Why Are We Afraid Of Showing Our Colors?

The one thing that I love is American politics. Everything about it says "America!".

Red, White, and Blue. Stars and Stripes. The Bald Eagle. Apple Pie. Baseball. Philadelphia. Boston. The thirteen original colonies. The Boston Tea Party. The Revolutionary War. The Civil War. Washington. Jefferson. Lincoln. Civil Rights. Jim Crow. Slavery. Women's Rights. March on Washington. Selma to Alabama. Martin Luther King. JFK. Watergate. Nixon. Barack Obama. And on and on and on. It's a mural in my mind when I think of all the things that make America great. I love our history. I love our passion. I love our wars both verbal and physical. Mostly, I love American Politics. It's what makes us who we are.

I love that everyone has an opinion. I love that everyone takes a side. Red versus Blue. Democrats versus Republicans. Conservatives versus Liberals. Christianity versus Liberalism. Conservatives versus alternative families. Liberals versus the constitution. Progressives versus Conservatives. We are all of this and more. But yet...

We are afraid. Why is that? Why are we afraid to say what we think? Say how we feel? Express what is on our minds? We are in what is considered to be the most free society in the world and yet, we would prefer to stay silent about our political thoughts and position on politics, current events and societal subjects, for fear that others may think differently of us. We would prefer to stay tight lipped and hide behind apathy and disregard in order to remain peaceful and avoid confrontation.

I have a lot of acquaintances, both personal and professional. I have friends and family whom I love dearly. And they all know that I can be opinionated and somewhat of a loose cannon. At the same time, I am respectful and hope to live a life that garners respect and admiration. That said, I am not afraid to lose people because of my political and social   beliefs. If someone cannot respect me or like me any longer because I have a philosophy on the course of our country, then I do not need them in my life or around me.

I am Blue to the core. I am a democrat. I love Barack Obama. I love his policies. I love what he stands for. I love his vision for America. I am a Liberal. I believe in hope and change. I believe in same sex marriage. I believe in interracial marriage. I believe in socialized healthcare. I believe in social security. I believe in charity, welfare, and family security. I believe that our immigration laws need to be amended. I believe in Made in USA. I believe in keeping jobs in the USA. And I believe in equality for all regardless of race, creed or color. If anything that I just wrote offends you, please do not stop reading. But why should it offend you? And why would you be afraid to tell me your philosophy?

These subjects, though incendiary are vital to understanding our personalities. Yes, people can make assumptions. For instance, if you say, "i'm a conservative or republican". Some will automatically resort to terms like bigot, racist, non-conformist, and other not so fine distinctions. When I say that I am liberal, some will jump to the conclusion that I too am a racist on the other side. That I am tolerant. That I am God-less or non-Christian. The one that I've heard most recently is Un-American; because it is believed that Liberals want to "throw away The Constitution". But is this why so many shy away from a view that truly defines who they are? I love to ask people their political views. It is a shame that it's so taboo. It is one of the most personal questions that you can ask someone and you might cringe as the words seep through your mouth if you dare ask.

"So, what is your political affiliation? Who do you support? What are your thoughts on same sex marriage?" These are questions that are sure to spark an emotional reaction. And now more than ever, the mere mention of the word "Obama" arouses pride, anger, fear, hope, and bitterness. It is the first time in my memory where the guy, not the policies, evoked so much gut reaction. And it makes people afraid to let those emotions show.

I am a huge social networker; facebook, twitter, and others. I also run a DJ business. I have customers. Many of my acquaintances are also business owners as well. And they, most of all, are very afraid to dabble in political conversation and emotion. Yes, they will "like" a post here, comment on a picture there. But it's very hard to get many to engage in political conversation. One of my best friends and biggest political adversaries removed me from his feed. He does not like mixing business and politics at all. Some say it's fear that they could lose business or that people would avoid hiring them based on their political or social views. I feel differently about that subject. Many corporations openly support political parties with well advertised donations and fundraisers. A lot of local business will post campaign signs in front of their businesses or display banners.

Recently, a bakery refused service to Vice President Joe Biden and Secret Service because of her political beliefs. Chick-Fil-A CEO gave his opinion on same sex marriage. Yes, sometimes, these situations come with a consequence; a loss of business here, a protest there. But people know who you are and where you stand. I was DJ'ing a wedding recently. It was a fun wedding. Everyone had a ball. I loved the bride and groom as well as the family. At the end of the night, we all agreed that we had a great time. The groom came to me at the end of the night to shake my hand and give me a tip. He said, "I don't agree with your politics, but you're a helluva DJ and a super nice guy!". I smiled and said thank you. He knew my politics because he and his new wife added me on facebook several months prior. Yeah, they could have fired me or decided to get a DJ that thinks more like them. And I would not have cared either way. It would not have stopped me from campaigning for my president or making post that champion my causes. But this couple got to know me. All of me. Their DJ and some. And I'm ok with that. 

Do not be afraid Americans. We built this country based on a constitution. A constitution with the first amendment being "Freedom of Speech" and furthermore, Free political speech. You need not fear retaliation. The consequence that you might face is that you might lose a supporter or an acquaintance, maybe even a small amount of business. But you will not lose true friends. You will not lose family. And you will not lose customers who value your freedom. Take pride in the fact that you will not lose your dignity. Be who you are.

