And So This Is Christmas!!

"And so this is Christmas. I hope you have fun. The near and the dear one. The old and the young." Those were the words of John Lennon and yes, this is Christmas, 2007. It is a day of joy and happiness. It is a day to remember our religious heritages, to eat the turkey and ham; to share a cup of eggnog; to sit down with family and share the joys of so many Christmas days that have passed by. And a day to remember.

Christmas was always a special day in my family. My dad was a product of the Great Depression and Christmas was a day to forget the trials and tribulations of the hard world created by the collapse of the economy and to be joyous for what you did have.

My dad was one of the fortunate people during the depression. He was a man that wasn't afraid of work and so when the WPA began looking for workers in the Parkersburg area, he was in line and managed to procure a government job. This meant a steady income when others had little if anything. And, Dad was a saver. He could find a way to put away 50 cents or a dollar each pay period, insuring that Christmas gifts would be plentiful on that joyous day.

He always bragged that my brother, Ed, always had a Christmas. Dad would frequently talk about buying Ed a bicycle during the Great Depression and hiding it for several months so that it could be "delivered" by Santa on Dec. 25.

Of course, I came along much later in life and didn't experience the frugality of a Depression-era Christmas. Still, Dad kept Christmas the most important day of the year. As October and November came along, his nightly commutes from Cleveland to Aurora would grow a bit longer as he would stop at a store along the way and make that giftly purchase for Mom or me.

And, until later in life, he wasn't much of a gift wrapper. He would hand you a bag, or most certainly several bags, and there was your Christmas from him. Those of you who might have received a gift from me now know why I have such an appreciation for brown paper sacks.

But it is the many Christmas Days in earlier life that I so often think about. Dad was always the first one up on Christmas morning. And, we are talking EARLY. His job made him an early-riser anyway, so crawling out of bed on Christmas morning at 4 a.m. was easy for him. I honestly don't remember him getting me up that early, but I do remember the 5 o'clock hour being the moment of reckoning.

Dad would shake me awake. I have to admit that sometimes I was already awake. Other times he succeeded to getting me out of bed to see what Santa had left for me. And it was always a treat. Dad and Mom so frequently went overboard. But, as Dad would say, "It's okay, it's Christmas."

Those days have come and gone, and needless to say I miss them. I miss seeing Dad's face beam with joy as he watched Mom and me open our presents. It didn't matter whether he got anything or not (trust me, he always did). The most important thing on Dad's agenda on Christmas Day was that those he loved were happy and well taken care of.

Yes, I was a very lucky child. And I miss Christmas with Dad like nothing else in life. Merry Christmas!!!

Two Stories That Caught My Eye!!

Everyone knows of my infatuation with Cleveland. You have heard me say many times, "Cleveland, the best location in the nation." I am more than proud of the fact that such notable characters as Bob Hope, Drew Carey, Halle Berry, Alan Freed (the original Rock & Roll disc jockey), Hector Boiardi (Chef Boy-ar-dee), Tim Conway, Wes Craven, Joel Gray, Arsenio Hall, Henry Mancini, Elliot Ness (the Untouchables), Jesse Owens, Debra Winger, George Stephanopolous (political advisor and pundit) and Don Shula all hail from the lakeside city.

Additionally, I marvel at the downtown improvement that has occurred since I was a child. The ugliness of pollution created by the steel mills is gone and the renaissance of a great city has occurred.

Now, I am flabbergasted by a legal confrontation that has thrust Cleveland into the limelight of judicial interpretation.

Bob Kitts is a contractor in the Cleveland area. Whether or not he is a good contractor is not for me to determine. I have never seen his work, but I can safely say that at this point in time I will certainly not hire him to hang a door, plaster a ceiling or replace a window. And, most definitely, I would never give him a chance to look behind my walls.

Kitts was recently gutting a bathroom in an 83-year old home that is owned by Amanda Reece, a former classmate of Kitts. In the process of tearing out a wall, Kitts came upon a box below the medicine cabinet. Inspection of the contents led to the discovery of some $25,000.

Giving Kitts the little bit of recognition that he deserves in this matter, he contacted Reece who came home and further investigation led to the finding of more than $100, 000 additional money in two other boxes. The value of the money was multiplied by the fact that it was depression-era Federal Resereve bank notes that proved to increase the value to about $500,000.

Ms. Reese generously, and perhaps ethically, offered Kitts the standard 10% finders fee. But, greed reared its ugly head and Kitts demanded 40% of the take. Feeling as though she was about to be the victim of a shakedown, Reese has dug in and it appears as though the case will head to court.

Kitts and his lawyer claim that Ohio has a long-standing precedent of "finders keepers" rulings that boost his chances of gaining more than the offered 10% finders fee. These rules kick in when its unlikely an owner will reappear to claim a lost item. The original owner of the money may have been Peter Dunn, the owner of the house during the depression. His whereabouts are unknown, but he has likely passed on.

But, my logic says that once Ms. Reese purchased the home, she became the rightful owner of whatever was in that house. Under those circumstances she has been fair in offering the 10% finders fee and I can only hope that the judicial interpretations will work in her favor. If not, we could all be victimized by our neighborhood handymen that might just find something hidden inside our walls.

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Seldom do I dip into the sports world to write about, but I want to send out a real quick congratulations from me to George Mitchell and his report on the use of performance enhancing drugs by professional baseball players. His rather long (409 pages) and encompassing report, listed 88 former and present players that may have participated in the use of steroids and human growth hormones.

Certainly the most notable of these players is Barry Bonds, who has long been suspected of being a steroid user, and Roger Clemens.

Bonds has not been good for baseball, I don't care how many homeruns he slugged, the records he broke or the denials he has long made about steroid use. He is arrogant and snotty. He has long demonstrated the attitude that the rules don't apply to him.

The sad part about his participation in the use of illegal substances is that he took what was a certain Hall of Fame career and turned it into a baseball sideshow.

Clemens has been a dominant pitcher in baseball for the past 20+ years. His exploits in Boston and New York are monumental in baseball history. However, in recent years his comeback efforts, his special treatment demands (not having to come to the ballpark if he's not pitching) and his numerous injuries have detracted from the record he established for himself during the prime of his career. Now a connection to illegal substance use drops him down even further on the ladder of respectablity.

Ironically, both Bonds and Clemens could be just five years away from election to the Baseball Hall of Fame. And most certainly they will be scrutinized like no other player has been. The test of deservability might not be their accomplisments which were established in the early stages of their careers. Their right to belong to the elite of baseball might be based on what they did at the end of their career. And in my mind, I hope to see them standing on the outside of the fence along with Pete Rose as they watch lesser-talented but more reputable people earning their way into the annals of sports history.

A Pair of Folk Legends Pass On!

We all know it will happen. As certain as we are of our next breath, we are also certain that eventually there will be our last breath. From the beginning of life we edge closer and closer to death. And so it is recently, that two icons of the 60's and 70s' have surrendered to the call of nature. But oh, what a legacy they left.

Dick Wilson....oh what a common name! Who would ever think of him as anybody but the guy next door. But his legacy will live on as long as the children of 60's and 70's are around. His tombstone might read Dick Wilson, but in our hearts and minds he will always be "Mr. Whipple."

Charmin toilet tissue hit a home run when it put Dick Wilson on the payroll. A common man in appearance, he played the role of a genteel grocery store operator who did not want his Charmin display tinkered with. The ever vigilant Mr. Whipple was on guard constantly waiting for the shopping ladies (most shoppers during that generation were women) to pick up the soft package of Charmin and begin to squeeze it.

Pouncing like a father protecting its young, Mr. Whipple would always say, "Ladies, please don't squeeze the Charmin." Of course, his reprimand fell on deaf ears because Mr. Whipple was squeezing the Charmin more vociferously than his customers.

Dick Wilson passed away several weeks ago and his death was memorialized in USA Today by a full page ad in honor of Mr. Whipple by Charmin--a nice touch by a large corporation for a man who was the face of the company for so many years.

While Mr. Whipple was a gentle character, the other death of recent note was that of Robert Craig Knievel, Jr., more notably recognized as Evel Knievel.

Evel Knievel put the "dare" in dare devil. He always denied that he was a hero, but quickly claimed that he was a guy who could ride a motorcycle. And with a little bit of business savvy, he turned his riding skills into a sideshow of mega-proportions.

Jumping objects in his path was the gig that Knievel sold to the masses. From an initial jump over a mountain lion and some snakes in cages to the somewhat aborted attempt to leap across the Snake River, Knievel used his salesmanship skills to become a well-known character who had tremendous influence over the youngters who grew up watching him and attempting their own dare devil style jumps in their own backyard. It would be interesting to know exactly how many broken bones can be attritubuted to the influence of Evel Knievel.

True as it is, death doesn't wait for anyone. And these two folklore giants have passed into the anals of time. But its safe to say the two won't soon be forgotten.

Anyone Else??

Everything seems to be coming together as we surely trek toward the end of 2007. Christmas and New Years are rapidly approaching; the NFL playoff season is just around the corner; the NCAA football bowl season is upon us; and for school age kids, college and high school, the season of semester tests is beckoning. But maybe, just maybe, the most intriguing season of all is the presidential primary season which is just about to open.

