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| Don't want to Move! |
| 05.21.05 (12:20 pm) [edit] |
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I really enjoy Presidential election years. The 18 months of campaigning that lead up to the actual election are not just interesting, but always give me alot more material to write about.
And the past two election, my team has won and given me bragging rights. But what about the next one???
It's not too early to begin talking about who the candidates may be. In the democrat's corner, of course, all the buzz has been about Senator Hillary Clinton. Most of the liberals I know (yes, I have some liberal friends) are not only anticipating her announcement that she is running, they also believe she could win. So of course, there has been some trash talking on both sides. Trash talking with my friends usually leads to some sort of wager. As it did in this case.
When it came right down to it, I said that we won't have a female president in my lifetime. A bold statement that I often wonder where it came from. Upon reflection, I probably should have given that some more thought. At any rate, I also managed to state (around the foot I already had in my mouth) that if we do ever get a female president, that I would move out of the country.
Of course I'm no stranger to bold statements or bold wagers. I recall coming to Alaska after losing a similar bet in Oregon. Something about "if we ever get a female govenor..."
Now state to state is one thing, but country to country? That's kinda scary. I mean, where am I gonna go? I can't go to Canada, they're way too liberal for me. Mexico? England? Japan? None of those sound good to me. Then it hit me...Australia! They supported us in the war. But I hear they are strong on unions. Yuck. I guess I'll have to research them some more.
Now I'm pretty confident that it won't come down to moving. I don't think America has gotten to the point that a woman has a chance to be president. But I do regret the "in my lifetime" part of the wager.
Funny, I don't recall winning anything if I'm right. What kind of a stupid bet did I make?
Well, it should add some extra excitement every four years to what is already my favorite part of national politics.
But just for the record, I don't want to move.
I'll be gone for awhile, so until next time, see ya.
Be honest now, you don't want her for our president, DO YA??
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| Customer Service? |
| 05.19.05 (8:16 am) [edit] |
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Well, a couple weeks ago my cell phone pissed me off for the last time. It's seven years old and I figured it was time to replace it. It had several annoying quirks and suffice to say I was happy to finally modernize my equipment.
Off to the local office supply store, where I had seen the phone I wanted several times before. Now, I prefer the prepaid phones, don't ask why it's a long story. Maybe another day. Anyway, I knew the price of the model I liked and noticed in their advertisement that it was ten dollars off.
In the store, standing at the cell phone display, I saw the price posted was indeed $10 off the regular price. I stopped a clerk and asked to see one of the phones.
"We're out" she said.
"Could you check?", I asked,"I think they keep them behind the counter to avoid theft".
With a deep sigh, she asked the other clerk (who was cashiering) if we had any cell phones behind the counter.
"Yeah, that's where they all are" he answered.
Well, that set the tone for the rest of our interraction. She obviously didn't like me knowing more than her (must be a gender thing).
From behind the counter she handed me a phone. It was the model I liked, but something was suspicious. "How much?" I asked.
She scanned the box and announced the price. The price she said was $10 HIGHER than it's regular price.
"I thought they were on sale" I asked.
"No, that was last week, we don't even have an ad this week" she explained with a slight smirk on her face.
"But that's 10 bucks higher than normal".
"I'm sorry sir, but that's the price".
She's sorry all right. Now, my twenty some years of retail and customer service tells me that right or wrong, the price posted is the price you give the customer. And normally I would have talked to the manager (who is probably younger than my experience) and demanded the posted price. But, I was on my lunch and wanted to get back. I left the store just shaking my head.
The next week I read their ad and there it was again, my cell phone. Again, down to the office supply store. It's only about four miles away, so I'm there in exactly four minutes, providing I hit all the lights. Just kidding! Four and a half minutes.
I asked the clerk (a different one) for the phone. He got me one.
"Just for shits and grins, could you check the price for me?"
"No problem Dude", and he told me the price. He quoted me the ad price. Good, I waited a week, but I'll save the 10 bucks I wanted.
