Nothing good happens after 2am

Unlike a lot of folks, I reckon you could say I'm a morning person. I get up bright and early even on my days off. So, I might be a bit biased when I say this. Nothing good happens after 2am. I'm inclined to say not even after midnight, but bars 'round these parts keep the party going until a bit later than that, and I ain't one to rain on y'alls parade. What I mean though, is in the wee hours after normal folks wind down, the rest of the yahoos are usually up to no good, when they ought to be home sleeping. A good many folks driving around are drunk, so watch out for them. Other folks are plenty well-juiced and often looking to reaffirm their manhood or something and go looking for fights. Closing time love leads to all sorts of morning-after coyote getaways. The criminals often do their best work at night. I even read in Reader's Digest about how if you're in the hospital you're much more likely to kick the bucket overnight than during the day. Though there are all sorts of explanations, the end conclusion is the same. Even the hooker-looker hits on this here blog spike between midnight and 5am. The list goes on and on. Like I said, nothing good happens after 2am, so why don't folks go home and go to bed.

LOOK OUT! Another special session?

This morning I read about the lapse of the requirement for insurance. While it's a shame that folks abuse the current system, I think the burden on the rest of us is going to get worse. If nothing else let's set it up that you have to have a special tag if you don't have insurance so we can glare at those yahoos and maybe shame a few of them into doing the right thing. What really chaps my buns though is that they're talking about yet another special session. Tell me something, do these lawmakers actually accomplish anything during their scheduled work times? Why do they have to call a special session for every little thing they should've fixed? I should try that with my bosses sometime. "Grumpy, did you get that project done? Sorry boss, I think I'm gonna need a special session on this one. And we worry about a few quacks abusing the system.

A single serving of justice. We might need a similar prescription here

Former Food and Drug Regulator Executed in China

I read the above article this morning about how the Chinese executed a former chief of food and drug regulation for taking bribes to approve unsafe medicines. Kind of makes you wish we were a bit tougher on those folks sitting in their fancy offices dishing out poisons and disease with the only retribution they need fear is missing a few paychecks and a vacation at a country club prison. With the wheat gluten fiasco killing our pets and lord-knows-what practices our own corporations are endangering us, it would be nice to know that the ones making the decisions have a bit more motivation to protect the consumer. I'd even vote for a more poetic serving of justice. Give the tobacco execs a nice case of lung cancer, or emphysema. Drug execs are prescribed an OD of whatever toxins they're pushing. Tainted beef in extra helpings to the ranchers and food processors if they're found guilty. They might just stop and think a moment before they bend and break the rules and kill people with their products.

Steps to a healthier America

I'm not much of one to exercise, so I like to trick myself into getting a little bit without really knowing it. Parking farther from the door when I can, walking and chewing bubble gum at the same time, and taking the stairs whenever possible. It's that last one that I'm griping about. Ever notice how in a lot of places taking the stairs is downright difficult? Let's face it, in most buildings the stairs are only there for emergencies, cold, barren and hidden in the dark recesses of the building. Not only that, sometimes those darn fire doors are positively hard to open, particularly if you're carrying anything in your arms. How about some stairs near the elevators, and make them easier to find when they're tucked away somewhere. I've been in buildings where you have to go all the way down the hall, hang a left, hang a right, another right, left, stop, turn around, put your left hand in, put your left hand out, and do the hokey-pokey just to get to the stairs, and when you get to your floor do it all in reverse. If you're unfamiliar with the building, you might even have to stop and ask directions. Everyone knows how we old guys hate that. Why not have a set of stairs right near and convenient where people can use them, we could all use the exercise even if we don't realize we're doing it.

Things that go bump in the night

Not just bump, but snap, crackle, pop, boom. I ain't talking about my joints either. Of course it's to be expected, it being the 4th and all, but again the criminals came out of the woodwork when the sun went down. After two verbal admonishments of the offenders, we finally had to call the law when midnight came and went, the sounds of Baghdad continuing to ring down the block. I wish I understood how Charlotte county was restricted from banning the suckers. While the current state law was poorly written, surely the spirit was to not allow novelty fireworks to be sold in the state. It states very specifically the uses of fireworks sold in the state, and rowdy redneck games ain't one of 'em. I don't quite have a grasp on why Charlotte county wasn't allowed to uphold the spirit of the law and stop them altogether. I'd think that the local government should be able to say they don't want obnoxious fire starters sold in their jurisdiction, particularly this year. Trouble is, most fireworks users are ok. It's a matter of a few bad apples ruining it. I don't mind fireworks, but there's always the yahoo or 10 that thinks it's a 3-day affair and it's ok to blast all night long. Why does it always seem that folks like things that insinuate them into the privacy of others. Firecrackers, boombox cars, train horns. If they made a silent firecracker would anyone buy them? I would bet it wouldn't sell well. It these sort of shenanigans that make me think the monkeys might be a more recent ancestor to some than previously believed.

One year of Grumpy

I almost missed my one year gumpiversary. Yep 12 months ago yesterday I started bitching. Never before that day, that day started it all. Well now, maybe I did complain before that, but never to so many people at once. While I'd like to say it's been a great year, if it were truly great, I'd be out of a hobby. So let's just call it a good year. A wise feller once told me that every day that you wake up above instead of below the dirt is a good day. I didn't camp in any caves last year so every day was must have been a good one. Thank you to everyone who reads, and thank you to everyone who's commented. Those precious comments are what make this all worth while, so if you wanted to thank a blogger whom you enjoy, just drop a comment now and again and we just get all giddy. So thanks for a good year and hope I can keep it up. The blog that is.