Rantings Diversified

That great and wonderful blogger Wordnerd challenged her readers to post 6 weird things about themselves. Of course this came with rules, regulations, limits, constraints, chrome bumpers, stopgaps, addendums and a nice hot cup of tea.

Here goes.

The Rules: Each player of this game starts with the “6 weird things about you”. People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave a comment that says “you are tagged” in their comments and tell them to read your blog.

1. I have never broken a bone.
2. I can cross my toes. You read that right, like you cross your fingers, I can cross my toes.
3. I am a redhaired, freckled white guy who speaks Spanish. (When I encounter a group of folks speaking Spanish. I keep my mouth shut. (Who would think this fair skinned gringo knows what we’re saying.))
4. I only have one kidney.
5. I am a Libertarian
6. I use Tony Chacheres Creole seasoning in almost everything I cook.

There you have it now if you have not been tagged I DARE YOU to put your six in the comments.

I am going to tag the following;

The Swearing Lady

Jefferson Davis

The Voice of Treason

Dario Sanchez

Wayne

Phil

Part 2

My friend Jefferson Davis wrote a bit of a poem on his blog and challenges us to add a verse to it. Here is what he wrote.

I entrapped a butterfly in a Mason jar,
So I could survey its exquisiteness from afar.
Held it up towards the incandescent light,
Late on a muggy September night.

Mimicking its tapping on the limpid glass,
Of embellished fluttering wings inside,
Draped in valleys of beige ,
With ridges of darkish grey hues,
And speckled with a tinge of blues.

Powerlessly attempting flight,
While trapped inside an invisible gaol.
Hoping that the oxygen doesn’t go stale,
At the mercy of me being polite.

So go HERE and add to the group poem.

Go on, git’.

I got nothing. No funny stories, no insightful quips or political diatribes so here are some worthless facts about Pennsylvania. I have no clue why these tidbits get stuck in my mind but they do and occasionally, like now, I regurgitate them.

Nickname: Keystone State
During colonial times Pennsylvania was the middle colony of the original 13 colonies (there are six states above it and six states below it). It held the colonies together like the “keystone” in a window or door arch.
Meaning of Pennsylvania: Penn’s Woods
Named after the father of Admiral William Penn.
Motto: Virtue, Liberty and Independence
Entered the Union: December 12, 1787
State Animal: Whitetail Deer
State Beverage: Milk
State Bird: Ruffed Grouse.
State Dog: Great Dane
State Fish: Brook Trout
State Flower: Mountain Laurel
State Fossil: Phacops Rana
A small water animal
State Insect: Firefly
State Ship: United States Brig Niagara
The restored Niagara serves as the Flagship of Pennsylvania. It was the flagship of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry and was decisive in defeating the British at the Battle of Lake Erie.
State Song: Pennsylvania
State Tree: Hemlock

Oh yeah, there are three towns in Lancaster county named, Blue Ball, Bird-In-Hand and Intercourse.

Yuengling Premium Beer. Yumm! It’s my stock and standard, everyday, found in my ‘fridge, favorite type of adult libation. Yuengling Brewery up in Pottsville is Americas oldest brewery. We had that prohibition thing back in the 20′s and something like 95% of all brewerys closed. Well they made it through that silly time and are still making beer today. Yea, it’s a regional brewery that doesn’t make quite as much beer as Budweiser or Coors but it’s much better than those multi-million gallon beer factories. Ya’ gotta’ check the date code on the case when you buy it because it goes bad if left on the shelf too long. Now about an hour north of here you can walk into almost any bar or pub and order, “A Premium”, or simply , A Ying-ying” and you’ll know you are getting a fresh Yuengling Premium Beer. It’s a light bodied pilsner type of beer but it’s charater comes from the area where it’s made. I’m pretty sure the malt and hops are nothing out of the ordinary but the water is Pottsville city water. Just the same old water everyone else in that small town drinks. Good stuff. Now they also make a bunch of other beers like Lord Cheterfield Ale, not entirely unlike a medium bodied ESB. They make a Porter that is very good but not quite heavy enough to be a real porter. It’s still very good. they also make a couple of, “Light” beers. That doesn’t make any sense to me because Premium is a light beer in my opinion.

Yuengling Lager is a beer they have been making for about ten years now. I don’t like it. It is a red colored light bodied beer with hardly any taste to it. They sell “metric shitloads”(jk) of this stuff. People love it. The one good thing I can say for it is that on a sunny afternoon with friends you can drink 147 of them. Well, that could be a bad thing too. Luckily this Lager stuff is making them a ton of money so hopefully they continue making their good old Premium, Chesterfield Ale and Porter.

