Curmudgeon's Corner
cur-mud-geon: anyone who hates hypocrisy and pretense and has the temerity to say so; anyone with the habit of pointing out unpleasant facts in an engaging and humorous manner
Is Technolgy Great or What?
The marketplace for television sets has been wild over the past few years. I am still using a Sony ‘almost’ flat screen monster that must weigh at least 350 pounds. It gives us a very sharp picture. Seemingly all of a sudden, I see flat screen plasma and LCD and LED sets that appear to weigh 25 or 30 pounds and that are a couple of inches thick. I see people carrying these things out of the store and placing them in their vehicles without a team of two or three people helping.
Wisconsin's New Wine Country
Many people are unaware that Wisconsin was a big tobacco raising state until about a decade or so ago. My hometown of Viroqua is located in Vernon County and was one of two major production areas in Wisconsin (the other was based around the Stoughton area). The tobacco raised was originally used as wrappers (the outside of the cigar) and later became mainly part of the fillers in the cigar. There is still tobacco grown in Wisconsin but it is a very small amount by comparison to earlier years.
Bush Tax Cut - Yea or Nay?
Most of us have probably heard the back-and-forth between Democrats and Republicans concerning the “Bush Tax Cuts” that are set to expire at the end of 2010 if not extended by Congress and agreed to by the President.
Welcome Back Old Canard...
I am old enough to have participated in many election cycles. Although I can’t determine precisely when I heard the canard telling people that Republicans will destroy Social Security, I have heard it many, many times and I’m hearing it again.
Village Buzz - October 11th...
Washington County Police Radio System
There has been much discussion about the Milwaukee Police Department’s issues with its new OpenSky two-way radio system. The issues stem from the lengthy process of installing and then trying to track down and eliminate the gremlins that seem inherent in this system. This system is sold by Harris Corporation, and it has been the source of problems elsewhere in addition to Milwaukee. New York State recently canned a $2 billion contract for OpenSky because it simply couldn’t be made reliable enough to satisfy the needs.
Could the U.S. Have Done As Well As Chile?
The saga of the trapped miners in Chile has captivated the imagination for a couple of months. We were told that they could be rescued by Christmas. They are coming from the mine now and that is a significant achievement.
Our Sendik's Is Still Great...
Our Germantown Sendik’s market has been open for some time now and I wondered if it would be able to keep the employees as motivated and helpful and cheerful as they were during the Grand Opening.
A Transaction Tax?
Ms. Pelosi has talked about her idea of a “transaction tax” and believes that it should be brought into being after the election during the lame duck session. The mention of it is found here.
Two Weeks & Counting
Two weeks and counting…until Election Day. I suspect that, like me, you are tired of all the campaigning, all the television advertisements and all the “debates” as well as being tired of all the trumped up charges of he did this, she didn’t do that, etc. etc.
A "Class Act"...
The last regular season game for Germantown’s football team came down to a few seconds on the clock and a play for a two-point conversion. That play failed and we lost 21-20 to a very capable Homestead team.
Don't Tell Us How to Parent Your Child
State control over local education seems to be ever-growing and not just a little oppressive. The latest item is the brouhaha over the Cedarburg School Board’s decision this past summer to have parents ‘opt-in’ for certain sex education classes for their children.
Reform of Congress?
People have talked for years about term limits and the costs of keeping members of Congress in Congress as well as maintaining their lifestyles following their retirement or removal from Congress. This seems a bit harsh in some respects, but it is certainly interesting:
The Final Few Days...
The final few days preceding the election are upon us and the pace of advertising is picking up…if that is even possible.
Don't Forget...
The health care changes that have begun, and which I refer to as ObamaCare, will be sweeping. There is a 10 minute YouTube piece that walks you through some of the encroachment that is contained in ObamaCare. You can view that here.
