Getting Slowly Crunched in May

I have not shared anything about my life on this blog in weeks, because, quite frankly, things are going very poorly and I am on the precipice of a world of hurt. Thing are getting increasingly grim as my unemployment goes past its fifth month this week.

Returning to my factory job looks to be a non-possibility for the time being, and perhaps even beyond the short term. I would not be surprised if I never get called back. I talked on the phone to the Personnel Manager last week and she painted a dreary picture. At this time the factory is running only one part time shift. The factory was closed for the first three months this year, re-opening the week before Easter and then closing for a full week the third week in April. The current staffing is about 20 % of what it was last summer and autumn when I was working. The work crew now only works 3 days a week and gets 24 hours with a four day weekend every week so far. She told me production demand is dismal and not projected to improve in the coming weeks. So there is little if anything optimistic about my most recent employment re-emerging.

Since the first of the year I have submitted around 20 -25 applications with resumes online to various businesses advertising for help that I found either in the paper or on internet job sites, but I have had no response to any submission. And the opportunities that I am finding are becoming fewer and fewer in the last few months. The economy here like everywhere else is frozen up and not offering many openings for those looking for work. I have only found about 2 -3 jobs to apply for in the last couple of weeks.

Well, that was depressing enough, but it only gets worse. My nest egg I built up lasted about what I thought it would: until around 1 May. I am basically out of money. I hope to find something to be able to pay May utilities (about $225) as well as pay for the next round of groceries. I am okay on food for most of the rest of the month, but I will have to replenish my stock around 1 June which will take about another $65 being careful and conservative with my choices to make it stretch a month. And then I have no money for rent for June which is very troubling. To say things are bad is an understatement. There is a big pack of wolves assembling to be at the door very soon.

All that being said, life has been quite boring and routine in recent weeks. Without transportation (both a blessing and an onus) it is difficult to get out. I stopped going to DQ about a month ago, and have spent money only on milk and bread in the last month. I spend most of my days on the internet and half-heartedly watching tv and listening to the radio or CDs. I only eat twice a day to keep the food supply from running out any sooner. I am drinking lots and lots of water to help keep any hunger pangs down. As a result, my weight has dropped to 247 lbs. This is the lowest that I have been at been since Autumn '03 when I had West Nile Virus and my weight plunged from around 300 lbs down to 233 lbs at the low point in about 2 1/2 to 3 months. Not that that was a bad thing. I have never returned to the weight I was before that sickness, as I probably peaked in the high 270s in the past few years. And being down to 247 lbs. is also a good thing. I think some of this is also due to not eating bad foods filled with sodium and fats as can be easily done when one is in a hurry and not be careful about where they are eating at. I expect to continue to slowly lose weight in the coming years as I age further into my 50s. At some point I very well may get down to around 210 to 220 which is ideal for my height and body style.

At least my connections with the outside world are very good to excellent. I talk with each of my three sisters a couple of times a month; and about the same with my youngest brother. I talk to my friend Matt who is in Denver several times a week via the phone, email, or text; and I have talked to and seen Brant about four to five times in the last month after not having any contact since before Thanksgiving. Contact with Todd has been scare however as I have only seen him twice or thrice since the Super Bowl.

Inside my apartment I am at about 95 % as being organized as I want to be, although getting the recycling out is long overdue. There are still a number of projects that need to be completed: such as finding vacuum cleaner bags for my two vacuums ( an upright Royal Dirtbuster and a handheld Dirt Devil); and getting the garage project done. After putting that off for a long time, I am looking to tackle that with the cold weather all but over with for the next 4-5 months.

I also want to print some pictures up from images I have collected on the internet of family members and their offspring, but I will hold off on that until I can buy some extra inkjet printer cartridges for my printer so I don't run out.

One of these days I will get my 36" Curtis Mathes TV fixed. There is a place here in town that will do it, but two obstacles exist: Having a $95 deposit on hand to start the repair, and physically getting the TV over to that shop which is about 3 miles away. Climbing down a flight of wooden stairs carrying a 250 lb hulking set is a two man job that has been difficult to coordinate. I will have to make a greater effort to get that accomplished later this year.

