Events post

We’ve been a little lax on posting upcoming events lately.
Here are some, feel free to mention any not listed.

Through July 13th is the John Deere Classic at Deere Run.
If you like golf, we hear this is the one to see.

July 10th, if you don’t have a clown phobia, the circus
comes to town. The Carson & Barnes Circus wll be at the
Northpark Mall for two shows at 4:30 and 7:30 pm. The
tickets say it will be under a tent the size of a football
field. 36,000 pounds of elephants, daring young men on
the flying trapeze, a motorcycle daredevil, a human
highwire pyramid, and the world hula-hoop champs. To learn
more go here.

July 12th is the Village of East Davenport Car Display.
This is hosted by the Quad Cities Antique Ford Club, and
the Studebaker Club. Registration starts at 9:30 am, the
event runs from 11 am to 4 pm. There is no charge. Door
prizes and music by 3-D Sound.

Later on the 12th is the Southpark Mall Cruise-in, hosted
by the Quad Cities Cruisers from 6-9:30 pm. It’s held in
the parking lot by JC Penny.

July 15th is the opening day of the Rock Island County Fair.
For more information go to the website.

July 18th is the cruise night at Hardees in Coralville, Ia.
This event is hosted by the Cruisamatics.

July 19th is the Walcott Days Parade/ Car Show. Registration
runs 8:30 am to 12:30 pm. Awards at 2:30 pm.

July 24th is the first day of the 27th Bix Fest.

July 26th is the Northpark Mall Cruise-in hosted by the
River Valley Classics.This one runs from 6pm until the
cows come home. Admission is usually $2.

July 29th is the first day of the Mississippi Valley Fair.
For more info go here.

There’s a few events, if something sounds interesting, why
not give it a go. Comments are welcome.

Thinking

Sometimes we wonder about how the average citizen thinks.
Congress has a lower approval rating the president, the
president has the lowest approval of any recent president,
and our dollar is losing value faster than GM stock.

And we re-elect these people we’re not happy with, to
keep doing a substardard job, while praising them for
doing it.

Prices are up, employers are laying off, and Congress
treats us like mushrooms. Yes, they keep us in the dark
and fill us full of crap. After giving themselves a nice
cost-of-living pay increase, they announce a pared-down
summer agenda.

They also are not going to do anything about our rising
costs with the time left. That’s not entirely true, they
are going to push pet projects that will ensure the current
economic problem doesn’t go away any time soon.

They have passed a $225 billion farm bill, most of which
will go into food stamps and not the farm. They are working
on a $300 billion global health initiative, that will give
$50 billion to Africa and other countries to fight aids,
malaria and other diseases.

They want to ban lead in toys. Lead wouldn’t be in our
toys if they banned importing them from China. And they are
again pushing the bill on Medicare payments to doctors. As
it was passed last time our president could veto it. Then of
course we have the mortage bail-out. This is another program,
if passed, the will cost a couple of hundred billion dollars,
and help around 6 percent of homeowners, or less.

Next month Congress will be recessed all month. After that,
being an election year, not much will get done either. As is
always the case with this group, they have a bunch of ideas to
spend a bunch of money; but no concept of where the money’s
going to come from.

Some members are talking another economic relief package. We
feel it our patriotic duty to tell congress the answer. A good
economic relief package should include; making our dollar worth
a dollar again. Lowering the price of our gasoline, food, taxes,
health insurance, and building materials. And start drilling
for oil, everywhere and anywhere. Use coal and shale to make
oil, and quit restricting the automakers. That would be a good
start. Beam us up Scotty, there’s no intelligent life on this
planet.

Comments are welcome.

East Locust street detour

East Locust street is closed between Virginia St. and Pershing Ave. This is due to a sinkhole. There will be detours, but it’s expected to take about a week before this section reopens. If you travel this stretch of East Locust, you may want to add a little extra time, or look for an alternative route. This may be an inconvience, but we’re sure the city will get it repaired as soon as possible.

A little bit of everything

This post is going to have a little bit of everything in it.
First I’d like to to say happy birhtday to my lovely wife. In
a few short months she will have put up with me for 21 years.
We’ve cruised on sunny days, we’ve cruised on bad days; but
we’ve always cruised together. Enjoy your day.

At this year’s Back to the 50’s, sponsored by the MSRA, there
were 11,712 cars registered. We’ll bet that was quite a
sight at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. We’ll see if we can
get some pictures up. To learn more about the event, go to
MSRA.

Saturday the race at Daytona was something to watch. With the
crashes on the last lap it ended with a bang. It did prove that
even though the ‘car of tomorrow’ is ugly, it does appear safer
than the car it replaced.

