More Evil Wal-Mart News

I realize I may get fired for this, but what the hell.

At the Wal-Mart store I work at in Las Vegas, they have let go all of the seasonal help they hired in October and November, just before Christmas. Why, I am not sure. This is comes to about 40-50 employees. I over heard a personnel employee telling a new hire that they probably had a job for about 3-4 months, but that did not turn out to be true.

I do think, part of it has to do with what is going on nationally, with the health care bill and the possibility of increase in taxes.

Normally, associates hired for the holiday season work until the beginning of February, but not this year. When I was hired a little over 2 years ago, I was hired as a seasonal employee. Back then, if you did a good job, you were kept on and became either part time or full time employee.

Now, even if the the seasonal workers did a good job, they are let go.

Again, I think part of this has to do with the uncertainty of the health care bill. Wal-Mart and probably other companies want to get workers off the payrolls before the bill passes.

I might be completely wrong on this, but then, prove me wrong.

And if I am fired, oh well.

Give Blood- See Penn and Teller

For those who live in Las Vegas or plan on visiting Vegas in the next couple of days, you can donate blood at any United Blood Sevices center and get two free tickets to the Penn and Teller show. http://www.unitedbloodservices.org/herostatepage.asp?state=nv

MAACO Bowl 2009

The MAACO bowl was played today in Las Vegas between BYU and Oregon State. BYU won the game in the very cold and windy night in Vegas(ok, cold for Vegas)
The game wasn't quite a sell out but about 40,000 fans saw the kick off. By half time, crowds started to leave the stadium in droves. I know because I saw the traffic jam at Boulder Hwy and Russell. BYU won the game in a blow out.
Glad to have all the visitors come to Las Vegas and hope they have a warmer day tomorrow. And thanks to MACCO for sponsoring the game.

Maybe There Is Something About This Global Warming Hype

Last night, at the Wal-Mart store I work at, we got our first shipment of swimming suits and beach towels.
Maybe Wal-Mart believes in global warming and that it will be a warmer Spring and Summer and it will come earlier than usual.

Pawn Stars Review 12-21-2009

The first episode in Pawn Stars was just a repeat of their favorite segments. I loved the scene at the end where they drive off in the Old Man's Lincoln. It kind of looked like late summer or early fall.
In the 2nd episode, the currency was very cool. The store doesn't have those kind of currencies in their store, at least on display, but they do have a good supply of old coins and dollar bills. The story behind the Ben Franklin note was very interesting. I guess that is why the show is on the History Channel.
Note to Rick on the battle axe- India is in Asia. Maybe he meant oriental. But you could see the greed in the ladies face. I would have paid that amount of money for the axe.
Chumlee certainly looks like a big elf in his costume. Shrink Chumlee a few hundred pounds and he looks like the elves in the classic Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. Love that sweater that Grandma made for Corey. You could actually see the redness in Corey's cheeks as he put it on. Believe it or not, I've seen worse.
For those who have not been in the shop, it really isn't that big, especially compared to other pawn stores in Las Vegas. The actual selling area consists of a L figure. A straight line going in and a little aisle going left once you enter the shop. Maybe total aisle space is only about 60 feet and that is being generous.
I enjoyed seeing the Old Man talking about the the U.S.S. Wisconsin. Being from Wisconsin, it was interesting to see such an old camera. And the old Man is quite the negotiator- he seems quite sincere and honest when dealing with the customers. And I am sure he is. If you look closely at the Old Man, you tell he looks a little different, but I will let the readers guess what that is.
In the third episode, I loved the Big Rig. If I wasn't a teacher, I'd be a truck driver and this rig would be a dream to drive. I hope the guy paid off his loan, though it would be difficult, as he needs to be paid off. Makes me wonder if this truck was already paid for. Seems like if there is already a loan out for it, the shop can't make a 2nd loan on the truck. If the truck already was paid for, why would the trucker go to the pawn shop for a loan? It also makes me wonder where they stored the truck. If they kept it at their shop, not the best neighborhood in Vegas, it probably would have been tagged or worse within a couple of days. You can look up a crime report for any area within the Metro jurisdiction at: http://www.lvmpd.com/crimeviewcommunity/wizard.asp
As far as the wine maker, would you trust Chumlee to make the wine?
Pretty cool they made a $80,000 profit on the Rolex. No wonder they make the purchases they can make.
People will criticize pawn brokers for being greedy against people in their time of need. There maybe some truth to this, but they have have make a profit so they can continue making loans and buying things. Pawn stores are a valuable business, especially in Las Vegas.
Next week, hopefully, other pawn shops in Las Vegas.

FDNY EMT's Put Bagels Before Dying Woman

In a vewry sickening case, two FDNY medics, on a break, ignored pleas for help from bystanders to help a woman who was having a seizure. The lady, who was pregnant, later died.
From firehouse.com: furious Mayor Bloomberg yesterday blasted two EMTs who allegedly refused to help a dying, pregnant mom because they were on break at a Brooklyn coffee shop.
"It was unconscionable, [an] outrage, pick some adjectives and stick it in," the fuming mayor said at a news conference a day after The Post broke the scandal involving tragic mom Eutisha Revee Rennix, 25.
"The Fire Department, including EMS, is responsible for life-saving, and their first responsibility is to do that," the mayor said. "But even if they weren't part of the Fire Department sworn to protect all of us, just normal human beings, drop your coffee and go help somebody if they're dying. C'mon."
The two EMTs were buying bagels in the Au Bon Pain at the Metrotech Center in Downtown Brooklyn on Dec. 9 when Rennix collapsed there -- and they allegedly ignored her.
Her toddler son has been crying, "Where's Mommy?" since her death, said her stunned and grieving family. Rennix's mother, Cynthia, angrily added that the FDNY hasn't offered one word of explanation -- or sympathy -- for the fiasco....Witnesses have said the two EMTs -- trained medics working as dispatchers at FDNY headquarters at Metrotech -- were more interested in getting to their breakfast than helping the dying woman amid the panicked screams of her fellow workers.
Their cold advice: "Call 911," the witnesses said.
They then allegedly left the cafe before help arrived. http://www.firehouse.com/topics/top-headlines/fdny-emts-allegedly-ignored-dying-woman
I can bring forth arguments about government run health care or union employees, but what it really comes down is you have two lazy assed EMT's who couldn't care less about another human being. I hope they are fired and sued and never be allowed to work with people ever again. As a former EMT, I find their response to be inhuman and uncaring. Hell, when the union won't even back you, you know they did something terribly wrong.
Now, they have 2 dead people on their souls.

