I am a Football Fan. The word Fan is defined on Dictionary.com as an enthusiastic devotee, follower or admirer of a sport, pastime, celebrity. etc. The word's origin is an Americanism circa 1885-1890, short for fanatic. But since a fanatic is defined as a person with an extreme and uncritical enthusiasm or zeal, I think I am more of a modern Fan rather than a full-blown fanatic.
I know that I am a Fan because I consider 2 of the saddest days of the year to be the day after the BCS Championship Game and the day after the Super Bowl. I know I am specifically a Georgia Bulldog fan because I am in a good mood when they win and a really lousy mood when they lose. I know that I am a fan of football in general because I watch 8 games at one time on Sundays, have 2 Fantasy Football teams, play in a weekly football pool, organize and run an annual College Football Bowl Pool and follow recruiting news, draft news and free agent signings during the off season.
Yes, I like Baseball, Basketball, Golf and other sports. I even casually follow those other sports but am not an enthusiastic devotee of any of them. (I use to be a fan of The Atlanta Braves, but they broke my heart one too many times!)
Ten years ago, my son, Brad, and I decided that the football season was over too soon, so we put together "Brad's Big Bowl Bonanza" (BBBB)...a college football bowl contest where one picked the winner of all 28 Bowl Games. We had 44 participants and a good time was had by all. A few years ago, I nearly quit running the contest because of the time it takes to set-up and monitor during the Bowl Season. But, then I decided that if I was going to continue the task, it had to have a purpose. That is when I decided to rename the contest Bella's Big Bowl Bonanza, raise the entry fee and donate a portion of the fee to Bella's Angels....a non-profit foundation that helps families with children that are stricken with CHARGE syndrome. My young friend, Bella Cavallo, and her family and friends founded Bella's Angels a few years ago as they were searching for a way to help with the mounting medical and travel expenses associated with diagnosing and treating Bella. At the age of 4 Bella was diagnosed with Charge Syndrome. The purpose of the Foundation is to assist families facing similar circumstances with medical and travel expenses not covered by insurance and to provide informational and emotional support. As each year passed, I continued to organize the contest and we peaked a couple of years ago with 86 participants. This year, each participant must pick the winner (against the point spread) of all 34 College Bowl Games. We are shooting for 100 participants.
So, some good has come of my being a football fan. I get to further indulge my appetite for football and help out my friends at Bella's Angels at the same time. If you have not yet gotten an entry form for this year's contest or if you know of others that might want to try their luck, please contact me and I will send you the entry form. Deadline is December 17th.
Hooray for Football! and GO DAWGS!!!
And The Journey Continues..........
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Wake Up, Republicans, Mitt's Your Guy!
Regular readers of this Blog surely know by now that I am a Democrat at heart. I have great distaste for those on the Far Right and generally have no patience with those that want to delve into the private lives of anyone. I support a woman's right to choose but respect those that choose life...however, it is not government's right to make that decision for a woman. I support same sex unions that give equal rights to same sex couples....it is not government's role to even take a stance in that argument. I do NOT believe that Religion has any place in government and am damn tired of those that insist that only Evangelical Christians know the way. I do not believe that Social Security and Medicare are entitlement programs...I have been paying into both systems since I was 14 years old and view those programs as my right. I believe that our environment is in deep trouble and those that label Climate Change as merely a theory are not being intellectually honest. I believe we have a responsibility to back up those Countries that back us up....and should cut off aid to those that don't. I believe that the Military-Industrial Complex has our politicians bamboozled - our Defense Budget is greater that all of the other Countries on Earth combined. I believe that decisions on tax advantages are based on who gives what to which politicians (Obscene tax advantages for the Oil Companies are a great example). I believe our Supreme Court is as political as Congress and justices should not be appointed for a lifetime. I believe that all Congressmen and Senators should be on the same Social Security Plan and Medical Insurance Plans as ordinary Americans and should NOT be granted life-time pensions for serving as little as 2 years in Congress. I believe that spending on education should increase by multiples - Teachers should be among the highest paid people. We are going to succeed or fail based on how well educated our children become and how this prepares them to compete in the global economy.
And finally, I believe that Congress is a bigger problem than our President. They are not interested in doing what is right for this Country...only what will get them elected in their little slice of America. Any time that the leading Republican Senator states that his number one priority is to see that the President only serves one term rather than his priority being to fix the problems, that Senator should be booted out of Congress. Nonetheless, I am really a Centrist when it comes to the economy. But I am also a realist and believe that our deficit problem cannot be fixed merely by cutting the budget. We have a revenue problem and massive tax reform is needed to get us on the road to recovery. And that means that everybody has to step up to the plate.....even Ronald Reagan and George Bush, the elder, raised taxes - because it was the RIGHT thing to do. Our tax rates are at the lowest levels in over 100 years and many very large, very profitable Companies and high worth individuals are paying little or no taxes.