For some strange reason the politicos have decided to move the decision making primary season up to early January instead of waiting another month or so. Thus, as we bake the Christmas ham, root for our favorite professional and college football teams, and prepare to move ahead in the educational system, we must partake of numerous political advertisements and the television talking heads as they analyze a race that is still 11 months away.

Why are we in such a hurry you might ask. Well its simple, at least in my mind. The two most electable people in the USA--Bill Clinton and Al Gore--are not running for office. So the political shakers and movers believe we need all this extra time to determine who the best person is for the presidency. And this is a unique presidency since for the first time in many years (maybe 1929) that a seated president or vice president wasn't seeking the top prize.

And, I think its safe to say, we have a wide range of candidates and numerous questions about the qualifications of the whole lot. Measuring reasons why someone should not be president might be easier than assessing reasons why they should be.

Perhaps the most controversial candidate is Hillary Clinton. She certainly lacks the political skills her husband possesses. He was a centrist--not a liberal-- and he used that quality to assure his reelection in 1996. Hillary appears to be much more liberal, cold, calculating and not nearly as personable as her husband. I would quickly agree that she has the organization skills, intellect and intestinal fortitude to be president. But, it also appears that she lacks the confidence of others as to whether she can win the 2008 general election. Needless to say, electing a woman to the presidency would be a first and this might be the wrong woman at the wrong time. It would probably be easier to vote against her than for her.

Barack Obama is certainly an interesting candidate. The Democratic senator from Illinois has burst on the scene and is legitimately the most electable African-American candidate to ever seek the presidency. He, of course, is plagued by the idea that he is not experienced enough to hold the highest office in the land. Then too, I do believe he is plagued somewhat by a name that might be disadvantageous in this era of Mid-Eastern terrorism and being Black also serves as an obstacle to overcome if he wants to be president.

John Edwards, who appeared to be an up-and-comer during the 2004 election, seems to be the odd man out in this race. Plagued almost from the beginning with the unfortunate issue of his wife's health, along with a $400 haircut, Edwards seems to be floundering in third place wherever he goes. Still, he has a great delivery, looks presidential, and has the experience of a national campaign under his belt. But, that might not be enough in 2008.

The remainder of the Democratic field--Chris Dodd, Joe Biden, Bill Richardson, Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel--have no chance and will gradually disappear from the primary rosters.

While Republicans might look with glee on the issues that Democrats have with their presidential hopefuls, all they have to do is look at their own roster and begin to start worrying themselves. Looking presidential is not one of the better qualities of the right-wing contingent either. Each candidate carries a set of positive and negative qualities that will play a role in their electability.

Rudy Guiliani, former mayor of New York and the person most likely to wave his credentials in fighting terrorism, has held the early lead in the Republican race. But, as election days creep closer, Guiliani looks creepier and creepier. He has a somewhat dysfunctional family, perhaps because he is on his third wife, and she came into his life as his "mistress" according to one news report I heard earlier this week. He also has a relationship with Bernie Kerik, the former police commissioner of New York City. Financial irregularities led to Kerik's involvement with the legal system, stopped his nomination as Director of Homeland Security, and are now plaguing Guiliani who remains loyal to his old friend. Guiliani also is pro-abortion, welcomes immigrants and favors some gun control. I frequently wonder how Republicans can even consider him one of their own, let alone favor him for in the White House race.

Mitt Romney seems to me to be the most professional candidate in the race, regardless of party. He simply looks presidential. Still, despite his organizational skills and the ability to win the governor's race in highly liberal Massachusetts, he is not without a list of problems. First and foremost is his Mormon faith. While that doesn't bother me, others consider it nothing more than a cult and have said they could not support him. Additionally, he is a flip-flopper on the issue of abortion.

Fred Thompson, the actor who some compare to Ronald Reagan, is no Ronald Reagan on the campaign trail. First he hesitated entering the race, and everyone knows that "he who hesitates is lost." That delay was impacted by the fact that his early campaign style was not exciting. Thompson is hampered by the fact that he looks old and has what some refer to as a "trophy" wife who appears to be pulling the strings on this political campaign. While Thompson appears to be conservative enough to be a true Republican (unlike Guiliani and Romney) he seems to have miscalculated his candidacy and may never overcome that early error.

Mike Huckabee is the candidate that might be gaining the most notoriety, at least recently. As of Sunday (12/2) he appeared to have captured the lead in Iowa polls despite being short on funds. Huckabee is a respectable conservative, comes across well, hails from the city of Hope, Ark. (which seems to carry some weight since the presidency of Bill Clinton) and appears to be a long-term candidate in the primary race. Still, Huckabee has a very deliberate delivery and some wonder if he has enough fire in his belly for the presidency.

John McCain was recently endorsed by the New Hampshire Union Leader--the only statewide paper in that small New England state. A win in New Hampshire has been big in presidential politics and McCain will surely need one if the Iowa polls, which presently show him in fifth place with only seven percent of the voters favoring his candidacy, are right. McCain is perhaps the most interesting person in the race right now. A former Vietnam war POW, he is an honorable man with perhaps more of a centrist view than most conservative Republicans. That would make him more appealing to moderates and liberals. Still, at 71 years of age, if elected he would eclipse Ronald Reagan as our oldest president. Reagan became president just shy of his 70th birthday.

Ron Paul, Duncan Hunter and Tom Tancredo are also-runs in the Republican race.

So who will win the nomination? After writing this, I am looking for somebody else. There is enough listed here to make me wonder why any of these people would seek the presidency. And, more importantly, begs us to ask why we as voters might willingly support any of them?

I Joined the Mess!!

For the past month I have been in search of new tires for my truck. I had priced tires at Sears several weeks ago, and walked away a bit disillusioned that the prices for the circular chunk of rubber could be so expensive. Yes, I have bought tires before and yes, I have had the same disillusioned feelings about the upcoming purchase.

My train of thought had me looking at a pair of BF Goodrich all-terrain tires. I have never been a fan of Goodyear tires; abhor General tires; feel Uniroyal tires were made of soft rubber; feared Firestone after its problems several years back. Those heartfelt reasons limited my selection. I had priced Cooper and Bridgestone (which I eventually purchased) and considered Michelin (which I have run many times). However, the Goodrich tires have long had an appearance that seemed appealing.

So on Friday morning--YES, BLACK FRIDAY--I ventured out at 5 a.m. (awake due to my never-ending insomnia) to see if the Sears advertisement, with many tires being shown as on sale, included the Goodrich tires of my desires. When I arrived, Larry greeted me by name and began the search. To my dismay, the Goodrich tires weren't on sale, because they are a DAILY SPECIAL. Hmmmm...pretty expensive tires to be labeled as a "Special."

The Bridgestone tires were some $40 less per tire (a total savings of some $160 which eliminated any appeal I had for Goodrich). The installation process would begin eventually, but the typically quiet garage I am familiar with when I arrive at the usual 8 a.m. opening time, was flooded with patrons who had the same "beat the crowd" idea I had.

So, what do you do on Black Friday at Grand Central Mall at 5:30 a.m. A quick look out the auto center entrance showed me that lots of people were shopping at Sears, so I decided to take a walk through the mall.

Sears was bedlam. It seemed to the untrained retail eye that there were way too many customers standing in line to pay at the way too few functioning cash registers. And this was a storewide dilemma. People were lined up eight to 10 deep at every cash register--and it wasn't even 6 a.m.

A 10 minute walk out of Sears (which should have typically taken maybe 3 minutes) put me on the extreme north end of the mall. A quick look led me to believe that 90 percent of Wood County was up before the sun began to climb on the eastern horizon. And, surprisingly, only a small percentage of the mall establishments were scheduled to open prior to the 6 a.m. chimes.

People were standing at store portals, staring through chained off entrances, salivating at the possible purchases that were pending when those stores did open. The big stores--Sears, Penney's, Belk, and Elder-Beerman were taking in consumer cash hand-over-fist. Smaller stores, such as Bath and Body Works were jam-packed and the food court was serving "breakfast" to a large contingent of shoppers.

Certainly the start of the Christmas shopping season was well underway. Case in Point. A national tracking agency said sales were up in 50,000 establishments by some 8.3 percent on Black Friday, 2007. The monetary count was $10.3 billion this year as compared to $9.5 billion last year.

At least at the outset, the retail segment of the economy was ready to have a Merry Christmas! And to think, I was a part of that hysteria.

Cleaning Off The Desk, #4

Welcome back to "Wild, Wonderful," West Virginia!!!



It took three years, but "Open for Business" in no longer the slogan tourists are confronted with then they enter the portals of West Virginia. Gov. Joe Manchin claimed the "Open for Business" slogan was designed to let the business world know the state was anxious to invite industry to locate here and, of course, become part of the tax base.



That "Open for Business" placard, however did not paint a pretty picture for West Virginians. They hated it and made their feelings known. But Manchin, a respected but obviously stubborn politician, refused to be budged.



Now, with an election year approaching, Manchin has done an about face and through two separate Internet voting opportunities the population has opted to return to the classic "Wild, Wonderful" moniker that seems much more fitting.



