my point, and i do have one.....

never forget

2011-09-05T00:02:00.004-04:00

it's been nearly a decade since our country faced one of the worst events in modern history, 9/11. on that day ten years ago, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, parents and friends did not come home. the world was forever altered.

i was just telling my best friend, as we discussed this somber anniversary, that one of the things i remember most from the days and months that followed 9/11 was the sense of overwhelming humanity. while i can't speak to the rest of the country, in new york (and the tri-state region), there was an understood camaraderie...an unspoken feeling that we are all amercians and we have each other’s backs. i remember thinking, if this is the one good thing that comes from this horrible event, what a wonderful legacy that would be. then tonight, i watched the cnn special, "unwelcome: the muslims next door" and my heart and hopes dropped.

part of the nashville metropolitan area, murfreesboro has a population of approx. 108,755 (according to the 2010 u.s. census). cnn states that murfreesboro has had a healthy muslim community for quite some time. as a matter of fact, right after 9/11 those muslims interviewed in the special said they were approached by neighbors reassuring them that they know not all muslims were involved with terrorism. as the muslim community increased in this area, they slowly out grew their house of worship. they did some fund raising among their members and raised enough money to purchase land to build a new 52,000-square-foot structure with a mosque, gym, playground and cemetery. (i don't need to tell you what came next, do i?)

just as quickly as they prepared their plans, the backlash followed. this included lawsuits, a fire that, according to cnn, "destroyed construction equipment and damaged vehicles at the construction site for the mosque,” (the police declared it arson) and the defamation of a sign at the front of the property with the words "not welcome" sprayed across it. additionally, during the taping of one of the segments, gunfire was heard on the plot of land. throughout the special, the legitimacy of the islamic/muslim beliefs as a religion is called into play (hence waiving the first amendment). as the huffington post explains, the opposition's positions sounded reminiscent of claims made by people against desegregation, "you hear opponents make claims like, 'they want to disrupt our way of life. they want to kill us. they beat their women. they're not like us.'"

the judge in the case ultimately ruled in favor of the islamic center and recently upheld his ruling stating: “those who are adherents to islam are entitled to pursue their worship in the united states just as are those who are adherents to more universally established faiths (in our community)."

the very first amendment of the u.s. constitution reads in part: "congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." why was this is the first one out of the box? because it was the one that our founding fathers believed the most in. yet here we are today with people going to extremes to "protect" their cities from neighbors who have differing beliefs from their own. it sometimes seems like 9/11 gave people with these types of stereotypes and excuse for their bigotry.

it's not that long ago a country murdered millions of jews because they had different religious beliefs and were therefore something that needed to be eradicated. additionally, in our own country, fears of the japanese during world war ii cause many (including japanese-americans) to be held in internment camps. (if put to a vote after 9/11 how many would have sadly said yes to muslim internment camps?) and it is already sneaking into our next presidential campaign. recently, chris wallace of fox news interviewed presidential candidate herman cain about the issue in murfreesboro. wallace asked cain if any community has the right to ban mosques? his answer was yes. he said: "yes, they have the right to do that. that’s not discriminating based upon religion – against their particular religion – there is an aspect of them building that mosque; and the people in the community know what it is and they’re talking about it." (cain went on to justify his statement that he would not hire a muslim for his cabinet, saying that is different from people discriminating against blacks during civil rights because he is erring on the side of caution. here are the clips from the interview).

my point, and i do have one is...who are we? ten year after 9/11 is the america we now live in a better place than before? can’t we be patriotic without being discriminatory? do we stand more firmly in our country's core beliefs? or are we using them because we are scared? i am humbled by the men and women of our military who put their lives on the line for not just our freedom, but the rights of all people who long to be free from oppression...yet right at home the oppression for some continues. while our military is fighting overseas, don't we owe it to them to be able to return to a country free of oppression for all?

next weekend, i will challenge myself to honor those taken too soon by re-finding the basic humanity i felt the days following the attack…as i still believe that would be the greatest legacy. what's your point?

patriotically conflicted

2011-05-04T11:03:00.004-04:00

on september 11, 2001, i was fortunate to not be downtown, but i vividly remember being in times square wondering if my location was the next area to be attacked? i remember watching fire trucks heading toward the towers on the west side highway to an uncertain future, while i waited on a two-hour line for a ferry to new jersey, to reunite with my brother and friends. i remember sitting with billy, stephanie and lou on sinatra drive in hoboken looking at what is now called ground zero, as it burned...our beautiful skyline became sad that day, never to be the same. i remember staying up all night watching the news while my brother slept on my couch because if the lincoln or holland tunnels were the next targets (as some were speculating at the time), their destruction would mean my first floor apartment would flood and we would need to get to higher ground immediately. i was profoundly sad, angry, scared and wished that that, in retaliation, as an act of war,we took out osama bin laden. now, nearly a decade later, bin laden's death, paired with the country's reaction has left me patriotically conflicted.

mark twain once wrote: "i've never wished a man dead, but i have read some obituaries with great pleasure." am i sorry bin laden is dead? no. will i mourn the death of a terrorist who murdered thousands of innocent people? absolutely not. after president obama gave his speech the other night, i found the coverage of the crowd outside the white house singing the national anthem very moving. for the first time since the days following september 11, the words took on more meaning than merely signaling the beginning of a baseball game. but quickly, it seemed to turn into a full on celebration of bin laden's death. it was sheer revelry...partying in the streets, toasting with liquor, applauding his death at national tv shows like the view.

