Talk Like A Pirate Day - September 19
OK, bilge rats, this be important. Today be talk like a sea dog day, so make aye you remember t' splice t' mainbrace at low tide.
Monday, September 19, 2005
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Missing
Thank you to the four readers who have been returning here on a daily basis, waiting for me to post something. Unfortunately, I've had quite the busy time the last few weeks. I spent a lovely week in Hoboken attending class at Stevens, spent three weekends on the roof scraping and painting, and made it to my 20th college reunion last weekend.
In between all that, I'm trying to cram 12 hours of work into each 10 hour day, with a travel schedule all its own. Today, for example, I had to drive 120 miles to Baltimore for a 3-hour meeting, then drive back and put a couple of hours in at the office.
I really do intend to keep this little blog experiment alive. Please bear with me!
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Strategic Petroleum Reserve
Bob eCache says that the President shouldn't release the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in response to the Katrina-induced spike in oil prices, but the Energy Secretary just appeared on MSNBC and announced that the reserve would be tapped. I agree with Bob, this is not the best idea in the world. I like a cheap tank of gas as much as the next guy, but I don't think it's worth the strategic cost. A lot of the past year's run up in oil prices can be accounted for by the supply being diverted to fill the reserve after Clinton's fiddling around in 1996.
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
"Educators" and Wal-Mart
Katie of A Constrained Vision comments on the NEA boycott of Wal-Mart, especially noting the hypocrisy of the union position. As I pointed out here, NEA's boycott has nothing to do with helping the children, or helping families get their kids through school with low priced necessities. The boycott is all about solidarity with the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), which has been frustrated in its attempts to unionize Wal-Mart employees.
Sunday, August 21, 2005
Carnival of the New Jersey Bloggers 14
SloppyDawg hosts Carnival of the New Jersey Bloggers 14, with a really nice set of satellite shots to highlight the state. One of the best carnivals yet, and I wish I'd had time to write soemthing this week to be included.
Sunday, August 14, 2005
NJCarnival 1101
Riehl World View hosts the weekly Carnival of the New Jersey Bloggers. Quite a collection of food, fun, remembrance, anger, encouragement, photography, and even golf. A must read for anyone in or from New Jersey!
Saturday, August 13, 2005
Weekend at the Shore
What a hot, sticky day! Many New Jerseyans are heading down the shore to get away from the heat and have some fun.
No such luck in the SmadaNek household. Here's my weekend project:
Mrs. Smada has spent most of the week up on a ladder working the side, and now it's my turn to pitch in. These are 90-year-old tin gutters, and haven't been properly maintained for probably 20 years. Lots of repairs, along with the necessary scraping and repainting.
Would one of you bring me a nice cold drink? Say about 3:00 this afternoon? Thanks!
Friday, August 12, 2005
Carnival of the New Jersey Bloggers XIII
Don't forget folks: the lucky thirteenth edition of the Carnival of the New Jersey Bloggers will be hosted at Riehl World View this week. Don't forget to submit your links via NJCarnival@gmail.com.
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Why Shop at Wal-Mart?
The NEA, AFT, and UFCW would have us believe that Wal-Mart is all about taking advantage of people. As I noted back in this post, they are trying to organize a boycott of Wal-Mart until the company pledges not to tolerate "exploitation of children."
In response to their call for a boycott, I said, "Our family will be purchasing school supplies at Wal-Mart this year." Mrs. Smada took the kids there today. Here's why we make that choice.
(updated to clarify): We bought 3 Elmer's glue bottles (1 for each kid in school). Price was 20 cents each, for a total cost of 60 cents. A comparable bottle, found at the linked Staples site, was priced at $1.99, and would have cost us a total of $5.97
Total cost to me for all those items was $67.63. At comparable retail prices in other stores, those items would have cost nearly twice what I paid. The table below has the details of what we bought, what we paid, and what we probably would have paid without Wal-Mart.
