Super Bowl Year

As a native of Cleveland, Ohio I have to jump on the opportunity when it comes.  The first exhibition game of the season was played the past weekend and the Browns won.  They defeated the 2010 Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers so this looks like the year they repeat their 1964 Championship Season.  OK, last year they defeated the 2009 champion New Orleans Saints and didn’t make the playoffs but that is history, 2011 will be different.

Bob Feller

Bob Feller is my favorite professional athlete of all time.  When LeBron James left the Cavaliers (the team that made him a multi-millionaire, covered his weaknesses, offered him the maximum salary, gave him approval of team members and coaches)   some people defended him I reminded everyone about Rapid Robert. 

When it was apparent Feller would be a great pitcher Mountain Landis, the head of baseball, ruled his contract illegal and claimed teams could bid on him (New York had the most money and the inside track).  Feller and his Dad told Landis that Cleveland made a respectable offer, they had agreed to it, and a man is no better than his word.  Oh, they also told Landis that they were about to file suit against him, the American League, and Major League Baseball.  Landis ended the bidding and awarded the contract for Feller to Cleveland.

You have to remember that Landis was the bigot who would not allow African Americans to play in the major leagues and not one owner stood-up to publicly stop him. 

He also enlisted in the Navy on December 9, 1941 (Pearl Harbor was December 7^th), the first member of baseball to do so.  He had a deferment as the sole support for his Father and Mother and the ability to be named an officer and do his service in public relations.  Instead he served on the USS Alabama in the North Atlantic and Pacific, and worked his way up to Chief Petty Officer.

The story here is "HAVE FUN"

This is the Magnum at Cedar Point.  One of the best roller coasters in the world.  If you can, go and try it.

2011 NBA Championship

You see Miami, LeBron has more talent than anyone in Basketball but his heart ranks around 999^th.  Let me tell you a little story from back in 2008.  Barack Obama was elected the 44^th President on November 4^th.  The next morning James said he would score 44 points that night in honor of the new President.  He scored 41.  Yes, he came up SHORT just as he did in every playoff he has been in. 

Hells Angels of the Palmetto Assisted Care Facility

According to NBC News in Miami on May 6, 2011 some woman got mad at a group of 4 deaf people who were celebrating a birthday at the Ocean’s Eleven Sports Lounge and Grill.  Apparently Barbara Lee, a 45 year old Darwin Award possibility saw the group “signing” and automatically jumped to the conclusion that they were giving gang signs to each other and at her.  This was Florida where Sponge Bob Square Pants and Mickey Mouse live with retirees from Canada and New York.  What gang did she think they were from, the Hells Angels of the Palmetto Assisted Care Facility?  Anyway she confronted the partiers but they didn’t say anything (Maybe BECAUSE THEY ARE DEAF).

When they motioned for her to leave she went and got some brain dead 19 year old who followed her back to the bar (can you guess why?  Try cougar hunting).  He reportedly pulled a knife, stabbed the birthday group and hit the bouncer with a bottle.  Apparently someone at the grill had a cell phone and called the Police.  The woman and youth were both arrested and charged with attempted murder.

While these two are really stupid and poster children for better funding of public education, there is something to learn here.  Based on her own experiences and sense of hate Ms. Lee assumed that any “signing” was gang related and consequently people who “sign” are gang members.  Just how many people do the same thing today?  Is there a real difference between this and anti-Semitism, bigotry, genocide, the way people think of others because of their nationality, religion, pigmentation, age, hair length, political affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, or any other difference?  Not really.

If you find that someone is different from you, look into it and learn.  Remember that people who think they are superior see many things backwards.

Are You Kidding Me?

I was watching some TV and one of those dating ads came on.  Of course they all claim to bring more people together and imply that you are looking to get married and most of their couples do just that but this one was a little different.  It was for “Christians”.  Now I have no problem with that.  If you are a business then it is good to target a specific audience and go after them.  Unfortunately this one talks about how you have been unsuccessful and should now leave it in Gods hands.  I didn’t know that things were so bad that God had now started a dating service.

First, God isn’t Christian.  That would mean that anyone who isn’t Christian does not believe in God and the list would include Abraham, Moses, Adam, and many more.

Second, do you really believe that God makes all your decisions including who to date?  As a believer, and I am, I think God puts the puzzle parts in front of us and gives us the intelligence to assemble them.  Hence, free will.  When we do something right, we have made the right decision.  When we do something wrong it is our own fault.

Third, why should I believe that God works through some profitable web site?  Do you?  Do you really think that by signing up for this web page that purports to be doing the will of God that you will find the path that the creator has laid out for you?  I wish I could believe in such a simplistic idea.

Fourth, if they said that they would link “Christians” up, then fine.  Just don’t try to pass yourself off as being God on earth.

