The Tower on the cover of the July issue of The Concordian (named Business of the Year)

The online issue of The Concordian is now available for JULY 2009. Read all about the tower coming down and be sure to ENTER to WIN $100 CASH - no strings attached.  Click the cover below and read it all online or pick up a copy July 1 at over 260 Concord locations... By the way, The Concordian was named BUSINESS of the YEAR by the Concord Chamber for 2008-2009 - MisterWriter

Feeling a little pink face?

Sausalito graffiti is more eclectic! MisterWriter

Buy a DVD save a school district part 2

I wrote about this before in The Concordian and the Clayton Pioneer, and you can find a video link on the right sidebar... Movie actor, writer, director Jeff Mosely has perhaps the most creative funding option for the troubled MDUSD out there. Read on and then visit his site at concordmovie.com. - MisterWriter

Great Photo - tell me how it was done!

I took my family to Sausalito on Sunday so we could escape the heat. We got some sandwiches at a local deli and that was where I took this shot. Can you tell me how it was done? It was NOT Photoshoped and the bottle did not break! I'll post the answer on Wednesday. Meantime, while you ponder it, you can enjoy this lovely shot of those dirty birds, the seagulls! Enjoy! - MisterWriter

The problem is we are all stupid now...

This was sent to me in an email - it is so accurate it needs to be shared. Tell me that it is wrong. Go on...I dare ya! - MisterWriter HIGH SCHOOL -- 1957 vs. 2007 Scenario 1: Jack goes quail hunting before school and then pulls into the school parking lot with his shotgun in his truck's gun rack. 1957 - Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack. 2007 - School goes into lock down, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.  Scenario 2: Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight after school. 1957 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies. 2007 - Police called and SWAT team arrives -- they arrest both Johnny and Mark. They are both charged them with assault and both expelled even though Johnny started it. Scenario 3: Jeffrey will not be still in class, he disrupts other students. 1957 - Jeffrey sent to the Principal's office and given a good paddling by the Principal. He then returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again. 2007 - Jeffrey is given huge doses of Ritalin. He becomes a zombie. He is then tested for ADD. The school gets extra money from the state because Jeffrey has a disability. Scenario 4: Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt. 1957 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college and becomes a successful businessman. 2007 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy is removed to foster care and joins a gang. The state psychologist is told by Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison. Billy's mom has an affair with the psychologist. Scenario 5: Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school. 1957 - Mark shares his aspirin with the Principal out on the smoking dock. 2007 - The police are called and Mark is expelled from school for drug violations. His car is then searched for drugs and weapons.  Scenario 6: Pedro fails high school English. 1957 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English and goes to college. 2007 - Pedro's cause is taken up by state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against the state school system and Pedro's English teacher.  English is then banned from core curriculum. Pedro is given his diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.  Scenario 7: Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from the Fourth of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle and blows up a red ant bed. 1957 - Ants die. 2007 - ATF, Homeland Security and the FBI are all called. Johnny is charged with domestic terrorism. The FBI investigates his parents -- and all siblings are removed from their home and all computers are confiscated. Johnny's dad is placed on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again. Scenario 8: Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort him. 1957 - In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing. 2007 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison.  Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy.

It is one of those days...

