Pawn Stars Answer Questions From LV Sun

The Pawn Stars cast answered some questions put to them by readers of the Las Vegas Sun.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/apr/16/pawn-stars-answer-questions-sun-readers/
They reveal some things but most answers are vague.
Here is little video by the Sun for the behind the scens look.

Meanwhile My Son's Pet Rabbit, Floppy, Beats Harry Reid 58-42%

In a story that is not unexpected, Harry Reid continues to poll very badly. From the LVRJ:
"U.S. Sen. Harry Reid must pick up far more support from crossover Republicans and independents to win re-election, according to a new poll that shows him losing to the GOP front-runner in a full-ballot election with eight contenders and a "none of these candidates" option.
The survey of Nevada voters commissioned by the Review-Journal shows Reid getting 37 percent of the vote compared with 47 percent for Republican Sue Lowden, who would win if the election were today, while the slate of third-party and nonpartisan candidates would get slim to no backing." http://www.lvrj.com/news/poll--reid-loses-full-ballot-test-91015514.html
Despite the health care bill passing, many pro-Harry Reid commercials, trying to bring home the bacon with federal money, The Las Vegas Sun doing everything in their power to promote and shill for Reid and the tea party candidate, Harry actually visiting Nevada instead of staying in the Ritz Carlton in D.C. has not done anything to help Sen. Reid.
Can Harry turn it around? Look for Harry to visit the A-Z Pawn Shop from Pawn Stars like Shelly Berkley did, get the SEIU thugs involved and fight dirty. Other than that, Harry will be retired and then he will be able to relax and enjoy his retirement in Searchlight or Washington D.C.

Unemployment Reaches New Unemployment Record

From the LVRJ: "Nevada's jobless rate reached a new record in March, as nearly 200,000 Nevadans continued the hunt for work.
But observers said they see signs that the state's brutal jobs market is stabilizing, with several key indicators pointing upward. First, the bleak statistics: Unemployment statewide rose to a record 13.4 percent in March, up from 13.2 percent in February. Joblessness in Las Vegas declined slightly, dipping to 13.8 percent. That's down from a high of 13.9 percent in February.
In all, 186,900 Nevadans -- including 136,000 Las Vegans -- were unemployed and seeking work in March....Economists have said unemployment in Nevada is considerably higher if you include part-timers who'd prefer full-time work and discouraged workers who've quit looking for jobs. Factor in those demographics, and statewide joblessness is likely closer to 25 percent.
For most states, the jobs picture improved in March." Except of Nevada.
There are a lot reasons for the unemployment. One is that the construction business has almost have been eliminated and the tourist industry is still suffering.
But clearly some people don't get it. Some people include Harry "The Job Killer" Reid.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said in a statement that news of the latest jump in Nevada's unemployment rate was "disappointing."
But he added that investments in clean energy and tourism would help the state's employment outlook. Projects including a power-transmission line linking electric grids statewide, a wind-turbine factory and a solar plant in the Eldorado Valley will boost prospects for job hunters, Reid said. http://www.lvrj.com/business/nevada-s-jobless-rate-climbs-to-13_4-percent-91023224.html
Harry just doesn't get it. These so called green jobs, if they develop at all, is not going to help Nevada for several years, if at all.
Another problem is that in the very near future, hundreds if not a thousand or more government employees are going to be laid off because of lower than expected tax revenues resulting in lower budgets.
So, the State of Nevada continues to burn while Harry and his minions fiddle.

Wisconsin Liberal Activist Federal Judge Declares National Day Of Prayer Unconstutional

From Jsonline:" A Wisconsin federal judge on Thursday found the National Day of Prayer unconstitutional, saying it violates the First Amendment prohibition against laws respecting an establishment of religion.
The decision by U.S. District Judge Barbara B. Crabb of the Western District of Wisconsin was a victory for the Madison-based Freedom From Religion Foundation.
The group had sued the Bush and later Obama administrations in an effort to block the presidents from making their annual proclamations inviting Americans to set aside a day for prayer or meditation." http://www.jsonline.com/features/religion/91002169.html?commentSubmitted=y&refresh=7479#comments
Barbara Crabb is an activist judge who was put on the Federal Court by Jimmy Carter. She is extremely liberal and is an activist judge.
This case should never made into court. This case pits the judicial branch vs the executive branch. There is no way her ruling can be enforced. Is she going to hold a president in contempt if the president makes a proclamation? Is she going to throw him in jail? How is she even going to stop him from making a proclamation?
And who has been hurt, physically or emotionally when a president has issued a proclamation? Has the proclamation ever been forced on anybody?
This case will be overturned or president's will ignore the ruling.
But it does show that appointing judges to the Federal Court is very important and each appointee needs to be carefully vetted and if they are extreme in their views, left or right, then they ought to be rejected.

More Stupid Liberal News

From the Minot (ND) Daily News: Air Force security personnel, Mountrail County Sheriff's Department, Three Affiliated Tribes police and the FBI are investigating an incident Thursday in which a man jumped the fence of a Minuteman III launch site near Parshall.
According to the Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs office, 91st Missile Wing security forces personnel responded to an activated alarm at H-8 missile silo, located south of Parshall, and detained a man identified by the Mountrail County Sheriff's Department as James Richard Sauder of San Antonio. The suspect was later handed over to the sheriff's department who transferred him to the Mountrail County Jail in Stanley....In a telephone call to The Minot Daily News from the missile site, the man identified himself as Richard Sauder, of Texas, and said he chose missile site H-8 at random to make his protest. He claimed he was not armed and said that his demonstration was a peaceful one meant to draw attention to the danger nuclear weapons pose to the world and to the general public in the vicinities in which they are kept.
He made reference to being affiliated or in agreement with the "White Rose Movement."
Sauder placed his call around 9:15 a.m. He said he had been at the missile site for about a half-hour and had cut his hand crawling over the fence. Personnel from Minot Air Force Base evidently then arrived at the site and The Minot Daily News ended the conversation, advising the man to put his hands in the air and surrender. http://www.minotdailynews.com/page/content.detail/id/538506.html?nav=5010
So, we have another liberal who decided to go out in the middle of now where and plop his butt around a missile silo in Minot, ND, Minot ND? I was stationed in Minot when I was in the Air Force and I drove by the missiles silos all the time. The silos are in the middle of nowhere and this guy wants publicity? And he calls the Minot Daily News?
Then he gets cut getting into the silo area. When I was stationed there, the alarms were constantly going off. Rabbits, deer and other assorted animals set off the alarms and when I talked to the Officers who worked there, they rarely had an injured animal on the grounds.
And so, what did he accomplish? He could never enter the silos, so he walked around in the middle of nowhere, waiting to be arrested. And he gets to talk to the Minot Daily News. Umm, ok. So, what did he accomplish? Not a hell of a lot.

Stupid Liberal At Tea Party

From the Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune: "Austin A. Lester, 29, Grand Rapids, was riding his bike past the event in the 200 block of First Avenue South, when he stopped and asked if people were gathered for a “Klan meeting,”"
So, you have a liberal who thought he was being clever with his taunt.
Then someone, probably a person who was a the rallydid the following: Schwartz said. Christopher J. Koran, 48, Nekoosa, then straddled the front wheel of Lester’s bicycle in a crosswalk.
Lester then used his bicycle to hit Koran in the crotch, and Koran “took a swing” at Lester, Schwartz said. “Fortunately, that’s as far as it went. It went smoothly with no other incidents.” http://www.wisconsinrapidstribune.com/article/20100415/WRT0101/100415091/1982
Both guys were wrong, but once again, it is a liberal who caused the incident in the first place. Caring and compassionate liberals, my hairy butt.

