If you have ever traveled the width of PA on 81 and thought it was a boring drive well you have no idea what boring is until you have driven Interstate 80 from here to the Ohio border. Most of the area is called the Pennsylvania Wilds. There is a good reason for that name....there is absolutely nothing there, barely a town...no landmarks to speak of for about 2-3 hours. UGH!!!
So we left Saturday morning, destination Port Huron, MI which is where Troy's ship is based. The whole drive takes about 8 hrs with stops. I have to give some credit to the Ohio turnpike. They really put some $$ into their rest stops. I mean, Burger King, KFC/Pizza Hut, Panera Bread, Starbucks....all in one building. lol
We passed through Detroit so I don't really have any pics of the city. Wouldn't you know that we get on the other side and about 6 Mile Road (remember Eminem's movie "8 Mile") Zack says he has to go to the bathroom. Ummm, you're gonna have to wait until we get to 13 Mile lol.
Most of the photos were taken at The Henry Ford Museum and for those and others you can click HERE
You know how hard it is to stick to a diet when you are away from home for three days eating out 2-3 meals each day?? lol I gained back 6 that I had lost.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Friday, February 23, 2007
Thursday, February 22, 2007
February 22, 2007
Shelly got in early this morning about 12:45 from Memphis. From the sounds of it we will be adding Memphis to our list of places to visit. I hope we don't get too far ahead of ourselves cause we still have to go back to Philly.
Looks like she learned alot at this conference and she just needs a year or so of experience of working with a union before she is ready to move onward and upward. She says that of all the people she networked with at this conference who is in the same position as she is that none got to where she is right out of school.
Well hun, you did do the job for a number of years even before your degree ;)
I picked up a little something for my breadwinner while she was gone. She had been asking for a PDA. She mentioned one by palm and no...that one just wouldn't do so I got her a Palm TX especially since it came with a $75 rebate from Circuit City. It's got WIFI and BlueTooth so it can access our home network. I was playing with it this morning and it is quite the gadget lol. Hmmm, no...I don't want one lol
This weekend we're heading toward Michigan for a family function and I hope there is at least semi good weather for the drive. I think we are doing this backwards....in winter you go south, not north. Troy.... you'd think you could have gotten your promotion during the summer???
Thursday is scout day here. Zack has his cub scout promise memorized lol and he is working on the law of the pack. Just don't ask me to sleep in a tent lol
The house for sale is going well. There has been alot of interest. Alot fo viewings on the multiple listing and the realtors web site as well as my own information on this blog. So far there has been at least three showings and its still early in the season yet. So far, the exterior aside, we have got nothing but positive coments.
Looks like she learned alot at this conference and she just needs a year or so of experience of working with a union before she is ready to move onward and upward. She says that of all the people she networked with at this conference who is in the same position as she is that none got to where she is right out of school.
Well hun, you did do the job for a number of years even before your degree ;)
I picked up a little something for my breadwinner while she was gone. She had been asking for a PDA. She mentioned one by palm and no...that one just wouldn't do so I got her a Palm TX especially since it came with a $75 rebate from Circuit City. It's got WIFI and BlueTooth so it can access our home network. I was playing with it this morning and it is quite the gadget lol. Hmmm, no...I don't want one lol
This weekend we're heading toward Michigan for a family function and I hope there is at least semi good weather for the drive. I think we are doing this backwards....in winter you go south, not north. Troy.... you'd think you could have gotten your promotion during the summer???
Thursday is scout day here. Zack has his cub scout promise memorized lol and he is working on the law of the pack. Just don't ask me to sleep in a tent lol
The house for sale is going well. There has been alot of interest. Alot fo viewings on the multiple listing and the realtors web site as well as my own information on this blog. So far there has been at least three showings and its still early in the season yet. So far, the exterior aside, we have got nothing but positive coments.
OMG - The Madness
The real estate market in and around Ft Drum NY is absolutely horrible in aspect of prices. You can look at the Watertown property transactions any time and easily find where a house that was bought just one year ago changed hands again recently at a nice 20%, 30% or even 50%.
This is something I came across today.
139,900
Just move in!! a beautiful 3 bedroom ranch conveniently located to ft. Drum and watertown. Oak cabinetry kitchen and wall to wall hardwood floors throughout entire house. Full basement that could easily be finished off for extra living space. The a ttached extra wide garage has a workshop. The backyard has a new cement patio which you'll enjoy once the snow is gone and the flowers have bloomed.
No, this isn't a one bedroom condo in a metropolotin area, this is a 950 sq ft 3 bedroom ranch in Watertown, NY.
Yes, I did say Watertown, NY where in any given month you will find reports of the latest crime spree. Yeah, that one.
I am waiting for the Watertown edition of "Flip This House" where the new owners just kick back and wait a few months or maybe as little as a few weeks and make a huge profit.
This is something I came across today.
139,900
Just move in!! a beautiful 3 bedroom ranch conveniently located to ft. Drum and watertown. Oak cabinetry kitchen and wall to wall hardwood floors throughout entire house. Full basement that could easily be finished off for extra living space. The a ttached extra wide garage has a workshop. The backyard has a new cement patio which you'll enjoy once the snow is gone and the flowers have bloomed.
No, this isn't a one bedroom condo in a metropolotin area, this is a 950 sq ft 3 bedroom ranch in Watertown, NY.
Yes, I did say Watertown, NY where in any given month you will find reports of the latest crime spree. Yeah, that one.
I am waiting for the Watertown edition of "Flip This House" where the new owners just kick back and wait a few months or maybe as little as a few weeks and make a huge profit.
CBS Jericho
The "new" season of Jericho has begun. We're offered only a glimpse of answers to all the questions we have had on our minds for the past couple of months.
We now know the attack was done from the inside and not a foreign country.
But was this terrorism??
Seeing the previews for the next episode it seem not likely, although certainly still possible.
What we did see in the preview if I am not mistaken was a map of the US and a reference to 6 stars located in geographical regions and a reference to six presidents.
So a conclusion could be made that the bombs were a coup d’etat or it is quite plausible that the country was divided into 6 internal geo-political entities in response to the attacks as there was no longer a central government.
Let's take a look at the bombs since they were very clearly shown.
First we have to accept that we have know idea the size of the blast, the area of devastation so therefore we have no idea as to the size of the bombs aside from what we saw in the episode which was about the size of a 55 gallon barrel.
I think we can safely rule out a fusion or hydrogen bomb which the extreme temperatures and densities necessary for a fusion reaction are generated with energy from a fission explosion. A pure fusion weapon is a hypothetical design that does not need a fission primary, but no weapons of this sort have ever been developed.
