I must be working in the wrong industry, or for the wrong employer (well, duh, but that’s a different post. I wanna be self-employed…).

Every morning, on my law-abiding way to work, I am passed by people who are way more anxious to get to their jobs than I am to mine. Is this a Phoenix-area phenomenon? I doubt it – I have heard of road racers from across the country. Why is this?

What is so important that the need to obey the speed limit comes in second, if not third or fourth, depending on the food and phone call being worked at the same time?

I have it on good authority that the people who do what I really want(ed) to do for a living obey the speed limits (with one *busch* exception) while driving to and from their places of business. Yes, when I grew up, I wanted to be a race car driver. I didn’t care what series, what league, whatever. As long as it had wheels and a motor, I wanted to be the driver.

Here in Phoenix, there are red-light accidents on average of three times per day. Three. Times. Per. Day. That doesn’t count the outlying areas of Scottsdale, Glendale, Peoria, Avondale, Mesa, Tempe, Chandler…you get the picture. It also does not include the “impaired” accidents. Most of the red light accidents are, thankfully, not fatal. But the ones that are, are horrifically fatal. So, was killing that lady and her kids worth getting to work on time instead of leaving five minutes earlier?

I know that my little vent here won’t change much. Heck, it probably won’t change anything. But, I feel better having let you know how I feel.

God bless you all, drive safely, and watch out for the crazymoronjerks on the road.

Weekends were made for catching up on projects, right?

Jarhead John mentioned in a comment that he hadn’t heard from me for a while. Thanks for your concern, John. I hope to be able to get my head above water soon, so I can show the same level of care to my online friends that I do my face to face friends/family, and that you have shown for me.

All’s well that ends well, right? Friday afternoon, on the way home from running errands (I get out of work kind of early on Fridays, after working four nines Monday through Thursday) I had finally had enough of the grinding and binding going on in the front end of my ’98 QX4. It’s paid for, so the maintenance is the only cost. Well, that, and it’s addiction to refined petroleum products, but that’s another post. ANYway, I called the neighborhood Midas shop, and took the beast in for a front axle lifetime brake job. I had a coupon, so it was only $110 for the brakes. While the brakes were off, it came to light that the reason the brakes were binding and jumping was that the last brake job (at a shop I will not name, for some soon-to-be obvious reasons), when they resurfaced the rotors, went just a hair past specification for thickness. Actually, thinness. Three thousand pounds of vehicle, brakes every mile and a half or so, Phoenix summer temps, ergo, warpage and binding and nasty things. New rotors and Labor: $460. While the wheels were off, I looked at the front end. I shouldn’t have. Well, maybe it’s a good thing I did. The dust boots on the front drive axles (both sides, thanks for asking) were shot, no grease in the joints, and when I grabbed and shook, it was very loose and nasty in there. Front axles R&R: $325.

Well, since my afternoon was finished, and TMBWitW (who, by the way, is enjoying the pregnancy except for the discomfort and the sinus headache she just picked up – and is now sharing with me) was hungry, we drove over to our second dining room, JB’s. We each had our own vehicle, since she had picked me up and dropped me back off at Midas. After dinner, she waved, hopped into her Camry, and zipped off. I waved back, hopped in my QX4, hit the starter, and called a tow truck.

Saturday was spent cursing the engineers who design vehicles and never work on them; followed by the realization that if mechanics designed vehicles they would be too wide for today’s roads. Or too long to drive safely. But much easier to get at each component. Seems it is required to run the tranny cooler lines right over the top of the starter bolts. Once I managed to R&R the starter, I discovered that the battery, at halfway through it’s three year life, had given up the ghost. Wal-Mart, in it’s infinite wisdom, will be supplying me with free replacement batteries for the rest of my life. Checker/Schucks/Kragen will be warrantying my starter for the rest of my life. Battery: $0 (warranty replacement). Starter: $164.99 and my own labor to install.

This all means that my weekend projects (trim out the new door, paint the hall bath, try to get more baseboard down) didn’t get done. Well, there’s always next weekend.

It also means my savings account didn’t grow very much this week.

How was your weekend?

God bless you all, every one!

You read that right: I stole this from gawfer, because it is so darn good.

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WOULDN’T IT BE GREAT TO TURN ON THE TV AND HEAR ANY U.S. PRESIDENT, DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN, GIVE THE FOLLOWING SPEECH?

My Fellow Americans: As you all know, the defeat of Iraq regime has been completed.
Since congress does not want to spend any more money on this war, our mission in Iraq is complete.

This morning I gave the order for a complete removal of all American forces from Iraq This action will be complete within 30 days. It is now to begin the reckoning.

Before me, I have two lists. One list contains the names of countries which have stood by our side during the Iraq conflict. This list is short. The United Kingdom, Spain, Bulgaria, Australia, and Poland are some of the countries listed there.

The other list contains everyone not on the first list. Most of the world’s nations are on that list. My press secretary will be distributing copies of both lists later this evening.

Let me start by saying that effective immediately, foreign aid to those nations on List 2 ceases immediately and indefinitely. The money saved during the first year alone will pretty much pay for the costs of the Iraqi war.

The American people are no longer going to pour money into third world Hell-holes and watch those government leaders grow fat on corruption.

Need help with a famine? Wrestling with an epidemic? Call France.

In the future, together with Congress, I will work to redirect this money toward solving the vexing social problems we still have at home. On that note, a word to terrorist organizations. Screw with us and we will hunt you down and eliminate you and all your friends from the face of the earth.

Thirsting for a gutsy country to terrorize? Try France, or maybe China.
I am ordering the immediate severing of diplomatic relations with France, Germany, and Russia. Thanks for all your help, comrades. We are retiring from NATO as well Bon chance, mes amis.

