No spouting about Cubby Blues
No snarky aging yarns
No long winters rant
Not even one simple snow complaint
No anti-global warming pirouette
No literary daggers tossed at Marxist hearts
No globalist conspiracy tales
Not even a simple feelgood fireside chat
I just called to give my message
Wishing all a Happy & Prosperous New Year!
And I mean it from the bottom of my scoundrely heart!
………………………………….
Alright which 
Joker was it that ordered this six-plus inches of snow with side orders of gusting winds and dangerous bitter cold dumped on my yard, sidewalks and driveway??? Then whomever ordered it did not bother to pick it up! Now it will have to be shoveled and stacked high! 
Not Funny!
When you live in an area you come to understand that the year is full of different phases of each season – determined by the environment of the area. You learn to adapt and prepare for the seasonal weather. When you fail to prepare and act upon the events of a season you can create risk for yourself and others. Now for todays rant!
What is it with people and businesses to lazy to clean the snow from their sidewalks? It is not that difficult. Unless you are handicapped, all it takes is the mindset to get the job done. Sidewalks covered in snow and ice are a hazard to people that walk. All it takes to clean them is some elbow-grease along with a snow shovel and stiff broom (for the low-tech), or a snow blower, or a yard tractor with a snow blade and then to spread some de-icer on the area. It is a season-long continuous enterprise that must happen when you live in snowy regions.
As traffic moved along tonight I noticed a woman waiting for the bus stuck standing on the edge of the road because no one in the area had cleaned any of the sidewalks as far as I could see. The area had both residential and businesses – yet all the sidewalks were covered in snow and ice. On a busy intersection that is risky. In another scenario – I try and walk the city blocks about forty-five minutes several times during a week. And come winter that becomes an unsafe task. It seems like every block there is a lot of sidewalk covered in ice created by people too lazy to shovel the snow from their sidewalks. I have noticed a lot of that in the Quad Cities since I moved here. Now I can understand if the individual living there is elderly or incapable of cleaning their snow. Yet most of the sidewalks I personally encounter that are in the most dire condition – DO NOT BELONG TO THE ELDERLY OR THE DISABLED. Most of the elderly or disabled, I know, have made arrangement to have clean sidewalks. It is like a badge of honor for them. If they cannot do it themselves, they get someone else to do it for them. Heck I know of one elderly man that not only cleans his sidewalks, he cleans many of his neighbors paths. I have to ask myself, if that elderly man is out cleaning after a miserable snow – why is any business or Joe Average Resident risking others safety by neglecting the same necessary removal of fallen snow?
It is no secret what has to be done. When people and businesses fail to properly take care of snow on their sidewalks – it is both disrespectful and dangerous to themselves and everyone else!
Contrary to the buzz, Hell did not freeze over Monday. Yes I know the temperatures dropped to kneeknocking levels and the snowplows have blocked your driveways with a semi load of ice and snow. But it was just a heavy winter snowstorm. I also realize that the fear probably started at the sight of Governor Blagodabitch –> away from his Chicago Castle and wandering around this little fiefdom, which immediately causes one to fear that the seven seals of the apocalypse have been broken and the end of the world is nigh. But I assure you that it really is safe to venture away from the house as the world is still turning. I was awake the whole night and the seven trumpets were not sounded. The snow was just snow and Blagodabitch is just in town politicking and hooking up with his friends in the Rock Island Democratic Politburo while making himself look pretty for the cameras as he touts his political wonder.
Just like before his last election, Blagodabitch has an image problem that he needs to polish. So once again, armed with more artificial promises, he has returned to our wasteland and sullied the soles of his shoes. He has come to assure his poverty threatened peasants with hollow gifts to assure us – one day soon he will rescue this wasteland, by establishing a harvest of ambrosia and manna for his faithful. But first he must go slay the dragons, joust with evil knights seeking to depose him from his throne, rescue the fair maidens from robber barons and improve the moat around his castle, so he must take and hold our golden treasures for safekeeping to his castle in Chicago while he passes out more gravel for his serfs to make stone-soup with. His will smile and wave, then leave us with words of encouragement, then disappear off into the Sunset riding his taxpayer paid first-class jet steed back to the safety of his Chicago Castle until he needs to return and work on his image once again. Throw the Dogs a Bone and Endeavor to Persevere!
