Far Out

Friday Happy Friday!!


Well, I don't usually like to make up my mind this early as to who to vote for, but now that such an important public figure has made an endorsement I am much wiser now.


Streisand Endorses Hillary Clinton

Streisand said in a statement "Under her leadership, our country will regain its respect within the global community. She will prioritize issues of global climate change, universal health care and rebuilding a strong economy."

"Barbra has used her immense talent to be an advocate for truth, justice, and fairness and I deeply appreciate her confidence in my candidacy as we work together to change the direction of our nation," Clinton said.

I really have that warm fuzzy feeling now.

One true statement about Hillary is she will in fact take care of global climate change as she is so frigid she could stop global warming in its tracks.


Streisand has done so much for the people of the United States, remember all those wonderful songs and the great movies she gave us?

Because she is a singer (debatable) and actress (also debatable) she is more of an expert at what is good for our country than any of us commoners.


Anyone that gives that much to her country - what better person's advice to follow than hers?

When Streisand speaks, we all better listen.




Inseam Blowouts Plague Combat Pants

This may be OK for Britney Spears but not for our military

The Army is retrofitting 1 million uniforms to bolster pants that have been tearing during the rigors of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Soldiers in Iraq began reporting "crotch durability problems" with their combat uniforms in July 2005, according to the Army. Jumping into Humvees, hopping from helicopters and scrambling after insurgents have popped inseams on the baggy pants.


This has been going on since July of 2005 and it is now December of 2007 and this problem is just being addressed.

How the hell are you supposed to fight when you are exposed?

I suspect the uniforms our soldiers wear were made in China!!




Flu by you.

The flu season is approaching and the following explains a lot, especially some of the older people I see every night.

Flu Drugs May Cause Dangerous Behavior


The FDA recommends stronger warning labels for Tamiflu and Relenza after reports that patients exhibited abnormal psychological behavior after taking the drugs.

Symptoms include hallucinations, delirium and, in several instances, fatal jumps from buildings.

Heyyyyyyyy this stuff sounds like a product of the 60's mon.


Ah yes the 60's - Woodstock, acid rock, psychedelic rock

Far out man!!

Speaking of out, we are out for this week.

Thanks for stopping in to browse.

Public Service Announcement - Part 2

Warning Warning:

More States' Bizarre Driving Laws


Minnesota

In Minnetonka, Minnesota if you drive a truck that leaves mud, dirt or sticky substances on any road you will be considered a public nuisance that is harming the peace, safety and general welfare of the town.


Missouri

If you are a horn-honking hooligan you better be carrying your vehicle’s bill of sale if you have the nerve to toot your horn while in University City, Missouri. Officials there have wisely made it illegal to honk the horn of someone else’s car.


Maryland

Keep it Clean
In Rockville, Md., you will be slapped with a misdemeanor if caught swearing while on a highway. Luckily, you'll only be fined if your profane language is uttered "within the hearing of persons passing by." If a driver curses in Rockville and no one is there to hear him, does he make a sound?


Nevada

To prevent any literal interpretation of Reno’s No Standing signs, authorities there have made it illegal to place a bench or chair in the middle of the road.


New Jersey

Don’t be feeling all fuzzy-warm about New Jersey residents if you’re driving through the state with a “Honk if You Love Skippy the Kangaroo” bumper sticker soldered to your vehicle’s trunk. New Jersey residents are required by law to honk before passing.

Arbor Day requires careful planning in Blairstown, New Jersey, for local officials there have made it illegal to plant trees in the middle of the street.

Audible Warnings
In New Jersey, drivers are required to beep their car horns before passing another vehicle. Technically, the law requires "audible warning" with a "warning device," so feel free to ditch your horn and get creative.


New York

Be sure to enter your vehicle feeling sartorially content while in Sag Harbor, New York. Officials there have made it illegal to disrobe while in your car.


North Carolina

Officials in Dunn, North Carolina, apparently harbor no faith in the intuitive powers of common sense:

First, they have made it illegal to play in traffic. So if you’re a parent make sure your kids play Candyland on the floor of a living room rather than on the asphalt of a passing lane.

Second, it is illegal to drive through a cemetery if you’re not there to dig a grave or bury someone. So if you intend to visit the grave of a loved one bring really powerful binoculars.

And third, even if you are considerate enough to yell “On your left,” officials still deem it illegal to drive on sidewalks.


Ohio

In Canton, Ohio, people wearing roller skates cannot share the streets with cars. And yes, this applies even during the “couples only” skate.