"Thanks for your help, and by the way, I'm a DAD not a DUDE. You should never call a customer DUDE."
Just trying to train some of our budding young retailers of the future. Well, really I was just annoyed.
Finally, I take the phone to the cashier (the gal from last week), and she rings it up. She tells me the price and it's ten dollars less than the advertised price. I don't say a word, and hand her my payment. After all, she was clear the previous week, that's the price!
So now I have my new phone that works great and I got it for half the regular price. At first I felt guilty, but decided it was the price that store needed to pay for the lesson in customer service. Trouble is I don't think anyone learned anything.
But it did reinforce one of my old adages "patience is a virtue and virtues won't hurt you!"
Later.
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| boycott who??? |
| 05.17.05 (12:04 pm) [edit] |
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This piece is not original. I copied it from an Anchorage newspaper. But, it's worth repeating!
Boycott Oregon: Save sea lions
Published: May 15th, 2005
Last Modified: May 15th, 2005 at 12:05 AM
WE AWAIT WITH some eagerness word from the Friends of Animals in Connecticut on what the organization’s position will be toward killing sea lions in the Columbia River near the Bonneville Dam.
The group, as you know, is going full tilt on its campaign urging tourists to cancel trips to Alaska because the state condones killing wolves in selected areas of the state.
Will Friends of Animals likewise urge people to boycott Oregon and Washington, where four Indian tribes are asking wildlife managers to cull more than 100 sea lions that are gobbling up huge numbers of chinook salmon,smelt and other fish?
In past years, the sea lions have gorged on salmon below Bonneville Dam. This year, for the first time, they have invaded the dam’s fish ladders — and the salmon toll has been even greater than before.
Reported the Associated Press in Portland: “Biologists with the Army Corps of Engineers estimated last year that sea lions ate about 4,000 chinook salmon passing the dam, about 2 percent of the upriver run. Large numbers of sea lions and harbor seals also ply the mouth of the river and boldly take salmon from fishing nets and lines.”
One problem, the AP said, is that the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 makes it a federal offense to harass, injure or kill California sea lions. That’s complicated by the fact that a dozen stocks of salmon and steelhead also are listed as threatened or endangered in the Columbia Basin.
The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Council, speaking for its members who depend on salmon for subsistence purposes, says the states have the authority to seek federal permission to trap or kill individual sea lions proven to be damaging to the fishery.
In short, state game management officials could be granted the option to kill some sea lions to make fishing more viable.
Sounds to us just like what Alaska game managers are doing in approving wolf kills in certain areas to save the moose population.
The animal rights folks think that’s terrible, and protesting the program in Alaska is a sure way to boost their national fund-raising effort among gullible but well-meaning people throughout the country.
The question now is, will they try the same against the hopes of the Indian tribes of Washington and Oregon?
Probably not.
Slippery sea lions, we suspect, are not quite as cuddly and cute as wolves. And Washington and Oregon don’t have the same firepower as Alaska, when it comes to fund-raising.
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| Weighing In! |
| 05.17.05 (7:55 am) [edit] |
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Well, after four weeks of brisk morning walks I decided to get on the scale this morning. I stood there and tried to focus on the numbers. Wait a minute, this isn't gonna work.
So I got off the scale and inserted my contacts. There, that's much better. Back on the scale and I can cearly see the numbers. Wait a minute, this isn't gonna work either.
So I hopped off the scale and stripped off my sweats. Hell, I better take it all off, just to make sure.
Back on the scale, and what? I can't believe I haven't lost a single pound! Wait a minute, this isn't gonna work.
So I hop off the scale, bend down and grab it, and start banging it on the bathtub. Then I run it under the faucet a couple times, dry it off, adjust the mark off of zero and back on it.
OK, it's clean, zeroed out, and I'm sure if anything was stuck, it's loose now. Back on the scale. Wait a minute, this isn't gonna work.
I can't believe that I'm risking my life every morning for this. You know there are wild animals out there! There are bears, moose, hell there's even three legged dogs!