Having said that this has to be a fission bomb. The most powerful fission bomb ever tested was probably the American Ivy King with a yield of 500 kt.
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
The Mk I "Little Boy" was 10 feet (3 m) in length, 28 inches (71 cm) in diameter and weighed 8,900 lb (4000 kg). The design used the gun method to explosively force a sub-critical mass of uranium-235 and three U-235 target rings together into a super-critical mass, initiating a nuclear chain reaction.
With a power of 13 to 16 kilotons (estimations vary), it was less powerful than "Fat Man," which was dropped on Nagasaki (21–23 kt). The official yield estimate of "Little Boy" was about 15 kilotons of TNT equivalent in explosive force
miniaturization
In 16 years, the US went from the Mark III nuclear weapon (Fat Man design), which was roughly 60 inches(1.5 meters) in diameter and weighed roughly 10,300 pounds (4,700 kilograms), to the W54 design, less than approximately 11 inches (28 centimeters) diameter and weighing about 51 pounds (23 kilograms), a factor of 162 times smaller volume and over 200 times lighter. The Mark III had a yield of 21 kilotons, while the W54 design was tested up to 6 kilotons; the W54's yield is a factor of 46 times greater per unit volume and 56 times greater per unit mass. The W54 warhead could fit inside the explosive lens assembly of the Mark III.
So there is rough data and the answer can be found somewhere within. We have a size of a 55 gallon drum. Depending on where these people got their materials from will determine the yield of the nuclear bombs itself. Remember...N. Korea's recent test is pretty much thought to be a dud with only very limited nuclear explosion.
Seeing how all these bombs detonated we have to assume a level of sophistication.
The more sphisticated the bomb design the more bang for the buck. Were these bombs taken from our own stockpiles or were the material gathered together and assembled??
It seems that if Washington DC was nuked during a speak to a joint session of congress by the president then of course you would knock out many in the presidential line of succession but would everyone be there during that speach? Even in peace time?
1 Vice President and President of the Senate
2 Speaker of the House of Representatives
3 President pro tempore of the Senate
4 Secretary of State
5 Secretary of the Treasury
6 Secretary of Defense
7 Attorney General
8 Secretary of the Interior
9 Secretary of Agriculture
10 Secretary of Commerce
11 Secretary of Labor
12 Secretary of Health and Human Services
13 Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
14 Secretary of Transportation
15 Secretary of Energy
16 Secretary of Education
17 Secretary of Veterans Affairs
18 Secretary of Homeland Security
Non-natural-born citizens are ineligible
So it is hard to believe that all 18 persons would be in the same place at the same time whether it was for a joint session of congress or Aunt Jennie's tea party.
Or does it matter?
With a handful of US population centers destroyed followed by an EMP blast which could cover the whole continent and leave no communication and control for us lowly civilians does it matter if there is a president minding the country? Like the people in Jericho we would have no way of knowing who was in charge, if anyone.
A clue we saw in the previews was the current president had approval ratings in the low 20's....sound familiar?? So that makes a plausible case for someone wanting change in a big way.
Most of this material was taken from Wikpedia
We now know the attack was done from the inside and not a foreign country.
But was this terrorism??
Seeing the previews for the next episode it seem not likely, although certainly still possible.
What we did see in the preview if I am not mistaken was a map of the US and a reference to 6 stars located in geographical regions and a reference to six presidents.
So a conclusion could be made that the bombs were a coup d’etat or it is quite plausible that the country was divided into 6 internal geo-political entities in response to the attacks as there was no longer a central government.
Let's take a look at the bombs since they were very clearly shown.
First we have to accept that we have know idea the size of the blast, the area of devastation so therefore we have no idea as to the size of the bombs aside from what we saw in the episode which was about the size of a 55 gallon barrel.
I think we can safely rule out a fusion or hydrogen bomb which the extreme temperatures and densities necessary for a fusion reaction are generated with energy from a fission explosion. A pure fusion weapon is a hypothetical design that does not need a fission primary, but no weapons of this sort have ever been developed.
Having said that this has to be a fission bomb. The most powerful fission bomb ever tested was probably the American Ivy King with a yield of 500 kt.
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
The Mk I "Little Boy" was 10 feet (3 m) in length, 28 inches (71 cm) in diameter and weighed 8,900 lb (4000 kg). The design used the gun method to explosively force a sub-critical mass of uranium-235 and three U-235 target rings together into a super-critical mass, initiating a nuclear chain reaction.
With a power of 13 to 16 kilotons (estimations vary), it was less powerful than "Fat Man," which was dropped on Nagasaki (21–23 kt). The official yield estimate of "Little Boy" was about 15 kilotons of TNT equivalent in explosive force
miniaturization
In 16 years, the US went from the Mark III nuclear weapon (Fat Man design), which was roughly 60 inches(1.5 meters) in diameter and weighed roughly 10,300 pounds (4,700 kilograms), to the W54 design, less than approximately 11 inches (28 centimeters) diameter and weighing about 51 pounds (23 kilograms), a factor of 162 times smaller volume and over 200 times lighter. The Mark III had a yield of 21 kilotons, while the W54 design was tested up to 6 kilotons; the W54's yield is a factor of 46 times greater per unit volume and 56 times greater per unit mass. The W54 warhead could fit inside the explosive lens assembly of the Mark III.
So there is rough data and the answer can be found somewhere within. We have a size of a 55 gallon drum. Depending on where these people got their materials from will determine the yield of the nuclear bombs itself. Remember...N. Korea's recent test is pretty much thought to be a dud with only very limited nuclear explosion.
Seeing how all these bombs detonated we have to assume a level of sophistication.
The more sphisticated the bomb design the more bang for the buck. Were these bombs taken from our own stockpiles or were the material gathered together and assembled??
It seems that if Washington DC was nuked during a speak to a joint session of congress by the president then of course you would knock out many in the presidential line of succession but would everyone be there during that speach? Even in peace time?
1 Vice President and President of the Senate
2 Speaker of the House of Representatives
3 President pro tempore of the Senate
4 Secretary of State
5 Secretary of the Treasury
6 Secretary of Defense
7 Attorney General
8 Secretary of the Interior
9 Secretary of Agriculture
10 Secretary of Commerce
11 Secretary of Labor
12 Secretary of Health and Human Services
13 Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
14 Secretary of Transportation
15 Secretary of Energy
16 Secretary of Education
17 Secretary of Veterans Affairs
18 Secretary of Homeland Security
Non-natural-born citizens are ineligible
So it is hard to believe that all 18 persons would be in the same place at the same time whether it was for a joint session of congress or Aunt Jennie's tea party.
