Late Sunday Afternoon "News on the Run"

Store Window in Hurleyville

First, the weather outside is so stunningly beautiful and spring like...temperatures up into the 70's, the sun shining as birds chirp on the electrical wires just outside my apartment window.   Look for the temperatures to remain unseasonably high over the next few days with rain moving into our forecast overnight.  Today was a perfect day for a walk along our Rails to Trails corridor.  Speaking of which, the picture is of the new signage that will be going up on the trial in the next few weeks thanks to a grant from "Parks and Trails New York".

In local news of a Saint Patrick's Day sort, Ed opened up the Mountaindale Inn for the celebration, and all who attended had a wonderful time.  Our lone local bar will be opening full time for the season starting April 1st, and looks as if the Wednesday Night Open Mic will be returning...we are all looking so forward to that. In other festivities for the day, Marc and Kelsey held a small celebration of their own, and rumor has it that the food was FIVE STAR.   Also heard it through the grape vine that the High School's performance of "Grease" was sterling.

Seems that North Carolina Governor Bev. Perdue has done a 180 degree turn and is now shilling (prostituting) for the Natural Gas industry, now embracing the FRACKING technology she has so recently opposed and vetoed.  Wonder how much she got paid?

Seems that Puerto Rico was not happy with Santorum tellling its citizens to LEARN ENGLISH if they want to become America's 51st state...they have overwhelming voted for Scrooge McRomney in today's primary.  In this case, I go with Santorum...if you do not want to speak OUR LANGUAGE, don't live in America, or in this case become the 51st state.  Contrary to what Puerto Rico seems to think, WE DO NOT NEED THEM, and to be honest, letting them become a state is going to cost the rest of us here in America so SERIOUS MONEY.

NYPD THUGS again oust Occupy Movement protesters from Zuccotti Park...it would serve NYC well to remember that spring is fast approaching, and with that better weather look for ranks of protesters to swell as dissatisfied Americans challenge the police and their guerrilla warfare tactics.  At some point, the police and their weapons will be no match for crowds in large enough numbers to be an overwhelming force as "We the people" demand change.

Told you so....about two weeks ago I scoffed at the deal made with North Korea, said sending them food was a wasted effort as they would break their promises...well, two weeks later...BINGO, North Korea is going ahead with missile testing.  We have the bombs...lets use a few of them on both North Korea, and in Iran.  Like it or not, these countries will only respect an iron fist.

Friday "News on The Run"

Last Shot of Winter?  Probably Not.

In a word, the weather today is DRIZZLY.  It's not really raining (yet), but it is very wet outside, the sky a steely gray.  The forecast calls for rain most of the day, starting to clear off this evening with just partly cloudy skies for Saint Patrick's Day here in downtown Mountaindale.  The temperature though is going to remain unseasonably warm though with average day time temps in the mid sixties.  Time to get myself a lawn chair and start working on a base tan.

Observation...a hand drawn sign tacked up on a power pole is not a very good marketing strategy for a new business...even worse on a rainy day.

In the WHO REALLY CARES department, the new Apple IPod is out.  Maybe Apple should spend some of their money and time improving their customer service, and in sending customers who have the misfortune of getting a bad Apple a new product for a new product, instead of replacing our malfunctioning equipment with REFURBISHED CRAP. 

In a sign of the times, New York state moving to cut the pension benefits of government workers, but is it enough?  Those in the private sector pay the salaries of those in the public job sector...we cannot really collect on our Social Security until we are 64, while current state employees can collect their pensions at 62.  The new law would push that back to 63...how about parity with the private sector?  I say push it back to 64, and they should do that for all Federal Employees, including members of the armed forces, and ELECTED OFFICIALS.  Lets do away with some of the Sacred Cows in local, state and federal budgets.

I rarely agree with anything Romney or Santorum have to say, but do agree with them on one topic...if Puerto Rico wants to be America's 51 state, then their citizens need to learn to speak English.  If they do not want to pay that small price, then maybe it is time for America to cut the apron strings and let this little island state make or break it on its own.  As it is, America has spent way too much time and money coddling Puerto Rico, and in these hard economic times said island needs to sink or swim...if they again vote against statehood, we need to let them go their own way...if they vote in favor of statehood, then our Congress needs to make English mandatory as a part of the bargain to be our 51st state.