10-24-2004

Culmville International Airport?

The criticisms of the president have gotten Barbara pretty steamed. If Barbara gets her hands on Senator Kerry he's going to need another Purple Heart.--Dubya's Dad

It's always a good thing to maintain a sense of humor. Check this out. This is what passes as responsible journalism these days:

On November 2, the entire civilised world will be praying, praying Bush loses. And Sod's law dictates he'll probably win, thereby disproving the existence of God once and for all. The world will endure four more years of idiocy, arrogance and unwarranted bloodshed, with no benevolent deity to watch over and save us. John Wilkes Booth, Lee Harvey Oswald, John Hinckley Jr - where are you now that we need you?--Charlie Bicker, UK Guardian

Screw Dan Rather and his biased world of forgeries! This reckless ass should be strung up by his miniature testicles until he cheers up a tad.

I haven't spend much time on this 'puter gizmo over the course of the the past few days. I visited my doctor on Thursday and I am now on three different drugs, plus an inhaler. I imagine this is what it feels like to be a senior citizen to some extent. The docs pump you so full of so many different drugs, it becomes difficult to focus. Or even care for that matter. Needless to say, I'm feeling a bit fuzzy as of late.

I've been having trouble sleeping with the ribs and all. I wake up in the middle of the night hacking up fluids that resemble pure white motor oil. As each hacking spell resides, I feel like I was stabbed repeatedly afterwards. Thursday night was no different and the result of that was that I awoke at 8:30 in the morning. In other words, too late to make it into the arena to see Dubya. Darn. Oh, well. I did get to see his speech on WBRE and it was little more than a rehash of earlier stump speeches. And Casey Jones of the Times Leader was nice enough to point that out this morning. After reading his usual bilge, I didn't even bother to wander out and grab a copy of the Voice. I'm sure the folks at the Citizen's Voice had plenty of anti-Bush, vitriolic rhetoric to spew forth, and quite frankly, I'd rather read what some more responsible journalists have to say. Thank goodness for the internet.

I'll betcha can't wait to see which presidential candidate our two local newspapers will endorse. As if it was ever in doubt.

The Red Sox-Mercenaries series was a blast...

...excepting for the Game 3 blowout. The big question is: Who will the Yanks sign this year after their raiding parties ride on in search of the best players in the major leaugues? Who had a great year? Randy Johnson? Carlos Beltran? Barry Bonds? Who cares? That entire organization has become a joke.

They've got a $200 million payroll and they still can't get it done. Why? Because there is no more silly notions of Yankee pride. These mercenaries called the New York Yankees didn't come up through that organization. They don't care about the history or the pride of the team. Their's was the decision to follow the millionaire's beaten path of least resistence to a champion ring. They could get rich quick playing for any number of teams, but they thought that by signing with this team they'd be a shoo-in for a ring. And after their historic collapse, it's obvious that they thought wrong. And I'm thoroughly enjoying their sudden and not so unexpected demise. Big time.

I do have one major regret, though. I listen to Sue Henry faithfully and being the Red Sox diehard that she is, her guarded, but always present optimistism is almost on display. Some day, laddies, the curse of the Bambino will be lifted. Someday. So the Sox dumped the Yanks flat on their fattened wallets, and what did I do? I slept in and missed Sue's once in a lifetime victory party on WILK. Freakin' ribs!

I was hoping to see the Astros make it to the big dance. When the Astros dumped the Braves, I wasn't even upset. The way I figure it, the Braves have made a habit of knocking the 'Stros out of the playoffs for so long, guys like Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell deserved at least one shot at the big party. They've been toiling away and very productively for a long, long time. So they got their chance. And it was probably their last chance.

I can't wait to see Sue's new 'Gidget' hairdo. After Manny Ramirez' nightmare inning last night, I'm assuming Sue was pulling out some rather sizable clumps of hair. I know I would have been. Whatever. Go Sox!!!

A couple of commissioners in...

...Lackawanna County want to rename the Avoca airport. And as far as I can tell, I believe them to be completely serious. And that would help how? That would change what? Other than the prohibitive costs associated with changing the name of the airport, I can see no tangible benefit in any way? They're cluthching at expensive and mostly ineffective straws. I thought the $61 million invested in the airport was the promised fix-all? Leadership: You can't live with it. You can't live without it. (?)

Here's my latest "contraption" as it was called recently. Gage's trail bike. Actually, with the accident and all that has followed, it hasn't gotten much use lately. Soon enuf.

