Extended 3D Ramblings 3/9/12

So now you get an extended version of the 3D Ramblings as I have been slacking with my blogs.  I probably won’t pick up my pace but I still feel the need to apologize.  Many things have happened over the past couple of weeks that have caught my attention.  Things I promise not to comment on are, Super Tuesday and GOP Nomination race, The rising gas prices, and Rush Limbaugh, he’s an idiot that does not deserve my commentary.  So on to the Ramblings.

Sad Day in the Nation – That’s Red Sox Nation.  The retirements of Red Sox staples Tim Wakefield and Jason Varitek were felt around all of New England.  These two guys were truly team players and what the Red Sox World Series runs were all about.  Everybody loved these guys, even when their talents had declined.  Part of me still feels part of the Red Sox collapse was attributed to Terry Francona continually sending out an ineffective Wakefield so he could get his 200^th victory.  That’s not Wakefield’s fault.  These guys will truly be missed.

Road Island? – The Office of the Vice President of the United States recently released his travel schedule, including a stop in the state of Road Island.  Could you imagine of George W. Bush or Sarah Palin had made this comment?  MSNBC would be pulling up their spelling tests from the third grade to prove how dumb they really were.

Coaches to Know CPR – A Massachusetts bill being proposed on Beacon Hill would require school coaches to know CPR to intervene and assist while the wait for first responders doesn’t aid in the cause of death.  I truly like this idea however there are many holes that are probably not being addressed.  First, who is going to pay for these coaches to be certified?  Secondly, who is going to carry the liability/malpractice insurance on these coaches if their efforts are futile?  Third, what about the opposite sex coaches that will open themselves up to , using a football term, “Illegal touching” while providing aid to the student athlete.  I think it’s a great idea but needs to be explored thoroughly.

MBTA loophole – Governor Patrick is considering using the money that was not used during snow removal because of the uncharacteristically mild winter to aid in the budget gap at the MBTA. All I can say is NO, NO, NO, NO.  Let them hang, poor service and large overhead is their problem, not a lack of income.  Giving them that money won’t force them to make the cuts they are supposed to make.  Put it in an interest bearing account and carry it over to next winter.  If it needs to be spent, then put it to where it is supposed to go, the roads of Massachusetts.

What Bad Economy? – These actions continue to stagger me.  Nike released the “Foamposite Galaxy” sneaker to coincide with NBA All-Star Weekend.  People were waiting in line for weeks, that’s right, weeks to obtain the shoe.  The shoe retails at $220 and I have seen online prices of $1,500 for these shoes.  So I ask, who is paying for all this stuff?

Worcester Stimulus Money – The City of Worcester has received $88 million in Federal Stimulus money which led to the creation of 346 jobs.  That equals out to $254,000 per job.  The people hired in those jobs don’t make that much and this is where the stimulus didn’t work.  The money was used to create new agencies which were funded with the money.  So when the money runs out there will be an increase in the budget gap because these were no originally part of the City’s budget, but they (and we) will pick up the tab.

No wining about it – Since Gov. Patrick is always looking for new things to tax why doesn’t he force H1029 out of committee and up for a vote?  The bill allows regular people to purchase wine directly from wineries across the country.  The Supreme Court in 2005 determined that it was unconstitutional to ban this practice and forced the states to fall in line.  Massachusetts has a fix in place by limiting the large producers of wine from doing so.  New York and Virginia passed laws like H1029 and have netted $4.5 and $3 million annually.  Since everyone on Beacon Hill is in somebody’s pocket the wholesalers have spent a large amount of money making sure this bill stays exactly where it is.  To write your local representative on this topic, go to Free the Grapes website to get more info.

Another Costa Mess – Did anyone see that another Costa Cruise ship had issues off the coast of Africa?  Either sell the company or rebrand yourself, you may not be able to recover from 2012.

Dead Monkee – Lead singer of the 60’s band Davy Jones succumbed to a heart attack last week.  The Monkees were a pop icon in the 60’s even having their own show.  I noticed Jones didn’t get the sendoff that recent deceased singer Whitney Houston got.  Just sayin.

The thrill is Gone – An interesting article in Politico reported that the thrill of being Congressman is gone.  Restrictions on perks and the inability to get earmarks was the main reason.  Oh really?  I thought making policy and representing your district as a true vote was the reason they were there.  Silly me.  Just another argument for term limits.  These people have been so blinded by the perks and the lobbyists, they forgot their true mission.

Embarrassed – A Maryland couple accidentally left their child at Chuck E. Cheese during a birthday party.  They claimed they thought that the child went home with another family member.  YOU DIDN’T CONFIRM THAT??? You just can’t fix stupid.  It’s true.  Darwin was right.

I’m sorry honey – I am curious to know what this guy did.  A Kazakh man spent $13 million to buy a million roses to make up for a fight they had.  He had them delivered on March 8 to coincide with International Women’s Day.  This guy makes Borat look like a pimp.

Peyton Manning released – Was this really a surprise?  He’s 35, coming off an injury which could end his career if hit again, maybe his ability to walk.  He was owed $28 million and his team was the worst in the NFL last year.  No longer a building block anymore.  Good Luck Peyton

Zombie Survival – Michigan State University will be offering an online class on Zombie survival.  I know people that have been taking this class every Sunday on AMC watching “Walking Dead”.  How do you know you’re not a Zombie?  I guess the class will cover that.

Presidential McNuggett – A Chicken McNuggett that had the likeness of George Washington recently sold on eBay for $8,100.  I’m trying to figure out who should Darwin take out on this.  The person who kept for 3 years before selling it, or the person who paid $8,100 for an old piece of food.  I don’t pay attention to my food long enough to notice dead presidents.  Heck, I don’t pay attention to my currency long enough to notice which dead President is on it.

This is 3D checking out

Coming Right Atcha