Why Can't I ever get directions to put together anything easily

Why are directions so complicated when you put together anything anymore? From basketball hoops to toys directions to set up these have so little usefulness that it is starting to become a trend that seems to get worse every day.


I consider myself a semi bright individual and I at times almost intelligent enough to put a basketball hoop together. With the directions that came with the Reebok Basketball hoop yo0u need a PhD to figure out how to set it up. Wait a minute, I have one of those and yet I still cannot figure it out. Even with the directions that come in six different languages they do not make any sense. Five hundred dollars for a setup that cannot be setup.

Who writes the manuals for toys or kerosene heaters that go in your garage? Even the pictures do not make any sense. Put rod in slot A means absolutely nothing if you cannot find a slot A in the product or the picture.

When you buy a product that needs setup it generally is not made in America any more. My guess is that the product writers of directions are not Americans either. That would solve one aspect of the problem, but clearly that would not solve why the diagrams are always wrong. Pictures are a universal language are they not?

Maybe I should invent a company that will put items bought that need to be put together. There is already a Geek Squad for computers maybe there should be a Dr. Cris Squad to help with everything non computer related. The only thing I will not be doing is working as an engineer for the Dr. Cris Squad because I cannot follow directions.

When I teach, I always teach my students to write as if Grandma is trying to learn the task at hand. If you can teach Grandma how to do it, you can teach anyone. Trust me it works as a great teaching tool.

When you call the800 number on the directions booklet you generally get a call center. I have never understood the point of creating a huge call center and staffing it with uneducated, unprepared, incomprehensible people with absolutely no authority to make any changes, fix anything, or do anything.

Most of these call centers are “off shore” with a majority in India. I truly having nothing against the Indian people and have several Indian friends. However, I cringe when I call a company for support and hear what appears to be an Indian accent from the representative, a often less then perfect connection for the call (since my call is being transferred across the damn Globe!) and a greeting such as "Hi, my name is Sally, how may I help you" (Because they are not allowed to use their own Indian names and it's clear the rep is NOT "Sally" or "Bob").

I have no idea what is accomplished here. My experience is the reps at these call centers can't understand any problem that varies from one of the several scripts they have been given to read, can't make any decisions and are often curt when you are unhappy that they can't do a thing for you.

I have so often stopped doing business with a company after experiencing one of these call centers, I am surprised US companies have not shut them all down by now. If you want my business from now on please make directions and call centers that actually help.

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Weekly Thought Bonanza Dec 27th

On Sunday/Monday, I produce a column called “The Weekly Thought Bonanza”. The column is based on all of the random thoughts that run through my head all week, and trust me there are a plethora of them. I will try to share as many of these thoughts as I can, so each one of my readers can think just a little bit extra over the coming week. After my short holiday break the “Bonanza is back.


If you marry a woman or man from a foreign country and you allow them to take your child on a “vacation” to their homeland and they do not come back, I have no sympathy for you. Don’t let your children leave the country without you.

When will we develop a x-ray machine at airports that will give a full body scan that will effectively check for explosive devices. Have we not learned anything on 9-11?

Urban Meyer has a serious heart problem and has decided to take some time off. Citing family first, he will take a long break from football. Good for him.

Playing Santa for the first time was better than I ever thought it would be.

Backup Quarterbacks in the NFL truly have a great job. Watching a bunch of backups play this week only confirms to me why they are backups in the first place.

Ten billion dollars worth of gift cards were purchased this holiday season. Over two billion of those will never be used. What a money maker that is.

Hollywood grossed one billion dollars this weekend. Recession?

I would not discount the New England Patriots in the playoffs this year.

Anyone want to tell me when it is appropriate to stop turning on the Christmas lights?

George Clooney is getting oversatured.

Firefighters in Sacramento say a man burned down his house while he was burning his divorce papers. Please take notice Tiger Woods.

Speaking of Mr. Woods, would you like to take a Mulligan on your life?

Ivana Trump had to be escorted off a plane because she was agitated at children running in the isle. Ivana, now you know how others feel when we here you ranting and raving on television, darling.

I for one cannot wait for the Winter Olympics.

I am hearing that the Keurig Coffee machine was a big hit as a holiday gift. If you received one please try the Hazel Nut Dark Roast blend. You will be glad you did.

My football office pool has me in fourth place. Not good.

The Weekly Thought Bonanza, thought of the week; does everyone hope that 2010 will be a better year than 2009?

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Christmas Thought Bonanza

I have decided to start a Christmas Thought Bonanza, a new annual column on the same idea of the popular Weekly Thought Bonanza, dedicated to the Christmas season. Here are my thoughts on Christmas 2009.


Try parking at a mall during the Christmas season . There is never enough spots for all of the shoppers. Even during the day the malls are packed with bargain hunters trying to find the next great deal. Parking in the last spot in the lot and carrying all of your presents doesn’t make for a fun holiday season.

What do department store Santa’s do during the non holiday season?

The picking of the family Christmas tree is the most important pick of the holiday season. Getting the perfect tree is now is a big challenge in my household. Getting it home with bungee cords and rope without falling of the SUV’s roof is a bigger challenge.

I love all of the kiosk’s in the mall with all kinds of different trinkets to buy. The goods at these kiosks are great last minute gifts.

I love buying new ornaments for the tree every year. Unfortunately the tree can never fit them all.

What happened to mistletoe? I did not find any this year.

I am a big proponent of eggnog and I especially like it with a little rum. This year I finally read the sugar and fat content in it. Yikes, it is not good for you, but it still tastes great. I look forward to it every year.

People who buy a puppy for Christmas are just asking for trouble. Potty training a puppy when you are visiting all season just does not bode well for your hardwood floors or your rugs.

People who rely on Christmas tips must hate this economy.

I definitely give as much as I humanely possible to charities throughout the year. Those Salvation Army bells do drive me crazy though.

Radio stations that switch to an all Christmas format during the holiday’s must have tremendous ratings problems the rest of the year.

Christmas sweaters are just absolutely hideous.

Why can’t men wrap presents and have to have their mom’s or sisters or mother in-laws wrap them for us? Thank god for wrapping centers at the mall.

The perfect present is not the most expensive, it is the one that touches the heart.

If Thanksgiving is dominated by the turkey is Christmas dominated by the cookies that you leave for Santa Claus.

Am I really a Grinch if I do not litter my home with Christmas lights like Clark Griswold?

