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Showing posts from 2009
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Good sniper location

Skyhero Resources

Skyhero Resources This site seems to go into plasma ignition systems, which I am interested in. They also seem to go into some other areas that are at least marginally interesting.

Skyhero Resources

Skyhero Resources A site that has some interesting thoughts on many subjects, but the one that interest me most are those pertaining to plasma ignition.

Google Image Swirl

Google Image Swirl awesome.. this little thing from the Google Labs rocks.

Always Innovating’s Touch Book Netbook in Production

Always Innovating’s Touch Book Netbook in Production This is your next PC, if it isn't, well you are not thinking. More on this later.

Our Lives Are Filled With Worthless Crap That's Destroying the Earth: Here's What You Can Do | | AlterNet

Our Lives Are Filled With Worthless Crap That's Destroying the Earth: Here's What You Can Do | | AlterNet Everyone should read this, it should make you think before you go out and buy a bunch of crap for the holidays.

Two Brothers Jump Pond with Bike

This is a hilarious video of Jonathon and Justin jumping a pond on a bike. It is the funniest thing I have seen on YouTube.

Take me Back to the Land Lad

I have for all these years been just moving along, not certain of much of anything, but that I am certain that as long as I held tightly to the dream, it would be. The dream manifest in strange and wondrous ways. I still hold on to that dream factiously hoping for a break, and even though it seems dark sometimes, it is there, gleaming in my mind. My da died holding onto the fistful of dreams he could never pass on. I understand his torment, and what he was trying to say, in his way. It is still there da, in my mind, that glaring eye, that holds sway to my passion, but won't let it go until I fill its needs. But my dear old da I have beat him at his own game, and he licks his wounds in the darkness of my fetal mind. My ma died unfulfilled of her most sacred duty, although she saw me off, and with that she can take some peace. Yes ma, she is beautiful, and she takes me to the highest highs that I could never get with that shit that you never did like any way. I will avenge you

Letters to the Boys

To the boys; I know you think it is just smoke and mirrors, but it is not always what it seems. I can't make any promises but I can give you this, if you will believe it will all come true for you. I am doing all I can, and I really wish you would listen, but I can't blame you if you don't who am I to say, I have been there before. All I can say is that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and if you are lucky it is not a train. I know it seems I did destroy what you may have thought was perfection, but if not I it would have been someone, and at least that I can say for certain. So I will make this short, so as to not boar you to much pain. I am not dead yet, and until I am, and even after that, I will love you all and I give whatever I can until I can give no more. Love Always James

Are You Listening

What the fuck is this that I have discovered, some bland slate of blue marble, given to me with words written upon, with scarlet ink that bleeds and blurs the letters into scarcity. I am still a blind paint, written in cast member, sitting in the audience, sleeping in the alley way, with the piss boy and the double dealer. I slit through this chocolate dream scape, into the fog of the smoke filled perfection. The drag queen opened her mouth to come, and his best friend slips into another form of oblivion, without a sound, will you just look at that. And I thought Andy was all this time living in the haze of my shadow, long ago forgotten, oh yea I don't remember that muther fucker, he was just a whiff of my dragon pipe, slit to the thigh. "Are you fucking listening" he said "you fucking slut bitch, why haven't you got the hell out of here and left me to my best boy friend" "That is not what you want, is it" she whispers into the nothingness before

A Day Here in LaLa

So yea, here I am, not doing a thing, writing nothing, listening to the Velvet Underground, and thinking that it is all right. It is late and I have accomplished not a thing. I set out this morning to do some writing, and I just wasted a lot of time watching videos of how to write, like I don't already know. Had to switch to WinAmp and Shoutcast Radio, 'cause last.fm sucks. I like music to much, it is fuel, but often not for any quality in writing. What I want is a pastoral life, living in a small community, where I tend to my gardens (and animals) while I entertain myself with a small radio that only plays good music that I like, is that to much to ask. I do what I have to do to get by, work as I must to pay the bills, work with the land to eek out a little food and fortune, and sometimes write a few lines in an old ratty notebook. I love not to easy, but I hope I still make up for it in the quality of the love I do provide. I am often cold and wrapped in the sounds of si

Stimulus dollars for weatherization create thousands of jobs in New York

A big influx of federal stimulus money to weatherize the homes of low-income families is creating a jobs boost — at least short-term. This is the type of thing I am talking about, however will it be enough to stimulate the organizations to make the shift to self funding? "I see it as having a tremendous future, an opportunity for a person to climb up the ranks,” Johnson said. “There’s a lot of opportunity for individuals who are interested in this field.” He’s hoping the government will keep money flowing to the program after the stimulus program ends. “It would be a waste of time for the government to start it, just to turn around and tell people it was just a joke,” he said. That is a common misconception by people, that the government should keep funding the projects. They provide incentive capital, and it is up to the organizations to seek additional funding sources, through creative means to continue to fund the programs. They could look to local sources, but there is not e

Back in the Office

I'm back, scanning the headlines and voicing my opinion.

