Saturday, May 30, 2015
Late Flag
It takes a lot of volunteers
to place flags on the graves of veterans for Memorial Day. This year, I didn't see any in two cemeteries I visited.
The other day, both cemeteries had them. It was
about a week late. They look nice, but Memorial Day has passed. I wonder what happened.
12:21 am edt
Friday, May 29, 2015
Never Folded
I got brand new bills today
from the ATM. They must have been recently printed because they were in sequential order. I will now introduce them into the
money flow. Where will they end up? How long will they stay in circulation?
I had a dollar bill the other day that was in horrible condition. These 20's have never been
folded.
4:55 pm edt
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Cleaning The Middle
You can always count on the
government to waste money on all levels. It doesn't matter if it's local, state or federal. It just happens.
I saw a great example today in my neighborhood.
A street sweeper has been attempting to clean to the curb, but that isn't happening. There are cars on both sides of the street.
The sweeper is going up and down the middle of the street. Nothing is getting cleaned.
Why don't they do this at night? It would make a lot more sense, but government doesn't work
that way.
1:02 pm edt
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Two Sides of Town
Hampton Beach is a real seasonal
town. After Labor Day, it shuts down for the most part along the beach.
When I was there in December, it looked totally desolate. Today, it was vibrant and full
of people enjoying the water on a warm day.
What a difference the season makes. It looked awful when the shops were boarded up, but it was
back to normal today.
5:15 pm edt
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Waiting For Disaster
It's only a matter of time
before we witness a tragedy at a gas station where customers pump their own. Too many people smoke cigarettes in the
area. I see it all the time at a local convenience store.
The employees are the worst offenders. They walk a reasonable distance away, but are
still flirting with disaster.
The other day, I saw a passenger get out of the car while his friend pumped gas. The guy was smoking very near the pumps.
Nothing is ever done about it because it is so prevalent.
11:44 am edt
Monday, May 25, 2015
No Third bridge
I would hate to be in one
of those holiday traffic jams. There is a 16 mile backup on Rt 95 between York, Maine and Hampton, NH. People have no option.
They are stuck there for as long as it takes.
Cape Cod is just as bad. The news had a story about building a third bridge over the canal. I heard
of figure of $360 million. It will never be built at that price. Costs always get out of hand when government is
involved.
Even
if they make it a toll bridge, I don't see this ever being built.
6:25 pm edt
Sunday, May 24, 2015
By The Barrel
We will never understand how
gasoline prices fluctuate so much. Crude oil has a daily price on the open market, whatever it is.
America produces so much more oil now than years
past. Why do prices change if we have a supply?
Nobody has the answer that would satisfy the people.
10:32 pm edt
Saturday, May 23, 2015
70 Is The Key
The last few days has
convinced me that I should wear long sleeves when the temperature is below 70. I went to a party this afternoon wearing short
sleeves.
It was 62
degrees with a slight wind. Although it was very sunny, I felt cool when I was outside.
My living room now is at 68. I almost feel like turning on the heat, but I won't. Definitely
a blanket night tonight.
8:07 pm edt
Friday, May 22, 2015
Wasting Her Time
When I got
home last night, I had three messages from the same woman on my answering machine. My phone number often gets confused for
a local pharmacy if people transpose the digits.
She called to complain about people panhandling in front of the business. She claimed they
were intimidating.
I usually get at least one call per week from someone trying to reach the pharmacy.
This person needs to check the number before she calls again.
1:02 pm edt
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Reporting Errors
I see mistakes in newspapers all the time, including grammar. How does this stuff get by the proof-readers
and editors?
My local paper made a glaring error for two consecutive days on a front page obituary. They referred
to the decedent's occupation as being for 22 years since 1983. That is such an obvious error. It doesn't make any sense as
his accomplishments the 80's were included in the story.
It should be 32 and not 22. How did it get by on the second
day? The paper looks foolish.
12:55 pm edt
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Gas Issue
Laws can vary from state to
state. We see that in so many areas. There needs to be more consistency.
New Jersey and Oregon are the only two states that prohibit drivers from pumping their own
gas.They are trying to change the law in New Jersey, but there is great opposition from the owners of gas stations.
Many laws in America are influenced by special interest
groups. This one is no different. It happens all the time.
11:53 am edt
Monday, May 18, 2015
Who Waters Them
I commend my city for their
tree planting program. They have been recognized nationally for cities planting trees. Many have thrived after ten years.
When I went out today for a walk, I saw about
ten of their recent plantings. Several have holes in their leaves and look real bad. I wonder if they will survive.
The city doesn't have have a watering program. They
depend on people doing it, but these trees are not near homes.
They won't survive without water. It was so dry when they were planted.
11:14 pm edt
Sunday, May 17, 2015
Avoiding The Landfill
People throw out so many things
that could be used by others. We see it all the time. Someone in my neighborhood keeps putting stuff out on the sidewalk with
a sign saying that it's free.
The
other day, they had a couple of tables, mattresses and cabinets. It took three days, but it was all gone this morning except
for one of the mattresses.
It's
good to see it getting a second life.
5:51 pm edt
Saturday, May 16, 2015
Wear Your Helmet
I have never been white water
rafting and have no desire to ever go. I saw a picture of a group of people looking like they were having a great time in
the rapids. Most of them were not wearing a helmet.
I don't understand why they would take such a big risk. Getting tossed into the water could
be fatal if they struck a rock. They must assume that everything will be ok.
