Taking Things for Granted

There are a whole lot of things we take for granted in life.  Breathing is definitely one we totally forget about, at least until we have trouble doing it.  This is something I know better than most, having nearly died from a lung-related illness.  But I was reminded of how I was once again taking the ability to breathe more or less normally earlier this week.  I was at a movie and I saw a woman trying to get up the stairway and into a seat in the aisle in front of me.  She was gasping for air the entire time and it wasn't until she turned around to put her coat on her chair that I noticed the nasal cannula.  That's the plastic tube that one puts into their nose in order to deliver oxygen from a tank or concentrator.

We take the presence of people in our lives for granted.  Until he fell ill, I considered my late father to be immortal.  I couldn't conceive that the day would come that he would no longer be with us.  With all of the trials and tribulations in our relationship, I still took for granted that he would always be there.  I know better now.

Every new day is a gift.  We may have problems or struggle with things but no matter how bad it gets for us, someone else is worse off somewhere.  In fact, there are a lot of someone else's out there who have it much worse.  I was peeved that things had gotten so bad that I was a little out of breath from just walking a block and then when I saw that woman gasping just for some air I stopped feeling sorry for myself.

We also take things people say for granted.  I heard a commercial tonight for a tax firm where the preparer who was talking about her experience said she'd done over 25,000 tax returns.  Tax season doesn't start on January 2nd, but let's pretend it does.  30 days in January, 28 days in February, 31 days in March and 15 days in April give us a tax season of roughly 104 days.  That's roughly 15 weeks.  That's roughly 600 hours if you work full-time.  I've never seen an H&R Tax Pro do more than 800 returns in one year.  25,000 / 800 per year = over 30 years of doing returns.  But the number of tax pros who can get in 800 returns in one year is about the same as the number of hen's teeth on a typical farm.  Very few.  So I'm not taking that number for granted.

* * * * *

I was having a conversation about people who do a lot of different things in their lives.  I've been very fortunate to live an interesting life thus far, filled with a wide variety of careers.  And even though I've leapt around a lot career wise, the bulk of my work life was spent with two employers.  Ten years in the military and 17 years with the private school.  That's more than half of my life.  If you count adult life from 18 forward, that's 27/35ths of my adult life with two employers.

But that doesn't change the fact I've tried a bunch of different jobs to earn money and have fun.  In high school I tried fast food, busboy, server, shipping clerk, bowling alley porter, and scorekeeper at the same bowling alley.

While in the military, the part-time jobs I worked at, at various points included being the clerk at an adult bookstore, working at McDonald's, floorguard at a roller disco rink, DJ at the same rink, DJ at a different rink, DJ at a club, DJ for an FM station, reporter/anchor/writer/editor for a newsradio station and proposition poker player.  I won't even get into all of the different part-time jobs I worked at after leaving the military while working at other full-time jobs.

I guess I don't take the ability to work for granted either.

I saw a deuce last night...

as I was driving home.  No, not the two of clubs.  "Deuce" is cop argot for a drunk driver.  Back in the day when I wore the blue wool beret of an Air Force "cop", we saw a lot of deuces.  I was assigned to a training base and the young men and women fresh out of basic training would often drink to excess the first time they were allowed access to alcohol.  We also had a fair share of what were called "permanent party personnel" who would tie one on and then try to drive home.

It brought back memories fond and not so fond.  Nowadays I just made sure there was no way that this deuce would get into an accident with me by giving him a very wide berth.  If I had one of those bluetooth devices, I'd have called the highway patrol and reported him.  But I wasn't going to make a non-hands free call to report him.  With my luck some highway patrol officer would miss him, see me and I'd end up with a ticket for trying to do the right thing.

Other ponderings on this Thursday morning include:

So a N.J. senator is denying that he was involved with prostitutes.  Like he'd admit it right away if he had been?  Who is surprised that he is issuing denials?  My question is, when the incontrovertible evidence surfaces, will he fess up then?  If so, will he try to excuse his denials?  Now I don't know there is any such evidence out there, but when it comes to politicians and prostitutes, the rule of thumb seems to be that these reports are almost always true.  Maybe they should change that old adage from "politics makes strange bedfellows" to "politics makes strange bedfellows where they's a wad of cash on the nightstand".

The Fontana Unified School District spent $14,000 to buy semi-automatic rifles to prepare for a situation where they have to respond to "an active shooter" and people are upset that the money wasn't spent for a much-needed counselor.  Just how much counseling do they think a one time amount of $14,000 will buy?

Aspen is considering a speed limit of 14 MPH in residential areas to try to get people to slow down.  That's not going to happen.

Dennis Rodman wants to be a role model for children.  That pretty much speaks for itself.

The New York Yankees have $114 million reasons for wanting to void the remainder of A-Rod's contract.  But the odds are they won't get anywhere in trying, even if it does turn out he took banned performance enhancing substances. 

President Obama's half-brother was supposed to be deported in 1992.  In 2011 he was busted for DUI and got  a "pass" from a lenient judge.  Now he's been granted a "hearing" but it won't happen until December.  If this is typical treatment for someone who was supposed to be deported and wasn't, is anyone surprised that the problem of illegals who should have been deported and weren't is as bad as it is?

Squeaky-clean Dan Marino fathered a child out of wedlock and has been paying "hush money" for years to the mother.  Why is it celebrities revel in the fame and fortune that accompanies their celebrity but the minute something embarassing is revealed, that is suddenly "personal and private"?

Richard Nixon tried to help the Miami Dolphins win Superbowl XI by calling coach Don Shula with a play suggestion.  So being president gives you special powers to call pro sport coaches with your playcalls? 

Barry Manilow will be in concert at the Greek Theater soon.  Will his dressing room get extra security to make sure no one raids his wardrobe?

Oh, we can sleep better tonight.  WalMart is limiting purchases of ammunition to three boxes per customer.  Apparently demand is so high this is the only way they can keep bullets on the shelves.

This Date In History:

On this date in 1606, Guy Fawkes was executed for plotting against Parliament and King James.
On this date in 1747, the first venereal disease clinic opens at London Lock Hospital.
On this date in 1801, John Marshall is appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
On this date in 1848, John C. Fremont is court-martialed for mutiny and disobeying orders.
On this date in 1865, Congress passes the 13th Amendment, abolishing slavery and sends it to the states for ratification.
On this date in 1915, Germany becomes the first nation to use poison gas on a large scale in war.
On this date in 1929, The Soviet Union exiles Leon Trotsky.
On this date in 1930, 3M starts making Scotch tape.
On this date in 1949, "These Are My Children" the first daytime soap opera is broadcast.  Scientists estimate that housewife productivity declined 18% within the first week of broadcast. (j/k)
On this date in 1950, President Truman announced there would be a program to develop a hydrogen bomb.
On this date in 1958, James Van Allen discovered the Van Allen Belt.
On this date in 1968, Viet Cong attacks the U.S. embassy in Saigon as part of the Tet Offensive.
On this date in 1990, the first McDonald's in the Soviet Union opens.
On this date in 2000, Alaska Airlines Flight 261 crashes due to horizontal stabilizer problems, killing all 88 people aboard.  This crash is the real-life event that was dramatized in the movie "Flight".

And on this date in various years, the following were born:

Zane Gray
Jackie Robinson
Benjamin Hooks
Minnie Driver
Portia de Rossi
and...
Harry Wayne Casey who will probably "Get Down Tonight" to celebrate.

A few odds and ends before bed...

as I wind down from a very long and exhausting day.  First, some movie mash-ups that come to mind:

"The Godfather Mystic Pizza"

"St. Elmo's Fire Down Below"

"Gone With the Windtalkers"

"Miami Blues Brothers"

"Mean Streets of Fire"

"12 Angry Men in Black"

"Taxi Driver Driving Miss Daisy"

"The Green Eight Mile"

"The Third Man of La Mancha"

"Some Like it Hot Shots"

"Dude, Where's My Car 54?"

"Raging Bull Durham"

"Die Hard Target"

Okay, enough of that.  How about songs that were used in movies that when you hear them you think of that specific film?  Not like the love theme from "Armageddon" which was written specifically for it.  More like:

"Stuck In the Middle With You" which played during the scene in "Reservoir Dogs" where he cut off the cop's ear.

"We Are Family" which played during the last scene in "The Birdcage" when Gene Hackman, in full drag is trying to escape the paparazzi.

"Treat Me Right" which played during the scene in "An Officer and a Gentleman" where Debra Winger and her friend were changing clothes while driving in her friend's car to a dance.

There are more of course and I'd love to hear yours.

The old saying goes...

politics makes strange bedfellows.  It's very true and the latest case involves the Human Rights Campaign, a leading gay-advocacy group and one of the major companies joining a coaltion founded by HRC to oppose the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).  That company is Marriott International, Inc.  A company founded by a devout Mormon. A company run by a devout Mormon who happens to be the son of the founder. 

John Willard Marriott (what's up with Willard as a name for Mormons?) founded the company and today his son Bill is the executive chairman and chairman of the board and other members of the Marriott family own large chunks of the company.  The Mormon church is in favor of the ban on gay marriage and worked hard to pass Proposition 8 in California.  But Bill Marriott is the leader of a business where the personal beliefs of himself and other major owners don't impact how they choose to operate the business and serve their customers.  "We are proud of our longstanding commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equal treatment of our employees within our benefits programs" said a company spokesman.

