Apr 8, 2009

Several people commented about the medians that our city leaders have been neglecting. Weeding has become a hot topic around here because of the spread of Buffel Grass (pictured above). Buffel Grass is an invasive plant that is native to southern Africa. It was introduced into the desert Southwest and Texas in the 1940s by ranchers looking for cheap grazing crops. Buffel Grass is drought tolerant, flourishes in the heat, provides good grazing and can be harvested for hay. Unfortunately, it speads like crazy and has turned potions of the desert into plains. It promotes wildfire, which destroys the native cacti, especially the Saguaros. Our county government recently passed an ordinance making it an offense to have Buffel Grass on your property. The ordinance allows the County to cite a land owner and if the grass is not removed, the County can have it removed and bill the responsible party. This is all quite curious to we property owners, since in Arizona, only 13% of land is in private hands. The other 87% belongs to the federal, Indian, and state governments. It seems to all reasonable people that private land owners are not the majority of the problem. Speaking of unreasonable things, I caught Dateline on NBC for a few minutes the other night. Their lead story was about a woman who sent several thousand dollars to an internet site, that promised her a job. She lost her money and she got no job. The NBC guy said that this could happen to anyone. So, if you need a job, send me some cash and I will help you out. I swear. Plus, maybe you've heard ads for these outfits that will, (a) help you get out of credit card debt, (b) help you rework your mortgage, or (c) help you settle up with the IRS. All fakes, of course. I heard a commercial for one of these outfits today. The narrator said, "When we found out that the credit card companies use tricks to keep you in debt, we decided to offer everyone a free debt analysis." Here's the question. Would you use a company that recently found out that the credit card companies use trickery? Is the average American so dumb that this stuff works? One last thing. Maybe I am totally out of the loop on how things work, but do brides-to-be typically pay to attend bridal fairs? I've heard a radio commercial twice on my way to work that brags that admission to their bridal fair is free. For the average American bride, her wedding dress is the most expensive garment she will ever buy, the cake is the most costly she will ever pay for and the photos are the priciest she will ever have taken. Do the wedding industry hucksters charge admission too, or is this another meaningless come on in the ad? Man, I should have been a crook. There's big money in it. Things in this blog represented to be fact, may or may not actually be true. The writer is frequently wrong, sometimes just full of it, but always judgmental and cranky

12 comments:

alphabet soup said...

It's taken you this long Merle, to realise there is money to be made in being a crook. I find that hard to believe a sharp thinking fellow like you.
Ms Soup :-)
That buffel grass looks really pretty... only 13% of Arizona in private hands, that's not much is it?
ABS

Coffee Messiah said...

Never been a bride, so can't comment on that one.

Interesting about the buffalo grass ; ( Looks great, although too bad about being a fire spreader.

Yes, why be a straight shooter when you can really make a truckload being a crook?

Sleeping better at night maybe? ; )

Cheers!

Reya Mellicker said...

Yes the average American is completely gullible, Merle. Otherwise all those companies would not make enough money to advertise incessantly. The ads on Facebook are so hilarious in the same way. Brother! There's one born every minute, I guess.

As for the grass in your median strips, my question is, what plant ISN'T invasive, given optimal growing conditions?

R.L. Bourges said...

Should have been a crook? Why 'should'? It's not too late, if that's what you really, really want to be.

'Average American that dumb?' Let me break this to you gently: the French? also. Germans? yep. Turks? 'fraid so. And so on. Which explains how crooks make their big bucks, right?

Your government vs private land issue reminds me of how the government solved the problems with potholes in Québec. They repaired the roads? Please. They changed the legislation so that the drivers couldn't sue the government for damage. Now that's smart thinking.

Which brings us back to crooks - and paying admission to a bridal fair :-)

Bella Rum said...

Buffle grass, hu? We have kudzu vine here. You see it growing everywhere as you drive down the interstate. It's native to Japan and China. It's used to prevent erosion, but when left to its own devices, it will grow over almost anything that isn't moving very quickly, and it will kill trees by blocking the sunlight.

I had no idea that only 13% of property is privately owned in Arizona.

Steve Reed said...

I never cease to be amazed by the scams people fall for.

Marcia said...

yes bridal fair's charge. usually about 10 bucks. IT costs someone to rent the space and set up all that junk so yes, it costs money. However, the upside to the 10 dollar cost is.... you can see tons of venders in one place, you get to see tons of fashion, you taste cakes, and see flower displays. Its easier, trust me, ive been to 400 of these things. It helps the clueless bride, consider all her options, and make her wedding more expensive.


i like the pretty grass... and think positive its not Wacky smokeable grass growing.

Squirrel said...

I'm so glad I got married at City Hall and used all my "wedding" savings for a 3 wk. honeymoon in Paris instead of a big fancy wedding & reception. Judging from this post, I saved a lot of money too... I like the grass and the weeds...

Squirrel said...

My cousin's wedding day cost over 20 grand (back in the late 80's) -it took her many more years to save up for a down payment on a home after paying off that wedding. I was in the wedding party, and it was a nice event, but not worth anywhere near that kind of dough.

Barbara said...

When times are tough, people invent new ways to make money. Maybe we should commend them for being innovative!

Just yesterday we got a notice in the mail from some outfit we had bought toner cartridges from saying they think they may have given our identity info away to some joker who got into their security system. That leaves you feeling hurt and vulnerable and most of all paranoid! But what can you really do until you see some suspicious activity on your Am Ex card?

Kurt said...

There is one company that helps with credit card debt that is for real - it's a non-profit, but I forget the name.

Fancy weddings, diamonds rings, expensive cars - all things that the recession will eliminate.

Megan said...

I've been to a lot of weddings and I have noticed that the more expensive the dress, flowers, venue, etc., the worse the food is.

What's the percentage for Nevada, I wonder? I bet it's even lower...