Santa!

I want PAWS to stay in the building that they are in and to be awarded the Montclair Animal Control Contract.

I want a better night's sleep...: )

I would like to see some serious traffic law enforcement around Montclair this season.

Seriously. Out on my delivery routes this week, I've encountered an unprecedented number of stupid, rude & downright dangerous driving maneuvers. (I'll just note in passing that the vasy majority have been perpetrated by SUV drivers & leave it at that. The single act of courteous driving I met on Friday was also done by an SUV driver, so they aren't all idiots.)

I'm developing a theory that it's a side-effect of the holidays: people are they're stressed out because they have to buy the latest GamePod for their 2.3 children & the last five stores have been out of them, they wind up in areas they don't usually frequent and they become confused and do stupid things behind the wheel.

The unmarked-car cop was having a field day on Friday pulling over speeders on Harrison Ave., but c'mon, that's shooting fish in a barrel, & does nothing to curtail the outrageously reckless driving that has become routine on Bloomfield Ave.

Happy holidays to all you drivers out there, & keep your eyes on the road & your hands upon the wheel. The paraplegia you avoid may be your own.

On Wednesday morning at about 7:50, I saw an SUV make a right hand turn on red FROM THE LEFT HAND LANE of Lorraine Ave. by Williams Sonoma. He/she cut in front of a car in the right lane. Later in the day I witnessed the same thing in New York City.

I wish for the troops to come home as quickly as possible and for Ted Mattox to stop initiating baseless lawsuits to gain notoriety.

"On Wednesday morning at about 7:50, I saw an SUV make a right hand turn on red FROM THE LEFT HAND LANE of Lorraine Ave. by Williams Sonoma. He/she cut in front of a car in the right lane."

Location aside, that is almost the exact description of one of the incidents that got me so ticked off, except the SUV did it when the red light turned green & we were all moving forward. I was driving the first car in the right-hand lane, of course. Mofo in the SUV was lucky that I was alert enough to jam on my brakes. I was lucky that I didn't hit the SUV or get rear-ended.

Most will not believe this, my wife didn't at first, now she sees how perceptive I was.
Certain makes/models of cars/trucks are extremely prone to being driven by either horrible drivers, OR decent drivers that don't give a ____ about anyone else on the road. The average driver "sees" the wrong thing that another driver did, but doesn't (or cannot) tell the make model of the vehicle in the time period of 2 seconds.
To those of us that can, it IS truly amazing! I amaze the wife more oft that not by pointing out a perticular car and saying that I am going to stay away from it, because it's going to do something really stupid.
Within, say 2-3 minutes it does ! 7 times (so far) such has resulted in an accident, in front of our eyes.
I know there are non-belivers, but while not 100% true to form, it is at the very least 65% true in all cases.
Careless drivers are attracted to the same make/model cars.

Sanford, give us some of the makes/models. Lets see if your theory holds up.

#1- YOU are at fault, if you open your drivers door and cause an accident!
Look first. duh!
#2- Using a cell phone & holding in/with your hand while driving is
i l l e g a l

Sanford,

Glad you continue to "amaze" your wife. Hope it continues into the bedroom.

Expeditions - Tahomas - Sierras - Lexus - Volvos - M. Benz - etc. etc. etc...

etc etc etc- that's a really good definition

To: 'etc etc etc'
Anger management, babe.

it's still a really good definition--babe

Most any Asian SUV and the new Toyota Minvan spell confusion, cell talking driver, no turn signals and sudden lane changes for no apparent reason. Older, Pre-2000 Ford Taurus Sedans, not so much the wagon, and ditto the identical Mercury Sables.
Baaad.
Vans with out of state plates are usually lost and make turns w/out signaling nor even looking. Some teenage boys in those Ricer customized little lowered to the street with 1" road clearance "sporty" cars, that zip in & out & in & out & in & out, just to show off the POS.

