Duncan's Blog

Before I start today's entry I came upon a strange thought (something new under the sun!). Folks might look at the number of views in my journal and say to themselves that this must really be some hot writing since it's got so many views. Let the word go forward that I look at the journal about 2-3 times a day. So, inadvertantly, I myself am unintentionally raising the view number counter.
The chickens are very low tech. The guy that I buy my supplies from isn't on the internet. Neither is the grain and milling company that bags the feed that the hens consume. I just drive to El Monte in the VW, drop the top, throw the bags in the back seat and putt-putt my way back home.
Some folks really think that if a company doesn't have a space on the world-wide-web that there must be something shady about the company. I shrug. These people don't even have answering machines. Wanna know their hours? Call up when someone's there and ask them!
The aviary has finally reached a point where the smell is somewhat bothersome. Ah the joys of living in a town that gets hot and dry during the summer. So I went outside with a broom and swept the dirt floor. And I went outside with a rake, and I raked the dirt floor. And I went outside and I watered the dirt floor. Next stop, I guess, will be to take some bottled bleach and spritz the woodthat holds everything up.
Back when this house was built in the pre-Depression 1920s era, there was really nothing here, but a few bungalows (i.e. shacks) with citrus trees and free-range hens. Nowadays, there are lots of feral cats, squirrels, 'possum, unleashed hounds and an occasional falcon. Most folks don't keep chickens here 'cause they claim they are dirty and too much bother. Like a feral cat that uses your lawn as its litter box is clean as the Board of Health!
Anyway, it's Sunday and I have the day off and both Friday the 13th and Bastille Day have come and gone without incident. A good day to relax and eat comfort food

Sometimes Wikipedia can be a hoot. My friends know that I'm raising backyard chickens in the front yard. And naturally everyone asks what kind of birds they are. Well, that's an honest question. Not that most people know the breeds of chickens, but they like to hear some of the names. So I tell them that they are Silkies, Auracanas, Cinnamon
Queens, French Cuckoo Marans and Buckeyes.

"Buckeyes? What's that?"

So I say to myself, "I just said, 'Cuckoo and Cinnamon Queen' and you want to know what a buckeye is."

Here goes :

http://www.meyerhatchery.com/get_item_dobkp_buckeye-females.htm

This hard-to-find breed originated right here in Ohio. Their color is comparable to the dark mahogany red buckey nut. Their wing and primary tail feathers will show some black. They also have close-fitting pea combs. These brown egg layers are stout and broad, making them excellent dual-purpose birds. Average mature weights: roosters 9 lbs.; hens 6 1/2 lbs.

It's also the name of a tree, a nut and a candy (the latter made to look like the nut).

The Ohio Buckeye is the state tree of Ohio and an original term of endearment for the pioneers on the Ohio frontier, with specific association with William Henry Harrison. Subsequently, the word was used as the nickname of the Ohio State University sports teams and came to be applied to any graduate of the university.

The buckeye confection, made to resemble the tree's nut, is made by dipping a dollop of peanut butter fudge in milk chocolate, leaving a circle of the fudge exposed. These are a popular treat in Ohio, especially during the Christmas and NCAA college football seasons.

Well, that's my two cents plain for the day. I've got a notary test to take in about two hours so I need to put on my hat and gloves and make like a banana and split !

I'm burning mad right now. I'm setting up some stupid bill pay system with my checking account and need to enter the mailing addresses of my payees.
Since my bills have been paid by check by mail, all of those stubs on the bottom of the statement have been torn off? Any mailing address on the back or front of the statement? No sir! Any information on their handy dandy website that they encourage you to view? Uh... that would be too customer service friendly.
So I dial the 800 or 888 or 866 number and hit the "0" or "#" key in the hopes of getting in touch with a human being who speaks English. When/if that happens, I am told that said person can't help me, but she will forward my call to someone who can better assist me.
I then get the cretin from the black lagoon. She offers me a walk in center at my local K*Mart. I tell her that I want a post office box number and ZIP code somewhere in Phoenix. Chances are she can't find it because she can't spell Phoenix and has no idea where it is. So I hang up, call back and am once again forwarded to the exact same moron. She asks for my name address last four phone number and request. Yadi yadi ya... This time she's calling me by my first name which doesn't exactly endear her. After putting me on hold and conferring with someone she gives me my home address.
"What's up with that?" I ask.
"If I understand you correctly, you want the address of the service. This is where the service is."
"I know where I live, honey! I know where the bills are sent too. I need to know where the payments go." I hang in a fit.
I call the main number a third time and rip a new a**hole out. "Interested in customer feedback? Concerned about how we feel? Well it's hot where I live and I don't like having my calls sent half way around the planet to someone who is clueless!"
On a lighter note, I'm stoked about Mrs. Clinton's debate on gay issues this August. It should be a good one. I'm looking forward to America finally having a woman president in the White House. It's LONG overdue!

English is not always the easiest language to follow. I read an article the other day in which "...not too bright" was used in a sentence. For most of us, it's understood that "not too bright" means that the person is dim(-witted). However, if you use that same phrase and put a stress on the adverb "TOO", you can make it seem as if the person in question is actually of a higher level of intelligence.
http://app4.lasd.org/iic/ajis_search.cfm
Today I spent some time cruising the Los Angeles jails online. Never know whose name might pop up. Paris Hilton is in there boys and girls. Los Angeles is teaming with celebrities in the jailhouse. Have fun!

Sometimes my titles sound more like poems than they do the onset of an expository rant or rave. This afternoon I found myself in the local over-priced grocery store and felt almost compelled to complain about what was in front of me. There was an elderly couple (she with a cane and he with two hearing aids) that had a wagon filled with crap; Campbell's chicken noodle soup in the large can, salted saltines (is that redundant?), buttermilk waffles, butter. Is there a pattern here? Now one could say, "Maybe they have grandkids and like to stock up on food for them?"
To that I say... well, I say something that's not fit for print. They should be setting an example of superior eating habits. I wound up keeping my mouth shut. And I don't mind telling you that I felt very smug when I put on the counter fresh peaches, white dolphin-safe tuna in water, whole grain bread and oatmeal.
And as I wheeled my shopping cart to the end of the parking lot so that old folks could have a shorter distance to walk, I felt somehow superior to those who just don't know how to shop. And each puff of Marlboro was exhaled in righteous indignation!