Thursday, December 31, 2015
The Last Hours of 2015
I started writing this during
the last three hours of 2015. The thing they call New Year is upon us. So much happened in 2015. We can only wonder about
2016.
Once upon a time,
Dick Clark and Guy Lombardo owned this night.
9:10 pm est
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Race To Nowhere
I'm not impressed with the
plans to hold an Indy-car race in Boston in September. The mayor thinks it will be a great thing for the city, with tourists
spending money and getting national exposure. The people who live in the Seaport district will be inconvenienced. Traffic
and parking will be a nightmare.
This
is a private endeavor. The city and state should not spend one dollar to support it. They need to be reimbursed for any costs
incurred.
2:02 pm est
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Ice Time
Last week at this time, the
temperature was in the 60's. Today, we had three inches of snow and freezing rain. What a difference a week makes.
This feels more like winter. The weather has really
impacted the region. People are already in the panic mode and winter just started last week.
It's always about the ice.
4:26 pm est
Monday, December 28, 2015
The Short Line
The local food market was
quite busy today. As I proceeded to the checkout, I noticed the long lines, especially the one for twelve items or less.
I found a cashier who only had one customer with
a large order. I took my ten items to that line.
In the end, I made it out faster than three of the people in the twelve item line that I would have
been behind.
6:37 pm est
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Don't Wait For 2018
Washington DC has a monument
to so many people and events, but not one for World War I. Over 116,000 Americans died in the war, but nothing has ever been
built and dedicated to recognize them.
Congress
recently authorized a monument to be built, but it will need to be privately funded. A design competition was held with five
semi-finalists, but they are all controversial.
The optimists hope that it will be dedicated on November 11, 2018, the hundredth
anniversary of the war's end.
It will take a miracle for his to happen. Hopefully, they are at least constructing it by then, but I have my doubts.
12:33 am est
Saturday, December 26, 2015
They Still Wait
There was a time when families
ate meals together, but that doesn't happen these days. Fast food restaurants have a huge impact on the lifestyles of Americans.
Everyone is in a hurry these days. McDonald's announced
that 70% of their business is done via the drive-thru. Nobody has the time to get out of their car and wait in line.
Instead, they sit in their cars and spend the same amount of time.
9:56 am est
Friday, December 25, 2015
Christmas Was Too Warm
This was one of the warmest
Christmas days on record. I don't think that it's a positive thing. Winter days were not meant to be this warm.
People in Alabama and Mississippi are experiencing tornadoes.
The weather is suppose to change next week with some sleet on Tuesday.
I enjoy warm temperatures as much as anyone else, but they were not meant for this time of
year. It's happening all over the country.
We have no idea what lies ahead this winter.
10:44 pm est
Thursday, December 24, 2015
Not Their Words
The local newspaper had some
comments from kids about Santa Claus and how he delivers all of his presents. Most of the answers were cute, but I was very
suspicious of a couple.
One
kid mentioned Santa using a portal. The other referred to him as being nocturnal. There is no way that the kids came
up with these words. They must have had the help of a "helicopter" parent. Five year old kids don't use words
like that.
4:00 pm est
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Bad Parental Decisions
I never had any kids, but
I read a report about the high cost of babysitters in New York City. Some are charging up to $60 per hour on New Year's Eve.
This does not include perks like transportation and meals.
It's hard to believe that parents go to various websites to find a babysitter. They are leaving their
kids with someone they don't even know. They are asking for trouble in this day and age.
If this is their only option, maybe they should reconsider
their plans.
11:14 am est
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Headed For Shelters
The story at this time of
the year is always the same. It's only the date that is different. The animal shelters around the region are inundated with
pets being surrendered. One person gave up 25 rabbits while another had 67 cats in their home.
There will be lots of puppies on Christmas morning
under the tree, but how long will they last in their new home? People never think about the long range implications of their
decisions.
Some treat
pets like old clothing they want to get rid of. They just wash their hands of the situation.
