Friday, September 30, 2005

Wog's Favorite Capitalists - 1

Hi All!

At last, a trigger to get me to post.

I had a nice conversation with the owner of a heating and air conditioning business this morning. As my good old Amana furnace is pushing 20 years old and somewhat concerned about the looming natural gas gouge coming this winter, I thought I'd test the waters.

Lots of "GREAT DEALS" out there. I received a mailing from Sedgwick (an old Wang client) promising so many rebates and other savings that it sounded like I could get a new furnace practically FREE!

I have the nicest brother-in-law in the world, who does installs and service for Boehme and he recently told me I should get rid of the Amana due to age. He was not trying to be a salesman, in fact, he probably could get me into a new unit for a "special" price.

In fact, Boehme Heating and A/C is another local business worth dealing with.

The fellow I spoke with this morning convinced me that buying a new furnace just because the old one is "old" is like buying one of the silly hybrid cars to replace a 24mpg '89 Merkur Scorpio.

Sure there will be savings, but factoring in all the implications shows quite clearly that I should stick with what I got. Of course, if Old Betsy breaks down, she won't be worth fix'n.

So, the first entry in my continuing public service of finding great people running great capitalist ventures (that's "businesses" for the hard of reading) izzzzzzzz, drumroll ................

Snelling Heating and Air Conditioning
Saint Paul, MN
Phil Krinkie, Owner

Monday, September 26, 2005

Blog Gap

Hi All!

Or what are left of you :-(

I have been preoccupied with so much stuff that I just haven't felt like posting....not that I am hurting for ideas.

Please don't give up on me! Check often and soon the I'll be coughing up pearls of wisdom once more.

Cheers!

Monday, September 12, 2005

Why Many Conservatives are Men

Hi All!

This has been making the rounds on the internet.

Pretty funny if you haven't seen it yet.

Click twice to see full size impage.

All in good fun.

Cheers!

Saturday, September 10, 2005

Blog Spam

Hi All!

I am starting to attract unsavory spam to my comments section.

Can anyone out there tell me how to deal with this?

Another tumultuous week (in my own mind).

I have been manically scribbling notes to post, but cannot find the patience to mold them into a decent post.

Also caught a bit of well-deserved heat for the poor gals I set up at the Cindy Vigil and trashed the entries -- kept the one with the skinny old guy with the skinny old dog, however, 'cos it's a good snap.

Cheers!

Tuesday, September 06, 2005

Stones Roll In - Strategic/Nostalgic Approach

Hi All!

I am "totally psyched." I don't have a ticket. My kids do. I put the Madison Square concert on the revamped sound and vision system at earbleed levels and they preferred to stay upstairs to watch a Dave Chappel video

Man, I just don't get it.

I paid more for them two bleacher-seats than I had invested in total for the 5 concerts I have experienced. $15 for 10th row in 1973 at the Civic Center, for instance.

I haven't thought that I needed to go this time, but I am gonna wave $40 cash around outside of Excel tonight and if I get in, I get in. If I don't, I don't. But I hope I do.

In any case I have a super-secret parking space ready, else a relatively secret drop-off/pick-up site. Pays to be a St Paul native sometimes.

Well, one hour until departure. I shall curb my enthusiasm by mowing the front lawn.

Cheers!

The AM 950 SUV

Hi All!

Whilst doing my best to keep up with the 70mph traffic on 36 today, a Jap SUV blew by. This is not particularly unusual, except for the fact that the virgin, recent, factory paint on the rear tailgate was slathered with finish-killing sticky stickers promoting world peace, supporting our troops, urging us to vote for Kerry and demanding we listen to AM 950.

I couldn't catch up to it -- he, she, it turned right on Hamline and I had to go left (irony noted).

Good thing too. I had a wisecrack or two up my sleeve.

NOTE: The term "Jap car" seems to have been coined by WWII vets in the 60's as very primitive and cheap cars manufactured in Japan started annoying the American auto market. It is employed here merely as a blast from the past, and not intended to be anything but a quaint moniker revived.

For all I know, it may have been a Korean SUV, but it's hard to read a nameplate when the letters are moving away from you so quickly.

The AM 950 sticker, a future collector's item if you aks me, was big, looked to be of paper with superglue backing and employed red and blue lettering on a white background.

As this newish gas guzzler has most likely never been protected with a coat of carnuba, the future owner will need a case of "Goop-Off" to get that sucker off, and the color of the paint beneath will be indelibly a different, rectangular hue.

As I've said before, we conservative folks generally don't do stickers. Static cling is ok, but even then, we generally try not to add to the stress of driving by annoying godknowswhat other drivers of other stripes. What is the point?

Cheers!

Kids Get to See Stones

Hi All!

Thanks to eBay, I got a decent (relatively speaking) price on a pair of ducats for the Stones concert tonight.

I have seen them live 5 times, starting in '73. No need to revisit the past -- I have the "4 Flicks" DVD set and that is just fine. Would rather pay less and see something new.

Alex and Drew are going to have "the experience" tonight. I am so thrilled for the opportunity to let them have it.

I might catch a ride with them and see what the scalping market is like, and if no good, take a bus home.

In reading reviews from the tour, I came across a GREAT quote by Chicago Tribune critic Mike Caro. It really says it all.

"After all, the Stones remain an awfully good rock band, and they're the best at what they do, which is playing music that sounds like the Rolling Stones. They've created their own genre, so if they still have the energy and chops to show us how it's done after all these years, why be churlish?"

Spent a day at the Fair yesterday. Saw a gang rumble. Will report further on quite a fascinating day.

Cheers!

Sunday, September 04, 2005

Controlled Chaos


Kuettel Central Command