Oregon

In Oregon you need to be not only alert for state troopers with speed guns, but also with stop watches. For you can be ticketed if you leave your car door open longer than is deemed necessary.

You will be slapped with a Class A traffic violation if you use your car on an Oregon highway to prove your physical endurance.

If you opt for driving on a sidewalk while in Oregon, be sure to not attract the wrath of the law by not yielding to pedestrians.


Rhode Island

In Scituate, Rhode Island, it is illegal to drive with beer in your vehicle even if it is unopened. So, in other words, if you’re a beer delivery driver you’re screwed.


South Carolina

There’s a good reason why automakers don’t manufacture models named the Dodge Dumpster or the Lexus Litterbin. For in Hilton Head, South Carolina, it is illegal to store trash in your vehicle due to rat problems.


West Virginia

Virginia may be for lovers, but West Virginia is for meat lovers. Officials in the Mountain State have deemed it perfectly legal for anyone to scavenge road kill.


And there you have it. You all are up to speed on what not to do in your state while driving on your way to do your Christmas shopping.

Public Service Announcement - Part 1

Ok, it's the Christmas shopping season so I think I better warn all of you about a few...


Bizarre Driving Laws


Alabama

Apparently ‘Bama is an acronym for Blunt All Motorist Adventures, for officials there have inexplicably made it illegal to drive while blindfolded.


Alaska

Contrary to public opinion roof racks are not specifically designed for skis, snowboards and cocker spaniels. Or at least not in Alaska, where authorities have found it necessary to declare it illegal to tether a dog to the roof of a car.

Your Dog Rides Inside
In Alaska it is illegal to tie a dog to the roof of your car. As far as we're aware, there's still no law against tying a bunch of dogs to the front of your sled.


Arkansas

Think twice while in Arkansas if you harbor an unflagging passion for cold cut sandwiches and honking your car horn. Arkansas authorities have deemed it illegal to blare a car horn where ice cold beverages or sandwiches are served after 9 p.m.


California

No matter how luxuriously comfortable that divided highway may look, it is illegal in Eureka, California, to use a road as a bed.

In order to save money on having to crop dust their streets, officials in Chico, California, have made it illegal to plant rutabagas in roadways.

Officials in Glendale, California, no doubt, caved in to insurance lobbyists when they inexplicably decided to make it illegal to jump from a car at 65 mph.

Don’t expect to find any salt-rimmed curbs in Hermosa Beach, California. Officials there have made it illegal to spill your Margarita on any street.


Connecticut

No need to get your Lexus Sport Luxury Sedan painted blaze orange. Hunting from cars in Connecticut is illegal, even during deer season.


Georgia

Going on an intuitive hunch that teeter-totters and cars don’t mix, officials in Dublin, Georgia, have made it illegal to drive through playgrounds.


Illinois

Beware if you own a bicycle in Galesburg, Illinois. The police there have no tolerance for “fancy riding.”


Iowa

Throw it and they (police) will come. In Mount Vernon, Iowa, it is illegal to throw your Red Ryder onto the highway.

Target Practice?
In Mount Vernon, Iowa, you can't shoot arrows into the street without written permission from the town council. Hopefully target practice isn't a good enough reason to get permission.


Kansas

In Derby, Kansas, it is considered a misdemeanor to screech your tires while driving. This abominable act can cost you 30 days in jail.

In Topeka, Kansas, it is unlawful to transport dead poultry along Kansas Avenue. Lesson: look elsewhere for a KFC.


Kentucky

Make sure your canine does not harbor a weird fetish for tailgate lights or trailer hitches while in Fort Thomas, Kentucky. You’ll be fined if your pet molests a vehicle.


Maine

Be careful about Jonesing for a Bavarian Cream while in South Berwick, Maine. You’ll be ticketed if you park in front of Dunkin Donuts.


Maryland

Keep in mind while traveling through Rockville, Maryland, that the streets there are rated G. If you possess a PG-17 vocabulary, take the bypass. Swearing from a vehicle in Rockville is considered a misdemeanor.



This blog strives to keep you informed. Stay tuned for more states' Bizarre Driving Laws on tomorrow's blog.

Black Friday, Cyber Monday

They call it black Friday.



I don't get it, they call the day after Thanksgiving Black Friday.

I wonder if that is because it was pitch black when the stores opened at 3 A.M.?

That's right 3 A.M. except for K-Mart who was open Thanksgiving Day!

You all know K-Mart who is now part of Sears which has their in-store announcements in Spanish!