The Government Should Do Something About It

How many times have you heard someone say that the Government should do something about some ill?  You listen to the news and find out that restaurants are passing Tilapia off as a more expensive fish.  Why doesn’t the government do something about it?  You fill your tank up with gasoline at $4 a gallon and say why doesn’t the government do something about the price.  BP spills billions of gallons of unrefined oil into the Gulf of Mexico because of a flaw in their drilling mechanism and people yell that the government should have prevented it.  You can’t swim in the lake because it is polluted and you want to know why the government doesn’t clean it up.

How about some idiot who just wants your vote screaming that Social Security is under funded and taxes are too high so the budget must be drastically cut?  And then someone comes around saying they are not part of the Democratic or Republican Party but subscribe to the more populist Libertarian Party.  What a bunch of Bull.

Lets take these in reverse order to demonstrate how all of them are taking us as fools.  The basis of the Libertarian Party is to let businesses run everything.  They use phrases such as Free Market but they don’t want our consumerism to make the rules, they want unregulated businesses to decide what is best.  Take away all the regulations and regulators with cute ads about letting us choose what we eat but that is hiding the elephant behind a toothpick.  Oil companies set the drilling rules in the Gulf and that caused the BP spill.  No government inspector got the captain of the Valdese drunk off the shore of Alaska.  It was government regulators who stopped Thalidomide from being sold in the U.S. even though it was available in Europe.  Unregulated dumping of human and chemical waste into the Great Lakes limits swimming, boating, and fishing. You want the government to “do something about it” then you need regulations and inspectors.

Now cutting the budget is a good idea but cutting fat, not inspections and regulations.  That is what is being eliminated under the new budget proposals.  Large political contributors want to get rid of costly regulations to increase their profits and politicians who advocate the elimination of trillions of dollars in spending are looking out for them, not us.

Will our prices come down? NO.  We are the market and if we are willing to spend $5 on a gallon of gasoline then the price is set regardless of how much it costs to produce.  If we are not willing, then the price will lower.  If the United States invests in other forms of energy then our prices will come down. 

Small computers cost $20,000 in the 70’s and programs were little better than word processors, spread sheets, and Pong.  We refused to spend that much and 30 years later they cost $2,000 with a multitude of programs and the internet.  Phones had Party lines to lower the cost and today families have a land line and multiple cell phones.  We are the Market, not multi national corporations.

Grossly cutting the federal budget is not the answer.  There are places where it can be fixed but to slice trillions of dollars will only increase our costs.

Buying a Dog

OK, I’m getting older, my hair is changing colors, my belt has shrunk, and I am a walk is a little slower but 18 Presidents have been older than my current age, God knows how many CEO’s, executives, and heads of major league sports teams.  Professors at major universities are often older than I, Harrison Ford, Elton John, Ann Margaret, and Sophia Loren are older.  I can still read, write, think, and move by bowels without drug help and plan to continue those conditions for quite some time.

So I’m buying a dog and these people parade docile, over aged, low spirited mutts before me and claim they would be perfect, match my life style.  My life style?  They just met me and don’t know a damn thing about me. I drive a Z3, can sail a boat, ski the Rockies, hit a golf ball around 300 yards without an engineered club and flexible ball.

Well, I didn’t get a dog from them and my new pooch is a 1 and ½ year old 90 lb German Shepherd pup who will kick their K 9’s tail. 

The point is people are only old when their views and perceptions are out of date.  I’m not old but that person of limited years is.   In 1750 they would probably be putting me on an ice flow but today I have a chance of going thirty or forty more years, especially if our government offers health care to citizens and doesn’t privatize social security.

Don’t make the same mistake.  Best advice I can give you today.

26th New York

On May 24, 2011 the people of the 26^th congressional district of New York elected a new congressional representative.  Some people have read a lot into this (usually supporting their own views) and some have downplayed it (to disguise the abuse to their positions), and many people just don’t care.  The first two groups are normal but that third group is growing and should be examined.  You and I know what is going on but does anyone else?

Forget how you feel about George Bush but one thing that everyone agrees with is he excited electors.  In 2004 his people liked to point out that he grabbed more votes than any person who ever ran for president.  Democrats missed the fact that their own candidate, John Kerry, had more votes than anyone ever had who opposed an incumbent President.  The point is, people voted.

Now the 26^th happens and few people care. Why?  I believe both political parties are at fault and neither knows it.  They are traveling on the same tracks they have used for two centuries without realizing that the world uses computers and the internet.  And the news media, for the most part, reports what it is told by the two parties instead of asking us.  Gee, what a novel concept, interview people for a story.

Look at the normal 26^th NY Republican.  Conservative? Yes, but in a Rockefeller way, not a Palin rhetorical disconnect.  They had a history of some very solid Congressmen including soldiers from the Revolutionary War and a Secretary of State under President Grant but were embarrassed by Chris Lee who solicited women on Craigslist by sending them semi-nude pictures of himself and possibly transgender women though he was married at the time.

