The Morning Paper

I am about to embark on new and uncharted territories. I have been getting some sort of morning paper almost my entire adult life. It has been such a part of my morning routine that I'm not certain how I will deal with this but the simple fact is in about a week I am terminating my morning paper delivery. I can't speak for other parts of the country but our paper has slowly declined in content, substance and value. They have had layoffs due to the economic slump which may be a contributing factor but also the surge in Internet use is making the paper old news and increasingly irrelevant.

What will I miss about the paper? Mostly the routine as I am definitely an individual that takes comfort in a set routine. Should one little thing disrupt my routine my day can quickly become unhinged. It is both a blessing and a curse at the same time. I wish I could be more flexible in that regard. I will miss Pickles. I know, I can still get Pickles online but it's that sense of excitement about just how funny it will be and how much it will mirror my own life. (It's often almost unsettling how close he and I are) I will miss listening to my wife sigh as she reads various stories that give rise to the notion that common sense is slowly being sucked out of every area of our society. I will miss the sports section that I peruse every morning and other than checking out where my Yankees are and what the Canes are doing, I'm not sure why. I will miss hearing how my friend Ed is doing taking the commercial real estate world by storm as every week he seems to be featured some way or another! I will miss an occasional flash of literary brilliance although the occasions seem to have been directly affected by the layoffs that have taken place. Mostly I'll miss the routine.

I think that the degradation of print media has been taking place almost in direct correlation to the rise of the Internet. In one way, the newspaper has always almost been a symbol of forward thinking and community awareness and although these things can be drawn from the electronic media it just doesn't seem the same to me. Then again, I still think cell phones are the scourge of the Earth so I have a ways to go in acceptance of new technologies.

So there you have it. I am getting ready to sail into uncharted territories. I am shedding the increasingly antiquated habit of reading my morning paper. I guess I will have a few extra minutes to do something else now. I better think of something that will fall exactly into that time slot as to not disrupt my routine. That would be a true tragedy.

Project Complete (Well Not Really)

I would be the first to tell you that painting is not my favorite chore in the world but that being stated, there is really no better feeling to me than doing something yourself and appreciating the finished product.

My wife and I undertook the rather intimidating project of painting our living room. It is the largest room in our house which is true for many homes such as ours and it also has the magnificent feature of a vaulted ceiling. When I utter magnificent I really am speaking in the aesthetic sense not so much the maintenance sense. To give you a clearer picture it is 16 feet at the center peak and I was using an eight foot ladder. I am six foot two inches tall. Do the math and you will quickly understand the precariousness of painting the dreaded peak. Add to that the ceiling fan planted precisely in the middle of the peak and well it was interesting to say the least. I must publicly congratulate my wife for having really a minimum of freak-out moments during this entire project especially when I was dangling from the aforementioned ladder.

Another aesthetic feature is something aptly named popcorn ceiling. Anyone who has it knows exactly what it is and most people that have it seem to wish they didn’t. I’m stuck with it for now and painting this marvel of surfaces is both tiring and messy with the emphasis on messy. When I was through I had popcorn in places I didn’t know I had places. I looked like a melting snowman when it was completed. There is no way to neatly paint a ceiling and I, of course, am an overachiever!

My wife’s role in this was pretty impressive I must say. She’s what she proclaims to be a normal height and thus she stayed a little closer to the ground although she did get on her step stool from time to time. She was a painting fool though and really tore through a lot of the trim. I could have no better partner to help me with this job and she made it a much more tolerable event. One of the many reasons I love her is she’s not afraid to dive in and get it done and not only appreciates the finished product but had a lot to do with it.

So we are almost through with this room. One accent wall to paint today and then an armload of wall plates to replace and re-hang about a hundred or so pictures replace what furniture we still own with a couple pieces to be delivered this Saturday and we can relax. Did I say relax? Anyone of you who owns their home knows that’s a misnomer. It’s on to the next “project”.

Celebrities and Other Stuff

I thought I would broach the topic of a few "celebrities" and my opinion of them whether solicited or not and most always it's the later.

Michael Jackson: Here's a guy (?) that really received most treasured status upon his death but in recent years while he was alive received slightly less glowing reviews. It's true he was never convicted of any pedophilia, however, it's also true he paid off a few families to procure that status. First, in all fairness, I did listen and enjoy a few of his songs while he was at his pinnacle before he decided to become a white African American. He continued to get stranger and stranger and finally I could no longer even watch him without it feeling as if I was watching a impending Nascar multi-car pileup. So Michael rest in peace and I suspect your true judgement has now taken place.