Thanksgiving, oh what the heck, let's not set aside one day to give thanks, better yet let's add that as a shopping day.

Turkey dinner with family or friends...heck no, we can wave at them from the other side of the mall.

That's right, we can all be thankful the stores were open for us to shop that day.

I love how stupid some people are. I was watching the news in Reno where there were people lined up at Best Buy at 3 P.M. on Thanksgiving afternoon awaiting 3 A.M. the next morning when the store opens to get what the store advertised as a lost leader.

The temperature that night was 11 degrees.

Lost leader, you know, the one where 2 people get a computer that doesn't have much of anything on it or in it but the lunatic shopper that was out in the cold thinks they got a buy.

Or the T.V. that 2 people get that is imported from some country no one had ever heard of and those lucky shoppers are such idiots they buy the extended warranty which costs more than the T.V.

Why not designate the day after Halloween as Black Friday? Yeah, let's get an even earlier start to the shopping madness.

They call it Cyber Monday.

Now the stores have a new gimmick - it's called Cyber Monday. That's when all the online stores put their things on sale the Monday following Black Friday.


Of course a lot of the online stores are the same as the brick and mortar stores you have in your town so now it's Black Friday and Cyber Monday to drag the hard-earned money out of your pocket.

They predict Cyber Monday will have a huge impact on employers as the employees with computer access will be at their desks shopping online instead of actually working.

As the online holiday shopping season officially kicks off Monday, a number of retailers are hosting one-day sales or special offers for the occasion. The Monday after Thanksgiving, tagged "Cyber Monday" by the National Retail Federation, marks the first big online shopping surge for many merchants, as consumers go back to their work computers.

Toys "R" Us Inc. will hold a one-day online sale and rival eToys.com will launch a two-day sale. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will begin five days of online-only sales.

Online jeweler Blue Nile Inc. will give customers 20 percent off purchases paid through PayPal, eBay Inc.'s electronic payment division. Target Corp., Circuit City Stores Inc., Sears Holdings Corp., Crate & Barrel, the Discovery Store and Overstock.com Inc. are among dozens of retailers offering free shipping that day.

As people trickle back to the office after the holiday weekend, another NRF survey polling shoppers online reports that more than half of adults plan to shop at work.

Just in case you missed both those days, rest easy, I'm sure there will be a few more sales before December 25th, the day some still call Christmas.

A tip for those who didn't have enough time to shop and need a gift after the stores close Christmas Eve. Hit the airport, the gift shops will be open!!

And the madness has begun.

Thanksgiving Poem a Little Late

This Thanksgiving poem from my son was given to me too late to post on Thanksgiving, so I am sharing it today.



Remember November

Written by Tyler Wagner

Yum-yum, turkey time has come, sit on your bum and fill your tum with some treats, everyone eats and greets pumpkin pie pieces, Reese’s pudding for dessert, stomach is hurt after inserting all that food, left in a lackadaisical mood after you’ve chomped and chewed anything not tacked or glued to the table; you start to feel unstable and in labor as you turn to your neighbor and say hey do me a favor and pass the cranberries please…then you ease back in your chair, silently sitting and staring at the leftovers pairing up on the plates. You need time to deflate from everything that you ate, huffing and puffing loads of stuffing’s not the way to feel great. There’s a pouring of the masses that all pass in the streets, here to greet this autumn date and celebrate with a feast. A parade of preying hams and yams go slam a group, a coop of wild birds, a third of stationed troops. Some soup stirred in a bowl mixed in with casseroles, a mound of mashed potatoes, a pound of butter rolls. The sky becomes a wave of biscuit gravy-graves, they fly and spray their prey with decadent decay. I say this holiday is happiness hoo-ray, you say this holiday is happening today. My eyes rise to the skies, its raining apple pies, my mind is paralyzed, my sight is telling lies. Oh please be a dream is what you silently scream as you turn to the T.V. screen and see your team getting creamed. 18 to 63 is the score, a year in the Civil War, and it’s got you thinking about Abraham Lincoln and this day he created, a prayer of thanks is never outdated and always appreciated, its integrated, into our lives as a day to celebrate with some great family and friends, and till the end we’ll defend our right to overeat and defeat those hunger pains, the object of the day is to be carried out by crane. I’m sitting on the couch and my mind’s going insane, I hear a gobble gobble and my brain begins to wobble just a bit. That means it’s time to quit and drift off in a dream, unless this is the dream then everything I’ve seen was a lie. So as I close my eyes I hope to realize just what was disguise and what was living, and oh yeah by the way, have a Happy Thanksgiving!!