According to the readings on QCOnline weather page, at the time of this post it is -2° outside with a wind chill factor equal to -12°. The lady on the radio was predicting wind chill factors possibly as low as -30° today. That is kinda, sorta at least a little cold around here in the QC! So for everyone shivering and huddled inside their home wishing for spring/summer, here is a visual image reminding everybody warmer days are coming!
Extra info for those visitors unfamiliar with the Quad Cities, USA: The ducks and geese are on playing on the great State of Illinois side of the Mississippi River, the other side of the river is our recently maligned in the press for its voting order neighbors, the great State of Iowa!
As Iowans brave frostbite from the frigid cold to go exercise their right to vote, not everybody in the country will be excited that the already overextended race for the 2008 POTUS has finally been jumpstarted. So let the whining begin!!! In a CNN article Ohio Governor Ted Strickland was busy echoing what many other larger states have been screeching for a long time, NO FAIR! It seems that the governor of Ohio, and many others if you read the comments across the blogosphere supporting his whining, feels that Iowa has too much influence in choosing Presidential candidates by being the first in the nation to vote. Oops, I am so sorry Ohio and other states cannot think for themselves. The worry about Iowans ability to influence the elections of many larger states has been creating chaos in the primary election process by large states moving their primary voting dates and attempting to bully the voting process while jockeying for an earlier voting position.
Oh PLEASE, let us get real here. Iowa has an estimated population of less than three million people and a total of seven electoral votes. To put that in prospective, right next door to Iowa is the state I live in – Illinois. The State of Illinois, the state also leading the charge to have the most convicted Governors in the nations prison system, has a population approaching 13 million people and 21 electoral votes. I am sure that tiny little Iowa will be able to bully our state into voting submissiveness. Heck our largest city, Chicago, has almost as many people as the whole State of Iowa at just over 2.8 million Chicagoans (and with its crooked voting fraud history, probably more influence on the political race than all of Iowa’s seven electoral votes. Why else do you suppose that Obama is still cozying up to Chicago mayor Daly and his administrations political stench during a closely contested POTUS run.). So please excuse my projectile vomiting caused by my excessive laughter when I hear Gov. Strickland whine about the undue influence Iowa’s choices that will affect his State of Ohio with its 11.4 plus million citizens and its 20 electoral votes. Maybe Ohio has become a state of Zombies, only capable of following the same exact pattern of the Iowa vote. Or possibly Strickland has overheard some juicy rumor that Iowa must be calling its National Guard troops to alert at this very minute, getting ready to invade Ohio to force the Ohio residents vote exactly as Iowa chooses to vote. I can see it now as the Iowa militia overruns the other forty-nine states with its militia usurping each states elections forcing them to vote as Iowans. Though they might have to instate the draft and draft a few corn fed Iowa cows to have enough troops to police Super Tuesday. Shoot this is the State of Illinois, friend to voter fraud, and if they agreed to take Governor Blagodabitch off Illinois’ payroll we might even be willing to listen to what they have to say without them invading! Still I do not think they want Blago anymore than we do, so I guess I should get the shotguns all locked and loaded (before Blago and Chicago find some way to pry them from our grip) and get the guard dogs on watch duty to await those invading Iowa militia next door trying to force my vote. I am so afeared by the effects of the Iowa vote I can feel my knees knocking! Wait, Wait, Wait. Strike that! I guess the reason my knees are still knocking is the porch door is still open waiting for my slathering guard dogs to come back in the house and I am sitting here at my computer in gym shorts while the temperature is 12 degrees and ice and snow abound. Sorry, My mistake – Not Iowa’s!!
Hey they are even following it on the BBC. No pressure, but I guess the eyes of the world are on Iowa tonight.
However if you just need a good political laugh that also includes chickens involved in devious political statements, try this link!
Where Intellectuals and Rednecks foregather.
Skulking Down the Dirt Roads of Life
Skulking Down the Dirt Roads of Life
Skulking Down the Dirt Roads of Life
blogging gobbledygook and such
Fragments of Expatriate Life
investigate*record*agitate
