Today is Giving Tuesday? Who the hell came up with that? I understand that today I'm to open up my heart along with my checkbook and donate to my favorite charity. Simple enough, except a chain of events has complicated things.
Giving Tuesday comes after Monday aka Cyber Monday. Cyber Monday came after Sunday which no one has renamed yet which means it must have been Generic Sunday. Generic Sunday came after Small Business Saturday. Small Business Saturday came after Black Friday which came after Thanksgiving Thursday aka as Macy's Parade Thursday. Macy's Parade Thursday came after Thanksgiving Day Shopping Wednesday. Whew! It's been a busy week leading up to Giving Tuesday.
Now for the checkbook. Holy cow, after trying to keep up with all of Madison Avenue's exhortations the checkbook is begging for mercy. It looks like Giving Tuesday will have to take a bye.
11/27/12
If I'm going to get screwed, I'd like to be kissed
Thirty-five days to go before we go over the fiscal cliff. From everything I hear and read, there is no doubt that we are going over the cliff. The only question is what kind of a landing will it be. One thing for sure, whatever those assholes in Congress come up with, I'm going to get screwed. I guess I'd rather be screwed by the United States of America than Time Warner (yep, they raised my cable bill again). The bottom line is that at least in a democracy you get a kiss while being screwed. In a totalitarian form of government, you just get fucked.
11/25/12
Arab Spring Revisited
The harvest season is over and still nowhere in the bounty is there a sign of any meaningful yield from the seeds sowed during the Arab Spring. Tunisia's Prime Minister has warned the West that the transition to democracy has run into political and economic obstacles and the West must provide more financial backing "before it's too late". President Morsi of Egypt has assumed dictatorial powers. Apparently Egypt has replaced a dictator with strong military ties with a dictator with strong religious ties. Libya has become a haven for terrorists as shown by the deadly attack on the U.S. embassy last month in Benghazi.
The road to democracy is full of bumps and wrong turns but I doubt that democracy as we know it will ever be a fruit of the Arab Spring. To achieve any workable degree of a democratic society, Arabs must break the stranglehold that religion holds over their destiny.
Whoever said that democracy as we know it is the answer for meaningful human rights reform in the Arab world? Taxpayer dollars and American lives do not build democracies. At best they help instill stability. That is the Gospel according to Tony this Sunday morning. Go in peace.
The road to democracy is full of bumps and wrong turns but I doubt that democracy as we know it will ever be a fruit of the Arab Spring. To achieve any workable degree of a democratic society, Arabs must break the stranglehold that religion holds over their destiny.
Whoever said that democracy as we know it is the answer for meaningful human rights reform in the Arab world? Taxpayer dollars and American lives do not build democracies. At best they help instill stability. That is the Gospel according to Tony this Sunday morning. Go in peace.
11/20/12
'Tis that time of year
Don't look now but the holiday season is about to swallow up our sanity. What tipped me off? The Christmas decorations are out already. The excuse is that with the mild weather we are having, it makes sense to start the celebration. My decorations are still safe and sound in the boxes I packed them away in last December 26 - I'll unpack them when the snow starts flying and the temperature dips into the 30's. There's a method to my madness. Inclement weather is an excuse not to make a garrish Christmas display out of my house.
Another tip off that we are about to wrestle with Christmas joy are the ads in the newspaper. Something about a Black Friday. From what I gather, Black Friday is the opposite of Good Friday. Whereas the latter is an occasion to be solemn and reflect on the beginnings of Christianity ( I'm sure this interpretation would not pass muster but it is mine and mine alone), Black Friday marks the beginning of the the commercial Xmas. It has some connection with the holy Christmas in that it is an occasion to get into the spirit of giving - to yourself. From what I read, Black Friday is sort of a stimulus package for retailers. In my case it only stimulates me to keep miles away from the mall.
I should mention that in the spirit of ignoring tradition, we will be celebrating Thanksgiving Day with a prime rib roast. Haven’t come up with a Christmas Day menu yet but I understand that amazon.com has some Black Friday deals on cook books which might help.
