Associated Bank of Columbus sucks.

Associated Bank really pissed me off in Columbus.

I needed a notary Monday and it seems everything was closed except the Associated Bank of Columbus.   Since notary's are not part of the banking system but a State thing I went there to get a couple document's notarized.  Just a quick thing - no big deal.

I walk in and 2 employees are sitting around doing nothing, not one person in the bank. I ask if there is a notary available and a woman says "we both are".  Then she asks if I have an account.  I say no.  She says  "Well, we won't notarize unless you are a bank customer".  What the fuck?  WHAT? - way way to busy?   MERRY FREAKING CHRISTMAS TO YOU  ASS Bank.

I will never step in that bank again. She was so rude.

*******************
Monday we were going about our day and the house was all nice and warm.  In the afternoon I was wearing a T-shirt and it was a little warm. I checked the thermometer and it was 72.  Few hours later DJ mentions "it's warm in here isn't it?"    "yea it sure is " I said and checked again.  72.  hmmmm REALLY?  72?  I was about to go get my pro thermometer and looked closer at our NEST. OH!  It's set to read the DOWNSTAIRS . . . . . I click to the right setting - OH!  it's 78 in UPSTAIRS. 

Saving money NOW!! 

*******************
Not sure who follows Robert Reich but this was an interesting conversation 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

This morning I phoned my friend, the former Republican member of Congress.

ME: So, what are you hearing?

HE: Trump is in deep sh*t.

ME: Tell me more.

HE: When it looked like he was backing down on the wall, Rush and the crazies on Fox went ballistic. So he has to do the shutdown to keep the base happy. They’re his insurance policy. They stand between him and impeachment.

ME: Impeachment? No chance. Senate Republicans would never go along.

HE (laughing): Don’t be so sure. Corporate and Wall Street are up in arms. Trade war was bad enough. Now, you’ve got Mattis resigning in protest. Trump pulling out of Syria, giving Putin a huge win. This dumbass shutdown. The stock market in free-fall. The economy heading for recession.

ME: But the base loves him.

HE: Yeah, but the base doesn’t pay the bills.

ME: You mean …

HE: Follow the money, friend.

ME: The GOP’s backers have had enough?

HE: They wanted Pence all along.

ME: So …

HE: So they’ll wait until Mueller’s report, which will skewer Trump. Pelosi will wait, too. Then after the Mueller bombshell, she’ll get 20, 30, maybe even 40 Republicans to join in an impeachment resolution.

ME: And then?

HE: Senate Republicans hope that’ll be enough -- that Trump will pull a Nixon.

ME: So you think he’ll resign?

HE (laughing): No chance. He’s fu*king out of his mind. He’ll rile up his base into a fever. Rallies around the country. Tweet storms. Hannity. Oh, it’s gonna be ugly. He’ll convince himself he’ll survive.

ME: And then?

HE: That’s when Senate Republicans pull the trigger.

ME: Really? Two-thirds of the Senate?

HE: Do the math. 47 Dems will be on board, so you need 19 Republicans. I can name almost that many who are already there. Won’t be hard to find the votes.

ME: But it will take months. And the country will be put through a ringer.

HE: I know. That’s the worst part.

ME: I mean, we could have civil war.

HE: Hell, no. That’s what he wants, but no chance. His approvals will be in the cellar. America will be glad to get rid of him.

ME: I hope you're right.

HE: He’s a dangerous menace. He’ll be gone. And then he'll be indicted, and Pence will pardon him. But the state investigations may put him in the clinker. Good riddance.

*********************

I'm loving the stock market.  Dropping for no reason then zooming up for another no reason and now zooming down for even more no reason.

The economy is doing well, there is no real threat of a recession even though the talking heads are trying to talk you into it so you keep watching their news. 

R E L A X

**********************

here is some good news - FOX Fake News is having ratings issues!  Hannity's ratings are down 19% since the Mid terms and 30% in the coveted 25-54 year old's (meaning of the ten of the  25-54 year old's only 7 watch now) . and Tucker and Laura are down 20%

Maybe more people that love propaganda news and their hate filled rhetoric are seeing that the GOP is NOT working for them anymore? 

*******************

I have nothing more at the moment

  

Just a post before Christmas

“A shutdown falls on the President’s lack of leadership. 
He can’t even control his party and get people together in a room. 
A shutdown means the President is weak”

 -Donald Trump 2013

#TrumpShutDown

*****************************

Seems there is a GoFundMe page that is raising money for the wall.  Getting about 1.5 million a day.  GO FOR IT.  At this rate it will take between 25 to 33 years to raise the money.  But this does not count the $150 million a year in maintenance.

All for a made up fake crisis by a racist President (and I am being SO kind at the moment)

******************************

With Mattis gone and Trump leaving Syria the Kurds are looking at releasing 3,200 ISIS prisoners who vow vengeance on the West.  VICTORY for Trump who hates America and loves Russia. 

Mattis was the closest thing to a military coup we have had in America.  All is well in American Government with Fox and Friends are running the show. They know SO much more then any of our clueless generals.

****************************

Weather - with many of you no longer at work (where most people read this blog) be safe in your travels this holiday weekend.