Which brings us to the upcoming Presidential Race. Yes, I voted for Obama in 2008. But I am not happy with where we are as a Country. How much is his fault? I am not sure, but am willing to listen to anybody that has a better plan. It has been with great amusement that I have watched the Republican debates and crazed rhetoric that have already come out of the race for the Republican nomination. And I am simply amazed that there is even any question as to who, among the contenders, is even remotely qualified for the job.
Let's look at those that are dominating the news: Michelle Bachman - This woman is even dumber than Sister Sara. I cannot believe that there are a majority of people in her district that could even vote for her. She makes no sense, has no clue and couldn't manage her way out of a paper bag. Michelle, your 15 minutes are up....go away already. Then we have Rick Perry who's grasp of the issues is tenuous at best. He does not seem to appear even as smart as George Bush - and we all know where that got us. And he is desperate...come on, Rick, the birther issue again?? His economic plan (or lack of one) is so ill conceived, if implemented we would have to learn to spell Depression. And of course there is the Pizza King, Herman Cain. Mr. 9-9-9, a plan that (I don't care that he denied it) came straight out of a video game. There are so many things wrong with this plan that it would take way too much space to write them here. Besides, Herman only got in this race to sell books and get his speaking fees increased. Even he is surprised that he has risen in the polls - his lack of an organization is evidence of that.
Which brings us to Mitt Romney. I know Mitt Romney. I have worked with Mitt Romney. As CEO of Bain Capital he was on The Board of The Sports Authority and I had the pleasure of interacting with Mitt on a monthly basis for over 4 years. Mitt Romney is one of the most intelligent people that I have ever dealt with. He possesses the intellectual curiosity that is paramount in any good leader. I always found that Mitt conducts himself with an enormous amount of integrity. Given all of that, it is evident that Mitt, like all politicians, says those things that will assure that he gets the nomination. Some of those things are different than what he said to get elected as Governor of Massachusetts. I don't necessarily hold that against him. What is important is what I think he will actually act on - by that, I mean that Mitt might say (for example) that he is for overturning Roe v Wade because that will help him get the nomination. He might even believe what he says, but I think Mitt is smart enough to take those issues that are not part of the solving of the Country's most important problems totally off of the table once he is elected. I think Mitt can cut through the noise and concentrate on what is really important. I believe there is no substitue for intelligence and integrity.
So, will I vote for Mitt Romney if he is nominated? I really don't know yet. I have a lot more research and studying to do before I make that decision. It is a long time between now and November, 2012. In the movie The American President, the character played by Michael Douglas, Andrew Shepherd, The President of the United States, said "We've got serious problems and we need serious people....this is a time for serious people..." Never before has it been more apropro than now.
And The Journey continues......
And finally, I believe that Congress is a bigger problem than our President. They are not interested in doing what is right for this Country...only what will get them elected in their little slice of America. Any time that the leading Republican Senator states that his number one priority is to see that the President only serves one term rather than his priority being to fix the problems, that Senator should be booted out of Congress. Nonetheless, I am really a Centrist when it comes to the economy. But I am also a realist and believe that our deficit problem cannot be fixed merely by cutting the budget. We have a revenue problem and massive tax reform is needed to get us on the road to recovery. And that means that everybody has to step up to the plate.....even Ronald Reagan and George Bush, the elder, raised taxes - because it was the RIGHT thing to do. Our tax rates are at the lowest levels in over 100 years and many very large, very profitable Companies and high worth individuals are paying little or no taxes.
Which brings us to the upcoming Presidential Race. Yes, I voted for Obama in 2008. But I am not happy with where we are as a Country. How much is his fault? I am not sure, but am willing to listen to anybody that has a better plan. It has been with great amusement that I have watched the Republican debates and crazed rhetoric that have already come out of the race for the Republican nomination. And I am simply amazed that there is even any question as to who, among the contenders, is even remotely qualified for the job.
Let's look at those that are dominating the news: Michelle Bachman - This woman is even dumber than Sister Sara. I cannot believe that there are a majority of people in her district that could even vote for her. She makes no sense, has no clue and couldn't manage her way out of a paper bag. Michelle, your 15 minutes are up....go away already. Then we have Rick Perry who's grasp of the issues is tenuous at best. He does not seem to appear even as smart as George Bush - and we all know where that got us. And he is desperate...come on, Rick, the birther issue again?? His economic plan (or lack of one) is so ill conceived, if implemented we would have to learn to spell Depression. And of course there is the Pizza King, Herman Cain. Mr. 9-9-9, a plan that (I don't care that he denied it) came straight out of a video game. There are so many things wrong with this plan that it would take way too much space to write them here. Besides, Herman only got in this race to sell books and get his speaking fees increased. Even he is surprised that he has risen in the polls - his lack of an organization is evidence of that.