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Congratulations are in order for Michael Symon of Cleveland. The young chef was the winner of Food Network's The Next Iron Chef. Symon, a former high school wrestler at Cleveland St. Edward, who saw his athletic career shortened by an injury, was anything but short in his performance as he climbed over seven other opponents on his way to joining such notable American chefs as Mario Batali, Bobby Flay and Cat Corra.

Symon, along with his wife, operates Cleveland's Lolita restaurant. A perusal of the menu has made me decided that if I can't get to a Bobby Flay or Emeriel Legasse eatery, than Lolita has to be on my to do list. During the competition to name a new Iron Chef, Symon won at least three of the challenges and was named on the ballots by all three of the present Iron Chefs that assisted in the judging of the finals. Many of their comments centered on Symon's dishes being of Iron Chef quality both in presentation and substance.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that I am a big, big fan of Cleveland. Growing up there I was always thrilled to hear the descriptive phrase. "Cleveland, the best location in the nation." Michael Symon is just one more reason why that phrase is so completely accurate.

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Many of us have had the opportunity to stop at a Starbucks. Better yet if we have visited a Barnes & Noble or a Borders bookstore we have found a coffee shop on site. Now the idea of a coffeehouse has gone a step further.

Centennial High School in Franklin, Tn, has opened a coffee shop on campus. Located in the library area, the coffee shop has proved quite profitable for the school. Averaging about $200 per day, the coffee shop will potentially give the school an extra $10,000 over the course of a school year. And, more importantly, that chunk of money will be utilized to provide scholarships for the students who are working in the coffee shop.

Naturally, the issue of health was addressed. But, an on-site viewing of the number of kids who were stopping off-campus to buy coffee, lattes, cappuccinos and other caffeinated drinks, made the decision to open its own coffeehouse easier for the school.

In addition to the entrepreneurial advantages for the students and the school, the coffee shop has had an added positive impact. Case in point. Prior to the coffeehouse operation, the library was averaging about 6,000 visits per year while checking out about 3,000 books. Those numbers have grown to 65,000 visits and the checking out of 45,000 books.

Yeah, I Cried!

I cried Tuesday morning. I still cried some Tuesday evening. Not a lot, but I still cried.

Owning pets is a wonderful thing. If I had my way I would have a puppy by my side right now. But it doesn't work that way. Still, there is some resemblance of contentment in my life with the kitty cats in the house.

The trouble is, there is one less kitty cat today. Claudia has left this life and in so doing, has taken a little bit of life out of me. Claudia was a great cat. Claudia was a wonderful cat. Claudia will be sorely missed and I am not ashamed to say that as the chemicals coursed through her tiny body ending her rather short life Tuesday morning , I was hurting. I didn't want to let that little girl go. She had all those qualities that any living creature would love to have.

Claudia showed up on the door step several years ago. She was a frail little thing who was just begging for attention. It didn't take long for her to work her way into the house. A trip to the vet revealed that she had been exposed, unfortunately, to feline leukemia. It didn't matter. She stayed. She was quickly assimilated into the household routine and gave so much more than she ever took.

Claudia had that panache that we learn to love in the underdog. Despite the exposure to feline leukemia and the smallness of her stature, she was a winner. She had the greatest personality of maybe any animal I have been associated with. She was a cat that loved people. In my adult life I have owned two dogs--Oscar (a German Shorthaired Pointer) and Coach (a Border Collie). I miss them both, terribly. Oscar was an athlete -- strong, rugged and durable. Coach was as adorable as they come. And, they each loved people--maybe too much. But Claudia, a cat who shouldn't act that way, loved people even more.

She knew no bounds in becoming the most active animal in the household. She was the youngster. Christine is the older, wiser cat and set in her ways. Its Christine's way or the highway. But, Christine took a wide path around the playful Claudia. Bobby, my bobtail cat, is a real he-man. He wants attention only when he wants it. Claudia goaded him each and every day into the chase. And when they were done she crowded in beside him wherever he decided to nap.

But then the feline leukemia reared its ugly head. Claudia became lethargic. A trip to the vet showed that her red blood cell count was down and her white blood cell count was virtually non-existent. A Columbus animal cancer center was a possibility even though radiological exams did not show any tumors. Finally, the vet suggested a round of antibiotics to see if an infection might be lurking in Claudia's frail little body. On Tuesday morning, attempts to kick-start the life back into little Claudia had come to an end.

After the terrible deed was done I came home. Lost and alone despite the presence of two other cats, none met me at the door. No cat crawled up into my lap for attention. No cat sat on her little perches scattered all over the house overlooking human activity--her way of being close to people. No cat crawled under my feet as I washed dishes.

Yes, I cried Tuesday morning. And I am not ashamed to say, I cried Tuesday night too.

Menu for a Last Meal

A look at a person's last meal has been a part of culture throughout history. Many early civilizations granted a last meal request for those sentenced to die and, artisitically, DaVinci recoreded Christ's last meal on canvas. In recent years the Texas Department of Criminal Justice posted a convict's last meal request on its website--a practice that no longer occurs.

Many people over time have been enthralled with what a convict, slated for execution, wanted for their last meal. Meal requests have ranged from the very basic to the extravagant. Pork chops, steak and chicken are obvious choices from the basic list. The extravagant has included 12 candy bars and some ice cream (Dobie Gillis Williams); two pints of Ben and Jerry's chocolate-chip ice cream (Timothy McVeigh); a single olive with a pit still in it (Victor Feguer); and two pepperoni and sausage pizzas, three servings of chocolate ice cream and 15 cans of Coke (William Bonin).

The thought of a last meal was highligted in a recent issue of Time (Oct. 29, 2007). The magazine interviewed a number of chefs to find out what would be on their list if they had to choose a last meal. The key to many of the selections was the ingesting of comfort food.

Nearly all of the chefs had comfort food on their list. Perhaps America's greatest chef, Mario Batali (my apologies to those who love Emeril), chose "a lot of food." Being a chef that deals in Italian food, he was heavy on the idea of pasta along with cooked and uncooked vegtables and seafood. Other chefs selected items included Krispy Kreme donuts, bread and wine, steak and lobster chowder, linguine with white clam sauce, salmon and tuna.

So, what would you choose as a last meal?

What a dilemma. Case in point! I agree that comfort food is the way to go. I am not sure I would want 15 candy bars. Certainly, pizza is a comfort food, but I think I could do better. I like seafood, but I am not a "fancy" seafood eater, preferring the more homestyle type fish dishes. Sweets aren't a high priority, either. Yes it must be comfort food. It must be food that you have grown up with and know not only as a meal but as a friend. It must be food that takes you back in time and reminds you of the good things in life; a victory celebration, a holiday extravaganza, or a birthday memory.

When I think of comfort food, I quickly think of my mother's cooking. I try, several times a year to recreate my mother's homemade chicken noodles. She had the knack and I don't. Yes my noodles are good; her's were great. She knew as she made them whether they were "good" or whether they were good. Notice the first good has quotation marks. When her homemade noodles were "good," they were actually "great."

One of my mother's best dishes was what I call Paprika Beef. She heisted the recipe from a pot and pan door-to-door salesman in the 1950's. Her agreement was she would buy the pots and pans if he would give her the recipe of the sample dinner he prepared in the commerically available pots and pans. He said "no." She said "No." A few days later the recipe was handed to her and I still have those pots and pans on my shelf and cook my redition of Paprika Beef in one of them several times each year.

Now we are talking comfort food.

Of course there are so many other comfort foods that I grew up with. Mom made great Beef Stew and a rather spicy Hot Dog Sauce. Dad and I shared many bowls of Wilted Lettuce. My grandmother made a wonderful dish she called Spanish Noodles. My aunts, Patty and Juanita, made the best Liver and Onions and Chicken Stew, respectively. And, YES, Liver and Onions is a Comfort Food (how else would you classify it?). My cousin's wife, Jo, made the best Potato Soup and Hot Rolls.

Making a decision would be difficult. Making a decision would be impossible. Making a decision might be more torturous than knowing it was your Last Meal.

Speaking English

I have long said that if you found yourself in "Merry Ol' England," you might have difficulty understanding the English language.

Now don't get me wrong, English is English. But, is English really English?

The wonderful people on the other side of the big pond have their way with the English language, and they should. After all, its their creation. They still have their own unique way of spelling words, using what we as American see as unnecessary letters such as "colour" for "color."

But the differences go much further than that. For instance, the British might say "anti-clockwise" for the good old American phrase "counter clockwise." Where we might say "good bye," the British might say "pip up."

Granted, that's just a small sampling of the differences between what I call "British English" and "American English." I suppose the differences would be startling and scary if you were an avid traveler, but seldom would the majority of our population be in a "tizzy" over the differences they could come in contact with.

On the other hand, I am and have always been disturbed with the use of language in the USA that violates one of the components that I believe has long made us a strong country. We have fought side-by-side taking on all-comers because we could understand what the guy next to us in the foxhole, on the sidewalk, at the next work cubicle, in Row 3 or on the bus said/asked.

We have long been a nation without a true national language, yet different races and different nationalities accepted English as the spoken word in the USA and were assimilated into our culture.

Today, however, that doesn't seem to be the case. Urban dialogue and foreign tongues are as common as good old American English. It is disturbing to walk through the downtown of a large city and feel like you as an American citizen are in a foreign country.

