FloydFreak's Blog

Have you heard the news? (Yes, Damian, this really IS news). Bird flu is back. Out of nearly SEVEN BILLION people, ONE person in China has allegedly died of bird flu.

Time to panic, folks. Get your visqueen and duct tape. Stock up on canned goods. Forget the terrorists. Forget Bush and Cheney. We've got BIRD FLU back with us.

Yippee! I'm throwin' me a bird flu party this weekend. It's a lot more fun than a hurricane party - you pig out on chicken wings.

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/china-raises-bird
-flu-alert/story.aspx?guid=%7B1ABA2530-EBCF-444D-B7A8-C
69FCE5644C6%7D&dist=msr_1

or

http://tiny.cc/SfmHB

(Sorry for the second URL - www.tinyurl.com was down for some reason)

Here's one for you drinkers of the Obama Kool-Aid elixir:

http://www.usnews.com/blogs/erbe/2008/12/30/george-
w-bush-911-iraq-katrina--how-did-we-go-so-wrong.html#re
ad_more

or

http://tinyurl.com/a2s7je

This is right up Yellowdog's alley. YD, are you SURE that you didn't pen this under the pseudonym "Bonnie Erbe".

Funny thing is that Bonnie Erbe used to be known as Bonnie Ginsburg and, if I am not mistaken, she was with WTVT back in the 1980's when Channel 13 was a CBS affiliate.

Beat you to the punch, didn't I, YD?

I guess fourteen and counting is better than fourteen and pregnant, dontcha think?

I got quite a kick out of the story on GDTB this morning regarding the Arabs in Tampa protesting the Israeli action agains the Palestinians.

Now I have a question for these protesters:

Where were you when your brethren were launching indiscriminate rocket attacks against the Israelis???

The Israelis are attacking MILITARY targets. Your countrymen are specifically targeting the general citizenry. Your "brave freedom fighters" choose to hide amongst the general populace (that's modus operandi for your cowardly military). So I really don't want to hear about "innocent civilians" being killed. There is no such thing.

Boortz has pointed this out on a number of occasions on his radio show: Whenever there is some sort of activity that affects the Arabs, all we hear is "Muslims outraged". What a p***ed off bunch. How often do we hear "Christians outraged" or "Buddhists outraged"?

Personally, I'm quite sick of hearing about Arabs being outraged.

WHERE WAS THEIR OUTRAGE IN THE AFTERMATH OF 9/11/01???

With the coming new year and the impending change in our presidential leadership and the fact that we will no longer have any problems because Barack, Nancy, Harry, et al are going to fix all of them (the ones that they haven't already fixed), I have decided to post something of a very light nature and something for which you who heed my words will owe me a debt of gratitude.

Please keep in mind that this is not a commercial post. Alas, unfortunately, I do not have a financial stake in the soon-to-be-mentioned business.

Those of you that like chicken wings, please do yourself a favor and check out the Shamrock Pub in Floral City sometime. For those of you unfamiliar with Floral City, it is located in southern Citrus County about fifteen miles north of Brooksville about an hour's drive north of Tampa. From Hillsborough County, you can take I-75 to Exit 314 and go west, or you can take the Suncoast Parkway to Brooksville and from there take US41. The Shamrock is located on SR48 just east of the traffic light on US41 (the only traffic light in town).

During my short-lived Ocala employment adventure, one of my customers was located near Floral City and he was the one that turned me on to this place although I was familiar with Floral City having visited Good Council Camp (Catholic youth camp between Floral City and Inverness) in the early-1970's. (No. I'm not Catholic).

But the Shamrock Pub has the BEST chicken wings anywhere - PERIOD. And I've eaten more than a few wings in my time. I had the opportunity to attend a wing competition in Ocala several months ago. Although the Shamrock was not in the competition, their wings blew away all of the participants' wings that I did sample. Just to give you some perspective, Floral City is over one hundred miles from my home in Alachua and it was well worth the drive to get there. Not only does the Shamrock have killer wings, but they serve the biggest hamburger that I've ever eaten that I did not cook myself on my own grill.

To top off this outstanding food, the service is fast, friendly, and efficient.

Floral City is a great destination for sightseeing, also, being situated near Lake Tsala Apopka and the Withlacoochee River. If you are a motorcyclist, all the better as the rolling hills in the area afford almost endless two-wheeling possibilities.

Now, get out there and head to Floral City for some wings!

And Happy New Year!

A couple of us bloggers put together a get-together about two years ago. It was a small turnout but it was an opportunity for us to meet in-person and it really was a neat experience.

I thought that I would throw the idea out there again to see if anyone might be interested in doing this once we get the holidays behind us.