2:21 pm est
Monday, December 21, 2015
Puzzling Difficulty
My local newspaper has a "sound-off"
column where readers can call and complain about anything. I always read it to see what crazy thoughts people have.
Someone called to say that the daily crossword
puzzle in the paper was too difficult. I looked at the puzzle, but couldn't understand their thinking.
If it was that difficult, maybe they should try
something else or get a dictionary and thesaurus.
1:26 pm est
Sunday, December 20, 2015
Bad Characters
Times Square is filled with
obnoxious costumed characters who try to entice tourists to have their picture taken and then try to get money from
them. It's a problem going unchecked and only gets worse.
During the holiday season, Santas have appeared in Herald Square near Macy's Department
Store. Little kids with their parents get confused over seeing more than one Santa. Macy's has one who doesn't charge
for photos.
The
whole scene is a circus and only reduces the quality of life in the Big Apple.
2:48 pm est
Saturday, December 19, 2015
Bad Party Planning
The Democratic party is doing
the voters a great disservice by holding a candidate debate on a Saturday night. They know that it will draw a small audience
because of the closeness to Christmas. The debate will also be up against a NFL and college bowl game.
Why did the DNC decide to do it this way? It
doesn't seem kosher.
3:47 pm est
Friday, December 18, 2015
Strange Ads
A group advocating the use
of salt in food ran a full-page ad in the New York Post criticizing the plan to put sodium levels of various foods on restaurant
menus.
The ad
raved about salt being "natural" and "not having any calories". I think we all know this. The most ridiculous
part of the ad was about people having a dangerously low level of sodium. Does that ever happen to anyone in this country?
6:40 pm est
Thursday, December 17, 2015
Trash The Idea
Some bad ideas never go away.
My city wants to give each household a 64 gallon trash toter. Residents will no longer be allowed to put out barrels
and trash bags.
Many concerns
have been brought up, especially by the elderly. The mayor is the driving force behind this. He claims it will save the city
$450,000 annually on the trash removal contract. The company will pay the cost of the toters for 23,000 households.
The workers picking up the trash now run a smooth operation.
They work very quickly. The proposed one man truck with a fork would lift the barrels into the truck. That assumes
they are easily accessible and not blocked by cars.
The story continues.
9:29 pm est
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
House On A Roll
I support casino gambling.
I believe that people should be able to drive a reasonable distance to partake in it. The state should grab its share as part
of the agreement that allows it.
Casino
proponents paint nothing but a rosy picture when it comes to the financial figures. They are so delusional.
It doesn't surprise me that the Plainridge slot
parlor has shown a decrease in revenues since it opened last August. How does that bode for the three other casinos scheduled
to open in Massachusetts?
There
are only so many gambling dollars out there.
5:35 pm est
Unhealthy Recipes
Facebook is filled with recipes,
especially this time of the year. There are some great videos of the preparation of the food. They speed up the action to
make it shorter.
I have
never seen anything that I really like. Most of them involve ingredients that are not overly healthy. The stuff probably tastes
good, but it's bad for you.
11:35 pm est
Monday, December 14, 2015
No Awakening
Tonight is the Hollywood premier
of the latest Star Wars movie. "The Force Awakens" looks like it might break all box office records. Some people
have been waiting in line for twelve days in order to score a seat.
I have no plans to see it. I have never seen a complete Star Wars movie. I saw part of the
first one, but turned it off because I'm not into science fiction.
The rest of the world feels differently about it.
7:17 pm est
Sunday, December 13, 2015
Bad Icebergs
I buy fresh produce every
other day. There is great quality consistency with all of it except for iceberg lettuce.
Why is it so difficult to get a good head of lettuce?
Sometimes, it's so bad that I don't bother buying it.
I bought two heads today because they looked so good. I had one last week that I tossed out because
all of the leaves had brown veins.
7:47 pm est
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Carding Me
People are sending fewer holiday
cards these days. It gets expensive with the postage and just seems like a dying tradition.
It makes me roll my eyes when I get e-cards from
businesses. I received one today from a financial institution, but it was very generic.