It's also worth noting that the company markets to gays by saying "We invite you, to be you, with us" and promotes the use of their facilities in same-sex weddings and civil ceremonies.

I've met Bill Marriott.  I was impressed by him then and I'm even more impressed now.  He said something that should be mandatory reading for every bigot who refuses to offer the service of their business to gays, same-sex weddings and so on.  Bill Marriott said "Our church is very much opposed to alcohol and we're probably one of the biggest sales engines of liquor in the United States.  I don't drink.  We serve a lot of liquor."

What a great analogy.  What you choose to do in your personal life is your business. What you choose to do in discriminating against what your customers do is not just your business  Businesses that choose to practice exclusionary behavior should be boycotted.

Kudos to Bill Marriott and his company.

People don't trim their...

lists of people they follow on Twitter often enough.  Here's some proof.  In September of 2009, actor Tom Berenger signed onto Twitter and sent out one test tweet.  He hasn't tweeted since.  915 people are still following him, hoping against hope he will start tweeting again someday.

I have a rule on Twitter.  If I follow someone who followed me first, should they unfollow me, I immediately unfollow them.  If their tweets aren't interesting or topical, I'll probably continue to follow them as long as they're following me.  I'm struggling to get to 100 followers.  Maybe someday.

Why are people bothered when mutual friends of theirs communicate with one another, and apparently make them feel left out.  This isn't worthy of an installment of As The Assisted Living Facility turns, but one of the people that sit with me in the dining room and I have become good friends.  We have great conversations most mornings and at other meals where we are both there.  Someone that my tablemate used to be close to is someone I consider a friend, but not a close friend.  Now she's inserting herself into our conversations and frankly it's uncomfortable.  He gets angry about it because they've had a major falling out and don't normaly speak.  But she speaks to him when he and I are at the dining room table.  Of course, my tablemate isn't helping matters by finding every excuse he can to "yank her chain".

Can Lindsay Lohan's fifteen minutes please be up already?

Who is excited that the deal that will bring Twinkies back to store shelves is nearly complete?

Billy Hunter is the Executive Director of the NBA Player's Association, a position for which he earns $3 million annually.  Now he's taking steps to deal with the fallout from nepotism.  His daughter and daughter-in-law were working for the union but both have been let go.  And the association will no longer use a banking firm that employs his son.  I still think it's time to put a fork in him, he's done.

Why are the promoters calling the "Bikini Basketball League" that name, when the women who will play in league games won't be wearing bikinis?

Chick-Fil-A saw sales grow 14% last year in spite of boycott efforts.  Now a well-known gay pride group is saying that the company is no longer funding the most divisive anti-gay groups and hasn't done so since 2011. 

Zimbabwe is down to its last $217 in government bank accounts.  Guess they aren't buying lunch today at the UN.

President Obama said "if Congress is unable to move forward in a timely fashion, I will send up a bill based on my proposal and insist that they vote on it right away..." and it makes me wonder just how well he did in his college government classes.  Only members of Congress can actually introduce a bill and the President can jump up and down, shout, and hold his breath until he turns blue, but Congress has no obligation to introduce or vote on a bill he "sends up".  So why do idiots in the media write headlines that say "Obama will introduce his own bill"...when that's just not the case?

This Date in History

On this date in 1649, King Charles I of England is beheaded.
On this date in 1703, the 47 Ronin avenge the death of their master.
On this date in 1835, the first attempt to assassinate a president takes place.
On this date in 1863, the first U.S. iron-clad warship, the Monitor was launched.
On this date in 1933, Adolf Hilter is sworn in as Chancellor of Germany.
On this date in 1945, the most successful POW rescue ever, the raid at Cabanatuan takes place.
On this date in 1959, the MS Hans Hedoff, considered to be the safest ship afloat and "unsinkable" as Titanic was, strikes an iceberg and sinks.
On this date in 1969, the Beatles give their final public performance.

So there's a new proposal to...

give illegal immigrants a path to a legal status.  Still undefined if it is a path to permanent residency or citizenship, although the practical differences between the two aren't really that great.  Legal is legal.  It means driver's licenses, it means social security taxes paid don't go to waste and so on.

Now if the U.S. were a monarchy and I were King, I'd be sorely tempted to not go with this proposal and just round up and deport all of the 11 million illegals.  Yes, there is an argument to be made that they broke this law in order to get a better life, and therefore the ends justify the means.  However, that's a slippery slope of an argument we don't want to go sliding down.  If the ends justify the means in that area, then should a starving mother who shoplifts food to feed her children also be excused from following the law?  The law is the law, at least in my book.  And when I drive 5 miles an hour over the speed limit, I recognize I am in violation of the law and if I get pulled over I'm prepared to accept the consequence of my action.  Maybe if that happened once or twice I'd stop.  But the absence of consequence makes it much easier to just do what I want, rather than what is right.

What sways me to go along with this proposal and support it is that in spite of the emotional tug that deporting all illegals has, because it would be the legal and proper thing to do; is that it would be a bad business decision.  The economy is too dependent upon the labor performed by these people.  It would seriously harm major segments of our already too fragile economic system.  So this proposal is good.

Provided we make one change.  I have no problem with finding a path to a legal status for the illegals here.  But as part of this change in how the government handles illegal immigration, we have to close the door behind this last group to receive some form of amnesty.  Otherwise, ten years from now, we'll have another ten or 11 million illegals once again and the same outcry to give them a path to a legal status.  We have immigration laws, quotas, lotteries and the like in order to not overburnden already overburdened social systems and infrastructure.  We can't just throw open the borders and let all comers enter.  We don't have the resources.

So pass this proposal and provide that path to a legal status.  But establish a firm cutoff date, beyond which anyone who enters illegally gets deported unless they qualify for asylum.

It's somewhat challenging to...

write a morning blog and eat breakfast before you need to leave, when the wake-up call you requested doesn't come.  It isn't the first time but it will be the last when I get finish giving a piece of my mind to certain individuals.  Okay, okay, I won't be that bad.  But just because I'm sick of this happening, tonight before bed I'm going to reset the alarm on my watch and put it right by the bed so it will wake me even if they don't.

Things I'm pondering this afternoon:

If people know they're sick, why don't they just stay home?  Most of the so-called "errands" they need to run could wait until they aren't contagious.  If they have to go out in public, wear a mask.  It won't make you resemble Michael Jackson, it will be a sign of your concern for the health of others.

Handicapped placards are great until all of the reserved spaces for them are full. 

Why do some idiots insist on walking in the street when there's a perfectly working sidewalk they could walk on?  I never see any of them with a big S on their chest to signify that they are Superman (or Superwoman). 

Why do people think the right turn only lane doesn't apply to them if they're going to make the right turn immediately across the intersection they were supposed to turn right at?  I see this all the time at the corner of National and Westwood, where people going South on Westwood will get into the right turn only lane, cross the intersection and then turn right into the Trader Joe's parking lot.  Maybe people who shop at Trader Joe's think they get special privileges when driving.  Then again, in spite of being a Westside native myself, I am of the mind that people on the Westside seem to think they're very entitled just by virtue of zip code.

What's up with J.C. Penney's?  They said they'd never again engage in promotional pricing.  Now they're back to offering promotional pricing.  Never is apparently not forever.

What will the religious zealots of the right wing make of a study that shows gay men suffer lower levels of stress and depression than straight men? 

I think it's high time that places like Yelp.com and other sites that offer reviews through "anonymous" sources stop doing that.  Either require the people to prove their identity or stop them from posting negative or positive reviews of businesses.  I went on Yelp and looked at some reviews of businesses and it was obvious that the really bad reviews were from competitors, rather than disgruntled customers.  These really bad reviews lack specifics because the supposed bad things never really happened.

This Date in History:

On this date in 1834, President Andrew Jackson orders federal troops to suppress a labor dispute, the first such use of troops
On this date in 1845, "The Raven" is published.
On this date in 1861, Kansas is admitted as the 34th state.
On this date in 1891, Liliuokalani becomes the last monarch of Hawaii when she's proclaimed Queen.
On this date in 1900, the American League is organized, with eight teams.
On this date in 1936, the first inductees to the Baseball Hall of Fame are announced.
On this date in 1963, the first inductees to the Football Hall of Fame are announced.
On this date in 1985, the final session to record "We Are the World" is held.

I'm kind of bummed this morning...

because I have two passes to a screening tonight and can't find anyone to go with me.  I don't want to drive all the way to North Hollywood on my own, although my major objection isn't the drive.  It's the notion of having to stand in line alone for 30 to 40 minutes and then spend 90 minutes sitting alone in a theater.

From a cost-benefit analysis, it would probably make more sense to skip the screening.  Two gallons of gasoline is more than what I'd pay to see the movie at a bargain matinee just a few miles from here next weekend.  Add in the time to get there at the start of rush hour and it's probably not a smart move.  But I'm still hopeful I can get someone to go with me.  If not, I will have a tough decision this afternoon.

I'm pondering the cult of celebrity.  I just saw an ad for a "Celebrity Show" coming up this Friday and Saturday at a Hollywood area hotel.  People are going to flock there and pay $10 for the chance to line-up to get autographs from "celebrities" for which they will pay another fee.  I loved Jim Kelly in "Enter the Dragon" but let's be realistic.  The only thing he's done in almost 19 years in movies is a small role in the direct to video "Afro-Ninja".  Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake's career in professional wrestling was, for all intents and purposes" finished a long time ago.  At least they didn't book Tito Santana, it might have brought hairdressers from all over L.A. to ask him for tips, since he owns and runs a successful hair salon in New Jersey (I'm not making that up). 