Not too long ago I made a phone call to a business and the automated answering machine said something like, "If you would like this phone call to proceed in English, please press one." Needless to say I was furious. I pressed one, did my business, and waited for the option that would allow me to comment. When the beep opened up the dialogue option to me I said, "I have been an English speaking resident for 57 years. Let those that don't speak English push number one."

Maybe I am old fashioned, but I always thought and grew up believing that when you live in a country and adopt it as your home, you learn to speak the language of that country. But, that doesn't seeem to be the case in the USA. We have Latinos singing the National Anthem in Spanish. We see directions for things we bought being printed in English and perhaps five or six other languages. We have signs posted in multiple languages

You can tell me to get a life; that this is the way of the modern culture; or that in the land of the free, these people have the right to speak their language of choice. I won't argue, but why must it be forced on me, a 57-year old ENGLISH speaking American citizen.

And then, the Urban dialects that come out of the inner city of America is just about as appalling. Case in point, even Bill Cosby has attacked members of his own race for speaking a "language" that freightens a vast portion of the population and is undefinable to most people.

I mention the the Urban dialects because I received an intersting e mail the other day. Since there is no reference to who should be credited for this creation, I apologize and ask forgiveness for publishing it here--but I think it makes clear the point I am trying to make.

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TENJOOBERRYMUDS"... This is a hoot .... sad, because it is TRUE ..... but a hoot!!!! By the time you read through this YOU WILL UNDERSTAND "TENJOOBERRYMUDS"...In order to continue getting-by in America (our home land), we all need to learn the NEW English language!
Just Practice by reading the following conversation until you are able to understand the term "TENJOOBERRYMUDS".With a little patience, you'll be able to fit right in. Now, here goes...

The following is a telephone exchange between maybe you as a hotel guest and call room-service somewhere in the good old U S A today......

Room Service: "Morrin. Roon sirbees."
Guest: "Sorry, I thought I dialed room-service."
Room Service: "Rye . Roon sirbees...morrin! Joowish to oddor sunteen???"
Guest: "Uh..... Yes, I'd like to order bacon and eggs."
Room Service: "Ow July den?"
Guest: ".....What? ?"
Room Service: "Ow July den?!?... pryed, boyud, poochd?"
Guest: "Oh, the eggs! How do I like them? Sorry.. scrambled, please."
Room Service: "Ow July dee baykem? Crease?"
Guest: "Crisp will be fine."
Room Service: "Hokay. An Sahn toes?"
Guest: "What?"
Room Service: "An toes. July Sahn toes?"
Guest: "I... don't think so."
RoomService: "No? Judo wan sahn toes???"
Guest: "I feel really bad about this, but I don't know what 'judo wan sahn toes' means."
RoomService: "Toes! Toes!...Why Joo don Juan toes? Ow bow Anglish moppin we bodder?"
Guest: "Oh, English muffin!!! I've got it! You were saying 'toast'... Fine...Yes, an English muffin will be fine."
RoomService: "We bodder?"
Guest: "No, just put the bodder on the side."
RoomService: "Wad?!?" Guest: "I mean butter... just put the butter on the side."
RoomService: "Copy?"Guest: "Excuse me?"
RoomService: "Copy...tea..meel?"Guest: "Yes. Coffee, please... and that's everything." RoomService: "One Minnie. Scramah egg, crease baykem, Anglish moppin, we bodder on sigh and copy ... rye??"
Guest: "Whatever you say."
RoomService: "Tenjooberrymuds."
Guest: "You're welcome"

Remember I said "By the time you read through this YOU WILL UNDERSTAND 'TENJOOBERRYMUDS' ".....and you do, don't you?

Government vs. Industry

Sitting through a high school debate recently allowed me to compare notes on how the issue of global warming should be addressed. Let me first say, to those of you who don't believe that global warming exists, please take your head out of the sand. Your indignation is disgusting. Your methodology of manipulating the system is failing our society and you are unwilling to admit it. In your opinion, its better to take the world down than to admit a mistake.

Pictures of sheets of ice plummeting to ocean level, the rapid loss of the icecap on the island of Greenland and the sadness associated with a polar bear drifting away to death on a tiny piece of ice is nothing short of appalling. The increase of world temperatures coupled with many devastating weather events leads to serious concern about the future. Yet, we seem to be making little or no progress in solving this problem.

The high school debate centered on government regulation vs. market mechanics. And the overriding question was "Which is better suited to help solve the global warming issue?"

An educated guess says the student vote favored the arguments presented by the side representing government regulation. I, for one, see no way the nation could ever depend on industry to take the necessary steps to begin the global warming reversal process. After all, it is industry, assisted obviously by the population which demands bigger and better and more energy powered devices, that has led us to our present dilemma.

Sure, industry will flaunt a few token ideas that will convince some that help is on the way. But, ultimately, the idea of profit making will filter back into the conversation. At that point, with even more profit to be made, it will be full speed ahead, damn the torpedoes, and to hell with global warming. Industry will sustain itself at the cost of every human being on the surface of the earth. It will squeeze every bit of loose change out of a poor man's pocket regardless of what that means in the big picture of our existence.

Profit making can be the equivalent of greed. Industry has, justifiably, always been concerned with making money. But, I yearn for that long-ago day when the industrial tycoon owned a business all to himself. While he certainly made a profit and lived much more comfortably than his employees, he also frequently gave back to society in a big way. Today, so many industries are publicly owned and there are numerous stockholders wanting to make money. And, making money is a natural desire of ownership, but certainly not the kind of behavior necessary to turn the global warming dilemma around.

On the other hand, government is equipped to deal with all sorts of dilemma. We as a species learned the necessity of government many centuries ago when we discovered that we could not live peacefully together. Some question whether we live peacefully together today, even with the existence of government. Still, as our nation views government, it is designed to allow for our existence in a fashion that is fair to all.

The high school debaters, to their credit, discussed the Environmental Protection Agency and its regulatory abilities to use government to fight the global warming problem. I have no problem with their arguments.

However, I want to put global warming on another level. I want a logical explanation why government is the route that needs to be followed to fight global warming rather than our profit-making industries.

The Preamble of the Constitution is a complex set of goals for our government. We have heard about "a more perfect government" the need to "establish justice," and the idea that government should "insure domestic tranquility" and "provide for the common defense." But I believe the other two goals of the Preamble are ideally designed to deal with global warming.

The Preamble ends with the final two goals, "...promote the general welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity..." It seems to me that the general welfare of our nation is threatened by global warming. And, it seems necessary for our government to act if we are going to pass on our system of government and the existence of our nation to future generations.

I am a firm believer that the US government is charged by the Constitution of the USA to deal in the best way possible with global warming. Yes, its going to cost money. Yes, our taxes will raise. And, yes, people will be upset. Case in point. There are no free rides in this world. We helped cause the problem and we will have to pay for it.

And, if we don't fix this problem of global warming, regardless what those with their head stuck in sand say, we are rapidly watching ourselves bring this world to an early demise.

A Principled Man!!

From January 1977 until January 1981, James Earl Carter served as President of the United States. Was Jimmy Carter a good president? You would be hard-pressed to find someone who would say he was. Was he a bad president? Personally, I don't believe so. Was he a misunderstood president? There is little doubt about that; he certainly was.

Jimmy Carter rode to the presidency on the tail of an animal known as "corruption." The USA had survived the audacity of Watergate and the Nixon presidency, when personal power and hatred became more important to the man in the White House than the Constitution of the nation. Then, Nixon's hand-picked successor issued a pardon to Nixon. I fully understand Gerald Ford's logic in issuing the pardon, but the country wanted more retribution handed down to the former president than a slap on the wrist.

Thus, in rides Jimmy Carter on his white stallion. He is considered a good Christian man. He is an engineer who attended the US Naval Academy and rose to the rank of lieutenant. And, most importantly as the 1970's were coming to an end, he was a Washington D.C. "outsider."

We frequently hear politicians running for national office label themselves as "outsiders." Take note! If they are really outsiders we should not elect them. Washington D.C. doesn't take well to outsiders. True outsiders lack the necessary connections that makes Washington D.C. work for them. True outsiders don't understand the inner workings of the government. And true outsiders aren't trusted by others in power who fear their way of doing things could be compromised.

So Jimmy Carter, an outsider, became president and his presidency is considered by most to be a failure--much of that failure is associated with the Iran Hostage Crisis and an energy crisis. Don't get me wrong. The nation survived and there were some positive accomplishments such as the Camp David Accords. But Jimmy Carter, the outsider from Plains, Ga., was destined to be a one-term president.

Recently Jimmy Carter was interviewed by Time in its "10 Questions" feature. Carter has become a world-renowned humanitarian in his post-presidential life. He founded the Carter Center in 1982 and that agency has spent the past two decades working to improve the quality of life for millions around the world. In 2002, Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Additionally, Carter has served as an international observer of elections, has been a valued participant in Habitat for Humanity, and has been critical of the unseemly behavior of other presidents--most notably Bill Clinton and his pardon of Mark Rich and George W. Bush for his overall approach to the presidency.

The Bush White House, following the Carter rebuke, referred to the former president comments as irrelevant. That certainly isn't the way I perceive things. Case in point. Carter was principled enough to criticize presidents from both political parties. He did not show partisanship, but called it like he saw it. He chastised presidents whom he felt had crossed the line in abuse of power.