Pennsylvania

• A person is not eligible to become Governor if he/she has participated in a duel.
• A special cleaning ordinance bans homemakers from hiding dirt and dust under a rug in a dwelling.
• All fire hydrants must be checked one hour before all fires.
• Allentown: There is a ban on men becoming aroused in public.
• Any motorist driving along a country road at night must stop every mile and send up a rocket signal, wait 10 minutes for the road to be cleared of livestock, and continue.
• Any motorist who sights a team of horses coming toward him must pull well off the road, cover his car with a blanket or canvas that blends with the countryside, and let the horses pass. If the horses appear skittish, the motorist must take his car apart, piece by piece, and hide it under the nearest bushes.
• By law, “watch stuffers” are unwelcome in McKeesport, Pa. Now, no one is quite sure what a watch stuffer does, but whatever he does, he better do it somewhere else.
• Carlisle: In the middle of town, one must pay a fee of $50 dollars a year to park on a particular block. At night, however, the cars must be moved for street cleaning. This law is enforced even if snow or ice prevents the cars from being moved.
• Connellsville: One’s pants may be worn no lower than five inches below the waist.
• Dynamite is not to be used to catch fish.
• Fireworks stores may not sell fireworks to Pennsylvania residents.
• In Bensalem, Pennsylvania it is illegal to race mufflerless go-karts after 6PM on Sunday.
• In Harrisburg, Pennsylvania it is illegal to have sex with a truck driver inside a toll booth.
• In Hazelton, Pennsylvania, there is a law on the books that prohibits a person from sipping a carbonated drink while lecturing students in a school auditorium.
• In Philadelphia, you can’t put pretzels in bags.
• In the Mount Pocono region any group of 5 or more Native Americans are to be considered a raiding party and may be killed on the spot.
• In York, Pennsylvania, you can’t sit down while watering your lawn with a hose.
• It sounds like the title of a rock album or something, but “Coasting on Beaver Street” is illegal in Edgeworth, Pa.
• It is contrary to Pennsylvania law to discharge a gun, cannon, revolver or other explosive weapon at a wedding.
• It is illegal to have over 16 women live in a house together because that constitutes a brothel. However up to 120 men can live together, without breaking the law.
• Millville: One may not shoot any dog that is found wandering the streets. The sale of alcohol is prohibited.
• Ministers are forbidden from performing marriages when either the bride or groom is drunk.
• Morrisville: It is required that a woman have a permit to wear cosmetics.
• Newtown: Every outlet or switch (which can be purchased for 59 cents) that is installed requires an electrical inspection fee of 1 dollar and 33 cents.
• No man may purchase alcohol without written consent from his wife.
• No more than two packages of beer at a time may be purchased, unless you are buying from an official “beer distributor”
• No one is allowed to sleep on a refrigerator. Stoves, dishwashers and microwave ovens are not specifically mentioned.
• Pittsburgh: It is still illegal to bring a donkey or a mule onto a trolley car.
• Tarentum: Horses are not to be tied to parking meters.
• The state law of Pennsylvania prohibits singing in the bathtub.
• Though you do not need a fishing license to fish on your own land, a hunting license is required to hunt on your own land.
• Witchcraft was first legalized in the colony of Pennsylvania.
• You may not catch a fish by any body part except the mouth.
• You may not catch a fish with your hands.
• You may not sing in the bathtub.

• South Carolina

• A railroad my not remove itself from a town of more than five hundred people.
• All schools must prepare a suitable program for Francis Willard Day.
• By law, if a man promises to marry an unmarried woman, the marriage must take place.
• Charleston: It is against the law to drive a motorized vehicle on King Street.
• The Fire Department may blow up your house. This law was made so that the fire department could create a fire brake.
• Dance halls may not operate on Sundays.
• Every adult male must bring a rifle to church on Sunday in order to ward off Indian attacks.
• Fortune tellers are required to obtain a special permit from the state.
• Fountain Inn: Horses are to wear pants at all times.
• In South Carolina, wife beaters weren’t allowed to hold public office.
• In South Carolina you can be fined for not denouncing “the evils of intemperance” on the fourth Friday of every October.
• It is a capital offense to inadvertently kill someone while attempting suicide.
• It is considered an offense to get a tattoo.
• It is illegal to communicate with a woman using obscene messages.
• It is illegal to display a confederate flag on a courthouse.
• It is illegal to give or receive oral sex.
• It is illegal to sell any alcoholic beverages on Sunday, unless you own a private club.
• It is legal to beat your wife on a Sunday morning on the steps of the state house.
• Lancaster County: It is illegal to dance in public.
• Merchandise may not be sold within a half mile of a church unless fruit is being sold.
• Musical instruments may not be sold on Sunday.
• No work may be done on Sunday. An exception is that light bulbs may be sold.
• On Hilton Head Island, South Carolina it is illegal to shine a flashlight on a sea turtle
• Performing a U-turn within 1,000 feet of an intersection is illegal.
• Railroad companies may be held liable in some instances for scaring horses.
• Spartanburg: Eating watermelons in the Magnolia Street cemetery is forbidden.
• When approaching a four way or blind intersection in a non-horse driven vehicle you must stop 100 ft from the intersection and discharge a firearm into the air to warn horse traffic.

