Kent Davenport At It Again: Completely Rips Harry Reid

I just heard the new Ken Davenport radio ad on the Jerry Doyle Show and it just rips the heart out of Harry Reid. Harry Reid is ripped that Reid will need a colostomy bag after listening to it.
Kent is a private business man who runs a hearing aid shop in Las Vegas and he is elderly and folksy. He doesn't seem to care who he pisses off. He also comes across in his hearing aid commercials as an honest man who truly cares for the customer.
In his new ad, he just rips Harry Reid about immigration problems, the housing bubble, bank bailouts and more. Davenport uses hi folksy and elderly voice and it is so convincing. Hell, if Mrs. Reid listens to the commercial, she'll vote for Reid's opponent.
This ad is so much more effective than any commercial a politician has put out.
God Bless Kent Davenport.

Good Luck To North Dakota

I used to live in North Dakota. First, I was stationed at Minor AFB. You know, join the air Force and see the world. well, I saw North Dakota for 4 years. Then I worked at an institution for the mentally retarded in Dunseith N.D. I also have visited Fargo and Grand Forks ND.
Now, North Dakota is preparing for another massive flood of the Red River. There have many damaging floods of the river in the past few years, especially in 1997 when Grand Forks and other cities along the river were basically destroyed.
Good luck, Fargo and later, Grand Forks (the river runs south to north) and hope there is minimal damage.
http://www.foxnews.com/weather/2010/03/16/north-dakota-residents-day-prepare-massive-flood/?test=latestnews

My Predictions for The NCAA Tournament

My predictions for the NCAA tournament: Wisconsin makes to the Elite 8 and then is done. Marquette will win one game and the be gone. Same with UNLV. Rest of the teams, couldn't care less about. Kansas takes it for the men and UConn takes the women's title.

Tiger Returns For The Masters

Las Vegas whale, Tiger Woods, will return to golf for the Masters Golf Tournament. CBS has the television rights and they just made millions in profits for the increase in audience.
My prediction, Tiger will make the cut but finish outside the top 10, maybe around 30th. There won't be any hecklers because the audience at the Masters are pretty much like cadavers and it is tough to get tickets, so he won't get heckled. But he hasn't played for 4 months, so he will be out of competition shape.

Is This A News Article Or An Editorial?

From the Las Vegas Sun, a liberal newspaper that depends on conservatives to get it delivered had this article/editorial today: Rep. Dina Titus introduced a bill this morning that would give the federal government more flexibility in its oversight of state workplace safety programs.
The reform legislation is important to Nevada because of the state's poor track record when it comes to keeping workers safe on the job -- and follows House hearings last year on the failings of the Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration. http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/mar/16/rep-dina-titus-introduces-worker-safety-oversight-/ The bold is the writer's opinion and it can be disputed, but he puts it out as a fact.
Michael Mishak is the writer of the editorial/news article.
Here's a hint to Mr. Mishak. Go back to remedial English 101 and determine what is a fact for a news story and what is an opinion. My 5th grader, this year learned concept this year. So, Michael, are you really smarter than a 5th grader?

Pawn Stars March 15, 2010

Well, it's Spring in Las Vegas, with a high temp. of 71 but a lot of snow in the mountains. So, we have winter and Spring at the same time.
Well, today's episodes were from August, 2009. I apologize in advance because I was not able to capture everything.
The first episode was when a guy brought in a blunderbuss. He got money and trade, which included an engagement ring out of the deal. If you were his future wife, would want an engagement ring from a pawn store? The gun worked after a couple dry runs. It turns out that it was the most expensive gun ever sold at the shop.
Another lady brought in the Rat Pack photos and got $400 for them. There are at least 2 Rat Pack imitation shows still in town that you can see on the cheap.
In the 2nd episode, a guy brought in an old jousting helmet. It turns out to be fake. The seller almost had a heart attack, even though the piece was still worth several thousand, but there were problems with the gun, including a bolt and the top of the helmet.
Another guy brings in a very fancy motorcycle to pawn so he can make payroll. He wanted $20,000 but got about $10,000. Don't now if he ever came back in to claim the cycle.
Another man brought in a 1884 Springfield Trapdoor. The man wanted $1600 and got $1500. They took the gun to the the range. The gun worked and looking back at all the episodes involving guns, I don't think a gun has ever failed on the range and no one ever got hurt.
The next guy brought in a Ms Pac Man game. The seller wanted $200 but got $175. It cost $350m to fix. We have seen this in the shop selling for $1000 and after a couple of months, the game disappeared, probably sold. I love that game and still love to play it whenever I can find it.
Oh well, another episode and now, time to BBQ in the next week.

Too Many Government Employees?

The Las Vegas Advisor (http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/index.cfm?&CFID=26067535&CFTOKEN=82316992) is an interesting web site that gives a great amount of information about Las Vegas and the surrunding area. The information includes gaming, shows, restaurant reviews and specials. It's a great read
They have a question of the day and today's was most interesting. The question asked- besides gaming, who are clark County's largest employers.
Well, the answer, 1-10 are different levels of government. This includes( and not in special order) CCSD, City of Las Vegas, UMC, Clark County, Nellis AFB, State of Nevada, Metro police, U.S. Dept. of Energy, UNLV and the City of Henderson.
Hmmm. Me thinks we have too many government employees in the area.

End Of The United States As We Know It?

It seems the Democrats will do anything to pass the health care bill, even by not voting on a bill and sending it to the president.

No matter how passionate you are about a bill, go through the proper procedure, just as we have done for the past 233+ years.
Mark Levin explains it the best: "They’re going to present a rule, issued by her committee as chairman, that says that the House already adopted the Senate bill when we know it didn’t?”
U.S Constitution, Article I, Section VII, Clause II.
Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a Law, be presented to the President of the United States; If he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his Objections to that House in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the Objections at large on their Journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If after such Reconsideration two thirds of that House shall agree to pass the Bill, it shall be sent, together with the Objections, to the other House, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of that House, it shall become a Law. But in all such Cases the Votes of both Houses shall be determined by Yeas and Nays, and the Names of the Persons voting for and against the Bill shall be entered on the Journal of each House respectively…
According to Levin, James Madison himself gave special care and attention to this clause in the Constitution.
Levin: And do you want to know why? Because this clause goes to the heart of this Republic.
This clause goes to the heart of how our representative body, that is Congress, makes laws. And so I want you to [observe] how particular the Framers were… They have to pass a Bill to present it to the President…
This is one of the most exacting clauses in the Constitution.
And, to the best of my knowledge, which extends over three decades, no Congress has previously tried to institute policies without actual statutes.
Here we have the President of the United States and Congressional leaders actually talking about the possibility of a brazen and open violation of one of the most fundamental aspects of our Constitution and Republic! How we actually make laws!
Let me be as clear as I know how. If this is done, this will create the greatest Constitutional crisis since the Civil War. It would be 100 times worse than Watergate.
…It would be government by fiat… meaning there would be no law… the mere discussion by officials in this government is such a grotesque violation of the actual legislative function of Congress [that it] puts us… at the brink. At the brink.
This is why we conservatives revere the Constitution. This is why we stress the Constitution’s words have meaning and historical context and must be complied with. Because otherwise we have anarchy, which leads to tyranny.
This is a crucial lesson for those of you who… aren’t sure what your beliefs are, or if you have any beliefs. Or aren’t sure if you even care. We have an effort underway by the one of the most powerful chairmen in Congress, the woman who heads the Rules Committee, …openly discussing gutting Congress. Gutting Congress."
http://michellemalkin.com/2010/03/13/constitution-butchers-stop-pelosis-slaughter-house/