OK, I now admit that my morning trek is more than just a paper run. I actually thought I could lose a couple lbs.
Back to the scale, what could be the problem? After careful inspection, I finally figured it out. It was right there all along. The sticker on the side was extremely faded, but I could still make out the three words "made in China".
Well there you have it, come on, noone over there weighs more than a buck forty. The upper end of the scale is surely off. In fact, it probably is off exponentially the higher it goes. Well, wait just a goll darn minute, this isn't gonna work.
It is now gonna be the star attraction on trash day. Remind me to get a new one. Until then, I'll just have to guage it by feel. Yeah, that's it. I guess I've dropped about 5 lbs. I new it was worth it.
Later,
RL
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| three legged dog |
| 05.16.05 (8:21 am) [edit] |
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The winds were calm and the skies were overcast as I began my morning trek for the monday paper. The sun had found an opening though, and was peaking through rather bright. I had started late do to my hitting the snooze button a number of times, but was determined to make up the time by an increased pace.
It's funny how a being off schedule by less then half an hour can offer new perspectives on the neighborhood. This morning I witnessed a woman taking her dog out for it's morning ritual who I had not seen before. I couldn't help but notice that she had a three legged dog.
I passed on by while the three legged dog was struggling to squat. She had ahold of the leash, and the pooch was actually straining on it for leverage. I could see that it had been a three legged dog for some time, its back left leg missing from the thigh on down. The leg was healed properly and it's hair had grown over.
For the rest of my trek, I couldn't help but think of that dog, and how worthless a three legged dog must be. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure that she loves that dog and it's leg is not an issue. It's probably suited well for condo living. But still, what good is a three legged dog?
Try to shake hands with a three legged dog, and it falls over. It can't bury a bone. It can't itch itself on that side. It obviosly needs help squatting. A three legged dog certainly can't jump into the back of my pickup. And worst of all, if it is a male, it can't have much of a sex life.
I guess it's one lucky three legged dog to have such a compassionate owner.
It occurred to me that Senator Barbara Boxer reminds me of a three legged dog.
She is helping to stall the President's judicial nominees. She is vocally against oil exploration and developement in Alaska. She is both against handguns and for pilots to carry them. She is not only pro-choice, but pro- abortion. She is for gay marriges. She professes to be pro education, but what she really means is pro teacher's union. And her state is one of the only states that allow medical marijuana. So if a white collar worker wants to get high at lunch, he only needs a note from his doctor.
How she garnished over 6.9 million votes in her last election really tells me alot about the kind of people who live in California.
And even though her last name is Boxer, that's not why she reminds me of a three legged dog. No, the reason is because I can't help but think how worthless she is to grassroots Americans. You left wingers in California can have her.
Have a good one.
RL
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| No Pain, No Gain! |
| 05.09.05 (7:56 am) [edit] |
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No pain, no gain. Whoever coined that phrase ought to be shot in the foot. Then I'd ask him, where's your gain now?
I've been making my morning trek for several weeks now and all I've managed to do is move the pain around to different body parts. You've all seen examples of cities with high crime neighborhoods. You know the ones where drug trafficking and prostitution take over what once was a nice middle class area? The police crack down on them for several months, but they don't solve the problem. They merely move the problem from that area to another.
Well, my body is a city! It has several neighborhoods. And the crooks (pain) just get moved around. For example, my back is really feeling good. When I travel on planes, my back doesn't get all stove up like it used to. So that's a good thing. But the pain and stiffness has moved to my knees and ankles. I guess my knees are finally reaping the benefits of years of abuse. I used to squat about 450 lbs, and people would say it will ruin my knees. I scoffed at that notion (remember "no pain, no gain"), but now wonder if they were right.
Last week I helped unload a couple container vans of appliances. There was about 40 items ranging from refrigerators to stoves to chest freezers. All still in their shipping cartons, and all were bulky and awkward to move. NOW, my body is bulky and awkward to move.
