush's third term, I would urge you to give up your egotistical pursuit for homage to you and get behind the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party, Barack Obama.

Women are in charge of many aspects of American society, so you and your hippie feminist supporters should stop complaining about sexism. You blame the media and others for not defending you? Many did, most notably ABC and MSNBC. Where were you when Ann Coulter was calling John Edwards gay? Didn't see you fight the right when John Kerry was being attacked by the 'vast right wing conspiracy'.

Both you and Barack Obama hold the same views on many issues, so the best way to support the working people of America is to get out now, admit you did not win the nomination, and do what is best for the country. Not everything is about you.

You are not the first woman to run for President of the United States. You won't be the first woman to run a country, you won't be the first female vice presidential nominee, the first female, Senator, Governor or Secretary of State. Get over yourself.

I used to respect you and read your books, but if this country wakes up to a McCain Presidency, we'll have two people to vilify. Ralph Nader and you.

Grow up and get behind the grownup.

Sea Glass

2008-06-02T16:44:00.002-04:00

Found a new hobby of sorts - looking for sea glass along the New England shoreline. A friend grew up in Hull and used to looked for sea glass as a kid. I lived near the coast, but not that near, so I was unfamiliar with the hobby. Most of the beaches we explore have been pretty much been swept clean, but I have found a few shards.

Sea glass, for those who don't know, is a piece of broken bottle, usually a beer bottle that has been discarded into the sea at least 50 years ago and has been worn down, rounded, and sometimes made opaque by the action of waves, salt and friction on the sand, by the rip tides.

I have found one piece of glass tht has the word 'Trade' on it and according to antique bottles.com, it may be from anywhere from 1870 to 1940.

I spend a lot of time at the Library, but I have only taken out 2 books so far and one was about sea glass. You knew, that glass would be so fascinating. Especially since glass is made from sand and find a glass shard on the beach is essentially, the glass coming home to roost.

I think we should return to the era of the glass bottle. They are re-cyclable and the Pacific ocean north of the Hawaiian Islands won't become an ever larger dump for plastic bottles that will never degrade, just harm sea life.

My day with Apple, Tibet and Earth Hour

2008-03-30T14:51:00.003-04:00

Had my seminar with Apple. They had to break us up into 2 conference rooms -- there were 36 in all -- have about 16 in our group.

Movies about the history of Apple, its new commercial, etc. They have these seminars 4 times a day. They are looking for very enthusiastic individuals and they can afford to be picky. They claimed they have interviewed 1000 people so far.

Unlike Radio Shack, at least Apple didn't put the emphasis on selling. They also put us into teams and we had to present something to the group. A couple did commercials. We presented a concept -- how IWeb could be used to keep families in touch -- via photos (IPhoto) and Podcasts (GarageBand) and hosting blogs.

In my introduction, I pointed out how I had an Mac since 1984 -- have had mostly all Macs since then and that I am on my third Ipod -- and that I use it for more than music -- I listed in Podcasts including ABC News as well as various courses from Itunes U.

When they open the Boylston Street store, it will be the largest store in the world -- it will have 3 floors and they are keeping it mostly under wraps -- opens 'Mayish'. It will be a news worthy story I am sure -- so keep your eyes peeled for it.

They will notify via email, those who they want to come in for an interview.

At least Stacy, the manager, remembered me from 2 months ago. But I am still only 1 in 1000 so I am not counting any chickens just yet.

After my day with Apple, I went for Chinese food at PF Changs, as usual, it was a good meal and then I sauntered over to a Tibetan store on Newbury Street. I wanted to show my solidarity with the protests in Lhasa. While I would never consider myself anti-Chinese, the recent 'staged' 'newsconference' of foreign journalists backfired in Beijing's face. And George Bush has already said we will not boycott the Olympics and he is still planning to go to Beijing in August. I am not sure what should be done, but clearly Beijing holds all the cards, the US none.

I have been studying up on the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, a country I hope to visit someday and looked for a CD of Bhutanese music. While teh store only had items made in Tibet and Nepal, I opted for a CD of Tibetan music, since Bhutan is culturally and linguistically linked to Tibet. But I have to make space on my Ipod first in rder to load them up.

I took part in my own little version of 'Earth Hour', now in its second year. Boston did not take part, which is surprising, but many cities and towns acros the globe did take part from Sydney, where it all began last year to Bangkok, Phoenix and Atlanta. It is designed to call attention to the problems of the environment -- meanwhile a huge glacier, nine times the size of Manhattan has fallen off the continent of Antarctica. What is particularly disturbing is the fact that the Southern Hemisphere shas started Autumn, where temperatures there should be cooling, not warming up.

This year's sprouts

2008-03-22T16:02:00.002-04:00

I bought some seeds from Mesa Garden. Don't remember if I sent in more than one sheet, but some items were missing -- they didn't say they were out of stock but they were some Phyllobolus and I can't think what else.

No matter -- I got what I originally and really wanted -- some Pachycereus Pringlei seeds -- Mexican Saguaro or 'Cardon'. They have already sproted after just 10 days or so and although they are supposed to be 'cousins of the Saguaro (Carnegia Gigantea) they are not showing any spines -- although they look like green flower sprouts of some sort.

From the CSSA I procured some more Pachpodium seed -- this time I soaked them overnight first -- and I have sprouts of P. Rosalatum and one P. Gaeyi. Last years seed, P. Baroni, sunk to the bottom of the cup and hope that doesn't mean they are not viable. Hard to tell, since there has not been a sprout at all.

Last year's Pachypodium Saundersonii is still just a stick. No sign of it coming out of doramncy. I do have 3 or 4 Gymnocalycium Qualianum sprouts that took a while, but they sprouted.

I have a few seeds that sprouted, these were last eyars leftovers, that I put into a salad container last year. Soil looks awful, had fungus, but I don't want to transplant them for another year -- in here I have Stenocereus Alamoensis, Pediocactus Bradyi, (never sprouted yet), Asterpytum Asterias and San Pedro cacti and a few Stetsonia Cornye.

In still another bowl, I have tiny saguaros that I hope I didn't kill from last year in the sun along with 2 or 3 Ferocactus Herrarae.

And last, but not least, after about a week after sowing, I have about 8 Lophopora seedlings.

Tips? Advice anyone. I think I am done with seed sowing for awhile. If all grow to a decent size there won't be room for me AND the plants. But it sure is a bost to morale.

Authoritarian Capitalism

2008-03-20T14:16:00.002-04:00

One thing I have been trying to get people to get there hands around was the concept of governmental monopolies controlling various markets. Now the Boston Globe has recently had an article on the subject. The world's largest investment bank is in China -- totally controlled by the Chinese government. If the Bank (ie government) likes the concept of your company or idea, it could make life easy for you and you could have all the paperwork done within a day. Nothing wrong with that, other than the fact that it could delay the paperwork endlessly if your company rivals theirs.

The US spent billions of dollars and several decades trying to defeat Communism -- not because they were not 'free', but realistically because Communism did not allow the rich to get richer (and the poor to get poorer) based on market dynamics. It was widely believed in the US that in order for capitalism to survive in the third world, some form of democratic expression would be needed in order for markets to thrive and would bring 'democracy' to these areas as their economies improve.

Well, 20 years after Deng Xiao Ping's dictum that 'to get rich is glorious', the Chinese have created a new paradigm. You can be as open as you want when it comes to business, you jsut can't criticize the political regime. The CCP has also allowed 'capitalists' to join the Party, so that makes them part of the system rather than the regime's most frequent critics. Taking the best of both worlds, some of these government corporations allow free thinking on issues on how to dominate a market, buy up the competition, just like an American corporation - the primary difference being the government backs its corporations so that they do not lose much money or market share due to amrket forces -- things the US doesn't do.

While in the US the complaints have been that corporations are getting so large as to be too impersonal as well as offering consumers fewer choices, still, can American corporations, even its largest, compete against government backed corporations backed by the Chinese, Saudi or Russian governments?

Exxon Mobile may be the largest US Corporation with a $40B profit, but it is still not the largest corporatio in its industry -- that role goes to Russia's GasProm and don't forget that the Saudi government, no friend of democracy or free speech has its ARAMCO, a government controlled oil monopoly. Now Bolivia and of course, Hugo Chavez's Venezuela are doing the same thig -- giving unfair advatages to government sanction enterprises over free enterprise ones. This isn't what the US had it mind when it defeated international communism in 1989.

China ahs learned from the US in another way as well -- using its wealth to buy friends and influence people -- it was the country that bailed out Thailand's sinking baht as well as making huge investments in Southeast Asia, Central and South America and of course Africa, a continent the US has often ignored and overlooked. China isn't stupid -- it will demand political payback -- usually against the US at the UN and other international forums.

The US has wasted the last 5 years and $640B on its costly war in Iraq and for what goal -- higher gas prices. Before the war, Saddam was at least trading oil for fod, now Iraqi oil is off the table, we've helped Iran become the dominant power in the region, while China and India are dominating the global financial and manufacturing markets. Why bother with defense and military expenditure -- let the US do all the fighting and the funding.

With the latest uprising in Tibet and China's brutal crackdown is the US in any position to have any leverage at all? If you think the American economy is in teh doldrums right now, just wait till China starts dominating the world financial markets. The NYSE may become a secondary exchange behind that of Shanghai and Hong Kong.

Same old rant

2008-03-14T14:27:00.002-04:00

Thought I had a cold on Wednesday. Turned out to be either a bad cold or minor flu. Didn't go to work yesterday. Had chills and fever. Didn't get out of bed till 1 PM. Phone rings. Been laid off. Not because of calling in, but because its the 'slow' season Made $2B in loans for the company since last summer and they act like they are going under. Heard CFO is building his own golf course. How nice.

I have no clue as to what might happen to me next month, if I can keep a roof over my head, or how long it will take to find another. Eight years of Republican rule have reduced this country to an economic wasteland.

Fifty million Americans without health care, but condos at apartments at Boston's Mandarin Oriental run at $12,000 a month and there are few vacancies. In the New York Times a few weeks back, it mentioned someone who bought TWO condos a the Waldorf Astoria one for $7M and the other (for the children) at $11M. Kanye West once said "George Bush hates Black People". Actually, I think he hates anyone with an income less than $10M.

In the last post, I mentioned the Verizon Spying Law -- and the GOP kept arguing that our security was at risk if it failed to pass -- well it passed yesterday, but without the Corporate Immunity -- and Bush either ahs vetoed it or is planning to -- shows that he is more interested in being cozy to big corporations rather than national security.

Verizon Spying Law

2008-02-17T12:52:00.002-05:00

Bush and the Republicans are pushing for the extension of the law that gives telecommunication companies immunity. The way I see it, the only way some one would need 'immunity' from the law would be only those entities that may be violating it.

The Bush Administration argues that it 'needs' an extension of the law to fight terrorism. The fact is, the law provides for the government to tap a phone if it gets a wiretap order first. Allowances are made for 'emergency' situations as long as the governemnt agrees to get one later.

I worry less about the activities of Al Queda's phone bills that I do about the Bush Administration and its henchmen of spying and harassing callers who may be contributors to the Democrats or to create an 'enemies list by using phone records such as 900 numbers against callers. One entire room was made available at ATT in San Francisco to government agents to pore over in the guise of 'national security'. This kind of setup is too easily abused.

The recent walkout by the GOP is to be taken for what it is - a political publicity stunt. They claim it was for 'principle' into the waiting arms of camera crewa. Bush claimed he would postpone his trip to Africa if Congress would extend the law last wekend. Surprisingly, Nancy Pelosi stood her ground and Bush took off. Maybe the Democrats are finally ready to act like they have a pair.

The last time there was this much collaboration between the corporate world and the government against its citizens was from 1922 - 1943 under Benito Mussolini - the name of this corporate complicity and immunity -- Fascism.

We have laws in the US, as in any serious democracy, that citizens privacy be protected unless a 'compelling reason' is shown that a caller is an imediate threat to the public. Some of the companies have stopped cooperating with the FBI, not out of the public interest, but because the FBI stopped paying its bills to the companies.

I briefly worked for Verizon, only got as far as the training room, but when I applied for the job they wanted 16 PAGES of information about me - information that they could find out about me after I joined teh company -- but they wanted all this info before I walked in the door and of course, EVEYTHING had to be filled out, so the computer could parse everything. I had to account for all periods of unemployment and why I was unemployed (Because I haven't been hired yet), going abck for at least 7 years including how many jaywalking tickets I may have gotten. Why is this relevant to the job? What do they do with the info once you are no longer on their payroll? In fact, I got a call from the Verizon Compliance officer about an alleged 'harassment incident' that may or may not have taken place while I was there. The problem? They called me - meaning they still had my information of file 10 months after I stoped working there.

Do they egt to keep my personal info and past history for ever and who do they share it with? Can I ask not to ahve the info shared with the government unless they get a court order first?

We al need a phone -- but we don't need a phone company spying on us for a government and its policies we oppose.

****

Waffles anyone?

John McCain has been going around telling people that waterboarding is torture and that the US ought to abandon it. He claims that the Army's Code of Conduct forbids it. But at the same time, he calims the manual should be more 'flexible', in other words, it should give the Army the authority to use waterboarding. Will he say he was 'against it before I voted for it?" by vetoing a bill that would ahve outlowed it?

An Endorsement

2008-02-03T20:55:00.000-05:00

The Scorched Pig heartily endorses BARACK OBAMA to be the next President of the United States. Although we wish Hillary Rodham Clinton the very best, it is Barack Obama we feel will provide the needed change and insight to move the US back to its sensible center so that it will be, once again, a beacon of hope and inspiration for the world.

Eight years of necon conservatism has bankrupted this country both morally and financially. We need to take stock, as a nation, of where we are headed in the future and how we can begin building bridges with peaceful nations of the world and to begin forging alliances to defeat terrorism as well as saving the planet.

Onward to Super Tuesday.

And now a word from our sponser...

2008-02-02T15:55:00.000-05:00

The Scorched Pig has joined Google Ad Sense. Google Ad Sense is basically a clickable way to view ads that are similar to the content of the current post. Over time, I will be streamlining and working to make the the whole shopping experience and browsing experience fun for all the readers of this site.

We are proud to be a part of Gogle Adsense and we welcome them, their partners and I hope they will welcome us. Happy Googling!

Pig

Cloverfield

2008-02-02T15:33:00.001-05:00

Went to see this last week. Was loaded with trepidation that it would be a Blair Witch Project clone, which is arguably the worst movie ever made.

Just when I was ready to scream, 'Enough with the camera games' the movie changed. It was crowded and we were in the 3 row. Never saw a movie that close up before, but we were close enough to feel the vibrations.

Cloverfield. I liked it. Go see.

I submitted an entry at Simply Asia for a chance to win a trip to either Bangkok, Beijing or Hong Kong. I'll take Hong Kong if it's my choice. Wish me luck.

But first, I gotta get my passport. And money. We have been talking about a trip to Italy, but money will be a bigger obstacle than the lack of a passport. Time to hit an Indian casino. It worked when I needed a TV.

After Tuesday, here in the US, we should know who the Democratic and Republican nominees for President are. This election is way too long. We need to have one primary in June, campaigning in September and election in November. Sae lots of money that way. I know, I know, I'm making sense again...

Ch Ch Ch Changes...

2008-01-12T12:01:00.000-05:00

I moved into a boarding house in Quincy, for a larger space and my OWN space for the first time in 5 years. I've always liked Quincy, the last time I lived there I lived in Wollaston. I was looking at for a room in Wollaston, but the cost of one room was costing as much as an entire one bedroom apartment did 20 years ago. Unfortunately, my wages have not gone up accordingly.

But so far so good, I have no TV, but thank God for Podcasts (even if they are a few days behind and a few DVDs I picked up such as Seinfeld Seasons 1 and 2 -- I found a gift certificate from LAST Christmas so I decided to use it on a used copy.

The room is large, one of the largest I have had, in a men's boarding house, with no body else's stuff but my own. It ahs a shared bathroom, but I have yet to wait, (okay it happened today) to use the bathroom. Most apartments have their own bathroom, mine is shared with another room, which is vacant at the moment. I've been there a week, and it wasn't until last night that I met a fellow house mate, Mike. He was going to karaoke, invited me, but I declined until the next time.

I like Chinese food and culture, so Quincy is a great place to be, since Asians, mainly Chinese, ahve been making Quincy their home since I was getting ready to leave the last time. So I am getting a kick out of discovering new Asian eateries -- I have checked out a Thai restaurant recently and it was good -- and I have discovered a new Chines place on the way to the library (which is where I am, since I have no internet access either and am using Wifi).

The place has two common kitchens, one on each floor and laundry just steps from my door. And it is very quiet. Another selling point -- nearby is home to 3 (count 'em) 3 pizza joints, one Chines, one Boston Market, a Dunkin Donuts kiosk, a Burger King, Starbucks, TJ Maxx, Shaws and a liquor store, an An Olympic Athletic Store.

One of the 'pizza' joints is run by Chinese people, so that would be unique.

I may ahve further changes afoot, but won't know for a few more weeks, so stay tuned.

It's a Wonderful Lunch

2007-12-18T21:11:00.000-05:00

My life sucks right now. Don't ask why, just believe me.

Even though I have been walking around like the wlking wounded and am not my usual jovial self, two incidents happened today that have reaffirmed my faith in human nature. And not EVERYTHING sucks. I'll take the last event first.

The other day, we were dumped on to the tune of 10 inches or s of snow, the weatherman says 19.5 in the last two storms with a coating of ice to boot. So this means, for pedestrians like me, a nightly hell on the way home. The streets of course, are plowed, sanded and dry, so the most sane thing to do is to walk in the street, going against the traffic. I like to see what's coming at me, although Marilyn Vos Savant of the Sunday magazine begs to differ. She claims I should walk in teh direction of traffic.

As I walked past a gas station, I stopped for a car to allow her to come out of the driveway. We exchanged eye contact and she motioned for me to pass so I did. After I passed her, she asked me if I wanted a lift. Of course, you shouldn't accept rides from strangers, but this was a nice young woman and I figured my stereotyping her as not a mass murder, and although the road was clear, just have to dodge traffic, I accepted. She gave me practically to the door service, but hey it was cold outside.
It wasn't that long a ride, and after exchanging pleasantries and small talk it was over.

That was the second random act of kindness to happen to me in the same day. A Christmas Miracle!

I was in line at the cafe in my building with a sub and a soda at the the cashier, in back of a woman I had never seen before. She was paying for her purchases (which I think was just a drink with either a credit card or a gift card. Out of nowhere, she announced to cashier that she'd like to buy that man's lunch (me) saying that everybody deserves a break today and suddenly her coffee costs he $7 or so.

My natural inclination is to protest such a kind ness by saying, "oh no you don't have to do that" (and I probably did say that) but I decided not to fight it, but sit back and enjoy it.There's a movie in there somewhere. How about "It's a Wonderful Lunch'.

Now if I can only get someone to offer me a good paying job...

Holiday Hubbub

2007-11-27T21:21:00.000-05:00

In my neck of the woods, people were camping out Thanksgiving night (in the US) at Kmart and Circuit City parking lots to get the great deals. It seems to be getting worse every year and the rampant consumerism has just about destroyed Thanksgiving, one of my favorite holidays. Some radio stations have already begin the rote playing of Christmas carols before Halloween.

So what's driving the frenzy? Could it be an admission that the US economy is on the skids? Look at the home mortgage implosion for one. Owning a home has been part of the American Dream for generations, but the middle class has given up getting a home in the usual way - working for one by having and maintaining a steady job with a decent pay. Decent jobs are hard to come by in America, even if you have years of experience and a college degree. This forces people to take risky methods of owning a home.

Having a home with a rising value spurned people into spending and retailers revelled at the prospect of huge sales. But overvalued homes have led to a major correction at the same time that mortgage rates are being reset higher. Foreclosures galore for landlords, tenants who pay their rent on time facing eviction because their landlords have gone belly up.

People are desperate for a deal, so much that they will trample each other to get that 'must have' toy or Ipod.

Retailers are a major source of the problem. They put all their eggs in one holiday basket. The solution is simple - treat December for what its worth - 1/12 of yearly sales instead of depending on one holiday for 40% of its annual revenue. The second half of the equation is equally simple -- provide the middle class with a way to make a decent living without having to kill themselves (or others) in the process.

When to get a Service plan...

2007-11-17T16:04:00.000-05:00

Things have been quite hectic for the past few months since from July until September I put in lots and lots of overtime. Managed to hold on to the job even after the 'busy season' and the college students went back to school. I have an acute need, both financial and psychological, to keep working whenever I can. The resultant work schedule meant that the camping schedule was down and as a result, there was no return to Winfield, but I did manage a Labor Day weekend trip to Maine, where Bruce and I discovered a few lighthouses, in fact that is one of our new goals - to check out as many lighthouses as we can.

I worked weekends, 6 days a week, and in September 7, but I took one Saturday off to go on a lighthouse cruise, one of two available from Rowe's Wharf. I went on the Northern Tour and missed the Southern one. The Northern Tour goes to Salem, Marblehead, Scituate, Boston Light and Gloucester. Bruce came along and he appeared to enjoy himself, especially since he'll never miss an opportunity to take pictures. The American Lighthouse Society was aboard and selling books so I picked up Edward Rowe Snow's "Lighthouses of New England". Now that the colder weather is approaching, I've started reading it before turning out the light at night.

We have an employee 'Newzletter' at work and managers are always badgering people to submit articles - recipes, movie reviews and the like. I submitted a brief review of y Lighthouse Cruise and it got published in the August edition and it got rave reviews! I've finally been published!

Camping is fun, but I haven't really been traveling since Vegas, so in September I planned a weekend in New York City in September. More on that in another post.

In August, I returned to the Apple fold in a big way with the purchase of an Apple Ibook laptop. I told myself that a new computer was in my future since my last one, A Compaq Presario, which still works, was due for involuntary retirement.

Taking advantage of my state's tax-free holiday, I bought this machine and am still in the process of email conversion/notification and as a result of going wireless, I should be pulling the plug on Verizon DSL in a week or two. Next goal: Use GarageBand to create the first Scorched Pig Podcasts!

Which leads me to the subject in the title line -- I didn't get an extended warrant for the computer, because I assume that Apple makes good products so why bother? When I bought my Powerbook G4 in 1997 at Circuit City, the salespeople were shocked when I got to the register and declined the extended warranty. If you make a good product, from a good company, you shouldn't NEED to buy one, right?

As it turned out, I did end up needing a power supply, but I can't remember if the warranty had expired or not. It costs me about $300, because that is Apple's minimum charge for labor anyway. They sent me a box to ship the machine out and I had it back in a day or two. I still have that machine and have not had any problems with it since. I don't really use it anymore, its offnet, but it still contains legacy info that I refer to every now and then.

I haven't even registered this machine with Apple, much less get the extended warranty. At least the folks at teh Apple Store were not shocked to the point of fainting, when I declined the warranty.

But then there is the Ipod. Despite being 6 years old (I think its planned unveiling was for September 2001), I still consider it 'new technology' so an extended warranty is something that should definitely be considered.

I bought my first Ipod in November 2004. I didn't get the warranty at the time of purchase, but when I need Tech Support in May 2005, I got the extended warranty in May 2005, which only extends my warranty for an additional year, FROM DATE OF PRODUCT PURCHASE.

This means my original Ipod warranty was good till November 2006.

My Ipod refused to charge and I brought it to the Apple Store. I thought it needed another battery (ie a replacement Ipod), but it turned out to be a faulty USB cable. I got the cable free and the very great employee noticed that my warranty was due to expire with in days, so he comped me for a new Ipod. I do not know if it was refurbished or new, but the second Ipod was good only for 30 days after that date and was not eligible for an extended warranty (why is this). Surprise, surprise - the Ipod died in March, not long after the 30 day or maybe 90 day warranty ran out. On the way to the Apple Store, stopped off at a Circuit City and had a guy look at it to confirm what I feared Apple would tell me - buy a new one and pay full price.

I had to -- I love my Ipod, but at work I have discovered Internet. I wasusing a friend's Sirius account online, but Internet radio provides virtually the same quality without the subscription fees.

My Ipod was still under warranty, but I decided topurchase the exrended oneyar warranty, as a sensible thing to do. I extended it online and in a massive waste of paper, Apple sent me the 'fine print' placed in a small box, which was placed in another larger box and delivered by Fedex. Think Green Apple! Let me view or download the PDF instead!

My cheap (read inexpensive) headphones started losing their 'stereo' (I don't like ear buds) so I got another pair -- same issue -- but they worked fine at work so I began to suspect the Ipod -- off to the Genius Bar I go - fearing I would be without my Ipod for a few days as well as going through the hassle of shipping and waiting etc.

But I was given a fresh Ipod -- unexpectedly. Ipods are notorious for their freeze-ups, but I went away happy. And the extended warranty doesn't even kick in yet.

When I was in Vegas, I got a JVC VCR/DVD Combo. Before its 90 days were up, I could watch DVDs -- invalid discs. Called JVC. es it was under warranty, but there were no stores locally that I could take it in for repair. Nearest place? San Francisco. I would have to box it and shipit on my dime. It would ahve cost me about $70 to ship. I ended up buying a whole new DVD player at Wlamart for a mere $20 more. Still have still works.

Thepoint is: Old Technology (and I consdier a basic DVD player as old tech), VCRs, snalog TVs, washing machines, shavers, kitchen appliances, even computers, save your self a few books and pass on the warranty. New stuff -- Ipods, Plasma TVs, falt screens, DVD recorders and DVRs -- consider the extended warranty -- you might be glad you did.

2007-07-10T23:48:00.000-04:00

Springfield VT. was chosen as the Premiere Site for the Simpson's Movie coming out in two weeks. Springfield was chosen out of a field of 14 other Springfields (a common named city totalally something like 56) that were 'large' enough to have a movie theater and was deemed the most 'Simpson like' of all the Speingfields.

I heartily concur.

I have visited a few Springfields myself and Bruce and I stumbled on this particular Springfield Father's Day weekend in 2006 when we were camping in nearby Crowne Point Camping ground. (We were there again this year, where I sprained my leg, ouch!).

It was a rainy Saturday and as such we were unable to get a campfire going for breakfast so we hopped into the truck to hunt down some scrambled eggs. We were diverted on the main 'highway' and we wondered why, since it was not a holiday weekend. Well, in a way it was, since it turned out to be Alumni Weekend in Springfield, which included a Parade of Shriners and anyone who graduated (from the high school? any school in Springfield?) in a year that ended in 6. It was comical as you had a few old timers from the class of 1946 or maybe '66. Add a fire engine or two, have everyone in town (a few hundred maybe) turn out and can you say PAR-TY?

We had no choice of course, but we found a parking place outside an old , mill or factory that had its own waterfall out front amd it was easy to imagine thus place as the Nuclear Power Plant of Homer's hometown. It is definitely a small town where everyone probably gathers at the local 'Moes' and knows everyone else's business. Bruce even commented that he wondered if this Springfield was the one Matt Groening had in mind.

We asked a local what was all the hubbub was about and she looked at us as uf we werw aliens from iut of space. There was a street banner over 'Main Street' (the local pizzeria was closed for the event, which I thought was strange) that proclaimed 'Welcome Alumni' and she said its Alumni Weekend - Doh!

After the conclusion of the Parade and me buying batteries at the local Radio Shack (am independent one - 5 packs for $10, instead of the usual 4) we headed down to the Royal Flush where all the townsfold, alumni and their families met for breakfast - I had a tuna salad on toast which was goodm but I sent it back because I wanted my toast darkerm but it was a good sandwich and Springfield, (VT) seems like the all American town that is becoming a rarity.

Congrats Springfield!

PS I have no idea why I can't put a title on here - New Blogger is a pain in the ass.

CT Bluegrass

2007-06-28T21:51:00.000-04:00

The weekend before I started the new gig, we gave the new trailer, an Outback, that Bruce bought at the Camper Expo last March a first run by taking it out for a spin to the Strawberry Park Bluegrass Festival in Spencer, CT.

We arrived on Wednesday night and the Festival itself didn't begin until Friday morning. There is definitely less to setup then the old crankup, but there is still some stuff to do. Nonetheless, we were getting hungry and headed to the nearest town, Norwalk, for a bite to eat as it was starting to get dark. Plenty of pizza joints, but Bruce wanted steak for his evening meal.

The town of Norwalk didn't impress me at all, since it is one of those old Mew England manufacturing towns that had obviously seen better days. After trusting on the GPS, (a big mistake) we settled on an 'Asian' restaurant, whose name was something like The Red Dragon. Bruce has recently had a 'bad experience' with 'Chinese' food, (I think it was MSG) as a resilt, never wants to do 'Chinese' anymore. I convinced him that there was probably some beef on the menu he could try.

It turned out to be an 'Asian' restaurant (read Vietnamese) and I suggested that Bruce try a beef dish. I got shrimp, vegetables and noodles, thinking that it would be like my hometown Chinese food. It wasn't but it was delicious and we all were ranting about the subtle differences in flavors.

We went back to camp where we enjoyed spending the night in the new Outback. I have a pretty good sized bed that isn't claustrophobic. Since the festival didn't negin until Fridaym and it was only Wednesday, we spent Thirsday esploring the shops.

We didn't even light a campfire that weekend, since there was plenty of music, although Bruce's criticisms were valid - none of the bands did more than one set throughout the weekend. If you missed a band on Friday evening, that's it - no encore on Saturday afternoon.

Some Winfield bands that U had seen or had missed were represented - Cadillac Sky, and Nothing Fancy was chief among them. But I really enjoyed a band from Nashville - The Incredible String Dusters. I had an opportunity to chat with the lead singer, Andy Hill, a graduate of Boston's Berklee School of Performing Arts and I emjoyed the conversation.

There was also a variety of vendors, as the vendor area was a large one and I struck up a conversations with one of the 'nature' vendors who was peddling minerals, which I picked up a few Ocean Amber (I think that's what it is called) shaped and looking like a mini planet Jupiter that I'll use for a plant pot decoration. Although no Winfield, Strawberry Hill was a step up from Pemi. Wether or not we'll return, well, I guess we'll have to wait till next year.

Hey, welcome back...

2007-06-14T09:05:00.000-04:00

Been busy of late, which is good I guess, since idle hands and minds are the devil's workshopm I suppose.

