People are wondering how this no Saturday at the hardware store is working out? Well, it worked beautifully for two weeks.
Then, just when I was getting used to it, the kid who absolutely couldn't live with his hours being cut and wanted mine, asked for the next two Saturday's off. So, I have to work for him.
I suspect that this is going to be the pattern for the near term. I get some Saturdays off, but not all of them. I guess some time off is better than none.
When I arrived at work today, I noticed a tricked out Cadillac Escalade idling in front of the store, with a young woman in the passenger seat. And by tricked out, I mean garish, gaudy, tasteless, ridiculous-looking, take your pick. But then again, I'm a sixty-year-old geezer, what do I know from hip?
I made it to the back of the store just in time to see the car's owner leaving the key counter. He fit the car to a tee. Sweat suit over a wife-beater and about ten pounds of gold jewerly. Right out of central casting.
One of my coworkers was gaga over the guy's watch, which reportedly cost $20K. He also managed to drop in conversation that his Escalade cost him $90K, including a $30K sound system. I would love to know that guy's whole story.
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
Oct 30, 2009
Oct 29, 2009
The usual suspects and I got to play golf at one of the very fine golf resorts here in Hooterville. And better yet, we got to play for free.
The owner of the hardware store made some sort of donation to a fundraiser and in exchange he got free golf at this joint. He isn't a golfer, but he heard I am, so he gave the freebie to me.
We have been putting off using the pass because the resort is way the heck, 20 miles across town and in Hooterville, that means way across town without the benefit of freeways. Hootervillians don't believe in freeways. We have paved most of the streets, though.
Unfortunately, today was the coldest day of the year thus far and even though our tee time was 10:15 am, it was windy and cold. And it was crowded. There was some kind of women's golf club event and the pace of play was at a glacial pace for those of us behind them.
The Seafood King has been under the weather for a couple of weeks, so he moaned and groaned about the cold, the slowness of play and how sick he felt, until I finally suggested we call it a day at the 10th hole. That suggestion passed unanimously.
We headed back to the clubhouse and had lunch in the restaurant there. Except for poor Some Guy Named Bob, who managed to get lost trying to find his way back. We got a table overlooking the first hole and I tried to guide him in via cellphone. Not that easy when his response to my "where are you?", is "I have no idea."
By the time our lunch arrived, Some Guy Named Bob had flagged down a maintenance worker and the fellow lead him back to safety.
All's well that ends well.
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
The owner of the hardware store made some sort of donation to a fundraiser and in exchange he got free golf at this joint. He isn't a golfer, but he heard I am, so he gave the freebie to me.
We have been putting off using the pass because the resort is way the heck, 20 miles across town and in Hooterville, that means way across town without the benefit of freeways. Hootervillians don't believe in freeways. We have paved most of the streets, though.
Unfortunately, today was the coldest day of the year thus far and even though our tee time was 10:15 am, it was windy and cold. And it was crowded. There was some kind of women's golf club event and the pace of play was at a glacial pace for those of us behind them.
The Seafood King has been under the weather for a couple of weeks, so he moaned and groaned about the cold, the slowness of play and how sick he felt, until I finally suggested we call it a day at the 10th hole. That suggestion passed unanimously.
We headed back to the clubhouse and had lunch in the restaurant there. Except for poor Some Guy Named Bob, who managed to get lost trying to find his way back. We got a table overlooking the first hole and I tried to guide him in via cellphone. Not that easy when his response to my "where are you?", is "I have no idea."
By the time our lunch arrived, Some Guy Named Bob had flagged down a maintenance worker and the fellow lead him back to safety.
All's well that ends well.
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
Oct 28, 2009
I just paid off my house. Why do I feel like I am trading a house payment for a health insurance payment?--A Tedious Systems Retiree
November, that time of year when we get to make those important decisions about our health insurance. You know, like deciding whether we dare just drop it and hope for the best? A a minimum what do we sacrifice to be able to pay the increased premium?
I just got my renewal packet from Tedious Systems for 2010. I know that I'm fortunate to have access to group insurance, but that knowledge does little to ease the bite of ever-increasing higher premiums.
The increase in monthly premium as a whole, including the Tedious Systems portion and my share, increased 7.5%. Not the end of the world, except that Tedious Systems capped their contribution a few years back. Health insurance costs may rise in the future, but Tedious won't be picking up any of the increases.
So, the entire increase gets paid by me. I'm not saying that is unfair, but that doesn't make it a walk in the park either. Luckily, Mrs. Sneed has her own insurance though her employer. Her employer is very generous.
In real terms, my increase in heath insurance premiums for 2010 is 28.5%. In dollars it is less onerous, $60 a month, but $60 a month is nothing to sneeze at.
To make matters worse, virtually every copay associated with my coverage is up dramatically too. That actually happened beginning in 2009, 2010 remains to be seen.
My prescription copays went up 50%, doctor's visits 25%, visits to my dermatologist 60%.
The worse part is that the focus of the big government push for health care reform seems to be on getting more people insured and less about the runaway costs.