Temps will be in the middle 30s UNTIL NEXT Saturday when the bottom drops out.  Next Thursday and Friday will be messy as the cold front goes through with mostly rain, maybe some flurries but it will be a 48 hour event so snow during darkness and rain during lightness.  Then highs in the low 20s NEXT weekend.

THIS weekend  mostly cloudy with peaks of sun when we need it in the daylight hours. Highs in the mid 30s.

HOWEVER - watch out for the Polar Vortex. With it weakening it will slip off the top of the world in January and February but nobody knows which way it will flop.  With the jet stream getting all wavy warm air will push north and get it moving . . . .but which direction . . that is the big question. 

****************************

Congrats to the new Columbus Grocery store (the old Sentry)  Now that Eisenga no longer owns it they are getting all sorts of new food and the shelves are full.  Pic n save who refuses to buy ANYTHING local will fade.  No Sassy Cow Milk, No Bagels Forever bagels, No Jones Sausages, no chipped beef. 

I prefer to buy local and these guys are at least trying and now listening.  Still the best meat around.  They even have all the stir fry oils I need (Pic and Save did not).  PnS still have a better deli but many of the canned food PnS no longer carry and even the V8 veggie juice I loved is gone. 

PLUS a manager was rude to me when I suggested PnS was WAY WAY too cold.  She said all stores are like that, it's not a problem .  ummmmmm    NO!  it IS a problem.   

****************   

SO - this shortest day of the year, how about something to remind us what summer is like.  This is from my clay garden which will go away this next summer  . . . or something . . be redone?   Have not figured out what yet.

2019 will be a big year as we put an addition onto the house . . sort of.   A BIG deck project in our future as the current one is coming apart so might as well build new and bigger.   Being people that really use our deck a lot, why not make it a REALLY usable deck.

ANYWAY

     
Happy Holidays

Punting is as bad as bunting

Before I forget about it.  If you were a fan of the show Timeless, which seems to have a cult-like following, listen up.  NBC got such a backlash from canceling the show that they filmed a 2 hour finale'.  When two characters were killed off and THEN the show was canceled people were PISSED.

Being a time travel show of course they can be revived but not if the last show was never seen.

Tonight - NBC.

******************

Last night the season finale' of Survivor, season 37 was broadcast and AGAIN a good guy won.

This year it was David vs. Goliath's.  The Goliath's were good looking players that were given everything they needed and now were super successful.  The David's were players that had to work for EVERYTHING in their lives and are successful.

The winner was a David named Nick.  He grew up in a trailer, his mother died from a drug overdose and his dad sold blood to by milk for the kids. Nick wanted to be a lawyer to be rich and became one but did not want to work in a big city,  but,  that was where the money is.

With his $1 million in winnings he is moving back to his small town in Kentucky to help drug victims and family's, his life long dream.

Many say this was one of the best seasons on Survivor.

The average contestant this year lost about 1 pound a day in body weight. Having only 1/4 cup of rice a day to eat will do that. One guy lost almost 30 pounds.

The record was 80 pounds in 36 days in Survivor 3 where they REALLY gave you no food but what you could catch.  The game has progressed.

this year there were two typhoons and one they had to evacuate the island for 3 days as a cat 3 typhoon hit (the 2nd time a typhoon made for evacuations).  One guy was air lifted out with a REALLY bad back injury.

In Survivor 3 a contestant blacked out and fell face first into the camp fire and was rescued by the camera man.   That same season while off location at a tribal council a flash flood wiped out their camp.

Things get pretty serious on Survivor.  One contestant fell asleep on an ant hill and was air lifted out with toxic poising from ant bites.  One year 2 people at the same time blacked out from heat exposure - THAT was scary.  It truly is SURVIVE.

It's a VERY physical and emotional challenging game where every one knows how to play now which makes it more like a physical chess match.

********************

The NFL has taken MLBs idea and is really getting into analytics. One thing they are seeing is that punting is old school and teams REALLY should never punt unless they are inside THEIR 20 yard line.

The average team has about a 60% success rate on 4th downs, even 4th and longs are in the 60% range. GOOD teams are 70% and Kansas City is 90.6%. 

I saw one study last year that I can no longer find that explained why you should never punt.  The theory is that once you punt you can not score because you do not have the ball.   Zero chance (unless your defense scores ) if you go for it you still can score on that drive and you only get a limited amount of drives in a game.

 If you fail on 4th the other team has just about the same chance of scoring whether it is from the 50 yard line to the 10 yard line.  Crunching the numbers between a successful 4th down and scoring on that drive and giving up the ball and the OTHER team scoring . . . .it works out to  . . NEVER punt.

BUT it's hard to change old school coaches minds.   One team in collage did it last year and punted ONCE.  They won their division championship ( a minor collage conference).

******************

What is going on in Kansas.  Four Republicans have now switched sides and are Democrats saying the Republican Party no longer express their views.

"I hear every day from people who have been Republicans for their lives, lifelong, and they just said, 'I can't do this anymore. This is not what I stand for,' and that's how I felt," Sykes said. "I'm better served to focus on my job than trying to defend the Republican Party."

WHAT?  they are tired of defending the Russian take over of America?  Putin tells Trump to get out of Syria and . . . . even though EVERYBODY in government says NO!  Trump says YES.

So the money laundering of Russian money controls Trump and since his kids owe Saudi Arabia $400 million he won't do anything to them for killing journalists.  FUBR.