Don't burn - with fewer calories! Happy Sunday. MisterWriter

Worshipping Celebrity

Religious validations aside, John Lennon once claimed that The Beatles were bigger than Jesus. From the furor that followed, Lennon clarified his remark to mean that The Beatles were more well known that Jesus, a fact that few could argue given the fan frenzy worldwide. I watched the Michael Jackson replays last night, many in his own words. And I watched as the fans, distraught over the loss of their center of worship, were focused on the celebrity of Jackson, without reference to the scandals or suspicions, many of which he even admitted to. From sleeping in the same bed as boys, regardless of the manner, to the "Jesus Juice" that he admitted to. Despite the glaring surgeries, the chimp, the oxygen chamber, the costumes, the weddings and the dangling baby, just to name the few that pop into my mind, his fans glossed over to create an iconic loss in hyper-mythical proportions. And I realized that this was not about Jackson as much as it is about our collective insecurity, that need that must have someone to adore whether it be Jackson, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, or the myriad of pop flavors that adorn the airwaves and big screens. Worse still, not once did I hear anyone ask about the psychological soundness of those parents who consented to allow their children to sleep with Jackson, not just before the first accusation, but well past the second until he left the country.  Those parents are equally in need of help. For the sake of claiming that your child spent the night with Jackson? Are you serious? There is no doubt that Jackson had an odd childhood. In his interviews and songs he even said so. Work and no play, abuse by the father. Fame for most of his fifty years. How does one learn where the center of reality really is? Especially if your family is of no help and seem to be spiraling in their own oddness? And now, with allegations that Jackson was, like Elvis, a walking pharmacy, it falls also to those people around him who allowed that lifestyle to bear responsibility, especially those in his own family who knew and stayed silent.  But that is for their conscience to deal with. Who killed the "king of pop"? There is a Shakespearean tragedy there somewhere. In my post yesterday, I said it that it is sad to have success, fame and wealth and yet be miserable. I don't understand it. I have none of those things. Like most people I struggle to make ends meet and revel in the love of my family.  I consider myself infinitely richer than I suspect Michael Jackson ever was. So why do we latch onto these false heroes? Why do we elevate the crass and the mundane into superstardom? And why do we pursue them to their deaths, whether it be like Princess Diana, or those Hollywood icons that went out in a blaze of glory, like James Dean.  Just people. The lot of them. Same biology only trained to be arrogant, expecting of special treatment. I do know that nobility began with crusader kings that actually led their subjects into battle. There was admiration, even if the war was questionable. But why is Queen Elizabeth admired?  And in America, we loathe our politicians until they become something elevated by the office of The Presidency.  The critics still line up to shake those hands, don't they? In my book, Signs You May Be An Idiot I had one chapter on a national ailment I called ACD - American Celebrity Disease. You can DOWNLOAD IT HERE for FREE - as it seems fitting given the endless Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Ed McMahon, David Carradine footage that has played out over the past month.  Ironically, in the end, the broke Michael Jackson who was counting on the upcoming concert to infuse some cash in his life, will become deified like Elvis. Neverland Ranch will have tours and album sales will soar. And just as Elvis pulls in an excess of $50 million a year even now, expect that Jackson will as well.  You see, even in death we just cannot let go of the obsession. Were we to do so we may just have to face our mortal roots. MisterWriter

Wow. Michael Jackson dead.

I didn't expect that one. Farrah's demise was expected. Ed McMahon's was expected. Like him or hate him, Michael Jackson certainly changed the face of music for a generation or two, almost as much as his own face changed. He was certainly talented and from his music to the hysteria he generated. One thing that always stood out for me was the fact that no matter how successful you are and no matter how much money you have, it has absolutely nothing to do with happiness. It certainly makes me appreciate my life more. MisterWriter

Summing Up Our National Obsession

I do enjoy an Ikea trip. With a drink in hand, I will roam the guided tour aisles and sit on one of the faux furniture pieces, those little Disney-esque rooms they assemble so you can visualize their furniture in your space, if you are diminutive in size. I like to watch the couples of all ethnic persuasion peruse, some with kids, some obviously the yuppettes of the generation, picking up one of the billion knick-knacks that complete the store. And I wonder why I would furnish a whole room or a house with this cheaper European furniture.  I did, at one time, purchase a table. It had a short life.  More fun is the endless roaming, following the yellow brick road, Dorothy, until you come to warehouse alley where you get your own furniture by figuring out the magic coding system. It is such fun. After burning all those calories you have to stop off and eat a six pack of those steaming hot cinnamon buns you can smell while you wait in line for a half hour staring at the food posters, the ice  cream, the pastries and the refreshing Euro style soda pop. And all around you the clone people shopping utter phrases with accents like "ya ya" which makes you think that they are from abroad only they are not; just urbanites trying out a Scandinavian accent for fun.  And like some bad form of sobriety test, even the shopping carts are odd, all four wheels rotate freely so that you can move in any angle, swerve, spin, rotate and dance your way across the expansive stretch to where you parked your car, far, far away. Ya ya, it was a fun time had by all. Just wait until you try reading the assembly instructions! MisterWriter

Halfway there and lots more to go...

