Las Vegas NASCAR Weekend: Saturday

Again, toiling away at Wal-Mart, I was unable to see or hear much about the Speedway.
It rained a few minutes before the Nationwide race today. Before the drops fell, the flyover by aircraft stationed at Nellis was shown on TV and then the planes flew over our apartment complex and it was quite loud. We are used to the aircraft flying overhead. Tomorrow, the Thunderbirds will fly over, probably left to right.
It's raining again, at 11:00 PM, by boulder Highway. If the rain goes south to north, then it will be a wet night. So, it will make for a slick track tomorrow.
I drove by the Speedway tonight and it looked surprisingly, pretty quiet. Not too many BBQ fires going, so the campers really aren't roughing it, at least by camping standards. The lights of the Speedway were all on- probably for the infield campers and maybe trying to dry out the track.
Again, today, The NHP was out directing traffic while Metro officers sat in their cars or stood around, except 1 motorcycle cop who was called to an accident in front of Memphis BBQ. (as an aside, Las Vegas doesn't have an excellent BBQ place, similar to Speed Queen in Milwaukee, though we have a Famous Daves)
Tomorrow, our family will be going to the race and dropping a couple of hundreds of dollars. We'll rent some scanners, buy my son a souvenir for his birthday present, buy my daughter some cotton candy and look around.
For tomorrow, we will taking Las Vegas Blvd and leaving around 9:30. For me, too darn early. It should only take about 15-30 minutes to park. Going home, will be another story. Even though our apartment has an entrance on Las Vegas Blvd, it will probably take us over an hour to get home. It would be quicker to walk.
The helicopters will also be flying. The copters land in a parking lot, by the road course. they have their own air traffic controllers directing traffic and they have to coordinate with Nellis AFB controllers.
There are buses that will drive you to the race track. The cost is about $40 round trip. Thanks to the federal government, the valley's public bus company, the RTC, cannot take passengers because they would be competing with private business. The helicopter ride is several hundreds of dollars but you can get to the track in 15 minutes and don't worry about traffic.
So, come to the race tomorrow, there are tickets still available. I hope the weather is nice and have some fun.

Last Day At Wal-Mart

In about an hour, I will start my last shift at Wal-Mart. Being almost 50 years old, working 2 physical jobs just takes a toll on the body and it is time for a break.
More on the last day later.

8.8 Earthquake Hits Chile

A huge earthquake has struck Chile last night, measuring 8.8 on the Richter scale. There is widespread massive damage throughout the country and hundreds of deaths so far have been reported.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/lt_chile_earthquake
A tsunami warning has been issued for areas that are next to the Pacific Ocean, with a tsunami expected to hit Hawaii in the next hour or so.
This begs the question, of course, will the TV coverage be the same as Haiti's earthquake? Will there be fundraisers and songs sung about Chile? Will the U.S. government send immediate help and offer to help rebuild Chile?
It would be nice, but I highly doubt it.
Update: The Las Vegas Sun, on their web site doesn't even mention the earthquake at 1:00 PM

Good News And Bad News:Jsonline Accepts Comments

Well, my former hometown newspaper, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal ( http://www.jsonline.com/)has now accepted comment on their articles. The bad news is that they restrict the number of enteries per article.

Who Said Illegal Immigration Isn't A Problem

From the El Paso Times: Hundreds of thousands of people from violence-torn Juárez are abandoning their homes, closing their businesses and moving elsewhere.
Although reliable numbers are hard to come by, El Paso police and real estate agents, and Juárez demographers, detect an increase in refugees from Mexico living in El Paso...On the other side of the border, El Paso Police Chief Greg Allen said that, in the past two years, 30,000 people have moved to El Paso after fleeing Juárez. The county's population is about 750,000.
Allen was attempting to justify the purchase of 1,100 M4 rifles by saying his department needed to be ready for a possible spillover of violence from Juárez. He said he arrived at the 30,000 figure through comments he heard at intelligence brief-ings.
Sergio Ramirez, a real estate agent in El Paso, deals with clients who have come to Juárez in the past few years. He said most Mexicans fleeing Juárez are looking for rental homes and apartments. http://www.elpasotimes.com/juarez/ci_14452215
I am very sympathetic to the people of Juarez, as I know several people who live there. But this drug problem also shows that people are fleeing Juarez to the U.S. and if they can get to El Paso, they can move anywhere in the U.S.
So, from what I can see, the Obama administration is sitting still, twiddling their thumbs while Juarez shoots, burns and dies and cities across the border are the ones who will suffer. And then the problem will swim upstream to cities like Las Vegas, big cities in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. But when local politicians, like Sheriff Joe of Maricopa County, AZ. try and do something, they get investigated and harassed.
Again, I have sympathy for the good people of Juarez and I wish they could move out and just leave the thugs to battle it out. But that is not reality and it should not be a U.S. problem, but it is. We need more reinforcements on the border, more help for the El Paso and other city's police departments and something more than a catch and release program by ICE.

Our Poor Hound

Well, today, we took the hound to be fixed. We thought it would be a snip and that would be it. Instead, it was chop, chop and their goes his balls.

Well, the hound is sleeping with the help of pain medication and I am feeling guilty, being a guy. But he is recieiving around the clock care.

Las Vegas NASCAR Weekend: Friday

Well, the NASCAR racing began today with practice and Sprint qualifying. Kurt Busch won the pole with Jeff Gordon coming in 2nd.
When we drove by the Speedway today around 4:00 and the camping areas became a sea of campers- big and small, with a multitude of flag poles with the American flag on top and their favorite driver's flag on the bottom. Saw just about every driver represented, except maybe Dave Blaney and a few other start and parkers.
All the merchandise haulers were set up and selling. There quite a few spectators for qualifying. There were numerous other displays as well, with cars and trucks. Don't forget the Speedway merchandise shop. which is open year round. They have just about everything you need at the race and the prices are reasonable. When there are no races, you can take a tour of the racerack.
The cops were directing traffic, well, I should say the Nevada Highway Patrol was directing traffic while the Metro officers were pretty much sitting on their butts, in their cars, doing nothing. Hopefully, taxpayers are not on the hook for Metro for the sitting around, but if the Speedway is paying, they are not getting their money's worth.
Saturday's weather is going to be cold and wet. There is a winter storm warning for the mountains by Mount Charleston,where they can get up to 10 inches of snow. In the Valley, they are looking for about 1/2 inch of rain.
So, if you are going to Sam Towns 300 Nationwide Race, monitor the weather, arrive early, plan on staying awhile after the race and drive safely. And have a good time.

Two Officers Shot In California: 1 Dead, Another Not To Survive

Police officers, a job that is always dangerous, had two officers shot in Fresno, CA. One officer was fatally wounded and another officer is not expected to survive.
From Fox News: A gunman opened fire Thursday on authorities who tried to serve search warrants at his mobile home in Central California, killing a sheriff's detective and critically wounding a police officer before barricading himself in the residence during a raging gunbattle that also left him dead...We lost a good deputy sheriff today," Mims said.
Police didn't immediately release the names of the two deputies and officer. But Reedley City Manager Rocky Rogers said the wounded officer, who he identified as Javier Bejar, was on life support and not expected to recover.
Rogers said Bejar, who had two years on the police force, was being kept alive so that his family can pay their last respects.
"He had a very commanding presence about him, being a former U.S. Marine," Rogers said.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,587431,00.html?test=latestnews
Police officers have a tough job to do, no matter what the call is and where they go. Any day can be their last shift because of a thug may want to take them out.
RIP to the officer and our prayers are with the officer and his family who will not make it. And may the law enforcement officers in the Fresno, CA area find comfort.