7:22 pm edt
Friday, May 15, 2015
Heinz Has It
People have too much sodium
in their diet. It seems to be in whatever we eat, even in "healthy" foods. Tomato sauce is loaded with it, as well
as ketchup.
I finally
found some ketchup with almost no sodium. I put it on my burger and didn't notice any difference in the taste. This
will now be my ketchup.
11:26 am edt
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
The Nanny Had It Right
Former NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg
was often criticized for his advocacy of public health initiatives. He was referred to as a "nanny". A new ten year
study by the city's Health Department shows significant results.
Bloomberg started with banning smoking in public places in 2002. He outlawed trans fats
in eateries in 2006. He pushed for calorie counts on menus in 2007, lower sodium in 2008 and a grading system for restaurants
in 2010. He was unsuccessful in his 2012 attempt to ban super-sized sodas.
The study shows that the city experienced an 11% decrease in deaths, 29% decrease in heart
disease deaths and a 31 month life expectancy increase.
I supported many of his initiatives because they made common sense. The results speak for
themselves. The bigger issue is the role government should play in our lives.
1:12 pm edt
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Great Looking Menu
I was very impressed the other
night with the menu posted at a bar on a blackboard. It wasn't the selections, but the way someone had printed it by hand
in multiple colors. They did a great job. It must have taken quite a bit of time to do such great work.
If they raise their prices, they will need to do
it all over again. I'm sure it will look good.
11:08 pm edt
Monday, May 11, 2015
Cold Again
In less than 24 hours, it
got to the point of being colder than yesterday. The temperature changes daily and we have no control over that.
11:00 pm edt
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Almost At Shorts
I'm giving up winter slowly.
It was 91 degrees today when I left Haverhill to drive to the Salisbury State Reservation for a family cookout.
I wore long pants and thought it would be coller
at the beach. It rose to 93 for whatever reason.
Shorts would have been a better option.
11:49 pm edt
Saturday, May 9, 2015
Square Nonsense
You can always count on government
at all levels to enforce rules and regulations that don't make any sense.
The federal government is trying to enforce New York City into compliance with the 1965
Highway Beautification Act which limits signs to 1,200 square feet. On the surface, this makes sense, but they want to crack
down on the iconic Time Square billboards.
What are they thinking? The signs are part of the city. I can't imagine Times Square without them.
1:10 am edt
Friday, May 8, 2015
Can't Save The 1790's
I enjoy reading the New York
Post to keep up with the news in the Big Apple. I also follow a few Facebook pages about the buildings and architecture of
the city.
I don't support
the latest plans for the iconic Bowery. The neighborhood has experienced gentrification. Several old buildings will be torn
down to make way for housing and commercial space.
One of the buildings is from the 1790's. I don't understand how this one can be demolished.
It's part of a $45 million deal for a group
of four buildings. It's all about the money.
9:44 pm edt
Thursday, May 7, 2015
We had a rough winter with
the record setting snow storms. People started to bore me with their constant complaining about abnormal weather.
We should be this lucky to have only snow to deal
with. Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma are dealing with extreme weather. In the last 24 hours, they recorded 46 twisters. Some
of them caused extreme damage to homes and businesses.
I'll take our weather any day.
5:08 pm edt
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Blanket Statement
I finally wore a short sleeve
shirt today. That is a sure sign of spring. I also washed two of my three blankets and put them away until autumn. I'll keep
one on my bad for cold nights.
We
will continue to vary between warm and cool days. I'm getting ready to shut my heat down for the next several months, but
I'm not ready there yet.
4:51 pm edt
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
How To Be A Victim
When will people realize that
renting their home or apartment to strangers is a bad idea? Airbnb sounds like a great way to save money for travelers and
an opportunity for others to make money on renting out their place.
A story in the news today showed the damage done to a house by a couple who were allegedly
using it for wedding guests. The place was totally trashed. This is not the first time for something like this.
Ride sharing with Uber and Lift have their own issues.
More than one driver has been robbed after being set up by the perpetrator.
People are too trusting at times. Some are getting victimized in the process.
12:50 pm edt
Monday, May 4, 2015
Apples and Ink
I'll never understand why
people choose to get a tattoo. I don't think they look good, but people do it willingly.
There is now an issue with wrist tattoos and the new Apple watch. Those who have one on their
wrist are experiencing problems with the heart rate monitor application. The sensor light has a problem with the ink.
Apple is aware of the problem and is working on
a fix. The easiest way to solve this problem is to not have any tattoos.
4:58 pm edt
Sunday, May 3, 2015
Jerry's Legacy
I was surprised to hear the
demise of the annual Muscular Dystrophy Telethon. The great Jerry Lewis hosted it for 45 years while bringing a host of stars
to the living rooms of America. It was a staple of the Labor Day weekend.
Lewis quit shortly before the 2011 event. He raised a personal best of $65 million in 2008.
Live television coverage had declined in recent years from the normal 21.5 hours down to only two last year.
Officials are saying that the time had come
because of changes in fund raising. It was never the same after Lewis left.
6:25 pm edt
Saturday, May 2, 2015
Seeing Sleeves
Today was the first day I
was outside without wearing some type of jacket since back in October. I still had a long sleeve top on. It was only in the
high 60's.
I'm not ready
for polo shirts, but many are breaking out the short sleeves. Not me.
11:43 pm edt