"Got Dem Child Support Blues"

On Friday I interviewed a guy for a position as a dishwasher at 3:15. In almost every interview I ask the big question, "Why should I hire you and not someone else?" The responses fall into two categories. The first category is people who tell me things such as "I need a job", "I have a lot of bills", "My parents told me to get a job", and the all too frequent "I gotta work. I got child support to pay". The other category comes from people who actually understand the question and give responses such as "I will be here everyday", "I will work hard and learn all that I can", and "I will be an asset to your business".

I rarely hire anyone with answers from category one. My dishwasher applicant fell into category one. He told me that he had bills and child support to pay. I thanked him for coming in for the interview and let him know that I would make a decision by Sunday and notify him. I spoke to the manager who had done the first interview to get his opinion since mine was slightly negative. After speaking to him, I decided to think about it and decide Sunday.

At 3:30 the mail carrier delivered our mail. In the mail was a request for earnings information from the Guilford County Child Support Enforcement Agency for my dishwasher applicant. It was dated two days ago. I called them to inquire as to how they sent the information request to us. They told me that they got his name and the information from a New Employees database where employers submit information for the state. I pointed out that we had not yet hired him and had not submitted his name. She could offer no explanation.

This is a new record! Fifteen minutes after an interview, I received a request for child support information. Normally I have to wait three or four days after hiring to find out who the deadbeats are. I have had some new hires quit before the request arrives or when the request arrives. For a request to precede hiring is incredible. Short answer, I'm not hiring him.

Road Trip Random Thoughts

I took a field trip on Wednesday to pickup a load of military surplus that I had recently purchased. It's always good to get a little road time to let my mind wander.

At Fort Bragg they use civilian guards at the gates to handle security checks. There is probably no money more wasted in this country than money spent on "security checks". At Fort Bragg, they look under your hood and you have to open all doors and compartments so that they can look inside. I am not sure exactly what they are looking for and I'm not sure that they know either. Rather than looking through engine compartments and trunks hoping that someone has a bomb that is clearly labeled "bomb", wouldn't it be easier to just look at an ID and ask a couple of questions? Is it easier to see if someone is nervous, their story doesn't make sense, or something just doesn't fit than to play hide and seek with something in a motor vehicle? It would be a lot quicker and probably more effective. But in America we are so terrified of offending anyone by "profiling" that we piss off everyone with "security checks".

I bought about 1000 pounds of gasoline field range accessory kits. They are almost all unused and never opened. I haven't figured out what to do with all of them, but I never let that stand in my way. I picked up four field ranges a few months ago so I at least have a starting point. My wife knows that my standard answer to her question "Why did you buy that?" rarely changes, "Someone, somewhere, is waiting to buy that from me."

As I drove to Fort Bragg, I saw that gas was below $3 a gallon. Who would have thought that we would ever have reached the point that we would be happy to see gas at $2.99? I guess that the oil companies dropped prices after starting the travel season with the Annual Memorial Day Screwing of motorists. I liked it better when they just flew a bunch of American Flags on the holiday, except in Raleigh, of course.

A couple of weeks ago, the government charged several railroads with price fixing. I guess that the bureaucrats are hanging out in freight yards instead of stopping at a gas station on the way home. Hey Guys! Have you heard about the price of gasoline???

Scooter Libby was sentenced to thirty months for lying about a crime that did not happen. Let's waste more money creating criminals. Does anyone remember every detail of every conversation months or years later? Bush should borrow someone's balls for a day, save the taxpayers some money, and pardon Libby. What difference will it make? Don't waste your time telling me any drivel about Valerie Plame, the alleged secret agent. This case is about politics and nothing more. If anyone needs some jail time, it should be the prosecutor for squandering our money on this chickenshit case. Burt Reynolds said it best in Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. " I've got a pretty good built-in bullshit detector and I can tell when someone is pissing on my boots and calling it a rainstorm." The prosecutor, Mr. Fitzgerald, is pissing on our boots.