The fires in California are raging again. At first we thought;
why would somebody choose to live in an area that has fires
just about every year? Then we thought, we live here because of
a river that floods.

Since we touched on the flood we figured we’d mention the Blues
Fest. It was moved last minute to 2nd Street, which had to give
headaches to the volunteer organizers. Thursday we were moved
three times due to breaches in the perimeter fencing. Having
worked the Bix Fest for 8 years, we knew some people like to get
in without paying. It seems to be a game with them. Most people
were civil when we told them they had to go around with very few
arguments at our post. A nod to all the volunteers, and
organizers. Everyone did a great job.

Gasoline is on a lot of minds.
We’ve heard it could hit $7 a gallon in 4 years.
Why is it that everyone seems to know what won’t work, but nobody
knows what will? It seems to us that those in power think paying
more is a good thing. Remember the cigarette tax? If something
we use is deemed unpleasant by these people, their answer always
seems to be raise the price. After all, if they raise the price,
we’ll use less. They can always blame, big oil, speculators, car
companies, or George Bush.

We have a novel idea for our lawmakers; do your job! Our taxes
keep going up, new taxes get added, and the average citizen sees
less getting done. Our deficit is at an all-time high, and more
money is getting spent. Kinda reminds us of the old country
western song “She got the goldmine, I got the shaft”.

That’s our take on a few things, comments on just about anything
are welcome.

Spyware

Below is information about spyware from the CyberAngels newsletter.
This information was in the July newsletter and we thought maybe some
of us would need a refresher on the subject.

How to Recognize Spyware

The following tips are not comprehensive, but are common indicators that spyware may be running on your computer:

Your computer receives a large amount of pop-up windows, even when you are not browsing the Internet. You may also receive a lot of unexpected or unusual errors.
When you browse the Internet, you are unable to choose web pages, unable to use certain keys or mouse buttons, or are redirected to different pages.
You see new toolbars in your Internet browser, or unfamiliar icons in your task tray or on your desktop.
The homepage of your browser or your search function have been changed.
Your computer or Internet connection appears to be much slower than usual.

How to Avoid Spyware

Avoid downloading free programs or applications from unfamiliar websites. Download only from trusted sources.
Avoid downloading anything from an e-mail link unless you are certain it is trustworthy; some spammers advertise anti-spyware programs that will in fact install more spyware on your computer.
Never click any links in pop-up windows. Always use the X icon in the title bar rather than clicking “Close” in the window. These pop-ups may indicate spyware.
Ask your network administrator for help in securing your browser. Many newer browsers offer a pop-up blocking option that will help eliminate the inconvenience - and potential threat - of advertisement windows.

Always use a firewall. These programs will alert you when suspicious software is being installed on your computer, and may help prevent spyware.
If you download software, scan it with a current and trusted virus-checker; some newer virus scans include spyware and will alert you if there may be a threat.

Coping with Spyware

If you think your computer may have had spyware installed on it, you should run a legitimate anti-spyware program. Ad-Aware, SpySweeper, PestPatrol, and Spybot Search and Destroy are well-known and trustworthy programs that will search your computer for spyware and eliminate it. Always make sure to use the most current version of these programs available, as spammers continually create new software. Some virus scanners will help you remove spyware as well, although these are often less effective than a dedicated spyware program.

About CyberAngels

As part of its mission of “keeping it safe” The Guardian Angels moved beyond the streets and
responded to citizens’ calls for protection from online threats with the launch of
CyberAngels in 1995. The volunteer-based CyberAngels is one of the oldest and most
respected online safety education programs in the world. Our organization
offers articles, instruction, tips and resources via our website to promote safe Internet use
by children and families, guide parents, and assist victims of cyber crimes.

Comments are welcome.

More helpful hints

We recieve and send a lot of emails. We really don’t mind.
So here’s the deal. In this post, we’ll show you how to
know when your mouse overheats, and clues to help decide
if someone has had one too many.

We’ve sent so many e-mails that our mouse overheated.
Check it out for yourself.
This is what happens when you overuse your mouse:
Click HERE

THINGS THAT ARE DIFFICULT TO SAY WHEN
DRUNK:
1. Innovative
2. Preliminary
3. Proliferation
4. Cinnamon

THINGS THAT ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO SAY WHEN DRUNK:
1. Specificity
2. Anti-constitutionalistically
3. Passive-aggressive disorder
4. Tran substantiate

THINGS THAT ARE DOWNRIGHT IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY WHEN DRUNK
1. No thanks, I’m married.
2. Nope, no more booze for me!
3. Sorry, but you’re not really my type.
4. Taco Bell? No thanks, I’m not hungry.
5. Good evening, officer. Isn’t it lovely out tonight?
6. Oh, I couldn’t! No one wants to hear me sing karaoke.
7. I’m not interested in fighting you.
8. Thank you, but I won’t make any attempt to dance, I
have no coordination. I’d hate to look like a fool!
9. Where is the nearest bathroom? I refuse to pee in
this parking lot or on the side of the road.
10. I must be going home now, as I have to work in the
morning.