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day.

Thanks to all of you out there for stopping by on this Thanksgiving day.



If the Pilgrims were alive today, what would they be most famous for?

Their age


Can a turkey jump higher than the Empire State Building?

Yes - a building can't jump at all


What are the feathers on a turkey's wings called?

Turkey feathers


What's the best dance to do on Thanksgiving?

The turkey trot


How can you make a turkey float?

You need 2 scoops of ice cream, some root beer, and a turkey


What kind of music did the Pilgrims like?

Plymouth Rock



Which side of the turkey has the most feathers?

The outside


Why did they let the turkey join the band?

Because he had the drumsticks


At Thanksgiving dinner which hand should you use to butter your roll?

Neither you should use a knife!


What's the best thing to put into a pumpkin pie?

Your teeth!




I hope your Harvest has been a bountiful one this year




Here's wishing you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving.



Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.

Is Stupid Worldwide?

Let us all give thanks tomorrow for not being this stupid:

Man Weds Dog


P. Selvakumar places a garland on Selvi, a former stray dog, during their wedding in Manamadurai, India, Nov. 11.

Selvakumar said he thinks he was cursed for stoning two other dogs to death and wed Selvi in an atonement attempt.

You can tell by the look on the bride's face that she's already having second thoughts...

I hope she is a Bitch!!!



There is justice in the world.

'Aggressive' Gator Kills Burglary Suspect

A man who jumped into a lake to flee police was killed by an alligator more than 9-feet long.

The man, whose name has not been released, was allegedly burglarizing a vehicle in the parking lot of the Miccosukee Resort and Convention Center. He ran when police arrived at the scene.

This sounds like a Crock to me!!



Men break into building full of police officers

Two men who police said broke into a building to steal copper wiring got more than they bargained for: a room full of police officers. Police said 26-year-old James Ayers and Frederick Guilliee, 38, broke into the 40,000-square-foot building.

What they hadn't planned for is the Antioch police K-9 unit who was holding a training session there.

At the time of the break-in, an officer was hiding inside the building in a training exercise. Shortly thereafter, a K-9 officer announced that a dog was about to be released and that anyone inside should give themselves up or risk being bitten.

Ayers surrendered immediately, police said, and the K-9 officers found Guilliee hiding inside.

And the dogs were so mad that the Perp gave up. They were licking their chops as they noticed the bad guy did not have the padded suit on so the demonstration would be a good one.



Mugger Says He Pulled Knife on Wrong Man

FOND DU LAC, Wis. - A would-be mugger apologized to his victim, saying he had the wrong guy. The man, 36, pulled a knife on a man unloading groceries outside his home, according to a Fond du Lac Police Department report.

The knife-wielding man asked for money and attempted to punch the younger man, 27, the report said. Another man pulled the would-be mugger away.

The suspect returned later and apologized, saying he mistook him for someone else, the report said. He was arrested Saturday night as he left a convenience store.

So how stupid is that if you are going to mug and rob someone you are supposed to know who they are? What kinda crook is that?

A stupid one!!


There will be a post for Thanksgiving but none on Friday or the weekend.

I Have to Vent - Part 2

We have gone completely stupid - part 2.


Believe or don't believe, that's up to you, however don't try to change things that are what they are just because you can.

Thanksgiving was established as a national day of giving thanks and praise to God.

The religious heritage of Thanksgiving continues in the tradition of saying grace at the beginning of the Thanksgiving holiday dinner.

National Thanksgiving Proclamations proclaim thanks for God’s providence in the events of the nation and, as President Washington explained in his Thanksgiving Proclamation, “for the many signal favors of Almighty God” in the lives of the people.

Now we have to say "Happy Turkey Day" instead of Happy Thanksgiving.

What's next? Are the vegetarians going to force Wendy's to stop advertising hamburgers?


Not to stop there, it gets worse:

Censoring Santa: no, no, no to Ho, Ho, Ho

Christmas (or should I say "Xmas" -- "the holiday season" maybe?) continues to be criminalized and the companies that make a business of tinsel, gaily wrapped packages and "ho, ho, ho" don't know whether to embrace or hide from the specter of political incorrectness.

I'm sorry. Did I offend you?

In the latest blow to the no-longer-holy holidays, Santas are being urged to say "ha, ha, ha," instead of "ho, ho, ho."

The "ho ho ho" phrase "could frighten children and could even be derogatory to women."

"Ho, ho, ho" is offensive? Santa's jolly greeting is more kid like than gangsta rap.

