Lately I have been thinking about all the things i want to Blog... So far none of them have made it on here.
So this is going to be weird!
I realized how busy I have been lately and how Little I have been caring lately. And this morning I had a quick thought which I will now share.
It occurs to me that What I really need is a vacation. I want to escape it all.
A real, honest, break. No worries no “need to get done's”… just a relaxing time hanging out doing nothing but what I want.
I have had to take on too much responsibility from to young an age.
But then again that is true of many today… I guess that what That means is I really need to shut up, stop whining, and get on with rushing myself to an early grave because by golly there is just too much to do and to little time to do it in.
So there you go. that is how I am feeling right at this moment. Maybe it will pass soon.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Traffic issues
The other day I was listening to the Jim Bohannon show and He was talking about Traffic cameras.
The topic was very interesting and the guests he had were very informative! But I got to thinking. I come from Flagstaff Arizona. In Flagstaff they seem to really try to control traffic not just claim they want to control traffic problems while really trying to get more revenue.
One of Mr. Bohannon's guests was saying that most of the time the government that brings these cameras in are not trying to uphold the law, they just want more income for their city/state/ country, or whatever...
When Flagstaff was thinking about trying to bring in some speed cameras they ran a test first. they got a couple of portable cameras and set them up to see how effective they would be and what the general public opinion was.
Long story short, as far as I know there are still no speed cameras set up permanently in the city of Flagstaff.
They actually came up with some pretty creative ways to control the traffic though. My favorite was officer Quin.
The funny thing is that officer Quin (or as some people like to call him Manny) gets the most complaints of any other officer in the Flagstaff Police department; and most of those are about how lazy he is, that he is sleeping on the job or that he seems to be "stalking" people.
He also gets the highest number of compliments for dedication.
You see he is really a mannequin. The Police department has a life size dummy which wears a uniform and sits in a patrol car which is prominently located. When motorists see the police unit sitting there with "someone" inside they slow down. And thus the law is obeyed.
So I think that kudos ought to be offered here to the Flagstaff Police department for really caring and coming up with solutions that are... well let's say they are creative, instead of trying to follow the almighty dollar.
The topic was very interesting and the guests he had were very informative! But I got to thinking. I come from Flagstaff Arizona. In Flagstaff they seem to really try to control traffic not just claim they want to control traffic problems while really trying to get more revenue.
One of Mr. Bohannon's guests was saying that most of the time the government that brings these cameras in are not trying to uphold the law, they just want more income for their city/state/ country, or whatever...
When Flagstaff was thinking about trying to bring in some speed cameras they ran a test first. they got a couple of portable cameras and set them up to see how effective they would be and what the general public opinion was.
Long story short, as far as I know there are still no speed cameras set up permanently in the city of Flagstaff.
They actually came up with some pretty creative ways to control the traffic though. My favorite was officer Quin.
The funny thing is that officer Quin (or as some people like to call him Manny) gets the most complaints of any other officer in the Flagstaff Police department; and most of those are about how lazy he is, that he is sleeping on the job or that he seems to be "stalking" people.
He also gets the highest number of compliments for dedication.
You see he is really a mannequin. The Police department has a life size dummy which wears a uniform and sits in a patrol car which is prominently located. When motorists see the police unit sitting there with "someone" inside they slow down. And thus the law is obeyed.
So I think that kudos ought to be offered here to the Flagstaff Police department for really caring and coming up with solutions that are... well let's say they are creative, instead of trying to follow the almighty dollar.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Innocence lost
One of the "curses" I have with my work is all the time I get to think.
Last night I was thinking about... well I was getting nostalgic... O.k. O.k. I was maudlin.
I was thinking about the experiences I had as a kid and I seem to remember the world as being a lot more innocent of a place.
Now I will grant that I was a child and I was probably more out of touch with reality than most of my peers, BUT I still think it was a little more innocent of a place to be.
Over the years I have lost a lot of that sense of innocence. This world has been as hard on me as anyone else.
but what I miss more than my innocence is the stuff that kinda filled me even when the innocence was gone.
I miss my dreams and hopes.
Once I dreamed of being a hero to someone. I wanted to be able to look into someone's eyes and see... Admiration, adoration even. I wanted to see that I was looked up to.
I Dreamed of being a police officer. I thought that might be ideal. People count on the police to be there and protect them. (at least that is what I did)
But with the loss of my innocence I found out that no one else even cared, some people even act as if they hate the police.
I became a Scout leader. I hoped to be able to show kids how to be better, grow better...
but today's kids don't want to be better they want to idolize Hellboy or some other "not quite so bad" demonic character (by not quite so bad I mean one who is portrayed as "not as evil as the others of his kind".)