And then there is The White Knight. It has sat for over two months now without being moved. At some point I would like to conclusively find out what is wrong with it, but I need to have funds and time to get it to a shop to get a diagnosis made. I think right now its the worst case scenario -- the transmission -- but I could be wrong and I need to find out for sure. Another challenge -- coming up with replacement transportation in all likelihood. There are vehicles for sale here under $2000, but that may be completely unrealistic given my circumstances and unlikely prosperous near future. Any job I get will not pay enough to even consider getting another truck anytime soon if ever here in Cheyenne. I may end walking alot more than I imagine. That conversation about weight loss on my part may be understated. Walking may result in me dropping below 200 lbs in a matter of several months in the upcoming heat and then the returning cold this next autumn and winter. Not a pleasant prospect.

As for leaving Cheyenne, I have all but given up hope of being able to do that anytime in 2009. Even if my own circumstances were more ideal, relocating cold in the middle of the worse economic downturn in recent memory at my age is a recipe for disaster. It is probably much more logical and reasonable to wait things out for at least one year and maybe two or three until the time is much more right. And by then I may be able to be in a really good circumstance and better prepared for that immense challenge that would await me. I also very well could skip moving back to Colorado as is my plans at this time, and instead make the final move to a warm climate in the Southwest, or, as my sister has asked me to consider, the Houston TX area. That is a big step for me to contemplate. There are both positives and negatives to consider, and such a decision must be pondered and weighed carefully and not taken haphazardly. Only time will tell whether I decide to make such a profound jump.

Anyway, enough rambling. I have gotten to watch a lot of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs and the first five weeks of the baseball season which has been enjoyable. The days are now long (on a par with early August now as the Summer Solstice is now but six weeks away. So I get to see a lot of more daylight and I open the curtains and blinds as often as possible unless it is gloomy outdoors which has been the case more often than not the last seven weeks. It is supposed to climb to the upper 70s on Tuesday which means I get to open up the windows and door and let some ventilation in to keep the unit from getting stuffy. The space heater is about to be put away until at least late September and probably October to be replaced by my set of fans to provide air movement in the coming warmer months. The heat has already been turned off since late April and I have survive the last two cool weeks without it except for the space heater on occasion.

Trees and shrubs have come into bloom in the last week or so, and the bigger and more older trees are probably about to do the same in the next week or so. The long hard cold interminably windy winter is now over. Hopefully my disposition and mood can remain sunny and upbeat in spite of my challenges and likely looming hardship. They say life isn't easy, but sometimes it is worse than hard -- it downright stinks and sucks.

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Totally Hilarious

7th Most Snowy April for Cheyenne

It has snowed nine of the twenty days this month so far in Cheyenne, but it looks as if this week will spare us any further snowfall, and its possible we will not see any at all the remaining ten days of the month.

Record Report

Statement as of 8:12 am MDT on April 20, 2009 ... April 2009 one of the top ten snowiest Aprils in Cheyenne... The weekend snow brought the total April snowfall in Cheyenne to 26.2 inches. That ties with April 1945 as the 7th snowiest April ever on record in Cheyenne since 1883. Though quite a bit of snow has fallen this month, it is still far short of Cheyenne's all-time snowiest April... which occurred in 1905 when 46.5 inches fell. This April is the snowiest in Cheyenne since 1984 when 31.8 inches was recorded.

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Another week, another big snowfall

We have been on the stormtrack for going on four weeks now, with only limited breaks of a couple of days. Since 23 March about six to seven snowstorms of varying intensities have come through the Front Range region of SE Wyoming and Colorado, and a couple of other storms narrowly missed us to the north and east. This latest one began on Thursday afternoon and is not supposed to abate until later on Saturday afternoon.

This photo was taken around 11:30 am on Friday 17 April from the east window of my unit looking out towards the east northeast.

Here are the numbers for April so far through yesterday, with today the tenth day in 17 with snowfall.

Date HI LO avg +/1 HDD CDD Prec Snow Depth

 1  34  18  26 -12  39   0    T    T    0
2  48  16  32  -6  33   0 0.00  0.0    0
3  53  26  40   2  25   0 0.47  3.8    3
4  26  16  21 -17  44   0 0.54  7.4    7
5  28  12  20 -19  45   0    T    T    7
6  48  16  32  -7  33   0    T    T    4
7  59  29  44   5  21   0 0.00  0.0    1
8  65  29  47   8  18   0 0.00  0.0    0
9  51  30  41   1  24   0 0.10  1.3    0
10  53  29  41   1  24   0 0.00  0.0    0
11  49  29  39  -1  26   0 0.00  0.0    0
12  44  33  39  -2  26   0 0.09    T    0
13  62  29  46   5  19   0 0.00  0.0    0
14  65  35  50   9  15   0 0.00  0.0    0
15  64  32  48   7  17   0    T    T    0 
16  39  29  34  -8  31   0 0.79  2.5    2