Extra Safe drivers? Usually in Lincolns and Volvos, and expecially Corvettes. Mitsubishi Diamantes have the lowestaccident rate in thr USA, so say the Ins. companies, so I'll include them, as well as Pontiac Grand Prixs that are very low on list of cars in accidents. Infiniti(s) are usuially a safe bet to be behind as well. I followed one to Phila, Pa and he signaled every move & never exceeded 65 MPH. I think it was the Q45.
and, anybody driving at dusk when 65% of the other car have headlight on, AND they don't is not aware of their surroundings.

Beemers! Click n' Clack of NPR fame frequently discuss the BMW behavior, which falls into line with the weaving in and out of the sporty cars, discussed upthread. Hey, it's all about them.

Click n' Clack also talk about Pontiac Trans-Am drivers, whom I think are mostly blondes with theatrical nails who drive in Las Vegas.

Any boomer will recall the Vega. I used to love to predict the slackjaw I would see driving that car as I pulled up next to them at the light.

Suburu drivers are interesting. I recall--right after the 20000 presidential election was stolen--a Suburu wagon being driven by a middle-aged Japanese woman. Its bumper sticker said "CNN Lies."

OK, so we're stereotyping here. Generally not a good thing to do but if it builds only an awareness of automobile behavior, it's a worthwhile discussion.

Cher

OK, I digressed. Here's what I want from Santa: I want bush and cheney impeached. I want those miserable, corrupt bastards held accountable for their evil deeds. I want every penny of what went to Halliburton paid back to the U.S. taxpayer. I want Halliburton to be bankrupt. I want bush and cheney in CHAINS.

Cher

I want to hear Bush say "mission accomplished" and then announce that we're going to bring the troops home.

And finally I want to see racial profiling that works at the airports. Stop the needless harassing of non threatening types like my 85yr old father. The ACLU and the politically correct censors try to create and impose some dreamworld that has no place in our current reality.

i want a pony

:D

Here's one for you to adopt

http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=6475750

I wish they would find good homes for all the cute peegy-weegies and kitties at our local animal shelters. And I wish more people would spay and neuter their pets.

I recently read that the lowest number of serious accidents involving a minivan went to the Mercury Monterey minivan while the two that tied for #1 were the now discontinued Chevy Lumina and the Toyota one that looked like a blimp on wheels I forget its name).

2 seater cars as usually very safe as there are no dogs nor children to distract the driver.

Although I do not participate in Santa-based Western belief systems, I do have some wishes:
PAWS stays and funds given to improve services and conditions (actually Sienna to be made into a luxury animal shelter. Also, of course, a change in US leadership and to rid ourselves of the imperial president and his short-sighted, war-blighted cabinet....and a holistic community spirit, without the dollar sign always attached.
Peace and Light!

Sanford,
what do you do with your kids and dog(s)? put them in the trunk?

Something so dumb, smug and holier-than-others-sounding and politically correct will indeed, of course, draw me out: what on earth are "Santa-based western belief systems?" Does the writer perhaps mean our general western Judeao-Christian heritage? Which, judging from his/her remarks, is so "bad" that it has to be excoriated here? This kind of statement is hopelessly accusatory and barren, yet carefully calibrated on this site to make a kind of all-defining "statement" that imputes virtue to its poster (and by extension to those who agree with him/her). I say sod it!, and up at least with St. Nicholas of Myra, the early Christian bishop renowned for his generosity and thus a pretty good exemplar for ANY "Santa-based western belief system." (Especially in contrast to the famously much lower charitable giving and deeds of Eastern cultures, as is well-known.)

What, too, is a "holistic community spirit?" This, too, is a meaningless phrase, mere cant spouted to make its sayer somehow seem more "sensitive" than any louts who might foolishly actually prefer many (if not indeed most) aspects of Western culture to their Eastern counterparts.

Anyone truly in search of community spirit, after all, merely has to look daily to the good works of the Salvation Army, which manifests daily the commitment to alleviating poverty and suffering that its "soldiers" believe Jesus urged upon us all. And they even celebrate both our Judeao-Christian culture in general and Christmas in particular, amazingly.