******************

I'm on a train page on Facebook and there are an amazing amount of old train photos.   This one caught my eye - seems a LITTLE close.  Saying I grew up next to the train tracks has a new meaning.

*****************

I think this is Oscar material movie and Steve Carell will be up for an Oscar.   Interesting from WWII buff it is historically accurate from weapons to uniforms and is a true story.  Watch this and make a decision on whether to see it or not.

I mean - if you can get tears in your eyes FROM A TRAILER . . . . .

https://youtu.be/rBiyoc4E3mM

Welcome to Marwin


 

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Merry Christmas for all of you that are traveling!  Peace.

Rod, DJ, Gus, Sophie and Iggy 

Holding a grudge is wasted energy

One of my biggest character flaws besides my ego is my inability to hold a grudge.  Columbus is a HUGE grudge holding community. Seems nobody forgets any wrong doing from the distant past.

I had a pretty quick temper before I had skin cancer ( malignant melanoma) 30 years ago.  Had MOHS chemo surgery and the whole bit and it seems to have changed me. I would go to a therapist to talk about things and they were exasperated with my flowery outlook on life. 

One therapist said "THIS IS A SERIOUS LIFE THREATENING CANCER"  and I would say. "Well, how would being worried help?".  Enjoy what you have NOW as you never know how long it will last.

Holding a grudge is SO SO time consuming and will really wear you down.  Being mad is one thing but long term ANGER is just wasted energy.  Just trying to remember who you are mad at is work.  I have a whole spread sheet (KIDDING).

I mention this as Darvin, who I have tangled with at various times, has apologized to the world and I must apologize as I CERTAINLY did not help calm him down with MY anger towards him.  It was like 2 cats on opposite sides of the window screaming at each other.  So I must apologize also. 

Like Darvin I must find what that trigger is that sets me off. I feel it's frustration for the most part.  I'm more like a match that flames bright with anger and then goes away. DONE.  I can burn off anger and then I'm normal again (except when I virtual golf poorly on the TGCTour). 

ANYWAY - Merry Christmas to all and lets make 2019 a happy year. Let's work to improve Columbus even when it seems the world is stacked against us. 

***********

In the last couple years I have heard people say they are worried about the world. Especially when North Korea and Trump were having their pissing match.

COME ON PEOPLE seriously? worried?  really?

And I hear how people are saying we have gone backwards as a society and all is going to hell and yada yada yada.  REALLY?

Last night DJ and I watched another episode of the GREAT show called "America in Color" on The Smithsonian Channel. This episode was about the 60s and OH MY GOD!  What a freaking bunch of Neanderthals that lived in the 60s. 

One part was of course on the Cuban Missile Crisis and people were literally afraid of nuclear annihilation.

I remember my parents, who it SEEMS, could not pay rent but still could afford a bonafide fallout

Took this somewhere in Columbus - won't way where

shelter stocked with food and water.  Most houses on our block had fall out shelters.   My QUESTION is . . . when did parents built them.  Months before the Cuban Missile Crisis? during? after? What was the time table and how long were they frightened.  I was just a kid so I was not worried at all (that I can remember).

America in Color is a fantastic show of never seen before home movies that have been colorized by a new technology and is full of new facts or things you have not thought about for decades.

It's more then 5 episodes though as they have added more.

https://youtu.be/WiHgUDtqSoU


************************

Looks like New York State will go full on recreational cannabis in the near future as their governor said he is making it one of his top priorities. 

+++

Don't look now but Saturn is losing it's rings at an alarming rate.  In about 300 million years - no rings. They are all being sucked into the planet.  So sad. 

+++

Remember that brinks truck that spilled $300,000 onto the highway?  Motorists have turned in $125,000 but $175,000 is still missing!   OOPS!!

+++++

HA - Tucker Carlson is losing sponsors after the racist "news" commentator said "thanks to illegal immigration, huge swaths of the region are covered with garbage and waste that degrade the soil and kill wildlife."   FOX "News" is nothing but racist shit heads spreading lies.

They recently told their viewers that cannabis is worse then heroin with addiction.  Just a lie spreading hate network for the gullible.

FOX FAKE NEWS is nothing but propaganda for the far right.  But they do have pretty blonds that  old white people love. 

+++++++++++++++++++

In 2013, the city of Windsor’s council voted 8-3 to stop putting flouride in the city water supply.

Since then, the percentage of children with tooth decay or requiring urgent dental care increased 51 percent between 2011-17. In related news, the Windsor City Council voted yesterday to reintroduce water fluoridation with a vote of 8-3.

Same thing is happening in Fall River.  I talked to dentists in Columbus and they are getting MANY more tooth decay kids.  I guess the Fall River government does not care about their kids teeth.

*****************

A few years ago I was stuck on the wrong side of the tracks in Columbus in a snow squall.  I jumped out and took a few shots!

SADLY a few others seem to be on a different hard drive and now I must find them.

Still one of my favorite photo of the train station

*******************

Cheers
   

The miracle of the waltz

April 4th 1917 - Wisconsin State Journal - seems there was a state wide vote on what towns were going to go DRY.

I have watched the Kens Burns documentary on Prohibition but that was from the fed level. There must have been some sort of State issue BEFORE the federal prohibition? 

