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 |  I've maxed out. Closed this blog. |
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This is a way of making myself write something coherent and grammatically correct almost every day. I'm opinionated and need an outlet. I'm also prone to flights of fancy. Thanks for stopping by. |
| Oh, please, wake up. It's for the ratings, the limelight. Bill O'Reilly went on The View knowing something would happen. The co-hosts were ready to make something happen. And it did. They all got what they wanted, time on the news shows on every network, "front page" on internet news. Their shenannigans got more people to view that episode than would have otherwise. When three outlandish, outspoken people come together, you get drama. Not one of them qualifies as saint or wise teacher or expert in any one subject. Who cares about that little disagreement? All of these people are in the entertainment business. They entertained in their own way. They were rewarded with attention and a lot of buzz. So let it be over already and move onto something else. Surely the news commentators can find meatier topics by now. |
| Murdoch, CEO of the company that owns Fox News testified before Congress this week about "law abiding illegal aliens".Does the head of a large corporation not see the contradictions in that phrase? Illegal aliens are breaking the law, or they would not be illegal aliens. Maybe he meant those who are not engaged in violent crimes or drugs. Maybe he meant families. Who knows? The vague reference was made in a law-making body which should require more specific testimony. However, Congress has been wasting tax payer money on a lot of foolish guest speakers lately. Granted, deportation is cost-prohibitive. But citizenship should not be taken lightly. We require aliens to study some basics of American history and government before they are naturalized. They must speak at least minimal English. If amnesty is to be granted, it shouldn't just be a free gift. The recipient should do something to get it. He should demonstrate some loyalty to America as well as prove himself innocent of all terrorist and covert operations. Meanwhile, every college campus should be training volunteers for English as a Second Language teachers. Churches and Y's, etc, should be encouraged to offer such classes in every community. More classes should be offered for citizenship in anticipation that many aliens will want full citizenship and to remain here. Then time limits can be set for those here illegally, just as there are for those who are here legally but temporarily. Pass the classes or catch the boat. Two years, once the communication is made, seems reasonable. The process needs to start right away for the numbers of people are overwhelming! I do agree with Murdoch that the borders should be secured to avoid future illegal immigration. But we still have the painful job of weeding out the perverts, thieves, gang-members, assassins, and drug runners. And employers will have to start paying their half of social security, Workmen's Comp. insurance, and unemployment insurance. Not paying those bills has kept many businesses happy with the status quo. Further, how do we make good citizens out of people who may have come here because they really had no where else to go, and may not really care about America's welfare. They have no vested interest. We have trouble making good citizens out of those who were born here. The love of democracy, capitalism, free enterprise, and American ideals just isn't there any more. Truth, justice, and liberty just don't set hearts throbbing any more. So our challenge is to salvage some pride, some respect for being American, and try to share it with the newcomers. |
| Congress should never have recessed without deciding on the tax issue. They put politics first in a shameless way. American individuals and business owners need to now how things will change in only 3 months. This will affect the economy. Small business owners will not give out Christmas bonuses because they do not know what will happen with their taxes starting in January. Many individuals will spend less for Christmas, hurting merchants even more. Business will cut back or eliminate gifts to their customers hurting the suppliers of those goods. We're already seeing more customers paying cash or using debit cards more when shopping at lower end retailers. In late September, they were paying with smaller denominations, ones instead of fives or tens, fives instead of twenties, coins instead of green. The bottoms of purses and hidden pockets of wallets have been emptied out as people bought household goods and groceries. Our congressmen may have secure incomes or more money in the bank than many of their constituents. They are dependent on a company that employs fewer than 200 people. They aren't dependent on the Christmas bonus to pay off year end debts. So they have no compassion for the average taxpayer who is insecure about his financial future. They were afraid to make a commitment before elections. Now they can do anything they want after the elections are over without paying long-term consequences. Meanwhile Joe Entrepreneur can't make his business plans, or adjust his budget for what lies ahead. Our congressmen have let us down. They've put themselves ahead of the taxpayers who pay their salaries. They should be replaced with people of more conscience. |
