Video of the Metrodome/MOA Stadium collape from inside

Energy Savings

How many times do you hear, see or read about the savings you will realize on your energy bill if you buy a new energy efficient appliance? I declare bullshit. I have purchased many energy-efficient appliances over the years including those damned curly lightbulbs that blow up in cold weather and blink during the blasted 5-second start-up time indoors and have never noticed the supposed hundreds of dollars of savings I was 'supposed to notice." TV - no. Washer - no. Dryer - no. Water softener - no. Refrigerator - no. Stupid little programable thermostat - NO!

Am I wrong?

Anyone?

Elections

I loved watching Barack Obama choking on the taste of humble pie during his press conference today. Although I'm doubtful he will remember the taste in a week.

I'm obviously extremely pleased that the Republicans had such a huge sweep of the house. My wish however was to take the Senate as well. I would have liked the following people to lose, not so much because I liked their opponents, mostly just because I dislike these people so much:

Harry Reid
Barney Frank
Chuck Schumer (I know this one was never on the table but a boy can dream, can't he?)
Barbara Boxer

Outstanding customer service

So several of my posts are about extraordinarily poor customer service, out of the ordinary events, politics or just plain 'ol stupid people. Yesterday I had an experience that was a good one and although I wouldn't normally write about something like this, I felt compelled to share my experience in the interest of being fair since I think business owners deserve word of mouth for when they exceed their customers expectations as well as when they fail them.

My eight year old son, baseball player who absolutely hates playing catcher because he gets nailed with the ball in the pads, where there's gaps between the pads and occasionally in the head. Not to mention the sand getting kicked into his face on every ball he doesn't catch. I've played catcher during practices and I can assure you, the sand in your eyes on every pitch is quite unpleasant.

Anyway, he wants to be Joe Mauer for Halloween this year. And I'm very happy that he's moving past the Star Wars phase but he wants to don the full catchers gear. So I went online and the total cost for all the gear is slightly above $200. So I check Craigslist and the pickins' is slim. I don't and won't spend that much on a Halloween costume that gets worn once a year (unless it's the Naughty Nurse Costume from 3Wishes but even that is only $42.99).

So I convince my son that he should be Joe Mauer at bat. He already has the Twins/Mauer jersey, a bat, batting gloves, pants, etc. but needs new eye black, the Joe Mauer sideburns and a batting helmet. I agree to buy him a batting helmet since many of the kids now already have their own and he has a younger brother so we'll get some mileage out of it beyond just Halooween.

We go to Sports Authority and pick up the necessary equipment. $19.99 for the helmet, $5.49 for the eye black, $3.99 for a strap to keep the helmet on (don't really know why we need this but we buy it anyway because he wanted it).

My boy is happy and we're pretty well set for Halloween. Next stop, Target. To find a gift for his little brother to give him after his first Scouts meeting next week. Since we're so close to the baseball section at Target, I decide I want to see what equipment they have. Sure enough, there's the very same batting helmet we just paid $19.99 for listed at $9.99. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not going to go cheap on a key protective piece of equipment but they are they exact same helmet. Nearby is eye black for $3.99. We grab both and decide we'll be returning those items to Sports Authority to get our "margin" back.

To the counter we go and when she rings the helmet, it comes up listed at $19.99. I inform her the tag on the display indicated it was $9.99 and that I'm only buying it because I'm going to return the one I just paid double that for at Sports Authority. She calls someone on her walkie-talkie to check the price and after a  minute, the voice comes back and says it's listed at $19.99. BEFORE I could say anything, she says, "I'm going to give it to you for $9.99 since I think there's a chance the pricing might have been confusing."

"Thank you, I really appreciate that," I say.

"Oh, you're welcome," she replies.

'Nough said (although there was more).

MORALE of the story: Target is onto something. A retailer has finally realized that just about everyone from Minnesota spends probably $1,000 or more in their stores each year and it is wise to leave a customer pleased with their experience rather than disappointed.

So to Target I say: Thank you. You did the right thing and as a customer who spends a lot more than $1,000 annually with you, I very much appreciate that you have recognized and acted in a way that treats your customers well. Perhaps the smartest thing any business can do is give competent employees the authority to make a customer happy or sole a problem. Home run on this one.