2 Smilar Cases, Two Different Results

Two political cases were decided today by the Nevada Supreme Court and a district court judge. The cases, whether the supposed Tea Party candidate and a judicial candidate can be on the ballots for the upcoming elections. The district court judge ruled for the fraud of a Tea Party candidate and the Supreme Court decided against the judicial candidate, knocking her off the ballot.
From the Sun: "A judge has ruled that Scott Ashjian can remain on the ballot as a Tea Party candidate for the U.S. Senate.
District Judge Todd Russell rejected the legal challenge of the Independent American Party, which argued Ashjian lied on his declaration of candidacy.
Russell said he “did not believe that he (Ashjian) engaged in a knowing and willful attempt to avoid the election laws of the state of Nevada.”" http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/apr/15/judge-rules-tea-party-candidate-can-stay-ballot/
The argument for Ashjian to be kicked off was he didn't technically follow the law. While his defense basically said he mostly followed the law. The lawyer for the IAP(Independent American Party, a true conservative third party brought the suit and their lawyer had a great argument: (from the LVRJ) Hansen, the Independent American Party candidate for attorney general, compared what Ashjian did with someone who gets married before he has gotten a divorce from his current wife.
"You get married in the morning when you are already married and then that afternoon you get a divorce from your first wife," Hansen said. "That is called bigamy. http://www.lvrj.com/news/tea-party-of-nevada-candidate-ashjian-to-remain-on-ballot-90997149.html
Meanwhile the Supreme Court Ruled ruled today: (from the Sun)The Nevada Supreme Court, within hours of hearing oral arguments, ruled today that Las Vegas Lawyer Amber L. Candelaria should not be on the ballot for election as a justice of the peace...Candelaria got her license to practice law Oct. 17, 2006, but she paid her dues to be admitted to the Nevada Bar the previous fall.
Attorney Daniel Polsenberg, representing Candelaria, told the court the people should decide the qualifications of the justices of the peace, not the Nevada Legislature, which enacted the standard. http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/apr/15/court-upholds-decision-remove-candidate-ballot/
So, Amber Cadelaria, essentially followed the law and she was kicked off the ballot on a technicality.
Two court decision's with two different results. I hope the IAP goes to the Nevada Supreme Court to get a final decision on the fraudulent Tea Party candidate.

Union Allows Firefighters To Be Laid off

From the LVRJ: "North Las Vegas began laying off firefighters Wednesday -- the same day the city's firefighters union ran a full-page Review-Journal ad touting the union's willingness to negotiate with the city to save jobs.
Eight firefighters received layoff notices that are effective June 18, the city said. An additional eight firefighters are expected to receive such notices in coming days. "They are shocked," Jeff Hurley, the union's president, said of the affected firefighters. "The city is not budging.""
Welcome to the real world, Mr. Hurley. The city is broke and they are not budging and they were not fooling around, like the union is doing.
"Councilman Richard Cherchio blasted the union for using "scare tactics" in the ad. He and the city said fire department layoffs are not targeted to a specific station or company.
And any layoffs of union firefighters are "thanks to their leadership," Cherchio said.
He and other council members have criticized the union for offering concessions only in exchange for conditions, including pay raises in future years.
The city can't guarantee such conditions given the unpredictable economy, Cherchio said.
Union leaders "did not come forward and do the right thing without any strings attached," he said."http://www.lvrj.com/news/eight-firefighters-laid-off-90902859.html#blogcomments?submitted=y
The union called the city's bluff and the union lost. Too bad, too sad.
It also sucks if you were one of those employees who are laid off. Your union threw you under the bus in favor of the more senior firefighters.
The saving grace for the community is that the area fire departments cooperate very well with each other. There are no real boundaries and dispatch center sends the closest rigs to an emergency, no matter whose jurisdictions it is in. If you are ever at a fire scene, you can find 2 or 3 fire departments at the scene. For instance, if there is a fire in our apartment complex, CCFD and NLVFD will respond. If there is a fire downtown, CCFD and LVFD will respond.
There are going to more firefighter layoffs from all the area departments, except maybe Henderson. The unions better wake up and face reality. Not only are they making enemies with elected officials with their refusal to bargain in good faith but they are also losing public support.

Officers From Mesquite and NHP Shoot At Suspects

While going out for a beer run to the Rebel Station Lamb and Craig, there was a lot of police activity.
Three people were taken into custody after officers from Mesquite and NHP fired a shot. The three were armed but were taken into custody. The three were in a newer black mid-sized car when they were shot and the crashed. North Las Vegas and the NHP were on the scene and Lamb was blocked off on the northside of the intersection.
UPDATE: A member of a local multi-agency drug task force fired his weapon at a suspect in North Las Vegas on Wednesday night. Nobody was injured.
North Las Vegas police Sgt. Tim Bedwell said the incident happened near Craig Road and Lamb Boulevard. The officer was not with the North Las Vegas Police Department, Bedwell said. It was not clear Wednesday night what department the officer who fired the weapon belonged to. Bedwell said the task force was pursuing suspects and a brief chase ensued.
The suspects had guns, and one of the officers fired a shot that did not strike anyone, Bedwell said. He said it was not immediately clear what provoked the shooting. http://www.lvrj.com/news/drug-task-force-member-fires-at-suspect-90903584.html
Ok, if the officer involved in the shooting was from a jurisdiction outside of NLVPD, why wasn't their agency at the scene? Unless the cop involved worked for the state and that would explain the NHP presence.
While this was going, the NLVPD were conducting a theft investigation in which a guy was selling stolen auto parts on Craig's List. Well, apparently, the guy who wanted to buy the equipment was the original owner of the stolen parts. The police had one person detained.
And to top it all off, someone got sick on the RTC bus in the intersection and so they had a bunch of ambulances for that.
Another quiet night in North Las Vegas.
This has been updated as more information comes in.

Tea Pary Fraud In Court Today

From the LVRJ: "Scott Ashjian admitted in court Wednesday that he was a registered Republican at noon March 2 when he filed his candidacy as the Tea Party of Nevada candidate for U.S. Senate.
Ashjian told District Judge James Todd Russell that he did not change his registration to the new party until about three hours later when he flew home to Las Vegas from Carson City.
Ashjian's attorney is from the ACLU, so you know they will act like an idiot and in this case, they did not disappoint. Ashjian's lawyer says: "But Ashjian's lawyer, Allen Lichtenstein, said Ashjian "substantially complied" with the election laws and did not attempt to defraud voters as to his party leanings. Although Lichtenstein is legal counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, he is representing Ashjian as a private attorney." http://www.lvrj.com/news/ashjian-admits-he-was-registered-republican-when-he-filed-tea-party-candidacy-90859689.html
If I am ever pulled over for speeding, I guess I can say I was substantially complied with the law, except that little bit of speeding. O.J. can say he was substantially complying with the law, except for the small part of pulling out a gun and threatening. Bernie Madoff can say he was substantially in compliance of banking laws except for that little fraud thingy.
In the Las Vegas Sun, we find some comedy: "Scott Ashjian, fighting to remain on the election ballot as the Tea Party candidate for the U.S. Senate in Nevada, says he doesn’t think he will get the endorsement of the party to be made Thursday." Saying he probably won't get the Tea Party endorsement is like saying the sun will probably not come up in the west tomorrow morning.
Asked why he didn’t think he would get the endorsement of the Tea Party, Ashjian said it has come out "with a lot of negative advertisements" and made false statements about him. http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/apr/14/ashjian-says-hes-not-expecting-tea-party-endorseme/
Well, if you are going to be a fraud and Harry Reid's stooge while hiding behind the tea party name, you are probably are not going to get their endorsement.
I don't know how this will turn out. Yes, he broke the rules by filing for candidacy for one party and switching the party a few hours. Is it serious enough to get thrown off the ballot.
Further, how much is Ashjian spending with his own money? He has bills to pay and he owes many people. How is he financing the law suit?
But Ashjian did make an endorsement today: He thinks Sharon Angle is the best GOP candidate. I'm pretty sure this is one endorsement she did not need.