After all, what does "ho, ho, ho" remind you of, more, than "'Twas the Night Before Christmas"? Can't you just see a belly bouncing like a bowl

Oh, dear. Now I've just offended those with larger-than-normal normal body types.



How about Lowe's calling their fake spruces "Family Trees?"



So now for Christmas we are supposed to say "Happy Holidays give me a break."

The Marines can no longer be Gung Ho! When a sailor spots land he can no longer shout 'Land ho!' When traveling from the east one can no longer utter the words 'Westward ho!' And if I'm hungry I can't ask the store clerk for a Ho Ho!

I have had Jewish people wish me a Happy Hanukah and I have wished them Merry Christmas. Neither of us was offended as they were sharing their Happy celebration with me and I was sharing my Merry celebration with them.

Wow, simple huh? But not to some that want to find anything they can to call politically correct.

Soon we will have to genetically alter people so kids are born without the ability to speak.

Maybe that's not a bad idea as the majority of people that should speak, don't, and the minority that do, shouldn't.

Why is it people raise a fuss over things that don't hurt anyone, but ignore real issues?

That's my happy season rant for the week.

I Have to Vent - Part 1

We have gone completely stupid - part 1.



I just can't take much more of this. All my life I have hoped to leave this world a better place for my kids than it was for me.

I have discovered I want to leave them the world I had because it was a better place. The world as I see it has now gone completely mad.

We the majority no longer have the gumption to speak up for what is right. Rather, we sit back and let a minority of people ruin America.

We are allowing our country to be destroyed from within. We no longer are able to think or do for ourselves, rather we want someone else to do the thinking and doing for us.

People today are lazy and think the world owes them something. Fact of the matter folks, the attorneys are leading the charge and we are following like sheep.


Utah’s Cross Controversy

The Utah Highway Patrol Association is faced with a lawsuit over placing by the side of the road crosses honoring state troopers killed in the line of duty.

On a highway in southern Utah, midway between Tropic and Cedar City, a mammoth cross marks the place where, 29 years ago this month, state trooper Lynn Pierson was killed by a car thief. His son Clint, a 36-year-old county deputy, sees the stark white memorial every time he takes his kids to the local Wal-Mart. "It's a huge source of pride," he says. "As a family, it helped us heal."

There are 14 such crosses, all of them 12 feet tall, scattered around the state, each bearing the name of a dead trooper and the Utah Highway Patrol insignia. They were erected by the privately-funded Utah Highway Patrol Association beginning in 1998, and whether they continue to stand is in the hands of a federal judge in Salt Lake City, who must decide if the crosses are symbols of remembrance or religion. U.S. District Judge David Sam heard arguments earlier this week on both sides of the constitutional debate, and has promised to rule soon.

The controversy started in December 2005, when American Atheists Inc. filed suit to have the markers removed, arguing that the cross is a universal symbol of Christianity and, when placed on public property, illegal. The lawsuit sparked outrage from the families of fallen officers, other police officers and legislators. Even some atheists went out of their way to dissociate themselves from the Texas-based group.

The crosses honor troopers who have died since 1931. Ten of the monuments are on public land, which required special permission from the state. "It was never our intent to do anything religious," says Lt. Lee Perry, who helped spearhead the project. "It was strictly to honor their memory."

Assistant attorney general Thom Roberts made the same argument in court. The cross, like Christmas and "Closed on Sunday," is a religious expression that evolved into a secular symbol, he said. To emphasize his point, Roberts held up pictures of telephone poles and showed a clip from Ben Casey, the 1960s TV medical drama. In it, Dr. David Zorba uses the cross as a generic symbol for death.

Roberts also argued that, since 11 of the 14 honored troopers were Mormons, members of a church that does not use the cross as a symbol of its beliefs, the monuments could hardly be considered a religious expression. "This is not about putting God back in the public space," Roberts says. "This is a memorial to officers who died in the line of duty."

I ask you, how many people does this offend?

Better yet, why are they offended as it does not hurt them?

Can someone tell me why an Atheist thinks everyone has to stop exhibiting a cross just because the Atheist doesn't like it?

Do Believers stop Atheists from expounding their beliefs? So as I see it, there is room for both to exhibit their beliefs.

I'm not done yet. See part 2 tomorrow!!

You Gotta Love Hollywood Types

They're gonna put me in the movies...They're gonna make a big star outta me.

Only in Hollywood could this happen.


Homeless Man Inspires Clothing Brand

LOS ANGELES -- The newest sensation at the center of Hollywood's fashion scene isn't a famous designer or starlet.

