Jetpacks!

This blog is about the Rust Belt, politics and the Mahoning Valley. This post has nothing to do with any of that because I like things that fly and I love the idea of a personal jet pack. So today we have video of a jet pack and links to the story about the jet pack.

Growing up I dreamed of going to the Moon, watching people land on Mars and lots of other things that are very, very overdue. I've made it into my late 30's and I see no flying cars, no person has gone out of low Earth orbit since I was about two years old and in a few years the United States will have a gap where we do not have manned spaceflight capability.

There have been small things that gave me hope over the years. The space station is up with a commitment to finish it. There are plans to return to the Moon. Private companies like Virgin Galactic are making a go of flying ordinary people into outer space.

And then I see the news today. A kid is flying an ultralight aircraft invented by his dad that you can strap to your back. Unlike the older rockets that have been around since the Sixties, these folks claim their jet pack can fly for up to 30 minutes with a range of 30 miles.

All I can say is gimme. Here's the video.

People You Are Glad are not Related to You

Do you have some relatives you aren't exactly thrilled to spend time with? A brother-in-law that likes to borrow money? That cousin that shows up at every family event with a new boyfriend? Maybe you have an uncle who is just inappropriate in any situation. Well, you can hold your head up high and say, "at least they didn't make a headline out of themselves this week." Without further ado, here are some folks who make our most preposterous relatives look good by comparison.

Drunk Women Try to Open Plane Door- Two drunken British women went on a rampage on a charter plane, hitting one flight attendant with a bottle of vodka and trying to open a cabin door as the aircraft was cruising over Austria at 10,000 meters (32,800 feet), police said Saturday.

Give that Two Year Old Another Round- A mom is facing a child endangerment charge after her toddler was spotted Thursday afternoon with a beer in one hand and a bottle of whiskey in the other, police said.

Woman Attacked by Fox, then Shot by Husband- Authorities say a Levy County, Fla. man accidentally shot his wife while trying to hit a fox that attacked her.

Angry Man Shoots Lawnmower for not Starting- According to the criminal complaint, Walendowski said he was angry because his Lawn Boy wouldn't start Wednesday morning. He told police quote, "I can do that, it's my lawn mower and my yard so I can shoot it if I want."

What were her Parents Thinking?-A family court judge in New Zealand has had enough with parents giving their children bizarre names here, and did something about it. Just ask Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii. He had her renamed.

Congress Outraged by Decision to Outsource Legislative Branch

WASHINGTON D.C- In a surprise move today, the electorate of the United States moved to outsource the legislative functions of the government to overseas providers. Frustrated voters across the nation have decided to hire legislators from China to provide law making services for the next Congressional term.

"It was a no brainer once we started thinking about it," said local resident Tom Johnson. "We pay representatives $183,500 a year plus full benefits. Senators get $169,300. We got 535 Chinese legislators for just under a million dollars total and they contribute to their medical insurance. That's a good deal for America."

Outraged House of Representative members mingled with their Senate counterparts on the steps of the Capital building this morning. Staffers ferried Starbucks coffee to them as the legislators complained about the voter action.

"I'm pretty sure this is an illegal lockout," stated Willie Stillmyer- (R) Lakewood. "The constitution must say something about hiring foreigners to do American legislative work. I've got six staff members looking at this."

"It's a logical move," explained Congressional observer and blogger Chad Willoughby. "So much of the American economy is now based on goods manufactured in China and imported to the United States that the Chinese now have a greater stake in a healthy American economy than their own legislature. The bottom line is that they care more about their constituents than American legislators."

Outraged Democratic Senator Oliver Ogilby from California held his picket sign high as he marched in front of the Capital. "The jokers who made this decision think they can get anyone to write laws. How are you going to write them without lobbyists? Hmm? Who is actually going to put the words on the paper if the new guys don't have any contacts on K Street?"

Tom Johnson says he feels badly for the displaced politicians but has confidence they will land on their feet. "It's a new economy now. Surely these bright men and women can be re-trained for jobs in the private sector. Our serviced based economy provides plenty of opportunity for men and women who have their skill. They love to talk, shake hands and tell people what they want to hear. If I was them I would get down to Wal-Mart right away and see if there are any openings for greeters."

An End to Tossing Bread to the Carp in Pymatuning

The Hubbard Press reports that the 70 year tradition of throwing bread to the carp at the Linesville Spillway is being curtailed next January by park officials. Instead, tourists will only be allowed to throw food pellets sold at the concession stand to the big carp. The park manager, John Houghton, says the problem isn't with the stale white bread being thrown to the fish but rather other food items such as moldy bread, baked goods and other items. In the article he states that the area has become a dumping ground for some people, but not the tourists. In fact, state law prohibits feeding animals in state parks but an exception is made for the fish at the spillway due to the cultural significance of the tradition.

So a few bozos have ruined it for the rest of us.

I appreciate that the state will sell fish food pellets so people can continue to feed the carp but now this will be one more activity that costs money. When you could just save up some old bread and take a drive out to the spillway, you had a chance to enjoy the weather, your family and do it on the cheap. Now this will become one more activity that will require a few bucks to enjoy.

So an area tradition will change. As I recounted a few months ago, a few hours at the spillway can be fun. Watching the carp climb all over each other to eat bread is a simple pleasure. I sure hope food pellets have the same effect.

How Hard is the Economy Hitting Local Establishments?

The wife and I had a rare evening out last night and were a little shaken by what we saw. The movie theater, the Carmike Hermitage 8, had very few moviegoers. In a theater built for about 200 there were 8 of us watching the flick. When we left we noticed that the parking lot was about a quarter full. On the Saturday night of 4th of July weekend.

Next we took in dinner at Jalisco on State St. They have great food, good prices and friendly service. In fact, I've written about them before. However, the restaurant was less than half full and there were only a few folks in the bar.

The stores we walked around while in doing some shopping seemed to be faring no better. For a Saturday night, there just weren't a lot of people out and about.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say the reason is reduced disposable income due to high gas and food prices. The ripple effect seems to be hitting local businesses hard if what I saw last night is an indication of what entertainment venues and restaurants are experiencing.

Has anyone else had similar experiences or is anyone's business seeing a similar slow down?

Bush Gets Heckled

Here's a fun video of President Bush being heckled at a 4th of July event yesterday. It's good to see folks exercising their right to free speech. I don't know why this doesn't happen more often. After all, the guy only started a war for no good reason and stomped all over the Bill of Rights in his zealousness to defeat the "evil doers".

Does it sometimes seem like the last 7 years should be the plot of some cheesy, 1970's post-apocalyptic movie rather than the reality we all had to live?

Warren Cracks Down on Illegal Fireworks

Warren Mayor Michael O'Brien isn't having any tomfoolery with fireworks in Warren this year. Police have been ordered not to ignore fireworks complaints. Apparently some residents went way beyond roman candles and suddenly thought they were part of the Zambelli family, offering displays that went very high and causing fires last year. Given what I normally see on the 4th of July I wonder just how crazy some folks have gotten.

I know it sounds crazy to worry about the combination of beer and cheaply made Chinese explosives being harmful but apparently folks let things get a little out of hand. Oh and let's not forget the true innocents in this situation:

O’Brien added that not only do the fireworks disturb residents, they stress pets.

Come on people. Let's show a little respect for our four legged friends. The best way to celebrate the 4th in Warren this year is to pull up a lawn chair and enjoy your neighbor's fireworks. That way if anyone gets arrested you've got a 50/50 chance of videotaping someone getting Tasered and making some dough from selling the tape.

Happy 4th of July everyone!