Warcorpse here with something that’s been pissing him off for awhile now.

It’s all these goddamn special interest nannies that want to make sure everyone is safe and we can’t have to much safety. Oh my God would these people either find something else to do with thier lives or find a person willing to fuck them. I’ll give you an example, right now in my state of Minnesota they’re trying to get a law passed that would make not wearing your seat belt enough for a cop to pull you over. Their battle cry for this is we have to protect people from themselves. or Seatbelts save lives and people need to wear them.

Okay here’s my problem with you meddling nannies. First off it’s my life to do with as I please. I fullly understand the risks of driving with out wearing my seatbelt, I know what can happen if I don’t wear it and you know what? I still don’t! It’s not being a rebel or anything I just don’t like the way the damn thing feels when I’m driving. I understand that it might make driving a little more dangerouse by not wearing it but once again it’s my life. I can risk it if i choose.

Here’s something else for the safety nannies that are in every state. There are occupations and hobbies that are far more dangerouse than driving with out your seatbelt. I mean if we want to make the world a totally safe plastic bubble then these activites and JOBS will certinally have to go.

1 Skydiving - Well this will have to be the first thing to go. I mean people jumping out of a plane and falling to the ground with only a prachute to save their lives. What if the shoot doesn’t open or the shoot doesn’t work properly. THey’d fall to thier deaths, wouldn’t they.

2 People like the Grizzly Man and The Crocidaile Hunter - I don’t mean to sound like a dick but what a double standered we have with these individuales. Both of these gentlemen have unfournatly died but when that happened all of these nannies just said well he died doing what he loved. What the hell is that! So if I want to go and live with wild mountain lions for a year with no gun or any safety equitment that’s fine but driving with a seatbelt is not. They understood the risks and  could risk their lives why can’t I.

3 Police Officers and Fire Fighters - These brave people put their lives on the line EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! With that said if we want everyone to be safe then surely such high risk professions will have to go. Of cousre with out these brave people willing to risk the life that the nannies are so eager to protect who will save us from the nutcase on PCP

4 The Military - The title is all I’m going to say about that.

5 People that work on Skyscrapers, Oilrigs, Logging Projects or in mines all of these professions carry a fairly high mortality rate, with a reduced life span to boot. So all of these jobs will have to be thrown on the trash heap. So what if it makes modern life impossible we have to keep everyone safe.

That’s as far as I’m going to go with the list becuase let’s face it everything carries some risk with it. You can have the safeset profession in the world and still get hit by a bus. On that note did all of these nannies forget that has humans we are mortal and will eventually one day die! Nothing you do will change that fact. So let me live my life the way i choose and stay the hell out of my bussiness. Oh just one other thing what about all the people that enjoy riding motercycles remeber them! Last time i checked there weren’t any seatbelts on those.

AS SENT VIA EMAIL TO FORBES.com regarding an Article they penned about Chciago being the 3^RD Most Miserable City in the USA

TO THE STAFF AT FORBES:

Let me start out by saying: In these troubled times, I don’t know how smart it is to TELL IT LIKE IT IS. It’s like the old phrase my Mom would tell me about NOT hurting anyone by ‘putting SALT into their Wounds.’  Their ‘already open’ wounds. Now, I nearly feel like I’m using your Quotation Book there, reciting.

However, I like the fact that YOU ARE TOTALLY HONEST and that’s where you should be applauded, not hammered. What I’m commenting on is your latest Disposition (or as some Chicagoans are saying:  DISS-ing of The Windy City) about Chicago ranking as #3 on the MOST MISERABLE List.

Back on September 15, 2008 of last year, you said Chi-Town was amongst the most stressful; now it’s amongst the top ones as the most miserable. Actually, I’d rank it as #1.  My dear boss when I worked at the AMA: American Medical Assn., always told me to ‘MAKE NICE’ - when I typed her reports back in the early 80s, which I did and was proud of those. She was THE BOSS, after all, what else could I do…

However, with this eNote, I just wanted to tell you that I do not firmly agree with some of the Chicagoans who have been complaining about your Evaluation ‘on Chicago.’  I totally agree.