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The State of the Art TV Today

This is the best product out there now in the area of LCD TVs. Samsung has always been among the best manufacturers in this sector and this new generation of LCD TVs only improves their position of one of quality product leaders.

http://www.gizmag.com/samsung-led-lcd-tvs/11460/

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Medley of Hits: Simply Red

Holding Back the Years: Simply Red

Trace Adkins with The West Point Glee Club: "'Til the Last Shot's Fired"

This recording of a performance from the ACM awards on Sunday 5 April is one for the ages and will move ones soul.....

John Rich: Shutting Detroit Down

This is truly a stirring song....

Baseball 2009 Outlook

Despite the fact it is snowing AGAIN outside, the best day of the year is just about here -- Opening Day ! The day when life restarts, hope is boundless, and all is right in at least a small part of the world. Monday (Sunday night is night) marks my 40th Opening Day Observance. I have always looked forward to the start of the season when any possibility exists and reality has not yet set in.

Here is my projections for the season, but there are no guarantees.

NL WEST

I like the Diamondbacks to reclaim the division title narrowly over Los Angeles, the favorite of most. I think Arizona will be better than expected and the Dodgers are overrated and will be beset by underachievement and injuries with the $25 million man being a slacker and malcontent at times. San Francisco has great pitching but their offense is pretty woeful. Colorado is just the opposite with plenty of bats, but shaky pitching at best. San Diego is very down and will finish last. The Padres will be about the worst team in the majors this season.

1) ARIZ (2) LA (3) SF (4) COLO (5) SD

NL CENTRAL

The Cubs are already seemingly been coronated as the division winner; they are loaded, but in the end I thnk they will fall short and be surprised by someone else in the Central. St Louis is my choice, but I cannot count out Cincinnati and Houston. If things break right, either of these clubs could prove to be upstarts and claim the divisional flag. Milwaukee is a lot like Colorado and probably lacks enough pitching to contend again. Pittsburgh continues its dreary streak of losing seasons with its 17th straight a certainty. That will be a record. I am beginning to have an understanding of what my father went through as the Pirates were a nonfactor for his first 26 years of living before the wonders of 1960.

1) STL (2) CHI (3) CINC (4) HTN (5) MLW (6) PGH

NL EAST

This will be among the most competitive divisions. The defending champion Phillies return with a lot, but the Mets look like they have enough to overcome and succeed Philadelphia for the division flag. Atlanta and Florida will both have a lot to say about who wins it, but both are a small stride behind the Mets and Phils. These four teams will stay in stride well into September before the Mets emerge. As for Washington, the old saying for the Senators - "First in War, First in Peace, and Last in the American League" - seems to have made an easy transition for the Nationals, who have little to be excited about and will struggle not to lose 100 games again.

1) NY (2) PHIL (3) ATL (4) FLA (5) WASH

AL WEST

Anaheim dominated the division in '08, but they will have to fight a little harder to claim it again over a much improved Oakland and a Texas Rangers team that has the most firepower in the game. The Athletics will be the most improved team in baseball this year, but will come up just short against the Angels. Texas will score and score often, but their pitching is not on par with the Angels. Seattle will show improvement this year from last seasons debacle, but the Mariners will spend the season in the basement and out of contention.

1) ANAH (2) OAK (3) TEX (4) SEA

AL CENTRAL

This is the most difficult division to make a pick. All five clubs have a shot at winning it to some extent. I will go with Minnesota barely over Cleveland. Both clubs have great lineups and good pitching. Chicago is a notch behind, and Kansas City is the sports biggest darkhorse out there. The Royals could really surprise like Tampa Bay did in '08, or just continue a steady improvement. Detroit has fallen but still has an arsenal of weapons to possibly overachieve. The Tigers just need to have everything come together and avoid injuries which will be a challenge.

1) MINN (2) CLE (3) CHI (4) KC (5) DET
AL EAST

This is baseball's best division with probably the three best teams in the sport playing here. Tampa Bay surprised nearly everyone by winning the AL pennant last season, so it will difficult to replicate their success in '09. Boston has great pitching and a strong offense, and the same can be said about New York. I will take Boston narrowly over the Rays and Yanks. Toronto looks like it will slip back a little this season, while Baltimore continues to rebuild and improve.