I just started a new temp job which is going so far so good. I've already gotten my pay direct deposited into my bank account, which is great, get paid once a week, which is also great, and as far as I am concerned, Tuesday is payday.

The job isn't much on intellectual stimulation, but that's okay, since they actually encourage the use of Ipods.

A few Thursdays ago Bruce, Bryan, Bruce's cousin Bob and Bob's father Bill, went to see Tommy Emmanuel at the Raggatabar at the Charles Hotel. I like Tommy, but Bruce is a real groupie. In fact, Bruce went to see him again with his cousin in Phoenixville, PA, the following weekend.

I first heard Tommy in Winfield, a story of the trip I have yet to finish. Tommy's work os sort of ahrd to categorize, he can be mellow and I have bought his tapes to pass around as Christmas gifts. He is best described as a guitar virtuoso, having been born in Australia, and is considered as a national treasure as was Steve Irwin, despite the fact he now makes his home in Nashville. If you think he is all bluegrass, think again. All I can suggest is check out his website. He had just returned from a road trip that took him to Spain, Hungary, Bulgaria, Finland and I think he said Slovakia. The Raggatabar is a nice intiamte venue for a performer like Tommy and it was standing room only. The last time I was at the Ragattabar was several years ago to see the late great Mambo King, Tito Puente.

What I like about Tommy is he is very approachable. He has no problem with mingling with his fans and is always will to pose for a picture or sign an autograph. Bruce has a picture of him and Tommy and every time Bruce stalks him, he has his picture taken with Tommy holding the 'picture within a picture'.

I broke down and bought a Tommy cap and he signed it for me, as well as the opening performer, another young, fresh Aussie talent by the name of Murphy (sorry can't remember the first name), who plans on attending Berklee School of Music. I was going to get to mmet Tommy in Winfield, but it was way to hot to stand in line that day.

It was a great time, as we got ready for the upcoming weekend's next event- The Strawberry Hill Bluegrass festival in Connecticut - can you say camping trip?

Time for an Alien Czar?

2007-05-17T23:37:00.000-04:00

So now, we have a 'war czar' in the name of General Doug Lute. So what is the going to be the role of this new position? Don't we already have a war 'Czar' (Russian for 'Caesar' or 'all powerful Emperor') aka 'Commander in Chief' or simply 'The Decider"? If not him, what is the role of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Secretary of War (I mean 'Defense', which was called the Department of War as recently as World War II)?

We know how well American 'Czars' turn out. We have a Drug Czar, and the last time I checked, the War on Drugs has only gotten worse over the last 40 years, only now there is more violence. And they now have a 'Katrina Czar', which can't hurt since some of the destroyed homes haven't even been rebuilt in the poorest neighborhoods of New Orleans, much less rebuilt. No wonder why so many people will not return there. Can you blame them.

So along with the Department of Homeland Security, we have with this 'Republican' Administration an ever expanding governmental bureaucracy as well as a bottomless pit of spending for Iraq, so the GOP better tread softly on attacking the Dems as the Party of Big Goverment. Now here's a chance for the Dems to reverse the tide: They can be the reformers and waste eliminators of the Federal Budget. If they have guts that is, but unfortunately, I don't think they have any.

But while I'm on the subhect of 'Czars'. It was reported today that both Parties have reached a 'historic' compromise on illegal immigration and it goes like this: If you broke our laws after 2000 (not sure of the cutoff dates) who can stay in this country and become an American citizen after paying a fine of 4000 and having 8 years to do it. Can I have 8 years with no accrued penalties if I owe the IRS or a jaywalking ticket?

I still can't find a job after 5 years and that's just what the country and American workers need - more people to take jobs from law abiding citizens, while our own Government claims that the illegals only take jobs that 'Americans' won't do. Tell that to New Bedford, Ma. 8 to 10% unemployed, when the raid on a garment factory that was subcontracted to make vests for the US military and the place was full of undocumented workers.

So where is the Alien Czar? Where is the guy to ensure that jobs go to Americans first, and 'guest workers' only get the jobs that are left. If the Mexicans don't like it, let them go look for jobs in Guangzou, China or Bangalore, India. That's where the jobs are. Just ask the Human Resources Department of any AMerican Corporation.

Jerry Falwell Dead

2007-05-15T15:05:00.000-04:00

Jerry Falwell, the firebrand Evangelical, was found dead in his office today. Pardon me if I don't cry.

This is the guy who claimed that 911 was caused by 'gays, lesbians, feminists and liberals'. Guess which party he was registered under? He's also the one who warned "look out Orlando, God is sending a Hurricane your way' because Disney was having 'Gay Days' at the Park. I thought Christianity was about loving, forgiveness and coming together, not about finger pointing rabble rosuing. I wonder who'll be giving the eulogy at his service - Ann Coulter?

Thank God he isn't a Catholic. He can't be canonized by the Pope.

So, along with Tony Blair, George Bush loses another ally all in the span of a week.

Another sign the Bush Era is ending before he does - '24' is also coming apart at the seams. Two more weeks and this painful season comes to a close.

Podcasts, take me away...

2007-04-18T14:39:00.000-04:00

Awhile back, I saw Steve Jobs on some news show, maybe 60 Minutes, where he basically admitted that people will have to spend a few hundred bucks every two years if they want to remain 'current' or 'cool'.

I love my Ipod. Best invention since the computer. A few years back, I'd talk with my co-workers at lunch about how they were really into Napster and downloading tunes to the desktop. But I had no real interest in listening to music in that fashion. It wasn't until Apple popularized the Ipod, and shortly thereafter, the concept of 'Podcasts' was conceived, that I became intrigued. After all, a podcasts is just another MP3 file, which doesn't necessarily have to be a 'song'. It could be an online blog, or a 'talk radio' type thing. I began searching for and downloading podcasts as soon as I got my first Ipod in 2004.

One day, I had a problem with Itunes, and the guy at the other end wouldn't help me unless I got the 'extended warranty' which adds one extra year from the DATE OF PURCHASE, not the date of the extended warranty. Thus, my warranty for my Ipod would run out on or about November 6, 2006.

As luck would have it, I started having problems just about that time. Please go back and read the entry entitled "Good Service from Apple"

I got a new (old) Ipod (40 GB) as well as a new USB cord. The problem was, the new Ipod (new serial number) would only be under warranty for 30 days. You can guess the rest from here.

I began having problems which ultimately lead to the 'sad Ipod' icon and the notation to visit the Ipod support page. Not promising. I *KNEW* I'd have to get a new Ipod, so one sunny March day, we headed out to find an answer. (I don't think its been sunny since). I need to have an Ipod. I walk alot, and I cannot live without music to do it. Discmans (discmen?) no longer cut it, as I won't carry around a handful of CDs and besides, most of my CDs have good the way of the Dodo. I tried a small transistor/shortwave radio and the problem with that is what do you do when there is no good song playing as well as the dead air, static and I really hate commercials. They may be the cornerstone of our economy, but I hate them nonetheless.

So first we stopped off at a nearby Best Buy. We found a sympathetic employee who ran the Ipod through a few test. I would have tipped the guy if he got it to work, but he considered it dead. For his help, I had planned to come back to buy the Ipod there. Next was the Apple Store,with the dreaded 'there if nothing we can do' . But at least they offered me 10% off.

Now, Ipods and MP3 players come in all shapes and sizes, and besides, my colection is in Itunes, so I can't afford to take a chance of all my music not being compatible with the player, so of course, I stuck with the Ipod. But my collection of songs and podcasts total at least 11GB, so Nanos are out, so I picked up a 30GB (I had a 40GB), but al least I now have Video.

Over the years, I have listened to a LOT of podcasts, many of which arent worthy of mention, are a lot of fluff and no substance (vaporcasts), but there are a few, I heartily reccommend. I still use Ipodder (link to the right) to test new acquistions, and I have a few I get directly through Itunes. So here is my lists.

One of the best, and probably my first keeper, since my days in Vegas is Podcast NYC. (Link to the right). Rob the Mediamaster has several podcasts including his Pop Cuture Rant, Podcast NYC, where he spotlights new talent playing in the Big Apple area and it was through him that I became a fan of Jason Yudoff (see link). A highly professional podcasts, its one of the best, and now that I have video, I can add his Video Blog, which highlights, walks down Fifth Avenue, concerts and other NYC scenery.

One I almost deleted, but have kept and glad I did is Rockcast:This Is The Rock, a weekly rock radio show. It might be out of Chicago, but thats the beauty of podcasts - location becomes irrelevant. One cool episode had a 1967 commercial for Foster beer, sung by Eric Clapton.

One of the best podcasts to date is Bluepower, hosted by John Rhys. He runs the gamut from Mississippi Delta blues, 60s blues, banned in Boston, banned from White Radio. Another favorite was when he interviewed Bobby Boric Pickett, of the 'Monster Mash' fame.

One relatively new bright spot is my friend The Dreamerm from Nightmare Hall (link to the right) is now doing Podcasts. A disc jockey in a better time, Dreamer brings you the Best in Hi NRG Club music and well as a few introsepctive tunes. He played one track, "White Bird' that brought abck memories of when I was just a boy. While there, check out his often biting commentary on the Nightmare Hall blog.

I have always wanted to learn to speak and read Mandarin Chinese. Well, there are Chines lessons available through the wonders of Podcasting. Another that I download is Radio macondo, for the very best in Salsa Cubano - a whole world of music awaits you.

Some podcasts I download are just regular guys voicing their opinions, like "The Mind of Men" from Mass. and "Guycast" a quartet of college guys from Maryland, talking about guys, girls, cars, sex and sports. Warning: Definitely not kid friendly.

***

As I mentioned, we have been devoid of sun for what seems like a month. After this weekend's monsoon, it is still gray and showery, with spring still a weekend away. It has been warmer in January than it has been om April, that's probably why my various pachpodiums and Adenium have yet to sprout. But my new acquisition a Crassula Argentea seems to be growing since I purchased it from Kennedy's about a month a go. I also picked up a purple Rex Begonia, which I promptly removed a leaf to see if I can get a leaf sprout.

I actually have sprouts of Saguaro, Ferocactus Herrarae, and 'even' Lithops Optica. No true leaves, but what do you expect with no sun and winter like temps. The one true surprise I have is that I haev two 'mini-trees' with lettuce like leaves of Moringa Oleifera, seeds of which I gor from the Seed Depot of the CSSA. But even the long time posters on Garden Web have offered little information about their care and cutural requirements. I want a caudex!

***

One last thing - if yesterdays's tragedy at Virginia Tech would have been committed by an Arab American, would the spin have been about 'is this terrorism?' on Fox? And why we 'need' to remain in Iraq? Yes, it is indeed terrorism, but we can't blame in squarely on a foreign power. Peace be to all who are grieving at Virginia Tech.

I wasn't the only one to notice

2007-04-04T13:40:00.000-04:00

A few days ago, I posted an entry about the Circuit City layoffs and its effects on the working and middle classes. I decided on Monday to buy a daily edition of the New York Times, (as if I need another news source), but in the Business Section was an article entitked "Circuit City Lays Off 3,400 And Hardly Anyone Cares" by David Carr, 'The Media Equation".

His point is similar to mine, that there is a bigger story here than meets the eye and it is getting under-reported. When the media wants to get 'Business News' they go to the corner office and talk to the CEO, but they don't seem to care about the vanishing pool of decent jobs for the rest of us.

Circuit City, ina an effort to save $250M, will lay off 4300, precisely because these people did their jobs well. Karr notes that Circuit City is practicing 'domestic outsourcing'. He also makes mention of the fact that while there may be many people applying for no-benefit, low pay retail jobs, there not just for teenagers anymore, there are many who are heads of household who have these jobs 'because its the only thing they can find'.

The irony is that CC could save juat as much by laying off a handful of CEOs and VPs. Don't worry about them - they have contracts and Golden Parachutes. Unfortunately, the guy with two kids at home does not.

***

We all hear the stories about how much debt the American individual accumulates and the fact that they don't save any money. Here's one reason why they don't save: At a recent stop at my (new) bank, the amount of interest paying out for a savings account is, get this: 0.015%! What an investment vehicle. Contrast that with the 'average' bak credit card rate of 15%, never mind the mounting fees they keep adding on to ensure that you remain on the hook.

***

I attended my first Passover Seder the other day, by visiting a guy I used to work with almost 20 years ago. It was intersting, the various meanings of various foods that were served, but the desserts, many many varieties, took a bite out of my 2000 calorie a day diet. A good time was had by all.

Next Year in Jerusalem!

Lou Dobbs is Right

2007-03-30T14:24:00.000-04:00

Lou Dobbs has been arguing for awhile now about the fact that there has been a war declared on the working class in America. Consider what has happened within just the last few days:

Headline from Wednesday's Boston Globe: FIDELITY INVESTMENTS TO END PENSION PROGRAM. Isn't Fidelity the company that advertises (or used to) "Let Us Manage Your Retirement." 401K Plans are fine, up to a point, if some little old lady wants to spend her retirement years poring over investment portfolios and mutual fund brochures, but a 401K Plan is no subsitute for a fixed pension plan. The fact is, a 401K is similar to gambling in a Keno Hall in Las Vegas, hoping against all kinds of odds that the 'right' combinations of funds come up. Pension plans provide a certain stability and piece of mind knowing just how much money you'll have coming in on any given month, which allows you TO MAKE PLANS on how to spend or save the money.

The middle class is being asked, yet again, to manage their own investment risks, and when a compamy like Fidelity offers around 3000 mutual fund plans, that's like asking people to go out and get a degree in Finance before they retire.

The other news item from a few days ago concerns Circuit City. They've announced that they will be laying off all their 'high-paying' employees (25K of more?) and replacing them with new hires, to save money. So the next time you go to Circuit City, you'll be greeted by a store full of newbies who haven't a clue what they are doing or where anything is, or even if the store carries that item. But the more important question is - if you take a job there, are you supposed to 'give it your best' so you can get a 'decent' raise and if you get one, is your job now at risk because you make 'too much' money?

The third item comes from NBC News that reported the other day about the skyrocketing foreclosure rate in the Cleveland, Ohio area due to 'high-risk' mortgage holders, like ARMS are going under. On the one hand, ot os easy to say 'caveat emptor' to anyone who would sign onto one of these loans without reading the fine print, but let's be realistic here as well. With the 'average' home price in the US running around $300K, it is extremely difficult for any middle class family to scrape up $60K for the 20% downpayment on a traditional mortgage and many lenders know this, of course, and thus they came up with the 'no money down', 'no interest', ARMs, to turn lower income people into homeowners. But one slight problem like LOSS or CHANGE in income can mean keeping a hosue or losing it.

Its a well known fact that the GOP has had it out for unions, a raise in the minimum wage and a proponent of 'globalization', which in today's terms means, "My job has gone to India, now I have none". But if they really were proponents of 'family values' as they seem to ahve been when they welcome in all the illegal aliens, then surely they must understand that a stable future, a stable family life and a stable homeownership, starts with a stable, decent paying job. And if employers want dedicated workers, they had better start offering their workers incentives. to do a decent job.

And in yet another, bone headed outsourcing scandal that puts the country's defenses at risk, is the fining of $10B to ITT selling defense secrets to the Chinese and other countries, because they outsourced workers to 'save money'.

And one last item - I am working with a 'well known' temp agency, who keeps providing ME with contact numbers and expecting ME to do their work. And if *I* get the job, I'll get paid $10/hr while they will get paid $50/hr. One office contacts me, the others CLAIM they can't reach me. If one can, they all can, the same number is in their database.

Another stupid law

2007-03-18T23:45:00.000-04:00

I heard yesterday on the news that a town in Southern California wants to ban smoking in apartment buildings when a neighbor complains. As a Libertarian, I think these anti-smoking laws are all absurd. Portland, ME, has made it a crime for you to smoke a cigarette in your own private vehicle, if a child is oresent who is under 5. A town in Massachusetts is considering the same thing. There are also ordinances on the books that prohibit smoking in public areas such as parks

Let me just say from the outset, that I quit smoking a year and a half ago as of April 1, so I have been truly on both sides of the aisle on this issue, and my opinion has changed that we should stop persecuting people who buying a legal product. In fact, if anything, I am truly a confirmed non-smoker now, as I was walking home a few weeks ago and I found an open pack of cigarettes on the ground (not my brand). As luck would have it, I was carrying a lighter on me, as I had been rummaging through my 'top drawer' (everybody has one) and I found a few lighters and decided to bring it to Braintree to light candles, so we won't have to rummage for matches. So I said to myself "Why not?" to bring back the memories of when I walked and smoked. Two puffs, and only two puffs, is all it took before I wanted to vomit. All I did was gag. Hard to believe I was a pack a day smoker for 33 years. Now I am a confirmed non-smoker.

Bur nonetheless, if states and federal governments were REALLY interested in healthm why don't they just BAN tobacco? When Firestone had exploding tires, weren' the tires recalled? Isn't asbestos, Agent Orange, cancer causing compounds banned from production in the US? How about DDT and Freon, since it harms the ozane layer. We've known that tobacco is harmful since the Surgeon General's warning was put on them in 1964, so why are the tobacco compaies STILL allowed to producr them. Hell, they've ADMITTED that they add chemicals in a deliberate attempt to make them more addicting and they market to children. And yet senior citizen's cannot get drugs that could save their lives from Canada, because the FDA 'isn't sure' of their safety? And speaking of children, would these laws ever have a chance of passage if politicians didn't drag in the 'its to protect the children' argument. Wouldn't people just take the view that 'its my car, my property' and if I want to smoke in it, its my right?

And what happems if you OWN a condo in a building where the neighbors complain? Will 'common areas' such as air-conditioning ducts, trump home-owner ship rights in America? And what if you have a neighbor who justs wants to be an asshole and he knows you smoke?

Here are more reasons why tobacco should be banned - sattes will be forced to stop 'selectively' taxing certain groups of citizens because smoking is considered a 'sin', but for years alcoholics have been getting a free ride on that score for years. RJ Reynolds ahs other things it can sell, like coffee, (Maxwell House, I think). Make smoking patches free to everyone who wants one. Don't worry 'bouut RJ Reynolds, it could still market to children in China and India. China has about 300 million smokers, a tobacco company's dream come true.

Legislatures everywhere can concentrate on where to fix roads, bridges, build schools, etc. rather spending countless hours on where next to ban smoking, and what new ways they can abuse purchasers of legal products. Do they harass YOU for buying an exploding Firestone tire? No, they went after the producers and made them replace them with safe tires. Sounds like common sense to me. But please, we have more serious issues facing the nation, like the 2 TRILLION dolalr estimate for the Iraq War by 2010. Let's bring back sanity and end the stupidity.

***

Keep your eye on your screen, the domain Scorchedpig.com has been registered and will be coming to a computer screen near you.

I'm still here....

2007-02-14T23:45:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I haven't been online in awhile, but its not from a lack of having nothing to do. I have a wedding to go to this weekend, still settling in to my new community, having recently (last week) set up a new checking account at my local bank, doing data entry for a friend's business, and I have set ,yself up with a national temp agency. Had hope, for a short period, but that seems to be fading.

Operation Avenge Daddy is now projected to reach three quarters of a TRILLION dollars, but we don't have money for a decent health care system. Fifty million Americans have no health insurance at all. As for me, I finally am poor enough to qualify for poverty insurance. Nicem huh for a college educated guy who is STILL looking for steady employment, but Bushie claims that the economy is doing just ducky, with the stock market repeatedly hitting new highs. So while the dow hits record highs, I'm hitting record lows. But at least by qualifing for poverty insurance, I am now going to the dentist to get a tooth filled whose filling fell out while I was sitting on my living room couch two years ago when I was in Vegas, which I miss terribly. After I finish with the filling this Friday, I will make an appointment with my Primary Care Physician and we'll talk about a physical. I feel fine (physically), but who knows, I could be moments away from a massive coronary. Inquiring minds wanna know, maybe.

One thing I have been working on was doing research for the Scorched Pig Online, gifts, etc. I have been doing the research, but of course, money is what is holding me back. I live day to day, living in fear my checks don't bounce, which is a shame, because all my life I have practiced good financial habits, and helping a friend with her business who has recently incorporated will help me avoid any 'gotchas' for her and for me, it will be a lesson learned.

So, I have been forced (as is usally the case) to start using the New Blogger. I'm not against changem but I like to go at my own pace, and after several months of 'optional' switchover, not it ahve become mandatory, so here's for everthing coming out alright.

What's wrong with the guy?

2007-01-06T19:42:00.000-05:00

Now Bush wants the authority to open your mail without a search warrant. What a way to start the New Year. Why? Is he having problems getting a warrant for someone 'he' feels is an terrorist? Does he want to be a despot, like Saddam Hussein?

Here he is, trying to bring 'democracy' to the Middle East, when he doesn't even believe in the separation of powers, or the system of checks and balances, thank God we now have an opposition party. Or will we?

Last month, the Republican Congress gave him what he wanted - to strip you of your right to habeas corpus in the name of 'National Security' and the Orwellian and perpetual 'War on Terror'. Now he wants Congress to give him a Line Item Veto. Why should the Dems give him one, when his own party didn't?

Funny, now his plan for Iraq is to INCREASE troops to Iraq without any clear plan to turn things over to the Iraqis and let them know that at some point they'll have to take responsibility for their own security. All this, despite the American people's wish (those whom the Administration is supposed to report) wants him to do just the opposite. John McCain wants to 'out Bush' Bush by moving further to the right on Iraq by calling for even more troops and having them stay longer. But the blame game is already under way. The Iraqi government doesn't want to crack down on its own Sunni militias and it will argue that the 'Civil War' did not happen until the US invaded, toppled Saddam and had NO PLAN what to do next.

The blame game is already underway in the US as well. The current administration plan is to keep troops in Iraq until 2009 when a new regime takes over (presumably a Democratic one) and when he/she pulls the troops out and we see helicopters evacuating civilians (as was the case in Saigon in 1975) that that image will stain the Dems for another generation.

I'm sure someone will open hearings into how we got involved in Iraq in the first place and all lies, innuendo, law-breaking and whatever will be exposed, so that this war should finally put an end to the Bush Imperial Dynasty.

24 months and 2 weeks left of this foul regime. Start the countdown.

Episode 200

2006-11-25T01:06:00.000-05:00

We left Gettysburg at about 2 pm and Bruce asked me if I was hungry for lunch. I wasn't, although we passed a local pizza joint and anyone who knows me knows how much I love pizza, but I declined due to the warmth and humidity. We opted to hit the road.

The scene is from somewhere in Western Maryland, west of Cumberland. In a previous post, I mentioned how we 'collect' states. But that means different things to different people. Some people 'count' a state by merely having a layover in some new airport. These people are wimps. Bruce's view is he has to physically step on the ground outside of an airport for it to count. My general rule of thumb is to try, at best to remain in a state for at least 24 hours if I can, with some exceptions, travel through it for several hours at ground level and it must be during the day. I once traveled from Boston to Las Vegas on AMTRAK, taking a long scenic route via Chicago to Seattle, down the California coast and busing it home to Vegas. By that measure, I have 'visited' North Dakota and Montana having spent several hours traveling through these states during the day, but not Idaho or Minnesota, which I slept through. Wisconsin, either, for that matter, because it was only light around Madison. I saw enough to know that I'd like to come back for another visit.

So we traveled through Maryland for a few hours before reaching the border of West Virginia and our next nights stop at the McCoy - Hatfield feud site in Metawan on the West Virginia/Kentucky state line. We deliberately went slightly off course as we saw a sign for a 'Scenic Lookout' and to give Bruce a chance to step on Maryland soil. As you can see, Maryland pretty much looks like Pennsylvania.

This is Episode 200 of the Scorched Pig. Hope y'all been enjoying the ride so far. Its been awhile, I know, for I have been undergoing changes and 'trasitioning', but the Odyssey will continue.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good night!

And Happy Hannukkah, Day 6! Shalom. Been witnessing this first hand!

Good Service from an Apple Store

2006-11-17T17:25:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, we went down to our local Apple Store and I brought my 'older' Ipod and its charger. I had been having a hard time charging it and I assumed it was due for a new battery, which, according the Apple, means you simply get a new Ipod, since there are no user serviceable parts inside.

I had purchased Apple's extended warranty in May 2005 and I assumed (wrongly) that my coverage would extend to May 2007. The way Apple sees it, an 'extended 2 year' warranty only adds an extra year to the product, since you normally get one. But they also view it as beginning from the 'date of purchase', which for me was November 6, 2004.

I had stopped it once before to ask about the problem but I didn't think the prolem was the charger, so all I brought in the store with me was the Ipod. It seemed to charge just fine, which made me look like a fool, and I really didn't want to go through the hassle of getting help online, so I made sure I had my charger. Turns out it was the firewire cable that had gone bad and thus it charged when it wanted to. Of course, I tried it in different outlets, which is the first of the stupid questions people ask.

So, I got the cable (for free) as part of the extended warranty, and the guy behind the counter, looked up my serial number and saw that my Ipod was 'due' since I had made mention of the possibility of needing a new battery. Since the battery wasn't the problem, he said let me check in the back for a new Ipod since you are due and I was just a few perilous days away from expiration. Since I didn't know about the 'date of purchase' thing, had I gone in just a few days later, I would have been shit outta luck. Fortunately, the guy behind the counter caught it and I got a fresh new Ipod. He could have been a dickhead and not mentioned anything, so I would like to commend this particular Genius Bar guy at the South Shore Plaza for his great customer service.

***

I finished reading Shadowlands 'Haunted Florida' bring the total numer of haunted sites to 2269.

***

E.J. Dionne wrote a god article today about how the Middle Class in America has been squuezed as a result of 8 to 12 years of 'Supply Side Economics'. I've always argued that the GOP has pushed most of 'risk' of living onto the average guy, everything from health care to their 'inbestment' strategies about the Privatization of Social Security. He argues that people will only take more risk only when they feel more secure about their own financial circumstances. He points out that a rising stock market only benefits the already well off, while this latest 'recession' has hit the middle class particularly hard - its not just the unskilled that have been feeling the pain, its the college-educated skilled force as well. Ask anyone who lost their jobs in high-tech due to outsourcing to India. That's great for the Indian Middle Class, not for use here, especially, if you are middle aged and have had a hard time finding 'suitable' work to stay ahead of rising home prices (which are leveling off) and high gas prices. As if you need further proof how many jobs went oversees - IBM has a machine to help train Indian workers to practice their English, so that they drop their British/Indian accents, so Americans won't be so painfully aware just how many jobs have gone overseas. I once called Earthlink (I no longer have an account with them) for technical support and I got 'Kevin' who was obviously calling from Bangalore. I hope that the Democrats pay heed to the cries of the Middle Class in America or their majority party status will be brief indeed.

At least I have finally found employment albeit with an 86% drop in income with a well known phone provider. I start on the 27th.

***

October's visitors: AZ, FL, IL, ME, MI, MD, MO, NE, NV, RI, VA, W.V., and TX.
California: Ceres, Glendale, Maywood, Oceanside, San Mateo and Thousand Oaks
Foreign: France, India, UK, Chile, Australia (Queensland). (What? No Canada?!)

A New Day Dawns

2006-11-10T12:51:00.000-05:00

The results of the Midterm Elections in the US show that the electorate is in a mood for a change in direction for the country. Now that the Democrats have captured both houses of Congress, the long stanglehold of the neoconservative GOP has finally been broken. Rick Santorum is gone, and the Dems have picked up a comfortable margin in the House and with yesterday's concession speech by George Allen (Senator Macaca), they now control the Senate as well.

George Bush, the unilateralist, now gets what he wanted - to stand alone. The irony here, and it shows to his lack of political acumen and competence is that, had he announced Rumsfeld's dumping BEFORE the election, the GOP might have kept control of the Senate.

The American People have had enough of George Bush's growing absolute power that the GOP had been giving him, they want a new idea on Iraq and I think the middle class in America wants a 'New Deal' on the tax cuts. Tax cuts that go to the middle class rather than to the likes of Donald Trump. The $300 tax payoff that he gave as a thank-you bribe in 2001 did far more for the economy than does Wealthfare.

The debate has been far to shrill and harsh and one-sided under GOP rule. Let's have an honest debate about the future direction of the country. I hope the new congress will restore the writ of habeas corpus, taken away recently under the guise of 'fighting terrorism' and that there will be a new debate on economic issues such as the abshing of the middle class.

One can only hope, ut hope springs eternal.

Gettysburg II

2006-10-28T10:12:00.000-04:00

The picture at the lower left is the Lincoln Memorial, one of two in the Gettysburg National Monument. This is of course, one of the pre-eminent battlegrounds of the Civil War and it is also significant that it was here, at the cemetery, that Lincoln gave his memorable Gettysburg Address:

"Four score and seven years ago our fathers rought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a greal civil war, testing wjether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate - we cannot consecrate - we cannot hallow - this ground. The rave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, for above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, not long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they died here. It is for the living, rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicating to the great task remaining before us - that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain - that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Abraham Lincoln November 19, 1863.

I picked up a book on the Ghosts of Gettysburg, only one, as there were several volumes and around 2 pm on this warm and humid day, headed for our next destitation and another site of Americana - the Hatfield/McCoy feud site in Metawan, West Virginia on the border of West Virginia and Kentucky.

Lincoln Slept Here

2006-10-20T14:18:00.000-04:00

On Friday night, Bruce came to pick me up and the Big Trip was on! I loaded my stuff in the back of the Tundra which for me was clothes, my Ipod, newspapers, books and magazines to read when I have the chance and the week before, we had gone to BJs to load up on dried fruit and nuts and other snacks to munch on for on the road. Bruce was so excited he didn't even want to stop at a restaurant for pizza (I had a coupon!), so instead we went through a Wendy's drive-thru.

I figured that for our first night, we'd end of sleeping in Connecticut, but it turned out I underestimated Bruce's driving enthusiasm as we would go a bit further that. As far as I am concerned, the 'trip' doesn't even begin until we at least get to the New York State Line.

We hit the road at approximately 7PM and off we went into the wild blue yonder. Through Rhode Island, a small, but boring state because I've been through it so often and then on into Connecticut. No, we did not stop at Foxwoods, as we hugged the coast and motored through New Haven and Bridgeport untill we hit the New York State Line.