The super bowl is over and I’m pretty sure that Sowhat beat Whocares 29 to 17. The Eagles got knocked out of it in the NFC championship series. So it’s time to put our football fan gear away.

Speed week starts today, That means the Daytona 500 is in two weeks and the Bud Shootout is next weekend. I shall be rooting for Jr. and Kurt Busch again this year, as usual. Rusty retired and Sr. is gone. What ever happened to Lake Speed, Dick Trickle, Jimmy Spencer, DW, DJ, and the rest of the good drivers? I know most of them are talking too much on TV during the race. The rest just went back to real life. Benny Parsons passed away a few weeks ago. We’ll miss him. So now we’re stuck with these way too clean shaven, punk kids like, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr.. Racers use to have manly names like Rusty, the Intimidator, King Richard, Mr. Excitement. Racing got just a little wimpy when Dogshitmonkeyboy(Jeff Gordon) cried on the stage in NYC in his rookie year. Well racing season is really long so my interest will wax and wane as Jr’s year goes.

On another important topic, pitchers, DL players, and catchers report to spring training camp on 15 February. All players must report by 27 February. Opening day is Sunday 1 April but the Phillies home opener is on Monday 2 April so that’s the real opening day. The important one and they’re playing the braves, the hated braves.

Ok, here goes my pre-season prediction. The Phillies will be playing less than .500 ball on July 4^th and then rally in the second half of the season to end up over .600. They crush St. Louis in the NL playoffs then sweep the Orioles in the Series. Ha! Scenes we’d like to see!

Ok the first one is a 1928 Sessions single train, time only clock. The second one is a 1923 Ingraham dual train, Strike and Time clock.
I can’t decide which one to put on the mantle so I’m leaving this decision to the virtual world.
What do you think, the Sessions or the Ingraham?
I just finished inspecting, cleaning and oiling both of them so either way they are ready to tick and to tock away, happily.
Now, please do not think the striking on the half as well the hour is a negative. I have a grandfathers and a cookoo clock striking as well so the added noise is not a big deal. Ok, ok, so I’m leaning towards the Ingraham but the final decision is on yous’ guys’. So, vote early and vote often. Remember, the old saying…..Vote while it’s still legal!
You can click on each pic to embiggyalize it.
Don’t forget, it’s still International Delurking Weekend!!!

I got this idea from Wordnerd and decided to change it a bit and make it my own.
The rules are simple.  If you are reading this click on the comments link at the bottom of this post.  Type in your name and email address and even a link to your website then leave me a note even if just to say Hi.
I’ve been getting about 75 to 80 hits a day and only a few of yous’ guys’ are leaving comments.  So go on…You can do it.

ps.  your email address is NOT shown nor given to ANYONE, EVER!

Do any of yous’ guys’ know who I’m talking about?
Punxsutawney Phil is the Groundhog who every year in Pennsylvania predicts how long the winter will last.

You see if he sees his shadow then there will be six more weeks of winter but…..
If he doesn’t see his shadow then spring shall come early.
This all goes back to an old German superstition but who gives a fuck.
I shall let the world know what the PA rodent has to say as soon as I drag my lazy ass outta’ bed tomorrow morning.
even if it’s later today…technically.

UPDATE   Punxsutawney Phil this morning did not see his shadow thus forcasting an early spring.
Phil’s official forecast as read 2/2/07 at 7:28 a.m. at Gobbler’s Knob:

El Nino has caused high winds, heavy snow, ice and freezing temperatures in the west.
Here in the East with much mild winter weather we have been blessed.

Global warming has caused a great debate.
This mild winter makes it seem just great.

On this Groundhog Day we think of one thing.
Will we have winter or will we have spring?

On Gobbler’s Knob I see no shadow today.
I predict that early spring is on the way.