I became a soldier so I could defend my country and all it stood for. But nobody in this country cares about what the country stands for anymore, In fact they seem to want to destroy everything that men have fought for in the past.
I wanted to save people but they didn't want to be saved. I wanted to inspire but everyone is too jaded, I wanted to protect but everybody wants to endanger themselves.
I know now how Mr. Incredible must feel.
Except I never was a hero at all. I am just a washed out, washed up guy. I never got to be a hero and it looks like I never will be one.
Apparently Life is just passing me by. All my hopes and dreams are gone. I wanted to be someone! now I won;'t even get to be a has been, I will always be a never was.
Maybe this is the proof I need that I should stop working nights all alone. at least when others are around I don't have to think about how much of a waste this seems to be.
Last night I was thinking about... well I was getting nostalgic... O.k. O.k. I was maudlin.
I was thinking about the experiences I had as a kid and I seem to remember the world as being a lot more innocent of a place.
Now I will grant that I was a child and I was probably more out of touch with reality than most of my peers, BUT I still think it was a little more innocent of a place to be.
Over the years I have lost a lot of that sense of innocence. This world has been as hard on me as anyone else.
but what I miss more than my innocence is the stuff that kinda filled me even when the innocence was gone.
I miss my dreams and hopes.
Once I dreamed of being a hero to someone. I wanted to be able to look into someone's eyes and see... Admiration, adoration even. I wanted to see that I was looked up to.
I Dreamed of being a police officer. I thought that might be ideal. People count on the police to be there and protect them. (at least that is what I did)
But with the loss of my innocence I found out that no one else even cared, some people even act as if they hate the police.
I became a Scout leader. I hoped to be able to show kids how to be better, grow better...
but today's kids don't want to be better they want to idolize Hellboy or some other "not quite so bad" demonic character (by not quite so bad I mean one who is portrayed as "not as evil as the others of his kind".)
I became a soldier so I could defend my country and all it stood for. But nobody in this country cares about what the country stands for anymore, In fact they seem to want to destroy everything that men have fought for in the past.
I wanted to save people but they didn't want to be saved. I wanted to inspire but everyone is too jaded, I wanted to protect but everybody wants to endanger themselves.
I know now how Mr. Incredible must feel.
Except I never was a hero at all. I am just a washed out, washed up guy. I never got to be a hero and it looks like I never will be one.
Apparently Life is just passing me by. All my hopes and dreams are gone. I wanted to be someone! now I won;'t even get to be a has been, I will always be a never was.
Maybe this is the proof I need that I should stop working nights all alone. at least when others are around I don't have to think about how much of a waste this seems to be.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Paul Harvey
When I was a little boy, I remember hearing Paul Harvey's distinctive voice coming from the radio speakers in my Dad's truck.
Last Friday his voice was, sadly, silenced.
I liked hearing him speak.
It often seemed to me like he was talking to me. And sometimes appreciation for his show was the only thing my dad and I had in common.
He was witty, and well spoken but he sounded very down home. I will miss hearing him.
I loved his "rest of the stories" and I felt that my day had been well rounded when I heard him finally say,"good day". The way his voice would uplift on the last syllable always let me know that while he was signing off I could expect to hear him again on the next day.
He provided continuity where sometimes I didn't have much stability, and that was always a comfort.
When I "outgrew" Mr. Rogers he filled that spot and I truly appreciated it.
There is an ever lengthening list of people who I grew up with who are passing on.
I miss them all.
So this is a tribute to them, those who, I feel have enriched my life, both still living and deceased.
I would encourage my readers to also share here their favorites who have either simply retired or even passed on.
Thank you Mr. Rogers I wish my daughters could have had the chance to grow up with you.
And you too Captain Kangaroo. I really liked Mr. Greenjeans the best though.
Farewell Ladmo. I always cherished the times I was able to watch you and Wallace, even Gerald was a treat for me.
I liked Johnny Carson. very few times was I allowed to stay up late enough to watch his show. but maybe he will show up again??
James Doohan,(thanks for the autograph, you are missed)
Mark Twain, James Herriot, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Tony Hillerman (wish I could have met you guys)
Richard Dean Anderson, Meg Ryan, Still might meet you?
Kenny Rogers, Reba McIntire, keep on singing.
And Good Day.
Last Friday his voice was, sadly, silenced.
I liked hearing him speak.
It often seemed to me like he was talking to me. And sometimes appreciation for his show was the only thing my dad and I had in common.
He was witty, and well spoken but he sounded very down home. I will miss hearing him.
I loved his "rest of the stories" and I felt that my day had been well rounded when I heard him finally say,"good day". The way his voice would uplift on the last syllable always let me know that while he was signing off I could expect to hear him again on the next day.