Which brings us to Mitt Romney. I know Mitt Romney. I have worked with Mitt Romney. As CEO of Bain Capital he was on The Board of The Sports Authority and I had the pleasure of interacting with Mitt on a monthly basis for over 4 years. Mitt Romney is one of the most intelligent people that I have ever dealt with. He possesses the intellectual curiosity that is paramount in any good leader. I always found that Mitt conducts himself with an enormous amount of integrity. Given all of that, it is evident that Mitt, like all politicians, says those things that will assure that he gets the nomination. Some of those things are different than what he said to get elected as Governor of Massachusetts. I don't necessarily hold that against him. What is important is what I think he will actually act on - by that, I mean that Mitt might say (for example) that he is for overturning Roe v Wade because that will help him get the nomination. He might even believe what he says, but I think Mitt is smart enough to take those issues that are not part of the solving of the Country's most important problems totally off of the table once he is elected. I think Mitt can cut through the noise and concentrate on what is really important. I believe there is no substitue for intelligence and integrity.
So, will I vote for Mitt Romney if he is nominated? I really don't know yet. I have a lot more research and studying to do before I make that decision. It is a long time between now and November, 2012. In the movie The American President, the character played by Michael Douglas, Andrew Shepherd, The President of the United States, said "We've got serious problems and we need serious people....this is a time for serious people..." Never before has it been more apropro than now.
And The Journey continues......
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
ROAD TRIP 2011 / Connie & Roy's Excellent Adventure!
We always seem to fly whenever we go anywhere...but this time we decided to take a road trip. Well, actually, I decided we would take a road trip. Connie still preferred to fly but I loaded her Ipad with 7 movies, gave her my noise cancelling headphones and off we went. The 11 day itinerary took in Atlanta, Asheville, Baltimore, DC, and Savannah.
First to Atlanta. We hadn't seen my Dad all Summer, my brother promised to get Georgia Football tickets and we had a wedding to go to. The added bonus was Lisa joining us for a couple of days and visits with my brothers and sisters-in-law. I always threatened my kids that if I ever drive to their house, then I would bring as much of their "stuff" that we have been storing for years. So, I loaded up the Prius with Brad's Sports memorabilia and other assorted goodies, a five foot teddy bear for Elie and barely had enough room for our luggage. An hour or so out of Boca, the traffic on the Florida turnpike came to a halt...a car on fire stopped all traffic for about an hour - what a way to start a road trip! We arrived at my Dad's in Atlanta and had just enough time to drop our luggage and head to brother Jan and Heidi's for dinner. It was great to see Melissa, Alan and Barbara , too! The Scotch was great, the food delish and the company engaging. After the long drive and fulfilling drink and food, the bed was beckoning. But Lisa's plane from Denver was late and after driving to the airport, bedtime was moved to 1 AM!
Saturday, our morning walk meandered through Buckhead and Brookhaven before culminating in breakfast at the Flying Biscuit. With high hopes, Jan picked me up to go downtown for the Georgia- Boise State Football Game! What a scene....parties all over downtown, tailgating, music at Olympic Park, drinks at the CNN Center and a lousy football game in the Georgia Dome!! It's going to be another long season. On Sunday, Connie, Lisa and I took a walk at Chastain Park and got a charge out of the number of people that recognized us. After 28 years being away from Atlanta, it was fun to be recognized by old classmates and friends on at least 3 occasions during the walk! The wedding of our friend's daughter was Sunday night and although we knew very few people, it was a fun time.
On Monday, after dropping Lisa at the airport, we were off to Asheville, NC. We had always heard about Asheville's charm and decided to spend one night there. The drive was beautiful as we meandered through North Georgia, South Carolina and the Mountains of North Carolina. But that is where the rains from the recent tropical storm caught up with us. After checking into the hotel, we wandered around the Biltmore Village, walked to dinner just ahead of the heavy rains and didn't get to see much of Asheville. The next morning we had a sumptuous breakfast at the Tupelo Honey Cafe, took a short stroll around town and headed out for Baltimore.
After more rain, we finally arrived in Baltimore. Our beautiful grandson, Elie, was waiting with Brad on the front porch and the thrill of him reaching out for us was worth every mile driven so far! I'm not sure of when we did what in Baltimore, because all of my attention was focused on spending as much time as possible with little Elie...and I was not disappointed. There is nothing better than being awakened early in the morning by his smiling face as he gets in bed with me and Grams for early morning playtime. It had been over 3 months since we saw him in person and the change was incredible. Elie has developed his own little personality and except for the fact that he doesn't sleep very much, I think he is damn near perfect! I am convinced, though, that his short naps and lack of sleep throughout the night is because he is afraid he might be missing out on the fun if he sleeps too long.
