Pueblog USa
Sunday, November 01, 2009
Thoughts on Public Discussion
A Less Than Satisfactory Experience on the Web
As promised to someone in the media, here is an item on the bane of censorship on civil discourse in the media.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Cauliflower-Cheese Soup
Another inspiration from the GPA cafe at Pueblo Community College
Had another great lunch at the GPA yesterday. Four courses around an entre of fillet mignon. The dessert being a pumpkin torte. At any rate, the soup was this cauliflower-cheese. And it was delicious. So I had to try to ‘hack’ it. Here’s what I came up with….
Friday, October 30, 2009
Your Federal Government at ‘Work’ — 091030
If ONLY they’d come up to the third millennium.
So, yesterday, the latest version of Congress’ House of Representatives bill for health care reform hit the proverbial ‘floor’. All 1990 pages of it.
And yet, the Government Printing Office and the Library of Congress, the fine people who are supposed to provide information on what a bill looks like STILL don’t have it available for US folk here in the ‘fly-over country’.
The text of H.R.3962 has not yet been received from GPO.
This is, in my honestly held opinion, ‘stupid’. This is the 21st Century people. One HOUR after the bill hit the floor of the House of Representatives, the Library of Congress should have had it available to the Government Printing Office for the rest of US to see. And I have to wonder if these people are still using manual typewriters.
Also, for those wondering WHY I think this an issue for Pueblo….
....look around you at all the retirees living here. Myself included.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
As I Was Saying….
....about those mail-in ballots…..
....I wonder if we’ll see see this sort of thing right here in River City…..
This year, New Jersey’s registered voters can request a mail-in ballot for any reason. (Before 2005, voters needed to provide a reason for why they needed an absentee ballot.) The state received about 150,000 absentee-ballot applications this year.
On about 2,300 of those applications so far, the signature on the request form does not match the signature on the voter’s registration forms with the state.
That’s Better
The County Clerk does it better….
....than he had in the earlier instance.
I’m glad to see that ‘Bo’ has established several drop-off points where people who want to gather as much information as possible can WAIT before casting their ballots this coming Tuesday.
As I said earlier here, it’s his place to facilitate the voters. Not the other way around.
Personally, I think this ‘mail-in’ form of voting is rife with opportunities for voting fraud. There are just SO MANY WAYS one can do it using the mail. We’ve witnessed how soldiers serving outside of their registered state of residence have THEIR mail-in ballots ‘lost’ or fouled-up in some manner as to be disenfranchised. The same is true with what can happen right here in Pueblo County. And don’t get me started on the fiasco the THEN county clerk facilitated during the 2006 election. There is no legitimate reason why valid election judges and/or observers should not be allowed into counting facilities because of their political party….which is what I understand happened.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Keeping Things ‘Wild’
Is it REALLY so ‘smart’?
There’s an editorial in the Chieftain today about how our Congressperson….who wouldn’t show up for a discussion of healthcare reform last August….was doing something to expand ‘wilderness areas’ in Colorado.
I’ve been pondering this ‘wilderness area’ business for a year or so now and I’m not convinced that it is, in fact, what should be considered ‘best practices’.
There are three aspects of research that I’d like to see the ‘research’ that was done in establishing such areas.
• What is the impact on public access to areas that are declared to be ‘wilderness’?
• What is the impact on safety in such areas and the areas in the immediate vicinity?
• What is the use of ‘Wilderness Area’ designation doing in terms of budgetary considerations?
What are my potential ‘points’ in this?
Well….to put it frankly….
....I’m concerned that the use of ‘wilderness area’ designation is being used as a quick ‘out’ so that the government is no longer responsible for the ‘management’ of large tracts of land. As a result, trails the federal government WAS responsible for managing, to facilitate access to these rocky ‘cathedrals’ we call the mountains are no longer being maintained. Hence, public access is being reduced. Even to the point that no one goes there anymore.
Then, there’s the aspect of wild fire. If deadfall is not managed, wild fire could take hold and destroy much more than the wilderness area, by spreading to neighboring properties. Look at California.