Meet My Friend, Gadget

My friends and I go everywhere together. If not all of them, at least one them are with me every where I go. That includes work, DJ events, hanging with my family. Hell, I've even taken them along on dates! I know. It sounds crazy. But i'm so emotionally attached to them, that it's just difficult for me to be away from my friends during any part of the day. I'm sick, I know, but i've grown so emotionally attached to all my friends and I just keep finding new friends to hang out with.

Oh, you think that i'm a sociopath. Put the phone down, don't call for intervention. I'm fine. I'm just like many of you. But I admit that I'm a product of an era. You think that I crave attention and need to be around people all the time. That's not it at all.

My friends are gadgets! Yes, electronic gadgets. Gadgets that connect me to the world. A world much smaller than it was 20 years ago.

For me, it began in 1992. The home computer boom. Everyone had to have one. America Online. They ruled the Earth. People were buying computers just to have AOL. Bing bing bing wheeeeeee dong dong dong. "Welcome, You've got mail". That was like an adrenaline rush. Your heart beat really fast and you couldn't wait to see what you got in the mail! You didn't care if it was a coupon from Wal-Mart. It was mail. Now that I look back on it, it was strange that although you were online, when you signed on to AOL, you were in a contained box. Rarely did you venture outside of AOL. What is that www stuff? I'll pass. Everywhere you looked; tv, radio, magazines, banners, all had these www signs and people were afraid to check it out. "No, i'll just stick with my AOL". No need to venture outside of that world. You had your mail, your chat rooms, your friends; those you knew and those weirdos that you met in some erroneous chat room.

Once we finally got over our fear for leaving AOL, we discovered that the www world wasn't so bad. So we went crazy. www.this and www.that. And now, we rushed home from work and play to www everything possible. It was crazy. People suddenly stopped leaving their homes and the streets were empty after 6pm. The apartment complex parking lot was full because everybody was home, www'ing. We found games, we found relationships, we had sex, we had email address just because we could. "Who's gonna stop me?". So the internet took over our lives and now, I can't imagine life without it. Nor can you if you're reading this blog. Because the internet is the only place that you're gonna read it. *insert smiley face or a wink face*

Then came the cell phone. Yes. The cell phone had been around since the 80's, but only the elitist had them. They were a luxury. People who had them were rich executives, celebrities, successful lawyers and salespeople and maybe some street entrepreneurs. The common man did not have a cell phone. But in the 90's, that all changed. I purchased my first cellphone, yellow candy bar Nokia with the white buttons on the front. My Plan was $35 for 100 minutes per month. Sprint ironically. Then several years later, just like the www ads, I began to notice this word, "text". As in "text 5576" and "text a-d-a-m". I wondered what it was, but dared to do it. I had no idea what this would do. I'm not trying it. Then strangely, my phone went, "bling!!". I said, "what the hell is that?" I looked and saw a strange envelopey shapey thingy. I slowly reached for the "OK" button to accept it. It was a message, "yo, whuddup" and it had a phone number above it. I was nervous. I pulled the car over and contemplated my next option. Do I reply? Do I just look at it? What now? I did not even fathom or care who it might be! My mind was resting on, what do I do next!. So the decision was made. Reply. "Who dis?". That one reply opened a whole new world! Texting. Of course at the end of month, I received my bill that stated I owed $250 for text messaging. Learned my lesson, bought a text package. No way was I living without THIS!

Now I have the www and a phone and I can text. But I could only text those people who accepted my text, so my texting was limited. But dammit, my world was getting so accessible. I was loving life.

Then...

Blackberry. Oh no. I thought the laptop was bad. (Also called "notebooks or notepads" by geeks and college students), But, Blackberry was a whole new level. It made laptops look primitive.

I was introduced to Blackberry. Big brick of a phone with a ginormous screen and a jog wheel on the side. There was no way that you mistake this beast sitting in your pocket or on your hip. You knew for sure when you had it with you. It weighed what seemed like a pound. But you could surf the web, get your email, and text. My lord... I don't have to sit at home now? I have my world on my hip?! Are you effin kidding me? Hell. I could do nothing else. Blackberry, blackberry, blackberry... drive-blackberry, walk-blackberry, shop-blackberry, lunch with real people-blackberry, dinner with my girl-blackberry, picnics, sports outing, vacation, road trips-blackberry. It had become an extension of my hand. Like a fingernail. But much more important. I would bite my fingernails and spit them out like they had no redeeming quality. This Blackberry thing was like a limb!

So Blackberry spawned windows mobile phones and of course iPhones and Androids. And of course we wanted larger screens without having to tote around laptops, so hence, the iPad, Android tablets and so on. What do we need people for again? Oh, to talk to on all of these devices! That's it!