Nonetheless, we stayed busy in Baltimore. Just spending time with Brad, Claire and Elie was enough for me, but we did manage to stay busy with a trip to the Children's Museum, The Inner Harbor, walks, and shopping. I found out that Elie loves to ride in the shopping cart and he is definitely a chick magnet as he flirts with everybody. Sunday came too soon, as it was time for Saba and Grams to leave.
A quick trip Sunday morning to DC to see the MLK Memorial and The FDR Memorial - both too new for us to have seen before. We didn't do our homework, though, as the National Triathlon/Duathlon was being held in DC with the Mall being the finish line. It made things a little hectic, but we were able to see the impressive new monuments before attempting to leave town. Being 9/11, the road leading to I-95 was bumper to bumper as all the roads around the Pentagon were shut down.
On to Savannah as we meandered through Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and finally Georgia. Arriving in the Savannah Historic District later on Sunday Evening, we had a quick snack and collapsed in the bed. Monday morning we took a beautiful stroll through the cobblestone streets and heavily treed squares to a country breakfast. On our walk, Connie was excited to stumble upon the First Girl Scout Headquarters....the very place she visited on her last trip to Savannah some 50 years ago. We couldn't help but notice that Southern Hospitality and general friendliness is alive in Savannah. How refreshing to be greeted with hearty "Good Morning's!" as we made our way through the streets. Nothing like the South and the people that live there! (And for those of you that thinks South Florida is the South...wrong! It's more like New York than the South)
So, we headed home. About 80 miles from home, we ran into one of those famous Florida thunderstorms that made driving impossible - so I actually pulled off the interstate and waited it out. That is something I can't ever remember doing before. Arriving home Monday night, we had travelled through 7 states and DC, driven 2542 miles, and according to the computer on the Prius achieved 46.1 miles per gallon at an average speed of 59 mile per hour. (I know I was really averaging about 75 mph on the highway but the computer takes into account all of the driving.) I guess it is time to start planning the next road trip...maybe out west next time and then I can deliver all of Lisa's "stuff" to her. Something tells me, though, that I might be driving alone and Connie will fly to wherever I am.
And The Journey continues.............
First to Atlanta. We hadn't seen my Dad all Summer, my brother promised to get Georgia Football tickets and we had a wedding to go to. The added bonus was Lisa joining us for a couple of days and visits with my brothers and sisters-in-law. I always threatened my kids that if I ever drive to their house, then I would bring as much of their "stuff" that we have been storing for years. So, I loaded up the Prius with Brad's Sports memorabilia and other assorted goodies, a five foot teddy bear for Elie and barely had enough room for our luggage. An hour or so out of Boca, the traffic on the Florida turnpike came to a halt...a car on fire stopped all traffic for about an hour - what a way to start a road trip! We arrived at my Dad's in Atlanta and had just enough time to drop our luggage and head to brother Jan and Heidi's for dinner. It was great to see Melissa, Alan and Barbara , too! The Scotch was great, the food delish and the company engaging. After the long drive and fulfilling drink and food, the bed was beckoning. But Lisa's plane from Denver was late and after driving to the airport, bedtime was moved to 1 AM!
Saturday, our morning walk meandered through Buckhead and Brookhaven before culminating in breakfast at the Flying Biscuit. With high hopes, Jan picked me up to go downtown for the Georgia- Boise State Football Game! What a scene....parties all over downtown, tailgating, music at Olympic Park, drinks at the CNN Center and a lousy football game in the Georgia Dome!! It's going to be another long season. On Sunday, Connie, Lisa and I took a walk at Chastain Park and got a charge out of the number of people that recognized us. After 28 years being away from Atlanta, it was fun to be recognized by old classmates and friends on at least 3 occasions during the walk! The wedding of our friend's daughter was Sunday night and although we knew very few people, it was a fun time.
On Monday, after dropping Lisa at the airport, we were off to Asheville, NC. We had always heard about Asheville's charm and decided to spend one night there. The drive was beautiful as we meandered through North Georgia, South Carolina and the Mountains of North Carolina. But that is where the rains from the recent tropical storm caught up with us. After checking into the hotel, we wandered around the Biltmore Village, walked to dinner just ahead of the heavy rains and didn't get to see much of Asheville. The next morning we had a sumptuous breakfast at the Tupelo Honey Cafe, took a short stroll around town and headed out for Baltimore.
After more rain, we finally arrived in Baltimore. Our beautiful grandson, Elie, was waiting with Brad on the front porch and the thrill of him reaching out for us was worth every mile driven so far! I'm not sure of when we did what in Baltimore, because all of my attention was focused on spending as much time as possible with little Elie...and I was not disappointed. There is nothing better than being awakened early in the morning by his smiling face as he gets in bed with me and Grams for early morning playtime. It had been over 3 months since we saw him in person and the change was incredible. Elie has developed his own little personality and except for the fact that he doesn't sleep very much, I think he is damn near perfect! I am convinced, though, that his short naps and lack of sleep throughout the night is because he is afraid he might be missing out on the fun if he sleeps too long. 
