Rory Reid ToCounty Unions: Pretty Please Reduce Our Costs

Rory Reid, son of Harry Reid (Dumbass-NV) who is running for governor of Nevada, decided that he knows best to solve the severe financial crunch trying to get rid of UMC (the county run hospital) and begging the unions to lower their pay.
First, with UMC. The County puts in $10's of millions of dollars and closer to over $100,000,000 into UMC each year. This is money from the taxpayers, over and above what private and government insurance put in. In addition, much of this money can be traced to illegals. It cannot be argued that illegal immigrants put a huge strain on our county medical budget.
So, Rory is looking for a private, not for profit hospital take over UMC. Two questions to the brilliant Reid Jr.- what private, not for profit hospital would be interested in taking over UMC? The buildings are old, it's in a bad location, bad roads/access and what are they going to do with the County employees? Fire them?
Second, why just a non-profit hospital? Why not a for-profit hospital. If they are willing to put in the investment and take over the hospital, why not a for profit hospital?
The other option for Reid to lower costs is to go to the county unions and beg them to open up the contracts and hope and pray the unions will actually decrease their pay. When the County opened up the contracts, all the unions did was reduce the COLA, from 3%-2 or 1% INCREASE.
Well, Mr. Reid, what if the unions say no, are you willing to make sweeping layoffs? I doubt it. Then what? Say pretty please with sugar on top?
One of the county' biggest unions is the Barney union, the SEIU. Harry and Rory will need them in 2010. Do you honestly think Dad will let Rory hurt the SEIU? Do you think Rory is going to diss the union in 2010 when he needs their help him in the governor's election.
Little Boy Rory is just building a smoke screen- saying he is fiscally conservative, when he is not- he is just another tax and spend liberal.
http://www.lvrj.com/news/breaking_news/Rory-Reid-to-announce-plan-to-streamline-county-government-80643922.html

Court House Shooting In Las Vegas- Could It Have Prevented?

Today, there was a shooting at the Federal Courthouse in downtown Las Vegas. The shooter killed Court Officer Stanley Cooper, age 72 and was a former Metro police officer. (http://odmp.org/officer/20207-court-officer-stanley-w.-cooper) The shooter also shot a U.S. Marshal, but he will be ok after undergoing emergency surgery.
The shooter, Johnny Lee Wicks, was shot and killed by responding U.S. Marshals and other court officers.
Video of the shooting scene: http://video.foxnews.com/#/v/3959962/unbelievable/?playlist_id=87249
What Wicks did is wrong- there is no justification for what he did.But could this have been avoided? Wicks has had some problems with the Social Security Administration. Wicks moved from California to Nevada. Apparently, California, even though it is a federal program, has significantly higher Social Security benefits than Nevada. Why, maybe cost of living, but cost of living is not that much more in CA and Nevada. Certainly, not a $317 reduction in benefits out of about $930.But he also was treated like crap by the employees at the SSA. He was told if he didn't like Nevada Social Security, he should move back to California. He was given poor customer service.He believed he was being discriminated against because he is old, black and uneducated. For the copy of his federal lawsuit from the Las Vegas Sun: http://media.lasvegassun.com/media/pdfs/blogs/documents/2010/01/04/wicks010410.pdfWell, I do not know about his contact with personnel at Social Security, I have had 1 opportunity to interact with people at the SSA in Las Vegas. All the visit was about was to change my wife's name on her social security card. No big deal, correct? Well, the "customer service representative" at the SSA was quite rude and when we asked a simple question, he got quite testy. He raised his voice and we when told him it was no big deal, he threatened us with security. Anyways, I have talked to other people who have dealt with SSA in Las Vegas, and almost everyone has had bad things to say about the SSA in Las Vegas.Again, I am not justifying what Wicks did. He had no right to take another man's life. But if, what Hicks said happened and he was treated rudely at the SSA in Las Vegas, could this shooting have been prevented? Further, shouldn't Social Security benefits, a federal benefit, be distributed evenly throughout the country? Shouldn't the people in CA get the same benefits as the people in Nevada as in Wisconsin as in Maine?And one final dig, it may have also come out of frustration that the same federal bureaucrats that dealt with Wicks and told him he was losing benefits and not getting a COLA this year, are getting a 2% pay increase his year? Just wondering.

Wow, I Just Found Cherry Soda, Maybe next will be Culvers?

When I moved to Las Vegas, I thought I would find some of my favorite things in the grocery stores here. Things I can find in most grocery stores in Wisconsin.
This weekend, I finally found Cherry soda- Cherry Crush to be exact. I love Shasta Cherry soda but for the life of me, I cannot find it anywhere. I just bought 4 12 packs of Cerry Crush.
Up until a few months ago, you couldn't find just a plain frozen sausage pizza. None of the big companies made it. You could find pepperoni and sausage, 10 meat, 15 cheese pizzas etc, but not plain sausage pizza.
Well, Red Barron has come out with it and Totinos I think makes it, but not my favorite- Tombstone Pizza. Sure, Tombstone makes sausage pizza, but they don't send it to Las Vegas.
Now, if we can only get a Culvers. Talk about printing money if someone brought it here- there is no good frozen custard place in Las Vegas. Certainly nothing as good as Culvers, Kopps and the custard place on the way up to Sheboygan, which is next to a Harley dealership on I-43.(Cruisers, I think)
So, maybe Las Vegas is evolving slowly for us little guys who like the simpler things in life.

