A question for the candidates

Both presidential candidates are
claiming they are the best chance to
save our country from itself.

Both presidential candidates are
claiming their opponent would
ruin our country and drive us all
to poverty, or worse.

We can’t remember either candidate
mentioning child poverty and the
fact that there is a simple solution
that would drop the probability of
child poverty by 82%.

Yes, there are the free meals at
schools, but we mean a real solution
to a real problem and not a feel good
photo-op moment.

The politicians are pushing the
answer of education down our throats,
and it helps, but not while the child
is still a child.

It helps the children after they
have lived through childhood poverty,
not while they experience it.

The answer is simple. Marriage is
our greatest weapon against this
problem. It lowers the chance of
child poverty by 82%.

In 2009, 37.1% of all poor families
were single parent, female-headed,
while 6.8% were married two-parent
families.

Hispanic families headed by a single
parents are 3 times more likely to
be poor than married, two-parent
families.

Black families headed by a single
parents are 5 times more likely to
be poor.

And among whites, single parent
families are 7 times more likely to
be poor.

4 of every 10 babies born are to
unwed mothers. The number rises to
5 of every 10 for Hispanics, and 7
of every ten for blacks.

Nationwide, 65% of unwed mothers
are high school dropouts.

So we have to ask; is the answer
really free school lunches?

The figures are from a study done by
The Heritage Foundation.
Comments are always welcome.

Online cruisin stops

It has been one of those weeks and we
are glad it is almost over. For some
odd reason it was busier than usual
at Casa Cruiser and full of surprises.

When the stress level goes up we like
to cruise the internet to relax. Here
are a few things we’ve found online.

If you have a welder, wish you did,
or just want to know more, Lincoln
Electric has an online safety manual.

Worried about crime in your little
corner of the world? You can see if
you need to worry or not at
myLocalcrime.

A couple of guys are making motorcycles
in Paris using vintage parts from
various bikes to make neat looking
retro rides at Bespoke Wheels.

From Maryland comes and interesting
story with a curious title called
New Cameras to watch cameras that watch you
on the WTOP FM website.

If you like rat rods, we found this-

We saw a picture of a Goliath GD750,
and had to look into it further.
Here’s one of the weird critters on
video-

We have always liked Red Skelton’s
take on the Pledge of Allegiance-

And lastly, a page from Snopes that
gets us grinning. Yes, it is true that
some of the naval vessels used as
a backdrop were Russian.

Comments are always welcome.

A possibly real story

Sometimes we receive military themed
emails from friends. On these
occasions we wonder if we could get
into trouble for showing pictures
of new weaponry.

We have decided, in this case, it
is worth the risk. Some who have
never been in the military may not
get a chance to see them otherwise.

Times were tough in Afghanistan and
some of the soldiers felt things were
not going as well they were told.
This caused a few to come up with
interesting ideas to find a way out.

The fighting was escalating. The
rules of engagement forced the
military to initiate new combat
tactics.

With the cutbacks in military spending,
everyone was retrained on how to use
their weapon.

Things were looking so bleak our
fighting forces were willing to try
anything, even the drafting of Harry
Potter.

During an escalation in the violence,
the watches were doubled up using the
buddy system.

As a last resort, the super-secret
Obama Alternative Power Tug was used
to haul around the heavy artillery.

The natives got restless, so an air
strike was called. This led to problems
with the pilots finding the coordinates.

All available personnel were called to
action, and even the female pilots
prepared for a long ordeal.

Since there was anti-aircraft fire it
was decided to deploy only when the full
moon was a distraction.

During a tough economy we all share
the sacrifice. New machine guns were
installed on all fighter planes.

When all else failed the Obama warplane
was taken out of a super-secret hanger
to do battle. This too is an alternative
power vehicle.

To really confuse the enemy diversionary
tactics were used.

Something different was needed so the
engineers came up with a better
diversionary tactic.

All that being said, we have only the
utmost respect for our brothers and
sisters in harm’s way. The pictures are
real, only the story has been changed
to preserve the morale of our troops.
Comments are always welcome.

A lot going on update

September is almost gone, the week
end is almost here, and there is so
much going on even a blind man
could find a show. But before we do
you might remember this one from
1961-

Friday, September 28 is Poopy’s Car
Night at 1030 Viaduct Road, Savanna,
Illinois from 5-8:30 pm.

Friday, September 28 is the Last of
September Friday Night Advance Auto
Cruise In held at 3813 18th Avenue,
Rock Island, Illinois. Runs 5:30- 8
pm.

