The house of Andy is doing an experiment this year. We are giving up our Costco membership. Some of this has to do with the creepy way Costco has been leveraging the personal info about shopping habits and there are many other reasons which I won't put in a blog post but will gladly disclose after anyone treats me to two or more beers.
Meat: Mission accomplished.
Going FROM: Our Costco
Going TO: Western Meats (over by the old brewery).
Summary: We like buying the tube of fillet Mignon at Costco as we hack it into quarters and drop them into food saver vac bags, which in turn gets us through about a month of our steak habit. However, we decided to do a drive by Western Meats after our last trip and found a much better grade of meat at half the price (no, it was less than half). To double check we bought a few individual steaks, and it was awesome. Western Meats won us.
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Coffee: still shopping
Going FROM: Costco
Going to: ????
Summary: I want to buy coffee twice a year. We were buying the 5lb gold bag of pre ground at Costco which would last just about a month. I will check out B&B downtown, but from their site, I think they may be a little too rich for my middle of the road coffee requirement. I want decent coffee in bulk at a decent price, and am not trying to impress anyone.
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Cheese and Dairy: Still shopping
Going FROM: Costco
Going to: Winco
Going to next: (haven't decided)
Summary: We discovered Winco is an absolutely horrible shopping experience. While they have made a science and a profit of selling to extremely poor people who live off of Cheetos, the store is nails on a black board to anyone else (I am a big fan of junk food and am big on not looking down on those with lower incomes and not on food stamps). I wanted so much to like Winco, partly because they are despised by unions, and are known for low prices, but it is just not a place we are going to shop.
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Veggies:
Going FROM Costco
Going to: Safeway, and fresh sources
Summary: We weren't a big fan of Costco produce to start with, so more often than not this was coming from Safeway or our own garden. I'm trying a little experiment of doing winter lettuce and spinach, which if successful will expand into a micro-green houses operation to give us some fresh greens in the fall & winter months.
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Beer and hard booze:
Going FROM Costco and Wa liquor stores
Going to: Homebrew and out of state liquor.
Summary:
I've been a bucket brewer for a while now. Way cheaper and way better. However on the hard liquor my choices are still limited. I've decided to vote with my feet (or other means) and will be stocking up once a year from out of state sources. The privatization of liquor distribution may have not gone the way I wanted it to, but elections have consequences and those consequences are my booze dollars going out of state.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
HIGH SCHOOL -- 1957 vs. 2011
Enjoy or cry (I'm not sure which) . . .
Scenario 1:
Jack goes quail hunting before school and then pulls into the school parking lot with his shotgun in his truck's gun rack.
1957 - Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.
2011 - School goes into lock down, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.
Scenario 2:
Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight after school.
1957 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.
2011 - Police called and SWAT team arrives -- they arrest both Johnny and Mark. They are both charged with assault and both expelled even though Johnny started it.
Scenario 3:
Jeffrey will not be still in class, he disrupts other students.
1957 - Jeffrey sent to the Principal's office and given a good talk by the Principal. He then returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.
2011 - Jeffrey is given huge doses of Ritalin. He becomes a zombie. He is then tested for ADD. The family gets extra money (SSI) from the government because Jeffrey has a disability.
Scenario 4:
Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car and his Dad gives him a spanking.
1957 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college and becomes a successful businessman.
2011 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse; Billy is removed to foster care and joins a gang. The state psychologist is told by Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison. Billy's mom has an affair with the psychologist.
Scenario 5:
Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school.
1957 - Mark shares his aspirin with the Principal out on the smoking dock.
2011 - The police are called and Mark is expelled from school for drug violations. His car is then searched for drugs and weapons.
Scenario 6:
Pedro fails high school English.
1957 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English and goes to college.
2011 - Pedro's cause is taken up by state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against the state school system and Pedro's English teacher. English is then banned from core curriculum. Pedro is given his diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.
Scenario 7:
Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from the Fourth of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle and blows up a red ant bed.
1957 - Ants die.
2011 - ATF, Homeland Security and the FBI are all called. Johnny is charged with domestic terrorism. The FBI investigates his parents - and all siblings are removed from their home and all computers are confiscated. Johnny's dad is placed on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.
Scenario 8:
Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort him.
1957 – In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.
2011 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison. Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy.
Scenario 1:
Jack goes quail hunting before school and then pulls into the school parking lot with his shotgun in his truck's gun rack.
1957 - Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.
2011 - School goes into lock down, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.
Scenario 2:
Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight after school.
1957 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.
2011 - Police called and SWAT team arrives -- they arrest both Johnny and Mark. They are both charged with assault and both expelled even though Johnny started it.
Scenario 3:
Jeffrey will not be still in class, he disrupts other students.
1957 - Jeffrey sent to the Principal's office and given a good talk by the Principal. He then returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.
2011 - Jeffrey is given huge doses of Ritalin. He becomes a zombie. He is then tested for ADD. The family gets extra money (SSI) from the government because Jeffrey has a disability.
Scenario 4:
Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car and his Dad gives him a spanking.
1957 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college and becomes a successful businessman.
2011 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse; Billy is removed to foster care and joins a gang. The state psychologist is told by Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison. Billy's mom has an affair with the psychologist.
Scenario 5:
Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school.
1957 - Mark shares his aspirin with the Principal out on the smoking dock.
2011 - The police are called and Mark is expelled from school for drug violations. His car is then searched for drugs and weapons.
Scenario 6:
Pedro fails high school English.
1957 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English and goes to college.
2011 - Pedro's cause is taken up by state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against the state school system and Pedro's English teacher. English is then banned from core curriculum. Pedro is given his diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.
Scenario 7:
Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from the Fourth of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle and blows up a red ant bed.
1957 - Ants die.
2011 - ATF, Homeland Security and the FBI are all called. Johnny is charged with domestic terrorism. The FBI investigates his parents - and all siblings are removed from their home and all computers are confiscated. Johnny's dad is placed on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.
Scenario 8:
Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort him.
1957 – In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.
2011 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison. Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
and the award goes to...GOP Rep. Allen West (updated CPAC edition)
Had to bump this Per this from the Zipper's site. Just in time for Valentines Day: It's official, I too have got a man crush for this American hero.
Honorable mention to every GOP politician who is telling the media and democrats to shove it on toning down the rhetoric.
Hell no!!!! Turn it up to 11. If the liberal double standard cowards want to hide behind a madman, let them. No one is buying it and it is about time conservatives have leadership that will stand up to the thugs who want to paint us in this light.
A few have gone on the record with the middle finger, but special recognition (which is long overdue) goes to GOP Rep. Allen West who I believe will one day be the first competent black President of the United States.
West is such a caricature of AWESOMENESS that I wish Mattel would augment the GI Joe line up with a GI Allen West, who instead of a kung fu grip, has a terrorist bitch slap.
Friday, February 11, 2011
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