Next month I mark an awe inspiring moment in my life, more poignant than turning 21 and downing that first legal beer, or five. This moment is greater than 31, when I knew that my first born was on his way. This marker is greater than the lie they tell you about pushing 40; there is no pushing involved – the ball rolls downhill on its own. Next month I stand witness to half a century of life. It sounds so heavy and so antique all at the same time. Yet the face I shave each day, whose older eyes still hold a sparkle of naughtiness, sees it as just another day. Really! Be that as it may, I cannot deny the inventions that have peppered my life. I was born before Walt Disney’s  “Wonderful World of Color” splashed our tube television sets in September 1961, seven years after the Korean War ended with an armistice. I sat on my living room floor each week in 1966 eating a bowl of Bird’s Eye Custard pudding as I  watched a young William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy take my imagination to places it still goes with “Star Trek,” a little show produced by Lucille Ball’s company DesiLu. I witnessed the Concorde’s first flight in 1969 (and sadly its last a few years ago,) and the first Boeing 747 take flight in 1970. I was in awe of the latter – how something so large and bulky could appear so graceful in the sky.    I watched Richard Nixon’s Secretary of State Henry Kissinger work magic in China in 1971 as he paved the way for the historic 1972 summit between our two countries, even while Nixon was soon to fall from grace. In the early 1970s, the compact cassette tape edged out the eight-track – which had formerly edged out the reel-to-reel tapes of my  father’s generation, opening up music in a truly portable fashion long before the iPod or Mp3 player. Back then, a kid had to be skilled in tape splicing, repairing the thin tape after it snapped or got tangled and “eaten” by the machine that played it. I was born after the Beatles became famous and watched as they disbanded in 1970. And sadly, like so many Americans, I bore witness to the end of that era with the murder of John Lennon in 1980. The first moon landing on July 20, 1969, took the age of the Apollo rockets into my life with the large-sized models that I painstakingly glued together. In February 1977, the space shuttles took over – bringing space closer to a science fiction reader’s dream of a casual occurrence. At least until the disaster of the Challenger in 1986. The Vietnam War from 1959 until 1975 was always present in the news of my youth. While on a night flight to meet my father in Thailand for a visit in 1972, lightning flashes far below caught my attention. As a stewardess (pre-flight attendant days) passed by, she asked what I was watching. When I told her, she patted my head. “That’s not lightning,” she said. “That’s Vietnam.” Although my half-century may have passed quickly, I recognize that it has held a richness of living history that may make me better appreciate the second half of this two act play. Even now changes in the world are occurring at breakneck speed, often seemingly random in nature until some time has passed and events can be looked upon with a degree of hindsight. Or perhaps I can slow the passage of time by changing the framework I use to measure these changes, refraining from years and measuring by centuries instead. By that reckoning, I will be 0.5 centuries next month, a young age, filled with many years of potential and life, and I can deal with that. MisterWriter

Stupid is... I could not resist sharing this one...

My friend Rich sent this along. It would be funny except that it is sad. Does this really require any additional commentary? MisterWriter

An excellent DVD/CD combo at a great price, if you are looking for something romantic...