It's a 56-year-old homeless man who spends his days dancing on roller skates.

John Wesley Jermyn has been a fixture in West Los Angeles for more than 20 years.

Nicknamed "The Crazy Robertson" and "The Robertson Dancer," he is a constant presence on a stretch of Robertson Boulevard that has become the city's trendiest shopping corridor and a prime strolling spot for tourists and movie stars.


"The Crazy Robertson" brand of T-shirts and sweatshirts, created by a trio of 23-year-olds, has flown off the shelves at Kitson, a haunt of tabloid stars like Paris Hilton.

The clothes feature stylized images of Mr. Jermyn, including one design -- available on a $98 hoodie -- that has a graphic of him dancing and the phrase "No Money, No Problems" on the back.

At the largest of Kitson's three boutiques on Robertson, shirts bearing Mr. Jermyn's likeness are sold alongside $290 "Victoria Beckham" jeans and $50 baby shoes designed by pop star Gwen Stefani.

At Kitson's boutiques and on its Web site, the first shipment of "Crazy Robertson" women's clothes -- about 35 items -- sold out in three days, and the store immediately ordered about 90 more pieces, according to owner Fraser Ross.

Mr. Hirsh says the success at Kitson has already generated interest from other retailers. He calls Mr. Jermyn "our Michael Jordan" and is looking into a trademark for "the Crazy Robertson" name and logo.


Mr. Hirsh also said their next designer release will be the "Back to the 70's Polyester Goodwill Retro" made famous by Glen Campbell:


Then their addition of the Rip Torn layered look for those cold nights on the street.


And figuring to be their best seller of all will be the Nick Nolte Hawaiian Pupule (Translation crazy) line of summer wear.


From the people that want to tell you how to vote comes a new wardrobe for your closet.

Isn't buying a $98 hoodie, that has the phrase "No Money, No Problems," like an oxymoron?

Life is good on the streets of L.A.

Remember this: Always drink upstream from the herd.

That's a wrap for this week. Have a great weekend!!!

Three-Day Weekend - Part 3

Ely, our destination.

We've arrived.

Ely is a mining town, suffering through the boom and bust cycles so common in the West.

Originally Ely was home to a number of copper mining companies, Kennecott being the most famous.

Liberty Pit became the world's largest open-pit mine at its peak, but with a crash in the copper market in the mid 1970s, Kennecott shut down and copper mining disappeared (temporarily).

With the advent of cyanide heap leaching -- a method of extracting gold from what was previously considered very low grade ore -- the next boom was on.

Many companies processed the massive piles of "overburden" that had been removed from copper mines, or expanded the existing open-pit mines to extract the gold ore.

Gold mines as widespread as the Robinson project near Ruth, and AmSelco's Alligator Ridge mine 65 miles from Ely, kept the town alive during the 1980s and 1990s, until the recent revival of copper mining.

With Kennecott's smelter having been destroyed, copper concentrate from the mine is now shipped by rail to Seattle, where it is transported to Japan for smelting.

The dramatic increase in demand for copper in 2005 has once again made Ely a copper boom town.

The economic downturn precluded widespread renovation, and the early 20th century small-town architecture that dominates its center gives Ely a familiar look.

Norman Rockwell would have liked it. The Ely Renaissance Society was formed and undertook the task of creating an outdoor cultural art gallery winding through the historic downtown.

At one of the entrances to town stood an outstanding renovation of a 60's style gas station.






Using Ely as our base we also toured the mining towns of Ruth and McGill with a few stops along the way.

Our friend Maria had suggested we make a visit to Cave Lake and continue from Cave Lake along the route called Success Loop.




Cave Lake was, as advertised, a beautiful, pristine mountain lake.


Now on to Success Loop. It was, as Maria told us, a beautiful drive.

The Ranger at Cave Lake advised there was snow coming so if we were going on the Success Loop we should go soon, so away we went.




Maria is a female Indiana Jones type of adventurer who knows the places to recommend for scenery buffs.

I had forgotten that sometimes I have a communication problem with younger people.

To my generation a trail was a road forged by a wagon train which was almost always a one-lane trail as normally covered wagons all traveled about the same speed so no passing lane was required.

As time progressed and cars came along, someone decided two-lane trails were required because some cars were faster than others.

Those two-lane trails then became known as dirt roads.

I forgot for the moment that Maria was from the younger generation and only knew about covered wagons from history books, so when she said the Success Loop drive was a dirt road, I assumed she meant a two-lane dirt road.


About one minute into the drive I realized what we had here was a failure to communicate. Notice the trail we were on.