Green Syracuse

Why is Syracuse, NY not the location for technology. It could be, if it only wanted to be. It could be the center for "green" technology, if it only set its sights on that goal. Screw consumerism, and all the trappings that holds, it is not real economy. It is better to strive for something more stable, like growth. Environmental technology is not a fad, it will not wane as the economy fluxuates, it is a solid growth technology. Syracuse has opportunity to change from a lagging economy to one that is booming, through its resources of technology and education. The Onondaga County government drags it feet in the mire of indecision. It needs to set the goal to be the premier "green" technology community to achieve it. I read about how they talk about it, but nothing is being done, because they are mired in their own petty concerns. Okay, that is my opinion of local government, but from what I have seen so far, that seems to be their position. The Syracuse Dev

Unfinished Business

Light up another cigarette, and drink a little more coffee. Trying to find my place in this universe, with very little success. Is it me, I wonder, because I have been doing all that I can. But it keeps getting harer to believe that it is all because of me. What is it I am supposed to do, can you tell me this? I used to wite, but that seems to pale in comparrison now to everything else it seems. I just want to raise a few animals, and grow some vegetables, maybe live a decent life. Willing to do what it takes, but what will it take. I keep thinking it must be me, something I am not doing, or something I am doing that I shouldn't be. I have given up so much, to live simplely and to have some good in my life. What is it that I have to do to please these gods of moderate success. What the fuck do you want from me? Mother I deplore you please tell me what to do. I am out of answers, and looking to you. Change the weather, turn a new leaf, done whatever I had to do. Please m

Article Writing for Article Writers

My first article on article writing, or at least the articles I have read on certain article sites. Are these companies like Verizon really paying these rates for these articles? I mean, has anyone actually from the company read these articles? I have seen better writing from high school students. These are not articles, even if they are SEO articles they should at least be well written, and include some sort of information that at least gives the appearance of being from someone who has had experience and/or knowledge of the subject. I have read some of these SEO articles, and they are basically written to get the key words into half arsed sentences. Not to mention the grammatical and spelling errors, and especially the spelling errors, there is a program called spell check that could fix that. Furthermore the typos prove that the authors are not proof reading their articles before submitting them. That the buyers are accepting them says that they are not proof reading them ei

I Give Nothing

You ask to much of me I am just a human being In this haze of silence Distant and wandering There is no way to return You are far from Perfect Even if you believe me You are far from Real Giving me some artifice Of what you think is real I give you no reason to try I give you no time to breathe I give you no return I give nothing

Woderful Car Tunes

Driving in my car, with the tunes turned up, some crap from the static filled world of commercial radio, I hate it.  I don't mind the advertisements, so much, but the endless chatter of so much bullshit from the dj's just pisses me off.  Who the hell do they think they are, none of them are funny, most of them are just base, and then I feel like turning the dial, but there is nno fucking dial anymore.  At my PC, I am listening to lastFM , which plays lots of good songs, with no freaking dj's to interrupt the music.  I control what I listen to, and that makes me happy.   If it were only a little more intuitive, and read my mind, well at least my cache, which is the mind state I am in as far as the browser is concerned. I think about this as I contemplate building a web site, again, once again.  The trouble is I don't know what to sell this time, some service, or some product I don't believe in anymore, or anything that is repeated so much, it makes me believe that t

If I were to make a web site

If I were to make a web site, what would it include.  What purpose would it serve?  Would I sell something, or just inform the people of some impending danger to themselves.  There is so much out there already that seems to duplicate the same stuff, with no end in site, but what is it that matters to other people, or even me.   -- Cordially Yours; James E. Doud "ad copy here" "Caution: Nitroglycerin has the capacity to sense when a stupid or clumsy person is around and, if given a chance, it will try to kill him." (Warring found on actual container of Nitroglycerin) "Tut, tut, child! Every thing's got a moral, if only you can find it." The Duchess: Alice in Wonderland "It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt. " Mark Twain