So, I was wrong about sleeping in Connecticut. In fact, Bruce's goal before calling a night, was a town called Springfield, New Jersey. Why Springfield? Probably because it reminded him of the Simpson's Springfield. We talked about visiting as many Springfield's as we could, after visiting Springfield, Vermont, but I opted for an attempt at visiting all the Newports instead. I've been to the one in Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Oregon, and Newport Beach, California.

Even Springfield turned out to be underestimating it. We arrived in New Jersey during the middle of the night. Both Bruce and I 'collect' states and we had both had been to New Jersey before. I'll talk about the 'criteria' for collecting a state in a little bit. We stopped at a gas station where I stretched my legs and bought junk food (pork rinds). I am on a low budget so I really didn't need this crap but it was there, ya know, along with a Slim Jim and some bacon and cheese.

Within a short time after that stop, we crossed the state line into Pennsylvania also in the middle of the night, headed for our first scheduled stop, Gettysburg. It was now getting late and we decided to find a place to pull over and rest for the night. We ended up at a truck stop in New Smyth, Pennsylvania. It was my first night ever in a truckstop. Truckers however, usually have a bed on board and a way to block out the light, so we had to find a place to park where we did not have lights in our eyes. Truckstops aren't just for trucks, as I found out, as there are parking areas for cars as well and I also saw near us, a panel van truck, not a big rig, whose driver also pulled over for the night. Nearby was a gas station, and a diner. We love diners, and I'd love it more if it has a bathroom in the morning.

When it was light, we ate at the diner, which was right out of Central Casting for 'Alice's Restaurant'. There were a few truckers and a solitary waitress. While Bruce was in the bathroom, I overheard the following conversation between the waitress, who reminded me of 'Flo' on the old TV show 'Alice' and a balding trucker.

He: "You do good work, you oughta win a prize."
She: " Whadda I win?"
He: "ME!"
She: "Let me go home so I change ma shirt"

I had scrambled eggs and bacon (Adam and Eve, wreck 'em in diner parlance) which was okay and so was the coffee. Truckers are a good source of where the good road fod is. I had heard from one trucking podcast I listened to that there is a good restaurant, an undiscovered gem, off the main highway in Pennsylvania, but I doubt it was THIS place and probably nowhere near here. After breakfast, we hit the highway, first towards Harrisburg and then on to Gettyburg. Oh, but for limited time! as I would have loved to make MANY more stops then we did as Bruce was determined to arrive in Winfield, Kansas, EARLY Wednesday morning. I would have loved to 'collect' state capitols and check out each state's 'stately' structures.

Along the route in Pennsylvania, which was mostly super-highway view, nothing much too notable and I tend to check out the names of some of the towns we pass by. One was Nickel Mine, a town I had mentioned to Bruce, which was the site of a tragic school massacre just a few weeks ago. We arrived in Gettysburg about 9am.

The image to the left is of the Gettysburg Battlefield. Both Bruce and I have an interest in History (I majored in it) as well as an interest in the paranormal and one reason I picked Gettysburg as a must see stop is because Gettysburg is always listed as one of America's most haunted places. In fact, one Podcast I have started to listen to is 'Ghostly Talk' and they pointed out that the Eastern States Paranormal Convention was held there in July.

When we arrived, although it was September, the weather was quite warm and humid, not the best weather for me to want to walk around and explore, but explore we did, the tourist shops and colonial structures of Gettysburg. We stopped at a farmer's market where I picked up a few red ell peppers, although I had no salt and a small berry pie, that I failed to eat. I saw a lot of touristy things, but nothing tickeled my fancy but there was a superb gallery specializing in Civil War themes. I picked up a small book of Gettysburg Ghost Stories, as I found out later was one of several volumes. Haven't read it yet.

I make no claim as to having any kind of 'sensitivity' about having 'otherworldly' experiences, but Bruce has had a few. We have visited many graveyards in the past so he can collect pictures of historic and interesting gravestones and I usually imagine what the lives of some of the deceased might have been like. Bruce didn't have any particular 'feelings' but I, on the other hand, felt an overwhelming sense of sadness about the Gettysburg National Monument.

In fact, as the picture to the left shows and a plaque at the monument states, there are about 6000 bodies buried at the cemetery, about half of them are 'unknown'. The graves that you see have no names, just numbers like 623, 624, etc. No wonder I felt the sense of loss and grief there - no one knows who is buried there and future generations have no one spot to grieve at. If there ever was a monument that points to the futility of war as politics by other means, this is it. We would spend about 4 hours in Gettysburg, a place I am glad I visited, but I was also glad to ,eave, since it is one of the saddest places I've ever been. We left about 2 pm, Bruce asked me if I was hungry for lunch and despite the fact he mentioned pizza (PIZZA!), I declined and said let's hit the road and head for Maryland.

Mainly Maine

2006-10-07T13:01:00.000-04:00

The picture is one that Bruce took on our trip to Maine a few weeks before our trip to the Midwest.

I have been spending quite a bit of time away from the computer mostly with Bruce, his family and friends. Last week we went apple picking in Stow in the rain, but despite that we picked up a few bags of delicious Cortland and Macintosh varieties.

I usually end up spending a day or two extra in Braintree as we usually finish our activities late into the evening. When I get home, I end up spending a lot of time playing catchup on the computer such as emails, Garden Web, job hunting, Itunes, etc and I have plenty to post here, but before I write about the Winfield, cross-country excursion, I need to write about a trip to Maine that Bruce and I went on as we took his stepfather Elmer, fishing to his son-in-law Tom's cabin in Belgrade Lakes, Maine.

As you can see above, Bruce takes excellent pictures. He never leaves home without his camera, which I believe is a Minolta and of course is digital. I used to be into photography years back, but mostly my picture taking is limited to the disposal camera variety, although Rozz gave me her old 35mm Canon. Bruce expends a lot of time, effort and care into his 'art' and the Eagle is closeup thanks to a zoom lens. I could barely see the bird off into the long distance from Long Pond. I of course, forgot mine at home.

Bruce had promised Elmer a fishing trip for all guy weekend with he and Tom, but Bruce asked me to go along so we could do some 'exploring'. Ever up for an adventure, I happily agreed since I just love Nature and hadn't been to Maine in a number of years. I wouldn't have minded fishing, but there there is so much to explore, despite the high gas prices.

We left at about 11am on a Saturday once Elmer arrived and we headed to Belgrade Lakes, west of Augusta about 4 hours later. The day was perfect for anything you wanted to do. We stopped for lunch at a Wendy's in South Portland.

Tom is a retired science teacher who took a small cabin and gradually expanded into a beautiful property on Long Pond. His picture window looks out on the Lake. The view is gorgeous, especially for someone like me, who loves trees. I inherited my love of trees from my mother, who also loved them. The place is set back into the woods and it is definitely not 'suburbia' with a typical driveway and a sub-compact in the garage. Tom has a small boat dock, and both a rowboat and a fishing boat with an outboard motor. One of the first things we did of course, was Tom gave me a tour of the house and the Lake and Elmer and Tom got fishing licenses at the general store while Bruce and I merely went along for the ride. The weather was perfect, the ride pleasant, Elmer caught a few fish, but there were small, so they ended up being thrown back. I think Tom told me the pond is stocked with trout and I can't remember what else, since it has been almost two months now. It was on the fishing expedition that Bruce saw the Eagle that was flying around, we watched its flight plan and it perched in the tree quite a distance from us. Ah, the miracle of the zoom lens..
Although Elmer threw his small fish back into the lake, I'm told that the ones he caught the next day were used as sacrifices to the Eagle God.

After the pleasant lake tour (a shallow lake averaging about 7 feet deep with an Island, which if I remember correctly is known as Cat Island), we had ham and cheese sandwiches, relaxed and chatted for awhile. By late afternoon, it got cloudy and the weather report said rain and it did start to shower later in the evening. Bruce asked me if I wanted to find a movie theater and go to the movies and we found a new theater that had just opened in Waterville, which wasn't that far away. We just plugged the address into the GPS and off we went to see Snakes On A Plane with Samuel L. Jackson. The movie was campy and fun, so rent it from your video store or Netflix if you haven't seen it yet. It is so implausible, especially in the post 911 world, it makes it funny. For a brand new theater, we were the only ones in the theater on a Saturday night in Waterville.

We went back to the Cabin, arriving about 11:30, we slept downstairs and we had already decided on another excursion the next day, headed for Millinocket, in the North Central part of the state at the end of the Appalachian Trail and at the base of Mount Katahdin. I had relatives who lived there in the past, and as it turned out, I still have an aunt living there, but the primary reason for going there was a friend of ours, Shirley, grew up there and when she met me, she was totally shocked that someone else had heard of Millinocket, much less meeting someone who has actually been there. We had also hoped to possible make a trip to Moosehead Lake.

The next day, we got up early enough because we knew we had several hours on the road ahead of us. We programmed the GPS for 'downtown' Millinocket and off we went.

The day was cloudy, threatening rain and in fact was showering and misty nearly all day. We set off into the bowels of Maine. On the way, we decided to surprise Shirley with a call. We had to use my phone, because I had bars (Verizon) while Bruce did not (Nextel). I know I have blasted Verizon in the past, but I must admit that I can often boldly go where others usually cannot. One place my phone doesn't work is in the mall behind my house, but it worked well in Manhattan, the Maine northwoods and all over the Midwest.

I called her as asked 'Hypothetically, if two guys were exploring in Millinocket, where would they stop for a bite too eat?'. She was totally surprised where we were. If this were an episode of Seinfeld and she were Elaine, she would have said "Get Out!" and shoved me down the stairs.

She recommended Ruthies which was on the east side of the Penobscot (I believe) River. She said it was good when she was growing up The place was very homey and probably the only restaurant for miles around and I had the seafood platter which she suggested and I was less than impressed. Not horrible, but I know seafood and the coffee tasted like mud and Bruce wasn't crazy about what he had, but to be fair, we shouldn't expect the Ritz in the middle of nowhere, so I don't wish to be too harsh. I did eat my fill, however, so that says something. Although August, we were far enough north that there was an autumnal chill in the air. I had been to Millinocket when I was a kid, but this was the furthest north that Bruce has ever been.

Chatting with Shirley, she guided us to the Great Northern Paper Company, which appeared to be open, although am sure it is a fraction of its former self, as is the industry in most American cities and towns in the Industrial North. According to Shirley, there is a lot of drugs up there now, both as a way to make money and burn the days away. She guided us to the house that she formerly lived in, (walking distance to work) and down through 'Main' Street. Seeing everything we could we headed out. We told Shirley that we hoped to see Moosehead Lake, which we didn't think we have time for and Bruce wanted to know where we could photograph a live Moose. She told us to go a little further to the Northwest and head for Echo Lake, which we did. She also called me back and fortunately I got her message before my battery died and she said we could head for Greenville which is near Moosehead Lake and we still could get back to Belgrade that way without taking the same road back. So we headed to Echo Lake.

Arriving at the Lake, we sat for awhile, looking for the elusive Moose. Bruce went off into the woods, while I remained in the truck. I usually have a newspaper, a book on Nature or a ghost story with me as well as my Ipod. I don't remember if I had my jacket, but it was chilly. The lake is bisected by the highway, so the lake is on both sides of the road. It too is shallow, where there is a rich undergrowth and it is quite marshy. I love LLBean and its products and the scenery here would remind you of one of their Outdoor, Summer or Fall catalogs. The scenery to me was heavenly and the silence was golden, broken only by the occasional truck going southbound. No one, it appeared, was going northbound. I turned off my Ipod and enjoyed the solitude. After about a half hour, Bruce came out of the woods and claimed he saw one a little further down the road so we moved further down, he got out with his camera and the above picture is what he gained, a young one. Good job, Moose (and Moose).

We followed Shirley's suggestion, by taking a Northwesterly, then southwesterly route, sort of diamond shaped and headed for Greenville and Moosehead Lake, arriving there after dark. All told, we traveled about 350 miles that day and decided to get a room and the Lake and enjoy the place during the daylight. We found a nice motorlodge with kitchen and two bedrooms. I had a good night's sleep, but before we called it a night, we stopped for dinner at the Black Frog, an interesting restaurant with a humorous menu and although I don't remember what I had for the main course, I do remember having the clam chowder. I thought the food was excellent and so was the coffee and Bruce felt the same. I got a menu as a souvenir and Bruce got a tee-shirt. Its website is www.blackfrog.com but when I checked the site was not working. If you find yourself in Greenville, Maine, be sure to check it out. You can't miss the place.

The next day, we were up early as we wanted to check out the shops. The first order of business was finding a place that was open even at 9am. We found the only breakfast nook that was open. I think it was called Auntie Ems. Since it was the only place open for breakfast (the Black Frog isn't open for breakfast) the place was crowded with locals as well as tourists. The food was good and the prices were reasonable and the restaurant was wallpapered with a log cabin motif. Bruce suggested that I open the Scorched Pig restaurant, as I'm sure the place gets plenty of visitors even in the winter for tourists that are on their way to one of Maine's many ski areas, but I can just imagine the cost of heating the place with a few feet of snow on the ground. Bruce and I would love to visit Tom in the middle of the winter to see if the lake holds the same kind of magic in the dead of winter.

On Monday, a day Bruce took off from work, we had to hang around long enough for the stores to open so we could check them out. Never having much money, I have to content myself with refrigerator magnets and free maps from the state welcome centers where we did stop on the way up. We checked out some great wood carving and 'antique' (just old) stuff stores. Then we headed back to Belgrade Lakes, stopping for lunch at a nearby diner before hitting Tom's. We hung around for awhile, Bruce went out for a canoe ride, I picked up a pinecone, disengorged it of its seeds, but according to my friends on the Tree Forum on Garden Web, they probably won't sprout unless they are cold stratified. They were right. I planted them when I got home and they never sprouted, so if I end up there soon, I will make sure I get a few that spent the winter outdoors.

We stopped for supper at a seafood joint, whose name I don't recall (the Shipwreck or something). The food was good and we got home about 8:30. Elmer declined to stay over, but I did

I had many a good 'exploration' trips with Bruce, but I think this one was definitely one of my favorites. Even the trip to Kansas, as great as it was, didn't quite have the same sense of natural 'magic' as the remoteness of Echo Lake.

***

Visitors for September

ID, KS, KY, ME, MD, MA, NH, NM, OH, OR, RI, VA, WA.
CA: Oceanside, Sunnyvale

Canada: British Columbia, Quebec

Till next time...

Foreign: Australia, Chile, Germany, Italy, South Korea

Winfield Trip (Quick Overview)

2006-09-23T18:23:00.000-04:00

We're back - we had a great time. Bruce had to back in the office by Wednesday.

Here's the rough outline:

Friday 8th - Bruce picked me up at about 7 pm and we hit the road. Drove through CT, NY and NJ. Slept in a truckstop in New Smythe, PA.

Saturday - Warm and muggy, head for Gettysburg. Arrived mid morning. Went to the cemetery and Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. Check out the shops.

2PM - leave and head for Metawan, W.VA. Drove through West VA all day. Would like to see more. Stopped in Charleston for supper. Continued on.

Arrived in Metawan and it was dark. Tired and looking for someplace to sleep, couldn't find anything we trusted, so we slept in the parking lot of a Dollar Store. Very foggy, warm and muggy. I couldn't sleep it was so oppressive. Woke up the next day and guess where we were - just a few feet from the Hatfield/McCoy site. Very small town, everything was closed as it was Sunday morning. Bought a Hatfield/McCoy coaster and got pictures of the intersection of Hatfield Drive and McCoy Drive. Got pictures of a local football hero named Paul McCoy #22.

Crossed over into Kentucky - pretty but not 'blue' grass. Homes are probably expensive even thoough you are in the middle of Appalachia. Drive through Kentucky most of the day. Arrive in Nashville in the evening.

Spent two nights in Nashville at a Country Inn. Nice, but about 8 miles from downtown. We checked out Nashville, big modern city like Vegas, not what you'd expect. Next day we go shopping in the Music District (about 2 blocks wide and 4 blocks long). Quite warm. Had ice cream. After supper, we meet up with Dave Parks, a friend of Bruces (and now mine) who is a school teacher and bus driver who is trying to crack into the music biz in Nashville. He takes us bar-hopping for the music. Loaded with tourists. Get home late.

Tuesday morning up early, head for Kansas. We were slated to visit Adams, TN for the Bell Witch site, but the place is privately owned and we decided not to take the time out in cas there were not having tours that day, so we ended up in Memphis around noon. Encountered rain heading towards Nashville but we drove through it. Stopped in Memphis, had lunch and checked out the shops. Quite hot. Stay out of the sun.

After Memphis, cross the Mississippi, into Arkansas. Another planned stop, Murfeesboro Diamond Mine is cancelled due to time. Drive through Arkasas, would like to see more of that state. Pretty state with a bad rap. Had pizza in Fort Smith. Pizza in the midwest sucks. Drive all day in Arkasas, hit Oklahoma at night. Pick up free maps and refrigerator magnets along the route. Forgot to get one in Maryland before entering West Virginia.

Oklahoma at night, Gas $2.06. Cheap there. $2.40 in Illinois and $2.87 in New York, go figure. I was asleep when we entered Kansas at 1 am or so. Gets cool at night, need jacket. Set up tent. Already difficult to find parking and the festival doesn't even officially start till Thirsday. Beat Colorado friends.

Bruce always has called me Bones (from Star Trek). Our campsite is known as the 'mASSholes', (he had a state seal on the side of the tent). We are next to the River Rats (Colorado and Oklahoma) and the Dirt Dawgs (from Kansas) nearby. Bruce tells them I am coming. Connie of the Dirt Dawgs makes me an embrodered flag that says 'The Dirt Dawgs Welcome Bones' and the lettering is made out of bones. Great people. Make a lot of new friends.

Thurs to Sunday the 17th. Bluegrass festival - packed with campers and tents and locals. Each day is quite hot, in fact by Saturday it will be 95 with a heat index of 97 and I felt like I was in Vegas again. Too hot on Saturday, so Bruce and I take a side trip to Wichita. We should have gone back to Oklahoma since we didn't see any of it. Went to a yard sale and for pizza. Again pizza sucks. Prairie and cornfields. Nice people. Land of Oz.

Satuday night get tornado watch as cold front comes through. Pours like hell and lightning. We manage to stay dry as the tent is made of canvass. But we were ready for anything. Music stops as storm approaches. People jam all night.

Sunday leave at about noon and head for Niagara Falls. I-70 most of the way. We hit Missouri and Illinois, sleep in Indiana.

We look for a mailbox and end up in Richmond, IN to check it out and buy Rozz a present at a jewelry store. Looks like Fall River useed to. Granite buildings and nice architecture. Buy souvenirs. Drive through Indiana, Ohio, PA and New York and get into Niagara at about 10. We stop in two casinos, one in OK, where I lost $40 and the other at Niagara where I got it back. Visit a few Hard Rock Cafes. Sleep in Niagara. Go to Falls and night and take Maid of the Mist cruise in the morning. Leave for home Tuesday afternoon. Rain from Indiana (sleeping there was very muggy and it poured) into Ohio and almost followed us to the Falls.

Tuesday no rain in the morning, follows us home along the Mass Pike. Stop for Papa Ginos. Good pizza. Arrive in Braintree at 8:30.

Mitch Coleman, Where Are You?

2006-09-21T15:40:00.000-04:00

Will Mitch Coleman, apparently the former owner of East Coast Pizza in Village Center Circle in Las Vegas (Summerlin) send me an email at wogman3396@verizon.net?

Don't what to lose track with you.

Your friend from Lake Tahoe and the East Coast.

Or just leave a comment. My number hasn't changed since I gave it to you, so use it.

Shocked.

Terror Rhetoric vs Real Terror

2006-09-06T08:46:00.000-04:00

What's the deal with overhyping the terror card with using words such as 'Nazi', 'Hitler' and 'Stalin?'. Has the Bush administration gotten so spooked over the latest polls that they have resorted to hyper-dramatization?

Its funny how this administration talks about 'Islamofascism' and its threat to democracy. This is a regime that came to power thwarting the will of the people by having a GOP controlled Supreme Court cancel a legal recount in 2000; calls any and all 'media' that criticizes it 'aiding the enemy; calls anyone who challenges the neo-con vision as 'appeasers' and more than half of the American electorate as 'not getting it'.

While they argue about being the 'only ones' who can protect us from terror and save democracy and 'freedom' this is a regime that illegally wiretaps citizen's phones, has a bill signing 'disclaimer' that it won't abide by any law that Congress passes if Fuhrer Bush thinks he knows a better way to keep us safe even if it violates the law. Meanwhile, Osama Bin Laden is back on the President's agenda again, since back in 2002, he said he 'didn't think much' of the mass murderer. So much so, in fact, the CIA has disbanded the group that was dedicated to capturing him.

And meanwhile, 4000 illegal aliens will invade this country today alone. While most of them are honest people just looking for a better way of life, how many of these are Al Queda sympathizers?

We were led to believe, and they'd like you to continue to believe, that the war in Iraq was not 'Operation Avenge Daddy', but a main leg of the war on terror. The idea was to fight them over there rather than here would prevent terror at home. Tell that to the Spanish and British troops who fought along side the Americans and look at the subway bombings in London and Madrid. Has worldwide terror abated as a result? There have been bombings in India, Indonesia (twice), Egypt, Spain and Britain. Time for a new approach, since all Iraq has become is a testing ground and recruitment center for more terrorists.

Meanwhile, there has been a different kind of horror. Yesterday at a bed and breakfast in a ski-resort area in Newrie, Maine, the chef at the establishment killed the owner, her mother, killed a male guest then took his body out back and hacked it to pieces. When two female guests arrived to check on things, he killed them, too. He also killed 3 dogs on the property.

At his arraingment, the guy showed no remorese whatsoever. He even smirked.

Maine is one of those places that people go to to escape the horrors of the real world and I thoroughly enjoyed my sojourn there three weeks ago. Neighbors said the cook was 'quiet' and they would never have suspected him of being capable of such a crime.

No THATS terror.

Vistors for August: AZ, CA, CO, CT, MA, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, TX, VA and VT.
International: Czech Republic, France, India, Poland, UK

I am getting ready for the trip through America's Heartland as Bruce and I travel to Winfield Kansas for the Winfield Bluegrass Festival with stops aat Gettysburg, PA; Metawan, West Virginia; Pikeville, Kentucky; Adams, TN; Nashville and Murfeesboro, Arkansas. Hopefully, I'll have pictures and stories soon after I return and play 'catchup'.

What Lives Beneath - and what does not.

2006-08-29T14:47:00.000-04:00

My first season of 'growing things' is nearly complete. One of my goals (hopes, dreams?) is to grow cacti and less common plants for enjoyment, as a hobby and as a potential business to propagate hybrids and specific species for sale. But of course, this takes time and I end up getting attacjed to the plants. So far, I have had mixed success, but there have been lessons learned.

I wish there was a way to further my education in this field as well as finding the 'where' 'what' and a low cost way of dealing with the 'how much' in a botany program. Anyone know of entry level jobs in this field. I have had no success so far in applying at local greehouses and flower shops. Most don't even respond when there is an opening and I wow them with my enthusiasm.

So here is the tally:

January - I planted a 'mixed variety' cactus seed packet, one from Walmart and the other from Home Depot. Same company, same seed packet. I had 37 sprouts at one point, but lost the majority due to giving them 'air' to early, which made them dry out. I used a take out salad container from the Hard Rock Cafe at the Mohegan Sun. The Chef salad was one of the most colorful and delicious I've ever had. I still use the container as it has a clear lid and it makes a good terrarium for sprouting seed. I have another from Quiznos, which is shaped like a triangle.

I've had my best success with these. Although I lost the majority to moisture depletion, the survivors were transplanted into their own pot on April 1. I had 10 at the time. I think I lost a few more as a result of the Great Heatwave. But this is my est success story to date, I have a large Opuntia type cactus (the packet says 'Santa Rita' and 'Card'n' which is about 4 inches tall and will be transplanted into its own pot come Oct. 1. I fed them 'lite' nitrogen food in April and May; 'high octane' (12%) in July and August and will cut back to the lite stuff in Sept and October before they go dormant. In addition, I have two smaller Opuntia like plants and one I judge to be a Saguaro. They lived happily on a table outside during the summer, but next year, I will shelter them when the temperature goes above 95.

At about the same time, I ate a pomergranate with the hope of growing a funky plant. I planted moist seeds with pulp in soil and they never sprouted. Don't know if it was the wrong time of year, not warm enough or too much water, but they developed mold.

In February, I purchased seeds from Seedrack.com. Seedrack specialises in unique plants and what I wanted was an Epiphyllum or Orchid Cactus, which were backordered as well as a mixed variety of cacti seed. I ordered Kona Coffee, Tea, (Camilla Senensis) Coast Redwood, Black Dragon Coleus (Solenostemon), Assorted Lithops and Colorado Blue Spruce (Picea Pungens Glauca).

The Kona Coffee was expected to take the longest, depending on the heat, anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 months. I gave up after 2. I attempted to grow Tea once before in Las Vegas and I thought it was because it was too hot. I tried again, and, even after I learned that you need to 'scarify' the seed, it still didn't sprout after 3 weeks, so I gave up. I've always wanted to grow tea, and I might try again still.

I did get 3 coast redwoods to sprout, 2 died for whatever cause and the 3rd died as the result of being out in the heat, but I kept a few seeds just in case, despite the fact there is a poor ratio of sprouts to seed. I replanted the remainder yesterday in the Quiznos container. I tried Venus Fly Trap and they failed to sprout.

The best result has been the Colorado Blue Spruce. I have about 10 'mini trees' which looks like a tiny ski resort and these will be replanted into a larger pot for wintering on the porch. They are supposed to be hardy down to -40 and it certainly doesn't get that cold here.

I got the back-ordered cacti seed from Seedrack and they provide lots of seed for the money (about 200). The CSSA gives 20 seeds typically and less for popular species. I planted them in the salad container and again had about 38 sprouts and I only used about half the allotment. I gave the other half to a couple whose wedding I attended as a wedding present. That lot was sprouted in June and I lost all but 4 unknown variety cacti due to putting them out in the blazing sun (figured they'd like that) when I went away to New York.

I joined the Cactus and Succulent Society of America (CSSA) in the spring and I can get seeds
cheaply, plus you can specific varieties for collectors. The only draw back is the turnaround time to get your seeds can be slow because it is a non-profit organization. At the same time, I joined GardenWeb, where they have tons of forums, of which the one I spend my time in, is the Cacti and Succulent Forum. It is a fantastic way to meet hobbyists, novices and expert alike, from all over the world, and they have a wealth of knowledge to offer. Despite that, I still have been unsuccessful about growing Lithops (Living Stones). I have no idea what happened to the seeds I got from Seedrack.

I really enjoy the periodicals that the CSSA puts out, the Cactus and Succulent Journal (CSJ) and To The Point, the newsletter. The CSJ has great color photographs from which I find my favorites. Add to this, I have bought books from places like Kennedy's Nursery and, well, you get the picture.

I also checked out Mesa Garden. They have tons, but still no Orchid Cacti. And I don't need ulk seed, although at times I wished I did. So I get my seed from the CSSA. Not as many varieties as Mesa Garden, but PLENTY nonetheless.

So, at the end of May, I piicked up Lithops Aucampiae, Dinteri, Fulviceps and Karasmontana. This was my second attempt. My first attempt from Seedrack probably got buried and my guess is that's the reason they never sprouted. The above varieties did sprout, I kept them indoors, watered them before going to the Pemi Bluegrass Festival and when I got back they had simply vanished. DOn't know if they got overwatered, dried up or what. The Pemi Bliegrass Festival was where I had hoped to sell some Black Dragon Coleus, which I didn't plant until July 1, which turned out to be too late, as they had just begun to sprout and were tiny by the time Pemi came upon me.

So, in May, I picked up seeds for Echinopsis Pachanoi (San Pedro Cactus) and Stetsonia Coryne which I placed in their own pot, with a surviving Lithops, (which didn't) and I am happy to report that I now have a few 'babies' of both. Tiny little things.

In June, I sent away for Astrophytum Asterias and a few varieties of Pachypodium (Madagascar Palm) since that was what I was into from the CSJ. They sprouted, but died when I put them out in the sun in late July which they weren't ready. The Asterias survived, but yesterday, my stupid neighbor disturbed the tray and now they are gone. Fortunately, I had some Asteria seed that I didn't plant, so that went in with Coast Redwood and the 4 'unknowns' in the Quznos container.

My 'replacements' came in yesterday, planted today and I freed up the original container for some Adenium Obesum, more San Pedros (not planted), replacement Pacypodium Horombense and Pacypodium Sofiense. I really hope these survive.

When i was in Maine two weeks ago, I decided to try my hand at disgorging seed from a pine cone and they are now in a pot of their own. I am trying to decide if they should spend the winter indoors or out and they haven't even sprouted yet, but we still have two more months of 'growing time'.

I also purchased a Haagiocereus Thurberi, an 11 incher which sits in the garden.

Any new seedlings will end up in the house where they will be monitored. You can plant seed at any time of year, but I'm not sure at what point a 'seedling' turns into an 'adult' that begins to follow normal dormancy cycles.

Livin and Learnin...

Call for good sight seeing stops

2006-08-10T15:05:00.000-04:00

Bruce has asked me to accompany him to the Winfield Bluegrass Festival in Winfield, Kansas in early September. We will be driving down. The dates are Sept. 8 to Sept. 20.

What we are looking for is a few good places to stop and sight-see. We tend to like the 'out of the ordinary', like the 'World's Largest Frying Pan' as well as craft fairs and I happen to like things with a ghostly bent.

Our route down will probably be after leaving New England and New York, we will head through Southern Pennsylvania. (We want to hit as many states that we haven't been to before). Then into extreme Western Maryland, West Virginia into Kentucky (we both want to see Kentucky) and head toward Nashville. We will hook up with others there, then head through Arkansas into Kansas.

Not sure of the return trip yet, but probably (we'll have less time) will travel northeast-bound through Ohio and back into Pennsylvania.

Anyone having good sites to stop, prefereably not to far from the main roads would be VERY MUCH appreciated.