| The blue collar comedy guys have been over-exposed to my way of thinking. They're old and tired and annoying. And yet, some of their stuff sticks. Not the "get 'er done". I'm sick of that! But some of their things are just so basic. In my part-time job, people come to the cash registers and stand beside you and ask "Which side do you want me on?" The counter is on the other side of me. It seems so obvious. Duh. Or they'll say "Are you open?" while 8 feet or less away. I don't know, I'm standing right in place in front of a register, the light is on, I might even be finishing up a customer. I'm not bagging up money or avoiding eye contact. (When you're trying to go home and the store is still open, avoid eye contact. People take it personally when you tell them you're closing.) Do I look like I'm off the clock? I try to smile and greet people when they approach me and serve the way I'd like to be served. We don't have conveyor belts like grocery stores. So it amazes me that people will place things on the counter out of my reach. Some try to help by moving them up or when they see me leaning and stretching, they'll grab the items. But many will not. And if I miss something because it was so far away and got mixed up with the next person's or the junk on the counter for sale, some of these people get angry. Generally speaking, most people are polite and considerate and exercise common sense. But there are enough rude people, dishonest people, and people who don't use common sense to be stereotyped.There are enough unpleasant people to make an otherwise simple job an unpleasant experience. It only takes 3 or 4 obnoxious people to overwhelm the rest of a 4 hour shift with nice people. |
| It's a bad economy, so after being unemployed for a long time, I took a low-paying, part-time job as a "closer". I was told I'd be a cashier for about 30-45 minutes a night while the cashiers did breaks and got rid of merchandise left by customers who picked up too much while shopping then felt remorse when it was time to pay. Well, it turns out I'm just a cashier who takes off from the register about 30-45 minutes to do the things I was hired to do. But that's not my point, only an intro. I;m witnessing such rudeness that I'm shocked. A few days ago a woman stood way back from the check out area, while I was waiting on a customer and bagging his items. It's a noisy place with the usual loud music (businesses believe loud music keeps people happy and moving along looking at things to buy--it's a ploy). My concentration was on the customer at hand. He noticed first and when he suddenly looked to his left, I did, too. The woman was giving me the evil eye, and yelling, "I'm talking to you!" I was too startled to do anything but look at her. She screamed out across the other people, "Where are your book bags?" Normally, I don't know the answer to such things. I don't really shop at this store, I never do stock, and they move things constantly to accommodate seasonal, or special purchases. She lucked out because I did know the answer. "We're sold out," I replied firmly. Did this well-dressed woman say, "Thanks anyway" or, "I'm sorry I interrupted" to the man paying me? No, she looked like she would kill me. She was furious. She called her child and pushed her cart through. I was too busy to see if she had merchandise she wasn't going to pay for. (We have a lot of thieves, like most retailers.) I finished with the customer I had while she haughtily walked away. I was thinking that I should have said, "Oh, by the way, you were extremely rude just then." But that wouldn't be gracious of me, would it? So she'll just do it to someone else again. Why would anyone stand 15 feet away and yell over other people and consider herself "talking" to someone? Most of my customers would have walked closer, waited their turn, and said, "Excuse me." This woman was the rudest so far. Actually, most of what I witness would fall into the "blue collar comedy" routine. Most are not as offensive or obnoxious as this woman. It just proves you don't have to be a red neck or white trash or Southern to behave badly. |