All I can say is that I hope I die before I get really sick.
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
Oct 26, 2009
Always tell the truth. That way, you don't have to remember what you said.--Mark Twain.
Anyone interested in getting on a commercial airliner with a couple of pilots who forget they are flying a plane? Not me.
The latest version of "the truth" from the two wayward aviators who took an airliner full of passengers on an unscheduled aerial tour of Wisconsin, while trying to find Minneapolis, is that they we engrossed in playing with a scheduling program on their laptops.
Not to worry though, they we above 10,000 feet, so the use of portable electronic devices is okay. Oh wait, it is never okay to use a laptop if you are flying the plane, according to the FAA anyway.
As a side note, I don't think that there is any real science behind the prohibition of portable electronic devices below 10,000 ft., but that is for another day.
Anyway, I'm reminded of a story that Tom Peters once told in a seminar.
We have the technology to takeoff, fly and land jet airliners by computer. There is no need for a human pilot.
However, people won't fly on a plane without a pilot, so the airline cockpit crew of the future will include a pilot and a vicious dog. The pilot will be there to reassure the passengers and the dog will be there to bite the pilot, should he touch the controls.
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
Anyone interested in getting on a commercial airliner with a couple of pilots who forget they are flying a plane? Not me.
The latest version of "the truth" from the two wayward aviators who took an airliner full of passengers on an unscheduled aerial tour of Wisconsin, while trying to find Minneapolis, is that they we engrossed in playing with a scheduling program on their laptops.
Not to worry though, they we above 10,000 feet, so the use of portable electronic devices is okay. Oh wait, it is never okay to use a laptop if you are flying the plane, according to the FAA anyway.
As a side note, I don't think that there is any real science behind the prohibition of portable electronic devices below 10,000 ft., but that is for another day.
Anyway, I'm reminded of a story that Tom Peters once told in a seminar.
We have the technology to takeoff, fly and land jet airliners by computer. There is no need for a human pilot.
However, people won't fly on a plane without a pilot, so the airline cockpit crew of the future will include a pilot and a vicious dog. The pilot will be there to reassure the passengers and the dog will be there to bite the pilot, should he touch the controls.
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
Oct 23, 2009
I'm not your friend anymore.
You're not my friend, you're my cousin.
Okay, I'm not your cousin anymore.
You can't quit being my cousin, you'll always be my cousin.
--Noah and Aiden having an argument.
Bella Rum commented that I should write a snappy letter to the editor, seeing as how I have so many great opinions and all. Or maybe she just figured it would keep me from blogging about my complaints.
I quit writing those letters years ago because (a) no one cares, and (b) sometimes you hear from the a-holes that you write about. Case in point.
Many years ago, a fellow on the Hooterville city council got himself in a jam because when he took out of town trips on city business, he treated himself like a rock star. He spent the city's money like it was going out of style. He did all the things he always wanted to do, but that his civilian lifestyle, one fueled by his piss-ant teacher's salary, otherwise precluded.
To make matters worse, he was found to be charging his expense to his City credit card and then also submitting the same expenses to the City for reimbursement.
Eventually, someone in government tipped off the Hooterville Daily Dish about his antics and they took him to task, front page style.
His response was to claim that there was no written guidance to help him in making these hard spending choices, so he just spent whatever occurred to him. Not exactly his words, but his meaning.
This caused yours truly to fire off a letter to editor, in which I recalled an incident where my mom sent me to the grocery store for something and I decided to spend her change on candy. After that, she sent me with exact change. I wondered in my letter if the City might not want to consider giving Mr. Important City Council Guy exact change on future trips.
I was quite pleased with myself.
The day after the letter appeared, Mrs. Sneed called me at work to say that Mr. Important City Council Guy had called our house in an agitated state demanding to speak with me and making vague threats.
In the course of his conversation with Mrs. Sneed, he demanded to know where I worked and to be given my work number. She refused to give him the number but did tell him I worked at Tedious Systems.
So I called the City Council office and asked to speak to him. He wasn't available, so I left a message asking him to call me on my direct line.
Within a few minutes Mr. Important City Council Guy called me back.
I asked him where the hell he got off calling my house and harassing Mrs. Sneed. He denied calling, but said, "I have some pretty rough friends, it was probably one of them."
Nice.
We had a short discussion about the letter and his attempts to justify his misbehavior.
He said to me, and I will never forget this moment, "You work at Tedious Systems, you know how tricky expenses can get."
"Excuse me? I didn't tell you I worked at Tedious Systems?"
"Yes, you did."
"No I didn't, but my wife did when you called our house. Maybe I will call the newspaper and tell them about this whole business."
He told me to call if I wanted to and hanged up.
I thought about calling the paper or the mayor or someone, but he did in fact have rough friends. Discretion being the better part of valor and all.
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
You're not my friend, you're my cousin.
Okay, I'm not your cousin anymore.
You can't quit being my cousin, you'll always be my cousin.
--Noah and Aiden having an argument.