1) BSN (2) TB (3) NY (4) TOR (5) BALT

Tampa Bay will take the AL wild card slot, with the Phillies doing the same in the National League. I like the Angels to edge Boston for the AL pennant and the Mets to win it in the NL over the defending champion Phillies. And the Angels win the World Series over the Mets.

Let the fun begin !

http://somecasualobservations.blogspot.com/2009/02/what-are-best-baseball-sites.html

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Concealed and Homebound

I have been feeling quite morose and lethargic over the last several days and beyond. The weather has not helped either. Much of the last several days have been rather inclement. I have only gotten out two or three times over the last ten days, once for a DQ meal and the other two times to go to the Hoys Drug Store down the street to get a newspaper or some pop. Mostly I rest as I have been feeling exceedingly rundown and unable to concentrate except for brief periods of time. I have suspected I may have mononucleosis from contact with something at the DQ a couple of weeks back. My appetite is poor, I have headaches and bodyaches, I have swelling in my neck and face, I am usually thirsty, and I always feel very tired and often sleepy. There have been days in the last week where I have slept 12 - 15 hours. I am having issues with my vision as it gets blurry at times. Hopefully this will diminish in the coming weeks. I have had mononucleosis twice before and usually the sickness runs about three weeks in duration so I am about halfway through it as I can roughly figure.

The weather has been somewhat poor in recent days after a good run of nice days that concluded on Sunday the 22nd. Since then it has been unsettled and somewhat cold with temps staying in the low forties at best with lots of clouds and wind as well as some snow. We had five straight days of precipitation last week with about 6 1/2 " of snow overall in total during that span. Today was warmer but more unsettled weather is forecast through this week. Springtime along the Front Range is often like this with periods that bounce back to being more winterlike and no visible signs that is going to end at times. The only improvement seemingly is in the length of time of daylight which continues to increase by about two minutes daily.

But April is on the horizon and the promise of spring continues to increase so warmer nicer days and nights are ahead in greater frequency.

I have been doing some investigation about the trip I hope to take to Houston for niece Lindsey's college graduation from Texas State University. There are three options: plane, bus, or rental car. Plane is probably the best option with tickets available for a round trip journey at less than $225 when all the BS government fees are added in. Its also the most time effective and efficient alternative. One can fly out mid morning or early afternoon and return in the same time windows when airport hustle and stress is less than at other times. The bus trip costs only $130 roundtrip but it is very long: one and a half days or more, as well as the fact of being on the bus for prolonged periods in a rather uncomfortable situation with other people makes it a less desireable alternative, but given my fear of heights and being squeezed on a plane may result in it being the way to go. I have all but ruled out the car rental option as the near 2500 mile round trip odyssey is probably too much to take on in such a short window and the cost would be greater than the other two options with fuel and lodging factored in for the length of trip. That said, it is my preferred option, and if I can swing it, I will do it. But if I do get to go, I will probably will have to fly Southwest to Hobby and just deal with my acrophobia and strong uneasiness about being in a largely confined space miles up in the sky. Time will be the deciding element in the plans I will make.

Monday the 29th was much the same as the last several days as I was zoned out completely and slept from around 2am until around 11am and then I fell back asleep from about 3pm until 8pm. I had a big bowl of chicken noodle soup for supper after I awoke and I seemed to feel a little better. One other thing about this sickness is a very apparent loss of balance as I stumble and careen when I arise to go to another space. The wind has blown tremendously all day and there was some snow at some point during the morning that either blew away or melted. The forecast is quite negative for most of the rest of the week with snow forecast about three more times and the wind is going to be strong and endless. Hopefully next week will be more nice. I have arranged with Todd to have him take me to the grocery store on Wednesday and Thursday to pick up some supplies. Other than that I will probably just stay home and rest as this sickness is really pounding me.

But I will probably get out on Tuesday and again later in the week to get some ice cream as it helps my dry and swollen throat tremendously.

*****

The Things Children Get to Truly Enjoy

Its only a little better than the one my two nieces and their friends enjoy often in Castle Rock. The young Obama girls share another something special with them.

http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2009/03/04/obama-girls-get-new-swing-set-not-from-an-earmark-though/

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The Answer for AIG Executives, Management, and Greedy Bonus Takers

The executives, management, and greedy bonus takers of AIG, as well as many other greedy overpaid corporate types should be put into a large crypt with many of these spiders to deal with. An appropriate punishment for the greed, arrogance, and foolishness of the worst of greedy corporate types. AIG must go and be carved up and be terminated. It is one of numerous corporations, often banks, but many other types, that have committed crimes against mankind and humanity.