So, That's What Happened To Michelle Obama's Garden

In the Spring, there was much excitement about Michelle Obama's White House garden.
Now, tonight, we found out what happened to part of the garden. It was picked for the TV show Super Chef America and eaten by some B level actresses and fancy food critics.
It was a very nice propaganda piece for the Obama's and of course, their White House chef won the competition- yeah liked it wasn't rigged. The judges didn't even like some of their food.
So, instead of the food being donated to homeless shelters, food banks, soup kitchens etc, they give the food to the Food Network with some highly paid chefs and given to fancy celebrities.
Stay classy, Mr. and Mrs. Obama. Nope, you're not elitist, are you. (sarcasm)

A-Z Pawn Shop Visit- People, Don't Be So Darn Rude

My son and I went to the A-Z Pawn shop, home of the Pawn Stars to look for for games for my Wii (actually my wife's Wii- I don't even know how to turn the darn thing on).

When we got there, we had to wait to get in. There were about 30 people in the store, so I am not sure about the wait. When we got in there, we could see the Old Man giving out autographs and taking pictures with people. By the time we got up front, the guy in front of us tried to pawn his watch to the Old Man. The old Man looked at it and told him to take it up front so he could pawn it. The guy started arguing and because he only wanted The Old Man to pawn it, maybe thinking he was going on TV. The Old Man told him that's where the machines were to do the pawn and he gave the guy his watch back and walked away, leaving me standing there with a picture in hand and no autograph. (BTW, they give awy free pictures of the family- Chumlee not included)

Any ways, we bought 2 games and went to back car. I forgot my cameraphone and I wanted to get some pictures.

We went back in and saw another guy arguing with the sales person in trying to get the Old Man back and sign some pictures and sign autographs. The guy was told that the guys were trying to run a business but the guy didn't seemed to impressed.

We got to the back of the shop and saw Coke machine and barber chair, neither which have apparently have been sold ( the Griswold West Point jacket still has not been sold) and we got our picture.

Then Corey and the Old Man came out and were discussing the show amongst themselves. they were wondering if they got paid for the Holiday shows and were talking about how they were going to put in 60 hour weeks because they are going to start shooting tomorrow.

So, if you have something weird to pawn or get a chance to be on TV, the show starts filming tomorrow. Not sure how long it will last, though.

Then I went up and asked nicely if I could get their autographs and Corey signed it Big Hoss and the Old Man signed it as Richard Sr. "The Old Man". Both were nice and talked for a few moments.

As were we were leaving, I could see another guy begin pushing other shoppers to get closer to the shopkeepers.

Another interesting thing a sales person said to me. The older people like the Old Man the best, while the younger people liked Chumlee the best.

So, please visiting, don't be rude- you look like fools and people don't owe you anything.

And if you want pawn a weird thing, next week and perhaps beyond, bring it in and see what happens.

Ooops: Condo Gets Forclosed On By Mistake, Woman's Possession Gone To the Dump

In Las Vegas, a woman's 's condo was accidently was foreclosed on and her psossessions were collected by the condo association and sent to the dump[.
Only problem was, even thought the girl was behind on her payments, she was not in foreclosure and she lost all of her possessions as they were tossed into the dump.
"Part-time photographer Nilly Mauck, a 31-year-old student at the College of Southern Nevada, had left Las Vegas in mid-December for a snowboarding trip to Utah and returned to stay with a friend for a few days when she received a disturbing phone call. Something was amiss at the Coronado Palms condominium on Badura Avenue that she had owned for the past two years.
She raced to her three-bedroom, two-bathroom ground-floor unit to discover the only things left in her condo were a curtain rod and a satellite dish. She said her couch, bed, dining room set, computer, clothes, pots and pans were gone. So, too, were her financial and medical documents, immigration papers from the Philippines, her father’s military records and photographs of her family, she said.
A crew that clears out foreclosed properties had been sent into Mauck’s condo by the Brenkus Team, a Henderson real estate group. Brenkus has accepted responsibility, saying it was just a mix-up. The foreclosure was a neighboring condo unit.
Mauck learned most of her furnishings were hauled to the dump in Sloan. She said she still has no idea what happened to her papers and photos." http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/jan/02/they-forclosed-wrong-house/
She is asking for $200,000 while the condo people are offering $20,000.
Clearly, Miss Mauck is entitled to money, probably around $100,000 and this case should be settled instead of going to court.
But what the condo people did is scary. While it was an accident, they entered a private residence without a court order and took her stuff. If you or I did that, we would be charged with burglary. But because it is a condo company, they won't face charges, just monetary damages, most of which will be covered, I am sure, by insurance.
So, the condo people screwed up big time,
destroyed all these woman's possessions and they want to give her $20,000?
So, what do you think is a solution to this mess? My solution is about $75.000 in damages and 1 year of mortgage payments would make this mess go away, I believe.

