Don't Hate, Educate

I witnessed a hate crime about an hour ago.  I was at a stoplight on my way back home from McDonalds, when I saw a woman dressed in a black Burka and her husband walking from the Hawaiian Shaved Ice shack to the bus stop.  As they were cutting across a corner parking lot, a stupidass that had just walked out of the discount cigarette shop yelled at them and threw his bottle of Sprite at them.  I heard the expletives he yelled because I had my windows down. 

The couple walked faster to get over to the bus stop, as if that would bring them safety. Believe me when I tell you I wanted to go back over and get my Louisville Slugger out of the back of my Blazer and whack that stupidass in the head.  Regardless of that woman's religious beliefs, she did not deserve to hear what that stupidass (yes, I've called him that three times now) yelled at her. 

The couple had enjoyed a Hawaiian shaved ice from the shack and then were going to get on the bus and probably go back home.  They were minding their own business and not bothering or even talking to anyone. 

Sure, we don't see too many women wearing burkas in our 'hood, but nobody else seemed to mind except that dumbass.  He'll get his one day. 

2013 Dainty Contest Recap

TWIT would like to congratulate James Brown on winning the 2013 Dainty Contest.  He hit the dainty an impressive 138 feet. 

For those of you that are clueless, the dainty is a game that was brought to the U.S. by our German friends.  The dainty is a five-inch long piece of broom handle that has been sharpened on each end (just like you'd sharpen a pencil).  The object is to hit the dainty with a three-foot piece of broom handle that has one end sharpened just like one of the ends of the dainty, causing the dainty to flip up in the air, and while it's in the air you hit it with the longer stick.  It's not nearly as easy as it sounds.  And for clarification, the Dainty Contest is only open to contestants 45 years and older. 

This year marked the 43rd Dainty Contest.  And trust me - the residents in Germantown and Schnitzelberg are probably practicing right now for the 44th Contest.

Really?

As I mentioned previously, I saw my favorite singers/musicians of all time, Heart, Friday night.  It was one of the best concerts of theirs that I've had the honor of attending.  From start to finish, it was awesome and almost the entire crowd was getting into it.  Except for a guy sitting next to me.  He played Candy Crush for the entire two hours of the concert.  Hand to heaven, he played Candy Crush the entire time.  I wanted to grab his phone and smack him in the head with it but I didn't want to cause any scene at the concert and risk having the security people throw me out before I got to hear "Crazy On You."  But I wanted to.

Link Of The Week

As you ought to know by now, I am a big Louisville Bats fan.  The team plays downtown in the most awesome baseball field, Slugger Field.  It's taken some time, but now others have realized what an awesome place Slugger Field is.  The fine folks at USA Today are having a contest where people can vote for the best minor league baseball field, and Slugger Field is in the running.  Please click on http://www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-minor-league-ballpark/ and vote.  You don't even have to sign p for anything or even give your email address;  just visit this link every day until August 12 and vote for Slugger Field as your favorite minor league field.  Go Bats!

Thank You, Ann and Nancy

I would like to thank Ann and Nancy Wilson for making Life Day 2013 the most awesome Life Day celebration so far.

Happy Life Day To Me

TWIT and Ann and Nancy Wilson (as seen to the lieft) would like to wish a very happy Life Day to me.  July 26 is the anniversary of my horrible car wreck, and on this day every year I celebrate life.

In case you don't know, I was almost killed in a wreck 21 years ago today.  I had to have my right foot rebuilt, and was off from work for almost six months.  But thanks to the Lord and my surgeon, the only after affects are arthritis in that foot. But I digress.

Every year on my Life Day, I celebrate life.  And this year will be the biggest Life Day celebration so far.  Tonight, I am going to see my most favorite singers and musicians in all of the world, Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart.  I like to think their concert tonight is just for my Life Day.

Quote Of The Week

Spoken by a kindergarten teacher to her class of five year-olds who were evidently complaining.  And I quote:

"You get what you get, and don't throw a fit."

If only adults followed that advice.

Wednesday Updates

The bashed fender wasn't as bad today as I thought it was last night, thank goodness.  I give major props to my main man Super Bob for popping out the dent in the bumper today at work.  Once again, this is yet another example of why we call you Super Bob.

From the first estimate I got today, it will cost about $700 to get the back bumper smoothed out and painted, and get the dent in the rear quarter panel pinged out and painted as well.  But as Dad said, thank goodness that the rear tail light wasn't bashed, because I would have had to peeled $$ to get that replaced ASAP to keep LMPD happy.  As is, there is no rush and I can get other estimates.  Like Dad and others have said, it could have been a whole lot worse.