I only wish I would have paid attention to the womans name to give her praise also.

Audi: A nice ride with a hefty price tag

I own a 2004 Audi A6 Quattro with a 3.0 liter engine. I've had it for about 2.5 years. I like the car, it looks nice, drives well and is comfortable. But it is also expensive. It now has 72,000 miles on it and when I purchased it, the mileage was around 40,000. It has been into the dealership numerous times since then with expensive repairs. The most recent was last January when I blew a valve cover gasket. I had it towed to the dealership and for around $2,000, they replaced the valve covers. I felt as though I dodged a bullet since I thought I was lucky to have not completely seized the motor.

A few months later, I'm at the dealer getting recall work performed. The sales guy comes out and tells me that my valve covers are leaking. After informing him that I recently spent $2,000 having them repaired, he agreed to do the job over, correctly this time.

Since that time, I've had intermittent problems. The engine light comes on and stays on for sometimes days or weeks at a time, then mysteriously goes out like everything is normal. But more recently, it has been misfiring when cold. The misfire goes away after 10-15 seconds and everything seems fine again. Well, a few months ago I had to add anti-freeze to its 'sealed' cooling system. That's not supposed to happen. Ive added coolant three times since then and even had to add a half quart of oil although it was 9,000 miles since my last oil change. I've never had to add oil either.

So I finally broke down and brought it back to Carousel Audi in Minneapolis. The sales guy cals me and tells me that either my head gasket is leaking or the engine block is cracked and anti-freeze can be seen dripping into a cylinder when they inserted a camera. Head gasket estimate is just a hair under $2,000. The engine block estimate is $10,300! The car is probably only worth about $14,000! The sales guy doesn't want to make a recommendation because if I do the less expensive head gasket repair, it might not solve the problem and then I'm still on the hook for another $10,300 to replace the block.

I pick the car up in disgust and don't know what I'm going to do yet. Then I call an independent repair shop that I had been referred to months earlier. We talk and after explaining the diagnosis, he tells me that particular motor is terrible and not designed to last more than 100,000 miles. There is a design flaw where Audi inserted screws into the heads and they will eventually give out. Audi only used that motor for 18 months before scrapping it but he can do a permanent fix for about $1,500. If the problem is not the head gaskets, he can weld the block crack if it exists.

I'm talking with my brother the next day telling him about it and he says that his mechanic told him the exact same thing about the motor. He has a similar car with the same engine and is currently in the process of dumping it.

I bring my car to the mechanic to have the motor fixed and decided to ask, "Would simply adding radiator sealant ruin anything?"

"No, and it might stop the leak and solve your leaking problem but you still have a motor that is going to break in about 20,000 miles."

I told him to add the sealant, tighten the screws on the heads and change the oil. $240 later it appears that the leak has been stopped and the car is operating as designed.

Time to put it up for sale.

Yahoo Mail failure

My Yahoo Mail inbox suddenly became empty a couple of weeks ago. I lost between one and two hundred unfiled emails in my inbox. I had read everything (I think) but had appointments with people I hadn't met that I didn't have contact info for other than in the email exchanges.

When I realized my inbox was gone, I went into Yahoo help. There was a message re-assuring me their engineers were working on the problem. Whew! But I dug deeper and found an email restore option to go back up to 24 hours. I did this. Then waited. Either my restore request would come through or their engineers would make the world normal again.

Anyway, after numerous Live Chats and emails with their CSR's, Techs and engineers, I'm out an Inbox with no chance of ever getting it back. Once I accept this horrible reality, I start to ask questions to determine if I need to move to gmail to be assured of this problem never negatively affecting me again.

I ask: "Was this widespread? What caused it? What are you doing to ensure it doesn't happen again?"

The only partial answer was, "No, it was not widespread."

I then followed up with, "What do you consider 'widespread'? Only me? A few hundred? Thousands or more?"

No answer.

Then the Live Chat stops. I keep my window open and still nothing. After a few minutes I type, "Are you still there?"

No response.

Several more minutes pass and I type, "Hello?"

Still nothing.