Firefighter in Wisconsin LODD Is Laid To Rest

Firefighter Steven (Peanut) Koeser of the St. Anna fire department in Wisconsin was laid to rest today. http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20100103/APC0101/1030504/1979/Authorities-await-evidence-analysis-in-fatal-blast
and: http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20100103/APC0101/1030502/1979&located=WISINFO
I used to be a firefighter in Wisconsin and so I can relate, somewhat to what this community is going through.
I pray for the family and the St. Anna Fire Department as they try and get through this tragedy. RIP Peanuts

Firefighter's Prayer

When I am called to duty, Godwhenever flames may rage, Give me the strength to save some lifeWhatever be its age.
Help me to embrace a little childBefore it’s too late,Or some older personfrom the horror of that fate.
Enable me to be alertAnd hear the weakest shout,And quickly and efficientlyto put the fire out.
I want to fill my calling and give the best in me,To guard my neighbor And protect his property.
And if according to Your will I have to lose my life,Please bless with Your protecting hand My children and my wife

World's Tallest Building: Chump Change

In Dubai, they just opened the world's tallest building. It cost anywhere from $2 to 4 billion dollars to build, depending on your source.
City Center in Las Vegas just opened on the strip in December and it cost about $8 billion dollars.
They are pikers in Dubai. They need to spend a little bit more money to be in Las Vegas territory for spending money.

Basketball's Thug Culture

Two stories: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4791168
And: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4791395
Basketball from the college to pro ranks have a thug culture. High school, in the urban areas are close on their tails.
I don't necessarily blame the athletes. They are babied and are allowed to get away anything from Jr. high on up, as long as they have size and talent.
I have taught at several schools where high school athletes are allowed to get away anything- from skipping class to breaking school rules, with administration and teachers looking a blind eye to their actions.
I taught with a basketball coach in Milwaukee who's curriculum consisted of watching basketball games on video, while the coach prepared for the next game. Yup, kids come first.
So, it comes as no surprise that players act thuggish. No one has set rules for them, set standards or applied consequences for bad behavior for the athletes. It doesn't matter what race- I've seen it for black or white athletes.
So, when an athlete, especially a basketball player, misbehaves, look at the history of them, from Jr. High School on.

Breaking News: NHP Trooper Injured

According to the NHP website, a trooper was injured in Clark County just after midnight on Sunday, 1-3-09.
This just shows you that police officers, whether Metro or the State Patrol or all other police agencies in Clark County (CCSD police, Park Police, Marshals, Henderson, North Las Vegas etc.)it is a dangerous job.

01/02
23:13:33
Motorist Assist
80/280MM EB
Elko County
Possible Delays
01/03
00:04:08
Vehicle Accident - NHP Injury
15/SPRING MTN NB
Clark County
Possible Delays

Welcome To My World

An article reports on the studnets I usually work with. Currently, my students are a little higher,b ut not by much.
Congratualations to the LVRJ for reporting on the students people want to forget.
http://www.lvrj.com/news/in-this-school-seemingly-small-steps-are-huge-educators-at-john-f-miller-teach-students-with-multiple-handicaps-80495427.html

Ann Coulter

Ann Coulter, the conservative flame thrower makes a very good point to the Muslim terrorist who tried to take down Northwestern flight 293:
"The "warning signs" exhibited by this particular passenger included the following: His name was Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. He's Nigerian. He's a Muslim. His name was Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. He boarded a plane in Lagos, Nigeria. He paid nearly $3,000 in cash for his ticket. He had no luggage. His name was Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. Two months ago, his father warned the U.S. that he was a radical Muslim and possibly dangerous. If our security procedures can't stop this guy, can't we just dispense with those procedures altogether? What's the point exactly? "
Then, the Obama administration lawyered up the terrorist instead of interrogating him. Brilliant, Obama. Treat a terrorist, an incompetent terrorist, as a criminal and you will now find out the problem with this. Supposedly, there are a few hundred potential terrorists awaiting their turn to meet 72 virgins but yet we can't find out about that because of defense lawyers.
Hope and Change.

What? Obama Goes Grey and Wears Glasses?

Obama, looking at himself in the window of his limo, shows he is greying and wear glasses. Not the persona he likes to share with the rest of the world. Do you think the next time he holds a news conference, he will look like this? Yeah, I doubt it to.

Can we now say he is the biggest narcissist of all time?

h/t Drudge

Amateur Night Drinking Las Vegas Style

From The Clark County 911 Center at 2:00AM
http://fire.co.clark.nv.us/AlarmOffice/Alarm%20Office.aspx You can see the emergencies in Clark County as they happen.