It was just me and a twenty six year old kid who moved all these into a pickup and out again into a warehouse. And of course my pride forced me to out lift, out carry, and generally out work this young buck. Well, I soothed my pride at the expense of my body (no pain, no gain).
So now my arms, shoulders and neck are sore from the appliances. My knees and ankles are sore from the walking, and I really question if I'm gaining ANYTHING from the pain!
I could always step it up a notch, and start running each morning instead of walking.
There was a guy in Soldotna, Alaska (about 100 miles south) that was out running and got mauled by a bear. That's some SERIOUS pain, I wonder how much he gained?
I guess I'll stick to walking.
Have a good one!
RL
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| Ma's Day |
| 05.08.05 (11:36 am) [edit] |
Happy Mom's Day
Happy Mothers day to a mom who really can't be beat.
We always had shoes and shirt and plenty of food to eat.
Through trials and tribulation, like sister fights or scraped knee,
I'm sure you must have wondered why they weren't as perfect as me?
My siblings and I really tried your patience, we put you to the test.
And though they all stayed out of trouble, I'd say I turned out best!
I tried to steer them straight and narrow, and keep their noses clean,
That's usually when they'd come crying to you and say I was being mean.
Now I'm not one to toot my horn, I too at times got wild.
But think how much easier things would have been were I an only child.
But, I guess I'd miss them,
Love
Your Oldest Son
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| morning trek, Valdez |
| 05.03.05 (8:00 pm) [edit] |
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Hello all,
This morning, my morning trek took place in Valdez, Alaska. my boss and I had business there yesterday and spent the night at a hotel. Never able to sleep soundly in a strange place, I was up at 6:05 and putting on my nikes. By 6:15 I was out on my morning trek. As usual, my objective was to purchase a morning paper. I was heading down a quiet side street towards the main drag and nothing could ruin my day, or could it?
Passing a single wide trailer this junkyard looking dog suddenly lunged towards me. He was barking and snapping his teeth on a dead run right at me, when he suddenly came to the end of his rope. Realizing the danger was over I made some faces at him, shook my tush at him, and generally taunted him for 10 or 15 seconds before continuing on.
The sun was shining, there was only a slight breeze, and nothing could ruin my day, or could it?
On the main drag I happened on a paper machine. Just as I was about to drop in my quarters, I noticed that it was still full of yesterday's papers.I already read that paper. Drats! No paper today. Oh well, I spied an expresso shop two blocks down. Needing a caffiene fix, I continued at a brisk pace straight for it, and nothing could ruin my day. Or could it?
I entered the shop and interrupted the attendant for a mocha latte (no whip). She unsuccessfully tried to hide her disgust at having to stop reading yesterday's paper and help a customer. Then, when I paid with a ten spot, she did not have proper change and had to go next door to a resteraunt for help. She returned a few moments later and gave me the proper change. As I exited, I offered her (in my most sarcastic of tones) to "have a nice day". Another small annoyance was that the shop was out of those little carboard sleeves that insulate a hot latte from your fingers. So now I'm heading back to the hotel without a paper and having to quickly switch the hot latte from hand to hand to avoid burning my fingers, and nothing could ruin my day. Or could it?
Valdez, being a coastal town attracts alot of seagulls. It seems one of their favorite games is to drop little white surprises on unsuspecting tourists. One hit the sidewalk right in front of me, I looked up and saw 8 or 10 gulls circling above me. I suddenly realised that I was the subject of their little game. Remember Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds"? Well, I'll tell you, I'm no tourist and I'm also a poor sport. I grabbed a small stone, switched the hot latte out of my throwing hand, and rifled it at the flock of gulls. Badly missing my attackers, the rock landed on a Volvo parked several yards away. I guess in the heat of the moment, I neglected to consider my backdrop. I looked left and right and determined that I had not been seen. So I picked up my pace and hurried back to the hotel, ignoring the car alarm that I had set off. And nothing could ruin my day.
After a quick shower, my boss and I checked out of the hotel, and soon Valdez was in my rearview mirror and getting smaller. And nothing could ruin my day!
Later'
RL
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