This is the first season I get to play Santa. Maybe I should gain a few pounds too.

And the Christmas Thought Bonanza Thought of the season; Why are there never enough of the hot gifts of the season? I would think that there would be plenty of them to maximize profits for the toy companies.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all and to all a great few days.

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Finding the right baby gift

Tis’ the season to be jolly and I have been extremely jolly this week. This is the first year I get to be Santa Claus. I went to find the best toys I could for my eight month old son. What an experience.


Buying A Christmas Present For Baby

If you have a little one in your life, finding the right baby Christmas gift is one of the hardest tasks of the holiday season, but also one of the most enjoyable. After all, nothing beats a happy baby. Their eyes light up without even the merest hint of self-consciousness, they gurgle and giggle, and everyone around oohs and ash.

Sometimes, however, making a baby happy is easier said than done. Whether you want to buy a Christmas gift for baby's future or something that they can enjoy now, you're sure to find a baby Christmas gift that's absolutely perfect. Browse through a varied selection of unique gifts for babies and their parents online from a number of websites dedicated to babies.

Little ones are notoriously picky, so don’t be all that surprised if the baby Christmas gifts that you pick out evoke screams of terror instead of screams of joy. There is just simply no telling what is going to provoke happiness, and what is more likely to cause fear.


Have Some Fun Picking Out Your Baby's Holiday Present

Even so, it can be a lot of fun to pick out a baby Christmas gift. At any rate, it is a whole lot more enjoyable than picking out a corporate Christmas gift, or a new vase for the aunt that you do not particularly care for.

Babies will not pretend to be pleased, while secretly hating you for not knowing what they really want. Babies will not hold a grudge against you all year and get you a calendar next Christmas as a type of covert revenge. Babies are honest, and there is something refreshing about honesty.

People rarely realize how many different baby Christmas gift choices there are out there. There are new clothes, building blocks, puppets and stuffed animals, and of course, educational toys. If you really want to please both baby and parents with your Christmas present, I highly recommend getting educational toys.

All parents are concerned about making sure that their babies get the best education possible, and it is never too soon to talk. The great thing about getting educational baby Christmas gifts is that they will be fun too. They will use games to teach the kid about spatial reasoning, logical thinking, and the like. Know, after all, what the baby already has and what he or she needs without asking. The parents will probably thank you for your consideration in taking the time to ask.

Always remember, buying a baby Christmas gift is as much about pleasing the parents as it is about making the baby happy.

More Baby Christmas Gift Ideas

GeniusBabies.com features Christmas gift ideas arranged by age for gift shopping ease. Find the most popular holiday gifts for newborns, infants, and toddlers, gifts for preschoolers and big kids too. This is just once place to visit for lots of holiday gift ideas for every child on your list.

Unique Christmas Gifts For Babies

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A boy named Shay

This story was sent to me by a very special friend. I thought I would share it with my readers.

At a fund-raising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question:

When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does, is done with perfection.
Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do.

Where is the natural order of things in my son?'

The audience was stilled by the query.

The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.'

Then he told the following story:

Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as a father I also understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.

I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.'

Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart. The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three.

In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again.

Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.

At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game?

Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.


However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact.

The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed.

The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay.

As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.

The game would now be over.

The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman.

Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.

Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates.

Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, 'Shay, run to first!

Run to first!'

Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base.

He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.

Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!'

Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base.

B y the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball, the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team.

He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head.

Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.

All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'

Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third!

Shay, run to third!'

As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!'

Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team

'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world'.

Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!

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Weekly Thought Bonanza Dec 20th

On Sunday/Monday, I produce a column called “The Weekly Thought Bonanza”. The column is based on all of the random thoughts that run through my head all week, and trust me there are a plethora of them. I will try to share as many of these thoughts as I can, so each one of my readers can think just a little bit extra over the coming week.


The snow in the Northeast this weekend has pretty much restored my faith in Al Gore. The way he tells it, next year we will be all at the beach at this time.

Speaking of the bad weather, I know air bags are supposed to save your life, but they sure as heck hurt when they go off. Think I would have rather had taken my chances this weekend inside my Range Rover without them.

Yes Virginia, the Keurig Brewer makes a wonderful Christmas Gift. Have I mentioned I really like mine?

Whatever happened to bakeries? I was in the grocery store and watched them take out of the freezer all the bread for the day. No wonder why there is absolutely a different taste to their so called “fresh” bread. I miss the neighborhood bakery.

No matter how you feel about it, the healthcare legislation was rushed and I do not believe we needed a bill that solves issues not opens them.

The stay at home mom who used Twitter to tell everyone to pray for her son as he lie in the hospital after drowning in the family pool. What do people really think about before they commit plain old dumb arse moves?

Waiting in line to see Santa Claus with everyone’s child running around and crying is one of the worst things so far about being a dad. Seeing your son’s big smile on Santa’s lap is one of the best and most cherished memories so far.

Survivor needs to either re-tool next season or I think that it might go into the reality television graveyard. Make some fun changes and big surprises and it still might have some legs.

On the other hand, the new season of 24 with Keifer Sutherland is fast approaching and I for one cannot wait. Jack is back and this season is supposed to be the finest so far.

How much wrapping paper do you think is used in one Christmas Season? Eight thousand tons and 50,000 trees were used last year. Before you start to get upset over the trees, more than 50 million dollars are raised each year for charities across the globe at gift wrapping stations. (stats from CBS News)

Comparing Elvis and Howard Stern in Sirius Radio’s new commercial at first glance seems ludicrous. Then after you think about it a bit Stern did change radio as Elvis changed music. Something to think about.

The Weekly Thought Bonanza Thought of the Week; If the economy is so bad, then why couldn’t I find a parking spot at the mall in the last month?


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The corporate Christmas party.

The office Christmas party has ruined a few careers and made a few as well. When companies are downsizing Christmas parties, maybe we should tone down what we do at one of them. While parties are fun, the Christmas part is no place to let your hair down.


My dad told me a story that always pops into my head every time I go to a Christmas party. The story goes like this. One of the big time sales guys at my dad’s company had a few too many highballs at the company Christmas party. He made some crude jokes and used some serious vulgar language. The next week he was fired and cost him a well paying job.

Another story that I have heard from a friend is even worse. At yet another Christmas party last year, my friend’s friend and his immediate supervisor had a few cocktails too many. The supervisor needled his subordinate relentlessly. One too many needles got the supervisor a broken nose. His subordinate was fired and ended up in a cast for six weeks.