Jan 1 2010 2:00AM
Clark County
Basic Life Support
3900 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas 89119
02923-49
map
Jan 1 2010 1:59AM
Clark County
Medical C/D
3950 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas 89119
02923-59
map
Jan 1 2010 1:59AM
Clark County
Medical C/D
3799 S LAS VEGAS BLVD, Las Vegas 89109
02923-19
map
Jan 1 2010 1:58AM
City of Las Vegas
Basic Life Support
9101 Alta Dr, Las Vegas 89145
02416-41
map
Jan 1 2010 1:57AM
Clark County
Medical C/D
3131 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas 89109
02724-14
map
Jan 1 2010 1:55AM
Clark County
Basic Life Support
3579 N Nellis Blvd, Las Vegas 89115
01929-59
map
Jan 1 2010 1:55AM
Clark County
Medical C/D
5230 E Craig Rd, Las Vegas 89115
01831-51
map
Jan 1 2010 1:54AM
Clark County
Basic Life Support
255 E Flamingo Rd, Las Vegas 89169
02824-16
map
Jan 1 2010 1:54AM
Clark County
Basic Life Support
5725 S Durango Dr, Las Vegas 89113
03117-11
map
Jan 1 2010 1:53AM
Clark County
Basic Life Support
3950 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas 89119
02923-59
map
Jan 1 2010 1:53AM
Clark County
Basic Life Support
3771 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas 89109
02823-79
map
Jan 1 2010 1:51AM
Clark County
Medical Aid - A Level
3801 S LAS VEGAS BLVD, Las Vegas
02923-19
map
Jan 1 2010 1:49AM
City of Las Vegas
Medical C/D
3525 Kilbarry Ct, Las Vegas 89129
01915-56
map
Jan 1 2010 1:49AM
Clark County
Medical C/D
3790 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas 89109
02823-99
map
Jan 1 2010 1:48AM
Clark County
Medical Aid - A Level
3730 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas 89109
02823-69
map
Jan 1 2010 1:48AM
Clark County
Basic Life Support
E Harmon Av / Audrie St, Las Vegas 89109
02824-53
map
Jan 1 2010 1:46AM
Clark County
Medical C/D
3667 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas 89109
02823-39
map
Jan 1 2010 1:42AM
Clark County
Medical C/D
3570 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas 89109
02724-81
map
Jan 1 2010 1:36AM
Clark County
Basic Life Support
2538 E Desert Inn Rd, Las Vegas 89121
02627-92
map
Jan 1 2010 1:32AM
Clark County
Medical C/D
3961 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas 89119
02923-59
map
Jan 1 2010 12:59AM
City of Las Vegas
Medical C/D
1401 N Lamb Blvd, Las Vegas 89110
02329-31
map
Jan 1 2010 12:56AM
North Las Vegas
Medical C/D
3118 Emeritus Cir, North Las Vegas 89032
01923-74
map

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

Happy New Year to the the fine readers who read this blog. I appreciate you visiting every day and I hope your new year will be prosperous and you will be generous to your loved ones with your love and kindness.

Dan

Rush Limbaugh and Las Vegas's Left Rears It's Ugly Head

From the LVRJ: "Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh was taken to a hospital after suffering chest pains and was resting comfortably Wednesday, his radio program said in a statement.
"Rush was admitted to and is resting comfortably in a Honolulu hospital today after suffering chest pains," the statement said. "Rush appreciates your prayers and well wishes and will keep you updated via rushlimbaugh.com and on his radio program.""
http://www.lvrj.com/news/breaking_news/Rush-Limbaugh-taken-to-Hawaii-hospital-80388087.html?numComments=22
Some Liberal commentators show their ugly side: "Mike D wrote on December 30, 2009 09:08 PM: Yes, I hope the doctor fails and he dies! "
john biggs wrote on December 30, 2009 09:07 PM: Maybe he all the pain pills are catching up to him, no hope with dope.
HAAAA wrote on December 30, 2009 08:22 PM: probably chest pains from illegally acquired pain meds...No loss to the world when he clocks out permanently

You stay classy, liberals.
With Obama in Hawaii, you think Obama will pay him a visit? Somehow, I just don't think so. But may Obama's voodoo doll of Limbaugh probably worked.
Another question: With the 2 largest egos in the world in Hawaii, how can the Hawaiian islands stay afloat?

Update: Firefighter in LOD Identified

From the Fond Du Lac Reporter: "Steve Koeser, 33, of Kiel, died when a Dumpster exploded at Bremer Manufacturing, W2002 County Q. The company is located about one mile west of St. Anna. The scene is not far from Fond du Lac and Sheboygan counties.
Four other firefighters were injured, one seriously.
Koeser, who had 16 years of experience as a firefighter, was pronounced dead at the scene."
http://www.fdlreporter.com/article/20091230/FON0101/91230069/1289&located=WISINFO
It really makes you wonder what was in the dumpster that caused such an explosion.

A Funny Commentary From Maureen Dowd- Well, Kind Of

Maureen Dowd, the non-funny, non-intelligent, very unfunny communist/columnist from the New York Times has actually printed a article that was intelligent. Some comments:
To President Obama: Thank you for saving the Republican Party and for teaching all of us that too much of anything is a bad thing.
To Bill Clinton: You did too much work on Northern Ireland for the Nobel committee. Next time, do nothing.
To Harry and Nancy: “The Twilight Zone” once had an episode where the town got the exact opposite of what it wanted. Farewell, Harry!
To John McCain: Thank you for your chivalry in banning Palin attack dogs — including my sister — from the campaign plane.
To Sarah Palin: Keep up the good work. Anyone who annoys Keith Olbermann that much is a friend to all of us.
To Glenn Beck: Thanks for being the only journalist interested in stories that used to win Pulitzer Prizes.
To Al Franken: So, 250 years of Senate tradition trashed. Stuart Smalley would have done better.
To Desirée Rogers: Get back to the gate. Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson can’t get in.
To the Salahis: Thank you for showing us that shame has no bottom.
To Valerie Jarrett: So much for the Olympic Village in Chicago. Whoops.
To Chris Dodd: The only thing lower than your polls is your mortgage interest rate.
To Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Mike Mullen: The military should be more interested in the men and women who serve than in celebrating diversity.
To the Democratic senators: Go last next time; the bribes are much bigger.
To Sheldon Whitehouse: You, senator, are an idiot.
To Dick Cheney: You, sir, are a patriot. Thanks for firing back.
To President Bush: Thank you for your dignity. Did you really start the plague in the 14th century? Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
To Hillary: Who knew how much you would be missed?
To Al Gore: A global warming conference in the middle of a Copenhagen blizzard is not a good visual.
To Max Baucus, Eliot Spitzer and John Edwards: Party on, dudes.
To John Ensign, Mark Sanford and David Vitter: Don’t party on, dudes.
Oh, by the way, the article was written by her conservative brother, Kevin. He makes more sense in one article than she does in the entire year.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/27/opinion/27dowd.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1262171287-5oFuVKaLSNUv3aZDboIGng

