"...I only know......"

As Will Rogers said: "I only know what I read in the papers" and these are thoughts on two things I've read recently:

- At the risk of 'offending' the football fans, is anyone else shaking their heads over the fact that in the face of record snow amounts, driving bans, roads closed for unknown periods of time, deaths, people stranded, emergency crews unable to get to those needing help and all other disaster-related things, that the Buffalo Bills were primarily concerned with getting their field cleared for a game, and even went so far as to offer those who came out to help a whopping $10 an hour (from an organization paying their players millions of dollars) to help do this.  Wow.  Just - wow.

- And now I will risk stirring up the political folks - headline on a local news station web site:   "Thanksgiving holiday gas prices at five year low" - and yet I notice that none of the people who were blaming Obama for the high gas prices are thanking him for the low ones.  Wait, what's that you say?  The president has nothing to do with gas prices?  Aha!  And also Oho!

Streetcar and the cleaning ladies and the vacuum

It’s a toss-up for what Streetcar likes least: strangers in his house or the vacuum cleaner.  He may never get used to the fact that I have made a drastic life-style change and am having two women come in and clean my house every few weeks (house cleaning is just not in me and I have finally admitted – only took 72 years to do that).  So when they came this morning for the first time, he took one look at the strange car in the driveway and ran and hid under the bed before they even got inside.  Which worked until one of them started vacuuming on the far side of the bed.  A black and white streak flew through the kitchen and living room and I have no idea where he ended up, I did not see him again until I went home for supper.  

Gun carriers - helping their cause or setting it back?

A facebook page for a sporting/hunting goods place I shop at a lot (they have great deals on camping things and shoes) asked if readers think that the groups that get together and storm stores and restaurants with their big guns showing are helping the cause of gun people or setting it back.  I told them:   

Setting it back.  Whether those carrying admit they mean to or not, these tactics come across as bullying and intimidation.  Realistically, why would you need to carry a semi-automatic rifle into a store or restaurant?  It’s showing off to the worst degree.  And no, I am not anti-gun, I have owned and used guns.  I am anti-killing and anti-stupidity.  If having better regulations on the owning of guns (notice I did not say not having them) means there will be no more Columbine or Sandy Hook or Aurora or weekends of deaths in Chicago I am for it.  Having a gun, responsibly using it for hunting, target shooting or personal protection – nothing wrong with that.  Getting a gang together and carrying assault weapons into a store or restaurant – a lot wrong with that.  You’ll do more for your cause without that.