Another Unbelieveable Story

Hi Everyone,

We are all so painfully aware of what happens during this time of year. Election time that is. Politicians can be so ruthless to get elected. But so are some of the people who believe in their candidate. Campaigns these days seem to get nastier with each passing year, with no end in sight. The following is a true story of what just happened across the river from where we live....

I read in my Friday's Gannet paper that "a stack of mailers, all anonymous, attacked one particular candidate in the Democratic county executive primary" in Rockland County, New York. A lot of these anonymous flyers that are sent to registered voters, contain either and/or: half-truths, twisted facts, (which is called spin) and even outright lies. But they continue to be sent out. It is truly a sad day when people, knowingly create and mail misleading political flyers to try to sway the voters. It is no wonder that they don't and obviously never will sign their names or name the entity that they are associated with, to these liar flyers. Unbeknownst to me, most states do have regulations that ban such anonymous politicking. But wait........ the worst part is that these liar flyers are actually legally allowed here in New York State. Yep, that's right, as of right now, there is no law in NY to stop these liar flyers! That just gets me so mad and aggravated. It is pure and simple common sense to have a law that prevents that kind of low blow and as dirty as it gets politicking.

Then there is Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski, D-New City. He will introduce legislation that would require campaign communications to disclose the ad's source; whether it's from a candidate or political committee, etc. What a novel idea and what a great common sense solution. My only question is why did it take until the year 2013 for this to start? "Paid for by" labels would inform voters where the flyer came from. That is the way to go to stop these stupid liar flyers. But......... when this comes up for a vote, it will be very interesting to see who doesn't vote for it. Time will tell!


Til next week.

Peter

Can Someone Explain This To Me?

Hi Everyone,

I haven't ever started my blog this way, but change is good. So I just have one question that I would like to pose to everyone today. Maybe you will know the answer, but I bet you dollars to donuts (where did that saying come from?), that no one will be able to answer this one question. Where can you buy almost anything, like what a grocery store carries, (alcohol not included) for cost?

Thought of an answer yet? I will give you a hint? Good people can't buy "whatever" at cost. Still no answer? Ok, try this hint; only bad people can buy "whatever" at cost. What kind of bad people could I possibly be talking about? Well......... in order to get this special offer, you probably won't like this, but you have to do something really bad, get caught, convicted and finally incarcerated in a New York State maximum security prison. Believe it or not, this is a very true fact. The info that I got pertained only to maximum security prisons no lower level security prison.

So how did I get this info? A while ago, we were at a party where I spoke with a guy who works in a NYS maximum security prison. I started asking him tons of questions. Why? Because: a) I don't know anyone who is incarcerated and b) since I never knew anyone who worked in one, I was intrigued about what goes on in prisons. I have to admit, I did ask a few dumb questions, from my vast wealth of prison knowledge that I learned from TV. But our conversation somehow drifted into what prisoners can buy from the commissary. I was amazed that they can buy basically anything, except of course alcohol. When I say anything, I mean even frozen chicken. That kind of shocked me since I immediately asked if they had refrigerators in their cells? They don't, but they can get ice for their coolers that are in their cells.

But the most unbelievable thing that I learned about maximum security prisons, and this is the answer to my original question, inmates can buy almost anything they want from the commissary for cost! Yes that's right, for cost! That is, they purchase the items for the same price that the prison system pays for them, with no price mark ups what so ever. Now to me, if someone is in a maximum security prison, since they had done something extremely bad, like murder, why should they get a sweet perk like this? You and I don't get to buy grocery store products at cost. The prices that the inmates pay are ridiculously low on everything. I could save a lot of money if I could shop at their commissary. This makes no sense to me at all. I read a lot about how expensive it is to house an inmate for a year, here in NYS. Well here is a news flash for the NYS prison system. Immediately stop selling what's in the commissaries at cost. The profits could help defray the cost of running the prisons. While I'm at it, why not have inmates grow their own food, milk their own cows etc., etc. Shouldn't that save the system a lot more money? Somehow, common sense is not part of the prison system, where you would think that it would be a priority in all areas.

Til next week.

Peter

Is It Spin, Misinformation or Just Plain Lies?