Winter Break For CCSD

Just in time for a snowstorm tonight and tomorrow, The Clark County School District has officially started it's Christmas vacation.
Time to sleep in and get ready for the next third of the school year.
(PS to the folks in the Midwest, our storm will soon be your storm- watch out!)

A Very Sick Person In Minnesota

From Fox News: Maybe it was nine lives, but one feline is lucky to be alive after he was found with his paws glued to a Minnesota interstate, KSFY.com reported.
A couple saw the cat on the side of the road and thought it had been injured by a car, the KSFY.com reported. But the cat was stuck, though its paw pads were ripped off by the glue when the couple removed him from the road, the site reported.
Now, I am not a fan of cats as I am allergic to them, but to glue a cat to the highway is very sick. The fear and the pain the cat had to go through is unbelievable. I hope they catch the the bastard(s) who did this and glue them to the highway and then have a steam roller with bad brakes and Paris Hilton at the wheel come at them.

Senate Passes Cloture VoTe On Health care: It's A Done Deal

So, Harry Reid (Dumb Ass-Nevada) got his 60 votes by bribing certain senators to pass the Senate health care bill. (rumors have it the 60 senators, after the vote, bowed before a statue of Obama and chanted Obama's name, followed by licking the butt of the Obama statue)
So, now, the bill will go to reconciliation with the House version where the bill will become very liberal. Then the vote will come before both houses where several Democrat Senators and House members will vote no as a matter principal and the bill will still pass. Obama will sign the bill and in 2010, the Dem's will voted out of office.
When the Dem's are voted office, the GOP will attempt to reverse the damage the Dem's did, but it won't help as Obama will have the veto pen. Plus, knowing the GOP, they will screw it up, anyways.
Therefore, unless something happens in 2012, the country is screwed, our taxes will be much higher, we will have worse health care than we have now, all thanks to Obama, Reid, Pelosi and the the Democrats.
I'd say, may they rest in hell, but something tells me they are running Hell and will enjoy Hell very much.

Fillaseat.com

For those who live in Nevada and in particular, Las Vegas, I urge you to check out this web site: Fillaseat.com
You can get tickets for some shows on the Strip and elsewhere for a nominal cost.
I've used them and it is really worth the cost. Check it out.

And They Are From Wisconsin?

U.S. Marine Lance Corporal Jeremiah Koehler from Dells, Wisconsin of the 2nd Marine Exhibitionary Brigade, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines Echo Company shakes hands with people during a patrol this summer in Delaram, Afghanistan. The Marines were part of a stepped up effort by American troops fighting Taliban fighters in Southern Afghanistan.

From Jsonline

Maybe the writer and editors didn't know that there is a city named in Wisconsin Dells. It's nice tourist trap just north of Madison. Not that the Dells are famous or anything like that.

But there is no city named Dells in Wisconsin.

MPS Pick For School Superintendent: Is That The Best They Could Get?

The Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) just announced their finalists for the job. When you look at their resumes on jsonline, the only thing that I could think of was, was that the best candidates they could get? http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/79697927.html I'm surprised that MPS education blog, Folkbum hasn't said anything about the candidates. (for that matter, neither has anybody else) But hey, it appears he is only interested posting in fantasy world with global warming and the health care bill. Not that his future boss is important to him or his students or taxpayers or anybody else living in Milwaukee.
You have 2 assistant superintendents and a superintendent of a school district of only 7,800 students as finalists. You mean they couldn't find a superintendents of a school district over 10,00 students to become a candidate of a school district of about 90,000 students. But the candidates are all minorities, so I guess that is important.
MPS is one of the largest school districts in the country but I am sorry, while the three gentlemen are fine people and would make great superintendents in small to medium school districts, they lack the experience to run a large Midwest school district with a lot of severe problems.
So, again, is MPS is in such bad shape that they can only draw 3rd or 4th tier candidates for superintendent?
So, why isn't there any analysis by local lefty Milwaukee blogs? Why does a blog from Las Vegas, who used to be a MPS teacher, have to point out the problems with the canidates?

Coming To A Town Near You: The Stripper Mobile

The stripper mobile, which was on the road for a couple of days in Vegas, is going nationwide and will be filming for a possible TV show on cable TV.
From the Las Vegas Sun: The strippermobile is no longer trolling the Strip for customers, but in a few weeks it will be going up and down Main Street, USA.
In early January, it will become a Vegas-born — and banned — business that took its show on the road.
“We’re going to have them swinging from coast to coast,” says Larry Beard, marketing guru for Déjà Vu.
The last and only time the vehicle rolled was November in Las Vegas, when bikini-clad strippers inside the truck’s Plexiglas-enclosed cargo area swung around a brass pole affixed to the middle of the truck bed.
Strippermobile Winter Tour 2010 will be filmed, and Beard hopes to have it broadcast on cable television. It might need to be on adult on-demand channels though, because the itinerary includes Portland, Ore. Beard says the decency laws there are lax, so the dancers will be nude during that stretch of the trip.
So, look for the Stripper mobile in a town near you. And if you live in Portland, you get a free sex show.