| Item | Qty | Wal-Mart Price | Cost | "Retail" Price | Cost | Source | ||
| Elmer's Glue | 3 | $ 0.20 | $ 0.60 | $ 1.99 | $ 5.97 | Staples.com | ||
| Glue Stick | 3 | $ 0.20 | $ 0.60 | $ 0.24 | $ 0.71 | Staples.com | ||
| Theme book | 6 | $ 0.10 | $ 0.60 | $ 0.23 | $ 1.38 | Staples.com | ||
| 1-inch binder | 1 | $ 0.55 | $ 0.55 | $ 0.99 | $ 0.99 | Staples.com | ||
| Boy's shorts | 2 | $ 4.50 | $ 9.00 | $ 12.99 | $ 25.98 | Target.com | ||
| Boy's shirts | 3 | $ 3.88 | $11.64 | $ 6.99 | $ 20.97 | Target.com | ||
| Boy's jeans | 1 | $ 3.00 | $ 3.00 | $ 17.99 | $ 17.99 | Target.com | ||
| striped t-shirts | 3 | $ 4.88 | $14.64 | $ 6.99 | $ 20.97 | Sears.com | ||
| Girl's jeans (Jordache) | 1 | $ 11.00 | $11.00 | $ 10.94 | $ 10.94 | eBay | ||
| Girl's jeans | 1 | $ 9.00 | $ 9.00 | $ 11.98 | $ 11.98 | Target.com | ||
| Carpenter shorts | 1 | $ 7.00 | $ 7.00 | $ 8.99 | $ 8.99 | Target.com | ||
| $67.63 | $126.87 |
The numbers say it all. Why go anywhere else?
Linkage Has an Impact
Mr. Snitch points out "Why all Jersey bloggers should submit their bestest, shiniest posts to the NJ Carnival this weekend." Namely, the added exposure to be gained for your thoughts expressed in writing. I'll second the motion, and add that you should also consider hosting a carnival at your earliest opportunity, like I did.
The result: a gi-normous spike in traffic. Check it out.
Corzine Joins Union Stunt Staged At New Jersey School
Following up on my earlier post, Enlighten New Jersey reports on the Dems' atttempts to influence Wal-Mart through intimidation and boycott on behalf of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW).
I find the participation of the teachers' unions particularly bizarre in this case. Wal-Mart provides access to low-priced supplies for those in need. Trying to block their access to those supplies in this way will hurt their progress through school: how can Johnny learn to write if his family can't afford to buy pencils?
Their participation is especially galling given that the school at which they held the event, Samuel L. Ridgeway Middle School in Edgewater Park, failed to meet adequate yearly progress standards this year. Wouldn't the teachers' time be better spent strategizing better ways to teach eighth graders?
By the way, this news article has absolutely NO relationship to the above information. Right.
Monday, August 08, 2005
New Jersey Democrats, Teacher's Unions Conspire to Drive Up Cost of School Supplies
This handy press release announces a press conference intended to pressure Wal-Mart.
The "Send Wal-Mart Back to School" Campaign is part of nation- wide effort being led by the two largest teacher's groups in America, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the National Education Association (NEA), and WakeUpWalMart.com. The ATF and NEA have partnered with WakeUpWalMart.com in what is latest phase in the growing national campaign to change Wal-Mart that began in April of this year.Apparently, because Wal-Mart is not unionized, the teacher's unions feel compelled to join the UFCW in criticizing the company at every turn. Also piling on will be some of our favorite New Jersey political figures:
Teachers and other speakers at the press conference, which include United States Senator Jon Corzine, Assemblymen Jack Conners and Herb Conaway, and many local political leaders, will highlight how Wal-Mart has repeatedly failed America and our community.Sure, Wal-Mart has failed America. Failed all of us by bringing us decent quality goods, when we need them, at reasonable prices. While employing 1.3 million people. Profitably.
Their excuse for all the big-company bashing is, of course, "the children."
Speakers will, in particular, call on Lee Scott, CEO of Wal-Mart, to adopt a "Zero Tolerance" policy and promise the American people that Wal-Mart will forever end its exploitation of children in the United States and globally, and will no longer break child labor laws in America.Because, of course, zero-tolerance policies work so well.
Local teachers, community leaders, and students, will also discuss the growing negative effect Wal-Mart has on all of America's families and children, as well as our public schools, because the company increasingly shifts its costs on to American taxpayers.This press conference is taking place on school property, specifically the Samuel L. Ridgeway Middle School in Edgewater Park, New Jersey. Seems to me, that by using a public facility for their press conference, UFCW, the teacher's unions, and the politicians are shifting the cost of their campaign against Wal-Mart onto the taxpayers of Edgewater Park. I wonder how many hours of overtime this will require by the police department, the school maintenance folks, etc.