Nonetheless, we stayed busy in Baltimore. Just spending time with Brad, Claire and Elie was enough for me, but we did manage to stay busy with a trip to the Children's Museum, The Inner Harbor, walks, and shopping. I found out that Elie loves to ride in the shopping cart and he is definitely a chick magnet as he flirts with everybody. Sunday came too soon, as it was time for Saba and Grams to leave.
A quick trip Sunday morning to DC to see the MLK Memorial and The FDR Memorial - both too new for us to have seen before. We didn't do our homework, though, as the National Triathlon/Duathlon was being held in DC with the Mall being the finish line. It made things a little hectic, but we were able to see the impressive new monuments before attempting to leave town. Being 9/11, the road leading to I-95 was bumper to bumper as all the roads around the Pentagon were shut down. 
On to Savannah as we meandered through Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and finally Georgia. Arriving in the Savannah Historic District later on Sunday Evening, we had a quick snack and collapsed in the bed. Monday morning we took a beautiful stroll through the cobblestone streets and heavily treed squares to a country breakfast. On our walk, Connie was excited to stumble upon the First Girl Scout Headquarters....the very place she visited on her last trip to Savannah some 50 years ago. We couldn't help but notice that Southern Hospitality and general friendliness is alive in Savannah. How refreshing to be greeted with hearty "Good Morning's!" as we made our way through the streets. Nothing like the South and the people that live there! (And for those of you that thinks South Florida is the South...wrong! It's more like New York than the South)
So, we headed home. About 80 miles from home, we ran into one of those famous Florida thunderstorms that made driving impossible - so I actually pulled off the interstate and waited it out. That is something I can't ever remember doing before. Arriving home Monday night, we had travelled through 7 states and DC, driven 2542 miles, and according to the computer on the Prius achieved 46.1 miles per gallon at an average speed of 59 mile per hour. (I know I was really averaging about 75 mph on the highway but the computer takes into account all of the driving.) I guess it is time to start planning the next road trip...maybe out west next time and then I can deliver all of Lisa's "stuff" to her. Something tells me, though, that I might be driving alone and Connie will fly to wherever I am.
And The Journey continues.............
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Random Summertime Musings
It has been a month since I submitted my last Blog posting and I have had a hard time coming up with a worthwhile summertime subject to write about. It has been a Summer of Washington lunacy, stock market craziness, Casey Anthony mania and unusually hot weather.
The Summer of Washington lunacy has been particularly appalling. We have a Congress that is made up of a bunch of children that do not understand the spirit of our Constitution. If nothing else, our government was set up to encourage compromise among the disparate viewpoints that proliferate the landscape. However, what we have now is the lunatic fringe elements holding the government hostage because they are more interested in pushing their own agendas rather than figuring out what is best for our Country. Why do these same people continue to want policy that has failed over and over again?
In all of my business dealings, I have learned that a business cannot be brought to profitability simply by cutting expenses. Increased revenues are absolutely necessary to balance the decreased spending. Recent polling shows that the majority of Americans agree with this and want to see tax reform. BUT, The Tea Party's fierce opposition of anything with the word "taxes" attached to it is putting the future of our country at great risk. Why do we accept a system that continues to provide the Oil Companies with massive assistance, companies such as GE with a tax rate lower than people making $50,000 a year, and billionaires paying less taxes than their secretaries? By the way, the Republican God, Ronald Reagan, even raised taxes....does that make him Satan?
The Bush-era tax cuts have added $1.7 trillion to our current debt and the bogus wars we engaged in have added $1.3 trillion. These two items are greater than the debt caused by Social Security and Medicare Part D combined! However, the Tea Party wants to concentrate on the $16 billion TARP (which we will actually profit from), Social Security (which all of us have paid into for our entire lives) and Medicare. Our Defense spending now exceeds all of the other countries in the world combined!! Something tells me that this is unnecessary - but the military-industrial complex can't let this be cut. Tsk, Tsk. When will somebody stand up for the middle class? If there is no growth for the middle class, then there is no growth for the USA.
The leadership void in our nation is frightening. Mr. Obama has shown a lack of backbone in standing up to the various factions and the GOP has yet to put forth anyone that shows any leadership ability. The present Republican hopefuls, Mitt, Tim and Michelle have all been quick to blame the mess on Barack but have offered no solutions. The onus remains on these candidates to explain SPECIFICALLY, how each would change Washington and spur job growth. So far, none of them have offered anything but criticism and blame - if they have a plan to change Washington and encourage job growth, they have done a good job of hiding it. Wake up, America, these candidates will SAY anything to get elected, but what they say doesn't equal their past actions. All one has to do is look at Mitt's record on job outsourcing or Michelle's grab of stimulus money to understand this point. These are serious times and so far, no one has shown that they have serious ideas and plans to lead us.