At the same time they hear leaders of their Party walking lock-step with a TV and Radio network, making statement diametrically contrary to what those same people  had said a few months earlier, and complaining about overspending when their President had squandered a federal surplus.  It is embarrassing to have your Party leaders tell you that winning an election is far more important than supporting your nation or even being civil to your neighbor.

That is where the story is, that is where the truth sits, not the Ryan plan to dismantle Medicare and eventually Social Security.  The people of the 26^th will vote against that on their own.  Why doesn’t the media tell everyone that the election was not changed by the candidacy of Jack Davis because he wasn’t a Democratic tool.  Hell, he was a lifelong Republican before he ran as a Democrat two years ago and in 2011 attempted to be the candidate of every Party but only the Tea Baggers would have him.  People of the 26^th know this but it wasn’t reported by the media.  I guess it was too difficult to look at a voter registration document.

No, the people of the 26^th N.Y. are just fed up, like people all over the nation.  The Daily Show and Colbert Report have become the only reliable news sources, Congress people only respond to the media and polls conducted by lobbyists, Ryan can only be elected by those dumb enough to vote during a Wisconsin ice storm, the group interested in Palin or Bachman running are the same promoting Trump, stand-up comedians.

We get it, you talk to us like we were eighth graders but in the end;

1. we graduated from more than the eighth grade,
2. your funding of education has reduced eighth graders to seventh graders, and
3. few politicians or reporters today are smarter than a fifth grader.

Grandma’s Birthday

Just something to make you happy.

My Mother-In-Law celebrated her 90^th birthday in May of 2011.  She is a huge Cleveland Indians fan so we all got together (16 of us) and surprised her with an Indians v Mariners game and dinner.  We came to Cleveland from Maryland, Wisconsin, Toledo, and Dayton.  I made the arrangements by calling the Indians front office and to accommodate us they put the tickets in several envelopes and left them at will-call.  That way we didn’t have to all arrive at the same time and spoil the surprise.

The people at will-call were great.  When my Wife and I arrived with Grandma they didn’t say a thing about the other envelopes and spoil the surprise.  When the usher found out what we were doing he contacted the front office and made arrangements for them to put her picture on the scoreboard.

Well something always goes wrong and it rained during the end of the first inning and the game went into delay.  We all found shelter in the tunnel leading to our seats whish isn’t the most comfortable area in the world.  The usher went into the adjacent concession area looking for a chair for Grandma and they built one out of large plastic crates they had cleaned.  Then they all came out to the tunnel, wished her a happy birthday, and sang.  Since my Wife’s maiden name is Wlodarski one of the women even sang Happy Birthday in Polish.

Because of the way we were treated right from the start we will definitely go to another game when in town and root for the Tribe.  It will be difficult to attend the make-up game since we are all coming from decent distances so we are giving the tickets back to the Indians to be given to charitable organizations so some children can enjoy a game for free.

Remember this when you are doing your job.  Sometimes we get fed-up with our work, our boss, our company but the client isn’t there for that.  Give them a good experience, maybe they are just trying to get away from a bad situation themselves.  And wouldn’t the world be a better place if we all tried to put a smile on someone each day?  The Cleveland Indians sure put a smile on all of us.

Public Trust?

There are several reasons that voters get upset with their public officials and here is one of them.  In Virginia several counties are enacting laws that prohibit children from being in dog parks.  Now it isn’t a bad idea for the real young to be required to have parental supervision but some of these laws extend to 14 year olds.  Last year Virginia passed a statewide law that allows people to carry open and concealed weapons into bars if the person is 18 or older.  Parental supervision at 14, Smith and Wesson at 18.

We all know the reason for this, the NRA contributes more to political campaigns than the American Kennel Association but I guess some law makers don’t think we are smart enough to figure it out. 

Evolution

So much has been written on this subject, some correct and some not, that I thought I would add my two cents.  First let us clear up some clearly incorrect facts that just get in the way like Darwin preaching “survival of the fittest”.  It never happened.  He wrote about how life evolves to meet the environment it is in.  Spencer actually wrote about “survival of the fittest”.  And then there is the Scopes Monkey trial which was made even more famous by the movie “Inherit The Wind”.  William Jennings Bryant (Mathew Brady in the movie) argued against the Spencer idea of “survival of the fittest” and not necessarily against evolution.  He believed that form of thinking discriminated against the average hare working person and promoted the highly successful to a superior class.

Now that I have that off my chest let us look at the idea itself.  It can be argued that human beings have evolved over time in both physical and mental ways.  People living near the equator have darker skin, Eskimos put up with the cold, Irishmen drink great whiskey because they got fed up with potatoes, and Clevelanders don’t mind sports teams that never win.

