How to Spot a Moron

Hello My Dear Friends! I think that we all agree that this world is filled with people who are, let's say, morons. The problem is that most don't come with signs or markings. They look just like you and me, and then they speak! For instance, White House Spokesman Jay Carney, today, when questioned about the VA disaster, said that the Obama administration's transition team knew about the false reporting of wait times and the like back in 2008, thus, making it George Bush's fault. LOL! What do you think is worse, Mr. Carney, still blaming the previous administration for all of your failures and scandals, or admitting that you've known about this travesty for over SIX YEARS and have done NOTHING about it? Either way, you sir, are a moron. Former State Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno was, once again, acquitted of corruption charges. It's not that he didn't do it. It's because the US Supreme Court threw out the law he was initially convicted under in 2009. Here's the kicker. Bruno is now fighting to have his legal fees covered by the state (that's you and me). An obscure section of the Public Officers Law allows for reimbursement of "reasonable legal fees" if one is acquitted of charges filed. What does Mr. Bruno, a lawyer himself, claim are his "reasonable legal fees"? $4 million dollars! Mr. Bruno, you are a moron. The newly opened National September 11 Memorial and Museum has a gift shop. What? Not only are they selling souvenirs, someone chose to put the gift shop next to the "remains repository", an area where 8000 unidentified body parts are stored. Some of the items being sold include the "Darkness Hoodie", silk scarves depicting "lunchtime at the WTC Plaza and "Survivor Tree" earrings. Tasteful. Really tasteful. I can't identify this, or these morons by name, but I'm sure we'll know who they are soon enough. The scarf, by the way, is $95.
Po

Random Thoughts

Hello My Dear Friends! I hope your weekend is off to a great start. Beyonce released a statement regarding the now infamous video of her sister Solange slapping the swag out of Jay Z in an elevator. She said blah blah blah, we're all good. I, for one, am so relieved! Do we really want to live in a world where Beyonce and Jay Z can't make a go of it? Thank goodness the "news" covered this so extensively! Do you ever wonder why there are no "B" batteries? Yesterday, here in Syracuse, The Mayor, State Senator and U.S. Congressman held a press conference to announce that they had formed a coalition to educate people about the "digital divide"  The coalition, the Alliance for Reliable, Competitive High speed internet (ARCH), will be advocating for broadband internet policies that support consumers and support economic growth. The Mayor said, “I’m pleased to stand with fellow community leaders to spread awareness of this important issue.” The State Senator called it a "top priority". The Congressman, well, he's just a moron. My point here is that our roads and bridges are crumbling; we're in the midst of a heroin epidemic; the price of food is skyrocketing and THIS is your top priority? Really? How can products be "new" and "improved"? If they're new, what can you improve on? These things keep me up at night. Alec Baldwin, fresh off his arrest for douchebaggery, was again seen biking around NYC the wrong way on one way streets. Can any say 'desperate need for attention'? Alec, a word of advice, go away. You're incredibly annoying. In that song Yankee Doodle, is he calling the horse or the feather "macaroni"? I know, right? Finally, did you see the video of the cat saving the little boy from the neighbor's dog? Did you see the end of the video, when the dog returned? The mother runs away, leaving the boy behind! Thank God for cats. That's all I have to say!
Po

Words Mean Things. Learn the Meaning!

Hello My Dear Friends! I have, in the past, been accused of being a card carrying member of the "grammar police". I understand that many people find that annoying. Therefore, if you are among the aforementioned, stop reading now! Okay, now that they're gone, I'd like to address three words that have been tossed around lately. Apparently, while I was napping, someone chose to give these words dual meaning.
#1 Rant. Ever since the Donald Sterling tapes were released, media outlets and others have been referring to the Sterling rant. Then, after the Anderson Cooper interview, we heard about latest Sterling rant. Apparently these people believe that rant means to say something objectionable. It doesn't. Rant, according to Merriam-Webster, means to "talk in a noisy, excited, or declamatory manner. To scold vehemently". That's not what happened so stop saying it did.
#2 Reform. The word "reform" does not mean to simply change something, it means to "put or change in an improved form".  Therefore, I contend that all of the talk from the White House this week about Immigration Reform, is simply wrong. The "reform" Bill currently being debated, among others things, would allow immigrants to commit up to three crimes, prior to gaining citizenship, without being deported. That's not reform. That's the opposite of reform. Are you aware that ICE (Immigration and Customs enforcement) released over 36,000 convicted criminals, in the Country illegally and awaiting deportation, in 2013? Oh, yes they did. Among them, 200 murders, over 400 rapists and 300 kidnappers. In all, they were responsible for 88,000 crimes in the U.S. That's nearly 100 per day. This new immigration bill would make a lot of that okay. That's not reform.
#3 Unalienable.  The word "unalienable" means "impossible to take away or give up". The Constitution of these United States gave us certain "unalienable" rights. Apparently that impossible part of the definition is subjective. The only unalienable thing I see today is the unlimited power given to government, and that is not a good thing and, if we don't rant about it, we will never see reform!
Po

