Why Is It?

Hi Everyone,

Have you ever had a conversation with someone and asked a question that was not answered? I don't mean that your question was ignored. I mean that your question was answered with a beating around the bush, gobbly gook of words that didn't answer your question. If you repeat your question and the answer you receive is more of the same; how would you handle it? But what if the majority of the time you asked a question to this same person and you almost always got the same beating around the bush answers? How much respect would you have for that person? I'm not sure of your answer, but my answer would be not much respect. Would you also believe everything that this person told you? Or would you begin to question what they are saying.

So here it is Sunday and like almost every Sunday, I like to watch different network's Sunday news programs to stay abreast of what is going on in this country and the world as a whole. Lately politics is a prime topic and I am never surprised by the answers given by politicians. Even if they are asked a simple yes or no question, they can't give a simple yes or no answer. Why is that? Only they know for sure. But almost every time I see a politician being interviewed, I hear spin, mistruths, exaggerations and sometimes even outright lies to promote their side and keep their constituent base happy. Nothing else seems to matter. Sometimes they will say outrageous things to keep themselves not just in the news, but as a top news story.

Again, politicians show by their own actions and words that they do not know the meaning of common sense. Hopefully, voters will sort through all of the gobbly gook and make their decisions based on facts period, no spin, just the facts. It really can be that simple.

Til next week.

Peter

Is There a Correlation?

Hi Everyone,

I am sure that every single one of you have heard about today's topic. You would think that after about 20 years people would know better, but it still keeps on happening. But today's topic has an unusual twist to it.

So there I was last week, grocery shopping, minding my own business, when I turned into the next aisle and it all started. As soon as I could see down the aisle, there was this woman, maybe 30-40 years old, my guess, having a very loud conversation on her cell phone. Anyone within ear shot, every pun intended, could hear every word the woman was saying. She held the phone with her left hand while picking items off the shelves with her right hand. I didn't really pay much attention since I see and hear this upon occasion. A few aisles later we passed again and she was still on the phone and still talking loudly. Wouldn't you know that we then both ended up at the check out at approximately the same time, although she was about 4 lines over. Again I could hear almost every word she said. My thoughts were that the woman had no common sense to talk loud enough for other people to hear. She knew other people heard her on the phone by the stares she gave back to the people who stared at her. End of story?!

Oh no way could that be the end of the story. As I waiting to turn left at the exit traffic light, which was red, a compact car raced up, on my right, to the light and hardly even stopped before turning right. That caused a car in the intersection to slam on their brakes. The driver of the compact car was the same woman that I saw in the store and she was......wait......for.....it......... still on the phone. So I ask, is there a correlation between people who talk loudly on their cell phones and poor driving habits? Both display a lack of common sense, but when they are combined, watch out. So my answer is a definitive yes!

Til next week.

Peter

Is It Just Me?

Hi Everyone,

Today's blog is about TV shows, shown on either broadcast or cable TV. I will not be writing about their content, oh no, today's blog is about the length of some TV shows. Maybe today's topic is something that bothers others and not just me.

In this new world of watching TV, in order for anyone to record a show, you must have a DVR, be it from your cable provider or from TiVo. I believe those are the only ways to record a show. As we all are aware, either one of those methods will cost you money. Gone are the days of VCR's, but I regress. What does bother me about the length of TV shows? Please allow me to explain. Ever recorded a show, then after watching that show, you missed out on the last 1 to 7 minutes (or even longer) of the show because it ran longer then usual? This has happened to me numerous times. I hate when TV shows are extended past their regularly scheduled time. I presume this is meant to make you watch the very next show on that channel. The DVR stops recording prior to the show's ending because it is based on 30 or 60 minute intervals and not 32 or 65 minutes. Missing those final minutes sucks because you don't know how that show ended. Even if you don't record a show and instead watch it, when it is over, you missed the first few minutes of the next show that you wanted to watch on another channel. Obviously, the beginning and ending of a show are very important. But when you miss either, you are kind of left in limbo.

Back in the day of VCR's, shows let you know in advance of their "super sized" episodes which ran some minutes later then normal, somtimes up to 15 minutes longer. If you wanted to "tape" that show, you just had to program your VCR for the exact length of time needed in order to watch the complete show. I can't do that with my DVR.

Now is it just me, or should TV shows be based on the time proven alotted amount of time that is based on the top or bottom of the hour? I think common sense says yes. But TV channels are in a war to keep their viewers for as long as possible so as to keep their ratings up. So I don't see this issue changing any time soon. Just my thoughts.

Til next week.

Peter

Is It Just Me?

History: Fact or Fiction

Hi Everyone,

The third GOP primary was held yesterday and Newt Gingrich won. The tally now for the 3 primaries is 3 different winners. It looks like it is going to be a crowded field for a while with no clear front runner. As this election season heats up, unfortunately, we are all painfully aware that politicians will say and do whatever they think will help them. To them, the ends justify the means. What I don't get is how seemingly intelligent people can try to rewrite history? To me, trying to rewrite history shows another way of showing a lack of common sense. History is based on facts and not subject to one's wishful thinking about the way they believe it should have been.