Columbus is in the WET TOWN STAY WET along with Beaver Dam and Portage (remember the area was full of hop and barley farms and of course The Kurth, one of the largest breweries in America) 

Madison was wet and voted to go dry. Lake Mills dry and will stay dry along with Fall River.  Up north city WERE dry and decided to go wet.

**********************************

I just gotta post this as it was funny (at the time) .  In my golf tour simulation you can pick GHOST players to play with you.  These are real people that have already played in your event.  You don't know who they are or how they did.  All you have is a screen name.

So Elweed and I picked 3 random players Saturday.  I'm on the far left.  I have knickers on as ONLY people who purchased the simulation on day one can wear knickers.  TYPICALLY most players look pretty normal and "I" am the one dressed . . outside the norm.

WELL - NOT THIS TIME

I got my ass handed to me in the round.

*****************************

Many people know that symphonic music is like the CBD oil of music.  There is anecdotal evidence that plants grow faster with orchestral music and there have been studies in babies doing better.

Symphonic music has the same rhythms as your bodies rhythms and PARTICULARLY waltzes.

Well, I know a child that is dealing with autism. She is 3 and only recently has she had a slight GLIMMER of the outside world.  She loves her iPad and is learning a good bit but not showing it to the outside world.

But last week her teacher introduced her to the waltz.

All music tells a story.  The composer has a story to tell and tells it through music.  sadness, adventure, stress, excitement and jokes.  All emotions are in orchestral works. 

So the teacher puts on the waltz and all is normal . . . . until . . there is a "joke" that lasts a few bars.

Sort of like when Dick Van Dyke enters the room and trips over the ottoman.

WELL, Bailey BREAKS out laughing!!   WHAT?  this is a first!  and every time those few bars come about she just starts laughing!   BREAKTHROUGH!!

She would never eat unless she was diddling with her iPad.  NOW - they can put on a waltz and she eats without the iPad.

The wonders of music.  But here is the more weird thing.  DJs dad LOVED Andre' Rieu. Listened to Andre' all the time and had ALL the DVD, CDs and so forth.

So I was thinking maybe Bailey would love all teh colors and action on an Andre' Rieu DVD. We ordered a DVD.  If you have never listened to seen Andre' here is one waltz.  Full of pretty colors and movement and smiles.  This not THE waltz but gives you an idea.

DJ's dad is helping.  Is this part of esoteric astrology.  Was his goal in life to help Bailey?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHYxkkzS35Q




*************************

WELL - Columbus was all over the news this weekend talking about our "FAILING" downtown.  WHAT?   Last time I counted there was a 70% occupancy rate that Beaver Dam AND Lake Mills would LOVE.

The problem is that there are no stores you WANT to go to and there is zero advertising of WHAT is down there.  In Lake Mills they have (or had) a monthly insert that TELLS people what is downtown as stores were closing right and left.

It's not how many store front but what is in them that is the issue with Columbus.  Insurance, horse stuff, antiques stores that are closed. bars, and so forth.  People complain that there is nothing downtown and they wrongly believe it is because the store fronts are empty,

Have they been to the Columbus Historic Society building?  The library? The Workshop?  I hear complaints about the Capri but . .when was the last time you went there?  Sharrows Downtown closing . . .I shopped there every few weeks, GREAT place for gifts and cards and good coffee . . .but the places was always empty. 

If you want ta vibrant downtown people really need to GO downtown once and a while.  The comic book shop is closing after 4? years.  GREAT place to buy gifts for young people AND adults.  It's not closing because of lack of business as it was a money maker.  But people say REALLY? 4 years?  YEA - have you been downtown much?

Perhaps if people WENT downtown and actually saw what was there . . . . . . .

***********************

I saw the trailer from Mortal Engines.  Looked pretty cool but . . was it a game spin off?  I did not understand the whole concept ever though it looked pretty . . . interesting.

WELL - it totally 100% bombed.   Cost 100 million and it's first big weekend took in 7.5 million

******************

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says that if they taxed 0.1% (0.001) on each transaction in the stock market a typical investor would not even notice it. YET - it would raise $777 BILLION  in revenue for the Fed.

It would totally fund Food shares.  Republicans are against it as it takes money away from the wealthy and the banks.

*******************

88% of Trump supporters support shutting down the Government to fund the border wall.

*******************

61% of Americans are worried about higher health costs yet 14 of the top prescriptions drugs have all gone UP in costs since Trump was elected.

61% of  America, according to a YouGov survey,  believe Walker and his old white Republican cronies misused their power and curbing what the newly elected Governor power.  But Republicans do not care about it's citizens, only gaining power. 

*************

Vaping is HUGE among the youth of today and is becoming a big problem . . . .yet . . . in the same news opiate usage is dropping significantly.

************

Weather - pretty much EVERYWHERE in America will be experience warmer then normal tamps the next 10 days and this INCLUDES Canada.  The only real cold spot in the world is Russia.

We have a couple days of 40 coming Tuesday and Wednesday and cooling off on the weekend to 30 and half sun half clouds  a little rain Thursday morning and maybe 10 days out but there are 5 storms that will track across America in the next couple weeks, all going south.

1-3 inches of snow on Christmas.  We COULD have a white Christmas.