Looks Like The Clark County DA Is 0-2 So Far This Week

First, we have the James Bulah were it is very questionable where charges were filed against the homeowner who shot 2 thugs while they were stealing things from him.
Now comes another case in the northeast Las Vegas Valley.
From the Las Vegas Sun: "According to a Metro Police arrest report released Monday, Carter told dispatchers she had cut her boyfriend with a knife. When officers responded to the home, they found a man who was bloody lying in the hallway.
The Clark County Coroner’s Office identified him as Larry Box, 24, of Las Vegas. A coroner’s spokeswoman said he died from a stab wound to the chest and that his death had been ruled a homicide.
The report indicated that during an interview with detectives, Carter told police she stabbed Box after a fight. She told police she and Box had returned to the home at about 1 a.m. and that her sister had been babysitting her children. Box and Carter began to argue and Box allegedly grabbed Carter by the throat and punched her in the face, police said.
Carter’s sister intervened in an attempt to stop the fight, Carter told police, and Box began striking her sister, the report said. At that point, Carter broke away from Box and ran to the kitchen, where she grabbed a knife. She returned to the spot where her sister and Box were fighting and yelled for Box to stop hitting her sister.
Carter said she swung the knife and struck Box; he fell to the floor and she called 911, the report stated." http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/mar/15/woman-23-arrested-stabbing-death-fiance/
So, let's the deceased thug starts by beating up the defendant and then goes onto beat up her sister. When told to stop fighting with the sister, he refuses, so she stabs him to protect his sister.
To me, this is simple self defense. You have a thug beating up two sisters and refuses to stop. are they supposed to call 911 and wait for the police? Hell, both of them could have been killed by the time the cops showed up.
So, by my count, we have two citizens who have been put in jail for defending themselves this week. Not a good week for the DA and the police.
On the lighter side, the defendant certainly was killed by a Box cutter and is lying in a box right now.

Update: Double Shooting in North Las Vegas

It has been interesting reading about the double shooting early Sunday morning in North Las Vegas, involving 2 thugs who were trying to steal a truck or equipment of both from the homeowner, James Bulah and he turned around and shot them.
From what I have read, heard and talked to people in the know, none of the news articles and radio and TV news accounts are accurate. I don't think anyone knows the real story except James and the thugs.
The media is putting out what the cops tell them. The cops are biased because they and the DA want to press charges. So what you have read and heard is not all that accurate.
What we know is this: Two thugs were shot while they were attempting to steal a truck or equipment. That is what we really know. Were they in the truck when they were shot, perhaps, but not known. Did they make any verbal threats like "If you call the police, we'll kill you?" Not sure. Did they raise the hands in a way that James thought they had a gun. Again, not sure. Too many questions. All the print media has shown is his mug shot. Casey Hendrickson, on the radio pretty much called him a superman green beret.
This is what I know. James has been released from jail early this morning on a $20,000 bond and he is with family somewhere.
I also know this about James: He is a co-worker with me at Desert Pines High School. He teaches the woods shop class and he works with some of the toughest inner kids there are. He is calm, cool and collected. I have never seen him angry, yell or curse. He is a born again Christian. He moved here from Detroit a few years ago and previous to being a teacher, he was in the construction business. He has helped new teachers when they had problems but he does not have a big ego. James has a second job- a paralegal, so he won't be hoodwinked by the criminal justice system and I have to believe there are lawyers lining up to help him.
I also know this. Two thugs have tried to destroy this man's life. That and the police and the DA. I have confidence that Jame's faith will help him overcome this trauma.
All James wants now are your prayers and he certainly has mine and I hope you will say a quick prayer for him as well.
That's a small thing to ask for.

Breaking News: HomeOwner Charged In Shooting A CCSD Employee

From the Las Vegas Sun: North Las Vegas Police have arrested a man accused of firing at two men outside his home leaving with a vehicle this morning in North Las Vegas, critically injuring both of them.
James Bulah, 60, of North Las Vegas, was booked into the North Las Vegas Detention Center on two counts of battery with a deadly weapon, which is a felony.
North Las Vegas Police responded at 5:49 a.m. Sunday to reports of shots fired in the 4500 block of Shannon Jean Court, which is near the intersection of Craig Road and Fifth Street. Officers found one shooting victim in a vehicle that had crashed into a brick wall at Shannon Jean Court and Delorean Drive. http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/mar/14/police-homeowner-shoots-2-men-leaving-his-car/
Mr. Bulah is a woods teacher at the school I teach at. He is a truly an honest and good person and this news is shocking. He is a born again Christian and one of the nicest men I have ever had the pleasure to meet. His students respect him and he is as calm as a man can get.
I sincerely hope there is more to this story and know James andI think there is.
My prayers are with James and hope he is out of jail soon and he is cleared of the charges.

Remember When The NCAA Knew Geography?

The bracket for the NCAA basketball tournament came out today and while I am interested in some teams, Wisconsin (mt alma mater), Marquette (my dad worked for Al McGuire) and UNLV, I really could care less until the finals.
But looking at the brackets, the geography seemed a little strange. For instance, the West region apparently contains the cities of Buffalo and Milwaukee. In the East, cities of Jacksonville, San Jose and New Orleans. The Midwest has the cities of Spokane and Providence and the South has Spokane and Providence.
I think it is time to rename the regions. You can name them after great NCAA legends like John Wooden, Dean Smith and James Naismith. Heck, how about the Bobby Knight Region?
Or sell the naming rights and give the money raised for scholarships.
But the NCAA needs to rename of the regions if the cities they use are not in the geographical region.

The Las Vegas Sun Gets One Right: Time To Faint.

Proving the old adage a blind squirrel gets a nut once in a while, the Las Vegas Sun editors get one editorial correct.
"Like every other municipality in the state, Las Vegas is dealing with a looming budget shortfall that will require significant budget cuts. To close a $70 million budget shortfall, city officials say they will have to lay off 146 workers unless the employees’ unions renegotiate their contracts to cut costs. The unions, so far, have been reluctant to budge....
No matter what they decide, it is clear the lucrative contracts that unions have negotiated over the years, with the blessing of city leaders, have to be reworked. The contracts are simply not sustainable.
Studies have shown that the pay-and-benefits packages of local government workers in Southern Nevada are above average for other public employees across the nation and for workers here in the private sector with comparable jobs.
To try to avoid layoffs and protect city services, the city has asked the unions to give up scheduled salary increases in the next fiscal year and take an 8 percent cut to their compensation packages. Although a similar cut is expected the following year, the city says it is now only asking for cuts in the fiscal year that starts July.
The unions have yet to show that they understand the city’s financial situation. They are fighting the cuts, including the annual cost-of-living increases. Chris Collins, the head of the union that represents the city’s marshals, complained that if cuts are made in the next two years, the average marshal’s pay will be $58,000 a year. “They can’t live on $58,000,” he said, adding that that salary “puts them in bankruptcy and foreclosure.”
Seriously? They can’t live on that? That is more than the median household income in Clark County and a wage that many people would be thrilled to accept. Granted, employees currently living on substantially more would have to make major lifestyle changes if their paychecks shrank dramatically, but the city isn’t specifically asking for wage cuts. City officials have asked for an 8 percent reduction in total compensation, meaning the unions could give up other kinds of pay. The city provides a generous retirement contribution to its employees, which could be cut, and the city’s health benefits could be trimmed as well."
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/mar/14/wake--call/
The fact is that there is less money coming into the City of Las Vegas and the surrounding communities. This isn't less money than projected, or any other fancy accounting tricks. The City is getting less money than in years past. Tens of millions of dollars less.
The unions are saying, "We don't care. Just raise taxes and pay us." It's not going to happen, especially in an election year.
Oscar Goodman, the mayor of Las Vegas has suggested to fire all the employees and hire them back at fewer hours per week. The unions cried like the late Tammy Faye Baker.
Most of the unions, and especially the firefighters union have said "piss on the City". But now it is time for the unions to face reality, either lose members and city services or share the pain.