Thank You, Thank You Very Much

To the mother effer that hit me in the parking lot of Rite Aid this afternoon on my way home, I really appreciate you not being man or woman enough to come in the store and find me or leave me a note.  Chances are you are a low-life that didn't have insurance.  So thanks to the damage you did, I will be out at least $500 (my insurance deductible) or even more if I don't turn it in to my insurance company.  I only hope that you get the same done back to you. 

Welcome To The Rainy Season

I stopped by a friend's up the street less than a mile from us tonight, and their rain gauge said we had 2 and a half inches of rain today.  I sure do believe it. 

I had another Excel class today, and travelled from The Compound out to the Snooty McSnoot East End of town, and and ordinary 30 minute trip (even in morning traffic) turned into an hour long drive thanks to the downpour. It absolutely poured the entire trip this morning, and for about half of the trip home tonight.  For a bit I thought I was in the Amazon rain forest.

Happy National Ice Cream Day

We interrupt the usual Sunday Link or App Of The Week to wish everyone a happy Nationa Ice Cream Day.  Please make time today to go have some ice cream.  Whether it's from a carton you buy at the store or in a cone you get at an ice cream shop or fast food place, just get some ice cream.  I know I plan to. 

Security Tip Saurday

Let me preface by saying I never take my beloved Prada purse, nor any purse, into a store, but I did so today just for the photo-op for this security tip. 

It's recommended that women leave your purses either at home or in the trunk of your car when you go to the store, but if you feel you need to take your purse with you, I have a safety tip for you.  Take advantage of the grocery cart strap for toddlers - the strap that you can put around the small kid while it is in the front small section of the shopping cart.  My big Prada purse is in this spot in the picture.  And it probably weighs as much as a small toddler.  But I digress.  Take 30 seconds to put the shopping cart seat-belt straps through a strap on your purse, and should someone try to steal your purse, they won't be able to.

Stay safe.

Flashback Friday

I was watching a show on Hulu this week when I saw a blurb wanting you to vote for the favorite character from Saturday Night Live.  They had a list of the top ten characters, and you could vote for your favorite.  I was shocked when I saw the list because I was totally clueless about three of the so-called Top Ten.  And I've been a SNL fan since it first came on in the 70's.  I was apalled to find out that Rosanne had only received 9% of the votes, while some character called Matt Foley had three times as many votes.  WTF was all I could say.

I don't really give a rat's ass what the Hulu people vote on, because to me, Rosanne Rosannadanna will always be my favorite Saturday Night Live character. 

Wish Me Luck

I'm going to come right out and say that Good Shepherd Security Consulting is on the brink of having the first paying customer.  I had either an email or text from every one of the references I gave to an interested church in Huntington, West Virginia, and they all gave GSSC a glowing recommendation.  One of the references forwarded the follow-up email from the church, and it seems that I'm just one step away from being hired as a church security consultant.

Until now, I'd thought that my first paying customer would be a local church in the Louisville area.  But apparently, that's not what the Lord had planned for GSSC. 

Words cannot express what I am feeling right now.  It is the culmination of what I've worked for - since I started the Master's program in security management in 2009 until today.  I've studied and studied and I am confident in my knowledge and skills and ready to help.   All I need is the approval of the church in WV.  As always, I will keep you posted.

XL: More Than Just A Shirt Size

My boss announced his retirement next year, and when he talked to me about it, he said that he would like for me to become as proficient in Excel as he is.  Now, I'm far from a novice at Excel, Word, Powerpoint and Publisher, but I'm nowhere close to being as good in Excel as my boss.  I don't think that with a month of training I could be as good as he is.  His area of expertise in Excel lies in copying and pasting from screens in our computer system called Syteline into an Excel spreadsheet.  Sure, anyone can copy and paste, but he is the king at tweaking it and using shortcuts and adding many, many formulas in the sheets.  I recently had my Level 1 class, and it was quite an experience.

First of all, the class was at a learning center, that had 3 or 4 large classrooms with computers and a large room full of individual cubicles.  I was in the back of the room on the end in my own little work station complete with not one but two very cool monitors.  The other few people in this room and I wore cool headphones with a microphone so we could talk to our instructors.  I felt like I was in Mission Control at NASA or else playing "Call Of Duty."  But I digress.  As I said, it was quite an experience.