Nevada Budget Crisis Gets Worse

From the LVRJ: The Nevada Resort Association announced Thursday night that the gaming industry won't agree to a Democratic plan to obtain $32 million more a year from casinos to help balance the state budget.
Lawmakers have been trying for days to negotiate a deal with the industry, which lost $6.7 billion in fiscal year 2009....The Nevada Resort Association announced tonight that it could not reach consensus among its statewide membership to support a legislative proposal to increase $32.5 million in fees that the gaming industry pays annually to the State of Nevada," the group said in a statement.
The association cited the $6.7 billion loss, a record decline in casino revenues, and nearly 34,500 layoffs in the past year.
The trade association represents most major casinos in Nevada.
Well, this makes sense. The casino industry has laid off nearly 35,000 people in the past year, and my guess more. If the casino's are made to pay more taxes, they will lay off more people.
The Democrats just don't understand this concept. They are lucky the mining industry is willing to pay a little more, but instead of cutting budgets like most households in Nevada have done this year, they think industry will just roll over and accept more taxes. The Democrats just don't get it.
As a teacher, I see the fat in the budget. I teach severely mentally disabled students. While all students in Nevada have to take the proficiency exams, our students take an alternative test.
So, at the IEP meeting, the team decides if the student needs to take the proficiency exam or the alternative exam. With my students, it's a no brainer. So, I give the exam. Then the bureaucrats in the special education review the CD I made. Then it goes to the State and it gets viewed by 2 more bureaucrats. Even students with very severe disabilities- those who cannot talk, write and have a mental age of 3 months, have to go through the same process.
So, the State employs several people to decide if a student is proficient in a subject, even though common sense would dictate that they are not. That is called fat in the budget.
So, yes, there is fat in the education budget, as there are in state and local budgets. Yes, that means people will lose their job in education because their job is really not needed. Yes, that sucks, but they knew when they got the job outside of the classroom, they took the risk of having their job eliminated. Besides, they will just bump another person out of a classroom job, so they won't be affected. And if the district plays it cards right with the union, no one will be laid off. They need to offer furlough days, maybe 6 days a school year and that will go a long way to solve the budget crisis in CCSD.
But we will see. There is still no concrete plan put forth by the Democrats, especially since they are not going to listen to the governor. They will do some cutting and taxing, but it is still small potatoes, considering how much money they have to come up with.
But no matter what happens, it is still better than my former state, Wisconsin, where they just don't give a damn about budget deficits. In Wisconsin, they play games and more games and they go deeper into debt and they will leave the problem for the next governor, Scott Walker.
But the Democrats don't know the meaning of fat in the budget. They just believe in tax people and the tax fairy.

Las Vegas NASCAR week: Thursday

Well, while I was toiling away at Wal-Mart, my very lucky wife, got to watch the hauler parade on Speedway Blvd. Only about 5 people were with her as 64 haulers passed by. The haulers were honking her horns and some were kind enough to slow down when they saw Cathy taking pictures. Very nice of the drivers. Most of the drivers were there, but some no shows were there, including Wisconsin's Matt Kenseth, who if my favorite driver. (though there was a Crown Royal truck, with no number on the side) By Cathy's driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s hauler was there (and it didn't get lost going down the road) and my son's driver, Jeff Gordon were present. Along with the other Wisconsin driver, Paul Menard, who had his hauler in the parade.
Apparently, the parade wasn't that big of news as I didn't see any coverage on the web site of the two local papers. Hopefully, they will have the parade next year at the same time.
On Friday, the practicing and qualifying begins for the Sprint Cup drivers. If the rain holds off on Saturday, the qualifying for Nationwide, along with the race will happen. If the Nationwide race is rained out on Saturday, then the race will probably happen on Monday.
If you are coming to the race on Sunday, it will be easier to get into the race than getting out. You can either come in off I-15 or Las Vegas Blvd. Since I-15 was widened, there will be a little less congestion, but there will still be back ups, maybe miles long. Coming down Las Vegas Blvd, you have the cops, who mostly stand around and do nothing but monitoring the traffic, watch you as you go by. They open up all traffic lanes going north, except for 1 lane. You get directed to the parking lot and the parking is free.
You can take a free tram ride to your entrance. There are several entrances to go into. Most of the entertainment is by the Richard Petty Terrace and the main entrance.
Getting a tram back to your car can be a problem, especially if you are in the Dale Earnhardt Terrace. The trams start at the south end of the track and then goes around the track. Once they fill up, the trams don't stop. So, if you are waiting in the Dale Earnhardt Terrace, you will have to wait along time for the trams. It might be faster to walk than take the tram if you are on the north side of the track.
So, racing truly begins tomorrow, and hopefully, we will be able to get it all in and on time.

Well, This Just Sucks

Get home from working two jobs, my wife gets her clothes peed on by the hound and we get home at 11 PM and the water is turned off for repair by the city. The whole apartment complex, which is Nevada's largest, is without water. They say it may be fixed by the morning. Great, go to work at school smelling and looking like a damn troll.
And here I wanted to have a couple of beers. Guess I better not now.
This just sucks.

Wayne Newton In Huge Finacial Trouble: Compassionate Liberals Show Their Class

Mr. Las Vegas, Wayne Newton is in huge financial trouble. He has had a hard time, throughout his life to manage his finances and now is no exception. Despite appearing at the Tropicana Hotel, he is barely making it and his wages are being garnished.
Today, Metro went to his house, by the airport, off of Sunset, and tried to get property, but they were turned away. How, I don't know. They went up to the house with moving vans and Newton's people said "go away" and the cops did. Would that happen to you and me? Doubt it.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/feb/25/moving-vans-seen-wayne-newtons-las-vegas-home/
Anyways, look at the comments at the bottom of the article and you will see the liberals their strange sense of compassion.
So, perhaps, someday, we will see Wayne Newton at the A-Z Pawn Store, home of the Pawn Stars, trying to pawn some of his collectibles.
Update: Apparenntly, Newton has had health issues with members of his immediate family, specifically, his daughter: Two weeks ago Erin Newton, at the time pregnant in the third trimester, suffered liver, kidney and respiratory failure and delivered a baby boy via cesarean section. During delivery she fell into a coma and was in that state until last weekend. Doctors are not certain what specific condition Erin Newton is suffering from, but McCrone said they are consistent with HELLP syndrome, a condition that attacks the kidneys and liver, which is set in motion during pregnancy.
Newton had cancelled many of his February appearances at the Tropicana during his daughter's illness — McCrone said he missed all but two or three shows to fly to and from St. Louis, where the 33-year-old Erin Newton lives. Erin is the adopted daughter of Newton and his first wife, Elaine. They divorced in 1985. Wayne and Kathleen Newton have a 7-year-old daughter, Lauren.
Over the weekend, doctors told Newton it was unlikely Erin Newton would recover from her comatose condition, news that McCrone says sent the longtime Las Vegas entertainer into an emotional tailspin. "He sobbed all night," said McCrone, who is visiting friends in Boston and was largely unaware of the activity today at Shenandoah.
Erin Newton unexpectedly awoke from the two-week coma Monday, immediately asking for water. Newton and the medical staff were stunned. She is still hospitalized, and Newton reportedly was with her today
http://www.lasvegassun.com/blogs/kats-report/2010/feb/25/illness-daughter-brings-more-trying-times-wayne-ne/

And Why Doesn't Wisconsin Have A Death Penalty?