Obviously, we will need to know who lives where and then arrive at a suitable location that is convenient to the greatest number of respondents. As some of you know, although I live in Alachua County, I work in Pinellas and am in Clearwater during the week. But it's a quick shot across the CCC for me to get to Tampa.

What say you? Any takers out there?

 

Yet another case of a gun firing spontaneously. The tragic shooting death of the child in Fort Meade has been attributed to the gun "going off".

Folks, I am not a firearms expert (although I have owned a few), but guns do not GO OFF ON THEIR OWN. Unless, in a rare instance, a gun is dropped so that its hammer strikes a solid surface, the TRIGGER must be pulled in order for it to fire.

It is a tragedy and the owner of the firearm needs to pay dearly for leaving this gun where a child can access it.

But it's NOT THE GUN'S FAULT. Guns don't kill people. Guns do not just GO OFF!

...OPEC style:

OPEC provides a perfect exemplification of the phrase “shooting yourself in the foot”. From 2002 until this past summer, except for a few short-lived and relatively small declines, the price of oil had risen rapidly to unprecedented highs. Americans watched as they began spending upwards of seventy-five dollars to fill the family sedan. They also watched as the costs of almost everything increased in price rapidly in response to the high cost of fuel. Inflation rose at rates not seen in many years. President Bush called on the leaders of Middle Eastern countries to increase production of oil to help to ease America’s (and the world’s) economic angst. Of course, the president seemed like the little kid on the block that begged the big bullies not to beat him up anymore. It was almost laughable.

But now look at what has happened. Amidst their wallowing in piles of American cash, the oil producers have succeeded in bringing about a worldwide recession. The drop in demand for petroleum products brought about by the recession has resulted in oil losing nearly seventy-five percent of its value since mid-summer. Two announced production cuts by OPEC in an attempt to stop further erosion of price have both resulted decreases in the price of oil.

Hopefully, the lower gasoline prices that we have been “enjoying” will not distract us from our new president’s pledge to get us off of foreign oil in ten years. Economics, being what it is, will dictate that this drive away from foreign oil will not be without hitches. It will become increasingly difficult for us to drill for our own oil since the lower the price, the less feasible it becomes to drill in any given area.

But this is what happens when you manipulate prices to such an extent that you drive off your customers permanently.

Hopefully, OPEC will take this as a big FY.

OK. You guys are all a pretty smart lot (the college professors among us notwithstanding). Could someone please tell me who decreed some time back that we are no longer going to use dashes and forward slashes? First, it was telephone numbers. I have always written phone numbers with dashes between the area code, prefix and number: 212-867-5309. Or, with the area code in parenthesis: (212) 867-5309. Apparently, the dashes weren’t good enough anymore and everyone has gone to using a dot or period: 212.867.5309.

Now, people are using dots for dates. Instead of using a forward slash between the month, date and year: 12/19/08, people have gone to using dots: 12.19.08.

So, what is it about the dot/period that makes it preferable? I am old-fashioned, I guess. But, for me, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. No dots for me – except at the end of a sentence. Period.

FloydFreak
12/19/08
Ph.: 352-555-1212

I saw this on a billboard in Ocala a month or so ago and meant to b!tch about it but it slipped my mind. Then I saw an ad on a Bay Area TV station this evening and, well...FloydFreak is back and ready to rant.

Tell me, pray tell Yellowgod, WHERE do you propose that we draw the line with regard to government give-aways? First, it was FREE breakfast in our schools. I b!tched - you whined about the poor, hungry schoolkids. Yes, FloydFreak is a heartless b@st@rd who believes that kids should be sent to school with no food in their tummies.

Now we've got FREE freaking cell phones for "the poor" with FREE freaking minutes, no contracts, free blo...oops, not that. Good GOD! IS THERE NO END TO THIS? We've got free food in the form of food stamps, WIC, and other "assistance" programs. How about free gas for our cars? Oh wait, the lady in Sarasota has already thought of that. Free fuel oil to heat our homes? Wait - they've already got that in New England. Shoot...how about a free car? Why not a FREE freaking HOUSE?

Here's your web site:

https://www.safelinkwireless.com/EnrollmentPublic/b
enefits.aspx

Get 'em while they're hot!

Hey, Professor: There's your socialism in action. Cool, huh?

 

For the past umpteen years now, we have heard environmentalists and alarmists (one and the same – see: Gore, Al) harp endlessly about alleged “global warming” (now known as “climate change” since they have been unable to prove that the planet is, in fact, warming). Of course, man or more specifically, CAPITALISM, is to blame and the culprit is a supposed elevated level of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2).
 