Would I want Jimmy Carter as president again. The answer is a resounding NO. His lack of inside knowledge of government power left him just as ineffective as an outside like Ross Perot would have been. But do I respect this man who has devoted his past-presidential days to the good of society and the world. I have often said that "Jimmy Carter was not a good president. But, I believe him to be the BEST ex-president we have ever had."

The Wonders of Medicine!!!

During my daily visit to USA Today , an advertisement recently caught my eye. It was a simple question with an obviously complex answer. The headline on the advertisement read, "Are We Overmedicating Our Kids?"

The advertisement went on to point out that in 1983 the Center for Disease Control (CDC) called for children to receive 10 vaccinations before the age of six. Today the CDC mandates 36 vaccinations for our children.

The reasons for the change in numbers is rather obvious. Foremost among those reasons is the idea that medical advancements have made it possible for new vaccinations to be created to ward off deadly diseases that have wreaked havoc in the past. But, there have to be other reasons that might include the easy spread of diseases today that has evolved because our transportation systems have made the earth so much smaller.

The old motto, "an ounce of protection is worth a pound of cure" has always made sense. Why wouldn't you prevent something before it starts instead of allowing it to root and grow and create even more problems in the elimination process? But, have we gone too far? The advertisement goes on to point out that during that same time period, roughly 24 years, that we have upped the vaccination requirements we have had an enormous growth in such neurological disorders as autism and ADHD. Of course, that leads me to ask, "Are we overmedicating our kids?"

Autism is a creature unto itself and one that I truly do not understand. The complexity of that disorder makes me shutter. Might it be Aspergers, Rett's Syndrome or Kanner's Syndrome, the visual I get when I think of autism is not a pretty picture. Granted, I know that some autism victims are rather high-functioning and can deal with society as we have created it. Others, however, are in their own little world and, while I have no desire to visit that world, it is curiosity that makes me wonder, "What is going on inside their head?"

ADHD is another animal that bewilders me. Yes, I know it exists. But, does it exist in the huge numbers that seem to be reported? I don't think so. I have long dreaded the student generated phrase "I am ADHD," when that student simply didn't want to comply with a command or do an assignment. Knowing full well that prior to the expectation of that student, things were fine, I have long suspected that the ADHD label has frequently been used as an excuse.

But I also feel that using that label as an excuse is hereditary. It has long been my belief that many parents have sought out a label for their child because they couldn't/wouldn't deal with the behavior issues of their child. Fine and dandy. But, by securing an ADHD label for their child they put them in direct access to medication that can have some troubling outcomes and it conceivably creates an unrealistic excuse system that might follow that child through life.


Mood swings, confusion, high blood pressure are just some of the side effects of these ADHD medications, especially if they are abused. Perhaps the most commonly known is methylphenidate, better known by the brand name Ritalin. Also on the list is amphetamines such as Adderall and dexamphetamines such as Dextrostat or Dexedrine.

The use of drugs has long scared me. Case in point. I am a product of a pregnancy when thalidomide was widely prescribed for pregnant mothers. Fortunately I wasn't one of the some 10,000 children that wound up with severe body deformities. Then, while in college, a research paper opened my eyes to that tragedy and set the stage for my reluctance to use medicine and my concern that the long-reaching side effects might be worse than the disease/ailment being treated.

Those two events have created in me an abhorrence to drugs. I seldom take them even when I am in pain. I would rather naturally work my way through it and not feel like I could be "overmedicating" myself.

Bad Boys, Bad Boys, What you gonna do?

A recent column in USA Today suggested that O.J. Simpson, since his most recent brush with the law, needed to be removed in some fashion from the Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

I don't necessarily disagree with the idea, but I found myself questioning the differences between O. J. Simpson, Pete Rose and Barry Bonds and their impact on the social fabric of our culture. Each, in their own way, present a unique situation that their respective sports of choice must deal with.

O. J. Simpson got away with it. Though one of my dear friends feels to this day that he was innocent of the murder of his wife and Ron Goldman, the majority of America was flabbergasted by the decision of the jury. And the followup civil case determined that O. J. was responsible and he is financially indebted to the Goldman family for the death of their son and brother.

O. J. was anything but a sympathetic client for his legal team. I have often wondered if they believed in his innocence. I just don't see how an educated, logical, reasonable person could believe he wasn't guilty (my apologies to my dear friend). But innocent of murder he is and even his book "If I Did It" doesn't change that. Today, O. J. garners very little respect from any segment of the nation. He is castigated for what we believe he did and got away with.

But, should he be removed from the Football Hall of Fame? Interesting question that is debatable from many points of view. I was in Canton, Ohio that day in 1985 when O. J. was inducted into the Hall of Fame. And what a list of inductees it was. Joining O. J. was Roger Staubach, Joe Namath, Frank "Gunner" Gatski, and Pete Rozelle, the former NFL commissioner. Arguably, it was the greatest class of inductees ever.

Now the big question. Does O. J. belong in the football Hall of Fame. My take is simple and I am sure debatable. But I say he stays. His accomplishments on the football field that won him that honor took place long before his legal difficulties. His legal difficulties had nothing to do with, nor in anyway, were connected to his football prowess.

That of course, forwards the issue of Pete Rose and Barry Bonds.

I agree wholeheartedly with the decision that keeps Pete Rose out of the baseball Hall of Fame and separates him from any activities associated with Major League Baseball. He is significantly different that O. J. in that his betting records indicate he was active in that activity while he was still playing and managing. Despite his denials, we have no guarantee that his betting didn't play a role in his managerial decision making. His marvelous career will always be in question and the vision of "Charlie Hustle" barrelling over Ray Fosse in the All-Star game will never erase the questions marks from what seemingly appeared to be a Hall of Fame career.

Barry Bonds is a story unto itself. He is unique. He is an enigma. I honestly don't know what to do with him.

Case in point. We all have to accept the fact that he is innocent until proven guilty. But all the warning signs are there. His immense body change that comes with the use of steroids is disturbing. His contempt of the media and his unwillingness to talk to the fans through the media is bothersome, though its not much different than the behavior of his father who was a great baseball player in his own right. And the constant fear that his record was not achieved fairly is worrisome. It seemingly takes away from the greatness of Hank Aaron who set the record, certainly, in a fair fashion--with only the hard work that he put in and the gifts that God gave him.

Cleaning off the Desk #3

Oh how much fun it used to be. We would sit around in groups and shout out in our loudest teenage voices, "Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun."

The McDonald's Big Mac, a creation of Jim Delligatti, a McDonald's franchise owner in Uniontown, Pa., is now 40 years old. Who can believe it? I am not a regular visitor to McDonald's, or for that matter any fast-food restaurant, but the last time I did eat there, it was a Big Mac that graced my plate. After all, it is the sandwich of my generation. When I first purchased a Big Mac it was a whopping 45 cents. I think its safe to say the prices have changed but the burger is very much like the original.

The numbers are staggering. It is estimated 550 million Big Macs are sold by McDonald's each year--and that's just in the USA. That's about 17 Big Macs per second. Nutritionally, Big Macs are about a half-pound in size, with 540 calories and 29 grams of fat each. Certainly not the kind of item in your diet that will promote weight loss.

But, if you are out anytime in the next few days and have this burning desire to eat at McDonald's, just order a Big Mac and say, as loudly and quickly as you possibly can "Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun."

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Have you ever heard of "junk sleep" A small item in The Week dated Sept. 14, 2007, referred to junk sleep as a damaging part of the lifestyle of many teenagers.

Junk sleep is that "rest" obtained while a teenager (although I am not sure it is limited to teenagers) is "hyperstimulated" by the many electronic devices that have overtaken our lifestyles. These include video games, IPods, and the Internet. This hyperstimulation keeps many teenagers from going to bed when they are tired. Then they doze off in front of the electronic device and partake of "junk sleep."

As one doctor claimed, this type of rest is not nourishing to the needs of the brain, thus resulting in many "zombie" like children in our schools today.

******************'

The new TV season is underway and I can say that I am marginally excited. For the first time in years, I plan to check out a comedy. Yes Davis is going to watch a new comedy. Fox will be presenting "Back to You" with Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton. Heaton, a native of Cleveland (yes, Cleveland, Ohio-- "The best location in the nation"), seemed to me to be the heart and soul of the "Everybody Loves Raymond" series...and I thought that before I knew she was from Cleveland. And Grammer has always been a steady comedic performer going back to his days on "Cheers."

Also new this year will be another segment of "Survivor." You don't have to like it, but I do. Its the original reality show in the modern era and its always got some surprises and is always different. Sometimes the bad guy wins, sometimes the good guy wins. Each segment has its own personality and this segment is even more thrilling to think about since it originates in China.

Okay, there are my two series for the year. I hope they are each enjoyable. After that, I don't hold much hope for television, except for syndicated programs of the past. And, yes, I know the lines before they are spoken.

Questionable Priorities!!

After 35 years in the classroom I have developed certain attitudes about what happens in the public school system on a daily basis. In some cases, my attitudes are very positive, while in others I am just thoroughly disenchanted.