New Years Guide To New Years Eve/Day- Las Vegas Style

Here is the New Years guide from the Las Vegas Sun: http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/dec/29/new-years-eve-celebration-guide/
From the LVRJ: http://www.reviewjournal.com/entertainment/events/newyearseve/
If you want to see the fireworks that are being shot off the roofs of the different resorts on the Strip but you want to avoid the humanity and drunkenness of the Strip, may I recommend the following areas:
From the North: Las Vegas Blvd, north of the Speedway Also, areas around 215 North- Maybe Pecos, Losee and Aliente Parkway
West: Summerlin, Oxford Park on Anasazi Dr, by Far Hills Dr.
East: Hollywood Blvd, around Bonanza
South: I am not familiar with the south side, so I am not sure.
Henderson: The Catholic Church by Boulder Highway and Lake Mead Dr., by the Subway.
At the M Resort, if you have a room facing the Strip and the 10 floor and beyond.
The fireworks will last about 7 minutes.
Enjoy the celebrations and do it safely.
Just remember, for those who indulge too much, there is a WalGreens, CVS and WhiteCross Drugs on the Strip if you need hangover medication.
Happy New Years!!

Well This Sucks

The school I teach at in the Clark County School District has been named one of the persistently lowest-achieving schools in Nevada. Seven schools were given this honor.
On the plus side, we may be eligible for some funding through a federal funding fund called the ARRA fund, whatever that is.
Not the honor I was hoping for.

Memo To The LVRJ- Don't Insult The Packers

Yesterday, in the print edition of the Las Vegas Review Journal, in the sports section, the LVRJ printed the score of the Minnesota Vikings- Chicago Bear game as this: the emblem of the Bears 36 The emblem of the GREEN BAY PACKERS 30.
The emblem should have been the Minnesota Viqueens.
However, the bottom line is still the same. Da Bears still suck. Don't insult the Packers by making the Packers into the Viqueens.
Stupid LVRJ.

Firefighter Dies In Wisconsin- Several Injured

A firefighter was killed in an explosion in Calumet County, WI., in the town of St. Anna. "An explosion at a foundry in southern Calumet County left one firefighter dead and nine others injured, one seriously, Tuesday night, according to Sheriff Gerald Pagel."...Pagel said one of his officers on patrol saw a fire on the Bremer grounds about 7:20 p.m. and called for the St. Anna Fire Department to respond.
No employees were at the foundry at the time of the fire. Bremer officials could not be reached for comment.
Megan Wilcox, a spokeswoman for Appleton-based ThedaCare, said one firefighter was in critical condition at Theda Clark Medical Center in Neenah after being flown there by ThedaStar helicopter.
She had no information about the victim’s identity or extent of injuries.
The other eight firefighters had nonlife-threatening injuries and were treated at Calumet Medical Center in Chilton. Two were in stable condition and six were treated and released, according to Lisa Cruz, a spokeswoman for Affinity Health System. Their identities were not released." http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20091229/APC0101/91229135/1979&located=WISINFO
Chances are strong that this was a volunteer fireman who died. A person who left home on a winter night to fight a fire at a local business and they will never return home to their family.
Please keep this firefighter who died, their family and the injured firefighters in your prayers.

I was going to do a post about the problems with the Las Vegas firefighters union and the overtime problem, but this kind of puts things in perspective.
Update: Apparently this fire was in a dumpster and something exploded.
http://www.firehouse.com/topics/line-of-duty-deaths/dumpster-explosion-claims-wis-ff-five-others-injured

Very Strange Sky In Las Vegas Today

Cathy and I were returning home this afternoon around 4:00 and we were by the Speedway on the far northeast side of Las Vegas.
We noticed the most unusual red sky to the west, by the mountains, so unusual, that we wanted to take pictures for the blog. The redness went north to south, the entire length of the valley.
We turned around to take the picture, about 15 seconds and the entire redness in the sky was gone. 15 seconds. Gone.
I have never seen anything like this before. Very strange and eerie.

Small Venue Equals Great Fun-Larry G. Jones Review

Up until yestrerday, and even though I have lived in Las Vegas over 3 1/2 years, I have never heard of the Royal Resort, which is located on Convention Center Dr., just north of the Encore. I also never heard of Larry G.Jones who is an impressionist. After tonight, there is no way I could ever forget the two, as Larry and Red Skelton impersonator, Brian Hoffman put on a great show. It proves, you don't have go to a big venue on the Strip to see a fun show.

When we first arrived, it was pretty cool to have Red Skelton selling tickets to the show. Red (Brian) was very personable and was starting to get into character when selling the tickets. Classy.

When the show started, Hoffman came on stage and impersonated Skelton. If you are a fan of Skelton, you know Hoffman nailed Skelton's mannerisms and on-stage persona. While many of the jokes were corny, that was the beauty of Red Skelton. Skelton was easy going on stage with the silly grin and laugh. It also showed you don't need to cuss to be funny. It was a very good opening for Jones.