The numbers for July:

AZ, DC, FL, GA, IN, IL, MD, MI, NH, (first time, I think) NY, NC, OR, PA, RI, TX and VA.

MA - Arlington, Quincy and Weston
CA - Atascadero, Carlsad, Riverside, San Diego, Seal Beach and Sunnyvale

Foreign: - Hong Kong (2), France (2), Ireland, India (2), Philippines and Portugal.

Welcome ALL.

Zip Trip to Manhattan

2006-07-30T14:39:00.000-04:00

A week ago last Friday, I got an email from a friend asking me if I would be interested in taking a quick trip to Manhattan. Of course, I would. My friend, who works in networking high-tech was on call that weekend and he volunteered to head to a cleint site to swap out a CISCO switch box. I love New York City, definitely prefer it to LA and since I hadn't been there since before 9/11, I jumped at the chance as I hurredly did a load of laundry. I was told that 'the work' would only take a half an hour, so we would be free to do our own thing for the weekend.

My friend picked me up early Saturday morning and he was already exhausted, since a violent thunderstorm hit the Boston area the night before and he had to wait for power to come back in a building in Milton. When the power came ack out, he had lost power at home, and as this was yet another hot an muggy weekend, he couldn't sleep without AC. Once that came back on, at about 4am and he tried to catch a little sleep, he got another trouble call.

He picked me up at home and we stopped for breakfast at Joe's a local diner (Eat at Joe's). He couldn't do any work until 3 pm and he arrived at about 9. You can make it to Midtown from here in 3 hours, depending on traffic and few stops, 4 hours of 'normal' traffic and we allowed 5 hours for a lunch break. We left about 10am. We ran into my brother Al at the diner.

We hit the road at 10am, stopped at a McDonald's somwhere around New Haven, got hit with a downpour in the area, and all I can say is thank God for air-conditioned vehicles, as the air was thick and soupy. Just open a window and feel what you are missing. We relied on GPS to get us to the World Financial District and we made it with about 20 minutes to spare. just try to find a parking space, especially with equipment. But we found one in a valet parking underground garage. I'm sure my friend will expense the parking.

I had to go to the bathroom while my friend went to work. Since it was only supposed to be a 'half hour's' work, I had a fresh Time magazine and an Ipod. I opted to wait in the lobby of the building which had its own self contained Mall, like the Gap, Starbucks, a few restauranst that cater to the workday crowd and were closed, but there was a Chinese restaurant that was open, which would come in handy later. But I had planned on just accomplishing two things this weekend - Bleeker Bob's Record Store in Greenwich Village and a trip to Chinatown.

The building is directly across the street from Ground Zero, in fact, there were tour busses that were discharging tourists on the second flor lobby where I was, so they could view the hole, which is guarded 24/7 by the NYPD. I grabbed a seat outside a cafe and got comfortable.

The hours would pass. I walked around and browsed in the stores, went outside, where the air was tropical and there were a few downpours and umbrella vendors were soon making a brisk business by unprepared tourists. It cleared, I tried getting in touch with my friend, whose Nextel was unavailable, but my Verizon had 4 and 5 bars, better than it is at home. I sat outside for a little bit at the waterfront, as I could see the Statue of Liberty, off into the distance, a tiny figurine from my vantage point. But I could have easily been in Cambridge on the Charles rather than New York on the East River (or is it the Hudson?). I called Chris and we talked for awhile but I cut it short so as to not use up all my battery power and another rainshower chased me indoors. Off across the river, you could hear the sounds of an outdoor conert or street fair.

There was a Starbucks on the lower level and so I went down there for an iced Americano. I went back to my roost and continued reading my magazine. About 9, I started to get hungry. I didn't want to eat much because I knew my friend would eventually finish up and we would go eat, so I went down to Starbucks to check out the sandwiches. But I wasn't about to pay $5.75 for a cold sandwich, when for a few bucks more, I could gom to the Chinese restaurant and have hot appetizers. Sure nuff, my phone rang as I chowed down. It was my friend telling me to go get food, although he was starving. I told him I was way ahead of him. After I eat, he sent security down to get me, as I was afraid thatn they'd kick me out of the lobby eventually, since the place has since gotten vacant. They do kick people out, but not until midnight.

He finished up with work at about 10 and so we headed out to the hotel, the Times Hilton. Guided by GPS, W 43th was blocked off for a concert, but I got out and asked the concierge where we could park. Once settled it, we went out to Dallas BBQ, which my friend had heard good reviews. I loved the music. very Motown, but the 'crispy fish' was not the best of had. Despite the fact that New York is supposed to be a 24 hout town, many things were closing even in Times Square at around 2am.

I plugged in my Ipod and it didn't charge, but I think that it won't recharge unless the battery is really low. He plugged in his cellphone.

The next day, he told me the outlet probably didn't work as his cellphone didn't charge, so he plugged it in in the bathroom. His phone began to ring and there were problems at work. He said 'we'd' need an escort into the building, but I suggested that he let me be on my own and we would keep in touch by cellphone. I would have many 'bars' on my Verizon, while I kept getting his Voicemail on his Nextel.

So, about 10:45, I set out walking down 5th Ave, with my eventual destination was to be Bleeker Bobs and Chinatown. I brought with me a bottle of water and a camera and a Time magazine for the times I'd be sitting down killing time. I took pictures of Bryant Park and the New York Public Library, which isn't far from Times Square and got a picture of the Flatiron Building in the distance.

The weather wasn't bad for walking as the showers and humidity from the day before had been replaced with clear and temperate skies. Good for people watching which is the only way to see Manhattan.

I essentially walked down 5th Avenue snapping pictures with my disposable camera. I took a picture of a cool building, that reminded me of a modern Addam's family house, (not sure of the name the style of architecture) which was near Greenwich Village. I toyed with the idea of visitng the Empire State Building but the cost and the line discouraged, but we would visit it the next day.
I got some nice pictures of the Flatiron Building.

I eventually made my way to Bleeker Bob's on West 3, but before getting there I took a rest stop at Washington Square Park. I saw some street performers, with one guy juggling fire and a skateoard, and another group of break dancers. A fun diversion. Another stop I made before getting there was the East-West Bookstore, somewhere around 5th and 22nd or so.

I needed the break, good thing I had a bottle of water with me. After a few minutes, I pushed on to Chinatown. Passing through SoHo, however, along Broadway, New York was having a typical Sunday street fairs with clothes, toys, linens, food and music on display and for sale. Some great soundns and smells, but I opted to refrain from eating until Chinatown.

When I finally got there, I was exhausted, hungry, my feet were killing me and I had to go to the bathroom. It was in Chinatown that I encountered my largest crowds and even walking moved at a snails pace. I would have really enjoyed the experience, but I was just too tired and getting cranky. I stopped at a restaurant whose name I can't rememer, got shrimp that was listed as $14.99, got charged $16.99 and it did not come with rice. (Extra). And even the tea was in a can. I would have not chosen this particular restaurant had my feet not have been killing me. I also had some dumplings since they had no wontons on the menu. The food was good, but I was still somewhat disappointed nonetheless. I toyed with the idea of taking the subway back to Times Square, but I had a chance to rest and got my second wind. My friend called and told me he was still stuck at work, so I saw no need to hurry back. So I started walking back via Broadway.

No soonet than leaving Chinatown, after checking out some of the stores, which seemed to push the same kitchcy Chinese things (I will revisit the place when not tired) and having walked passed a restaurant called WonTon Garden on Mott, (will eat there next time) I passed by a plant store with a young Chinese woman eyeing a Fairy Castle Cactus. I encouraged her to make that purchase as she was checking out others, although I felt the Fairy Castle was definitely the one she should buy. She bought it! I should sell plants. I stopped in the store, packed with plants and leaves and was a jungle atmosphere and I asked him how much his Pachypodium was. He didn't know waht I was talking about, so I referred to it my its common name, Madagascar Palm, which he still didn't know what I was referring to, so I brought him over to it. It was about one foot tall and was selling for $20. Good to know, if I ever get mine to grow (more about that in another post). I saw one young women with her packages, walking down the street, balancing a plate of food in her other hand wending her way through the crowd. She must have been a Native New Yorker (the song was playing in my head).

I walked up Broadway, branching off at the Flatiron Building and took a rest stop at Union Square Park. I needed to get off my feet, so I found a piece of wall to sit on as I watched the skateboarders, lovers, native and tourist do their thing. I called my friend Chris again and after about 20 minutes, decided to push ever onward.

It was starting to get dark as I walked up Broadway past the Flat Iron Building and the street was getting deserted. Where were the 'Lights of Broadway'. I started to pick up the pace, although all I wanted to do at that point was to cut my feet off.

At about 8:30, my friend called, said he was FINALLY done with work and I told him I was headed back to the hotel but god knows when I'd arrive. The solution was he was calling a cab back to the hotel, so he had the cab stop and pick me up at Broadway and 33rd. We got back to the hotel, I hit the shower and we went out, (more walking) so he could buy souvenirs.

Obviously, with all the technical problems, we had to book the room for another night. While I was away, my friend tried to catch some sleep, and there was a 'problem' with the room. Apparetly, they were full or something, but the problem was soon fixed. I decided to wait till morning to get my souvenirs. We ended up walking down 7th Avenue, almost headed into Mid-town, when I protested I could go no further, so we stopped for pizza to get off my feet. Not bad. Wasn't really hungry, but I am on a mission to test out all the pizza joints throughout the world so this place was open at 1am.

The next day, my friend was scheduled to be 'released' from work at noon, but that didn't happen until 2:40, but he didn't have to go back to the client site until the end of the day to pick up his PC, so we had most of the day to 'enjoy'. I let him pick what he wanted to do and after picking up some newspapers for my brother, some tee-shirts and I did get a Creedence Dance CD from Bleeker Bob's, I had almost all the souvenirs I needed. But he wanted to go to the Empire State Building.

The last time I was in New York was before 9/11. I last went with my brother and sister as 'touristas' and one thing a tourist would do would be to go to the top of one of Manhattan's tallest buildings and check the view. At that time, I would have preferred to go to the top of the Empire State Building because it is more the epitome of New York in the popular imagination over the World Trade Center, which was technically taller. They had been to the top of both, so we went to neither.

So, even though I've been to the top of tall buildings like Boston's Prudential Building and Hancock Tower (900 feet) and Seattle's Space Needle. Ironically, I never went to the top of the Las Vegas' Stratosphere even when I lived there for years and years, but I said okay, since it is the building that King Kong climbed on, so if it was good enough for him, its good enough for me.

Things of course, have changed dramatically since 9/11 when it comes to sightseeing from tall buildings. Going to the top of the Empire State Building was akin to going on an airplane. Check your bags, remove your belt and shoes and go through metal detectors. All this and an hour and a half wait. We figured what the hell, we'll spring for the extra bucks to go all the way to the top of the 102nd floor as well as the view from the 86th floor. Of course, after all the waiting my feet were killing me, but the view was fantastic and I got a few good pictures. I opted NOT to purchase the audio tour and on the 86th floor, I was shooed away from sitting on the outside of the outside steps. It was quite crowded up there, and in the end, I was glad I went. Now that's a New York 'must do' is now done.

That killed most of the afternoon, so we headed back to my friend's client's office to pick up his PC. We went to Battery Park, enjoyed the beautiful day, watched the children run under the sprinklers, since it was quite warm out. I would have preferred to go on a cruise, but they were not running on Mondays, so I tried to talk my friend into a ride on the Staten Island Ferry, but he wanted to head for dinner so we could get ready for heading home after the rush hour traffic abated, so we went down to the Wall Street area and went to Delmonico's for EXCELLENT (and expensive) food. I had the Shrimp Kabobs. I thin they were U22s, or the largest shrimp available, For the first time in my life, I got FULL eating shrimp.

After dinner, we let the GPS guide us out of The City and headed back home, arriving around 1AM.

If there are duplicate thought processes in this post, my apologies. I wrote it over a period of weeks.

Next up: Mainly Maine.

First Trip to Vermont

2006-07-21T14:52:00.000-04:00

At the end of June, me, Bruce and Rozz went camping in Vermont. Brandi and Jesse were supposed to come along, but when Jesse couldn't make it, Brandi had lost interest, so it was just the three of us. I was looking forward to it, as I had never ever had been to Vermont, which is strange, considering I was born in New England and I've seen more of the West than the East. Actually, it was kinda designed that way, since my original idea was to go the furthest away from home and get those 'out of the way' that way, when I 'retire' and get tired, I'd hit the closer to home states then. Little did I know at the time, I'd be living in Nevada but I have visited many states in the West - most notably Hawaii, my favorite, which I was very fortunate to visit twice and have visited all the major islands, except Molokai. I've also been to California several times, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, New Mexico and (via AMTRAK) Montana and slept through Idaho. I want to see the ones I haven't been to yet, like Arizona and New Mexico and I personally think Colorado is over rated. Just my opinion, so withdraw those daggers!

Packing was far easier, since this was a 'standard' camping trip, as, unlike Pemi (which is coming up in about two weeks, Bruce isn't selling things. I arrived in Braintree on Wednesday and the first thing we did was to pick up Boo (Bruschi) from the vet, as he had been neutered. Things have changed since I did that to Copa, since Boo didn't have to wear one of those funnel collars because they did internal stitches and used glue on the outer stitches. The only thing was to keep Boo and Sapphire separated so that they wouldn't play to vigorously for the next eight days. We left on Thursday afternoon.

I don't remember if Bruce relied on GPS or not, or we just went down route 2., to southwestern Vermont. We made a dinner stop at a place called the Wagon Wheel in Plainfield, Mass, where we could let the dogs out on their leashes. It is a roadside quick food place more appropriate to a Dairy Queen and they had on the menu fried clam rolls which was Leery to try, because I didn't know how much of a food turnover they had so I opted for a BLT and some hummus and pita. I figured they couldn't ruin a simple BLT and the it was good. My fears were allayed about the turnover as the place soon got busy with locals stopping by. We talked to a few locals about dogs since having dogs, such as the seldom seen Papillions, which is the breed that Sapphire and Boo are attract attention. Soon we were on our way about an hour later. We stopped at a rest area in Guilford, VT as a rest stop and later in Ludlow for provisions like hot dogs, buns, Vermont cheddar cheese (of course) and marshmallows. We arrived at camp, whose name I can't recall about 8PM.

Bruce thought it was 'quiet time' and he kept on shushing us - and Rozz and I refused to whisper in the woods. Turns out that 'quiet time' was 11PM. We set up camp.

By now it was growing dark and it was occasionally raining. Just before entering the camp site, however, and bordering it, is the Plain Road cemetery. Talk about spooky. Miasma, fog and all that, and I couldn't help thinking of the movie "Night of the Living Dead". ("They're coming to get you Bar-bara").

Bruce and Rozz have a larger camper - a Cabana, with A/C, radio and a bathroom, sink, etc. As I was getting ready to go to bed in my 'area' which I felt was smaller and lower ceiling, my claustrophobia acted up big time and I refused to sleep in 'the coffin room'. I opted to sleep in the front seat of the Tundra, where I wished there was manual windows. Not everything 'modern' is best, as I had to turn on the vehicle to put up or down the windows and with the rain, it was quite humid. I had to sleep with windows down until we had a thunderstorm and a quick downpour. Then, of course, I had to deal with the mosquitoes.

Ok, so now I've found some documentation on the campsite with the name. It was the Crown Point Camping Area in Perkinsville, VT. 05151 (802)263-5555.

So, during my first night in the Tundra, we had a very vivid lightning storm, and with the cemetery just feet away and the fact that I remember a Weather Channel Storm Story about a group of campers in upstate New York, who were camping when a severe and unannounced thunderstorm came through, knocking down trees left and right. One tree fell on their camper, but they got out alive as it sliced where no one had been sleeping. All this and the fog and thoughts of 'Night of the Living Dead". I had to turn on the car to put up the windows. But it really wasn't that bad, aside the humidity, as I had my lantern, hanging from the clothing hook and stuff to read, an AM/FM/Shortware radio and my Ipod. I found a classical music station that came in very loud. So loud in fact, I listened to it through the headphones that were beside me.

I had to put the windows down again when the storm passed. It was so humid it was foggy everywhere.

The next day despite being damp, we were able to get a fire going so we could have eggs for breakfast cooked over a campfire. We then headed out to explore the Ludlow area. We stopped to get some medication for Boo, as Rozz grew concerned about his comfort as well as the fact that he was peeing more than normal and it appeared that he wasn't aware he was doing it.

At the local shopping plaza, we again found people who were attracted to the dogs. It was a retired couple whose daughter had Papillions. They told us of a place to eat called Stans. They told us of the 'Early Bird' specials. Stan's turned out to be a high-end restaurant that you wouldn't expect to find in the middle of the woods. The 'early-bird' specials such as Chicken (I had that). Rozz had the Swordfish, Bruce had steak (I think) and the salad bar was excellent. We raved about the food there.

While in 'downtown' Ludlow, checking out the small shops, I stopped in a hardware store where I picked up (and almost forgot to) mosquito netting. There was plenty, tent size, but that's okay, I just draped it over the open window. Did the trick.

It rained steadily throughout the night, so much so, we couldn't get a fire going the next morning. While Rozz, stayed behind working on her embroidery, Bruce and I decided to go for breakfast at a diner we had passed earlier. Only one problem, the road the diner was closed 'due to parade' and there was a detour. After trying to get through to the diner, I suggested that if we can't beat 'em let's join 'em. We pulled over, parked and walked to downtown Springfield. This Springfield reminded me of the Simpson's Springfield.

Springfield, VT is, like many New England towns, a former textile town that drew its power from water generated through a dam and waterfall. A large sign in the middle of Main Street read 'WELCOME ALUMNI'. We had to ask what the parade was all about and we were looked at as if we were dopes. Seems like everyone from Springfield and the Tri-County area knew what 'Alumni Weekend' was. Anyone who graduated from (I assume) Springfield High School could march in the Parade. Only a few years were represented and mostly were all old-timers.

I tried to enter 'Main Street Pizza' but the door was locked and there was a kid inside flipping dough. That was the dumbest thing I ever heard. Here was a guy who had a captive audience of a few hundred (I think) who came out for the parade, and he was closed! And it was now lunch time to boot! I stopped in a Radio Shack franchise to pick up batteries and I was in luck. Instead of a 4-4-10 (Four packs of four) batteries for $10, I got a 5-4-10. Don't know if Radio Shack changed its policy, or because it was a franchise and not corporate run or maybe it was an 'Alumni Weekend' special, but it was a good deal, so I took it.

After the parade, we were able to use the main access road and we went up to the Royal Diner (and the Royal Flush Bar) to get something to eat. I was hungry by then. I had some nachos and a tuna on white toast. I think I sent the sandwich back because the bread didn't seem toasted enough. The place was quite busy, considering that there were signs advertising 'Alumni Weekend' specials.

After lunch, we went back to camp, bringing Rozz some food and we promised we'd go shopping, which we did by visiting the Quechee Gorge area where we visited a few antique shops and stores. I picked up a few bargain containers for plants. Always looking for something unusual to use as planters. At some point, we pulled over to a yard sale where I picked up some Chinese ceramic pots for a buck a piece. Glad not everything was gone.

One thing that I picked up at a 'farmhouse' antique store was a 3 volume vampire story titled "Covenant With The Vampire", "Children of the Vampire" and "Lord of the Vampire" by Jeanne Kalogridis. All for a buck a piece. I wasn't planning on reading them right away, by I couldn't help myself, I am reading the first volume. So far, you know the plot - standard Dracula fare, but the author seems to have done her homework about Rumanian/Transylvanian folklore and culture. A good read, so far.

On Sunday, we packed up camp, and let the GPS guide us through the 'shortest' (yeah right) trip home. It took us through Claremont, N.H., where I once had an uncle who lived there, the Sunapee region, south of Concord, through Manchester and then home. We stopped at a Cracker Barrel restaurant which was decent.

All in all, I had a great time, as I usually do when I am with Bruce and Rozz. I will post pictures in a few days, but if I don't, it'll be because I am headed to NH for my second Pemi bluegrass Festival and another round of selling, music and camping (and fun).

'My Computer' on My Computer

2006-07-20T15:52:00.000-04:00

I got my pictures back from the Vermont camping trip at the end of last month and I copied them off the disk onto my 'P' drive. For the second time, I have had a problem with 'My Computer'. When I get into this program, it finds 0 items and won't close so I end up having to kill it. I think I may have taken the disc out of the drive without ejecting it. But I have had this problem before. Running shutdown goes so slow I end up killing power to it. I did this twice today and no workie.

Figuring the computer needed to shut down normally, I ran shutdown and let it take its sweet time going down. It took awhile, but it eventually shut down. Powering it back up, the first thing I checked was 'My Computer' and this still doesn't work. Windows Explorer works, to a point, but not if you click 'My Computer'. I think I have 118MB on my C drive, and although I know I have space issues, this isn't enough to kill it.

My network works, I use DSL and mail works which means I can do 'most, if not all' what I usually do, but I need to know how much space I have at any given moment. I download a lot of podcasts on my P drive and I am always monitoring space on my C drive.

I did a full system scan from both Adaware and Norton as well as defragging both drives, no problems (last night). I have had this machine since 2000 when I bought it to log on from home when I worked at Fidelity. What a mistake not buying a Mac again. My old Mac laptop still gives me no problems since 1997 or so. Its just not cost effective to upgrade (it can only handle OS 9).

My machine is a 2000 Pro, Compaq Presario Laptop. My next machine *WILL* be a Mac, but until then, any ideas how I can get 'My Computer' back. No, I won't upgrade to XP.

Oh My God - They Killed Kenny!

2006-07-06T14:02:00.000-04:00

Ken Lay drops dead of a sudden heart attack. How convenient. If he has really died, my condolences to the family. All is forgiven.

But what if he didn't die? Will there be someone at the funeral home who can independently confirm that his is, in fact, dead? Stranger things have happened. The FBI still can't find Whitey Bulger, not Osama Bin Laden (in fact, the CIA, shut down the office that was dedicated to finding him, according to NPR and as reported on Countdown), and Pablo Escobar, the Colombian Drug Lord, feigned his own death (but I think he is really dead now). But then again , if I were looking down the barrel of a long prison sentence, I would have had a heart attack as well. The difference, being, of course, is I would have waited out my appeal in prison, not at my ski chalet in Aspen. Which is curious, by the way, because his wife Linda, once claimed that the family was 'penniless'. 'Penniless' and having a vacation home in Aspen (and don't forget the high rise condo in Houston.

If he is in fact dead, his legacy will be that he represented one of the greediest periods in American history, one where many innocent folks paid forhis mistakes with their life savings. If there is any justice in this story at all, its the fact that he can't take his chalet with him. Now the question, will the appeal go easy on Andy Faistow?

Meanwhile, Bush Bitch, Ann Coulter has been exposed as being a major plaigarist, according to one company that checks published books for such inaccuracies. She has apparently 'lifted' quotes from the New York Times, the Heritage Foundation as well as right off the brochures of Planned Parenthood. This also, comes from the 'liberal media', MSNBC's 'Countdown with Keith Olbermann'. And this is the same women who bashed Jason Blair of the NY Times for his own plaigarism charges.

Add another brick into the Wall of Shame.

More about the Flag; Mid-year.

2006-07-01T13:17:00.000-04:00

USA Weekend, in its Sunday magazine, had a blurb about flag etiquette (notice I didn't say laws) which was appropos since last week was Flag Day (June 14) and the latest GOP attempt to get us all to 'behave' in a certain fashion. Some interesting points: Congress decreed, some years back, that the flag, since it represents a living, breathing nation, it is therefore, a 'living, breathing' entity, not made out of cloth. Those miracle workers! Giving life to an inaimate object! What's next, the Parting of the Potomac?

In 2003, George Bush, signed his autograph on a flag. Should the President be cited for 'desecration', which itself an interesting word, since it evokes religious devotion. And while, the flag is not meant to be used as an article of clothing or other personal adornment, neither it is to be stretched wide on a football (American) field, either. How come no brouhaha when that is done like there was about 'boobgate' during the Super Bowl a few years back. Neither is the flag to be used as a commercial advertisement to generate sales - remember that the next time you patronize 'Honest Abe's' Used Car Emporium. And as the columnist Leonard Pitts pointed out in a recent column there has been all of 3 or so cases in the past year of actual flag 'desecration'. So, in light of a war which is costing Americans plenty in blood and gold, why is this such a big deal to the GOP. Even attacking the messenger, the 'liberal' New York Times to unite the foolish right wing zealots than did this. Just something to ponder on a summer's day.

****

Podcasting - I have downloaded several kinds of podcasts over the last few months, quite a variety, and best of all, unlike Sirius and XM, its free. Some of course, are quite amateurish, others are okay, but I choose not to continue to subscribe, but the ones I do are of course, interesting to me and the best become part of my regular listening repertoire. The best one is PodcastNYC, (link to the right), but Rob's been busy of late. I don't have a video Ipod (I've had it for over a year and half and the battery still hasn't failed me, and I listen for several hours a day - knock on plastic). When it gets time for a new batch, I peruse Ipodder.org (link to the right), Podcastalley and I haven't really checked what's available in Itunes. I still use Ipodder as a 'test bed' for new podcasts and some of the better ones move to Itunes. I am a faithful listener of Bluepower.com, for the best in blues music and although I was destined to abandon it, I have since reconsidered and that is Rockcast, This is the Rock. They come up with just the right mix of current and classic stuff that keeps me coming back for more.

A couple of new ones that I am listening to right now - 'Guy Cast' - college age guys from Maryland talking guy stuff - not for children, 'Horror Cast' as I love horror movies and creepy stuff, a new one, I have yet to listen too, 'Strange Brew' about the paranormal and there are many more to come, including UFOs and Ghosts.

I am not overly religious, as I was born Catholic, don't attend church, but my last church I attended was a Unitarian one in Marlborough. I can't attend one locally, by I listen to a Unitarian Podcast by the Rev. Randy Becker, south of Chicago. One new one I have picked up is the Kings Harbor Ministries for Men, a Wednesday Bible meeting. I find the speakers to be quite interesting and calming and one of the best things about Podcasting is if I get distracted, I can just backup or play again. Didn't think it would hold my interest, but it is. I read the Bible on occasion, and am currently reading the Book of Psalms. But you won't get sermons from me.

I also have been picking of the Daily Podcast from the Libertarian Cato Institute and coming to an Ipod near you - the Superman Podcast. Yes, there is one out there.

I have also found another use for the Ipod. I recently (last weekend) went on my first camping trip with Bruce and Rozz to Vermont. I had never been to that state, and I loved it. Its Oregon East. But, so I wont forget my experiences, I dictated my musings into the Ipod via a Griffin Italk microphone. It ends up as an audio voice message in Itunes, so I can play it back when it comes time to transcribe it here. When I get some webspace (coming) to store them, it'll be the first 'Pigcast'. I got the Italk when I got my Ipod for use in dictating book ideas like the History of Virginia City, Gloucester fishermen, Mayors of New York or 'Etched in Stone' a book about cemeteries and stone buildings and monuments.

Not all Podcasts make the cut - I was listening to a Music from Brazil Podcast, but it was too much Portuguese so I dropped it, I already have a Podcast on Itunes - Radio Macondo, Music from Cuba. I also have podcast on personal growth like 'metamorphosis', listened to a Podcast novel 'Earth Core' and have Mandarin lessons as well. Some are short lived like '3 Minutes in Shanghai' about an American living in Shanghai. I no longer lsiten to the South China Morning Post from Hong Kong. (mostly business and banking). One benefir of using Ipodder over Itunes, I import files from the download folders into Itunes as a Playlist and can listen them in sequence as opposed to Itunes '1 of 1' format. As you can see, i am never bored - walking, camping, whatever, my Ipod is always with me.

I have also caught up on Aaron The Truck Driver's blog -(link to the right). Always interesting, but now its time to move on to the next blog in the queue. I found a Cacti Blog for example with only a few entries. I have also read all the Shadowlands haunted places in California, (A-R). More spooky sites in California, than all previous states combined - 764, bringing the total to 1272 so far. Still have to read S-Z.

***

In The Garden:

I have started a new group of mixed cacti seeds that were backordered from Seedrack on June 13. I have about 38 sprouts. Many more seeds than the Home Depot/Walmart variety. In fact, I was in Walmart today and they have taken down their seed rack, just as In was starting to send seeds as gifts. I sent a packet to my friend Chris with a 'birthday' card (no it wasn't her birthday).

I have given up on the Kona Coffee (although it COULD sprout anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 months) been about 8 weeks and Tea (camellia senenis), even after scarifying the seeds. I have also gieven up on the Venus Fly Trap (Dionaea Muscipula). In many of my failures, I think its due to me 'burying' the seeds.

On the plus side though, I got fresh Lithops seeds from CSSA Seed Depot and they HAVE sprouted, - Lithops Aucampiae, Dinteri, Fulviceps adn Karasmontana have all sprouted! (Woo-hoo) as well as my Stetsonia Coryne, and Echinopsis Pachanoi (San Pedro). i also have about 8-10 remnants of the January sowing

I also have 3 Dawn Redwood sprouts (Metasequoia Glyptostroboides - I hope they survive) and several little Colorado Blue Spruce sprouts (Picea Pungens Glauca) which are doing quite well despite being flooded out due to our near constant deluge of water and humity. I fear for my cactus sprouts - I want to keep them moist, but with such a lack of sun, there is mold growing here and there.

And I just planted Black Dragon Coleus - Solenostemon Scutellaroides (so they'll be a decent size in time for Pemi.

I can't help myself - yesterday I ordered Pachpodium seeds (Madagascar Palm) - Geayi, Horombense, Brevicaule and Densiflorum as well as Astrophytum Asterias and Pilosocereus Gounellii, just to make it their while to send the order. All for $4.50 (inc. S &H)

***

The Numbers for June. On June 10, it was the one year anniverssry of having a site meter on the Pig. Someone, from somewhere (parts unkown) was a vistor nearest the 9PM anniversary, (6PM PST as this began in Las Vegas)>

But here is the roundup:

AZ, CT,GA (several),LA,IL,MO,NV,NY,O,OK,RI,TN,TX (a few), WA and WI.

