Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Two Out of Three

It has been said that good and bad things happen in groups of three.

This week, the bad incidents are occurring more often.

The first notice of sadness is the Flint Journal announcing it will only be printing three editions a week – Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays – starting in June. The Journal has chronicled life in the Flint area throughout our entire lifetime, as well as the parents of us baby boomers (since 1876).

It is even sadder after hearing a third of the Staff either will be or has been laid off. I wonder what will happen to those of us who foolishly paid for a year’s subscription three months ago.

This is not the only newspaper casualty in Michigan. The Journal’s sister papers, The Saginaw News and Bay City Times, also will cut back on production. In addition, the Ann Arbor News recently announced it will publish its final edition in July.

The second event was the passing of baseball legend George Kell. Although I was not old enough to have watched him play, I did grow up listening to his voice on the radio and enjoying him on television from 1959 through the 2000’s.

Kell and Ernie Harwell are the voices of our generation for the Detroit Tigers.

Well, the third shoe will drop before the end of the week. Let’s just hope it is not a bad heavy thud.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Choking on Words

Senator Carl Levin is as two-faced as a politician there is, sitting on the mount and preaching his stupid rhetoric. Our dear senior Senator is discussing his outrage over the AIG bonuses.

Please remember, Levin voted “yes” to all of these bailout packages which allowed the money to flow like mercury (with the same toxic effects). He now expresses his dismay that $165 million is being misused.

Levin has the audacity to compare AIG with the automakers’ plight all in the same breath. He just needs to hang on. For in the next year, we will receive notice as to how the banking industry is misusing the windfall.

Below is a quote from a man who needs to be ousted from office with lightning speed:

“I recognize that my disgust with this situation is not unique. But I want to briefly discuss the appalling double standard that has been revealed by the treatment of hundreds of thousands of honest autoworkers who are victims of the current financial crisis, compared to the treatment a few hundred over-paid financial executives whose poor judgment and greed helped cause AIG’s and our nation’s financial crisis.”

The man is an idiot if he truly believes the billions of dollars he and his co-conspirators have given away will be used prudently.

Term limits, on all elected officials, is in order. Please remember this politician and his brethren (including Chris Dodd) when the next election comes around. Exorcise these demons who are the real villains in this American tragedy.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Friday's Rambling

Every computer I have ever worked with, up to and including this one, whether at work or home, has had glitches. Does anyone else have the same issues?

There have been times when the only use I see for the future of certain machines is as a boat anchor. This particular version of my discomfort is an HP Pavilion w1907 with Vista Home Premium.

Constantly, I find myself rebooting for proper Internet connection. It did not matter if it was cable or our new high speed DSL connection. When the Internet works, it is marvelous. As the situation goes awry, I want to pick the computer up and throw it through a window.

This blog has exhausted my fertile imagination to a dried up prune. Having stated that, I am going to scale back from an every day article and write as inspiration strikes me. I supposed that will occur two to three times a week, depending on issues that arise in the world. Anyone who would like to be a guest blogger is welcome to submit articles by e-mail (jasperjack.pressure@gmail.com) or through Facebook, where a majority of you have my contact information.

Until next week, have a wonderful weekend and hug someone close to you, preferably someone in service to our country.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Mind Your Manners

Today’s world has witnessed the smallest amount of manners go by the wayside. There are numerous people that are in such a hurry it seems a modicum of common courtesy is lacking. Maybe I am just plain old fashioned, or somehow, the lessons my father taught me have stuck throughout the years.

When it comes to women, the acts of always holding a door, chair or even their coat, as they put it on, have lost their place in society. The glares from people in a public setting, as I hold my wife’s coat for her, are of disbelief. Holding doors for another person always has been the normal gesture for me, as well as a lot of my friends.

These common courtesies should carry over to everything you do – from telephone etiquette to driving an automobile.

Rather than flipping someone off just because they fail to practice your same values, courtesy and patience behind the wheel of a car will get you farther down the road.

Telephone pleasantries have become things of the past with personal people skills being lacked by most of the machines we all try to converse with daily. A simple “Hello” or “May I please speak with Mister or Mrs. Smith?” is all too uncommon. Instead, you are assailed with “yeahs,” “yos,” “ahs” and other assorted guttural sounds.

If a person you know acts in a way you find manner less, go ahead and remind them they will be treated the same way they treat other people. It’s the simple Golden Rule.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Bishop “International” Airport?

Why does Bishop Airport find it necessary to refer to itself an international airport? The farthest you can fly is Las Vegas, Atlanta, Tampa, Orlando and Fort Myers (in season) all located in the foreign countries of Nevada, Georgia and Florida.