After about 15 minutes of Red Skelton, Jones came on. There was no break- it flowed from Skelton to the 50's music.

Jones is a very energetic singer and entertainer. His show, about 1 hour and 15 minutes was continual energy. There were no breaks and Jones connected to the audience.

To see how a performer is doing with the audience, look around, as I did. The audience was of all ages, from kids to people in their 80's and everyone in between. A young lady sitting in front of us was a soldier in the Army stationed at West Point and she had the greatest time. The audience was concentrating on the performance, with a lot of smiles and interaction with the performer. The standing ovation at the end of show proved that Jones connected with the audience.

Back to the show, Jones performed many impersonations- male and female, from the 50's to the 90's. He also did some presidential impersonations which were cute. Can't wait to see him do Obama in the near future.

The Rat Pack imitation was top notch. I did wish he would have done Michael Jackson and Elvis, but he may do that in other shows.

While Jones didn't nail every voice perfectly, some were right on. I loved his Gordon Lightfoot and Neil Diamond. After the show, he posed for pictures, talked to the audience and signed free autographed pictures, which was classy.

So, if in Vegas, take the time to join about 75 other people and go to the show at the Royal Resort. The cost is about $45-50 dollars. Jones and Hoffman prove that you don't need show girls, a 10 piece band and loud music to put on a very good show.

Jones web site: http://www.larrygjones.com/

Brian Hoffman's web site: http://redskeltoncomedyshow.com/

A Visit To The Pawn Shop- It Ain't A Quiet Shop Anymore

My great wife Cathy and myself went to the A-Z Pawn Shop today to see how it looked compared to our last visit and we were just dumbfounded at what we saw.

When we got there, there were about 100 people inside and outside the small store. People were taking pictures and milling around. I thought they were filming a segment because so many people were there.

Well, we went in and it was very crowded. The very large security guard was moving people in and out. Apparently, the capacity in the shop is 60 people and they were very close or over that amount. Every other time we were there, there were no more than 10 people in the store at any given time.

Most of the people were just looking and not buying. The Old Man was there, acting as the banker- handing out and receiving money. No need for cash registers because the Old Man took care of it. Apparently he came out for a few minutes every few hours to sign autographs and have pictures taken of him. The other main characters- Corey, Rick and Chumlee were on vacation. I really don't think the Old Man likes all the publicity while others do.

The Old Man also had his office changed. In the show and the other times I have visited, he was in back of the cash registers. Now he is an office, off the sales floor and mostly hidden from view.

Even though there are 4 main characters in the show, the store has many employees, at least 10 were working today, including the Old Man.

We saw some things that have been featured on the shows. First was the barber chair that was on a few weeks ago. That has not been sold and to be honest, it looked ugly. It is smaller than most true barber chairs I have seen and it was white. No wonder no one has bought it.

I saw the perputual motion clock that was on the show yesterday. It really wasn't on display- just sitting in the corner on a shelf out of the way from everyone.

They also turned the southeast corner of the store into a sales area for souviners. Kind of takes away from the store, but hey, maybe they make some money from the looky loos who come into the store and gawk.

As for us, we saw some videos we wanted to buy. It was tough to find a sales person and when we finally found one, we got out movies and then he told me he would take it up front and left us.

It took me 10 minutes to find the CD's and check out.

When we were there, I saw 1 other person buy an item, a shot glass. I saw someone pawn some jewelery and another person get a $200 loan. It looked like she was a regular.

So, what was once a quite pawn shop, is now a very crowded shop in which the security guard and employees want to move people along, whether they buy something or not.

When you get famous, there are advantages- more traffic flow. But also it has it's disadvantages- poor customer service, crowded conditions and a store that makes you feel uncomfortable to shop in. I can easily see their regular local customers not coming to this store anymore as the tourists take over.

Oh, one more thing, don't park on the North side of the building. They have little parking signs saying that you have to be a city employee to park there or you will get a $20 parking ticket. We found out the hard way. The parking monitors constantly go in the parking area and ticket cars- like shooting fish in a barrel.

Boise Idaho: Hotbed Of Terrorism?

From the ABC Special report today regarding President Obama's take on the Christmas Day attempted bombing of Northwest flight 253 came this little tidbit:
According to the reporter, several air marshals, the ones who ride on the planes and are supposed to protect us against terrorist attacks, have come to the media and reported that air marshals were pulled out off the overseas flights and put on domestic flights. Like a flight that went from Chicago to Boise.
So, some mid level bureaucrat decided that there was more of a risk of a flight to Boise than a flight originating from Nigeria and going on to Detroit.
My guess is that there was an air marshal that lived in Boise and the air marshal bureaucrat wanted the marshal to get home for Christmas Day to be with their family instead of looking out for the country's security. Brilliant.

Surprising Mug Shots From 2009 From The Smoking Gun

I was looking at some mug shots on the Smoking Gun web site and some them were clearly surprising: Charles Manson (Kind of looks like Sean Connery in movie "The Rock", sans Swastika

Plaxico Burres Vince (Sham Wow) Shmoli Phil Spector

Bernie Madoff(who by the way, has gotten into 2 prison fights since he has been in prison) And Nevada's Most Famous Prisoner: O.J. Simpson

Hope they are enjoying their time in prison and with any luck, we won't be hearing from them in the years to come.

