Is PETA Getting Soft In Their Old Age?

Last week, the local chapter of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) was protesting the area KFC because of suspected animal cruelty violations. As I was passing by, I couldn't help but read the signs ... mainly because such an organized, peaceable demonstration by PETA completely caught me off guard. Typically their tactics involve; breaking and entering, arson, criminal mischief, defiant trespassing and so on. Anyway, this public awareness picketing was to inform would be customers and average citizens alike of the terrible experiences that chickens would have to endure before being slaughtered. The fact that these chickens were born and raised in captivity for the sole purpose human consumption and would never survive in the wild, even if they had the chance, was not emblazoned on any of their signs. I applaud their determination and (for once) peaceable assemblance, but why not spend this time down the street helping a bum get back on his financial feet or help orphan children learn how to read. Chickens typically don't possess enough mental capacity to do anything other than be chickens. Fellow humans however, could greatly benefit from the smallest of consolation and personal attention.

Reality TV Shopping Spree

In one form or another, we all in some degree have a fascination with reality tv. We all just can't get enough of watching both the triumphs and failures of people, and in many respects can relate to the members, players and contestants because they are regular people ... just like us. So whether you're a the self proclaimed guru of the reality tv circuit, or one of those closet watchers that quickly changes the channel when people come in the room, the fact remains that our basic human curiosity of other average humans on television dealing with adversity and adventure isn't going to be canceled anytime soon. For those who just can't get enough of their daily dose of reality tv, I found a site that offers a not only offers a wide variety of comments and recaps on many of the popular shows, but also has a newsletter to keep you up to speed ... and just signing up puts you in the running for a Fifty Dollar Amazon.com gift certificate!

Wait Until Ron Popeil Gets Hold Of This One

Last week, the local newspaper reported that "experts" believe that a major contributing factor to the Interstate 35 bridge collapse in Minneapolis can be attributed to pigeon dung on the bolts of the bridges superstructure ... yes, experts actually said this. I work with copper, aluminum, brass, bronze, stainless steel, and iron on a daily basis and have yet to find a naturally occurring animal excrement that possesses the corrosive properties to compromise the strength of any of these metals ... if there was one, I'd buy it to loosen rusted and frozen parts. For those who may still think there is actually some credibility to the pigeon theory, look no further than our county courthouse. Let's face it, bridge inspectors didn't do their job ... period. Boy, the things people will say to point the finger elsewhere when they caught with their pants down ... pigeon dung, that's the best they could come up with???

My Last Uno Chicago Grill Visit

I typically try to plan my weekend dining out around the fact that other people, for the most part, eat around prescribed time frames. So to beat the rush and avoid long waiting times (not to mention I do have a young child that can still be unpredictable), we usually will stop at a restaurant around 2:00 - 4:00. Well today I hit a milestone, something I never even thought imaginable for the food service industry. At our local Uno Chicago Grill, there was a 25 minute wait time to be seated at 1:30. When my wife inquired as to why there was a wait, noting that the parking was reasonably empty and there were plenty of tables obviously available to the hostess, the young employee answered back with a sarcastic face "we're short servers." Apparently, not enough waiters/waitresses came in to work at the Uno Chicago Grill today ... but the look we received for having the audacity to even inquire as to why we were going to have to wait could have killed. How dare us!!! I guess we must have been the only ones to even wonder, because other customers seemed perfectly content to wait while open, clean, and set tables stared them in the face. My guess is that management and owner salaries at the Uno Chicago Grill must be high enough to not be concerned that customers are leaving before they even get a seat. So, I'm lead to believe that the profit margin earned on the dolts willing to wait it out far surpasses basic staffing and operating expenses ... that's why the supervisors at this local Uno Chicago Grill made no attempt to at least patch the problem. Do yourself a favor, and dine elsewhere.