Those are just two aspects. And there are many others. Not to forget the proliferation of predatory wildlife that would expand its range to areas outside of the designated ‘wilderness areas’. As someone recently commented to me, “I don’t think the mountain lions and bears have read the regs on wilderness areas.”
So we’ve got coyotes in Highlands Ranch? And bears eating little old ladies in Ouray?
HEY!!!! Wait a minute!!!!
Isn’t this Ouray place where the bears eat little old ladies in the vicinity of where our Congressperson wants to establish a NEW ‘wilderness area’???!?!??!
WHAT has our Congressperson got against ‘little old ladies’? Let alone ‘women’?
Dining with the ‘Kids’
A great lunch and maybe a lot more.
The distaff invited me to dine with her over lunch yesterday. A place called GPA.
Not your usual diner in Pueblo. Rather, a place where people who are SERIOUS about cooking go to learn and practice the craft. Or maybe it is better described as an ‘art form’.
Good food has been a passion of mine since I came out of that ‘spa’ the Army operates, a.k.a., the Ranger Course. Nowadays, after that particular ‘diet plan’, I pay close attention to food. Maybe TOO ‘close’. But I do appreciate a great dish. And I have to tell you that these people at the Pueblo Community College Culinary program are learning a LOT of great things. Indeed, after the Steel City Diner shut down….much to my dismay….these people are close contenders for the best dining experience in town. AND THEY’RE JUST LEARNING!!!
Look at this for lunch….
And THAT’S just ‘looking’. The flavor was EXCELLENT!
And THEN….
...there was desert as well.
And that for only $5 per place setting.
Tom Rose….
....does an excellent job instructing these aspiring chefs in how to make the best impression.
I highly recommend anyone wanting a top-quality lunch to consider going to the GPA to enjoy themselves and give these students an opportunity to refine their skills in pleasing their customers.
UPDATE: GPA is open for lunch, T-F, 11:30 am to 1:00 pm and for dinner on Wednesdays at 6:00 pm, during Spring and Fall semesters. Reservations recommended for dinner. 549-3326 for reservations.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Shut Up and ‘Soldier’
The Pueblo County Clerk is whining about his job.
The ballots have been mailed to voters . . . and Pueblo County Clerk Gilbert “Bo” Ortiz is encouraging voters to mail them back, or hand deliver them earlier than Election Day on Nov. 3.—Chieftain Article
It’s not Gilbert’s place to whine about doing his job. His place is to DO his job.
If he doesn’t like the fact that smart people hold out on voting until they’ve had all the possible information they need to make a good decision, he should drop this mail-in ballot garbage, instead of whining about the situation he established.
As one First Sergeant put it to some whining troop….
Shut up and soldier.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Recycling In Pueblo
An interesting ‘engagement’.
Yesterday, I had an interesting exchange with a lady, I’ll refer to as M———. It was over the matter of recycling in Pueblo. It may well have boiled down to a matter of misunderstanding—something all too common amongst speakers of the English language. However, it may also be something more insidious in nature. It’s hard to say….
Monday, September 21, 2009
The Pueblo Sales Dilemma
If you want it, you can’t buy it in Pueblo.
At least that’s MY personal experience with purchasing things in town of late. I mean anything more than bread, eggs, gasoline, toilet paper, etc., etc., etc.
More and more I find that things I need are either not available in town or they are over-priced.
And the city wonders at THIS…..
Sales tax is the Pueblo city government’s biggest source of revenue and the city’s August tax report brought more bad news for City Council - revenue was down 8 percent when compared with the same month last year.
That marks the eighth month in a row that sales tax receipts were lower than in 2008, unwelcome news as the city prepares to adopt a 2010 budget to cover next year’s operations. Currently the city is reporting a total decline in revenue of more than 7 percent for the year thus far.—Article in Pueblo Chieftain
The point being that more and more people are turning to the web in order to make purchases. And here’s something that came out today….
Fifteen years after Jeffrey P. Bezos founded the company [Amazon.Com] as an online bookstore, Amazon is set to cross a significant threshold. Sometime later this year, if current trends continue, worldwide sales of media products – the books, movies, and music that Amazon started with – will be surpassed by sales of other merchandise on the site. (That already occurred this year in its North American business.) In other words, in an increasingly digital age, Amazon is quickly becoming the world’s general store.—Article cited @ Instapundit
I have to admit that I do a LOT of purchasing on-line. Why? Because I can’t FIND what I need in Pueblo. Other than light bulbs, fresh veggies, toilet paper and such. And even the light bulbs may have to be purchased over the internet if this fiasco about CFL’s continues.