I'm sure they realize they need to cover all the angles,
even down to the font color.
10:02 pm est
Friday, December 11, 2015
Three Weeks To 2016
It's hard to believe that
three weeks from today is the start of 2016. The holidays will be over. I wonder if we will have any snow. The temperature
has been warmer than normal.
Winter
will be here in ten days.Time is just flying by.
10:17 pm est
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Faucet Time
People waste water in various
ways. We act like there is an unlimited supply of fresh drinking water. It's not like that in a lot of countries.
I always seem to run the water while I shave or
brush my teeth. It's something I've down my entire life.
Recently, I've been shutting the faucet off. It makes it awkward to get the shaving cream
off my razor or toothpaste from my brush.
It will take time to make this a habit.
9:24 pm est
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
The Annual Theft
The holidays are filled with
examples of bad behavior. Every year, we hear stories about packages being stolen from the steps of homes.
The package delivery companies don't help the situation.
They leave things out in the open. It's an invitation for theft. It doesn't matter that it's the holiday season. People
will steal at any time. That's why I avoid ordering items on-line.
2:13 pm est
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
The Worst Holiday Commercial
One of the most obnoxious
holiday television commercials is the one from Samsung. It's a song parody of "Jingle Bells" that lasts
too long. The lyrics are very irritating.
Once the holidays are over, it will disappear for another year. That will be a gift to all of us.
3:12 pm est
Monday, December 7, 2015
Turn Off The Lights
Some people get carried away
with their outside Christmas lights at the expense of their neighbors. One guy was in the news for having a display with 28,000
lights. People come from all around to admire his work.
I wonder how his neighbors feel about having all of the extra traffic in their neighborhood.
It's only for a few weeks, but it effects their quality of life.
I think the home owner with the lights is being selfish.
6:13 pm est
Sunday, December 6, 2015
Up In The Tree
The American Chestnut Foundation
keeps track of the height of chestnut trees in America. They just reported that the tallest one is 115 feet and located
in Lovell, Maine.
How
do they know that some other tree isn't taller? The only trees that get measured are the ones singled out. This sounds like
a bunch of nonsense. There is a taller tree around somewhere. It just hasn't been identified.
6:03 pm est
Saturday, December 5, 2015
Put Your Top Up
I think people who drive convertibles
with the top down this time of year are looking for attention. I saw two of them today.
The temperature was in the mid 50's. It was not exactly summer, but that didn't stop those
attention seekers.
I never understood what people see in those cars.
5:25 pm est
Friday, December 4, 2015
Snow Concern
It's a waste of time to be
talking about snowfall levels for this winter. Storms come upon us very suddenly. The experts can show us the computer models,
but it remains to be seen what type of winter we will have.
We've had plenty of warm days this fall, but it can cold real fast.
10:34 pm est
Cash Lanes Forever
I have always been impressed
with the EZ-Pass program for collecting highway toll charges. Dedicated high-speed lanes allow drivers avoid some of the possible traffic
congestion near the toll plaza.
These
types of lanes only work if the highway is not backed up due to the drivers lining up for the cash lanes.
I don't think we will ever get to cash-free lanes
in my lifetime because so many
people don't like the transponder technology.
11:27 pm est
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
Not Doing Red Lights
New York City has become more
dangerous for pedestrians since the installation of dedicated bike lanes throughout the city.
A new proposal would allow cyclists to slow done
for a red light, look both ways and proceed through the intersection if safe to do.
Bike advocates say that it's more dangerous to bring a moving cyclist to a full stop. They
make a valid point, but so many of them violate the rules of the road and operate recklessly. They often appear out of nowhere.
5:37 pm est
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Nobody Lacks Sodium
I think it's a good idea for
restaurants to show how much sodium there is on their menu. There is far too much of it in the foods we eat. The examples
they cited in the news story were over the top.
I read labels when I go food shopping. Sodium is all over the place in high concentration. It's link
to heart attacks and strokes cannot be disputed.
People need to be aware of this and do something to help themselves.
7:23 pm est