From Jsonline: "But Cody was tired. He had been ill and was being treated for bronchitis following a bout of what might have been flu.
The boy crawled from the front seat to the back of the van where he could lie on the floor. Cody asked his stepfather to sit back there, closer to him, and Avey moved to the rear seat.
Avey told Detective Wolf that he was still angry. There had been no calls from his wife. He noticed Cody's eyes were closed.
"I choked him," Avey told Wolf. He placed a necktie beneath his stepson's neck, then pulled it tight around his throat.
Avey recalled that Cody asked: "What are you doing?"' http://www.jsonline.com/news/ozwash/85293717.html
This is the sanitized version. This thug killed an innocent 14 year old boy because he was angry with his ex-wife.
There have been many more cases that should have been death penalty cases. Start with Jeffery Dahmer and Steven Avery. This is another case. Two of the most notorious cases that the thug should have given the death penalty. But Wisconsin is not advanced as other states. It does not have the death penalty because of the wimps that run the government of Wisconsin, past and present.
Hopefully, this thug, Charles Avey will meet the same fate in prison as Dahmer, a weight or other heavy object through the head. If that fails, a shank upside the balls, into his abdomen and out his stomach will suffice.

Wal-Mart To Get Huge Tax Break From The U.S. Government

For all those Wally World haters out there: The U.S. government is about to give more tax breaks to companies that hire the unemployed. Well, Wal-Mart would like to thank you, the taxpayer, for giving them the opportunity to hire the unemployed, to get some tax breaks.
Wal-Mart has always liked to hire the unemployed and those on welfare for the tax breaks. That is nothing new. They know most of those they hire won't work out, so they can hire more and more and get more and more tax breaks.
Reality is, that small businesses won't hire too many unemployed people but big businesses that don't pay a lot will be the ones who do the hiring and get the tax breaks.
So, thanks, Obama and Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, thanks for providing tax breaks to Wally World. I can use an additional bonus payment.

Las Vegas NASCAR Weekend: Wendesday

Well, the weather forecast is getting a little better for Saturday. Instead of an all day rain on Saturday, they are now calling for showers on Saturday and a sunny day for Sunday.
I haven't heard them practice today. I can hear the cars when they are on the track, but nothing today. Maybe they did it earlier or plan on practicing later.
For a nice preview of whats happening this week, check out the LVRJ website: http://www.lvrj.com/hottopics/nascar_weekend/nascar_weekend_2010.html
Tomorrow really starts the activities with practice and the hauler parade at 6:00.

Las Vegas NASCAR Week: Tuesday

We drove by the Speedway tonight and not much has changed. I imagine most of the haulers are in the Neon Garage by now. In previous years, some cars would utilize private garages, but apparently, the Neon Garage is much better that the car crews would rather use that than the private garages.
There were about 200 campers in the parking lots tonight, with more arriving at night. Hope they have good heaters and a quiet camper. Nellis AFB is having Red Flag training this week, so planes are going off at all hours at night and day. The end of the north runway is right next the to the Speedway and the flight path is right over the big race track. Don't be surprised if a fighter jet flies over the Speedway during the middle of Sunday's race.
The forecast for the weekend is a mixed bag. Saturday, the day of the Sam's Town 300, it looks like an all day rain. On Sunday, the day looks to be sunny, with a high of 65. Because Las Vegas weather forecasters are notoriously terrible, who knows what the weather will be like.
The hauler parade will be on Thursday, at 6:00. It will start on Las Vegas Blvd, starting on Russell, heading north. You can see them there or at the Speedway, when they return.
The Las Vegas Motor Speedway is a year round operation. Almost every weekend, you can hear racing going on there. They have a drag strip, where the NHRA runs. They have the Bullring, where minor league racers race and they have a road course that just about anything runs. Motorcycles, cars, funny looking cars and the Metro police practice their driving there. You can watch the racers for free on the road course.
Well, if you are coming to Vegas for the race, enjoy it and be safe.

Pawn Stars: 2/22/2010

Today's episodes are reruns from last September 27, 2009. http://lasvegasbadger.blogspot.com/2009/09/pawn-stars-blog.html It was also my first blog on Star Wars, before the pawn shop was famous. Next week brings new episodes of the show.
The lady who brought in the $20 bill, got $800 and they way she bargained, she should have gotten a job at the pawn shop.
Chumlee put down $3000 on a motorcycle that was sold to the shop and he got himself a Harley on a payment plan. Hopefully, he still has the Harley, but who knows. My guess, since he gets paid from the show, he probably has paid it and then some.
In the 2nd episode, a guy brings in a map from 1735 and Rick is right- there are very few basements in Las Vegas. It's a shame because basements are cooler and they would be great in basement. And the expert comes in to look at the map and the expert is Dana. The map came from the London Magazine. The guy selling didn't really look interested in the history, just wanted how much it was worth. The map sold for $550.
The next guy brings in a 2006 Yamaha dirt bike and it was hardly used. The guy wanted $2000 and the original offer was $1000 but sold for $1500.
Next up was a bad art work that was bought by Chumlee. He bought it for $300 but was worth about $1. So he was tested and he eventually passed. But no more art work buying for the Chumster. Chumlee was given a lesson in art buying. In the background, it like the Indian mini motorcycle was in the background. Could be wrong, though. Makes me wonder when they were taping because it looked bright outside but no one was in the shop.
The next guy wanted to sell a 1976 Piper Warrior airplane out at the North Las Vegas airport. This was a project plane that didn't go well.. The guy wants $6500 and it really looked ugly inside and out. along with the engine and the guy got the plane for $6500. Mojave Aviation did the work and Rick paid a total $21,500 and expects to sell it for about $25,000 and the test flight went well, they didn't crash. That's pretty good, since there were about 3-4 crashes at the North Las Vegas airport last year, including 2 fatal accidents.
Next week, new stuff.

Clark County Dog Parks Discriminate Against Small Dogs. Where's The EEOC?

The Las Vegas Valley is blessed with at least 4 large dog parks that allow the dogs run free, inside of fences.

There is a City of Las Vegas dog park close to Washington and Buffalo, on the west side of town. It is connected with a series of other parks, including soccer fields and walking areas and a children's play area. It has several large areas for the dogs to run, including an area for large dogs and another for small dogs (under 25 pounds)

There is another large dog park at Desert Breeze Park, but I am not sure about the size of that park. There is a smaller dog park around Eastern and Viking, close Flamingo and Eastern. The area for the dogs are small, but the park has a nice children's area and soccer fields.

The one park we go to is Dog Fancier Park. It is located at the end of Flamingo Rd., on the east side of town. The water treatment plant, county auction yard and garage is across the street from the park. The park has 4 large to very large areas for dogs to run in. (They also have a large horse park for the horses and an area for show riding and a rodeo) They have 2 dog runs, about 50 yards wide and about 200 yards long. They have a huge large dog park, which dogs of any size visit as well. It is the size of a small farm field in Wisconsin, roughly 400 meters by 400 meters or bigger. Those 3 areas are mostly used by large dogs and small dogs who think they are large dogs in their mind. Then there is an area about 100 X 100 yards and up to about 2 weeks ago, it was designated a small dog and old crippled dog area.

But apparently, the Clark County Parks and Recreation Department thought that this discrimination against big dogs and now allows any dog in that area of the park. So, you can have a small Chihuahua and large Pit Bull in the same area. A Weiner dog and Rottweiler together. Well, it's quite possible that a big dog will eat small dog for a snack and go after a medium size dog for the main course. And for dessert, a puppy souffle.

Up until 2 weeks ago, this system worked quite well and everyone was happy. But then someone complained that the big dogs were being discriminated against and the County pulled down the small dog area sign and put up a number to call the Park Police in emergencies.

So, someone put up a sign saying we should contact the County Commissioner of the area, Rory Reid, along with the County Administrator and I believe the head of Parks and Rec.

The cynic in me thinks this is an election ploy by Reid to get the small dog owner vote in the upcoming governor's election

Small dog owners, and I am one, are not too happy. This is just a common sense issue- small dogs with small dogs and the rest of the park, several acres, can be used by the large dogs or if an owner thinks their small dog can survive with the big guys, then small dogs, as well. But common sense is something some bureaucrats are allergic to.