AN EXAMPLE IS: I have no idea how Kids date.  $100 bucks won’t get a guy & a gal into the movies, dinner.  They’d have to walk to the theatre as parking downtown is a week’s pay.  I commented on this very topic not too long ago (as a matter of fact). A friend of mine (a nice young man of about 23) is a banker. I said: “Eric, I have no idea how boys date these days. $100 bucks won’t get a couple far and it doesn’t guarantee that the ‘guy’ will automatically get laid! After all, you’re spending THAT kind of money…’ Although that sounds crude, he laughed so hard and turned so many shades of pink, I knew I had hit his funny bone. I don’t think he thought anything like that would come out of my mouth – the Mouth of a 56 year old woman. I then wrapped up our Conversation by telling him that when I first moved to Chicago in June of 1974:

The CTA (our train/bus system) cost 45 cents a ride. It’s now $2.25

&

my Studio Apartment was $155 and I lived ON Lake Michigan. That was considered prestigious because of the LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION.

CAPTURING THE PULSE OF THE HEART-LAND: Early this AM on NBC/Channel 5 local news (comparable to yours with Matt Lauer, Meredith Vieira, Al Roker & Ann Curry), the 2 Anchors, Zoraida & Rob’s question of the morning was the FORBES’ Latest Summation on Chicago. Oh, people were mad – seething from the sounds of their comment(aries). They email their Thoughts in and then the better ones are read on-air. The first thing I thought was: “Whoops, FORBES’ Subscription rate is going to fall.”

From the Outside or taken from a Birds-eye View, the Cityscape, Skyscrapers, etc. looks nice, but if you can’t afford a night on the town (no matter what your age and MUST decide (if you want medication (even for high blood pressure – which many Seniors need – even if they don’t have real Ailments or Medical Problems where their Meds is much more costly), Chicago is a very uncomfortable place to be. As a 35 year resident, it has changed since the turbulent 60s… And it’s all based on GREED.

Other COMPLAINTS I have are:

1) Now, bus tour guides are ‘milking’ The Obamangle ® (what I named as the OBAMA ANGLE) although he’s not done anything FOR THE PEOPLE yet…

2) We have an Ex-Governor who would rather fly into NYC and do your fast-tracked, celebrity Talk Show Circuit in order to secure himself a SPOT in prime time after he serves a few years in soft-cell or Club-Fed. That’s my thought on that.

3) Our Flagstaff Newspaper, The Chicago Tribune has filed for bankruptcy. The horrible part about Publishing is that Writers have no where to turn to get their Big Break. If Papers are folding, who is going to GIVE them the exposure or article(s) they need to get those sales? I often discuss this with a friend of mine, Lowell Thompson who painted a lovely Portrait of Barack…and we just don’t seem to arrive upon an answer.

4) CONTINUING: The Chicago Tribune has problems selling The Cubs. One of our bigger malls on Michigan Avenue – the Magnificent Mile is totally empty.

5) The folks (Chicagoans) I know do not want the 2016 Olympics here. We don’t want our property taxes to go up ANY more. It’s bad enough we have the highest sales tax in the nation.

6) Even pets are ending up in Pounds or at the Humane Society because their owners cannot afford them. They are moving; their homes are in foreclosures and they have to ‘cut down.’ Even the Animal Kingdom is suffering here in Chicago. Nothing CHIC about Chicago these days.

What I ask is: WWMD? What Would Malcolm Do?

Oh, I could go on some more with homes, foreclosures, a failing school system where ½ the High School Kids don’t graduate, but your Reporters have already tackled that.

What bothers me moreso is the Double Standard of course.

What bothers me moreso than that is the Mixed Signals we are getting.

About 2.5 weeks ago, a 14 year old Black Kid impersonated a cop and rode in the squad car with one of the officers for several hours. He evidently had always wanted to be a cop and just TOOK THE INITIATIVE. He sauntered into a uniform shop, bought the appropriate uniform and went to his local police station.