But then people can argue that some human beings never change.  The English still go ga-ga over the Royal family, Women continue to talk a different language, dogs have never leaned to kiss on the lips.  Men are probably the best example of this as you can see from this picture.  Look at it closely and see if you can identify physical responses that have never changed.  It may take a while, especially if you are a male but I trust that you will identify the commonality.  By the way, don’t try this experiment on your own as it may result in unrelated problems and medical attention.

A Thought About Congressional Salaries

Back in the 1980’s Social Security was partially reformed and the idea should be continued.  People who were making enormous amounts in retirement income for the day had their Social Security payments reduced and even taxed.  On the surface this may sound bad but if someone has an annual retirement income of a million dollars should they really receive Social Security when that money could more appropriately go to balance the budget and help people who now have to live on the meager Social Security checks?  Why not extend the idea?

If a Congress Person, from a different source, earns an amount larger than their Congressional pay then the Congressional pay should be reduced by 50 cents for every dollar of additional income.  For instance in 2011 the normal House and Senate member earned $174,000 per year.  If they earn an additional $174,000 (a total of $348,000) then nothing will happen.  But if they earn an additional $200,000 instead, then their public pay would be reduced by $26,000.  This could be done by a direct payment from the Congress Person or collected with their subsequent tax return. 

I don’t think that is too much to ask.  Their income for the year would be $322,000 which is more than enough to live on. 

Now not all of Congress makes $174,000 each year, some make more.  Cong. John Boehner, the Speaker of the House makes $223,500 and I believe others get extra money for chairing committees etc. well I propose that these extras be considered as extra so the $49,500 that Cong. Boehner makes for being Speaker would be classified as additional income so if he earned $200,000 outside of Congress he would be considered to have earned $249,500 from non-standard Congressional pay and have to pay back and have to pay back $37,500.

Of course this would not have a great effect on the national debt or budget but it would help treat us all the same.

The Death of Osama Bin Laden

There was cheering in the streets, emails passing around the world, high fives and screams of happiness and joy.  But was it right to celebrate the death of a human being?  If we call ourselves the greatest nation in the history of the world, if we say that we are a God fearing culture that believes in the sanctity of the individual and condemn those who would even support the concept of abortion can we be exalted in the termination of a man for whatever reason?  NO.

I, like you, do not rejoice in the death of Osama Bin Laden.  I am not pleased that our nation’s military might was used to stop the bodily functions of this man.  I find no cheer in his last gasp of air.  But neither will I shed a tear that he is gone.

The leader of the insurrection, the architect of the war has been eliminated by paying the same price that so many innocents have been forced to pay and in that I am happy.  Osama means nothing to me but the cause of the battle is no longer and I see no reason to be sad over it.

This does not make me an advocate of capital punishment.  The taking of a life is not something that can be justified based on circumstance and personal definition.  In my eyes it is wrong and the fact that Bin Laden “started it” is an insignificant fact.  That is an argument that would allow others to control my actions and that is something I can not allow.  But capital punishment was avoidable and only became a consequence when the plans were approved to bomb the USS Cole.  We are responsible for our actions and the actions of others when we are the cause.

So, I am not happy that he is dead but I am happy that possibly the end is in sight for the ridiculous murders that have resulted from the ego and false interpretations of God and Gods will.  I am happy that more people will be able to shed their camouflage uniforms and come home.  I am happy that the people of the world will be able to see and appreciate the problems of the Arab and Muslim people without the distortion that results when a Bin Laden is around.

I am also sorry for Charlie the Tuna, Orca, Sponge Bob Square Pants, and even Moby Dick.

Osama is dead

Donald Trump is insisting on the long form death certificate, Oliver Stone is doing a new movie where OBL was on the grassy knoll, Palin started her own investigation but stopped before any conclusion, John McCain said “who is OBL and where is Booth.  I can’t make fun of Faux News since they are already doing the stupid thing by saying the shooting was a week and a half ago.  Like the President wouldn’t have used such great news to force the budget. 

I’m not really sure why everyone has to think they are being lied to all the time.  Those people who are telling you that something is false are doing it so they can get paid.  Theyi have as little or less credibility than the ones they are accusing, including Congress.  I’m not saying that everything you are told is true, I’m just saying to use your own brain, it is much more reliable. 

You probably got the email comparison of JFK and Lincoln.  Think about it.  JFK left Marilyn Monroe’s house on the way to Dallas?  She was dead about a year by then.  Lincoln didn’t go to Monroe, MD before the assassination because there is no Monroe, MD.  The US did land Neil Armstrong on the moon, Babe Ruth never telegraphed his home run against the Cubs, and Billie The Kid is as dead as Hitler.

It would be impossible to keep the secret.  Besides, who cares.

Have fun and Stay Thirsty My Friends.