Health Care Bill Debate Question:

Ok, if the is health care bill the Democrats are about to pass, why do the Dem's have to bribe their own members to pass the bill? Senators like Ben Nelson and Mary Landreiu have been bought off with bribes. Why?
And I am willing to bet after reconciliation, those promises will be left out making those senators look like suckers.
And for the senators from the Democrat party who didn't get anything for their state, say like Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold- Suckers!!!
So, the Dem's are bought and paid for for a bill they really don't believe in. Pathetic.

A New Scrooge: Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart stores, a store that respects their employees is making their employees work until 8:00 on Christmas Eve.
Normally, Wal-Mart normally closes at 6:00 on Christmas Eve and many employees have counted on that and I know I did. Many have family coming in, other have parties to go to. Others have church services to get ready for.
This tells me that Wal-Mart is hurting this Christmas season, so they are hoping to make a few extra dollars, which they probably won't do. I have worked the previous 2 years on Christmas Eve. Usually, I get off by 6:30 and now, on Thursday, I will be lucky to get out by 8:30. Yes, if they stayed open, they can make some more money, so why close at all? And I think that is going to be the next step in a few years.
So, to the person at Wal Mart who ordered the stores to stay open a couple of hours longer, bah hum bug and I hope Santa puts coal in your stocking.

Breaking News And Las Vegas Exclusive: CCSD Assistant Superintendent Finalist For MPS Job

In a Las Vegas exclusive, in blogs and the media, an area superintendent for CCSD is a finalist for the superintendents job in Milwaukee, WI.
From jsonline: The Milwaukee School Board has narrowed its list of candidates for Milwaukee Public Schools' next superintendent to three, the school district announced in a news release Thursday night.
The three finalists are:
• Robert Alfaro, area superintendent of the Clark County School District, Las Vegas, Nev.
• Stacy Scott, associate superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, Md.
• Gregory Thornton, superintendent, Chester Upland Public Schools, Chester, Pa. http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/79586482.html
Even though I am a teacher in CCSD, I do not know Robert Alaro. I do know he is the Area 2 superintendent for CCSD. For the Area 2 web site: http://ccsd.net/areas/2/
MPS is having severe financial difficulties and Mr. Alaro would be a great person to deal with the financial problems as CCSD has been under financial distress for the past couple of years. In fact, MPS probably spends twice the amount of money per student as CCSD. The high schools in the area are not that tough like, say Vincent, in Milwaukee, however, they do have, for the most part, have a high minority student population.
So, good luck to Mr. Alaro in getting the job. But if he gets the job, he will face many major problems in MPS, a school system that is basically a cesspool, a school board that is incompetent and a State and local government that is also very incompetent.

City Center Now Open

City Center, an $8 billion project by MGM and others finally completed it's openings last night with the opening of Aria. City Center is the largest private construction in the world's history.
City Center currently employs around 12,000 people, but that number will surely go down as most resorts hire high and then lay off people when business goes down.
City Center is a very high end resort. It literally is a city within a city. It has condos, 1 casino, hotels, shopping, restaurants and even it's own fire station.
For locals, it represents a lot of jobs and a larger tax base.
However, the resort, for the most part, does not cater to most locals. The shops are very high end, the hotel rooms are some of the most expensive in Las Vegas and it is difficult to get to, as opposed to other resorts. The biggest plus for locals is that is will lower prices at other resorts and casinos.
Don't think we will be seeing Tiger Woods there, anytime soon, though. This is (was) his kind of resort.
So, good luck to City Center and hope it succeeds.

If Liberals Are Pissed. Conservatives Are Pissed, Why Pass The Health Bill?

After reading a couple of liberal blogs and of course, conservative blogs, it seems no one is happy with the health care bill. So, why are the Dem's going down this suicide road? Why do they want to piss off their base or basically taking them for granted and continue to piss off the moderates and conservatives?
Why, then are they paying so much homage to Obama, because that really is what it is. They are bowing down before Obama and hope that he will lead them to the promise land, but in reality, he is leading them like lemmings off a cliff.
So, from the Las Vegas Gleaner: http://www.lasvegasgleaner.com/las_vegas_gleaner/2009/12/reids-mastery-on-display.html#comments
And Folkbum: http://folkbum.blogspot.com/
The very unhappy liberals.

Pervert Or Travesty Of Justice?

Update; Mr. Hoffman has been totally exonerated and is back in the classroom.

My hunch was right that this was a bogus accusation and that the LVMPD and District wanted a teacher trophy to put on their mantel.

There are plenty of Pervert teachers in CVSD, I know of 1 personally, but Mr. Hoffman is not one of them.