The Mayor (Richard M. Daley) thinks this is horrific! The kid is being reamed over the coals. I think the Kid is an absolute hero and a fine example. I’ll tell you why. The Stats for Black Kids (mainly boys) is that they will be in gangs; moving drugs and breaking in. Many will end up behind bars. Here’s a kid that wanted to SERVE HIS COMMUNITY. He could have been out on the street, assaulting an old woman for her purse; breaking into an apartment or raping a woman. If he was found in a line-up for murdering a Pop Princess’ (ie: Jennifer Hudson’s) Mother, Sister and her Nephew, then the Chief of Police and Mayor could rant and rave as much as they want. He was working on his Profession. Cut the Kid some slack and let him develop his Skill. He could definitely impress his friends by going into a Life of Law Enforcement, instead of Breaking the Law. When I created Cartoonists Against Crime ©1991, I did a lot of research on Crime Prevention besides taking in all that Artwork and the term used was:

BLACK ON BLACK CRIME,

which I found to be un-understandable, but that’s another disturbing story.

I hope the Story you at FORBES released about Chicago gets our Officials to think about how to KEEP its Creative Citizens. I definitely think a BRAIN DRAIN where People leave (and estimates say about 75,000 people have already LEFT Chicago) for ‘easier living’ will make sad mark on Chicago History in the years to come.

BTW: I’m still reading FORBES! I happen to like HONESTY…which reminds me of Abe Lincoln – our 16^TH Pres(ident) is 200 tomorrow! In 1809, they surely didn’t have the COMPLAINTS we have today.

FROM:

ADRIENNE SIOUX KOOPERSMITH

Koopersmith’s Global Communications

“People read what Adrienne writes about…”

Chicago, IL USA

Posted: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 – 12:14 PM CST

From the horror stories we hear, or in reality have to face, cancer is a four letter word. It is emotionally damaging to the diagnosed, and to their loved ones.  It is a killer and everything about the disease is only an understatement.  The most terrifying aspect of the epidemic is that it can not be prevented.  Smoking may speed up processes like brain tumors, or melenoma, but if you are prone to not being able to fight off the ailment, odds are you will get it. (With the exception of smokers and throat cancer)

Unless you are fleeing to Canada for free MRI’s and CAT scans, the average American can not afford a full body cavity search.  If you could stop your mother from contracting breast cancer, you would.  If you could forsee your younger brothers lymphoma, you would prohibit it. Likewise with grandpas prostate cancer. (see http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/alphalist for an A-Z list of cancers)  Life is a crapshoot when it comes to thinking about what way and when are we gonna go out. (Please be like Elvis on the can)

What is more disturbing, is that there is another epidemic that is completely contradictory to the means of contraction regarding cancer, and it’s AIDS.  HIV left behind 15 million orphans last year.  Many of the victims are born into the disease.  AIDS is predominantly spread by unprotected sex, and desperate drug users.  Ok, that is well known information.  They preach safe sex all the time, or if you turn on Disney, the Jonas brothers say abstinence is the way to go.  I can’t wait to see whose gay, or the first to father a child under 20 years old in that band. But I digress.

AIDS is a disease we continue to bring upon ourselves.  Lusting, and shamelessly being foolish with our sexual endeavors.  Whether it is the man whore, the slut, or the unsuspecting one night stand, we are all at risk. Particularly in densely populated cities, where it is impossible to fathom your partners sexual history.  The death casts nothing but a painful, dreadful shadow on those inflicted.  Torturous, and relentless in its conquest of crumbling the bodies immune system until the body caves in on itself.  In Africa that’s considered a Tuesday.

Wake up America, come on, seriously, and insert another whiny sounding colloquialism here. Put on your cock balloons, plug in your diaphragms, or go to rehab if you’ve ever thought about sticking a needle in your arm.  I hope those lovely images make you think twice before trying to bang some one off craigslist.