Hi Everyone,

Last week was the 50th anniversary of Dr. King's, "I Have a Dream" speech in Washington, D.C. His speech was an important turning point for African Americans fight for equality. I did not know until this past week that Dr. King's original, typed speech, was only to last about 5 minutes. He ad libbed the whole "dream" part of the speech which added 11 minutes to his speech. So would you think that the anniversary celebrations would be without political discord. If you thought that, you, as well as I were so very, very wrong.

How? Well, last Wednesday, on Bill O'Reilly's "No Spin", TV show, he had one of his usual rants. This time his rant was about how no Republicans or Conservatives had been invited to the anniversary celebration. O'Reilly even mentioned Bush 2.0, as an example of a Republican who was not invited to the event. The only Presidents who spoke, there were three, were Democrats. Really O'Reilly? Did you really say that? Indeed he did and he stands by his "No Spin" statement of "his" kind of facts.

Please, please always remember that every person is entitled to their own opinions, but not to their own facts. So as it turns out, these are the true facts. Bush 1.0 and Bush 2.0 were both invited to speak, but both bowed out citing health reasons. So O'Reilly got that wrong! Speaker of the House, John Boehner was also invited, but he too declined, stating that he had to speak at a Congressional event. O'Reilly wrong again! Jeb Bush and John McCain were also invited, but both declined. O'Reilly wrong again! FYI, every single member of both houses of Congress were invited to attend. So O'Reilly was really wrong about that also! Even Eric Cantor, House Majority Leader was invited, he also declined. O'Reilly wrong again! In Cantor's mindless brain, he thought that it was more important to meet with oil lobbyists on that day, instead of being part of history. Big money and big business is obviously more important to him, then some anniversary of some black guy's speech, so long ago.

So let me clear the air in which O'Reilly seamlessly muddies at every single chance he gets. Every member of the Republican Congress had been invited. But guess what? Not ONE Republican or Conservative attended Dr's King's speech anniversary. And O'Reilly was wrong each and every time! How is this possible? What's wrong with this picture at every level? Since every single Republican and Conservative were a no show, doesn't that speaks volumes of how they as a party, feels about civil rights, especially equality for African Americans? Republicans fought tooth and nail against the Civil Rights movement in the early 1960's. They were so dead set against it that one southern governor refused to desegragate the states schools and went up against the federal government. So their continued displeasure with both Dr. King and the civil rights movement are still, even to this day, is clearly evident in their not attending. They are so far on the wrong side of history that it is sad.

The bottom line is that O'Reilly is either the most stupid person on TV, which I think he is not, or he blatantly used his, "No Spin" show as a platform to spread not just misinformation and not just his type of spin, )which he constantly says he does not do), but also blatant and outright lies. How does he get away with these kinds of lies? Oh right, he works for FOX news, who wants, allows and airs any lies about anything Democratically related. Don't wait for any kind of retraction or apology from O'Reilly or FOX, because it will never materialize. The real story here is that the GOP in mass, predecided they would not attend the celebration. The real question here is why??? Isn't it time to stand by your window and scream, at the top of your lungs, that we're mad as hell and we aren't going to take this anymore.

It is high time that O'Reilly and friends get a much needed shot of common sense and stop spreading outrageous lies. There is just no way that O'Reilly didn't know the truth about the invitations. Obviously he had no story with the real facts. The real story would not have painted such a sob story regarding how the GOP was snubbed. I am scared to death wondering how many of O'Reilly's followers believed every word that he said. How unfortunate that there are so many spineless people who refuse to believe the truth and would rather believe lies from a now proven liar. He even lies every time he states that his show is a "no spin" zone. I wonder if that makes him laugh every time he says it. It does make me laugh and cry every time I hear it, though for a different reason.

Be careful who you vote for during this election season.

Til next week.

Peter

Is This What It Has Come To?

Hi Everyone,

I have quite the tale to tell you. Unfortunately, it is not a tale, but a real horrifying true occurrence. On April 1st of this year, the city council of Nelson, Georgia, a city of about 1,300 residents, 50 miles north of Atlanta, passed the most egregious and unbelievable law that I have ever heard of. The law is called the Family Protection Ordinance. Ever heard of a law called that? Me neither. This absolutely stolid law requires.........................................drum roll please............................................. ALL heads of household to own a gun and ammunition. Yes, you indeed read that correctly. The city council decided that it is a good thing that all heads of households MUST have a gun and ammo. Their inept reasoning is meant to warn would-be burglars, but also to send a message to the federal government about gun ownership.