Effective Phone Courtesy

I don’t memorize everyone’s phone number, there are just too many, so when someone calls and wants a return call without giving me their number, I take my time. First I have to look it up in an personal address book, on my cell phone director, or look it up on CID. This reduces the priority which I assume they know since they assumed I had their number memorized. Hence the delay.

If they do leave a number, more times than not they say it so quickly that I have to play the message over several times before I get it. If they don’t speak clearly I probably wont get it correct so there is no return call.

Companies looking for my business make all the above mistakes frequently which is really dumb. Then they shrug it off or say “well, it’s on the invoice.” How stupid can you get?

Here is are a few simple things to do so that people who you want to call back, will.

1. Leave your phone number.
2. Leave it a second time.
3. Don’t leave it at the beginning or end of the message. (God, don’t leave a message that is over a minute long. Half minute is better)
4. Speak slow and clearly.
5. Follow it up with an email or text message.

Now, that isn’t so hard is it? “Hi, its Ed Boyle. Could you give me a call at 4,4,4,3,3,3,2,2,1,1, that’s 4,4,4,3,3,3,2,2,1,1, I want to talk to you about the tickets. I’m not sure I can go since my car was just hit by an elephant that was crossing outside the crosswalk. I don’t care what the Police say, Dumbo can’t even fit in the crosswalk. Why can’t the circus have a street parade like they use to? Who is going to clean up after these things?”

See. Simple.

Pepper Spray of an 8 Year Old?

Question: How can you tell if a blond is really dumb?

Answer: If she has a show on Faux (Fox) news!

Can you believe Gretchen Carlson? She said, on the air, that she supports the Florida Police pepper spraying of an 8 year old who was holding a small piece of molding. My God, they have clubs that they can knock the stick out of his hands with. They can talk him down like Gibbs does on NCIS. I know a lot of Police and am happy to say that none of them would have resorted to pepper spray, they are much too intelligent.

We didn’t have pepper spray when I was growing up, we had “THE LOOK”. Mom would let me get away with just so much and then I got “THE LOOK” and it was over. If she owned Faux News it would be a reputable source of what is going on in the world and give much better advice.

Save the Chocolate Biscotti

Sometime around Christmas Starbucks discontinued offering their Chocolate Biscotti.  It was there, then they replaced it with something they said was seasonal, and now it is gone.  The employees I have talked to didn’t even know it was discontinued, they thought it was just temporarily unavailable (you know, a biscotti that is misplaced in a storage building wouldn’t taste much different).  Sounds like they were lied to.

I think it is a conspiracy.  A conspiracy to ruin the health of Americans.  Everybody knows that Chocolate is basically a health food.  It’s a bean, beans are vegetables, and vegetables give us better health hence Starbucks is attempting to make Americans sick.

Maybe Jamie Lee Curtis is involved.  You know she does those Activia commercials, Activia makes you poop, dark chocolate is a laxative.  Come to think of it our soldiers are given dark chocolate it C Rations for that very purpose.  Damn, Starbucks and Curtis may not support our troops.  This is downright un-American.

Maybe it is an anti-Italian thing. You know, biscotti is Italian, the best chocolate is from Italy ,  Oh, where have you gone Joe DiMaggio.

I asked my Sister-In-Law Carol and she agrees with me.  Carol knows everything there is to know about chocolate in fact when she eats some she can tell you what farm in Ghana it came from.  She has a relationship with chocolate that may be illegal in Southern states.  I think they still have a restraining order against her in Hershey , PA.  Can’t come closer than Pettsville.   When she found that chocolate had the same type fat as olive oil she mixed it with vinegar and water and poured it on lettuce and tomatoes.  Anyway Carol told me:

1.       Chocolate may prevent acne.  She also said it may not since the Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the U.S. Naval Academy have determined chocolate has nothing to do with acne so you may as well eat it.

2.       It contains oleic acid and mono-unsaturated fat which may raise HDL (good cholesterol).

3.       Chocolate has been prescribed for people with tuberculosis.

4.       While eating large amounts can cause you to put on pounds, some people have hot chocolate before meals to curb their appetite and an English firm had good results by having patients sniff a chocolate aroma patch before they ate.

5.       1.5 oz of milk chocolate contains 15% of your daily Riboflavin need, 9% of calcium, 7% of iron, and 3 grams of protein.  It’s a fricken “health food”.

6.       A Harvard University study claims that men who eat chocolate live 1 year longer than their counterparts.  I’m sure that men who don’t eat chocolate feel like they live 10 years longer.

7.       Some doctors, especially in Mexico , prescribe chocolate for bronchitis.

8.       Chocolate can be used in the treatment of bee stings.

9.       While beer has been making the opposite sex good looking for centuries only chocolate gets you close enough for it to matter.

10.   The chemicals in chocolate can mimic the effects of marijuana but you have to eat 25 lb at one sitting to get high.