Bernie Madoff: What a slime ball. This man single-handedly took down a great many people in his Ponzi schemes. Granted, many of these people were independently wealthy and you would think know better than to put all of their financial eggs in Madoff's basket but it is what it is. Being wealthy doesn't exclude you from being an idiot. You may think what he became famous for only will affect wealthy folks but watch to see just how many companies these wealthy folks own go down in flames because of his scams. One interesting side note is I have a couple friends who work at Bernie's new home and they are both quite "excited" to meet the man. I will leave the rest to your collective imaginations.

Lance Armstrong: OK I know I will receive flack for this but I just have to say enough already! The guy is an amazing cyclist but I am over hearing about him. I know he has come back from cancer and is an amazing athlete and really knows how to pedal a bike. ENOUGH already!

Sonia Maria Sotomayor: Just please go ahead and approve her for a seat on the Supreme Court. Stop making it sound as if the little (R) republicans are going to do anything but grumble and complain and in the end just confirm her. It's all smoke and mirrors and the longer it takes, the more absurd the whole process will become. Just confirm her and get it over with!

Sarah Palin: I love this woman and think she is the best thing to happen to the Republican party if for no other reason to wake the elite upper echelon of Republicans and make them perhaps ponder the little guy out there. The second best thing to happen to the Republican party is Barack Obama. If anyone is actually paying attention to something besides who's texting them this guy should dismantle the Democratic party or at least send it spiraling into disarray. I'm hopeful....

OK this is not a celebrity but it is so very annoying to me that I have to comment on it. Who does the Geico Insurance Company advertising campaign? I fail to see the advertising validity or value in a little stack of money with glass eyeballs on top. This is not clever and does not make me want to frequent this company for anything. It is, in fact, the most moronic idea I think I can ever remember. They need to can this whole thing. The amazing part is some company out there was paid incredible amounts of money to produce this concept. I wonder if they're hiring?

We spend way too much of our time and energy idolizing celebrities. These people are typically given some sort of higher status when it comes to political viewpoints or just opinions about anything. When it comes down to it, I think I value the opinion of people I come in contact with on a regular basis much more than I every will consider what Rosie O'Donnell thinks about global warming. Read and become educated and know the facts!

Walter Cronkite

Walter Cronkite was a Liberal and made no bones about it and although I had little to agree with him about while he was alive I have very vivid memories as a child watching many historical events unfold with Walter at the helm of CBS news. This was back in a time when you had NBC, CBS or ABC to watch...oh yes and where I lived CTV which was a Canadian network.

So while he and I were opposed politically as I grew up and became more Conservative I still remember his emotions when Armstrong put his foot on the moon. It was an amazing spectacle and his coverage made it feel that much more important in my eyes. I really was glued to the TV and even watching it today gives me chills. For that matter, watching Apollo 13 still gives me chills...the one with Tom Hanks that is. It's one of my favorite movies even though I know how it turns out every time I watch it. The feelings of pride in being an American while these accomplishments were attained may never be recaptured for me in quite the same way.

Another very poignant event was that of John F Kennedy's assassination and the funeral that followed. It was an emotional time for many Americans and I make no apologies for tearing up when I heard the news. Walter Cronkite's raw emotions showed as he announced the shocking news and I think he mirrored most everyone else in our country at that time. It was a sad time but it also was a very clear display of how our country's system of government could go into action and make a peaceful and orderly transition of power. I'm not so sure that things would happen as smoothly in our modern era.

So this blog is really to say one thing to Walter Cronkite, may he rest in peace, and that is thank you. As a child during those very significant historical events you made me sit up and take notice. Whether or not I agreed with you later in life is not the point here. The point is to say God bless you and keep you in the palm of his hand.

United States of America?

So I sat on this little story for a couple days to try and formulate an opinion without sounding uncaring or the latest catch-phrase, intolerant.

When did English become the second language of our country? There may be certain sectors of this country that are oblivious to this fact but in many areas English speaking people are fast becoming a minority. There is a major grocery store chain in my area that, in its infinite wisdom, has decided to make a larger portion of its stores "Hispanic Friendly". What that entails entirely I'm not certain. One of the requirements of a Hispanic friendly store will be to have a significant portion of its employees able to communicate using Spanish. I'm sure that the grocery selections will cater more to the Hispanic culture and signage will also be more prevalent in Spanish to make it easier for our new residents.