Their message was heard loud and clear. About one month later, the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, filed a federal lawsuit against the city and the city council members, challenging its constitutionality. This past Thursday, in a joint court filing, the Brady Center and the city submitted a settlement agreement to the federal judge in Gainsville. The settlement? Instead of the city rescinding the law, the city agreed to add language saying, "the law is not enforceable, that it will not be enforced and that anyone who violates it will not be subject to any penalty". But they still did not retract it. Why? Simply stated........ their actions are UNBELIEVABLE and ill advised!!!

So is this what it has come to, that common sense is thrown out like garbage? This law is wrong on any and every level and just shows what Republicans will do. To Republicans, their ends justify their means, no matter what. Their means are wrong and so out of touch with the majority of Americans. I really can't believe that the law remains on the books.

I hope that someone in Nelson, Georgia, has the balls to sue the hell out of the city and its off the wall city council members. And that they don't quit until either the law is rescinded and/or the council members resign and thrown out like garbage. This is a city that I will never. ever visit. Where in the world do politicians think that they can get away with asinine laws like this? Oh right, the southern states seem to think so.

Til next week.

Peter

Home Made Common Sense

Hi Everyone,

Once a year I, err... we, my wife and I, have the job of trimming two Burning Bushes. Now these are not your average run of the mill size Burning Bushes, (Euonymus alatus), for those of you who need to know. Most that you see are low to moderate to the ground. But no.... we have one that is 12 feet in diameter and anywhere from 13 to 18 feet tall; depending on the sloping ground below it. I have no idea what the circumference of this almost two story tall "bush" is, but it must be big. After strategically removing certain lower branches, I have created a summer time, permanently shaded area, that is about 15 degrees cooler. Underneath this bush, there is enough room for at least eight chairs not including a park bench. Our second Burning Bush is smaller. It is about 10 feet in diameter and about 10 feet tall.

Cutting these behemoth things is no easy feat! We are both so glad we only have to trim these once a year. Besides having to use a ladder, ed note: my friend lent me his special tall ladder, you must also use a hedge trimmer. But again, not just any hedge trimmer, or should I say attachment. I can not take credit for coming up with the idea for the attachment, another friend gave me the idea 20 years ago. But I definitely made it. But before I made it, I visited all the hardware stores in the area, another ed note: all those hardware stores are now long gone, thanks to Home Depot. Anyway, all the hedge trimmers that came with extended handles, up to I believe, 10 or 12 feet, literally felt like it weighed a ton. The different models weighed between 12 to 16 pounds. Just the weight of any one of those, was an arm killer. I knew I could never last the couple of hours needed to trim these guys. With that much weight, extended out in front of me, while I'm standing on a ladder, wasn't going to happen.

So I got creative. I found an eight foot long, 1 1/2" square aluminum pole. I was able to attach my 24" hedge trimmer on the end by only using rope to attach it. Boy Scout knots worked wonders and no it does not loosen up. My trimmer now has a reach of 10 feet. The weight of my trimmer and the non retractable handle is around 5 pounds. The lighter weight makes the job possible and doesn't wear me out. But then the inevitable happened this summer. The end of the aluminum pole broke. I knew that I wouldn't be able to find a replacement pole and being two feet shorter was not an option. Since all the hardware stores no longer exist, I went to my only option, Home Depot. I first walked straight to the hedge trimmer area to see if the new models were lighter than the ones I checked out years ago. Much to my surprise, they still weighed too much and even had shorter cutting areas than my 24". So the decision was made. I had to repair my own pole. I brought with me the shorter two foot section and found a wooden dowel that fit perfectly inside it. I cut the dowel so that it fit in the inside of the entire pole. Now it works just like it did some 20 years ago.

The moral to this story is that by my using common sense, I built an easy and much lighter extended hedge trimmer, albeit non retractable. It has stood the test of time and will continue to do so, for a long time. But best of all, since it only weighs about five pounds, it will not wear me out at all when I use it for extended periods of time.

Til next week.

Peter.

Is It Worth It?