Which brings me to the Casey Anthony trial. Get over it!! Yes, we all know she is guilty of, at the very least, neglect that led to her child's death..or at the most, cold, premeditated murder. But, the prosecution did not prove any of this. That's our system - innocent until proven guilty. Yep, I am sorry for the little girl too, but all of the protesting, memorial building and angst over the verdict will not bring her back. And, I would rather have a system like ours than any other one...it's not perfect, but it is better than the alternatives.
This hot weather is making me weary...so, that's it for now!
And The Journey continues..................
The Summer of Washington lunacy has been particularly appalling. We have a Congress that is made up of a bunch of children that do not understand the spirit of our Constitution. If nothing else, our government was set up to encourage compromise among the disparate viewpoints that proliferate the landscape. However, what we have now is the lunatic fringe elements holding the government hostage because they are more interested in pushing their own agendas rather than figuring out what is best for our Country. Why do these same people continue to want policy that has failed over and over again?
In all of my business dealings, I have learned that a business cannot be brought to profitability simply by cutting expenses. Increased revenues are absolutely necessary to balance the decreased spending. Recent polling shows that the majority of Americans agree with this and want to see tax reform. BUT, The Tea Party's fierce opposition of anything with the word "taxes" attached to it is putting the future of our country at great risk. Why do we accept a system that continues to provide the Oil Companies with massive assistance, companies such as GE with a tax rate lower than people making $50,000 a year, and billionaires paying less taxes than their secretaries? By the way, the Republican God, Ronald Reagan, even raised taxes....does that make him Satan?
The Bush-era tax cuts have added $1.7 trillion to our current debt and the bogus wars we engaged in have added $1.3 trillion. These two items are greater than the debt caused by Social Security and Medicare Part D combined! However, the Tea Party wants to concentrate on the $16 billion TARP (which we will actually profit from), Social Security (which all of us have paid into for our entire lives) and Medicare. Our Defense spending now exceeds all of the other countries in the world combined!! Something tells me that this is unnecessary - but the military-industrial complex can't let this be cut. Tsk, Tsk. When will somebody stand up for the middle class? If there is no growth for the middle class, then there is no growth for the USA.
The leadership void in our nation is frightening. Mr. Obama has shown a lack of backbone in standing up to the various factions and the GOP has yet to put forth anyone that shows any leadership ability. The present Republican hopefuls, Mitt, Tim and Michelle have all been quick to blame the mess on Barack but have offered no solutions. The onus remains on these candidates to explain SPECIFICALLY, how each would change Washington and spur job growth. So far, none of them have offered anything but criticism and blame - if they have a plan to change Washington and encourage job growth, they have done a good job of hiding it. Wake up, America, these candidates will SAY anything to get elected, but what they say doesn't equal their past actions. All one has to do is look at Mitt's record on job outsourcing or Michelle's grab of stimulus money to understand this point. These are serious times and so far, no one has shown that they have serious ideas and plans to lead us.
Which brings me to the Casey Anthony trial. Get over it!! Yes, we all know she is guilty of, at the very least, neglect that led to her child's death..or at the most, cold, premeditated murder. But, the prosecution did not prove any of this. That's our system - innocent until proven guilty. Yep, I am sorry for the little girl too, but all of the protesting, memorial building and angst over the verdict will not bring her back. And, I would rather have a system like ours than any other one...it's not perfect, but it is better than the alternatives.
This hot weather is making me weary...so, that's it for now!
And The Journey continues..................
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Liars, Hypocrites and Other Famous People
hy-poc-ri-sy n. pl. -sies 1. The practice of professing beliefs, feelings or virtues that one does not hold or posess; insincerity.hyp-o-crite n. A person given to hypocrisy
lie n. 1. A false statement deliberately presented as being true; a falsehood. 2. Something meant to deceive or give a wrong impression. v. 1. To present false information with the intention of deceiving. 2. To convey a false image or impression.
I thought that one could find a picture of several people in the news next to the words that are defined above...but I looked in several dictionaries and could only find the definitions. But, that doesn't make my disgust with liars and hypocrites any less severe.
Recent revelations from THE Ohio State University finally exposed one of the great hypocrites of all time...Coach Jim Tressel. Coach Tressel professes to be a man of great moral and ethical beliefs whose great mission in life is to lead the impressionable on the righteous path of life....yea, right! Instead he is a liar, cheat and world class hypocrite who's sole mission in life is to win. Now, I don't have a problem with someone being driven to be a winner, but don't hold yourself up as a model of morality while you are cheating. But, then again, Coach Tressel was a cheater at his last job, so no one should have expected anything different from him at Ohio State.
