Honking Dogs

I saw it happen again the other night. A dog runs across a busy street and I hear the blaring of a car horn. Which raises the question, why? Did the driver think the horn was going to deter the dog from running across? I'm thinking it would just confuse the dog, kind of like "deer in headlight". Did you think the dog went to doggie "street crossing school" and knows that you are to cross only at the light with the WALK sign? Perhaps you thought the dog had read the state's driving rules and regulations handbook.

I can guess that the driver didn't. Otherwise he would know that speed limits on city streets are posted for a reason, brakes stop cars and horns do not. Next time apply your brake first! Save the horn for the idiot who sits at the light long after it has turned green... or was that you also?

Name Change

Is it just me or have you noticed a name change game going on amongst banks? On any given day I can drive through my city and see a familiar bank name being replaced by another. It happens so often, I can't keep up with who was who just a few days ago.

I suppose it doesn't really matter. Most of them are the same. They all have a "special offer"of some kind to get you to put your hard earned money with them, then find creative ways to separate you from a good portion of it.

Will the name change game ever end!? I guess I'll just go to my banks' ATM, get some cash, and go shopping at Hudson's...oops I mean Marshall Fields...no wait now they will be called Macy's.

Oh No! This name change thing is catching on.

Passing Storm

This past week we had, what I would classify as, a major storm roll through our area. Flooding rains, continual lightning, at least dime (more like quarter) sized hail, blow-a-tree-down winds and the ever popular power outage. My flag pole was sheered off at the base. Don't tell me the winds weren't bad!

The power company estimated 200,000 were without electricity in our area. Some didn't get it restored until 4 days later. The only positive for those people is their power bill will be lower next month. At least that's better than the treatment we all get from the major oil companies. How many times have you rushed to your corner gas station after hearing the news that the price per barrel of crude oil had just gone up, hoping to fill up before the rise at the pump; only to find that it had already jumped 12 to 20 cents.

Now let's turn it around... the price per barrel goes down! Don't bother rushing back to the gas station. The price won't start dropping at the pump for at least a week and only a penny every 3 or 4 days.

Just doesn't seem right!

Birthdays

I find it funny that when you are young everyone in the family makes a big deal out of each birthday. Then when you are old enough to be on your own, Mom and/or Dad send a card plus a sibling IF he or she remembers. Once you're in the workplace, your "friends" take you to birthday dinners on the milestone years. The sole purpose is to embarass you in public with a waitstaff that sings a little birthday ditty offkey.

I just had another birthday in June. Nope it wasn't a milestone year. So, I didn't have to endure a trip to the eatery. However, I did get to bring treats for all my co-workers. Wait! It's MY birthday but I bring the treats for the "celebration". What cheapskate thought up that idea? Whoever did should be made to sit through 20 years of offkey birthday songs... perhaps that was how the "bring treats" idea began in the first place.