So these devices are my friends. I'm emotionally attached to them. Very rarely am I seen without at least two of them at a time. The emotional connection is very real. When you don't have them, what sets in is the feeling of loneliness, loss, out of control, disconnected. "Where's my phone?", "I need to post that", "...that was witty, i'll make that my status", "what an idea, i need to blog about that", are all common thoughts throughout the day. Since we no longer remember phone numbers & addresses and email addresses and carrying a phone book is just out of the question and not to mention that we need to save people's phone numbers who we don't even know or talk to; our phones keep all of this pertinent and not-so-pertinent info on it. When we misplace or lose our phone, we just lost our world; friends, almost friends, family, and even mom. "Now I have to call my sister and ask her what mom's phone number is.. ugh". Often, I see Facebook status messages that say, "Send me your contact info. I lost my phone". I always wonder what they do about the people that aren't on Facebook. "Oh, those people. I'll get there info...eventually".

By the way. There are several ways to store contact info so that when you lose your phone, you can retrieve it. That was invented a few years ago.

I heard a story that I must credit to former colleague of mine. I'll call her Bobbi for this story. She witnessed a car flipped over on the side of the road. Two female teens were sitting by the wreckage. Bobbi went over to assist them. They were crying and visibly upset and shaken. Blood was on there faces. Visible bruises from the airbags and scars from broken glass. Other than that, they seemed fine. Bobbi went to the girls and walked them away from the wreckage so that she could speak with them. She understood both the physical and emotional psychosis of car accidents and she treated them with kid gloves. "Are you girls ok?", Bobbi said. The girl was trembling, gasping for air as she said her first words, "m-m-my PHONE!!!. It's it's ...... st-st-st-still in the c-c-car! I need to GET MY PHONE!!!!". True story. After a traumatic car accident, bleeding and bruised, this girl was concerned about her phone! That's what we've become. And I get it.

Today my fiancé teases me about my addiction to my Android device, my iPad, my laptop, the desktop, and the fact that i'm always attached to one. In fact, she found it funny that I have 4 laptops! I just gave her one to make up for my insanity. She stopped teasing me instantly. *insert smiley face and a wink face*. She hasn't taken her eye off it in days. Even though, she's sitting right next to the desktop. I also gave her an Android device. And I share my iPad with her. But not very often.

Yes. My closest friends are gadgets. But it keeps me close to my human friends and family. They've made me smarter. More intellectual. I keep in touch with people more often. I make more friends and acquaintances in a week than I used to make in a year. I even talk to my pastor on days other than Sunday! So this is working out. There are others out there like me.

This makes me happy.

Face It Dems & Libs; We Picked the Wrong Guy, Because He's Too Much Like Me

By Chris Wright

In the last few months or so I've heard Matt Damon, Michael Moore, Stephen A. Smith & a few other democratic liberal types all say how disappointed they are in the work of President Barack Obama. All of these people voted for President Obama and are supporters of President Obama. So it made me take a deep look at the last fifteen months of the Obama administration. A closer look. And it was that punch in the gut that you get when you realize that your son is just not cut out for football. The feeling that you get when you finally accept your child's teacher's assessment that he or she needs special education. I took that long hard look at Barack Obama. And I love this man. He's been a beacon of light for me and millions of others. He seems virtuous, honest, and caring. He seems extremely patriotic and he means well with every action and every bill that is passed. But he's just not the guy. This job is going to swallow him alive!

How does this relate to me?

Ever since I was a young teenager; probably around 13, I had this desire to be in management. I always wanted to be in charge. I sold papers, made a system, hired a team of people to help me with my route, and after paying my team, I made no money, but I was happy that I managed a team of kids who handled this huge neighborhood. After awhile, my friends got lazy. They weren't waking up, missing their routes, stealing my money and other shenanigans. Which ultimately caused me to lose my route. But those were my buddies. We laughed and joked about it. Everything in life was good. I still had my friends. Screw the paper route. Later in life, I was in the Navy, as I moved up in the ranks, I was heavily decorated with ribbons and medals for accomplishments. I moved up the ranks pretty fast. But I never led people during my Navy stint. I was always in jobs where I worked alone and required self-motivation and independence.

After my Navy stint I got into management again. adult management; with a national restaurant chain; Italian food. I was an assistant manager. I was responsible for the restaurant operations; front to back. I became good friends with the kitchen staff. Those guys were great and they loved when I work. They could go crazy. The bartender chatted with me all the time, told me all of his life's horror stories, opened up easily. Waitresses loved me, confided in me, cried with me, and I even dated a few of them. I finally left and went into retail. I went to a national video chain. I did quite well there too. Promoted up to district manager of Norfolk, Virginia Beach and Chesapeake. Made great friends. A few who are great friends to this day. But I did not get those promotions because of my great leadership skills. I got those promotions because I was a politician. I rubbed elbows and befriended the right people. I was a socialite. And actually, I was a horrible manager of people. I wasn't a leader. I liked people. I wanted friends and lots of them. But I still wanted that executive position. I went from retailer to retailer. Big boxes with big names. You've heard of some; Target, Circuit City, Best Buy, Enterprise. Again, I was a great politician, gatherer of people and collector of friends. I finally got tired of trying to lead and motivate people for my success. It was such a stupid concept. Why didn't everyone see the world like I did? Why did I have to motivate people to want success for themselves. I had a plan. So I got fed up with needing people to get me where I needed to be. I wanted to work alone.