To my knowledge there has not been an international flight in over 30 years. Even then, I believe it was from Mexico. MBS (Midland, Bay City, Saginaw) International Airport, formerly Tri City Airport, is another case of misinformation.

After researching the subject, answers suddenly appeared. By definition, an international airport is a facility equipped with customs and immigration services able to handle international flights.

Some airports, especially in smaller United States cities, such as Flint, in fact have no scheduled international airline passenger service but do have customs and immigration capabilities, which are only available with several hours advance notice. Another example is the Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids.

A few, such as Gary/Chicago International Airport in Indiana, are in fact not international airports at all. Instead, they aspire to become such in the future and have added the “international” status as a marketing tool.

Finally, other airports, which previously served international flights and now only provide domestic options, retained the “international” designation in their name.

Now you will have to fly to Detroit Metro or Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to arrive anywhere close to an international destination.

Someone in the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) should have to explain why an airport, the size of Bishop, needs 10 agents on duty for four flights. I am positive that in Atlanta or Detroit, they need 20 times as many. I witnessed a man drinking a large soda, from a McDonald’s cup, told he was not able to bypass the first security checkpoint. The result was a large gulp, followed by an even larger belch.

Just proves our taxes are being used to the maximum effectiveness.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Mac Attack

A review of the Sunday night Fleetwood Mac concert at the Palace of Auburn Hills is in order.

Let me begin with the seats my bride and I were assigned. Although we saved close to a hundred dollars on the tickets through eBay, they left something to be desired. Our floor seats, the most expensive in the house, were neither on the floor, for we had chairs, nor were the seats of any use, as we stood up for the entire entertaining two and a half hour performance.

Mick Fleetwood, now at age 61, along with fellow band mates, founding father John McVie, guitarist Lindsey Buckingham and vocal specialist Stevie Nicks, put together a tight performance of hits through the years. It was a nice change not having to listen to a new album with selected cuts no one has heard before.
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Fleetwood's and McVie's solid rhythm, as well as Buckingham's splendid no-pick finger playing were a delight to the ears. The vocals from Lindsey and Stevie were spot on as they showed some of their old personal chemistry.

They thoroughly left the crowd satisfied with two encores, a superb three quarter arena stage set-up and excellent lighting. Fleetwood Mac is a must see if you are a fan and have the opportunity.

Monday, March 9, 2009

LOL----BRB----BFF

As promised to an avid reader – a short discussion on text messaging. First, let me make it clear I do not practice the art form. My daughter derides me for never learning the proper method of typing, yet she has the fastest thumbs in our house.

What is the difference between my chicken pecking on the keyboard and her two thumbs texting? I believe we will keep up this style of communication to the point of having our opposable thumbs evolve into an entirely new appendage.

As far as the assassination of the English language, there will have been new dictionaries written for the expressed purpose of deciphering this coded form of language. Wnt Tht B Gr8? The best one I have seen is *Ss (Starbucks). Eventually, classes like Ebonics will be taught in schools just for young children to learn the new dialects being transmitted on the small portable screens.

All of this comes at a price, as many parents are becoming aware. Service with unlimited text messaging is a must for anyone supporting a child with a phone under your roof. Text message rates on some services, for those of you with a child and active thumbs, can run into the hundreds of dollars.

As with talking on a cell phone while driving, a person texting while operating an automobile is the most dangerous behavior I have ever witnessed.

In the immortal words of my hero Winnie the Pooh, “TTFN.”

Friday, March 6, 2009

Friday's Rambling

Pride in a job well done has become a lost art for employees working for other people. You will not find this to be true if a person is self-employed.

While having insulation work done this week, I was forced to listen to the head of the crew deride his employer, who happens to be a friend of mine. You would think a person would be happy just to have a job in the Flint, Michigan area, rather than spending work time complaining constantly about the boss and the job conditions. Sure, it is outdoor work, but the temperature was above freezing – deal with it!

The legislature will turn into an extremely ugly and stupid morass if things don’t turn for the better in the next six months. I predict this as a warning to all of the still sane people holding on to their collective breaths.

Whatever we do as citizens of America, we must present a united front in our demeanor and actions. The enemies of this country will swoop like buzzards on road kill at the first sign the American spirit is breaking. Panic is not an option for the times and the path that lies ahead for all of us.

Please always remember those brave and courageous men and women in service to our country. Hug a soldier,airman, sailor or, if you are brave, a Marine.

Enjoy a great weekend. See you on Monday.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Further Trials of House Husbands

Let’s being this dissertation by discussing our walk-in closet. The enclosure measures 5’x 6’ with three five-foot racks for hanging of clothing articles. Compressed, I get 30 inches out of 15 feet. In my 30 inches, I have to hang two coats and all my shirts and pants.

