Tonight the salters came out and I felt the all wheel drive kick in on my Subaru while heading to the Minooka Dog Park. Earlier Kanook and I were at Brookfield's Mitchell Park where the northwestern sky turned dark grey and soon a blizzard of snow pellets lashed down at us. People that I met muttered something about global warming.

Back home, there are still some leaves hanging on to the branches of my maple tree. Saturday I hauled a few trash cans of chopped leaves to the dump where I was chastised for not putting them against the wall. Sorry, I'm not a mind reader and all the leaves in the pile seemed like they would welcome some more.

I still have some leaves to contend with. I can probably mulch them with the lawn mower, but as I'm on vacation this week, I spent much of the afternoon looking for clear plastic bags and a mechanical partner to hold the bag open. Two hardware stores, a Home Depot and a Walmart later, none had anything that I wanted. There are plenty of large paper bags but sitting by the curb for the few weeks until pick-up will likely have them fall apart and looking worse than the neighbors who have raked leaves by the road thinking that they will still be picked up.

Driving around town I see a lot of leaves piled by the curb and often flowing into the street. Perhaps some are still scheduled to be picked up, but I know my ward is finished so that makes me wonder whats going to happen to all these leaves waiting for the pick-up that will not come. It seems to me that our communication of the pick-up schedule could have been better conveyed. Or perhaps some people just have not made the effort to search out the information. What I am pretty sure of is that come the first snowfall big enough to bring the plows out, an ugly, leafy mess will be overturned spoiling the small comfort of clean white snow.

Perhaps all of this can be corrected next fall. May I suggest that we take a step back to the colonial days and get the word out by via a Town Crier. Let the Aldermen wear a three cornered hat while walking the streets shouting out the ordinance and rules of leaf handling. Maybe they can include where to buy bags and holders too.

Being a dog lover, I don’t encourage or tolerate biting. That being said, Barney, President Bush’s Black Scottie Terrier nipped at a reporter when the reporter reached down to pet the dog. I’ve heard all sorts of things about the behavior of the dog and the approach of the reporter. Having seen a video of the incident, anybody that knows dogs can see that Barney didn’t want any part of the reporter. Obviously a refection of above average canine intelligence! However, the whole incident is a wonderful ending metaphor for the press relations that the eight years of the Bush administration has had to endure.

There is talk of President-elect Obama getting a puppy for his daughters. May I suggest something that reflects how his administration will be. Perhaps something along the breed of, say, a Neapolitan Mastiff?

News item is that Municipal Judge Joseph L. Cook is asking for a reduction in tickets being written by the police due to his workload, claiming the court is understaffed. My initial reaction is, "Welcome to the private sector"! In business it means do more with less, as in overtime. There's 24 hours in a day. Six or so hours to sleep should be enough. There's also the weekend. You did campaign for the position, didn't you Your Honor?

What ordinances should the police not enforce? Are they to consider who the violator is or who the complaining party is? As in some people are more equal than others? Does this mean that there are ordinances on the books that are not really worthy to be there other than for revenue or to be used for "Gotcha" situations?

Perhaps my kneejerk reaction is not fair to a situation that needs closer analysis but you have to wonder. In the meantime, I'll be careful not to give cause for being giving a citation. I might end up in front of Judge Cook!

A few weeks ago there was a news item that the city was spending $50,000 to contract with a consulting firm to do a survey regarding strategic planning for the next five years. If you have had enough caffeine to keep you from dozing off for a while and you have some time on your hands, check it out here. Pardon me, but for $50,000 this outfit better have a mind-reader on staff!

I've take many surveys in the course of business and I've created them using FREE survey software such as Survey Monkey.  A silly name but a fine product that large corporations use. Among the problems with the survey, I see no way of qualifying the respondents. There is one for citizens, one for the council members and one for business people. All do not appear to have any way of proving who the person is. At least the citizen survey that I took did not. I clicked on the council survey and it appeared to start the same as the citizen's and unless there is something at the end of it requiring a social security number, address or something, I suspect there could be dozens of aldermen responding! I did not go through the whole thing. After all, I have to be at work in ten hours.

Past that flaw, the survey is primarily fill in the blanks. This appears to be a one survey fits all cities. That strategy certain cuts the expense of doing a little research and zeroing in on the issues of the city. After all, you can only do so much work for $50,000 and free survey software!

I dusted off my crystal ball and saw the final report. It said, "Judging from the quantity of surveys filled out seriously, the vast majority of the people appear to be satisfied with the way the city has been managed in the recent past. As there were few suggestions for the future, the majority of the citizens must be content with baseball league financing, raucous Harley Davidson parties, road pavement fashioned after the surface of the moon, a public transportation system thats not crowded, a fire station on every corner (these replace the taverns) and radium laced water that is in short supply. (The glow in the dark feature comes in handy after midnight.)

 All joking aside, if I were joking, working people have much more that they'd rather do than attend meetings in the evening. The local media does a great job of informing us about the issues and the editorial pages give some a chance to make their opinion known. Ross Perot, love him or hate him, was in the data business and visioned the people being more involved in government via the Internet. I thought that was a good thing.

The concept of this five year planning survey is a good idea too. There are just too many flaws with it as it is. It should be removed, reworked and then reimplemented. Any kid on a computer at the library could do it better. In the mean time, the old tried and true way of expressing yourself via letters, email and phone calls should be done.