Every job that I took after that retail stint; I worked alone. And I was successful. Pharmaceuticals, Business to Business sales, and running my DJ company. I could have lots of friends and depend on none of them for my own success. And that is good for me. I don't have to wait on people to make decisions. I don't have to motivate others. I don't need them to be successful. I can be a nice guy. A politician. And sell my personality.

Here in lies the problem with Barack Obama. His campaign was great! The people loved him. Even the people that said, "he's inexperienced". He wowed us. He had a vision. He wanted change and so did millions of Americans. He wanted to reform health care. He want to please the gay population. He won over middle class whites and affluent blacks. And if this were a dictatorship where he didn't need anyone else to get his agenda done; then we wouldn't be having this discussion. But Barack needs to be liked. He's a socialite. He's gathered many friends in his short political career. He mastered the book "How to Win Friends and Influence People". Then he wrote two books of his own that sold millions and made the New York Times Bestsellers list.

You ever work for those manager's that did what was good for the success and profitability of the store, but most of the people thought that he was an asshole. He or she weren't trying to be popular. They didn't hang out with the crew. They had 8am meetings on Sunday mornings whether you liked it or not. They made a lot of money. They had a lot of company awards and accolades. And they were well respected by their superiors. You hated them while you worked for them. But at your next job, you respected how much you learned from them. You never knew this manager to have many friends. It's a tough place. It's a hard life. But somebody's gotta do it. And it's not Barack Obama.

He's not equipped to fight his adversaries. The republican party is ruthless. And not only them, but also, fight against the popularity of Hannity, Limbaugh, Beck, Wilkow, Levin, and Murdoch. They want him gone. He never stood a chance. While he should have been spending 15 months pushing forward his agenda, instead, he spent this time trying to get along with his enemies and out manuever the media pundits. He's tried to get tough a few times by publicly insulting and challenging the republicans, but it was all seen as posturing. He's not that guy. When there are riots in the streets, he's the guy saying, "can't we all just get along?" Barack Obama has compromised so many times on so many issues that he can't even remember what his original agenda was. Gays are mad. Middle class workers are mad. Unions are mad. Democrats are mad, Independents are mad. Barack Obama is still campaigning. "Gimme time. I will not surrender. We still have work to do. Gimme time. Be my friend." It's just sad. He has to learn like I learned. He will be a far better ex-president than he is a president. Because it takes iron-clad balls to be a president and stand in the face of adversity and take it, digest it, and spit it back in their faces.

Barack Obama take my advice. Don't run again. Serve the people that you intended to serve outside of Washington. Become an activist. Lead the ACLU. Practice law with Michelle, who once said, "it's the first time in my adult life that i've been proud to be an American". I wonder how she feels now? Barack, lead a cause to help the poor and disenfranchised. You can be a hero. But you cannot be a leader. This is the tagline on his Presidential nominee resume:

"Advocate for decisive change and action to restore the political, economic, military and social landscape and dominance of the United States as a global leader. Well-respected for political judgement, integrity, ethical behavior, passion and commitment to American citizens"

Barack, you can't do those things in Washington, you have to do them outside of Washington. That's what Bill Clinton is doing.

Tiger Test Our Religion

By Chris Wright

I ended my last blog entry saying how the Tiger Woods issue raises serious concern about who we are as human beings and what life means.

I took another day to reflect on that statement and I listened to more talk radio and rants from sports fans and analyst. I wanted to make sure that what I was thinking was on the right path. And of course...I was. You know me. I'm Wright even when I'm wrong. I am an emotional person when it comes to certain issues like anyone else. My biggest pet peeve is human judgment and unforgiveness. That, more than anything else really gets my blood boiling. Because everything that we need to know in order to live in this world, we learn by age 5. Then we just forget it all. One of the biggest lesson that we learn and one of the biggest lessons that we teach our children is forgiveness. But as adults, we fall short. Then the other thing that we teach our children is to not judge and not be mean. And as adults, we fall short.

On my Facebook page, long before the the fateful Thanksgiving of 2009 when the Tiger Issue began, the Religion question on my profile says: I am Tiger Woods. I was making mockery of the Nike commercial back in the late 90s when all of the children were saying "I am Tiger Woods". It was surreal and almost like a religious following. I could hear billions of human beings across the world saying in the same tone, "I am Jesus Christ". It was only Tiger Woods' second year as a pro when that commercial was on TV and already, he had been exalted to a deity-like form. "I am Tiger Woods". Once this scandal broke and the world turned their backs on him; the same world that followed him like disciples in the gallery, the world who replaced his posters on the walls with crucifix, and the same world that cringed at the very mention of his name, I wondered, should I keep my Religion status on Facebook as "I am Tiger Woods". I did. And it will remain.