I'm not opposed to asking people to sign stuff.  I treasure my copy of a "Love and War" script that Diane English signed for me.  I asked Gavin DeGraw and Colbie Calliat to sign a CD that has a song of theirs on it.  But I draw the line at paying money for autographs.  There's just something flawed with that notion in my mind.

So if there's going to be a plan to get legal status for illegal immigrants, will that bring about an end to the throngs of day laborers next to Home Depot and other such stores?  Will the people who hire them be forced to comply with labor law, once those people are legal?

The fine print always has a catch.  There is an online "deal" where you and another adult can get three days and two nights at the Riviera Hotel/Casino on the Vegas strip for only $35.  Usually a $230 value.  Except the "voucher" you get is only redeemable Sunday through Thursday nights, conventions, holidays and busy times are blacked out and a whole lot of other restrictions apply.  By the time you find two nights where the voucher works, it will have expired.  Oh well, it was only $35.  Plus the refundable $25 deposit.  Plus whatever else they can stick you with.

Back in the day there was just the Oscars.  Now we have the Oscars, the Golden Globes, the SAG Awards, the DGA awards, the WGA awards, the Independent Spirit Awards, the Critic's Choice Awards.  And forecasting who will win has become a spirited competition.  Then again it's worth noting that the real purpose of these awards programs isn't nearly as much to recognize excellence as it is to market movies and actors.

Rumor is that Rhianna was in line for a big-dollar endorsement deal with Macy's, that disappeared when the chain learned she is back with her abuser, Chris Brown.

This Date in History:

On this date in 1521, the Diet of Worms began (it isn't what it sounds like).
On this date in 1547, King Henry VIII died.
On this date in 1724, the Russian Academy of Science is founded by Peter the Great.
On this date in 1851, Northwestern University becomes the first chartered university in Illinois.
On this date in 1915, Congress passed a bill formalizing the creation of the Coast Guard.
On this date in 1932, Japanese forces attack Shanghai.
On this date in 1934, the first ski tow begins operation in Vermont.
On this date in 1935, Iceland becomes the first nation to legalize therapeutic abortions.
On this date in 1957, Elvis Presley made his first appearance on television.
On this date in 1964, the Cold War got hot, as an unarmed U.S. Air Force T-39 aircraft on a training mission in Germany was shot down by a Soviet Mig-19.
On this date in 1982, U.S. Army general Dozier is rescued from Italian Red Brigade terrorists who had kidnapped him.
On this date in 1985, the singers, songwriters and musicians known as "USA for Africa" record their smash hit "We Are The World".

Famous people born on this date include:

Jackson Pollock
Alan Alda
Karen Lynn Gorney (remember her?)
Nicolas Sarkozy
Randi Rhoades
Sarah McLachlan
Joey Fatone and Nick Carter (that's frightening)
Frank Darabont

The height of boredom is...

watching a movie you've seen too many times already, just because there is:

Nothing at all on television worth watching.
None of the shows you want to watch instantly are available on Netflix streaming.
Your muse has deserted you and you are having no luck trying to write.

So when that situation came up last night I gave in and watch an old Chuck Norris film because it was available on streaming and I decided it would be amusing to watch him kick the crap out of Bill "Superfoot" Wallace.  Not that I have anything against Wallace himself, but his character in this film has major attitude problems.  Mostly from his abuse of cocaine.

Wallace's story is pretty amazing in and of itself.  He's probably the only world-champion in full-contact karate ever who did 99% of his kicking with his left leg.  His right knee was injured in a training accident and he developed his ability with that leg as a base.  That's overcoming and making the best of an injury.  That he also lost one testicle is fact.   There is a dubious legend that he kept the lost "item" and showed it off from time to time.  I find that one doubtful.

Ponderings today include:

Why don't restaurants who don't want their patrons make it a hard and fast rule?  No cell phone in the dining room.  If you need to take or make a call, get up and go outside.  Patrons who ignore this policy will be refused service immediately.  Then enforce the rule.  If someone decides to go elsewhere, they will be replaced by patrons who like the idea of eating a meal without having to eavesdrop on someone else's phone conversation; whether or not they want to listen in.

What is up with the media's obsession with the new mansion the ex-wife of Tiger Woods is building?

How embarrassed is Dennis Quaid by his brother Randy's actions?  Now Randy has been denied permanent residency by Canada.

Is it a compliment to say that Cindy Crawford's teen son looks just like her, and show him in a photo that makes him look a bit "effeminate"?  There are other photos where they can show off his good looks and still make it clear he's a boy.  Oh wait, that was the British media.  Never mind.

An alleged death threat by one legislator against another in Nevada may result in the guy making threats being expelled.  I want to know how they can do that unless and until they convict him of a crime.

I have no earthly idea...

why I was so tired this morning.  I only know I was.  I was in bed by the usual time last night.  While I had a busy morning, I spent most of the afternoon just resting.  It doesn't make sense, but for once I listened to my body.  Instead of forcing myself to sit down, write a blog and do my other morning "rituals" at the computer, I just took it easy.  Feeling better now.

From the cutting off your nose to spite your face file, Sarah Palin has cut her ties with Fox News.  Does this mean she's decided to not go away mad, but to just go away?  Probably not.

Debt collectors are starting to use Facebook and other social media sites in an attempt to reach people they are trying to collect from.  There's a change to the terms of service just waiting to be made, to prevent this.

The White House is saying that the Federal court that ruled its "recess appointments" were unconstitutional is wrong.  Hey, Supreme Court, this one is coming your way.

If you order the same thing on three visits in five weeks to the same restaurant, is that suddenly your "regular order"?  I guess that's an attempt to show the server remembers the customer but it just felt funny.

Why do people take on eating challenges involving really spicy foods when they know that it is too spicy for their palate? 

When three different women at an "event" say the same thing afterward in three different conversations, about how "it just isn't fair how good looking Josh Duhamel" is, what does that mean?  I heard that same comment from three different women within ten minutes.

Yeah, I saw that movie with Chow Yun-Fat, but the question remains, is there some reason why hot dogs come ten to a pack, while hot dog buns come eight to a pack?

How cool was it to see that guy who made the half-court shot to win $75,000 get tackled and bear-hugged by LeBron James, who is NOT known as a hugger?  Very cool indeed.  Also cool was the company that gave the guy the $75,000 making a matching donation to LeBron's favorite charity, the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.

Former NBA player Brian Scalabrine recently took on four different Boston area guys in one-on-one contests, after people suggested his skills weren't really good enough to justify the 11 NBA seasons he played.  He completely dominated and destroyed all four opponents.  Got me to thinking, is there a professional sport where good amateurs have a chance at beating pros?  Maybe golf.  An amateur golfer with a scratch or very small handicap might have a shot over one round.  Maybe bowling.  I never turned pro, but in my prime I'd have been unafraid to challenge anyone over one three game series.  Especially at a bowling center where I was a regular and they weren't.  But when it comes to most sports, the pros are virtually unbeatable by the amateurs.

This Date in History:

On this date in 1788, the British First Fleet sailed into Port Jackson, establishing Sydney as the first permanent European settlement on the continent.
On this date in 1808, the Rum Rebellion, the only successful takeover of the government of Australia takes place.
On this date in 1837, Michigan is admitted as the 26th state.
On this date in 1838, Tennessee passes the first prohibition law in the U.S.
On this date in 1841, Great Britain occupies Hong Kong.
On this date in 1861, Louisiana secedes from the Union.
On this date in 1870, Virginia rejoins the Union.
On this date in 1920, a former executive of Ford Motor Corp. launches Lincoln Motor Company, which is later bought by Ford.
On this date in 1934, the Apollo Theater in Harlem re-opens.
On this date in 1961, JFK appoints a woman to be his physician.  First time ever a woman was the President's physician.
On this date in 1980, Israel and Egypt establish diplomatic relations.
On this date in 1992, Boris Yeltsin announces that Russia will no longer target U.S. cities with nuclear weapons.
On this date in 1998, President Clinton denied having had sex with Monica Lewinsky.

Well-known people who were born on this date include:

Activist Angela Davis
Eddie Van Halen
Ellen DeGeneres
Wayne Gretzky
Andrew Ridgely (that other guy in Wham)
Anita Baker
Scott Glenn
Bob Uecker
and the late, great wrestling commentator, Gordon Solie.

Today involved a limited exposure...

to la dolce vita that the 'rich folk' get to live on a regular basis.  I was at an event at the Beverly Hills Four Seasons.  They served breakfast to the attendees and it looked outstanding (I wasn't aware there was food and I'd already eaten).  Elegant.  Upscale.  The people were better dressed throughout the hotel.  Even the valet attendants were spiffy.

I had to visit the men's room while there and it was as good or better than any I've seen in any hotel anywhere.

I used to be able to spend limited amounts of time in that world.  There was a time when my dad was one of what we now refer to as the "one percent" and when I was with him I got to spend time in that world.  Where the dishes get bussed within mere seconds of the diner finishing their meal.  Where the water glass is re-filled before it gets to even half-empty.  Where there are always fresh paper towels near the sink.  No graffitti.  No bad odors.