Shocking News: Las Vegas Economy Still Sucks

From The Las Vegas Sun: "UNLV economists aren’t optimistic about a quick recovery of the Southern Nevada economy.
The Center for Business and Economic Research released its Southern Nevada Index of Leading Economic Indicators, which has remained essentially flat.
The index stood at 125.89 in March, up 0.05 percent from February and down 1.05 percent from March 2009. It measures economic activity in January and is a forecast through July 1.
“It is difficult to have much optimism about the near-term economic picture for Southern Nevada because the majority of the series comprising the index is either falling or caught in the doldrums,” said Mary Riddel, the center’s interim director.
Taxable sales continue to be a drag on the index, falling 8 percent in January from January 2009. Gross gaming revenue, convention attendance and the number of passengers traveling through McCarran International Airport continued to be a drag as well, Riddel said."
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/apr/14/index-shows-few-signs-economic-recovery-short-term/
This is very surprising for the Sun to report this since this really a slap to the Democrats who are in charge.
Despite all the stimulus money, despite that Harry Reid is the one of the most powerful people in the United States, despite the supposed help with foreclosures, the economy in Vegas stinks and it's not going to get better.
As Bill Clinton said "it's the economy, stupid" well that will hold true in the primaries and in November. A lot of incumbent politicians will lose their jobs and this will probably include Harry and Rory Reid and Jim Gibbons.

Happy Birthday To Las Vegan And Future Hall Of Famer, Greg Maddux

A great big Happy Birthday to Greg Maddux, a future Hall of Famer and a proud Las Vegas resident.
Even though he played for the pathetic Chicago Cubs, he still managed to stay cool and classy.
Happy 44st Birthday.

Dina Titus Just Doesn't Get It

Rep Dina Titus (Blonde-NV), a woman who has never held a real job in her life, proposed a bill in congress to spend $10,000,000 giving food to needy kids and their family for the weekends and holidays. "An anti-hunger bill that would provide schoolchildren with food to take home during weekends and holidays was introduced today in Congress. The bill by Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., targets children from low-income families that qualify for free or reduced-cost school breakfasts and lunches during the week.
The "Weekends Without Hunger Act" would initiate a federal pilot program to provide food for schools and local anti-hunger groups to distribute.
The bill authorizes Congress to spend $10 million a year for five years on the effort. "
Let's see, where is it written that schools need to provide food for the family on the weekends? second, $2 million a year is going to cover all the low income kids in the country? Heck, that wouldn't cover the CCSD low income kids.
Now, let's see, do we need more programs for families. Currently we have food stamps, WIC, food pantries, soup kitchens and so much more. So, why do we need another program?
http://www.lvrj.com/news/titus-proposes--10-million-anti-hunger-bill-for-schoolchildren-90793179.html

So, the question I have: When was the last time a child died by starving to death or malnutrition because the family could not find any food?

Here Comes Obama Care

From the LVRJ: Despite his objections to the national health care reform law, Gov. Jim Gibbons joined Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto on Tuesday in agreeing to spend $279,119 in state money to set up a planning unit to prepare for 150,000 additional Medicaid recipients in 2014.
"I fundamentally disagree with the federal legislation that caused this need, but the law is the law," Gibbons said. But the governor warned at Tuesday's state Board of Examiners meeting that this is just the first in a series of bills Nevada taxpayers will be forced to pay for mandates approved by Congress and President Barack Obama.
According to one state official, the next bill will be an unknown amount to create or join a high-risk insurance pool for Nevadans who are unable to obtain insurance coverage.
Then as much as $38 million for computer upgrades to handle the additional work.
Then an unknown amount to hire workers to handle the significant expansion of the federal health care program for low-income people.
And then the big hit: an estimated $575 million in benefits for the first five years of the expansion starting in 2014.
The costs come at a bad time for state government, in the middle of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. http://www.lvrj.com/news/gibbons-allocates-funds-for-health-care-planning-90768299.html
Yep, hope and change. Thank you Harry Reid, for all this additional spending by the State of Nevada. Thank You Dina Titus and Shelly Berkley, thanks for screwing over the taxpayer. We shall remember in the fall.

A Very Dark Day For The Las Vegas Sun

Today, April 13,2010 will ranks as one of the worst days of the Las Vegas Sun for what they put in their supposed newspaper.
First, Las Vegas recently had a very graphic murder and attempted murder of a child and his mom by a deranged stranger. The deranged thug went after the mother and baby with an axe and you can picture the horrible details of the crime. The baby was killed when the thug split his skull so bad that there was brain matter on the street. The mom suffered significant facial injuries, with reports stating her face was basically chopped off.
So what does the Sun do? They ran a picture of the young mother and her disfiguring injuries. This lady has gone through enough and the Sun didn't need to show her and her injuries. Their description of the crime was good enough, but the Sun, in their sensationalizing the news, decided to run the picture. Very sad and pathetic. Someday, perhaps Brian Greenspun, the braindead editor of the Sun, Cara McCoy, the author of the article and her editor will receive disfiguring injuries. Do you think the Sun will run their picture in their rag? Of course not, especially Greenspun who is so thin skinned that he won't even allow comments on his editorials.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/apr/12/woman-recounts-alleged-ax-attack-killed-son/
Second, the Sun ran an editorial that actually win an Emmy for comedy writing, but the Sun was actually serious.
The Sun, in their hilarious complains with a straight face: "Over the past few years the tenor of American politics has turned for the worse. Many politicians have been reckless with their words, and the nation is now seeing the result. Political discourse needs a mouthful of soap."
Then they go and rip conservatives for over the top rhetoric and places no blame for the Democrats and the liberals.
Then they throw out outright lies like this: Members of the Congressional Black Caucus said protesters used racial slurs as they walked to Congress for the health care vote. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri said he was spit on. Conservative activists accused the members of Congress of lying and demanded the Democrats provide video proof. Individual voices are largely indiscernible on videos of the crowds, which conservatives say is proof there were no slurs. And the video of Cleaver being spit on was dismissed as an “accident.”
But that is not how the original paragraph read, which was: "Members of the Congressional Black Caucus said protesters used racial slurs as they walked to Congress for the health care vote. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri said he was spit on. After I demanded proof in the comment section, they changed the editorial.
Further comedy: "Some Republican members of Congress have claimed that their rhetoric is no worse than that of Democrats and liberal activists during President George W. Bush’s two terms in office. “You should’ve heard some of the things they were saying,” Republican Rep. Greg Walden, an Oregon Republican, told Politico.com.
Seriously? Is this what American politics has come to, complaints that “they did it first” and demands for video proof?" Seriously? Did the Sun come out against the liberals when they used over the top rhetoric? Hell no, and in fact, if you look at the Sun's reporting and especially, their editorials are full of hate. Just look at Brian Greenspun's editorial on Easter Sunday. http://lasvegasbadger.blogspot.com/2010/04/brian-greenspun-makes-ass-of-himself.html
So, today was a very dark day in the Las Vegas Sun's history. Their ethics went totally down the crapper today and it has hurt one young woman.