Saturday, September 29, it the Run
Watcha Brung Drag Fest at Cordova
Dragway. Gates open at 2 pm and the
event runs until midnight. For more
information go here.

Saturday, September 29 is the Mississippi
Valley Mustang Roundup at the Milan
Hy-Vee, 201 West 10 Avenue in Milan,
Illinois from 4-8 pm.

Saturday, September 29 is Muscle on
Main held on Main Street in Maquoketa,
Iowa from 6-10 pm. It is a free event.

Sunday, September 30 is the Quad Cities
Vintage Rods’ 41st Annual Car Show held
at Blackhawk College, 6600 34th Avenue,
Moline, Illinois. The event runs from
9am to 2 pm and there is a $2 spectator
fee. For more information call
309-796-3080.

Sunday, September 30 is the Quad Cities
Mustang Club Cruise In to Dahl Ford, 1310
East Kimberly Road, Davenport, Iowa. It
runs from 11 am to 3 pm. Car owners are
asked to bring something to donate to
the food pantry, and the event is open
to all Ford-powered vehicles.

Saturday, October 6 is the Toys For
Tots Classic Car Cruise at NorthPark
Mall. The event kicks off at 3 pm and
the cruise starts at 4:30 pm.

The car in the pictures is real. It
even has a name, ‘Shorebreak’. We can’t
look at this car without smiling.

The car came from the mind of Ron Berry.
He has been a customizer for around 50
years, starting in Southern California
and now of Utah.

Mr. Berry designed it and did all the
wood working, fiberglassing, and metal
shaping himself but outsourced the paint.

There are a lot more events going on,
we only list a few that are local.
Comments are always welcome.

Does America suck? rant

A recent investment newsletter states
that ‘America Sucks’.

The author lists reasons why he believes
it does. Like a double amputee in a
nursing home shot by police for wielding
a pen, Michigan police firing 46 bullets
at a homeless man, and prescription drug
deaths, to name a few.

We will agree that everything is not
perfect, but the very fact you can
publish such an article disproves your
statement.

America has an apathetic citizenry
who elect sub-standard politicians
who enact meaningless legislation
while spending more money than
the country has.

We have an ever-growing segment of
our population receiving welfare as
another growing segment has tried
to shoulder the burden by absorbing
cleverly hidden tax increases.

We are working longer to bring home
less while costs are increasing. As
our taxes have been raised, our wages
have stagnated, and gas prices defy
explanation.

But is it really that bad when even
those considered poor have widescreen
TVs, gaming systems, cell phones, and
food?

Can America suck if people are still
volunteering and donating to the
charities of their choice? Or if
our citizens still believe the
country will pull out of this slump?

America will suck only when no one
will stand up and defend it.

There are some problems our country
is experiencing, but problems exist
to be solved.

If you have something else you want
to rant about, have at it.
Comments are always welcome.

Hot off the keyboard

We were saddened to hear of the passing
of Tom Reinhold. The area lost one of
the best locksmiths and biggest Hawkeye
fan we ever had the pleasure to know.
Our condolences to the family.

Now to happier thoughts. If you haven’t
already heard, the Barracuda is going to
make a comeback. If the actual car looks
anything like the pictures it should be
a big seller.

If you haven’t checked out Rod Authority
and you’re a car nut, you should. Their
newsletter is one we look forward to.
The newest one has a history of the
Bonneville Salt Flats, and a lot more.

Perhaps you’re thinking about getting
a copy of Tales of the Rat Fink, but
haven’t seen the trailer. If you remember
Ed “Big Daddy” Roth you should have the
DVD in your collection.

On a whole different note, we ask that
you check out Aidan Has A Posse.
It tells the story of Elisa and Bobby
Seeger who lost their 7-year-old son
to ALD. It is a rare brain disorder
that can be treated if caught early.

Their son, Aidan passed away on April
29, 2012. We salute the parents who
turned a tragedy into a mission to help
others.

They are trying to get ‘Aidean’s Law’
passed to require screening newborns
for the disease. The cost would be
around $1.50 per child and could save
others from this horrible disease.

And just in case you were wondering,
we have guide to the best and worst
cleaning products on the market. If
you think a “green” cleaning product
is automatically better than regular,
go to the story.
Comments are always welcome.

A simple man

We went to a funeral today for the wife’s
Uncle. I had met him a few times and what
stuck with me is that he reminded me of
my Grandpa, and we shared the same
birthday.