Unfortunately, hypocrisy has become the rule of our land. Politicians after politician have perfected the art of hypocrisy. Some Republicans say that they BELIEVE in small government and no government intrusion into the private lives of citizens. Yet, they want to force their religious beliefs onto all people by trying to outlaw a woman's right to choose and to vote against individual equal rights for those that don't share their belief that homosexuality is a crime. We have had members of Congress who have pushed for tough child abuse laws while they are soliciting underage children and pundits (Rush) who preach against the evils of drugs while abusing prescription pain killers. And there have been numerous cases of religious leaders who advocate one set of moral values while practicing the opposite. I am no longer surprised when another public figure is exposed for being a liar and hypocrite.
Just yesterday, teachers and administrators in The Atlanta School System were found to have cheated and perpetuated cheating on standardized tests. These are the same teachers that are suppose to be teaching our youth the values of honesty and integrity. When did the pervading rule become "Do as I say, not as I do?" In too many cases, parents defend the lies of their children. What will become of our society if we accept lies and hypocrisy when it is more convenient than telling the truth?
Is it any wonder that Casey Anthony believed she could get away with murder by simply telling lie after lie? How sad that we have come to that.
Ant The Journey continues...........................
lie n. 1. A false statement deliberately presented as being true; a falsehood. 2. Something meant to deceive or give a wrong impression. v. 1. To present false information with the intention of deceiving. 2. To convey a false image or impression.
I thought that one could find a picture of several people in the news next to the words that are defined above...but I looked in several dictionaries and could only find the definitions. But, that doesn't make my disgust with liars and hypocrites any less severe.
Recent revelations from THE Ohio State University finally exposed one of the great hypocrites of all time...Coach Jim Tressel. Coach Tressel professes to be a man of great moral and ethical beliefs whose great mission in life is to lead the impressionable on the righteous path of life....yea, right! Instead he is a liar, cheat and world class hypocrite who's sole mission in life is to win. Now, I don't have a problem with someone being driven to be a winner, but don't hold yourself up as a model of morality while you are cheating. But, then again, Coach Tressel was a cheater at his last job, so no one should have expected anything different from him at Ohio State.
Unfortunately, hypocrisy has become the rule of our land. Politicians after politician have perfected the art of hypocrisy. Some Republicans say that they BELIEVE in small government and no government intrusion into the private lives of citizens. Yet, they want to force their religious beliefs onto all people by trying to outlaw a woman's right to choose and to vote against individual equal rights for those that don't share their belief that homosexuality is a crime. We have had members of Congress who have pushed for tough child abuse laws while they are soliciting underage children and pundits (Rush) who preach against the evils of drugs while abusing prescription pain killers. And there have been numerous cases of religious leaders who advocate one set of moral values while practicing the opposite. I am no longer surprised when another public figure is exposed for being a liar and hypocrite.
Just yesterday, teachers and administrators in The Atlanta School System were found to have cheated and perpetuated cheating on standardized tests. These are the same teachers that are suppose to be teaching our youth the values of honesty and integrity. When did the pervading rule become "Do as I say, not as I do?" In too many cases, parents defend the lies of their children. What will become of our society if we accept lies and hypocrisy when it is more convenient than telling the truth?
Is it any wonder that Casey Anthony believed she could get away with murder by simply telling lie after lie? How sad that we have come to that.
Ant The Journey continues...........................
Thursday, May 26, 2011
REFLECTIONS ON TURNING 60....WHAT I KNOW FOR SURE
I turned 60 last week. It wasn't quite as traumatic as I expected. I feel the same as I did when I was 59. But, 60 is a great age to reflect...some would even say that one that has reached 6 decades has the right to pontificate and speak with pompous authority. So, since I did not do anything else significant to celebrate my milestone birthday, I am allowing myself the indulgence of writing (primarily for my grandson, Elie) these 21 Things I Know For Sure.1. Life will not always go the way you want it. Deal with it!
2. Stop trying to be perfect. It will make you crazy and nobody even cares if you are perfect.
4. You will regret the things you haven't done more than those you have.
7. A home filled with music is a happy home.
8. If you have an opinion or make a choice that is diametrically opposed to what most others think, the world will not end! Be an independent thinker.
9. True friends (ones that will go to the end of the earth for you and vice versa) are hard to come by and are quite few....so treasure them. The rest are merely acquaintances.
10. A good friend will bail you out of jail. A great, true friend will be sitting next to you in the cell saying, "Damn, that was fun!"
11. There will never be peace until everybody recognizes everybody else as their equal. Prejudice, racism, bias and hate are the root of all evil.
12. Focusing on the positive always trumps dwelling on the negative.
13. This too, will pass!
14. If you don't believe in yourself, no one else will.
15. You are only as happy as your most unhappy child.
16. Blood IS thicker than water. Never underestimate the Power of Family.
17. Grandchildren are your reward for raising great children.
18. Love DOES conquer all!
19. It is okay to cry. Whether it is tears of joy, pride, or even sadness, tears only show that we are human feeling beings. Crying is NOT a show of weakness.