Another time, a co-worker got so drunk that the function hall had her removed by the only means they had - a wheelchair.

There was another time a co-worker and myself had been outside for 'a breath of fresh air' and then returned. As we walked across the (at the time) empty dance floor, unknown to the two of us, something fell from my jacket pocket. We sat down with friends at our table, and then a waitress came up to me and said you dropped these. And held up a pair of panties.

Here are some words to live by at the Christmas party; The first thing to keep in mind at the company party is that no matter how much you try to make it an out-of-office function, the party is an extension of work. So, a boss ordering another employee to give another worker a ride home could be liable if an accident occurs. The rule there is, be careful. So it may be best that the party not be held on company property.

Another important thing to keep in mind is that managers need to be careful about what they say. While some judges have been lenient about potentially sexist and racist comments stated during an office party, that may not stop an offended employee from bringing a lawsuit. The rules a manager follows during the day about sexual and other forms of harassment should be followed at the party as well.

If you drink, even in moderation, don't. Pass on any alcoholic beverages that may be served at the company Christmas party (You'll be surprised how favorably this will be viewed, your boss may be a teetotaler, more importantly do it for your self-image). If your drinking has caused you to misstep or behave inappropriately in the past, drinking is not even an option, not even the innocuous glass of wine. The adage "one is too many, and a thousand is not enough" should be the mantra of the evening for you if drinking alcohol in any form have caused you past behavior challenges. Don't smoke either, even if there is a designated smoking area.

The best advice I can give you at the holiday party is summed up in one statement. If you need to drink at the company party make it a beer instead of a highball. You can always milk a beer, no pun intended.

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The Internet News changes everything

The Internet News Changes Everything


...Or does it?

It changes many things, to be sure. Hyperlinks append the encyclopedia to end all encyclopedias to every article. Flash and php enable “interactive content” much more advanced than simple page-flipping. Many of the games and demos suggested today are excellent examples. The Internet also provides an unparalleled way to track how readers experience pages, articles and demos, through what they choose to click and what they post in blogs.

And yet, in the wake of the internet journalism today, I found myself mulling the question: “All that stuff is very nice, but is it journalism?”

...or, could it be journalism? More directly: are the technologies of the web going to remain supplemental material, or are they going to change the very core substance of journalism in the future?

I doubt it.

Journalists need to “have a multimedia mindset” and that should be heeded, but also taken with a grain of salt. Every story can’t be deconstructed into bits. A story is a story and it is not a quick blurb on a computer screen.

Narrative is primary. People understand the world in terms of stories; that’s what they’re looking for in news. The implicit question people ask when they pick up a newspaper or magazine (or go online in search of news) is “what’s going on?”—and the answer to that can’t always come in choose-your-own adventure form. Breaking a feature article into blurb bios, a game, and a flash animation of the relevant science destroys something valuable. The narrative, the story, is lost. Great story telling is a lost art in the news today. I do not mean a story as in a fictitious way, I mean it in a well balanced true manner.

I heard various grim statistics today about how few people will follow a link to the latter half of a story on the internet (less than 20%). Still, though, if a publication cuts all such stories, it shouldn’t be surprised by a 20% drop in readership.

People do have the patience for longer stories, even if they don’t read them much online. As I said today, I think this is largely the result of the discomfort of reading from current computer screens. I refuse to believe that the attention span for all readers has dropped to 300 words in the last ten years. I think that advances in display technology will prove that.

Just as MTV didn’t kill the feature film’s popularity, I can’t believe that the internet will reduce journalism to blurbs. People will still want someone to connect the dots for them, to tell them a story. And as with every story there will be a reaction and a counter reaction. If there isn’t we will just live in the land of the blurbs.

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Weekly Thought Bonanza Dec 13th

On Sunday/Monday, I produce a column called “The Weekly Thought Bonanza”. The column is based on all of the random thoughts that run through my head all week, and trust me there are a plethora of them. I will try to share as many of these thoughts as I can, so each one of my readers can think just a little bit extra over the coming week. After my short holiday break the “Bonanza is back.


Can you win a Nobel Peace Prize the same week you decide to send more Americans to war? Obviously you can.

Better mood this week as my beloved Patriots took care of that pesky Carolina team.

Italian Premier Berlusconi had his nose broken and cracked two teeth, when he was struck in the face by a statue of him. Remind me again why we are down on the secret service for letting un-invited guests into the White House.

Sponsors are dropping Tiger Woods faster than you can say ho, ho, ho, no pun intended. Well, maybe a little pun.

If you get a chance to see the Santa Land Diaries, do not miss the chance. It is laugh out loud funny.

I heard Lennox Lewis say, “In a heavyweight fight you want to hit your opponent.” Really Lennox, do you think so? I thought you might just want to dance with them or watch a movie with them and eat popcorn. Never knew you were supposed to hit your opponent during a fight no less. Why do the Television Networks just hire ex-jocks as commentators? Most are laughable and should not be behind a microphone.

Bank commercials make me absolutely sick to my stomach. Do the bank executives even care that they are pushing their sins on the American people. Bank of America should be renamed Bank of Dumbarse’s.

There is nothing worse than cold toes in the winter. I went to EMS Sports and found the best pair of boots I have ever tried on my feet. I just love something that works as advertised.

I have been to a bunch of these so called famous chef’s restaurants and I have to say, my dad and mom’s cooking blows all of these places away.

I do like to look at a nice Poinsettia plant. Why do we have to put them away after Christmas? I like them, I really really like them.

Coffee tip of the week. Green Mountain Coffee’s Dark Hazelnut Roast is absolutely fabulous.

The Geico Caveman commercials are really getting old. Time to moth ball them.

Has anyone played Guitar Hero and can’t not keep up on the first level besides me?

Why do people go and get themselves stranded in the middle of nowhere? How did we manage 200 years ago when hunters had no helicopter patrols to find them?

The Weekly Thought Bonanza thought of the week; Why would you run the Santa Speedo road race? I can think of better ways to raise money without wearing a speedo in December.


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Come together as one

There has never been anything good that has come from pretending to sweep problems under the rug. Not addressing the real problems we face has become why we live in an unstable world. Take for instance, how the world allows its children to go hungry and let food and supplies go into the hands of war lords or rogue nations to develop nuclear weapons. We continually let this go one without any checks and balances that can offer a solution or better yet a deterrent.


