Monday, October 10, 2016

More ghosts of the past...

Today would have been my brother Wayne's 58th birthday. I've written about him and his murder before and don't have any new revelations but while thinking about it this afternoon two other names popped into my head: Cinda Pallet and Charlotte Kinsey. These teenagers disappeared from the Oklahoma State Fair in 1981 and were never found. I feel a connection to this case because I volunteered for the safety & security watch the next year. We were patrolling every inch of the fairgrounds watching for ANYTHING suspicious and the heavy presence then and to date has probably prevented some bad things that might have otherwise occurred.

I think about Cinda and Charlotte every few years, usually around the time of the fair. I don't really mind them haunting my thoughts and only wish that the families could find their girls and get some closure. Royal Russell Long, the suspect charged but not convicted, said that he was the only one who would ever know what happened and he died in 1993.

Saturday, August 6, 2016

You don't have to break habits you never start.

I'm no expert on addictions but I do know that you can't get addicted to something you've never tried. With that understanding how does anyone under 50 TRY that first cigarette with everything we've known about them YOUR WHOLE LIFE?

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Chick-fil-A, for those days when you want good food and friendly treatment.

This is the review I just posted on Google for the Chick-fil-A on North May in Oklahoma City after an incident in which I left Taco Bueno without my order that I already paid for and waited at least 15 minutes for. I finally handed my receipt to someone else who was waiting and drove down to Chick-fil-A for some real food. I assume the "tolerance" crowd is still boycotting them because of the anti-gay stance of the owner, but they're depriving themselves of some very good food and outstanding customer service.

-----

After walking out of a fast food place down the street without my paid-for order I came to Chick-fil-A, walked up behind the one customer who was ordering, and another employee came to the counter to take care of me. I then stepped off to the side to wait and less than 2 minutes later, had my chicken salad sandwich and was leaving. All in all, my time inside was less than the time it took to PLACE MY ORDER at the taco _____ I had gotten tired of waiting at. Everybody was cheerful and made me feel like I was welcome and not an interruption in their day.

No matter what location of Chick-fil-A I visit, I am greeted in a friendly manner, served promptly, and when I thank them, am told "It's my pleasure sir."

I understand it's part of the training, but obviously the company culture gives them a reason to sound like they mean it and they're not just reading a script.


-----

Thursday, April 28, 2016

If you live in a homeowner's association neighborhood and like it, God bless you.

I couldn't handle other people being able to control what I do on my own property, that I paid for, or still paying for.

If you don't like it, sell your house and move! Don't ask me to lobby congress to get you out of a contract (yes contract, agreement, covenant) that you signed when you bought the house. I'm in the middle of an email argument with people who want a law exempting them from the antenna limitations in most HOA rules and want my help throwing their temper tantrum. Because I disagree with them and don't live in an HOA myself, I'm "hardly qualified to discuss it intelligently."

Yes, that's the way to get people on your side.

Thursday, April 7, 2016

Driving during a tornado warning....

There has been a lot of discussion over the last few years about the hazards of trying to drive out of the path of a tornado, especially in a large city. We know early in the morning what our tornado risk will be for that day. If you don't feel your home is safe, make plans ahead of time and leave BEFORE warnings are issued. If you are still home when the sirens sound it's too late. Take cover immediately and use blankets, pillows, helmets, etc to protect yourself from debris. The innermost room should survive all but the strongest tornadoes but YOU WILL DIE in your car if hit by even a weak one. I repeat, *YOU WILL DIE* if a tornado hits your car with you in it.

Don't use me as an example. Driving in severe weather is what I do. We have annual safety training which covers incidents from last season. Even with training we lost three professional chasers and two amateurs on May 31, 2013. Several others were injured. I keep my distance from danger and I have communication with trusted experts to keep me out of harm's way. You can't rely on the street by street radar analysis given on TV or radio. Those can be inaccurate because radar is seeing thousands of feet up in the air, not on the ground. Relying on a radar app on your phone isn't a good idea either for the same reason, plus it might be 10, 20, or even 30 minutes out of date. Besides, thousands of extra cars on the road jeopardizes the lives of those who NEED to be out there.

If you are already in your car when a tornado warning comes out find a solid building to take shelter in. A hospital might be able to take you in or most big chain stores have emergency plans and a safe place to take cover. If you have nowhere else to go, the freezer in a convenience store is somewhat reinforced. Don't go to a school and cause security issues.

I will be repeating this message throughout the spring and am not apologizing for the duplication. This is lifesaving information that I want my friends and their friends and THEIR friends to see and think about.

My tweets