Now more than ever it applies. The selection of that religious status was prolific and profound beyond my understanding. Tiger Woods is a man that the world has looked up to and exalted, not only because he could swing a golf club, but because he was perfect in every way possible. Though we thought. He was everything that we could not be or never imagine ourselves to be. He displayed poise and grace. He practiced hard and played hard. He spoke well. Here was a figure that we could finally tell our children to emulate. He seemed to transcend human life. He was more a than a man. He was loved by most. There were and still are those that hate him. And I do mean hate him. And there was good reason to not like him. He cursed and grimaced on the golf course. He is a very private man and never gave us much of his human side. He wasn't Phil Mickelson. So I can understand a few detractors. When this is all said and done and placed in the history books, somewhere between 1 Peter and Revelations, the most relevant lesson from the Book of Tiger will be one who strived for perfection, but fell short because of human frailty. Not because of temptation, but because of the opportunity and unlimited access to things that tempt.

That's right believers. We are only as religious as our opportunities to sin. This is why the older you get, the more religious you get. Many of you go to church. Look at all the grey hair in the pews. They can see the finish line. They can see the light. They have booked their reservation for a table for one in God's Cafe. And they are going to do everything possible to make sure they don't lose that seat. We remember the best Biblical lessons, not from going to church, but from our Grandmothers and Grandfathers. We say, "Gramma used to always say, Judge not and ye not be judged". Grandpa would always say, "he who is without sin, cast the first stone". Yes believers, we remember these lessons because ole folks taught us. But when you're young and vibrant and life is calling from every port and destination, we are tempted to go where life calls. Cancun, Vegas, LA, Times Square, Girls, Hotties, Money, Cars, Bling, The Jersey Shore... ok, maybe not the Jersey Shore...but you get my point. Oh its so hard being a young religious person. Too many opportunities. Too many chances to sin. And you think, can I do this for 60 more years? Go without?

And to think, you make a thousand dollars a week if you're lucky!!! Can you imagine making a thousand dollars an hour? Then imagine your choices. My goodness! Married men, you might get propositioned by women once every few months. As you're walking through Price Chopper picking up Huggies, a woman passing by gives you that look, squints her eyes and you imagine her to say.. "mmm.. i love a man in a dale earnhardt ballcap. especially when he has the jacket to match. and he's a dad too. come'er big daddy". Or you're in Lowe's deciding which door knob would look better on the first floor bathroom door and you're interrupted by a Hot Mom with a charming smile, holding on to her 3 year old by the the hood of his hoodie. And she sensually says, "do you know which aisle the picture hangers are on?". You melt. "If only I wasn't married". Guys, you have NO idea what temptation is! Now let's combine the two. You make a thousand dollars per hour and you have the whole Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue coming at you daily, not to mention a few Applebee's waitresses and your son's teacher; If you make it through the MONTH without one slip up, you're good. If you make it through the year, you're Ghandi, and if you NEVER submit, then praise the Lord, give me what HE'S having. Because that's the kind of control that I want.

Believers, this is not about Tiger or his transgressions. This is about us. This is about religious beliefs. Human beings. Forgiveness and judgment.

The Bible: If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them. if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.

The Qu'ran: And whoever does evils or wrongs himself but afterwards seeks Allah's forgiveness, he will find Allah Oft-giving, most merciful.

Buddaism: If we do not forgive, we keep creating an identity around our pain, and that is what is reborn. That is what suffers.

The Bible: Do not judge and ye will not be judged. Do not condemn and ye will not be condemned. Forgive not and ye will not be forgiven.

The Torah: When asked by an offender for forgiveness, one should forgive with a sincere mind and a willing spirit, for forgiveness is a natural seed of Israel.

Hinduism: O Lord forgive these sins that are due to my human limitations.

So I quoted from most of the religions in America minus Wiccan and Satanism and they all pretty much say the same thing. They say that we must forgive. And if forgiveness is a the cornerstone of religion and many of you shout to the roof tops that you're God-fearin' creatures who post Facebook scripture daily and weekly, then where is your forgiveness in regards to Tiger or the actions of Tiger? No crime was commited. No murder, no rape, no child molestation, no thievery, no embezzlement, torture, or assault. But I hear people on the radio yelling; yes YELLING at how horrible Tiger is and how weak and pathetic he is. People saying that his apology is a joke. Some even condemning him for apologizing at all. Some said, "too little, too late". Some said that Elin wasn't there and that was significant. Well Tiger's been invisible for 3 months. You don't think he apologized to her a million times? But I guess YOU want to hear him apologize to his wife and all will be good in your world.

I will wrap this up with this. If we take anything we have learned from school, church or parenting, we should look at this situation and give thanks. Thanks that once again, we have been taught another lesson. Like AIDS in the 80's made us think twice about our sexual promiscuity, maybe the Tiger Issue will make us think twice about infidelity. While Tiger's fall from grace is much higher than the few steps that we might fall down, the lesson should be the same, yet more significant. While infidelity in an average persons life might cost him or her a spouse, kids, a home and several thousand dollars; Tiger could lose millions, fame, and respect in the court of public opinion as well.

Tiger gave a 13 minute apology in front of the world. Who would YOU apologize too? In my mind, in that 13 minutes, only 8 seconds mattered. And that was when he said, "For all that I have done, I am so sorry." Nuff said Tiger. Nuff Said.

