I know we're excited, but even so....

Okay, so the Bills beat the Patriots today - that's a big thing not only around these parts, but everywhere.
(Financial crisis in Greece? Who cares! The Bills beat the Pats!)
So we're all happy, the Bills are 3-0, yea!
But does this news have to be included in every story on the web, especially local news?
Such as this piece which has some information about a serious car crash.
Read the article in its entirety (and I copied it because I'm sure at some point the article will be modified - I hope):

7:34 PM

Crash in Orleans County Sends Two People to the Hospital

By: Casey J. Bortnick

Two people were seriously injured when a motorcycle and a car collided in Orleans County Sunday Afternoon. It happened in Kendall on Route 18 near the Orleans-Monroe county line. Sheriff’s Deputies tell YNN multiple EMS crews and mercy flight responded to the scene.

One victim was flown to Rochester's Strong Hospital; the other was originally taken by ambulance to Lakeside hospital and then airlifted to Strong. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

The Buffalo Bills are now 3-0 after edging out the New England Patriots in another thriller at Ralph Wilson Stadium Sunday.

June 25th - What a Day

Was yesterday an outrageous day, or what.
We had severe weather here, so that did not affect your part of the country, but I know we're all still reeling from the news.
First, Farrah Fawcett.
I always liked her a lot.
Remember when she was married to Heath Barkley aka Lee Majors? What a power couple.
Next, a fierce thunderstorm rolled through in the afternoon, and it was accompanied by lightning. The sky became so dark by 2:00 that it looked like twilight had come early.
At 3:10 exactly the power went out in the entire building.
Since there were only 4 of us on our floor at the time, we just looked at each other.
My first words were, "Oh, guess it's time to go home!"
(An old Marine Corps saying - there's no cure like se-cure.)
We did go home 20 minutes later because we had found out that power was out across the entire campus.
Once we were in the lobby we then heard from some other employees lounging there (who can work in the dark, right?) that there were people stuck in one of the dorm elevators.
Egads.
We exited the building into a pouring rain which surprisingly cleared up shortly afterward.
It became so clear that by 6:00 we were sitting on the sidelines watching DN2's soccer game, facing west and staring into the bright sun.
Strange.
Then DN1 walks up and tells us the unbelievable news: "Did you hear that Michael Jackson is dead?"
WHAT?
It was difficult to focus on the soccer game after that news was delivered.
For all his wackiness, Michael's voice was an accompaniment to my youth, and was there as I contemplated that unanswerable question: Who do I like better, Donny Osmond or Michael Jackson?
Ah, to be 10 again.
So folks, tomorrow is SN2's high school graduation.
I think we're safe because his name was in the paper along with the rest of his graduating class, so congrats to him.
Let's just not ever repeat yesterday.
What a day.

How Not to be a Role Model

You have got to see this article.
Seriously.
Read it, you won't believe it.
It's about a woman ticketed for breastfeeding her daughter while driving.
If you think that sounds bad, listen to the woman explain her rationale.
I showed this to DN2 who is 10, and she just couldn't get over this woman.
So read the article, and tell me if you find it hilarious, unbelievable or horrific.
Here's the link.
Oh, and the daughter doesn't look as if breastfeeding is her only form of nourishment, so she couldn't have waited?
Watch the video, just watch it.
I just don't think this is the type of role model La Leche League has in mind.

In the News

My town made CNN today.
As DH noted, never for a good thing.
Here's the article talking about the double homicide that happened yesterday morning at our hospital.
My brother says he's not coming back home anymore - he's going to stick it out in Colorado with the coyotes.
Seriously, we hardly ever have major crime committed here.
It's been a weird week, though, what with the plane crash and this murder sandwiching Friday the 13th.
Are we going to have to go through this again next month?

