Booo Craigslist!!!

When I first learned of Craigslist and the idea behind it, I was rather excited.  I enjoy finding a good deal on something someone else no longer needs.  But the scams have taken over and Craigslist appears unable or unwilling to do anything about it.  Having spent a decent amount of time perusing CL ads, I have learned very quickly how to tell what is a scam and what is real.  Why can the CL Police not do the same?  SCAM car ads that have been reported are allowed to remain active for days before being removed.  The scammers use the same text, the same pictures, and the same email addresses OVER AND OVER.  How hard would it be for Craigslist to modify their code so that certain text strings are not allowed or set off a flag?  Everytime xxx@xxx.com email address appears, automatically delete it.  Easy fix…  But they are not willing or are unable to figure this out.  I have emailed them a couple of times and asked questions or made suggestions.  They do not respond.  So I guess I will just boycott the scammers that have taken over Craigslist until the people running it care to try to clean up the place…   It could be such a great service, but if you can’t control the crooks, the then crooks will take over!

Back to School…

Yellow busses, longer traffic lines, school supplies, etc.  It’s that time again and with 2 daughters who just moved to a new school, it means some major changes.  Luckily their new school offers school supplies on campus so for around $40 per child, we purchased almost everything needed and did not have to set one foot in Target, Wal-Mart or Office Depot.  With gas prices what they are, not going to three places to find it all is a big savings.  I was in Wal-Mart for something unrelated to school and just walking by the school supply aisles was scary.  Disheveled parents, whining kids, and the shelves looking like Katrina just blew through again…  Also, at the current school, we are not required to bring paper towels, 409, hand wipes, and all of the weird items the old school system requested!!

HOMERUN!!

Last night, our church softball team (Men’s League) had a make-up game.  The previous game had been rained out.  Our usual coach/ pitcher had a hurt hand and could not play.  We got down a few runs and then I managed to hit my first in-the-park homerun (with 2 on base at the time).  It felt great, even though I probably needed oxygen after running the whole loop!! 

Mid-Life Crisis?

Anyone have any advice on having a mid-life crisis?  I feel I am due one.  I just turned 38 and my life is really spinning right now.  95% of things are going well for me, but there is something missing.  How does one go about starting a mid life crisis?  Am Isupposed to buy a convertible and start wearing Hawaiian shirts?  Maybe I need to get one of these:

Kawasaki KLR650 Dual Purpose

I already have several big-boy toys (Ford F150 SuperCrew 4×4 Lariat, Four Winns 180 Horizon boat, Kawasaki Prairie 650 4-wheeler) but I am not getting any younger.  Aha!  Is that what causes it?  Realizing that our younger years are passing and if we want to act young and enjoy young things then we need to grab life by the horns and enjoy them NOW!?!?!   :SIGH:  

 

EDIT: I have been infomred by my daughters, my friends, and a few others that I am never allowed to buy a motorcycle.  Guess i have to find something else to be my vice!! 

Ready for the 4th…

I was doing some thinking as the 4th of July draws near.  Do we ever really think about what the 4th of July represents?  Sure it is a day away from work, cookouts, fun, parties, etc.   But do you ever stop to think about why or what this day means? 

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

As they say in the movie National Treasure, “People don’t talk like that anymore.”  Go to this site (LINK) and read it!  Think about it.  Think about the circumstances these men were working under and what they were trying to accomplish.  Think about this great nation that arose out of their efforts and sacrifices.

Enjoy your 4th of July holiday, but just like at Easter and Christmas, think about what the holiday means and why we celebrate.  Then go shoot some fireworks for me!!

Mad Drivers…

I pull out of my subdivision this morning and a couple of miles down the road I notice this white For Expedition tailgaiting me.  Not only is it tailgating, at redlights it barrels up behind me stopping at the last second, inched from my bumper.  I look in the mirror and it is a woman putting on makeup.  I start leaving extra space between me and the car infront of me so i have room to manuever out of her way if she does not see us stopping at the next light.  I try to tap my brake to let her know I’d really like for her to back off a bit.  She continues to put on make up, charge ahead at full speed and stop just barely misisng my bumper.  As we come up to another major intersection, she keeps edgin up closer and closer to me.  I am about ready to get out and go look at the ditance between our bumpers when she suddenly cuts right and goes into the gas station on the corner.  I think that she must really need her coffee, but I am wrong.  She flies through the parking lot, still adjusting makeup and hair and goes out the other side avoiding the traffic light and the line of traffic waiting to turn.  That woman will kill someone one day and we will hear all kinds of stories about what a great person she is, how she never does anything wrong, and how she is such a devoted mother… 

Squeaky Shoes?

[RANT] So who is the #$%#@ that invented squeaky shoes for toddlers? We had a family reunion this past Saturday and met in a small, country Masonic Lodge.  One relative brought their 1-2 year old and equipped them with a dog toy squeaker in each shoe and let them run all over the building during the meeting and speeches.  The reunion operates sort of like a church service with songs and speeches and prizes and stuff and during the whole thing we heard squeak, squeak, squeak… Depending on how fast the child walked it got louder and faster.  They might be great for running around grandma’s house, but when you take them out in public, they drive others crazy!!!  [/RANT] 

Summer Softball

Well the church decided to start a co-ed and men’s softball team.  I have not played since October of 2006 when I tore my achilles tendon loose in a game.  But I decided to practice with them a few times and see how it feels.  I will be required to control my competitive nature to avoid getting hurt again, but am looking forward to being invovled.  But why summer league?  It is SO, SO HOT around here for summer league!!!