America has been the world’s policeman since WWII and we as a nation have to start finding ways to build a coalition to stop the atrocities that are happening each and every day. With today’s global economies it seems to me that it would only make sense for all of these nations to come together and right the world of its wrongs.

Can anyone truly give any rationale to why we don’t help to create a better world for all of us? Governments come and governments go since the fall of Rome, yet one thing remains the same, people have always strived for a better world for themselves and their families and friends. It is almost inbred in us to want that. Most of our DNA makeup is programmed to want this. There are two ways to go about creating that better world. One happens with love and compassion and the other happens with shortcuts and fear.

Look at the western old time cowboy, Wyatt Earp. Earp had always had his flaws. He wanted to make money and live a better life, but being a lawman always festered in his blood. He did what was right in the end and that is important.

Come hell or high water, The Red Cross always shows up when it is needed. Hurricanes, floods, famines or even a volcanic eruption, there is one constant in every one of these tragedies, that big Red Cross. Helping the needy and doing it above all else is what that organization is all about.

Love your neighbor and love your enemy is written in the bible. Patently, it is incredibly hard to love the neighbor who just wants to wreak havoc on the world.

It could be that jealousy is the theme of the day for neighbors who do not want to play nice on the playground. It also could be that people do not have it in them to be a leader and just follow the course that has been presented to them. That my friends is called cowardice. Standing up for your self is the key. Joining together to end a wrong is a lot easier than doing it alone.

We have seen our vulnerability, and we have seen its deepest source. For as long as whole regions of the world simmer in resentment and tyranny-prone to ideologies that feed hatred and excuse murder-violence will gather, and multiply in destructive power, and cross the most defended borders and raise a mortal threat.

There is only one force of history that can break the reign of hatred and resentment and expose the pretensions of tyrants and reward the hopes of the decent and tolerant. And that is the force of human freedom.

We are led, by events and common sense, to one conclusion: The survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands. The best hope for peace in our world is the expansion of freedom in all the world.



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The ten most fascinating people of the year picked by me

Each year Barbara Walters gives us a top ten list of the most fascinating people in America. Each and every year this brings some friendly debate inside many circles. I have decided to make my own list and see how the comparisons to the other lists go




David Pierce- Pierce had a dynamite year this year. He terrorized the Major Leagues with a 350 batting average and hit 45 homeruns to lead the league. What put Pierce on the list this year was his two OUI arrests over the summer. He has been in and out of trouble for the last three seasons, but has always managed to keep up the phenomenal play on the field. Pierce’s great play has him on the list this year.

Donna Morrison- Morrison had her second hit record this year after a turbulent year in her personal life. An overdose, a suicide attempt and a divorce did not seem to sequester her voice. Morrison has sold millions of records and as millions more young fans.

Julio Montaup- Won the Tour De France have years of finishing in the top ten. A doping scandal took the title from Montaup. Montaup originally disputed the blood test results and then admitted he was guilty. For that intestinal fortitude he is on our list.

Mark Ross- Ross ran into a school bus when he was still intoxicated from a night of spiked eggnog. For this Ross mad our list.

Mary Stevens- Mary made several mistakes this year on her first year on the NASCAR circuit. Cheating with equipment, bad driving and her biggest offense, using her sponsor’s competitor’s products was the tip of the iceberg. For that act of defiance, Mary is on our list.

Bill Bright-Nicknamed not so bright, Bill single handedly cancelled Christmas in his town by suing the town for having a Christmas tree. Way to go Bill, you are now on our list.

Steven Neil-Neil, a professional soccer player mooned the crowd after a loss in the championship game in Bangladesh. For this one defiant act of revenge, Neil makes our list.

Barbara Steele-The congresswoman was caught accepting lavish gifts from donors and lobbyists. Steel refused to resign and for that she made our list.

Wendy Boxer-The ultimate snowboarder, is the ultimate bad girl on the slopes. Wendy has skied hung over and still won the World Championship. Way to go Wendy, you made our list.

Our person of the year is department store Santa Claus, Mark Ryan. Ryan, with a know case of the H1N1 virus persevered and continued to work. He gave several children the virus as he made it all the way until the end of the season. Thankfully Mark continued his job. He is our person of the year.

As you can see our list is full of amazing people this year who have touched the lives of every citizen of the world. Here is not hoping that next year’s list is one and the same. Folks need to worry about their own lives and stop glorifying others. The only list that I want to make is the one that makes someone proud. Prime example, the good Samaritan award. Let’s be good Samaritans and stop reveling at people who do not deserve the limelight.



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Finding your miracle and happy place

I have always waited for a miracle in my life. I recently found my miracle and I wrote about it recently and I am so glad I did. I will spend the rest of my life with that miracle and the new miracle that is fast approaching. Miracles come in all shapes and sizes and in all walks of life. Making sure you find yours is the most important thing in life.


There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." - Albert Einstein said. How true are those words?

During the month of December miracles happen more than in any other time of the year. Families reconnect, friendships are rekindled, and smiles are abound. This is the time of year that self reflection is at its peak. It is just too bad that it does not happen all year long.

Have you ever done some soul searching and found that there is something in there that needs to come out? Maybe a repressed memory, maybe a time way back in your childhood where you are carefree. Either way, it is time to try to see what is really the most important thing in your life.

I know most of us immediately point to our family as the most important thing. Which for most of us it is. I can only imagine what the pain must feel like for those who do not think they have something special. Believe me they do and they do in a big way.

Never give up looking for that special miracle in your life. There is something really special in one’s life at one time or another. You cannot just go through life going through the motions. I have written over and over again that happiness is infectious.

Remember the scene in Happy Gilmore where Adam Sandler needed to go to his “happy place” to putt the golf ball. Well wouldn’t it be great if we could all go to our happy place when we are a bit down or when we need to make important decisions. Decisions made in anger never work out well for anyone.

If you believe the biblical story of the Red Sea parting, there was a miracle in the moment and there was no worrying if the sea would close and drown them or if they would be safe once they crossed it. In that comparison, everyone has to believe and have faith..

If you want to take ‘A Course in Miracles’ the definition of a miracle is a shift in perception from fear to love, then you can start to think of when that shift has taken place. It is your happy place remember?