Cheers

(oh - NBA system - now 42-22  65.6%)

March 12th 1922 and "competitive balance"

I was looking for a graphic novel called From Hell which is about Jack the Ripper but instead I found a huge book of Wisconsin State Journal front pages.

So I was flipping through and started looking at the OTHER news and not the headlines.  I found this tidbit from  March 12th 1922 - read the whole thing as this word train keeps getting more and more interesting - I WISH I had the rest of the story!  I NEED to know what is on page 13.

ahhhhh  the good ol days.

MEANWHILE - this photo showed up and I believe it is the first attempt to invent Dolby Atmos  . . it failed.

********************

The Brewers made a trade yesterday. Not a BIG one but what caught my eye was they traded a "competitive balance" draft pick.   WHAT?   It seems MLB gives small market teams and extra draft pick and call it the "competitive balance" pick which will be around the 40th pick in the draft.

They picked up Alex Claudio who is a left handed lefty killer.  Will probably pitch in 60 games and have 45 total innings pitched.  The job Dan Jennings had.  Come in, get 2 guys out and move on.

Meanwhile in the winter meetings from reports the Brewers are one of the teams all free agents want to talk too.   An up and coming team from a very friendly city with a great fan base.   Getting Yelich has helped in more ways then one. He is like the Reggie White for the Brewers.

It LOOKS like the Crew want a 1 year 2nd baseman. No long term contracts as their are players in the minors to think about.  So once the dust settles and all the BIG free agents that want long term contracts are gone they can pick up on that will fill in for a year.

 But it looks like they want at least one more big impact player. So . . stay tuned.

************************

Trump's problems keep getting worse.  Now Mueller is looking into Trumps inauguration.

 Obama's inauguration cost something line of 56 and 48 million. Trumps ONE inauguration cost $109 million and had 1/3 the staff and 1/2 the parties and was partially funded by Russian oligarchs. But where did all that money go ????

It has now been confirmed that Trump was a witnesses to a conversation about an illegal conspiracy to obscure spending to benefit a Presidential election between Cohan and Michael Pecker.

He is so toast in the long run. So much for only hiring the "best people".   Can't wait to put this con man and his entire family behind bars.  Probably won't happen but it's fun to dream about. 

***************

I have not talked about Survivor much but most people are saying this is one of the best seasons ever.

One of the true stars was Christian who makes the actors on The Big Bang Theory look like the cool kids on the block. Christian is a Robot programmer/engineer  and was TOTAL a geek from the git go and  grew into a huge threat to win.

People LOVED this guy.  He was voted out (for good reason as he would have won). Check out his geekyness.  Pay attention to what he looks like after getting cleaned up.

The average contestant loses 1/2 pound of body weight a day and does not see his reflection for 5 to 6 weeks. You basically get 1/2 cup of rice per day as your total food intake.  No baths, no real way to keep clean.

When you get kicked out of Survivor you go to the Pondrosa with the other players that got kicked out.  The white board explanation at the end is funny as one of the BIG challenges that he WON was a very physical challenge. He won it by speaking for 5 hours on theorems to take his mind of pain.  Of the 14 people that started the challenge it was down to 2 players after 1 hour.  He lasted 6. 

https://youtu.be/7Fhf03Llw-8


****************************


We have 3 or 4 alderman,  a City Clerk, a couple top positions (I think) at DPW and a New Police Chief.

***************************

Have a great warm and sunny weekend.

Photos and accordions.

OOPS - this was suppose to be a photo of a Christmas house but I clicked on the one next to it. Some how my attention was diverted by something sparkly.   Well she is sparkly like Christmas so . . . .

I had to go through all 1500 photos looking for this one

Gotta have snow to reflect the light for good Christmas light shots.

I really have to have a blog of my favorite images.

Sold a BUNCH of these postcards

When the Mayor and I were in Washington DC

When our family would play in parades - this was our little truck.  We supersized in later editions.

and that would be me on the bottom.  I played "Hang Down Your Head Tom Dooley" on stage in Fort Atkinson.  At least I have been TOLD that is me . . I still do not believe it. Although I do remember that accordion.

  ANYWAY . . . . . . .

I think the Networks figured a way to make people watched MORE commercials.  Now when a commercial comes on we have to fast forward through it . . . . and of course we are riveted to the TV and see every commercial now.  Before people would get up and do stuff for 3 minutes.  NOW we all watch the commercial fast forward.

******************

So Nikkie Haley is stepping down as UN Ambassador to be replaced by a woman from Fox and Friends who has never had a government experience and has never had a job as a negotiator. 

She will be busting heads with world class professionals negotiators from . . . .  the WORLD!   What could possibly go wrong.

******************

Looks to me that the Trump shutdown is going to happen.  Nancy Pelosi had the biggest balls in THAT room for sure.  But really - it's not a big deal unless the shutdown lasts a month or so.  Everybody still gets paid and nothing really earth shaking happens.

****************

Older white voters with no collage education are still solidly Republican, and you wonder why Republicans are so against helping with education?  Even when it seems everything Republicans do hurt older white voters.  I just don't understand.  The OLD school Republicans were not this way but the NEW Republicans are so anti old people it's crazy.

 Lets just get rid of all the things older white people need as a safety net when they no longer hold a job. They don't help the economy anyway.  Right?

