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Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Road Apples, #144

Posting Numbers...I by and large don't talk about "hits" or any sort of stuff regarding the blog.  Yes, I do have statistics, but I personally find it distasteful to talk about that kind of thing.  I heard a more seasoned blogger once refer to things like that as "blog whoring".  Anyway, I do find it remarkable that when I put certain words in posting titles (words like "Rush Limbaugh" or "Penn State") my numbers are significantly higher than, say, "Road Apples".  It's always been that way.  You will note that I only rarely write about the topics that generate high traffic.  Why?  Because that would run counter to the reason why I do this in the first place:  to entertain me.  Entertaining everyone else is a side benefit.

West Pittston Observations...I don't have many.  It's been too darn cold to observe much of anything.  I will say this though:  It's a beautiful little town.  Now it would be nice if they actually had a garbage pick-up, but I understand the rationale behind not having it.  It also focused the reality of one aspect of (formerly) living in Scranton, namely that residents there don't actually pay the real cost of trash collection.

Global Warming...I've heard more than a few knuckleheads talking about "now's where's all the global warming?" as it's so bitterly cold outside.  As true knuckleheads though, they miss real point behind the science of climate change, namely that global warming is causing extremes in the weather.  Going from 50 degrees early Monday morning to minus 3 degrees this morning is precisely the point.  Get used to it folks.

Bathroom Madness...We are having a second full bathroom put in the house, and the work commenced on Monday morning.  Pictures to follow.  I love looking at the guts of a house; it's remarkable to see what goes into creating a structure like a home.  The people who build such things have a talent, much more so than some of what is admired in this day and age.

Buying Pot in Colorado...or wherever the heck is now legal seems to be quite the news item these days.  I guess long lines of stoners makes for a break from the usual news of cold weather and dysfunctional politics.  On the subject of the use of Marijuana I'll note the following:  Unless you are a Chemo patient where having the munchies would actually help you get better, then I think that people who use Pot are idiots.  Dolts, if you prefer that word.  It's simply dumb.  Yes, I know there are other medical uses for the plant, but I don't buy much of what the stoner culture sells to willing ears on the subject.  For objective medical advice not tainted by too many Cheech & Chong movies, I suggest WebMD.  Now do I think it that Pot is worse than, say, booze?  Not necessarily, but then again I don't drink alcohol either.  One messes up your lungs (inhaling any burning plant matter will do that), the other your liver; either way, it's a steep price to pay for a minor escape from reality.  As for me, I always found a good book and some music offered more than enough reality respite, thank you very much.

Bill Courtright...is now the Mayor of the City of Scranton.  Good luck.  As I've noted here many times, while I hope for the best, Mr Courtright's tenure in public office isn't one marked by taking chances, making tough decisions or doing anything that smells of innovation.  He seems to be a "steady as you go" kind of guy.  If Scranton were in decent financial shape, didn't owe 20+ million to police & firemen, and wasn't suffering from a slow population decline, then I'd say that Bill Courtright is right for Scranton.  Reality though is somewhat different, and the last thing Scranton needs is a leader who is afraid to rock the boat.  As I have said many, many times before, this will not end well.  Scranton is functionally bankrupt now; all that's left is the legal definition.

Surgeon General's Report on Smoking...NPR had a terrific article this morning on the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Surgeon General's report on smoking.  It's worth five minutes of your time to read (HERE).  Proof positive that government can do things that the private sector can't; in fact, if left to the private sector, we'd still have advertisements from Tobacco companies featuring doctors touting the benefits of smoking.  Anyway, if you smoke, I'm sure there are people in your life who love and depend on you, so please quit.  No habit is worth your life.

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