Or does it matter?
With a handful of US population centers destroyed followed by an EMP blast which could cover the whole continent and leave no communication and control for us lowly civilians does it matter if there is a president minding the country? Like the people in Jericho we would have no way of knowing who was in charge, if anyone.
A clue we saw in the previews was the current president had approval ratings in the low 20's....sound familiar?? So that makes a plausible case for someone wanting change in a big way.
Most of this material was taken from Wikpedia
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Happy Hump Day!!!
In honor of Hump Day I bring to you this little warm weather tune a la Jimmy Buffet. The other tune is reminiscent of downing a nice warm beverage 'side a roaring fire.
Enjoy
Have You Had Your Dickens Cider Today????
Enjoy
Have You Had Your Dickens Cider Today????
Monday, February 19, 2007
Warmer Weather
Tomorrow's forecast is for highs in the mid 60's. Ahhhh Memphis, here she comes. Shelly should be there for much warmer weather than we have here.
Say hi to Elvis for us.
Love ya hun. =)
Would you believe I got Zack to watch Little House On The Prarrie, and he loved it lol
Say hi to Elvis for us.
Love ya hun. =)
Would you believe I got Zack to watch Little House On The Prarrie, and he loved it lol
House Update
The house has been on the market only a few weeks and already there has been a few showings. We have gotten very little negative feedback from the people who have seen the house. Of course the exterior of the house needs work in the form of painting or siding.
It seems that the potential buyers appreciate the quality what has been done mainly heating & A/C, windows, porches and yes, the bathroom. I am glad people have seen the inside and appreciate that with a 100+ year old victorian that they won't have any updating that needs to be done (plumbing, electrical, etc). Major maintenance has already been done for them.
and the fact that I am still doing finishing work doesn't bother anyone, at least at this point anyway. That may or may not be reflected in a formal offer.
It seems that the potential buyers appreciate the quality what has been done mainly heating & A/C, windows, porches and yes, the bathroom. I am glad people have seen the inside and appreciate that with a 100+ year old victorian that they won't have any updating that needs to be done (plumbing, electrical, etc). Major maintenance has already been done for them.
and the fact that I am still doing finishing work doesn't bother anyone, at least at this point anyway. That may or may not be reflected in a formal offer.
Gouverneur Local Law 2
From http://www.villageofgouverneur.org/
NOTICE: TO ALL VILLAGE RESIDENTS
Local Law requires that all sidewalks in the Village must be cleared of snow. The Local Law reads as follows:
If it snows and the snow stops before 5:00 PM the sidewalk must be cleared that night.
If it snows after 5:00 pm the sidewalk must be cleared by 8:30 am the next morning.
Please sand your sidewalks should they be covered with ice. Sand barrels are provided by the Village and placed through out the Village.
If the residents do not comply with the Local Law, the Village will cause to have the sidewalks cleared at the property owner's expense and billed. The current rate that is charged for snow removal in the Village is forty cents (.40) per square foot + 17.00 administrative fees.
Ok, so some of you may have figured out by now that I got dinged. I am not upset at all that I got dinged although I do have my snow removal contracted out at $20 an hour. I am a big believer in keeping the sidewalks clear especially for those who are less mobile. Since the house is only 100 yards or so from the hospital there is at least one person in a motorized scooter who would go by on a daily basis.
What I have an issue is with the law itself and how it was written. If you look closely it potentially leaves anyone open to a complaint and subsequently to the exhorborant charges the village imposes.....like low hanging fruit for the picking, someone is making a killing here.
How long could it possibly take to clear 160' of sidewalk??? 15 min? 30 min? an hour? At .40 per ft and then add the "administration fee" on top of that and you wind up anywhere from $81/hr to $324/hr. to clear this 160 feet of sidewalk. I agree that forcing the village to clear your sidewalk should involve some sort of punitive action but let's call it that.
My invoice from the Village only states that a complaint was made and that I was in violation of Local Law 2. I have no other information than that. Theoretically it may not have been enough to clear myself had I been at the house.
Ok, so we have what seems to be a little billing on the lofty side. I have talked to my contractor and he will keep a more viligent eye on the sidewalk.
So that brings me to these two lines within the law:
If it snows and the snow stops before 5:00 PM the sidewalk must be cleared that night.
If it snows after 5:00 pm the sidewalk must be cleared by 8:30 am the next morning.
If you are employed outside of the village and/or work shiftwork you are not afforded enough time to clear your walk....especially if it snows during the night while you are working and you are required to have your sidewalk cleared so early. Most other municiplalities give you 24 hrs AFTER the last measurable snowfall. That would really put everyone on equal footing.
NOTICE: TO ALL VILLAGE RESIDENTS
Local Law requires that all sidewalks in the Village must be cleared of snow. The Local Law reads as follows:
If it snows and the snow stops before 5:00 PM the sidewalk must be cleared that night.
If it snows after 5:00 pm the sidewalk must be cleared by 8:30 am the next morning.
Please sand your sidewalks should they be covered with ice. Sand barrels are provided by the Village and placed through out the Village.
If the residents do not comply with the Local Law, the Village will cause to have the sidewalks cleared at the property owner's expense and billed. The current rate that is charged for snow removal in the Village is forty cents (.40) per square foot + 17.00 administrative fees.
Ok, so some of you may have figured out by now that I got dinged. I am not upset at all that I got dinged although I do have my snow removal contracted out at $20 an hour. I am a big believer in keeping the sidewalks clear especially for those who are less mobile. Since the house is only 100 yards or so from the hospital there is at least one person in a motorized scooter who would go by on a daily basis.
What I have an issue is with the law itself and how it was written. If you look closely it potentially leaves anyone open to a complaint and subsequently to the exhorborant charges the village imposes.....like low hanging fruit for the picking, someone is making a killing here.
How long could it possibly take to clear 160' of sidewalk??? 15 min? 30 min? an hour? At .40 per ft and then add the "administration fee" on top of that and you wind up anywhere from $81/hr to $324/hr. to clear this 160 feet of sidewalk. I agree that forcing the village to clear your sidewalk should involve some sort of punitive action but let's call it that.
My invoice from the Village only states that a complaint was made and that I was in violation of Local Law 2. I have no other information than that. Theoretically it may not have been enough to clear myself had I been at the house.
Ok, so we have what seems to be a little billing on the lofty side. I have talked to my contractor and he will keep a more viligent eye on the sidewalk.
So that brings me to these two lines within the law:
If it snows and the snow stops before 5:00 PM the sidewalk must be cleared that night.