From the e-mail inbox:

PRESIDENTIAL JOB RESUME

NAME: John Kerry

RESIDENCES: 7 mansions, including Washington DC, worth multi-millions. I served in Vietnam (four months).

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
Law Enforcement. I voted to cut every law enforcement, CIA and defense bill in my career as a U.S Senator. I ordered the city of Boston to remove a fire hydrant in front of my mansion, thereby endangering my neighbors in the event of fire. I served in Vietnam (four months).

MILITARY:
I served in Vietnam (four months). I used three minor injuries to get an early discharge from the military and service in Vietnam (as documented by the attending doctor). I served in Vietnam (four months). I then returned to the U.S., joined Jane Fonda in protesting the war, and insulted returning Vietnam vets, claiming they committed atrocities and were baby killers. I served in Vietnam (four months). I threw my medals, ribbons, or something away in protest. Or did I? My book; Vietnam Veterans Against the War: The New Soldier shows how I truly feel about the military. I served in Vietnam (four months).

COLLEGE:
I graduated from Yale University with a low C average. Unlike my counterpart George Bush, I have no higher education and did not get admitted to Harvard nor graduate with an M.B.A

PAST WORK EXPERIENCE:
I ran for U.S. Congress and have been there ever since. I have no real world experience except marrying rich women and running HJ Heinz vicariously through my wife Teresa. I served in Vietnam (four months).

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
As a U.S. Senator I set the record for the most liberal voting record, exceeding even Ted Kennedy and Hillary Clinton. I have consistently failed to support our military and CIA by voting against budgets, thus gutting our country's ability to defend itself. Although I voted for the Iraq War, now I am against it and refuse to admit that I voted for it. I voted for every liberal piece of legislation. I have no plan to help this country but I intend to raise taxes significantly if I am elected I served in Vietnam (four months).

My wealth so far exceeds that of my counterpart, George Bush, that he will never catch up. I make no or little charitable contributions and have never agreed to pay any voluntary excess taxes in Massachusetts, despite family wealth in excess of $ 700 million. I served in Vietnam (four months).

I (we) own 28 manufacturing plants (Heinz) outside of the U.S. in places like Asia, Mexico and Europe. We can make more profit from the cheaper cost of labor in those Countries, although I blame George Bush for sending all of the jobs out of Country. I served in Vietnam (four months).

Although I claim to be in favor of alternative energy sources, Ted Kennedy and I oppose windmills of f Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard as it might spoil our view of the ocean as we cruise on our yachts. I served in Vietnam (four months).

RECORDS AND REFERENCES: None. However, I served in Vietnam (four months).

PERSONAL: I practice my Catholic faith when cameras are present.

I ride a Serotta Bike.

I love to ski/snowboard (especially when son-of-a-bitch secret service agents don't get in my way).

My Gulfstream V Jet I call "The Flying Squirrel".

I call my $850,000 42-foot Hinckley twin diesel yacht the "Scarmouche".

I am fascinated by rap and hip-hop and feel it reflects our real culture.

I own several "Large" SUVs including one parked at my Nantucket summer mansion, though I am against large polluting inefficient vehicles and blame George Bush for the energy problems.

I served in Vietnam (four months).

PLEASE CONSIDER MY EXPERIENCE WHEN VOTING IN 2004

Thus while Kerry does well in debates, he in some sense does not do well, since Americans feel he is either their smug professor or cranky grandfather, peeved that he had to descend from Olympus to impart knowledge to the less gifted. Somehow most would rather be wrong with Bush than right with Kerry.--Victor Davis Hansen, National Review Online

Here's a goodie from today's Leader:

W-B to check claim police took 45 minutes to respond to call about gun

A police captain will review tapes of a call placed on Thursday evening.

By RON LIEBACK rlieback@leader.net

WILKES-BARRE - Awakened by fighting neighbors at about 9:45 p.m. Thursday, Claire Wert's children fled from their bedroom screaming "Mommy, Mommy, they (neighbors) said put the gun down."

Wert walked on the porch of her residence at 73 Carlisle St. and noticed a window was smashed on her neighbor's apartment. She "rushed" back into her house and phoned 911.

"There is a domestic dispute next door and there might be a gun involved,'°" Wert said she told 911 while worrying about the safety of her three children.

But no authorities responded. Within 15 minutes, Wert was on the phone again dialing 911. "They told me police were called and are on their way."