The I get a follow up email. We go through the situation from the beginning and fairly quickly determine there is no hope of me getting my messages back so I start asking questions again. I re-iterated my three questions and received a diversionary question in response. I answer and ask the three questions again with a note indicating that I would tell everyone I know if they are unwilling or unable to address my questions.

I never received a response.

Since that time, I subsequently lost all of my Yahoo email contacts BUT was able to retrieve some.  Not sure how that happened either.

My advice: If you want reliable email, DO NOT USE YAHOO! MAIL.

Thought of the day

Did we get a gift receipt with the stimulus? I'd like to return it for a full refund.

Unemployment

Unemployment is high, very high. As someone who's been affected personally by the poor economy, I can tell you that almost everyone I meet is either unemployed, their spouse is unemployed, their sibling or neighbor or good friend is unemployed. Those who aren't are seemingly unhappy because they've been forced to do 1.5 peoples jobs in order to keep theirs. And no, they're not getting paid more for it.

I don't feel sorry for these people, I am one of them. What I've learned is that I'm going to be done being unemployed after I once again become employed. What I mean is that I have taken a long hard look at my career and how I need to position myself so that I'm not dependent upon other people, the economy and/or client and business issues to keep my job. Of course its unrealistic to think that you can completely insulate yourself from those things but here's how I plan to protect myself as best I can.

Start or purchase a business. Then I control who if anyone gets laid off and rest assured, I'd be the last one to go and I like this option a lot for many reasons. Although it is much easier said than done, poor job markets and economies typically produce more new businesses. Taking risk is much easier when you're not walking away from a good job already.

Make a career adjustment into something that positions me as the person with the client relationships. That translates to an asset that I can bring to my next employer. Forget about non-compete's, they're hard to enforce.

Build a business that pays residuals and have people selling something that you can earn an override on. I like this idea a lot also. Eventually you're earning money for the work of others and you suddenly control much more of your schedule. Additionally, you can make a later career change while maintaining   key accounts or clients.

So what are you doing to secure your future?

2010 Election ad for Obama voters

Democrats quotations

Great Orators of the Democrat Party

"One man with courage makes a majority." - Andrew Jackson

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." - Franklin D. Roosevelt

"The buck stops here." - Harry S. Truman

"Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." - John F. Kennedy

And, from today's genius Democrats...
"It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is. If the--if he--if 'is' means is and never has been, that is not--that is one thing. If it means there is none, that was a completely true statement....Now, if someone had asked me on that day, are you having any kind of sexual relations with Ms. Lewinsky, that is, asked me a question in the present tense, I would have said no. And it would have been completely true." Bill Clinton

"That Obama ... I would like to cut his nuts off." - Jesse Jackson

"Those rumors are false ... I believe in the sanctity of marriage." - John Edwards

"I invented the Internet." - Al Gore

"The next Person that tells me I'm not religious, I'm going to shove my rosary beads up their ass." - Joe Biden

"America is - is no longer, uh, what it - it, uh, could be, uh, what it was once was - uh, and I say to myself, uh, I don't want that future, uh, for my children." - Barack Obama

"I have campaigned in all 57 states." - Barack Obama (Quoted 2008)

"You don't need God anymore, you have us Democrats." - Nancy Pelosi (Quoted 2006)

"Paying taxes is voluntary." - Sen. Harry Reid

"Bill is the greatest husband and father I know. No one is more faithful, true, and honest than he." - Hillary Clinton (Quoted 1998)

And the most recent gem of wisdom from the "Mother Moron":
"We just have to pass the Healthcare Bill to see what's in it." - Nancy Pelosi (Quoted March, 2010)

Don't boycott BP

It makes absolutely no sense to boycott BP. The purpose of a boycott is generally to get a business entity to change their practices. I don't want BP to stop producing fuel. If you consider how many extraction activities they have going globally and how complex each must be, I'd say their safety record is pretty good. Anyone who thinks BP doesn't want this leak stopped more than anyone else in the entire world is wrong. They have more to lose than anyone and I can guarantee they are doing everything within their power to stop it as soon as possible. Don't boycott BP, it hurts Americans if you do. Remember, many if not most of the BP stations are owned by hardworking, risk-taking Americans trying to make a living.