Bella Rum commented that I should write a snappy letter to the editor, seeing as how I have so many great opinions and all. Or maybe she just figured it would keep me from blogging about my complaints.
I quit writing those letters years ago because (a) no one cares, and (b) sometimes you hear from the a-holes that you write about. Case in point.
Many years ago, a fellow on the Hooterville city council got himself in a jam because when he took out of town trips on city business, he treated himself like a rock star. He spent the city's money like it was going out of style. He did all the things he always wanted to do, but that his civilian lifestyle, one fueled by his piss-ant teacher's salary, otherwise precluded.
To make matters worse, he was found to be charging his expense to his City credit card and then also submitting the same expenses to the City for reimbursement.
Eventually, someone in government tipped off the Hooterville Daily Dish about his antics and they took him to task, front page style.
His response was to claim that there was no written guidance to help him in making these hard spending choices, so he just spent whatever occurred to him. Not exactly his words, but his meaning.
This caused yours truly to fire off a letter to editor, in which I recalled an incident where my mom sent me to the grocery store for something and I decided to spend her change on candy. After that, she sent me with exact change. I wondered in my letter if the City might not want to consider giving Mr. Important City Council Guy exact change on future trips.
I was quite pleased with myself.
The day after the letter appeared, Mrs. Sneed called me at work to say that Mr. Important City Council Guy had called our house in an agitated state demanding to speak with me and making vague threats.
In the course of his conversation with Mrs. Sneed, he demanded to know where I worked and to be given my work number. She refused to give him the number but did tell him I worked at Tedious Systems.
So I called the City Council office and asked to speak to him. He wasn't available, so I left a message asking him to call me on my direct line.
Within a few minutes Mr. Important City Council Guy called me back.
I asked him where the hell he got off calling my house and harassing Mrs. Sneed. He denied calling, but said, "I have some pretty rough friends, it was probably one of them."
Nice.
We had a short discussion about the letter and his attempts to justify his misbehavior.
He said to me, and I will never forget this moment, "You work at Tedious Systems, you know how tricky expenses can get."
"Excuse me? I didn't tell you I worked at Tedious Systems?"
"Yes, you did."
"No I didn't, but my wife did when you called our house. Maybe I will call the newspaper and tell them about this whole business."
He told me to call if I wanted to and hanged up.
I thought about calling the paper or the mayor or someone, but he did in fact have rough friends. Discretion being the better part of valor and all.
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
Oct 21, 2009
“The welfare of the people in particular has always been the alibi of tyrants, and it provides the further advantage of giving the servants of tyranny a good conscience”--Albert Camus
If you've done nothing wrong, you have nothing to fear. How many times have we heard that repeated or even said it ourselves?
What if we add a bit to it? If you've done nothing wrong, you have nothing to fear, comrade?
Or, Dear Leader loves and protects us. If you've done nothing wrong, you have nothing to fear.
Maybe God loves and protects his children. If you've done nothing wrong, you have nothing to fear.
More odious, yes?
The fact is that strict obedience should not be the determining factor in personal liberty, be it at the hands of the State, the Party, the Leader or the Lord God Almighty. Okay that last one is a stretch for a bunch of reasons, but you get my drift.
In America our defining ideal is liberty and the personal freedom to live a life unencumbered by the fear of our establishments.
What has my boxers in a bunch today is the latest misstep by the Hooterville police department.
Hooterville, like most municipalities claims not to have enough police officers. Their evidence lies in the fact that they choose not to respond to certain crimes. If the average Hootervillians returns home to find his house ransacked by burglars, he or she will likely not get a police visit. Best case is that they wait hours for a response.
If your car is broken into, you may file a report by phone or the internet, but don't expect a police response unless you have the criminal trapped in the vehicle.
On the other hand, if you drive 11 mph over the speed limit, you will often find an officer available to ticket you.
It's a matter of prioritizing precious resources, we're told. Bluntly put, writing tickets pays, responding to citizens costs.
This week, the Hootervile cops found time to lend a hand to the fine folks at the State of Arizona liquor licensing board.
Times are tough at the State of Arizona liquor licensing board. Budget cuts have made it difficult for them to complete their sole mission, making certain that people selling booze have the proper state permits and pay the appropriate fees.
So, the liquor people stumbled on to a surefire solution. They gave a list of expired licenses to the cops and asked them to pop in on the "expirees" and "see" if they are still serving booze. Just a look see mind you, since the police have no authority in this matter.
They could have used the garbage man or the meter reader, but they chose the police. And the police were happy to help out. After all, it is all about public safety, you know.
Besides, people have the nasty habit of ignoring the meter reader when it comes to matters of government enforcement.
One fellow who has been in business for decades, sent his license renewal in at the last moment. His renewal and his notice of delinquency passed in the mail. But, since he was on the list, he got a visit.
The skeptical among us might wonder what danger to public safety he presented, since he was doing the same thing he had always done, but then again, we are not trained law enforcers.
The reaction among some is predictably sheep like. If you have done nothing wrong, you have nothing to fear. Call me old fashioned, but that ought not be our standard.