11.   According to the Mayo Clinic chocolate contains flavonoids which can be beneficial in cardiovascular health.

12.   Chocolate contains antioxidants which may prevent or delay certain damages to the body’s cells and tissues.

So, you see, chocolate is great for you and starbucks has discontinued selling chocolate biscotti’s so they must be against us being healthy.  It’s a travesty.

Now, what to do.  Do what I did and send them an e-mail demanding that they bring back the chocolate biscotti.  If you don’t know what to say just cut and past the following paragraph.  Then tell your friends and when Starbucks hears from enough people I’m sure they will do what is right.

DON’T just forward this entire post to them because they will never get it.  Remember, they are a corporation and while the Supreme Court thinks they are human, corporations have no sense of humor.  Just listen to a Utility or Gas company.  Their address is info@Starbucks.com

********

Subject:  Chocolate Biscotti

Dear Star Buck,

I want to make America healthy.  As far as I’m concerned chocolate is a “vegetable” and thus a “health food”.  It is being researched by the Mayo Clinic, Pennsylvania School of Medicine, U. S. Naval Academy, Harvard University, and Uncle Bob’s R & D Factory and Auto Garage for it’s effects on health.  So far we know that chocolate may or may not cure bronchitis, lower bad cholesterol, help fight heart disease and cancer, reduce obesity, and make people horny and regular.

One of the best sources of chocolate is in your “chocolate biscotti” which you have discontinued.  I’m asking that you help make America healthy and bring back the “chocolate biscotti”.

Thank you

***********

Thank you for joining me in the important effort to make America healthy by bringing back the chocolate biscotti.  A chocolate biscotti is the least they can do for a $3+ cup of coffee.

Take care

Ed

PS: that stuff about my Sister-In-Law wasn’t all true.  She does love chocolate more than anyone I know but she is allowed everywhere in Pennsylvania (though as a Clevelander she stays away from Pittsburgh) and has the sense of humor to appreciate mine.

MS Walk 2011 Highlights

Looks like the MS Walk was even better this year. More people, more financial support, more donations, more volunteers, and more new friends. Our Team donations were up so high we made the honor role (but there is still time to donate if you would like. Just send me an email or make a comment on this post).

Thanks to everyone who is helping find a cure for Multiple Sclerosis. We are going to find one.

Meatloaf Tray?

I recently saw an ad on TV for a meatloaf tray.  It kept the meatloaf elevated so the grease would stay on the bottom and not soak the loaf which is the reason most homemade meatloaves come out bad.  Major waste of money.  If you want to fix the problem just put a slice or two of bread under the loaf and give it to the birds when you are done.

Now meatloaf cooking isn’t the real reason for this post, you can find a fine recipe in my other blog, it is to warn you about what is passing itself on as “informative” advertising.  Advertisers believe that when you see something on TV you will not question the reliability and purchase the item based on the claims of the manufacturer.  I’m sure the meatloaf tray works, but why spend the money when there is a much more economical solution.

Another ad represents a company that offers reverse mortgages.  It has a well know actor with a pleasing voice who tells you to “trust” him.  Why?  There is nothing in the ad giving his background in finance or any other related expertise.  Could be a good product and it could be a good company but don’t just do it because an actor said trust me.

The worst one though is a so-called “Christian” dating service.  No affiliation with any Christian church but they do strongly imply that God is behind them.  Come on.  If you want some help from God in finding a date then go volunteer at your church.

I’m not asking you to “trust me” on this, I’m asking you to trust yourself.  Look into the subject before you waste your money.,

Just Think About It

I’m not getting religious on you but I want to use a biblical story to make a point.  We have all heard the story of the loaves and fishes.  A bunch of people come to hear Jesus speak and they have to be fed.  Some Apostles find a boy with a few loaves of bread and a couple fish, Jesus says a prayer, and he feeds the multitudes.

Nice story, could be true, may not be.  That is up to you but I’m going to give you a little different view.  I think it is one you can kick around in your mind during some down time and get something out of.

Most people believe that the miracle was feeding so many people from such a low supply.  Do you really believe that all those people came unprepared?  Doesn’t it make more sense to believe some of them actually brought food to munch on?  Did you ever go to a baseball game or concert without a few dollars for a hot dog and beer and maybe some candy in your pocket?  These were people who never had a 7-Eleven they could stop at so they planned to bring what they needed, like food.

Now you know from other New Testament stories that Jesus appealed to more than just Jews.  He had Romans, Egyptians, Samarians, rich, poor, businessmen, laborers, farmers, fishermen, beggars, tax collectors, and more.  These were people who didn’t like each other normally and probably didn’t speak to each other.  I really doubt they would share their food with each other.

So maybe the miracle wasn’t feeding everyone from the meager contents of some little kids’ lunch box.  Just maybe it was getting everybody to share.  If you think that would be a lesser miracle just watch your legislators in action.  Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Liberals, Conservatives, middle of the roaders.  Watch how your neighbors and co-workers group based on age, sex, and position. 