Obama and BP

The hypocrisy of just about ALL politicians separating themselves from their donors once the donors fall out of grace with the voters is ridiculous. But that's not my point. I'm absolutely disgusted at Obama's lack of Presidential behavior. He is a vulgar, petty man. He uses language befitting a fifth grader. Not only in the specific words he choses but in their meaning as well. What a poor example of leadership for our children.

When to fly the Flag

The flag should be displayed on all days, especially on:

New Year's Day, January 1
Inauguration Day, January 20
Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, third Monday in January
Lincoln's Birthday, February 12
Washington's Birthday, third Monday in February
Easter Sunday (variable)
Mother's Day, second Sunday in May
Armed Forces Day, third Saturday in May
Memorial Day (half-staff until noon), the last Monday in May
Flag Day, June 14
Father's Day, third Sunday in June
Independence Day, July 4
Labor Day, first Monday in September
Constitution Day, September 17
Columbus Day, second Monday in October
Navy Day, October 27
Veterans Day, November 11
Thanksgiving Day, fourth Thursday in November
Christmas Day, December 25
and such other days as may be proclaimed by the President of the United States
the birthdays of States (date of admission)
and on State holidays.

Arizona border control no laughing matter

Don't shop at HOM Furniture

I purchased a bed, frame, dressers, nightstands, etc. when we moved into our new home. Spent a lot of money with them and purchased a bed with a warranty. They sent a guy out to see if the body impressions in the mattress are deep enough that they would declare the bed defective and yes, they are. HOM will give me a 20% store credit instead of repairing or replacing the mattress. In other words, honoring the warranty that I paid them for.

Where is my stock certificate?

The government, ie. us, the taxpayers purchased 61% of General Motors. Every time I've purchased stock in my lifetime, I've received either a stock certificate or electronic shares. I have received neither from GM. So, what this means is that the government, ie. Obama Admin is holding my certificate. And so, IF GM were to pay a dividend, whee do you suppose that dividend might go?  Think I, you, we will actually get it should they ever be profitable?

I doubt it.

Question - please answer

Would you pay $9.99 to download plans to make a tires swing? Plans would include a parts list, detailed instructions and diagrams. Thanks in advance for your answers.

Quote of the day

Just heard Mike Huckabe quoting Arthur Godfrey. "I'm proud to be a taxpaying American. But I could be just as proud for half the money."

Rid us of Obama, please.

I would like to see Obama impeached and run out of town. For good. Not only is he worthless, he is dangerous.

KUHNER: Impeach the president? The 'Slaughter Solution' would violate the Constitution

By Jeffrey T. Kuhner


The Democrats are assaulting the very pillars of our democracy. As the debate on Obamacare reaches the long, painful end, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is confronting a political nightmare. She may not have the 216 votes necessary to pass the Senate's health care bill in the House.

Hence, Mrs. Pelosi and her congressional Democratic allies are seriously considering using a procedural ruse to circumvent the traditional constitutional process. Led by Rep. Louise M. Slaughter, New York Democrat and chairman of the House Rules Committee, the new plan - called the "Slaughter Solution" - is not to pass the Senate version on an up-or-down vote. Rather, it is to have the House "deem" that the legislation was passed and then have members vote directly on a series of "sidecar" amendments to fix the things it does not like.

This would enable House Democrats to avoid going on the record voting for provisions in the Senate bill - the "Cornhusker Kickback," the "Louisiana Purchase," the tax on high-cost so-called "Cadillac" insurance plans - that are reviled by the public or labor-union bosses. If the reconciliation fixes pass, the House can send the Senate bill to President Obama for his signature without ever having had a formal up-or-down vote on the underlying legislation.

Many Democrats could claim they opposed the Senate bill while allowing it to pass. This would be an unprecedented violation of our democratic norms and procedures, established since the inception of the republic. Article 1, Section 7 of the Constitution stipulates that for any bill to become a law, it must pass both the House of Representatives and the Senate. That is, not be "deemed" to have passed, but actually be voted on with the support of the required majority. The bill must contain the exact same language in both chambers - and in the version signed by the president - to be a legitimate law. This is why the House and Senate have a conference committee to iron out differences of competing versions. This is Civics 101.