Our family will be purchasing school supplies at Wal-Mart this year.
Sunday, July 31, 2005
Carnival of the New Jersey Bloggers Eleven
New Jersey has many different types of bloggers, covering more topics than I ever imagined possible. Previous hosts have organized posts alphabetically, geographically, randomly, and by methods I am unable to discern with my limited mental capacity. I am humbled by the efforts of my predecessors, and hope you will appreciate my own contribution as much as I have theirs. So now, the Carnival:
Jersey daily life
a common topic of blogs
across Garden State
a common topic of blogs
across Garden State
A mother's nightmare:
sick kid, emergency room.
White hot Mommy rage.
Jersey City bound?
Public service announcement
from Dojo Mojo.
Cobweb Studios
photoblogs around our state.
Drawbridge near turnpike.
New Jersey humor
always gives me a chuckle.
Thanks, Parkway Rest Stop!
PDC Ryan
is taking the bar exam.
Almost a lawyer.
Debbie Galant notes
Much Ado about Garbage.
Commenters abound.
Jeff at Buzzmachine
makes a clean break with the past.
No more AO-Hell.
Nightfly likes movies.
Amadeus makes the cut.
A month of good films.
Precious appliance
almost burns down This Full House.
The art of toasting.
Internet quiz time.
Pictures not all that they seem.
Think helicopter.
Dental fetishist
tries to hit on Gigglechick.
Results not pretty.
Jersey politics
generate conversation
and create a buzz
generate conversation
and create a buzz
Dynamobuzz says
ex-New Jersey senator
not fit for prime time.
Monmouth County "club":
LittleSilvered likes it not,
but New York is worse.
Gymnasium costs
spiral uncontrollably.
Thirteen point eight mil!
Outraged at Abbotts,
New political blogger
is Assemblyman.
Beach access ruling.
Time and tide wait for no man
at Opinion Mill.
.
Town changes its name:
Belmar? No, it's Lake Como.
Map Quest does not care.
United States pols
get their share of attention
in the Garden State
get their share of attention
in the Garden State
Political Dogs:
"liberals under my bed"
summertime reading
Poetic Leanings:
Org chart for Republicans -
Dante's Inferno.
Sluggo skips his nap
to ponder religious tests.
Dems need to step back.
Terrorism is
a problem for all of us.
Bloggers have their say.
a problem for all of us.
Bloggers have their say.
Mary Madigan
Covers Muslim Brotherhood.
This is light posting?
New Jersey Transit
can't protect its passengers.
SloppyDawg tells how.
Sometimes food brings up
a conversational urge.
Here are examples.
a conversational urge.
Here are examples.
Yummy baklava
from a Lithuanian?
Secret recipe.
Red Snapper isn't
what you might believe it is:
Reptilian broth.
International
issues affect New Jersey.
We write about them.
issues affect New Jersey.
We write about them.
Dead Russian spammer
got what was coming to him.
Jim says "Too badsky."
Is Saleh running?
Armies of Liberation
has the full story.
Free trade book review:
Steve says, Ideal weekend read.
Would Friedman agree?
The French have some gall
criticizing the shuttle.
Can't build a damn roof.
Summer is a time
to kick back and enjoy life.
Bloggers do it well.
to kick back and enjoy life.
Bloggers do it well.
Lazy July week.
Vacation doing nothing,
except barbecue.
Down at Ell Bee Eye
Shamrocketship drinks and tans.
Girls do a tough job.
Ocean County Fair.
Many photographs taken.
Bet the girls had fun.
Bradley Beach pictures
show "Down the Shore" in color.
Nice traffic photo!
Thanks for stopping in, reading this far, and not going insane in the process. Next week, the Carnival moves to The Center of NJ Life, hosted by Sharon. Post early, post often, and forward your links to NJCarnival@gmail.com.
Carnival of the New Jersey Bloggers
TTLB UberCarnival
Saturday, July 30, 2005
Carnival XI
Coming real soon now -- about two hours. I currently have 58 links, and would like to get two more. Come on, Jersey bloggers, help push me over the top!
Carnival of the New Jersey Bloggers
New Jersey Weblogs
There's a new aggregator in town -- New Jersey Weblogs -- providing a feed of all the most recent Jersey musings. A must for any aspiring Carnival hosts.
h/t: Jim
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