My darling bride, of 36 years, has made use of the remaining rack space. In addition, there are shelves around the back and sides, all filled with everything from pajamas to shoes, which are all hers.

The basement laundry area also has been converted into racks of work scrubs, coats, and oh yeah, hangers full of drying brassieres. Out of 15 total drawers in the master bedroom, I am allocated six, all of which are stuffed, crammed and piled with my seldom or unworn clothing. After all, us guys all have items of clothing we will not or are unable to wear.

Shoes – good heavens where do you being to describe the difference between men and women and their shoes. I personally own four pair of shoes – two dress (black), two pair of athletic shoes (one black, one white) and two pair of boots (winter/work)which live in the garage.

Between the two women residing here, they must own at least 40 pairs of all shoe types. Our daughter owns at least eight pair of flip flops (useless footwear in my mind). My dear wife has athletic shoes for all occasions – treadmill, YMCA, walking, gardening, mowing the lawn and those special occasion shoes. She also has pumps, flats, sandals, and the list goes on and on.

Every spring, summer and fall, they are off to Payless for additions to the collection,cannot pass up a chance for buy one get one half off(BOGO). To accommodate the variety of shoes, we even purchased a special cedar chest. Now, the top on this furniture piece will barely close due to the over abundance of unworn footwear.

Blood pressure low – more to follow.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Please--- Lose The Insanity

AIG (American International Group) has lost $61 billion in three months of business, in addition apparently to the government’s $150 billion bailout. They are now asking for $30 billion more in bailout funds

Is this insanity with AIG ever going to cease? When will the fools on the hill quit spending themselves rich? In America, by definition, we are far from even practicing socialism.

In order to classify our society as socialists, the people would require a share in the proceeds. The United States government is busy subsidizing all of these failing, greed-ridden corporations. The American people are neither benefiting nor receiving any of the so called “returns” of this mass wealth distribution.

Once again, the taxpayers, in all wealth brackets, are shouldering the burden of overzealous greed mongers. This makes my blood boil, as each day the stories keep being hurled at us with the velocity and lethal force of winter time ice balls. Our economy will wait until 2011 to turn around, just in time for the next election, with both sides of the political spectrum taking the credit.

The democratic President’s plan has worked, and the right wing will spout had we not banded together to straighten this out, we would be mired in the same rut.

There will be a slight improvement for the mid-term elections, but it will only be a fraction of what we as American citizens will need to stave off the depression we are surly facing.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Where Are We Headed?

It was President Thomas Jefferson who once said:

“I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.”

Citigroup, Bank of America, Wells Fargo and the other Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) recipients are all guilty of not protecting their customers’ assets. They and their counterparts, who have fed from the federal money buffet, have lost touch with reality of personal financial dealings.

Bank of America’s CEO, using a $5 million Gulfstream G5 jet, at the cost of $5,000 an hour to fly to and from Washington D.C. to testify to the fools on the hill, is right out of “The Wizard of Oz.” He should just click the heels of his ruby Gucci loafers and save the taxpayers millions of dollars. Better yet, ask the Wizard for a brain, a heart and a soul.

The insanity is only going to increase until the government quits shoveling money on the fire. The banks have no fiscal responsibility what so ever and need to be broken until they are able to show the American taxpayer they deserve our assistance.

Possibly, they could take Jefferson’s quote to heart, uttered over 200 years ago.

Pressure is boiling over at the thought of this situation.

Monday, March 2, 2009

Phone Etiquette

Back in the day, when one rotary phone served the entire house full of people, unless there was a death in the family, talking on the phone was not appropriate during dinner times or when company was visiting.

Now, it seems as though talking on a phone is perfectly okay under all circumstances.

While enjoying or trying to enjoy a quiet dinner with your spouse or family, the sounds of ring tones going off every five seconds invades your conscious thought pattern. If that wasn’t enough, the people, who just cannot go five minutes without communicating with the outside world, talk loud enough making you feel like you are being dragged into their conversations.

Numerous times, I have had the urge to ask those people, spending at least 30 minutes of their time on the phone, if they have a preference as to which body part they would like permanently attached to the phone.

It’s not only disconcerting, it’s downright rude. Certainly, employers feel the same way toward their employees who find it necessary to talk half a shift away.

In addition, driving and cell phones do not mix. Unless you are the passenger, all phone use should be outlawed (and the varmints hung) in all jurisdictions. Also, a driver’s decision of wearing/not wearing a seatbelt should be an individual choice. But eliminate their rights to talk on the phone, text or even play Tetris.