PawnStars Review: 12-28-2009

Well, I was surprised that Pawn Stars was on tonight.
Well, I was pleasantly surprised that an item I blogged about was on the show. http://lasvegasbadger.blogspot.com/2009/09/pawn-stars-update.html
The Halberd Axe was on the show. Originally, it appeared Rick was going to the bargaining, but maybe since the items weren't that real, they let Chumlee and Corey do the interview. Sucks to be the buyer in this case after it was determined the axes were much more valuable than thought.
The ball and chain was pretty cool. Nice to tie the kids down when they misbehave- just kidding.
And when Chumlee broke the glass case, I think Rick wanted to put the ball and chain, after wrapping it around his head.
The end of the potty chair segment, when it fell out of the truck seemed staged to me. But I can see why he didn't want to go to North Las Vegas. Many areas of North Las Vegas are ghetto. It also has some very high class areas as well. It's a tale of two cities.
With the fake playbill, Rick mentioned that the Secret Service didn't advertise the fact about that Lincoln would be attending the play at Ford's theater. But the Secret Service didn't start guarding the president until 1901.
Too bad about the clock. Buying it broken was not a smart thing by Rick, but when you gamble in Vegas, sometimes you get burned.
In the first episode, the Harley segment was pretty cool. It brought back memories of my father working for Harley, helping write a newsletter, back in the early to mid 60's in Wisconsin.
A note to Corey. When he rode out of the refurbishing place, he wasn't wearing a helmet, but Nevada is a mandatory helmet state. Anything bigger than a scooter and you need a helmet.
The spyglass and knives were interesting. I am not into weapons, so I wouldn't be interested in the knives. I know the spyglass would be interesting to my son as he likes looking at the stars and moon.
I was surprised that the payoff on the loan on the shop was at 80% and the default rate was 20% I honestly thought that the rates be the opposite.
So, another week of Pawn stars. Tomorrow, we plan on visiting the store and see if there is anything to buy. No need to pawn anything. Yet.

Ok, I Admit I Was Wrong About The Packers

Today, the Packers beat up the Seattle Seahawks, 48-10 to clinch a wild card playoff spot.
In the beginning of the season, i thought the Packers were a 8-8 team at best. Today they won their 10th game.
I also thought Aaron Rogers was an average quarterback, but he turned out to be quite good, in the upper 1/3 of the league as far as quarterbacks go. He will be considered to be Brett Favre's backup for a long time but if he continues to improve he will come out of Favre's shadow.
When Al Harris went out, I thought the defense of the Packers would get better and it did.
So, one more week and then the playoffs. It will be interesting to see if they play the Vikings and Brett Favre for a third time.
So, the fun is just beginning and I am glad I was wrong.
(p.s. to a certain liberal blogger in Milwaukee, see, it is easy to admit it when you wrong)

Pawn Stars: Almost Closed On Christmas

The A-Z Pawn shop featured on Pawn Stars had their showroom closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I was kind of surprised at that as other stores were opened and this is Las Vegas. However their night time window was still open, in case you did want to pawn something or pay a bill.
Oh well, they will be opened on Saturday.

Review: Dirk Arthur Extreme Magic

We went to the Tropicana Casino today to see Dirk Arthur's Extreme Magic. Arthur's claim to fame is the use of tigers and panthers in his act of illusions.
Dirk had a very rough audience today. There were about 700-800 members in the audience and probably 60-70% did not speak English. Most of the audience members were of Asian descent, mostly Chinese. In our section, it was almost 100% non-English people.
The music was very loud, so it really was tough to judge the audience's reaction to the illusions and it seemed Arthur had a rough time connecting to the audience.
In the animal's first illusion, Arthur switched two tigers in a cage. One small problem. We sat in farthest left hand seats from the stage and I saw 6 tiger legs. That is quite a feat, unless something went wrong.
The other illusions went off without a hitch. He had some girls in the show who both performed the illusions and danced. The dancing was just filler time, though. The room was hot and about halfway through the show, it kind of got boring, seeing the same version of the same trick.
The last illusion of the night was the most spectacular and well worth seeing.
After the show, Arthur made himself available for autographs, especially those who bought his posters. He really didn't talk to the audience, unlike Nathan Burton.
The other down point is the bar and snack area is cash only. So, if you want to buy something, bring cash. We didn't, so we didn't contribute any money to the bars, which was OK.
Cost of the show starts at $42.50 and the show lasted 1 hour and 15 minutes.
For more information: http://www.troplv.com/ent_dirkarthur.asp

Country's Largest Country Christmas Tree

We went to the M-Resort to see the country's largest living Christmas tree. The tree stands 109 and is dug 12 feet into the ground. the ornaments are hung by 109 foot ribbons, hanging from the top of the tree. You can see the tree at from at least 5 miles away. If you had a straight visual shot, you probably see it from 10 miles away.

Thanks for the M for making Las Vegas number 1 for something other than foreclosures.

Las Vegas Review Journal Getting Ideas From Me?

While going through todays online newspaper for the LVRJ, I came across this article by Mike Weatherford: http://www.lvrj.com/neon/nathan-burton-80104312.html
Well, I did a review of Nathan Burton on December 15th of this year.
While Weatherford's article is more wordy, it is essentially the same.
Hmmm.