Sun Editor Admits Being In Love With Harry Reid

Brian Greenspun, editor of the Las Vegas Sun shows once again his love for Harry Reid with an editorial/campaign speech for the Harry Reid campaign.
From the editorial: "It is in this context that I have been thinking a great deal about Nevada’s senior U.S. senator and the majority leader, Harry Reid." . Yeah, ok, Brian, you love him, we get that. What else do you think about?
Further: "On a professional note, it is incumbent upon me to say that none of this — the wind turbine plant, the hundreds and thousands of high-paying and sustainable jobs (and construction jobs, too), the entrance of Southern Nevada in a major way into the energy business, the clasping of hands between China and the United States — would have happened without Harry Reid." The wind turbine plant is far from complete. First, there is very little business for the turbine plant and the business they want to sell to is down in Texas, and second they want 2 square miles of land. Where are they going to get the land, who is going to pay for the land and who is going to pay for the infrastructure and many more questions need to be answered. Construction jobs? Seriously? Now? Hundred's of thousands of high paying jobs? Again, where? What do you consider high paying jobs? China-Nevada relationship- I'll give him this- the casinos in China has employed thousands of Nevadans. Hahaha.
Funny thing, you don't mention the jobs Harry has killer. Yucca Mountain, a coal fired electric plant in Ely and trying to kill jobs in northwest Nevada by not accepting California's garbage. You may disagree with these projects, but it is clear that Harry killed or is killing thousands of jobs in Nevada, good paying jobs.
More from Greenspun: "Those who want to take advantage of Sen. Reid’s politically vulnerable position, by taking advantage of politically naive Nevadans, continually ask, “What has Harry done lately?”I think catapulting Nevada to the front of the line for green energy jobs and, perhaps, helping us reinvent ourselves, at a time when all inventions are accepted, is the latest answer to that question." http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/mar/14/energy-working-all-nevadans/
Reid has been in Congress for most of his life. When will we some results? What has Reid done lately? 13+% unemployment? Help with illegal immigrants? Reduce federal regulations to help the business owners? How about condemning President Obama like Oscar Goodman for Obama's negative comments about Las Vegas?
Fact is Harry Reid has done very little for the average Nevadan. Very little with jobs, except for the jobs that he has killed.
Time to vote out Harry Reid.

Harry Reid Faces Primary Challengers

Harry Reid, (Dumbass-NV) is facing a primary challenge by 4 Democrat challengers. But you wouldn't know that if you read the Las Vegas Sun or LVRJ. Do they stand a chance? Probably not, especially if they get close to Reid, numbers wise. If they get close to Reid, numbers wise, they will soon be offered a federal job in the Obama administration.
The challengers are: Eduardo "Mr. Clean" Hamilton, Alex Miller, Carlo Poliak, and Roy A. Woofter.
You think the mouth piece of Harry's campaign, The Las Vegas Sun will cover them even somewhat close to how they are covering the supposed Tea Bagger candidate for Senate? Hahahaha. Think Jon Ralston will interview any of them? Hahahaha
So, here, as a service to Nevada's readers are the candidates for U.S. Senate on the Democrat side, something the MSM won't do.

Obama Lies about The Health Insurance Companies? Say It Isn't So!

Wow, can President Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi been lying about health insurance companies?
From jsonline: Yet health economists contend that insurance companies, while often meriting criticism for their practices, aren't to blame for high health care costs.
""You've got to have a villain," said Uwe Reinhardt, a health economist at Princeton University. "Beating up on hospitals is not a good thing because people generally like their hospital. Beating up on doctors is not a good thing because people usually like their doctor. But no one likes their insurance company."
Focusing on insurance rates, he argues, misses the point.
"What really drives it is the cost trend of health care, which is composed in part of utilization and in part of prices," Reinhardt said. "In our market-driven system, a doctor or hospital essentially charges the maximum they can get."
Another factor is the money spent on care that might do little to improve people's health or that is no more effective than less-expensive treatments. So, too, is Americans' demand for health care services.
"The primary reason that health care costs and health insurance premiums are rising so rapidly is the amount of health care that we consume," said Katherine Baicker, a professor of health economics at the Harvard School of Public Health. "Now, that is not to say there are no problems with the insurance industry."
The key to slowing the growth in costs, Baicker added, will be using health care dollars more wisely."
Well, that has been what conservatives have been saying.
The professors involved are from Harvard and Princeton, hardly the beacon of conservatism.
So, next time Obama, Pelosi and Reid flap their gums about the health care insurance companies, take it with a huge 100 pound grain of salt.

California Prius Driver A Fake?

A lot of people have questioned the driver of a Toyota Prius who supposedly had an accelerator stick and was basically out of control i=on a highway near San Diego.
Well, it seems, the driver may have made things up: "A federal safety investigation of the Toyota Prius that was involved in a dramatic incident on a California highway last week found a particular pattern of wear on the car's brakes that raises questions about the driver's version of the event, three people familiar with the investigation told the Wall Street Journal.
On Monday James Sikes, 61 years old, called 911 and told the operator his blue 2008 Toyota Prius had sped up to more than 90 miles per hour on its own on Interstate 8 near San Diego. He eventually brought the vehicle to a stop after a California Highway patrolman pulled alongside Sikes and offered help.
During and after the incident, Sikes said he was using heavy pressure on his brake pedal at high speeds.
But the investigation of the vehicle, carried out jointly by safety officials from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Toyota engineers, didn't find signs the brakes had been applied at full force at high speeds over a sustained period of time, the three people familiar with the investigation said." http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2010/03/13/pattern-wear-runaway-prius-brakes-raises-questions/
Further, Mark Levin asks a very good question: Why would the driver reach down and try and adjust the accelerator as opposed to reach over a couple of inches and put the car in neutral? Unless, he was going down a mountain road, this should have slowed down the car.
The driver says he won't file lawsuit because of what happened and now I can see why.

Time To Get Rid Of Proficiency Exams: Part 2

Again, my very little liberal side gets the best of me and this is one of those few times. It is time to get rid of the proficiency exams for the State of Nevada.
As a special education teacher, I am not affected by the exams because I have to give my kids an alternate exam, which none of my kids could pass.
So, how does this affect the school?
Well, first, teachers almost always teach to the test, which limits what teachers teach. In reading and writing, the teachers know what will be on the test and they teach to that so that the student has a better chance of passing the proficiency exam. Same with math and science.
So, what happens during test week? For 4 days, this past week, our school day and week was totally disruptive. On Tuesday, only sophomores and students who have not passed the math exams attended school. That means freshmen and those proficient in their math exams did not attend school. And this helps how? What is the benefit of freshman not attending school? The other days, some teachers had to proctor tests. Those students in those teacher's classes got a free day and spent the period in the cafeteria. And this benefits who? Assistant principals and counselors are spent doing paper work and making sure every i is dotted and every T is crossed. And this benefits who?
Well, who it benefits are the bureaucrats who grade the tests and the test makers.
I don't know who exactly grades the test, but i do know some teachers are hired to evaluate the writing portions of the test. They are paid extra money to grade the tests and they have to hire hundreds of teachers to grade the written portion of the tests of thousands of the students. Nice payday for the teachers. They also have some bureaucrats who have to run the answer sheets through the scanners. How much does this cost?
Finally, the test makers make a ton of money on these tests. Again, I don't know who writes the tests and nor do I care. The fact is that the State has to spend millions of dollars to have the tests written, published, distributed and finally graded. With a State that is in dire economic straits, is this a wise way to spend money with very little benefit?
Clearly, proficiency exams benefit State of Nevada politicians and education bureaucrats, but it does not really benefit the student, taxpayer or individual schools. But hey, it keeps people employed and it pays a lot of money to the test makers.
If the tests are gotten rid of, you will find a lower drop out rate, more kids in school and fewer problems in the community during school hours and more educational opportunities when teachers don't have to teach to the test (along with teaching the basics) and isn't that the main purpose of education?