Why is this happening?
You Can’t Find It In Pueblo
That includes not being able to find a high-tech, programmable, blue-tooth mouse. I tried to find such here. I looked all over. Even the most well-stocked store for business electronics didn’t have it. They DID have several racks of the same product, which didn’t meet my needs. And it was a rather ‘slow-moving’ product too. Why their corporate HQ thinks they need to be ‘overstocked’ on such a product while not carrying other products is a mystery. And that’s happened MORE THAN ONCE and in more stores of different venues than that. To include mens clothing, as in suits. Have to go to C’Springs to get a good suit I like.
Where does the sales tax revenue come from if people have to go out of town to buy what they need?
The retailers in town are digging a hole for themselves. It will become a grave. Not only for their business activities, but also for public activities of the government.
And the answer is not to tax sales made on the internet. That would only exacerbate the problem. Why? Because whereas the city would benefit from relief, the local businesses would STILL be going down the hole to oblivion. And THAT would mean even MORE trouble for the city.
What IS the answer?
Maybe the local businesses ought to get more competitive.
Seriously…..why should I pay $138+ for something from a local retail outfit when I can get it for half that price (including shipping and handling) if I buy it over the internet?
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Eat Your Chocolates!
More good news for chocolate lovers everywhere!
In a study that will provide comfort to chocoholics everywhere, researchers in Sweden have found evidence that people who eat chocolate have increased survival rates after a heart attack — and it may be that the more they eat, the better.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Now That You Mention It — 090910 (Reprised)
Additional thoughts on the previous posting made….
....the other day....
Something else regarding the veracity of so-called ‘journalists’ has come to light. I’ll address that in a follow-up item in the near future. And its significance in matters of ‘journalistic qualities’ as we are experiencing them today.—Chuck Pelto
....there are SERIOUS problems in the so-called ‘major media’. And that, based on my observations of what passes for ‘journalism’ in the Pueblo Chieftain, trickles down to the local level.
I’ve not seen ANYTHING in the Pueblo Chieftain about the significance of ACORN being outed as an organization that apparently helps pimps and prostitutes set up brothels involving 13-year old girls. Let alone how ACORN was involved with the federal government in the conduct of the Census.
I had a census taker show up on my door step last week. My comportment with this individual was cold. I refused to let him into the house. I only answered the most basic questions: address, name and the fact that this house was the dwelling of single family. When he asked for the phone number, I told him to look in the phone book. He had the necessary information for that.
Why is this? I’d picked up on the nefarious nature of ACORN some time back and I absolutely REFUSE to support such an organization.
What I found particularly ‘interesting’ of the encounter is that first off this character denied that ACORN had anything to do with the federal census. However, later on in the discussion, he admitted to ACORN being involved. In other words, the Census Takers are, based on this particular encounter, outright liars. They’re just too ‘stupid’ to be good at it.
But back on track and how is it that the Chieftain has ignored this important revelation on how the federal government is ‘working’: pouring millions of tax-payers dollars into an organization with nefarious activities. Let alone giving it any part of the politically significant ‘census’.
Why IS that?
But that’s not the only item…..
We also have the fact that the Pueblo Chieftain has totally ignored the 9/12 protest gathering of ‘conservatives’ in Washington DC last weekend. Currently estimates run between the official 60-70,000 and calculated 1.5 million.
But not a single mention of the event in the Chieftain.
This correlates ‘well’ with the perception that the staff at the Chieftain would like to just ignore the whole matter.
And THIS, in my personal opinion, is a violation of their alleged ‘ethics’ regarding ‘professionalism’.
I’m open to suggestions as to WHY that is…..
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Stupidity (Part 1)
Looking at the idea of a Mayor in Pueblo.
One of my favorite citations is….
Stupidity got us into this mess. Why can’t it get us out?