The Slaughter Solution is a dagger aimed at the heart of our system of checks and balances. It would enable the Democrats to establish an ominous precedent: The lawmaking process can be rigged to ensure the passage of any legislation without democratic accountability or even a congressional majority. It is the road to a soft tyranny. James Madison must be turning in his grave.

Mr. Obama is imposing a leftist revolution. Since coming to office, he has behaved without any constitutional restraints. The power of the federal government has exploded. He has de facto nationalized key sectors of American life - the big banks, financial institutions, the automakers, large tracts of energy-rich land from Montana to New Mexico. His cap-and-trade proposal, along with a newly empowered Environmental Protection Agency, seeks to impose massive new taxes and regulations upon industry. It is a form of green socialism: Much of the economy would fall under a command-and-control bureaucratic corporatist state. Mr. Obama even wants the government to take over student loans.

Yet his primary goal has always been to gobble up the health care system. The most troubling aspect of the Obamacare debate, however, is not the measure's sweeping and radical aims - the transformation of one-sixth of the U.S. economy, crippling tax increases, higher premiums, state-sanctioned rationing, longer waiting lines, the erosion of the quality of medical care and the creation of a huge, permanent administrative bureaucracy. Rather, the most alarming aspect is the lengths to which the Democrats are willing to go to achieve their progressive, anti-capitalist agenda.

Obamacare is opposed by nearly two-thirds of the public, more than 60 percent of independents and almost all Republicans and conservatives. It has badly fractured the country, dangerously polarizing it along ideological and racial lines. Even a majority of Democrats in the House are deeply reluctant to support it.

Numerous states - from Idaho to Virginia to Texas - have said they will sue the federal government should Obamacare become law. They will declare themselves exempt from its provisions, tying up the legislation in the courts for years to come.

Mr. Obama is willing to devour his presidency, his party's congressional majority and - most disturbing - our democratic institutional safeguards to enact it. He is a reckless ideologue who is willing to sacrifice the country's stability in pursuit of a socialist utopia.

The Slaughter Solution is a poisoned chalice. By drinking from it, the Democrats would not only commit political suicide. They would guarantee that any bill signed by Mr. Obama is illegitimate, illegal and blatantly unconstitutional. It would be worse than a strategic blunder; it would be a crime - a moral crime against the American people and a direct abrogation of the Constitution and our very democracy.
It would open Mr. Obama, as well as key congressional leaders such as Mrs. Pelosi, to impeachment. The Slaughter Solution would replace the rule of law with arbitrary one-party rule. It violates the entire basis of our constitutional government - meeting the threshold of "high crimes and misdemeanors." If it's enacted, Republicans should campaign for the November elections not only on repealing Obamacare, but on removing Mr. Obama and his gang of leftist thugs from office.
It is time Americans drew a line in the sand. Mr. Obama crosses it at his peril.

Jeffrey T. Kuhner is a columnist at The Washington Times and president of the Edmund Burke Institute, a Washington think tank. He is the daily host of "The Kuhner Show" on WTNT 570-AM (www.talk570.com) from noon until 3 p.m.

Reagan billboard in Minnesota

Just saw a billboard with a picture of Ronald Reagan that read something like, "Remember what it was like when we had real hope and change?"

I love it. Tomorrow I will try to take a picture and post it for all to see. It is on Hwy 94, just east of Albertville on the north side of the road but only drivers heading east can see it.

UPDATE: Here it is in all its glory! Enjoy.

Grandma is dead

My grandma died Friday morning. I was sad and still am. My boys and wife and everyone I know that knew my grandma is sad. But she was 89 years old and had in my opinion, been ready to go for awhile. She received the Anointing of the Sick and Communion the day before she passed. I think she decided it was time.

Her funeral was nice, some tears but not too many that I saw. I'm always a little weirded out by viewing corpses though, they never look like the people I knew whom occupied the bodies. And I feel weird praying or viewing them as my spiritual beliefs tell me its an empty corpse, yet I'm looking at my grandma.