You could have heard a pin drop

The following may or may not be true. To be honest we don’t care.
We thank Al for the email and hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
It’s more about a feeling that all veterans get reading a bunch of
words put together like these are. So before you go to Snopes, and
comment that the following post isn’t factual, we don’t care. It is
strickly in the spirit of the holiday.

When in England, at a fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked
by the Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an
example of empire building’ by George Bush.

He answered by saying, ‘Over the years, the United
States has sent many of its fine young men and women
into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders.
The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return
is enough to bury those that did not return.’
You could have heard a pin drop.

There was a conference in France where a number of
international engineers were taking part, including French
and American. During a break, one of the French engineers
came back into the room saying ‘Have you heard the latest
dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft
carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What
does he intended to do, bomb them?’
A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly: ‘Our
carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several
hundred people; they are nuclear powered and can supply
emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they
have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000
people three meals a day, they can produce several
thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each
day, and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in
transporting victims and injured to and from their flight
deck. We have eleven such ships; how many does
France have?’
You could have heard a pin drop.

A U.S. Navy Admiral was attending a naval conference
that included Admirals from the U.S., English, Canadian,
Australian and French Navies. At a cocktail reception,
he found himself standing with a large group of Officers
that included personnel from most of those countries.
Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped
their drinks but a French admiral suddenly complained that,
whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn
only English.’ He then asked, ‘Why is it that we always have
to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking
French?’
Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied ‘Maybe
it’s because the Brits, Canadians, Aussies and Americans
arranged it so you wouldn’t have to speak German.’
You could have heard a pin drop.

Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in
Paris by plane. At French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carry on.
You have been to France before, monsieur?’ the customs officer
asked sarcastically.Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France
previously Then you should know enough to have your passport ready.’The American said, “‘The last time I was here, I didn’t have to show it.”Impossible. Americans always have to show your passports
on arrival in France!’The American senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look. Then he quietly explained, “‘Well, when I came ashore
at Omaha Beach on D-Day in 1944 to help liberate this country,
I couldn’t find a single Frenchmen to show a passport to.’
You could have heard a pin drop.

So remember, although today we celebrate our independence, our
military people protect our freedoms to do so.
We hope you enjoy the holiday, drive safe, and we thank all fellow veterans out there.

Weeds

Normally on Thursday we like to rant. Due to a few things
going on, that isn’t going to happen today. First we had a
few rants already this week; we are volunteering to work
the Blues Fest, and Keith Meyer sent me an email. Thanks
once again for the thought. Emails to us are like t-shirts,
if somebody goes to the trouble to send us one, we’ll at
least look at it. My first thought was what could I possibly
get out of a seven page article on weeds?

I was surprised. While we still don’t entirely buy
into the global warming hype, we can accept that the co2
levels would have to be higher than in the horse and buggy
days. We’ll add a link to the article at the end of this
post if you care to read it.

An article in the June 29, 2008 issue of the New York Times
magazine is by Tom Christopher entitled “Can weeds help solve
the climate crisis?”

In Maryland, scientists at the Department of Argriculture’s
research campus have been working on how increased levels of
carbon dioxide will affect how plants grow. They studied the
affect of increased temperatures and co2 in cities and in the
country.

At this point, one statement stuck out to us. It basically
said that carbon dioxide has recieved a lot of attention as
a greenhouse gas. But it is also, along with water, light and
nutrients, one of the four essential resources for plant
growth. The effect of raising this gas’s concentration on
plants is not really understood.

Lewis Ziska, a weed ecologist, found that in Baltimore the
temperature was 3 to 4 degrees warmer than surrounding the
countryside. He also found that the co2 level is well above
the current global average. In fact, it matched a level
that some experts predict as an average for the planet in
30 to 50 years. He set up three test beds, an organic farm
in the western part of the state, one by an inner harbor,
and a park in Baltimore. He took soil from the farm, which
already had seeds from 35 common weeds, to each bed to test
results.

He got a shock when the weed lambs-quarters grew to 6 to 8
feet tall on the farm, but to 10 to 12 feet tall in the city.
He made a lot of interesting discoveries along the way. He
found that restoration that took decades in a woodland, was
nearly completed in 5 years in the co2 rich air of the city.

We also found out that weeds cost U.S. farmers about 12
percent of their harvest, costing an annual loss of $33 million.
We also learned that some weeds we have today were actually
brought here for their beauty or utility.