He provided continuity where sometimes I didn't have much stability, and that was always a comfort.
When I "outgrew" Mr. Rogers he filled that spot and I truly appreciated it.
There is an ever lengthening list of people who I grew up with who are passing on.
I miss them all.
So this is a tribute to them, those who, I feel have enriched my life, both still living and deceased.
I would encourage my readers to also share here their favorites who have either simply retired or even passed on.
Thank you Mr. Rogers I wish my daughters could have had the chance to grow up with you.
And you too Captain Kangaroo. I really liked Mr. Greenjeans the best though.
Farewell Ladmo. I always cherished the times I was able to watch you and Wallace, even Gerald was a treat for me.
I liked Johnny Carson. very few times was I allowed to stay up late enough to watch his show. but maybe he will show up again??
James Doohan,(thanks for the autograph, you are missed)
Mark Twain, James Herriot, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Tony Hillerman (wish I could have met you guys)
Richard Dean Anderson, Meg Ryan, Still might meet you?
Kenny Rogers, Reba McIntire, keep on singing.
And Good Day.
ah Sweet Vindication
On the news last night I heard a little blurb that caused me to laugh sardonically!
A woman in Florida called the police department's 911 line THREE times. Apparently she felt she REALLY needed help.
Why did she call? Because McDonalds didn't give her the 10 piece McNuggets meal she ordered, and paid for. (they had run out of nuggets.)
She called 911 three times because the restaurant didn't have any nuggets to serve her.
Oh but more than that, they wouldn't refund her the money she paid for the meal.
Well that makes ALL the difference.
Many times in the past I have expounded to all who would listen (oh my poor poor wife) about the evils of today's society; And here we have a single episode which totally sums up what I have been saying for so long.
In fact this incident is a great summary for MANY of my prior points. so here we go one more time.
1. People in our society today refuse to take personal responsibility, and they want the Government to fix it all for them.
She didn't want to solve this problem herself, she wanted the government, through the local police force, to fix it.
She couldn't be bothered to seek redress for her grievances in the proper fashion, which brings me to point...
2. Failure of the public school system.
She is in her mid to late 20's (I think the news said she was 27) so she is past "school age".
But she is apparently incapable of functioning in real life. The School system let her down when it failed to give her the needed skills to negotiate this annoying thing called reality.
and finally 3. Failure of Society itself.
This young lady is the summation of the product of our society. Society is what dictates the way people are taught, Society establishes the patterns by which we must live and operate. But here is this young lady incapable of functioning in the world society created because society didn't care enough to make sure the education system was worthwhile.
By the way
Yes there was a little more to the story, and as the late great Paul Harvey would say, "And now for the rest of the story."
As I understand it, She was ticketed for abusing the emergency call in line. and McDonalds' corporate headquarters admitted that she was not treated properly and sent her a gift certificate.
I imagine they also had a little something for the manager of the store where this all happened.
And now...
Good Day!
A woman in Florida called the police department's 911 line THREE times. Apparently she felt she REALLY needed help.
Why did she call? Because McDonalds didn't give her the 10 piece McNuggets meal she ordered, and paid for. (they had run out of nuggets.)
She called 911 three times because the restaurant didn't have any nuggets to serve her.
Oh but more than that, they wouldn't refund her the money she paid for the meal.
Well that makes ALL the difference.
Many times in the past I have expounded to all who would listen (oh my poor poor wife) about the evils of today's society; And here we have a single episode which totally sums up what I have been saying for so long.
In fact this incident is a great summary for MANY of my prior points. so here we go one more time.
1. People in our society today refuse to take personal responsibility, and they want the Government to fix it all for them.
She didn't want to solve this problem herself, she wanted the government, through the local police force, to fix it.
She couldn't be bothered to seek redress for her grievances in the proper fashion, which brings me to point...
2. Failure of the public school system.
She is in her mid to late 20's (I think the news said she was 27) so she is past "school age".
But she is apparently incapable of functioning in real life. The School system let her down when it failed to give her the needed skills to negotiate this annoying thing called reality.
and finally 3. Failure of Society itself.
This young lady is the summation of the product of our society. Society is what dictates the way people are taught, Society establishes the patterns by which we must live and operate. But here is this young lady incapable of functioning in the world society created because society didn't care enough to make sure the education system was worthwhile.
By the way
Yes there was a little more to the story, and as the late great Paul Harvey would say, "And now for the rest of the story."
As I understand it, She was ticketed for abusing the emergency call in line. and McDonalds' corporate headquarters admitted that she was not treated properly and sent her a gift certificate.
I imagine they also had a little something for the manager of the store where this all happened.
And now...
Good Day!
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