I reconnected with a few of my cousins that I wish I saw more frequently. It was nice in that regard. Overall, my grandma is gone and life will return to normal, soon. May God bless you grandma. See you in heaven when I get there.

Anyone have a fork handy?

Global warming is bullshit done. We can only hope that Al Gore is indeed called to clarify his testimony before Congress and they nail him for lying under oath.

You betcha.

While we're on the topic of billboards in Minnesota, a certain #4 really did a lot to revitalize and excite fans from al over the state.

Yes. Yes we do!

I'm proud to say this is in my home state, which is always a Blue State (we were the only state Reagan, my favorite President, didn't carry in 1984. In fairness, his opponent Walter Mondale is a MN boy). Anyway, what's even more interesting is that I, yes yours truly, have a very good idea who is behind it.

I think it's time to take a drive to the casino in Hinckley.

BTW - Don't ask, I'm not telling.

Too easy

You absolutely MUST watch this embarrassing video. How pathetic.

My philosophy

People with good ideas assume risk every day. The prospect of looking back and wondering, "What if..." is too high a price to pay for security.

Germans still causing harm to free world

I own and drive a 2004 Audi A6 3.0. I like the car very much, it has just over 60,000 miles. Two Saturdays ago I took it in for an oil change. One week later, the engine light came on and the following morning, it was missing on one cylinder right when I started it to go to church. Within a few seconds the cylinder started firing and everything was normal except the engine light.

At work on Monday, I called Carousel Audi and told them about the problem, asked if it was okay to drive with the light on and made an appointment for the next Saturday. I was under the impression that the engine light was on because of the misfire which I experienced one other time as a result of a bad ignition coil which is German for spark plug wire. Not going to do any harm to the motor.

Tuesday I left work which is 30 miles away from home. I drive just under 80 mph and it was cold Tuesday. Immediately upon entering the highway I notice quite a bit of exhaust out of my rear view mirror. Hmm, I wonder if I should pull over and check it out? Nah, it seems to have subsided and I'm already racing home to get a bite in before interviewing a nanny candidate.

I pull off the highway at my exit and am waiting for the light behind a rather old truck. I immediately smell burning car something but I still have oil pressure and nothing has changed on my guages. I pull into my garage a mile from the highway and it stinks like high heaven. Something is definitely wrong so I pop the hood half expecting flames to shoot out as I open it. Everything just felt hot and burning. Fortunately, no flames but like I said, its hot under there. I pull the oil dipstick and its dry. I wipe it, dip it again and its bone dry. Uh oh. I look under the car and there is a small pool of oil and drips coming from the plastic shield that protects the underside of the vehicle.

Now I'm thinking that I'm out of oil and very lucky that the engine didn't completely seize up on me while driving home. As I'm looking for clues, I see some oil spray near the top drivers side of the motor but its minimal. Doesn't appear to be leaking out of the oil filter which is almost guaranteed if the gasket from the old filter didn't come off when they did the oil change. On to my back I go and the car is low enough to the ground that I really can't even get underneath far enough to check if the oil drain plug is indeed in the pan. Plus the plastic guard is in the way. So I get my ramps down from the rafters but quickly learn that the car is too low to drive onto the ramps. So I jack up one side and slide under as best I can. Still can't get under far enough to see the oil pan and where the plug is supposed to be.

I don't dare start the vehicle considering I don't thnk it has any oil left in the motor. Nor am I going to risk filling it up and driving it to the dealership so I call a tow. I'm hopeful this is Carousel Audi's fault but nothing ever goes my way.

The next morning, I speak with Audi and they tell me it was only 1.5 quarts low on oil and I find that hard to believe since there was nothing showing on the dipstick but that's another story. Anyway, that's good news since it likely means I didn't do any permanent damage to the engine. Its not difficult to warp lifters and valves when metal gets as hot as my car was.

But of course, the oil change was performed flawlessly and the breather valve 'froze' causing pressure build-up in the valve covers causing the seal to blow out. I'd be skeptical were it not for the oil spattering near the top of the motor. The service guy from Audi recommend I replace the serpentine belt since they need to rip things apart and there will be no additional labor involved. Also, I should replace the timing belt since that will be due in another 10-15,000 miles. Total estimate is $2,544 not including the tow charge I already picked up. The misfire he claims is no longer occurring and was likely caused by oil spilling into the number 5 cylinder because of the frozen breather valve.