Pawn Stars Review: April 12, 2010

In a week where the cast of the Pawn Stars has been in the newspapers, giving interviews or having politicians visit slumming for votes and getting another 15 minutes of fame, we have tonight's episode. The good news for their fans is the pawn shop has been signed for another 5 seasons.
In the first episode, the first guy came in with a peg leg from a pirate leg from the 18th century. Interestingly, the man was black, one of the few minorities ever shown in the series. The guy wants $7500. They brought in a expert from the West Sea Company, which does not have an office in Las Vegas. The expert said the leg came from the civil war. It's worth is about $1000. Rick offered $500 and there was no sale.
The next guy brought in a almost all wood motorcycle. The guy wanted $3500 but Rick had no room for it in his shop (soon, not to be a problem as they are expanding)
The next customer, an elderly lady brought in an Ottoman era flintlock pistol and a dagger. Rick brought in an expert to help him out. Sean, who seems to be dressing nicer each time you see him, was the expert. The pistol and dagger were judged to be authentic. Sean said the dagger was used in battle because of some dings. Well, I can think of several scenarios where the dagger could be dinged. Like 2 soldiers playing or practicing with each other or hitting the dagger on a rock. The lady decided that she did not want to sell and went home,
A couple brought in an antique music box. It was about 130 years. It had a real nice picture on the cover. The music box worked and the sound was very good. They wanted $1000 and the Old Man shot it down quickly. Rick offered $800 and that was the sales price.
The next guy came in a Hoyt 2010 Hoyt Carbon Matrix Bow, the ultimate in bow and arrows. The guy wanted $2000 and the counter offer was $1000 and after haggling, it was sold for $1250. Rick took it to Pacific Archery and the bow will be put up for sale on consignment.
The second episode is a repeat from January 8, 2010.
http://lasvegasbadger.blogspot.com/2010/01/pawn-review-1-18-2010.html

Harrahs Plan On Hiring 500 New Workers

Some good news in Las Vegas as Harrahs announced that they will hire 125 full time employees and another 375 temporary, part time or on-call positions. There will be a job fair at the Rio on Wednesday between 9 and 3. http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/apr/12/harrahs-host-job-fair-search-500-workers/
It is nice that Harrahs is hiring but there are other employers who are also hiring. Wal-Mart, Republic Services fast food restaurants, convenience stores, sales, truck drivers, cab drivers and many more jobs. These are not glamorous jobs and they may not pay the greatest, but they are jobs.
Finally, when will Harry Reid, Dina Titus and Shelly Berkley take credit for the Harrahs hiring?

Pawn Stars Getting Political

From the Las Vegas Sun: Democratic Rep. Shelley Berkley made a visit today to that most Las Vegas of Vegas attractions – the celebrity pawn shop.... “Pawn Stars” is based on the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop in the heart of Berkley’s Las Vegas district. Berkley stopped by Monday afternoon to celebrate Gold and Silver’s popularity and thank the Harrisons, the owner-operators, “for helping to promote Las Vegas tourism through the success of the program which is seen by millions of History Channel viewers.” http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/apr/12/shelley-berkley-thanks-pawn-stars-during-visit/
First why is this even news? You have to realize that is a publicity stunt by both Berkley and the cast at Pawn Stars. They also had their the liberal accomplices in the likes of the Las Vegas Sun and it's author of this press release, Lisa Mascaro. Mascaro is just a little hack extremist liberal reporter. She has no ethics and really doesn't know much about journalism. I'd say she should go back to Journalism 101 but I don't think any journalism school would take her.
Then, why is Berkley even visited with lapdog Mascaro in tow? She must be feeling the heat in her upcoming election that she has to stoop so low.
And why did the Pawn Stars cast want to do this? Lately, the Pawn Stars are doing everything to get into the newspaper. Recent reports find them reporting a stop in Wisconsin, doing interviews and other publicity stunts. This seems out of character of them or at least how they portray themselves, but they must have gotten the fame bug in them. I shopped at the store before they started and what they were then is not the same people they are now.
I am glad they are getting their 15 minutes of fame, but I hope they don't get huge egos.
And looking at the picture of the Old Man, I don't think it has for him.

There He Goes Again

Quoting the great Ronald Reagan "There he goes again". Obama now bows to the Chi Coms. Maybe I should Obama a little slack. He is kind of spineless.

Barry Manilow Review

When I moved to Las Vegas, there were only a few acts I really wanted to see. Penn and Teller, Elton John and Barry Manilow. Well, tonight, my wish list is down to one as Elton John is gone, leaving Penn and Teller. I was able to get 4 tickets for tonight performance at the Paris Las Vegas casino.
If you like Barry Manilow, this show is for you, if you couldn't care less, you probably would not want to spend $100 a ticket.
Manilow played a lot of his old songs along with some newer love songs by different composers like Gershwin and Berlin.
The most touching moment was his tribute to his grandfather. It can be a tear jerker if you want it to be.
Manilow was backed with about a 10 person band and 4 singers. Manilow tried to do some dance numbers, but he was kind of stiff, but at his age, it is understandable.
Manilow was very personable to the audience and he didn't act like he was bored, even though he has been performing in Las Vegas for years.
The music was loud, which was nice for us because we had some cackling hens behind us. Apparently they thought people were here to hear them instead of Manilow.
It's a great show because it had good lighting, sound and the talent of the musicians was great. While Manilow did not sing all of my favorites, he played enough to make the show worthwhile.
The show is for 6 years and up. My kids were bored at times, mainly because they never heard of Manilow, except when he was portrayed on Family Guy.
The show lasted a little more than an hour, about 1 hr. 20 minutes. The audience gave Manilow a standing ovation and it was well deserved.

Want To Ask The Pawn Stars A Question?

If you want to ask the Pawn Stars a question, please fill out the form from the Las Vegas Sun.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/pawn-stars/ask/

Funniest Whose Line Is It Video

I was watching Drew Carey's "Whose Line Is It Anyways" and it brought back memories of this video with Richard Simmons. One of the best videos ever.