| I'm trying to quote from memory: What, though the radiance which was once so bright Be now forever taken from my sight, Though nothing can bring back the hour Of splendor in the grass and glory in the flower, We will grieve not, rather find Strength in what remains behind, In the primal sympathy Which having been, must ever be, In the soothing thoughts that spring Out of human suffering, In the faith that looks through death, In years that bring the philosophic mind. Someone could check and find my punctuation in error, but the wording feels close. I've always been fond of those lines. There's two ways to look at them. One is probably Wordsworth's point of view. He felt less inspired in his later years and was nostalgic for his youthful passions and talent. He offers up encouragement to refrain from bitterness over what is lost and to accept the present condition, to find peace and contentment, and to have no fear of old age or death. For those of us who have or who will experience the dwindling of health, strength or vitality, this is good advice. There's no benefit in depression, anxiety, or chasing after youth. On the other hand, it doesn't have to signal the end of productivity or creativity. That "human suffering" can be our undoing, or it can be what sharpens our wit and insight and builds our inner strength. Instead of lying back on a couch and waxing philosophically, we can use our "philosophic minds" to change the world or at least a small piece of it. I had a college professor once, probably in her late thirties, tell my class of 19 and 20 year-olds that middle age is like autumn. It is that time when nature pours forth its most splendid and wondrous beauty before the winter comes. That thought appealed to me then, as it does now. I know it's not true for every individual, but I want to believe it's possible for anyone who wants to keep reaching new heights. Physical handicaps and sluggish memory don't have to stop passion, productivity, creativity, charity, or artistry. Life can always get better in some way. |
| I've always enjoyed small projects like embroidery or crocheting. I like seeing something "come to life" in my hands. Maybe if I were an artist or a good photographer, I wouldn't need crafts. I always look at scenery and notice the lines, the blend of colors, the depth, the shadows. I can see all that, but I can't recreate it on canvas or a sketch pad or with a camera. I see people in certain moments and know that this pose, this moment is the perfect photograph, but I have no camera and don't know how to use one. I have such moments, such scenes frozen in my mind, my own private photo gallery, but I'll never be able to share them with someone else. But an embroidered collar or shirt cuff or placemat will be there for others to admire. They can finger the thread work and get up close to admire the fine stitches. They can experience a very brief joy looking at it. I will have to launder carefully and work to preserve it as best I can. Likewise, an afghan can be examined and held and touched. It not only offers something to observe, but it can keep one warm. It has a useful function, as well as aesthetic. I try to avoid offensive or obnoxious colors. A finished afghan can be quite expensive at today's yarn prices. But the extreme number of hours makes it of great value to the right recipient. I did one that I estimated took a hundred hours. At minimum wage, that's very costly. Most of those I gift with one understand the cost in man-hours and appreciate it all the more. Even should they not like the colors or style, they understand the value as a handmade heirloom. Which brings me to another thought. As we get older, we think about things like leaving something of value behind. Quilts, crocheting, knitting, etc. are ways we pass something of ourselves on to people we value and hope value us. I'm sure many people think that something homemade is not as good as a "real" gift. They might be inclined to give such a gift away or use it as a dog bed. However, when we have invested something of ourselves, our time, our hard work, in a gift for someone else, we tend to appreciate such a gift from someone else all the more. We all need to give something of ourselves once in a while. Take some time this year to make a gift for another. Find what you can do if you don't know already. Don't just go shopping. Invest yourself. Use the economy as an excuse. Or in my case, I don't save any money, I may spend more. But work on it yourself. It will mean more to you when you give it, and it probably will mean more to the one who receives it. |
| Cell phones can be very annoying. Other peoples cell phones, that is. There's the guy in the restaurant who gets a call from work every 5 minutes. He talks loudly, so that everyone knows his employees can't survive a lunch hour without him. Or the guy who talks really loud into his head set all through the grocery store, so that everyone knows he has a cool head set and friends! He drowns out the music and the voice of the clerk answering your question about finding dried figs. Then there's the woman is swearing at someone on the phone as she's going through the check out line at the dollar store. She has about 12 items, and never once does she stop long enough to speak to the cashier. She puts things on the counter, looks into the screen before handing over her plastic card, loads her bags and walks away, never saying thank you or good-bye or putting her listener on hold. Everyone