MA - Quincy, Arlington, Hanover and Waltham
CA - Palo Alto,San Diego and Sunnyvale

Foreign: Canada, (Ontario), France, Italy, Japan, Korea (there is an 'all things Korean' podcast out there that I will check out), Switzerland, Turkey and the UK.

Thanks for visiting

Flag Burning - Again!

2006-06-28T11:24:00.000-04:00

So, the GOP has failed in its latest attempt to codify its extreme ideology with yet another attempt to mess with our freedoms with an attempt at banning flag burning. Aren't there more serious issues facing the country without them messing with freedom of speech, as they have tried with the blurring of the Evangelical Church with the State.

What separates us free Americans from the Iranians, North Koreans, Cubans and Mainland Chinese is the fact that we CAN criticize our leaders and their bullheaded, misguided policies. In a free, democratic society, the citizens of said society should let off steam by showing their displeasure by protesting - gathering in front of their leader's offices, homes with speeches as well as flag-burning if they are that angry. What would the GOP have the frustrated do - fly planes into buildings? Shoot up a mall?

What boggles my mind is that there are far more serious issues facing the nation - such as North Korean missles, the Iranian nuke problem, growing gaps between the rich and poor, an exploding deficit and national debt, increased crime, illegal immigration, good jobs leaving the country, etc. etc.

But just look what this hapless bunch of Republicans think is important - tax cuts for the wealthy, another attempt at marginalizing gays and now limiting freedom of speech. This, coming on the heels of illegal wiretapping and now dubious legalities about government spying on your bank accounts. A total waste of taxpayer time and money. But hey, it looks good on GOP brochures - "THEY (the Democrats) are against the country because they DIDN'T vote for an anti-flag burning amendment." "THEY support terrorism because they won't let us look through your underwear drawer in the middle of the night." And on and on.

And what is so amazing - they KNOW they don't have the votes and they pursue it ANYWAY!

The argument they use is that the flag represents the blood lost on the battlefield in defending our freedom, but they refuse to see that not all military adventurism is to defend our shores and freedoms, but in fact, its just the opposite - an attempt at keeping the dissenters in line. Just some examples - was the Viet Nam war a war about defending our freedom or interfering in another country's civil war? We heard the argumetn before - if you don't fight them OVER THERE, will be fighting them OVER HERE. A half million soldiers sent to a country the size of Kansas and now we have 160,000 in Iraq, which is the size of California. Make sense to you? And although Vietnam 'fell' to the Communists, Hawaii did not. And today, the Vietnamese people want nothing more than friendship with the American People. We call what happened during the 60s the Vietnam War, they call it the American War.

During the 1980s we 'rescued' Grenada, (no threat to us), overthrew Noriega in Panama, because he was a 'drug lord' and a threat to 'our children'. Noriega's in prison (Mission Accomplished) but there is still very much a drug problem in the US. Why is it the US' responsibility to repeatedly interefere in the mess that is Haiti and to this day, no one can figure out why we sent troops into Somalia (by George Bush I) only to have them pulled out by Bill Clinton (weak on defense).

Now the Administration is on the attack again by going after the New York Times for daring to report about the info mining of people's bank accounts. The NRA always uses the 'slippery slope' argument and I'll use it here - what more will Bush and Cheney snoop around our private lives next, in its 'blank check' philosophy of power.

And of course, the New York Times was singled out for special mention, not the LA Times, Wall Street Journal or Washington Post, primarily because it is views as a 'liberal' bastion. Yup, that's the ticket - what we do is not wrong, just the media reporting on us - is. Ahh, the 'Swift Boating' of the New York Times. Gotta love it.

The best way to show your patriotism and love of this country would to return the government to the hands of the people and common sense by overthrowing Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Snow (both of them) and Rove.

Vote Libertarian - the Republicans are cluseless and a sham.

On other thing - on last night's 'Countdown with Keith Olberman', Bush is on record that 'global warming is a serious threat' and he was 'always' a big supporter of fixing the problem. Yeah right - and if you believe that - here let me sell you some Iraqi WMD.

I think he is jealous of Al Gore. Al is more popular than he is.

Thou Shall Not Disagree

2006-06-17T19:19:00.000-04:00

Now that Karl Rove has been cleared of an impending indictment in the Valerie Plame affair, Bush's brain is busy at work attacking all those who disagree with Bush's Iraq Policy. It seems he is now attacking John Kerry, John Murtha and Wesley Clark (all Democrats) as 'cut and run' Democrats.

I have a friend who tells me that I shouldn't criticize the Commander in Chief unless you served at some time in the military. I haven't. Hmmm, if non-Veterans cannot criticize the Commander in Chief, but a whiz kid nerd can attack the patriotism and the logic of an ex-Marine like Murtha, a combat veteran like Kerry and the former Supreme Commander of Nato, Wesley Clark, when he Rove, had better things to do when it was HIS time to serve in the military. Most conservatives don't see a problem in having Don Rumsfeld or Dick Cheney, two men who had their opportunities to serve their country, but 'had better things to do', then serve their country when they had the chance, but its okay for them to be architects of the neocon 'American Century' or Bush's 'Operation Avenge Daddy' in Iraq.

Even when currently serving members of the Armed Forces criticize the size of the deployment or the quality of the armor are not immune from GOP vindictiveness. Think of the former head of the Army, (I think his name was White) or the General who criticized the size of the 160K man attack force. Both summarily dismissed.

This is standard faire for the Bush White House. The 'Swift Boating' of John Kerry, the personal attacks on John McCain during the South Carolina primary during the 2000 campaign. And yet, just a few weeks ago, the ethically challenged Tom DeLay whined about the 'politics of personal destruction'. Nothing new there. They used it against both Bill and Hillary Clinton during Bill's eight years in the White House.

Now, along comes the GOP's Blonde Bimbo, Ann Coulter who claims that the widows of 911 are glad that they lost their husbands during the attacks because it made them millionaires. How crude. How trashy. How slutty. As slutty as her outfit on the Today Show. Coulter wouldn't give a shit had not some of those widows not supported John Kerry in 2004. Had they been all Bush supporters, she would have called these women 'victims'.

Coulter also claims that these women use their 'celebrity' to make a political statement, as if that was somehow wrong. Had these women made statements in favor of the Administration, there would be no problem. Their husbands would have been considered 'heroes' for being at the wrong place at the wrong time, but even those women whose sons are killed in battle, like Cindy Sheehan, and criticize the regime are condemned.

Where would George Bush and Ann Coulter be today had it not been for September 11? The attacks gave Bush what he wanted the most and what he has been dreaming about all his life -- a virtual blank check and nearly limitless power. He got his Daddy's Revenge by going abter pop's nemesis in Iraq, as we all wait for the Iraqis to welcome us with open arms. Unlike, Daddy, he was deprived of a 100 hour war. He got a blank check to finance it, as we wait for Iraqi oil to finance the war, and not the American taxpayer. Fifty billion, 100 billion, 200 billion, now 400 billion dollars later. And he made sure that the Donald Trumps of the coumtry don't pay much for the war or anything else for that matter.

And where would Ann Coulter be without 911? The attacks gave her a blank check to attack any critic of the far right and she certainly profited handsomely from all her anti-moderate and anti-left bilge that she publishes and gets free publicity thanks to the likes of Fox News and Bill O'reilly. With book titles such as "How To Talk To A Liberal. (If You Must)" go along way to explain why political discourse in this country has sunk to new levels. Even while the far right whines about the 'liberal' media and a lack of attention to conservatives, they conveniently forget that 'liberal' Time Magazine had put Bimbo Coulter on its cover a few months ago.

It has been said that with the death of Abu Al Zarqawi that Al Qeida in Iraq will resort to more violence to show that and that the insurgency is really on its last legs. Like the insurgency and Al Qeida, the Far Right seems to be acting more and more desperate as time goes on, the crude and insulting comments of Coulter, the revisionist history that O'Reilly is pushing and the rush to push for the right wing's last gasp agenda like more Wealthfare tax cuts and the divisive (doomed, but lets play it up for the cameras) Constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage show how desperate the right (er, wrong0 wing is getting. But Congress gave itself a raise. They also tucked a raise in the minimum wage as a rider for another bill, but it is all but certain not to get voted on.

But the biggest insult of all to the troops serving in Iraq is the fact that the new Prime Minister there is talking about granting amnesty to insurgents who kill American troops, (now over 2,500) and Bush is okay with that. The same Republican Party would be loathe to grant amnesty to an illegal alien in this country, but Bush is okay with the ltaking of the life of an Ameican soldier.

I am disgusted. And if your not, you haven't been paying attention.

New Scorched Pig Logo

2006-06-14T13:45:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Bruce's artistic talent and the snout of an actual, authentic Pig, the Scorched Pig now has an 'official' logo and registered with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and at some time later, perhaps a Federal Copyright as well. You may see this logo on products sold by Scorched Pig Productions, or Scorched Pig Enterprises. Coming to a product near you. More to follow.

O'Reilly interview with Wesley Clark

2006-06-06T15:18:00.000-04:00

http://mediamatters.org/items/200606030002

The latest from Ted Baxter.

Two Worlds of Justice

2006-06-01T19:00:00.000-04:00

Two more questions to ponder:

Why is Congress so upset over the FBI search of Congressman Jefferson's office? They got a warrant. The Constitution protects them while at work in the Capitol, not their offices. Both parties are up in arms over this. Is this the same Congress that says its okay to tap into MY phone records without a warrant and without cause?

Michael Reagan agrees with me on this one.

If YOU get convicted of a crime, YOU get to sit in jail pending appeal. Why does Ken Lay and other corporate crooks get to run free while their cases are being appealed? Kenny Boy is restricted to one area of Colorado and southern Texas. All he has to do is 'go fishing' off Brownsville and he'll soon be in Mexican waters and he is home free. Nobody is stopping illegal immigrants INTO Mexico.

Clinton pardoned Mark Rich, a major contributor and financial wheeler dealer at the 11th hour.
Will Bush do the same for Kenny Boy considering how much he raised for the GOP?

I will probably join the Libertarian Party before the next election, although I disagree with their stand on immigration, but I have to review that again

***

Its June 1st, the beginning of the 2006 Hurricane Season - who will get hit this year. Some are saying the East Coast (upper) is due. On June 10, this blog will be semi-officially be one year old. It began on April 26, 2005, but I didn't install the counter until June 10.

Where they came from: CA (Costa Mesa, LA, Sacramento, Sunnyvale and Walnut Creek).
FL,GA, IL,ME, MD,MA (Arlington, Boston. Palmer, West Roxbury),NH, NJ, NV, NY, Ri, PA

UK (multiple), Korea and Japan.

***

In the Garden: Lithops is apparently a failure, probably due to covering the seeds inadvertebtly, but I have ordered from the Cactus and Succulent Society Seed Depot

Lithops Aucampiae
Lithops Dinteri
Lithops Fulviceps
Lithops Karasmontana
Echinopsis Pachanoi (San Pedro)
Stetsonia Coryne

Meanwhile, the Cactus seed that was backordered from Seed Rack has been sent, mixed variety, 200 seeds. I will use the same container that I sprouted the first ones and the San Pedros will be on the left, the Stetsonia on the right and the mexed bag in the middle. Can you say Cactus Forest?

I have two week Dawn Redwood, a possile sprout of tea and SEVERAL sprouts of Colorado Blue Spruce. Quite tiny, but they do look like conifers.

Kurt Vonnegut on 'Blues in America'

2006-05-30T13:08:00.000-04:00

From our friends at Nightmare Hall comes this interesting piece of writing by the author Kurt Vonnegut concerning Blues for America. Enjoy.

I have given up on Lithops seeds that were planted. I think I uried them, but I will procure more from the Cactus and Succulent Society of America, of which I am a member. I do have Colorado Blue Spruce sprouts as well as at least one Dawn Redwood sprout. I did plant lavender and regular coleus in a lawn ornament as well as New Guinea Impatiens, Gladiolus, Day Lillies and Marigolds in the garden.

Guilty!

2006-05-26T12:38:00.000-04:00

So Ken Lay, the former cheif fundraiser of the GOP and Jeff Skilling have been found guilty by a jury of their peers in the Enron case. Good. Maybe we do have a justice system after all. I hope this sends a message to errant CEOs that 'business as usual' will NOT be tolerated.

This is of course, scant consolation to all the 'victims' of the Enron implosion, the workers who had invested in their careers and as stockholders, or 'owners' and were betrayed y their senior management. Plus, all the retirees and near-retirees who now face the rest of their lives in poverty, near poverty, with the threat of foreclosure or the threat of having to work until they are 90 rather than enjoying their Golden Years all because they invested heavily in Enron stock.

You'd think that with the "MILLIONS" CEOs, plus perks like company paid golf club memberships, travel for themeseves and their families and rich consulting deals after they 'retire', you' think that CEO's would actually WORK and be accountable to SOMEONE at SOME point would be the case, but not according to an article by AP Business Writer Bruce Myerson. In a recent article he notes that CEOs have a disdain for, and detest shareholder meetings. Some of the countries biggest corporations, like Verizon, who have headquarters in New York, call for the annual shareholder's meeting to be in Kansas City. Why? So, people are less inclined to attend. It seems that CEOs are loathe to answer questions that justify their insane salaries, especially, since there has been a move recently by shareholders (to whom CEOs are supposed to report) to reign in some of the CEO perks. If they don't have to answer to answer to the shareholders at the annual meeting, who DO they report to? They certainly don't care what the customer on the street wants, nor to their care about their workers whose jobs and benefits are most likely to be cut in a 'cost-saving' and therefore a BONUS for the execs. It seems we have a train running out of control, maybe the Enron verdicts will put a break on the corporate culture of excess and inaccountability. I hope so.

Bush's Immigration Plan, or the Senate vs. the House: Putting 6000 National Guard on the border with no guns makes entirely no sense. We are being invaded! Bush's plan amounts to de-facto amnesty. This is NOT a racism issue, nor is it an anti-Mexican issue, its about abiding by our laws. Mexico has MUCH stricter laws on immigration than the US does. I can't go down there, walk across the border, set up shop and be treated as the equal of a Mexican citizen.

I was watching Scarborough Country last night and there was a illegal immigrant supporter who equated Pat Buchanan with a Fascist. How can ANYONE see scores of people running through the desert and claim theat they are abiding by the rules? If someone broke into YOUR home, like a home invasion, and the burgler says "I'm not a crook, I just want a roof over my head", would you feed him or shoot him?

Bush needs to crack down on employers who hire illegals, we also need a better system to track the criminal records and identies of illegal aliens. If the government can tap into our phones, they CAN check the backgrounds of the workers that work here. When I worked at the Nevada Test Site, they did a background check on me that went back 15 years and included interviews by employers, former employers, co-workers, neighbors and friends.

I also call on Vicente Fox to do more for the Mexican economy. Crack down on government corruption, and create employment opportunities for his citizens and discourage Mexican women to stop being baby factories and I encourage the Catholic and Mormon churches to do the same.
One way to cut down on child poverty is to cut back on overpopulation and take care of the millions who are already born.

***

On the plant front:

Working in the Garden - planted gladiolus, corn, day lillies, impatiens, and in a yard ornament - white flower begonias, red flower begonias, lavender (seed) and coleus (seed).

In the house - planted Lithops (no luck - will start again), Kona Coffee and Venus Fly Trap (no sprouts yet)

On the Porch - Colorado Blue Spruce (sprouts!) and Dawn Redwood (2 sprouts) and Tea (no sprouts yet)

On outside table - several varieties of cacti (some from seed)

In containers outside - One Cacti and Cucumber (seed)

Joined Cacti and Succulent Society of America.

Getting warm outside - good for the cacti.

If your not outraged, you haven't been paying attention.

2006-05-12T11:30:00.000-04:00

To My Friends:

Yesterday, the Republican Congress passed its 'Tax Bill' and the President is expected to sign it. It includes extending the tax breaks on capital gains (UNEARNED income) for TWO more years, but it contains a sop for the middle class - a moratorium for ONE year on the AMT. Granted, some middle class folks may benefit, especially on the sale of their home, but let's face it, capital gains are usually taken into consideration from the sale of stocks, bonds and antiques. Capital gains are a rich man's toy tax.

What's the AMT? The Alternative Minimum Tax is a tax vehicle implemented in 1969 during the Nixon Administration TO ENSURE THAT THE RICH PAID A MINIMUM TAX if they took advantage of every available loophole. It was implemented in 1969, 37 years ago. The problem is, the threshold has NEVER been risen as an ajustment for inflation. Back then, $75,000 was considered a high income. Today that's lower middle class. So, if you live in a state that has income taxes that can be deducted from your Federal Tax AND you have other deductions like children, you are forced to pay MORE tax on your EARNED income. So the GOP gave its 'base' - millionaires and billionaires, like Donald Trump and the Hollywood 'elite' another tax break for two years and the middle class only one. The AMT provision was thrown in so it wouldn't be TOO obvious.

The GOP extended it for just two years, until 2008, because it should RIGHTFULLY be worried about losing some power by then and if the Dems don't extend the capital gains tax again, they can be accused of being tax RAISERS. But Republicans never knock themselves out about eliminating the AMT or raising its thresholds so that it approaches its original intent. Nor do they ever talk about getting rid of taxes altogether. After all, somebody must pay the bills, so it might as well be YOU.

The Bush Administration doesn't think that the wealthy should TAKE RESPONSIBILITY and pony up their fair share of the Iraq War (which they lied about to get us in, lied about the strength of the insurgency, who was going to pay for it (their oil) or the price (now up to $400B) or the cost of the deficit (a record amount) or to help pay for the fixing of a broken health care system or anything else for that matter.

The irony of yesterday's action are as follows: They gave millionaires a tax cut for TWO years on UNEARNED income, while YOU got a ONE year moratorium on paying THEIR share by taxing your EARNED income. They just SCREWED you. Again. But hey, it'll be reported in the media as those tax cutting Republicans.

But nobody is talking about taxes today because it came out on a day that the Bush Administration threatened the phone service providers, under threat of loss of government contacts to hand over MILLIONS of innocent Americans' phone records and conversations. The fact that NONE OF IT is legal has unfazed GW Bush, because in HIS mind, it is a National Security Issue and Dubya will interpret events HIS way, regardless of how the law or the Constitution may weigh in.

This is a President, after all, who claims that HE can decide the fate of enemy combatants overseas, since our system of checks and balances doesn't apply offshore. He is a President who signs bills into law and then decides LATER if he'll abide by them if it decides later that 'National Security' is involved.

I thought conservatives were supposed to PROTECT us from an ever expanding instrusive government, not be the CAUSE of it. Conservatives like to tell us that we aren't ENTITLED to a job, or to health care, but we should be RESPONSIBLE for our own health and welfare, but they aren't responsible for protecting the privacy of law abiding citizens. Merely owning a phone is not sufficient cause for suspicion of terrorism. Do you believe Bush when he says there is no mining involved? If no mining is involved, then there is NO NEED for a phone database. Period!

You got to hand to Qwest Communications. They were the only provider to question the legality of the NSA request. The NSA was asked, did you check to see if this is legal? The answer came back as no, they didn't ask, because they suspected they would never get the approval for it. Both a conservative judge and even John Ashcroft doubted if it is legal. Is this the same conservative party that was against illegal immigration precisely because illegals flaunt American Law?

And what about Verizon and Sprint and all the rest? Do those little privacy sheets that they send you along with your bill have any meaning at all?

Another GOP Irony: Dick Cheney always points to Executive Privilege as to the dealings with Ken Lay and his Energy Commission MUST remain confidential, but you and I aren't extended the same courtesy. And you know that this won't just be used for tracking terrorists - it will used to track Democrats, liberals, gays, pacifists and critics of the Bush Administration.

Folks, this Administration is Evil. As Pogo once said, "We have met the enemy and it is US". In this case, the US is the Bush Administration. My blog has been viewed by the House of Representatives and now our phones are being tapped. Perhaps not directly, but information gathered today can be used against you tomorrow. As the Miranda Ruling states that information 'can and WILL be used against you in a court of law.

Abramoff scandals. Valerie Plame. The Party of Corruption. Ethics violations. Tom DeLay. Congressmen have their own 'airforce' of corporate jets where they can be wined, dined and cornered by lobbyists. And none of them are looking out for you, me or your families.

I call upon everyone to elect enough Democrats, Greens, Libertarians to take back the House and Senate, if for no other reason to break the hold of a one party state. We need to do this soon before the GOP has a chance to tinker with the Constitution and appoint Bush For Life on grounds of National Security. As James Madison once said, 'Those who sacrifice liberty for the sake of security deserve neither' is apropos here. The US has historically been a beacon of hope and freedom for the world. Don't let it become Haiti of the North. And any Democrat supporting this crap should be voted out as well.

I have been a frequent critic of the Bush Administration, but for the first time, I am openly calling for his impeachment and removal from office. It will send a message to George and Barbara Bush as well: No more Bushes in the White House. We've already seen what Jeb would be like - look at his interference in the Schiavo Family tragedy. I don't care if he converted to Catholicism or some other nephew Hablas en Espanol. Ronald Reagan mistrusted his own Vice President. And who pardoned Cap Weinberger in the 'other' scandal - Iran Contra? George Herbert Walker Bush. Neil Bush and the Savings and Loan scandals. Enough already! Remember, the GOP impeached Clinton for a lot less and none of his transgressions involved the loss of our freedoms. Once gone, you can't get them back.

What amazes me, is where is the outrage like last weeks march in favor of illegal immigrants? Enough of the Orwellian doublespeak. Enough of the veiled and sneaky attacks on the middle class, like the AMT. Where is the outrage now> Where is the Morality now? Let's get him out of office. Now.

This is a scandal ridden, lying, corrupt Administration that needs to be curbed. No wonder his approval rating is almost as low as Nixon's and the most famous scandal and look what happened to him. Will George Bush do the honorable thing and step down as well?

And you thought that Chris Daughtry being booted off of American Idol was bad - just think, the Bush Administration can tell you who you voted for.

An American Haunting

2006-05-08T19:26:00.000-04:00

Caught the matinee for American Haunting. Two hooves up! I was alone in the theater and had to keep looking behind me. It was 'The Exorcist' meets 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'. Even after I entered the lighted area, I was still spooked.

Anyone who knows anthing about American ghost stories has probably heard about Tennessee's Bell Witch Haunting which the story is based and 'The Blair Witch Project', arguably the worst movie of all time was a crass rip off.

This movie should get Movie of the Year, but it won't because horror movies never do.

I saw 'Silent Hill' a few weeks ago and I wasn't that impressed. Like 'The Exorcism of Emily Rose', I was horribly surprised.

I'm gonna get this one on DVD when it comes out. One of my top 5 horror movies of all time.

Scary.

Comic Books and other things

2006-05-08T15:02:00.000-04:00

Bruce and I went down to Connecticut Saturday because his cousin owns a comic book store in New London and Saturday was 'free comic book' day. The place was packed, and there were actors dressed in Star Wars characters walking around. There was also a few comic book artists in attendance. I picked up a few free Archie comic books and a few others. (They gave out bags for your loot).

Downstairs, they had bins and bins of comic books that they were selling for .10 apiece. Tons of comics I never heard of as well as partial series. I did pick up a few Green Lanterns for my reading pleasure and some others, but I could'nt find any Dark Shadows. It was quite crowded which spoiled it a little for me as I could have easily spent the day there.

One of the artists in attendance was Shawnti Therrien who is the author of 'I'M IMMORTAL' a new comic book about Vampires which were banned as comic book themes from the 50's till around 1970. She signed my copies for me and she puts out two or three issues a year. So, if she becomes popular, I have my autographed copies!

So we decided to hit Mohegan Sun casino just up the road, with the intentions of 'coming back later'. I had nver been to Mohegan Sun before and I like it better than Foxwoods. They have many more video poker machines. No Deluxe, but they do have Double Double.

I was down about $100 and was ready to call it a day, but I hit 4 Aces and the Kicker for $500. We had lunch at a BBQ place first and I said if I hit, I'd get a tee shirt. I got 'The Best Butt in Town' a nice Pig Behind shirt. Another was "I Ate Like A Pig at Bubba's'. Next time.

We went to the buffet, and I figured after that, I'd see if my luck was still with me. Bruce played Roulette. After that, I found a machine, I had 3 Aces and before Bruce walked away, I said wait to see what I get - I got the fourth Ace for $200.

Oh, and by the way - The immortal Chubby Checker was giving a free concert in the casino when we were there. Caught "The Twist" and "Let's Twist Again". He's gotta be older than Mick Jagger, but you'd never know it. Sounded great.

We never made it back to the comic book store.

Here are today's links: Sarge's Comic Books.
Immotal Gothic Angel (index).

***

While reading about Seeds and Planting, I found out that Tea (Camilla Senesis) needs to be 'scarified', that is, the seed needs to be cracked for mosisture to get in in order to start germination. So I dug up the ones I planted and cracked them. (The seeds are like Pecans). I tried growing them in Vegas and all this time I thought the reason why they didn't sprout was due to the heat. Live and learn from your mistakes. So far, there have been no sprouts from any planting (still a little early for most).

***

The numbers for April

CO, FL, LA, NV (Minden), NY, NC, PA, RI, TX, and WI, with multiples from New York and Texas.

CA - Fremont, Sacramento and Sunnyvale

Canada: Alberta

Foreign: France, Sweden and Taiwan.

Welcome all. Enjoy.

On Greed

2006-05-08T14:42:00.000-04:00

A friend forwarded the following link, that I have been spending the pass few days digesting piecemeal. It is all about one of Seven Deadly Sins, the one that has taken over this country and its elite. Probably the most comprehensive paper you'll ever see on the topic.

Yes Virginia, there is a class war going on, we are just not allowed to talk about it.

One section talks about the Multinational Corporation - how they operate above the state, how government is the 'natural' enemy of the corporation and how they control what we hear, see and discuss. One good line: although the Corporation is essentially against you, but 'we compete to work in one'. The paper goes into detail about competition, including the punitive variety.

Its lengthy, but it is a must read. In fact, I'm putting it on the sidebar. Here it is: Greed.

Spring Planting

2006-04-26T15:27:00.000-04:00

I have begun my Spring Planting in hopes of getting some decent seedlings that I could sell at Pemi. I figured the cost of inventory is low, (The cost of some seeds, soil and a few pots). I know eveyone store is selling plants right now, but the idea is to sell uncommon or unusual plants.

We'll have to see how things will 'bloom' by mid July, but here is the lineup:

Lithops (Living Stones) look like stones that suddenly bloom with colorful flowers, a succulent from South Africa. Sown this week indoors for the heat. Should sprout within a few days. 4/24

Venus Fly Trap (Dionaea Muscipula). A fun carnivorous plant. Sown indoors for the heat, expected sprout date in 30 to 45 days. 4/24

Colorado Blue Spruce (Picea Pungens var Glauca 'Misty Blue') are being sown outdoors because they require cooler temps. Germination 15 to 30 days. 4/25

Tea (Camellia Sinensis) sown 4/24, outdoors as its likes the cooler temps as well. I tried sprouting them when I lived in Vegas, but to no avail, most probably due to the high temps, even indoors.

Dawn Redwood - also being sprouted outside, as they prefer cooler temps. That and the Blue Spruce, I will try to 'bonsai'.

Black Dragon Coleus (Solenostemon Scutellariodes) - not planted yet, as they are easy to sprout, probably in July. Yes, I know you can get Coleus anywhere, but these are a stunning Black-leaved variety, and I assume, not available in stores.

Kona Coffee (Coffea Kona) planted today 4/26, after soaking for 2 days. In the house for the additional heat and could take anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 months to sprout.

Backordered: Various cacti seeds (I have a few sprouts from the Walmart/Home Depot packs, but I'd really am waiting for the Orchid Cacti. (Epiphyllum).

Anyone with insider info on the above plants please pass it along. Of course, I plan on keeping a 'sample' of each species.

I am almost ready to do a trademark searh for the Scorched Pig Products (still working on a logo).

Last week, Bruce and I visited a few nurseries and one, Kennedy's in Scituate, Mass. was fantastic. We made two visits in the same weekend. I picked up a gorgeous 11 inch specimen of Haagerocereus Thurberi (Mexican Pipe Organ) cactus for the unheard of price of $4.99. Beautiful dark green skin, with acupuncture needles with a black crown. Went to Walmart and bought a dark blue pot for the contrast and have it outside in a sunny spot in the yard.

Yes, I really understand that selling plants is risky since they are discretionary items during a high cost of oil age (which might cut down on attendance at Pemi), but at least growing things provide me with a little bit of enjoyment.

In an effort to garnet some 'street cred', I joined the Cactus and Succulent Society of America last week when I was taking care of Bruce's pets while he was off on vacation. He lanted his garden of tulips, peonies, etc and we went and picked up stone blocks so he can remove a fence and replace it with a stone wall.

Americans can only envy these benefits

2006-04-26T15:11:00.000-04:00

While millions of Americans see their pensions being slashed, or eliminated entirely, some even after they've entered retirement and have to struggle to make ends meet with rising gas, oil, real estate prices, etc, just take a look at what your Congressman or woman gets:

From an AP story last week.

A lawmaker who retires at 60 after just 12 years in office can count on receiving an immediate pension of $25,000 a year and lifetime benefits that could total more than $800,000.

That doesn't include 401K benefits. And any member who lasts 5 years in office can get taxpayer-subsidized health care until he reaches Medicare age. Have 20 years of service, start collecting benefits at age 50. Cost of Living Adjustments can add as much as 25% to the value over the course of the Congressman's lifetime.

And get this: It doesn't matter what a Congressmen did before or does after leaving office. Former Representative Republican Randy (Duke) Cunningham who was sentenced to over 8 years in jail, is entitled to an annual pension of $36,000 for his 15 years in the House. This doesn't include his military pension or 401K benefits.

The ethically challened Tom DeLay who resigned rather than lose his seat and an embarrassing trial will get $56,000 which could total over $2M.

When you make this much money, its easy to see why they have so little sympathy for what you are going through.

Start throwing them out in November.