Watching this on a PBS fundraiser last week and I was very impressed with the range of artists who joined Chris Botti. John Mayer, Sting, Josh Grobin, Yo-Yo Ma, Steven Tyler, Katharine McPhee, Sy Smith & more for what was a fundraising album. Both the DVD/CD combo is only $14.99 and is really enjoyable. Click the image below to go listen to tracks and read more or CLICK HERE If you are not familiar with Chris Botti you should read about him HERE or click the video to watch him with Sting. Talent. Anyway, just wanted to share what with Father's Day coming up and all (and no I do not want a tie, thank you.) What? This is not a man's gift? Well, the man will be happy when he is up close to the one he loves who happens to think this is super romantic...you get the picture! Happy Friday, and father's everywhere, have a great weekend. MisterWriter

Do we really need to spend $423,500 to answer a question most men will answer for FREE?

Insanity in action once again as the National Institute of Health will spend $423,500 to find out why men do not wear condoms. Yep, that is exactly what I said.  And it is a two year 'hands on' study. "Researchers at Indiana University's Kinsey Institute, with funding from the National Institutes of Health, are investigating why "young, heterosexual adult men" have problems using condoms. The study will include "skill-based intervention" to teach grown men how to use protection."  READ THAT STORY HERE Here are the top ten answers they are looking for: 10) It isn't cool for young, heterosexual adult men to wear condoms. 9) They destroy sensation 8) They are uncomfortable 7) They just don't want to 6) Ooops, I meant to but there was just no time 5) She's on the pill 4) Males are fundamentally lazy when it comes to having to jacket up when aroused 3)What's a condom? 2) The one in my wallet had a hole in it and the number one answer... 1) Duh! I don't qualify to buy a condo during the recession. Perhaps someone should be fired at the NIH for wasting taxpayer dollars. Here are some of their other 'studies': "The NIH spends $29 billion each year to help fund thousands of health studies at home and abroad. But some questionable queries have come under close scrutiny, including a $400,000 study being conducted in bars in Buenos Aires to find out why gay men engage in risky sexual behavior while drunk; a $2.6 million study dedicated to teaching prostitutes in China to drink less while having sex on the job; and a $178,000 study to better understand why drug-abusing prostitutes in Thailand are at greater risk for HIV infection." And you thought I was kidding!!!  MisterWriter

Thank Goodness There Are People Inventing Stuff Like This . . .

Saw this item on the blog site of a Science Fiction author I like - John Scalzi. While I understand the need of this product if you are disabled, I am at a loss as to who else would shell out some cash for it. And on the subject of John Scalzi, I just finished two of his books, The Old Man's War and The Last Colony (a sequel) which are excellent science fiction reads. The former begins:   I did two things on my seventy-fifth birthday. I visited my wife’s grave. Then I joined the army. When John Perry turns seventy-five, he joins the Colonial Defence Forces. Joining the army at his time of life is not as odd as you might be thinking. Seventy-five is, in fact, the minimum enlisting age. Nobody on Earth knows all that much about the CDF, but rumour has it that they have a way of restoring your youth. You're required to serve for at least two years, defending human colonies against alien attacks. Then, if you survive, you’ll be allowed to settle in one of the colonies yourself. The only “but” is that you’re never allowed to return to Earth again. But for someone like John Perry, with not much left to tie him to the world, that's not a bad deal.  CLICK HERE TO READ MORE The Last Colony, reprises the story of John Perry, former planet-hopping soldier who has now traded his genetically enhanced second body for a commonplace one and a peaceful retirement. Free from the stresses of battle, he's enjoying domestic bliss with his wife and adopted daughter on a remote Colonial Union world. Then a former commanding general drops by with a tempting proposal. Perry and his wife are apparently the perfect candidates to lead a promising new colony populated by citizens from 10 worlds. They accept, but then the CU deceitfully strands them and their charges on an unknown world.  CLICK HERE TO READ MORE Happy Friday...and don't forget to be...sanitary! MisterWriter

Happy Father's Day to all fathers

There isn't another job in the world like being a dad. Happy Father's Day to all the dads, grandpas, step-dads and mentors.    MisterWriter