Policing the public welfare is good and necessary function of government. Using the police to harass citizens is not. Just my opinion.
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
If you've done nothing wrong, you have nothing to fear. How many times have we heard that repeated or even said it ourselves?
What if we add a bit to it? If you've done nothing wrong, you have nothing to fear, comrade?
Or, Dear Leader loves and protects us. If you've done nothing wrong, you have nothing to fear.
Maybe God loves and protects his children. If you've done nothing wrong, you have nothing to fear.
More odious, yes?
The fact is that strict obedience should not be the determining factor in personal liberty, be it at the hands of the State, the Party, the Leader or the Lord God Almighty. Okay that last one is a stretch for a bunch of reasons, but you get my drift.
In America our defining ideal is liberty and the personal freedom to live a life unencumbered by the fear of our establishments.
What has my boxers in a bunch today is the latest misstep by the Hooterville police department.
Hooterville, like most municipalities claims not to have enough police officers. Their evidence lies in the fact that they choose not to respond to certain crimes. If the average Hootervillians returns home to find his house ransacked by burglars, he or she will likely not get a police visit. Best case is that they wait hours for a response.
If your car is broken into, you may file a report by phone or the internet, but don't expect a police response unless you have the criminal trapped in the vehicle.
On the other hand, if you drive 11 mph over the speed limit, you will often find an officer available to ticket you.
It's a matter of prioritizing precious resources, we're told. Bluntly put, writing tickets pays, responding to citizens costs.
This week, the Hootervile cops found time to lend a hand to the fine folks at the State of Arizona liquor licensing board.
Times are tough at the State of Arizona liquor licensing board. Budget cuts have made it difficult for them to complete their sole mission, making certain that people selling booze have the proper state permits and pay the appropriate fees.
So, the liquor people stumbled on to a surefire solution. They gave a list of expired licenses to the cops and asked them to pop in on the "expirees" and "see" if they are still serving booze. Just a look see mind you, since the police have no authority in this matter.
They could have used the garbage man or the meter reader, but they chose the police. And the police were happy to help out. After all, it is all about public safety, you know.
Besides, people have the nasty habit of ignoring the meter reader when it comes to matters of government enforcement.
One fellow who has been in business for decades, sent his license renewal in at the last moment. His renewal and his notice of delinquency passed in the mail. But, since he was on the list, he got a visit.
The skeptical among us might wonder what danger to public safety he presented, since he was doing the same thing he had always done, but then again, we are not trained law enforcers.
The reaction among some is predictably sheep like. If you have done nothing wrong, you have nothing to fear. Call me old fashioned, but that ought not be our standard.
Policing the public welfare is good and necessary function of government. Using the police to harass citizens is not. Just my opinion.
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
Oct 19, 2009
Forty is the old age of youth; fifty the youth of old age. -~Victor Hugo
The desert southwest at sunset from 33,000 ft.
We took a short trip over the weekend to celebrate Mrs. Sneed's birthday. And not just any birthday, mind you, one of the big ones. You know, the ones that are a multiple of ten.
If Abe Lincoln was alive and could give the keynote for Mrs. Sneed's birthday celebration, he would have a ready-made opening for his speech. Minus a score and seven, of course.
We went to a podcast gathering in Las Vegas. In addition to watching three of the regular podcasts we listen to being done live. We also got to hear Chazz Palminteri discuss his screenplay, movie and one-man show, A Bronx Tale.
We had a great time.
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
The desert southwest at sunset from 33,000 ft.
We took a short trip over the weekend to celebrate Mrs. Sneed's birthday. And not just any birthday, mind you, one of the big ones. You know, the ones that are a multiple of ten.
If Abe Lincoln was alive and could give the keynote for Mrs. Sneed's birthday celebration, he would have a ready-made opening for his speech. Minus a score and seven, of course.
We went to a podcast gathering in Las Vegas. In addition to watching three of the regular podcasts we listen to being done live. We also got to hear Chazz Palminteri discuss his screenplay, movie and one-man show, A Bronx Tale.
We had a great time.
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
Oct 15, 2009
This image was lifted from the internet. It was taken from a source that didn't have it tagged as a copy-protected photo, therefore I'm assuming it is in the public domain.
Today's post is about line etiquette. Americans have a long standing respect for the rules of the line.
Longtime readers may recall that Merle Wayne Sneed once famously got into a screaming match with a guy who was trying to bust the Southwest Airlines queue at LAX, in order to check his bottle of tequilla. Never mind that about a hundred people (me included) were waiting patiently to check in for a flight.
In that case, the line buster was told to go to the end of the line by a couple of gate agents, but he kept trying different windows until he managed to succeed. As it turned out, he had already checked in, but mistakenly thought he could just waltz through security with a giant bottle of tequilla. They sent him back to check it.
In the end, it turned into a giant production, requiring the whole process to stop while SWA looked for a box, so that the dumb ass could check the bottle.