Look within yourself. " Ask and it is given. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door is opened." Understanding spiritual truth within the context of this world's illusion requires that we embrace a paradox, the combination of spirit and form. In the world of form, seeking and finding are directly linked by our thoughts and actions. Again it is the thought of that happy place

For instance, if I feel hunger and I seek out food to satisfy this hunger, my seeking will yield a surcease to my hunger. Temporarily, at least, I feel satisfied. I am no longer hungry. The paradox is that it is only when we stop seeking that we truly have the opportunity to find what it was all along evading our search. For the answer to the quandary that so mystified us for so many years, perhaps even lifetimes, is inside of us. It was always here, the one place we never looked inside our hearts.



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Asking Mr Claus

I decided to take a trip to an exotic place to get some knowledge I desperately needed. Well maybe not exotic, as I decided to go to the coldest place on earth. I went on an excursion, dog sled and all, to find that knowledge, and I needed a meet and greet with a man named Claus. This has been a dream of mine since my son was born in April. I was going on an adventure to obtain knowledge. I so enjoy a great adventure.


I was looking for this meet and greet to find the only other man who never let’s down a child. My father never let me down and as a new father I needed to figure out how my father did this and the only person I could think of to explain this to me was Mr. Claus. Santa Claus that is.

When I arrived at the North Pole, I was absolutely freezing to death. I am a man who wears shorts and flip flops all winter long and yet I was chilled to the bone. Who in their right mind would live in a place that makes your teeth chatter and your knees knock? I was so hoping this meeting is worth it.

As I was let into this incredible happy place all I could see was the most amazing brightness in the decor and the happiness in the faces of the smallest elves I have ever seen. Actually, the only elves I have ever seen. I could not get the smile off of my face as the happiness abound was infectious.

While I was given a tour of the facility, I was introduced to the sweetest grandmotherly type woman I have ever met. Mrs. Claus was an absolute dynamite lady. The milk and cookies were absolutely fabulous. She explained to me that she put Mr. Claus on a diet as his weight has become a concern. Stern talk by this sweet lady.

I explained to her why I was there and I thanked her profusely for allowing me to come into her home and ask her husband advice on how to make a child live a life of upmost happiness.

Mr. Claus was busy checking some lists as Mrs. Claus and I continued to make small talk. When Mr. Claus was finished, he came into the Claus family study and gave me the biggest and warmest man hug that I had ever received. Mrs. Claus gave me a kiss on my cheek and I was alone with the big cheese.

The first thing that came to mind was that he was not as fat as I had thought he would be. I wanted to ask him if he started weight watchers, but I was here for advice and that is all I needed from him. Even though, I was awfully interested about his weight loss plan. He did look fabulous.

I explained to Mr. Claus how I wanted to be a father like mine was to me. I told him my son Keegan was the world to me. He is the twinkle in my eye and the happiest little baby I have ever seen. I wanted to make sure that he will be that way the rest of his life. Mr. Claus gave me just one piece of advice. He said, “Just by going to the extreme of getting to the North Pole and asking the question of how to make your child happy was enough right there.” He gave me another man hug and he walked me out to my dog sled.

On my way back home I pondered Mr. Claus’s advice in my head over and over again. Why is just asking how the answer? It must have hit me like a ton of bricks because I became totally overwhelmed with emotion. Mr. Claus was basically telling me it is all about giving a care. Caring enough to ask the question and finding the answer with a whole lot of love behind it, is what making a child happy is all about.



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Weekly Thought Bonanza Dec 6th

On Sunday/Monday, I produce a column called “The Weekly Thought Bonanza”. The column is based on all of the random thoughts that run through my head all week, and trust me there are a plethora of them. I will try to share as many of these thoughts as I can, so each one of my readers can think just a little bit extra over the coming week. After my short holiday break the “Bonanza is back.


If I hear about one more story where you cannot display Christmas decorations on public property I am going to scream. This nation was founded as a Christian nation and if anyone really is offended by Santa Claus then we have really taken a giant step back.

When the New England Patriots lose my whole week is just not the same. I can barely pick up the paper. Sad I know. What is sadder is a seven and five record and a loss to the Dolphins.

I watched Bing Crosby in a White Christmas last night and if you get a chance to see the movie, check out the old time special effects. We have certainly come a long way since the 1950’s.

The New Hampshire and Vermont Ski Mountains finally had their first snow fall this weekend and everything looks like a go for next weekend. Here is hoping that it is a great season this year.

Getting back to the holiday theme; does anyone like fruitcake? What a waste of ingredients.

A Mayor in Tennessee is complaining that our Muslim President interrupted a Charlie Brown Christmas for his press conference on Afghanistan. That is kind of a stretch, don’t you think?

Bass shoe outlets are offering a buy one get two free sale on shoes this weekend. If you want to do something for the holidays for the less fortunate, buy a pair of shoes, get two free and then donate them. It is a win win situation for everyone.

If a sandwich just isn’t a sandwich without Miracle Whip salad dressing than what is it?

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been asked to intervene in the Amanda Knox murder case. Seems to me that she should, as most accounts I have read say that the Italian justice system is worse than ours.

Do not eat Chinese food in Chinatown after you watch a sci-fi show about Chinese mafia folks giving people pills that grow large squid like creatures in your intestines. Oh wait, I watched the show on Thursday and ate in Chinatown on Friday.

Spring training starts in fifty nine days. Wow has time flown since the end of the baseball season.

Did I tell you when the Patriots lose my week is awful?

Daylight savings time is not the best idea when it gets dark at about 4:30 pm in New England in the month of December. It was 6 pm tonight and it felt like bed time.

James Cameron’s new movie Avatar looks like a video game come to life.

The Weekly Thought Bonanza thought of the week; Comcast buying NBC is a great idea for Comcast, but when you announce the deal and then announce your support for Obamacare it is all too suspect for me.

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How laughter was saved

Alright I really have done it this time, I really really did it. I made a few people laugh. I am both pleased and a bit confused. Pleased, because I made people laugh. Confused, because I really am not that funny.


Since I first wrote the column, I have heard from several people who have said I needed to share more of the things that I do to make people laugh out loud. I figured what the heck I will share some and hope I make people laugh again. I hope, is the key words here.

There was an event way back in the mid 1500’s that changed the way people feel about laughing. People who lived back then lost all ability to laugh because of the long history of being told what funny really is. The court jesters were about as boring as reading the New York Times on a good day. Happiness only came from a good chicken and a lousy pickled turnip.

