So let me understand - I am supposed to care about some overgrown child who earned nearly $2 million per episode for what was, admittedly, a funny show but was, nonetheless, a television show, while people go hungry at night, schools struggle for funding, and the middle class slowly disappears, just because he chose to throw his entire career away with drugs and drink???
Tell me we don't have our priorities screwed up.
What's next - having a freedom march for Michael Vick because he wasn't allowed to do a commercial for the ASPCA??
Wake up and figure out just what the hell is really important in the world. And here's a hint - you won't find it in Hollywood. Or on the football field. Or the basketball court.
But look in your own backyard - and there you are.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Schools, no. Pension, no. Casinos. . .YES!!
OK, so let me see if I have this straight. Governor Christie is claiming that the state is broke. So broke that it can't afford to keep up aide for local towns or, heaven forbid, public schools, but he can find $216 Million to fund a casino! I mean, of all things, a casino!?!
What is he thinking - that perhaps in a city where even the most experienced casino operators can't find a way to turn a profit, he's going to figure this out? Really??
I have a better idea. Why not take the $216 million and bring it to one of the currently OPEN casinos, go to a roulette table and place it all on red. Or black. Whatever. You have just as much of a chance of seeing a return on your money that way as you do by investing it IN a casino.
And THIS is the man the Republicans want to run for President. Starting to make Sarah Palin look like a goddamn Rhodes scholar! And to think we've all been making fun of Snookie all this time!!
And now you know why living in New Jersey isn't a way of life, it's a life sentence.
What is he thinking - that perhaps in a city where even the most experienced casino operators can't find a way to turn a profit, he's going to figure this out? Really??
I have a better idea. Why not take the $216 million and bring it to one of the currently OPEN casinos, go to a roulette table and place it all on red. Or black. Whatever. You have just as much of a chance of seeing a return on your money that way as you do by investing it IN a casino.
And THIS is the man the Republicans want to run for President. Starting to make Sarah Palin look like a goddamn Rhodes scholar! And to think we've all been making fun of Snookie all this time!!
And now you know why living in New Jersey isn't a way of life, it's a life sentence.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Enjoying the holidays. . .with family?
It's been said that one of the great oxymorons of all time is the phrase "Government Intelligence." And while that may be true, I find another phrase equally oxymoronic - or just moronic depending on your interpretation.
"Enjoying the holidays with family."
Really? Enjoying the holidays? With family??
That may be the case with the Waltons or the Ricardos or the Cunninghams, but around here lately it's more like a bad episode of "Roseanne."
Who doesn't talk to whom. Who WON'T talk to whom. Phony smiles. Phony embraces. Bad gifts. Or worse, no gifts at all.
Sometimes I have to wonder, who needs it? Maybe Mary and Joseph had the right idea. Travel off, on your own, with only your spouse and, as it turns out,your own child (work with me on this one!!). No visitors - at least not until 12 days later. No big feast. No fancy trappings. Just what really matters at the time.
Not every family is like mine - and I hope that's the case at your house. And we've tried it the other way too - nobody to visit on Christmas Eve. And there were nothing but complaints that way too.
So maybe the term "enjoying" takes on a different meaning in late December. Maybe "enjoying" really means more like "enduring." Because family is what family is - individuals, all with their own idiosyncracies, sharing the same space, be it physical or hypothetical, for as long as we can stand each other.
Enjoy your holidays - and, if possible, your family - and keep in touch. Just don't stay too long.
"Enjoying the holidays with family."
Really? Enjoying the holidays? With family??
That may be the case with the Waltons or the Ricardos or the Cunninghams, but around here lately it's more like a bad episode of "Roseanne."
Who doesn't talk to whom. Who WON'T talk to whom. Phony smiles. Phony embraces. Bad gifts. Or worse, no gifts at all.
Sometimes I have to wonder, who needs it? Maybe Mary and Joseph had the right idea. Travel off, on your own, with only your spouse and, as it turns out,your own child (work with me on this one!!). No visitors - at least not until 12 days later. No big feast. No fancy trappings. Just what really matters at the time.
Not every family is like mine - and I hope that's the case at your house. And we've tried it the other way too - nobody to visit on Christmas Eve. And there were nothing but complaints that way too.
So maybe the term "enjoying" takes on a different meaning in late December. Maybe "enjoying" really means more like "enduring." Because family is what family is - individuals, all with their own idiosyncracies, sharing the same space, be it physical or hypothetical, for as long as we can stand each other.
Enjoy your holidays - and, if possible, your family - and keep in touch. Just don't stay too long.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Pink Nail Polish
Ten
tiny pieces of
bubblegum
Glowing at the ends
of long
slender
fingers.
Reminds me of
the sticky sweetness
that is
the flavor of my youth.
And of you.
tiny pieces of
bubblegum
Glowing at the ends
of long
slender
fingers.
Reminds me of
the sticky sweetness
that is
the flavor of my youth.
And of you.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Today and yesterday - all at once
I like old things. Classic things. Old cars. Old radios. Old records. Things that have a sense of history appeal to me. I like the fact that they have been around, that they have survived. That they have, in their own way, witnessed history first hand.