around knows she was angry at someone not present. There's also the milder version, who isn't angry or swearing, or loud, but again, never stops to recognize the cashier or bagger as a human being, doesn't speak to anyone in her real space, but continues talking to the one on the phone as though she's sitting calmly alone. Stop being so rude. Turn off the phone in restaurants and check-out lines. If someone calls, and you feel you must answer, say "Hold on, I'm busy" and put the phone in your pocket until you're done. Or tell them, "I'll call you back in a few minutes." Then hang up. Wait until you are out of the restaurant, or out of the register area of the store to call back. The person actually with you or in front of you deserves your full attention. If you can't put the phone away to go through a check out line, then don't go through the check out line! Choose one or the other. Learn some manners. Be considerate of others. Our need to stay connected shouldn't make us rude to those around us. You'll survive a delayed conversation. |
| Browsed the "singles" ads in the local paper the other day. Very funny reading. What if these ads were truthful? Ex: Over 35, don't want to settle down, will dump you in 6 mos to a year, you must have fantastic bod and face, I'm average with male pattern baldness, separate finances, no pets, athletic, smart, will flirt with your friends. (min.21, max 39) Or: Outdoorsy, sun-lover, hard-worker,frugal. Want same. No drugs, no commitment, no children, no religion. Not fashion conscious. Camping, hiking, canoe-ing, rafting, biking, boating, fishing, gardening. Don't try to change me. No girly stuff. Must keep active, in good shape, and healthy. Should be young. It's all about me. Or: Like to eat out, dancing, concerts, sports, travel. No clinging, no commitment, no big spending. No community property. I have a middle age spread; you can't. No butting into my family or children's lives. I won't get into yours. Don't tell me how to do anything. Or: Looking for man, any age, with big income. Got to have my mani-pedi, nice clothes, and hair done. Want to be worshiped and adored. Will make you very happy if you take care of me. I don't cook or clean. Country Club nice perk. Love to travel. Like to work out at gym, but hate sports. Or: I'm a desperate, lonely alcoholic. I need a driver, who's pretty and sexy, and open-minded. No complaining, no negativity. Don't expect me to pay for anything. But I'll make you happy occasionally. And embarrass you frequently. We'll eat healthy food, reminisce about my past, and go to bars where I can flirt with women I never met before. I think I'm good looking, and you will need to appreciate that. Or: I like mind games. Want an everyday woman of average size, pleasant personality that I can control. You will give up all your activities for mine. I'm conservative, middle class. I play arm chair psychiatry and try to read everyone I meet and figure out weaknesses. I want devotion and affection. Must be smart and well-educated. Age doesn't matter as long as health and looks are okay. Or: I'm shallow and can't keep a relationship. Looking for great-looking younger woman with good personality. Very active, healthy, good income. You should be same. I'm 30 and live day by day. Anyway, you get the idea. . . . I left out the raunchy ones that came to mind. Oh, there's the guy who's had 4 children by 3 women and changes girl friends twice a year . . . good-looking, charming, but . . . . |
| I've been working nights this summer, so I've missed at least the first half of each show, sometimes, the whole episode. The only ones I saw all the way were the early ones with the freaks and geeks still audtitioning. But I still have my favorites. Of the 24 semi-finalists, I hope these make it to the final ten: singers Michael Grimm, Debra Romer, and Alice Tan Ridley, Prince Poppycock, and Jackie Evancho. I also like the kite guy Connor Dean, the bike guy Jeremy Van Schoonhoven, the climbers Ascen Dance, Defying Gravity from Virginia Tech, the magician with the spiked hair and the disappearing train. There are some near misses, like Antonio Restivo-magician, the pianist, and more singers. If I had to pick my favorite, I couldn't choose between Fighting Gravity and Michael Grimm. But at this point, all 24 have had a big career boost. Jackie Evancho is just a kid, who's really only just discovering her gift and possibilities. She'll go far, no matter what. The rest could go back to the local scene, either gaining popularity as a professional entertainer, or beginning a part-time career entertaining where one didn't exist before. The exposure and experience have been helpful, no doubt. They've gained confidence, stage presence, new looks, and a more professional attitude. They really aren't losers even if they don't make it to the next level. Next year, maybe I'll skip the early episodes with all the creepy stuff, and wait for the more polished performances. |
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