It's Time To Get Rid Of Proficiency Exams: Part 1

Every now and then, my very small liberal part of my brain escapes and tries to make a point and this is one of those times.
First, I want to start by saying I am not a scholar. I don't have a doctorate in education. I just use the common sense that God has given me and go from there. If you want a scholarly view, go visit a professor at UNLV, UNR or Harvard or an education bureaucrat. If you want a common sense approach, please read on.
Each year, just about every high school student in the Nevada public schools undergo a proficiency exam to determine if they can earn a diploma or not. they have to pass tests in writing, reading, math and science. As a special education teacher of severely disabled students, this really doesn't affect me, but I also have witnessed what has gone on and it really is a big scam and a waste of time and money. And my experience at Wal-Mart also have opened my eyes as well.
Now, I understand the rational for proficiency exams. They want to show the public that a student can read, write, do math and now understand science. OK, I understand that but is it reality?
First, do the exams really determine how smart a person is? Kind of. It tells how good a person is in test taking and how the teachers teach to the test. That's about it.
But my question is this: If you drop proficiency exams, would things change? Well, if you want to go on to college, the students still have to take an ACT and SAT test and along with their GPA, determines if a kid gets into college. So proficiency exams don't factor into a student's ability to get into college.
If you decide you don't go to college, what does proficiency exams show potential employers. well, to start off, to apply for a job at a place like Wal-Mart, you have to go on the computer to apply. Proficiency exams are done with a number 2 pencil and paper. So, no help there.
Employers also look to see if a student has passed high school requirements. A person in a casino really doesn't need to know much about science. An auto mechanic will need math but science? If a potential employer wants find out a person's skills, all they have to s conduct a test on their own.
Also, while working at Wal-Mart, I found a lot of employees there who are high school drop outs. While they had numerous reasons to drop out, the number one reason is that they couldn't pass proficiency exams. These people are not stupid, but for whatever reason, they could not pass the exams. When asked, if there was no exams, would they have stayed in school, the vast majority said yes. So, getting rid of the exams would reduce the drop out rate and in turn, keep the kids off the street and out of trouble. I don't think that can be disputed.
Another reason for getting rid of proficiency is they treat everyone the same. Unless you have severe cognitive disabilities, you have to take the test to get a diploma. Students who have learning disabilities or emotional problems have to take the test. By having a diagnosis of learning disabilities almost automatically guarantees you are not going to pass all the proficiency exams. There is an entertainer on the Strip, Nathan Burton, who tells the story at his shows, that he was in special education classes while in high school. He had learning disabilities. In Nevada, chances are very high he would be able to pass the proficiency exams, but hardly anyone would not say Nathan Burton is not a smart man and not worthy of a high school diploma. The same can be said of hundreds of famous people who have had learning disabilities or other disabilities like ADHD.
So, from the student stand point, proficiency exams really don't benefit the student, a potential college and or a potential employer, but it is a feel good idea for politicians and some school officials.
For part 2, stand by.

Please Keep Rev. Rowland In Your Prayers

A fellow blogger, the Right Rev Rowland had a very serious heart attack 4 weeks ago and we almost lost him. Today he posted his experience and it is heartbreaking but yet positive.
http://rightrevrowland.org/wordpress/?p=651
Please keep the Rev in your prayers.

Your Lasvegasbadger: Welfare King?

Today, in the mail, I got a letter from the State of Nevada stating they were turning me down of welfare benefits, medical benefits and food stamps. It said I applied on 2-22-2010 and it had my social security number on the letter.
Funny thing is, I never applied for any welfare benefits. WTF?

Yep, This Pretty Much Sums It Up

Seems likes this what the Democrats are doing. Blindly following Obama, Pelosi and Reid. In Nevada, Dina Titus, a woman who has never had a real job in her life and Shelly Berkley fall into this category.

Seen at Boots and Sabres and Dad 29

Get ready To Be Paying $3 For A Gallon Of Gas

From Jsonline: "Gas prices have started to rise and the national average could reach $3 per gallon nationally by Memorial Day, according to price analysts. Prices at Milwaukee gas pumps have mirrored the national price rise.
For investors, rising gas prices are supposed to be a sign that the economy is improving, and that as summer approaches, drivers will be willing to spend more to fill their vehicles.
But it's unclear that the fragile economic recovery can handle a price increase that goes much above the $3-per-gallon threshold.
"There is an emotional component to a move back to $3 gal or higher," said Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst for the Oil Price Information Service. "It depresses consumer sentiment," although $3 per gallon is far below the record prices that topped $4 per gallon two years ago."
http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/87471547.html
Here in Vegas, you can get gas about $2.69 a gallon or more. I can see $3 a gallon and I can see it for 2 reasons. One a weak dollar and this is what the Dem's and liberals want, and they are in charge right now.
There is no doubt that Obama, Reid, Pelosi and other liberals want high gas prices. And $3 is really too low for them. But they are not smart enough to realize that the higher the price of gas, especially diesel fuel for trucks, the more you pay at the stores for products. if they are smart, then they don't care about the consumer, which is even worse.
If gas does hit $3 a gallon tourist destinations will be hurt in the summer and that includes Las Vegas and Wisconsin. People will stay home and spend their money at home, if they have money to spend.
Thanks Obama, Reid, Pelosi and other liberals.

Show Review: Dixie Dooley Magic Mystifier

Today, the family went to the Royal Hotel, 99 Convention Center Dr, to see Dixie Dooley: Master Mystifier. If you are looking for a show that has a lot of cussing, crude comments and bad acting, this is not a show for you.

If you want a family friendly show, a show that anyone of any age can go to, and today we literally had a toddler to retired folks at the show.

The mood was set by the music preceding the show. I am not a music expert or know much about music, but the music just put you in the mood for a magic show.

Dixie Dooley is a family run show and his wife is a co-star, Julie Dooley. Dixie does a variety of magic tricks and illusions throughout the show and he maintains constant communication with the audience. As an adult, I was impressed with his tricks and was wondering how he did them. My 2 kids, ages 11 and 12, they were awestruck. The same can be said about all the other children in the audience, except maybe the toddler.

The third star of the show was Al Bunny or Harvey, a 20 pound Flemish rabbit, a huge rabbit. While the rabbit made only 1 appearance in the show, he was a hit and after the show, the rabbit had his own fan club.

Dixie did a variety of tricks, from putting a sword through an audience member's neck, to fire flies, to separating Julie Dooley in different pieces. Julie did her own magic with an impressive hide the banana trick.

The Royal Resort has a small theater and one of the neat things about small theaters is you get to meet the performers and this was no exception. Dixie and his wife sold the tickets and did a card trick for my kids before the show and I am sure he does the same for other kids as well. After the show, you got to meet the performers and take pictures with the performers, including the rabbit.

Tickets are $19.85 and he has shows 7 days a week at 7:00 at the Royal Resort.

His web site is: http://www.houdiniexperience.com/

LVRJ and Las Vegas Sun: Hypocrites

99.9% of the time, when there is a local story and or a story that has local implications, the Las Vegas Review-Journal and the Las Vegas Sun allow people to comment on the their stories. It doesn't matter if the story is about someone being arrested or has died. suicide or murder, it doesn't matter. This week, when the CEO of a local casino committed suicide, they allowed comments. When a baby was murdered, they allowed comments.
But when Harry Reid's wife was seriously injured in a car accident, both papers refused to allow comments about the crash. While there would have been some bad comments, there would also be some well wishers.
So, why are the local papers protecting Harry Reid? Is he not a big enough man to withstand comments on a personal issue? The local papers don't care when it is an average person, why should they care about Harry Reid?
Hypocrites.

