Curmudgeon Corner – Batteries, Refrigerator Size?

My Thoughts for May 10, 2015

Coming to your home soon—batteries as big as your refrigerator.  What’s up with this?  I can hardly lift my car battery and I have a terrible time remembering where I stored my triple A, double A, or my C batteries.  Now Tesla has made a battery the size of my refrigerator?  I should be able to find it when I need to, but I hope I don’t have to move it. 

Why do I need one of these?  Why do you…

My Thoughts for May 3^rd, 2015 

In all my wildest dreams, I never thought Bernie would do it; run against Hillary Clinton.  I love Bernie because he stands up for the middle class, the homeless, and a government of the people.  He’s an independent.  I love that about him, too.  But he’s missing the most important thing today in American politics: MONEY. 

He ran for Mayor of Burlington, Vermont several times before he won and became Mayor of Burlington in 1981.  The…

My Thoughts for April 26, 2015

Alright men, pay attention!  Men, Mother’s Day is just around the corner.  Alert the kids; get them on-board.  Get yourself on-board.  What’d mean their grown?  What’d you mean you have no child?  (For guys that are oblivious, May 10^th is Mother’s Day.) !  No, don’t give me that excuse, “She’s not my mother.”   She’s the mother of your children, isn’t she??  Also, if you’re really honest, she’s been “mothering” you since the proverbial…

Curmudgeon Corner -

My Thoughts for April 19, 2015

Everyone knows curmudgeons like me hate change.  I do. I do. I do. The problem is change is like time—it can’t   be stopped.  The reality is one must learn to deal with it.  Deal with It?  But it is so painful.  Do I have to?  Here’s the short answer. Yep!

There is a change taking place in our communities that is subtle, progressive, and immutable.  It is called the Digital Age.  I loathe it and love it in the same…

My Thoughts for April 12, 2015   

Call me a curmudgeon if you want, but all this ink that is devoted to who’s running for president and who’s not running is making me really grouchy.  On the Republican side is a field of candidates the size of a football team.  I don’t know about you, but I can’t decide who the team captain is.  Jeb Bush is reported to have the most money, does that make him the captain.  Here are some news headlines about the man: “Jeb Bush Reaffirms He Does Not…

My Thoughts for April 5, 2015  

One thing I’ve noted about my aging as I move toward oblivion is the spring pollens.  Now I know that pollens are necessary for the plants to be able to reproduce, but instead of being carried around by winds, couldn’t we use more insects?  Bees are the most notable transporters of pollens.  Those busy little worker bees, I just love them! They work hard to collect the makings for delicious honey; while at the same time manage to get pollen stuck all…

My Thoughts for March 29, 2015   

What is happening to the world I once knew?  A few weeks ago I went into a restaurant for lunch and discovered a tablet on the table where I was seated.  It was taking the place of a waitperson.  Today I read in the news that Tesla Motors is planning on rolling out a driverless car.  The only thing holding up the planned roll out is the state, in this case California.  Apparently technology is moving so fast that the state’s insurance department can’t…

My Thoughts for March 22, 2015   

Here’s the truth about politics in our country.  It takes loads of money nowadays to run for public office, even local elections are expensive.  At the federal level, you basically need to be a millionaire or have friends who are.  If you’re not a millionaire when you get elected, you soon will be by the end of your term.  That makes this old curmudgeon think, “What the heck is going on in our country?”

With the ruling by the Supreme Court that…

My Thoughts for March 15, 2015    

I gotta tell you, I was beginning to have some interest in the possible candidacy of Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) until he signed a letter intended for Iran authored by freshman senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.). Now I’m wondering if Republicans have the capacity to govern. The intent of the letter was to derail the nuclear negotiation with Iran. It marked the first time Congress has ever stepped on a President trying to negotiate a treaty.