The long and painful era of corporate greed is starting to be seemingly in reverse after 28 years of government and citizenry laxness.

Then again, maybe not....

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,509876,00.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian_wandering_spider

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Welcome to Spring 2009

The local climate continues to bounce up and down as should be expected. After a rather cold second week for March, the third week turned out to be quite warm with temps in the 50s and 60s all week. Winds were down for the most part and there was zero precipitation for the last several days and beyond. Sunshine was mixed in with cloudy days. I was able to keep the heat off all week and be comfortable. I even opened the door for prolonged periods on a couple of the days. There is a change forecast for next week starting on Sunday night 3/23 as unsettled weather is expected to be the trend for most of next week with even some moisture will fall, both in the form of rain and snow, and it may be sufficient enough to result in road closures and an inhospitable environment outdoors until next weekend.

There is still about three weeks to a month, perhaps more depending on the weather in April before we get to see any real visible signs of spring such as blooming trees and shrubs, flowers, and luxurious verdant green lawns. And this waiting is the hardest part, as one really wants to experience the explosion of life as soon as possible after about six months of nothing but dead and dormant vegetation being all around us.

I got out on a couple of occasions, once primarily to get groceries at the Wal-mart. I got about a months worth of product for about $75, but any savings was offset by having to take a taxi to and from with a pitstop on the way back to the post office. It added up to $26, so I do not think I will be taking that approach again. Hopefully I can use Todd when I need to do this again in early to mid April.

But getting back and forth to work will be tough once I get called back and restart, hopefully in the next few weeks. I will have to rely on getting a ride for about month to two months until I am able to purchase another vehicle. I had thought about renting a car to get through this period but the rates were substantially higher than I had anticipated, at around $200 per week from Enterprise; but I have yet to investigate other alternatives. I suspect they will not be much different and the advertisements for less than $100 per week rentals I have seen are not available here. Walking to the job is out as it is about nine miles from where I live and there is no public transportation option that exists. When I do get called back to work, its going to be an inconvenience for some time. I just have to keep telling myself that its a means to an end...

Other than going to the store, I walked down to the park on Tuesday. It is a nice old big park with century old trees towering throughout it with ample grassland and things for children to take part in. Holliday Park is about six blocks due south of me and its a relaxing walk to make. I wish I could have someone else to share in the activity, but thats not an option for me at this time and place. I hope when I get to Colorado Springs there is a park within a relatively short distance of where I end up. I also went to the drugstore across the street for a newspaper and a bottle of pop on Monday, but did not return there again until this morning where I would strike out on getting the Saturday Post as it was delivered there for some unknown reason.

Much of the week I watched college basketball, college hockey, MLB, and NHL. I also caught my favorite programs for the most part ( I am figuring out better what is the whole story on Lost). I also talked with family and friends including my brother H, my sisters M & K, and my friend Matt. Todd should be back in this hemisphere after about three weeks away early next week and I anticipate him visiting me to see the tournament's second weekend. I also spent much time working on the net as I usually do as well as do some limited work with my blogs as I took some time off away from them.

I awoke Sunday around dawn and looked out to see a gorgeous day in the making. After a breakfast of Quaker Cinnamon Oatmeal Squares and some surfing, I got out around 10am to get the Sunday papers and a Hershey with Almonds candy bar. I watched the Flyers / Penguins game and some of the Arizona St / Syracuse game. As morning turned into afternoon I puttered around on a minimal level as I shook the indoor rugs outside in the fresh air of their months of dust and debris; swept and mopped the kitchen and entryway floors; wiped down the outside of the refrigerator; and cleaned up the vacuum but was unsuccessful in finding the bags -- they must be in a box in the storage garage and I wasn't motivated enough to search for them. The day turned out splendidly as promised as I had the front door open and the window up for all of the day. It is hard to believe a Spring Great Plains Blizzard is just hours away, but thats the way the weather works around here sometimes in March and April. After a nice stretch it is back to a more winter like pattern for the rest of this week. I caught the first telecast of the Rockies in Spring Training and kept up on the final games of the afternoon in NCAA hoops.

Sunday supper consisted of minute rice with gravy, and after changing out a light bulb in the overhead lamp, I relaxed through the evening, watching 60 Minutes, the WBC game between the US and Japan, the Avalanche / Sharks game, Desperate Housewives, Brothers and Sisters, and the 10pm KMGH-7 news before calling it a day.