Which probably explains why I have enjoyed my last two trips to the movies. Yes, the two films in question were of very high quality – “The Kids are Alright” (a certain Oscar nominee) and “Eat, Pray, Love”, especially because anytime you can spend 2 hours looking at Julia Roberts is a good thing. Oh, and the film is very good too.
But the quality of the films were only enhanced by my surroundings – which was definitely NOT the local multiplex. No, instead, we enjoyed these films in a vintage theater – The Forum – on Main Street in Metuchen, NJ. And I forgot just how much fun it was to go to the movies at a single-screen theater, with a big auditorium and a big screen, with no hustle and bustle and trying to find your theater amongst the 18 or so that you find nowadays, with small auditoriums and louder crowds.
No, the Forum is a real theater. A genuine throwback to the days when going to the movies was an event. A large auditorium, with many wide rows of somewhat uncomfortable seats. Not unbearable, mind you, but definitely not your living room couch. And isn’t that the point of going to the movies anyway?
The Forum has a real marquee. With neon lights and big letters. And the marquee shows you what’s playing AND the times. Just drive by on your way to the store and you know what time to eat dinner if you want to make the evening show.
Ticket prices are only $8 – a real bargain in these days. And for that $8, you get a few quick previews and the movie. No pre-show TV entertainment. No endless previews of films you may or may not have an interest in. Get there early? Then have an actual conversation with your date, or your wife, or your friend, or the couple in the row behind you. Buy some real popcorn – but remember there are NO cupholders here.
Enjoy the vintage music and the smells that are found in a real theater – a combination of must and history and butter. Watch the lights dim and enjoy the show. And after the film, walk out about 20 steps to your car, discussing the movie or deciding where to go for ice cream.
Do yourself a favor – go to a movie at a real theater just once. You WILL go back again and again. And let’s all be sure to patronize these theaters now, because if we don’t save them, we’ll end up with another pizza place or hair salon or dollar store where this little piece of history once stood.
Milk Duds anyone?
Which probably explains why I have enjoyed my last two trips to the movies. Yes, the two films in question were of very high quality – “The Kids are Alright” (a certain Oscar nominee) and “Eat, Pray, Love”, especially because anytime you can spend 2 hours looking at Julia Roberts is a good thing. Oh, and the film is very good too.
But the quality of the films were only enhanced by my surroundings – which was definitely NOT the local multiplex. No, instead, we enjoyed these films in a vintage theater – The Forum – on Main Street in Metuchen, NJ. And I forgot just how much fun it was to go to the movies at a single-screen theater, with a big auditorium and a big screen, with no hustle and bustle and trying to find your theater amongst the 18 or so that you find nowadays, with small auditoriums and louder crowds.
No, the Forum is a real theater. A genuine throwback to the days when going to the movies was an event. A large auditorium, with many wide rows of somewhat uncomfortable seats. Not unbearable, mind you, but definitely not your living room couch. And isn’t that the point of going to the movies anyway?
The Forum has a real marquee. With neon lights and big letters. And the marquee shows you what’s playing AND the times. Just drive by on your way to the store and you know what time to eat dinner if you want to make the evening show.
Ticket prices are only $8 – a real bargain in these days. And for that $8, you get a few quick previews and the movie. No pre-show TV entertainment. No endless previews of films you may or may not have an interest in. Get there early? Then have an actual conversation with your date, or your wife, or your friend, or the couple in the row behind you. Buy some real popcorn – but remember there are NO cupholders here.
Enjoy the vintage music and the smells that are found in a real theater – a combination of must and history and butter. Watch the lights dim and enjoy the show. And after the film, walk out about 20 steps to your car, discussing the movie or deciding where to go for ice cream.
Do yourself a favor – go to a movie at a real theater just once. You WILL go back again and again. And let’s all be sure to patronize these theaters now, because if we don’t save them, we’ll end up with another pizza place or hair salon or dollar store where this little piece of history once stood.
Milk Duds anyone?
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Help - I'm disappearing!!
According to a recent article that I came across on Yahoo ("The Middle Class in America is Radically Shrinking. Here Are the Stats to Prove It" by Michael Snyder), the middle class in America is rapidly disappearing. While this has been debated and discussed for quite a while, the statistics the author cites are rather startling. He makes a very clear cut case to support his arguments.
Coincidentally, while reading this article I came across my Social Security statement which had recently arrived. Taking a quick glance at the "earnings record" section, and its precipitous decline, hit me like a tone of bricks: Holy Smoke - I'm in the middle class. . .and I'm disappearing!!
Once upon a time I never worried about being middle class. I was on a fast track, climbing the corporate ladder on my way to what I perceived would be "easy street." And my earnings proved it - $113,000, $132,000, $157,000, $179,000 - the sky was truly the limit.
Circumstances, however, intervened and my elevator to the top got stuck and then, like Disney's "Tower of Terror", began its startling descent, dropping as low as $44,300 while my family got older and, consequently, more expensive to keep.
Now, with two incomes, my "household" income doesn't even equal what I myself made in 1995 - and that's not even taking into account inflation, which would be simply too depressing to calculate. My personal income now barely tops $50,000. I work two jobs to keep the lights on. And I go around turning them off a lot these days.