I can hardly be blamed for calling him a dumb bastard or he for telling me to "shut up, old man", I suppose. Luckily, despite threats on both sides, no punches were thrown, nor arrests made.
I think reasonable people would agree that a lone guy trying to slip in to line ahead of a hundred weary travelers would find few supporters for his position.
Now, imagine that you are supposed to meet a friend at the movies. When you arrive at the theater, you find a line of 100 people waiting to buy tickets. You walk down the line, looking for your friend, whom you find near the front of the line.
Is it permissible to join your friend in line or must you go to the back of the line and wait to buy your ticket?
Seems like a silly question, doesn't it? Of course you just join your friend in line. In the alternative, your friend could simply buy your ticket, along with his or hers, while you waited by the door.
The Seafood King, Some Guy Named Bob and I went to play golf very early this morning. We were relegated to an early tee time because there was some old man golf club playing beginning at 7:30 am. Our starting time was 7:07 am. There was another group between our time and the old man brigade.
The Seafood King and I arrived together and unloaded our equipment. He got ready more quickly than me and left me putting on my shoes, while he went into the clubhouse. I went in about a minute or two later and found him in the line of about ten guys, 2 people from the front. I joined him in line.
After we paid, an old guy in line said, "Sir, sir!" It finally dawned on me that he was talking to me.
I acknowledged him and he told me that I should wait in line, like the rest of the old buzzards (my word, not his). I explained that my friend and I were together and were simply checking in together.
He was not satisfied with that explanation. It wasn't a particularly rancorous exchange and in the end, I told him, "that's life", shrugged and and went on my way.
Seemed right at the time.
Of course, he was in the foursome right behind us all day.
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
Oct 13, 2009
Mrs. Sneed and I are permanent mail-in voters. Maybe if you live in a progressive city, town or village, this is no big deal. Here in the sticks it is very cool and the latest and greatest in voting.
Perhaps you are wondering what are the burning issues in the November elections here in Hooterville, AZ?
Well, we have several of our city council members up for reelection, as well as measures to increase property taxes to fund more cop and firefighters, give the Hooterville Unified School District more money and to let the City of Hooterville override state law as it pertains to busting the budget.
Here's how I voted.
New Guy
New Guy
New Guy
No
NO
NO.
I hate to be such a curmudgeon, but times are tough for all of us. Plus our council is made up of buffoons.
Here's something else.
Longtime readers know that Merle Wayne Sneed isn't much of a credit guy. I generally only use credit when I can use it to my advantage.
I have an Amex card that gives me 5% cash back. If I use it, I always pay off the balance in full each month. Each February, Amex sends me a nice little check.
Recently I bought a plasma television from Best Buy for about $900. Best Buy was willing to give me a year to pay them back, no interest. They are hoping I won't actually get it paid off in a year and they can stiff me for 28% interest. They will be disappointed.
But, sometimes hassles happen in the pursuit of free money.
About two months ago, I bought some new clothes at a local department store. Every item I bought was on sale for 30 to 40% off. When I got to the register, the guy ahead of me had a coupon for 20% off, if you used your store card to pay. For one reason or another, he couldn't use it and asked me if I wanted it.
When I told him I didn't have a store card, the cashier piped in that if I applied for one, she would give me another 15% off.
The discounts were flying around so fast that I figured they were about to start paying me. When all was said and done, I applied for the card and save a lot of moolah.
I got the bill from the store the first week in September, and I scheduled my bill pay service to send them a check. It was mailed on September 22nd, due on October 1st. The store evidently doesn't accept electronic payments unless you do it on their website, so the bill pay people had to send a snail mail check.
A couple of days ago I got a new bill for $32. It was a late fee because they claimed they didn't get the payment until...drumroll please...October 2nd. What a surprise. These credit card outfits are shameless in their pursuit of fees and interest.
I'm supposed to believe that it took the the fine people at the USPS 11 days to get the payment to them.
I called the store's 800 number and bitched at them. They are waiving the charge, "this time", as a gesture of goodwill.
Good thing, too, because "this time" is the only time I will ever use their card. Unless I get a really good discount.
Perhaps you are wondering what are the burning issues in the November elections here in Hooterville, AZ?
Well, we have several of our city council members up for reelection, as well as measures to increase property taxes to fund more cop and firefighters, give the Hooterville Unified School District more money and to let the City of Hooterville override state law as it pertains to busting the budget.
Here's how I voted.
New Guy
New Guy
New Guy
No
NO
NO.
I hate to be such a curmudgeon, but times are tough for all of us. Plus our council is made up of buffoons.
Here's something else.
Longtime readers know that Merle Wayne Sneed isn't much of a credit guy. I generally only use credit when I can use it to my advantage.
I have an Amex card that gives me 5% cash back. If I use it, I always pay off the balance in full each month. Each February, Amex sends me a nice little check.
Recently I bought a plasma television from Best Buy for about $900. Best Buy was willing to give me a year to pay them back, no interest. They are hoping I won't actually get it paid off in a year and they can stiff me for 28% interest. They will be disappointed.
But, sometimes hassles happen in the pursuit of free money.