I know money can't buy happiness.  But I am still of the mind that it can make misery a hell of a lot more bearable.

I also got to watch people being "handled" by their "handlers".  Even with the fame and fortune that accompanies reaching that pinnacle of success, I don't think I'd like being 'handled'.  Living a life where every moment is so critical that you can't stop to shake someone's hand or sign an autograph because it will put you two minutes behind an incredibly tight schedule of interviews is probably not fun.  It sure didn't seem fun to watch.

Yesterday I mentioned...

on Facebook and Twitter how wonderful it is to be told you were a positive influence in the life of someone during their formative years.  It's one of the highest compliments you can be given, in my opinion.

Then later in the day as I gave it more thought I came to the conclusion that there is a reason it's a higher compliment when our positive influence came when they were still young.  Why is that?  Because it shapes who a person is, and in general will matter in their life for a much longer period.

I love teaching tax preparation classes.  Not just because it allows me to use skillsets I enjoy using, or because I get lots of positive feedback that I make classes fun and entertaining.  Not just because I'm "performing" in front of an audience where it's very safe.  The reason is that I know my students walk away having learned something.  Maybe they don't learn every single thing I'm trying to teach, but they do learn the bulk of the material.  I'm making a difference not just in their lives, but in the lives of their future clients.

Making a difference in someone else's life is a wonderful thing.  When I was first out of high school and at my first military duty station, I coached youth sports in my free time.  I volunteered as a Big Brother.  Those were very rewarding for me.  Not just because they enhanced my performance evaluations at work.  Because I was making a difference.

When I worked at that school for all those years, we always began and ended the year with every single employee gathered for a meeting with the head of the school.  The man who was head of the school for much of my tenure there used to end each of those meetings by thanking us for the "most important work there is".  He was right.

Make a difference in your own life.  Make a difference in the lives of others.  You don't have to be in a classroom to teach or inform.  You don't have to be a Big Brother to mentor.

* * * * *

Other ponderings on a Friday morning:

Joe Biden says "get a shotgun" for home defense.  Really?

McDonald's came up with chicken mcnuggets.  Gotta love the counter-advertising campaigns that claim "...because chicken don't have nuggets".  Now the fast food giant is going to sell "Fish Mc Bites" to try to boost flagging sales of their Filet of Fish sandwich.  They're also going eco-friendly with their fish purchases.  McBites?  Seriously...

Let me see if I get this one straight.  Match.com is a dating site.  In their terms of service, they make it very clear that they do NOT do background checks on their members and that they are NOT liable for any injuries their members suffer.  They also make it mandatory to review their excellent "Dating Safety Tips".  But a woman who was stabbed by a man she met on the site and now she's suing them for $10 million because her lawyer claims they should have done more to protect her.  Did she not read the terms of service?  Did she not review and use the dating safety tips?  She met her attacker but stopped seeing him after eight days.  Eight days into meeting a new person they shouldn't know where you live yet.  Not when you met them on-line.

Now colleges and universities will have to provide access to sports programs to the disabled.  So strained athletic department budgets will have to be stretched further.  Yes, the disabled deserve access to everything.  But should a college that has men's and women's basketball now have to offer a varsity wheelchair basketball program?  Will Title IX be interpreted to require separate wheelchair basketball programs for men and women?  Was there a demand from disabled students for access to inter-university athletic competitions?

Is there some reason health insurers shouldn't be able to charge people who smoke more for health insurance?  That's part of the new rules under what we refer to as "Obamacare".  Seems fair to me.  Is there another activity we engage in legally where the proper use of the product will kill you?

This Date in History:

On this date in 1533, King Henry VIII marries Anne Boleyn.  We know how well that ended for her.
On this date in 1755, Moscow University is established.
On this date in 1787, the largest battle of Shay's Rebellion takes place.
On this date in 1858, Mendelssohn's "Wedding March" is played at the wedding of Queen Victoria's daughter and becomes a prominent wedding processional.
On this date in 1881, Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell found the Oriental Telephone Company.
On this date in 1919, the League of Nations is formed.
On this date in 1924, the first Winter Olympics begins at Chamonix, France.
On this date in 1945, the Battle of the Bulge ends.
On this date in 1961, JFK gives the first televised presidential press conference.
On this date in 1971, Charles Manson and three of his followers are convicted in the Tate-LaBianca murders.
On this date in 1971, Idi Amin leads a coup and becomes president of Uganda.
On this date in 1981, Jiang Qing, widow of Mao Zedong is sentenced to death.
On this date in 1996, Billy Bailey becomes the last person to be hanged in the U.S. (thus far).
And on this date in 1951, Steve Prefontaine, perhaps the greatest runner in U.S. history, was born. 

Once again, time for another installment of...

"As The Assisted Living Facility Turns".

Our episode opens with the President, tired but happy, is walking from his room down to the dining room to enjoy some breakfast.  While it is cloudy and rainy outside, the President is feeling good.  He knows that today is a day for him, free of any complications or obligations until a screening in the evening.

But before the President could even get to the lobby, he was stopped in the hall by two residents.  One the former President and the other a resident who was clearly upset by something.  The former President told the story about how the other resident had been moved recently and that their new roommate was causing problems.  According to this resident, their new roommate was going through their drawers, asking all kinds of questions that they should know the answer to already and generally being a nuisance.  The resident was so upset by the actions of the new roommate that they had been on their way out the front door to go stay with relatives indefinitely.

The President promised to talk to the Facility Director about arranging a move for one of the two roommates, to bring the matter to a close and hopefully in the very near future.  The Facility Director told the President more about the situation that wasn't included in the story he'd been told and this made things much clearer.  Unfortunately, that information is privileged and can't be shared here.  Suffice it to say that the Facility Director will be dealing with the problem and the President will be doing his best to provide support to both of the roommates as the problem is being resolved.

Meanwhile, it looks like the renovations to the Activities Room are nearly finished.  That may lower the level of tensions around the place as people can get back to a more normal schedule.

Is it real if you can't see it??

Look at that blackjack table over there.  It's four in the morning and the five people sitting at the table have been playing all night.  Four of them are tourists in Las Vegas, having a great time and the fifth is a gambling addict.  He got more money from the ATM at midnight when the next day's limit was available and now he's trying to "get to even" since he was playing with the rent money.

Does he look any different?  Can we see his disease on his face?  Maybe.  Maybe the desperation is there and doesn't fit in with the drunk enjoyment of the other four people.  But if the desperation wasn't visible, could you tell this person had a disease?  No.  So is it real if you can't see it?

I used to spend a lot of time at a particular restaurant that had a bar off the dining room.  There were a few tables known as "round-tops".  One of those tables was the home of a small group of people, every single day of the year.  Maybe one might not be there on a specific day, but day in, day out the group was there and they were drinking to excess.  Can you tell which of them are the alcoholics and which are people who drink too much and can stop if they wanted to?  No.

If a man cheats on his wife and she never finds out about it, did it really happen?

Sometimes we can't really grasp what's going on because it isn't right there, in plain view.  We see signs but we don't see the stark reality. 

* * * * *

Today's ponderings include:

Sex scandals in the Air Force continue to be probed and investigated.  I suppose I was a very fortunate person that the female lieutenant who was Training Officer for my unit in Basic Training didn't sexually harass me.  Then again, if she'd asked, I'd have consented.  She was kind of cute.  I'd spent weeks in a situation where I couldn't even hold hands with a woman, let alone get 'busy' with one.  But on a serious note, it's time for real solutions in the military's problems with sexual issues.

If the police can't track down the people who are engaging in this trend of 'swatting', what good will new laws making it a more serious crime do?  You could make it a mandatory ten years in prison for swatting where someone is injured, but if you can't catch the caller, there's no point to the law.

Why is it when people do what they're asked to do, they get into trouble anyway?  Someone who is sick tells their family not to call or visit, and then gets upset that after they finally convince the family to leave them alone, they do what they were asked. 

How come you can gain five pounds from a one pound box of chocolates?  Why can you gain five pounds in a week of really bad eating, but it takes several weeks of really good eating to lose them back?

When we're younger we can get by on less sleep.  At one time I used to work a full day for the Air Force, go home for a couple of hours and then work all night at the radio station as an "FM jock", go home to shower and do the same all over again the next day.  Aside from cat naps here and there I only slept one night a week.  Now I crave sleep.  I need sleep.  I can't function without a minimum amount of sleep.  Does aging make you more sleep dependent?

This Date in History:

On this date in 41, Roman Emperor Caligula is assassinated by his Praetorian guards.
On this date in 1848, gold was found at Sutter's Mill near Sacramento.
On this date in 1862, Bucharest is named the capital of Romania.
On this date in 1916, the U.S. Supreme Court issues its ruling in Brushaber v Union Pacific Railroad, confirming the constitutionality of the income tax.
On this date in 1972, a sergeant in the Japanese Imperial Army is found hiding in a Guam jungle where he had been since the end of World War II.
On this date in 1984, the first Apple Macintosh is sold.

The Pentagon made a statement...

women will now have access to every military occupation that men do.  Equality of opportunity.  This is a really good thing.

So here's hoping that Congress takes action to ensure that the flip side of opening military service in all specialities and roles to women is addressed as well.  I'm referring to the draft.  To the Selective Service Act.

Wait a minute.  We don't have a draft these days.  That ended a long time ago.  We've had an all-volunteer force since 1977.