The class had 16 people, and I was the only one in the EST zone; everyone else was an hour behind me in the CST zone.  Due to technical difficulties, the instructor started an hour late, which made us an hour later going to lunch, and ultimately an hour later getting out of there.  I'm a stickler for punctuality and this bothered me.

But going to lunch and going home later didn't bother me nearly as bad as my classmate "Debra" from New Orleans.  When we gave our introductions over our microphones, Debra said she used Excel some.  Debra was being way too modest.  I'm surprised that Debra was even able to find her way to her learning center in New Orleans.  We would have gotten out earlier than what the ending time was originally supposed to be if the instructor hadn't spent 20 minutes out of every hour trying to help Debra with her spreadsheets.  Luckily the instructor was able to connect to our computers remotely and show us how to do something that we didn't understand.  I think he was connected to Debra's computer pretty much most of the time.  

Debra's biggest problem was in the simple tast of grabbing onto a cell by the little spot in the lower left corner and dragging it.  I give major props to the instructor because he never once lost his cool nor did he even sound exasperated at Debra.  I know I wouldn't have had near that much patience.

Overheard At The Store

A woman a little older than I am was parked next to me at the store parking lot.  She had three grandchildren with her, two walking and one in a baby carrier.  As she was getting the baby into the car seat, the other kids apparently thought she was taking a bit too long and they started crying.  I witnessed this ordeal because she had the door to her car still open as she was getting the baby settled and I had to wait till she was finished and close her door before I could open my door.  Anyhoo, the grandmother was just over it all.  One of the crying kids said "I want a drink."  Grandma quickly replied "So does Nana."

Monday, Monday

There's a lot I'd like to write about tonight - about the Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman drama, things at work, and things at home, but I'm really NITM (not in the mood) to deal with it all tonight. I will just say that I hope everyone had a drama-free Monday.  I will start filling in you, faithful readers, tomorrow.  As my beloved Scarlet O'Hara said, after all, tomorrow is another day. 

App Of The Week

If you're like me,  you're watching a movie and see someone in it and wonder who they are.  Or you already know a star and wonder what other movies they've been in.  Never fear - there is an awesome app for that.  It's by the fine folks that bring us IMDB - the Internet Movie DataBase.  Whether you are on an Android phone or an iPhone, it's easy to find.  Just go to your app store and enter IMDB. 

New Product Review

I've been anxiously waiting for a few weeks to try Wendy's new Pretzel Bun Burger. I tried one for lunch one day this week, and to be honest, it really wasn't worth the wait. 

I did not take this photo, but I will say that when I opened the box, it did look pretty much like this.  It hadn't squashed down during the less-than-a-mile trip back to work from Wendy's.  As you can see in the picture, the pretzel bun is the star of this burger; other than a flavorful honey mustard sauce and a spring mix of supposedly 9 different types of greens, it's still a Wendy's burger.

I love pretzels and I had high hopes for this but I wasn't impressed.  The bun wasn't hard, but it was pretty thick, and was a bit too much bread for my liking on a burger; at least when you get a regular burger the bun will smoosh down into a more manageable size.  The previously mentioned honey mustard sauce was flavorful; it was on top of a liquid-form of cheddar cheese, much like good old Cheeze Whiz, and luckily I didn't drip any of it on my shirt or on my desk while eating it.  

To sum it up, even with the pretzel bun and fancy greens, it's still a Wendy's burger.  And I'm not knocking Wendy's burgers; I love them, and my coworkers love them, too, since they are less than a mile from our company.  I ate the entire burger, so it's not like thought it was horrid and threw it away; it was just neutral.

I will give Wendy's Pretzel Bun Burger the TWIT Seal of Approval for all of the flavors and the quality,  but I can't give it a thumb's up, nor can I give it a thumb's down.  You will just have to try one and see for yourself.  
 

Flashback Friday

 When I first started to work at ZCO way back in the ancient time of 1989, we had an IBM Selectric typewriter in the department.  In fact, there was at least one in every department. Believe me when I tell you that we all used that typewriter every day.  We would especially use it in the event of an emergency rush sales order; we would bypass the crude computer system that we had, and type up the shipping paperwork in triplicate on the old Selectric.  Wednesday afternoon when the power went out during the big storm, I wished we would have had the old Selectric. 