A recent editorial in The Parkersburg News pointed out that West Virginia State Superintendent of Schools Steve Paine identified six "skill sets" that were vital to our youth. These included information and communication skills, civic literacy, thinking and problem solving, interpersonal and self-directional skills, global awareness and financial, economic and business literacy coupled with entrepreneurial skills.

That sounds wonderful. No, its not as easy as the old "reading, writing and arithmetic." But, the world is a much more complex and education has to adjust to those complications.

Honestly, there isn't much I disagree with on that list. But, the delivery and the intensity of what it entails might go past what I believe is necessary or right. Several years ago the school systems began requiring students to choose a major field of study. I laughed, went about my merry way, and told kids to choose their schedule and try to rearrange their majors to fit the schedule they wanted to take. And, I thought seriously to myself, "Surely they (the powers that be) don't think a 15-18 year old student knows what direction they want to head in their careers.

In fact, I consider that plan somewhat counter productive. A student winds up corralled in a field that they have declared as their high school major and then they have very little contact with other possibilities that might open up different doors to them as they mature.

But, what do I know? After all, how many people change their majors two or three times in their college career and change professions several times in the course of a lifetime. The number is staggering. Ask them if choosing a major in high school would have been meaningful to them. I am certain the majority would look at you with a bewildered expression on their face. Yes I know some people know from the get-go what they want to do (I am one of them). Still, I think high school education would be more meaningful if we allowed the student to explore the whole gamut of career possibilities instead of concentrating on just one.

As for Dr. Paine's list, I find very little to disagree with in general, but have some specifics that concern me. I have always been an advocate of civic literacy and was appalled that for a number of years government class was an elective, not a requirement. I taught government for years, registered voters, held mock elections in school and supported elected officials regardless of whether I voted for them or not. Additionally, I believe that one area where we have been negligent is in pushing economic literacy. However, I am not sure these two disciplines can be taught together and that is what the new Civics program is doing. I just do not see how a Civics teacher is going to successfully teach the nuances of our government and political system and do all that really needs to be done to help make students economically knowledgeable.

Case in point. I certainly believe that successfully handling a household economy can be a major task and many marriages fall victim to the inability to manage money. Checking accounts, certificates of deposit, mutual funds, stocks and bonds, interest rates, income tax--the list of economic pitfalls is monstrous. Still, we have lumped that learning skill in with civics. I just don't see how there is enough time to teach and practice economic skills and still learn the intricacies of our political system.

And, I haven't even begun to mention the one area not on the list that I think has been totally overlooked. Can you guess what it is? Here's a pretty blatant hint--The Arts. Oh well, that is another story sometime.

Back to School!!

Today was my first day of substitute work. It was fun. Surprisingly, I felt like a teacher again.

Working at school today was a treat. And, I am scheduled to work the next three days. Students were coming in for their class (thankfully it was a set of small classes) and other students were coming in just to say hello.

Other visitors included former colleagues who immediately wanted to know what "retirement" was like. I never had any idea that people could be so interested in somebody who had left their ranks, but it was nice to be welcomed back by some of my friends.

The real joy of the day was the instructional part of teaching history again. Second block was a quick lesson in party politics, political machines, Progressives, Capitalists and Socialists. Third block was a look at early colonization, England as the mother country and mercantilism. Honestly, since my retirement it was the first chance I have had to be intellectual. Sure, I am doing crossword puzzles and never hesitate to hold a conversation with friends. But this was different.

The attempt to get through the natural barrier that students erect and then tapping into their seat of knowledge was a challenge, and one that I enjoyed.

*******

Speaking of school, it was also a treat to see progress on the new building. The last time I visited was about a month ago and to be honest I never thought that so much could be accomplished in so little time.

The last time I visited school in early August I don't believe any of the construction that was necessary for the start of this school year was completed. On top of that furniture and supplies had to be moved into place, cleanup was a necessity, rooms needed numbered and conveniences such as telephones and Internet needed to be installed.

Now all of that work isn't done. But enough was finished to get school off to a reasonably smooth start and even the colleagues I have left behind feel as good about the start of school as they can considering the trials and tribulations they have been through to get it underway.

My kudos to each and everyone that contributed to that effort.

And my special wishes to the seniors who, for the first time in their high school careers, have tile on the ceilings and floors of the rooms where their secondary education is taking place!

Carousel of Life!

Sometimes I laugh when I think about the carousel that makes life what it is.







I graduated high school in 1968. Kids seem so amazed when you tell them that jeans would never be worn to school, athletic shoes were only worn during gym class, girls always wore skirts and boys wore casual pants with button-down shirts (tails, of course, inside their waist band).







The most amazing thing I remember when it came to "rebellious" behavior occurred when the boy across the street (he was a senior and I was a junior), was suspended for a week when he shaved his head. The ruling was that his appearance was a distraction. I guess that gives meaning to the saying, "the difference between a bad hair cut and a good hair cut is three days."







Today, those in charge (us old people) always feel they can dictate rules and the rules will be obediently followed by the younger generation. But, we forget that younger people move to the beat of a different drummer and that drummer is part of THEIR generation.







I preface this entry with that introduction because, as a former teacher, I have watched for 35 years as educators made the rules and students obeyed those rules....or didn't.







The "or didn't" phrase is the one I want to concentrate on. Unlike some educators, I believe the younger generation is basically good. In my 35 years in the classroom there were seldom many problems. Kids have always wanted to please, and I do believe that students today are much more aware of their plight in relationship to education and future than my generation was.







But, sometimes rules begin to pop up that just CAN'T be followed as they are written. I make that statement in relationship to cell phones. Recently I read where New York City and Cleveland were working on banning cell phones.







Locally, the school system has already legislated the non-use of cell phones during the day. Does that legislation work? I don't think so!







I once heard a teacher say something to the effect, "If a parent wants to get in touch with their child, they can call the office." Well, I have news for you...those days are over. Remember, it was the parent that purchased the cell phone and while the student might think that it was purchased solely for their pleasure, Mom and Dad are thinking about the safety of their child as well as the convenience of instant contact.











Sure, we all know that cell phones can be a real problem in education. Modern phones have cameras that could take pictures of examinations. And then there is the issue of text messaging. I watched a young lady the other day send a text message faster than I can dial a phone. And there are those that can text inside a pocket without ever seeing the key board.







Are cell phones a problem? Potentially they are a big problem. But can the older generation ban them from the classroom? I seriously doubt it. I remember when Napster was being shut down because of copyright infringement and I heard one peer-to-peer music site operator claim he wasn't worried because, "technology always stays ahead of the law."







Case in Point. Cell phones have gotten less and less detectable if a person wants to conceal their presence. They are smaller, thinner, quieter(if necessary) and more user friendly then they were 20 years ago. They have become a primary form of communication to the point that many people are removing their regular home telephones and surviving quite comfortably with the cellular device.







And school systems, I don't care whether they are local or as distant as Cleveland or New York City (obviously the west coast is even further away) will not ultimately win the battle of the cell phone and students will continue to carry them, use them and drive administrators crazy.

Finally, Recess!!

Thirty-five years ago I embarked on a teaching career. Being the product of a middle class family, and one that was not extremely well educated, this was a leap ahead. My parents weren't ignorant people. Dad was well-read and mom was a wizard with numbers, rising to the level of a head cashier who was responsible for the daily financial records of a rather large grocery store.







Still, I had managed to reach the professional world. Yet, I carried with me a work-ethic that came right out of the world of the blue collar worker. And, over the course of 35 years I accumulated 406 sick days. Missing work was not part of my routine. It was something that I hated. More than once I went to work when I certainly should not have done so. But, I was certain nobody could do my job like I did my job.







So yesterday, the first day of school for kids, was something that was going to be painful for me. I wasn't going to be in front of a group of students on the first day of school for the first time in 35 years. My friends were concerned about my mental well-being. Several called to see how I was doing (including one who was vacationing in Birmingham, Al.).







Fortunately for me, I survived the day. In fact, I had a good day. My "job" of announcing football games brought me in contact with a gentleman who told me of an "oldies" group of men who went on four-wheeling excursions every other Monday. Yesterday was that Monday and there I was on the first day of school, sitting in a field with 42 other ATV'ers and preparing for my first recess (as I now refer to it) since I was in 6th grade.







The trip began on Issac Run Road in Wood County and traveled to Belmont and Willow Island in Pleasants County. We covered over 30 miles, saw some sites not readily available to the passer- by in an automobile, got hot and sweaty (not to mention dusty), and had a great day of fellowship. Thanks to my "recess," school was not a prevailing thought in my mind.







I have used the preceding story to talk about a topic that concerns me--that being recess. It seems that recess is rapidly disappearing from the school curriculum. Going to school in the 50s and 60s meant that you had recess for 10-15 minutes each morning and afternoon, along with the remainder of you lunch break. Boys and girls were outside in the sun. They were running and playing, laughing and yelling, and generally having a good time.







My how times have changed. Case in Point. It seems from my gathering of information, recess is a nearly bygone idea in the educational system. Educationally we have become a complete and total "reading, writing and arithmetic" institution. And I for one disagree with that philosophy. Recess is an important part of the educational process. It teaches students how to work together, how to play together, and how to have fun.







Perhaps our world could use a little more "social" education that recess provides.