From the Las Vegas Sun: Metro Police said today that detectives have been investigating a Las Vegas teacher since May 2009 for alleged sexual misconduct with a female student. Ronny Scott Hoffman, 38, a French teacher at the Las Vegas Academy, was arrested Dec. 9. Hoffman faces charges of coercion with force, a felony, and three counts of open and gross lewdness, which are gross misdemeanor charges, police said. At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Metro Lt. John Bradshaw said a female student told police in May that Hoffman sexually assaulted her on school grounds at the Las Vegas Academy. http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/dec/15/vegas-teacher-accused-sexual-misconduct-student/ Ok, this sounds pretty bad. My first reaction was, here we go again, another school pervert. (as an aside, I am a teacher in the CCSD) But, the Las Vegas Sun, unlike the LVRJ, made an update to this story. There are several troubling aspects of this story. First, why is Metro making the arrest? Why not the CCSD police? Maybe the CCSD police didn't think there was a case? 2nd. The time frame. The date. The alleged date of the attack occurred between October 1 and Nov. 30th. During this time frame, from the end of October until Nov. 30th, there are 3 vacations in CCSD- Nevada Day, Veterans Day and Thanksgiving. You would think, by using the holidays as a guide, the date could have been narrowed down. 3rd. According to Metro, while the "victim" was being attacked, another girl walked in and pretty much stopped the attack by her presence. The cops interviewed 105 girls and no one saw anything. Another part of the complaint says that the teacher thought the girl's bathroom was a unisex bathroom after the men's bathroom was closed. First, I have never seen, in my 12 years of teaching, a teacher using the student's bathroom. Second, either this teacher is extremely stupid or the student. There are no unisex bathrooms in CCSD, that I know of. He hugged a student. Well, I am not a hugger, but I know teachers who are. They take a risk, but sometimes a student will go up and hug the teacher. If a female student gives me a hug, well, her breasts will probably touch my body, but, that is physics. Nothing I can do. Another issue was that he got close to her in the classroom. If you have seen foreign language classes in high school in CCSD, there are a lot of kids and not a lot of classroom space. I am not trying to make excuses for the teacher. If he did it, shame on him and send to prison for a very long time. But this case seems mighty strange and based on the comments of students and former students, he has a lot of supporters. We will see.

Review: Nathan Burton Comedy Show

We went to our first true Vegas show this evening and the first show we saw was the Nathan Burton Comedy Show at the Flamingo.
If you are looking for swearing, acid rock music, bad customer service and an entertainer going through the motions, then this show is not for you.
We joined about 150 people at the show at 4:00. Everyone was close to the stage. They took pictures of all the audience before they entered the show and they put those pictures a huge screen TV just before the show, which was kind of neat.
Nathan came on and talked to the audience, not at them and he went on to perform his acts. Many of the acts involved 2 pretty girls showing up in different props. There was another actor who also involved in the act, also reappearing. For about 15 minutes, a comedian/juggler named Michael Holly performed. Holly had a good banter with the audience while he juggled things from bowling balls, w&w's (M&M's), a hatchet and a few other things. He is quite good, but nothing dangerous and he didn't juggle more than 3 items, but he really didn't need to.
Burton came back on and invited a 13 year old kid on stage to do mind reading. The kid was totally innocent as he was offered to go on a fake date with a cute girl assistant. The kid was from Australia and he was quite shy. When asked what he would do if he got a chance to marry the girl, he said he would bail. Anyways, Burton "guessed" what the kid would say.
The finale was very good and all I can say, if you are from where snow flies and you have snowmobiles, you will be very, very impressed.
I spent a lot of time thinking how did he do that. Sometimes, I think I got the answer, other times, I had no idea.
Burton's show lasts one hour and after the show, he gives out free autographs and talks with the audience. Somehow, I have my doubts most other Vegas headliners do that. That is very classy.
The cost is $20 for the show and well worth it. Everyone involved in the show was very nice- ushers, waitress, ticket takers etc and the the production is a Burton family affair.
So, have some fun when you are in Vegas and see the show. You won't be disappointed.

Welcome To The Neighborhood

A brand new IHOP moved into neighborhood this week, opening yesterday. We went there tonight, and other than a few minor rookie mistakes, they did a nice job. Very good service with typical IHOP food.
Hopefully, they will make it, as our neighborhood has not had good luck with businesses lately.

New Airplane/Drone At Creech AFB

From the LVRJ: Its nickname is the “Beast of Kandahar,” but the Air Force has officially dubbed it the RQ-170 Sentinel.
Whatever it is called in aviation or military circles, the Pentagon in a brief statement has confirmed the existence this month of what expert observers are calling the latest addition to the Air Force’s expanding fleet of remotely piloted spy planes. Like the much-publicized Predator and Reaper unmanned aerial systems, the Sentinel is home-based in Nevada, and was probably tested at classified locations on the Nellis range, including Area 51, one private defense information expert said.
An Air Force spokesman said the Sentinel is being developed by Creech Air Force Base, specifically the base’s 30th Reconnaissance Squadron at the Tonopah Test Range, about 150 miles northwest of Las Vegas. He said the squadron is part of the 432nd Wing at Creech, hub for the nation’s remotely piloted military aircraft.

So, if driving around Indian Springs, about 45 miles north of Las Vegas on Hwy 95, you may see this airplane/drone taking off or landing.