About two months ago, I bought some new clothes at a local department store. Every item I bought was on sale for 30 to 40% off. When I got to the register, the guy ahead of me had a coupon for 20% off, if you used your store card to pay. For one reason or another, he couldn't use it and asked me if I wanted it.
When I told him I didn't have a store card, the cashier piped in that if I applied for one, she would give me another 15% off.
The discounts were flying around so fast that I figured they were about to start paying me. When all was said and done, I applied for the card and save a lot of moolah.
I got the bill from the store the first week in September, and I scheduled my bill pay service to send them a check. It was mailed on September 22nd, due on October 1st. The store evidently doesn't accept electronic payments unless you do it on their website, so the bill pay people had to send a snail mail check.
A couple of days ago I got a new bill for $32. It was a late fee because they claimed they didn't get the payment until...drumroll please...October 2nd. What a surprise. These credit card outfits are shameless in their pursuit of fees and interest.
I'm supposed to believe that it took the the fine people at the USPS 11 days to get the payment to them.
I called the store's 800 number and bitched at them. They are waiving the charge, "this time", as a gesture of goodwill.
Good thing, too, because "this time" is the only time I will ever use their card. Unless I get a really good discount.
Oct 11, 2009
History is little else than a picture of human crimes and misfortunes.
Voltaire
You may have heard that tomorrow is Columbus Day. At least among those segments of the population that still celebrate the arrival of the explorer in the New World. That would be the public sector workers and old-time Catholics.
Most of the rest of us have long ago stopped honoring Columbus as anything but a guy who brought a load of trouble to the native people living in the Western Hemisphere.
There was a story this morning by AP writer Dorie Turner, in which she chronicled the change in the perception of Columbus among US elementary school students.
In the article entitled, A darker side of Columbus emerges in US classrooms, Turner details how elementary school teachers are teaching an enlightened version of the Columbus saga. According to one visionary kindergarten teacher, the kids in his class think Columbus was a "bad dude".
Never mind that this "darker view" emerged about 30 years ago and disregard the fact that a teacher can make elementary students believe most anything.
Columbus is not a hero, at least by 21st century standards.
His hero status based upon the 15th century norms is something else altogether. But we forget that part. Columbus, for better or worse, was a man of his times.
Stronger, more technologically advanced people have always used their superiority to victimized weaker people. Whether it is the European explorers or the Apache terrorizing the Pima in the Southwest. The only difference is the technological limitation on their ability to wreck havoc on their victims.
Teaching history is always a selective thing. We choose history that reinforces what we believe to be right .
So, Old World conquerors bad, New World conquerors not so much? In the current mythology, all European invaders are murdering opportunists and all indigenous people are peace-loving innocents. Neither is completely true, but it makes us feel good to believe it.
History provides us the luxury of seeing how things turned out for both sides. Five hundred years removed from the events of the time, we are all experts on what we would have done differently.
There is certainly no justification for teaching about New World exploration without recognizing that indigenous people were victimized, murdered, uprooted and plagued by Old World diseases. All for the enrichment of European powers.
If you want to teach school children that Columbus was a "bad dude", a good start would be to stop taking Columbus Day off.
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
Voltaire
You may have heard that tomorrow is Columbus Day. At least among those segments of the population that still celebrate the arrival of the explorer in the New World. That would be the public sector workers and old-time Catholics.
Most of the rest of us have long ago stopped honoring Columbus as anything but a guy who brought a load of trouble to the native people living in the Western Hemisphere.
There was a story this morning by AP writer Dorie Turner, in which she chronicled the change in the perception of Columbus among US elementary school students.
In the article entitled, A darker side of Columbus emerges in US classrooms, Turner details how elementary school teachers are teaching an enlightened version of the Columbus saga. According to one visionary kindergarten teacher, the kids in his class think Columbus was a "bad dude".
Never mind that this "darker view" emerged about 30 years ago and disregard the fact that a teacher can make elementary students believe most anything.
Columbus is not a hero, at least by 21st century standards.
His hero status based upon the 15th century norms is something else altogether. But we forget that part. Columbus, for better or worse, was a man of his times.
Stronger, more technologically advanced people have always used their superiority to victimized weaker people. Whether it is the European explorers or the Apache terrorizing the Pima in the Southwest. The only difference is the technological limitation on their ability to wreck havoc on their victims.
Teaching history is always a selective thing. We choose history that reinforces what we believe to be right .
So, Old World conquerors bad, New World conquerors not so much? In the current mythology, all European invaders are murdering opportunists and all indigenous people are peace-loving innocents. Neither is completely true, but it makes us feel good to believe it.
History provides us the luxury of seeing how things turned out for both sides. Five hundred years removed from the events of the time, we are all experts on what we would have done differently.
There is certainly no justification for teaching about New World exploration without recognizing that indigenous people were victimized, murdered, uprooted and plagued by Old World diseases. All for the enrichment of European powers.
If you want to teach school children that Columbus was a "bad dude", a good start would be to stop taking Columbus Day off.