(glance at the all the categories that this topic can relate to)

The New Jersey company, Delaware North, is pulling out of Old Town after augering its popularity with locals into the ground in a rather spectacular fashion.

The state of California was complicit as well, demanding a return to historical accuracy.

The fact is, San Diego was dirty, smelly, and flea infested. Richard Henry Dana wrote about San Diego in “Two Years Before the Mast.”
In 1869, San Diego was little more than a collection of sheds and shanties. Pictures from the time portray a decidedly uninviting, treeless expanse of dirt. The homeless encampment in Mission Valley is more attractive.

If the state continues to impose its requirement of historical accuracy, Old Town will continue to lose revenue no matter who is running it.

There has to be a balance between the history and the attraction. Diane Powers’ Bazaar del Mundo succeeded because it celebrated San Diego’s proximity to Mexico; the tropical paradise of travel brochures, where one could sip margaritas in a colorful patio far removed from the reality of beggars, drug lords and poverty.

If the state wants Old Town to succeed, it needs to let go of the “historical accuracy” mandate and give a little more leeway to the new administrator, San Diegan Chuck Ross.

Surely a 66% drop in revenue should be a big, fat heads up to the state that what they wanted is not working. What the state wants and what the people want needs to be reviewed and somehow a balance must be reached.

The Old Town of Bazaar del Mundo was a fabulous place to meet friends, take visitors, or just spend an afternoon enjoying the ambience on a sunny day.

Brightly colored banners, wonderful old cacti, agave, yucca, colorful masses of bougainvillea and tropical plants, the exotic cage birds and unique stores were the key to Powers’ success. The hacienda-like courtyards, with their covered walkways, were a nice place to cool off on a hot day. The antique carriages and other items were great backdrops for family pictures.

Old Town had a flavor of Old Mexico that people really enjoyed. And, if you wanted to do the historical thing, there were walks and tours of old buildings like the Whaley House. Visitors could do something educational, or they could choose to relax with a bowl of chips and salsa in a restaurant patio.

So Chuck, if you’re listening, remodeling a few restaurants is not enough. You have to redo the whole ambience of the place, bring back the elements that brought San Diegans in to enjoy it. We like color. We like a bit of tropical paradise. We like unusual stores where we can find unique items from South America. We like affordable food and drink, and photo ops that are uniquely Old Town. We will tolerate the crummy t-shirt and souvenir stands simply because tourists like that sort of thing.

If you have to, go head to head with the state to dump that historical mandate and get permission to do what needs to be done to revitalize Old Town. I would love to take the trolley down and spend a day relaxing and strolling around the old, beloved park. That was a delightful option that has been stripped of all allure by the state’s heavy-handed imposition and management by a company from New Jersey.

NEW JERSEY! Now I ask you, what the hell does anyone in New Jersey know about what Southern Californians like? That 66% drop in revenue suggests the answer.

 

 

Here’s a local San Diego story (link here: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20081122-9999-1n22firepit.html ) that blows my f**king mind:

Fire Pits Latest To Go On City’s Chopping Block
Removing beach squares would save $173,000 a year

For those of you reading this who aren’t in San Diego and have no idea what the f**k that means I will attempt to explain a bit. On the beaches in San Diego there are these 4 X 4 concrete pits strewn along the beach where people can toss some wood in and then light a small bonfire as the sun goes down to hang out and do whatever it is you feel like doing around a fire…and apparently these fire pits cost the City of San Diego $173,000 a year to maintain. Read that again please…$173,000 f**king dollars to maintain a bunch of 4 X 4 squares of concrete that is never filled with anything more than ashes. In the article it lists 186 total fire pits in San Diego, and with my excellent math skills comes to just under a thousand dollars per year for each pit to be maintained. What the f**k are they doing to these things that could possibly cost anywhere near that amount of money? As I see it here’s the requirements to complete this cleaning task:

1 Man

1 Shovel

1 Metal Barrel

1 Truck

So, assuming the Truck costs $30,000, the Barrel $20, the Shovel $20 that would leave $142, 960 left over for the salary of the 1 man that would be required to clean these pits on a daily basis…I honestly had no idea that this job paid so well, had I f**king known that I would have applied for this shit years ago…Is it just me or has the Mayor of San Diego inadvertently just informed the public that they have been essentially embezzling $173,000 of tax payer money for god knows how long? It’s like he’s Adam West the mayor of Quahog and he just spent the entire City budget for a solid gold statue of Dig’ em the Sugar Smacks Frog…well played sir, well played.