If it snows after 5:00 pm the sidewalk must be cleared by 8:30 am the next morning.
If you are employed outside of the village and/or work shiftwork you are not afforded enough time to clear your walk....especially if it snows during the night while you are working and you are required to have your sidewalk cleared so early. Most other municiplalities give you 24 hrs AFTER the last measurable snowfall. That would really put everyone on equal footing.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
New Music - Neurosonic
Would you believe I saw these guys on tv during the intermission for a Mixed Martial Arts program?
Anyways, I thought they sounded pretty good so this morning I previewed their songs located on their site http://www.myspace.com/neurosonic
Have a listen for yourself. Go out and buy their cd or download a couple of songs.
Anyways, I thought they sounded pretty good so this morning I previewed their songs located on their site http://www.myspace.com/neurosonic
Have a listen for yourself. Go out and buy their cd or download a couple of songs.
Friday, February 16, 2007
Chutes Fail But Skydiver Survives
The video isn't available yet but here is the link to the story
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/mos/skydiver.html?in_article_id=435694&in_page_id=1990
This is actual footage of the skydiver from his own helmet mounted camera as he fell to the ground after both chutes failed to deploy.
He lands with a horrible thud but lives!!!!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/mos/skydiver.html?in_article_id=435694&in_page_id=1990
This is actual footage of the skydiver from his own helmet mounted camera as he fell to the ground after both chutes failed to deploy.
He lands with a horrible thud but lives!!!!
Thursday, February 15, 2007
After The Storm
We got a taste of what everyone in NNY got and it looks like all will be back to normal soon here.
Kids had no school yesturday and from the tv it was 100's of school districts shut down for the day. Here this morning Zack has a 2 hour delay and I think that is mainly from the cold and the wind chill.
It was interesting to say the least being someone from snow country where 5' plus high snow banks are not that distant of a memory to see everything come to nearly a stop over the snow we got. At Shelly's plant, they decided not to run one shift last night and because driving was a bit nasty Shelly canceled her flight which was a good thing. She would have made it out of Harrisburg with a 2 hour delay but then would have missed her connecting flight out of Chicago.
Ahhh, another time for that conference I guess. She still is scheduled to go to Memphis next week. Man, these people like to travel don't they.
So we took off for Walmart yesturday morning and that was lovely....no traffic and no one in the stores. We bought Zack a sled cause we have a nice hill in our side yard that will be great for sledding but it got too cold yesturday so maybe today after school he can get out.
So we're used to all these huge plow trucks with sanders....actually seeing NY state trucks scraping the dust off the roads is more like it. Here in our town they have one small dump truck with a plow and a couple of trucks with plows that they keep the streets cleaned with.
Down here they get snow like this maybe once a year so you can understand why the $$ doesn't go towards snow removal. It was a bit funny though to see people scurry about in a panic ahead of the storm.
I think we ended up with about 7 inches of snow. A little further north and they have double that.
Kids had no school yesturday and from the tv it was 100's of school districts shut down for the day. Here this morning Zack has a 2 hour delay and I think that is mainly from the cold and the wind chill.
It was interesting to say the least being someone from snow country where 5' plus high snow banks are not that distant of a memory to see everything come to nearly a stop over the snow we got. At Shelly's plant, they decided not to run one shift last night and because driving was a bit nasty Shelly canceled her flight which was a good thing. She would have made it out of Harrisburg with a 2 hour delay but then would have missed her connecting flight out of Chicago.
Ahhh, another time for that conference I guess. She still is scheduled to go to Memphis next week. Man, these people like to travel don't they.
So we took off for Walmart yesturday morning and that was lovely....no traffic and no one in the stores. We bought Zack a sled cause we have a nice hill in our side yard that will be great for sledding but it got too cold yesturday so maybe today after school he can get out.
So we're used to all these huge plow trucks with sanders....actually seeing NY state trucks scraping the dust off the roads is more like it. Here in our town they have one small dump truck with a plow and a couple of trucks with plows that they keep the streets cleaned with.
Down here they get snow like this maybe once a year so you can understand why the $$ doesn't go towards snow removal. It was a bit funny though to see people scurry about in a panic ahead of the storm.
I think we ended up with about 7 inches of snow. A little further north and they have double that.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow
Finally
8:50 am update - How often do you see these forecasts with any amount of accuracy?? I looked out from my dining room a couple of minutes ago and whoa dude....10 min before scheduled, it is starting to snow lol
/O.CON.KCTP.WS.W.0001.070213T1400Z-070214T2100Z/
SOUTHERN CLINTON-SOUTHERN LYCOMING-UNION-SNYDER-MONTOUR-
NORTHUMBERLAND-COLUMBIA-SCHUYLKILL-
454 AM EST TUE FEB 13 2007
...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING
TO 4 PM EST WEDNESDAY...
A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING
TO 4 PM EST WEDNESDAY.
LIGHT SNOW WILL SPREAD NORTHEAST INTO THE REGION BY LATE THIS MORNING.
THE SNOW WILL BECOME HEAVIER DURING THE MID TO LATE AFTERNOON
SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 2 TO 3 INCHES IS LIKELY BY EVENING.
THE SNOW IS EXPECTED TO FALL HEAVY AT TIMES THIS EVENING INTO
WEDNESDAY MORNING. THE SNOW COULD MIX SLEET AT TIMES...WITH
LIGHTNING AND THUNDER POSSIBLE DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE STORM
TONIGHT AND EARLY WEDNESDAY. THE STORM SHOULD TAPER OFF TO
SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS DURING THE DAY ON WEDNESDAY.
STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON WILL LIKELY BE IN THE
11 TO 16 INCH RANGE WITH HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE NEAR AND TO THE
NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80.
A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW OR ICE
ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. ANY TRAVEL IS STRONGLY DISCOURAGED.
THOSE WITH TRAVEL PLANS IN THE WARNED AREA ARE ADVISED TO CHOOSE
AN ALTERNATIVE ROUTE...OR SHOULD USE EXTREME CAUTION IF TRAVEL IS
UNAVOIDABLE. CARRY EXTRA SUPPLIES...INCLUDING BLANKETS...FOOD AND
A CELLULAR PHONE...IN CASE YOUR CAR BECOMES STRANDED.
8:50 am update - How often do you see these forecasts with any amount of accuracy?? I looked out from my dining room a couple of minutes ago and whoa dude....10 min before scheduled, it is starting to snow lol
/O.CON.KCTP.WS.W.0001.070213T1400Z-070214T2100Z/
SOUTHERN CLINTON-SOUTHERN LYCOMING-UNION-SNYDER-MONTOUR-
NORTHUMBERLAND-COLUMBIA-SCHUYLKILL-
454 AM EST TUE FEB 13 2007
...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING
TO 4 PM EST WEDNESDAY...