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
Oct 10, 2009
My hope of getting Saturdays off, is waning. And I blame the flu, or at least people who are claiming to have the flu.
One of my coworkers called in sick for the third straight day today. Plus, two of the cashiers have been absent due to sickness parts of this week. This means that the guy whose hours were cut has been called in for three straight days. He can't work my Saturdays if the other knuckleheads keep calling in sick.
Having been both a boss and the victim of bad bossing, I know something about the thinking of your average boss. My boss is thinking, "Why shouldn't I schedule a guy who shows up every day, rain or shine?"
I blessed with good health and the inability to call in sick when I'm not.
It sucks to be the responsible one. Just saying.
Speaking of the flu, I'm seeing a few customers who are worried that I might make them sick. Not so worried that they stay home, mind you, but worried enough to ask me about the state of my health.
For example, I was making a key yesterday, when a woman asked me if I was sick?
I replied, "No, are you?"
She went on to say that I looked a bit sick and with the H1N1R2D2 flu going around, you never know. I'm still not sure what her clues about my health were, but I diagnosed her with just a touch of insanity.
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
One of my coworkers called in sick for the third straight day today. Plus, two of the cashiers have been absent due to sickness parts of this week. This means that the guy whose hours were cut has been called in for three straight days. He can't work my Saturdays if the other knuckleheads keep calling in sick.
Having been both a boss and the victim of bad bossing, I know something about the thinking of your average boss. My boss is thinking, "Why shouldn't I schedule a guy who shows up every day, rain or shine?"
I blessed with good health and the inability to call in sick when I'm not.
It sucks to be the responsible one. Just saying.
Speaking of the flu, I'm seeing a few customers who are worried that I might make them sick. Not so worried that they stay home, mind you, but worried enough to ask me about the state of my health.
For example, I was making a key yesterday, when a woman asked me if I was sick?
I replied, "No, are you?"
She went on to say that I looked a bit sick and with the H1N1R2D2 flu going around, you never know. I'm still not sure what her clues about my health were, but I diagnosed her with just a touch of insanity.
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
Oct 8, 2009
Obviously a coyote, but back to him in a minute.Perhaps you remember a SNL skit in which either Dana Carvey or Kevin Nealon did a spoof on the movie Twister. In the skit, either Hans or Frans hysterically and repeatedly shouted, "It's a twister!", in a Bavarian/Arnold accent.
Well, Jack the Mutt and I witnesses an, It's a twister!, moment in real time this morning.
Our neighbor Amy has a Jack Russell terrier and some other small white dog. This morning, while Jack and I were sitting in the front yard, Amy came out of her house and down her driveway, mutts on leases, leading the way.
She stopped at the end of the drive, while one dog or another took care of some business and just as I turned my attention back to Jack, I heard Amy scream and then scream again.
I looked up to she her frantically trying to run toward her house, dogs now in tow. Then, an adult coyote, ran by at full gallop, down the middle of the street.
Amy, now safely inside her little walled courtyard shouted over and over, "It's a twister, uh, I mean coyote!" I guess she was yelling at her significant other.
Our house is surrounded by about 7 to 10 miles of urban development on every side. It is not unusual to see coyotes in urban neighborhoods across the country, although Hooterville has many more coyotes than cities of the East do.
The coyotes living in our neighborhoods traverse the city using the natural creek beds, called arroyos. They forage for rabbits, squirrels and neighborhood cats and are mostly nocturnal. They are more afraid of people than we are of them, as witnessed by our coyote this morning, who ran past three small meal-sized dogs, on his way back to the arroyo on the corner.
Even though coyote attacks on people almost never happen, when a coyote comes near a calm retreat is the wisest course.
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
Oct 5, 2009
Riley is a huge Tiger Woods fan. She is trying to reach into the set and help Tiger with this chip shot.
“There are fathers who do not love their children; there is no grandfather who does not adore his grandson”
Victor HugoIf I was a television station instead of a crank with a blog, I would say that I'm live, local and late-breaking.
I took this picture just a moment ago. Aiden is taking a long nap after a day of grandfather/grandson fun.
Aiden attends a school that has a year around schedule. He is currently on a three-week break and is spending a couple of Monday's with me, today and next Monday.
We went bowling this morning and he bowled five games. This was part of my master plan to wear him out so that we both could get an afternoon nap. It worked better than I had hoped. His folks should appreciate this about ten tonight when they are trying to get him to go to bed.
We met the other geezers for lunch and made a pit stop at the Dairy Queen afterward. He got an Oreo Blizzard, leaving me to wonder how a 45-pound kid still had room for ice cream?
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
Oct 3, 2009
Mrs. Sneed and I had another blast from the past last night.
We were eating dinner at a Mexican restaurant down the street when our favorite server told us that they are closing next week and the place is being remodeled into a damn sports bar. I can say with certainty that the world does not need another sports bar.
This particular restaurant was a Bob's Big Boy location about 40-odd years ago. That's where the blast from the past part comes in.
