La Zona Muerta (My Inside Joke)

Yes, I live in a Dead Zone, which is why I don't use a cell phone. I have a cell phone, which I know how to turn on, but I don't use it with any regularity. Usually the only time I use it is for 911 calls to report a dead animal on the side of the road or to ask my wife if she wants me to pick up sandwiches (that latter comment often spurred on by the former).

As a result, I don't need an expensive plan with all kinds of features (I don't text, forward, ID callers, play games, etc.). As a sometimes technophobe, I just want easy. Anyhow, I have been over-sold a plan in which I have been given 1,000 minutes to use - a thousand minutes, which means I can talk on the cell phone for some 16.6 hours every month (there are a actually bunch of 6's after the decimal point there, but I didn't want to upset any of those folks who get upset when there are more than two sixes together). Over 16 hours! Wow! To me, that's impressive! I mean, to be able to talk "free" for almost three-quarters of an hour every day without extra charge. Last month, a heavy month, I used a grand total of 37 minutes leaving 963 unused minutes. Wouldn't you think that would count for something?

To the point - the company, U.S. Cellular, has a new website called www.yourinsidejoke.com. Here's my inside joke: I don't think I have ever used more that 60 minutes a month out of a thousand, and I too-regularly find myself on the wrong side of some invisible line where I get hit with extra roaming charges! Once is too much, but it seems to happen whenever I travel more than 30 or 40 miles away (rarely); I never seem to be in a place I can actually use the minutes I am paying for. Funny, huh.

Some Random thoughts

(Maya Angelou)

Well, it's been a while. We have recently endured temperatures as low as 24 below zero, have yet more snow falling as I write this, and the world goes on.

On the plus side, how about Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger III, 58, and First Officer Jeffrey B. Skiles, 49, who set down their plane gently enough to keep it afloat while nearby ferries recovered passengers in freezing weather. Those are two guys who did their job to perfection. If everyone just did their jobs with such professionalism, can you imagine how much better the world at large would be! From Maya Angelou: "Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better." By the way, following the American tradition of rewarding people for doing their job in a public way, there's talk of a statue of him and book deals (of course). By the further way, until he's cleared, he is officially under investigation (another American tradition).

On the other hand, both sides in the Hamas-Israeli conflict have declared a cease fire (as of this writing). To me, the short of it is with regard to Israel: "Damned if they do; dead if they don't." As long as we have fundamentalist anythings, we can't be the world we could (and should). Can you imagine is every country offered its surplus whatever to others in exchange for what it needed? Basic cooperation is what's needed!

The economy. There's no oversight to where the money's going. It's like airlifting billions of dollars to be put on the deck of the Titanic. If I were in office, I'd ask what happened and how can we be sure it never happens again! Of course, I'm not as knowledgeable as those currently in office, so....

Speaking of the economy, I'm torn on this one: Obama's inauguration festivities could cost the taxpayers around $150 million. That's 1.5 percent of $100 billion. Yeah, this one is a big deal, but.... He has raised some $41 million already; why not just limit it to that?

Another one! Arthur Nadel, a Florida hedge fund manager, has disappeared with hundered of millions of dollars. Big surprise there.

Serena Williams won $21 million in prize money but was seen at the Australian Open with a $12 handbag (oooh, the horror, the horror). She says that because of the economy she's not out there buying crazy things. Me? I'm trying to find the best thing to do regarding my wife's truck, which is coming to the end of its lease. I am thinking of starting The Davy Fund.... As there are still many people who can easily afford to contribute hefty sums, please do.

Later.