A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING
TO 4 PM EST WEDNESDAY.
LIGHT SNOW WILL SPREAD NORTHEAST INTO THE REGION BY LATE THIS MORNING.
THE SNOW WILL BECOME HEAVIER DURING THE MID TO LATE AFTERNOON
SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 2 TO 3 INCHES IS LIKELY BY EVENING.
THE SNOW IS EXPECTED TO FALL HEAVY AT TIMES THIS EVENING INTO
WEDNESDAY MORNING. THE SNOW COULD MIX SLEET AT TIMES...WITH
LIGHTNING AND THUNDER POSSIBLE DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE STORM
TONIGHT AND EARLY WEDNESDAY. THE STORM SHOULD TAPER OFF TO
SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS DURING THE DAY ON WEDNESDAY.
STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON WILL LIKELY BE IN THE
11 TO 16 INCH RANGE WITH HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE NEAR AND TO THE
NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80.
A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW OR ICE
ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. ANY TRAVEL IS STRONGLY DISCOURAGED.
THOSE WITH TRAVEL PLANS IN THE WARNED AREA ARE ADVISED TO CHOOSE
AN ALTERNATIVE ROUTE...OR SHOULD USE EXTREME CAUTION IF TRAVEL IS
UNAVOIDABLE. CARRY EXTRA SUPPLIES...INCLUDING BLANKETS...FOOD AND
A CELLULAR PHONE...IN CASE YOUR CAR BECOMES STRANDED.
Dieting
6 weeks out and down 14 lbs. I think I am under 230 for the first time in a few years.
I had a bump in my plan last Friday when I was sick as a dog with a stomach virus but then you go out of town and you eat out....and room service to boot. lol So far so good
I had a bump in my plan last Friday when I was sick as a dog with a stomach virus but then you go out of town and you eat out....and room service to boot. lol So far so good
Monday, February 12, 2007
Show Her You Really Care
This Valentines Day give your honey something special that will last for all eternity...
Happy Valentines Day - Forever
or were they at each other's throats when they went down for the dirt nap???
Happy Valentines Day - Forever
or were they at each other's throats when they went down for the dirt nap???
Spinal Stenosis
Since I am new to this area I needed to establish myself with new healthcare providers. I did the 2 ortho already...one for the neck and the other for the knee. The ortho group though should have given me an appt with their knee specialist but anyways if I need my left knee redone I will probably need to go outside the area.
So a couple of weeks ago I had an appt with my primary care dr or family dr. He did a full physical and everything seems to be fine. Blood pressure is lower than it has been in years and was a little shocked at what it was. I had brought in my reports from my C Spine MRI and EMG that I had done a little over a year ago. I brought up the problems I had been having since my appt with the ortho neck specialist.... mainly muscle cramping in the right arm, headaches and numbness. These things come and go but the most were new within the past month.
He gave me three options and I agreed to have the MRI and EMG repeated and see if there was any material differences from the previous tests.
So I get a call last Friday from the Dr office saying they got the results back from the MRI. They want to send me to a neuro surgeon. Hmmm, ok. I then ask, are there major differences from the last testing. ????? The report doesn't mention a comparison. They say spinal stenosis is mentioned.
Well damn
First this is nothing new but the main thing is and I would think very beneficial in terms of proper treatment is how much, if any, this has gotten worse over the previous 13 or so months??? At the very least I would love to treat the symptoms as I am not looking for spinal surgery any time soon.
pm update
I went down to the Dr's office this morning to get a copy of my MRI report. As I am walking out and reading it I noticed several mnetions of "comparison to previous study".
Someone at that office needs to learn how to read I think lol.
The results:
Still Moderately severe to severe spinal canal stenosis and no change at C5-6 and C6-7. Disc herniations are the causes of these stenosis.
Good news is that a small lesion probably represented by cord edema at C6-7 level is pretty much resolved....or corrected itself.
I am going ahead with a neurosurgical consult and should hear on that shortly. Something I don't understand is how these symptoms and their underlying causes keep popping up and disappearing. In any case I still need to manage the symptoms.
On a lighter note... Shelly is off traveling this week. She is heading to Omaha (yes, Nebraska in the middle of winter) for work for a couple of days so Thursday and Friday it will just be us guys.
The end of the month we are heading to MI to see my brother-in-law get promoted to Liutenant JG (Coast Guard). I think I have that right anyway lol. I think we have a day trip planned for Detoit...we'll see
So a couple of weeks ago I had an appt with my primary care dr or family dr. He did a full physical and everything seems to be fine. Blood pressure is lower than it has been in years and was a little shocked at what it was. I had brought in my reports from my C Spine MRI and EMG that I had done a little over a year ago. I brought up the problems I had been having since my appt with the ortho neck specialist.... mainly muscle cramping in the right arm, headaches and numbness. These things come and go but the most were new within the past month.
He gave me three options and I agreed to have the MRI and EMG repeated and see if there was any material differences from the previous tests.
So I get a call last Friday from the Dr office saying they got the results back from the MRI. They want to send me to a neuro surgeon. Hmmm, ok. I then ask, are there major differences from the last testing. ????? The report doesn't mention a comparison. They say spinal stenosis is mentioned.
Well damn
First this is nothing new but the main thing is and I would think very beneficial in terms of proper treatment is how much, if any, this has gotten worse over the previous 13 or so months??? At the very least I would love to treat the symptoms as I am not looking for spinal surgery any time soon.
pm update
I went down to the Dr's office this morning to get a copy of my MRI report. As I am walking out and reading it I noticed several mnetions of "comparison to previous study".
Someone at that office needs to learn how to read I think lol.
The results:
Still Moderately severe to severe spinal canal stenosis and no change at C5-6 and C6-7. Disc herniations are the causes of these stenosis.
Good news is that a small lesion probably represented by cord edema at C6-7 level is pretty much resolved....or corrected itself.
I am going ahead with a neurosurgical consult and should hear on that shortly. Something I don't understand is how these symptoms and their underlying causes keep popping up and disappearing. In any case I still need to manage the symptoms.
On a lighter note... Shelly is off traveling this week. She is heading to Omaha (yes, Nebraska in the middle of winter) for work for a couple of days so Thursday and Friday it will just be us guys.