But that's not the full story.  The Selective Service System still exists and all male citizens must register with the Service within 30 days of their 18th birthday.  Failure to do so means a loss of any opportunity for federally backed student loans or grants. 

Until now, women have been exempted from the draft, exempted from registering for Selective Service.  One of the arguments in favor of this exemption is that women couldn't serve in combat.  But that argument is no longer valid.

The Supreme Court upheld the right of Congress to limit the draft to men, as part of focusing on "military need" rather than equality.  That argument is also no longer valid.

In the movie "An Officer and a Gentleman", filmed in the early 1980s, a female officer candidate says "I wouldn't mind being the first woman to fly fighters in combat."  One of her fellow candidates who happened to be male said "great, go in my place." 

I'm all for equality.  Equality of opportunity AND equality of treatment. 

I'm tired.

Bone-weary, nearly exhausted type tired.  And it's only going to get worse over the next 24 hours.  I didn't sleep well on Tuesday night and that's just the way life goes.  Just wish I knew what to do differently to try to recover more of the stamina I used to have.

Even though my body was probably less healthy then than it is now, even though things aren't good now, back in the days when I was at my highest weight, highest blood pressure and just before I nearly died; I was keeping a schedule that nowadays I can't imagine doing.

I had a full-time job where I worked 40 some-odd hours a week.  During tax season I would work another 20 hours a week in a tax office doing returns.  Outside of tax season, I'd teach anywhere from 9 to 15 hours of classes in tax prep.  Teaching usually requires one hour of prep for every hour in the classroom.  I also managed to have somewhat of a social life.

Now if I spend more than three hours in any activity, even something as easy as sitting at the computer and trying to write, I need to lay down afterward.  On good days I can walk to the car without getting short of breath.  On great days I can walk all the way to the corner two blocks away without getting short of breath.  On less than good days, I get out of breath walking to my car, or to the dining room.  It sucks to be walking less than 200 feet and not having enough air to get there.

Other ponderings this morning:

How in the world can you use the denial of water as a punishment for a child?  Some woman is going to jail forever and 9 extra days (I think the real sentence was 85 years) because her step-son died from dehydration when she used denial of water as a punishment during a record heat wave.

Will people think twice about excess alcohol leading to bad things after a tipsy housewife ended up trapped in her son's high chair?  Probably not.

Why would people eating at a restaurant say (out loud) "special needs kids should be served elsewhere"?  In Texas, a waiter refused to serve morons who said just that.  Good for the waiter.

Why is it that solo driving seems to be the best time/place to do some thinking?

This date in history:

On this date in 1510, Henry VIII (only 18 years of age at the time) appeared incognito and received praise for his jousting before his identity was revealed.
On this date in 1556, the deadliest earthquake in history hits Shaxxni province, China.  Over 800,000 people died.
On this date in 1789, Georgetown College is founded.
On this date in 1849, Elizabeth Blackwell is awarded her MD, making her the first female doctor in the U.S.
On this date in 1855, the first bridge over the Mississippi River opens in what is new Minneapolis.
On this date in 1941, Charles Lindbergh testifies before the U.S. Congress and recommends that the U.S. negotiate a neutrality pact with Adolf Hitler.
On this date in 1943, Duke Ellington plays Carnegie Hall for the first time. (he got there by practicing, practicing, practicing)
On this date in 1960, the bathyscaphe USS Trieste breaks a depth record by descending to almost 36,000 feet in the Pacific Ocean.
On this date in 1968, North Korea seizes the USS Pueblo.
On this date in 1973, President Richard Nixon accounces a peace accord had been reached with Vietnam.
On this date in 1997, Madeleine Albright becomes the first ever female U.S. Secretary of State.


Can money buy happiness, or does it just make misery suck a lot less?

Does anyone care that Justin Bieber now has more followers on Twitter than Lady Gaga?  I don't.  Of course, I might be jealous since I can't seem to get to 100 followers, let alone thousands or millions.

Do people really need a list of ten things not to say to their employer?  Did you need to know that any of the following was a bad idea to say out loud to your boss?

1.  "It's not my fault".
2.  "It's not my job."
3.  "There must have been some miscommunication."
4.  "I'm so hung-over."
5.  "I can't stand so and so."
6.  "I'm too sick to be working."
7.  Communicating too much or too little with the boss.
8.  Whining and griping are never good.
9.  "I need a raise."
10. "I'll quit if...."  (be ready to be unemployed when you're dumb enough to use this one).

We may have plowed this ground before...

but it's worth re-visiting.  Freedom of speech is not absolute.  Just ask Crystal Dixon.  She was the VP of HR for at a university in Ohio.  Until she wrote a letter to the editor of the Toledo Free Press.  In it she wrote:

“As a black woman who happens to be an alumnus of the University of Toledo’s Graduate School, an employee and business owner, I take great umbrage at the notion that those choosing the homosexual lifestyle are ‘civil rights victims.’ Here’s why. I cannot wake up tomorrow and not be a black woman … Daily, thousands of homosexuals make a life decision to leave the gay lifestyle evidenced by the growing population of PFOX (Parents and Friends of Ex Gays) and Exodus International just to name a few,”

She was fired shortly after this was printed.  Even though she told the university that she didn't let her personal views affect her job or prevent her from hiring openly gay employees.  And she sued.

She lost.  The court ruled that in writing her letter she "expressly and publicly contradicted policies that were her duty to enforce".  Therefore her speech wasn't protected under the First Amendment.  I'm not going to get into the issue of her ridiculous contention that homosexuality is a "choice".  I'm focused on the Freedom of Speech issue.

If I work for a non-government employer and I want to criticize my employer's policies, I should be prepared to get fired.  Because that's not protected speech. 

Next time someone says something objectionable and then defends their comments as "hey, I have my free speech rights", educate them.  The First Amendment doesn't mean you can say anything you want without consequence.  If you call your boss a scum-sucking neanderthal low-life maggot and he fires you, your free speech rights weren't violated.  You were allowed to say what you wanted.  You just suffered a consequence for saying what you said.  Government didn't infringe your rights in that case, did they?

For the second straight week...

Monday night trivia was cancelled.  Due to lack of interest.  Did my team drive away the competition by winning week after week?  Perhaps.  Was it a case that the location just doesn't have the demand for the game?  Probably.  I'm surprised that the location survives, based on the lack of business I've seen when going there.  Maybe it's crowded on weekends, but on the weeknights I've been there, it's been "dead".

Someone managed to steal $70 million by adding bogus charges to people's phone bills.  That boggles my imagination.

This is in today's L.A. Times:  "Alejandro Lazo, 61, was arrested Sunday on a state Health and Safety Code violation because the body was deceased, the Los Angeles Police Department said."  It's part of a story about a male nurse who had sex with a corpse.  Is it just me, or aren't all bodies "deceased" when they've been previously identified as being a corpse?

Other ponderings today include:

Why do people with the flu shake hands and then say "oh, you should wash your hands, because I have the flu"?  Why not just say "I have the flu"?

Why don't people get the difference between saying they're sorry and actually being sorry for what they've done?  Apologies can be made in the sincerest form and still have no meaning behind them.  Don't apologize when you don't mean it, unless you absolutely have to.  Mean it when you apologize.

I've given up trying to understand what people who drive Hummers and oversized SUV don't grasp about the words "compact only".

Some Dodgers fans who don't have Time-Warner cable are in for a rude awakening in 2014, after the two entities struck a deal today for cable rights to Dodgers games from 2014 forward for a long time.  Bars that don't get the Lakers games now will have to do something or they won't have the Dodger games starting in just over 24 months.

Blockbuster is closing 300 more stores.  I remember when video rental stores were a brand new thing and there were few of them around.  Then they were everywhere and lots of people were making a living opening them.  The cycle has turned full and there are few left.  What does this mean?

Why do feet smell worse than any other body part, on a regular basis?  There are other portions of the body that might stink worse from time to time, but on a long-term basis, feet smell the worst.

This Date in History:

On this date in 1506, the first contingent of Swiss guards reported in at the Vatican.
On this date in 1890, the United Mine Workers of America is founded.
On this date in 1901, Edward VII is proclaimed King of England following the death of Queen Victoria.
On this date in 1915, more than 600 people die in Guadlajara, Mexico when a train plunges into a very deep canyon.
On this date in 1946, the Central Intelligence Group is formed, the forerunner of the CIA.
On this date in 1947, KTLA, first commercial TV station west of the Mississippi River begins operation.
On this date in 1969, a gunman attempts to assassinate Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev.
On this date in 1973, the US Supreme Court delivers the Roe v Wade decision, effectively legalizing abortion in all fifty states.
And on this date in 2002, KMart becomes the largest retailer in U.S. history to file for bankruptcy.

Life isn't truly fair.

If it were, we'd all live the exact amount of time.  We'd all be the same height and weight.  We'd all have the same amount of money in our wallets and in our bank accounts.  We'd live in a house just like all the other houses.  We would all drive the same car.  We'd all be entitled to the same level of health care.

But life isn't truly fair.  Income inequality is real.  It is growing in the U.S., but it is also growing in other "developed" nations.  Some say it is racially based.  Some say it is gender based.  Scholars and studies point in different directions.  We can ponder the Gini coefficient, argue that calculation methodology changes skew current statistics, and so on.  Or we can deal with the real issues here and focus on ways to resolve them.