NASCAR Week In Vegas: Monday

Today, in Las Vegas, it was cold and windy, with rain and snow in the morning. Hardly a way to start NASCAR week here in Vegas.

We went to get our tickets today. The Las Vegas Motor Speedway donated thousands of tickets to CCSD employees and students. So, the race is not a sell out, but the stands should have a lot of fans in them. Our seats are in the Dale Earnhardt section, which basically in the 4 turn, heading into the front straightaway.

Many merchandise haulers arrived today. The picture on the right is the A.J. Almadinger, Paul Menard and Elliot Sadler's merchandise hauler. Not too many race haulers were seen, though. Brendan Gaughn's hauler on the left picture is located in the warehouses/garages on Speedway Ave. There are several garages specializing in race cars located there. There is also a Shelby's restaurant located in the area. Before this week, all they served was lunch, but they may stay open later this week.

The A.F. Thunderbirds were out practicing in the afternoon. They will do the flyover on Sunday.

Hopefully, we will be able to see more haulers tomorrow.

Another sight is the RV's and campers that have already arrived. About 75 campers and RV's have arrived already. By Friday, there will be over a thousand campers and RV's in the parking lots.

Tuesday should be the day that most if not all haulers will arrive, if they haven't gotten here already.

Report more tomorrow.

Jon Ralston And Harry Reid- The Big Lie- Update

On Feb. 14th, Jon Ralson of the very liberal Las Vegas Sun supposedly broke a story how a Tea Party candidate was going to challenge Harry Reid for the U.S. Senate. Well, very few bloggers and newspapers, other than the Sun reported on this and I, your humble blogger, to the best of my knowledge, is the only blogger who called BS on this right away and in another post.
http://lasvegasbadger.blogspot.com/2010/02/tea-party-canidate-going-challenge.html
http://lasvegasbadger.blogspot.com/2010/02/beware-of-fox-in-sheeps-clothing.html
Well, since that alleged story, Jon Ralston still has not reported on the story in the Las Vegas Sun. He has not reported the story on his blog. (http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/ralston/) (only read this if you have a strong stomach.)
There has been no interviews, comments or blogs by the supposed candidate. There have been no news releases by the Nevada Tea Party.
There is no evidence whatsoever that there was ever going to be a candidate for the Tea Party to challenge Harry Reid.
This was just a trial balloon by the Reid campaign, coordinated with the Jon Ralston and The Las Vegas Sun to see what would happen.
Jon Ralston ought to be fired for making up stories and the Las Vegas Sun should print an apology because Ralston works for them and is a regular columnist for them.
Clearly, the Las Vegas Sun is the campaign spokespersons for Harry and Rory Reid. The Reids must have some embarrassing pictures of the editor, Brian Greenspun, for them to be so blatant in their support of the Reids. Hell, even other Democrats in the state don't get that much support from the Sun.
So, Mr. Ralston, you are a liar and your writing career should be over. If you were a conservative writer, your career would be over for sending out false press releases, but since you are a liberal, you are given a pass, but not from me. So, do all of us a favor and either put up the information you tried to pass as news or resign. I would be happy if you prove me wrong.

NASCAR Week Begins Today

With the end of the race in California, it starts NASCAR week in Las vegas. Hopefully I will give some reports and behind the scenes pictures. (No, I am not a reporter, but I live by the Speedway and I can snoop around a little.)

Spring Time In Las Vegas

Well, we had a couple of days in the upper 60's and low 70's this past week and that has triggered Spring in Las Vegas. The grass is starting to turn green, some trees are starting to bud leaves and some crab apple trees are blooming flowers.
For my friends in Wisconsin, maybe you will see Spring in another month and a half.

Prresident Obama's Visit To Vegas Wrap Up

President Obama's visit to Las Vegas has to be determined to be a bust.
First, the mayor of Las Vegas boycotted Obama's visit. Apparently, a lot of other people did as well. His stop at Green Valley High School for his town hall/campaign speech drew only 1800 people. That doesn't come close to capacity for their gymnasium. Then Obama spoke at City Center to supporters and watching the newscasts, one could see numerous empty seats in front of Obama. If you are a PR person, you never want to have empty seats in front of your speaker especially if television cameras are there.
Then Obama held a campaign fundraiser at the Owner of the Palms Hotel and Casino. No reports of who were there or the number. Their goal was $1 million. I don't know if they got it or not, but that number is pathetically low for a sitting president, especially for a so-called popular president.
Obama's visit did cost helicopter and airplane tour operators and it's employees hundreds of thousands of dollars.
On the bright side, Obama brought a welfare package for homeowners facing foreclosure. People who, for whatever reason, could not pay the contracted amount of money for their homes. Cost to you and me, $1,500,000,000.
And then at the end, the Air Force 1 pilots showboat on their way out of McCarren by almost crashing AF1 at the end of the runway, clearing the fence on LV Blvd by only 50 feet or so.
I don't think Obama will be coming back any time soon and Harry Reid probably will be better off for it, as well as Las Vegas.

Air Force 1 Damn Near Crashes Or The Pilots Were Show Boating

Today, I went to see Air Force 1 take off from McCarren Airport in Las Vegas. (Yeah I know, not too much respect for the President, but I do respect the office and the plane)

For those who know the area, most take offs, going east to west, the takeoff run starts near Eastern Ave. Well, Air Force 1 didn't. They only used half the runway, and since it is a 747, you would think you would need the whole runway. Maybe they didn't want to parade in front of the different concourses.

Well, we were standing on Las Vegas Blvd., in the Jack In The Box parking lot which is in directly in front of the runway. The plane approached and all i could say is that they may crash. The plane cleared the fence at the edge of McCarren by the minimum of 50 feet and crossed Las Vegas Blvd. I could have thrown a baseball and hit the plane, it was that low to the ground. That really was a dangerous situation.

So, my question, were the pilots showboating for themselves, for Obama or were they that close to crashing?

What Good Is Harry Reid?

President Obama comes to town and the Secret Service closes the air space in the Valley except for commercial airplanes and air ambulances. This means tour companies and it's employees are going to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The tour operators appealed to the Senator Reid and the Secret Service blows him off.
So, what good is Harry Reid. The dodo's at the Secret Service for some unknown reason, they won't tell because they don't have to because they are the Secret Service and they know better than any of us, just shuts down several businesses because they feel like it.
Sen. Harry Reid's office also contacted the Secret Service and the Federal Aviation Administration after one helicopter company, Heli USA, asked for help, but to no avail. "Ultimately they have to decide what is the best way to protect the president of the United States," Reid spokesman Jon Summers said of the president's protection service and the FAA.
Nigel Turner, president of Heli USA, said today he spoke with the Secret Service to appeal for a smaller no-fly zone of 10 to 12 miles as in previous presidential visits – both by Obama in May and by then-President George W. Bush – that allowed tour operators to fly out of Boulder City and Henderson.
But he said his pleas fell on deaf ears.
"They had this very blase attitude," Turner said. "They don't care because they say this is only for a short period of time, but I don't think they realize the negative impact on our business. All they care about is security, which I understand. It's their job. But they can try and work with us as they did before." http://www.lvrj.com/news/air-tour-operators-must-stay-grounded-84727122.html
What total BS. Harry Reid put in a BS effort and the secret service showed that they don't care and showed they are total incompetents.
They could have solved the issue and have the President land at Nellis, but apparently the dim wits at the Secret Service didn't think of that. Hell, they could have landed at Creech AFB in Indian Springs and had the President helicopter in, but apparently that is not good enough for the President or the SS is too lazy to think about that as well.
Meanwhile, businesses and employees are losing hundreds of thousands of dollars because of the incompetence of the FAA and Secret Service.