The forecast is now for a blizzard on Monday into Tuesday morning, so I will probably be home bound the next two days; but the allure of getting some ice cream may embolden me to venture out to the DQ to meet that desire.

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Foods One Easily Overeats: Especially Me :(

This article points a number of foods that one can easily overeat on. For me, this is a fact of life. I am almost 100 % guilty of doing this at any and all opportunity presented to me, and I have been this way since before I was in college.

Pizza is a real problem as I can always eat about 10 slices at least. But when I do go to buffet, I always try to have a heaping plate of salad with lots of lettuce, tomatoes, celery, carrots, and anything else that looks good. But I still want to eat about 8-10 slices, and with no salad, eating an entire large pizza from delivery or two Totinos is never a problem for me, even with a lot of toppings on them. But Todd can usually outdo me which is of some solace.

But I probably overdo it on salad dressing, of which either Blue Cheese, Thousand Island, or French are my preferences. I will choose Ranch if those three are not an option. Salad bars where one chooses their own quantity of dressing are not good. The preportioned packages of dressing are better for me, which makes getting a $1 salad at Wendys a good decision for me.

Its better for me to eat ice cream out rather than at home. That way a level of portion control is in place. Eating ice cream at home results in me getting a serving of about 5-6 scoops when I partake, especially since I cannot get coffee ice cream unless I go to BR for a cone, sundae, or beverage.

Whenever I have orange juice, I never have just 8 ounces. Usually I get a large if at a restaurant which is 16 or 20 ounces, or guzzle enough out of the bottle to equal that if at home drinking juice. The same is true for all juices - grapefruit (my absolute favorite), cranberry, apple, plum, V8, tomato, and grape.

Soda pop is an absolute killer for me. If I go to McDs or BK for a meal, I usually refill my pop cup 3-4 times which makes about 48 to 64 ounces less the ice in the cup. Soda pop is my vice and weakness and I try to make an effort to minimize the opportunities for consumption, but I am not always successful. I drink down almost a full two-liter bottle if I keep it near at hand through the course of an evening.

When it comes to rice, I always have about a 2 cup portion or more when I have it as part of a meal as I am these few days as I just made the Campbells chicken vegetable cheddar rice casserole which I get 4 meals from. I probably have rice as part of a meal at least three times per week.

But there is some good news, as I only consume potato chips about 2-3 times per year, usually because it is a side to another item where there is no other option available, and I want to get my moneys worth and not discard the chips. But I never buy potato chips for my own personal consumption although I have gotten Tostitos for myself twice in the last year or so.

When it comes to burgers, it depends on where I am at and the kind I choose. At home, the microwaveable burger patties that I will eat on a bun is at the most two. At McDs I will have 3 of the $1 cheeseburgers, and at BK I will get a 2 for 1 Whopper with a coupon, but anywhere else I never get more than one as I consider them poor values with the price being charged. I have a 2 for 1 coupon for Carls Jr that I will use in the next few weeks, but speaking from experience those are some rich heavy sandwiches that I only want to consume once in a rare while.

A KFC Buffet just opened here in Cheyenne and I want to pay it a visit. I know it will be outstanding and I will go hog wild, so I have to promise myself to visit it only a couple of times per year as going there as much as I would like to would probably have me dropping dead within a year.


http://health.msn.com/nutrition/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=100234866&GT1=31036

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Spring is Here !

The official beginning of spring across the northern hemisphere will arrive this Friday, March 20th at 5:44 A.M. Mountain Daylight Time. This is known as the vernal equinox and it marks the moment when the Suns overhead position crosses the Equator during its northward progression at this time of year. As you have likely noticed the days have been getting longer since December and now the amount of daylight exceeds the amount of night, with the amount of daylight currently increasing by about 2 1/2 minutes each day at this latitude. That rate of increasing daylight will begin to decrease as springtime progresses, and will come to a stop at the summer solstice, which will occur on June 20th.

The name "equinox" is derived from the Latin words aequus (equal) and nox (night), because around the Equinox, nighttime and daytime are approximately equal in length.

March 20 will likewise mark the first day of fall across the southern hemisphere.