I decline the timing belt recommendation and get out of there for just over $2,000 with the tow. Car ran good today and I hope it doesn't happen again anytime soon.

Two positive takeaways from this whole expensive endeavor: One, I was NOT the guy I saw talking to the Audi service tech who damned near keeled over when he heard the estimate of $3,850 to repair his car. "$38.50?" he said. "No, $3850" the Audi guy told him. "$385" the guy asked?

"No, three thousand, eight hundred and fifty dollars."

I heard the guys jaw hit the ground with a loud crack.

Second thing is that I was forced to work from home on Wednesday. My wife got off work early and then again at home when I got an afternoon delight.

Why does daddy need such a big tv?

I'm not the guy that sits in front of the tv watching sports at night and weekends. In fact, I'm almost incapable of napping, sitting for more than 10 minutes at a time, or simply resting, enjoying or otherwise NOT doing something to improve my surroundings. I'm envious of those who are capable of these activities but at the same time, I'm glad I'm not them.

Although I am a guy who is fascinated by new tech, and likes when I'm an early adopter, I am also at times someone who will put off what I consider to be purely entertainment tech purchases. For example, televisions - flatscreen, HD. Oil that is. I purchased a new tv about 5 years ago for my basement which gets used (with the recent exception of the kids playing Wii), about once 1 month or less. I bought a 36" tube tv. The sucker weighs about 700 pounds. But it is sufficiently sized for the space and the picture is good. I'd rather be satisfied not knowing how much I'm missing with the latest and greatest and save a buck or several.

However, my 36" tube is not nearly as good as an LCD HD flatscreen. So when I got the email that I could purchase a 240Mhz 52" Sony Bravia through corporate channels for a mere $1,299, I jumped. Immediately.

Anyway, it was supposed to be delivered on Friday but wasn't. It still isn't here and daddy is getting irritated. I'm assured it will be here in time for the Super Bowl party we're hosting but it would have been nice to see the refs blown calls in HD during the Vikings loss to the Saints yesterday.

When my new toy arrives, I will take a picture and write about how awesome it is and probably why you should buy one. That is, if it fits in my small house.

Update: TV arrived about an hour ago - 8 days late. The good news is that it fits (barely). A bit oversized for my house but I'll make do. Like a cruel joke, the delivery guys says, "By the way, make sure you wait at least three hours before plugging it in so that it has time to acclimate to the temperature." It's kind of like when you have to go the the bathroom, the closer you get to a toilet, the worse you have to go.

Obama's first year by the numbers

Highlights and lowlights of Obama's first year, by the numbers:
___
7,949.09—Dow Jones Industrial Average close on Jan. 20, 2009.
10,609.65—Dow Jones Industrial Average close on Jan. 15, 2010.

13 million—Number of people 16 and older unemployed as of January 2009.
14.7 million—Number of people 16 and older unemployed as of December 2009.

7.7 percent—Unemployment rate January 2009
10.0 percent—Unemployment rate December 2009

$787 billion—Cost of economic stimulus approved by Congress.

$10.6 trillion—Outstanding public debt Jan. 20, 2009.
$12.3 trillion—Outstanding public debt Jan. 14, 2009.

$296.4 billion—Federal spending from the financial crisis bailout fund before Jan. 20, 2009.
$173 billion—Federal spending from the financial crisis bailout fund after Jan. 20, 2009.

$165 billion—Amount of bailout funds repaid by banks and automakers.

139—Bank failures between Jan. 20, 2009, and Jan. 14, 2010.

274,399—Number of properties that received forclosure-related notices in January 2009.
349,519—Number of properties that received forclosure-related notices in December 2009.

34,400—U.S. troops in Afghanistan in January 2009.
70,000—U.S. troops in Afghanistan as of Jan. 12, 2010.

319—U.S. military deaths in Afghanistan from January 2009 through Jan. 15, 2010.

139,500—U.S. troops in Iraq in January 2009.
111,000—U.S. troops in Iraq as of Jan. 12, 2010.