20. We are responsible for our own life. And nobody else is. There are those that assist us along the path but our success can never be left to anyone else.
21. Life is short. We should DO IT NOW!
And The Journey continues..........
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Customer Service? Not anymore!
Since most of my career has been spent in the Retail business, I have some idea of what makes up good customer service. The most important element of any seller-buyer relationship is communication...and since the seller is trying to sell and the buyer doesn't have to buy, the most important thing a seller can do is listen! And once they have listened, it is up to the seller to, at least, address the concerns and needs of the buyer/customer. Lately, I have found that the art of customer service is, for the most part, dead.
Sure, there are exceptions to this. I have run across retailers, like Nordstrom's, that generally treat the customer with respect and honesty - they seem to embrace the concept of the customer always being right. Others?? Not so much..... There are retailers that think every customer is trying to rip them off and treat them that way...there are service companies that don't timely keep their appointments and there are restaurants that have no clue how to treat a customer. I have had people make business appointments with me and just not show up - no calls, no excuses...just rudeness!
So, why do I feel compelled to write this now? I have just come from shopping for an auto lease...and with the exception of one dealer (my friend), was constantly treated as if I am a total idiot and literally told that I needed to do business THEIR way! I started off each session with the same instructions: 1. I know what I want. 2. I don't want to drive the car 3. I want to deal with the Sales Manager directly, because I don't have the patience nor the time to "play the game." 4. Do you have the car or can you get it and 5.What are the costs and terms for a 3 year lease? I also tell them they have one shot at me, so make it there best shot. I don't think I am being unreasonable, just thrifty with my time.
It amazes me that 3 of the dealers refused to even acknowledge what I laid out for them and started the meeting with "Let's go for a test drive." When I refused, one of them told me that he couldn't quote me then! Another one kept running back and forth to their manager and left me sitting at a desk for 30 minutes. The third one kind of got what I was saying but said his sales manager wouldn't let him vary from their standard operating procedure....and until I got insistant would not even ask the sales manager to speak with me....and when he did finally come over to me, was rude and out of line. Oh, and did I mention that the first one was the dealer I had leased the last car from and had been calling me daily to get me to come in for a new car?
I think a no hassle, let's do it the customer's way dealer would be a smash hit in just about any market. I know that I would go out of my way to give him my business and recommend him to everybody! Since the lease on the old car is up next week, I still need to do something.....My options come down to getting a car from my friend in West Palm Beach - which would be great if he sold the models Connie wants or get the car from a family member's dealership in Miami or give Connie my car and just start walking or bicycling everywhere! Even that would be better than having to deal with this any longer!
And The Journey continues.......
Sure, there are exceptions to this. I have run across retailers, like Nordstrom's, that generally treat the customer with respect and honesty - they seem to embrace the concept of the customer always being right. Others?? Not so much..... There are retailers that think every customer is trying to rip them off and treat them that way...there are service companies that don't timely keep their appointments and there are restaurants that have no clue how to treat a customer. I have had people make business appointments with me and just not show up - no calls, no excuses...just rudeness!
So, why do I feel compelled to write this now? I have just come from shopping for an auto lease...and with the exception of one dealer (my friend), was constantly treated as if I am a total idiot and literally told that I needed to do business THEIR way! I started off each session with the same instructions: 1. I know what I want. 2. I don't want to drive the car 3. I want to deal with the Sales Manager directly, because I don't have the patience nor the time to "play the game." 4. Do you have the car or can you get it and 5.What are the costs and terms for a 3 year lease? I also tell them they have one shot at me, so make it there best shot. I don't think I am being unreasonable, just thrifty with my time.
It amazes me that 3 of the dealers refused to even acknowledge what I laid out for them and started the meeting with "Let's go for a test drive." When I refused, one of them told me that he couldn't quote me then! Another one kept running back and forth to their manager and left me sitting at a desk for 30 minutes. The third one kind of got what I was saying but said his sales manager wouldn't let him vary from their standard operating procedure....and until I got insistant would not even ask the sales manager to speak with me....and when he did finally come over to me, was rude and out of line. Oh, and did I mention that the first one was the dealer I had leased the last car from and had been calling me daily to get me to come in for a new car?
I think a no hassle, let's do it the customer's way dealer would be a smash hit in just about any market. I know that I would go out of my way to give him my business and recommend him to everybody! Since the lease on the old car is up next week, I still need to do something.....My options come down to getting a car from my friend in West Palm Beach - which would be great if he sold the models Connie wants or get the car from a family member's dealership in Miami or give Connie my car and just start walking or bicycling everywhere! Even that would be better than having to deal with this any longer!
And The Journey continues.......
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