Then one foggy December 3rd eve, a revival on happiness came about. Sir Emo Rubik invented a cube that revolutionalized happiness. People of all ages learned that there was more to life than turnips, carrots and farming. They were taught that this magic cube that “puzzled” the masses was indeed the way to happiness.

With this magic cube, that twisted and turned where each of the six faces is covered by 9 stickers, among six solid colors (traditionally white, red, blue, orange, green, and yellow). A pivot mechanism enables each face to turn independently, thus mixing up the colors. For the puzzle to be solved, each face must be a solid color.

Well the masses at first could not understand how to solve Emo’s little colorful cube and decided that there was only one person who could possibly solve this great unknown . Two villagers from the mountains of London’s east side named Dave and Tim gathered all the villagers whose puzzlement over the new cubes were building with each minute from Big Ben.

With an almost unanimous vote, it was decided that the cube would need to be brought to the most famous puzzle solver of the day, Dr Cris Chasse. What he was a doctor of has never been truly known, however most people say, as legend has it, that he was not just the doctor of love in the early days, but also a doctor of all the sciences then known to man.

When Dave and Tim reached the famous Chasse, he was working on making a candle that really was not a candle at all. It was a strange type of bulb that actually light up a room far better than any candle they had ever seen (more on that in another column). Dave handed the good doctor the cube and explained the rules as best he could. Within sixty some odd seconds, Chasse put all the colors in order and thus completed the puzzle. The glee that Dave and Tim had was undeniable. Tim and Dave thanked the extremely talented Dr. after learning the secret to solving the puzzle and raced back to the village.

In front of all the village, Dave and Tim solved the puzzle in front of all of the village. Laughter, smiles and dancing erupted spontaneously. Most of the villagers could not solve the puzzle but it really did not matter at all. What mattered most was that laughter and smiles had returned in abundance. The biggest baby boom of the century happened that next year as people were uncontrollably happy again. Men, woman, and children, once again learned how to be themselves and unleashed that little green happy person inside. That happy person resides in all of us and it doesn’t take Emo’s famous cube to unleash it.

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Cutting costs at the risk of our health

If you wind up in the hospital, there’s a good chance you’ll be making a return trip. About 20% of Medicare patients are readmitted within a month or so of discharge.


Now the feds are looking to drive down readmissions by penalizing hospitals with high rates. The idea is to give hospitals a financial incentive to keep patients out of the hospital, which could in turn lower overall health costs.

So many hospitals may soon be following the lead of those facilities that have been making a concerted effort to keep people from coming back. The key takeaway: To drive down readmission rates, hospitals have to follow their patients home and get involved in their lives in the outside world.

Here is the tale of a hospital in western Massachusetts that’s been pushing for a while to reduce readmissions for patients with heart failure, a chronic condition where the heart isn’t pumping as well as it needs to. The hospital’s efforts range from installing high-tech monitors in patients’ homes to telling patients to lay off the hot dogs at Fourth of July picnics, because the high sodium content could cause problems.

Heart failure is a key condition to watch in the readmission story for a few reasons.

Readmission rates are particularly high for heart failure patients — about one in four is readmitted in 30 days.

Heart failure patients often have multiple, chronic conditions, so they’re indicative of the type of complex patient that often struggles in our fragmented health-care system. They often see multiple specialists who may not be aware of all the different drugs the patient is taking, and it may be difficult for the patient to coordinate his or her own care.

What’s more, certain signs — such as sudden weight gain — can be a sign of imminent trouble, and quick, relatively simple interventions can prevent re-hopsitalization. The trick is some combination of teaching the patients to care for themselves, and working to take better care of them when they’re out of the hospital — the two big issues at the core of driving down readmission rates for a wide range of patients.

What does this all mean to us as a patient? No one like to be sick and we certainly do not want to go back to the hospital, but most of the time recent studies show that people leave the hospital way too early. Americans do not eat well and do not get the proper exercise in their daily routine. We can do anything if we put our mind’s to it, but sometimes our bodies just do not co-operate.

One can only hope that during the senate healthcare debate, our leaders will understand that we all will get sick one time or another and if we pay our insurance premiums the companies should treat us fairly.


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I think I can make you laugh

I have always thought that I could be a standup comic. While I might look funny, I have at times made people laugh. Making people laugh is one of the things that make me feel like I have a purpose on this earth. If I could just make it a living then it would be purposeful. Now that was a bit witty, don’t you think?


I have written that the belly laugh is the best thing on earth. I cannot remember a joke for the life of me. Most of the jokes that I know are strictly locker room quality. None of the one’s I know can be told at a nursing home. Not that I have visited a nursing home lately. Maybe I could learn how to sing. Then again, I spent all of the money that my parents gave me for singing lessons on baseball cards.

Jim Carey uses his body to make people laugh. His expressions are priceless. I have nothing like that in my repertoire. In fact I have no real skill in this area at all. I wish it was that easy to make someone laugh.

Dave Barry is a great comedy columnist. I have read some of my columns recently and as hard as I have tried writing about sharks and pillows are not exactly funny stuff as Johnny Carson would say. What is funny to me is when I write something that I believe might gain a laugh or two does it really make someone laugh. When I write a column with hopes of making someone laugh, do people really enjoy it? I would bet my life they do. Well maybe not my life, more like a buck. My life is too precious to bet my life on. Maybe the dollar is too much too.

I do tell a pretty good story now and then I have been told. I like the shock factor in every story I tell. I say things that should never come out of my mouth. Probably infantile, but hey it works. I am certain that I will not stop doing.

I cannot act I know that. I tried a few times with little or no success, mostly no success. I cannot live in a world of make believe, I really can’t. Maybe I already do believing that I can entertain.

I say cannot so many times lately maybe I have just become the male version of Debbie downer. That is not funny now is it? It is more like a bad case of hemorrhoids? Ok, maybe that is too much information to share in this column, but it is what it is.

I certainly try the analogy game every once in awhile. The dictionary states, an analogy is the similarity in some respects between things that are otherwise dissimilar. A few of my favorites;

She caught your eye like one of those pointy hook latches that used to dangle from screen doors and would fly up whenever you banged the door open again.


The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn’t.


McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty Bag filled with vegetable soup.


From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you’re on vacation in another city and “Jeopardy” comes on at 7 p.m. instead of 7:30.)

Her hair glistened in the rain like nose hair after a sneeze.


Her eyes were like two brown circles with big black dots in the center.


