Nothing like taking one’s break and watching a woman dressed down going into Kroger. No biggie, she had on shorts and a t-shirt, and was carrying her baby in a regular carrier. What killed me was her two other children following after her without shoes.

I understand kids and no shoes. Growing up in rural areas, I often played outside with no shoes on. Nothing wrong with that situation. Kids like running and being free, fine. What bugs me is that this woman saw nothing wrong with her children walking across unknown substances on the sidewalk in front of Kroger, AND walking around inside the grocery store like that.

I almost offered to buy them a pair of sandals.

Another lovely thing that Emily brought up to me as I explained it to her on the phone: How can people take their children out in just a diaper? No clothes at all, just a diaper. I would imagine if I tried to walk around in only my underwear it wouldn’t go over too well. While I don’t hold children to the same standards of dress as adults, this example serves to illustrate my image of this area as FULL of white trash.

Either behave as a civilized human, or go live your bohemian lifestyle somewhere else. It is pathetic the kind of people that would let these things happen. I’m embarassed to take my children to the gas station for a bottle of water if they are dirty from playing in the yard for fear of what people will think.

My blame does not fall solely on the people of this area. A lot of it has to do with the education system and the complete lack of gainful employment. For example, making over $30K/year in this area is almost impossible. Most likely these “trashies” saw their parents and neighbors growing up poor due to the horrible economics and now see nothing wrong with the lifestyle.

To flip back though, can they not look around and see that the rest of the world does not behave the same as they do?

Maybe we just rich folk that don’t know what it like to live on food stamps.

Or maybe we get off our asses, work, practice good hygiene, and try to better ourselves.

Your call.

Metroblogging Chicago: Rep. Rahm Emanuel: “Why are we paying over $100,000 for a ‘White House Director of Lessons Learned’?” Good question.

While this post isn’t something I agree with 100%, I must say it raises some good points.

I especially love the salaries paid to BS positions. Why don’t they just say they’re giving Aunt Martha’s kid a bullshit position to handout some free money? It’s one thing to rip us off, and quite another to try to hide it.

The country is too small to hide that obvious of a rip-off.

Also, how are these “Distinguished Gentlemen” able to give themselves raises and then not help the poor people across these United States eek out a slightly better wage?

Yes, I know how horrible it is being rich, getting elected to office, the government paying for your travel/offices/etc., and then getting richer and more powerful by being in office.

Oh WAIT… NO I DON’T. I’m one of those poor slobs who probably could have benefitted from the minimum wage being raised. Not directly, as I’m over that line already, but indirectly as all wages should rise a little on the wave.

Thanks, Government, for again screwing the little guy. Â

Today Em and I took the kids to the beach. We had fun for about an hour and then the kids decided they were ready to go.

For the time we were there the kids and I had a blast tossing a little water football back and forth. For awhile splashing dad was fun. Once I splashed back, the kids decided we should play catch some more. Mom spent most of the time tanning on the sand. She did get a bit darker (but not much).

For my part I had fun splashing with the kids and wound up a little burnt on my shoulders and back. Hopefully by the end of summer I’ll get rid of this wonderful “office” tan. You know, that one that gathers on your forearms and face, but nowhere else? Yeah, that type.

I think this could become a Sunday afternoon tradition.

Yes, it’s Wednesday and there is another Jaycees meeting this evening. I now have everything setup on my laptop to keep the meeting minutes digitally instead of using a pen and paper. Not that there aren’t pros and cons to both, I just prefer digital.

In my opinion, the digital is better due to clean type, easily saved, easily transferred, and it can still be printed if necessary. Maybe I’m wrong, maybe I’m right. Maybe no one really cares.

I’ve sent out 3 press releases since becoming secretary last week. I think that’s more than have been released in years, possibly ever. Some wonder why events are better attended, but how can people attend if they don’t know? Generally the local newspapers are extremely good about covering the positive events that the Jaycees sponsor, but the Jaycees don’t always let them know about the events. I plan on changing that with my new position. Everything that I can support, I will. Everything I can do to help, I will.

Time to print some flyers.

Techdirt: The Fake Broadband Price War

I love how the telcos had all these tax breaks and monopolies allowed so that they could run fiber to our homes and provide us with superbly fast data connections, and then didn’t.

You would think there’d be a giant uproar for these millions in breaks and no results. Unfortunately, no.