Now isn’t that a miracle you can think about?  Isn’t it something we can all strive for?

I was thinking about this when Congress was fumbling with the national budget.  They had their beliefs that their mind fed on and didn’t want to consider other beliefs.  Maybe some of the people in the crowd didn’t like the fish

Two Things To Ponder

One: Do horny robots visit hardware stores?

Two: Do Senior Citizens make terrible terrorists?  They leave the house for some grocery shopping and begin to wonder if they turned off the timing mechanism.  (You may have to be older to appreciate this one)

A Fun Way To See A New Place

Nancy and I have taken Ghost Tours throughout the Mid-Atlantic area over the past few years and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Did you know that the first person killed by the John Brown group that attacked Harpers Ferry was a freed slave or where Edgar Allen Poe had his last drink? How about some tales of the Pirates who lived in the Outer Banks or the mysterious woman at the Gadsby’s Tavern in Alexandria? Guides who are often dressed in period garb spend a great deal of time teaching the small crowds about everyday life at the time as well as telling their haunting stories.

Treat yourself to an enjoyable evening lasting one to two hours. The Ghost Tour may well be what your friends remember most when you tell them of your trip.

Airport Security

Every now and then there is a video on the internet or TV news about a little kid being patted down at the airport.  People post how stupid it is to think a pre-schooler will carry a bomb, ABC news interviews the outraged parents and NBC tells how many days since Michael Jackson died that this happened.  Well I think it is a good idea.

I am not looking to have a family member, a friend, or myself blown-up because some idiot strapped a bomb to their child and committed suicide while killing over 100 innocent passengers, That is the real problem.  When I was stationed overseas I learned of a woman who hid a grenade under her little baby because she knew soldiers would drop their guard when they saw the little one.

In New York a woman drove her van into the Hudson River killing herself and three of her four children.  They trusted her and stayed in their seats.  What would be so hard about putting an explosive in a diaper like the Christmas Bomber did when he hid one in his underwear?

Sure, TSA is a pain in the butt when they hold us up for searches before we take a flight but remember, we arrive at our destination.  Give them a break, they are doing their job protecting us.

Crooks are Dumb

It’s tax season and a recent news show commented on how to tell if your identity has been stolen.  One of the ways they pointed out concerned e-filing tax returns.  If you attempt to file your taxes over the internet and it is rejected because someone has already filed under that social security number then your identity has been compromised.  Imagine, someone has stolen your identity, taken your money, and then filed a tax return to claim the income.  That has to be one of the dumbest things I have heard of.

Bathtub Drains

Do you have a problem with your bathtub drain?  I did and I put it off for a while because I thought it would require a lot of work.  I have fixed sink drains in the past (See my post in March 2011) and figured a tub drain would work about the same but be harder to get to.  Finally I secured the time I thought I would need and began the job.

First I looked at how I would get to it.  There should be an access panel behind the tub and sure enough mine was in the closet.  I took everything out of the closet, cleaned it up while I was there, took off the panel and scratched my head.  It didn’t look at all like the sink.

To make a long story short, I went back to the tub, used a simple screw driver to take off the overflow cap, pulled up the chain that was attached to the lever and found that it was much simpler than a sink.  I went to the hardware store, bought the correct part and fixed it.  Just look at this picture and you can see what I mean.  I could have told Nancy that it took half the day when in fact it should have taken 20 minutes tops and had a lot of time for myself but it did take a few hours because I lost all that time tearing the closet apart, cleaning it, and putting it back together.

Sometimes it is just better to go to a local hardware store, swallow your pride, and ask what you have to do.

Feel Good About Your Free Time

We all have free time and though we have earned it we tend to feel bad about having it.  Well, use it for something good.  Donate your time as a volunteer for some organization.  It can be a few hours on a weekend or some continuing commitment, doesn’t matter really.  You will feel better about yourself and make the world better for others.

I started helping the Multiple Sclerosis Society at their annual Walk many years ago.  It was half a day, once a year, and I felt good all year long.  Now I do a lot more but then I have more time and this isn’t about me, it is about you.  There are a lot of things you can do for a charity that nobody ever thinks about.  When a charity has an event where do you think those tents, tables, supplies, etc. come from?  Where do they disappear to when the event is over?  Our local MS Society has had teams of volunteers from the Air Force and Maryland University loading and unloading trucks.  Two hours work, meet new people, and feel good forever.

The different walks can last from 3 miles to 2 days and they always have at least one rest stop.  These are usually manned by volunteers who are often from a company or organization.  Get your bowling team together for three hours and pass out water and bananas.

