RPD manhunt for robber, Buckingham/Audelia

Happening at the time of this post. DPD Helo (Air One) and DPD ground officers are assisting.


[update @21:23 - the robbery appears to have been a carjacking. Sounds like the scene is winding down.]

ALDI review: beef jerky

Ok. Today's smackdown is beef jerky.

Jack Links vs Kroger vs ALDI Simms

Jack Links: $5 for 3.25oz (on sale for $3.99 that day). Uninspiring, almost wet.
Kroger: $2.99 for 3.25oz (on sale for $2.49 that day). I've had it, but don't remember much about it. Most house brand (and 2nd tier national) jerky isn't particularly good.
Simms: $2.99 $2.95 for 3.25oz. Decent for non-premium jerky.

Recommendation: make your own danged jerky. It's cheaper, more fun, and much better than storebought. Plus your house will smell like heaven for a couple of days. I like a good dusting of cracked pepper over jerky as it dries. Woo hoo! I've made jerky for a couple of decades and AB's recipe to be a great starting point. I suggest skipping his selfconsciously geeky box fan recommendation and use your dehydrator as the Good Lord intended.

Of course, if you are on a road trip it is mandatory to stop on the side of the highway to buy jerky from any smokehouse you might see. Bring all your money, as it will not be cheap.

{updated to correct Simms price; read the receipt wrong. D'oh}

Props to Carona for his [e]mailer

Disclosure: I have no love for John Carona (for several reasons, including his foundational role in the "HOA foreclosure for fines"-obsessed CAI). But his Nov 1 emailer contained useful information and was even borderline interesting. I think this may the first mailer I've ever received from a politician that seemed to have content for the citizens' benefit and not exclusively the politician's. I will assume that it was timed to remind His Base to vote but it was done subtly enough that I raise my coffee cup in his general direction. Well done, sir. Give that staffer a day off or something.

If there is a bright spot in the usual self-serving pol emails, it's that they are at least not franking snailmail postage at our expense.

ALDI's review series

Since ALDI is cheap but relies heavily on unfamiliar house brands, I'm going to start a series of reviews about ALDI food items. Before we start the beginner must know a few things:

1. bring your own bag for the loot. Yes, there are bags but you have to pay for them. Besides, not bringing your own bag is the Mark Of Cain which indicates you hate whales, koalas, endangered creek snails, etc.
2. bring a hard quarter if you want a cart. You have to use a deposit to get the cart. I just carry my stuff.
3. Cash and debit only. Seriously.

So here's the first reviews. Where possible I will compare national brand vs. common store brand vs. ALDI store brand.

Kool-Aid vs Wyler's vs ALDI Mixade

Kool-aid: ~$0.25 each ($3 for 12; see below). The standard from your childhood.
Wyler's: ~$0.20 each ($2.40 for 12; see below). Fewer flavors, but I don't veer far from the norm in most cases (sharkleberry excepted). Another exception: Wyler's black cherry is beautifully colored while Kool-aid's BC is plain red. Weird. 25% savings compared to Kool-aid.
Mixade: ~$0.89 for a package of 12. The packs I got were:

• 3x berry punch (blue)
• 1x grape
• 2x lemon-lime
• 2x strawberry
• 3x cherry
• 1x fruit punch (blech, I hate fruit punch)

If you liked all the flavors this would be a 70% savings compared to Kool-aid. Since I hate fruit punch and would not have bought that packet that makes it only a 68% savings.

Verdict: ALDI Mixade for the win.


I'll do saltine crackers next. Please try to control your excitement.

ALDI Richardson, TX
1549 E. Beltline Road
Richardson, TX 75081

Business hours
Monday - Friday 9am - 8pm
Saturday 9am - 8pm
Sunday 10am - 7pm

C & S (Ace) Hardware closing

Popped up to C&S Hardware to grab some o-rings, and saw Store Closing signs. :-(

I overhead the clerk say their building (and the garden center) are being torn down, and the C&S owner will retire rather than relocate.

Although the store is technically across the street on the Dallas side, it has always felt like a part of Richardson to me.

NNO followup

Last year I rode a bicycle on every street in my neighborhood; took 2.5hrs. I stopped and talked to everyone I saw outside; two knew it was NNO.

So this year I sat in my front yard in a rocker alongside a card table to hold neighborhood info, Crime Watch info, NNO info, and a dog to keep me company. Saw four couples walking; none knew it was NNO.

It is not clear to me what else COR could do to get the word out on the cheap. I'm not so enamoured with NNO that I'd support buying new hardware for the project. Maybe drag around one of those programmable road signs if we already have one? Leave it at the main entrances to each neighborhood for a few days in Sept next year? Maybe that'd seed the idea at least.

National Night Out is Oct 5

Here's the official RPD page on it.

My plans this year are fairly low-key. Maybe sit in the front yard in a lawn chair, pet the horse, and meet passers-by. Enjoy the Fall temps.

But I'm a little conflicted about NNO. On the upside it's a decent way for neighbors to meet each other. It's an excuse for the more motivated to have a party.

On the downside it seems, on my more cynical days, like one more "feather in my cap" pantomime for COR/RPD brass. Accruing awards for best NNO for any city in a given category, etc.

When the wife and I lived in the Spring Valley Corridor a few years back we made it a point to be seen walking the 'hood almost every night. We called it Nightly Night Out, and did it to make some small stand against the Dallas thugs coming up north to SVC to prey on locals. Hey, punk, if you 'jack my paletero you 'n' me are gonna have a problem. Wifey gotta have that la fresa goodness and I could use el coco.

BTW, if a fire truck swings by your location (and your house is not on fire) be sure to call it a fire apparatus. Apparently that's the PC name these days. But, seriously. How many little kids will be inspired to grow up and ride on a fire apparatus? It's a fire truck to me.