Obama's In Las Vegas

Well, President Obama is in Las Vegas, partying it up, while businesses are losing hundreds of thousands of dollars directly caused by Obama being here, The State of Nevada, which is desperate times, is losing sales tax money and fuel tax money because of the closures of the tour helicopters and tour air planes.
Go Obama, Go. Go back to Washington D.C., where you have a place to live and you don't destroy people's livelihoods by coming here.

Here's A Tip To The Nevada Higway Patrol

To the NHP: If you want to catch overweight trucks, stop the Wal-Mart trucks coming out of McCarren, NV. where they have a cold distribution center. Most, if not all the trucks are overloaded.
I'll take 10% of the fines.
That is all.

More Stretching The Truth On Obama's Visit

I have heard on radio shows and read in some article, that Obama wants to talk to some kids at a Town Hall Meeting. So he scheduled a town hall meeting at Green Valley High School. Only problem,is that the students at the school were not invited. Why? Because there is no school for CCSD students that day due to staff development day.
So, why Green valley High School? There are closer venues available, like most of the Las Vegas Strip. The Orleans Arena is a very nice place. Most large hotels have a convention center to hold these kinds of meetings and they are a lot more comfortable than a high school gym or theater. Green Valley H.S. is not even the closest high school to the Strip. Valley H.S. is closer and probably Rancho and Desert Pines, but they are in neighborhoods that are not that nice.
So, why did they have it at a school? Deceive the people? That's my guess.

Obama's Visit To Vegas Costs Business's Over $500,000 In Losses

Oh, that Barack Obama, first he trashes Las Vegas and costs the valley millions of dollars in convention business. Now he visits the Valley and he is killing the tour industry. From the LVRJ: Knowing President Barack Obama's visit would mean tight air restrictions over Las Vegas, Sundance Helicopters put together a plan to keep flying hundreds of tourists to the Grand Canyon for a bird's-eye tour: fly out of the Boulder City airport rather than McCarran.
Instead, the president's Southern Nevada swing Thursday and Friday will shut down Sundance for 20 hours -- along with every other helicopter and small-plane tour operator that flies out of the Las Vegas region, causing direct losses of $500,000 to $750,000, tour companies estimate. The negative economic hit on the Las Vegas air tour industry is just one of the costs associated with this presidential visit. The cost of White House trips can include everything from the price of flying Air Force One to the expense of extra security, police and traffic, resulting in a six-figure price tag, according to rough government estimates. Beyond the costs, business leaders note the benefits to the local community where the president and his entourage are housed and fed, not to mention the international publicity.
"I was prepared for a major inconvenience," said Kurt Barton, director of operations for Sundance, which tours the Grand Canyon and the Las Vegas Strip and expects 300 to 400 customers to be affected. "I wasn't prepared to be shut down with no explanation. This caught us by surprise." ... Nigel Turner, president of Heli USA, said his company will have to cancel tours for 180 reserved passengers unless the Secret Service and the FAA ease tour restrictions to a 10- to 12-mile radius of the president as in past White House visits. Turner called Democratic Sen. Harry Reid, who will accompany Obama on his visit, and asked the senator's office to try to get restrictions changed.
"I think it's very hypocritical to come here and talk about jobs and improving the tourism economy and then do something like this that will just devastate the tour operators," Turner said.
Turner also said he resents Obama attending a $1 million fundraiser for the Democratic National Party on Thursday night while tour operators are hurt economically by his visit. http://www.lvrj.com/news/strict-flying-limits-during-obama-visit-has-air-tour-operators-peeved-84646987.html It also makes me wonder why they can't land at Nellis or at the very least, land at McCarren and then send AF1 to Nellis while the President parties. That should open up the air space.
On the lighter side, a new drink has been named after Obama: The First Food & Bar inside the Palazzo plans to offer a new specialty drink, the "O'bama Slammer," during a happy hour scheduled from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m on Friday and through the weekend. Restaurant manager Joe Timm said the drink is a presidential take on the Alabama Slammer. Its ingredients include Southern Comfort, Di Saronno, orange juice, sloe gin and a bit of grenadine.
"We're doing it 'cause he keeps slamming us," Timm said. (from the same article)
I guess it is too late for Obama to stay home so he can spend quality time with his kids.

Nevada Democrats Aren't the Smartest Bears In The Woods

You really have to wonder about the Democrat Party of Nevada.
Let's start with President Obama's visit to Las Vegas. Just a couple of weeks ago, Obama trashes Las Vegas, saying you should not come to Las Vegas if you are saving for college, not realizing that a lot of people can do both. A year ago, Obama trashes Las Vegas and we lose convention and business meetings. So what to the Democrats do? They suck up to Obama and say all is forgiven. But they don't realize that Mayor Oscar Goodman isn't even going to meet President Bozo, not to mention the Governor.
So, the are going to party on when Obama comes to town. Are they going to pay homage to their core constituency, the people in West Last Vegas or visit a high school in poverty areas in Las Vegas? Nope, Obama is going to party at the Palms and at the Palm's owner's house and do a fund raiser there and try and raise $1million dollars, which really is not a lot of money by Las Vegas standards. Obama is going to speak at lilly white Green Valley High School, in the richer area of Henderson. Nope, don't go to Canyon Springs, Cheyenne, Desert Pines, Rancho or any other high school with a high percentage of minorities.
So, while Nevada is suffering 13% unemployment with a much higher number not being counted, foreclosures, poverty and a $880 million deficit in state government. Thousands of teachers face a cut in pay and or layoffs. A large hotel and casino just announced they are shutting down with hundreds of workers soon out of work.
But the Democrats including Harry Reid and Obama are going to party down.
Yup, the Democrats are in touch with the common people, aren't they? The Democrats just don't get it.

Baby Killer Thug In Court Today

From The Las Vegas Sun: "The man accused of killing a 4-month-old boy with a medieval-style battle ax and severely injuring the child’s mother by chopping both of them as they strolled through a residential neighborhood made his first court appearance this morning, where his attorneys said they are proceeding cautiously because their client could face the death penalty."..Montague is facing multiple felony counts, including murder, attempted murder and attempted murder of a police officer in connection with an attack late Thursday morning in the 1600 block of San Pedro Avenue, near Sahara Avenue and South Maryland Parkway.
Authorities said the attack appeared to be random in nature and a motive wasn’t known, although Montague’s wife told the news media her husband was having a “mental episode” and that he had been diagnosed as a sociopath as a child.
The baby was identified Friday afternoon as 4-month-old Damian Avila Castro, of Las Vegas. Police identified the injured woman in their report as the boy’s mother, Sandra Lisset Castro. She was taken to Sunrise Hospital in extremely critical condition and underwent emergency surgery for multiple head injuries.
Montague is also accused of attacking his sister-in-law, Monica O’Dazier, by stabbing her more than 20 times with the pointed end of the ax. She was listed as being in good condition Sunday at University Medical Center." http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/feb/16/man-accused-fatal-ax-attack-makes-courts-appearanc/
I have one problem. This was just a bail hearing- why did he have two public defenders attorneys? This is just a waste of time and money for a bail hearing. Perhaps there is just a little bit of fat in the public defenders office.
I think the death penalty is appropriate in this case- that cannot be denied. But because of the crime against an innocent baby, perhaps just putting him the general population will accomplish the same thing, just in a shorter time. Prison justice tends to be a lot quicker and inflict a lot more pain. Either way, this thug is not going to get out of jail alive, which is a good thing.