Christmas Eve At Wal-Mart- Unlike Do Many Other Days

What do Christmas Eve and New Years Eve have in common? Answer: Both are amateur days. If New Years Eve is amateur night for drinkers, then Christmas Eve is amateur day for shoppers.
Our store was packed the entire day. So many shoppers were in a daze. And those not in a daze were on a cell phone or texting. I must have been hit by at least 10 shopping carts being pushed by shoppers who weren't paying attention. I am 6'2 and 270, so I am pretty sure I am quite visible, but still I managed to get hit.
At times, the lines at check out were short, but most of the time, the lines were long. We ran out of shopping carts several times.
And of course, the shoplifters came and brought their Christmas cheer. Metro police could have set up a substation here because they were so often. The worst case was when a young woman was busted for stealing. She was with her kids, an 8 year old and 5 year old and an infant. When she was busted, she started fighting in front of everyone. She probably thought if she brought her kids along we wouldn't have stopped her- wrong. She also had a warrant so she went to jail and the kids went with CPS to Child Haven. Probably the best thing that ever happened to those kids.
We had so many workers there busting their butts and we also had some guys treat like a party. Met a friend worked there. He was fired the day before for missing too much work and he was fired on his birthday. Cold.
Then at 7:30, we closed the doors and posted our big beef guys from security and other large looking people in front of the doors to keep the people out. We turned away at least 200-300 people in about a half hour. Many people were shocked that Wal-Mart was closed. There was some confusion because the sign said that the store closes at 8:00, so people thought they can come in at 7:55 and do all their shopping were turned away. Only 1 lady became belligerent. She was yelling and screaming until she was introduced to the Metro officers who were there on another call.
A lot of the store was cleaned out, so there won't be too many after Christmas sales on Saturday. I think our store did about $600,000- $700,000 in business yesterday.
On the way home and then on the way to take the hound to the dog park, we noticed that K-Mart and several large grocery stores were still open.
So, I survived another Christmas Eve at Wal-Mart, which will probably be my last one at Wal-Mart. Now, to enjoy Christmas day by going to a show (look for a review later) and out to eat.
Merry Christmas, everyone.

Pope Attacked At Mass

Pope Benedict was attacked by a woman just as the Christmas Eve Mass was beginning.
For the video: http://www.breitbart.tv/cell-phone-video-shows-moment-woman-topples-pope/
The Pope is ok.

The U.S. Comes Closer To Socialism- Amish May Go To Jail

The U.S. senate, led by Nevada's Harry Reid (Dumbass-NV) passed it's version of the health care bill today, 60-39.
Clearly, parts of the bill are unconstitutional, especially the requirement that you have to purchase health insurance. This is the first time government has required people to purchase something, something they may not even need or believe in.
But Dan, people have said, the government requires you to buy car insurance. Well, yes, if you own a car. But you don't have to purchase insurance if you don't drive. If you take the bus, walk, swim or whatever, you don't need car insurance.
But hey, they counter you have to pay taxes. Well, you don't have to pay income tax if you choose not to work. You don't pay sales tax if you grow your own food.
And take the case of the Amish, they don't believe in insurance because it is against their religion. No exceptions were made in this bill for them. So, it looks like the jails in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and other states where the Amish live may be full of Amish citizens.
So, clearly, this part of the bill is unconstitutional despite what the Democrats say.
As far the debate today, the stupidist comment was this: "The occasion was moving for Sen. Paul Kirk, D-Mass., appointed to fill (Ted) Kennedy's seat after his death in August.
"He's having a merry Christmas in heaven," Kirk told reporters after the tally"
This is probably the first time Ted Kennedy and Heaven were used in the same sentence.
So, America has moved closer to socialism today. It is a sad day in history of the United States.

Great News: The North I-15 Is Almost Done!!!!

NDOT announced today that the northern part of the I-15 construction is almost done and the lanes will be opened on Christmas Eve. (What is it with Christmas Eve? Health care vote + the I-15 is fully opened. One horrible and one great news)
The construction finished almost 10 months AHEAD of schedule.
From the Las Vegas Sun: Consider it a Christmas gift — major construction on Interstate 15 north of the Spaghetti Bowl will be finished and all lanes and ramps will be open on Christmas Eve.
When ramps to and from Lake Mead Boulevard open Thursday, construction on the freeway will essentially be completed, and 10 months ahead of schedule, the Nevada Department of Transportation and project contractors announced on Tuesday.
The $240 million project to widen I-15 from the Spaghetti Bowl to Craig Road began Sept. 7, 2007, and wasn’t scheduled for completion until next fall.
The early completion is a result of the project being the first design-build project in the state, said Joseph Schroeder, the project manager for North Corridor Con
structors, a joint venture of contractors Las Vegas Paving and CH2M Hill.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/dec/23/i-15-construction-coming-close-early/

Gov. Jim Gibbons, love him or hate him, deserves credit for this project ending early as this was a State project.
Some work still needs to be done, which will happen when the weather warms up.
Now, if NDOT will turn on the metered traffic lights on the Cheyenne southbound on ramp, this will go a long way of eliminating traffic jams in the area.
Again, congratulations to NDOT, the construction workers and Gov. Jim Gibbons for getting this job done 10 months early. One question, did it save any money by finishing early. The article didn't say anything about this. Hopefully, all construction projects in Nevada will be like this.

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.