CCSD May Lay Off Hundreds Of Employees

"Hundreds of Clark County School District employees will be notified of layoffs by the end of March, according to a memo obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Clark County Superintendent Walt Rulffes plans to brief School Board members on the planned reduction in force at a March 26 meeting. The layoffs are needed to meet the district's funding shortfall of about $125 million, according to a memo Rulffes sent to School Board President Terri Janison."
http://www.lvrj.com/news/clark-county-school-layoffs-loom-87403672.html
As a CCSD teacher, it seems like the administration is looking for an all or nothing way to solve the budget problem in the CCSD.
The district is going to lose over $125 million dollars in the next school year in state funding, so they do have to find ways to cut costs. Since over 85% of the budget is salary and benefits, that is where the majority of cuts will have to be.
Apparently, Dr. Ruffles says he has to lay off hundreds if not over a thousand employees or reduce pay. The problem I have is that Dr. Ruffles sen out an e-mail to staff requesting input on how to cut the budget and he received over 500 suggestions. Did any of these ideas make sense to him and his administration? Are they going to implement any of them?
From what I have seen, there is still plenty of fat in the budget. For instance, people who go to trainings can take a day off and have a substitute cover their class. You are paying 2 people to cover a classroom for 1 day. A friend of mine, last week, went to a training for 3 days. Not only was her salary paid for, but so was the sub that covered her classes. This seems to be a waste of money.
As a teacher who has a job that not many people want and with my seniority, I am safe from any layoff. That being said, I would be willing to trade in staff development days for a reduced salary. Many teachers I have talked second this opinion. The CCEA, the teacher's union, has been very silent on these issues.
Our school is a Title 1 school. Because of this, we are mandated to bring in speakers on our staff development days to "train" our staff and each speaker costs a few thousand dollars. The last speaker was basically there to sell a book.
But to be honest, there are jobs in the district that are outdated or not needed. It really sucks to be those employees. But does the district really need to send all their U.S. mail to a central location? Can they privatise some services at a lower cost? Services like plumbers and electricians and painters? Can they reduce the number of bus routes? Can they hold off opening any new schools? Can they coordinate training sessions so they don't pay 2 salaries to cover 1 class? Do they have to pay teachers and other staff to go to training? Can the overtime budget be reduced, especially for the school police department?
I don't know what the outcome will be, but people will be hurt. It will include students, teachers and other staff. Hopefully the administration will make the right decisions and we will see what happens.

That Very Caring Harry Reid

Harry Reid, again, deserves his title of Dumbass.
Today, his wife was seriously injured in a car accident. She has a broken neck and broken back and is probably in a lot of pain. His daughter also was injured but has since been released from the hospital.
But old Harry, what does Harry do? Instead of caring for his wife, comforting her in her time of need, being a husband to her, he goes back to work at the Senate. "The senator was on a conference call with rural Nevada reporters when the call came at 2:15 p.m. Washington time notifying him of the crash. He left the Capitol to go to the hospital. Reid was back at the capitol this evening as health care talks continued" http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/mar/11/harry-reids-wife-daughter-hospitalized-after-car-w/
It is no secret that I am not a fan of Harry Reid. But I would have felt sympathy for him and his family. I wish Mrs. Reid well and hope for a full recovery. I also hope your husband will put you ahead of his work in the Senate, at least for a couple of days or weeks.
But come on, Harry, is your work more important than your wife? I really hope this was a misprint, but if true, Harry Reid really is a piece of pond scum.

Hecklers Ruin An Already Bad Show

Today, we went to a show off the Strip. I don't want to name the show, unless asked, because the show really wasn't that good.
But this is the first time we ran into some really rude audience members.
The hecklers/drunks/idiots talked throughout the show between themselves and then decided they wanted to inject themselves into the show. It was a group of 4 women, but one young lady was really obnoxious. She was loud and for some reason, thought the audience really wanted to hear her. Well, even though the show really wasn't that good, the young drunk girls sucked even more.
The performer had to stop the show two times to confront them, just like a teacher lecturing students who talk during class.
The moron obviously was drunk, as she fell down prior to sitting down and apparently really didn't care about anybody but themselves.
The idiot made a poor show even worse.

RIP Merlin Olsen

Merlin olsen died today of cancer. I remember watching him play football for the Rams, TV commentator and when he played on Little House on The Prarie and Father Murphy. He truly was a gentle giant, except when he played football.

Edwards Gets 3 Race Probation

Carl Edwards got a 3 week probation for intentionally wrecking Brad Keslowski in Sunday's race at Atlanta. http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/nascar/cup/news/story?id=4979018
Edwards almost killed a guy on Sunday. If Keslowski's car just turned a little bit more, he could have easily died.
But, as I had said earlier, Edwards is a popular driver who brings in money for NASCAR and it's sponsors, so nothing would happen to him. If it had been Paul Menard, Robby Gordon or Dave Blaney, they would have been suspended for a race or two, a fine given and points taken away. Edwards, nothing. At the very least, he should have paid for Keslowski's car.
So, I guess, it seems like NASCAR is just like basketball, football and any other sport, money and popularity seems to outweigh commonsense.

Pawn Stars Review: 3-8-2010

In the first episode, the first guys bring in some huge guns. The black guy holding one of the guns is a security guard for the shop. The guns were probably 5 feet long, at least. There was no deal because they couldn't come to an agreement.
The next guy in was a Gilbert Erector set, a toy. The Old Man is correct when he says kids don't play with toys like that today. Old Man wants to buy it for $50 and he got the deal.
The next guy brought in an ICBM missile key to he shop. It brought back memories from when I worked at Minot AFB and their ICBM missile stations. It's really neat to drive around Northern North Dakota and see the missile sites. Other than some barbed wire and some wires and antennas in the middle of nowhere, you would be surprised that there were people underground ready to destroy the world. Most of the people underground were lieutenants and they had to undergo some stressful tests and were constantly being tested.
Anyways, they brought in the curator of the Clark County Museum. The keys were made out of titanium. It turned out to be Soviet/Russia shuttle flight keys. They guy wanted $10,000 and was offered $1500. And it turned out to be a no sale.
The next guy brought an ukulele/banjo from the 1920's. He wanted $500 but was offered $200. It was not in great shape and he got the $200. They got the thing fixed up and it sounded and looked pretty darn good. It cost $200 to fix up, so a total investrment of $400 and they think they can get $1000 for it.
The last guy brought in a Supermen of America ring. There may have been 12 in existence but it was really in bas shape. He wanted $10,000 but was offered nothing in return because they didn't want to insult the owner. Rick wanted to offer only $150 or so and they didn't want to insult the owner with such a small bid.
The 2nd episode, the first guy brought in a statue of Pegasus and Perseus, from the 1800's. But it turns out to be a fake. The seller was pissed, really pissed.
The next offer was for a glider. Gliding is popular around Las Vegas because of the desert and the mountains and you can get glider rides from several different operators, if you can visit Las Vegas. The glider, which was in pieces, needed a lot of work. The owner wanted $2000 and Rick offered $1500 and that was the selling price. The cost to repair was $8000. With a selling price of $10,000 to $15,000. Chumlee got the ride and how it got off the ground, I have no idea.
The next man came with a Staking Kit, something that can make jeweled watches. Rick offered $100 and it was accepted.
The guy brought in a Las Vegas Club $5 chip. The Club is still open but the chip is still in good shape. The guy wanted $6000. The Old Man wanted to give $3000. The final offer was $3000 and a trade of statues of the Rat Pack.
The next guy brought in a baseball jersey signed by Lou Gehrig, but not a Yankee jersey. The guy wanted $10,000 and Corey wanted to bring in Rick. Corey offered $2000. It went for $3000.