Terminal BS

I've been at this for too long now, with limited results. I don't know what I am looking for, maybe something like recognition, but most likely not. Just a forum for my rage, but I find lately that my rage is contained in few words. I am not who I used to be, the cynical self has taken the fight out of me I guess. I just want to write stuff, most of which is of little interest to anyone but myself. I think I started out with intention, but as with most my ambitions, it has been quieted by the turmoil of constant bullshit from other blogs. I have nothing more to say, I think sometimes, or just don't say it when I am here, at the computer. I think it, but it never comes to me when I am here, or least not lately. Sometimes if I write enough bullshit something begins to come out of it, apparently not today.

Oh, Really

Is anyone paying any attention, or am I really just thinking they are asleep, completely. I have been saying that we need to stop. I mean just stop, and yet there everyone goes, still buying up crap and eating shit, and thinking their pathetic way of life will continue. I'm not talking about just simple shit here. It's over folks, the illusion is not going to continue to cover your ass. I'm on the edge of fury here, because I just don't get it. Got to go, got real work to do. Peace.

FUEL the Movie

How is it that CNN.com had something interesting on it. I think I will try to see this movie. Probably via some download site, as paying for it seems so anti-anti-revolutionary.

Is this thing on

Is this thing on

ever increasing profits

Industry has fallen into love with the concept of ever increasing profits. They are not satisfied with making a profit, but they justify their need for more, by demonstrating that their cost continue to raise, therefore they need more profit to ensure that at some future time they will have the capital to invest in their ability to make more, even though this is a false concept, that feeds only upon itself, and only serves to create an atmosphere of greed. More about this later...

What Hath We Done

This little ditty was inspired by this little slide show . Blame the Victorians if you must, but it twas never thus, not they, nor the revolutionaries of the twentieth century that given us thus, but we ourselves, that in the blame should lie, as it is truly our appetite for waste and desire for stuff that hath bought us to our knees. The demise of the crafts, and the people within whom we entrusted to create that which we would desire is is our own lack of desire for quality versus quantity. We want more of the same, and lots of stuff that we can claim. We wanted so much those things that to us seemed to say we were rich, when in reality it only made us all the more poor in body, self and same. We have only ourselves to blame, not Walmart, or Target, or Woolworth, or any such barron of worthless junk and greed. These are but the merchants of such, not the buyers, not the providers of the emptiness that is pervasive in the quantity that we own, or at least convince ourselves that

DDFJ update

The Doud Dairy Farm Journal will now be posted to Frontier Spirit blog at (http://frontierspirit.blogspot.com/). If you are following the DDFJ blog post, you will find them now at that blog. Use the link above to view and subscribe to that blog if you wish to continue to follow this blog. I appreciate all comments and subscribers that I get, thank you. Sleep Well, and Peace. JD

DDFJ_08-31-2009

Doud Dairy Farm Journal Monday August 31, 2009   Well we didn't move the goat fence after all. We let the goats out to eat, drove the ducks to the pond and Arleta trimmed some of the goats hooves. Today I have to build at least a temporary shelter, because the weather is turning towards winter, and prospects are not panning out as fast as I would like. I will need more hay as well, and I don't think I can get any more from Mary at this time. As for today, I guess we will try to move the fence, but that depends on the weather, if it looks like rain, I would rather leave the fence, get a few bales of hay and build a temporary shelter with a tarp.   I need more fence, but our cost right now are such that they exceed my current income. I am trying to rectify that by getting some egg layers, but that is another out lay of cash. I could buy chickens from the auction cheap, but they most likely have some type of disease that I don't want my birds getting, so I pay a bit of a

DDFJ_08-30-2009

Doud Dairy Farm Journal Sunday, August 30, 2009   Winter is coming... and there is still so much to do.   We got out to the animals late last night, as I had to finish up the car for Mary. As a side note; Mary is very unhappy with her car, and that does not make me happy. I will have to do something about that, but in comparison to what she has driven in the past, this car is far superior. Oh well, that is the way with people these days. I notice that people do not appreciate much that is not what it is expected to be. She had a concept in her head, but the car was more or less than she expected. She like most of her generation expect that whatever they buy, it should be newish like, no matter the relative cost. This is an example of how not proud Mary is about her car, IPD sent her a lapel pin with her order, and she left it sitting on my desk. She was commenting on how some one in her family was commenting on her car, and hoping she didn't pay much for it. She didn't