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Meandering Along the Final Days of Winter

The Ides of March are just about upon us, and St Patrick's Day will be here shortly forthwith. I continue to surf along the wave of life and await a change in the coming weeks. I have largely been inactive, getting plenty of rest, and merely observing the outside world at a distance from the safety and warmth of my home. The last several weeks have been a blur with no significance to be drawn from. I have become a homebody almost exclusively. With no transportation and no work there is little to draw me to differentiate the days. I get out on occasion to the drug store for milk or pop; and then there is the DQ where I can get some ice cream. Beyond that I have gone nowhere else in weeks. I spend time on the 'net; listening to music; watching sports, movies, or programs; or reading. I need to go to the Wal-mart to get groceries as I have made an effort to try to get rid of much of my supply as possible. But I still have about 10 days to two weeks worth of product, but much of it is incomplete without getting additional substances: thus a trip to replenish is becoming rapidly necessary; so Monday I will call a taxi to take me to and from the store.

The weather as usual has been up and down. After a very warm first week in March, this second week has been more winterlike, with our coldest days in quite some time and some brief snowfall. Tuesday the 10th saw the mercury dip below zero, and the following four days were cold with temps at sunrise in the low to mid teens and daytime highs around 40 at best. But Friday saw the start of a warming trend, and as I input this letter on mid Saturday afternoon, the temperature has soared into the upper 50s under a crystal clear blue cloudless sky with zero wind. And the forecast for the coming several days is upbeat as we may see the upper 60s again early in the week and no chance of wind or cold for at least a few days and possibly longer.

Winter ends in less than a week and I am very grateful for that. Although winter can make frequent and harsh intrusions again and again for at least another six weeks or so, the worst is over and it is all downhill from here on out. The warm splendid days like we are experiencing today become more common in the coming weeks, and the prospect of life returning to the flora of the high prairie becomes closer to a reality. We have about a month until that begins, and about five to six weeks until it becomes an explosion of life -- Spring, indeed.

While I do not watch any college hoops for the most part, I do jump on the bandwagon about this time to get into March madness, especially this year since I am idle. I have watched MWC hoops since early in December, but no other conference except for brief snippets. But this week I have watched alot of college hoops with this being championship week and the presence of many games being televised. Today is the peak of the action, and on Sunday the brackets for postseason are announced, which is somewhat anti-climatic to the action seen this week. I have also been watching hockey as that season winds into its final 15-20 % of the regular season; as well as baseball, as spring training is going full bore with the added bonus of the WBC which has had a couple of interesting games to take in.

Saturday I arose before dawn as I have much of this week and spent some time on the net. I watched some DVR'ed programs from recent days before taking a prolonged shower and doing a shave. I went out about 10am to get the Saturday paper and bottle of pop. After I returned home I ordered a pizza from PJ and started watching some of the telecast hoops matchups. About 11:15am I got a phone call from the older of my three sisters, M, and we had a great detailed conversation for about 2 1/2 hours or so. My pizza came and I had to wait about an hour to start eating it while I continued my conversation with sister M.

She suggested I consider relocating to Houston at some point; I would think its a possiblility at best but rather improbable as to how I am thinking at this time.The heat and humidity, the insects, the strange foreign threatening people, no scenic mountains to be able to see regularly, and a number of other considerations would seem to make it a place I would have enormous difficulty in adjusting to. But the cost of living, the vibrant economy, no winter, and the relative closeness of a caring sibling and her family would be positives that make it worth considering. I know I want to relocate out of the Mountain states region in the middle of the next decade, and thus far I have only considered the Pacific Northwest of Oregon and Washington along with the Desert Southwest of Arizona and Nevada. Its not a relocation that I will embark on anytime in the next five years approximately, so other places can be considered and researched to see if they can be considered as worthy alternatives

The afternoon continued on very nicely as I was able to open the front door and let some ventilation in from the nice day. I watched hoops and surfed the net for several hours before retiring around 8pm.

Sunday started off with a predawn arising. I baked myself some cornbread for breakfast and had several cups of hot tea with honey. I once again watched some DVR'ed programs from Saturday evening - the 10pm news, a woeful SNL, and the 20/20 episode from Friday night with the usual grouchy and whinning John Stoesel. As the day got going I watched Stargate again and readied to make plans to go to the store possibly in mid to late morning, but I decided to hold off until Monday. The weather was generally okay but clear skies in the early morning changed to fully cloudy skies in the later morning and the wind was up somewhat, but temperatures made into the mid 50s when I stepped out around noon to get the Sunday Post and a root beer from Hoys and then some ice cream from DQ. I talked on the phone with Matt for several minutes about a variety of topics and he sent me an email with an enclosure consisting of a cover letter and his resume for me to review and proofread. I watched the NHL matchup between the Rangers and Flyers which was a surprisingly solid New York victory in The Garden. After the game ended, I watched some college hoops halfheartedly while reading the paper and surfing the 'net.