A Day At Death Valley

The family took a day trip to Death Valley, CA. today and it was really interesting and surprising.
First, Death Valley actually has many green areas in the area. When I thought of Death Valley, I thought of the desert with nothing growing. Well, I was wrong. While we did not see water, it must be close to the surface as there were areas of date trees, bushes, flowers, pine trees and other assorted vegetation. It also has a golf course with green grass! It seems it has more natural green areas than Las Vegas. Other than a few birds, we saw no wildlife.
The temperature when we there was about 95 but it didn't seem so bad. Well, the wind was blowing about 30-50 mph, so that cooled things down.
The mountains are like the mountains like those in Las Vegas. No vegetation on the mountains and they were tall. While there was no snow on the mountains, some of the mountains with snow were visable from NV 373, which is close to the park. There were hiking trails in several areas.
There were a lot of people camping out in there RV's and the hotels were almost full. Lot's of motorcycles as well.
Unlike most national parks, there were no fees to drive through the park.
To get to Death Valley, it was an easy trip. Just take Hwy 95 to NV 373 which is near Armagossa Valley. Drive down about 15 miles and turn right onto the CA highway. It's less than a 3 hour drive. One hint though, fill up with gas in Vegas. Gas in Indian Springs was $3.27 while gas in Death Valley was $4.07 a gallon.
I'll try and post pictures tomorrow.

Polish Tragedy: Could It Happen Here?

In the aftermath of the Polish airline tragedy, where many of the Polish elite were killed in a plane crash in Russia. Among those killed were the president of Poland, generals, admirals, MP's, religious leaders and many more.
While the plane used in Poland was aged, the question I have is, can it happen to the U.S.?
While the probability of it happen is small, I think it could happen. As I detailed in a previous blog post, http://lasvegasbadger.blogspot.com/2010/02/air-force-1-damn-near-crashes-or-pilots.html , the pilots of AF1 were either reckless or showboating when they took off from McCarren Field, here in Vegas. The plane barely made it above the fences surrounding the airport and I could have thrown a baseball and hit the plane as it flew overhead.
Essentially, the pilots left no room for error and if something mechanical did happen to the plane, it could have crashed.
So, can an Air Force 1 crash like it did in Russia, doubtful, but not impossible.

Indepth Article Of The Pawn Star Stars

The Las Vegas Weekly did a very nice job interviewing the Pawn Stars here in Las Vegas.http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/news/2010/apr/08/pawn-shop-boys/
The big news is that the show has been signed up for 5 more seasons.

Polish President Dies In An Airplane Accident In Russia

From Fox News: "A plane carrying Polish President Lech Kaczynski, his wife and two top Polish officials crashed Saturday while landing at Smolensk airport in western Russia.
"It clipped the tops of the trees, crashed down and broke into pieces," the governor of the Smolensk region, Sergei Antufiev, told Russia-24 television news network by telephone.
A Russian investigator said 132 were killed.
Polish foreign ministry spokesman Piotr Pszkowski said the Polish president, accompanied by his wife, the army chief of staff and Deputy Foreign Minister Andrzej Kremer were on board the plane." http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/04/10/polish-presidents-plane-crashes-russia-killing/
This plane crash is going to devastate the government of Poland. The president, army chief of staff and the deputy foreign minister were killed. If this happened in the U.S., we would have lost Obama (perhaps Biden depending on how powerful the president of Poland is), chairman of the joint chiefs and Hillary or 1 step below Hillary.
It also has to be noted that this would never happen in the U.S. as it seems anybody in Washington D.C. who is a major leader in government has use of a military plane.
So, please keep the the people of Poland in your prayers as they struggle to get through this tragedy.

Get A Reckless Driving Charge And Get Suspended From College?

From Knoxnews.com "Even at 60 years old Suzanne Glen is a fighter.
She fought through an agonizing childhood disease that resulted in the loss of her colon, divorce, the loss of both parents and being diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a medical disorder that disables its sufferers with chronic joint and muscle pain.
Now she's fighting to complete her master's degree at the University of Tennessee. University officials want to indefinitely suspend her from the institution because of a reckless driving conviction last year while camping in Alabama.
Glen was slated to graduate May 14. She has continued her studies and expects to complete her courses April 30. But she already has lost an academic year for applying to colleges for her doctorate degree in social work because UT refused to release her course transcripts pending resolution of her disciplinary appeal.
Matthew M. Scoggins, UT assistant general counsel, told the administrative law judge hearing Glen's appeal that UT wants to nullify Glen's academics for the spring semester." ..."Any time we think the act threatens the community or reflects poorly on the university, we take action," Rogers said.
Scoggins said Glen violated rule 8 of UT's student conduct policy with her July 2009 drunken-driving arrest in Gulf Shores, Ala. Glen, on advice of an attorney, pleaded guilty to reckless driving. That conviction, Scoggins said, showed Glen's alleged act "threatens or endangers the health or safety of any person," as stated in rule 8 of the dozens of student conduct violations.
Glen refused to submit to a breath test when arrested. She testified Friday she was not intoxicated when an officer stopped her Hyundai Sonata about 5:47 a.m. while she was getting an order from a McDonald's drive-through window.
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2010/apr/10/woman-fighting-ut-suspension/
Ok, the lady screwed up and got convicted of reckless driving and the university of Tennessee wants to indefinitely suspend her? Well maybe this is the real reason: "Scoggins declined to say how UT became aware of Glen's arrest and plea bargain. Glen, however, was camping with another female UT student at the time of her arrest and their relationship has since soured."
So, Glen apparently was involved in a lesbian relationship with a fellow student and they broke up and her partner reported her to the university.
Hell, I went to U.W. Madison. If they suspended students who got drunk or were convicted of alcohol related crimes, 2/3 of the student population would have been in trouble. And the other 1/3 are thankful they were not caught.
This is a bogus case by the university and Glen should be allowed to continue to get her degree and let her continue to get her doctorate. Unless the university can show other behavior that makes her a threat to the community, they need to back off and let her finish her degrees.

Gas Prices Keep Rising. Will It Kill A Recovery?

Gas prices continue to rise and the cost for a gallon has passed the three dollar mark at several Las Vegas area gas stations.
Last year, at this time, gas was averaging $2.11 in Vegas and now it is $2.88, a difference of 77 cents a gallon. http://www.vegasgasprices.com/ the lowest price, without purchasing groceries or being a member of a shopping club is $2.77.
Liberals like Obama and Reid and Pelosi cheer the rise in gas prices. However, just about everyone else hate it.
There have been news reports that gas may hit $4 a gallon this summer. If you want to commit economic suicide, keep the gas prices high. Especially for Las Vegas that depends on people driving cars to come to Las Vegas.
But we know that Reid and Obama really don't care about the people in Las Vegas. They have given us the middle finger so many times that they are getting arthritis in the middle finger from flipping us off.
When gas prices rise, I don't spend as much money on other things. I may cut out a night out with the family, a small trip or some entertainment so I can fill the gas tank. I'm pretty sure most other people in the valley do the same thing. And the small business people who depend on low gas prices, well this will give them another reason not to hire more staff.
So, while Obama and Reid are happy with high gas prices, most people are not and it will cost the liberals in the elections in 2010.