"Where You Been?" - signed Avid Reader

That's what I received in a Facebook message the other day. It made me feel good because bloggers think that only close friends, moms, and coerced people read their stuff. It's good to know that some people actually miss you when you don't write. It's been a few weeks since I last wrote anything. I mean nothing. The most I wrote was 'Love Daddy' and 'Love Chris' on Valentine's Day cards, but other than that, not much.

So what have I been doing. Let's see. I started working in Albany in January, in my new office with a new team. That in itself has been an overwhelming new experience. Although I'm doing the same job that I'd done in Utica/Syracuse, everything is quite different. I feel like like a left a job working in a bank to working at the New York Stock Exchange. Fun, fast-paced, electric, exciting, and flat out busy. So much to do in so little time. My days fly. I'm re-learning the Capital Region. It ain't what it was when I left it. It's more subdued. A little tame. I can also attribute that to me being 4 years older with a family and a real job. See, when I last lived in Albany, I worked for Enterprise Ren-ta-cah. And then I was a pharmaceutical rep. HOLD ON Enterprise folks, I'm not saying your jobs aren't real. I just remember how much we partied and drank on a daily basis. We are very close knit, like family. Forty percent of my Facebook friends are former Enterprisers. Some of my best memories are from working there. But one of the things you rarely hear from Enterprisers is, "IT'S FRIDAY". Because they don't care. If you don't know, let me explain, everyday was Friday. It was just a matter of where we were going. And I worked from Saratoga to Poughkeepsie, so the spots were abundant; Rafferty's, P&G's, Juniors, City Tavern, DA's, The Bullpen, Rusty Nail, Bayou, Cabaloosa, Mad River, and the list goes on. So yeah, Enterprisers work hard, but they party harder. Up at 5:30am and lucky to be back in bed by 2am the next night. We did it big.

Then there was my pharmaceutical rep job. Well... position, I should call it. Many of my friends still do this job, so I'll tread lightly when talking about it. What I remember most about pharma is driving. And driving. And more driving. And parking. And driving. Then more parking. Oh, I remember the drug launches. Who hoooo! And I remember driving. Everything else was a blur.

So back to what I've been doing. Like I said, Ye Ole Capital Region is different. So I'm getting used to that again. My drinking, partying, and womanizing hours are now spent commuting, shopping, and eating. That's what fathers/husbands do. We drive, shop and eat. At Golden Corrals and Friendly's and other fine family establishments. But it's fun and rewarding. I'm re-learning traffic. There was no traffic in Central NY. Except for the occasional congestion off the 90 exit at Carrier Circle in Syracuse at 7:55am. Then there was the back up on Genesee St and the Arterial in Utica because there's a traffic light every 30 feet. Nothing like the Northway at 7am and 5pm. So I'm adjusting.

I rediscovered sleep. Last week, I was sick and I use that word lightly. I think I was more fatigued/dehydrated than anything. I came home from work, popped 2 Tylenol PMs and that was it! A new discovery. That's what's been missing in my life. So now, I've been popping one at night before bed. The TPMs does two things. It helps me sleep and it cuts some of the minor aches and pains that I get from being cramped in a car all day. From driving, shopping, and eating.

I've been awakened and rejuvenated by Tiger speaking! It woke me up and turned on the creative juices. I'm ready to write again. I listened to Tiger talk all day yesterday and listened to and read people's reactions. And people, we've got problems. The Tiger issue raises serious concerns about who we are as human beings and what life means. It's my job to point that out to you. So get ready for my wrath.

Your Child Just Might Believe You. Handle With Care.

by Chris Wright

Is your kid a clone of you? Do you want your child to think and speak like you politically, socially, morally, and ethically? Think real hard before you answer.

If you're over 30, you can probably remember a time when there was less media, less cable channels, less radio, no Sirius, no XM, no cnn.com, not foxnews.com, no Rush, no Hannity, no Bill O' Reilly, no this.com or that.com. Your parents are probably pigheaded and believed what they believed without very little media or talking-head intervention. And now you say, "my parents are so close-mined". Well, we have the luxury of being very open-minded because as soon as we think one way, we can turn on the TV or radio and hear an opinion that differs from our own and say, "hmm, I never looked at it like that!" --at the speed of light, we can change our mind. With a great deal of help from media. Look how big the Independent party is. I believe due in part to media and not really taking a side. When I was younger, there were Democrats, Republicans, and Ross Perot. That was it! Now there is 5 or 6 parties for every election!

But this is not my point. So, I was listening to this conservative radio show the other night. Very conservative host Mark Levin. One of his clones called in. (A clone is a person that forms all of their opinions from one radio host. That's all they listen to. They talk like them and parakeet everything they say when talking to other people). The clone was a proud and concerned mother. She called in to tell the host her anecdote about her son's school project on Global Warming.

Just a little background for those of you that don't really know the political lobbying agenda on Global Warming. In a nutshell, the left are all for it, because they are "tree-hugging, environmental, go-green" activist. The right totally oppose the notion of Global Warming and have pretty good data and evidence that it and Al Gore are a fraud. And that the Obama Administration continues to pour mounds of money into the prevention of Global Warming, thereby perpetuating the farce. Ok, enough about that.