Along with the alarmism over global warming, the environmentalists drone on about carbon footprint, carbon offsets, carbon credits, carbon fiber (oops, not carbon fiber), etc., etc.
 
HOWEVER, carbon dioxide is no more carbon than salt (NaCl) is chlorine, titanium dioxide (TiO2) is titanium (see: paint and powdered doughnuts), stannous fluoride(SnF2) is tin (look at the ingredients in your Crest), or for that matter, water (H2O) is hydrogen. Carbon is, if I am not mistaken, the second most prevalent element in the universe. WE are mostly carbon (ask Joni Mitchell). Carbon is not the alleged culprit of the alleged warming (I mean, change – you’ve gotta love that word, don’t you?); carbon DIOXIDE is.
 
P.S.: Don’t you love how the environmentalist nut jobs have everyone believing that the frigid weather up north is due to global warming? Classic!

This post is directed at those of you that love to throw your "educational weight" around. There are some on these boards that are obviously of above-average intelligence who do not seek to impress with their educational accomplishments.

Others (and the common thread seems to be a propensity toward liberalism) just love to point out their attendance at graduate school or the fact that they have this degree or that degree.

I find this analogous to people that know martial arts (about which I know very little). From what I've learned, people that are masters in the martial arts do not brag about the fact. Those that have studied them but aren't very good, love to talk about it.

Do I see any sort of similarity here?

Bottom line, brothers...I'm not impressed. (But nice try).

Hey BM,
 
This is in response to the comment that you left for me on your electoral college post. You asked me what it was about socialism that I find so abhorrent. You know what? You got me to thinking. I think that you may be on to something. I mean, why should I work for a living? What’s the point? Why shouldn’t I be able to just sit on my @ss and let “the government” provide for me? Socialism really IS the way, the truth, and the light, isn’t it? Oh wait – that’s Jesus. Never mind.
 
But, for me, socialism seems to be the way to go. I’ve been working full-time for over thirty years and I’m ready to start taking it easy. Why should I have to plan for my retirement and ensure that I am able to provide for myself? I mean, for crying out loud, WHAT is government for? I want nothing more than to have someone like Barack Obama, feed me, clothe me, house me, provide for my medical care, put gas in my car, wipe my @ss, etc. (Truthfully, I’d rather bare my @ss to Nancy Pelosi, but that’s another post).
 
Nah. I don’t find ANYTHING abhorrent about socialism. Thanks for opening my eyes. Where would we be without you college-educated types showing us the truth? Were it not for the intelligensia, I know not WHAT we would do.
 
Seriously, it isn’t so much socialism per se that I find abhorrent, but, more specifically, those that espouse it.

But I can't thank you enough for asking.

Since thebrotherman asked, for your entertainment, I present FloydFreak's interpretation of "SOCIALISM":

A government that will (or a supposition by a people that said government will) provide for the citienry’s collective welfare through taxation of the achievers of said populace. The aforementioned provision for the citizens’ welfare thereby resulting in a diminished work ethic and an even greater reliance upon the government followed closely by decreased productivity and further deterioration of the society’s standard of living.

Truth IS stranger than fiction, dontcha think?

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2008/12/09/report-i
llinois-governor-taken-federal-custody/

Great idea for helping to reduce the federal debt!

I concluded my first week working back in Pinellas yesterday and had the chance to listen to the Schnitt Show on NewsRadio 970 WFLA (Bay Area home of Rush Limbaugh, of course).

Schnitt, with whom I agree probably ninety percent of the time, was talking about the impending demise of the "Little 3" automobile manufacturers. His position was that we should not allow these companies to fail, no matter what.

Well, sorry Schnitt, I disagree - they have ALREADY FAILED.

Schnitt went on, as have many Washington types, about the ancillary loss of jobs that will ensue. Again, I disagree. While, initially, there will be a large number of people placed on the unemployment rolls. However, does anyone honestly think that the slack will not be soon taken up by the likes of Toyota and other foreign manufacturers with operations in America?

Come on, admit it. Detroit innovation ceased decades ago. I was driving behind something made by Chevy yesterday on SR54 in Pasco. I think that it was an HHR. Whatever it was, it was the most gawdawful, butt-ugly thing I've ever seen. Is THIS the best that America can do?

I say, "Good riddance." Take your UAW contracts, stick them where the sun don't shine, and ride off into the sunset. Let those that can EFFICIENTLY manufacture QUALITY vehicles step in and take over.

Those companies that now supply Detroit will, if THESE companies have good management, be picked up by Toyota et al and everyone will make out - the workers, the stockholders of said companies and, most importantly, the car-buying public.

RIP UAW and Detroit!