The end of the month we are heading to MI to see my brother-in-law get promoted to Liutenant JG (Coast Guard). I think I have that right anyway lol. I think we have a day trip planned for Detoit...we'll see
Sunday, February 11, 2007
The Traveler - Philadelphia
We got into Philly yesterday shortly after noon and checked into our hotel...The Courtyard Marriot. Our tickets for the King Tut Exhibition was for 5:30 so we went over to the Franklin Institute to see the museum before we took in Tut.
The exhibition was awesome. It was something else to be standing in the presence of artifacts with such color, such detail and over 3,000 years old. I don't have any photos of any of the exhibit as photography was strictly forbidden so I had to by the $59 hardcover book...a dvd was also available. The last time this exhibit (much smaller) toured the US was in the 1970's so who knows when it will come this way again. It is in Philly until this fall and I highly recommend it.
The above photo is what it is all about....why we are here!!
Last but not least in this preview is a little something from our pop culture past. This statue is standing in front of the Philadelphia Museum Of Art and it is that building where Rocky runs up the steps.
to see more photos of our travels in Philadelphia you can go click:
HERE
Thursday, February 08, 2007
The Traveler - Philadelphia
Monday will be a big day for us. It will be our 1st anniversary. :) They say that the first year is the roughest. Hmmm, not quite sure who "they" are but I guess our hardest year was the one prior and if that is the case it is all easy from here.
In any case, our anniversary is on the 11th which is Sunday and St. Valentine's Day is on Wednesday. Nothing big was requested of those days only that we get out maybe to dinner or do something to commemorate the day(s).
So I mentioned Philadelphia.
Must be a ton of things to do or see in Philly, right??
So now we will be guests of Marriot in downtown Philadelphia this weekend and the main site we will be seeing is the King Tut exhibition at The Franklin Institute.
One we might go and one I am sure Zack will love is a bug museum now what little boy wouldn't love to see all the bugs? lol
I will certainly take my camera but photography is not allowed in the Tut exhibit so we'll see what kind of pics I come home with.
In any case, our anniversary is on the 11th which is Sunday and St. Valentine's Day is on Wednesday. Nothing big was requested of those days only that we get out maybe to dinner or do something to commemorate the day(s).
So I mentioned Philadelphia.
Must be a ton of things to do or see in Philly, right??
So now we will be guests of Marriot in downtown Philadelphia this weekend and the main site we will be seeing is the King Tut exhibition at The Franklin Institute.
One we might go and one I am sure Zack will love is a bug museum now what little boy wouldn't love to see all the bugs? lol
I will certainly take my camera but photography is not allowed in the Tut exhibit so we'll see what kind of pics I come home with.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
February 7, 2007
So far our house in Gouverneur has generated 17 Realtor views and 99 public views in the St. Lawrence multiple listing service, on the Jefferson - Lewis site we have had 20 realtor views and 44 public views. So far there has been one telephone inquiry to the realtor.
Aside from that I have gotten up to 6 hits per day on the blog posting of the house that is linked with the ad on Craigslist.
Not too bad seeing we are not in a hurry to sell it....since we're not finished with the work. We're looking for a sell sometime this summer.
Of course I can't tell how many of these hits on my site or the realtors belongs to curiosity seekers and tire kickers but that is part of the game as well. It's all good.
Aside from that I have gotten up to 6 hits per day on the blog posting of the house that is linked with the ad on Craigslist.
Not too bad seeing we are not in a hurry to sell it....since we're not finished with the work. We're looking for a sell sometime this summer.
Of course I can't tell how many of these hits on my site or the realtors belongs to curiosity seekers and tire kickers but that is part of the game as well. It's all good.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Dieting
Five weeks into the diet and still looking good. No loss this past week from Tuesday to Tuesday but no gain either which is very good.
Friday nights is our family night out....at least for dinner and sometimes a little shopping. We ate at a family Italian place a few min away on the other side of the river in Allenwood. We had gotten take out (pizza and wings) the week before so wanted to see how their service was. Very exceptional.
Saturday it was more shopping and we had lunch at one of the local malls and then Sunday...well, there was the Super Bowl and we all know its highly unlikely any healthy eating goes on that day.
Got back on track yesturday with the help of the cereal I have been eating. We're talking not your avg everyday cereal, no....I am talking 9 grams of protein, the same of fiber and 100 cal in 1/4 oz serving....yeah, that kind of stuff. Limit yourself to that, veggies and about 900 calories and the lbs seem to melt off.
I didn't think I would be strictyly following weight watchers once I got the hang of it.
Tonight is baked chicken with garlic/mushroom sauce over whole wheat rotini. mmm mmm
Friday nights is our family night out....at least for dinner and sometimes a little shopping. We ate at a family Italian place a few min away on the other side of the river in Allenwood. We had gotten take out (pizza and wings) the week before so wanted to see how their service was. Very exceptional.
Saturday it was more shopping and we had lunch at one of the local malls and then Sunday...well, there was the Super Bowl and we all know its highly unlikely any healthy eating goes on that day.
Got back on track yesturday with the help of the cereal I have been eating. We're talking not your avg everyday cereal, no....I am talking 9 grams of protein, the same of fiber and 100 cal in 1/4 oz serving....yeah, that kind of stuff. Limit yourself to that, veggies and about 900 calories and the lbs seem to melt off.
I didn't think I would be strictyly following weight watchers once I got the hang of it.
Tonight is baked chicken with garlic/mushroom sauce over whole wheat rotini. mmm mmm
Today's Weather
Another day, more cold.....brrrrr
You know it's cold when you see ice flows on the Susquehanna river.
At least the school districts have a 2 hour delay when the temp gets this low. With the wind chills it has been to -10 or colder this time in the morning. I think that is too cold for kids to be standing outside waiting for the bus. Back home the temp would have to drop to -30 or so before there was any kind of delay. Now I don't think this is cold at all. Now 4 or 5 days where the temp doesn't get higher than 20 below zero and you wake up to 35 below......now THAT'S COLD.
Zack doesn't like the 2 hour delays cause he misses homework. lol Go figure. Must be those first two hours they are going over and getting homework for the next day???? I don't know but the fact that he misses his homework is funny. How long will that last???
He has to practice is Tiger Cub Oath so he can get his first patch. Zack started Tiger Cubs a coupleof weeks ago. Last week he they went to the fire station and got to sit in an ambulence and ride in a fire truck. The kids loved it.
You know it's cold when you see ice flows on the Susquehanna river.
At least the school districts have a 2 hour delay when the temp gets this low. With the wind chills it has been to -10 or colder this time in the morning. I think that is too cold for kids to be standing outside waiting for the bus. Back home the temp would have to drop to -30 or so before there was any kind of delay. Now I don't think this is cold at all. Now 4 or 5 days where the temp doesn't get higher than 20 below zero and you wake up to 35 below......now THAT'S COLD.