Her son had to do a paper on Global Warming. Now without knowing all of the details of the background on the school, the curriculum, the grade level, or the age of the kid, I can tell you that none of that is relevant for the sake of this blog. Being that mom is a staunch right-wing conservative who is anti-global warming, she was sure to have the urge to help her son with his essay assignment and give her two cents; probably with an iron fist. I'm sure that she told her son exactly how it is in regards to Global Warming.

"But mom! That's not what we were taught in school about Global Warming!" he might've said.

And mom probably said, "Well, I don't care what they're teaching you down at that school. They're wrong! Let me tell you about Global Warming son. It's a farce. And tonight, I'm going to show you some articles that proves that it's a fraud!"

"But..."

"But nothing. I know and we're going show that little teacher of yours the truth and stop these lies right NOW!"

So, he writes his essay on Global Warming according to his mother. He takes it into school. His teacher reads. She grades. He gets a zero.

Are you emotional? For the zero or against the zero? Let us move on.

He tells mom that he received a zero on his paper. Mom fumes. She makes an appointment with the teacher and now it gets sticky. The teacher explains that her son's take on global warming is not how it was taught in class. The teacher told the mother that the curriculum is based on what will be on the State Exam and that it is her job to prepare her students for the State Exam. She further explained that her classroom is not an open forum, at least not for that particular assignment, but that this particular project was to make the students familiar with the global warming agenda both domestically and abroad.

Mom now wants to speak with the Principal, who pretty much supported the teacher. After that, mom wanted the superintendent who not only supported the teacher and the principal, but explained to the mother, that if her son gave the same answer on the State Exam, that he would receive a zero again! So now mom wants to take it to the next level; writing the state, etc.

My question to you is this. Where does the son fit into all of this and what is he learning? He's learning at a very young age to buck the system if you think it's wrong. He's learning that authority is not important if you believe that it's wrong. He's learning that one man or woman's opinion is law if they can show evidence to support their view; even if they don't show you the opposing view. He's not learning that there is a very structured way to fight a system if you're against it. He's not learning that his mom supports the school and the administration. How many times have our children said, my teacher is stupid, or the assignment is dumb, or i'm failing such and such class because I don't agree with it? As parents, aren't we supposed to support the adult establishment that are in place to help nurture and educate our children?

The better way to go about this would have been for mom to review the material on global warming that was given to her son. And she should have bit her tongue and assisted him with the assignment based on the curriculum and material provided by the school. Wait, don't kill me yet! Then after the assignment was done or even while she was helping him, she could have had a conversation like this:

"I'm going to help you with this assignment and I want you to get a passing grade on it. You have to write your essay according to what the teacher gave you to read on global warming. I have a very different view on it, but that's not important right now. For the sake of this class, let's do it the way your teacher wants it done."

The boy might say, "but mom, I want to hear what you have to say!"

"ok, but I don't want you to write this. This is just my opinion". Then proceed to explain. Then reiterate, "...but for the sake of this assignment, you need to write your essay as your were taught so that you can get a passing grade".

"But mom, what you are saying makes sense! I want to write what you just told me".

"Well, how do you know that i'm right? You have to look at both sides of the argument. Tomorrow we will go to the library and look at magazines, newspapers, and surf the internet. I will let you form your own opinion".

How's that people?? Is that so hard? Or, do you want your child to share your political views and thoughts and become the very parakeet that you or your parents might be? Not teaching kids the importantance of structure and discipline is the downfall of discipline in America. Now kids fight parents, teachers, adults, courts, and anybody whose opinion and ideas differ from their own. And we all know that kids know everything!

This is a tough call. I went back and forth even as I was writing. We want our kids to be independent thinkers. We want them to hear opinions that differ from what they hear in school and church. But look at the results. Less children go to church. Many lack a spiritual base. Children see adults as their equal. They have an opinion about everything. And it drives me crazy! They are bored in school because they think their teachers are tools. And it becomes even worse when the parent agrees with them and proves it. I'm just asking you to think before you act. I have a rule of thumb. As far as the children are concerned, the school is always right. Then I will deal with the school privately and tell them adult to adult what idiots I think they are.

That's what mom should have done.

The Changing Of The Yards

Danny is a guest writer on the blog. He hails from Rotterdam Junction and he's a Syracuse Alum. Welcome Danny to the fold. Because he's right, even when he's wrong.

By
Danny DeOrazio

With everything that has changed throughout my life, there’s been only one thing that’s always been there, sports. They have always been a big part of my life, and will be forever. If you’re anything like me, then you have cheered, booed, yelled and cried over your favorite team or player. When you’re this into it there are superstitions, rituals and traditions involved. But somewhere along the path of my life filled with sports, the meaning of sports and sportsmanship has lost its swagger.

Think back to the days when you were a kid, growing up in the 80’s (maybe 90’s for some of my younger friends)… Think the idea of sportsmanship is the same to the athletes of today to those of the ‘glory days’ of sports??? To me it’s not even close. Athletes and (especially) big wigs have thought way too hard on how to make the game faster, fairer, and more profitable. I get it, sports is a business and without profit there’s no business but C’MON MAN, is enough ever enough?