Yes, I realize it's an electric typewriter, and our power was out, but the power was out only on the first floor of the building; the second floor was up and running thanks to the trusty big Generac generator.  So we could have plugged the old Selectric in upstairs and typed our shipping orders.  Instead a half dozen people were huddled with flashlights trying to print out picking tickets for the next days shipments on a printer plugged into an emergency power supply box out in the factory.  It was quite a site.  As soon as I got home that night I dug out my trusty coal miner's headband light and took it to work the next day.  I'm going to have light in my office even if I have to wear my headband light.  But I digress.  Wednesday afternoon brought back memories of the old IBM Selectric days. 

We still have one old Selectric down on the first floor of the office building in the receptionist's office.  I hoppe she never gets rid of it.

Way To Go, Corky Miller

TWIT would like to congratulate Corky Miller for being called up earlier today to the Cincinnati Reds.  In case you don't know, Corky is the catcher for my beloved Louisville Bats, the Triple A minor league team for the Reds.  This is the second time that Corky has been called up this season.

In my 30+ years of being a minor league fan for any of the teams that have played in Louisville, I have never seen a bigger fan favorite than Corky Miller.  When he appeared along Reds legend Joe Morgan and current Reds star Jay Bruce a this past winter's Reds Caravan, Corky received more applause than Joe and Jay. 

Good luck, Corky.  We'll be looking for you and that Fu Manchu mustache behind home plate.

Lost and Not Found Update

I was getting ready to leave The Compound this morning and head to work when Mom told me that the missing box of Little Debbie oatmeal pies had been found.  Apparently noone briefed me on this breaking news when it happened.  The missing box was found in the pantry, where it had slid down and was hiding behind the canisters of flour and sugar.  It's believable.   

Lost and Not Found Update

The previously mentioned Little Debbie Oatmeal Pies have not been found, even after much searching at The Compound.  So I bought the Old Man another box today when I stopped at the store on the way home from work.  I made extra sure he knew where he put this box. 

Of course this means we will find the missing box.  As always, I'll keep you posted.

Lost and Not Found

After supper tonight, the 'Rents and I spent over a half an hour looking for a box of Little Debbie oatmeal pies that I bought at the store last week.  We never did find them.  We looked everywhere except the garage or the barn. 

We all three remember me bringing the box in the house and showing it to Dad, because the oatmeal pies are his favorite Little Debbie cakes.  After that, it's anybody's guess where they are. He swears he has only eaten one of them, and I haven't eaten any of them because I can't stand them.  And Mom wouldn't eat any of them because she's diabetic and would run from them.  I can only figure that Dad ate more than he thought last week and that they're all gone.  Maybe he had a senior moment. 

Link Of The Week

If I decide to call an out of state friend or if I need to make a business call, often times I find myself wondering what time it is in another city.  I will be honest and say I'm no good at geography, and I don't want to call someone too early or too late.

I found the perfect site to help me.  It's http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/.  Just enter the city you want to call, and it will tell you not only what time it is there, but the weather and other pertinant info as well.  Please check them out. 

Security Tip Saturday

It's rained every day since last Saturday, and rain is in the forecast for the next week here in the 'Ville, with the exception of Monday when I go back to work; it's supposed to be clear and sunny that day.  But I digress.  With all of the rain we've had there's flooding in a lot of areas in and around Louisville.  Here's some tips from the fine folks at the Department of Homeland Security on what you can do to hopefully avoid flooding in your home.

1. Be aware of flood insurance policies already in place, and if no flood insurance is present, consider purchasing a policy that will cover damage related to a flood. Many people are not aware of a lack of flood insurance coverage in existing homeowner’s policies.


2. Fix all leaks immediately. Leaky roofs and cracks in the foundation of a home not only weaken the structure, but also create a breeding ground for dangerous mold. In addition, close all foundation cracks using masonry caulk or hydraulic cement.

3. Invest in a flood alarm. Many alarm companies offer flood detectors as an add-on feature. For homeowners that don’t already have wireless security systems, there are also a number of do-it-yourself security system companies that offer flood sensors. In addition, homeowners may want to consider installing a home automation system. This way, if a flood is detected while a homeowner is away, the home automation company will be alerted. This can be useful not only if a natural disaster strikes, but also if water is left running in a home. Home automation systems can save a homeowner thousands of dollars in damage by preventing an actual flood from occurring.

4. Keep drains and gutters clear and free of debris. This will allow water to drain away from a home, rather than collecting, particularly during a time of heavy rain.
5. All electrical components in a home should be raised to a level that is at least 12 inches above a home’s projected flood elevation. This includes sockets, switches, breakers and wiring systems.
6. Keep an inventory of all valuable household possessions. It’s best to create a catalog using a digital camera or camcorder, because traditional printed photographs can get lost or also be damaged during a flood.