Zack doesn't like the 2 hour delays cause he misses homework. lol Go figure. Must be those first two hours they are going over and getting homework for the next day???? I don't know but the fact that he misses his homework is funny. How long will that last???
He has to practice is Tiger Cub Oath so he can get his first patch. Zack started Tiger Cubs a coupleof weeks ago. Last week he they went to the fire station and got to sit in an ambulence and ride in a fire truck. The kids loved it.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Linksys Wireless Router Problems
For a couple of months now we have been running off a Linksys wireless router WRT54GX4 Wireless-G Broadband Router with SRX400. Our new home's cable wiring is not in an optimum location to connect directly to the router so I installed a wireless adapter Wireless N with SRX 400 in the desktop.
Since then we had been having quite allot of problems with intermittent dropping of signal and therefore loss of internet connection. Both the laptop and the desktop would have problems. Sometimes one and not the other then other times it was both at the same time and then other times we would lose signal from the router but internet signal to it was fine then other times we would lose everything....router, telephone, everything but the tv.
What was solving this issue albeit temporarily was momentarily unplugging the router and plugging it back in and wait a few moments while everything got back up and running. There were times this process would have to be repeated 3 or 4 times in a 30 min period, then it would seem to work fine for most of the day.
It made no sense cause there was no rhyme nor reason why it would be dropping, there was no pattern at all. When connected I was still getting up to 5+MB download speeds.
By the way, Linksys tech support was helpful but God...do I really want to stay on the phone with them for 2 or so hours while they walk through everything and still doesn't work like it should??? Not really is my answer. I was about to throw this all away and start from scratch with a different brand.
So I tried a couple things this weekend and for the second day now I have not lost a signal once and am still at 54.0 mbs from my router.
I downloaded the new driver. There was at least two new drivers one from Nov 2006 and one added recently for Vista. Running XP I of course downloaded the Nov 2006 version. My original was dated from April I believe.
The driver is not certified by Microsoft but what the hell.
I downloaded the file, unzipped it and installed it. So far so good. It seems that XP does not like the Linksys wireless network manager so I suggest the Windows version.
Like I said, so far so good. Solid and steady signal strength, not one drop so far.
Since then we had been having quite allot of problems with intermittent dropping of signal and therefore loss of internet connection. Both the laptop and the desktop would have problems. Sometimes one and not the other then other times it was both at the same time and then other times we would lose signal from the router but internet signal to it was fine then other times we would lose everything....router, telephone, everything but the tv.
What was solving this issue albeit temporarily was momentarily unplugging the router and plugging it back in and wait a few moments while everything got back up and running. There were times this process would have to be repeated 3 or 4 times in a 30 min period, then it would seem to work fine for most of the day.
It made no sense cause there was no rhyme nor reason why it would be dropping, there was no pattern at all. When connected I was still getting up to 5+MB download speeds.
By the way, Linksys tech support was helpful but God...do I really want to stay on the phone with them for 2 or so hours while they walk through everything and still doesn't work like it should??? Not really is my answer. I was about to throw this all away and start from scratch with a different brand.
So I tried a couple things this weekend and for the second day now I have not lost a signal once and am still at 54.0 mbs from my router.
I downloaded the new driver. There was at least two new drivers one from Nov 2006 and one added recently for Vista. Running XP I of course downloaded the Nov 2006 version. My original was dated from April I believe.
The driver is not certified by Microsoft but what the hell.
I downloaded the file, unzipped it and installed it. So far so good. It seems that XP does not like the Linksys wireless network manager so I suggest the Windows version.
Like I said, so far so good. Solid and steady signal strength, not one drop so far.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Superbowl XLI Pick
Colts by 6
Monday Morning: At half time when the Colts were way ahead in terms of time of possession did anyone think the outcome would be any more different? Yes, a couple of misshaps with the ball either way can determine the outcome of a ball game but all things being equal the time of possession is killer when the opponent's defense is on the field all day long.
Monday Morning: At half time when the Colts were way ahead in terms of time of possession did anyone think the outcome would be any more different? Yes, a couple of misshaps with the ball either way can determine the outcome of a ball game but all things being equal the time of possession is killer when the opponent's defense is on the field all day long.
The Big Plunge - Playstation 3
We broke own and Friday evening bought our family a Playstation 3.
If you are somneone who may be contemplating purchasing a Playstation 3 then you are much better off thinking of it more so as a computer rather than a piece of hardware to pllay video games on.
The first thing you notice about the Playstation 3 is its weight...Damn that thing is heavy. It will remind you of your computer's tower than of any other game platform or previous versions of Playstation.
I like that there is a wireless controller that comes with it and that it is rechargable through the usb port. You can play wirelessly or by leaving the controller connected with the usb cable. There are 4 contoller ports so with a big enough tv screen I imagine you could play with four people.
Now some of the games that are out for the Playstation 3 are made specifically for it in that they are detail driven and use all the power of the processor and are compatible with 1080p viewing. There are some games that I noted that can only be viewed in 720p these are games that seem to have been issued for this system while being developed for multiple platforms.
The difference between the two I have described is that say...the NBA game with Kobe Bryant... There is soo much detail you can actually see the players sweat and to save the game you will need 3GB of space on the hard drive.
That is where the bigger hard drive will come in handy. The hard drive is fully removable although with SONY....a replacement might be a little pricey. You can also connect this baby to the internet and be a full gamer if that is your liking as well.
Now a good reason to buy this and of course this is what Sony is counting on is the Blu Ray disc player....for all you non technical or non gadget people that means HD movies. A blu ray disc stand alone player will cost you about $700 and up while a HD DVD player (separate format and not compatible) will run you $500 and up. So if you already own a previous version of Playstation and own a HD TV then spending extra for this system is not all that far fetched. A few games, a few movies and the system can easily set you back 1 large but you would most likely be spending that or more if you buy a different gaming platform and standalone HD DVD player, games and movies.
I am not certain whether SAW III was any more the gory in HD on Blu Ray than it would have been on HBO but as far and detail and clarity goes it is worth paying the extra $5 or so for the HD movies.
The interface is not like the older systems. In those you could pop in a new game and it would start or prompt you to load from a saved file. This uses a browser so there is a couple of extra steps but once you get used to it and understand it the process flows much better.
If you're like me and only follow the enclosed directions when not doing so may cause bodily injury or death then it may take a bit longer to get the hang of things....and you will still resort to the manual.