Have you ever heard so many hubbubs about so many over privileged athletes ever in your life? Everything is news nowadays, too. Everyone wants to know everything about everyone, and then try to break it down. I’ll admit it, I’m part of the millions that want to know about what athletes beat their spouses, had infidelities, or used drugs, but where’s the line going to be drawn? So many people are so quick to judge Tiger Woods for his demise on Thanksgiving night, but I say “What is he the first person to ever cheat on his wife?” People should think about the people they’re surrounded by and the lives they live before judging someone else. Well, personally, I’m gonna root more than ever for Tiger when he comes back to golf, and I can guarantee I’m not alone.

The controversy on the use of steroids/PEDs/whatever in sports, especially baseball, will unfortunately be around forever. Thanks dicks! I used to absolutely love Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco when they were the Bash Brothers on the A’s! It kinda brought the excitement back into baseball, adding the long ball and taking away dominating pitchers like Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens (yea I added him!). Everyone loves some offense right? Mostly, with me as an exception. I am, and always have been, defensive-minded. Love pitching, loved linebackers like LT and Mike Singletary. To me, anyone can learn to score a bucket or throw a pigskin, but defending your territory is where it’s at. In baseball, the gloves, the bats, the cleats, etc… have all improved to grow with the times, but what about the pitchers? Last time I checked, the ball itself is the same it’s always been…. How about making the ball a little smaller and we’ll see how many homers precious A-Roid puts up this year? I will say that MLB has gone through humongous strides regarding PED use in the past few years. That being said, anyone wanna take my bet than NOBODY will ever hit more than 61 homeruns in one year in my lifetime?

Instant Replays…Booth Reviews…Stupid Penalties….OH MY!!! Remember back in time when there were no replays?!? Whatever the referee or umpire called, that was it; no ifs ands or buts. Well, now we have instant replays that go to reviews to make sure the call is right. Granted, the review usually confirms the call, but how much do you still hate it when 50,000+ fans, 2 or 3 idiot announcers and one drunken idiot watching it on a 31” TV can see the play clear as day, thru bloodshot eyes??? I’m not saying the Twins would’ve won that one infamous game against the Yankees in the 2009 AL playoffs when not 1, not 2, that’s right 3 calls that a deaf and dumb pig could’ve got right in real time. But nobody can say it would’ve had NO effect on the game, or you’re just another Yankee fan.

Ya’ll can rest easy though; I have a solution to this instant replay/booth review conundrum. There needs to be “Reality Reviewers” at each and every major sports game. What I mean is a group of ‘trained eyes’, tested with countless hours of replays that can bring an unbiased judgment of a play, in reasonable time. Too many times do I see a review that takes 5 minutes or more and it’s not even the correct call. I consider myself a good, fair judge even if it’s against my team, and could make these calls within 30 seconds. I just want a fair call that doesn’t interrupt the flow of the game. Too much to ask?? … And I don’t even want to start in on how quarterbacks can’t get touched anymore! … Or the ‘Tuck Rule’.

Being a kid that grew up 5 foot nothing, 100 nothing pounds, I didn’t have all the athletic advantages as a lot of others I knew. I played golf. I think I was pretty good, but my family didn’t have the $$$ to give me what I needed to make it, because I wasn’t THAT good. All I can say, without any doubt in the world that if I somehow made it into the NFL, MLB, or PGA or wherever, you probably wouldn’t see me in the news a lot. Whenever I see someone cheating in the game, on their wife, bringing guns to the locker room or just running their mouth off I just laugh to myself and change my perspective on their lives. There’s no use making a martyr out of anyone, because someone will just do something even dumber pretty soon, it’s a given. For me just about anything can be forgiven and everyone deserves a second chance. I understand wanting to get a leg up on the competition, I understand coaches and players that shoot off their mouths, I get it. Except for Michael Vick, I love animals too much. Being the ‘Eye for an Eye’ believer I am, think his punishment should’ve been to have fought to the death with some other felon when he was locked up. Who’s with me???

Luckily, there is one sporting event that has not really changed during my lifetime: (minus adding 1 more irrelevant team) THE NCAA BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT. To me, college sports mean a whole lot more than the pros, because they’re not doing it for money. Only a small percentage will go on to the pros, the rest are playing for the glory of not only themselves, but for their coaches and their college buddies that they see walking down the quad. I happened to have seen my alma mater Syracuse University in their remarkable run in the 2003 NCAA tournament. I saw them in Albany, out in Boston, but didn’t make it to New Orleans. I happened to be in Syracuse for work. I went to the Carrier Dome and watched the championship game between the Orange and the Kansas Jayhawks. Who cares? Me, because I was the kid who in 1987 cried for days when my Orangemen lost on a last second shot by Keith Smart, giving the championship to Indiana. I may have been past my time as a student at Syracuse, but being amongst the other 8000+ current students in the Dome, I dropped to my knees and started crying again. Tears of joy this time! Thank you NCAA for keeping it real!

The Syracuse/NCAA reference was put in to show proof that sports can remain traditional, ethical and consistent enough to take a 8-year old crying-ass kid, and turn him into a gleaming 24-year old alumnus, and now into a 31-year old bracketologist. I just wish now that someone slaps some sense into the BCS committee……. What a mess!?!