One more thing (yes, an end is in sight), it is well to remember that the season we are about to experience will be full of cliches. In honor of the cliche season (and with apologies to Rudyard Kipling), I give you:
If You Can
If you can keep from running around like a chicken with its head cut off
If you can keep your head screwed on right
And hang in there tough
If you can stand tall
And keep from banging your head against the wall
If you can quit when you're ahead
You are head and shoulders above the rest
And - which is more- from head to heels
You are one of the best
Happy Holidays!
Another tip off that we are about to wrestle with Christmas joy are the ads in the newspaper. Something about a Black Friday. From what I gather, Black Friday is the opposite of Good Friday. Whereas the latter is an occasion to be solemn and reflect on the beginnings of Christianity ( I'm sure this interpretation would not pass muster but it is mine and mine alone), Black Friday marks the beginning of the the commercial Xmas. It has some connection with the holy Christmas in that it is an occasion to get into the spirit of giving - to yourself. From what I read, Black Friday is sort of a stimulus package for retailers. In my case it only stimulates me to keep miles away from the mall.
I should mention that in the spirit of ignoring tradition, we will be celebrating Thanksgiving Day with a prime rib roast. Haven’t come up with a Christmas Day menu yet but I understand that amazon.com has some Black Friday deals on cook books which might help.
One more thing (yes, an end is in sight), it is well to remember that the season we are about to experience will be full of cliches. In honor of the cliche season (and with apologies to Rudyard Kipling), I give you:
If You Can
If you can keep from running around like a chicken with its head cut off
If you can keep your head screwed on right
And hang in there tough
If you can stand tall
And keep from banging your head against the wall
If you can quit when you're ahead
You are head and shoulders above the rest
And - which is more- from head to heels
You are one of the best
Happy Holidays!
11/18/12
Caution - this post might be evanescent
Picked up a new word this morning- evanescent.
[ev-uh-nes-uhnt] Show IPA , adjective - 1.vanishing;fading away;fleeting, 2. tending to become imperceptible
More importantly, I found it in an article by Frank Bruni in The New York Times, Our Hard Drives, Ourselves. The article is must reading for anyone who has ever written an e-mail, a blog or commented on the Internet. More so for anyone who tweets or indulges himself with a Facebook page. Here’s a sampling of the article:
Major scandals, minor news stories and the plots of police procedurals remind us, time and again, that the seemingly evanescent communications through our smartphones, tablets, laptops (how presciently named!) and personal computers aren’t evanescent at all. They live on, float around and can be reeled in by a lawyer with a subpoena, a hacker with an agenda or a run-of-the-mill technician just letting his curiosity get the better of him.
Other than heeding Mr. Bruni’s warnings, my current challenge is to find a good use of “evanescent”. Hitting the delete button would do it, but this post is rather tame. Come to think of it my blogging may be evanescent. My local newspaper borders on becoming evanescent. I wish the far right would become evanescent. I'd be ecstatic if war became evanescent. This post is not evanescent but it is definitely finished.
[ev-uh-nes-uhnt] Show IPA , adjective - 1.vanishing;fading away;fleeting, 2. tending to become imperceptible
More importantly, I found it in an article by Frank Bruni in The New York Times, Our Hard Drives, Ourselves. The article is must reading for anyone who has ever written an e-mail, a blog or commented on the Internet. More so for anyone who tweets or indulges himself with a Facebook page. Here’s a sampling of the article:
Major scandals, minor news stories and the plots of police procedurals remind us, time and again, that the seemingly evanescent communications through our smartphones, tablets, laptops (how presciently named!) and personal computers aren’t evanescent at all. They live on, float around and can be reeled in by a lawyer with a subpoena, a hacker with an agenda or a run-of-the-mill technician just letting his curiosity get the better of him.
Other than heeding Mr. Bruni’s warnings, my current challenge is to find a good use of “evanescent”. Hitting the delete button would do it, but this post is rather tame. Come to think of it my blogging may be evanescent. My local newspaper borders on becoming evanescent. I wish the far right would become evanescent. I'd be ecstatic if war became evanescent. This post is not evanescent but it is definitely finished.