 

Atlanta has always been a city teetering at a crossroads. From

 a once bustling gateway for the determined spirits of pioneers traveling both north and south, to a new and evermore vibrant modern day intersection for the entire world, innovation is truly in the DNA of this city. People traveling near and far are simply drawn to this unique southern capital that crouches enticingly, deep down into an emerald valley of spacious rolling hills. And no one personality has come to truly represent the unofficial brand of this city more so than Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It is here in his very own hometown that I believe that Dr. King had in mind to deliver to the whole world his ultimate dream of the creation of The Beloved Community. We live in a city that does not need to create a brand for itself; it already has one. It just needs to be fulfilled that’s all.

 

Today, Dr. King’s enormous egalitarian spirit has been embraced throughout the world as a singular symbol of spiritual probity and ‘agape love’.  Indeed, in death Dr. King has become somewhat elevated to a kind of unofficial sainthood right before our eyes, as travelers have ventured during just the last few years, from places all over the planet uniquely drawn to a solitary pilgrimage, making their way to Atlanta, in order to visit the tomb of this modern day Prince of Peace.  As a result, today King’s Tomb is one of the most traveled destinations in the world.

 

Naturally, it would appear that no greater opportunity has existed than the present, for Atlanta to truly embrace a brand of its own (The Beloved Community). Marta (The Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority) and the enormous hospitality industry here which employs more than 55,000 people, both of these entities would seem to naturally act as a kind of concierge for people traveling from every corner of the world.  And no greater vehicle exists than can be found through encouraging these industries to take a fresh look at their level of customer service; because frankly, this city has some of the worst customer service in the entire nation. What is clearly missing is the kind of training that puts the focus squarely upon an understanding that —-“customer service actually begins in the Back of the House!”

 

In other words beloved, the Marta attendant that for all intents and purposes appears to be thoroughly gracious to the tourist that comes to town has not necessarily been fully trained. You would be surprised to know just what people will attempt to get away with when they think that nobody is watching! It is how he treats the “regulars” whom he interacts with on a daily basis that actually will determine the “organizations overall level of customer service”. What this means is that the young college student who appears to have great skills on the dining room, as she graciously servers her guests, still cannot be fully invested in being at her best if she is constantly in disagreement with the cook she works with on a daily basis on the other side of the dining room door. This is because no matter what, you simply cannot entirely ‘fake the funk!’ The two attitudes are totally inconsistent with one another, and sooner or later this will be shown in a decline of service and a measurable loss of revenue. You can notice this divergence in industry after industry all throughout the city. This Blog then is dedicated to you the consumer. It is for those moments when you just want to speak out or yell even, because of a terrible experience you have had with customer service. This is where you can tell your story. Because the only way that we can fix these companies and help Atlanta to become the city that it was meant to be, is to put purveyors of poor customer service on full blast!

                                                                                                                      TSA

                                                                                          

I just get angry thinking about the lives, property and costs that are exposed every year in California primarily due to morons that want to build homes and live in high risk fire areas.
Each year the problem increases as more and more homes are built in those areas.
The cost to the taxpayer is enormous to fight these fires not to mention life and limb.
As of this writing there three major fires burning; one in Santa Barbara another in Los Angeles and the third is in Orange County.
The smoke fills the sky dropping soot for miles around making it difficult to breathe outside, covering cars and homes.
There should be restrictions on where homes are built or at least builders should be forced to clear areas of all bushes, shrubbery and trees surrounding a new housing development.