Pawn Stars Review- October 14th, 2009

The first show was pretty decent. The Les Paul guitar was interesting. The seller, Rod, says he was a musician and one of the bands he mention was Toto. I looked on Wikepedia and saw there was no musician named Rod. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toto_(band) Maybe he was using an alias.
The hot air balloon was a joke. No way should the guy given the money back to the shop. However, the thing about giving rides to customers probably was bogus. There are three places you can get a hot air balloon ride. There was a piece on Las Vegas Advisor http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/index.cfm?&CFID=26067535&CFTOKEN=82316992 . (there is no link to the article) There are 3 places where you can get a hot air balloon ride in Vegas. One guy does it full time, one part time and a hot air balloon ride across from the Mandaly Bay that goes up about 500 feet. They do it day and night and it is pretty cool to see at night. None of the above are from the pawn shop. So, if going to the pawn shop, don't count on going on a hot air balloon ride.
In the 2nd show, I have to admit I was a bit grumpy because when I went to get a beer, I stepped in some pee the hound laid down on the carpet and missed a little bit of the show.
I didn't know who was Monty Montana either, so I learned something. Corey really didn't do much negotiating with the owner. Go from $2000 to $3000 in a second? But, hey, he came in 2nd in the competition.
Pretty cool that the Old Man was a Navy man.
The guy selling the motorcycle says he can't find a place to store the bike. Well, there are a lot of places to store things, if he wanted to payout the money. And no, I never saw the bike ever, on the floor of the store. The seller mentioned the Las Vegas Motorspeed Way. It's just down the street from where I live and it is a huge facility. It has a full size track, drag strip, (both have huge national events like NASCAR and NHRA races), a short track and a road course and I also think, a dirt track. During NASCAR (Sprint) they have their own airport for helicopters. They have a control tower and landing area for people who want to travel from the Strip to the track and avoid the traffic. Actually, traffic on race day isn't bad as we got home in less than 45 minutes from the race ended, walking to the car and getting out of the parking lot. Not bad when you have about 100,000 people at the race. At the Speedway, the motorcycles race on the drag strip and road course.
Funny that the Old Man won the competition, but I have seen him work when I was in the shop, and as I have said before, he is a nice guy but firm when I got to talk to him.

Buffet Review: More At Luxor

I have been to many buffets in Las Vegas and there are some good ones like the Wynn and Bellagio, some excellent ones like the M and some that totally suck- mostly because of customer service- like Sam's Town.
Well, add another buffet to the suck list. We went to the More at the Luxor. The cost is $19.99 per person, plus tax.
We got there, there was no one in line and a basically restaurant. The cashier got us out in a very short time and then we waited and waited. We waited about 5 minutes, which was absurd.
Then we went to get our food. The main course items were luke warm or cool. The twice baked potato was so cool that I couldn't get a pad of butter to melt even a little bit. Nothing was hot. It sucks to eat a cool baby back rib. The waitress did her job ok, though she did get an order wrong on a drink, but it did work out in the end.
The desserts were decent to good and the best part of the buffet.
So, when in Vegas, there are plenty of buffets to choose from, but the Luxor's More shouldn't be one of them, especially for the cost.

Obama Gives Himself A B+ But More People Disagree

President Obama, on 60 Minutes last night, gave himself a B+ for his grade in his first year.
Meanwhile, according to Drudge, Rasmussen says that Obama's approval rating is now down to 44%. Apparently, now, 56% of Americans have a different opinion.
But a narrissict, as Obama is, never sees reality.

Obama, Reid, Pelosi and Democrats give Seniors and The Private The Sector The Finger

Congress, led by the Democrats, are sending a $1.1 trillion spending bill to President, who will sign the bill very happily. Thank you, Obama, Reid, Pelosi, and the RINO's. Very disgusting people. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CONGRESS_SPENDING?SITE=NVLAS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Included in the bill is a 2% pay increase for federal employees. While seniors and the disabled who are on social security are not getting a plug nickel increase this next year because the COLA is $0.
The private sector is laying off by the thousands while the federal government is hiring by the 10's of thousands. Private sector jobs are getting their pay cut and/or their hours cut. Same with many local government and state governments as well.
In the land of the lard, Washington D.C., the government has lost touch with people outside the beltway. I have always dismissed any revolution talk as just talk and nonsense, but something has to happen. And no, I really don't think the current group of GOP politicians are much better than the Dem's. Something has to happen, revolution, maybe not that extreme, but it can't remain the same.

Somebody Got's Some Explaining To Do

From Channel 13, Las Vegas: A young man died in an apartment complex Tuesday morning and new questions are being raised about whether his death could have been prevented.
The coroner has listed carbon monoxide poisoning as the official cause of death for 26 year-old Ian Noel, who firefighters say fell asleep after leaving a pot boiling on the stove in his apartment near Pecos and Hacienda.
Neighbor Jeannine Rinaldi actually called 911 four hours before Ian was found dead, after she smelt smoke in her apartment unit.
Firefighters from station 25 responded. ...The Clark County Fire Department says their firefighters left after a thorough check of the building showed no signs of smoke and no flames. A thermal imager didn't find anything out of the ordinary....The fire department says they go on smoke investigations all the time and most turn out to be nothing. They don't do door knocks at odd hours unless they have good reason. http://www.ktnv.com/global/story.asp?s=11651059
If the firefighters did smell smoke, as the resident did, maybe they should have knocked on a few doors. Some times, you can take things for granted after going on so many calls, that you may have overlooked the small stuff.
Bet next time, they may knock on a few more doors.

To Jay, at Folkbum

This sign is located just down the street from where I live in Vegas. It is nice to see the folks at Freedom from Religion is helping the Las Vegas economy, but I suspect most people driving by don't get the sign, anyways.
So, Jay, Reason's Greetings!

Want To See The Nation's Tallest Christmas Tree?

If you want to see the nation's tallest Christmas tree, you need to come to Vegas and go the M Resort, south of the Strip and see the tree, starting on Saturday. The 109 foot tree is located in the pool area of the resort. Since no one is using the pool anyways, might as well dig a 12 foot hole in the ground and put the tree there. The tree lighting ceremony is on Saturday evening.
Another large Christmas tree is on Fremont Street and as usual, the Bellagio has a great winter scene. Of course, Ethel M's has a great lighted cactus display with a little free chocolate. If you want to pay to see Christmas lights, you can always go to Sunset Park or Opportunities Village and enjoy the sights and sounds of Christmas.