11/16/12
The best band in the land
Pick up an edition of The Plain Dealer these days and you will learn more than you want to learn about the Cleveland Browns ( an NFL team which struggles to become "maimer #1"). More often than not, there is a spot reserved on the front page for the Browns along with Sandy stories and something called a Mideast War. Cleveland is a sports town. More accurately it is a football town. It tolerates the Cleveland Indians baseball team and the Cleveland Cavaliers basketball team but it adores The Cleveland Browns.
The problem is that none of the sports teams are #1 in terms of national recognition. They have been #1 or close to it in the past but not lately. Still, the local paper does its best to remind its readers that national recognition is just around the corner.
Cleveland does get national recognition via The Cleveland Clinic which is #1 in heart care. The Cleveland Clinic does make the front page in The Plain Dealer now and then (lately about billing practices rather than heart by-pass surgery), but Cleveland desperately needs to be #1 in something besides cardiology. At least that's the message that seems to be coming from the press and sports fans. The preference is playing in the Super Bowl. Playing in the World Series is a distant second followed closely by a NBA Championship.
Speaking of playing, Cleveland does have another #1. Cleveland has the best band in the land, The Cleveland Orchestra. The orchestra has a worldwide reputation for musical excellence. I don't recall seeing any front page headlines about The Cleveland Orchestra lately, but then again the front page gets so cluttered with the Browns that I may have missed them. So what am I getting at? I'm satisfied with having one of the big five orchestras at my doorstep to brag about. As Cleveland pursues its quest for sports supremacy, it should be careful not to let the gem that shines in Severance Hall slip away.
Oh yes, I'm also grateful for that other #1, The Cleveland Clinic, in spite of their creative billing system.
The problem is that none of the sports teams are #1 in terms of national recognition. They have been #1 or close to it in the past but not lately. Still, the local paper does its best to remind its readers that national recognition is just around the corner.
Cleveland does get national recognition via The Cleveland Clinic which is #1 in heart care. The Cleveland Clinic does make the front page in The Plain Dealer now and then (lately about billing practices rather than heart by-pass surgery), but Cleveland desperately needs to be #1 in something besides cardiology. At least that's the message that seems to be coming from the press and sports fans. The preference is playing in the Super Bowl. Playing in the World Series is a distant second followed closely by a NBA Championship.
Speaking of playing, Cleveland does have another #1. Cleveland has the best band in the land, The Cleveland Orchestra. The orchestra has a worldwide reputation for musical excellence. I don't recall seeing any front page headlines about The Cleveland Orchestra lately, but then again the front page gets so cluttered with the Browns that I may have missed them. So what am I getting at? I'm satisfied with having one of the big five orchestras at my doorstep to brag about. As Cleveland pursues its quest for sports supremacy, it should be careful not to let the gem that shines in Severance Hall slip away.
Oh yes, I'm also grateful for that other #1, The Cleveland Clinic, in spite of their creative billing system.
11/13/12
About adultery in the military
- Condoms were handed out to our troops during WW2. Were they meant only for unmarried warriors?
- The term "hookers" had its origins during The Civil War. It was applied to the the women following General Hooker's troops. Does that tell us something?
11/11/12
God Save The Plain Dealer
Sunday morning - oh what a beautiful morning! The temperature outside is soaring. The leaves have the lawn to themselves; the election lawn signs are gone . Best of all, The Plain Dealer is sitting out on the lawn challenging me to pick it up. Alongside, bursting at the seams is the Sunday New York Times.
The Newspaper Guild is using today's Plain Dealer to launch its campaign to keep the paper a 7-day-a-week publication . I can just see the headline - CLEVELANDERS ASKED TO PICK UP PLAIN DEALER.
Being civic minded I picked up the The Plain Dealer. The headline screamed, What's ahead for the Buckeye state? Was this a subtle way to alert readers to the possible 3-day a- week delivery schedule. No, it was referring to some political gobbledygook. The Newspaper Guild's campaign didn't make the front page. I finally found a half-page ad on page 10 telling readers that they will be missed if The Plain Dealer continues to cut back on news coverage. It was a crummy, anemic ad - hardly eye catching. Still it was probably appropriate for the staff of a shrinking newspaper ( I wonder what the Newhouse heirs charged for the ad). The Guild also referred readers to a Facebook page where they can get information on how to express their feelings and contact the paper's owners. That seemed strange - it's the likes of Facebook, and Twitter that are causing newspapers to rethink their role as an information vehicle. I know one thing: I'm not friending anyone else on Facebook, I can hardly handle the few friends I have now.
