President Day Post

In Boston there is a tradition of saving your shoveled parking space with items to prevent access to those not worthy - the ones that didn’t shovel it out. Now a city ordinance allows this to happen for 48 hours and then the rules change but folks still have the items out ignoring the “Mumbles Mandate.” The trash collectors have been told to remove them since they are considered refuse so chairs, toilets, barrels and other items are collected. In Middleboro that would not be a problem since they don’t pick up the stuff.

The Republicans in Congress seem to be in a bit of reverse on budget slashing as their machetes have turned into a pocket knife.

The Patriot Act had a surprise as 26 Republicans came to their collective senses and voted against extending it.

Charlie Sheen would make a wonderful addition to Congress or maybe as Prime Minister of Italy?

The basketball season continues on at the professional level. I remember “back in the day” when Gene Conley would be pitching for the Sox and backing up Bill Russell. Now that season seems to extend half way through baseball season.

Back when the Sox traded Frank Sullivan (6’7”) for Gene Conley (6’8”) someone asked Frank Lane - a notable GM - who got the better of the deal? His reply: “Red Sox by an inch.”

I wonder what will become talking points for the BOS race? My personal question if I manage to get off my posterior will be “What do you plan to do for health care cost reduction in union negotiations?” Same can be said for patient zero in the local health care issue - the teachers union.

Metro South Chamber of Commerce is offering a great trip to China in November. This is a nine day trip with most meals, four and five star hotels and airfare from Boston for $2,050 per person.

Scott Brown is now approaching 8 Mil in his campaign fund. That will be an attention getter for any potential opponent. Brown has drawn fire from the right, left and middle so he must be doing something right since I am so use to our Congressional delegation pandering to the far left.

The Scott Brown money will only grow and grow exponentially if he wins in 2012 since he’ll be on the front burner for Republican presidential hopes for 2016. Money equals access to power.

I saw another letter by Marc Pacheco in the Gazette responding to Jim Thomas. Naturally - like many others from left of center - he dragged out the new code words “toxic” and “Vitriolic” to describe Thomas previous letters. Spare me the tears, senator, since after listening to Barney Frank for years Thomas is actually Ms. Manners. Once you start getting them to respond - and Pacheco has - you have won.

Now my dear Barney Frank is not going to give up his 400 or so years of “service” in Congress and quietly - wait - quietly and Barney? LMBAO - ride into the sunset and return to his previous employment - pumping gas back in the 50s! No dreaded private sector for Barney. So now the political musical chairs begin - what moonbat will be on the outside looking in? If I was in Congress and the major portion of my district was west of Worcester I’d be checking on my pension payout.

I’d love to see Sarah Palin and her daughter Bristol appear on Jeopardy. Well….maybe “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” OK….than a 1st grader. My money would be on the kids.

Mitt Romney is suppose to be making another run at being the Leader of The Free World. Almost enough to make me vote for President WOW - if I voted for a national slate at all.

The rotary relief has been deep sixed again. Looks like I will continue to take five minutes rather one minute to get through now that the exotic pathway has been eliminated. But putting my personal negativism aside it’s demise is not something I would pin on the BOS, TM, Planning Board, DPW, IT Director and anyone else for it just seems to be a semi greedy developer.

When they finally get around to actually doing something with the rotary it would IMO end up being a local version of “The Big Dig” with escalating costs, shoddy workmanship and a time line that will last until we are all like the Jetsons. I imagine that project will be very, very costly.

I saw our delegation meet with the BOS so I tried to drift through all the political speak and make some sense of it but all I managed to hear was “tough” as far as cities and towns getting anything.

Watching the Three Amigos or is it Stooges before the BOS I once again saw my aversion to suits and ties. I really think a tie is absolutely stupid. Just dumb to me. My wife - The Lovely Cynthia - thinks a well dressed man is attractive. So that places me in the non attractive category. The one good thing about suits is that they seem fairly timeless as some I have are 30+ years old and still in style and still fit.

Martin Gaskell lost out on a job at The University of Kentucky over his religious beliefs. Gaskell describes himself as a “Theistic Evolutionist” which means he accepts Darwin and believes the earth is actually billions of years old. He did what is commonplace - he sued. Enough email evidence and other evidence was available to have UK settle for 125K. Gaskell is an example of a reputable scientist with impeccable credentials who can also be very religious. They are not necessarily mutually exclusive.

I have never been to The Alley Theater that has opened in Middleboro but I wonder if it is the type of venue that can show films? Many out of the ordinary films do not reach the suburban audience so one has to migrate to various places in Boston or Cambridge to see these films. I don’t care for the term “Art Films” but that is the general moniker assigned to that genre. Be nice to see if someone could give it a go in this area especially if they could combine it with a dinner.

More on entertainment. Spider Man The Musical has been in the news with all the problems they are running into which are mostly self-inflicted thanks to some rather exotic special effects. This is now turning into a $65,000,000 dog. Still in “previews” frustrated critics finally got fed up and gave it reviews - Spidy got squashed! How bad is it? Playbill is offering steep discounts on their web side and Audience Rewards is giving away a thousand points for buying a ticket. I’ll pass.

The military budget will soon be front and center as even the Tea Party crowd has stated it needs to be examined. Trouble is when the “bad guys” start something that is when we go to the cops and in international politics the cops happen to be our military. What bothers me is how we choose to define the “bad guys” as it seems that the military has been used more as an extension of diplomacy of Teddy Roosevelt (carry a big stick) than anything resembling a long range plan.

Right now the United States has eleven aircraft carriers. A carrier is not just a flight deck but a fearsome force that has as much firepower as most countries and that does not even include the nuclear arsenal. Is eleven really necessary? Is it necessary to station troops in England? Germany? Japan? The percent of out budget used for military expenditures is simply outrageous especially in the context of having two questionable wars occurring simultaneously. Our Force de Frappe seems excessive.

Thankfully the Republicans has targeted NPR and PBS for zero funding.

Maybe the Republicans and WOW can get into dueling budget cutting. A sort of mine is smaller than yours?

The Motley Fools are investment advisors but not in a traditional sense. They tend to debase some stocks and especially mutual funds which is where for several years they have directed their collective angst - mutual funds. I enjoy them and have found their advice interesting. But now they have started their own mutual fund. Welcome, boys, to reality and the world of making really big money.

The Hayden Planetarium has reopened after a year of renovations to bring it into the 21st century. The Museum Of Science in Boston is a very dated facility just like the aquarium but at one time they were the blueprint for similar projects all over the country and even the world. Both have shown their age but steps are being taken to once again make both premier attractions.

Spring training has opened so prepare for an endless stream of mindless stories.

Troubles in Egypt did not have any serious impact on the stock market the last few weeks and that is not unusual. I read an article that showed markets are not really impacted long range by significant events such as Pearl Harbor, 9/11 or the assassination of JFK.

The deepest skiing snow base in New England is the Blue Hills. 55 to 75 inches.

Rather amusing watching the BOS debate for twenty or so minutes about getting a free ambulance. Looks like the vehicle is in rather good shape with nothing really to be done to it. So why the debate? Take it. If it is a pile of bolts junk it. I got $400 for a beat up Hyundai with a engine that was shot.

Japan has had the second largest economy for 43 years and it is now number three behind China.

A sign that the boom times have returned is how the financial picture is improving for Sand Las Vegas, MGM, Wynn Resorts, Boyd Gaming, Penn National Gaming and a slew of others whose central focus is enticing you to lose your money. Their stocks are all at or near 52 week highs.