Obama Doesn't Just Pisses Off Americans

With Obama polling favorably with less than 47% with Amercians, Obama has decided to piss off another nation- Norway.
Barack Obama's trip to Oslo to pick up his Nobel peace award is in danger of being overshadowed by a row over the cancellation of a series of events normally attended by the prizewinner.
Norwegians are incensed over what they view as his shabby response to the prize by cutting short his visit.
The White House has cancelled many of the events peace prize laureates traditionally submit to, including a dinner with the Norwegian Nobel committee, a press conference, a television interview, appearances at a children's event promoting peace and a music concert, as well as a visit to an exhibition in his honour at the Nobel peace centre.
He has also turned down a lunch invitation from the King of Norway.
According to a poll published by the daily tabloid VG, 44% of Norwegians believe it was rude of Obama to cancel his scheduled lunch with King Harald, with only 34% saying they believe it was acceptable. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/dec/09/obama-nobel-peace-prize-snub
This again shows the inexperience or the stupidity of the Obama administration. And they said George Bush was stupid. Nope, Obama is showing that he is really mentally deficient in the ways of governing, leading and just about everything else. Pathetic.

Interesting And Spooky

From Fox News:
A mysterious giant spiral of light that dominated the sky over Norway on Wednesday has stunned experts — raising the possibility of an entirely new astral phenomenon.
Thousands of awe-struck Norwegians bombarded the Meteorological Institute to ask what the incredible light — which could be seen in the pre-dawn sky for hundreds of miles — could possibly be.
Theories have ranged from a misfired Russian missile, meteor fireball, never-before-seen type of northern light, black hole and even alien activity.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,579868,00.html

Video:

UPDATE: Hmm, seems Obama was on his way to Norway to get his fraudulent Nobel Peace prize. Could it be related? The star of Obama? Nah, can't be, can it?

One Reason Why I Don't Miss Wisconsin

"Authorities urge residents: Please stay home!" http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/article_2d12c1fe-e4b8-11de-a27e-001cc4c03286.html
I like snow, but living in Las Vegas, I can go to the mountains for snow and I don't have shovel anymore. Good luck for those living in the blizzard's path and stay warm and dry.

When Will President Obama Grow Up?

On Tuesday, President held a news conference about the economy and the unemployment problem. Instead of manning up and admit that some of the problems in the economy were caused by Obama and the Democrats, he continues to blame the GOP for the problems. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/12/08/obama-takes-joblessness/?test=latestnews The GOP hasn't had any power for almost 11 months now. When will Obama grow up and start taking responsibility? He is like a little child that when caught breaking something, he blames someone else, like his brother or sister or saying I dunno. When will Obama grow up and stop acting like a 5 year old?

Pawn Stars Review: 12-7-2009

Was watching Pawn Stars tonight. First episode was really nothing special. The car for the Old Man was very cool. The treasure chest was ok, but kind of the excitement was like Geraldo opening up Al Capone's safe and finding nothing there.
Keep in mind, however, if you do go to the shop, don't expect find the stuff that is on TV. They probably sell the stuff before they even put it on the store floor.
As far as the barbers chair. Shoot, I go to a barbershop in town, Freds, on Craig and Lamont, close to Nellis AFB, and they have the same chairs. Not really a big deal and you can find the same chairs in most cities, small and large. But you have to go to real barber shop, not a beauty salon to find them. When he got the chair back, to me it looked ugly to me and nothing I have ever seen in a real barber shop. But if he keeps it, then who cares.
Ok, I learned something about the South Pole. ATM machines and bars?
The lady who works as the handwriting expert runs her business out of her house, as she lives in an area that has no businesses, just houses.
So, this weeks episodes were ok, nothing special. I plan on going to the shop very soon and get some pictures, especially the outside of the shop, which looks nothing like on TV. Actually, I don't think they ever show the front of the store.

Pawn Stars Question:

I have a question for the many Pawn Stars visitors: Do you think Rick and other employees are really that smart about different items to be pawned or sold or do you think they read up on the item before they shoot the episode?

Nevada State Government Shuts Down For This?

Nevada State government shut down on orders of Governor Jim Gibbons for a snowstorm that produced 6-12 inches of snow. http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/dec/07/northern-nevada-snow-prompts-closure-state-offices/
Come on, 6-12 inches shuts down the government in Northern Nevada? They are used to that kind of weather in the winter. It's not like this was down in Alabama.
Sounds like Gibbons is going for the state employees vote in the upcoming election by giving them a 3 day weekend. Gibbons just keeps embarrassing himself..

Poor, Poor Harry- Delusional At Such A Young Age

From Fox News and Harry Reid: "Instead of joining us on the right side of history, all the Republicans can come up with is, 'slow down, stop everything, let's start over.' If you think you've heard these same excuses before, you're right," Reid said Monday. "When this country belatedly recognized the wrongs of slavery, there were those who dug in their heels and said 'slow down, it's too early, things aren't bad enough.'"
He continued: "When women spoke up for the right to speak up, they wanted to vote, some insisted they simply, slow down, there will be a better day to do that, today isn't quite right.
"When this body was on the verge of guaranteeing equal civil rights to everyone regardless of the color of their skin, some senators resorted to the same filibuster threats that we hear today."
Poor, poor Harry. He must be either getting delusional in his old age or he is cracking under the stress of what is going on in the Senate. To compare the redoing of health care system in the U.S. to slavery- he has to be crazy. There is no comparison. No one is being forced to work without wages and no one is forced to go without health care. Some health care may not be high quality, but you can still get health care. You may have to pay a lot or have super high deductibles, but you can still can get health insurance. You may have to on government health care if you are poor, have a disability or are elderly, but that is not too bad. So, how does that compare to slavery, suffrage or whatever.
So, poor, poor Harry. Maybe he needs to check in to the mental health ward at Walter Reed for a nice long rest.