I also wish everybody a happy Advent and a bountiful Hanukkah.

ikan,
phew, who's writing your stuff...what drivel. "Santa-based Western belief systems"...that sounds like something right out of the politically corrupt re: political correctness handbook. Have you ever felt the 'spirit'?

I hope you open your heart and have a blessed holiday season.

It's soldiers are obviously not female!

"The Salvation Army deplores society's ready acceptance of abortion, which reflects insufficient concern for vulnerable persons, including the unborn. (Psalms 82:3-4)"

"The Salvation Army recognizes tragic and perplexing circumstances that require difficult decisions regarding a pregnancy. Such decisions should be made only after prayerful and thoughtful consideration, with appropriate involvement of the woman's family and pastoral, medical and other counsel."

Because of course, women are too infantile to make an important decision by themselves.

"We believe that repentance toward God, faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and regeneration by the Holy Spirit are necessary to salvation. "

especially for people of other faiths

I want a town x-mas tree that is fully lit, and I want it now! We don't do things 33% in Baristaville!!
Mayor Ed get someone on it stat!

"Something so dumb, smug and holier-than-others-sounding and politically correct "

Yep sounds just like cathar

"We believe that there is only one God, who is infinitely perfect, the Creator, Preserver, and Governor of all things, and who is the only proper object of religious worship. "

and we believe that you should believe too

Please donate bulbs and electricity so that the rest of the tree can be lit. Items can be donated at ther Municipal building or by calling Ed Remsen.

"We don't do things 33% in Baristaville!!"

Yes, we usually pay 150% of what something is worth. We don't do anything at discount.

Yes but variances are given to developers at discount rates.

Ah, Cathar, Iceman --I have missed you! No one writes my words; I do. And remember, one person's drivel is another person's thought....I do not judge others', I just observe. Evidently, you are wise "men" and have that power to damn. Damn!!

As for Santa, I never got off on the myth of having kids climb on some man's knee or privates and beg for gifts. Why should there be a special day?

Why should "spirit" be equated with "holy/holi day seasons? For me, it is all the time--the Present, in all respects.

Happy Days to All!

Right on, Sanford! Interesting comments.

[[ The average driver "sees" the wrong thing that another driver did, but doesn't (or cannot) tell the make model of the vehicle in the time period of 2 seconds.
To those of us that can, it IS truly amazing! ]]

I had that ability to discern makes/models almost instantaneously through my high school years, but completely lost it thereafter. I developed other predilections during the 1960s & lost all interest in cars.

It's funny how the mind works; I can still identify a '56 Buick or '57 Chevy or '62 Ford Fairlane in the blink of an eye, should I see one on its way to a classic car show, but anything newer than that, I don't have a clue.

Speaking of how funny the mind works, does anyone else find this recommendation by Rumsfeld to be stunning -- considering that it is a 57-year-old tactic that should have be implemented 4 years ago...

Initiate a reverse embeds program, like the Korean Katusas, by putting one or more Iraqi soldiers with every U.S. and possibly Coalition squad, to improve our units’ language capabilities and cultural awareness and to give the Iraqis experience and training with professional U.S. troops.

"I developed other predilections "

Yeah, it's called growing up

I took yearlong vacations in the stratosphere
Oooooo
Growin up

"" Sanford,
what do you do with your kids and dog(s)? put them in the trunk? "" ~

Son (22) has his own car & the dog died 8 years ago, at age 16. I never indicated that a 2-seater was a "family car" ~ It's a fun toy, between $15,000 and $140,000 depending upon how much "fun" you will pay for. But, with no kids on board & no pets, either, distractions are very low, X-cept for that female over there....lemmme take a look.....CrAsH

no viagra while driving. that's a rule in my house.

Peace how
Peace now
Peace out
Pacem in terris
There ain't no other way.

All I want for Christmas is my two turf fields my two turf fields my two turf fields.....

All I want for Christmas is my two turf fields my two turf fields my two turf fields.....

All I want for christmas is 1 billion dollars and a date with Scarlett Johansson.

Scarlett Johansson? You can do better than THAT for $1 billion.

I said and