I have no intentions here to say we should not welcome all cultures (legally) as this country has always consisted of immigrants. Where I do take issue is with the accommodations we are expected to make. When someone from a foreign country moves to the U.S. they are aware before they even set foot in this country that we are an English speaking nation. English is our national language. We could not move to Russia or Mexico and make demands that they learn English. I would venture a guess that if you went to Russia and called a vendor that there would even BE a button to push for English. So why is our country expected to provide more and more accommodations to make things easier for foreign cultures? Would someone care to explain that to me?

It would be my expectation as a foreigner that I would be responsible to learn the language of whatever country I decided I wanted to call home. There's that dirty word surfacing again: responsibility.

So we have Grocery store chains spending money to become Hispanic friendly. We have the DMV in my state printing a drivers manual in Spanish. (at tax payer expense) We have more and more Hispanic television stations. I'm not really picking on Hispanics but they are the biggest issue we face here in NC in terms of making so many cultural accommodations.

I am happy that they are proud of their heritage. That being said they came to this country and they should be expected to abide by our way of life . You are either an American or you are not but if you want to live here and be afforded all the opportunities that so many have sacrificed for your minimum expectation should be to learn ENGLISH.

Oh and one more thing; if we make these accommodations for Hispanics then we should be doing the exact same thing for the Koreans, Japanese, Indians, Germans, etc. So get ready DMV, you have a lot more manuals to be printing in the near future!

Why Are We Here?

So why are we here? This is a great question that philosophers have been examining and wrangling over since really the beginning of self-awareness. Is there a purpose or meaning to our existence? Are we just random pulses of cells with really no distinct rationale? I’m about to give my uneducated opinion. I say uneducated because I’ve never even taken a philosophy class or studied that discipline but I do consider living a few years a license to dispense my thoughts.

I do believe that we will never know the answer to that question in this life. I surmise that when you examine the broad scheme of this planet and all its magnificence and all its unharnessed power that you have to come to the conclusion that while each one of us individually may not be part of a single plan, our existence has a meaning. I don’t think we are part of Darwin’s theory of evolution. I don’t discount evolution to some extent but I also believe this evolution to be a part of God’s plan.

I’m always a little amazed as to how some people really think they have no reason for being. It must be a horrible way to live your life because if you really have that opinion what is the very point in continuing on in life? It would seem to me that you would be constantly cynical and not regard life as being precious or even important.

So in my little way of thinking I believe that life is very precious and that how we live out our lives is important to our next step which I believe to be salvation. The very meaning of salvation is to be saved. Before you just stop reading don’t think I am getting all religious or Biblical on you although for many that wouldn’t be a bad first step. How can you really talk about the meaning of life if you don’t ponder what is on the other side of our existence on Earth? That in fact would be the core issue in determining our very meaning.

So there you have my opinion. We are indeed on this Earth to complete part of a larger plan. How we live, how we treat our fellow man and how we leave our mark will be ultimately the most important meaning to our existence and to our soul’s future. Take what you will from this entry but my main point is this one statement; yes you are important!

Who Inspires Me?

I have written in the past about some of the people I am about to mention but thought it was worth thinking more about. So here’s my list of people that truly inspire me and why. I’m not talking about people like Tiger Woods or any other celebrities but really about day to day people that have made a real difference in my life and in my perspective. This list is also not in any particular order.

My Wife:

This is one special lady. She has an innate ability to look at me and make me laugh or run. (mostly laugh) She has had her share of battles in life, not the least of which is cancer. She has faced every battle head on and with honesty and dignity and I want to model myself and my ability to face any adversity after the love of my life. This woman has been there to be a very integral part of my daughter’s life and success and for that I will be forever grateful.

My Dad:

There is no single man on this planet that I admire more or want to model myself after. He has not always had things easy but he never wavered about his most important thing in life; his family. It could have been easy to just abandon his family when things were at their lowest point but that is something he would never do. He did his very best to keep the family together and to provide for everyone to his fullest. This man has left his mark on me for my lifetime and I think also has left his mark on the world as well. It’s all I could hope for in my life.