Cleaning off the Desk, #2

Congratulations of some sort is due West Virginia University. After all, while the state of West Virginia anxiously awaits an upcoming football season that could potentially be the best ever for a Mountaineer squad, the students are already enjoying top dog status of another sort. WVU again has climbed to the top of the mountain by being named the most proficient party school in the USA.



This is noteworthy occasion. I can remember (gee its been quite awhile back, but my memory hasn't completely escaped me yet) when Thursday nights in Glenville often led to early Friday mornings in Morgantown. Yes, we sometimes found ourselves partying in Morgantown, after a quick stop in Fairmont. Why? Well even back in the late '6Os and '70s, Morgantown was party-central.



Some have even claimed that it was unfair to compare WVU with other colleges in the party school classification. They said it was like comparing professionals with amateurs.



While administrators and parents may not enjoy the newly crowned title handed to the Mountaineers, it is what it is. But, as was pointed out in a story associated with the announcement, there are many good things about WVU. Case in point. The WVU library was ranked the 5th best in the nation and the school newspaper came in at #8.



******

What is your pet worth to you? Well according to a Newsweek article dated July 30, one man spent over $11,000 for his cat. Still, he claims the price wasn't too high.



The article pointed out that some dogs are now candidates for a $3,000 pacemaker and a feline kidney transplant prices out at about $8,000.



While many of us could never afford such extravagant expenses to maintain the life of our beloved pet, I venture to say that many of us wish we could do just that.



In my adult life I have had to "put down" three animals. In each case I felt a tremendous sense of loss and wish that something could have been done to prolong their lives. But that wasn't the case. Would money have changed the outcome? More than likely that is doubtful, but don't I wish that would have been the case.



Life without a critter (a dog in particular) is rather dull and boring. Trust me, a little chunk of change for a healthy dog to walk with would be a small price to pay.



******

A record 209 million passengers last year boarded airplanes last year. When I think about flying I think about saving time and effort in reaching a destination. Naturally, the cost seems high, but the idea of saving time (a three hour flight to Boston as compared to an 11 hour drive is quite appealing).



But, how time-saving is a flight anymore. Newsweek (July 30), documented flight after flight where passengers were held hostage in airplanes on the tarmac for rather extensive time frames. One man spent 10 hours on the tarmac, another passenger spent seven hours without food.



Why the delay. The airlines claim there aren't enough air routes and that the air-traffic control system is outdated. Air traffic controllers insist they are not sufficiently staffed. Weather and mechanical delays play a role.



Before slating a flight, take note of departure and arrival times listed and make sure you have time to spare.

Say it Ain't So!!!

Hurricane Dean is ravishing the Yucatan Peninsula. As this is being written we still have no clue whether it will eventually reach the coastline of the USA. Furthermore, if it does reach the USA, we have no idea what strength it will redevelop after its Category 5 attack across the southern Caribbean.

But why wait. After my morning walk and a trip to Speedway for a cup of coffee, I noticed that the gasoline industry was quick to respond with an overnight 20 cent price increase. The oil industry is a "first responder" of the highest degree. Its not a matter of waiting to see if an environmental catastrophe will have an impact on its business. No, its a forgone conclusion that action is necessary to maximize its profit no matter what the circumstances.

I almost believe the oil industry has adopted the philosophy of the Israeli military. Israel has long had a policy of attacking an enemy after any and all attacks. Retribution is a necessity for a nation that is completely surrounded by enemies and must be on guard for attacks that could jeopardize its existence.

Thus the oil industry has taken the same approach. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that the oil industry's days are numbered. Many of us may not live to see it, but oil is not a renewable resource. When it is gone, it is gone!! So the oil industry has become proactive considering its present existence. Gain the profit, as much profit as it can, is now the philosophy.

And what does that approach do for the oil industry. Well last year the oil industry enjoyed its largest profit ever. A profit that doesn't seem justified. After all, with the oil industry winding down in terms of existence, it has not built a new refinery in years, which would help eliminate reported gasoline shortages. Honestly, some of an industry profit is typically turned into improved or more modern facilities. I don't see that happening unless you count the nice new neighborhood convenience store that offers gasoline, but also robs your wallet with overly priced grocery items that are "conveniently" located on site when you purchase gasoline.

My feelings about the oil industry is rather apparent. Yes, I buy gasoline. I have a gas-guzzling pickup truck. I like my truck. Would I consider a smaller vehicle? Maybe. Will I continue to buy overly priced gasoline? Of course! Do I believe we are all victims of price gouging? Certainly.

Case in point. The hurricane season is just now beginning its possibly vicious seasonal attack. How many more catastrophes can the oil industry capitalize on?

Why the Charge???

A USA Today article (8/14) discussed the issue of hotels that charge rather costly rates to park your car in their lot while you are a guest at that hotel.

I immediately stiffened and thought, "Gee, why doesn't my nightly rate cover the cost of parking my car?"

Well I know that airports frequently charge for leaving your vehicle in their lot, but I also recognize that you are not present while your car is--you have flown off into the vast unknown. Thus, I don't get overly excited about that parking rate. But, a hotel?? After all, I am staying there; I am within a 3-minute walk of my vehicle; I can see my vehicle from the window of my room. Why, pray tell, must I pay to park my car there??

I guess it wouldn't have been so unnerving except it seems like parking rates are just out of control. One of the more expensive sites listed was The Westin St. Francis in San Francisco at $63.84 a day. Do a double take if you like, but that isn't a misprint. That's right, $63.84 to park your car overnight while you are a visitor at that hotel.

As surprised as I was by the hotel parking bill, I was just as shocked recently to learn that New York City is considering charging cars and trucks a fee to be on the streets of Manhattan. The fee is designed to fight congestion. Cars would be charged $8 while trucks would be charged $21.

For NYC, the goal is to get people to use public transportation and eliminate the massive number of vehicles that slow down traffic in the nation's financial capital. Still, it seems to me that as taxpayers, people have already paid for those highways and should be able to travel on those highways.

But, that's not all. Case In Point. At least one local automobile dealer was charging a "shop fee" if you had your vehicle in that garage for repair. The fee was 10% of your bill up to a $50 charge. Needless to say I was a bit volatile about that charge, and I no longer frequent that garage. I figured that if you were already paying a $55 per hour for labor (and you know and I know the mechanic doesn't get paid $55 per hour) there had to be enough money there to cover the use of the garage to complete the required work.

As I told the dealer, I didn't mind buying him a steak dinner, but I didn't feel like I should buy him the whole cow. I also inquired as to whether he charged the insurance companies that "shop fee" if the bill was submitted to them. He said "No." That infuriated me just a bit more since I was the middle class customer and insurance companies are notoriously some of the wealthiest enterprises in the USA.

I guess its just a good practice to keep track of where your money goes. How do you do that. That's easy--don't go to hotels, stay out of Manhattan, and don't let your vehicle break down.

Jumping to Conclusions

An article in USA Today (dated 8/8/07) dealt with the pending college term and the influx of freshmen who are being assigned dormitory rooms for the coming year.

The Internet addition of Facebook and other biographical tools on the computer is making for some interesting rooming dilemmas on college campuses.

It seems as though parents have been perusing the Facebook pages to learn about their child's pending roommate. And sometimes they aren't happy. Concerns include sexual preference, body art, the potential to party, and the age-old issues of race and religion.

Not being a parent, I don't suppose I can fully understand the concern. But, as a long-time educator I do know that younger generations seem to be more tolerant of personal differences than perhaps the older generations.

The acknowledgement of who your pending roommate is has made the furnishing of a college dormitory room so much easier than in my day. I have long encouraged high school seniors to make sure to contact the roommate and share in the responsibility of bringing necessary household items--televisions, dvd/vcr, refrigerators, microwaves, stereos and telephones. There is just no need in duplicating those items.

It seems as though some colleges, under a barrage of requests for a change in room assignments, have taken a hard line and have refused to change these assignments. The possibilities of changing rooms comes during the school year, but not before a period of time where students can, if they must, make adjustments to "tolerate" the new roommate regardless of their lifestyles or tendencies.

And, as previously noted, the younger generation seems to be more accommodating than their parents.

Case in point. In bygone days, when I entered college in the fall of 1968, you arrived on campus; checked in and received your room assignment; lugged your personal items to that room (elevators were not always available to students, especially on a small campus); moved into your room; and if you were lucky, met your roommate before it was time to go to bed.

We had a "friendly moving day" on the calender several weeks into the first semester. Still, I knew of very few students who took advantage of that opportunity.

My first roommate was an old country boy and I was the city kid. We had very little in common. Still, we got along fine, occasionally had a meal together, and I even told him I was willing to room with him the next year. He, however, moved off campus with several students who were in his field of study.

That set the stage for my second roommate who has been a longtime friend and one who I have a great deal of respect for. We roomed together during my sophomore year (his junior) and again when I did student teaching and he was already employed. My third roommate sought me out because I was living in the dorm's only suite of rooms (a perk for being president of the dorm). And, I was receptive because he had a refrigerator (an unheard of dormitory item at that time) because he was diabetic. My final roommate was an acquaintance who wound up as my roomie because I was the dorm office manager and he was a proctor. It was a convenient arrangement though we had little in common. Still, we had no issues with each other and had a very workable living arrangement.