**************

MEANWHILE - the Republicans who love small government have gutted the IRS. 

The rate of audits have dropped 42%.  Before Trump there were 2.4 million people caught not filing income tax.  Last year?  360,000 with $3 BILLION lost in tax revenue. People who file but do not pay?  Lost $8.3 BILLION not looking for them. 

geez - enough for a wall.

*****************

It's baseball season . . almost.  Us SOM players are getting sneak peaks at player defense ratings. 

Yelich will be a 1 in LF and RF and a 0 (average) arm.  1 is the best you can get.  SADLY my LF is the worst so Yelich is a RF'r and Trout in CF

Mancini / Trout / Yelich

************

this just happened.  DJ let Gus lick her oatmeal bowl . . . and he fell asleep in it. then we woke him up.

Nuff said for today

  
     

What does Columbus mean to me?

I gotta pee

I was at a meeting with our financial adviser and she was telling us that what we needed to do was increase our wagers in my NBA system (now 37-15) and borrow a large sum of cash to buy more cannabis stocks . . . . . and then Gus woke up and wanted to pee so I had to get out of bed. 

Later in the day we did meet with our financial adviser which is really cool to hear someones views who is actually IN the industry.

I was asking about recession.  Basically they watch for 14 different signs and signals when it comes to the "recession" talk and not one of those are flashing yellow signs.

As they said - the stock market is run by earnings and earnings are doing great.  Sure earnings are sometimes lower then expected but it's like complaining that a baseball player WAS hitting .370 and is slumping to .350 now.

Still GREAT. 

As we were talking DJ mentioned my many many spreadsheets I keep and they showed one that tweaked my interest. A 100 year chart of the S&P

So if you are looking at the current stock market and getting a little nervous what we are in is more like "weather" compared to "climate".  The climate is still very good, but the weather sucks.

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Meanwhile

 

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There is a show on The Smithsonian Channel called America in Color which I figured was just another history thing and then I watched an episode.

OMG it is OUTSTANDING.  All the footage is from home movies and each episode is like a trivia find with "I didn't know that" information surprises.  We watched The 1920s last night and it was riveting. 

DJ and I were both multi tasking, reading books and doing spreadsheets and after 10 minutes we were both glued to the TV.

The Empire State Building - almost empty for 10 years after built.  Took 20 years for it to make it's first profit and was the laughing stock of NY. 

Watching films of these iron workers, no safety nets, no helmets and the going rate was 40% deaths.

Cars were a pretty new thing with people getting run over right and left until NYC decided to invent the first traffic light.

does Stop Light dude still read the blog? 

We highly recommend this show on Sundays and probably on demand somewhere.  

https://youtu.be/WiHgUDtqSoU

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Since I mentioned cannabis . . . . . 

In 1974 the Medical Collage in Virginia got funding from the National Institute of Health to find how cannabis adversely effected the immune system.  Instead they found that cannabis, IN MICE, slowed three types of cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer and and virus induced leukemia.

The DEA quickly shut down all research on all cannabis.  

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Harold Baines was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame?  Really?   Seems the 12 people that voted for him all played with him.  Cronyism?  What does balderdash who is the HoF expert think of Baines getting elected to the HoF.  Am I missing something?   

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I really gotta give the newspaper my article on Bob Poser and his pitching against Earl Combs and Lou Gehrig. Bob passed away in 2002 and there have been reports of sounds at Hillside Cemetery of baseball games being played in the early morning hours.     

Perhaps next spring I'll submit it. 

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Speaking of Columbus  - BANNER ART CONTEST

From the Columbus Website  - The Columbus Downtown Beautification Task Force will be partnering with the City of Columbus to create and install street pole banners in the downtown featuring artwork produced by Columbus students, residents, and business owners. The banner theme will be “What does Columbus mean to you?”. 

I'll tell you what Columbus means to me.  

When we moved here we were greeted with open arms of friendly people that made us feel welcome.  We both strongly remember walking into Sharrows and how honestly friendly people in Columbus were.   That was the very first impression and people HAVE to remember that first impressions, even online, are very VERY important.  

If  someone's first exposure to Columbus is a rant on facebook blasting the government, that is a first impression and it is remembered.  Words really do matter. 

HOWEVER - right now?  What does Columbus mean to me?  

When I take Gus out to go pee at night, the stars are shining, you can hear a train in the distance and all is right with the world.  There is no better place I want to be then right here, right now. The crisp, air, the clear nights, the distant sound of a train, a dog barking and looking up at the Milky Way.

I walked back in last night and told DJ, "GOD I love living in this town". 

THAT is why people move to Columbus.  

      

Bears, Robert Reich, private industry rip offs.

So I think it's good that the Chicago Bears are doing well this year - better then the Vikings.  I mean really - every time a Packer who does not kick the ball goes to the Vikings they become an asshole.

Plus it's always good to make Chicago happy.  Chicago is happy which helps the Madison economy happy as they are a major midwest city.  And if Madison is happy Sun Prairie is happy and that trickles down to Columbus the outside of the economy onion.

+++++++++

OH - In the NBA I was 8-2 last week.  Now 36-15 in over/unders in the NBA   

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Not sure how many people follow Robert Reich but in July of 2016 he had a facebook post about Trump.