For You Trekkies Out There

From the LVRJ: "Propworx, a California company that markets set decorations and costumes from TV shows and movies, will sell several hundred items from the Las Vegas Hilton's Star Trek: The Experience on Saturday.
In an 11-year run that ended in 2008, Star Trek: The Experience and its interactive rides generated plenty of set pieces. Trekkies will be able to snap up parts of the beloved attraction for as little as $25, and everyone who walks in the door will get a free pair of 3D glasses worn on the rides. Up for sale will be themed signs, 20-foot spaceship replicas from the attraction's lobby, Starfleet costumes, bar furniture and components of transporter rooms (perfect for when your mother-in-law visits!).
The sale runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 66 Spectrum Boulevard. Propworx will accept cash or checks only." http://www.lvrj.com/business/intergalactic-rubble-from-star-trek--the-experience-up-for-grabs-at-sale-90336399.html
I am probably the only person in the United States who has not ever seen a Star Trek movie or an episode on TV. Never even saw a Star Wars movie or E.T. But I did see Space Balls a few times. I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a Klingon and Al Gore, though rumor has it that Gore was a model for some out-of-this-world character.
So, if you have a few bucks laying around, go down to the warehouse and pick up some things.
For a map: http://maps.google.com/maps?rlz=1T4GGIC_enUS309US309&q=66+Spectrum+Boulevard+las+vegas&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=66+Spectrum+Blvd,+Las+Vegas,+NV+89101&gl=us&ei=KRXAS8P5IdLangej6ZiuCg&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CAgQ8gEwAA

Let Me Make This Clear: HELL NO!!!

From the LVRJ:
"Jim Rogers, the former chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education, has suddenly become the popular choice of many who would like to see him take over immediately as interim superintendent of the beleaguered Clark County School District.
The School Board on Thursday received a petition with 3,350 signatures asking for Rogers to replace outgoing Superintendent Walt Rulffes, who plans to leave the post in August."
In an interview, Rogers said he would be happy to step in and work for free. Rulffes earns $276,932 a year.
"I'm not hustling for the job, but if they said, 'Jim, we need you,' I would do it," Rogers said.
Rogers, who is also busy leading efforts to transform the University Medical Center into public-private teaching hospital, said he could take over "next Monday or Tuesday" if needed, but would not want to work much longer than a year for the school district. http://www.lvrj.com/news/supporters-want-rogers-to-become-interim-superintendent-90425939.html
When Rogers was in charge of Nevada System of Higher Education, he acted like a complete ass. It was his way or the highway. He has one hell of a temper and it has got him into trouble. My guess, if he didn't quit, he would have been fired or his contract would not have been renewed. He would not work well with the school board and he already has plenty of enemies up in Carson City. His ego is much bigger than the Thomas and Mack Center.
In addition, running a university system is much different than running the 5th largest K-12 school system. He will have to deal with a lot of different aspects of a school district that he didn't have to deal with the Nevada colleges. The biggest is special education and ELL problems, then transportation issues and far more employees than in the university system.
Further, does Rogers even have an administrator's license? Would he be willing to get one?
If Jim Rogers is hired, it will be a disaster for CCSD, it's employees and most importantly, the students. So, HELL NO for Jim Rogers for taking over CCSD.

Sadly, Last 4 Miners Have Died

Gov. Joe Manchin has announced that the four miners who were missing all were found dead.
Three missing miners were found about 500 feet behind mantrip where 6 coworkers were still seated. The other miner was a short distance away.
The mission now is to recover those who died. Seven already were recovered. 29 total deaths.
http://www.dailymail.com/News/breakingnews/201004100024

I'm Glad I Am Not A Fashion Designer

I am watching the finale of Project Runway on Lifetime (not my idea, I blame Cathy). Everything I thought was good, the judges hated. Everything I thought was ugly (most of the clothes) the judges liked.
Thank goodness I am not a fashion designer But I have to give credit to the designers for coming up with so many different designs in a very short period of time.

Umpire Joe West Speaks The Truth

"Before Wednesday night's game, West called the AL East rivals "embarrassing" and "a disgrace to baseball" for slowing the pace of their games to a crawl, according to the Bergen (N.J.) Record.
The teams' season opener on Sunday took 3:46 to play. Tuesday night's game went 3:48, while Wednesday night's contest, which went 10 innings, was finished in a relatively brisk 3:21.
"They're the two clubs that don't try to pick up the pace," said West, the chief of the umpiring crew working the three-game series, according to the report. "They're two of the best teams in baseball. Why are they playing the slowest? "It's pathetic and embarrassing. They take too long to play," he said, according to the report.
During Tuesday night's game, home plate umpire Angel Hernandez denied a number of requested timeouts in the batter's box.
West did not allow Hernandez to comment, according to the report.
"All of baseball looks to these two clubs to pick up the pace," West said, according to the report. "[Hernandez] did everything he could. The players aren't working with us.""
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5066650
It seems like major league baseball has become quite boring because the players think that every at bat and every pitch is the same as the pitch of the ninth inning with two outs of the 7th game of the World Series.
The games get boring, especially if you are working watching on TV. Channel surfing between pitches is an art form. If you play it right, you can watch an entire episode of Family Guy and not miss anything in one inning, if you watch in between the pitches. If you wanted to watch an entire episode of Grey's Anatomy, then 2 innings.
A good baseball game shouldn't last more than 2 1/2 hours, any longer and it gets boring any shorter, then you are not getting your money's worth.
Hopefully West will not get punished for speaking his mind. If so, then his punishment should be to watch the next Yankee-Red Sox game in slow motion with Bud Selig. What can be worse?

Looks Like Dad 29's Blog Has Been Terrorized

Just went to Dad 29's blog and it looks like a blog terrorist has attacked it. http://dad29.blogspot.com/
Almost everything has been crossed out, with a line through the words.
And I thought Dad had no enemies.

Stupid Union News #123436

From the Las Vegas Sun: "When Santa Fe & The Fat City Horns and assorted Las Vegas big-band musicians put on their rollicking music showcases at the Tropicana each week, everyone’s happy.
The assembled musicians, given the opportunity to play for scores of avid late-night fans, are happy.
Those who attend the free Monday night performances at Tiffany Theatre and Celebration Lounge -- many of them musicians themselves -- are happy.
Tropicana hotel executives, who pay scant wages to Santa Fe & The Fat City Horns to compensate the musicians and reap the benefits of a few hundred potential gamblers and drinkers each Monday, are happy, too.
But officials with the Las Vegas Musicians Union Local 369 … not so happy.
In a skirmish likely to unplug the late-night jams that follow the Santa Fe performances at Tiffany Theatre, the Las Vegas Musicians Union has sent letters to member musicians who participate in the post-show performances at Celebration Lounge to stop playing. Union President Frank Leone said the union began contacting musicians this week, asking them to cease playing in the hour-long showcases.
“We’re simply asking our members not to do this,” Leone said. “We understand the big-band musicians who want to have some place to play, but we can’t condone it happening in a Strip casino that is the beneficiary from liquor sales and ancillary playing -- people who stroll over to the machines in the casino -- and the musicians are not getting compensated.”"
So, you have musicians wanting to play for free or minimally compensated and they play for their friends and customers and they are doing it voluntarily. But the union says, no, no, no. We don't want you to play because we are the union and we are the law.
So, who wins? No one. Who loses? The musicians because they lose a place to play and in Las Vegas, it is very difficult for a band to find a place to play. It also hurts the musicians because it is a place for them to be discovered so they have a chance to play in the big shows in Vegas. The customers lose because they won't be able to listen to true jam sessions. The casinos don't lose because the customers already are in the casino.
So, the local musician union show why unions have become pretty much irrelevant and are tone deaf. No one was being harmed and the only one's who look like fools is the union.