Thus, I guess its safe to say that I only had one roommate who was really on the same social plane as me. Still, I never, ever thought of using "friendly moving day."

My suspicion is that most students today can ADAPT to their roommates and I believe they should be given the chance to ADAPT to something different. I didn't say to ADOPT a different lifestyle, but to ADAPT to the presence of a different lifestyle in their presence. After all, they will need to do that the rest of their lives.

Food, "Glorious (but tainted)," Food

How much longer will it be before we read another story about tainted food reaching the shores of the USA from China.

First it was tainted pet food--a crisis that sent many household critters to their early demise while frustrating and infuriating their owners. Numerous and costly veterinarian bills and countless tears were the result of this disaster. Still, it didn't seem to be enough to stop even more contamination from reaching our dinner tables.

As time progressed it was pesticides and now mercury contamination of fish products from China that again has the USA in turmoil.

The underlying question is, "Can we depend on trading partners, such as China, to provide us safe food substances?" Each day and each story indicates that the answer to that question might very well be a resounding "NO."

I have often felt that one of the primary locations for terrorists to attack the USA was through its food and water supplies. I don't believe China is a terrorist-sponsoring nation, but these exported food substances are creating terrorist style results.

We are a nation that might be the best fed in the world. We dedicate massive amounts of money to the construction of restaurants and huge grocery stores that offer a wealth of choices for our diet. Typical American cuisine is on the menu, yes, but so are many foreign dishes have become addictive to our palates.

The addition of these foreign dishes to our menus brings the need for some foreign food substances. And this leaves us at the mercy of those that can provide these items. We have been taught to believe that our government can protect us from unsafe items--and in all fairness its safe to say the Food and Drug Administration does just that.

Still, we might be asking for a superhuman effort to keep all tainted items out of our food supply. Case in point. Even in situations where food supplies have not been considered unsafe, tragic outcomes have resulted from unsafe food preparation and deliveries.

E coli, the digestive system disturbance that typically indicates food contamination, has seen a 50 percent increase while Vibrio infections--associated with shellfish--has increased nearly 80 percent.

I guess its time we become a bit more discreet in the selection of food sources for our dinner table. And while I will admit that the Chinese and other nations aren't necessarily trying to terrorize our food supplies, I will continue to wonder how safe that supply really is.

Just Beyond My Imagination!!

Dogs have always been a part of my life!!!



The day my dad brought me home from the hospital nearly 57 years ago, he went out and got MY first dog. It was half Manchester and half Chihuahua. Jiggs was a little black dog with a feisty temperament. We had a unique relationship. He would bite me and I would bite him back. I am not sure how much Jiggs liked me until I got a little bit older. Jiggs died when I was 10. We buried him in the back yard and while there were no outward signs of where Jiggs was buried, I could take you to the location to this day.



After Jiggs came Tippy, Prince, and Betsy. Tippy died early in life as a result of distemper despite being vaccinated; Prince was a bull of a dog that wouldn't step into the house regardless how bad the weather was; and Betsy was a doll baby who watched me leave home to go to college....she was always my dog, but Dad became her caretaker during the final years of her life.



As an adult I have had two dogs. Oscar was a German Shorthair Pointer. He was nothing short of a lovable beast. He was strong, handsome, loving and full of curiosity. Cancer claimed his life long before his heart was ready to give out. My last dog was Coach. He was a Border Collie that captivated me. He was a devoted dog that finally succumbed recently to arthritis and old age. I don't think I will ever get over missing him and nearly daily I walk by and notice the package of his ashes on my desk.



Loving dogs for me is just a way of life. They are what they are advertised to be...MANS BEST FRIEND.



I tell these stories because of the recent barrage of sports news dealing with the horrid aspects of dog fighting and the inhumane attitudes and behaviors of those associated with Michael Vick.



Case in point. Sure, I know Michael Vick hasn't been convicted of anything (though I believe its just a matter of time). The idea of dog fighting just nauseates me. To watch two dogs fight to the death would infuriate me and to imagine that any person could do such a thing is difficult for me to comprehend. How could a critter that provides so much love be utilized in such a way.



The idea borders on insanity. Those involved aren't sporting individuals. They aren't gamblers. They might not even be human beings. I know for certain they are SICK, SICK, SICK earthly entities that our society would be better off without.

And, for all those involved, I only hope they get a taste of their own medicine.

What's Wrong With This Picture?

Imagine one of your friends needed help. You went to him with a plan that would hopefully get him out of a jam. The plan called for you to provide assistance and for him to gradually, but consistently, make changes that would put him in a position not to face the same dilemma again.



Sounds like a workable scenario to me. What do you think?



Yes, well I am sure you can agree. But, here is the problem. You hold up your end of the bargain. You pour your heart and soul into providing assistance. You utilize your resources and you spend night and day trying to create a situation that will help your friend. However, your friend isn't quite as devoted to digging himself out of the depths of disparity as you are in helping him.



Now, what do you do????



Like most people you reach a point where you have to say, "Alright, I have made the effort. I can't jeopardize myself anymore for someone who has less interest in himself than I have in him." You begin to withdraw from the quagmire and eventually you let your friend sink or swim on his own. Sure, you have second thoughts. But you look around and say to yourself, "It has to be me or him, and I have worked too hard to let myself be ruined by these circumstances."



Well, I am not so sure the USA hasn't reached this crossroads. As I have said before, I supported the war in Afghanistan. In fact, I still support our actions in Afghanistan and I do so for two reasons. First, I still believe that we can either capture or kill Osama Bin Laden, and I really don't care which development works out. Second, as time progresses and turmoil continues to unfold in Pakistan I believe we need to be close by to prevent any resultant surge from that country into Afghanistan.



But, Iraq continues to plague me. We seemingly make little progress. Sure, we are told that the surge is working. Still we read daily of insurgent bombings that results in many casualties and close to 100 American deaths each month. We have well over 100,000 troops in that country, struggling against guerrilla style attacks. We have nearly 1/4th of our entire complement of our military equipment in that country. We have gone deep into national debt, paying for not only the war but the rebuilding of that nation. And we see our own nation deeply divided as to whether we should continue in Iraq or withdraw.



Now, what has Iraq done. It successfully held elections and elected a government in a democratic manner. Yes, this was one of our goals. Iraq has been the reason why our government has had talks with such rogue nations as Syria and Iran. While these talks haven't necessarily been satisfactory, at least we have talked a bit. And, there has been some progress in the development of an Iraqi police force. Still, I am not sure Iraq has lived up to its end of the bargain.



Case in point. As of the first of August, the Iraqi government is going on a month-long vacation. Yes, a vacation. What am I missing here. We talk continually about the need for Iraq to begin taking over some of its own defense and its own rebuilding, yet the law-making body of that nation decides to go on sabbatical when so much is left to be done.



I am confused. I thought we had a deal. I thought the USA would do what it could do and Iraq would make efforts to do its share. In the end, hopefully Iraq would be a great nation, governing itself without the cruel leadership of a dictator such as Saddam Hussein. But, I am not sure the scales of justice are balanced here. The USA is doing its part, perhaps at its own jeopardy, while Iraq is taking a vacation.



There just seems something wrong with this picture!!!!

This Ain't God's Art!!!

No big secret here!! Davis cannot stand tattoos. He hates them. He loathes them. He finds them bordering on contemptuous. And most of all he doesn't understand them.


Over time, I guess I have become more tolerant of this form of art (boy, it hurt to call it art). But, tolerant and appreciative are two vastly different words.


Yes, I have friends and many students who possess tattoos. And while I believe to have been successful in not judging the person by their exterior decorations, I just couldn't understand why someone would do such a thing. Yes, I have encouraged people NOT to be tattooed, but rarely with success. No, I didn't write them off, but I did demonstrate my displeasure, for what it was worth.


Finally, I am seeing some support for my point of view. A USA Today article dated July 23, talked about society's newest responses to tattoos. In particular the issue dealt with excessive or visible tattoos on persons who are involved in the military and law enforcement portions of our world.


The military has taken a stand on visible tattoos. Now the military has restrictions established as to where a visible tattoo can be found and what percentages sections of the body can be ordained with the inky designs.



The military has long had a "monopoly" on tattoos with veterans coming back with an artistic design celebrating their service to the country or remembering their mom or spouse. For some reason, 50 years ago, that form of tattoo didn't really bother me. But, as the tattoo became much more bold and somewhat frightening in appearance, I lost interest in the body art and turned more disgusted by it.



Police departments have taken perhaps an even stronger view of tattoos. Summer uniforms have become taboo for officers that have tattoos that are visible to the general public. And, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that First Amendment rights do not apply to uniform standards devised by police departments.


One of the statements that came from a spokesman who said that intimidation is one thing that comes to play when hiring police officers with tattoos. A tattooed police office could appear threatening to a citizen who is seeking assistance. That makes sense to me.


Call me chauvinist, but I guess I am particularly appalled by tattoos on females. Perhaps its my generation, perhaps its more a personal attitude, but I do hate to see a tattooed female. It just doesn't seem like a very lady-like thing to do. And no, I won't apologize for my feelings.

Case in point. Can you imagine your 80-year old grandmother with a tattoo on her arms and/or legs. Not a pretty picture in my mind.