Signs Someone May Be An Idiot

I am always amused how sales practices are often deceptive. This may be through a misrepresented advertising claim or through outright theft. It's a bit like watching those infomercial products that claim the world and deliver very little. So when I noticed that my book Signs You May Be An Idiot and other musings was posted on an English site for sale at the incredibly overinflated price of $34.06, I had to laugh. The book, available in stores and at Amazon.com, Target.com and so on, retails for $13.95. If you add the $5 in airmail postage costs to England, you still fall way short of the $34.06 they are charging.  So why would you order from that site as opposed to just ordering it directly from Amazon?  I find that to be true for many products, not just books. I recently purchased a case for my Blackberry. After seeing the store prices upwards of $30 for a simple leather case,  I went on eBay and found the exact item for $8 shipped from Hong Kong (where likely the other was manufactured as well) with FREE shipping. It arrived, is excellent in quality and I saved $22. Of course by doing this I screwed California out of $2.47 sales tax; however given how poorly the state seems to control its expenditures I won't worry about that just yet. I wonder how angry iPhone purchasers are over their initial costs when the phone first came on the market. Compared to the prices now, they should feel stiffed. Of course, Apple users are generally of a calmer disposition than users of other overpriced and overrated cellular products. So what is it worth? The answer depends on your point of view.  Designer watches may sell in stores for $350, and yet their not so humble beginnings are more of a mass produced, foreign entity manufacture, regardless of the claims, with an initial cost of about $10 - 20.  The licensee of the product then sells the right to distribute to some person in a country for over twice that amount per watch ($40) who in turn hires regional distribution companies selling them the inventory at twice their cost ($80) who have their salespeople get the items placed in the stores who buy inventory at twice the cost ($160) and then sell to the public, you, at twice the cost ($320). Voila. Designer product price.  But isn't it still a $10-20 watch?  And don't argue about a difference in quality. While that may be true, marginally, the price markup has little to do with the quality as much as the method of distribution and sales. It is about perception. I guess it all comes down to how badly you want something that you are not willing to wait until it comes out cheaper, later, after the first wave of must-have-it buyers have passed through and enjoyed their 'first' status. Hmmmm. Okay! If you want to read my book click HERE MisterWriter

Which Part Are You Playing?

Take a break! How can one not stop and ponder about life, given the depth and scope of the news, the politics, the financial turmoil, the decay of progress, the effluence attributed to civilization and yet not be scabbed by life's experiences?  You have to love that word "effluence," defined as the process of flowing outward, whether good or bad. Back on track - I find that taking in a splinter of the life of this planet in all the news forms to be a full time job, consuming of intellectual energy to decipher it, emotional energy by the end result of digesting it, and certainly not always hopeful; if one sees a forward and upward direction as progress we are skulking through the back alleys at this time, although we always retain the promise of a better tomorrow. Which made me think of Will! Will said it best, and I share. "All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages. At first the infant, Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms. And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel And shining morning face, creeping like snail Unwillingly to school. And then the lover, Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier, Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard, Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel, Seeking the bubble reputation Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice, In fair round belly with good capon lined, With eyes severe and beard of formal cut, Full of wise saws and modern instances; And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts Into the lean and slipper'd pantaloon, With spectacles on nose and pouch on side, His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice, Turning again toward childish treble, pipes And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all, That ends this strange eventful history, Is second childishness and mere oblivion, Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything." from William Shakespeare's 'As You Like It' (1600 AD) Stop and smell the poetry for a moment. There! Okay, resume your lives now... MisterWriter

Brother can you spare $12.6 million? The MDUSD axe is coming down again tonight...