Illegal Immigrant March On Saturday In Vegas

A march and rally for illegal immigrants will be held in Las Vegas on Saturday at the federal courthouse at 3:00. The pro-illegal immigrant politicians will be there. Harry Reid and Shelly Berkley will be there in support of illegal immigrants.
They are expecting between 10,000 to 14,000 illegal immigrant supporters, which really means about 4-5000 people.
One of the biggest BS quotes is this: "Nevada "is such an important state politically, and our constituents are people here who make up a very high immigrant population," said Michael Flores, Southern Nevada director of Reform Immigration for America. "The location is ideal. Right now we're in a big economic downturn, so what we're trying to do is show that if you pass comprehensive immigration reform this would really help the economy. This is a very appropriate place for that, in a city and state that's hurting so bad." " http://www.lvrj.com/news/immigration-reformers-ready-for-saturday-rally-90199067.html
Mr. Flores apparently doesn't understand that illegal immigrants are costing the Las Vegas economy tens of millions of dollars each year. From medical care, education, crime and social services, illegals cost the local economy and government tens of millions each year with little or no benefit for the people legally living here. There will be no benefit maing the illegals, legal. they are not going to spend more, they are not going bring in more tax money and their expense to the government will only go up.
When in Wisconsin, I was pretty much blind to the effects of illegal immigrants, but since moving to Las Vegas, I have seen first hand the harm illegal immigrants have done to this community. Illegals have not helped the economy but it has hurt it and making illegals legal is not going to help the economy one little bit. If anything, it will make things worse. There will be more government services available at the cost of the taxpayer but there would not be any increase in tax revenue.
It would also wrong to say that legal immigrants support illegal immigrants and immigration reform. I know many legal immigrants and they do not like illegal immigrants or immigration reform.
It is pretty obvious why the Dem's want to make illegal immigrants legal- they want their votes. Reid and Berkley also are tone deaf to the majority voices of the people of the Valley- we don't want reforms and most of the people want the illegals, especially those who have committed crimes or receive government services or free medical care at taxpayer expense, to be deported.
So, Harry and Shelly, once again you are giving the people of the Valley the middle finger and saying screw you.
Another reason why Harry and Shelly need to be retired now.

Interesting Lawsuit Involving The Catholic Church

From the Las Vegas Sun: "A judge has tossed out a Roman Catholic priest's lawsuit against the Diocese of Reno and its bishop, saying the First Amendment prevents a court from becoming involved in a contractual dispute involving a church.
Washoe County District Judge Patrick Flanagan granted the diocese's motion to dismiss the suit filed Sept. 30 by Richard DeMolen, the former pastor of Our Lady of Tahoe Catholic Church in Zephyr Cove.
DeMolen claims he was unjustly fired after he obtained a protective order against a deacon he believes made a death threat against him. He also contends Bishop Randolph Calvo failed to investigate the death threat and defamed him when he sent a letter to parishioners about the pastor and deacon.
DeMolen's attorney, Jeffrey Dickerson, said he intends to appeal Tuesday's ruling.
"The Nevada Supreme Court has never addressed whether a diocese and its bishop should be exempt from lawsuits," Dickerson told the Reno Gazette-Journal. "It presents a very interesting appeal, which we look forward to prosecuting."" http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/apr/08/judge-tosses-out-nev-priests-lawsuit-vs-bishop/
I can see why a court would not want to intervene in Church issues. You are dealing with belief issues among other things.
But this case seems to be more about regular case law rather than Church law. This case also has implications if a lay person wanted to sue the Church for something. Could the Church use this defense if there was a case of child molestation?
It will be interesting to see how Nevada Supreme Court rules.

The Las Vegas Sun Is Acting Very Strange

Yesterday, the CCSD school board decided to eliminate 1,077 positions within CCSD and probably layoff hundreds of employees. Later in the day, they said they are hiring an outside firm to help find a new superintendent at a cost of many thousands of dollars.
For whatever reason, the Las Vegas Sun has not reported either story while the LVRJ has been all over it as has the local TV and radio news departments.
While I certainly disagree with the Sun on many issues, I do give them credit for having a very good web site with up to the minute in breaking news. This is out of their character.
So why has the Sun disregarded this major news story?
Very strange indeed.

Breaking News: Wisconsin Badgers Playing In The NCAA Hockey Championship

The Wisconsin Badgers just defeated RIT in the NCAA Championship Semifinal, 8-1 and will play the winner of the Miami (OH) or Boston College for the championship. The Championship is being played in Detroit.

The championship will be played on Saturday night.

Hope to hear lot's of "Sieve!!" on Saturday.

My Predictions For The Masters

Like anyone really cares about my predictions, but here goes.
Television ratings will be highest ever for any golf tournament.
Tiger Woods makes the cut, but he never is in contention but we will see nearly every shot he makes, including those on the practice greens and driving range. Woods finishes around 20th place.
Steve Stricker wins the Masters. Phil Mickleson chokes. Again.
The winner of the event will be asked 10 or more questions about Tiger Woods and his comeback.
3/4 of the crowd will follow Tiger. The other 1/4 will be in the bar or in the stands.
The first person who heckles Tiger will be kicked out of the Masters and a ball retriever will be stuck up the fan's butt.
Next year, the event will be called Master Tiger, a golf event.
If Tiger wins the Master's, Buddhism will be now the number one religion in the world. Buddah statues with clock in it's belly will be the number 1 seller of gifts.
Let the games begin.

April 8, 1973- The Real Home Run Champion

The true home run champion, Hank Aaron, hit his 715th home run on April 6, 1973 off of Al Downing in Atlanta.

I was lucky enough to see Hank play when he returned to the Milwaukee Brewers and I got to see one of his home runs hit in Milwaukee County Stadium.

Henry Aaron is truly a class act and the true home run champion of Major League Baseball.

And The Waste In CCSD Continues On

From The LVRJ: "The Clark County School Board voted unanimously today to seek an outside consultant or search firm to assist them in hiring a new superintendent.
Clark County School District Superintendent Walt Rulffes has announced he will not seek to extend his contract, which ends Aug. 30. School Board members did express interest in keeping Rulffes on as an interim while they look for his successor." http://www.lvrj.com/news/school-board-seeks-outside-help-in-search-for-new-superintendent-90155812.html
In the same meeting that the CCSD board announced that they were eliminate 1077 positions and lay off CCSD employees, they announce they are going to hire an outside firm to help find a new superintendent. I wonder if the board every hearing the word phrase "timing is everything".
Hello, CCSD board, we are having a financial crisis in the schools. CCSD has a huge human resources department and has experience hiring people. They are qualified to do background checks. They will have committees to help. So, why do they have to bring in an outside company at a budget of who knows what, to find a superintendent?

Bloody Day At CCSD- 1077 Positions Lost

From The LVRJ: "The Clark County School District will have to cut 1,077 positions for the new fiscal year that begins July 1 to close the budget gap with a reduction in force alone. About 649 positions have already been identified for elimination.
The gap had been estimated at $123 million, but district officials said today that the decline in property tax revenues is going to be steeper than previously expected."
http://www.lvrj.com/news/tentative-2010-11-budget-would-slash-1-077-positions-90148422.html
For that many positions to be lost is a complete and utter failure by everyone involved.
The administration just cannot see waste in CCSD if it came up to them and slapped them in the face.
The unions are also to blame. They basically said, screw the people being laid off, but just keep on paying the veteran teachers their salaries and step increases.
And I also blame the public for this as well, but they are the in third place. From what I have seen, the public has been pretty quiet on this issue. It's like, do whatever you want, we don't care.
I have outlined several ways to cut the budget but it seems like the district and the unions pretty much want to deal with the budget problem by cutting jobs.
How will this work out, I have no idea. Will education suffer? Perhaps. Will there continue to be waste in CCSD, it certainly looks that way.
And who gets hurt? the laid off teachers and staff and the children.