Instant classics, if I do not say so myself. Maybe I can never have the comic genius of a Richard Pryor, but do you really have to? Bringing a smile is what it really is all about.


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Weekly Thought Bonanza November 30th

On Sunday/Monday, I produce a column called “The Weekly Thought Bonanza”. The column is based on all of the random thoughts that run through my head all week, and trust me there are a plethora of them. I will try to share as many of these thoughts as I can, so each one of my readers can think just a little bit extra over the coming week. After my short holiday break the “Bonanza is back.


Christmas music before December 1st makes no sense to me. It is so nice to just enjoy Thanksgiving first.

Tiger Woods is human after all. Good luck Tiger, cleaning up that mess my friend.

My Christmas tree is up before December first by the way. With an eight month old and a baby on the way, I just had to.

Somali Pirates have hijacked another oil tanker this week. When will we learn that this has to be stopped immediately? Goes to show you the United Nations cannot do a thing. Once again Great Britain and the United States have to play the world policeman.

Concussions in the NFL have to be dealt with more strictly. The league makes billions in revenue so there are no excuses. Protect the players first. Football might just become too dangerous to play.

ESPN has incredibly hilarious commercials when their on air talent and athletes mix. You cannot change the channel when they come on. The new ‘Shaqtus” commercial is an instant classic. Good commercials are better than any television show to me.

Just a thought her, but how many of you think that there is no way this flu season will ever end? There are more people out sick and school days missed than I can ever remember. Piece of advice, try the Zinc and Vitamin C diet.

Reports of Chinese children being kidnapped and sold in U.S. has some worried orphans they adopted weren't really orphans, others fearing crackdowns might backfire on kids with medical problems.

Whatever happened to good old fashion family fun entertainment? Does anyone play games like Monopoly or Life?

I know that Friday after Thanksgiving is a big shopping day, but to line up at 3 am is not my idea of a fun day. If I have to get up at 3 am it is to feed the baby.

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat and my electric bill is about to go through the roof with all of the lights I have up. Clark Griswold Chasse is the name and hanging lights is not what I wanted to be doing in 50 mph wind this weekend.

Blue Ray DVD’s are absolutely awesome to watch. Having to update the software is not awesome at all.

I am glad the city of New Orleans is having a revival and with their undefeated football team the city has a sense of pride. Tuning on the New England Patriots is not fun for a fan of the Pats.

The Weekly Thought Bonanza thought of the week; What do you get someone for Christmas that has everything? I need ideas.

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What really is Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving is a North American harvest festival. When the Pilgrims (a Puritan sect) arrived in America to start a new life here, they set up colonies, practiced their religion freely, and farmed their new land. They celebrated Thanksgiving as an act of gratitude to God for their new life and freedoms.

In the United States, Thanksgiving is celebrated as a legal one-day holiday every year on the fourth Thursday of November. When the Pilgrims first came to Plymouth Plantation, the Native American tribes like that of Wampanoag taught them how to yield crops for a living.

The earliest authenticated celebration was the one in September 1565, in Florida. The Native Americans were deeply pious, and the tradition is carried through even today.

European farmers observed Thanksgiving for a good harvest. They stuffed a goat's horn with the harvested grains symbolically known as cornucopia or the Horn of Plenty. This ritual was carried on when they arrived in Canada.

Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October every year in Canada. It dates back to Martin Frobisher, who celebrated it in 1578 out of appreciation for having survived his journey trying to find a northern passage to the Orient.

Hence, the former celebrated Thanksgiving as a prayer for a good harvest. Since 1947, The National Turkey Federation gives the President of the country one live and two dressed turkeys as gift. This ritual is known as the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation.

Knowing why Thanksgiving started is so different than what it is and means today. We do not celebrate the harvest or cheer a journey anymore. We celebrate the family. We celebrate friends and we celebrate the blessings that we have.

The best thing to me about Thanksgiving is certainly not the shopping the next day, called Black Friday. Thanksgiving is sharing a meal, a laugh, a story, and a smile. Family and friends being together for a day of watching football and eating till we are stuffed like the turkey. That certainly brings happiness to my family.

Americans can and should use this day not just as a day of happiness but also as a day of reflection. Think deeply about what you have and thank all of the people in your life that makes you appreciate not only what you have, but what is yet to come.


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Dodd and Reid might be ex-Senators in 2010

Two Senate leaders trying to steer a pair of President Barack Obama's high-stakes initiatives through Congress are being dogged by re-election worries, and it's not clear whether their legislative prominence will help or hurt them.


Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., are trailing in early polls, and Republicans are eager to topple them in next year's elections.

They also are central players in two of the most ambitious and hotly contested agenda items in decades. Reid is scratching and clawing to find enough Senate votes to overhaul the nation's health care system. And Dodd, as chairman of the banking committee, is pushing a massive bill to re-regulate the nation's financial institutions following the mortgage meltdown and economic crisis.

Policy-making in Congress has long mixed with rawboned politics. But seldom does the focus fall so clearly on two powerful lawmakers who, despite their seniority and influence, are in real danger of being voted out of office.

Obama is well aware that two of his top priorities are being shepherded by Democratic senators who badly need to have home-state voters view them more favorably. Administration aides say the president is responding in two ways: Helping Reid and Dodd raise early campaign money; and, especially with Dodd, giving them leeway to deviate from administration proposals for now, knowing there is time to bend the bills more to Obama's liking before final votes occur.

Obama adviser David Axelrod said the president strongly admires Reid and Dodd, and believes they best serve their home-state constituents by being national leaders on big issues such as health care and financial oversight.

Democrats are doing their best to help Dodd, a senator's son who joined the Senate himself in 1981. They let him preside over the chamber when a crucial health care vote was taken Saturday night, and they've given him other chances to go before TV cameras during recent events related to health care and finances.

Advocacy groups are carefully watching Reid and Dodd for signs of shaping the bills to help their re-election campaigns. Some claim to see such evidence, while others say it would be difficult for either senator to manipulate the massive, complex legislation in ways to appeal to ordinary voters.

In Dodd's case, business groups say his financial regulation bill has more populist features than do Obama's proposals and a House version. For example, Dodd would strip the Federal Reserve of its power to regulate banks, and consolidate banking oversight under one regulatory agency rather than several. Some have accused him of "Fed-bashing."

Dodd called the comments mystifying, saying he has been consistent on consumer issues for years.