And I find myself agreeing with Michael Snyder - the middle class is disappearing and taking me with it.
Something has to give. There has to be a way to turn this around before it's too late. Before the backbone of this country is reduced to an entry in someone's version of a history textbook.
Ideas, anyone??
Coincidentally, while reading this article I came across my Social Security statement which had recently arrived. Taking a quick glance at the "earnings record" section, and its precipitous decline, hit me like a tone of bricks: Holy Smoke - I'm in the middle class. . .and I'm disappearing!!
Once upon a time I never worried about being middle class. I was on a fast track, climbing the corporate ladder on my way to what I perceived would be "easy street." And my earnings proved it - $113,000, $132,000, $157,000, $179,000 - the sky was truly the limit.
Circumstances, however, intervened and my elevator to the top got stuck and then, like Disney's "Tower of Terror", began its startling descent, dropping as low as $44,300 while my family got older and, consequently, more expensive to keep.
Now, with two incomes, my "household" income doesn't even equal what I myself made in 1995 - and that's not even taking into account inflation, which would be simply too depressing to calculate. My personal income now barely tops $50,000. I work two jobs to keep the lights on. And I go around turning them off a lot these days.
And I find myself agreeing with Michael Snyder - the middle class is disappearing and taking me with it.
Something has to give. There has to be a way to turn this around before it's too late. Before the backbone of this country is reduced to an entry in someone's version of a history textbook.
Ideas, anyone??
Sunday, June 6, 2010
That's the brakes
I'm a car guy. I like old cars. I like how they look. I like how they work. I often spend time working on them.
I tend not to trust mechanics. I feel like they are always getting one over on me. So I generally try to do as much of my own work as possible.
Today - I tackled brakes. I've worked on my own cars for at least the last 25 years, but one area I never touched was brakes. Maybe it's because that is most often the only thing that stands between you and a collision.
But, as I'm rapidly finding out more and more, necessity is the mother of invention. And, with my wife losing her job (and our family losing about half their income), keeping this old car going as cheaply as possible is now a necessity, not a cute novelty.
And when I heard that tell-tale grind yesterday, I realized I faced two choices. I could buy a lottery ticket and pray or I could learn how to fix brakes in 12 hours. I chose the second.
So there I was, up to my ass in rust, brake fluid and rust. And more rust. And more rust. I had no idea just how much rust can accumulate on the underside of a sport utility vehicle over 16 years. Believe me - it's a lot.
Because I believe that education is the key to successfully doing anything, I read a lot about doing the job. I watched on line videos. I consulted message boards. And I found out one thing - when all is said and done, it's all bullshit. The only way to do the job is to. . . .do the job.
I also found out something else. It's that four wheel drive is code for "anything you want to do on this truck is going to take 10 times longer and be 10 times more complicated - but you can drive in the snow." I'd give up the snow-driving ability for some simpler way to fix things.
But in the end, after 4 hours, two additional runs to the store, one skinned knuckle, one sprained thumb and the onset of arthritis in my knees, the brakes were installed, the wheels were back on, the truck stops and I only spent about 50 bucks - clearly saving about $300 in the process.
That $300 will go a long way toward paying some bills. And I guess I can now say I know how to fix brakes. Add that to the list.
Now, if I could only get the catalytic converter off of the Corvette. "Liquid Wrench" anyone??
I tend not to trust mechanics. I feel like they are always getting one over on me. So I generally try to do as much of my own work as possible.
Today - I tackled brakes. I've worked on my own cars for at least the last 25 years, but one area I never touched was brakes. Maybe it's because that is most often the only thing that stands between you and a collision.
But, as I'm rapidly finding out more and more, necessity is the mother of invention. And, with my wife losing her job (and our family losing about half their income), keeping this old car going as cheaply as possible is now a necessity, not a cute novelty.
And when I heard that tell-tale grind yesterday, I realized I faced two choices. I could buy a lottery ticket and pray or I could learn how to fix brakes in 12 hours. I chose the second.
So there I was, up to my ass in rust, brake fluid and rust. And more rust. And more rust. I had no idea just how much rust can accumulate on the underside of a sport utility vehicle over 16 years. Believe me - it's a lot.
Because I believe that education is the key to successfully doing anything, I read a lot about doing the job. I watched on line videos. I consulted message boards. And I found out one thing - when all is said and done, it's all bullshit. The only way to do the job is to. . . .do the job.
I also found out something else. It's that four wheel drive is code for "anything you want to do on this truck is going to take 10 times longer and be 10 times more complicated - but you can drive in the snow." I'd give up the snow-driving ability for some simpler way to fix things.
But in the end, after 4 hours, two additional runs to the store, one skinned knuckle, one sprained thumb and the onset of arthritis in my knees, the brakes were installed, the wheels were back on, the truck stops and I only spent about 50 bucks - clearly saving about $300 in the process.
That $300 will go a long way toward paying some bills. And I guess I can now say I know how to fix brakes. Add that to the list.
Now, if I could only get the catalytic converter off of the Corvette. "Liquid Wrench" anyone??
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