Little Brother is Watching You

2006-04-05T13:43:00.000-04:00

Boston's local Fox station relayed the story of a Billboard that is located between a Fenway Park parking garage and the Mass. Pike that has a picture of the eyes of George Bush with the line "Little Brother is Watching You and a link to a website that questions the legality of the Bush Administration's domestic wiretapping program. It also provides a link to a website, littlebrotheris watching.com, where you can take an online poll and buy a tee shirt. But the irony is, the Massachusetts State Government, a Republican Administration wants it taken down, on the grounds it is 'too close' to another billboard. The owner of the billboard takes the view that he is just encouraging debate, but is this a case of censorship? Read the Boston Globe article here.

***

So, Tom Delay resigns and moves to Virginia, ay? On one level, it is a good move, because it deprives the Dems of a slow moving target, but if he is as innocent as he claims to be, then why not do the Texas thing and stay and fight, like at the Alamo? Texas might still be a part of Mexico if Delay would have been around then. And what's with moving to Virginia? And why Virginia? Is he trying to avoid being extridited to Texas? And is he moving to Virginia to become the next Super Lobbyist like Jack Abramoff, with whom he is so familiar? Hmmm.

***

A few weeks ago, Bruce and I toured Cape Ann and Gloucester. It was a rainy Sunday and the tourists have not yet arrived, but we did find one deep sea diving museum that was open. Small, but there was a variety of different kinds of scuba gear from various historical periods and one of the little fishing houses from the movie "The Perfect Storm" is on display nearby. Speaking of which, Bruce has a Blizzard of 78 website which has attracted many visitors, including the Weather Channel who wants him to work with them on a Blizzard of 78 and 'Perfect Storm' project. I will post the link in the link section to the right.

We also drove by the Gorton's Seafood Plant as well as the original Gloucester Fishermen Monument, which lists the names of all the fishermen who have died at sea since 1770. Interestingly, there were no drownings in 1776. That sounds like a fun project, along the likes of the Comstock Lode and Mining in Virginia City, Nevada.

There is still a lure of the sea in New England - where there was the Gloucester Fisherman and the Whalers of New Bedford and Nantucket. In fact, there is a 'mariner' middle school being planned for my home town. Students will learn history, science and 'practical' math applications based on mariner and shipbuilding and sailing as a guide. I wish a school like that would have been around when I was a kid.

On the way back, as we headed back further south, as Bruce was taking me home, we took the 'scenic' route, we decided to check out Dighton Rock, the spot where Portuguese Navigators allegedly reached American Shores some 40 years before Columbus, which, if true, would throw everything you've learned in grammer school out of whack, but hey, did the Vikings visit Newfoundland in 1000 AD?

The Rock was closed for the day (its a State Park) but we went on a hunt for historic graveyards, which, in Dighton, there are several. In fact, we found only one 'large, public' cemetaties, the Fox Cemetary, but many of the graveyards are tiny family cemetaries that you don't see in larger cities. Perhaps there were many in large cities but they probably got dug up and re-interred in larger public cemetaries. We found several of these gravesites, which included the Gooding Family Burial Grounds and some other familes. Some graves went back to the 1780s. Bruce took several hundred pictures as well as some stone Churches and other monuments. I suggested another project: "Etched In Stone: A Collection of Stone Graveyards, Churches and Monuments of Eastern Massachusetts". Bruce thought that would be a good idea, so you never know..

***.

Last week, I transplanted my cacti seedlings that were sprouted on January 21. I had about 43 sprouts originally, but so far only 10 have survived. Not sure why. I am not sure, if I removed the covering to early or what, but some of the members of the Cacti and Succulent Forum say that cacti sprouts at that stage are just mini water balloons that if they lose their moisture, they just shrivel up and didintegrate. I have always love cacti and I have at least one that still has its first leaves as well as a green 'trunk' and spines and is about 1/2 tall. I will begin feeding next week, as they are now coming out of dormancy. Next month, they go outside. I am looking into the possibility of pushing 'Scorched Pig Cacti Seeds' for sale at Pemi.

***

The numbers for March. We hit 1,000 hits on March 14! The most prolific readers were from MN, NY and Washington and Texas.

The roll of states: CA (Pomona and Sunnyvale), CT, CO, DC, FL, IN, LA,MA (several) MI,MN,MO,NC,NM,NV (Genoa, the oldest established town in the state) NY,RI, TX and WA.

Foreign: Armenia, Latvia, Morocco and several friends from the UK. Welcome All.

The Illegal Alien Debate

2006-03-28T15:52:00.000-05:00

I find myself supporting the 'Security Republicans' on this issue, which is to say its not too often that the Right finds common ground with me. I can come up with a variety of good reasons why we should 'get tough' with illegal aliens, and of course, I operate from a place of my own self interest, which is at the heart of capitalism.

First, I don't agree with George Bush that illegal aliens perform work that 'native' Americans (read: "white") people not do. Show me the data, since despite Fox News' outrageous line that George Bush has created 4 million jobs, m, but the 'liberal' media just won't tell you that because they simply hate George Bush (Hannity and Combs). Where are these jobs and would these jobs allow a single person enough money to support a decent middle class lifestyle, which includes home ownership? Its not that 'white' Americans WON'T do these jobs, they can't afford to have them. Flipping burgers at McDonalds or manning a fryolater at Burger King is great for high school and college students, who have other income (mainly Mom and Dad) and their primary use of the paychecks is for 'date' money, but you can't support a family on one.

Walmart, the killer of small business, is the darling of the pro-business Republicans, since they aregue that Walmart provides jobs for 'scores' of people who woulld otherwise be unemployed, which is fine, but Walmart is not known for its great wages or benefits, in fact, it has been accused of hiring illegal aliens in place of American citizens as cleaners in its stores in the Midwest. Again, can anyone show me a primary wage earner who is supporting a 300K mortgage, a car payment and health care on a Walmart paycheck?

In order for Bush's statement that 'illegal aliens' perform work that Americans (whites) don't do' to be true, all white America would be at full employment and yet it is not. I am one who has been unemployed for 4 years now, despite having a college degree, years of experience in IT and yet, I *STILL* can't find anything resembling a job. And there are many like me, since in my hometown alone there is over 11% unemployment. Most of the good paying jobs in IT have migrated to India and China over the past 6 to 10 years, and most people I know play by the rules, that is, only the 'recommended' number of people live in a building, not 'flophouses' where 20 to 30 live, several to a room, whcih brings down property values. There were many of these 'sanctuaries' in Las Vegas where I spent 15 years of my life. If 'whites' can find trhese jobs at all, many of us are working two and three jobs, just to make ends meet. That is, if you can find them. I have applied for various jobs that range from nurseries to retail outlets to supermarkets and because it is a boss' market, they seem to want 'experienced help only' and they are more often than not, 'willing to train'. And then there are all the laid off workers from textile mills here to auto plants in Michigan. How is a guy who has spent 30 years of his life to GM and is now 55 supposed to earn a living now that he's been laid off and working in an auto plant is the only economic life he's ever known? And where are the auto jobs gone? China and Japan.

I used the term 'white' Americans for a reason. For many, that is 'understood' when talking about immigration in the 21st century - the whites vs the non-whites, so don't go calling me a racist. And since, the 'whites' are not at full employment, it goes without saying that 'native' African-Americans and 'native' Hispanics have higher unemployment rates. So, therefore, if 'whites' don't want these jobs, as Bush claims, then what about the American 'blacks' and 'browns'? Can businesses not find 'qualified' workers from among them? I hope the pro-business Republicans are alluding to 'laziness' based on skin color. Whites are not considered lazy, its just that these jobs are considered 'beneath' them.

But the truth of the matter is - illegal aliens do bring down wages for everyone. Time magazine had a cover story on the topic of illegal immigration last January and they pointed out how immigrants brought down the cost of construction labor and they were all from the same town in Southern Mexico. It works like this - a native American (white, I assume) gets paid $20/hr for construction work in the Hamptons, the first Mexican to arrive offers to do the same work for $15/hr. He becomes a US citizen later.

When he goes back to Mexico for a vacation, he tells all his friends about the 'incredible' money he is making up North, and suddenly all his friends come up looking for the same kind of deal he got, but because there are so many of them, they begin to compete amongst themselves and are willing to do the work for $10/hr. He begins to complain that the new arrivals are undercutting his good thing. Then the illegals come in and 'looking for a better life' are willing to do the work for $5/hr. The illegal ones are preferred by some employers because these wages are below those of US law and these people can then be cheated out of their wages by their employers and what are they going to do? They can't go to the police because they are here illegally and they don't want to be deported (only to try again later, anyway) and in fact, unscrupulous employers often pull the 'INS card' on recalcitrant employees.

Meanwhile, the original guy loses his job and he'll never see $20/hr again, because there are so many who will do it for less. But his mortgage payment doesn't decline, however.

I don't begrudge anyone who wants a 'better life', but why is it that there have been decades of foreigners who have come to this country who followed the standard procedures to come here and yet there are too many new arrivals think they are 'entitled' to a better job, a better life and they can simply disregard our laws and anyone who challenges them is a racist?

What is it about the American way of life that attracts so many foreigners in the first place. If the Chinese government can create such a job engine, why can't the Mexicans? Why is it that the President of Mexico, Vincente Fox, a former VP at Coca Cola can't create jobs for his own citizens? Especially with Mexico being a new exporter of that very expensive commodity, oil?

It also amazes me that all these people who are against making illegal aliens felons can take to the streets of LA, Detroit and Boston, but these same people would never consider taking to the streets of Mexico City, Guadalajara or VeraCruz to fight for better standards of living. Bush and Fox were supposed to be soul mates, but 9/11 changed all that. Instead, the Mexican government encourages people to go north and even publishes a booklet guiding illegals to the least defensible border crossings.

Of course, pro-business Republicans and some corporations like Walmart, encourage the illegal immigration for its cheap labor. And Bush is from Texas, a state that seceeded during the Civil War because it liked the free labor of slavery. So this isn't slavery, but it is the next best thing.

Then there is the other elephant in the room - the spectre of 9/11. While many of the people crossing the border from Mexico (and lets not forget that huge undefended border with Canada) are law abiding citizens, some are hard core criminals who ply their trade in drugs, human smuggling and a few are escaping other countries penal systems. While most are Mexican, you probably will find a few terrorists in the bunch, for among some of the trash that is left behind in the deserts of Arizona and New Mexico have included Muslim prayer mats as well as hyperdermic needles, guns, spent bullets, human excrement, plastic bottles and maybe a body or two. Pity the poor property owners who have there fields trampled on, their fences destroyed, their cattle dispersed and their homes broken into.

More and more of the illegals are ending up in US cities far from our Southern flank. Many big cities have growing lines of 'day laborers' accosting business owners and customers for work. Many have guns which increase crime in some areas. This was a big compaint in some neighborhoods when I lived in Las Vegas. Some people who afraid to let their children out to play because of the line of idle men outside And sometimes the criminal activity works both ways. Some of them commit murders here in the US (not all are people who merely looking for a better life, but are members of organized crime and street gangs) and rush back to Mexico and even if they get caught by Mexican officials, extridition back to the US is often next to impossible to pull off, since the Mexican government is often reluctant to see its citizens prosecuted in a foreign court, and of course, the Bush Administration doesn't want Americans prosecuted in an Internation Court of Justice, that's why it wants 'exemptions' for Americans.

On the political side, I'm sure that the GOP was stunned over the recent marches against the House trying to turn illegal aliens into felons. I am sure it thought it had a slam dunk issue, since they were so successful in demonizing gays and before that, the 'Willie Hortons' so they thought they had another us vs them issue. Actually, I was surprised at the turnout, in many cases exceeded that of the anti war crowds, but this time, the Republicans can't use the 'aid and abetting the enemy argument'.

Ironically, the Democrats are pulling out the 'Jesus' card. "What would Jesus do? He'd help those who are least able to help themselves" and once again the Catholic Church finds it self 'aiding and abetting' those who break our laws by refusing to turn away illegal aliens for sanctuary when they can't argue political persecution.

The issue is far more complicated than it is often portrayed in the news. There is the issue of health care, foreign languages taught in our schools and who gets to stay and who gets to thrown back. The Cubans have always been the favored ones fro example because they are escaping Castro, but the Haitians who are black, are often sent back. But clearly something must be down to secure our borders, and for what its worth, the Mexican government needs to be pressured into improving the lot of its citizens so they feel a need to come here in the first place and in the second place we need to harshly punish companies that knowingly hire illegals in the first place.

So where do YOU stand on this issue.

Bush's Iraq Plan

2006-03-22T14:42:00.000-05:00

Bush was in Cleveland the other day on the 3rd Anniversary of Operation Avenge Daddy and he claimed that HE never said that there was a link between Saddam and 911.

However, they showed a tape of Bush saying in his State of the Union speech of January 28, 2003 where he claimed that Saddam harbors terrorists and all but directed the attack.

So, the 'Niger and Yellowcake' argument turned out to be false.
The 'WMD' argument turned out to be false.
And now he says that he didn't believe there was a link between Saddam and 911.

And according to Don Rumsfeld, the Iraqis will welcome us with 'open arms'. Open arms full of IEDs thats what.

So, why are we in Iraq and why did 2300 die and about 30,000 wounded?

So this is Bush's plan for the Iraq War. Stay there until the end of his Presidency. He said yesterday that it will be up to 'future' Presidents to decide when and how the troops will come home. Not him, of course, because that would be an admission of a mistake, and THIS President doesn't make mistakes. And by 'staying the course' illustrates that he 'steadfast'. Steadfast, not stubborn and thickeheaded. This way he will go down in history as 'a War President' focused on 'keeping us safe'. To him Iraq and the War On Terror are one and the same. If keeping us safe was the goal, he could start by tightening our borders, but that would discourage the flow of cheap labor into the US.

Being steadfast on Iraq would also show his critics that he is not a wimp, an accusation that dogged his father to such an extent that he had to jump out of a plane at 75 as an indication how much that accusation bugged him. It would also allow him some redemption for attacking veterans like John Kerry and John Murtha who criticized his policy despite the fact they actually fought in a war zone. Being 'steadfast' also gets to show people that he is in it for the long haul, till the end of his Presidency, another charge levelled against his father for not 'going all the way' during Gulf War I. Another plus: If the next President is a Democrat and he/she begins to withdraw troops, he and his party will be accused of being 'soft' on terrorism, (like the 1960s, being 'soft' on Communism in Viet Nam) and accused of betraying the troops. Bush I tried this with Somalia. Put 'boots on the ground' there with no real purpose. Not nation building? Police action? Humanitarian mission? He didn't have a clue. Then a Blackhawk helicopter gets shot down, Hollywood makes a movie about it and now it's 'Hollywood's' fault for 'losing' Somalia. Clinton was stuck with the mess.

But none of these actions explains why we went in Iraq in the first place. All fabrications. Even some of his neocon supporters are backing off on their support, arguing that what is going on in Iraq right now, is not the best way to spread democracy or American values. But at least the neocons got their chance to put their ideology on display, since they were frustrated that Bill Clinton did not let them do.

Rather gets fired for not checking his sources. Who got fired for all this crap?

So the gameplan for the future is an old tried, true and tired one: Blame the media. They are already starting their gameplan for the battle to come. Some future President will start the withdrawal, and the GOP will accuse him/her of 'losing' Iraq. The US didn't learn Russia's lesson - stop trying to govern Central Asia. It didn't work for the Russians in Afghanistan and its not working in Iraq.

So yesterday, Bush was in West Virginia talking to a 'sympathetic and go easy on me' crowd of military families. Of course, not a discouraging word would be heard, because, after all, whose family wants to admit that their son or daughter died or was injured in a war where there was no sense of urgency, a war designed to placate the chicken hawks of the Republican Right. And incidently, some of the neocons are saying that Iraq is not a good example of putting the American Way on display.

And in a typical Bush 'media event' a woman was chosen from the audience to point out that her son sends home 'CD after CD' of good works in Iraq, but the 'mainstream media' just won't show them/ If all Bush wanted to do was 'help the children of Iraq' let him contribute to a charity, like everyone else. But this is a war and war isn't pretty. It is insulting to Bob Woodruff of ABC News, his cmaerman, Richard Engle of NBC News or the late David Bloom to hear windbags like Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly claim that journalists only portray the war from their 'balconies'. Which news source does this woman and the neocons watch? And don't forget, when the war started 3 years ago, the Pentagon 'embedded' journalists among the troops, so as to get a pro-Administration slant.

Yup, its PBS's fault that there were no WMD in Saddam's Iraq. And it was CNBC's fault, that its parent, NBC didn't oust Saddam 15 years ago. And it was Dan Rather's fault for not finding a link between Niger, Saddam and yellowcake. Same old, same old.

Meanwhile:

The national debt is 9 Trillion dollars, $30,000 for every man, woman and child in the US. But in 2000, Dick Cheney said "We are not politicians, we are CEOs". Obviously these 'CEOs' are running the country like Andy Fastow ran ENRON.

I turned on Fox News last night and Hannity and Combs reported that Bush 'created' 4 million jobs, but that isn't being reported because of the 'Bush haters'. Where the hell are these jobs? India? China? Do these jobs pay enough to support a middle class lifestyle? I've been looking for a job for 4 years now. I guess I'll have to wait for a 'future President' to solve that problem just it'll take a bigger man (or woman) to solve the Iraqi mess.

Clinton lied, nobody died.
Bush lies every day.

Guess which one got impeached?

Will this country EVER wake up?

Sandra Day O'Connor on Dictatorship.

2006-03-15T13:52:00.000-05:00

In a speech on March 10, retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor took aim at conservative critics who want to impose their extremists ideology on the rest of us via judicial fiat. In the speech she rapped the Republican leadership who have called for the mass firings of judges who disagree with their policies and their attempts at packing the Court with ideologues. This, in an of itself is noting new, as Franklin Roosevelt was attacked for 'Court packing' in 1936 and it is only 'natural' that when a Justice retires, the sitting President would of course appoint a 'fellow traveler', but O'Connor is warning us of the dangers of the US slipping into dictatorship. If you don't think it can happen here, go read Sinclair Lewis' '30s classic "It Can't Happen Here".

Although not mentioning any names, she pointedly was referring to former House Majority Leader, the ethically challenged Tom Delay in his call for the mass impeachment of justices who's rulings he disagreed with and the outcomes he was not happy with. The irony here is the GOP has always been condemning 'activist' judges who support gay marriage and abortion, but yet were quite blatant in their attempts to find sympathetic judges who supported them in the Terry Schiavo case.

I am glad someone wlse is warning us about what I've been trying to warn against - the slow strangulation of liberties 'by any means necessary' by the Radical Right. The sppech, which was not covered by the mainstream media, was picked up by NPR, would be less noteworthy if it weren't so true. She pointed out that in more than one case judges have been threatened with death by those who were unhappy with their rulings. One only need to look at the country of Colombia, where these ideas can lead. There, narco militants as well as government rightists have murdered dozens of mayors. judges, college professors to the point, where any educated person is afraid to speak out on any topic.

But that's not all. The attempts by the Right to pass a Constitutional Amendement against gay marriage, points out not just of their hatred for gays, but an Amendment to the Constitution would ensure that no state would be allowed to 'legislate' gay marriage either. One more nail in the coffin for state's rights. Just like their attempts to ban Oregon's Assisted Suicide Law and California and Nevada's Medical Marijuana Law.

Think back a year or two ago, about Tom Delay's and the Texas GOP's attempts at gerrymandering of Texas's electoral re-districting to ensure the election of more Republicans and to make it more difficult for the opposition (Democrats, Liberatians) to get a toehold. Another attempt at imposing one party rule, was DeLay's warning to contributors that they may face 'punishment' to companies contributing to Democrats as well as Republicans, a practice common to businesses who want to hedge their bets and make sure the palms of BOTH parties are well oiled.

All I can say is, thank you Justice O'Connor for the warning. You can read the article here.

It's National Pig Day!

2006-03-01T14:00:00.000-05:00

Today is National Pig Day - Take A Pig To Lunch!

Haven't written much, but not because I don't have anything to say, I have just lacked the motivation to put in down on cyber-paper.

So, lets catch up with what has been in the news lately...

Bush's poll numbers have been dropping lately and its not hard to see why - the guy is governing rudderless and some of his biggest and best laid plans have gone awry. He needs to stop listening to his yes men that have successfully kept separated from reality. First, its is the economy stupid. It was reported recently that the average income of the American family has dropped from 2001 -2005. No surprise there - they have been living on borrowed funds for years, and while some families may be sitting on a real estate bubble, Alan Greenspan and perhaps now Ben Beranke will do their utmost to tighten credit so hard, it is beginning to show up with mortgage rates to the extent that the air is leaking from the housing bubble. That's good news for buyers, if, (and I doubt it) they've been able to save enough from their diminishing paychecks to save (the US has been at a negative savings rate for a few years) to be able to afford the down payment on a home of their own. It's bad news for sellers, who, by now, are motgaged to the hilt, some of them taking out home equity loans to finance everything from their kid's college educations or for that new wide screen TV and other toys to put in the house. And what if the value of their investment does drop as the prices are now beginning to indicate? Panic in River City for some.

Where are the good jobs? Not here. There is a reason why Walmart is doing so well. More and more Americans are living from paycheck to paycheck and they are constantly looking out for a bargain, any bargain and that's one reason why dollar stores proliferate in my neighborhood. With the every rising price of gas, (okay, its gone down some, but anything below $2/gal is a thing of the past) is squeezing the middle class even more. But it is gratifying to know that the same study shows that income growth for millionaires, the chief beneficiaries of Bush's tax cuts, has gone up by double digits during the same time. I for one, am not optimisitic about my own economic future, in fact, its getting worse, since I've only worked for a few months during the last 3 years and cannot even collect unemployment due to a lack of not making enough in the first place. So, I am knocking out the final leg of my returment nest egg. The GOP wants you to take care of your own retiement, but you can't contribute to it unless you have a job that will help you build your portfolio. Bush says the the economy is strong, but only the wealthy are feeling it. Trickle down economics made the gaps between rich and poor widen during the Reagan years, why would Bush think anything would be different recycling a warmed over failed economic theory?

The Gulf Coast - Why are there so many people still in limbo here? Can anyone push this along? Where are the trailers promised by FEMA? Even the ones who are lucky enough to have one have no electricity. I can't imagine what these people are going through. I know what its like to lose a home in a 'normal' way and the consequences of not having an income, but having all that along with no place to go and no electricity and to be constantly reminded of the disaster by seeing piles of debris must take a devastating psychological toll on these people. Bush needs to intervene with a little more bravado, like he did on top of the mountain of rubble in at the site of the WTC on September 11. Where is the Gulf Coast Guiliani? Having a Mardi Gras is one way to take the edge off, but I don't think the tourists who visit have a cluw what went on there six months ago. And hurricane season is a mere 3 months away.

What's up with the Ports Deal? Even if it were true that the DPW is eminently qualified for this position, I have to ask why aren't Americans managing their own ports? Not to be a nativist, but are there no US firms who can do these tasks. But what is incredible is Bush's stance on the topic - he is truly the odd man out here. He's handed the Dems an issue where they can out 'national security' the Republicans and it gives Republican candidates an issue to show their independence from the politically weakened Bush, maybe that's his strategy - it allows GOP candidates to act like they are 'tougher' than Bush on terror. But let me ask you this - if this were September 12, 2001, would he be taking such a hard line? Imagine, he threatens a veto - a Republican President who has yet to use one.

Iraq - It is only a matter of time before this country devolves into Civil War now that the Shia and Shites are blowing up each other's holy shrines. Once the security forces supporting the American backed government fight among themselves, I would consider it official that the Civil War is on. Perhaps if we had sent in a half millionj troops in this Nation Building Project, we might have been able to keep a lid on things there. Besides, isn't Nation Building a utopian, liberal ideal? The way things are right now, the Civil War might break out in time for the 3rd anniversary of Bush's invasion on March 20th. And oh, by the way, where's Osama?

The direction that this country is headed is truly depressing and the polls are right - we are on the wrong track.

In an effort to improve my own spirits, in January, I planted some cacti seeds that sprouted a week later and are still quite tiny, but it made we joing the Cacti and Succulent Forum on Garden Web. It gave me the idea about selling cacti seeds and spreading these truly beautiful American plants during the next Pemi festival in August. I could load my entire inventory of seeds in a backpack. The crowd is generally a cross between a fundamentalist rally/hippie commune so maybe its doable. Along the way, I have found Cacti blogs and a few unexplored seed companies. If Scorched Pig Seeds, Succulents and Stuff is successful there, I could expand the offerings.

Visitors during February: Total hits so far: 960.

US States: AR, CO, DC, FL, GA, IN, IA, KS, MD, MN, NH (Welcome! - a first), NJ, NY, NV (from one of my favorite cities to visit - Virginia City), Ohio, OR, VA, WA (Redmond - hmm? Bill Gates?)

MA- Arlington, Chestnut Hill, Waltham, Lowell, Accord (where is Accord?)
CA - a regular from Sunnyvale, San Diego, Granite Bay, Los Angeles, Armona

Foreign: India, Malaysia (2), France, Netherlands, UK, Germany

Bush's Proposed Cuts...

2006-02-12T13:20:00.000-05:00

"For War, Billions More,
For the Poor, No More" - Unknown

Source: The Associated Press

There is no doubt that government spending is out of control and with a budget deficit of $400B is an embarassment for the formerly cost conscious Republican Party and that something must be done.

Bush has propoed increased spending for his feckless war in Iraq, as well as Afghanistan and some other Bush Administration pet projects,

His excuse for his pet projects are always the usual 911, 911!, his universal get out of jail free card.

But look where some of the 141 programs he wants to gut or eliminate entirely:

No doubt that there are many superfluous programs can be cut like 'The Exchanges With Historic Whaling and Trading Partners" program which gives money to museums, aquariums and historic sites in Alaska, Hawaii and Massachusetts. I love educational programs and historical sites as much as the next guy, but we ALL need to make some sacrifices and this program amounts to $9M.

Some programs I have less sympathy for such as reading programs for jailed young people. Hey, if they would have concentrated on the books in school in the first place, they probably wouldn't have wound up in jail, now would they?

But most of Bush targets are programs that target the poor and not politically connected, like one provideing $107M for food for the elderly poor. He wouldn't want HIS mother to go hungry so why would he allow someone else's mother to go hungry?

The 'No Child Left Behind' President wants to eliminate $3.5B from the Department of Education budget (!). Republicans have been trying to drive AMTRAK in to bankruptcy for years, slashing 30% of its budget. After all, AMTRAK is considered 'public transportation' and who uses 'public transportation'? The poor. Just look at the ones who were left behind in the wake of Hurrican Katrina - those without cars. And people wonder why the US can't compete with the Europeans in having a decent national rail system.

With 45 million people in this country with health care, look where the Bush Administration wants to cut: Community Services Block Grants, programs that provide $630M in grants for local social services to provide poor people with emplyments services (do you want them to WORK or what, go on welfare?) housing, food and health care.

Agriculture research: Bush wants to cut $196M in local grants for agricultural research like asparagus. Good idea. We don't need to spend so much. Plenty of books have been written about asparagus. Go to the library and find one.

Food aid: Cut $107M from the Community Supplement Food Program which provides monthly food packages for low income seniors. Gee, all this from an Administration that likes to flaunt its 'Christian' values. Turn your backs on the least of your brothers. As Marie Antoinette and Barbara Bush would say, "Let them eat cake", I guess.

Energy research. The Administration wants to cut $64M from the budget on ways to cut the cost of oil and gas exploration. They argue that the oil companies have enough money that they can fund this project themselves. With record profits of $10B, I am in rare agreement with the Administration.

But here are some other cuts I'd like to propose:

Elimination of Tom Delay's $3M "Teaching Core Values through Golf" program. If you are going to cut programs for after school programs that go a long way in reducing drugs and local crime, this one should definitely be on the chopping block.

Eliminate all subsidies to the US Post Office: Is this a government agency or is it not. If it is, it gives an unfair advantage over UPS and FedEx who don't get subisides and besides they keep raise the cost of a stamp anyway.

Cut some fat from the Pentagon budget. In an era of 'insurgent' warfare, mega planes and tanks are up little use for house to house hunts for individual terrorists. You can't tell me that there are obsolete hardware out there still being funded. Take a cue from hardware and software manufacturers: At some point, old hardware and software becomes an orphan and os no longer supported.

End subsidies to farmers. Stop telling farmers what to grow and what not to grow. Let the market decide. Farmers will instinctively plant what is in and what is not and they can sell the excess overseas. Most of todays farms are large commercial agribusss outfits, since many of the small 'mom and pop farms have gone the way of the small "mom and pop" stores, out of businessiness.

Give back the raises: Since workers in the airline and automotive industries have been asked to take wage cuts and forego raises shouldn't Congress do the same? Since they are Federal workers, they could bear some of the pain of a 'squeezed lifestyle' just like their middle class constituents.

And lastly, can making the tax cuts for the wealthy permanent. This NOT the time for cutting the governments income and like I've always said, let the Millionaires feel the pinch too. It is a tired old song and dance that taking care of the rich will 'trickle down'. It just has not happened and all these tax cuts have served to do is widen the gap between the rich and poor. Smarten up leaders.

I have completed my own tour of Haunted Alaska. Not as extensive as Alabama's 220 sites, but Alaska's 31 sites brings the total to 251.

Scandals Playbook

2006-02-07T13:31:00.000-05:00

You've heard a lot in recent days about the Abramoff scandal and its far reaching effects that started with payoffs from Indian tribes in their attempts to either achieve tribal recognition or to getting approval to put up a casino on lands that may or may not be ancestral tribal lands. In the same Time article that talked about the Abramoff scandals just look who was Abramoff's 'connection' to those in power chiefly, Karl Rove, White House mastermind, - one Ralph Reed, former head of the 'Christian Coalition', the guy who once said that gambling was a 'cancer on the body politic'. Reed had no problem being the 'go to' guy when Abramoff needed a favor. After all, he and Abramoff were former roommates, especially when Abramoff didn't want the someone who was a big supporter of John McCain to get a government job. Ralphie is now running as Lieutenant Governor of Georgia, let's hope as more of the primarily Republican scandals heat up before this falls elections.