Liberals And Conservatives Have Something In Common: The Chicken Little Syndrome

I try to be consistent in my views and I wish other people would do the same.
I am not a Kool Aide drinker and believe in Global Warming. I think it is a farce and I have the facts on my side. Those who believe in global warming do it on faith and few facts.
The same goes for people who think we are about to enter a great depression, hyper-inflation etc and criticize President Obama for his economic policies. Those who don't like the president's policies cry loudly, the sky is falling, the sky is falling- just like the Chicken LLittle's of global warming. I understand where they are coming from, but there is no evidence, yet, this will happen.
I honestly don't know what will happen with the economy, but right now, there is no change. Gas prices are stable, food prices are up, but not by a lot. The only problem and it is a huge problem is unemployment and I don't see that getting much better in the next few years.
So, those, mostly liberals, who cry the sky is falling because of global warming, have the same thing in common with the people who are crying about how the sky is falling (mostly conservatives) with the economy. Imagine that, liberals and conservatives have something in common.

Superintendent Fires All The Teachers

"Under threat of losing their jobs if they didn’t go along with extra work for not a lot of extra pay, the Central Falls Teachers’ Union refused Friday morning to accept a reform plan for one of the worst-performing high schools in the state.
The superintendent didn’t blink either.
After learning of the union’s position, School Supt. Frances Gallo notified the state that she was switching to an alternative she was hoping to avoid: firing the entire staff at Central Falls High School. In total, about 100 teachers, administrators and assistants will lose their jobs.
Gallo blamed the union’s “callous disregard” for the situation, saying union leaders “knew full well what would happen” if they rejected the six conditions Gallo said were crucial to improving the school. The conditions are adding 25 minutes to the school day, providing tutoring on a rotating schedule before and after school, eating lunch with students once a week, submitting to more rigorous evaluations, attending weekly after-school planning sessions with other teachers and participating in two weeks of training in the summer."
http://www.projo.com/education/content/central_falls_teachers.1_02-13-10_A8HEI7Q_v61.3a65218.html
In theory, the superintendent is not asking a lot and the union is acting like a bunch of babies.
The only problem I have is there were teachers who would go along with the superintendent's plan, they shouldn't get fired.
As a teacher, if the Superintendent asked me to the extra work, I would have agreed to it and I would try to get extra pay, but if they said no, so be it. It's not like they are asking for my first born.
So, it will be interesting to see what happens. While I hope the union sees the light and agrees with the superintendent, I also hope that the teachers who go with the program are not fired. It will be interesting to see what happens. They won't have a problem finding teachers, though, as The CCSD and other school districts is about to lay off hundreds if not thousands of teachers.

TSA: Stupid Under Bush, Stupid Under Obama

From Daniel Rubin of the the Philadelphia Inquirer: Did you hear about the Camden cop whose disabled son wasn't allowed to pass through airport security unless he took off his leg braces?
Unfortunately, it's no joke. This happened to Bob Thomas, a 53-year-old officer in Camden's emergency crime suppression team, who was flying to Orlando in March with his wife, Leona, and their son, Ryan.
Ryan was taking his first flight, to Walt Disney World, for his fourth birthday.
The boy is developmentally delayed, one of the effects of being born 16 weeks prematurely. His ankles are malformed and his legs have low muscle tone. In March he was just starting to walk.
Mid-morning on March 19, his parents wheeled his stroller to the TSA security point, a couple of hours before their Southwest Airlines flight was to depart.
The boy's father broke down the stroller and put it on the conveyor belt as Leona Thomas walked Ryan through the metal detector.
The alarm went off.
The screener told them to take off the boy's braces.
The Thomases were dumbfounded. "I told them he can't walk without them on his own," Bob Thomas said.
"He said, 'He'll need to take them off.' "
Ryan's mother offered to walk him through the detector after they removed the braces, which are custom-made of metal and hardened plastic.
No, the screener replied. The boy had to walk on his own.
Leona Thomas said she was calm. Bob Thomas said he was starting to burn.
They complied, and Leona went first, followed by Ryan, followed by Bob, so the boy wouldn't be hurt if he fell. Ryan made it through.
By then, Bob Thomas was furious. He demanded to see a supervisor. The supervisor asked what was wrong.
"I told him, 'This is overkill. He's 4 years old. I don't think he's a terrorist.' "
The supervisor replied, "You know why we're doing this," Thomas said.
Thomas said he told the supervisor he was going to file a report, and at that point the man turned and walked away. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/home_region/20100215_Daniel_Rubin__Another_case_of_TSA_overkill.html
The TSA is known for acting very stupidly. They work very hard at trying to be politically correct. Intrusive searches on nuns, old men and ladies and babies. The TSA did stupid things under President Bush and it seems nothing has changed under President Obama.
And of course, nothing will be done to the employee or the supervisor who walked away. Fired? Forget about it.
I sincerely hope that the TSA learns from this lesson and begin common sense inspections. Start with profiling and stop being politically correct. President Obama and his administration could win big points if they do this, but sadly, I doubt they will learn.

h/t Drudge

Pawn Stars Review: Feb. 15, 2010

In a week that will bring excitement to Las Vegas as President Obama pays a visit, a more exciting event is the weekly Pawn Stars show.
In the first episode, a gentleman brings in a a cuckoo-cuckoo clock. A new cuckoo-cuckoo clock expert, Roland showed up. He says the clock is worth $6000 to $10,00o, depending if it works and the bird did work. The guy wanted $6000 but settled for $4,200. How does one become a cuckoo-cuckoo clock expert?
The next guy brought in an old weather thermometer. After the Old Man tells Chumlee to shut up. the thermometer was made in in the 1700's or so. The guy wanted $500 and the Old Man offered $150 and that was it and there was no sale. The seller thought he could get more on the Internet. Maybe, but it's a crapshoot.
Another guy brought in a Paul Revere spoon. The guy had to pay for a wedding. I don't know the feeling. Yet. I noticed that the Grissom West Point is still for for sale, and has been for several months. Anyways, they are bringing in the local expert. Dana was the expert and he has been on the show several times. They looked at the signatures and they determined that the spoon was made by Paul Revere Jr. (as opposed to SR.) The guy who brought it in wanted $15000 and Rick offered $7000, then $9000. and it went for $9500. The daughter is going to have a nice wedding. Rick says it will bring in people to the shop, which it may, but will it sell?
The next guy brought in Kam-Act bow and arrow. The guy wanted $500 and Ric offered $50. It sold for $100. They had an archery contest between Chumlee and he didn't even hit the target. Big Hoss also didn't the target, while Rick was the worst. Chumlee won. Never go bow hunting with these guys or you may unintentionally be the target.
The trivia question asks how many people go through the shop in a day. If you had asked this question about 2 years ago, before the show, the answer may be around 100-200. Now, because of the show, they say they have 400 mostly tourists or sightseers, which makes us locals really don't want to go there, at least , not that often.
In 2nd episode, the first guy breought in a 1890 coaster wagon. This brings back memories from stories my mom told me. She and her sisters and one brother would bring a coaster wagon to the bus stop where my grandp would get off the bus and then he would pull the kids to their home from the bus stop. The guy wanted $4000 and Rick offered $300. No deal.
The next guy brought in a Sarolea motorcycle, made in Belgium. Certainly not a Harley. The guy said his relative sent the motorcycle in pieces from the war front, in the 1940's just like Radar did in MASH. Hoss offered $4000 it sold for $4300. They brought in Rick for an inspection and to see if they could fix it up, and the cost to fix it up would be $25-30,000. But in auction, they may get $15000 and to the auction it goes. They showed the auction and it sold for $7000, minus the auction fees.
The next guy (what is it, about 9 out 10 guys selling are men?) brought in a Confederate officer's sword. The expert was Sean and his opinion was that it probably is it probably was fake, based on so many other fakes out there. No offer was made and no sale.
Finally, a woman showed up with a very old printing press from the late 1800's or 1900's. She wanted $300 but it was a broken machine. Rick wanted to pay $5 but the Old Man wanted it and she got $25.
Another 2 episodes, which is still far more exciting than President Obama visitng Las Vegas.