Big Boy was once a really big deal in the world of casual dining, but the years haven't been kind. There are few Big Boy's left and none in Arizona.
During the summer of 1968, I was fresh out of high school and in need of a job. I needed some dough so that I could get out of my folks house, or madhouse, to be specific.
I had just quit my previous job, working as a roofer for a guy named Eddie. It only took me a few days of slopping hot tar on the roof of a shopping center in the June heat to realize that roofing was for the birds. Plus as bosses went, Eddie wasn't the easiest to work for.
Anyway, I wandered down to this Big Boy location and applied for a job. Before you know it, I was washing dishes. I would like to brag and say I was making a sweet $1.25 per hour, but Mrs. Sneed says I'm exaggerating. She says it was less.
Of course, the guys who owned the Big Boy franchise knew an up and comer when they saw one and my stay in the dish room was brief. I was bumped up to the kitchen, as a trainee fry cook.
After a few weeks they transferred me to another location a few miles away and it is there that I met the lovely Mrs. Sneed. The rest is history, as they say.
Sports bar...yuck.
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
We were eating dinner at a Mexican restaurant down the street when our favorite server told us that they are closing next week and the place is being remodeled into a damn sports bar. I can say with certainty that the world does not need another sports bar.
This particular restaurant was a Bob's Big Boy location about 40-odd years ago. That's where the blast from the past part comes in.
Big Boy was once a really big deal in the world of casual dining, but the years haven't been kind. There are few Big Boy's left and none in Arizona.
During the summer of 1968, I was fresh out of high school and in need of a job. I needed some dough so that I could get out of my folks house, or madhouse, to be specific.
I had just quit my previous job, working as a roofer for a guy named Eddie. It only took me a few days of slopping hot tar on the roof of a shopping center in the June heat to realize that roofing was for the birds. Plus as bosses went, Eddie wasn't the easiest to work for.
Anyway, I wandered down to this Big Boy location and applied for a job. Before you know it, I was washing dishes. I would like to brag and say I was making a sweet $1.25 per hour, but Mrs. Sneed says I'm exaggerating. She says it was less.
Of course, the guys who owned the Big Boy franchise knew an up and comer when they saw one and my stay in the dish room was brief. I was bumped up to the kitchen, as a trainee fry cook.
After a few weeks they transferred me to another location a few miles away and it is there that I met the lovely Mrs. Sneed. The rest is history, as they say.
Sports bar...yuck.
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
Oct 1, 2009
It's funny how random things often connect in life.
Roman Polanski got arrested this week for having sex with an under-aged girl about a zillion years ago. But you already know that. I'll get back to Polanski.
The drive-in movie theater where Mrs. Sneed and I went on our first date back in 1968 closed up this week. It is the last drive-in in Hooterville, maybe in the universe for all I know.
This drive-in was called the Cactus Drive-in and opened in 1951 to serve the rapidly growing east side of Hooterville. Now it is about in the center of the metro area and is kind of a rough part of town.
This is a picture of the Cactus, now the DeAnza Drive-in taken in the 1970's. Trust me when I tell you that it looks the same today as it did then, just older. And without the crappy Pinto Wagon in the foreground, of course.
Back in 1968 going on a date to the drive-in was the thing to do. Our drive-ins included the Midway, Rodeo, Apache, Frontier and the one that is closing, the Cactus. I'm leaving out lots of theaters, because I'm no longer able to remember their names.
The movie we saw on that first date was Rosemary's Baby, directed by Roman Polanski.
After the movie we drove around town a bit, burning up 25 cent a gallon gas. We ate at a restaurant north of downtown. The restaurant is long since torn down and the property is part of a college campus.
The drive-in movie property will become just another crappy shopping center with the usually assortment of stores no one really cares about.
Time marches on.
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
Roman Polanski got arrested this week for having sex with an under-aged girl about a zillion years ago. But you already know that. I'll get back to Polanski.
The drive-in movie theater where Mrs. Sneed and I went on our first date back in 1968 closed up this week. It is the last drive-in in Hooterville, maybe in the universe for all I know.
This drive-in was called the Cactus Drive-in and opened in 1951 to serve the rapidly growing east side of Hooterville. Now it is about in the center of the metro area and is kind of a rough part of town.
This is a picture of the Cactus, now the DeAnza Drive-in taken in the 1970's. Trust me when I tell you that it looks the same today as it did then, just older. And without the crappy Pinto Wagon in the foreground, of course.
Back in 1968 going on a date to the drive-in was the thing to do. Our drive-ins included the Midway, Rodeo, Apache, Frontier and the one that is closing, the Cactus. I'm leaving out lots of theaters, because I'm no longer able to remember their names.
The movie we saw on that first date was Rosemary's Baby, directed by Roman Polanski.
After the movie we drove around town a bit, burning up 25 cent a gallon gas. We ate at a restaurant north of downtown. The restaurant is long since torn down and the property is part of a college campus.
The drive-in movie property will become just another crappy shopping center with the usually assortment of stores no one really cares about.
Time marches on.
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
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