The ranger was right, we were in the middle of a nice snow storm but one we were enjoying.

The three-day weekend came and went in a flash, but we had a great time away.

We found Ely to be a small town with a history, friendly people, great accommodations, and beautiful scenery which is all one could ask.

That's it for the trip. Come back tomorrow and I will see if I can find more to bore you with.

Three-Day Weekend - Part 2

We have visited Caliente and have checked out Cathedral Gorge, now it's on to Pioche.

Pioche has a real wild west history to it.

In 1864, William Hamblin, a Latter Day Saint missionary, was led to silver deposits in the vicinity of Pioche by a Native American Paiute. In 1868, San Francisco financier Francois L.A. Pioche purchased claims and constructed a smelter in the area, forming the Meadow Valley Mining Company. The mining camp was called "Pioche's City" and later became known as Pioche.


The town rapidly became the largest mining town in southeastern Nevada in the early 1870's. Population estimates showed 10,000 people by 1871.

The town quickly gained fame for its "toughest town" reputation. Due mostly to confusion over the exact location of mining claims, mine owners finally resorted to hiring guards.

Hired gunmen were imported at the rate of about twenty a day during boom times to fight mining claim encroachments.

Mine owners often paid the gunmen a salary of $20 per day––a more certain investment for owners than settling disputes in court where bribery often determined the final outcome.

The sheriff's office was reputed to be worth $40,000 a year in bribes alone.


Guns were the only law, and Pioche made Bodie, Tombstone, and other better known towns pale in comparison.

It has been reported that seventy-five men were buried in the cemetery before anyone in Pioche had time to die a natural death.

According to one reputable source, nearly 60 percent of the homicides reported in Nevada during 1871-72 took place in and around Pioche.


Not even the building of the county courthouse was exempt from corruption.

Pioche was designated the county seat in 1871 and courthouse plans were initiated.

The county contracted to build the courthouse at a cost of $26,400. In order to raise the needed money, $25,000 worth of bonds were sold at a discounted rate of $20,000.

By the time it was completed a year later, costs had escalated to more than $88,000 because of alterations, cost overruns, mismanagement and kickbacks.

To finance payment of the courthouse, the Board of Commissioners issued certificates of indebtedness at a high rate of interest, and by the 1880’s the debt had risen to $181,000.

By the end of the century it exceeded more than $670,000. The final payment was made in 1937; four years after the building had been condemned.

The total cost of the Lincoln County Courthouse was nearly $1,000,000.



The approximate population today in Pioche is 900.

We are headed to Ely.

More of the three-day weekend will post here tomorrow.

Three Day Weekend - Part 1

A three-day weekend to a lot of people is no big deal, but to me it is like gold.

When I worked for someone else I had a lot of vacation time so the three-day weekends were good but not as big a deal. Since I own my own business, things are different.

I always hear people say "Well you own your own business so you can take as much time off as you want so what's the big deal?"

That's true, you can, but if you do then your business will have no business so long vacations are a thing of the past and long weekends are gold.

This three-day weekend we ventured to Ely, a little mining town in northeast Nevada. On the way there we routed ourselves through the towns of Caliente, a former bustling railroad town, Cathedral Gorge Sate Park, and Pioche, a former bustling mining town.

Caliente, NV.



The railroad line was completed in 1905, and by 1910, Caliente was the largest town in Lincoln County with 1,755 residents.

A two-story wooden structure served as a train depot until burning down in one of Caliente's disastrous fires.

In 1923, the impressive Caliente Train Depot was built, a classic Mission-style building constructed of tan stucco.

This two-story building included the railroad station, private offices and a community center on the first floor, while the second level featured a hotel.

Within a few years, Caliente grew to more than 5,000 residents. For more than 40 years, Caliente was one of the major division points on the railroad line.

When steam engines were replaced by diesel locomotives in the 1940's, the division point moved to Las Vegas.

Without the depot as a main railroad stop, the town’s growth dwindled but not its spirit. The population today is approximately 1,000.



Cathedral Gorge State Park

In 1924, Governor James Scrugham visited the area and began the process of acquiring the land from the Federal government. In 1935, Cathedral Gorge became one of Nevada's first four state parks.



Erosion has carved dramatic and unique patterns in the soft bentonite clay.



Cathedral Gorge is a high desert park in eastern Nevada comprising 1,608 acres of spectacular geological formations -- spires and pillars carved by centuries of water running over clay in a Pliocene-era lakebed.

More of the three-day weekend trip will post here tomorrow.