All in all, another lazy overall quite Sunday, much like every other day so far in 2009. Maybe I need to go get a sixpack and get trashed.

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Everyone is Finally Getting It Figured Out

Its nice to see the national media start figuring out something that I wrote about over two and half weeks ago: CNBC is a waste and full of hacks, lackeys, cheerleaders, bimbos, himbos, boobs, out and out liars, con men, many who aid and abet criminals, and blatant shysters and crooks. CNBC is utterly corrupt and despicable with no soul, and should be removed from the airwaves at once with grand jury investigations of its management and on air staff for probable criminal links to the financial and economic collapse.

http://www.minyanville.com/articles/ge-via-jon-stewart-jim-cramer/index/a/21628

http://www.americablog.com/2009/03/its-not-about-santelli-or-kudlow-or.html

This is but three links that has emerged on this topic in the last day or two. And the Los Angeles Times link is in the entertainment part of the paper, a utterly horrible inexcusable blunder by management and editors of that paper.

Expect damaging and destructive exposes on the corruption of CNBC and other business coverage entities by CBS' 6o Minutes and other eminent news journalist organizations.

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/CNBCs-dilemma-make-a-recession/story.aspx?guid={27AE0210-5FA3-4C54-80A3-2411C511B781}

http://pundits.thehill.com/2009/03/13/cnbc-and-the-stockholm-syndrome-for-speculators-and-greed/

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-fi-cotown-cnbc14-2009mar14,0,7086061.story

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Back to the Future

I write about my opinions on the ongoing economic collapse extensively on my other blog, but I tend to hold back on the depths of my viewpoints and my fears and/or realizations.

Privately I think the US and its citizens are up the creek without a paddle. I believe the nation is headed downhill big time and we are going to return to a standard of living much differently than what we have seen in recent years. Much of this will be bad for some, even many; but likewise is true as well, particularly for those in the lowest quintille economically. I think stock prices and values are headed back to where they were in the early 1990s and late 1980s. The great wealth accumulation by many, primarily the wealthy, is going to be carved up and minimized substantially.

For much of the history of the nation, there was a ratio of 3:1 between home prices and per capita income. In much of the last three decades, this historical ratio has been seriously out of whack, rising to an 6:1 level in most places and even 10:1 to 12:1 or more in some locales. Incomes have been largely stagnant for a number of years and certainly have not risen anywhere near the rate of housing costs and values. I now believe the US is headed back towards housing values of the late 70s to mid 80s, which would be representational of what incomes exist. Obviously home cost more to build with more expensive materials and accessories as part of the construction, but a big part of the cost is the price of land; this particular element will be a big part of the downturn in prices and values as it will reflect more accurately and justly relative to per capita incomes.

If all this does eventuate -- and its far from a sure thing -- the nation we will be living in within the next five years will show far less social and economic stratification that what has been witnessed since the Reagon years and through the Bush Junior years.

One thing to note -- if one factors in the rate of inflation, the DJI is still at levels seen in the year 1966.... but I now suspect there is a greater possibility that the DJI is headed to levels below the 4000 mark, and going to even below the 3000 mark is certainly possible now.

What will all this mean ? Quite simply, an economic depression...

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090323/ehrenreich_fletcher?rel=hp_picks

http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/03/inflation-adjusted-dow-is-at-1966-levels/

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The Times are so Bad, Drinking is on the Upswing

Hitting the bar or local watering hole has been a tradition and passion of a vast majority of Americans for generations. Even when times are bad economically or otherwise, the lifestyle continues unabated and probably even expands. When the world is running down, you make the best of what still is around. And that means having a cold one(s), stiff one(s), or whatever concoction one enjoys. I don't get out to do this at all unfortunately, primarily because I do not drink alone and will only do it with friends. And being here in Cheyenne, regrettably I do not have any "drinking buddies". Hopefully when I relocate back to Colorado in the next several months to year that can change. I miss getting to do that like I used to do when I was living in the Denver area. I am doomed to be a virtual shut-in and recluse here in wind tunnel of the continent while I wait out my exile here.

http://cityguides.msn.com/citylife/cityarticle.aspx?cp-documentid=17090665&page=0

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/Economy/story?id=7008002&page=1&nwltr=NL_topstory_hed

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