Liberal Radio Ga Ga

I heard the most sorry excuse of liberal thinking yesterday on the radio. "The chronically late hate being late, just as much as the rest us hate always having to wait for them." What??? WHAT A CROCK!!! How about this ... the truth; The chronically late hate being rushed because of their own incompetence and lack of respect for others time, and immaturely (as all liberals do) blame everyone else for their own shortcomings and lack of self discipline. I guess that advertising your justification for illogical selfishness makes it ok ... if society hears it enough times, they'll eventually believe it. Kind of like Saddam's WMDs.

Lefties In Their Right Mind??? I Don't Think So

Okay ... I've got to know ... why do people insist on driving in the passing lane of a four lane road (two going each direction) when there is no other traffic anywhere around them? And worse yet, their barely (if at all) even going the speed limit!!! Funny driving quirks like people that can't ever seem to remember what side their gas cap is on (even after they swing the car around to the other side of the gas pump only to find that now the only thing that changed is which way the car is facing), or old people that can't for the life of them understand the purpose and proper use of the fifth turning lane are always amusing and never get old. But this passing lane cruising, or "lefties" as I call them, is just an incredible annoyance. Forget cell phone use while driving legislation, let's start with getting motorists to keep their cars in the correct lane!

Useless Trivia Fact #13

Hippopotamus bites, experts say, are almost always fatal. The reason ... they're very large bites.

Breaking The Landlubber Moorings

Life is overwhelming, and I have decided that I need a hobby ... something I can do at my leisure, take my time and enjoy. So, I was tooling around the internet and found the perfect solution ... building a Dory boat. A small wood constructed boat I could build in my garage, and enjoy for years to come with my family. This site offers the building plans, I supply the labor. I'm a pretty mechanical person, so with proper instruction I really can't see this project being all that tough. Ahoy.

A Land Cruising Tank, Tuscan Milk And A Sticka Budda

Yes ... I have an odd sense of humor. A couple days ago, my sister told me to check out Amazon.com for an item called Tuscan Milk ... not to praise the product, but rather to read some of the hilarious customer reviews! After spending the better part of two nights going through the 900+ comments, I started wondering what other products came with such high honors. I also found a JL421 Badonkadonk Land Cruiser/Tank offered from our friends at Amazon for a mere $19,999.95 that too came highly recommended from most weighing in at three and a half stars. I'll be sure to keep an eye out for more of these highly rated products and pass them along as they come. But honestly, they really are worth checking out if you're in need of a good laugh.

Research Proves: Recycling Works ... But Brains Still Don't

Yesterday, I was blessed to receive some mail correspondence from my state representative Jim Wansacz. I must say, the official PA state letterhead, contact information and listing of current committees on which he serves was quite impressive to say the least, it took up 1/3 of page one. But after reading it, I couldn't help but notice the obvious watermark within the paper certifying it to be made of recycled material ... after all, Mr Wansacz does serve on the environmental resources & energy committee. But the overwhelming letterhead information took up so much room, there was no space left for the signature, forcing it (and only it) to be carried over to the next page ... consequently not being printed on recycled paper with a fancy watermark, just plain old white paper. A whole sheet of paper of a scribble of a signature ... nothing more.

How To Beat A Royal Flush

A little piece of infrequently though of information was passed on to me that, over the course of the day, started to get to me. In 1992, Congress banned all 3.5 gpf (gallons per flush) toilet tanks and mandated that all tanks sold in the U.S. offer no more than 1.6 gpf under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act. Idealistically, this would lessen our use of natural resources and cut down on the amount of "material" that treatment plants would have to handle. Well apparently, this law actually sparked a black market for 3.5 gpf tanks that exists to this very day. Yep ... that's right ... Canadian/U.S. customs agents are actually supposed to confiscate your contraband crapper. Although if you are detained while trying to re-enter the U.S., the good news is your porcelain pal will have more than enough horse power unlike its U.S. counterparts ... but, I really can't see that a tank transporter would be faced with a felonious charge. My point is, "Land of the free"??? If Uncle Sam is so interested in how I use my "library", why not just help me fulfill the mission while I'm in there for crying out loud! My sacred sanctuary has been surmounted, my tranquil temple toppled. This my friends, is just going too far.