Now personally I felt Trump would go to jail for money laundering which he still might.  BUT GEEZ - the guy is nothing but a con man who is ONLY successful and convincing people he is smart.

In July 2016 Reich said 

Trumps dept has grown dramatically in 2015 from 300 million to 600 million and US banks will no longer loan him money.   He has been black balled from all US banks.

He was becoming HIGHLY reliant on money from Russia which was coming from Putin and Russian oligarchs.

Trump hired Manafort, who had spent the last 2 decades as a communication advisor for Viktor Yanukovyvh ,the Pro Russian Prime Ukrainian Minister who was ousted from government but remained a good good friend of Putin.

 Trumps foreign policy advisor, Carter Page entire professional career is all about investments in Russia and has (STILL HAS) deep deep financial ties to Putins financial empire.

Over the course of 2015 and 2016 Putin aligned ALL of Russian controlled newspapers to back Trump for President.

Trump, could care less about the Republican agenda except for ONE thing, eliminate assistance to Ukraine in their fight against Russia. WHICH, oddly, is exactly what Putin wanted.

Trump (remember this is BEFORE Trump was elected) suggested the US and NATO would NOT come to the defense of a NATO member in case of  Russian invasion . . also very very important to Putin.

So . . . . . . do ya THINK? Trump is not involved with Russia and has been lying to the America people?

As many Republicans are now saying - they do not believe Trump will see all 4 years as a President.  He's a freaking con-man (my words).

Then there is that tax break for the rich that was a complete FAIL.

4.3% of America workers got a wage increase

Private companies spent 69 times MORE on stock buy backs

433 of the top 500 fortune 500 companies said they had no planes of sharing the tax cut with their employees.

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Many people do not trust our government.  I do. I don't trust private industry.  They constantly cheat Americans.

Remember I called out Jones Dairy Farm in Fort Atkinson for cheating consumers.  Their sausages were smaller in their big bags and their combined weight was not even close to what was posted on the packaging.

They thanked me and "said" they would fix the problem and here are some free sausages.

Arby's had a FAIL on their ham sliders and I took photos.  Got 2 free meals and an apology.

NOW THIS - seriously?  This is how they define "ROLL?"  Is this a surrealist version?

So DJ sends a text with this image to North Star and gets a reply.  SORRY!  Here are some coupons for MORE ice cream cake rolls and tells us what manufacturer did this FAIL.

If you see something say something.

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OH - The Holiday Train.  How could I miss advertising this.  Looking back I TRIED when I put an image of my brothers train but then I seemed to go on to other things. 

Got a message from a friend in Green Bay that said he saw Columbus on the news about the Holiday Train. Seems it was a pretty big deal across Wisconsin ...  why?  It's been coming for years right?  Did they up their advertising budget?

I know Columbus has done a GREAT job promoting it (except for me it seems) so BRAVO Columbus.  What we NEED is to have the Holiday Train AND the Holiday Parade on THE SAME EVENING!!    WHOA!  BLOW YOUR MIND!!

Also - while I'm thinking about the wonderfulness of Columbus. Well done Police Department and I presume City Council for closing Avalon to all on street parking on Halloween.  That street is a catastrophic accident just waiting to happen.  BRAVO.

Columbus HELP WANTED.  In need of

City Clerk
Police Chief
Head of DPW and Assistant head.
 
And as normal I presume a number of City council vacancies will be up with seats ALREADY open.

The problem with Police Chief is vexing - seems nobody wants to be Chief . . in fact there is a serious lack of Police officers across the nation.

The problem with DPW is my downtown trees.  I had ASSUMED the DPW dude, who was a qualified tree person, was going to be around for a while.  Now it seems we have the head of the Rec Department and the 3rd in line at DPW in charge - both very unqualified.

all is well  LOL

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Columbus on a snowy evening

Speaking of weather - warming trend coming. Highs in mid 30s then sunny on the weekend but Wednesday and Thursday SUCK.  Rain sleet freezing rain.

Have a great day

Deadwood and Christmas Lights

WELL - I THOUGHT I had two dentist appointments yesterday . . . NOPE - NEXT Thursday.  I was almost correct as I HAD one Wednesday and another today but they were switched to have both on the same day . . . NEXT Thursday.

Yea - I have progressed in life enough to HAVE a calandar but it seems it dies not automatically change dates just by thinking about it. Technology has not caught up with my advanced brain yet.

Speaking of advanced brains (meaning OLD) I'm about to go on Medicare and I get 5 phone calls a day from people hoping I will pick their insurance plans and they REALLY want to help me make a decision.

If you worked in government most of your life it's pretty dang easy to sign up so 100% of all the phone calls are just spam.

My biggest advice for anybody . . .get a government job.  You will work for low pay, bad working conditions, Salary when you work mor ethen 40 hours but hourly when less then 40, the trailing edge of technology with bosses that have been promoted out of what they do best and are now horrible.

But retiring from a lifetime of ridicule and hate as government employees seem to get . . is great.

+++++++++++++++++++

Watched GWs funeral yesterday.  A lovely event seeing all of the former Presidents and dignitaries joking and laughing and then Trump comes in.   O  M  G

A FOX "news" analyst said it was like a cold wave came through.  NO - it was more like a polar vortex.

I can not take credit for this.