DDFJ_08-29-2009

Doud Dairy Farm Journal Saturday, August 29, 2009   We need to locate a farm very soon. Winter is coming and we can not winter our animals over where they are at. We would like to get more animals, like a few milking Devon cattle (at least one bull and three to ten cows), and some sheep. We have an opportunity to purchase some sheep at a fair price, if we had the capital and place to put them, but that would take a farm. I could get work, if I had a farm. It is all on the farm. I need to use some scrap lumber to build a feeder for the Goats.   The diagrams will be uploaded later, as they did not transfer through the Google Docs application. This is the Frame, we will need two (2) of these build from 2x3 or even 2x2 lumber. (Structural Frame Diagram goes here) This is the Top, we will need one of these, the holes should fit a bowl, like the dog bowl. It is made from sheet material, or from 1” slab lumber at least 8” wide. (Top Frame Diagram goes here)   The two frames will be bui

Luke Review 1

Luke Review   Most of the problems that my dog Luke has are my own.  I am trying to understand him, while the reality is there is no understanding, just a dog being a dog.  I have not earned the respect of the dog as his leader.    

Luke debut

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This is Luke

In the Light of a Single Cigarette

I can only hope this will not make a difference. I hope, I dream, but what comes of it is half realized. There once was a man here that was something else, but now is as he never was, so cold, so dim, in a shadow that is unrecognized by these eyes. No matter of compensation could ever rearrange the feelings that have died. Oh yes I recognize this one, she, for what she really is, but does that matter now, no not somehow. This is the after-scene, the closing of the screen before the tolling of the bells, and after the eyes have shut out the light. There is that slight glow around objects that exist still, but even this is dimmer now. The sunlight does not matter now, it is all just a shadow of its former self. Thomas in this darkness holds close to the flame of the match, lighting another fag. His trembling is not from fear, but from the lack of drink. He shoves the matchbook back into his dirty jeans pocket, inhaling deep on the filter of his cigarette. Rocking on his heels to

Black Surf

I often sit here thinking "what the fuck am I doing here", such as myself, why have I not made good on the promise of my mind. There is no telling or retelling of the story, itself a tale of no consequence, that is only to me important. Such self importance, seems to me to be the bread of the day. This is the thoughts that enter into my day, the scarce breathes of clarity in an otherwise obscure blur of consciousness. It really wasn't to long ago, although maybe to long since, that I was not what I am today. What has changed in me, some little hands that burnt the rage out of me. I was driven then by a smoke of dreadful consequence and circumstances that necessitated the need for self reliance. For this I am given of no real movement these last few years, by which means. When I was fully emerged in the study of my darkness, then I understood well the price I paid for light and brevity. It was scolding to be so forthcoming, to be so forward, given that I now find th

Summer Girl

Summer passes ever slowly Gracious in her green garb She dances now before me Ever always leading me on

Barn Street End

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This is our barn from the street side. From Richland Farm The image was manipulated in the GIMP to produce a better sky. It still needs work and the test print was horrible, but that may be the printer as well. I do not like the wash that it has, it might work better in monochrome and I considered that, but I got frustrated with the photo before I got to it so this is just a sample shot with airbrushing and some photo fill. I can't believe that digital compares to film, but then again I am a film type of person, and I just don't get the tools I am trying to work with yet. Film I "grok" so it is only a matter of learning the new tools to produce acceptable images. Considering the time I have been working with these tools, but also considering that they are not the top of the line tools (well except for the GIMP ), I guess it is not too bad. Still not ready for prime time, but I am working on that. There are a few sites out there that have galleries for publicati

Moody Blues man, I mean their real blue

Yea, another post on the post listening again in so many years to the Moody Blues. Yea and they are still such a groove, but you got to take it all in whole, not just this track or that track, 'cause man they wrote it to be listened to all the way through. Respect their intentions man, and listen to them solid grooves and heavy beats, from beginning to the end, there ain't no skip tracks, no silence, just smooth waves of cool all over the place. If you get the chance check out "Days of Future Past" from track one through, totally awesome, man, yea. Peace, JD

Our House

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This is our house, that is Arleta's house, that she shares with me. It looks a little rough right now, but soon it will receive a fresh coat of paint and some minor updates and it will be a fine house indeed. Peace JD