Weeds mean different things to different people. To gardeners,
a weed is a plant out of place. To farmers, a weed is any
plant that interferes with profit. And to Ralph Waldo Emerson,
a weed is a plant who’s virtues have not yet been discovered.

Plants like red rice or wild oats are some of the most trouble-
some weeds today, but were once a food source. Weeds like
Canada thistle and quack grass are resistant to herbicides. And
cheatgrass in the western U.S. has changed the landscape due
to it’s combustability. When the area was native grassland,
fires occured once every 60 to 100 years, now that cheatgrass
has taken over fires occur every 3 to 5 years. Of course they
talk about the heat moving north also.

One other thing he found interesting, and on the web, is that
marijuana growers have an amazingly detailed knowledge of how
co2 enrichment affects their crop. He doesn’t look for any
scientific papers from this group anytime soon.

There is a lot more in the article
here. We still don’t like weeds, but at least we know more
about them. Comments on just about anything are welcome.

Rough winter

On an earlier post we had some comments about the upcoming winter. Anonymous asked us to provide sources for these comments and we declined to produce most of them. In that vein, here
are some figures, with references that do address the issue.

From the Energy Information Administration
comes the news that crude oil prices will increase 68.9%. At the same
time, gasoline prices will raise by 34.7%, diesel by 50.1%, heating oil
by 45.4%, and natural gas by 14.1%. These figures are from the chart on
the web page.

In the mean time, world consumption is projected to grow by 1
million barrels per day, while U.S. consumption is expected to
fall due to higher petroleum product prices and slower economic
growth.

Natural gas use is also projected to fall, but with smaller
reserves, the price is expected to rise. There’s more information
on the site for those who care to look.

Costs for home heating in the midwest are projected to rise by 37%
according to AARP.

From smartmoney.com,
we quote the following-
Residential heating oil prices are projected to rise 29% to $4.46 per
gallon in the fourth quarter of 2008 from $3.16 per gallon during the
same period last year, according to the Energy Information
Administration. Those who use natural gas to heat their homes (a fair
majority at 48% of U.S. households) shouldn’t expect to fare much
better. The EIA projects the average price of natural gas to rise 27%
year over year (from $12.65 per thousand cubic feet in the fourth
quarter of 2007 to $17.21 per thousand cubic feet in fourth quarter
of 2008).

These projections don’t sound bad compared to the ones mentioned in an
earlier post. But even at the rates mentioned above some elderly people are
going to have to make hard choices this winter. We don’t know about you,
but we are getting awful tired of being told these increases are
necessary. The people who employ us don’t throw extra money our way
every year to cover the extra cost.

There’s a more tamer version of our earlier post. So this is a rosier
picture of what some are projecting our costs to be for what it’s
worth. We say with everything else raising in price, this is the last
news we need. Comments on just about anything are welcome.

Racism guest post

This is a guest post. It was posted on MySpace by a young
man who just graduated high school. It may be offensive to
some, but we think the young man gets his point accross.
That being said, feel free to label us as racist, or sexist,
or whatever the current label is for those who don’t cruise
with the main pack. It wasn’t posted by our son, but our
son does know the poster. And now, the guest post-

You call me: redneck, hillbilly, slaker, cracker, honkey,
whitey, sage, white girl/boy, and you think it’s ok.

But when I call you: jungle bunny, spear chunker, coon,
wet back, jiggaboo, porch monkey, rag head, towelhead,
camel jockey, gook, spook, kike, slant eyes, or chink,
you call me a racist.

You have the United Negro College Fund. You have Martin
Luther King Day. You have Black History Month. You have
Cesar Chavez Day. You have Yom Hashoah. You have Ma’uled
Al-Nabi. You have the NAACP. You have the BET.

If we had WET (white entertainment television)…we’d be
racist. If we had white pride day…you’d call us racist.
If we had white history month…we’d be racist. If we had
an organization for only whites to “advance” our lives…
we’d be racist. If we had a college fund that only gave
white students scholarships…you know we’d be racist. In
the Million Man March, you believed that you were marching
for your race and rights. If we marched for our race and
rights…you would call us racist.

Did you know that some high school students decided to make
a club for only white students because the other ethnicities
had them. They all got sent to court for being racist but the
african-american, Latino, and Asia clubs were not even
questioned!

You are proud to be black, brown, yellow and orange, and
you’re not afraid to announce it. But when we announce our
white pride, you call us racist.

I am white. And I am proud.
Now watch, I’ll be racist for reposting this.
—————————-

That’s a young mans take, he’s seventeen and a graduate. As
you may have guessed, he’s also proud of his heritage. We
didn’t change any spelling or punctuation. As is always the
case, comments on the guest post, or just about anything else
are welcome.