Obama Don't Know Baseball

Can't name a single White Sox player even though it's his favorite team. He throws a baseball like he bowls. Doesn't know the name of the home ball park of the White Sox (It's U.S. Celluar Field, formerly Comiskey Park)
Shameful and it shows once again that Obama needs his teleprompter to survive.

Inquest For Officer Involved Shooting Set

The coroner's inquest has been set for May 21, involving the shooter of a police officer, Damon Beal. "A coroner’s inquest has been scheduled in the case of a 26-year-old man who police fatally shot after the man fired at a Metro Police officer March 23.
The Clark County Coroner’s Office has scheduled the inquest for 9 a.m. May 21 for Damon Beal, who authorities say led police on a pursuit in the 800 block of Dolores Drive after allegedly stealing a Mercedes and trying to break into a house earlier that afternoon.
When two officers tried to stop the car, Beal and 45-year-old Marvin Lee Wilson jumped out, police said. Beal jumped over a wall and started running, and Wilson was taken into custody shortly after leaving the car.
Beal pulled out a gun and started shooting at officers, striking a major artery in 31-year-old officer Mike Madland’s leg. Police Capt. Randy Montandon said Beal was then shot twice in the head by officer Christopher Le Blanc." http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/apr/06/coroners-inquest-set-man-shot-metro-officer/
This version of the story is different than what was reported earlier. "he "heard shots fired and found a LVMPD officer partially lying on the suspect." The second officer “saw the suspect pointing a black semi-automatic handgun at the downed officer” then “fired at the suspect to neutralize the threat against the downed officer.”" http://lasvegasbadger.blogspot.com/2010/03/something-bothers-me-about-police.html
Hopefully all the information will come out.

Also, the injured officer apparently has had a turn for the worse. According to radio 840 today, the officer's condition has been downgraded from good to serious.

Harry Reid: What The Hell Are You Talking About?

From the official Harry Reid web site, the Las Vegas Sun and it's biggest suck up mistress, Lisa Mascaro , comes this story: "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is known for his frank talk even, it turns out, when it comes to sex.
Reid was asked today during a talk with supporters about developing an immigration policy to attract educated, child-bearing immigrants to help counter the U.S.'s aging baby-boomer population.
As the Carson City crowd chuckled at the question, Reid drew quiet, then said:
"Let me answer it this way: I'm not opposed to sex."
The crowd cracked up.
"By the way," Reid added with comedic timing, "Tiger Woods is making a comeback this week."
Reid is three hours into day two of his bus tour that today is traveling through northern Nevada."
What the hell is he talking about and what the hell does Tiger Woods have anything to do with the question?
And his liberal followers think this is funny?
Pathetic and sad.

Avoind I-15 and Blue Diamond

I was watching the news and I-15 is shut down by Blue Diamond for repairs, I believe. No accident there, so just guess it is for repairs.
Avoid the area at all costs for at least another hour or more.

Update: Apparently the problem is power lines down and across the freeway. So, this won't be solved any time soon.

Please Keep The West Virginia Coal Miner's And Their Families In Your Prayers

On Monday afternoon, there was an explosion in a coal mine in West Virginia and at least 25 miners have died with 4 miners are still missing.
Coal miners are true workers. They work in dangerous and dirty conditions and today, the worst possible scenario happen when there was an explosion underground.
From Fox News: "An explosion at a remote coal mine with a history of safety problems killed 25 workers and at least four others were still missing early Tuesday more than a thousand feet underground in the worst U.S. mine disaster since 1984.
Rescuers had been making their way to the area where the miners were believed trapped at Massey Energy Co.'s sprawling Upper Big Branch mine, where the blast occurred around 3 p.m. Monday. However, safety officials said at a news conference that the search was suspended because rising methane gas levels in the mine made it a high risk for another explosion.
Earlier, Kevin Stricklin, an administrator for the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration, said officials hoped some of the missing survived the initial blast and were able to reach airtight chambers stocked with food, water and enough oxygen for them to live for four days. However, rescue teams made it to one of two nearby shelters and it was empty. The gas levels prevented them from reaching the second."
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/04/05/explosion-underground-west-virginia-coal/

I just hope that certain people will not exploit this disaster for their political beliefs. For example, use this tragedy to diminish coal and extol the virtues of renewable energy like solar power and windmills.
Please keep the miners, their families and all miners in your prayers.

Great NCAA Except for...

You could not a better NCAA men's basketball game, except for the North Carolina State win for Jim Valvano, except for one thing.
It was an intense game, exciting and nail biting. The game was undecided until the final buzzer. You had a true Cinderella story and I am sure the sportsbook in Vegas made a lot of money because Butler beat the spread.
The only complaint was the officiating. The ref's were inconsistent. They would let the players play and it was rough but then they would call ticky tack fouls as well. They also missed an offensive goal tending call on Duke towards the end of the game. Duke inbounded the ball with 1 second on the shot clock and the center made a quick jump hook that missed, but the ball was still on the rim when it was tapped into the basket.
They also missed it when the Butler player was thrown down trying to rebound a Duke miss with a few seconds left on the clock. But the ref's also missed calls that benefited Butler. The zebra's essentially took the Duke and Butler big men out of the game because of foul trouble.
I used to be a referee and an umpire, so I look closely at the officiating and if is the best the NCAA has, then the NCAA is in a world of hurt.
While the ref's didn't directly effect the outcome of the game, they certainly made their presence felt, which is not supposed to happen.

Pawn Stars Review April 4, 2010

In a day that it was reported that Chumlee was given a key to a small city in Indiana, another Pawn Star review.
In today's first episode, a guy brought in a 1964 Austin Healy Sprite. When they tried to start it up, it didn't start. The guy wanted $10,000 and he got $5000 cash money. The car is really small. They took it to the mechanics and found out they needed to do a lot more work than a tune up. It will cost $6000 to fix. When Rick told the Old Man, and the Old Man was pissed and just said move on.
The next guy brought in an old metal diving helmet. Rick has a feeling it may be a fake. His expert thought it was real and it was one of the earliest made in the U.S.. The expert said it was worth $15,000. Rick offered $7000 with a counter offer of $10,000. It went for $8000 plus a rifle.
The next guy brought in some old U.S. Fractional Currency Notes from the Civil War era. The Old Man offered $60 and the seller decided to share them with his kids.
The next guy brought in a 2006 championship ring from the Miami Heat basketball team. He got them from a trainer. The guy wanted $20,000 and Rick offered $9000 and after some haggling and the seller sounded like an ass, to be honest. There was no sale. He came back later and took the $9000. Cash. Hundred dollar bills.
The next guy brought in an antique wooden chest. The Old Man didn't want it, but he said he should take it to a decorator and sell it to them instead.
In the 2nd episode, it was another rerun. http://lasvegasbadger.blogspot.com/2010/01/pawn-stars-review-january-25-2010.html

After all this time, I still have not meet anybody in the Pez community. Shocking, I'm sure.