I suppose the Guild feels like someone who is up shit creek without a paddle.They desperately need a life jacket. That life jacket is spelled M-O-N-E-Y as in S-U-B-S-C-R-I-P-T-I-O-N-S. Letters to the owners will not cut it. More income might do the trick but I would not hold my breath.
The hell with this, it's too depressing. I'm going back out and pick up The New York Times. I need to know more about the General and his biographer. Guess he never heard about the old saying, "don't shit where you work".
The Newspaper Guild is using today's Plain Dealer to launch its campaign to keep the paper a 7-day-a-week publication . I can just see the headline - CLEVELANDERS ASKED TO PICK UP PLAIN DEALER.
I suppose the Guild feels like someone who is up shit creek without a paddle.They desperately need a life jacket. That life jacket is spelled M-O-N-E-Y as in S-U-B-S-C-R-I-P-T-I-O-N-S. Letters to the owners will not cut it. More income might do the trick but I would not hold my breath.
The hell with this, it's too depressing. I'm going back out and pick up The New York Times. I need to know more about the General and his biographer. Guess he never heard about the old saying, "don't shit where you work".
11/10/12
It's Saturday- got a paper
I got up earlier than usual this morning. I tossed and turned all night, wondering if The Plain Dealer ran off the presses during the night. Even before I made the coffee, I stumbled to the garage, hit the door opener, drew a deep breath and prayed that a paper would greet me by the door. Crap! No paper! Just a bunch of wet leaves. The SOB's must have gone to their 3-day a week schedule. I was about to retreat to the warmth of the house when I decided to venture further down the driveway. What was that white object peaking through the leaves, 20 yards into the wet lawn? I slogged over and sure enough, The Plain Dealer had made it to the vicinity of my home. If this was to be my carrier's new delivery mode, a 3-day a week delivery might not be too bad.
ed note: Finished reading the shrinking wet, hard copy of the newspaper before I finished my first cup of coffee. Got to my computer and spent the next half hour reading all the news that's fit to print. That story about the horny spy was great.
ed note: Finished reading the shrinking wet, hard copy of the newspaper before I finished my first cup of coffee. Got to my computer and spent the next half hour reading all the news that's fit to print. That story about the horny spy was great.
11/9/12
No paper this morning, it's only Friday
Now and then I like to write about things which have a special place in my memory. It looks like I may be doing some reminiscing about 7-day-a-week local newspapers. WKYC- Cleveland reports that rumors are circulating that The Plain Dealer is contemplating a possible change to a 3-day-a-week print edition and continuous website similar to what has already taken place in papers in Alabama, Michigan, New Orleans, Harrisburg and Syracuse. WKYC reports that if The Plain Dealer goes to that type of business model that would make Cleveland the largest U.S. city with no daily paper.
In response to these rumors, there will be the usual billboards, bus placards, petitions and community pleas to convince the decision makers that Cleveland deserves a 7-day-a-week local newspaper. I can just see the CEO of Advance Publications, The Plain Dealer’s parent company, smugly saying that he agrees but the bottom line doesn’t.
Local 1 of the Newspaper Guild wants the community to get involved to save the newspaper. In the face of adversity a community should get involved. In this case all they have to do is subscribe to the paper. They don’t have to read it. They can still get all the news they want from their I-phone, I-pad or any other electronic device they have. Subscribing however, costs money. Most people will opt for signing petitions while continuing to get their news from the internet or some comedy show.
I predict that in lieu of national recognition for a sports team, Cleveland will opt to become the largest U.S. city with no daily paper. Heck, everyone will be talking about Cleveland.
What about that business model of a 3-day a week newspaper and a continuous website? First the website. Just go to www.cleveland.com and you will never go there again. A paper only 3 days a week? If I can’t have it 7 days a week , they can wipe their ass with it. What do you hear about The New York Times?