There is little I can say to what will be a sad meeting tonight as the MDUSD Board of Education makes another $12.6 million in cuts. The items on the list are still on the table and whichever way it goes it will be ugly. One of the items that offers some hope for a return of athletics lies with the Unified Mt. Diablo Athletic Foundation attempt to raise money. They will need the $721,400 that had been slashed from the district budget to be able to do so. [Note: There will be an article on the Foundation in the upcoming July issue of The  Concordian that details their plans and the prospects of success.]  Click either image above for the full board agenda. Hopefully it will be broadcast at MDUSD.NET as it has been starting at 7:30 pm.   MisterWriter

Is it David "Imus" Letterman or is it our fear of offending advertisers?

Note: Click the highlighted words for the YouTube Video links: Last night I watched a different David Letterman, the one who rendered an apology that had obviously been forced upon him from the network over some jokes about Sarah Palin and her daughters. Just one day before, in true Letterman form, the talk show host had offered an apology of sorts, laced up with a revisit of the jokes while clarifying that the joke had been misinterpreted toward Palin's 14 year old daughter as opposed to her 18 year old daughter; the latter having been the subject of much news fodder over recent choices in her life. It was a fitting rebuttal from a man who has used sarcasm for many decades as his source of popularity and humor and regardless of one's views of Palin, falls squarely into the same category of commentary about public figures that we also see on the cover of every supermarket tabloid at the checkout aisle. Certainly Palin had every right to express her upset over the joke, but Letterman certainly had every right to make it, regardless.  And certainly for both the original joke and the first apology joke the audience endorsed the humor, even while the host later claimed that it fell "flat." Last night's apology reminded me of the less recent scolding of Talk Radio's Don Imus over his "nappy headed" comments that seemed, overnight, to deflate him from his celebrated status as radio's curmudgeon and critic, to that of muted purveyor of free speech that had gained him his popularity. And that is what America loves about its shock jocks and brash mouthed talk show hosts; they get to say what we would love to say but cannot get away with, and we assume a degree of immunity upon them due to their advertiser ratings pull.  God, look at the list you have from Michael Savage (getting banned in England), Howard Stern, Bill O'Reilly...the list goes on.   Imus got fired, then passed through the public version of talk show rehab, groveling at the feet of those who had been offended, while slobbering out his new found revelations about discovering their feelings not unlike criminals repent after getting to jail where miraculously they find Jesus.  Only then, after the public flogging was Imus officially forgiven by those he had slurred and allowed back on the radio, albeit a new station and fewer listeners. Why bother? The castrated Imus hasn't got the same appeal to the listening public. We know and he knows that his power is now "lite."  He had been counted on to use his celebrity to stand his ground and his right to make whatever comment he chose, protected by the Constitution so that we can all believe in the liberties we have, but mostly, as with all television, for cheap laughs.  After all, this is America. If the Rutger's women's basketball team felt wronged they should have just done what every other American does; find a lawyer and sue Imus' pants off. After all, isn't that what happened when Johnny Carson made an inappropriate sexual innuendo about Zsa Zsa Gabor and her cat on the Tonight Show, resulting in a lawsuit?  I seem to recall that one some years back.  In Imus' case, because of the racial factor, and with most issues that have any involvement of racial discrimination whether in deed or in comment, litigation usually comes after a severe public flogging for being an insensitive buffoon, after all this is modern day America and racism can't be litigated before it is publicly purged. Mel Gibson, Michael Richards, add other names here of those who used the cheap laugh approach on and off the stage; but I was always under the impression that in America you either lost your fan base, got sued or got dropped. The ass-saving retractions that seem now to follow hardly convince me of some miracle rehabilitation.  Worse, the commentary from the public invariably splits along the same two lines it always has. Understand here that I am not defending the comments or the celebrities; this is a commentary on how we allow our public figures to be all powerful in their voices only to chop them off at the knees at the first sign of potential embarrassment, especially where there are advertising dollars that can be lost. After all, those advertisers are the true power mongers and heaven forbid any business loses the right to push the lies that pervade the advertising world. In short, there is no power; merely illusion and how much money you can suck up before your time on stage is done. Back to Letterman. Was he right to apologize? Critics of Palin will call upon every comment she has made whether it be her Katie Couric interview onwards as reason why, as a public figure, she is fair game. Likewise, the very public out of wedlock pregnancy of her daughter and the soap-opera drama of that relationship seems to make Letterman's remarks fair game and, for at least half the people in the country, hardly made in bad taste; the family seems to be doing enough of that themselves, if you read People Magazine. It was the genius PR move on Palin's to attack the perception that Letterman was referring to the 14 year old daughter instead of the 18 year old daughter, which frankly became the mainstay for getting back at Letterman.  That and whatever political influence Palin may have left after the last campaign seemed enough to ruffle the advertising feathers of CBS. It is all becoming just too PC. Perhaps Letterman should issue a disclaimer with every joke. "The Late Show with David Letterman wants you to know that certain people are to be assumed immune from any commentary that may come from Mr. Letterman:  If you are a minor, a minority, a minority female, overweight, a musician of overweight or minority status, lacking in the appropriate use of language skills like grammar, sentence structure or syntax, residents of states where certain pronunciations illicit the understanding of an implied lack of intelligence, members of fringe religious sects bend on corrupting the morals of youth, all the above categories with affiliations to any political party of the United States or related to any currently licensed legal practitioner operating within the United States, current or former felons with any affiliation to the above classifications and certain other unnamed persons or groups, the Late Show with David Letterman did not, will not, and in no way should be understood to have referred to you in any comment made by Mr. Letterman as intended to be derogatory, racially inflammatory or politically insensitive in any context whether written or spoken." Perhaps then, David Letterman can do what he does best, that a large segment of the country enjoys because of his style of sarcasm and delivery. It is entertainment, pure and simple, like it or not, and the rule of television is that if you do not like it you should just turn it off. What do you think? MisterWriter UPDATE: 6/17/09 - Watching the people protesting outside the Letterman studios, one can clearly see where freedom to speak is sadly lacking in freedom to think. And of course, two wrongs always makes a right!  Watch the insanity HERE.