What in the world am I talking about? Well this season's GOP presidential candidates have been touting how they are the best representative of what President Reagan stood for. And that is a good thing they say, or is it? Before you believe anything a politician says, fact checking is a good thing and should be verified. So on that note, I did some fact checking on what Ronald Reagan actually did while in office as Governor of California and as President of the United States. If you do not believe me, please check for yourself. Thanks to the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and the Journal News.

As Governor of California, Reagan signed an abortion bill and wanted and received a $1 billion state tax hike. But as President, he said that he wanted to end abortion but did nothing to try to end it. In 1982, President Reagan agreed to a massive tax hike to avert the worst effects of the supply-side spending he had endorsed when he became President the year before. President Reagan rallied against big government but left our country with a the largest deficit ever of a then staggering hundreds of billions of dollars by the time he left office. He didn't want to gut the federal government but to manage it more effectively. President Reagan did not adhere to the hard-line conservative principles when it came to foreign policy, especially dealing with the Soviet Union. Instead it was his conciliatory side that came to the fore. Even in his evil empire speech, he crossed out some typed text and hand wrote, "This does not mean we should isolate ourselves and refuse to seek an understanding with them. I intend to do everything I can to persuade them of our peaceful intent." In addition, Reagan was president when the early 1980's recession ocurred with unemployment soaring from 6.9% in 4/80 to a historically high of 10.8%. That was and still is the highest unemployment rate in our history since the Great Depression.

On many occasions, Reagan worked with the Democrats to get things done. He was a bi-partisan president. He was close with Tip O'Neil. The fact is that, history may see Reagan as a great president, just not in the way that our present GOP politicians would lead us to believe and consequently diminishes his record. Reagan's greatness was his willingness to abandon his conservative principles when it made sense to do so. The bogus myths about Reagan has become far more precious to today's GOP than his actual record. Despite venerating Reagan, the party has moved to the right of him, suggesting that the federal government should be kneecapped and that a unilaterlist, militaristic foreign policy would fulfill Reagan's legacy. Reagan didn't demonize his enemies, snub allies or try to destroy the federal government. Most likely, Reagan couldn't be counted among current Reaganites.

What I like about Reagan is that he rallied America from despair by appealing to its best and not its worst instincts. What I don't like is how people try to rewrite history to their own benefit. As I have stated many times before, everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but not to your own facts. Again if people, especially politicians had some iota of common sense, they would know better than to try to rewrite history! I can only hope, people will make up their minds based on facts and not based on what is at its best, the stretching of the truth; to the worst, out and out right lies.

Til next week.

Peter

Lack of Common Sense Lead to Being Oblivious?

Hi Everyone,

Can a lack of common sense lead to being oblivious? I am positive that today's blog topic has been experienced by each and every one of you.

So there you are driving to wherever, at whatever time of day, minding your own business, while obeying the rules of the road. All is well until some other driver does something completely unexpected, dangerous and really stupid. Your immediate reaction is to call the driver some well earned four letter words. But then after your heart rate decreases, you wonder what that driver was thinking? Obviously, they weren't thinking! Well after seeing that type of scenario far to many times I have come up with 4 reasons:

1) They really do lack common sense and that leads to:

2) Believing that they can multitask while driving, (talking/texting on phone, drinking coffee, soda etc., eating and applying makeup etc.

3) Believing that they are the only car on the road, or being oblivious to other cars.

4) Believing that where they are going is more important then anyone else's reason for driving.

Isn't it obvious that if these drivers had some common sense, reasons 2 thru 4 would be moot? So my conclusion is that a driver with a lack of common sense can and does lead to someone becoming oblivious to their surroundings. Maybe drivers ed should include a course on common sense while driving. Don't you think?

Til next week.

Peter

Maybe, It's Me?

Hi Everyone,

Happy New Year to all. As the new year begins, I would like to thank each and every one of you for reading my blog. I will continue to bring you more tales of people who don't seem to have learned the meaning of or the use of common sense. Today's blog is no different.

So there I was last week at the local grocery store. Usually, it takes no time to find a parking spot. But that day, (one of those few really cold days we have had so far) right after Christmas and before New Year's Eve, there were absolutely no parking spots to be found. Some people had even parked their cars at the end of rows where there were no "official" spots. It took me around 15 minutes to find a spot. As a side note, there were a lot of other cars also either waiting for or driving around looking for a spot. What I noticed during my search that did bother me were the 6 or 7 cars that were left running, while the owners were inside shopping. Now I am fully aware of remote starters for cars, but these cars, mostly big SUV's, were left idling and not started as the owner approached.

To me, leaving your parked car running/idling, I guess to keep it warm while you shop, is so not right. Is it just me who doesn't get this? Leaving you car running for no good reason other than keeping it warm shows a lack of common sense. Besides the fact that is wastes gas, it also adds more air pollution, which is uncalled for. Just a teenie weenie ounce of common sense would tell you to turn the car off when you park it. Don't you think so?

Til next week.

Peter