152—U.S. military deaths in Iraq from January 2009 through Jan. 15, 2010.

539—Appointments to top federal policy positions submitted to the Senate
352—Appointments confirmed by the Senate.
180—Appointments in top policy positions carried over from the Bush administration.

12—Formal news conferences.

21—Foreign countries visited.
29—States visited.
10—Visits to Camp David.
2—Vacations.

Massachusetts Miracle

There is something big happening in Massachusetts. The people have a real opportunity to let their voices be heard. I can not begin to describe the importance of this election. Watch this inspiring video.

Danny Glover is a poopy butt

Hooray. My first post about a celebrity poopy butt! Danny Glover forgets to filter his stupidity. Hate to link to a YouTube video but here it is. Poopy butt, poopy butt!

Gay's Anatomy

I put the kids to bed about a half hour ago only to come down to my wife watching Grey's Anatomy. I hate this show so I'm not watching but I have to admit, some of the chicks are hot.

Why, oh why?

Why is it that some women seem to think its okay to announce to the entire office that they "feel bloated because they get their period tomorrow?"

Why?

A boy and his dog - The good things about a story with a sad ending

Today I learned that my dog has a grapefruit sized lump of an aggressive cancer and has 2-3 weeks of expected life before he will die uncomfortably. He's 11 1/2 and I have two young boys who know he's not feeling well but aren't aware that I am going to put him down on Tuesday.

Now you know the sad ending so let's get to the good things. My Golden Retriever named Rummy is still my favorite animal on the planet. He has been a loyal, trusted friend when others haven't. He has been my favorite hunting partner, making me look like a better hunter than I really am. He has been the defender of my home while I'm away, the protector of my kids and wife, the always eager, always excited playmate in the yard. He is more capable of giving unconditional love than anyone I've ever met. I love my dog and I will miss him.

If a Republican was in office

The media double standard is incredible. If a Republican were in office (quite probably we wouldn't have had multiple terror attacks on or over U.S. soil) but more specifically, the media scoundrels would likely be calling for impeachment. The fact that the U.S. Government had intelligence on the Ft. Hood terrorist killer AND the underwear bomber AND did nothing to stop them from killing and attempting to kill American citizens is nothing short of criminal.

Installing hardwood floor in kitchen

Installing hardwood that matches up with our entry way and dining room. Extending it thoughout the kitchen and eating area. Removing the old floor is typically the hardest part of a job like this and is proving true this time as well. Despite my house being just 19 years old, there are two layers of vinyl down and both have a 1/4" subfloor that also needs to come up to match the height of the existing wood. Thus far I have spent about 7-8 hours removing the old floor. Almost broke my toe early this morning when a heavy piece of the old floor (roughly 4x4 of wood and inlaid vinyl) landed directly on my toe on the corner. I dropped immediately and screamed in pain, expecting blood to be soaking through my sock and shoe. No blood and it isn't broken but I did change footwear into steel toed boots. Second injury was a crow-bar kickback that flew up, missed my head yet hit my shoulder. "Tis but a scratch." Next up, scraped knuckles. Par for the course. And lastly (for today), jamed my thumb while ramming the crowbar under the vinyl. Feels like its broken but I can bend it at the knuckle. Thumbnail is creased in the middle from end to end and to tip end is black and purple. That started almost immediately. So sore to the touch that I can't even dial on my touch screen cell phone much less use my keyless entry remote. Can't wait for what tomorrow morning brings. Oh yea, about three or four different times I was in such awkward positions yanking and pulling up pieces of vinyl and wood that I keeled over in pain due to hurting my recently surgicaled back. Is surgicaled a word? Oh well, you understand.

Hello and Happy 2010 from Stupid Man Blog!

Welcome and thanks for reading our very first post - ever! We at Stupid Man Blog pride ourselves on stupidly obvious things of interest. We'll point out the many very stupid things that our elected officials (and those pesky czars that are simply appointed without any sort of Congressional oversight), celebrities, wannabe celebrities (think Balloon Boy's parents) and us, your everyday Joes frequently do.

We'll also publish jokes, pictures, personal stories and news stories if they can pass the muster of our high journalistic standards.