I have instructed the Mayor of New York City to begin towing the many UN diplomatic vehicles located in Manhattan with more than two unpaid parking tickets to sites where those vehicles will be stripped, shredded and crushed. I don’t care about whatever treaty pertains to this. You creeps have tens of thousands of unpaid tickets. Pay those tickets tomorrow or watch your precious Benzes, Beamers and limos be turned over to some of the finest chop shops in the world.

A special note to our neighbors. Canada is on List 2. Since we are likely to be seeing a lot more of each other, you folks might want to try not pissing us off for a change.

Mexico is also on List 2. President Fox and his entire corrupt government really need an attitude adjustment. I will have a couple extra tank and infantry divisions sitting around. Guess where I’m going to put em? Yep, border security.

Oh, by the way, the United States is abrogating the NAFTA treaty – starting now.

We are tired of the one-way highway. Immediately, we’ll be drilling for oil in Alaska – which will [in time] take care of this country’s oil needs for decades to come. If you’re an environmentalist who opposes this decision, I refer you to List 2 above: pick a country and move there. They care.

It is time for America to focus on its own welfare and its own citizens. Some will accuse us of isolationism. I answer them by saying, “darn tootin.”

Nearly a century of trying to help folks live a decent life around the world has only earned us the undying enmity of just about everyone on the planet. It is time to eliminate hunger in America. It is time to eliminate homelessness in America. To the nations on List 1, a final thought. Thank you guys. We owe you and we won’t forget.

To the nations on List 2, a final thought: You might want to learn to speak Arabic.

God bless America. Thank you and good night.

If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you are reading it in English, thank a soldier.

HAT TIP: RS

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I’ve mentioned this before – if we pull back, and concern ourselves with number one, then the rest of the world would be in the hurt locker real quick.

God bless you all.

I should have included this in yesterday’s post. I appreciate the feedback I have gotten so far – thank you TL and sues – but really, there is a second part to this Dare.

When the authority figures get their collective acts together, then We The People need to do our part. We need to be involved in our community, our family, our government. It may be written as by the people, for the people, but the power has rested in the hands of the elite few for so long that the average Joe forgets that he, too, can be elected to an office. So, what’s keeping you from running for an office?

OK, maybe not a political track for you. How involved are you in your community? Do you live in an HOA? Are you attending every meeting? Have you served on the board? What about your kid’s school? Have you witnessed a PTA/PTO meeting? Are you involved in your children’s activities? Not just as cheerleader/taxi driver, but INVOLVED? Do you belong to a church? I don’t mean attend, I mean BELONG? Have you committed your resources to the church of your choice? Do you volunteer in your church? Has your library seen you as other than a patron? They need help, too – what about the hospice in your community? Meals on Wheels?

I guess what I’m trying to say is, this is a two way street – you need to be involved, so your government knows that they need to do their part.

Thanks for listening, and stay safe. God bless you all.

I dare you – no, I double-dog dare you – if you are in a position of authority, to enforce the laws that are on the books.

Police Chiefs, this means you start writing tickets for traffic infractions. Even the guy that stops at the intersection with his bumper in the crosswalk – give him a ticket. What? Not enough police? Hire them – the revenue will be there to pay them. Higher police presence = lower overall crime rate. Put the fear of the law back into the general populace! I dare you!

Governors, this means you start treating your state like the sovereign entity that it is. Don’t rely on the Feds to cover your butt if something happens – get the citizen’s pride involved in the well-being of their state! Forest Fire? You should have to turn away the volunteers! Flood? More sandbags than needed should be filled! Tornado? Host homes open up to help the neighbors who lost theirs. Foreign invaders from another country? Don’t make it economically feasible for companies to hire them, and they won’t come to your state.

Mr. President, this means you need to get up and enforce the constitution! Don’t stand by and let leaders of other countries dictate what the actions of this NATION should be! We have our laws, they apply only to those who are citizens of this nation. People who are not citizens of our nation do not have the same rights as those who are; do not allow them to bully you, your House, you Congress, or your Judges into kowtowing to them! They want rights? Make them renounce their other citizenship and become citizens of this country. Trying to run a war? Arrest anyone who leaks or publishes ANYTHING that could compromise the safety of YOUR troops. Political Correctness has no place on a battlefield, do what needs to be done and get it over with. What’s that? A true Christian wouldn’t wage war? NO, but we won’t stand around and let someone walk all over us – we will defend what is ours, that’s part of being a good steward as directed by God. It’s not murder if it’s done in defense of one’s own.

Has everyone gotten the picture yet? Two soldiers, who were captured in the middle of an attack, created such a problem for their captors, probably causing many injuries if not deaths, that they were tortured and killed in the vicinity of their capture because the ANIMALS who took them couldn’t control them. The enemy is not humane, do not treat them as such. They have no respect for the rules we obey, they only respect brute force. If this country is afraid to use brute force because it might “offend” the “progressive thinkers,” then perhaps the “progressive thinkers” need to get more involved in the effort to secure the safety and well being of this country.

I read a blog entry the other day that derided the statement “If we don’t fight them over there, we will have to fight them here.” The writer asserted that the enemy couldn’t come over here because they don’t have the ships and aircraft needed to attack us. No, they don’t. They come over here in ones and twos, gather together, take one of our aircraft by force and THEN attack. You want to keep seeing that every day in the news? I don’t! THAT’S why we are fighting them “over there!”

Now, get off your butts and fire up your leadership to start enforcing that which is already law – the end result will be more peace, more security, and more prosperity for US!

God bless you all! Yes, even the whiney liberal progressive thinkers!