If you are somneone who may be contemplating purchasing a Playstation 3 then you are much better off thinking of it more so as a computer rather than a piece of hardware to pllay video games on.
The first thing you notice about the Playstation 3 is its weight...Damn that thing is heavy. It will remind you of your computer's tower than of any other game platform or previous versions of Playstation.
I like that there is a wireless controller that comes with it and that it is rechargable through the usb port. You can play wirelessly or by leaving the controller connected with the usb cable. There are 4 contoller ports so with a big enough tv screen I imagine you could play with four people.
Now some of the games that are out for the Playstation 3 are made specifically for it in that they are detail driven and use all the power of the processor and are compatible with 1080p viewing. There are some games that I noted that can only be viewed in 720p these are games that seem to have been issued for this system while being developed for multiple platforms.
The difference between the two I have described is that say...the NBA game with Kobe Bryant... There is soo much detail you can actually see the players sweat and to save the game you will need 3GB of space on the hard drive.
That is where the bigger hard drive will come in handy. The hard drive is fully removable although with SONY....a replacement might be a little pricey. You can also connect this baby to the internet and be a full gamer if that is your liking as well.
Now a good reason to buy this and of course this is what Sony is counting on is the Blu Ray disc player....for all you non technical or non gadget people that means HD movies. A blu ray disc stand alone player will cost you about $700 and up while a HD DVD player (separate format and not compatible) will run you $500 and up. So if you already own a previous version of Playstation and own a HD TV then spending extra for this system is not all that far fetched. A few games, a few movies and the system can easily set you back 1 large but you would most likely be spending that or more if you buy a different gaming platform and standalone HD DVD player, games and movies.
I am not certain whether SAW III was any more the gory in HD on Blu Ray than it would have been on HBO but as far and detail and clarity goes it is worth paying the extra $5 or so for the HD movies.
The interface is not like the older systems. In those you could pop in a new game and it would start or prompt you to load from a saved file. This uses a browser so there is a couple of extra steps but once you get used to it and understand it the process flows much better.
If you're like me and only follow the enclosed directions when not doing so may cause bodily injury or death then it may take a bit longer to get the hang of things....and you will still resort to the manual.
Friday, February 02, 2007
Dieting News
Well this morning I officially hit the 10 lb mark!!! So far since January 2nd I am down 11 lbs.
I post this now cause it's Super Bowl Weekend!!! and who knows what will be eat this weekend. lol So far I have able to treat myself and still be on track.
I post this now cause it's Super Bowl Weekend!!! and who knows what will be eat this weekend. lol So far I have able to treat myself and still be on track.
Sheriff Worries About Future Of Road Patrols
from WWNY TV
Thursday, February 01, 2007, 6:33pm
Jefferson County Sheriff John Burns said road patrols could come to an end someday because he's losing manpower.
Burns said he has lost three deputies because the sheriff's department offers salaries that are lower than incomes offered by other law enforcement agencies.
"I'm not able to hire deputies. They're just going to come in, they're going to look at the wages, they're going to look at the retirement package. Then they're going to say, 'I'm not staying here' or they're going to come here to get hired, get trained, then leave for other higher paying jobs," said Burns.
According to Burns, deputies start out earning less than $30,000 per year.
State troopers earn nearly double that amount, while Watertown city police make $12,000 to $15,000 more than deputies, Burns said.
Burns had requested as many as ten new positions in the county's 2007 budget.
The sheriff wanted four new deputies, more detectives and corrections officers.
Lawmakers denied his request.
"We feel that in Jefferson County, we pay a decent wage to our employees and that includes the sheriff's department and everybody else," said County Legislature Chairman Kent Burto.
Burns said road patrols won't end any time soon. However, he worries about the future if he's unable to replace and hire new deputies.
WTF was the county legislature thinking?? In 1986/87 I took two civil service tests one for sheriff's deputy in Jefferson county and one for the United States Postal Service. I was an MP while in the Army so a deputy was the natural progression or so I thought.
Even back then I remember being told at my interview for the post office that the starting wage was $9.01 and although I don't remember what the pay was for deputies I do specifically remembering that (somewhat jokingly) that they would still qualify for welfare.
Who in their right mind wouldn't use the training as a spring board to a better paying police position in another jurisdiction. It just doesn't make sense that in this day and age that they start out less than $30k. They need to at least be comparable to that of the surrounding jurisdictions.
Thursday, February 01, 2007, 6:33pm
Jefferson County Sheriff John Burns said road patrols could come to an end someday because he's losing manpower.
Burns said he has lost three deputies because the sheriff's department offers salaries that are lower than incomes offered by other law enforcement agencies.
"I'm not able to hire deputies. They're just going to come in, they're going to look at the wages, they're going to look at the retirement package. Then they're going to say, 'I'm not staying here' or they're going to come here to get hired, get trained, then leave for other higher paying jobs," said Burns.
According to Burns, deputies start out earning less than $30,000 per year.
State troopers earn nearly double that amount, while Watertown city police make $12,000 to $15,000 more than deputies, Burns said.
Burns had requested as many as ten new positions in the county's 2007 budget.
The sheriff wanted four new deputies, more detectives and corrections officers.
Lawmakers denied his request.
"We feel that in Jefferson County, we pay a decent wage to our employees and that includes the sheriff's department and everybody else," said County Legislature Chairman Kent Burto.
Burns said road patrols won't end any time soon. However, he worries about the future if he's unable to replace and hire new deputies.
WTF was the county legislature thinking?? In 1986/87 I took two civil service tests one for sheriff's deputy in Jefferson county and one for the United States Postal Service. I was an MP while in the Army so a deputy was the natural progression or so I thought.
Even back then I remember being told at my interview for the post office that the starting wage was $9.01 and although I don't remember what the pay was for deputies I do specifically remembering that (somewhat jokingly) that they would still qualify for welfare.
Who in their right mind wouldn't use the training as a spring board to a better paying police position in another jurisdiction. It just doesn't make sense that in this day and age that they start out less than $30k. They need to at least be comparable to that of the surrounding jurisdictions.
New Music - Lost Prophets - New Transmission
Something new from the Lost Prophets that found its way onto the playlist on Sqiuzz. Since it is possible to record a cd quality audio direct from the internet by recording what is played on your computer as opposed to downloading it I will only be posting half the song of those I post.
I have been a fan of the prophets for a couple of years since I saw a video of "Last Train Home" on FUSE which is way much better than anything that MTV can come up with.
I have been a fan of the prophets for a couple of years since I saw a video of "Last Train Home" on FUSE which is way much better than anything that MTV can come up with.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