Beware Of The Fox In Sheep's Clothing

Ever since Jon Ralston allegedly broke the story about a supposed Tea Party candidate going to challenge Harry Reid for the U.S. Senate. (http://lasvegasbadger.blogspot.com/2010/02/tea-party-canidate-going-challenge.html) Well, since the alleged story broke, there has not been a follow up story by the Sun or Ralston. The LVRJ never even covered it and if you Google and Yahoo the candidate's name, you don't find much from the candidate himself. Look up Tea Party of Nevada and there is no mention of a candidate for senate or even forming a third party that will candidates.
It looks more and more like Harry Reid's dirty tricks, in conjunction with Jon Ralston and the Las Vegas Sun. I believe this was a trial balloon that has failed miserably.
So, beware of foxes or wolves in sheep's clothing.

Let's Target Big Business- Ooops, Never Mind

From Firehouse.com: "The Cherokee County (South Carolina)council decided Saturday in a unanimous vote to repeal a new ordinance that put a hefty price tag on firefighter services.
The council adopted the ordinance two weeks ago. It allowed fire departments to mail an itemized invoice to a person responsible for an incident that required service from firefighters. The recipient had 30 days to pay or face late fees and a court appearance.
News 4 learned council members adopted the ordinance thinking it targeted only insurance companies, but it really targeted everyone. "
I am not sure if this is a liberal community, but they sure talk like liberals. You have a body of government that thought they would target big business but in reality they targeted everyone. This happens all the time. In Nevada, the liberals are targeting the gold mining industry for an increase in their taxes. But they don't realize that raising taxes will hurt people down the business chain. The liberals don't realize that if a company has to pay more in taxes, they will cut back in other areas. They may lay off workers, they purchase less supplies from the local community or cut back on other expenses. And, they may say that this tax is unfair (In Nevada, there is supposed to be a uniform tax structure) and demand that all businesses pay the same rate as the mining industry will have to pay. They are also targeting stores like Wal-Mart.
The liberals look at a problem and say "raise taxes". They just don't look at the big picture how it will effect things down the line.

Valentines Day- Las Vegas Style

Valentines Day is a very busy day in Las Vegas, especially for the wedding chapels. Since Valentines Day ended up on a Sunday, I kind of doubt the religious Churches were as busy s opposed to Saturdays and every other day of the week.
For some information: http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/feb/14/couples-find-valentines-day-bliss-las-vegas/
As newly married couples milled through the Little White Wedding Chapel, a guy dressed like Elvis Presley interrupted its Cupid-esque owner, Charlotte Richards, mid-sentence to give her a hug. It was Valentine’s Day, after all. This is an internationally known place, and (couples) come here because it’s very special,” said Paul Casey, 42, who was dressed as The King to perform during the ceremonies.
Richards estimated her chapel would marry more than 120 couples on Valentine’s Day – a typical number for the holiday, she said.
The chapel offers a variety of services, including a drive-up window where, for $40, couples can get hitched.
Even though the chapel’s ceremonies are short, lasting only about 12 to 15 minutes, they are the start of something big and long-lasting, Richards said. Eighteen couples signed up for spots to get married at midnight on Valentine’s Day, she said.
“Las Vegas is not the city of sin -- it’s the city of love and romance,” Richards said. “I want to be instrumental in changing that.”
Think about that, 120 in one day, at one one Wedding Chapel. There will be thousands married today in Vegas, which is good news for the Clark County as they will be collecting the marriage license fees.

John Murtha- Good Bye

Michelle Malkin wrote a very good piece about John Murtha, one of the worst members of the House of Representatives: We are not supposed to speak ill of the dead. But those whom the deceased viciously smeared and humiliated deserve to be defended. Entrenched Democrat Rep. John Murtha passed away on February 8 after a botched gall bladder surgery. He has been hailed as a “military advocate” (Associated Press) and “one of the greatest patriots ever to serve in Congress” (former Democratic congressman Harold Ford). These obsequious obituaries leave out inconvenient truths:
John “Jack” Murtha was an unrepentant smear merchant and corruptocrat to the bitter end.
http://michellemalkin.com/2010/02/12/john-murtha-requiem-for-a-corruptocrat/
Now that Ted Kennedy is gone and Murtha is with him, we have two of the scummiest politicians pushing up daises. RIP, Murtha and Kennedy, but the country is better off with them gone rather than having them in Congress.

Red Flag At Daytona

The Daytona 500 is under a red flag right now. Because of a crash? No, it's because the track is falling apart. The delay is at least an our long and I am sure the folks at Fox are quite pissed.
The Daytona 500 is the Super Bowl of NASCAR and this just should not happen. Can you imagine at the real Super Bowl, they have to delay the game an hour because the field stadium is falling apart? Seventh game of the World series and they have to delay the game for an hour because the outfield fence falls over?
So, now, I have to get ready for work and I won't be able to watch the rest of the race. This sucks. Good customer service NASCAR and the Daytona Speedway.
Update: I had to get the race updates from my lovely wife Cathy. They also had another red flag because of the track about 20 laps from the finish.
Jamie McMurray won the race with a very exciting finish with Dale Earnhardt Jr. came in second. http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/nascar/cup/news/story?id=4914488
Fox Sports must have been really pissed about the to lengthy delays and customers turning the TV dial to other TV stations.
One announcer had the gall suggesting fans enjoyed the breaks in the action. No, you moron, we didn't enjoy the delays and no matter how you spin it, the race really sucked.
The race was an embarrassment to NASCAR and Daytona Speeday. This was the Super Bowl of NASCAR racing and they blew it. I am not sure how they recover from this debacle, but they better find a way.

Tea Party Canidate Is Going To Challenge Harry Reid

From the Las Vegas Sun: "Sun columnist Jon Ralston is reporting that the Tea Party has qualified as a third party in Nevada and will have a candidate in the Senate race to battle for the seat held by Majority Leader Harry Reid.
The party has filed a Certificate of Existence but needs to get 1 percent of the electorate to vote for its candidate in November to permanently qualify, according to the report.
Ralston reported that Jon Ashjian will be the Tea Party's U.S. Senate candidate on the November ballot. Ashjian still must declare his candidacy."
Ok, let's look at the facts. Considering this was broken by Jon Ralston, an extremely liberal columnist- he would make Karl Marx look like a conservative, I would not put much truth into this.
Second, they report that Jon Ashjian will be it's candidate but yet he has not yet to declare his candidacy. Huh?
A third party conservative candidate is Harry Reid's wet dream. It's the only way he could possibly win.
But who is Jon Ashjian? Google his name and you don't find anything. Same with Yahoo. So, who is this guy?
My honest opinion is that this is a set up by Reid and Ralston. What does Ralston know about the Tea Party movement? He thinks, as a good liberal thinks, they are a bunch of nuts. And why would he get the information before other conservative writers, columnists and talk show hosts? Why hasn't Ashjian been in the public spotlight before today? Why hasn't he declared his candidacy yet? How about a press conference?
So, no, I don't think this is legitimate announcement but another desperate act of liberals, like Ralston and Reid. The Las Vegas Sun, no surprise, is already in the tank for Reid, being their spokesperson/propaganda writer for Reid. Ralston has been a pathetic writer ever since his TV show was cancelled and his writing in the Sun has been greatly been diminished and he wants to get back in the lime light.
I don't think this play out like the liberals want. They think that anyone associated with the Tea Party movement will succeed and that people are too stupid to figure out this ruse. That's what many liberals think, conservatives are just too stupid that they won't figure out the liberal's games they play.
So, nice try Harry and Jon, but people just aren't that stupid.

