Off topic posts

I need to take a break from the stuff I have been writing about and take a change in direction, if if only for one post.

Random news items

1) Karl Haist has won the World Pumpkin Confederation Weigh-Off in Clarence, NY, on Oct. 4. He grew a pumpkin that weighed 1,075 pounds. How many pies could you get out of that? And what purpose does the pumpkin serve except a really weird lawn sculpture?

2) We are apparently running out of road salt. Come winter, some people are worried we will run out of salt for the roads. How are we running out of salt? I can see oil, I can see gold, I can see diamonds. How do you run out of salt? Are we eating too many pretzels and potato chips in the country?

3) Japan just hosted a unique fashion show. The models were 40+ year old adults wearing black tights and adult diapers. Yep, the whole purpose was to showcase adult diapers. Here's the deal. Adult diapers are an increasingly common item in Japan, home to one of the world's longest average lifespans. More than 20% of the population is over 65, and the country is forecast to have the globe's largest number of centenarians — 1 million — by 2050, the U.N. says. It gets worse. Speakers blared oldies hits such as "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood.

Here's my favorite quote. "Diapers are something that people don't want to look at," said Kiyoko Hamada of the Aging Lifestyle Research Center, a leading organizer of the show. "But if you make them attractive, then people can learn about them more easily," she said.

More attractive? This is what we are working on; how to make diapers seem more attractive? I don't care how it is marketed, I don't care who is wearing it. The words diaper and attractive go together like me and cats. Like my father and a tall glass of milk. It just doesn't work.

4) Whose says the real estate market is in trouble? With a winning bid of $1.75, a Chicago woman has won an auction for an abandoned home in Saginaw, MI. Her bid was one of eight for the home. Think about that. Seven people bid LESS than that for a house! With the utility costs in St. Charles, I can't microwave a bag of popcorn for under $1.75! And she plans to sell the house immediately. Now I know nothing about real estate. But what happens if you can only get a dollar back for the house? That's a pretty bad return. And let's say someone offers $50. Fifty to one sounds good. But is it good considering the big picture?

5) An unidentified man smashed a 6-foot hole in the wall of the Name Brand Clothing Store in Tulsa, Okla., in August and labored through the night to bust open the safe, but according to the surveillance video, he finally gave up six hours later after making only a small hole in the safe. However, when the store manager arrived later that morning, he found the safe unlocked, probably the result of his forgetfulness the night before, and no contents were missing. Though the crime was unsuccessful, the manager offered to hire the robber, based just on his diligent work ethic.

Song picks
1) "Pour Me Another Tequila" Eddie Rabbitt
2) "Real Love" Doobie Brothers
3) "Play Born to Lose Again" Ronnie Milsap
4) "I'm Gonna Miss You Girl" Michael Martin Murphey
5) "Riviera Paradise" Stevie Ray Vaughan