 This old…

My Thoughts for March 8, 2015

Two science events took place this past week that all of us should note. First, the European Space Agency’s Mars Express spacecraft has detected geological evidence a rather large ocean did exist on Mars at one time.  Whether the ocean contained life is still an unknown but I like to think that Martian fishermen may have at one time cruised on boats and hauled in large Martian fish.  Of course, this was some four to five billion years ago and it will be…

My Thoughts for March 1, 2015

Once again I’ve been confronted with my least favorite thing: change.  While talking with a friend of mine, I discovered our public schools have all but eliminated vocational training.  One of my memories of high school was the time I spent in vocational education classes.  To this day I still remember walking the path past a row of old brick buildings that housed these classes.  As students we referred to these classes as “shop classes.”  They were fun…

My Thoughts for February 22, 2015

You’re going to love this one.  Yesterday this ole curmudgeon actually made a date with the wife to go to lunch together.  I was excited (she said yes), she was excited and off we went both babbling like it was our first date.  Wow!  When we got to the restaurant we decided to eat in the bar section; less noise and no crying kids.  I know that sounds a bit cold but after driving school bus and a hundred kids twice a day it feels relaxing to sit in a…

My Thoughts for February 15, 2015 

It’s happened again!  Another lapse in integrity has happened.  The baseball team from Chicago, the Jackie Robinson West Little League team, has been caught cheating.  Yes, cheating.  There is no other way of saying it.  They didn’t bend the rules, they didn’t make a principled misstep; they conspired to deceive Little League Baseball, and all who love the game.  Unbelievable!  What were those coaches and district managers thinking?  At a time when…

My Thoughts for February 8, 2015  

Is it just me, or, is there is less integrity in the world today? I can’t believe the revelation that Brian Williams embellished his trip to the Middle East back in 2003 by claiming his helicopter was hit with a RPG. Further, that they had to crash land. The number one news anchorman of today told a false story ever since his being embedded with America’s finest, our military men. What was it Brian? Were you feeling inadequate? Did you need to…

My Thoughts for February 1, 2015

Are you ready for some football?  Yep, have been all season and as a “12^th” man member it’s been an exciting year.  I’m glad today is finally game day for the Super Bowl.  After a week of super-hyping the game, I’m over the top with football.  In fact, no matter who wins, I’ll be glad to see it all end.  I’ll need months to rest up; for this ole fart, it’s been exhausting. 

And if all the normal super-hype wasn’t enough, we got hit…

My Thoughts for January 25, 2015

Well, now House Speaker John Boehner has an ally in the Senate, namely Mitch McConnell, the new Senate Majority Leader to help him belittle and make the President look less presidential.  Neither republican likes the idea of the President taking credit for the country’s rebounding economy or the fact that he claimed credit for the millions of new jobs added to the work force.  Well, it’s a fact Speaker Boehner and it should be noted that trickle-down…

My Thoughts for January 18, 2015

For this ole curmudgeon, the key to a more successful world is tolerance.  In addition to having the ability to endure physical pain (like a Navy Seal or Aaron Rogers, Green Bay Quarterback) it is also a willingness to live with customs, habits, or beliefs that are different than your own.  In this world of instant communication, tolerance is a key to calm living.  Try it, you might like it.

Tolerance will make for a better 2015, not that I…

My Thoughts for January 11, 2015  

Here’s the first bitter reality for the New Year.  We are on the backside of those New Year’s resolutions we all endeavor to make in the days before New Year’s Eve.   Now is the time when we begin what we resolved to do: lose weight; quit smoking; drink less; and, the one I like the best, to join a gym and get into shape. 

I resolved to join a gym and get these joints and muscles back to where they were twenty years ago.  And, I had a plan. …

My Thoughts for January 11, 2015

Here’s the first bitter reality for the New Year.  We are on the backside of those New Year’s resolutions we all endeavor to make in the days before New Year’s Eve.   Now is the time when we begin what we resolved to do: lose weight; quit smoking; drink less; and, the one I like the best, to join a gym and get into shape. 

I resolved to join a gym and get these joints and muscles back to where they were twenty years ago.  And, I had a…

My Thoughts for January 4, 2015

Well, we’re four days into the New Year and already I’m grouchy.  Why, you ask?   Because they changed my favorite restaurant into a place that reminds me of Famous Dave’s, the worst restaurant I’ve ever had to go in.  Besides, I don’t like change.  Why can’t they leave things alone? At least until I expire. Here’s what’s happening in my world.

My favorite restaurant, Red Robin, tore down their old restaurant and rebuilt a new one in the same…