Life isn't fair.  A child born to a wealthy couple is much more likely to end up in a high-paying profession than a child born to a poor couple.  That's not to say that all children born to the poor are doomed to live below the poverty line, it just means that the probability of their becoming doctors or lawyers or CEOs is lower than those of someone born to a wealthy family. 

Life isn't fair.  If you have money it's easier to use that money to make more money.  Money in large quantities buys you time to do other things than putting a roof over your head.  Someone with money can use that time to make more money.  Money buys education, information and recreation.  Money buys better health.  Money buys a better brand of justice within the legal system.

In an ideal world, a truly fair world, we would all have the same amount of money.  We don't.

Life isn't fair.  We don't all get to earn the same amount of money in our varying professions.  Take a look at the hospital ward where I was, weekend before last.  There were RNs on the ward.  They put in the IVs.  They administered drugs through those IVs.  They dispensed the pills.  There were LVNs.  They measured vital statistics.  They checked to make sure the patients were doing well.  There were CNAs.  They walked patients who needed walking.  They made beds.  They changed diapers (where needed). 

The RNs make a lot more than the LVNs.  The LVNs make a lot more than the CNAs.  Isn't that a case of income inequality, by definition?  They all work for the same employer.  They're all working the same amount of hours in 12 hour shifts.  So why aren't they paid the same?  Because compensation is a function of the relative worth of the labor. 

I was seen by a variety of doctors.  Some were interns.  Some were residents.  Some were attending physicians.  Again, they all didn't earn the same amount of money.  Income inequality?  By definition it is.

Let's redefine the term.  Let's rename it "income inopportunity".  The real problem is that the "have-nots" don't have the opportunity to earn income as fast or as much as the "haves".  Then we can go about trying to fix it.  By making educational opportunity more equal.  By working to improve social structures so that the children of the poor get all of the same opportunities in education and other areas that shape us as people as the children of the rich.

Life is not truly fair.  But we can strive to make it more fair.

It is absolutely no fun...

to want something that's right in front of you when you aren't supposed to have it.  I love V-8 juice.  I used to keep bottles and bottles of it in my apartment and drank entirely too much of it on a regular basis.

Now I live with daily restrictions on the amount of fluids and the amount of sodium I take in.  I'm certainly free to ignore them at my own peril, but they are part of what I need to be doing to live as long and as healthily as possible.

But I love my V-8, so I've learned to live with a daily dose.  One 11 ounce can at breakfast.  That way there isn't any in my refrigerator, temptation is removed.  Except that someone gave me a thank-you gift.  A 64 ounce bottle of V-8 juice.  And it was fine.  I just pretended it didn't exist.  But once I let myself give in to temptation, to take just a sip, I was done for.  I drank more.  Finally I put it into the refrigerator and I'm pretending it isn't there.  Out of sight, out of mind.  It is a new challenge for me.  To see how long I can go without finishing the bottle. 

Maybe there is a tiny bit of wisdom there.  Maybe setting things up as challenges is a strategy to achieve what is usually difficult to achieve.  Especially when you're an insanely competitive sort.

Today is the inauguration of the President of the United States.  It's a big deal.  And for some reason I have little interest in it.  I'm keeping up with it via the media.  I just don't want to watch and listen to every single word.  The speech will be available to read at my leisure later on, which I will do.  The pundits' spin on what is said and unsaid will also be available to be read at my leisure.  Somehow I feel like I should be more interested in what's happening.  Perhaps I'm just suffering from information overload.  Every major network and news channel is showing every single second of what's going on in D.C.  Maybe I'm rebelling because I want to choose what to watch on television.  I think it's awesome that an openly gay, Latino poet is involved.  I think it's historic and brilliant to have had Myrlie Evers-Williams delivering the invocation.  I'm just not going to watch every single second of this.

Other things I'm pondering this morning are:

Which is more important?  Working hard, or working smart.  Or are they both equally important?  Are they mutually exclusive?  Is the notion of working smarter somehow implying that you don't or won't work as hard?  I think you need to work smart and still work hard.

Just what perverse pleasure is the idiot or idiots who are engaging in the new "swatting" phenomenon getting from this?  Will it be as much fun for them when someone gets seriously injured?

I was sure that the old video from ABC's long-dead "Wide World of Sports" that was illustrating the "agony of defeat" would remain the worst ever video of a ski jump gone wrong. 

People think that the higher tax rates at the federal and state level won't change people's behavior in major ways.  Maybe for most of them it won't.  But Phil Mickelson, who has a net worth of nearly $200 million and earns another $30 million or so annually, says that the higher taxes may push him to go ahead and retire early.  Food for thought.

Bill Belichek is the coach of the New England Patriots.  He's also a very poor sport.  His team lost yesterday and he blew off his obligation to do a post-game interview with CBS.  I'm insanely competitive, remember?  I can't imagine letting my drive to win keeping me from meeting an obligation.  I might be fuming at the loss, but that doesn't give me an excuse to go off and sulk.  How childish of him.

For those who think our system of justice is too harsh, consider the case of four men in Iran who "mugged" a man at dagger point.  The two driving the motorbikes only got 10 years in prison, 74 lashes, and five years of banishment from the capital.  The two who actually robbed the man were hanged, in public.  Wonder if others thinking about mugging will think twice after seeing the hanging.

Colin Powell is slamming the Republican party, mostly about intolerance.  About time.

This Date in History:

On this date in 1643, Abel Tasman became the first European to reach Tonga.
On this date in 1720, Sweden and Prussia sign The Treaty of Stockholm.
On this date in 1793, Louis XVI was executed by guillotine.
On this date in 1861, Jefferson Davis resigns from the U.S. Senate.
On this date in 1899, Opel manufactures its first automobile.
On this date in 1950, Alger Hiss is convicted of perjury.
On this date in 1954, the USS Nautilus is launched.  It is the first nuclear-powered submarine.
On this date in 1968, the Battle of Khe Sahn in Vietnam begins.
On this date in 1981, production begins on the famed DeLorean.
On this date in 1999, one of the largest 'busts' in U.S. history takes place with the Coast Guard seizing 9,500 pounds of cocaine on board a ship.

Since I heard this on...

talk radio you have to take it with a grain of salt.  I did.  But if true, it is very illustrative of why the people who are in favor of a "minimum to survive" system of hand outs just don't get it.

The woman hosting the talk radio program I was listening to told the story of a Lithuanian woman who emigrated to England to be a croupier.  She lost her job and has chosen not to go back to work because it makes no sense for her to do so.

She's getting the following from the English government:

Monthly cash payments that amount to $23,000 per year.
A free apartment.
Free food.
Reduced utility bills.
A clothing allowance that she's using to buy Robert Cavilli clothing.

She says "I'm highly educated, I speak six languages and why in the world would I apply for a job as a cleaner or a cashier?"

She has a point.  Where is the incentive for her to go back to work, ever?  Because from what the talk radio host was saying, these benefits continue indefinitely.  That's the problem.

We need social safety nets.  We really do.  Unemployment is a good thing.  But the idea of unemployment is to take care of people until they can find work.  When the economy sucks and work is harder to find, unemployment needs to be flexible and take care of people.  However, there is a difference between temporary unemployment benefits and indefinite care-taking. 

When someone is unable to work, because they aren't physically capable, that's different.  We have disability programs and as long as that person can't work, they should be provided for.  We have welfare programs that were designed to get people off of them after a period of time, but those seem to be in flux right now and that's a topic for another blog.  The issue here is this silly notion that every single man, woman and child deserves a "minimum to survive" paid for by the labor of others.

If there is no incentive to work, why work?  If there is no incentive to contribute to society, why contribute?  If government is willing to tax those who do work and do earn money to pay for the rest of the populace to just sit around, surf the web, shop and watch TV, why would those people do anything else?

Here's the crux of the matter.  When someone physically CAN'T work, they are deserving of our support.  When someone CAN'T work because they can't find a job, it isn't a question of ability but one of opportunity.  That is also deserving of our support.  We need to provide unemployment and find ways to boost the economy to provide employment opportunity.

But when someone WON'T work when they are able, the issue is ability.  The issue is the choice to not work.  The other issue is that we simply can't afford to give everyone this so-called minimum to survive.  We're already spending ourselves into a debt crisis of epic proportions.  Adding new entitlement benefits or expanding the ones we already have is not possible.

So let's fix the economy.  Let's restore opportunity.  Let's maintain those social safety nets of welfare, disability and unemployment.  Let's try to get people who want to work back to work.  And let's make it clear to people who can work and are choosing to do everything they can to avoid it, we will subsidize inability.  We won't subsidize laziness.

Today's installment of...

As the Assisted Living Facility turns opens with a mystery.  The mystery of the missing Danish.

Breakfast here is the most regular and consistent meal of the day.  Every morning there are eggs.  You can get scrambled, hard-boiled, over-easy, over-hard or however else you desire.  There's some kind of bread product, and the same ones are usu ally present on the same days.  Sundays are sausage day.  Wednesdays are ham days.  Fridays are bacon days.  And Sundays have been Danish day except that the second seating isn't getting them of late.

Some of the residents brought their complaint to the President of the Resident's Council and he did some investigating on this particular Sunday morning.  First he made sure to witness that this was a real problem.  It was. 