I remember when a newspaper was delivered to my doorstep 7 days a week and……… I’m being premature. I shouldn’t reminisce based on rumors. I probably should look around for a smart phone. Let’s see, Apple, Motorola or Samsung? Can you have a leisurely breakfast and use a smart phone at the same time? The classifieds should be able to help. Damn it - where’s The Plain Dealer when I need it.
In response to these rumors, there will be the usual billboards, bus placards, petitions and community pleas to convince the decision makers that Cleveland deserves a 7-day-a-week local newspaper. I can just see the CEO of Advance Publications, The Plain Dealer’s parent company, smugly saying that he agrees but the bottom line doesn’t.
Local 1 of the Newspaper Guild wants the community to get involved to save the newspaper. In the face of adversity a community should get involved. In this case all they have to do is subscribe to the paper. They don’t have to read it. They can still get all the news they want from their I-phone, I-pad or any other electronic device they have. Subscribing however, costs money. Most people will opt for signing petitions while continuing to get their news from the internet or some comedy show.
I predict that in lieu of national recognition for a sports team, Cleveland will opt to become the largest U.S. city with no daily paper. Heck, everyone will be talking about Cleveland.
What about that business model of a 3-day a week newspaper and a continuous website? First the website. Just go to www.cleveland.com and you will never go there again. A paper only 3 days a week? If I can’t have it 7 days a week , they can wipe their ass with it. What do you hear about The New York Times?
I remember when a newspaper was delivered to my doorstep 7 days a week and……… I’m being premature. I shouldn’t reminisce based on rumors. I probably should look around for a smart phone. Let’s see, Apple, Motorola or Samsung? Can you have a leisurely breakfast and use a smart phone at the same time? The classifieds should be able to help. Damn it - where’s The Plain Dealer when I need it.
11/8/12
What comes after trillion?
The election is over. Much of the election rhetoric will go into the trash can. Not so with our debt. The last I checked the United States debt clock, we were at $16,243,765,800,000 and counting. That's a pretty hefty sum. Lets leave the pretty out - its a very hefty sum. I believe that my share is over $187,000. Exactly how I handle my share is not very clear to me. Some prominent economists say that we should not worry about the debt. That's fine with me. Besides Washington knows that you can't get blood out of a stone. I hope China knows that also.
The pundits are predicting that reducing the debt will be high on Obama's to-do list. I keep hearing that he would like to squeeze some rich folks for a few more bucks in taxes. The Republicans ,however, are planning to pull a Charlton Heston "I'll give you my gun when you pry it from my cold, dead hands". That can get a little messy but it's worth a try. The only other viable alternative is to conduct a garage sale featuring some of our states. I'm sure Cuba could borrow enough money from Russia to make a decent offer for Florida ( providing it finishes counting Election 2012 votes). Mexico's drug lords would be sure to go after Texas. Alaska would command a few trillion from Canada.
There must be better solutions to this debt problem than those I have offered. Raising taxes on the wealthy deserves a serious look. Putting people to work at decent wages would go a long way for some significant debt reduction. Then there is the challenge of learning how to defend ourselves without destroying our economy. One thing for sure, there is no solution which will please everyone. We are all going to have to learn how to spell sacrefise ( S-A-C-R-I-F-I-C-E, you fool!).
What happens if the debt clock hits $999,999,999,999,999? Will we be talking a quadtrillion? No way, we'll be talking Chinese.
The pundits are predicting that reducing the debt will be high on Obama's to-do list. I keep hearing that he would like to squeeze some rich folks for a few more bucks in taxes. The Republicans ,however, are planning to pull a Charlton Heston "I'll give you my gun when you pry it from my cold, dead hands". That can get a little messy but it's worth a try. The only other viable alternative is to conduct a garage sale featuring some of our states. I'm sure Cuba could borrow enough money from Russia to make a decent offer for Florida ( providing it finishes counting Election 2012 votes). Mexico's drug lords would be sure to go after Texas. Alaska would command a few trillion from Canada.