UnderCover Boss: Review

This being my first Sunday truly off and able to watch TV at night, I was unable to watch Undercover Boss on CBS at 9:00.
This is a show about how a CEO trades places with regular workers while working undercover. It's a great concept and should be practiced at every large business and corporation.
In this episode, the CEO of 7-11 worked several jobs in the company, including working at the stores, as a truck driver and working in the bakery. He was impressed with his workers though upset about the wasted food and lack of maintenance at the stores.
It shouldn't take a reality show for CEO's to find out how hard workers work. They should take their own initiative to find out the positives and negatives of their companies and they should find out first hand, without relying on their administrative team or other supervisors.
Well, at least now I can watch 1 major TV network show now.

Rain, Rain Go Away. Again.

The rain onslaught continues in Las Vegas and surrounding areas. So far, this year, we have received over 3 inches of rain. In the desert. Last night, we had a spectacular thunderstorm.
After tonight's rainfall, we will about 1 inch below normal for the entire year, and we have more rain coming in next week.
For rain amount information: http://acequia.ccrfcd.org/rainfallhistory/loadrainfall.aspx?Year=2010

When Was The Last Time I Watched An Oscar Show?

The last time I watched a part of the Oscars, the people were sitting at tables like at a restaurant.
Tonight, I tuned in for the hell of it and saw they are seated like they are in a theater. My wife said they haven't done that for decades.
Well, I am not a movie person and saw only 2 movies this year- G-Force, with the kids and Hangover with Cathy. For some reason, they were not nominated. I was just shocked.

Does Atlanta Deserve A NASCAR Race?

I watched the NASCAR race today and it was at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. The stands were not full, which is ok. In these tough times, NASCAR is having a tougher time to sell tickets, so I understand that.
But looking for news stories about the race and race week in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, you couldn't tell there was a race this weekend. There was nothing on their web site on Thursday and just one article today, after the race and a few photo's.
What the heck? This is probably one of the biggest sports day in Atlanta's year and they choose to have minimal coverage?
I think Atlanta ought to support the race or lose it and you can start with the media.
BTW, congrats to Las Vegas's Kurt Busch for his win. And finally, Carl Edwards is very fortunate that he isn't facing murder charges for the hit he put on Keslowski. He ought to be suspended for a couple of races, but because he is a pretty boy and popular, he will probably be put on probation and pay a fine.

Dog/Wife Joke, Funny But Very True

Stolen from Prairie Home Companion today.

How can you determine who is man's best friend.

Answer: Get you wife and dog and lock both of them in the trunk of a car and take a small ride. Who will be the one who is glad to see you when you release them?

Cathy, my wife already answered. I hope to have a nice sleep on the couch.

Todd Paul: A Must See Show At Hooters

You know you have a great show when you can get a highly decorated Marine Corp full bird Colonel, older people and young adults go to show and everyone has a great time. This happened when the lovely Cathy and myself went to the Todd Paul comedy show at Hooters Hotel and Casino. This is a must see show when you come and visit.
Todd started his performing career about 30 years ago as a street performer in San Francisco and worked on his craft ever since.
His comedy was great, with only a few F-words thrown. His interaction with the audience was genuine and the audience responded back throughout the show. The show is only an hour long, but the audience was either roaring in laughter or mesmerized by his juggling skills the entire time.
He starts by juggling a chain saw, a taser and an apple. He survived this and went onto his comedy routine. He did a card trick where he picks a person from the audience and uses him in some wacky ways. It is an ongoing trick throughout the show.
The most amazing part of the show was his juggling skills. The glass balls he juggled could hypnotize someone if needed, it was that mesmerizing. His juggling skills were as great as anyone on the Strip.
He plays a mean guitar song by Jimi Hendrix and makes up a song as his lyrics. The camera girl, you meet enter the theater is a dead ringer for Janis Joplin, voice wise.
The show ends with a great hat dance/juggling routine with an audience member.
His jokes are funny and he has a runny gag with his sound man about the sound man supposedly being gay. If you find gay jokes offensive, this is not the show for you.
After ther show, he meets his guests and chats with them and will sign autographs.
The cost of a ticket is $8.95 and you get a free drink, so you can't beat the price.
This a truly amazing show and is well worth your time to check out his show, which starts at 7:00.
For more information about Todd Paul, you can go to his web site: http://www.toddpaul.com/

Henderson P.D. Stop Muslim Men While Praying In A Parking Lot

From Channel 8, Lasvegasnow.com: "Henderson Police are investigating some of their own officers regarding a complaint filed by a group of Muslim men who stopped to pray in a parking lot.
The incident happened in December. The Muslim men were passing through Las Vegas on a road trip. They stopped at a convenience store parking lot in Henderson to perform their sunset prayer. According to documents obtained by 8 News NOW, a concerned citizen called the police, saying seven Middle Eastern males were acting suspiciously by a gray minivan with California license plates. The caller reported several of the men were kissing the ground."
http://www.lasvegasnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=12094191
And of course, the racist and terrorist group, the CAIR organization and almost equally despicable, the ACLU, have gotten involved. They said the cops acted inappropriately.
Well, looks at the facts. The cops were called to the scene by a citizen. What were the cops supposed to do, ignore the call? Not even respond?
Second, the Muslims were on private property and yes, they were acting strange. In Henderson, Las Vegas and other parts of the valley, it is extremely unusual to find 7 men on rugs chanting. To be honest, I have never seen it. It may not be strange in Saudia Arabia, Iran, Iraq or Egypt, but in Henderson, NV., it is very strange and unusual.
So, the cops are called and they don't understand what is going on because it was very unusual, so they conducted a simple investigation. They probably ran the license plates or their vehicle and then checked out the identifications of the Muslims involved- all perfectly legal. The cops did not stop the praying nor did they tell the Muslims they could not pray.
The Muslims also become defiant to the cops and start debating with them. Was this a set up by the Muslims? I don't know, but it has happened before, when Muslims have set up private companies and government agencies.
So, the terrorist group, CAIR, otherwise known as Council on American-Islamic Relations, is demanding money for the men for among emotional distress. Well, if that is a case, every time a person is pulled over or is investigated ought to receive money for emotional distress, if they are not charged with a crime.
Just remember, not all Muslims are terrorists, but mostly, all terrorists are Muslims. The Henderson had every right to stop these guys, question them and then release them. And CAIR can go eat some pork.

Detroit School Board President Can't Write

From Fox News:
"As if Detroit doesn't have enough problems these days, the president of the city's school board offered the shocking admission that he can't pen a coherent sentence.
Otis Mathis, who oversees the academic future of 90,000 public school students, told the Detroit News that he's a "horrible writer" after reports surfaced that he sent a Feb. 29 e-mail to the financial manager of Detroit Public Schools that was rife with spelling, punctuation and usage errors.
"If you saw Sunday's Free Press that shown Robert Bobb the emergency financial manager for Detroit Public Schools, move Mark Twain to Boynton which have three times the number seats then students and was one of the reason's he gave for closing school to many empty seats," the e-mail read, according to the paper." http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,588138,00.html
The story also says Mathis worked as a substitute teacher for the Detroit Schools. It also says he graduated from college, Wayne State. I guess if you need a degree and can't write, Wayne State is the place to go. http://www.detnews.com/article/20100304/OPINION03/3040437/
As a special education teacher, I appreciate what he has accomplished. But if I was a resident of Detroit, I'd be really pissed. First, if he is the school board president, couldn't he have had someone write his e-mail messages? And I think there are some good teachers in Detroit, couldn't he have found somebody to tutor him in writing? And is he a good role model for the students in Detroit? For special education students, maybe, but for regular education students who struggle to pass their classes, I don't think so. And if I were hiring someone from Wayne State, I don't think their degree is worth more than the toilet paper I used tonight.
Just a total embarrassment all the way around.

Harry Reid (Dumbass-NV) Embarrasses Nevada. Again.