Enforced Resolutions

Choices for my New Year's resolutions have been made for me.
Thanks to the Governor's proposed budget, I will be giving up soda, beer and wine.
Soda will be taxed at 18 percent. Only non-diet sodas, though.
And I thought prices were high at McDonald's now.
Beer and wine tax will double.
Oh, but I can buy more Quick Draw lottery tickets at the gas station that will be increasing their gas tax.
So thanks, guv, I guess I know what I'll be giving up.
No more drinking and driving for me - at the same time, or apart.

Thursday Quiz - Depressing Stuff

Perhaps you have heard the news -- we've been in a recession since last year.
There are only two letters keeping the word "recession" from becoming the word "depression," so I'm pretty sure we're close to the big one.
At least gas prices are going down.
Anyway, I didn't mean to bring all doom and gloom to a blog post, but I read an interesting article this morning.
I'm sure many of you remember this photograph by Dorothea Lange.

It is an alarming image, and one that stays with you, whether you have read The Grapes of Wrath or not (which is one of my favorite books of all time). I equate this photo with Steinbeck's book because I feel he wrote the penultimate book about, not only the Great Depression, or how fast you can sink into total and utter despair, but also how far humans will go to keep themselves alive.
Great stuff - very moving and poignant. If you haven't read it, please do.
This Lange photo is iconic on its own, without Steinbeck's help, but I never thought about the children in the photo, mostly because the mother's face is what holds my attention.
And then I read this article on CNN about the girl on the left in the photo.
This is what amazes me - she is the same age as my mother.
Now there's some food for thought, for me at least.
We're back in tough economic times, and the Great Depression was not that long ago that we've totally forgotten the devastating affect it had on America.
I often wonder if I would survive a depression, and of course there is a quiz that helps me to find out!

You Are 45% Likely to Survive Another Great Depression

Your habits are pretty on par with the average person. Unfortunately, this means your chances aren't good in another Great Depression. Start saving your money now. Living in debt isn't doing you any favors. Also figure out how to live a little more cheaply. Every little bit you can trim will help.

Could You Survive Another Great Depression?

Of course this quiz doesn't ask basic questions I think should be included, such as, can you make your own clothing (well no, not yet), can you make socks (why yes, I can!), can you prepare your own canned food (I think I could).
So I'm thinking that if they included the questions I believe should be in there, that raises my chances to about 50%.
I'm going for it.
Do you think you would make it?

Tonight I Visited the 4th Circle of Hell

The new Super Wal-Mart opened today,
It is the devil's store, I say.
Greed is available at a low price
Their marketing strategy = patrons not so nice.
What do you think Dante would say?
He'd call for his guide Virgil to lead him away
He knows they're all hoarders and wasters and gluttons
Even though they wear their smiley face buttons.

Look what I have

See what I have here.
A jar of recalled peanut butter.
Guess I'll turn it in and get some money back for it.
But I really wanted the peanut butter.
Damn that Salmonella.

Why I Read the Police Blotter

Here's a police report from an incident that occurred in town on January 26:

Police and Fire Department personnel responded to a report of strange odors in two Main Street businesses at about 4 p.m. Emergency responders discovered that the occupants of the business at XX Main Street had been attempting to fill a kerosene powered heater with gasoline, and further, a natural gas leak existed in the same building. Had the callers not notified emergency services, and quick-thinking responders not identified the problem, a serious explosion may have resulted. Police arrested Johnny X., owner of the Kitchen Express, on charges of Reckless Endangerment, 2nd Degree, and Reckless Endangerment of Property, both Misdemeanors. Johnny X. was issued an appearance ticket returnable to the Town Court, and the building was red-tagged by Code Enforcement.

Are you just as horrified as I am?
Okay, well since you don't know where I live, let me set the scenario: this particular restaurant is in the middle of a block containing approximately 10 businesses with apartments and a dance studio above. Typical old town-style buildings.
This guy is an idiot!
And I went into the pizza place on Monday that is two doors down from this restaurant and he said they could smell the gasoline in there!
I still can't get over these actions by a future Darwin Award nominee, so I figured I would share.