Please, don’t say you are too busy.  An old colleague of mine once said “if you want something done, ask a busy person.”  I have fun, feel good about myself, and help raise over a million dollars to help find a cure for MS.  I may never win a Pulitzer Prize but I do feel like my life has a meaning.

Our MS Chapter actually has a woman who runs her own Walk, basically a neighborhood pot luck, and they send all the donations to the MS Society.  What the heck.

If you want to sit on this for a while but can donate a few dollars now, just go to http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?px=4065717&pg=personal&fr_id=14712&et=KTFxOwscQsXwiSVaN4YStQ..&s_tafId=165640 and make your donation on-line.  I’ll make sure it goes to the right place and you will begin feeling great.

What to Say

We all have, or will have, friends and relatives suffering from something.  It can be cancer, a heart attack, accident, job loss, diverse, or some other catastrophe and we want to show our support.  Unfortunately finding the correct words can be almost impossible or worse yet, we don’t know how bad the words are.  This can be even harder if you are close, like an Uncle or Aunt.  Let me try to help.

You see I had a heart attack once, my Wife has cancer, both my parents have died, the son of a friend was killed in a traffic, accident and another committed suicide so I have been around grief a few times and learned from both the good and bad approaches.  Hopefully I can help you help someone else and yourself at the same time.

First, don’t tell them about someone who died from the same disease.  There really is nothing worse, when confronted with your own mortality, to hear about people who didn’t make it.  Or, when grieving over the loss of a loved one to find out that their death is no more than a notch on your scorecard.  It does not make them feel good.  Please, don’t do it.

Second, don’t tell them about your own sickness.  Think about this for a second.  There they are stricken with leukemia and you are telling them about your dysentery.  Not at all comforting.

Third, while you can and should give them words of encouragement don’t refer to them as a “survivor”.  Of course letting them know they will survive is a good thing but don’t replace their life long identity with something that will always remind them of their illness.  Wait a while.  When they are comfortable with their ability to reach the future they will let you know that they are a “survivor” and then you can feel good and use it yourself.

The idea is to put yourself in their place, let them know they have your support and the two of you will always share the same relationship you had before.  Something along the lines of “I just heard you were sick (they know the what the illness is so you don’t have to repeat it) and wanted to remind you that if there is anything I can do just let me know,  Need a ride somewhere, some shopping done, want me to cook something up so you only have to heat it?  All I ask is that you make me a list of the drugs they give you that give a good buzz.”  The drug comment is only for laughs but if you don’t feel good with it then use “if they give you anything that helps real quick please let the Browns know because I have a lot of money riding on the Steelers game Sunday.”  This can also be left on call-waiting or written in a card.  By the way, if you are sending a card then write something of your own or be counted as one of those people who are just being polite.

What I mean is let them know you care, that you want to help and they can count on you, that you are a source of encouragement, and that your relationship will always continue.

The Tea Party

 So, what Party does the Tea Party really belong in? Over the years, especially since 1980, the Republican Party has prided itself on presenting an image of unanimity. One focus, everyone in support of one course, no public internal dissent. Quite an accomplishment when you consider the large number of people needed to subscribe to such an action. The Democratic Party has been an accumulation of differing views which by nature causes public debate and a multitude of interesting options. Dissenters call Republicans “conservative” and Democrats “liberal” but facts don’t support the claims.

Now we have the Tea Party which advocates definite conservative views, was born within weeks of the inauguration of President Obama, gives voice to certain Republican speakers and candidates and is thus considered an arm of the GOP. But are they? I have been watching the situation with some interest and question that conclusion.

First, you can not listen to what the Tea Party “says” because that is filtered through well intentioned news sources who are reporting on what one person or one group is claiming and not how the total membership is advocating. For this you have to look at intelligent polling data and then use some common sense. Second, forget the message from impromptu gatherings at the Capitol Building since it isn’t practical to believe a representative group of Tea Baggers can leave their jobs or come from anywhere that isn’t close.

So, what are we left with? Apparently Tea Baggers believe government spending must be cut drastically before anything else is done but not to programs that they want (not any different from any other group). Some put the emphasis on cutting the National debt but they are opposed by those who think the budget deficit is more important. Some want the United States to become isolated from the outside world while others believe that aggressive warfare with unconditional surrender is better. Most Party members feel our taxes are excessive yet a majority of them also believe corporations make too high a profit. There is a faction guarding the military budget facing off with possibly a larger bloc reminding us that million dollar toilets are the product of the Pentagon. Most surprising is the fact that the Religious Right is more prone to be members of the Tea Party but Tea Party members don’t join the Religious Right in astounding numbers.

In short they are diverse, they debate in public, they are only a little more religious than the norm, they hate taxes, and they don’t want to be lead around by a ruling, dictatorial, minute troupe of self-serving people. Quite frankly, if they learn to compromise and play with the other kids at the park, they would resemble a component of the Democratic Party more than the Republican Party.