We left town at a little after 8 am this
morning headed for Walford, Iowa. We
arrived at the Trinity Lutheran Church a
little early so we mingled with fellow
mourners.

When asked if anyone wanted to share
their memories of George, a niece went
to microphone and held up a worn spoon
and fork.

She stated that if you knew George you
knew what they symbolized. He always
held that since he lived alone he only
needed 1 spoon, 1 fork, 1 plate, and
1 skillet.

She went on to say that she and her
husband offered to help him, to which
he replied; what would I do with more
money?

He was a man who had little money
but felt blessed because he had
family,friends, God, and what he
needed.

Two vocalists sang Amazing Grace and
How Great Thou Art, the first song
accompanied with guitar and the later
with piano.

After the memorial services, but
before the burial, there was a meal
set up in another part of the church
for anyone who wanted to attend.

The burial was at Cedar Memorial
Cemetery in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It
was a short ceremony attended only
by family members and closest friends.

After the graveside services most
there were going to a relative’s who
lived in area and we chose to return
home.

We pulled in our driveway around 3:30
pm, somehow at peace about all that
is going on in our country and the
world.

It also helped resolve my fear of the
‘Unknown Church’. As I was driving away
the rearview mirror assured me the
church was still standing after I was
in it. Perhaps our luck is changing.
Comments are always welcome.

Money, scams, and a collection

If you have 5 minutes to spare today you
should watch this video a friend shared
with us. It makes a bad situation look
even worse.

Congress can’t balance the budget, no
amounts of cuts they want to make will
help lower the deficit, and none of them
will admit there is a problem and work
to remedy the problem.

This should be a wake up call to some
of us that legislators have not been
doing their job for some time.

And with our recent experience with
debit card fraud, we thought it about
time to add another internet crime alert.

From September 19, the IC3 or Internet
Crime Complaint Center mentions a triangle
credit card fraud, a different version of
the work-at-home scam, and another take
on the hit man scam.

These alerts show that we must remember
not all people are honest. Some are out
to rid us of our money.

We’ll leave you with what is supposed to
be the largest collection of Ed “Big
Daddy” Roth vehicles in the world. If you
were a fan, we’re sure it will be like a
trip down memory lane.

Comments are always welcome.

To the crook

This is to the person or persons unknown
who fraudulently used the wife’s debit
card to order some electronic equipment.

We know you used the card on Saturday,
we know where you spent our money, and
we know how much of our money you spent.

Being honest people we wondered why one
would do such a thing. The company you
chose would give no information to my
wife even though it was charged to her
account.

The bank is looking into the matter and
so is the local police, the Attorney
General of our state, and the FBI. You
had better hope they find you before we
do.

The account you used has been flagged
and the numbers will be changed. Please
do not think that just because the total
was less than $250 that we will forget.

Just so you know, my wife has lost three
Uncles and a pet cat this month and didn’t
need any added stress. We will be at yet
another funeral tomorrow.

After the funeral we will be turning up
the heat to ensure you are arrested,
tried, and convicted.
Comments are always welcome.

The list

Last night the low got down into the
30s. We’re a few days into fall so
that shouldn’t surprise us.

But it seems as we get older there
are more “AHA!” moments when we
remember the things we forgot to do
to get ready for fall.

Usually I make a list of things to
be done before the snow falls and
check off items as they get done.

Sometimes, I lose the list. This
is where the wife just rolls her
eyes.

I have never figured out if she is
praying for strength, of suppressing
a laugh.

The quest for the missing list is
usually predictable according to
the wife.

She claims I make a pot of coffee,
carry a cup to the office, and get
lost in my thoughts.

In my defense, I do search for the
list. I just sidelined when I move
things around and find a shiny
object.

Case in point, I moved a small box
of forms and found a chrome water
bottle holder that bolts on a bike.

Since it went on a bicycle, and I
don’t have a bicycle in the office,
a trip to the garage seemed in
order.

The wife vetoed that idea, the
bottle holder ended up on the kitchen
table, and I ended up back in the
office to locate the list.

After several tries, and several
shiny objects, we have agreed to
make a new list and forego looking
for the old one.

This worked out good for me because
during the few trips to the garage
I got some exercise and fresh air.

Getting outside I really enjoyed the
day because I know it won’t be long
before the azure skies turn to slate,
the gentle breezes will turn to gale
force winds, and I find the list.
Comments are always welcome.