From the LVRJ: Sen. Harry Reid had another "oops" moment this morning when he said that "only 36,000people lost their jobs today, which is really good."
http://www.lvrj.com/blogs/politics/Another_oops_moment_for_Reid.html
Later, Reid tried to correct his mistake, but you know what, who cares. If a gOP senator or President Bush said this, they would have ripped and rightly so.
So, thanks Harry Reid, thanks for embarassing Nevada again. Next time, keep your mouth shut.

Again, please Tell Me WhyWisconsin Doesn't Have The Death Penalty?

From the Jsonline: According to the complaint:
Laster, Barnes and Brittney Robertson went to a duplex in the 800 block of S. 12th St. early Friday to rob Robertson's roommate, Rachel Thompson, but wound up killing Thompson and two of her sons.
Robertson also told a friend after the killings that she hated Thompson because the two women had been in a relationship with the same man.
After the three entered the upper-level apartment, Torian Thompson-Carter, 4, was attacked first. The boy's hands were tied with duct tape, and a plastic bag was placed over his head.
Then three-year-old Jaden Thompson-Carter's hands were taped and a bag was put over his head. Robertson stabbed him in the neck, Barnes told investigators.
A description of Jaden's autopsy included in the complaint says he died of asphyxiation and does not indicate he was stabbed.
Robertson stabbed Thompson, 23, multiple times until the knife's handle broke off, the complaint says. Robertson then used a second knife until it broke.
Barnes fired a shot at Thompson but was not sure if the bullet struck her.
Robertson, Laster and Barnes took Thompson's youngest child, 6-week-old Maurice Visor, and left the duplex after using lighter fluid to set a fire to cover up the homicides.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/86424367.html
Being from Wisconsin, and with most of my family still there, I am just amazed by the backward thinking of Wisconsin. There have been many gruesome killings, like Ed Gein and Jeffery Dahmer.
These thugs don't deserve to live. The State of Wisconsin should not have to spend money to house them and let them watch TV, receive mail, have visitors or hanging with their thug brothers in jail.
Nope, let them enjoy life.

Political Suicde By Democrats

The Democrats are going to be committing suicide as they follow chief lemmings President Obama, Reid and Pelosi passing a health care bill.
The Democrats know they are committing political suicide, so it will be interesting to see how many will still follow the chief lemmings.
On the other hand, they may not be that smart and think that they will overcome this and will win reelection.
My feeling is that much of this law will be found unconstitutional and be thrown out but we will find out who the real losers are, the Democrat politicians.

City Of Las Vegas Running Out Of Money? I Don't Think So

From the Las Vegas Sun: Firefighters have contained a blaze that caused extensive damage to a single-story historic house Wednesday night, fire officials said.
Las Vegas Fire and Rescue spokesman Tim Szymanski said the fire began in a vacant wooden house in the 1600 block of G Street, near West Owens Avenue and H Street.
Firefighters responded after a neighbor called about 7 p.m. and reported the house, which was built in the 1950s, was on fire.
The owner and his son had visited the house an hour before the fire started, Szymanski said. The son told firefighters nothing was out of the ordinary when he and his father left, Szymanski said.
The house had been boarded up for some time, but the son was working with the city to secure a grant to renovate the property, Szymanski said.
(bold is mine) http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/mar/03/firefighters-contain-fire-historic-las-vegas-house/
Here we are, in an economic crisis in the City and State and this guy is trying to get a grant, not even a loan, to fix up the building from the City of Las Vegas.
Obviously, the guy couldn't get a loan from a bank or other lending outfit. So, he tries to get free money from the City to fix up an old house in a run down area of the City. We don't know if he would have succeeded or not.
No wonder why governments are going broke.

Wal-Mart: I Am History, But Proud I Worked There

On Saturday, I worked my last shift at Wal-Mart. It was time. My body, working two physical jobs was giving out and I needed a break. Though, I am pretty sure, by summer time, I will be kicked out of the house by the wife and kids because I am home too much.
I am proud that I did work at Wal-Mart for two and half years. I learned a lot of private business and how a huge business works.
First, our store, at Boulder Hwy and Nellis, in Vegas, does over $60 million dollars business a year. That is more money than many companies on the nation's stock exchanges. For that, we have to be proud.
Second, it is not easy working at Wal-Mart. Whether you are a cashier, truck unloader, stocker or work in the various departments, it is a physical job. Not many people can work these jobs. Especially the truck unloaders. Most days, they have to unload between 1800 and 4000 cases of food and general merchandise products and at Christmas time, the number of cases increases up to 7000 cases a day. There are usually between 5-7 people unloading the truck. On the food side, the night shift stockers have to stock between 2000 and 3000 cases of food a night. It is back breaking work and a lot of repetition. But, somehow, the work gets done.
Yes, Wal-Mart employees at the store level do not get paid a lot of money. They do get reasonable health insurance, despite what the naysayers say. There are also other benefits that Wal-Mart offers, to numerous to mention.
Is Wal-Mart a perfect place, of course not. If you were interested in moving on up the company ladder, you have to impress people and when that happens, sometimes people act stupid. Everyone wants to impress the next level of management and sometimes they come up with stupid ideas. So many times, one supervisor would say one thing and the next shift supervisor would change it.
And the distribution centers are the worst, even though they have some of the highest paid laborers Wal-Mart has. The distribution centers in McCarren NV. and Apple Valley, CA. have to employ workers who flunked out of clown college. So many times a truck would pull into our store and the pallets would be tipped over, things would be leaking or other bad things. I have had tendons that were torn off my arms because of the distribution centers and I have hurt my back because of these idiots.
But the people I worked with at our store, for the most part are top notch, from the store manager, to the assistants to the janitors were great to work with. I feel more comfortable with them than with most of the teachers I work with at my teaching job. But I am more blue collar than white collar. Sometimes, you would see a friend taken out in handcuffs because they decided to steal from the store, but for the most part, the people were genuinely nice and honest.
So, good luck to my former colleagues and look forward to seeing you again.

Stupid Firefighter News

A Detroit firefighter responded to an accident with a $600,00 ladder truck call to flush some gas and fluids from a car-truck accident. For some reason, he decided to park on 3 train tracks. And you know what happened of course, an Amtrak train came along and destroyed the fire truck because they were unable to get the truck off the train tracks. Two people suffered minor injuries. http://www.firehouse.com/topics/top-headlines/detroit-firefighter-faces-heat-parking-rig-train-tracks
But of course, no one has been fired yet for this stupidity. Stupid is as stupid does.