And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by... huh?

And this is... (a) The new California Public School system's budget minded K-12 Charter School. (b) The new prison system after San Quentin and the other state prisons are sold (c) Carnival Cruise Lines new recession cruise specials. Get away without getting away. (d) Naval Package budget reduction plan available on eBay: "100 ships in near mint condition." (e) High Density Housing slated for North Concord. (f) The new US Navy after all the budget cuts (g) Gilligan's Garage Sale (h) Your choice __________ post your one liner in the comments. "And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by." - Sea Fever by John Mansfield (Click HERE) MisterWriter

Did you come out of the analog TV closet for the digital TV transition, or are you just turning it off and reading a book instead?

Eeeek! Shades of Y2K all over again. For months we have been warned that our beloved and faithful companion, that provider of the most dubious of ethical entertainment, our television, was about to shed its analog roots and come out of the closet in full digital glory. What that meant, we were told, was that there would be no more analog signals to be snatched from the air using the coat hanger nailed to a broom handle as an antenna. We needed a digital convertor box or...dare I say it... a digital television. Of course, for those still in trailer parks and using the broom antenna method, there was still hope; a simple convertor box would convert those antique analogs into the new and sleek digital signal. Of course if you are a cable subscriber, it does not matter what you have; your signals will be just fine. Poor in content but just fine. Which reminds me of the Y2K warnings that airplanes would fall from the sky and the world would end and how we waited with baited breath as New Zealand passed into the new year first, hours ahead of us, watching to see if any Air New Zealands would be plummeting to the ground. Y2K was a dud. There is something to be said for the digital outting; it serves to remind us how few people are actually reading books anymore. There are no television free nights where families gather and read a book, either shared or independently, reveling in the silence to absorb those words well enough to have our brain transform them into mental images - you know, imagination, a movie without the ten dollar popcorn and soda you have to buy at the theater, or those annoying commercials that bombard us from the box. "A 2005 survey of parents of children six and under found that the average child spends 1 hour 36 minutes daily consuming "screen media" (television, videos, video games, or computers), and only 40 minutes daily with a book (reading or being read to). 43 percent of children under age two watch television every day. 54 percent of two- to three-year-olds know how to change channels with the remote. 43 percent of four- to six-year-olds have a television in the bedroom; when their parents are asked about it, 30 percent say it's to help the children fall asleep. The proportion of twelfth graders who read for fun on their own at least once a month has declined as follows: 77 percent in 1992, 72 percent in 1994, 71 percent in 1998, 66 percent in 2002, and 70 percent in 2005."  Click HERE to read the article Perhaps the digital warning should be that we are fast becoming conditioned by the tube and not by any intellect on our part. We accept our friends to be those hi-def two dimensional characters from our favorite shows, especially those insane reality shows that make Charles Manson's family look like the Cleavers. So today, the digital day of life and the death of analog, turn off the boob tube and pick up a book. Flip the pages enjoying the crisp lack of technology and immerse yourself in a world of your own making. Now that sounds like a plan! MisterWriter

