Thursday, January 30, 2014

This is the Real State of the Union

Everyone should listen to this video. These voters are telling it like it is for them and for all of us. It is refreshing to see and hear the truth. That is something you will not find in the Beltway or the White House. I believe the administration should be forced to listen to these people over and over again. They are so right. Job creation is the only thing that will save the economy. Not a higher minimum wage, not a new handout, JOBS, JOBS, JOBS! People crave the independence and self respect that comes from an honest day's work. Again I say: JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!!!!! http://conservativevideos.com/2014/01/devastating-black-activists-chicago-tell-obama-just-quit-watching-state-union/

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Much Ado about Something

We here in Atlanta have felt the wrath of Mother Nature. Two inches of snow has paralyzed the city. I spent Monday afternoon creeping home. A commute that last 25 minutes took me 4 and 1/2 hours. I was blessed to arrive. Many spent the night in their cars on the expressway. A baby was even born on the roads with the help of the father and a policeman. The worst part was the children that went to school Monday. Many had to spend the night in the schools as their parents could not get to them due to heavy traffic. Worse, many spent the night in school buses stranded on the road. Buses with no heat, no food or water, no bathroom facilities. The fingers of blame are resonating with the governor and the mayor, but I think the school boards should be the first flogged in this event. They call off school for minor reasons all the time. This winter storm was correctly and ably predicted by all the local news and their meteorologists. Why was school allowed in session? My child's school was open, but I made the decision to stay out on Monday. I am so glad I did. We are not prepared for this kind of inclement weather. We know this very well. It is rare, but the government has a responsibility to the public. We pay taxes to purchase and maintain proper equipment for public emergencies. I do tip my hat to the law enforcement, fire department, the National Guard and the employees of Atlanta and all the Metro area municipalities that worked long, hard, cold shifts to try and alleviate the pain this anomaly created. Their work done on our behalf was stellar. Thank you, one and all.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Only In New York

The rude and thoughtless ones in New York are once again showing how crass and unacceptable their ideas and behavior can be. It seems that McDonalds is calling the cops to remove seniors from the restaurant if they sit in the establishment and socialize for more than 20 minutes. Good idea guys, don't worry, you will never get old. You will never need to have respect in your advanced years. You will stay young forever, especially in the light of how you know everything and tell us all how to live. I was taught to respect my elders. We all will age,it is inevitable. We slow down. We need help in doing things that used to be easy. We begin to truly value the friends we have left to us. I have owned restaurants. I have worked in restaurants, both as a manager and as an accountant behind the scenes. Here in Georgia, I have never heard of the cops being called to round up a rowdy bunch of seniors drinking coffee and having a bite in a dining establishment. I hope I never do. To forget and devalue the ones who came before you is to lose humanity and knowledge. Our seniors are one of our greatest assets. We would do well to remember their contribution and give them the respect they so richly deserve. http://money.msn.com/top-stocks/post--mcdonalds-resolves-standoff-with-lingering-elderly

Saturday, January 18, 2014

A LITTLE ORIGINALITY, PLEASE!!!

I was getting a bite to eat at a local Mexican restaurant last night. Of course, no one can have dinner without a dozen televisions blaring some kind of sports or some sports talking head show. There was a time you could eat some tacos with some very pleasant cultural music playing in the background. Now our culture is so sports obsessed that no one will leave the house unless they won’t miss this big game or race etc. That was enough to get me started, but then a commercial for the latest remake came on the screen. Seems we need another version of Robo Cop. Please!! There are probably a million or more good screen writers who have wonderful movie material just dying to get discovered and get paid. If fact, we have a great one right in my Friday night writing group. Hollywood is only interested in playing it safe and CHEAP. They re-spin some mediocre movie or sitcom from 30 years ago that they already own the rights. Why doesn’t someone in a position to entertain the public make a mission to find and produce original screenplays? I would be willing to bet that they could be the next Peter Jackson or the next Wachowski Brothers. There is still money to be made even if you do have a spend a couple of bucks buying the rights to something new!

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

What is News Worthy?

What is news worthy? Is it the trivial gossip of the Hollywood scene or is the hard facts of the economy, war, foreign policy, the devaluing dollar or healthcare? Are the major news feeds destined to become the next "Star," "TMZ" or "ET." Could that really be any journalist's goal? For the last two days, MSN of MSNBC, has run the story of Robin Roberts and the picture of her girlfriend. While I am extremely glad that she has beaten cancer and is now happy, I just think that this is not headline newsworthy. It is not personal. I am not concerned about how she lives her life. It is a side story, not breaking news. There are so many stories that journalists today will not touch or have been instructed not to approach. Today's news companies are owned by big corporations. They dictate according to their agenda and how it corresponds with any elected officials they have financially backed into public office. They have little to no interest in truth. For these entities, money is the only truth. They feel that it is better to encourage fluff and sugar, social disputes and non issues rather than offend anyone who might feed the money tree. That is too bad. It insults all of the journalists past and present who suffered whatever it took to protect their sources. It insults all of the men and women who took risks to break a story that the public truly needed to know. I am sorry that it has come to this pass. I hope that anyone who wants to be a real journalist, who has the drive for the truth, will sign on with some of the newer venues who deal in objective reporting. They are out there. There are opportunites with Breitbart.com, WND, Truth Revolt, et. al. Sadly, the mainstream, i.e. corporate entities only, have become non news reporting dinosaurs.

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Goodbye (and Good Riddance) to 2013!

Hello 2014 Normally, I resent the coming of a new year. I just about have the old year under control, then I have to start over. However, 2013 was not a banner year for me or many others I have polled. So, adios to a dysfunctional year. Perhaps, it was the number 13 that tainted the year. Then again, maybe not, I am not a superstitious person as a rule. (However, I will eat the traditional New Year’s Day meal without fail. I missed it one time and had the worst financial year of my life, up until the 2008 recession and beyond anyway.) I welcome 2014. I feel like it will be a banner year. The only thing that I hate is that Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Nutra System, Special K, and every other kind of diet system or food could not even wait until the ball dropped to start touting its laurels. I believe healthy living is a daily choice. 365 days of the year make the right choices and exercise for the right reasons. Then there will be no need to start a routine at the new year. Now the gym I go to will be full of folks with good intentions. They will take up space until old habits return. Hopefully, some will make it a habit. I don’t mind that, but I do get sick of the TV commercials, the magazine articles etc. Leave us alone, stop putting all that propaganda out there, and leave the Valentine’s Day stuff alone until at least late January. I had to throw that one in there. All this retail stuff is just getting old. They have already overdone Christmas. Give it a rest. Anyway, I hope this year lives up to expectations for everyone.