Then he started asking questions.  In the end it turns out that the kitchen has been receiving only one box of Danish on Sundays.  With only 60 in a box, the problem is there just aren't enough being ordered.  The first seating is theoretically limited to just one per person but we all know that the servers will give out a second item when asked.  There are 100 or so residents.  60 Danishes are nowhere near enough.  So the President is going to talk to the Chef when he returns to work on Tuesday to see what can be done to either order two boxes or stop serving Danishes altogether. 

Meanwhile, one of the residents hasn't been seen in a few days and is not on the list of people in hospitals or rehab facilities that's kept in the office.  As a result several of the residents are wondering where this resident might be.  Since the med tech doesn't have any information, the level of curiousity only rises with each passing day.

And there was sad news being passed around today.  One of the long-time residents has passed away.  We had not seen her in months because this person had been in a rehab facility.  While they were here, they weren't happy.  They got into disputes with other residents frequently.  When another resident had passed away that this resident shared a table with in the dining room, they refused to allow anyone else to be seated at the dead person's place for a very long time.  Some might think that at least this person has been freed from their clearly unhappy existence.

But life is better than the alternative.  Even an unhappy life is better than no life.  So that this person has passed is sad.

The Centrist Party is going to...

make an endorsement in the L.A. Mayoral race.  Surprising, because I don't live within the city limits of Los Angeles.  But what happens in the city of Los Angeles has an impact on all of us who live anywhere in the Southern California area (you can use the fancy word 'metroplex' if you like). 

There are four major candidates.  City council members Eric Garcetti, Jan Perry, City Controller Wendy Gruel and attorney Kevin James (there's a fifth guy on the ballot but he's unknown).  Even though my knowledge of James is slightly limited, he's the right choice.  The simple reason is because he wasn't part of the problem.  So it is much more likely he can be part of a solution.

The problems of Los Angeles aren't unique but they are complex.  Government at the state, county and city levels are doing things that discourage rather than encourage businesses to locate and operate from within the city limits.  With the flight of business comes reductions in revenues.  I'm not anti-union but I will point out that the unions have pushed these government structures to get the maximum in salary and benefits for their members.  Pension obligations are rising much faster than the revenue streams needed to pay them.  Los Angeles is a "Balkanized" city, divided into sub-cities that care little or nothing about the others, as long as someone is paying attention to their needs.  The infrastructure is crumbling so fast that potholes can't be fixed without a ballot initiative.  The new increases in taxation promulgated by Prop 30 aren't going to help.

So it's time for fresh blood.  An outsider may not be able to do anything significantly different than the insiders who have made things so bleak, but he's worth a try.  Vote Kevin James for Mayor on March 5th.

There must be someone with a sick...

sense of humor in charge of balancing things out in our universe.  Take yesterday for example.  I was at the first of the day's two movies and a couple came in just a few minutes before the show began.  The man was playing a game on his cell phone right up until the feature began.  Then he put his phone away and watched the movie.  But about 30 minutes into the film, he took out the phone and started playing his game again.  I wanted to say something but if the people right behind him weren't complaining, I wasn't going to.

A few minutes later, the woman with him turned around and went off on the man sitting behind her for kicking her chair as he uncrossed and recrossed his legs.  Is that justice?  They disturbed him, so he disturbed them back, although that wasn't the apparent intent of either.  Is that balance?  Seems to me it is.

Then when I was leaving the theater and pulling out of my parking space, there was not one, but two cars circling like vultures trying to jockey for position to get into my space.  Until one of the two realized that it was a blue placard space and apparently they didn't have one, while the other car had handicapped plates on it.  Parking close to where you're going is great, but paying $331 to do so isn't smart.

It's January 20th.  The President of the U.S. takes the oath of office today (tomorrow for the public) and another term begins.  The election is over.  The problems are real.  Let's release the partisanship and try to foster a spirit of bi-partisanship to deal with those problems.  That's the fantasy.  The reality was seen this morning on CNN when Barney Frank and a prominent Republican were discussing things political and the sniping about how both parties fingerpoint went on unabated.

If you need a new car and you can't afford it, you go get a loan.  When you can't get a loan, you find a less expensive car or you take the bus.  But when the federal government wants to buy something it just prints more money.  They can defer the pain.  They can postpone by more borrowing.  But sooner or later the lender is going to call in the loan. 

In post WWI Germany, the Weimar Republic just printed more money.  By 1924, one loaf of bread cost 200 billion marks.  That's what happens when you just keep printing money.  It loses value rapidly at a certain point in the process.

Other things I am pondering on a Sunday morning:

Why am I feeling so overwhelmed the past few days?  Life isn't all that much busier.  Maybe I'm just tired and still recovering from my illness.

Is it an act of rudeness or politeness to stop someone from telling you all of a joke because you've heard the punchline before and it's a fairly long joke?  If it's short, you just smile, listen and then give a courtesy chuckle.  And if you feel the need, you mention you've heard it before.  But why not stop a person from going through the whole, long, joke when you know it.  When you've been telling the same joke for decades?

I guess there are no limits to what scam artists will do to get money from people.  Someone selling coins that purported to contain silver from Ground Zero is going to pay $750,000 in fines.  How do such people sleep at night?

How much "extra" money do you have to have lying around to spend over $4 million to buy the original Batmobile?

There's a new report out that nearly 1/3rd of military commanders being 'fired' are getting fired over issues involving sex, sexual harassment and so on.  This isn't anything new, it's just a case of people keeping statistics now and that back before the Tailhook scandal, that kind of thing just got covered up for the most part.  Why don't people understand that this isn't new, it's just being looked at differently.

The late Stan Musial was one of the greatest hitters in the history of baseball.  But looking at his career numbers also serves to remind us just how much better the late Ty Cobb was than anyone else who ever swung a bat, as long as we use hits and batting average rather than home runs to measure success.  Musial his .331 over 22 seasons.  Almost 3,700 hits.  Cobb hit .366 over 24 seasons.  Almost 4,200 hits.  But he wasn't the greatest player ever.  That title belongs solely to the late, great Babe Ruth. 

Ruth hit home runs like no one before him.  He his .342 over 22 seasons and would have been well over 3,000 hits except for one little thing.  He was one of the game's best pitchers during his first four full seasons in the majors and thusly played only every 4th game.  No one before or since will ever have a lifetime batting average of .340 while their winning percentage as a pitcher is over .600.  In fact, his is .676, the second highest of any pitcher in the Hall of Fame.  So why would anyone argue that any other player was the greatest ever? 

This Date in History:

On this date in 1265, the English Parliament met for the first time.
On this date in 1320, Duke Wladyslaw Lokietek becomes King of Poland.
On this date in 1356, Edward Balliol abdicates as King of Scotland
On this date in 1649, Charles I of England goes on trial for 'treason' and 'other high crimes'.
On this date in 1841, the English occupy Hong Kong.
On this date in 1920, the American Civil Liberties Union is founded.
On this date in 1936, Fujifilm is founded in Tokyo.
On this date in 1942, the "Final Solution" and its implementation is discussed at the Wannsee Conference.
On this date in 1972, Pakistan launches its nuclear weapons program.
On this date in 1981, President Ronald Reagan is inaugurated.  20 minutes later, the U.S. hostages in Iran are freed.
On this date in 1986, Martin Luther King Jr's birthday is celebrated as a federal holiday for the first time.
On this date in 1987, Church of England envoy Terry Waite is taken hostage in Lebannon.

Donald Trump did it...

and so did President Grant.  Benedict Arnold did it too.  Orange County did it.  San Bernardino and Stockton have done it.  Now one person has suggested that the United States do it too and I'm wondering, is it a good idea or not.

Bankruptcy.  For individuals like us, there is Chapter 11.  That's a reorganization.  Chapter 13.  That's a payment plan where you pay off part or what you owe over a defined period of time.  Chapter 7.  that's where your debts are wiped out, with those assets of yours that aren't protected by law from being liquidated being sold off with the proceeds being divided up among your creditors.

Then there's Chapter 9.  That's for "municipalities".  The Federal Government probably doesn't meet the definition as currently written, but Congress could fix that.  Imagine wiping out all of the nation's debts with the stroke of a pen.  $16 trillion in obligations wiped out. 

Is that a good idea?  You tell me.

* * * * *

Things I'm pondering this morning:

How do you date exclusively on-line?  Do you watch the same movie streaming on Netflix at the same time and chat about it in another window?  Do you really go public as a public figure that you're dating someone you've never met?  Seems to call your judgment into question.

Famke Janssen is a gorgeous actress.  They're going to uglify (if that's a word) her for a role.  Do actors and actresses choose to play those kind of roles to show that they're more than a pretty face?

Hockey starts today.  Nearly half of the season was missed.  Why didn't the stupid owners and the stupid player's association just get the deal done before the season began?  Did things end up a lot different than a compromise they could have reached then?

Multiplex theaters make most of their money from concession sales, not bargain matinee ticket sales.  So why do they worry so much about people "sneaking" into a second movie, particularly if they're visiting the concession stand between films?

If a bear shits in the woods and there is no one there, does it still stink?  I ask why animals don't need toilet paper, since they have even more hair around you know where than human do, but I don't want to get too gross this morning.

Today is a wonderful day for us L.A. Kings fans.  We get to watch the Stanley Cup banner going up.  I don't own an interest in the Kings.  My family stopped holding season tickets for them almost 30 years ago.  So why does it matter so much to me that they won the Cup?  I'm a fan but I'm an adult.  Is it that we all have a little child in us when it comes to being fans of our sports teams?