Hey, It Snows In Vegas

Out At Red Rock Lookout in the Red Rock Basin. If you ever come to Vegas, you have to visit Red Rock, it is absolutely beautiful, either in the snow or any other time.

And it was the hounds first snowfall. My lovely Cathy is in the middle picture with hound.

Dina Titus In Trouble

Dina Titus(Lapdog of Nancy Pelosi-NV) is in serious trouble for her re-election bid to be the congresscritter of the 3rd congressional district of Nevada.
Titus, who has several positive TV and radio ads run for her, finds herself in trouble with Dr. Joe Heck, who is a medical doctor, a real doctor, unlike Titus, who may have or may not have a doctorate but is not a real doctor. Just like she has never held a real job in her life.
From the LVRJ: Heck, a Henderson physician who never topped 1 percent in the polls during a brief gubernatorial campaign, is tied at 40 percent with incumbent Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., in the race to represent Nevada's 3rd Congressional District.
That's according to a new survey conducted for the Las Vegas Review-Journal by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc.
Heck, who has done very little or no advertising is facing a GOP primary opposition from real estate investor Rob Lauer. I am sure Rob is a very good candidate, but a real estate investor in these times is probably not a plus right now for running for office.
So, Titus, who probably wish she had some real world experience, has a fight on her hands from someone who actually has fought for our country. I don't think all the text books that have been written or the thesis papers she has to grade or articles is some hardly read think tank magazine is going to help Titus. Unless she lowers herself to get help from ACORN, other community organizers or union members, people who she normally wouldn't have contact with on any given day during her career.

Those Funny Global Warming/Climate Change Kool Aid Drinkers

Posted by Drudge, from The Daily Telegraph comes this headline: "Copenhagen climate summit: 1,200 limos, 140 private planes and caviar wedges"
On a normal day, Majken Friss Jorgensen, managing director of Copenhagen's biggest limousine company, says her firm has twelve vehicles on the road. During the "summit to save the world", which opens here tomorrow, she will have 200.
"We thought they were not going to have many cars, due to it being a climate convention," she says. "But it seems that somebody last week looked at the weather report." Ms Jorgensen reckons that between her and her rivals the total number of limos in Copenhagen next week has already broken the 1,200 barrier. The French alone rang up on Thursday and ordered another 42. "We haven't got enough limos in the country to fulfil the demand," she says. "We're having to drive them in hundreds of miles from Germany and Sweden."
And the total number of electric cars or hybrids among that number? "Five," says Ms Jorgensen. "The government has some alternative fuel cars but the rest will be petrol or diesel. We don't have any hybrids in Denmark, unfortunately, due to the extreme taxes on those cars. It makes no sense at all, but it's very Danish." http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/copenhagen-climate-change-confe/6736517/Copenhagen-climate-summit-1200-limos-140-private-planes-and-caviar-wedges.html
This is just another case of "do what we say and not what we do." I just wonder if these people attending the conference know that they are being laughed at by most of the real world people. Nah, didn't think so.
The Telegraph makes another good point: "Instead of swift and modest reductions in carbon – say, two per cent a year, starting next year – for which they could possibly be held accountable, the politicians will bandy around grandiose targets of 80-per-cent-plus by 2050, by which time few of the leaders at Copenhagen will even be alive, let alone still in office."
So, when most of the politicians are dead and gone or in the old people's home for politicians, they will try and make our children and our grandchildren do the dirty work. Just as politicians do today. We are running up trillions in debt in the U.S., which our grandchildren will have to pay and same with the health care bill going through congress now. It won't take effect after most of the congresscritters are out of congress and we have a new president, so they won't have to deal with the mess they made.
Pathetic losers, all of them.

Harry Reid Hates Seniors and The Disabled

From Bloomberg: Reid called the rare weekend session to meet his deadline of getting a bill by year-end. Republicans, unified in opposition, forced the Democrats yesterday to reiterate their support for cutting more than $40 billion in home health-care services funding under Medicare. It was the latest Republican effort to highlight the bill’s potential impact on the elderly. That should also include the disabled.
Further: The Senate also turned back a Republican bid to restore the home health services funding. The Republicans are trying to draw attention to the impact on the elderly from some $400 billion in proposed Medicare savings. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aoruBc3aj0PA
Nevada has a lot of Seniors moving here because of the climate (well, not this week), low taxes and a lot of things to do. Apparently, Harry Reid (Dumbass-NV) doesn't really care about them as he wants to slash Medicare and home health care services. As Dad29 (http://dad29.blogspot.com/) points out, home health care is one of the best parts of Medicare. It saves money because it is far cheaper keeping someone at home than in a nursing home or assisted living, it is more comfortable for the patient and their family and there is less chance for abuse.
When conservatives say this plan will kill people, this is one reason how this bill will kill seniors and the disabled. But Harry Reid and the Democrats supposedly know better than families.
Harry, Obama, Democrats and liberals, why do you hate seniors and the disabled so much?

The Saints Are Blessed

This is the year for the New Orleans Saints. I was watching the game and thought the Washington Redskins had it the bag. But the kicker for the Redskins missed a field goal with 2 minutes left that would have given the Redskins a 10 point lead. Oh, the field goal was the same distance as a extra point and I could have made that.
Then the Saints give up a 50 yard touchdown pass play with about a minute left to play. How does that happen? Then in overtime, the Redskins get the ball first. On a pass play, the Redskins make a completion and ready to run another play when the play is challenged. In a very close play, the call is overturned because the receiver fumbled the ball, in a very close play, and New Orleans recovers, even though it appeared that the whistle already had blown. Then the Saints go down and kick the winning field goal.
Put your money on the Saints this year.