Hi Everyone,

As I wrote about in my very first blog, common sense is not taught in high school or college. But boy it should be. While reading my Sunday paper, I read a very interesting letter to the editor. It was about texting and talking on cell phones while driving. What don't drivers get? If you are texting while driving, you must take your eyes off the road. Doesn't anyone think this is dangerous?  I guess not, since there are so many accidents due to texting or talking on a cell phone.

The writer of the letter to the editor, had some interesting ideas on how to curb such foolish and stupid behavior. First he says that texting/cell phone use while driving should be equivalent to a DWI conviction. At least 5 points on your license, loss of driving privileges for 6 months and revocation of your cell phone provider for 6 months. I like those ideas but I have an even better one. First of all, with technology jumping leaps and bounds every day, why not have some kind of cell phone blocking device that won't allow cell reception, both incoming and outgoing, unless the speedometer is at zero? That to me seems to be the very best common sense solution. No reception, no cell phone use. Of course, these blocking devices would be initially installed in new cars. But, what to do if a person is caught using a cell phone in an older car? Well, why not take a page from serial drunk drivers. I have read that repeat drunk drivers have a device installed in their car, by court order, where the driver must blow into the device to determine if they had been drinking. No alcohol in your system and the car will start. Alcohol in your system and the car won't start. So why can't a court order a cell phone reception killing device installed in the car? Think about it. No reception means that you can't use a cell phone, period! To me that seems to be the best solution that will absolutely stop texting and cell phone use while driving. Is there a better solution? I am not aware of any.

Drivers, especially teenagers and 20 something year olds, just don't get how dangerous it is to use a cell phone while driving. Now don't get me wrong, I see plenty of older people using cell phones while driving, but the majority of cell phone users that I see are younger. This insanity must be stopped sooner rather then later. The longer we wait, the more accidents will occur.

Til next week.

Peter

Double Header

Hi Everyone,

There are weeks when there are a few good stories happening at the same time. Usually I pick one to blog about. Today will be different. Today I couldn't choose so I am doing a double header for you. This is a first for me.

The first true story is about Westchester Medical Center, located in where else, Westchester County, NY. It used to be partnered with Westchester County and the county poured hundreds of millions of dollars over time to keep the mismanaged hospital afloat. A new management team was brought in and finally in 2009, Westchester County ended its financially draining relationship with the hospital. Since then, the hospital still hemorrhaged money, even after numerous layoffs. Finally, last year the hospital saw a profit of $226,000.

So what happened next? In the never ending world of companies without any common sense, they doled out a whopping $940,000 in bonuses to 22 employees. The top bonus received was  $62,530. Keep in mind that 13 of the recipients of these bonuses are no hourly employees. Their pay runs from $287,000 to $1,035,000. But the real issue here is that if the hospital was in the black by $226,000, doesn't paying out $940,000 in bonuses, put them in the red by $714,000. But let's not forget the amount of payroll taxes the hospital had to pay for each bonus check. By my account, that puts the hospital in the red by about $1,000,000. Boy that really is something to celebrate and go figure that these top employees are still employed even when they paid out at the minimum of $714,000 more then the hospital took in. Must be nice. Common sense should rule over greed but I guess not in this case.

The second true story is about, who else but, politicians. Politicians must be brainwashed to erase any sense of common sense in their bodies. As usual and customary, the Republican controlled U.S. House of Representatives has voted for the 38th time, yes I said 38th time, to try to gut Obamacare. What don't Republicans get? What don't they understand? First of all, they lost the 2012 presidential election, secondly, they lost their case with the U.S. Supreme Court and thirdly, they have absolutely no chance of gutting Obamacare in the Democratically controlled U.S. Senate. So why do they keep trying? Is there really any good reason? I think not. I think that they are biggest sore losers that I have ever seen and they show their continuing contempt in their repeatedly failed attempts. They should quit trying, but then again, they should have quit trying after their first attempt. But what really gets me mad as hell is how much time and money these supposed politicians have wasted. Wasted money by a party that is supposedly against wasting money? Does that make any sense what so ever? Of course not. But then again, those who can't follow their own mantra, should find a new one and get over this one and stop this freaky side show. They aren't even ashamed of their fruitless and worthless efforts. It is past time and long overdue to move on and work on other matters for this country that are important!!! It is also time for them to get a much needed shot of common sense asap!!! Is there a Doctor in the house?

Til next week.

Peter