My Priest:

We all have people in our lives that tend to influence us to be the best we can be. This man has been one of those influences to me. My life has not been without mistakes as I expect most of us could say, but there has always been one man I could turn to and trust for the right words and direction. He is the most complete man of God I’ve ever known. His faith has always come first in his life and he no only talks the talk but he really does indeed walk the walk. I can only hope to continue to develop my faith and model myself after this man.

My little girl:

One of my regrets is not following through with my schooling and becoming a music teacher. I have always been envious of the people that seem to do things all the right way when it comes to their life’s dreams and she is right on track in that regard. She is a gifted teacher and is more faithful a person at 22 than anyone I have ever known. I admire her as a person and admire that she is using her gifts to make a better world.




My Step Son :

Here is a guy who has been almost literally to Hell and back. He is not without his faults as are the rest of us but what I admire in him is his incredible ability to fight through some pretty significant obstacles which might bring mere mortals as me to my knees. He has the biggest heart of anyone I have known. He will do whatever he can for anyone he can with little regard to the impact it will have on him. I want to pull from that mindset and try to be a better person in that way.

My Boss:

Yes my boss. This is a man who has always been very loyal to his employees and has even put the company before his own needs many times. He is extremely passionate about the profession and about being successful in it. I have always admired that passion in any person. Successful entrepreneurs all have that one thing in common; passion. When it comes to raw knowledge about my profession, he has forgotten more than I think I’ll ever know.

My Cousin from Delaware:

This will come as a bit of a surprise to him but I admire the person he is and I definitely admire the writer he has become. I try to improve in expressing myself through my writing and I have him to thank for nudging me on. He is a gifted writer of many forms and I envy that gift and wish I had a more broad ability to write as he does. One of my goals is to become more adept at expressing my feelings in different types of writing and I have him to thank for giving me that goal.

Both my Sons in Florida:

They have not had an easy road to hoe but I am very proud of them both for making good lives for themselves and having beautiful wives to share their lives with. I am also very proud to be a Grandpa and a Grandpa to be due to each of them. The old saying about taking lemons and making lemonade applies here. With the help of their loving mother and supporting families they are both sons to be proud of and to admire and to inspire.

There are others but these people tend to be an important focus of my life both past and present. Each of them brings different gifts and inspires me in different ways but each also fulfills my life. I owe a lot about who I am to each of these people and I can only hope to take from each of them all the things I admire and want most to achieve.

Open Up Your Wallets (Another Political Rant)

The most unrepresentative of House of Representatives just slid through one of the biggest legislative debacles in our country's history. How did this happen? How could this happen? The way it happened was the complete and utter ignorance of the masses and the complete and utter apathy of most people in this country. It was passed by a majority of congressman never even opening it up and reading a single page.

Here are just a few examples of this lunacy that might see the light of day should the Senate also ram it through. We will be required to have a building inspection using a new national building code that will require us to pass a "green" set of codes, otherwise we will not be able to sell our own property. Oh and this inspection will be at our expense. Our electric rates will be rising for the average family somewhere between $1200.00 and $1900.00 per year. Can you afford that? Gas prices will likely spike $2.00 to $3.00 a gallon more because of the new taxes imposed to supposedly promote green technologies. Can you afford that?

Things are really getting out of control in Washington and we are all about to suffer from a massive growth in government and a massive cut in our personal liberties. No big deal right? It probably won't have much effect on me right? WRONG! If you enjoy paying higher taxes, higher overall prices and watching jobs continue to evaporate than no it will have little effect on you.

I still am amazed by how many people are just sitting back and watching everything unfold as if it was fiction. Oh, and I better get this blog online before Obama sensors it. You just can't make this stuff up. I would have never dreamed that this great country could go under such a heavy assault from the left and it would happen almost unchecked.

Our politicians should be absolutely ashamed of themselves. The perpetual process of getting re-elected and making careers out of what was never intended to be a career has really become a form of legal prostitution. I know...I know...I can hear the naysayers and see people reading this shaking their heads saying it's just another crazy right winger trying to spread doom and gloom. I hope you're correct. All I can suggest to you is to not just listen to what is being said but read and pay attention to what is actually being done and when everything is all said and done you might even say something to the effect...this guy wasn't so crazy. I want to be wrong about this, I really do. I can only react to what I see so take it or leave it but don't forget it and we'll revisit this whole thing in a few months.