Danica Who?

Chrissy Wallace

Ok, my NASCAR addiction has been cured this week with the Daytona 500 week. All week it has been Danica Patrick. Danica this, Danica that. Did you even know there was another woman in the race? Chrissy Wallace was driving the 41 race car, but Patrick got all the attention. In the Nationwide race, both women crashed out, Chrissy in lap 1 and Patrick in lap 68. Not very impressive for either woman.
The real winner today: GoDaddy, who is Patricks's sponsor.
Hopefully, Chrissy Wallace will get some more attention for her efforts.

Clark County Is Not Broke- Financially, That Is

As I was driving down Cabana Dr. by Desert Inn, I came across a traffic jam about 1/3 mile long. Strange, I thought, as this is a lightly traveled road. (DI and Cabana are on the east side of the Valley, about 1 mile east of Nellis). The first time I went through, and it took about 10 minutes to go through the intersection. I saw some construction workers, but couldn't tell what they were doing. Th next time I went down Cabana, the traffic jam was about 1/2 mile and it took almost 15 minutes to get through. I figured out that they were putting up new traffic lights. Traffic lights? Why.?
The job was being done a private company but there was a Clark County employee out there supervising.
Then it occurred to me. This is how some government employees justify their job. They find a situation where there is no problem and then their solution is to make the problem worse.
This is at the third intersection that I am aware of where they put up traffic lights where they were not needed. They put one on Owens & Walnut and Pecos & Harris. At both intersections, it has made the problem worse. First, it is tougher to cross the road on the smaller street because you have to wait for a light. Instead of crossing immediately or at the worst, wait about 30 seconds, now you have to wait 2 or 3 minutes to cross because of the red light. Further, they did not time the lights, so the traffic is screwed up on the busy streets.
The morons in the traffic division cannot even time the traffic lights in the valley. They should concentrate on the basics, not create more problems. And to spend about $100,000 to put up traffic lights when they are not needed also shows me there is a lack of over site by the Clark County Commissioners.
No, Clark County is not broke financially if they can afford things like traffic lights when they are needed. They are broke when it comes to over site, however.

Lake Mead Rising

A frequent reader and commentator, Ordinary Jill (http://jillsixpack.blogspot.com/) , asked if all the rain has caused Lake Mead to rise. Well, to answer her question, a reporter from the LVRJ decided to answer her question. Lake Mead has in fact, has risen about 1 foot, but the reason is not the runoff from the rain, but water usage on farms in Arizona and Southern CA. seems to be the reason. http://www.lvrj.com/news/breaking_news/lake-mead-rises-a-foot-as-rains-provide-water-for-farms-84182622.html
I don't think this is the only reason. You have fewer people living in the Las Vegas Valley and people are conserving water because of the recession, foreclosures and unemployment. We have had significant rain over the past two weeks also has helped. With the snowfall around the Spring Mountains being over 10 feet for the winter so far, things are looking better. Especially since the "experts" say we will run out of water in the next few years.

Wisconsin Firefighter Marks 60 Years Of Firefighting

"When George Miller signed on as a volunteer with the North Lake Fire Department (NLFD) in 1949, the 17-year-old probably wasn't thinking that he'd still be fighting fires more than half a century later.
Last year, Miller celebrated his 60th year with the department. Now 77 years old, he's slowed down a bit and no longer puts out as many fires as he once did, but "if there's a major thing, I still go out," Miller said.
Back when Miller joined the department with good friend Kenny Gilbertson, North Lake was a much smaller place. Miller joined to be a part of things going on in town, adding that "there was nothing else to do."
Miller has served under eight of the nine fire chiefs who have led the department, which was formed in 1917.
Over the past 60 years, Miller's service to the NLFD has gone well beyond the typical firefighter duties. In 1964, he joined the Fire Department Board, becoming president in 1969, a post he kept until turning it over to current president Dan Arndorfer two years ago.
While Miller remembers some of the biggest fires he's been involved with - such as the fire at the local rendering plant and the time the Nashotah lumberyard burned down - being a North Lake firefighter has at times meant more than just fighting fires."
http://www.firehouse.com/topics/top-headlines/wis-ff-marks-60-years-service
This is a truly amazing story. Sixty years of doing anything is amazing- marriage, working at a job, having a hobby etc and this gentleman has been a volunteer firefighter for 60 years. Most 77 year old gentleman are content playing golf, fighting off dementia or going for short walks.
Congratulations to Mr. Miller and the North Lake FD. An amazing gentleman and hope retirement is not in your near future.

Brian Krolicki Won't Challenge Old Man Reid

Lt. Governor Brian Krolicki (R-NV) will not take on Harry Reid and the other GOP candidates for U.S. Senate this fall, instead, he will concentrate on being re-elected Lt. Governor of the State.
This is probably a wise move. First, Reid is toast. Whoever wins the GOP primary will beat Harry Reid (Dumbass-NV) Hell, even an Asian Carp roaming the waters of Lake Michigan could beat Reid. So could the scorpion who invaded out house this past week could beat Reid.
Krolicki made the right choice. He can help the next governor, probably Brian Sandoval, transition into office and then in 2012, he can challenge John Ensign for the other U.S. senate race.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/feb/11/krolocki-says-he-wont-run-harry-reids-senate-seat/

How Sad

A total stranger, on Thursday, used an axe and killed an infant and critically injured their mother today, near the Stratosphere. The thug also stabbed his disabled sister-in-law.
http://www.lvrj.com/news/police-say-man-arrested-after-attacking-his-family-with-an-ax-84150567.html
Just imagine, you are taking your baby for a nice walk in the sun(it was a beautiful day in Vegas today) and minding your own business and some mad man comes at you with an axe and kills your baby and permanently disfigures you, if you even live.
Unless this thug is severely mentally ill, this case cries out for the death penalty. I think, even opponents of the death penalty would sit this one out.

I Know Where To Hold The Gitmo Trials

Since President has his mind set about having criminal trials for the terrorists who currently living the lavish lifestyle at Club Gitmo, I have an idea where to hold the trial. Why not Las Vegas?
First, Las Vegas is used to being in the spotlight and holding a trial of KSM would be small potatoes, compared to some of the heavyweight boxing matches held here. Throw in News Years Eve and a few other events, like the porn convention, it shows we can put on any event with few problems.
Where to hold the prisoners? Well, we have empty prisons and jails in the Clark county. We have the State prison in Jan, about 15 miles south of Las Vegas. The Metro police dept. has a empty jail sitting across the street from Nellis Air Force Base. It's gathering dust. But if you put a few Gitmo prisoners in there and they cause problems, just bring over the fighter jets from Nellis and let them have target practice.
We also have a maximum security juvenile prison just down the road from Metro's empty jail and the State wants to close that as well. So, now you can split up the prisoners.
And of course, you have Yucca Mountain, the nuclear repository that Harry Reid and Obama want to close. Put the prisoners in the middle of a nuclear repository and what can happen to them? Talk about being in the safest and most secure and isolated area in the country.
So, my proposal to the Feds- you pay off our $880,000,000 deficit and throw in a billion or two for a rainy day fund and you can hold the trials here in Las Vegas. We get things done- hell, we even convicted O.J. You can take the money out of Obama's and Reids's petty cash supply. In return, we may even throw in a few show tickets to see Penn and Teller and Barry Manilow. Maybe even Celine Dion when she returns to Vegas next year.
So, what about it, Las Vegas? We can have Oscar Goodman and his showgirls promoting the thing. What better place to hold the trial than in Las Vegas?