My Next Favorite 2

I don't really have favorites per se. I usually go from one obsession to the next and back again with liquid fluidity. Today I am thinking that wouldn't it be nice to let some people in on a few of my thoughts. Well I am thinking that I want to craft a new photograph. Mostly because I am bored, and because I have to do something while I wait for the bank to make their move. So today we will maybe pick up the boy, if everything goes according to his Father's plan. Well that's fine because I want to shoot him too, but not in that way that you are thinking, no I mean with the camera. I have to go to the storage shed and get the tripod for the camera. Today I am going to go to the Salvation Army store with my wife Arleta, my step son Justin, and maybe, just maybe our friend Mary, oh yea what is her name America, awesome. While there I am going to look for a look that I want to portray in my next photo of Mary. Arleta will have to help me, I need just the right look.

My Next Favorite Subject

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For the longest time I really only shot pictures of landscapes and still life. I worked through phases where I really wanted to shoot people, because I think they are interesting, and because I was young and wanted to be cool with the babes. I did however find that Models generally suck, and I dislike the "professionals" almost as much. So I set about working with average people, but then that fucking idiot got caught chopping up boys posing as a photographer, and the whole thing got blown out of context. Yea, American Press for killing the work of hundreds of legitimate photographers. Gone are the days of walking up to a person and saying "I really like the way you look, could I shoot a few shots of you for my portfolio?" No now you have to have releases, and all that smuck, and even with that they suspect you got everything from some "fly by night" internet scheme, and that your real intention is to exploit them for amazing financial gain. You use

Music List

This is an incomplete list of the music I would listen to. I will add those that I feel worthy as I think of them, or someone mentions them. There is no preference and no order, just music. The Steve Miller Group (aka Steve Miller) The Eagles The Firm Led Zeppelin Pink Floyd The Sex Pistols Planet Gong Patti Smithe Talking Heads Adam Ant The Guess Who Stone Temple Pilots R.E.M. Red Ryder Ugly Kid Joe Joan Jet Joni Mitchel Helen Ready George Throughogood Kiss Kansas The Kinks King Crimson Robbert Fripp Thomas Dolby Garbage Bush The Toadies Buddy Holly Frankie Goes to Hollywood U2 (although I hated Bono for a long time) Sonny and Cher (and Cher) Prince and the Revolution (as well as the Artist) DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince (Will Smith) Tone Loc Selpatura Pantera Black Sabbath Ozzy Osbourne Ronnie James Dio Rainbow (Richie Blackmoore) Tim Buk Too Blur Skinny Puppy Butthole Surfers Pat Benetar Johnny Winter The Edgar Winter Group ZZ Top Molly Hatchet Mot ta Hoople David Bowie (Ziggy

Critical Shots of Salmon River Falls Photographs

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I realize that I need a tri-pod for the camera, to get use of the exposure comp feature of the camera. It seems a little silly to put such a little camera on a tri-pod, but if I want the shots that I am not getting I need to do just that. From Salmon River Falls Here, in this photo, a longer exposure would have brought out the detail and given the water a more dreamy like effect. The framing isn't bad, it is an interesting shot, but it could be better. This is the raw photo, no manipulation expect composure in the view finder. From Salmon River Falls In this photograph, I could have used a longer lens, to compress the depth of field. I also could get better control over the depth of field with a manual focus lens. I can set the film speed to some degree in this little snap shot camera, but that wouldn't really help to much. I need to experiment with other settings yet. This is a raw photograph with no manipulation or cropping except that which I do in the view finder.

Why Computers Suck

Because of the same reason I just hit return and this blog page just published, when I wanted it to go to the next box, not publish. Sure it was me, I should have hit tab instead. but I didn't and now I have to edit the post. No big woop, but it is. I have to think how to use the computer, not the computer learn how I work. Now that is a tall order, but that is what a Human User Interface is, and so far, for so many reasons, this is why computers suck. I could go into the HUI thing, but that is a matter best left to technoquest , my more technical blog, while this one is more for the purpose of just saying here's the problem.