Pawn Stars Review: March 1st, 2010

It's a full moon is Las Vegas and we just ended NASCAR week here. NASCAR superstar, Tony Stewart visited the pawn shop on the last day of shooting (h.t. Norm of of the LVRJ) and I am sure the pawn shop was swamped by visitors. Also heard on the radio that talk show host, Mark Levin is also a fan of the show.
In the first episode, the first guy, a former Marine, brought in a WWI flame thrower. The thing was kind of beat up and Rick didn't know if it was legal if you can own one. It turns out, according Rick's expert, it probably was a Vietnam era weapon. It's legal to own because of the damage and the gun part was a fake. The expert said it would be worth $2000. The guy wanted $1500 and Rick offered $500 and then $800 and then $1000 and it sold for the thousand.
The next guy brought in a Baja Bug, a tricked out old VW bug. The guy selling was from California. The guy wanted $12,500 and Rick offered $5000 and the Old Man said $3000. But no sale.
The next item was a fortune telling telling machine. It looks like a fortune telling machine that was in the Ceaser Forums Shop. It was up for auction. Chumlee put in a quarter and got a fortune back. He couldn't buy the machine until the auction, so they came back for the auction. Chumlee has never been to an auction. Huh? In that line of business? Anyways, the auction is located close to downtown. The machine sold at the auction for $6300 and the guys didn't even bid.
The next man came brought in a Manhattan Firearms Revolver from the 1800's. He wants the money to use for a wedding present. The motorcycle in the background was still there on our last visit. Chumlee was volunteered to shoot the gun at the gun store. The gun was worth about $500. Rick offered $200 if it didn't work and $300 if it worked. The gun worked, Chumlee survived and the guy got $300..
In the 2nd episode, the first guy (almost always guys, white guys, why?) brought in an ivory sun dial. The guy wanted to pawn the sun dial and get a loan. They brought in a guy from the West Sea company and when you goggle that, you don't get anything. Anyways, the sun dial also was a moon dial and weather vane and was worth a lot of money. It went from pawn to sell and the they went to a coin flip and the guy won and got it for $4500. Not a bad deal.
The next guy brought in a photo album of Jimmy Hoffa. But the photo's were not worth anything. Maybe the new Mob museum could buy it for their new building in downtown Las Vegas.
They showed off the backroom of the shop. It looked big, but in reality, it isn't that big. Chum and Hoss got to get cleaning the backroom. I learned 30 employees at the store. They found a statue that might have been worth a lot of money that was pawned for $200. So, it apparently will be sold for about $6000.
The next guy had an old shooting game you would seen in an arcade in the 1960's or an old 7-11. Chumlee was wearing some kind of weird coat. The guy wanted $1000 but the counteroffer was still $1000 so no sale.
In the last scene, it shows the Old Man using the sundial in the parking lot. Not sure if he found out the time.
So, another week down and it will be interesting if Tony Stewart shows up in an upcoming episode.

More Stupid Gun User News, This Time A Cop Is In Trouble

From the Las Vegas Sun: The parents of a 2-year-old boy who shot himself in the abdomen with his father’s Metro Police-issued handgun are facing charges of child abuse and neglect with substantial bodily harm after a February incident at the family’s Overton home.
Investigators said Jared and Shawnee Bledsoe allowed their son to be placed in a situation where he “suffered unjustifiable physical harm and mental suffering” when they left a loaded handgun in a nightstand drawer accessible to their son, Jared Benjamin Bledsoe, according to an arrest report released Monday.
Shawnee Bledsoe called 911 at 10:53 p.m. Feb. 6 to report her son had a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the abdomen, through the chest and arm, and that he had shot himself with a .45-caliber Wilson Combat handgun that belonged to her husband, a Metro officer. http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/mar/01/metro-officer-wife-face-charges-after-toddler-shoo/
I am not anti-gun, nor am I into guns, never owned one and only fired a rifle and shotgun a couple of times in my life. When I was in the Air Force, I scored the lowest score in our squadron during basic training, scoring 40 points out of 200. I missed the target more times than I hit it. (though proving the adage, a blind squirrel can get a nut once in awhile, I did get one bullseye)
But come on, this is a Metro cop, who has probably seen what a gun can do first hand. The officer and his wife need to be charged and the cop ought to be fired.
Guns themselves are not dangerous, if used properly (like target practice), or in self defense and hunting. But they have to be used properly.

Nevada Budget Solution Solved: What, No Teacher Layoffs?

Ok, we have been told, the State of Nevada had about a $900 deficit. And bingo, no more problem and it appears hardly anyone will be laid off and teachers are going to not going to lose pay and no one will be laid off, at least teachers.
CCSD will lose about 6.9% of their operating budget from the State, about $145-170 million dollars. But no teachers will be cut nor will there a pay decrease. The district has put on a hiring freeze and will not fill the positions that are open and fill those positions long term subs. They also may eliminate the positions.
The State will be on a 4 day work week, but hours will be longer in State offices. Some Democrats theorized that if the people see how the people are hindered, they will demand an increase in taxes to increase hours at state agencies. I think this is a pipe dream.
In the end, Governor Gibbons and Democrats worked to get a deal. Will it work? Doubt it. Will it help the legislators and governor in their re-election. Doubt that as well. But we will see.

Las Vegas NASCAR Week: Finale

Well, it's Monday and the Speedways is almost deserted. Almost all the campers are gone. A about 9:00 AM, there was a big camper parade out of town. Some headed home, others to Atlanta.
The cleaning crews are picking up all the garbage and most of the haulers are gone, except for the merchandise hauler of #7, Robby Gordon and the ESPN haulers.
We went to the race and sat in the cheap seats, in terms of the view of the entire track, but we also had the majority of the action. We had several accidents close to us and Jimmy Johnson, Mark Martin and Matt Kenseth's pits were right in front of us.
The race was OK, but kind of boring at times. I thought the introduction of the drivers was cool, though Robin Leach is getting old. Carroll Shelby and Kim Kardashian saying "gentlemen, start your engines" was very embarrassing. I highly doubt, before the weekend, neither one of them knew who each other was.
It took us about 45 minutes to go the 3 miles to the track, traveling down Las Vegas Blvd. On the way home, it only took 15 minutes.
The Thunderbirds were great and we got some bonus flying from the Red Bull Stunt team and flyovers of fighter jets during the race.
The race bought much needed temporary jobs to the community. From security to trash collectors, to rescue personnel and extra cashiers at the speedway. Community service organizations benefited by running concession stands. Private industry benefited throughout the valley, especially the helicopter companies.
So, congratulations to the Las Vegas Motorway Speedway. Another job well done. We look forward to next year.

This Is Just Shameful In Buffalo N.Y.

It is shameful to what has happened to a Buffalo area mentally disabled adult woman in a suburb of Buffalo N.Y. She was literally tortured to death by her mom and brother. From the Buffalo News: A good night for Laura Cummings meant being allowed to sleep on the kitchen floor in her family’s North Collins home.
Usually in the weeks leading up to her death, she was forced to sleep shackled to a metal chair with a sack over her face.
Days were even more nightmarish for the 23-year-old mentally disabled woman, who was held captive and brutalized, allegedly by her own mother and half brother, according to an Erie County Grand Jury indictment returned Friday.
Cummings’ short life ended Jan. 21 with a long, tortuous death and a trail of missed chances to get her to safety.
A grand jury indicted Cummings’ mother, Eva M. Cummings, 51, and her half brother, Luke J. Wright, 31, on charges related to the homicide, but authorities continued to be confounded by the apparent lack of community concern for the defenseless woman’s welfare.
“There were a lot of people who knew what was going on and said nothing, and that is a sad commentary on the human condition,” said District Attorney Frank A. Sedita III....Finnerty, who has prosecuted a number of heinous crimes in his 17 years in the DA’s office, called it “the worst case I’ve ever seen.”
“It’s sadistic, and it’s allegedly sustained over a long period of time,” he said.
That was especially true of the unlawful imprisonment of Laura Cummings, in the weeks preceding her death.
“She’s restrained more often than she’s not,” Sheriff’s Capt. Ronald L. Kenyon said.
At other times, she was treated as an inanimate object, draped with a blanket so that visitors who stopped by the apartment wouldn’t know she was there, according to authorities. http://www.buffalonews.com/2010/02/26/970986/mother-son-indicted-in-hate-crime.html
Sadly, when you read the article, many people knew what was going on. The family had been reported to Children and Adult Protective services but nothing ever happened. People visited the house and nothing was ever said.
As a teacher of the mentally disabled, it seems like Laura Cummings was mild to moderately disabled, since she had the mental ability of a pre-teen. She obviously had some skills.
Laura was born around 1987. This way past the time when the mentally disabled were automatically placed in institutions. It is possible that the mom was a young child, she may have indoctrinated in feeling that the people with disabilities were not really complete people, but that attitude is mostly with older people.
I hope they throw the book at these creeps, if they are guilty. But I can imagine the defense- either they just did the best they could or they didn't have the education they needed to work with Laura. Either excuse is pretty bad and won't fly.
Jail wouldn't be good enough to these creeps.
h/t Drudge