7. Invest in a sump pump. Sump pumps can be a very valuable asset in case of flooding. It’s best to choose either a battery-powered sump pump in case of an electrical outage, or also have a back-up battery-powered pump in addition to an electrical pump.

Stay safe.

Flashback Friday

I took some time off from work this week, and it's rained every day that I've been off.  Yep, every day.  The rains started last Saturday and hasn't let up.  It hasn't been continuous, thank goodness, but it has rained a good part of every day that I've been off.

When I was a kid and enjoying summer break, I don't remember having a week-plus of rain. But at least I haven't been at work.

Happy Birthday, America

TWIT would like to wish everyone a very happy Fourth of July today.  I can't think of a better way to celebrate the Fourth than by eating hot dogs.  Lots of hot dogs.  And that's just what Joey Chestnut and Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas did today. Both of them won the men's and women's Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest held annually at Coney Island.  During the ten-minute time limit, Joey ate a personal best 69 hot dogs (68 was his previous record) and Sonya ate 36 and 3/4 hot dogs. Sonya Thomas, the "Black Widow" of competitive eating, narrowly secured her third straight title in the women's competition earlier Thursday. She downed 36 3/4 hot dogs in 10 minutes. Last year, Sonya crammed down a record 45 hot dogs.


For years, Sonya Thomas hung with and beat many of her male competitors until Nathan's gave women their own category and prize in 2011. Thomas said her goal this year was to eat 50 dogs. She weighs in at 105 pounds, and she's number 3 in the Major League Eating rankings, regardless of gender.

For a while, it looked like the annual hot dog eating contest at Coney Island would have to be moved elsewhere; the area where the contest is held was under 8 feet of water last October after Hurricane Sandy moved through.

Farewell, Don

Today, the 'Rents and I attended the funeral of one of the sweetest, gentlest souls you would ever hope to me, our friend Don.  We were in the same Sunday School class, and my only regret is that I didn't join that class sooner so I could have gotten to know him better. 

After the church service on Sunday mornings, I always go to my "office" aka the radio room, where I collect the two-way radios from our security monitors and put them back on the chargers.  I stand in the doorway, and I'm able to see everyone as they are walking out from church.  It was a favorite time of mine because Don and his wife Leila would always stop and give me a hug and thank me for "keeping us safe." 

On the way home from the funeral, the 'Rents and I were talking about some of the things that were said about Don during the service - how he was an expert wood worker and mechanic, and how he made a 1/3 size replica of the Sopwith Camel in his basement. I made the comment of how it's sad that you only find out things about a person at their funeral.  I thought about that the rest of the way home, and thanks to Don's legacy, I'm going to start learning more about friends.

At the end of the photograph slide show that featured pictures of Don's family, the very last words were "93 years of love."  That truly is something to strive for.

You Can Stop Now

I didn't keep exact records, and this isn't a scientific nor meteorologic fact, but it's rained every day for over a week now, and it can stop any time it wants to.  Yes, I realize that this same time last year we were in the middle of a horrific heat wave with temps over 100 for a week. Fortunately that's not the case now. But we've had rain instead of the oppressive heat.  As I said, it can stop any time it wants.

Last night, it poured heavily for two continuous hours.  It will take days for the garden to dry out so the 'Rents can get in to work it over. 

As of now, we had only 1 minute of sprinkles here earlier today.  Let's keep it up.

Anniversary Reflections

Yesterday, the 'Rents celebrated their 55th anniversary.  Yep, they've been married 55 years. We were too busy partying and celebrating yesterday, but today I though quite a bit about it.  On June 30, 1958,  they took a vow and fifty-five years later, they still are honoring that vow.  In this day and age when one out of two marriages ends in divorce, that is something monumental, regardless of the fact that they are my parents.

I guess I'm thinking more about it because currently, two very close friends are having very difficult times in their marriages.  One has been married over twenty years, and the other has been married five years.  One friend has already made the decision and filed for divorce last week; the other is not sure what to do and is still trying to figure out what to do. 

I know that the 55 years my parents have been married haven't always been perfect.  They've had problems to face like anyone.  And during the years that they've been my parents, they've taught me by example the value of unconditional love.

For the past year or more, I've felt somewhat helpless when talking to these two dear friends; I have not been married and I don't have kids, so at times I didn't know what to say to help them.  All I could do is just remind them that I loved them and would support them unconditionally.  I hope that's enough.