Can we get our money back?

I got my tax rebate check the other day. Excuse me, Economic Stimulus check. I wrote a blog some time ago about how to spend it to actually help the economy.  I also mentioned that I had to pay the IRS just over $1,200 dollars. So much for me kicking my assistance beyond trying to cover minimum payments, finance charges and a occasional tank of gas now and then.

This isn't the kind of rebate that I'm speaking of though. I'm talking about the day to day rebates that you see in advertising. Often a low price is advertised with a little asterisk by it stating the price is after mail in rebate. May I be blunt? Of course I can. I'm good at that. These companies are just trying to play "Gotcha" by hoping that you forget to pick up the rebate form and mail it in on time.

Sears got me big time by advertising a sale price on the internet for a clothes drier. I made the purchase entirely on the internet. Along with the printer receipt was a rebate form which was like most, requiring me to balance on one foot on the peak of my roof and tap my head and rub my tummy while singing Yankee Doodle Dandy. The problem is that I tabled the form, literally, for too long and now see that I'm out $50. So much for a sale price.

Not to unfairly single out Sears, I believe most merchandisers hope to draw you in and make a sale hoping that you forget to do the dance. I ask you, is there any good reason that rebates are not given right at the point of sale? For the consumer, no. For the retailer, of course! For the politician?

I recently wrote the senators and congressman about a consumer issue not related to rebates. Each replied but one gave an unacceptable answer about letting the free market play. Let's just say, Tom Dodd, a fictional Robin Williams movie character was correct when he said, "Politicians are like diapers. They need to be changed frequently and for the same reason."

 It was a time we all dread. The letter in the mail said that I not only had to pay for my driver's license renewal, but I had to visit in person to have my picture taken. Mistake number one was riding my motorcycle to the  DMV on West Avenue. Whether you wear a helmet or let your hair blow in the wind, your hair will be not be it's best afterward.

Things started out well. There were only a couple people to wait behind. Once called to the next available person, I was greeted by a cheery worker. The eye exam and paperwork went well. I was told to wait to be called at the sign for photos. An ominous sign of things to come was when I heard someone call Steve. No last name.  As I work with several Steves at work, I tell guys to call me by the nickname Grandfathers give all their grandsons, Butch. Thinking that someone that works there was calling to a coworker named Steve, I thought that my last name would be used or at least called out again. What if there were two Steve's waiting for a picture? I soon realized that we all were on a first name basis and my name must have been put to the bottom of the list for being slow to respond.

Certain to not miss my next call to glory, I trotted up to the desk when I heard Steve called again. I was ungraciously ordered to stand on the footprints and look at the stop sign. A nanosecond later the light flashed and the photographer decided that the picture met their standards. If I'm ever pulled over for drunk driving, I'll look exactly like my picture on the license. It will also may my airline travels more interesting when the TSA's do a doubletake while checking my ID..

It would seem that in this digital photograph age, a succession of pictures could be taken and the best selected by the taxpayer. Till that time, the DMV continues to deserve the barbs and jokes directed it's way.

A former editor of a local newspaper has told his readers that if they don't want to contend with the big Harley party this summer, leave town for a few days. How quaint!

As I am a motorcyclist for over forty years and have taken several camping excursions into the Appalacian Mountains and attended many motorcycle rallies, Harley Davidison specific included, I believe I have a more knowledgable opinion of this than those in the city that only see $$ dollars $$ and a little rumble in the air. 

Harley Davidson riders are divided into three groups. They are the hard core riders. They look like Paul Tuetul. Tatoos are cool. Out of my way type of people. Also known as the 1%ers. Then there are the Wannabes.  Like Clark Kent, they lead boring lives in their community and help old ladies across the street during the week.  On weekends they transform into the appearance of Sonny Barger, the most famous 1%er, but stop short of riding up and down the street whacking the citizens of Hollister with chains and being served food and beverage then leaving without paying for it. They have a Walter Mitty desire to be looked at by the cowering spectators as a 1%er.  They do some good deeds and raise some money for charity from time to time so they can have the police look the other way when they push the limits of law. The third type of Harley Rider can be confused with a Honda rider. They don't necessarily wear the uniform or have the attitude.  They just like the looks and sound of the machine and enjoy the ride.

Harley events also have double lives. There is the main event. Perhaps the most well know is Dayton Florida. I've never been there but I think it is about to be held as I write this blog. It is a rite of spring and the season kick-off. The hard core riders visit the main event but look for something a little more thrilling.  These side events are usually miles away from the main event or in a neighboring city. They are not sanctioned by the main event sponsor. Camera crews from "girls gone wild" frequently show up. The smell of burning hemp is in the air and the syringes littering the area are not from diabetics. Hospitals have to call in off-duty doctors and nurses. Beer trucks are hijacked.

Waukesha's event will fall someplace between Lake George New York (Americade) and Hollister California, and I don't mean geographically. I mean mild and wild.  This is why I've gone on record that is it best held at the County Expo grounds. 

The organizers say that they will have security covered by rent-a-cops and the police will not have to lift a finger. Perhaps, and I certainly hope so. However, I've seen what naive little towns get themselves into.  We'll need the sheriff deputies near by.  Lots of them.