Now for the Playbook for the other scandal, 'Plamegate', where the Administration tries to discredit any and all critics, here is the who's who of all the main players:

George Bush - President
Dick Cheney - Vice president
Karl Rove - Top Bush Aide
Lewis Libby - Top Cheney Aide
Stephen Hadley - Deputy National Security Advisor
Ari Fleischer - former White House Press Secretary
Scott McClellan - current White House Press Secretary
Marc Grossman - Under Secretary of State

Patrick Fitzgerald - Special Prosecutor (Remember how popular they were under Clinton?)
Joseph Wilson - CIA Envoy
George Tenet - former CIA director

Nicholas Kristof - New York Times
Tim Russert - NBC
Judith Miller - New York Times
Bob Novak
Matt Cooper - Time

It would be helpful to keep a pad of paper handy to list all the main players of the Ken Lay/ENRON implosion to see who this particular scandal, the largest case of corporate crime in US history will touch. You can do what the intelligence community failed to do pre-911: Connec the dots.

Is it any wonder why House Republicans chose John Boehner as their majority leader. They firmly rejected Tom DeLay's choice. A chain smoker, no wonder why he takes so much money from the tobacco industry and supports their interests.

I have completed my tour of Haunted Alabama, the first of the fifty states - There are 220 haunted sites in Alabama. Let's see how many I can complete in time for Halloween.

January Stats

2006-02-01T15:14:00.000-05:00

Last month they came from:

MA- Hingham, Arlington, Arlington Heightd, Avon, Dover, Braintree, Springfield
CA- Sunnyvale (multi), San Fran, Fullerton

US - DC, FL, GA, KY, KS, ID, IL, IA, MO, NV, NJ, NY, OR, RI, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA and WA and WI with multiples from some.

Global - Argentina, Brazil, Canada (Quebec), Denmark, France, Netherlands, Spain and the UK

Let's Break A Deal

2006-01-31T11:13:00.000-05:00

I was in McDonald's this morning. My Ipod needed a charge, so I left it at home so I brought the issue of Time that I am currently reading, the October 31 issue with the cover story "The Great Retirement Ripoff" which really brings home what is wrong with American society today - the destruction of the American Dream and the climate of corruption and the wholesale selling out of the middle class by the 'For Sale To The Highest Corporate Bidder Congress'.

McDonalds is a senior hangout of sorts and since I didn't have my headphones on, I could hear the conversations of the rather large gathering. They were talking about their finances, medical care and how they were going to make ends meet. These days, the concept of the 'Golden Years' is a concept for only the well-to-do while increasingly it is a source of fear for the majority of us.

The article starts out talking about 'The Broken Promise' made by corporations to their workers: You toil for years, be loyal t your companies and we will take care of you in your retirement years. This was the second leg of the American Dream, the first being homeownership. It talks about how Joy Whitehorse, 69, a retiree now living in Utah lost $1200 in monthly income because her husband's former company reneged on their promise to take care of him in his retirement, (he is now deceased). He worked for a trucking company and in an effort to remain 'competitive' during the de-regulation days of the 90's, the company began cutting back on pensions. Joy, who has cancer, now collects bottles to make ends meet. She has all the paperwork 'guaranteeing' her a fixed income of $942, but if you are a coporation in America, you do not have to honor tour contractual agreements like individuals are reguired to.

She collected checks until her check bounced as a corporate raider drove the company into bankrupcy by ripping of the company's pension plan. Congress has made it easy for company's to renege on their obligations to their workers by simply decalring bankruptcy. Declare bankruptcy, erase debt and obligations. Simple. And while Congress has made it MORE DIFFICULT for you to file bankruptcy (vetoed twice by Clinton) it also made it impossible for workers to sue theor former employers to honor their committments.

All this is happening while the most notorious of corporate corruption cases, the trial of Ken Lay, the former GOP chief fundraiser, secret energy cabal member of Dick Cheney and Bush pal, begins in Houston. In that case, one employee of ENRON saw his portfolio drop from $1.3M to a paltry $3500. And remember, the emplyees were NOT ALLOWED to dump their stock.

The article goes on to say that 'Corporate promises are often not worth the paper they are printed on." That could sum it all up and I could call it quits here, but I won't. It says further - "It's the euivalent of your bank telling you that it needs the money you put into your savings account more than you do - and keeping it. The result: A wholesale downsizing of the American Dream."

Congressional decisions - many of them favoring corporate donors, lobbyists and the corporate friendly bankruptcy lawyers will force millions of elderly and currently working Americans into abject poverty. And none of it would be possible without the collusion of the people you vote for to represent YOU and YOUR interests. They wrote the rules allowing corporations to underfund pensions, made it easy for corporations to file bankrupcty and break any legal deal they may have had with their once loyal employees and of course, they made it easier for companies to use contract workers first, then outsize your job to workers who make $100 a month, but where homes do not cost $1M. And how are you supposed to fund your retirement without ann income? And Congress has steadfastled refused to reform the health care system - the single most costly aspect of workers and senior standard of living. Health care costs as well as housing keep going up exponentially, which wages in America have been spiralling downward since the 1970s.

In February, 2004, Bush's Secretary of the Treasury John Snow claimed "I think we need to be concerned about pensions and the security they have in their pensions." He wants us to save and become part of Bush's 'Ownership Society'.

That would be easy if we had a pension like Snow's. He was employed at CSX for 26 years but his lump sum payment of $33.2M is based on 44 years of service when in fact, he only worked there 26. The 18 years of 'unearned' time is yet another gift given to America's richest. Imagine what s social and fiscal conservative Republican would say, if a low income welfare recipient were to get benefits for 18 'extra' years of 'unearned' time. Laws would be quickly passed, maybe a constitutional amendment of two to put an end to 'welfare queens'.

In fact, most of Bush's economic policy to date has been giving freebies to millionaires via tax cuts on 'unearned' income, while the IRS cracks down harder on YOUR earned income.

During the 1990s, employees, such as the ones at Polaroid, were asked to bail out their companies in the form of Employee Assisted buyouts (ESOPS). After taking pay cuts and other benefit cuts for years, one of the 'employee owners' got a check for (drumroll) for $47 when she turned 60. So much for being a team player. Each employee got stock worth .09 while the execs got stocks valued at over $12 a share.

It was on the news today that Americans last year spent not just everything they've earned but went into debt last year at levels not seen since 1932 and 1933 the opening years of the Great Depression.

So what is the GOP's answer to your retirement. Work till you die, just like it was 100 years ago. They keep pushing IRAs and 401Ks, which was a Reagan/Bush Sr. 1980s vehicle for execs to shelter more of their income from the tax man. But in order to take care of the future, you must have a job TODAY. Today, Kraft announced the layoff of 8000 workers. That'll help fund the CEOs Golden Parachute.

So tonight, when you watch Shrub's State of the Union with the now confirmed Supreme Court Justice Sam Alito (you have no inherent right to anything, including a job, privacy, health care) in tow, I want you to take a shot of really strong liquor whenever he says 'the economy is strong'. By the way, Greenspan's last stand is to raise the prime rate just oen more time to slow down the economy.

All incumbents OUT in 2006. Including the Dems who can't come up with a decent counter argument to the 'you're on your own and its all your own fault' philosophy of the GOP. Remember, its YOUR fault you didn't make yourself valuable enough to your employer, and its YOUR fault you didn't save enough and its YOUR fault, you got paid too much which drove the company to bankruptcy.

Shame on us.

Gong Hoy Fat Toy

2006-01-29T23:05:00.000-05:00

To All My Asian Readers:

I hope I spelled the title correctly, but here's to a happy and prosperous New Year (of the Dog). May you find 'loyal' friends this year.

PS. Can't wait for Year Of The Pig

Be careful what you wish for

2006-01-27T16:26:00.000-05:00

...you might get it.

So Hamas gets elected to run the Palestinian Authority, a terrorist group dedicated to the destruction of Israel. But at least they were democratically elected. The results from the Iraqi election have not been announced (at least, not what I've heard) so I'm sure radicals and religious fundamentalists will take heed from the elections. What will Bush and Co. do if a Hamas clone takes power in a democratic Iraq? It is good, the Palestinians got rid of the corrupt regime as well as the fact that Fatah accomplished little.

So now what? I guess the democratically elected regime in Isreal doesn have to deal with the new government either. Its all about choice. Choice to continue down the same old bloody path are choose something new. The immediate future does not appear promising, sad to say.

From Letters To The Editor, from our local paper:

"I can't believe our grat country's politicians could create such a mess. If it was their intention to help us, which I assume it was, it should have been constructed with intelligence, time and effort. Who or what have we elected to run our country? I know they are trying to help us, but they should have worked on this longer. Some of the insurance plans are unbelievable. After speaking to Medicare and also the insurance company I was enrolled in, everything was so messed up, I was put in the wrong status. Someone along the line did not do their checking to be sure all sure all was correct."

Local senior commenting on the 40 plus prescription Medicare plans the leaner and meaner GOP has offered. Members of my family are enduring this joke and national disgrace.

That's just today's random observations.

Indian Gaming

2006-01-26T13:08:00.000-05:00

A few weeks while cleaning out the front room with my brother-in-law, we came across a bunch of old Time magazines. They have had a subscription to Time magazine that they claimed was for me and they held on to all the issues from the time I returned to Vegas until the subscription expired in March, 2003. I certainly don't have the time or inclination to read all thoose back issues, so I decided to be selective and read just the ones whose cover stories piqued my interest..

One was a two part cover story from December, 2002 on Indian Gaming, which I think is timely and significant in light of the Abramov scandals three years later and just now coming to light. Also, by coicidence, I just visited Foxwoods Casino in Ledyard, Connecticut just two weeks ago.

The articles illustrate what is truly is wrong with the 'way things work' in this country, Consider this:

1) The majority of Indian tribes and populations live in abject poverty and do not receive any benefits from the proceeds from Indian casinos. Who does? The politically connected lobbyists and 'investors' that's who. Folks like Lyle Berman (net worth $69M in 2001), Solomon Kerzner, developer of Sun City resort in Bophuthatswana, an apartheid created enclive in South Africa. (Remember the song from the 70s - "We Won't Play Sun City"?) and Lim Goh Tong who bankrolled the Foxwoods casino in Connecticut, primarily because of his experience in competing for government contracts in his native Singapore, where the Muslim government there bans gambling but managed nonetheless to build a casino there. None of the main beneficiaries are native American.

2) Who qualifies as a 'tribe'? The article points out how Maryann Martin presides over America's smallest 'tribe' which consists of herself and two brothers, one who was killed in a gang shootout. But she hired a Vegas consultant and she has her own casino in California. And yet, she still qualifies for government aid. In 1999 and 2000, government audit reports show, she pulled in more than $1M from Washington - $476,000 for housing, $400,000 for tribal government and $146,000 for environmental programs. Since Indian Gamng is a profitable venture, $12.4B, in fact, is it any wonder why the number of 'tribes' has exploded to 337?

3) Who qualifies as a member of a tribe? Since each 'tribe' is considered an autonomous 'country' they can set theor own rules as to who gets to be a 'member'. Some tribes use their casino wealth and then distribute the proceeds evenly among them, but that also means that the more 'members' a tribe has, the less the individual take. Take the case of the Table Mountain Ranchereria in the foothills of Fresno, which has benefited about 100 members of the tribe, but that didn't include the family of Kathy Lewis, who was born on the reservation and whose granfather was the tribe's chief in the 1950s. But her family did not own property in 1983 when the tribe was restored and that is the basis now being used against her by the tribal elders. She tried suing via the Bureau of Indian Affairs, who will have nothing of it, on the grounds that it is a 'soverign nation'. So she will continue to live in poverty while the 'enrolled' members get a stipend of $350,000 a year. So now, she has to legal leg to stand on. Not to mention what would happen to you if you go up against a 'corrupt' tribal council.

4) Not all casinos are created equal. In the real estate world, the mantra is 'location, location, location', so therefore some tribes who erect casinos in remote areas will barely survive, while the tribes who 'negotiate' better locations along major intestates will do quite well thank you. And watch the 'management fees'. The Sioux casino is profitable, but the majority of Sioux in South Dakota live in abject poverty. And those with cash (as is always the case) can put a casino practically anywhere - casinos do NOT have to be located on anything resembling an ancestral location. And they can make bad neighbors - like corporations they can just buly the neighbors into giving up their land on the grounds it was 'stolen' from them centuries ago. And they have enough clout to bring practically any political opposition to its knees.

5) Lopsided returns - the states with almost half of the country's Native American population - Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota, amount for less than 3% of all casino proceeds or $400 per Indian, while just 3 states, California, Connecticut and Florida haul in 44% of all revenue, with Native populations totalling just 3%. This amounts in $900,000 per member.

6) Whose minding the store? Congress created the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) to be the Federal Government's principal oversight and enforecement agency for Indian gaming and then guaranteed that it could do neither. With a budget capped at just $8M , the agency has 63 employeees to monitor the $12.6B all cash business in more than 300 casinos and small gaming estblishments nationwide. The New Jersey Gaming Commission, by contrast, has a budget of $59 million and a staff of 720 to monitor 12 casinos in Atlantic City. The agency has yet to convict one case of corruption despite several complaints by tribal members. It also has the power to levy fines, but no power to collect them. Typical for something sanctioned by Congress. No oversight. No accountability.

7) It's still about politics, stupid. Some of the tribes 'certified' in the last hours of the Clinton Administration, were overturned by the incoming Bush Administration. It is even profitable to close down a casino, as in the case of George Bush vs. the Tigua tribe near El Paso, when Bush was Governor. They applied for a state license for a casino, but they contributed too much to Bush's Democratic rivals, so backed by the anti-gambling Southern Baptist Council, they were shut down. The chief beneficiary - the owner of across the norber Sunland PArk, N.M. owner and GOP contributor Stanley E. Fulton and in 2001 was one of the largest single contributors to the GOP to the tune of 800K. But when you complain about the influence of Indian gaming they'll tell you to bang off because they are a 'soverign' nation. But it is also against the law (ask Al Gore and the Chinese) for 'foreign' governments to contribute to a US campaign. Go figger.

By the Numbers:

Source: Bureau of Indian Affairs and Time Magazine, December, 2002.

Tribe Population Casino Revenue per Member Federal Aid per Member

Navajo 260,010 $0 $912
Hopi 11,267 $0 $2,006
Choctaw 8,823 $25.048 $5,717
Seminole 2,817 $87,682 $8,540
Pequot 677 $1,624,815 $2,304
Miccosukee 400 $250,000 $20,560
Santa Ynez 159 $1,257,862 $8,360

As you can see, money begets more money....

According to the Fortune 500, look who are the biggest moeny makers:

2001 Profit Margin

Seminole Tribe 85%
Choctaw Tribe 41%
Mellon Financial 32%
Microsoft 29%
Amgen 28%
Bristol-Myers-Squibb 24%
Pfizer 24%

I support any program that elevates the living conditions of Native Americans, many of whome live in abject poverty, but perhaps a better way to help them would be to not patronize any casino that does not benefit all members of the tribe. In the case of the Navajo, who reject gambling on religious grounds, I suggest buying a Navajo rug or Hopi pottery instead. At least one tribe, however, the Potawatomi Tribe in Topeka, kansas uses most of its money building infrastructure for its members

Where are the Castles?

2006-01-24T11:51:00.000-05:00

I am plowing through (slowly) Hans Holzer's large hardcover tome Ghosts and have gotten as far as page 421 of 750 so far. Its a good book, having explored such notable places as the Whaley House in San Diego, Hollywood, the New York City area and a few other places.

The author also visits his bative Austria, France, England, Scotland and Ireland in his pursuit of ghosts. On a trip to Ireland and Scotland, he visits old castles and buildings that have been standing and are still occupied, either as private residences or as hotels since the Middle Ages.

Which brings me to ask the question - "Where are the American Castles?". It would seem to me that since many of the early Pilgrims and other northern European arrivals to American shores since the Revolution came from Britain, Scotland, Ireland and Germany that someone would have brought the castle as an architectural style with them. Aside from Disney's Magic Kingdom and Las Vegas' Excalibur casino, which were designed as tourist attractions, why hasn't the concept of a 'castle' caught on here? Surely, we had the trees whose trunks could have been used as interior building materials surrounded by rock and concrete, which are building materials we use now, so why not build castles?

As far as I know, there are only two structures in the US that qualify as true castles - the Hearst Castle in California and the Vikingsholm Castle at Lake Tahoe, on the California side. If anyone knows of any other 'offically designated' American castles, please pass them on with a photo and I'll post them.

Interestingly, though, we have an an American saying here that 'a man's home is his castle', but like everything else, even that has come under attack, with the recent rulings supporting eminemt domain by people who have more money than you so therefore can take your property from you, if they have the cash to make improvements to the place. There is a movement to take Justice David Souter's barn in New Hampshire and convert it into the 'Hotel Lost Freedom'. due to his support for the reckless use of eminent domain.

Buy Books Through the Scorched Pig

2006-01-22T15:41:00.000-05:00

The Scorched Pig has joined the Amazon.com Affiliate Program. Only reputable firms that have a reputation for quality products and good customer service would the Pig be remotely interested in being affiliated with.

I have utilized Amazon.com primarily for the purchase of books both for my own use and as a gift buying resource for both Christmas and birthday gifts.

As an incorrigible reader of old style media, ie, books, I encourage my readers to utilize Amazon.com.

PS. Get the Festivus book through the link on the right.

The Bush Administration and Google; Festivus

2006-01-20T15:23:00.000-05:00

It was reported yesterday that the Bush Administration has 'requested' , er 'urged' Google to turn over 1million search results, so that the Administration cane 'prove' how easily searchers can find child pornography on the net. Google, for its part, is resisting, citing privacy concerns. I support Google here as I don't trust the Adminsitration with its snooping. It wants to know what people are searching for. If the Bushies want to know how easy it is to find child pornography on the web, then let some of the White House staffers do a few searches on their own time and hopefully not on the taxpayer's dime.

I think there is more at work here than meets the eye. The administration wants to know what the 'rest of us' is searching for. Why do they need to know this in a free society? Let them do what private industry does in these circumstances - mail out a survey and let people volunteer this information.

Knowing this Administration, and it has shown time and again that it cannot be trusted, the goal is probably to search out and harass critics of both its foreign and domestic policies and then search them out and punish them via the IRS or other means.

Again, let the Bushies find information the way we have to find it. Go look for yourselves. Thank you, Google for standing up for the privacy of American citizens. The Bush Administration is scary. Go read Sinclair Lewis' "It Can't Happen Here" the rise of an American dictator.

On a more positive note, NASA yesterday launched its latest probe, the New Horizon spacecraft on a journey to our furthest solar neighbor, Pluto. Although considered a race car by earlier spacecraft standards, it will still take 9 years to reach Pluto with a flyby around 2015. Let's hope theat the grand piano sized probe makes it intact. I also read the other day of the discovery of a 10th planet, tentatively called 'Xena" after the TV Warrioress, although the official name will be decided in Paris later. Has anyone else heard this?

For afficiandos of the TV show Seinfeld, I heard from the Red Bar Radio Podcast that there is a book out called Festivus: The Holiday for the Rest of Us by Alan Selkin. In it, he claims that Festivus pre-dates the show and that some of the activities associated with the holiday include an 'airing of grievances' rallying around a tall aluminum pole and 'feats of strength' which usually occurs after the airing of grievances, in which you telll your friends just what you think of them. The feats of strength could include wrestling, arem-wrestling or thumb wrestling. selkin reports that there are a number of Festivus celebrations and his book includes a Foreword by the Santa Claus of Festivus himself, Jerry Stiller and includes comments by the twi extras in the show, the guy who played Krueger and the other one, whose only line was "I'm a man" at the OTB.

Check it out at Festivusbook.com or at Amazon.com.

An End of an Era (Albeit Brief)

2006-01-17T11:50:00.000-05:00

My last day at Radio Shack was last Thursday. Although the company, like many retail outlets, lets go of its 'holiday' help, I was not expecting to be terminated although there was always that possibility.

I was hired in September as a full time employee and I took my job seriously and with a certain amount of passion, having been out of work for the past three years and I figured, if I was to work in retail, I might as well work in consumer electronics figuring it would go well with my computer background. I was told that it was a 'Sales' job, which is fine, but in order to be a good salesman it helps to get to know your product as well as your working environment. And there was a lot to learn, what with cables, electronics, toys, radios, satellite radio, satellite TV, scanners and the like as well as all the other aspects of running a retail operation including getting to know the lay of the land (ie, where things are located in the store), various paperwork and don't forget the customer relations.

Like any business, there was also the backroom politics that I heard about but was not in a position to do anything about. One was that the District Manager (DM) a mid 30s woman had it out for middle-aged older workers. I listened to the stories, how she was rude to older managers and how its 'all about the numbers'.

But I beg to differ. In order for me to sell a product, I need to Know the product. RS has a few certification tests that they want their associates to take, but the tests can only be taken on the backroom computer. I would have gobbled the shit up, if the info and tests were made available voa the net so I could take them at home. It isn't a good learning environment when you have to compete with your manager who has his own work to do as well as trying to learn and take tests in between customers.

But, I also took the job in the hopes of learning ALL aspects of the retail electronics business, a sign of my long term committment to the job. I had no problem performing the mundane tasks as well, such as vacuuming the rug, washing the windows, taking out the trash or stock replenishment. Many of the 'younger' workers were not keen on performing these tasks as well. In fact, I couldn't stand it when the store was empty. I was always walking around with a clipboard, looking for tags to make, batteries to be put out, ANYTHING to make the clock move.

It takes awhile to get accustomed to ANY job, especially when you are new to the type of job as well as the company and I made my share of screwups and 'oh shits' when I first started and from the get go the store that I was at was generally understaffed. But you could always count on me. One day when I was working the day shift, my manager had come down with a bad case of the flu. He was in, of course, despite feeling miserable, sneezing, coughing and the whole nine yards. In my 4 months in the place, I am proud to say I NEVER missed a day of work. This, despite the fact I didn't have a car and relied on my sister and brother-in-law to get me to work. Not so the other employees. One had regular babysitting problems as well as 'calling in sick'. One did call in sick, and others had exams, 'couldn't work Sundays', etc. But they are all still there, I am not.

On this night where Steve was sick, In had already put in a full day shift, when one of the 'night crew' called in (before we hired holiday help). He didn't want to impose on me, but seeing he was in agony, I said 'no problem'.

Over time, things got easier for me about finding things around the store and I began to pick up speed finding things and developing a routine aout daily tasks. The store got audited on a regular basis and one of the things we often we got written up for was not filling out our goal cards. Not me. I always did mine at the beginning of my shift and it makes things easier if you do things like that when you are supposed to as opposed to trying to play catchup after you've been naged about it.

At first, my shifts varied, some days, some nights, some up and down (night followed by a day) which didn't thrill me, but I made it clear that I would work whenever he needed me. Take that, all you elderly curmudgeons and Republicans who often wail that 'people don't want to work anymore' and screw you, all those who say 'we can't find relaible, intelligent help'. It made Steve's job easier knowing that when he made out the shedule, that I would work whatever schedule he could put together, despite 'everyone else's' accommodations.

So, its all about the numbers. But even here, things are not always what they seem. Take 'Hot Friday', the ridiculous concept of having as much as one quarter of a stores sales falling on one day. By then, we had a full complement of employees, some doing double and split shifts. I worked from 2 to 10 pm that day. Along with a full crew when I arrived. On 'hot' Friday, we were told by the DM in her monthly rah rah sessions, that people 'expect' long lines on hot Friday so don't worry about making people wait. Hmmm, that's not exactly good 'salesmanship' when people are lined up at the register to buy stuff anyway. Since it was my first Hot Friday, I wondered how the registers would be handled, since we had about 6 sales people and only 2 POS machines. Wanting me to be 'fresh' since the early shifters would probably be exhausted, I had no problem with 2 to 10. I had no interest in getting up at 3 am for a 5 am store opening anyway.

The idea was supposed to be the fastest cashiers would man the POSs and the 'new' people (which apparently included me) would step back and let them handle it. I hoped to get a few sales in in the hope that it wouldn't be so nuts in the afternoon anyway. Well, some of the 'newbies' got in a few good sales since their 'allies' (ie, the women) would ring up a few sales under the newbies codes. This is, of course, against store policy, but no matter, some of the newies rang up some impressive totals.

Of course, all of the 'hot' deals lasted only from 6am until noon. I, in fact, took advantage of them, by shopping at the Radio Shack behind my house in Massachusetts, where, believe it or not, has a lower sales tax than in RI where I work. I had originally hoped on working at the Harbor Mall store, but the Warren store was full time. Since the manager there knew me, I got my employee discount on a Presidian DVD burner, plus my mail in rebate (still waiting) and my sister funding the difference because the following week was my birthday, I in effect, got it for free.

But of course, once I got to work at 2 PM, the hot Friday sales and the crowds they generate had evaporated. That night, we could have played darts, that's how dead it was. One newbie rang up over $2K that day. I was lucky to ring up $200. Guess who looks bad.

While I admit, the DM's sales talks were prime motivators, they won't work very well if you don't have the product to sell. Where I work, the store is what I would consider a 'backwater' store. You won't find the much ballyhooed Ipods, Cinegos or even much of the stuff you'll find in the sales flyers. We had many clearance items. Phones, cable, toys and many small items like battteries.

Sales in the store can often be a crap shot. Two customers walk in. Two salesmen tackle them. One buys a phone, the other buys a battery. I did a lot of battery sales. I'm sure I could have improved on my sales techniques, but a good chunk of the store's regulars are elderly people looking for watch, calculator or hearing aid batteries. One thing I was good at was selling batteries. One promotion we had constantly going on was the '4-4-10' sale. Four packs of four batteries for $10. I was told on my monthly review that I was the best in the store for that. I like to sell things with a straight face. Just a few days before my surprise dismissal, I was out on the web trying to find a site that did battery comparisons. I would have been even better at it had I prrof, that Radio Shack's batteries were 'better' than the competitions. But I couldn't find such a site. I told customers it was 'a great deal' even though you could get 24 (instead of 16) AA or AAA batteries at Home Depot, and many of my elderly customers kept on asking me if they were better than the Ocean State Job Lot next door, wis is a major discounter. "Lady, you get what you pay for" is what I'd reply when they'd keep challenging me on it. I have no doubt that Radio Shack putsb out a good product (at substantially padded profit margins of course).

I worked whenever they wanted me late on Christmas Eve, to set up for the post Christmas sales, New Year's Day. That's what sucks about retail jobs. If you work in retail, the 'time for being with family and friends' doesn't include you. We closed at 7 on Christmas Eve. It could have been worse, Kmart closed at 9. Even Walmart was closed by then.

Of course, now with the 'Big Day' which all of American capitalism depends behind us, the next question is, who stays and who goes. They keep you on just long enough so that you can hepl them count their inventory.

My manager liked me, however. He'd tell me that he'd keep me over any of the others, because he could count on me. I was reliable, dependale, honest, trustworthy and I should enthusiasm and a willingness to learn things. He even liked the fact that I came to work with a smile on my face (on most days). But, he has no say in who stays and who goes. I was warned that the DM didn't take kindly to older workers and in the end, my numbers (per ticket) were low. Again, I sold a lot of batteries, and even if I sold 10 a day for 'only' $34 in sales, my average was of course, just $3.41 a sale, with an occasional decent hit thrown in. I of course, had some good days as well.

But after the holiday rush, as expected, things died down considerably. Now I was on days nearly everyday of which many of the regular clientele are elderly and techno-phobic. Hard to sell a cell phone to a guy who comes back with his cordless phone claiming 'it doen't work' when he kept on pressing the 'end' button instead of the 'talk' button.

I had an elderly lady come up to me with one of those chrome flashlights with one button and I needed to 'show' her how to turn it on. Some of these people just want a little companionship. We also have fuses, flashlight bulbs, resistors and diodes, and I spent a lot of time with automotive types, inventor types and 'Mr. Fixit' types trying to help them find whatever they were lookingn for. Oftentimes, they had no clue and part of the task was trying to decipher what they wanted in the first place. All that time for $1.99. But that, to me, is what customer service is all about, not about the numbers. I have had a number of customers say to me, "if Radio Shack doesn't have it, no one will, or 'who does?'. Radio Shack used to be an electonics store. Now it seems, they are just another Sprint or Cingular kiosk. I was told that many of the mall Radio Shacks are aloowed to get rid of their parts drawers, but we could not. Our store was like Grandpa's Tool Chest. You could find things there you couldn't find anywhere else. I have had many customers thank me for going the extra mile in an effort to find that 'missing piece' to their puzzle so they could complete their project. I have had little old ladies offer to take me out for coffee after I showed them how to use voicemail on phones that their kids got them and they were frightened of using. I have people give me 'tips' (sometimes more than the battery that they bought) because I'd put it in for them.

I knew on Thursday, that I was the 'chosen' one to be let go. Although my manager did his best to keep me. I kept on chatting away with the customers. When one of the 'newer' associates came in at 2, he saw the schedule and said "Steve, I can't work on Sunday". I said "Steve, I can."

So I've learned that being a store manager means working long hours, doing a lot of paperwork and stock, coming in when sick, working six days a week, often double shifts and yet not having the power tiokeep who you know and trust. Managers don't do that, spreadsheet jockeys make these decisions. On top of that the other 'day' salesman is leaving for another job. So Steve will be very short handed, especially when those who are left can't or won't work days.

On December 28, after 3 years of not having any, I had health care again. It was my 100th day of employment at Radio Shack. On that day, (pure coincidence) I had an appointment with a foot doctor. I had been in pain, which he said was due to the fact that I am on my feet for 8 hours due to my job. I had to have good support shoes ordered. They arrived the day I got laid off. I had health care for all of 3 weeks.

So when I called Christine, the DM, I was told in very cold and impersonal terms that RS has 'criteria' I didn't meet, so I was let go as of the 12th, although, knowing I was already let go, I didn't bother coming in on Friday.

But its not about reliability or dependibility. Not about customer service or selling a product you have confidence it so you can push it. Its not about honesty or making people happy so that they'll remember you and come back. Its about getting rid of older workers who are more conscientious and hard working, but, unfortunately, don't make the right numbers or meet certain 'criteria'.

The Trials and Tribulations of Tom Delay; '24'

2006-01-10T14:40:00.000-05:00

In a recent article by the Associated Press, a DeLay spokesman said that the ethically challenged Congressman is not influenced by donations. Does he believe that everyone outside of Texas is taht gullible and naive?