Donald Trump is getting praised for his behavior at Bush's funeral.  Our President is such an asshole, we have to reward him when he doesn't make a scene at a funeral. 

Trumps trade war has cost Nebraska between $695 million to $1.065 Billion.  Nebraska is tired of all this "winning" Trump brags about.

Trade conflicts have cost Nebraska economy more than $1 billion, Farm Bureau says

+++++++++++++++++++++

The Christmas light issue.  Everybody would LOVE to have Christmas lights that run across the streets like the good ol' days. Well, the good ol' days are over.  Think what would happen with lights above the street when one string droops and is caught in a semi's pipes.

It then pulls the string that topples the light pole which then pulls all the other lights down.

Sounds like something for YouTube. 

Here is an idea that I do not know how it would work yet.  Looking at each light pole, how about making each pole a candy cane.  Same shape.  Each pole has an outlet. 

Here are some other ideas

Just kicking ideas around.

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HEY - if you have Amazon Prime - makes sure you watch Jamestown.  About the first American town.  Very good show and now Season 2 is available. I also saw Deadwood, the very VERY best western EVER is now available  (staring Timothy Olyphant and Ian McShane).  MUST SEE TV

Deadwood is what all other westerns since it was broadcast strive to be. It set the bar and nobody has beat it. 

Jamestown uses the same set as Deadwood did.

https://youtu.be/RfMSxf6P_AM




If you like westerns this is really must see TV but . . . . not for children as the "F" word is once a minute LOL

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Talk at ya next time

Don't put ALL the blame on McCarthy

SO!  You can't put ALL the blame on McCarty because you have a QB that decided to call his own plays.   You have a coach that is thinking 10+ plays down the road setting other plays up for later and you have a QB that is thinking of what play works best NOW.

This is like having two people play a game of chess.  One player is looking at the entire game and the other is looking at what is the best play NOW!

You cannot put ALL the blame on McCarthy.

and this whole controversy about WHEN McCarthy was fired.  Does it REALLY matter? I think getting FIRED is that main thing  . . not the WHEN.  I mean if YOU were fired (but still get paid) but then were told you continue to work for 5 weeks . . . . . . would that really make you feel better?

Green Bay is 6 point favorites to beat Atlanta.  I'll take that bet.

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WEATHER - the snow on the ground will be here a while in this winter that seems to have started way way too early.  I believe in the last 34 days we have had TWO days above average.

We have an arctic blast heading our way. Friday we're looking at a HIGH of MAYBE 16.  The Holiday train will be one of the coldest ever with wind chills in the 8:00 area hovering around zero
( OK OK maybe 3).  But the weekend looks sunny but cold with five solid days of sun starting Friday.

No snow in the forecast.

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I'm not going to get into the crooked GOP power grab.  Heck even the national news (not FOX but they are not actually news) is talking about Wisconsin's power hungry GOP. Seems the GOP do not really care about democracy at all.  Lose the vote? change the rules. Can't get elected? Change who can actually vote.

And then they have to gall to complain that the Democrat's never want to work with them? AND YOU WONDER WHY?   Shocking!

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I've been pretty disappointed with most Super Hero movies lately.  Didn't like Black Panther and have not like MOST Super Hero Movies lately.  Mad Max was AWESOME and a real surprise and really should have won an OSCAR but was it a super hero movie?

I can not wait for March (for many reasons) but Captain Marvel is looking might good.

https://youtu.be/zJO4LPkcadM


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North Carolina is investigating voter fraud by the conservatives. Seems in two Democratic leaning counties had 40% and 64% of absentee ballots missing and were never counted or even handed in. Seems conservatives went house to house and told people they were collecting absentee ballots for the government . . . .they never reached their destination.

In a race decided by 900 votes there are 3,400 ballots that went missing and most are from minorities

Amid Fraud Allegations, North Carolina Election Board Won't Certify House Race

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Notice this whole Trump China deal?  Seems there is a disconnect between what Trump is telling America an what the China dude is telling China.  Someone is not telling the truth. There is no new deal, nothing in writing.  Nothing has changed. Yet - Trump claims victory?
++++
Personally I'm pretty darn sure a recession is coming (which is like forecasting it will get colder before summer arrives) and there is nothing anybody can do about it.  There is no way to lower taxes to spur the economy.  It's been done already for no reason at all.

Trump threw gas on a fire and says he started a fire.  NO - the fire was there already, you just wasted the gas that would ignite the fire when it was going out you big blubbering bozo who knows absolutely nothing about economics (notice how many of his companies have gone bankrupt).
++++
Eisenga seems to have sold the store previously known as Sentry (or Hometown)  and has also listed Kestrel Ridge Golf Course is for sale.  Seems he is pulling out of Columbus?  Maybe people will shop at the new whatever the name is now store as opposed to boycotting the store.

Put "Sentry" and Pic-N-Save together and we now have 3/4 of one grocery store.  SORRY - any store that refuses to stock dried beef (you know that shit on a shingle salted beef stuff that is also used in dips).  COME ON!  Or ANY locally produced goods.  No Bagels Forever?  No Sassy Cow Milk?

Don't get me started.

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HEY - my brothers model railroad hobby.  This is a real life representation of an actual rail line.

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NBA system sucked going 7-8 last week - now 28-13.

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Buff Said