There must be better solutions to this debt problem than those I have offered. Raising taxes on the wealthy deserves a serious look. Putting people to work at decent wages would go a long way for some significant debt reduction. Then there is the challenge of learning how to defend ourselves without destroying our economy. One thing for sure, there is no solution which will please everyone. We are all going to have to learn how to spell sacrefise ( S-A-C-R-I-F-I-C-E, you fool!).
What happens if the debt clock hits $999,999,999,999,999? Will we be talking a quadtrillion? No way, we'll be talking Chinese.
11/7/12
Hail To The Chief!!!
Hail Obama! May you have the wind at your back as you try to move us forward. Get the job done , as we prepare for our first woman president in 2016, Hillary Clinton.
11/4/12
Two More Days To Campaign 2016
We're getting close. Two more days and we can get Campaign 2016 started. I've already started to clean those stale Campaign 2012 e-mails out of my in-box. No matter the outcome on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, we can be assured that our political forces will put aside any thoughts of changing how government works and will start oilng the Camapaign 2016 machinery.On November 7, 2012, both parties will be committed to destroying one another, rather than governing. Heck, it's a lot more fun than trying to solve the problems which are eroding the foundations of our country. Cynical? No, pragmatic. Campaign 2016 starts on November7, 2012. Get your checkbook ready and make sure that your spam box is large enough to hold the crap that will be coming your way the next four years. Hope I'm wrong. Bipartisanship would be a welcome change but I'm afraid we said bye to that a long time ago.
11/1/12
The Unmentionables
I'm not going to mention what is really going on with superstorm Sandy. I'm taking my cue from Campaign 2012. There are least two unmentionables during this epic (as in costly) campaign. I can't mention them ( if they pop up it is merely a slip on the keyboard) but they do have something to do with weather and massacres.
As for the weather, it is changing.That's not unusual. Weather is supposed to change but why is it getting to be so catastrophic? Could it be climate change, a.k.a. global warming? Evidently, in the spirit of bipartisanship, it has been decided that what we are seeing throughout this country of ours is weather change and nothing more. Global warming is an unmentionable.
As for the massacres, Campaign 2012 has decided that the National Rifle Association knows best. Massacres have been going on long before guns were invented, so we can't blame today's problems on the proliferation of guns - at least not if we want to win an election.
As for these unmentionables (dare I mention global warming and gun control), we can at least be content with bipartisanship at work. Republicans and Democrats alike have swept the issues under the rug at least for now.
Next week we will go to the polls and vote. Nowhere on the ballot will we have an opportunity to express our views on the unmentionables. Well, maybe there is. If we re-elect Obama, we have the best chance of climate issues and gun control issues being tackled. Re-election should give him the balls to fight The NRA and big business. After all, he can't run for a third term so he might as well go for it- Congress be damned.
It is not enough to express condolences in the after effects of a 'Sandy' or a 'Columbine'. It is not enough to commit ourselves to rebuilding. We need a commitment to do the things to keep us from destroying ourselves.
As for the weather, it is changing.That's not unusual. Weather is supposed to change but why is it getting to be so catastrophic? Could it be climate change, a.k.a. global warming? Evidently, in the spirit of bipartisanship, it has been decided that what we are seeing throughout this country of ours is weather change and nothing more. Global warming is an unmentionable.
As for the massacres, Campaign 2012 has decided that the National Rifle Association knows best. Massacres have been going on long before guns were invented, so we can't blame today's problems on the proliferation of guns - at least not if we want to win an election.
As for these unmentionables (dare I mention global warming and gun control), we can at least be content with bipartisanship at work. Republicans and Democrats alike have swept the issues under the rug at least for now.
Next week we will go to the polls and vote. Nowhere on the ballot will we have an opportunity to express our views on the unmentionables. Well, maybe there is. If we re-elect Obama, we have the best chance of climate issues and gun control issues being tackled. Re-election should give him the balls to fight The NRA and big business. After all, he can't run for a third term so he might as well go for it- Congress be damned.
It is not enough to express condolences in the after effects of a 'Sandy' or a 'Columbine'. It is not enough to commit ourselves to rebuilding. We need a commitment to do the things to keep us from destroying ourselves.
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