Badgers Manhandle Hawaii (For those who didn't stay up until 2AM)

For those in Wisconsin who did not stay up until 2AM, the Wisconsin Badger football team manhandled Hawaii 51-10. The game was never close and the fastest Hawaii sidelineI saw was Santa Claus streaking across the field in the middle of the 3rd quarter.
Now for the Bowl invite, where will the Badgers go?

Stupid Firefighter Tricks

A Philadelphia firefighter was suspended for setting fire to his fire truck while playing around in the fire station. From Firehouse.com: The incident occurred the morning of Dec. 1 when officials said Firefighter Paul Prendergas was "engaged in horseplay" as he lit paper and let it flame out inside a firehouse on Arch Street that houses Ladder 2.
According to officials, his supervisor told the firefighter to stop playing with fire, but Prendergas lit another piece of paper and threw it into the truck's engine compartment, setting ablaze the motor. http://www.firehouse.com/topics/top-headlines/philadelphia-firefighter-suspended-setting-truck-ablaze
Luckily, other firefighters put out the fire. On a more serious note, if you or I did that, there would be a good chance we could be charged with arson.

Next Up For Obama: Cash For Appliances

From the editorial of the LVRJ, the Obama administration is next going to give away money for appliances- Cash for appliances. Get ready, U.S. tax payers, another boondoogle.
The LVRJ deconstructs the Obama administration arguments: http://www.lvrj.com/opinion/cash-for--whatever-78503107.html

From the LVRJ: Now this perverse incentive is poised to manipulate appliance purchases -- just in time for the holidays. Anyone who might have been inclined to replace his dishwasher or remodel his kitchen this month or next will wait until he can get a check from the government to help cover the bill.
The cash for clunkers was well meant but it didn't do what it wanted. It basically let people who were going to by a car anyways, allowed the government to let them buy it cheaper. Same thing with cash for appliances. U.S. taxpayers are going to help people buy appliances they were going to buy anyways.
So, we will employ a bunch of bureaucrats to run the program that will benefit a few people and it will spend millions of dollars to do what?
Thank you President Obama for screwing us even more.

More Bad News For Harry Reid-So What Else Is New

Harry Reid (Dumbass-NV) continues to piss off Nevadans and the recent polls show that Nevadans just don't like Harry. Despite constant TV and radio ads spouting Harry's lies and half truths, Harry is still losing to a couple of back bencher GOP candidates. Harry has a 49% unfavorable rating among Nevadans.
The top GOP candidates are Sue Lowden and Danny Tarkanian.
According to the poll: In hypothetical general election matchups, respondents favored Lowden over Reid 51 percent to 41 percent, with 8 percent undecided. They favored Tarkanian over Reid 48 percent to 42 percent, with 10 percent undecided. The margin of error was plus or minus 4 percentage points. http://www.lvrj.com/news/reid-in-a-battle-poll-reveals-78503217.html
While Reid has $25 million in the bank, most Nevadans are not impressed with his ads, and the left is not happy with him as well.
As I have stated before, with unemployment at around 13%, with Harry killing jobs left and right right here in Nevada, the strong possibility that his son will be on the same ballot as he is next November, Harry is facing the ultimate storm of hatred of him and he will be creamed in the election. While people voted for Obama in November, people are not happy the way things are going. With Harry sucking at Obama's nipple, he is doing a disservice to his constituents and that doesn't bode well for Harry.
So, unless Harry can get his union thugs to vote 3 times in the election or he buys off some judges, he will be history next November.

Obama and Advertisements- Enough To Make You Worry

I was watching a Men's Warehouse commercial and they had a model, who in several poses, looks like President Obama. I realize it may be the pain medication I am on, but with the look of the guy, he does look like Obasma.
In several radio ads, Obama's name is mentioned, at least 5 ads I have listened to. They are from a car dealership and a couple of money management companies, credit card refinance companies and probably more. Then you have Internet advertising using his name and sometimes his picture. Enough is enough.
I have never see a president in advertising before. Can you imagine a condom commercial using Bill Clinton? Oil companies using G.W. Bush? A movie pitched by Ronald Reagen. A book on anti-semitism pitched by Jimmy Carter (oh wait, I think he wrote one)
Apparently, some advertisers think that by using Obama's name in commercials will help sell their project. Maybe to some true believers, I suppose. But then, they are risking pissing off some people who don't like Obama. Is it worth it?

Having a Cold Sucks

Trying to break a cold and fever the last few days, so blogging has been light. Thank goodness for my dear wife, Cathy and my hound for taking care of me the past couple of days.

NASCAR In Vegas This Week

This week, NASCAR invades the Strip of Las Vegas as it is NASCAR Champion's week. Cars will be set up along the Street and Fremont Street all week. On Thursday, 12 drivers will drive their cars along a small part of Las Vegas Blvd- Tropicana to Spring Mountain, with Jimmy Johnson doing a burnout at the end to celebrate his winning the Sprint Cup.
For a more detailed schedule: http://www.lvrj.com/hottopics/motor_sports/champions_schedule.html
And yes, I will try and make it to the Strip on Thursday.
So, if you are a NASCAR fan, come out and enjoy the festivities.

Happy Birthday To Two Clueless People And a Quarterback

Happy Birthday to Harry Reid (Dumbass(ok, I'll be nice) D-NV) and Britney Spears. Two people who just don't have a clue.
But it is also the birthday of Aaron Rogers of the Green Bay Packers, who is having a hell of a season.
In honor of Britney:

Britney Spears - Oops!...I Did It Again (Official Music Video) - The most amazing videos are a click away