Make Up Your Mind People

Hello My Dear Friends! We've made it through another week. Good for us! I have to tell you, I'm growing a little weary of you humans not being able to decide whether you want human offspring or pets! I would think it would be an easy enough decision. Many of you seemed confused to me. Why do you insist on having human offspring and then dressing them like animals? Every where I go I see these little people wearing hats with ears on them. Don't you people come with ears? If you wanted a bunny, why didn't you get a bunny? You don't see kitties wandering around with those silly little headbands with the bow on the front, do you? No you do not. Not yet anyway. Also. the other day, I saw a little person on a leash! Are you kidding me? I realize some of the little ones are "runners" but, since you are able to walk upright, there are hands available for holding. I really think leashes should be reserved for those who require all four appendages for walking. While I'm at it, stop drawing whiskers on your offspring's face! If you feel the need to draw on the face of your offspring, how about glasses and a beard? At least then we can all get a laugh out of it. I, personally, am offended by little people dressed like kitties. Your little people have no fur. They cannot purr, nor can they, shall we say, clean themselves properly. My point here people is, if you want a pet, get a pet. If you want offspring, have offspring. Never the twain shall meet. Thank you!
Po

Reality vs Myth

Hello My Dear Friends. I've come to accept how incredibly gullible you humans can be but, lately, I'm really in awe of it. Myths like Bigfoot, your Right to Privacy, the Loch Ness Monster and Freedom of Speech, are freely accept as reality. Why? Well, for one reason, it's easier to believe what you're told than it is to actually seek out the truth. I, for the most part, blame the media for this. Two recent examples under score my point. A new Gallup poll, done with Purdue University, determined that satisfaction with life and work does not depend on where you went to college, unless you went to a private, for-profit school. According to the study, basically, graduates from Harvard were just as likely to be satisfied with their lives and careers as graduates from Podunk U. But, graduates from Bryant and Stratton or ITT Tech were less likely to be satisfied. They're not really sure why. Let's just say that we accept this finding, as ridiculous as it is. The study goes on to say that students who graduate with large amounts of student debt ($20,000 or more) had more problems in life than those who don't. Um, what? It's a pretty safe bet that graduates from Harvard have a bit more student debt than a graduate of Bryant and Stratton, right? So then, this study seem to contradict itself. That doesn't matter though. Why? Because the point of the study appears to be to convince students and their parents that they would be better off going to a State University than a "prestigious" university or trade school. Why? Because that's they way the government wants it. The study went on to say that students who participated in "paid internships" during college were more likely to be engaged and satisfied with their jobs after graduation. Really? Paid internships are relatively new. So, let me ask you, my friends, do you think kids entering the workforce today are "more engaged" and "more satisfied" than you were when you entered the workforce back in the day? I didn't think so. Studies are released and the media reports them without ever looking past the headline.m That's why "studies" today are just tools, used by the elite, to show we little people how things should be. It's what the majority of people think. Another Myth we are expected to believe.  Also this week, the Third Annual Climate Assessment was released. It says, of course, that we are causing this Global Warming, and we are doomed. I am not a "climate change denier" but I found the following statement in the report quite interesting:
“Americans are noticing changes all around them,” the researchers wrote in the report. “Summers are longer and hotter, and extended periods of unusual heat last longer than any living American has ever experienced. Winters are generally shorter and warmer.”
Really? Boston? Chicago? Syracuse? Buffalo? Does everyone agree with this finding? It certainly makes one wonder where this comprehensive study was conducted.
Po

TGIF Random Thoughts

Hello My Dear Friends. The big Crawfish Festival takes place in Syracuse this weekend. Thousands of people will turn out to indulge. The ritual for eating these crawfish, as explained to the captor, is to "snap off their heads and suck out what's in the shell". I don't even want to know who came up with that idea but I'll respectfully pass. I guess I'm lucky. I've never been hungry enough to snap off the head of anything and suck it's guts out. Thank you Lord. I can say that, by the way. May 1st is the National Day of Prayer and, as they do every year, the haters came out of the woodwork. They want the National Day of Prayer changed to the National Day of Reason because, they believe, the former violates the "separation of church and state".  I assume they're referring to the First Amendment which, as you may know, says nothing about the "separation of church and state". It says, in part, that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof". Why is it that the people who are first to scream that their constitutional rights being violated are usually the ones who have no idea what the constitution says? Let me help them out. The constitution gives you the right to practice your religion. That's freedom OF religion. The constitution does not give you the right FROM religion, meaning other people get to practice their religion too, whether you like it or not. I hope this clears things up. The First Amendment also says something about the freedom of speech but apparently no one gets that one either. Why is the third hand on a watch called the second hand? The media is all abuzz about Oklahoma's "botched execution" of Clayton Lockett. What botched execution? He's dead, isn't he? Sounds like a win to me. Enjoy the weekend!
Po