Police did not arrive until 10:30 p.m., "a whole 45 minutes later," Wert said.

"My God," a frustrated Wert said. "I could of walked to the police station by the time the cops came."

Wert is angry with how long police took to arrive at her house. She said she wants to find who is at fault to help prevent future incidents.

"Somebody could have been bleeding to death," Wert said. "I told 911 about the gun, that should have been enough for a prompt response."

Capt. Donald Crane said according to the call-for-service sheet from 911, a call was placed for a domestic with a gun at 9:40 p.m.

"I have to investigate if police responded to that call," Crane said. "I am not sure of the information regarding that call."

Crane said police were dispatched to 71 Carlisle St. at 10:18 p.m. for a broken window and door. Police arrived at 10:33 p.m., but there was no domestic problem.

As of Saturday, he did not know if police responded to or were dispatched to the domestic dispute call involving a possible gun.

"I am working on it and am investigating it," Crane said. "We are taking this matter very seriously and we will get to the bottom of it."

He said he will retrieve the tape of the actual domestic dispute call from 911 and clarify the situation before action, if any, will be taken.

Wert said the officer who was on duty told her "I just got the call, my shift started at 10 p.m."

"Who cares about what time their shift starts?" Wert said. "They should get down here as soon as possible."

She said the officer told her "That is the way the administration wants it." Wert said she didn't know what he meant. "Then I realized he was talking about city officials."

"It may take weeks for us to receive the tape," Crane said. "But when the investigation is completed, people will know what happened."

And we can only speculate as to what happened. So, why not? Let's give it a rip.

It's been my "Scanner Land" experience that whenever our cops hear the word "gun" mentioned, at least two units, if not more, will break away from what they're doing and respond right quick. But when the 10-6 AM shift is in "roll call," calls tend to back up for the folks at 911. And as soon as the 10-6 cops hit the streets, they try to play catch up with the backed up calls.

I've heard the folks at 911 make our guys aware of calls that were stacking up on many occasions and they are told more often than not that "We're in roll call." In other words, give us a couple of minutes here. But I have never, ever heard of a call involving a gun being put on hold. Not once. I doubt that a "gun" call was issued by the 911 folks on the night in question. Rather, I think something got goofed up while the guys were in roll call and immediately afterwards.

The larger question should be is this practice of allowing calls to back up a couple of times a day in the best interests of everyone involved. Rather than having one shift going off duty and another coming on duty at the top of a given hour, wouldn't it make more sense and heighten our police precense by staggering the on/off times of our cops?

I know we don't have as many cops as we need, and the last time I checked we didn't have the necesssary funding to hire any more. But this "roll call" back up has always had me second guessing the folks doing the scheduling. How's that for speculation?

I'll bet you thought I was gonna hack on Claire? Dintcha?

Check this pic.

We've got cops in cruisers. We've got motorcycle cops. Beat cops. Bike cops. Horse cops. But I ain't never heard of no Bull cop.

I see Walter got his...

...name in the paper again with some more useless verbiage in the form of a letter to the editors of the Voice. Now he's passing himself off as a pseudo-building inspector who's latest accusation is that "this city council and administration have not been working for the residents of this city for months."

If we're to believe his latest, he has called for the demolition of the rowhome nightmare on River Street for months. Wow! Pin a f**king medal on his chest. So, the city is about to demolish the entire building and now Walter cries that it took too long for the city to act. Boy, somebody has an exaggerated opinion of their importance.

Is that how things are supposed to work? The mayor and the council jump when Walter speaks? How many more years are left in his term?

I think I'll try that bullsh*t. I am officially demanding that this administration demolish the sprawling and unsightly Murray complex on Courtright Street. It's a danger to all who come near it's shadow. It's a waste of good land. And I don't like it. And as of October 24, 2004, I officially demand that it be removed from the landscape. And if it is not removed by the second Tuesday in November, that will be deemed to be proof that this council and this administrion is not working for the residents of this city. I, Mark Cour, have spoken. Bow and kiss my extended hand.

Hey. we're working on a big bus trip to the next Super Bowl. I was just curious. Would any of you Eagles fans be interested in going with us to see the Super Bowl? Sure, it'll suck that the birds didn't get there again, but what the heck? Lemme know.

Did anyone watch Saturday Night Live last night? Did anyone besides me see Ashlee Simpson blow her lip-sync asssignment and simply walk off the stage, never to return, while her band was left there playing without a vocalist? Unreal.

CYA