A recent Quinnipiac poll in Connecticut found Dodd trailing potential GOP challenger Rob Simmons, a former House member, 49 percent to 38 percent. A lesser-known Republican also led Dodd in a hypothetical matchup.

Quinnipiac poll director Doug Schwartz said Dodd hurt himself with state voters by moving to Iowa during his unsuccessful bid for the 2008 presidential nomination, and by receiving preferential treatment in obtaining mortgage loans. Worst of all, Schwartz said, was Dodd's involvement in a bill that protected bonuses for executives at insurance giant AIG, which proved deeply unpopular.

In a similar vein, many Nevada voters seem to have grown tired of Reid after 23 years in the Senate. A poll commissioned by the Las Vegas Review-Journal found him 10 percentage points behind Nevada GOP chairwoman Sue Lowden, one of several Republicans vying to oppose him next year. Half of Nevada's voters had an unfavorable view of Reid.

Reid's friends fear echoes of Tom Daschle, the Senate Democratic leader who lost a 2004 re-election bid in South Dakota amid claims that he showed more allegiance to a national, liberal-leaning agenda than to his conservative state.



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Weekly Thought Bonanza Nov 22nd

On Sunday/Monday, I produce a column called “The Weekly Thought Bonanza”. The column is based on all of the random thoughts that run through my head all week, and trust me there are a plethora of them. I will try to share as many of these thoughts as I can, so each one of my readers can think just a little bit extra over the coming week.


Miley Cyrus is getting an incredible amount of heat for dissing the movie “Twilight’. Why do people feel the need to criticize individuals who do not like Vampires? I hate Vampires. They are creepy and they drink blood for god sake’s. Miley, I am with you on this one kiddo.

I so like the Geico commercials are great. When I needed insurance I called Geico first. Why? Because I remember the commercials. Good job little green fella.

Nothing is better than having a child, two is even better.

I love Thanksgiving for the turkey and the football. Watching the Lions get “stuffed” like a turkey every Thanksgiving is getting a little old. Can we change the Cowboys and Lions now, please?

What ever happened to Stroh’s beer and that smart little dog that could open the bottle and drink it? That dog was the best.

Kellie Pickler, of American Idol fame, please get rid of the red hair.

Iran has started to play war games to protect its nuclear arsenal. I hear the sound of the Israeli jets getting their engines revved up. There is no way Israel is going to let the Iranians have a nuclear arsenal stacked up, no way.

Rodney Harrison and Tony Dungy are great on the Sunday Night Football show. They offer great insights without going over the top. Truly remarkable in this day an age, where most announcers try to be the story, instead of just reporting it.

I thought I could live without my Blackberry someday, but ummm, no I cannot. What an invention and what a great way to communicate with everyone, without being on the phone 24/7.

I have always liked the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. The ten p.m. version should have been more of a variety show than what we are seeing now. The show is falling flat for the 10 p.m. time slot. It is too bad because I had high hopes for the show.

Netflix has pretty much put Blockbuster out of business. I tried Netflix this month and it has totally changed my opinion on how to rent movies. I absolutely love it. Check it out.

Is laser correction surgery worth it? Please let me know. I would love to wake up in the am and find out that I can actually see.

I enjoy lighting a fire at my house every night. I burn at least three cords of wood each year. I often wonder how many trees are burned in a calendar year. The gas fireplace just does not do it for me.

Jon and Kate please please go away.

If you were only correct fifty percent of the time in your job would you be fired? You would not if you were a meteorologist. Today for instance it was supposed to be sixty degrees and sunny in Boston and yet, it was forty degrees with not a ray of sunshine. Glad I do not even listen to the weatherman any more.

Why can’t we get the H1N1 vaccinations to the public faster? Did we run out of chicken eggs or something?

Is there anything better than a big fat juicy cheeseburger?

The Weekly Thought Bonanza thought of the week; when one router goes down in Utah and every flight in the United States gets affected in the process you know that there is a problem with air travel in America.


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Positive Experiences build character

What makes someone either happy or sad? How are some so positive in the worst situations where others who have one little bump in the road become devastated and almost end up becoming a shell of the old self? Positive people are more successful in life, love and relationships. Being positive is infectious and I strongly believe that.


I have watched people who have been in the worst situations almost will their pain away by keeping positive. I have also seen people’s negativity ruin not just themselves but others who are around them. Take for example, University of Kansas officials are willing to talk with former players about allegations of abusive behavior by football coach Mark Mangino - and two former players had plenty to say on Thursday.

Former Jayhawks receiver Raymond Brown recalled how in 2007, after his younger brother was wounded in a shooting near his home in St. Louis, teammates gathered around and warmly pledged their support. A few days later, Brown said, an angry Mangino ordered him to the sideline during practice and made a shockingly insensitive comment.

"He went off on me yelling, which is fine," Brown told The Associated Press. "I kept saying, 'Yes, sir, yes, sir,' to everything he was saying. A teammate asked me what happened. Then he started on me again and I said, 'Yes, sir,' and he said, 'Don't you 'yes sir' me. I'll send you back to St. Louis where you can get shot by your homies."'

This is a disgusting way to motivate college athletes if this is true. When I coached I was very firm yet always understanding. Coaches should be great actors, hard on the outside and soft on the inside. Your attitude is infectious on young adults.

Brown and another former player also told the AP that Mangino made insensitive comments about a player's father being an alcoholic.

A spokesman said Mangino, who needs three victories to become the winningest coach in school history, was not returning calls Thursday. He has said he has done nothing wrong.

The university this week confirmed that it is investigating allegations of verbal and emotional abuse by Mangino, the 2007 national coach of the year.

The probe by associate athletic director for risk management Lori Williams began Sunday after senior linebacker Arist Wright complained to athletic director Lew Perkins that Mangino had poked him in the chest while chewing him out.

Positives in life never get media time. Sports should bring out the best in your athletes. In fact you should relate to the players approximately as you do to your own children and as the parents of your players relate to their own son. Being positive all the time will not get the room cleaned up and the homework done. Kids need tough love. Fundamentals are nice. You have to teach fundamentals when it comes to the rules, safety, and the basics of various football actions like holding onto the football, keeping your head up, and so on. But most youth coaching books, and most youth coaches, spend far too much on fundamentals to the neglect of more important things like making sure the kids know their assignments. Discipline can teach so many different things, when it is done with a positive spin.



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