A little common sense goes a long way... perhaps we need to buy some!

I have been an advocate about common sense and the lack of eroding everything in our society. Too many laws protecting people who should not be protected and too many lawyers happy to further refine legal code. It is a recipe for endless disaster. "-- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." Abraham Lincoln  "In the end, that's the only measure of progress; whether or not the American people are seeing some progress in their own lives." - President Barack Obama And so I am happy to read that slowly but surely pockets of action are forming that serve to erode some obsolete legislation into a more streamlined and proactive form that is more in line with Lincoln's image of democracy, or a progress that the president spoke of. From commongood.org “For decades,” he writes, “teachers have been told that any disciplinary decision is fraught with potential legal consequences.”  Howard applauds Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels’s recent efforts to restore respect and order to Indiana’s classrooms.  In May, the Governor signed legislation that clarifies schools’ rights to suspend students for up to five days without legal process, provides educators with a greater degree of immunity for imposing discipline, and directs schools to develop plans to improve school discipline and behavior.  “Giving teachers the confidence and the tools to take back control of the classroom,” Howard writes, “holds the potential of transforming American education.”  from the IndyStar.com  "The dirty little secret of America's schools is that teachers have lost control of the classroom. Disrespect is commonplace. Disorder is an epidemic -- 43 percent of high school teachers say they spend more than half their time maintaining order instead of teaching, according to a Public Agenda survey." Are you surprised?  Click the above links to read more. How about the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one, the few or the special interest groups?  How about we talk about changing the laws so that students in school are given the education they deserve. How about that progress? MisterWriter

An end of school year poem...

Submitted by Anonymous via site posting... (just one line.) "Thank God it's over for now..." Teachers try and have a relaxing summer. Of course there will be many who believe that teaching is just a part time job; let it go. You can't convince people who do not want to be convinced. Sometime between now and the start of the next school year, there will be more fiscal destruction, angst, turmoil, wishful thinking, ambitious plans, lofty goals. Many will fail and many will be realized. Next week the board will be cutting more money. Try to not let it ruin your summer. What we know for a fact is that the format and the structure of education must change. That means that a lot more independent schools, charter schools, but more importantly, some legislation to start removing weak laws that hurt education and to initiate some new laws that offer hope. Education cannot survive by endlessly cutting more and more money from the system, regardless what one may think of the system. But to get to a turning point will require pain. It has not been a great school year. If you are still standing it says a lot. You get a short window between now and the end of August to recharge. Don't waste it. Have a good summer. And for those of you who are not teachers, happy Friday! MisterWriter

Oh you terrorists, you! And imagine, you thought you had the right to protest!

According to a complaint filed by the ACLU, the Department of Defense considers people who protest as terrorists. Read on..and click the pic for the full article. It is an interesting thought.  Now they just have to classify the pan handlers as terrorists as well and then the Girl Scouts and so on... What do you think? MisterWriter