I read today that Newt Gingrich is placing the odds that he will run for President at 4 to 1. My prediction for the 2008 race is Gingrich versus Gore. You read it here first.

While the appearance of today's teenage girls leads us to believe that they are better nourished than in the past, they aren't consuming anything that could be considered "brain food". If God made anything dumber than a teenage girl, he kept it to himself. A girl who works at the restaurant is so dumb, I refer to her as Chevy. You've seen the ads "Chevy, like a rock". She is rock stupid, dirt dumb, pick an expression, none go far enough. Her only Chance in life is to marry well.

Raleigh- City of Flag Haters- Updated

In yesterday's tirade, I discussed Raleigh's attempts to ban the display of more than three American flags at businesses. Last night I read several articles trying to find out if the Raleigh city government is really that stupid or if there has been a "media mixup". Good news, they are dumber than previously believed.

The law that Raleigh is trying to enforce is thirty years old. It was amended in 1993 to include American flags. I have included this information to show that government stupidity is not a passing fad. The Raleigh ordinance actually bans display of more than three "wind blown signs". The city has decided that flags, all flags, are "wind blown signs".

That's right, "wind blown signs". Was Francis Bellamy's Pledge of Allegiance written about a "wind blown sign"? "The Star Spangled Banner" that Key saw over Fort McHenry is just another "wind blown sign". The Marines at Iwo Jima fought and struggled to raise a "wind blown sign" at the summit of Mount Suribachi. Patton's army fought their way through the German Army and the winter to keep the "wind blown sign" flying at Bastogne. The City of Raleigh finds the flag that your father or grandfather fought under at Omaha Beach to be no different than a vinyl banner proclaiming "8 pieces, 4 biscuits $6.99". Are you offended yet?? This is government stupidity taken to a whole new level!!

This is all part of an attempt by city inspectors to "clean up" Capital Boulevard. Yes, "clean up" by removing the flag of our country. The hookers and the drug dealers can stay but those American flags have to go. The tattoo parlors, the adult bookstores, and the titty bars are all protected by the Constitution but Old Glory is on her own. What kind of reasoning is this? The average IQ in the inspections department in Raleigh must be in single digits.

And for my final shot of the day, has the ACLU been heard from on this matter? Of course not, they are only interested if you want to burn the flag.

Patriotism Outlawed in Raleigh!!!

America, Land of the free, home of the brave, governed by the incredibly stupid.

This morning's TV news had interviews with a couple of business owners from Raleigh. Yes, that is Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital, the place where Barney Fife moved after leaving Mayberry. Surely, you have heard of it. It seems that the city has an ordinance prohibiting businesses from flying more than three American flags. The two businessmen will have to take down some flags on Sunday or face a $500 per flag fine.

Any doubt that those in government are complete morons has ended. Banning American flags in America? Hey!! Remember the constitution?? They may ban owning more than three copies of that soon. Flag Day is June 14, that is the day that we are supposed to honor the American flag, can we do that in Raleigh? Does a Federal Holiday trump a city ordinance?

Raleigh has problems with crime, growth, horrible traffic, and all the other usual big city problems. So they address these problems by limiting the number of American flags that you can fly?? How far up his ass does some bureaucrat have to put his head for this one to make sense?? It's bad enough that they warn Americans overseas about displaying our flag, now they are telling us not to display it here. What are those idiots in Raleigh smoking??

How many Chinese flags are you allowed to fly in Raleigh? How about French flags or Iranian flags? Did they limit ALL national flags or just American flags?

Well, as Barney Fife used to say, "Let's nip it in the bud!" Let's get the city officials who voted for this ordinance and put their asses on the next boat headed away from these shores. Let them go hang out in the Middle East or Afghanistan for a few years. I hear that Siberia is lovely in the summer. Maybe a few years abroad will warm them up to the sight of American flags.

I will be at the flea market in Raleigh tomorrow, four flags in hand.