Just a Common Soldier

Even though yesterday was the designated Veterans Day, today we have an extra day off for Veterans Day.

We are able to have time to say thanks to our brave men and women of our military who have served their country.

For them I am reposting the following that I hope everyone will read.

A Soldier Died Today



JUST A COMMON SOLDIER
(A Soldier Died Today)
by A. Lawrence Vaincourt



He was getting old and paunchy and his hair was falling fast,
And he sat around the Legion, telling stories of the past.
Of a war that he had fought in and the deeds that he had done,
In his exploits with his buddies; they were heroes, every one.


And tho' sometimes, to his neighbors, his tales became a joke,
All his Legion buddies listened, for they knew whereof he spoke.
But we'll hear his tales no longer for old Bill has passed away,
And the world's a little poorer, for a soldier died today.


He will not be mourned by many, just his children and his wife,
For he lived an ordinary and quite uneventful life.
Held a job and raised a family, quietly going his own way,
And the world won't note his passing, though a soldier died today.


When politicians leave this earth, their bodies lie in state,
While thousands note their passing and proclaim that they were great.
Papers tell their whole life stories, from the time that they were young,
But the passing of a soldier goes unnoticed and unsung.


Is the greatest contribution to the welfare of our land
A guy who breaks his promises and cons his fellow man?
Or the ordinary fellow who, in times of war and strife,
Goes off to serve his Country and offers up his life?


A politician's stipend and the style in which he lives
Are sometimes disproportionate to the service that he gives.
While the ordinary soldier, who offered up his all,
Is paid off with a medal and perhaps, a pension small.


It's so easy to forget them for it was so long ago,
That the old Bills of our Country went to battle, but we know
It was not the politicians, with their compromise and ploys,
Who won for us the freedom that our Country now enjoys.


Should you find yourself in danger, with your enemies at hand,
Would you want a politician with his ever-shifting stand?
Or would you prefer a soldier, who has sworn to defend
His home, his kin and Country and would fight until the end?


He was just a common soldier and his ranks are growing thin,
But his presence should remind us we may need his like again.
For when countries are in conflict, then we find the soldier's part
Is to clean up all the troubles that the politicians start.


If we cannot do him honor while he's here to hear the praise,
Then at least let's give him homage at the ending of his days.
Perhaps just a simple headline in a paper that would say,
Our Country is in mourning, for a soldier died today.

Veterans Day

For Veterans day I am repeating my post from last year in honor of the brave men and women who have nobly served our country.






Thank you to all who served their country in time of peace and war.


Veterans Day is the American name for the international day of remembrance called Armistice Day.

It falls on 11 November, the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War One. It is a federal holiday and a state holiday in all 50 states.

The same day is observed elsewhere as Remembrance Day or Armistice Day.

All major hostilities of World War 1 were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice.



Armistice Day was first commemorated in the United States by President Woodrow Wilson in 1919, and many states made it a legal holiday.

Congress passed a resolution in 1926 inviting all Americans to observe the day, and made it a legal holiday nationwide in 1938.

The holiday has been observed annually on November 11 since that date - first as Armistice Day, later as Veterans Day - except for a brief period when it was celebrated on the fourth Monday of October.

Although it is a federal and state holiday, it is formally observed in most parts of the United States only by government offices and banks.

Most schools and almost all businesses stay open on regular schedules. As a result, most public transit systems are on regular schedules as well even though they are usually run by the local government.

Most businesses cite the holiday's proximity to Thanksgiving (when many businesses close for a four-day weekend) as the main reason for staying open on Veterans Day; but most schools and businesses also stay open on Columbus Day, a full month earlier.

On November 11, 1953, the citizens of Emporia, Kansas staged a Veterans Day observance in lieu of an Armistice Day remembrance.

Representative Ed Rees of Emporia, Kansas subsequently introduced legislation into the House of Representatives to officially change the name of Armistice Day to Veterans Day.

Following a letter-writing campaign to secure the support of all state governors in the observance of this new holiday, the name of the holiday was changed to Veterans Day (enacted 1 June 1954), to honor those who served in all American wars.



The day has since evolved as a time for honoring living veterans who have served in the military during wartime or peacetime, partially to complement Memorial Day, which primarily honors the dead.

There has been some discussion of whether a person's veteran status depends upon his/her retirement or discharge from any of the armed forces.

However, the term applies to any that have honorably served their country or that have served in a war zone as directed by their superior officers or as directed by lawful orders given by their country.









Because of our military personnel past and present, we live free!!!!!