I think a lot upon ‘stupidity’. I come across it nearly every day on the web. And when you encounter it THAT much, there’s plenty of it to go around. I encounter it so often I’ve developed what I call a ‘working definition’ of how to recognize it when I see it. Here it is….
Stupid, adj., Ignorant and proud of it.
The point here being that I consider stupid behavior in people as when they are ignorant of facts and are so proud of their ignorance that they refuse to examine a situation or proposal with an open mind, i.e., gathering all the important facts on the matter, before making a decision. And/or unable to relate the facts to the situation or proposal in a logical manner.
Case in point….
At the public forum on the proposed health care reform, I asked one of the supporters of HR 3200 if they’d even READ the legislation. To which they replied, “I don’t care.”
Got that? They don’t care enough about the matter to take the time necessary to read the legislation that will impact them, their parents and their possible children.
Classic ‘stupid’, by my definition.
So….
....we’re looking at the idea of changing the City Charter. It isn’t the first time we looked at doing that vis-a-vis a mayor. Won’t be the last.
What does this have to do with ‘stupid’?
Well…..
....I’m trying NOT to be ‘stupid’ and asking various parties in this discussion to show me the ‘advantages’ and ‘disadvantages’ of their proposals.
On the one hand we’ve got the CALM group with their proposal for a ‘strong mayor’.
On the other hand, we’ve got the City Council appointed Blue Ribbon Panel and their proposal for a ‘weak mayor’.
On the THIRD hand, we have today’s editorial in the Chieftain and it’s support of the ‘status quo’.
NONE of these have provided, as far as I can tell, a compare and contrast evaluation of the ‘advantages’ and ‘disadvantages’ of each of the three options.
With out this sort of information, we’re looking at another GREAT OPPORTUNITY to do something truly ‘stupid’.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
It’s That Time of Year!
High School is back in session…..
....and that means Speech Meets will be coming up.
I’ve had a LOT of fun being a ‘critic’, i.e., judge, at such competitions. And I’ve learned a lot too.
One of the things I’ve learned is that there are a lot of intelligent and articulate people coming down the pike, in the form of the next generation. More than I had hoped, based on all the reports of behaving badly we keep getting from the ‘media’. Another thing learned is what the schools are teaching. Some of that is not as good as I had hoped. But that’s another topic.
What I’d like to do here is offer the opportunity to everyone who reads this to join a group of people interested in (1) helping the coming generation, (2) learning about history and current events, (3) humor and drama, (4) logical, civil discussion, (5) possiblly politics and (6) fun.
What does it take? Well. There are requirements. Some are specified. Others are implied. Here are a few:
• An ability to write plainly. The critique sheets require you state your judgment of each contestant.
• An unbiased observation. You need to set aside your political and moral judgments and just listen to what is being said and how it is said in order to evaluate a competition as fairly as possible.
• A stop watch or other timer.
• 3x5 cards with numbers to show the contestant how much time they have remaining.
• Understanding the ‘Rules’. Which can be downloaded from CHSAA’s Speech Web-Site.
• Time to spend on Saturdays and some occasional Fridays. The Fridays come in later in the season for the state championships and national qualifications events.
Events are held all over the state by just about every district. Some driving may be required. For example, if you want to judge an event in Colorado Springs ore the state championships, which frequently occur in northern Colorado. [Note: The location of this year’s state championship is yet to be determined.]
If you enjoy good acting you’ll love the interpretive events of humor and drama.
If you like to follow current events, you’ll get a kick out of extemporaneous speech, which comes in two flavors national and international.
If you like the cut and thrust of a head-to-head competition of wills, you’ll be blown away by debate. REM’s famous It’s the End of the World As We Know It was based on watching a Cross-Examination Competition. The speed at which the verses are sung is indicative of how fast some of the debaters in Cross-X present. But don’t be intimidated. There are also Public Forum and Lincoln-Douglas debate forms as well. But they’re all interesting.
If you want more information, drop me a line by clicking on my name.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Be Prepared III
Insights on ‘How To…..’
An interesting article on the importance of THINKING AHEAD with respect to surviving a disaster….or worse.
It’s better to bend than to break, and it’s best to be prepared for the worst.