First Photographs Salmon River Falls, Orwell, NY

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Bet you never thought I would get to this. Well I am posting the first of many photographs I have made with my father-in-law's digital camera. I really didn't think I would get anything with a digital camera. This first photograph was manipulated in GIMP on Ubuntu hardy. I didn't do much to it, just converted it to gray scale because I thought it lent it self to the look of Panalure, but it doesn't have the grain structure of Panalure. I still have a bunch of photographs to work on, so I will be posting them soon. I will also post the full color version of this photograph later as well. It was taken at Salmon River Falls, in Orwell, NY. I have to say I am impressed enough with the quality that I may actually buy a digital camera, but I won't be throwing away film yet, as it is the only true way to get real black and white (silver) images, but for now I don't have a darkroom anyways, so GIMP has to be my darkroom. This was taken on a Kodak EasyShare CX75
I've been at this for to long, now. It ceases to amaze me that nothing comes from all the writing, as it is mostly posturing. How have I gotten to this point? Where do I go from here? What difference does it make?

March 17, 1948: William Gibson, Father of Cyberspace

March 17, 1948: William Gibson, Father of Cyberspace Another win for the Geeks, yea.

Second Life Putting A Leash On Sex, Violence -- Second Life -- InformationWeek

Second Life Putting A Leash On Sex, Violence -- Second Life -- InformationWeek Linden Labs is showing their willingness to mature a little. More on this later...

Libraries are Deposits of Learning

Libraries are Deposits of Learning It really is the end of an era for the American Library System.  That today they are outdated is an understatement.  To make them useful in the future, they will need to significantly consider their purpose.  The American Library system lacks the virtual component.  Sure most of them have a computer of two tht can surf the web, but it is not true that the people can surf the library.  This is the biggest problem I see at this time.  Access to the deposits within the library from the web.  As it is if I want to go to the Library and take out a book to read, I do not have to pay for that book, unless I do not return it in time, or lose it, so barring those two issues, it is time we devised a way to have that access from the digital page.  There is a need for time limited documents.  For a document that will cease to be of use after a certian time, if the user does not access the library system and obtain additional time on the document.  We are in need

China sweats, we might want to worry a little

Market Scan China Sweats U.S. Debt Securities, Pressuring Prices Melinda Peer, 03.13.09, 10:25 AM EDT Apprehension from Beijing regarding its the security of its massive U.S. assets causes prices on Treasuries to fall. If they are concerned, maybe we should be concerned. This is a big O can of WTF that is yet to be fully opened. I can at this time only say, wow, where did it all go, where did it go?

Barnes & Noble Acquires Fictionwise (MediaBistro Galleycat)

< Barnes & Noble Acquires Fictionwise From: MediaBistro Galleycat Bookseller Barnes & Noble announced that it has purchased the e-book retailer Fictionwise for $15.7 million in cash today. Awesome, huh, do they really think this will help them. Well anyways, hope they do well with it, I like B&N as far as I like any major in the book business. They are not a nice dusty dimly lit book nook with an old man with round rimmed glasses, but not to bad either, all things considered. I don't know much about Fictionwise, but when I figure them out, I will report more.

From the Places not to Go Files ed.1

Danzer's German American Restaurant, 152 Ainsley Drive, Syracuse, NY. If you check out their site you will read this little bit... " Danzer's German & American Restaurant was established in 1946 and takes pride in having served homecooked German meals to Central New Yorkers for over five decades. Ludwig Danzer's tradition is still being carried out today with hearty portions of homemade German specialties, tall drafts of imported beers and ales, and those giant deli sandwiches that have made Danzer's famous." Unfortunately you can't believe it. My wife Arleta and our good friend Mary Petersen went there last night, because we have gone there often in the past, and because it is one of the few German fare restaurants in Syracuse. However the experience was more than a little disappointing. First the wait for a table was long enough, but even after that there was a period of several minutes before we even got water or acknowledgment from the wait sta

Investments that don't suck

Right now I would not invest in luxury goods. With the grain futures low, and beef and pork prices continuing to fall, the best investments are in the everyday items. Regular consumer goods that everyone needs. In a down economy it is best to invest in stable companies with long track records that deal in popular consumer product groups. So what I am saying here is invest in toilet paper and everyday clothes (jeans, casual clothing, etc.). Food is always good, but who is doing better, and who is going to survive the shakeout? I can't say for sure now, but one thing that remains at least for now, soda, chips and beer are relatively safe bets at least in the short term. Although I am not an advocate of shorting the market, in such conditions it sometimes is necessary to ensure that you can move with the times. What I suggest is not shorting the market, but keeping in the market, while at the same time shorting some stocks, trading some for others as the market tries to re-sta