During the Eisenhower administration, Ike remarked about the dangers of the 'military-industirla' complex. What he was referring to at the time was when a general exits military service and joins the board of directors of a defense contractor, that defense contractor would have undue influence in contractor selection because the former general would have too many friends in high places. Thus, what Ike was really saying was the corrosive effects of influence peddling and a government by lobbyist.

A spokesman for DeLay says that 'Mr. Delay makes decisions and sets legislative priorities based on good policy and what is best for his constituents and the country'. As the Abranoff influence peddling scandal unfolds, we will find out just HOW MUCH out government goes to the highest bidder. I have heard in more than one instance how this may be the biggest corruption scandal of all time and that this Republican congress is quite possibly the most corrupt in US history. Politicians of both parties are ditching all their Abramoff note pads, pens and book bags in the hopes that the spin the bottle of corruption doesn't stop at them.

Consider just whom was cozying up to Tommy Boy.

$1M in 1998 from a London law firm channeled from two Russian Oil execs.
500K in 1998 qnd 1999 from textile firms in the Mariana Islands
250K from the Mississippi Choctaw and of American Indians. It was the funnelling of Indian casino cash that started this downslide.
$2.5M in donations from the 'US Family Network' an 'organization' which used its 'donation' to attack Democrats. That's the ticket: Avoid the real issue by attacking those who are asking the questions.

The Democrats were overthrown when their hands got dirty after 40 years in power. Gotta hand it to the efficiency of the GOP, it only took them 10 years. Lies about the war, secrecy about energy policy and the struggles of the middle class, so 2006 should be a watershead year for the truth, with both the Abramoff investigations heating up and the Ken 'what did he really know about energy policy' Lay and the Enron scandal trial starting soon, it will probably quite an embrarrassing year for the elite in the US.

I went to see 'Wolf Creek' yesterday. Started off good, thought it might be a UFO movie, but instead it was just another torture fest, which there are getting to be woefully too many of these. All in all it sucked.

I also joined Blockbuster for now so I can beginning watching (or re-watching) the Fox hit suspense thriller '24'. I had started watching this when I was in Vegas, but I need to get all caught up from season 1. Now that I have a recordable DVD, I can record the current season, while playing catchup.

Right now my only resolution for the New Year, having quit smoking on Oct. 1 and sometime in mid-January will be my longest contiuous stretch without a butt, is to save my quarters (I now have two NEW piggy banks to fill) and buy myself an Apple IBook. Time to increase the horse power. Its not the ideal machine, but it will have all the software necessary to start doing Podcasts. (Pig casts).

Of course, I do not know what the new year holds especially in light of the thinning of the retail herd now that the holidays are finally over.

Afghanistan blog; Bring Out Your Dead

2006-01-03T18:05:00.000-05:00

The other war: The 2001 attacks led to the overthrow of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. Remember Afghanistan? To ensure that you don't forget the 'other war', I have posted a link to a soldier's blog from Sparks, NV. who is stationed in Afghanistan. It is called All Along the Watchtower. Now that we've begun another orbit around the Sun, let's not forget those who are serving in an area that does not get the same media focus as does the other troubled hotspot, Iraq. Keep up the good work and arrive home safely, warriors!

A tradition in the Unitarian Church at the beginning of the new year is to remember all those who have 'crossed over' during the previous year. It's what I call the Bring Out Your Dead List.

Herewith is the list for 2005:

Beauregard, Terry (Chris' Mom)
Pooler, Anna (Bruce's Mom)
Mollie, the 'You Pet, I Pee' pooch of Bruce and Rozz.

Chisolm, Shirley - First Black Woman elected to Congress
Kennedy, Rosemary - Mentally handicapped sister of President Kennedy
Woods, Rose Mary - Nixon's secretary, famous for erasing part of the Watergate tape in an incredible Yoga Move. Accident? Yeah right.
Carson, Johnny - Therrrre goes Johnny

Davis, Ossie
Miller, Arthur - 'Death of a Salesman'
Dee, Sandra
Thompsron, Hunter S. - gonzo Journalist, inspiration for Doonesbury's 'Duke'

Kennan, George F. Historian, author of "Russia and the West". Yes, I've read it.
Cochran, Johnny - defense attorney of murderer OJ Simpson
Perdue, Frank - Chicken rival of Colonel Sanders. Game of chicken, anyone?
Schiavo, Terry - she fnally finds peace

Pope John Paul II - Biggest death of the Year
Bellow, Saul
Prince Rainier - husband of the late Grace Kelley and head of the 'non-state' of Monaco

Rodino, Peter - NJ Congressman who led Nixon's impeachment
Albert, Eddie - Green Acres

Bancroft, Anne
Kilby, Jack - creator of the integrated circuit (1958)

Vandross, Luther "Dance with My Father", "Here and Now"
Nelson, Gaylord - Wisconsis Senator, founder of Earth Day
Stockdale, James - "Where AM I" Vice President candidate behind Ross Perot
Gray, L. Patrick - FBI Director during Watergate
Westmoreland, General William
Doohan, Doohan - He's been beamed up, Scotty

King Fahd of Saudi Arabia - just one of many princes
Jennings, Peter - surprise lung cancer death
Bel Geddes, BArbara - Miss Ellie on Dallas
Moog, Robert - creator of the synthesizer
van Andel-Schipper, Hendrikje - world's oldest person, 115 years, 2 months amd 1 day

Denver, Bob - "Gilligan"
Chief Justice William Rehnquist
Adams, Don - "Maxwell Smart"
Motley, Constance Baker - first black female Federal Judge

Parks, Rosa - she refused to go to the back of the bus and statred the modern civil rights movement
Edwards, Ralph - "This Is Your Life"
Morita, Pat - wax on. wax off, permanently off now

McCarthy, Eugene - anti-war campaign toppled Johnson
Pryor, Richard - sets himself on fire cooking cocaine
Proxmire, Willaima - Wisconsin Senator known for his 'Golden Fleece' awards about government waste
Spencer, John - "West Wing" and "LA Law"
Anderson, Jack -muckracking journalist
Gigante, Vincent 'The Chin' - Mob boss.

As we remember them...

December totals

2006-01-03T07:46:00.000-05:00

I've had a few hits to this blog during the month of December, which is cool considering a haven't written much last month. Here is the roll call:

US States: AL, CA (San Luis Obispo, Mountain View, Encinitas, Pasadena, Corona, Sunnyvale, Palo Alto, San Diego), CO (multiple), IL, IA (Welcome!), KY, MD, MA (Franklin, Beverly, No. Carver, Millville, Everett, Weymouth), MI, NJ (2), NY, PA (multiple), RI (multiple), TN (multiple), TX (multiple) and WA.

Foreign: England (multiple), France (multiple), Braxil (2), Spain, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Canada (Ontario -2) and Hungary.

Its been a piggish Christmas. I got 2 piggy banks, one ceramic and the other heavy plastic (one with antlers - a Christmas Pig) and one was a Ballerina Pig. I also got a lantern and a sleeping bag for the coming camping season.

Happy 2006! Its GOTTA be better than 2005.

Happy Holidays

2005-12-23T21:02:00.000-05:00

Time flies when you are not necessarily having fun. The holidays are not particularly fun when you work in retail. Stores are open longer and longer hours in pursuit of that last 'holiday' dollar. The Christmas 'season', that is, the one that started around Oct.1. Where I work, we have been essentially dead, considering it is only one day until the Big One. We have had some moments of 'busy-ness', but yesterday one employee was sent home early due to the lack of interest. And you can't blame it on the weather, since the streets are dry.

While the holidays can be filled with merriment if you work in a typical office, where people downshift into a more relaxed modus operandi, what with the office potluck lunch, the cheap gift grab, the more formal office party, the chocolates, cookies, year end bonuses and the gift for the boss, life is far different when you are in retail. When you are in retail, you might as well call them the 'hellidays'. Retail outlets respond with staying open LONGER anticipating a last minute deluge of stressed out consumers just itching to buy our stuff.

We did well in some ways. We completely cleaned out a stock room and there were quite a few empty pegs throughout the store, but our store did not get the 'must have' items for 2005. I love Apple, but if I hear 'do you have an Ipod" just ONE MORE TIME....

And I've HAD it with Christmas carols, too. I have hummed 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas' for hopefully the last time, I've sold enough batteries to create my own nuclear program and I am tired of asking everybody if they've done all their Christmas shopping yet.

While all of these additional hours are great for the rest of you, how about US? Tomorrow attendance is MANDATORY and we close at 7. When are WE supposed to go food shopping and make plans with OUR friends? No bonuses or cookies in the back room either. Bah Humbug. And for all its lunacy, many of us may not keep our jobs come the middle of January. The only good thing is I have HEALTH CARE effective December 28, the day I go to the doctors to find out what is wrong with my aching feet!

I never thought I'd say this, but going back to a life in a fabric covered box looks more and more appealing.

So, in an attempt at avoiding all controversy, have yourself a merry little CHRISTmas, a happy Hannukkah and a happy Kwaanzaa, too.

Excessive profits, Hurricane recovery and 'My War' and other troop blogs.

2005-12-10T13:57:00.000-05:00

I haven't been writing much due to my work schedule and the coming holiday crunch and all its attendant madness, but the fact that during the recent spike up of gas prices and the $100B profit run up by oil companies while heating oil bills double hasn't escaped my scutiny either. Instead of asking Joe Sixpack to cut back on errands by car as the President basically did, how about asking his corporate sponsors to cut back on the use of their private jets? Each one of these uses more gas for their owner's enjoyment than 100 private vehicles do to run errands. It is also absurd on the part of the oil companies to 'pre-raise' the cost of gas BEFORE the hurricanes hit, rather than determining the cost of damage AFTER the hurricanes hit. Now that some of the oil rigs were not destroyed on the scale as was previously feared, how about a 'refund' or 'rebate' or 'price break' for consumers for the next month or so? Or here's another idea: Since consumers have apparently no choice put to pay the price anyway, why not have tje oil companies use their excessive profits for the next 3 months be used to rebuild the Gulf Coast? That way, no one's tax money has to be used, since the Bush Administration always claims there is no money for social programs or a reasonable health care system. But ironically, it wants to keep in place the Wealthfare tax cuts until 2010. $100B. What would Donald Trump build with that kind of money? Could Trump (or anyone else) do a quicker job of dispatching all those trailers that are to be used as temporary hosuing for the displaced in the gulf? One provider of trailers was told to take them back because they were filled with food and clothing and FEMA's rules demanded that they be delivered empty! And by the way, FEMA says the disaster is over, you can go home now and start paying your mortgages again even if you have no home to live in. Happy Holidays!

The other story dominating the news lately is the situation in Iraq. There's been a lot of back-and-forth as to wether the 'media' are accurately reporting the situation over there. Well, for a complete and unabridged version of what it's like over there, try reading a blog wriiten by a soldier or Marine who is living the war on a daily basis try 'My War' by the 'Nom de Blog' of CBFTW, aka Corey Buzzell, a soldier stationed outside of Mosul. 'My War' is the one I've started reading and I will post the link in my link section. I always start at the beginning so I have some catching up to do. You can find blogs from many military personnel by checking out sites such as Iraqi Blogs, Military blogs. I encourage anyone who is interested in what's going on over their, without the filters of the left or right. We didn't have this during my generation's war, Vietnam and after 1970, renamed 'The War in Southeast Asia' after Nixon's invasion of neutral Cambodia.

Can the truth filter out of Iraq even via the blogosphere? Not according to this article by NPR. But as I understand it 'My War' will be published into a book soon. But a warning is in order here, 'My War' is certainly not family reading, but it is an god blog to keep things in perspective this holiday season, while retailers and etailers are saying 'Don't worry, be happy, so keep spending".

The numbers for November

2005-12-03T11:06:00.000-05:00

The new visitor log for November to the Scorched Pig are in.

From US States: AL, AK, AZ, CA - Roseville, Badlands, Los Angeles, San Diego, Sunnyvale and Burbank, CO, DC (new!), FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA (welcome back online), ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA and Puerto Rico. Still outstanding: AR, DE, HI, IA, NH, SC, SD, VT and WY.

Outside the US: Canada: Alberta, Nova Scotia, Finland, Germany and Brazil.

Today I begin my 50th revolution around the Sun. Will be hooking up with friends and one I haven't seen in awhile.

Welcome all!

Pig Stats - October

2005-11-19T12:56:00.000-05:00

The Scorched Pig has an international reach. Here are the stats for the month of October (up to and not totally accurate. Mass and RI are not included as they are too local to be continuously counted.

All US states are represented, except for AR, DE, HI (I did get a hit from Hawaii before I started keeping track), IA, NH, SC, SD, VT and WV. Louisiana clocked in since the last time kept track. The most frequent states visiting are CA, NV, OK, VA, WA and KS.

From Canada: Quebec, Ontario, Nova Scotia (love it up there), British Columbia and Alberta.

International: Malaysia, England (several), India, Chile (2), Mexico, Sweden, Thailand, Italy (2), Brazil, Singapore, China (Beijing), France, Netherlands (2), Denmark, Austria and Spain.

Welcome all!

I sold my first Satellite system this week!

And in the News: Last week, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman has proposed that grafitti taggers should not only be arrested for defacing public property but they should also have a finger amputated. Oscar, run for President in 2008. Meanwhile, also last week in Las Vegas, they've had another power failure up on the Xscream ride on the 900 foot Stratosphere Tower, stranding two Japanese tourists up there for about an hour and a half. Last year, when this happened, two teenage girls were stranded there for at least an hour before employees even realized there were riders out there.

Tim Wins

2005-11-15T12:30:00.000-05:00

Timothy P. McCoy, the first candidate to get the endorsement of the Scorched Pig, was successful in securing his seat on the Fall River School Commitee. Tim was already a member of the Committee since March, 2005 as a result of the resignation of a board member as a result of fiscal malfeasance.

Tim will bring to the seat honesty and integrity and a genuine concern for Fall River's school children.

The results:

Marilyn M. Roderick 7557
Kevin Aguiar 7090
Brian Bigelow 7035
TIM MCCOY ` 6822
Mark Costa 6810
Shawn E, Cadime 8602

The School Board kept three imcumbeants and elected three newcomers, of which Tim was the highest vote getter.

Congrats, Tim.

Pig Request - Satellite vs. Cable

2005-11-12T23:47:00.000-05:00

OK Squealers, er readers, I have a request.

I want feedback on those who have Satellite TV. Is it comparable (in price) to cable TV? Is it a hassle to get local stations or is a splitter required. Why is a land based phone line required? (Dish). Dish or DIRECTV? Do very cloudy days block reception? Who installs it, you or them.

I can sell it, but need honest information...

Is it worth the hassle? I knew a guy (and his name was Guy) in Vegas who swore by it. I was curious, but satellite dishes always ran afoul of homeowner associations...

And why 18 month 'commitment'. I am so sick of contracts - good service and quality product ensures customer loyalty, not threats of lawsuits.

From the news: Potbellied Pig in Florida Evades Police. Run Pig! Run!

Remembering a friend.

2005-11-07T11:34:00.000-05:00

My friend Lola (Don's mother) passed away last night. We used to go to Rampart casino to try our luck and we'd go for lunch buffet. Two for one!

When I left, she took me to Steiner's a 'Nevada' bar. By then, I wasn't winning anything.

I always spent my Thanksgivings and Christmases at either Don's or Lola's. Homemade and family fun. She made me feel as if I was part of her family.

I met Lola because I worked with her husband Chuck at Raytheon. Chuck had cancer and we had lunch together two days before he died. He was only 58.

At the time, the Test Site (was always) threatening layoffs and Chuck urged Lola to take the first retirement package, because he claimed it was usually the most generous. (Lola worked at another company at Nellis). She resisted, but gave in. She started to get into retirement and was getting her 'honey-do' list ready when he died just 3 weeks after retiring.

Before he died (about 3 weeks before) he told me he regretted having Lola retire, because he was afraid of being laid off and at his age, he knew he'd never get a comparable paying job (aint it the truth). He told me he was more valuable to Lola dead than alive (life insurance).

I told Chuck not to worry that I would look out for his family. A few months later, I was back here on a contract job, with an empty house back there and Copa waiting for me. Lola called and said Don was getting a divorce, moving back to Vegas to be near her and loves dogs. The rest is history. Lola always gave christmas presents to Copa.

Chuck and Lola spent time in Los Alamos, NM and when I had a job interview for LLNL at the Mirage, they sped me there so I wouldn't be late. Chuck offered to take me to Los Alamos to show me around town, but that job never happened.

When Chuck died, I had a 'premonition' that something was wrong.

Last night, I had an urge to call Lola and was going to do so tonight, but Don called instead.

I remember when the three of us went to the Raytheon Christmas Party at the Hacienda. We went because the door prize was two tickets to anywhere in the country. If I had won, I would have flown back to Boston, if Chuck would have won, he would have flown to North Dakota where Don was living at the time. None of us were interested in the speeches, so we snuck out to play Keno, come back for the meal and the raffle and went out to a few bars to play.

Lola was born in Nebraska and was cooking in truck stop diners at an early age. She was an extroadinary cook and my favorite was her Italian spaghetti sauce with meat. I always asked her for the recipe but she said she never wrote it down. She used hamburger, Italian sausage, garlic, onions and god knows what else. It was my favorite! When she made it for me, I'd freeze a portion of it and savor it for as long as I could.

Lola loved to play Bingo, travel, spending time with her family, collected Fabrege eggs and merlot wine.

Lola was a good friend who made Las Vegas a real 'home' for me. I'll miss her.

Lola Maina

Lola Maina

Lola Maina

Rest in Peace

Catching Up with Podcasting

2005-11-06T13:49:00.000-05:00

Its been quite awhile since I have been able to write anything. Working off hours often prevents me from doing things I need and want to do and, as a result many things end of sliding so now I am playing catchup, like reading some blogs that I take a peek at from friends and I am also trying to create my very own unique-for-me listening experience using my Ipod for both music and podcasts. I have had my Ipod for exactly one year, so happy birthday Poddie.

Podcasting takes blogging and 'talk radio' to a new level without the expense of Satellite Radio. I am not going to condemn Satellite Radio because I sell it and my friend Bruce bought one from me and he loves it. But satellite is primarily made up of professional broadcasters (Howard Stern in January 2006), but podcasting is the media for the rest of us. Podcasting is usually music based, but often you'll find a lot of 'talk radio' about current events as well as many amatuer audio blogs. I will probably do one eventually. I have spending a lot of time trying to separate the wheat from the chaff. Some of the best ones I have found so far are:

1. PodcastNYC - This is the best podcasting site on the Web. Check out all of Mediamaster Rob's channels including his Front Page Podcast where he talks mostly about the state of Podcasting, Alley Cuts, his display of indie music and artists appearing in the NYC area and his Pop Culture Rant where he vents his opinions about the current state of Hollywood, TV or even his neighbors. If it weren't for Rob, I would not have discovered the music of Jason Yudoff. Jason is one of the best keyboardists I have heard in a long while. In fact, Jason sent me an email awhile back thanking me for the mention about him in this very blog. Apparently, I am (or was) the only blog to gve him a plug, which I am more than happy to do. If you do decide to purchase one of Jason's CDs, I urge you to do so via the the CD Baby link on the Podcast NYC website so Rob can get his cut. If you want people to produce quality podcasts, you need to support them. I plan to when I can ever get the extra cash.

2. Amplified Podcast - A great ecleptic mix of music from Chicago. Definitely worth the listen.
3. Rock Cast: This Is The Rock - for those who like to rock.
4. Xtrasense - A unique electronic music podcast that I really enjoy
5. A View From The Religious Left - Sermons from the Unitarian viewpoint. Not being able to attend, I use these as my Sunday morning podcasts.
6. Revolution In The Corner - another electonic music podcast that unfortunately has only published one podcast to date, which is a drawback of podcasting - productions can be sporadic as authors make them when they have the time.
7. Blue Power - Take a trip to the Delta for some great blues. One of the best podcasts. (Listening now)

I have also downloaded a Pocast novel, Earth Core now available in print in November. That's another advantage for Ipods and other MP3 players - the ability to listen to books while walking or eating. I have also downloaded Make Radio, an 'erector set' podcast as well as the occasional audio blog, usually done by people in their garage where the quality can be iffy, but often amusing.

I prefer checking for new podcasts via Ipodder.org, and I did check out Podcast Alley. I prefer Ipodder as Podcast Alley's search routine leaves much to be desired although Ipodder doesn't even hav a search utility, it has a click-on calendar, but now that I have caught up to the current day, I will continue to use it. I am using Ipodder as a test bed for new podcasts and manually moving them over to Itunes, but I will use Itunes for the select few winners. I still listen to quite a bit of music, but mostly podcasts, not from my own music collection. Over time, I've listened to Pagan Podcasts, and I found one for Haunted NewJersey and Horror and Englist Folk Songs. Its like having a musical encyclopedia!

My employers intention is to sell Ipods for the Holiday season. We have the display, but where are the Ipods. If people can't walk out with the Ipod, they'll go somewhere else, and now that Apple has the video Ipod there might be an increased demand, but I don't think video will catch on for awhile yet. You can listen to music while you do other things, while video requires your attention. We also sell handheld TVs, but how many peolple do you see walking around with their TVs and DVD players.

I was with Bruce last week when he bought a new computer at the Apple Store at South Shore Plaza and I was definitely in the mood for an Ibook. I could use more CPU power and the machine is built with Podcasting in mind coming loaded with GarageBand and other utilities as well as Itunes to make Podcast creation a snap. Plus, I want to take a break from the Windoze world.

I have more to write, but that will be at a later time, as I need to catch up with other things, such as electronic bookkeeping.

Remember - support your local indie podcasters!

Pig's Favorite Halloween Links

2005-10-31T12:33:00.000-05:00

Not responsible for expired or broken links. They were working when they were added.

Books

Holzer, Hans, Ghosts (reading now)

Haunted Places:

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

Movies

28 Days
Army of the Dead
Dawn of the Dead
Dracula
Dracula, Bride Of
Dracula, Sin of
Exorcist, The
Fog, The
Land of the Dead
Serpent and the Rainbow
Signs
Village, The
Village of the Damned (new and remake)

TV

"A Haunting in Connecticut" (PBS)

Other Stuff:

Satan's Blog
Bruce's Ghost Page
"Audio Obit" - the 'Daily Dead' (available via ipodder.org)

Pig's Favorite Scary Movies

2005-10-30T21:26:00.000-05:00

For your viewing chills this Halloween, herewith are Pig's favorite Halloween movies, in no particular order:

1. The Exorcist (based on a true story)
2. The Entity (ditto)
3. The Exorcism of Emily Rose (again)
4. Halloween
5. The Lady in White
6. Frankenstein (1931)
7. Bride of Frankenstein (1933)
8. Dracula (1931 with Bela Lagosi)
9. Pumpkinhead
10. The Serpent and the Rainbow
11. Psycho
12. Grave Secrets (aka The Black Hope Horror)
13. Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1955)
14. Them (1955)
15. The Thing (original)
16. Village of the Damned (both original and remake, original is better)
17. Night of the Living Dead
18. Dawn of the Dead (remake is better than the original)
19. Day of the Dead
20. Army of Darkness
21. 28 Days
22. Target Earth (1955)
23. Rosemary's Baby
24. Psycho
25. The Ninth Gate
26. Godzilla (family fun)
27. Plan 9 From Outer Space (so campy, its funny)
28. Dracula, Brides of
29. Dracula, Son of
30. Dracula Rises Again
31. Frankenstein, Son of
32. The Abominable Dr. Phibes
33. Dr. Phibes Rises Again
34. The Fog (original with Adrienne Barbeau)
35. Shaun of the Dead (comedy)
36. Simpson's Tree House of Horror series
37. The House on Haunted Hill
38. The Evil Dead
39. The Hearse
40. Chucky
41. Stephen King's The Shining
42. Stephen King's Storm of the Century
43. Stephen King's Rose Red
44. Stephen King's Salem's Lot
45. Stephen King's Pet Cemetary
46. Witchboard
47. The Others
48. Blade
49. Blacula
50. A Haunting in Connecticut
51. Rod Serling's Night Gallery (series)
52. Stephen King's Creepshow
53. Tales From The Crypt
54. Friday the 13th (series)
55. Fright Night
56. The Keep
57. Stephen King's Cat's Eye
58. The Golem
59. Nosferatu
60. Silent Night, Evil Night (aka Black Christmas)
61. Alfred Hitchcock Presents (series)
62. Last House on the Left
63. Phantasm
64. Trilogy of Terror
65 The X-Files (earliest episodes)
66. The Creature from The Black Lagoon
67. The Wolfman
68. Dracula, Frankenstein Meet the Wolfman
69. Wolfen
70. American Werewolf in London
71. Willard
72. Ben
73. Tarantula
74. Earth vs the Spider
75. It Came From Outer Space
77 It (the Golem one)
78. Stephen King's It.
79. 13 Ghosts (original)
80 Stephen King's The Stand
81 I, Zombie
82. Hellraiser
83. Candyman
84. The Invisible Man

...and that's just the begining...

End of the Tour - Haunted Wyoming

2005-10-30T21:22:00.000-05:00

Alas, we have come to the end of our tour of the Haunted USA, with Haunted Wyoming. It was earily fun, wasn't it? Seems there are ghosts just about EVERYWHERE. BEWARE!

Haunted Wisconsin; Parade of States

2005-10-29T12:46:00.000-04:00

Two more days to Horrorween. Our trip around the Haunted USA concludes tomorrow. There have been a number of hits from all over the world, many from the US. But the last time I checked (Wednesday) most states have reported in, except the following: AR, DE, DC, HI, IA, KY, LA, NH, SC, SD, VT and WV. Don't be left out! Elk City, Oklahoma was the 500th hit for this blog.

Meanwhile, the state quarter isn't the only thing that's a little odd in Haunted Wisconsin.

Haunted West Virginia

2005-10-28T11:31:00.000-04:00

Halloween is almost upon us and our tour of Haunted America is almost complete. Here is Haunted West Virginia.

Haunted Washington

2005-10-27T09:37:00.000-04:00

Here's Haunted Washington, a state so wooded, a Sasquatch could be living there.

Haunted Virginia

2005-10-25T11:26:00.000-04:00

Appomattox and other Civil War battlefields are considered somme of the most haunted places in America. So many young people were killed when they were not ready. This and other spooky sites are just a few of the 'must feel' places of haunted Virginia.

Haunted Vermont

2005-10-24T11:58:00.000-04:00

With a week to go before Halloween, our tour of Haunted America is winding down. Here's Haunted Vermont - its hard to believe that such a bucolic state of autumnal beauty, cozy country inns and the home of TVs Newhart would be so spooky.

Miers Flip Flop; Haunted Utah

2005-10-23T13:00:00.000-04:00

When John Roberts was confirmed as Supreme Court justice, Republicans argued that religion would not and should not be used as a litmus test for judicial nominees. Now that Repulicans have 'reservations' about Harriet Miers, Bush is parading her to his Evangelical base that she is 'one of them' especially when it comes to Roe v Wade. My, my, how quickly the tune changes in the course of just 3 weeks. Has she become a liability for the Administration? Will she withdraw? It should be an interesting week...

I had an interesting dream last night. I dreamt I was on a road trip with Bruce and we stopped at a bed and breakfast that was allegedly haunted. The 'haunting' included a mirror that shows the face of a nineteenth century woman in period garb. I was eating a seafood salad sub and sat down at the little side table in front of the mirror and saw my own reflection and I figured that although Bruce has seen spirits, and although I may believe in them, I have yet to see one, and I laughed at the legend. I ate half the sandwhich and went into the bedroom to watch a little TV while Bruce loaded the car. When he came in and asked me if I was ready to leave, I said yes and went into the other room to retrieve the other half of the sub. That's when I looked in the mirror and saw the face of an older woman like that of a black and white photograph. I remember being very spooked and running down the stairs and out of the building. Then I woke up. A ghost story dream or a dream of a ghost story?

Here's Haunted Utah...

Haunted Texas

2005-10-22T13:32:00.000-04:00

They say everything is big in Texas - lots of land, Ann Richard's hair and a long border with Mexico. Texas also executes more people than all other states combined (and most foreign countries) so I am sure there are a lot of disgruntled early arrivals to shadowlands. There is a bridge in Austin that attracts tourists to watch the bats fly out at sundown. Austin could be the beginning of your tour of Haunted Texas.

Haunted Tennessee

2005-10-21T21:34:00.000-04:00

The countdown to Halloween continues with Haunted Tennessee. One story to watch out for is the story of the Bell Witch, about a family who was cursed by an old woman. Read about this and whatever is spooky in Haunted Tennessee.

Haunted South Dakota

2005-10-20T10:49:00.000-04:00

Deadwood is an approriate name for an old Western Ghost Town. Now a tourist mecca, some residents think it is such a nice place to live, they refuse to leave! Here's Haunted South Dakota.

Haunted South Carolina

2005-10-19T18:56:00.000-04:00

Many people claim that Charleston, South Carolina is the most haunted town in America. The ghosts of Confederate soldiers and other successionists are said to haunt the Capitol as well. Herewith, is Haunted South Carolina.

Haunted Rhode Island

2005-10-18T08:41:00.000-04:00

We are almost to Halloween. On our tour, here's haunted Rhode Island.

Haunted Pennsylvania

2005-10-17T11:18:00.000-04:00

The setting for the movie The Sixth Sense where the kid says "I see dead people" was in Philadephia, as part of this week's countdown to Halloween, let's visit Haunted Pennsylvania.

The Sixth Sense was one of the better movies put out by M. Night Shamalyan (not sure of the spelling). Two other good Halloween flicks to see by him include Signs and The Village. Speaking of villages, two more good entries for the spooky genre include both the original and remakes of the alien children in the Village of the Damned.

While on the subject of remakes, have you seen the remake of The Fog. I think that one will be tough to beat, since the original was played so well by Adrienne Barbeau. But we'll see. Most remakes don't live up to the quality of the originals, witness all the Excorcist rehashes ad nauseum. But one makes the cut nicely, namely last year's remake of George Romero's Dawn of the Dead. The orignal was too campy, but I think the remake was more nicely done. Add that one to your video library.