The Air Force did inspections of "public areas" and confiscated thousands of items it considered "offensive" or "pornographic".  One of the items taken down was a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader calendar.  So it's okay for the televisions in the common room of an Air Force barracks (they call it a dayroom) to show Cowboy football games where they sneak in gratuitous shots of the cheerleaders, but a calendar isn't acceptable?

* * * * *

No This Date in History Today.  It will return tomorrow. 

Iconic movie quotes, slightly altered:

See if you can figure all of them out.

You lost me at hello.

Frankly my dear, this is really important to me.

Why are you talking to me?

Jellied gasoline has a unique odor at dawn.

Show me the pre-paid gift card.

I'll have a fake orgasm too.

Everybody has some kind of flaw.

So punk, you think this is the day to buy that winning lottery ticket?

Dudes, no fighting in here.  Fighting is only planned here, not done here.

Adrian, pay attention when I'm talking here.

Big white sheet draped about frat boy!  Big white sheet draped around frat boy!

Attica Maximum Security/Supermax Prison!  Attica Maximum Security/Supermax Prison!

I feel the need to go really fast in a fighter jet or on a motorcycle.

Nobody piegonholes the doctor's daughter, especially after I taught her to dance

Say hello to my large gun dripping with phallic symbolism.

Use that mysterious thing that is created by life forms that will allow you to levitate a robot.

They said you were extremely well endowed.  And they weren't incorrect.

You doofuses in the stupid matching outfits are the country-western band that was supposed to be here six hours ago?

What color is your automobile?  It seems to resemble a mixture of green mucus and bright urine.

I'm going to take a bath.  Oh?  I'll post it on your Facebook and Twitter.

White pages dot com has my name in it!  White pages dot com has my name in it!

Geez, he really has a problem with this metal cylinders that contain a commonly used automobile product.

Time one again for another...

installment of "As The Assisted Living Facility Turns".  Our story opens with the President of the Resident's Council trying to walk from his room to his car in order to go run an errand.  But he kept getting stopped on the way by residents, all of whom had one complaint.  A common complaint.  The food.

The facility has a new assistant chef and many of the residents do not like this chef's cooking.  There are a lot of different criticisms.  The supervising chef is working with this other chef to try to get them up to speed in their methods of cooking.  Since the supervising chef's food is universally accepted and liked (almost universally), if that chef can get the new assistant chef to use their methods and procedures, it will get better.

The thing is convincing the residents that progress is being made.  That the supervising chef is working to train the assistant chef.  That it will get better.  The problem is that living in an assisted living facility consists mostly of boredom and routine.  That's why the twice-weekly bingo games are so hotly contested, even though the stakes of ten cents per person with 20 people playing don't amount to much.  Even if one person were able to win all ten games in one session, they'd walk out with less than $30.  No one ever wins more than three games, let alone all ten.  So it isn't like these are big-stakes games.  But everyone there is motivated to be there.

In the evenings there are card games.  A nickel per person per hand.  Three to five players in the games.  But these games are important to them.

That's the point.  Everything that goes on here of any note is important to the people.  Meals are important.  Daily mail is a major deal.  So to try to get them to be patient with the issue of evening meals is not easy.  The President plans to try to help the Supervising Chef with this task.

Meanwhile they are continuing with improvements to the facility which is causing other problems.  They're working in the lobby and in the activities room.  During the day, the main entrance is blocked off and people must enter through the side door near the parking lot.  That means people who shouldn't be forced to take extra steps are being forced to take those extra steps.  They won't open the door closer to the street because it is more risky.  Makes sense until you watch one of the more limited residents struggling to get to the street.  Fortunately this will pass soon.

Or not.  But the President can hope.

Just how much of our existence...

is totally within our control?  Unless we don't need to work to ensure our basic survival needs are met, a large part of the hours we are able to remain awake each day are not totally within our control.  Even the self-employed have some restrictions on what they can do from day to day.  They may be able to say "no" to working today and go fishing or to a movie or whatever.  But if they can do that every day, then they no longer fit the definition of needing to work to survive.

For everyone else, our time and movements are limited.  They're further limited by other requirements of living life.  Buying groceries.  Eating.  Putting gas into the car.  Driving.  Traffic.  Meeting the needs of family members and friends.

And yet our lives are our own.  Someone, and I wish I remember who it was, once offered a great analogy.  Our lives are like a sonnet.  A sonnet has specific rules and limitations.  It must be 14 lines consisting of three quatrains and a couplet.  It must be written in iambic pentameter.  Meaning there are very rigid limits about the length and certain elements of the composition that aren't within the writer's control.

But what the author chooses to say in those 14 lines is totally unrestricted.  Content is completely within their control, as long as they follow the limits on structure and meter.  We are the authors of our own lives.

* * * * *

In 1995, Time magazine named Bill Gates "Master of the Universe".  What most people don't know is that right before that issue was published, Bill Gates died and went to heaven where he was ushered before God.  God said "I don't know what to do with you Bill.  On the one hand you've done things to make use of computers so much easier for the average individual.  On the other hand, you've tortured people in trying to use those programs of your company.  Therefore, I'm going to let you decide.  Heaven or Hell.  I want you to spend a week in each and then decide.

First Heaven.  Bill Gates spent a week floating on clouds, listening to angels sing and watching the happenings on Earth through a telescope.  It was boring.  Then he was moved to Hell and it turned out that hell is located at a beachfront condo filled with women in bikinis, barbecues, nude volleyball games and lots of sex.

After the two weeks of trial were over, Gates reappeared before God and was asked to choose.  "No offense God, but I choose Hell."  "Okay, it was your choice.  I'll look in on you in a few weeks and see how you're making out with your choice.  And remember, it's an irrevocable choice."

Two weeks later, God journeyed to Hell and found Bill Gates chained to a rock wall and being tortured 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  When Bill noticed God he began complaining.  "This isn't what I signed up for.  Where is the beach?  Where are the girls in bikinis?"  God smiled and said "oh, that was Hell 3.1.  This is Hell 95."

Now if you found that funny, you were probably around in 1995 when we were all forced to adapt to the initial Windows 95, which drove us crazy at first.  If you didn't, it just proves that not all jokes, unlike fine wines, don't necessarily improve with age.

* * * * *

Things I'm pondering today include:

Why do people bundle up when they're cold but don't take off the outer garments once they are inside; resulting in their being very cold after acclimating to the inside temperature while bundled and then going back outside?

Was there an easier way to phrase that ponder?

If you're at an intersection where there are three fast-food restaurants and you don't have time to go elsewhere for lunch, how do you choose if you loathe all three of the chains available?

Why is the media continuing to insist Robert Wagner is a suspect in the death of Natalie Wood more than 30 years old?

Things must be tense around the NBC offices regarding the situation on the Today Show with Matt Lauer and Ann Curry, since network executives ordered Chelsea Handler to stop making jokes about it.

Do people selling stuff on EBay not look closely at the photos before posting them?  Naked people images show up in mirrors and other reflective surfaces in pictures of items for sale.  Better question might be why do people spend so much time naked in their homes?

This Date in History:

On this date in 1535, Pizarro founds the city of Lima.
On this date in 1591, King Naresuan of Siam kills Crown Prince Michnit Sra of Burma in single combat, which is why this date is celebrated as Royal Thai Armed Forces Day.
On this date in 1884, Dr. William Price attempted to cremate the body of his infant son, Jesus Christ Price.  This is the legal precedent for cremation in the UK.
On this date in 1911, the first landing of an airplane aboard a ship took place on the USS Pennsylvania.
On this date in 1943, the first uprising in the Jewish ghetto of Warsaw begins.
On this date in 1958, Willie O'Ree, the first African-Canadian to play in the National Hockey League makes his debut.
On this date in 1977, doctors identify the bacterium that is the cause of Legionnaire's Disease.
On this date in 1983, the International Olympic Committee restores the medals of Jim Thorpe to his family.

When art imitates my life...

it makes me stop and think.  That happened today.  I'm still amazed by how it resonated with me.  I'm still sitting here shaking my head over how I could have been so dumb.

I was sick.  We all know that by now.  I nearly died.  But what most people don't know is that when I came out of the coma and continued my recovery, I'd been flat on my back for weeks.  You can't get up and just resume walking after something like that.  I needed physical therapy and put out a lot of effort the previous time I'd been ill and that was only 11 days in ICU.  I couldn't stand, let alone walk.

And the physical therapists at the first hospital where I was treated were very helpful.  They cajoled.  They encouraged.  They demanded, but not in a sadistic way.  Eventually they got me to stand, with the aid of a piece of equipment.

Then I transferred to a sub-acute facility.  Where the therapist was dedicated but just didn't seem to mesh with me.  As a result I lost interest in physical therapy.  I didn't progress as fast as I might have.  Mostly because I didn't do the required work.

So in the episode of the medical drama I watched today, I saw a woman who'd undergone far more than I did (she lost a leg and had to have both arms surgically re-attached as well as nearly dying) decide she wasn't going to do the work.  And I felt bad.  Not for her.  For not having done better when I was the one lying in bed, feeling sorry for himself. 

Life imitates art.  Art imitates life.  I can't imitate others.  I have to be me.  But I can be a better me.  I can be the best me I know how to be.  That means doing the required work even when I don't feel like it.