i remember on september 11 and 12, 2001 watching news video of oversea "evil-doers" having similar celebrations in their streets over the tumbling of the twin towers, the destruction at the pentagon and the horror in pennsylvania and thinking, i can't believe those sons of bitches are celebrating! what kind of heartless people celebrate death? now, i can hear you saying: "but that's different, bin laden was evil and the people killed on 9/11 were innocent." that is true, i'm not arguing that point, but instead saying from a perception perspective...shouldn't we act better than them?

some of my friends have said that when they first heard bin laden was dead they felt exhilaration...not me. i felt a resurgence of fear. how long before they retaliate? where will that be? ny or dc again? maybe a smaller town? what about americans overseas? now, maybe it's the publicist in me, but in a time and age of instant communication, why would we want to taunt unstable terrorist type people with a celebration of their "leader's" death?

my point, and i do have one is...now more than ever, we should act like the civilized people we portray ourselves to be. is this how the supposed standard bearers of justice behave? according to jack cloonan, a former fbi special agent, my fears aren't unfounded. he told the huffington post "the reasons they hate us have not subsided and [these celebrations] could reinvigorate things."

nearly ten years later, the scars from september 11th still exist. some are public, like the gaping hole that to this day remains at ground zero…some less visible, like the continued pain felt by those who will forever mourn the loss of their fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, sisters, brothers and friends. many first responders are sick and dying from what they inhaled at the ground zero pile, fighting for health care they so desperately need. i personally think everyone lost a little bit of their innocence that day, i know i did.

as a proud native new yorker and american, i make no bones about hating bin laden as well as the people who fulfilled his vision. but celebrating nearly a decade later over our taking him out, just leaves me feeling uneasy. if we want to celebrate anything, how about instead we focus all our energy on celebrating and honoring our troop's heroism and bravery?

my friend marc posted a quote from dr. martin luther king jr. on his facebook wall that, i think expresses says what i feel more eloquently than i ever could: "i mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."

what's your point?

"honk if i need an education"

2011-02-23T13:59:00.003-05:00

ronda holder, a 33 year old mother of six, had it up to here with her 15-year old, whose grades have been less than stellar. after her son, james, brought home his 1.22 gpa, holder made him stand on a street corner for nearly four hours with a sign that said “my name is james w. mond iii. i did 4 questions on my f-cat and said I wasn't going to do it! gpa 1.22... honk if i need [an] education."

this wasn’t holder's first attempt to make james realize the importance of keeping his grades up. according to the associated press, both holder and james’ father “offered help, asked to see homework, grounded and lectured him and confiscated his cell phone.” frustrated when those measures didn't work, holder decided to try sheer embarrassment. she was quoted as saying, “until he straightens up his grades and gets his education on track, he’s going to work this corner...[embarrassment] is the best thing. [james] don’t like to get embarrassed.” tv crews caught many cars honking in support of james getting more education.

this whole experience has had a definite impact on young james. “i felt crazy,” he told the st. petersburg times, “it’s embarrassing....she was trying to teach me a lesson. i should have been working harder than i was in school.” since neither holder, nor james' father, graduated high school, this extreme act was her ultimate plea in defense of her child's education. she said, “i don’t want any of my kids to stand by the side of the road asking for change.”

but not everyone thinks this side-of-the-road antic is much better. a psychologist told fox 13 in florida that "embarrassment and shame is not really healthy for a young person's mind growing up." additionally, according to an article in forbes, psychologists typically think extreme parenting, like this, is not only “humiliating and ineffective,” but also mentally abusive. they went on to say that a representative from florida's department of children and families thinks that punishment like this "might legally be considered a form of maltreatment."

my point, and i do have one is....while humorous on the surface, i find this story quite sad. not because james was "humiliated" but because at the core of this story, in my opinion, is a parent crying out for help. so often we hear people say that parents who aren't engaged in their children’s education are a big part of why the system often fails. well, here you have a mother who, despite having a lot of kids at a very young age and limited education of her own, is trying to do right by her son...trying to compel him in every way she knows how, to achieve more educationally than she did. i would imagine it’s just as shameful and embarrassing for her to publicly announce that her child is failing school, yet she believed that this, non-traditional (and admittedly controversial) approach, was the price to pay for another attempt to reach her son. while i don't know that this was the best approach, i applaud her for her action in doing something and for staying engaged.

what’s your point?

(girl scout) cookie monster

2011-02-22T20:24:00.003-05:00

the mission of the girl scouts is to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. well, clearly, hersah howard, of florida, was never a scout. believing her roommate ate the last of her thin mint girl scout cookies, howard allegedly ravaged the apartment and attacked her.

according to police, howard, who was in a rage about the missing thin mints, woke roommate, jasmin wanke, in the middle of the night on sunday. after arguing a bit, wanke claims howard (who according to police weighs in at about 400 pounds) proceeded to jump on her and hit her in the face. wanke's husband pulled them apart, but that didn't stop howard, she proceeded to chase wanke with a pair of scissors, only to then pick up a board and hit her. according to the associated press, "the fight [then] moved into the kitchen, where howard allegedly hurled her heft at wanke again. as they fought, howard bit wanke's breast and struck her several times."

after being torn apart yet again by wanke's husband, the police arrived and charged howard with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. she was released monday on $10,000 bail. wanke claims that she didn't eat the yummy chocolate-coated mint wafers (the most popular of the girl scout cookies) but instead fed them to howard's kids at around 1 a.m. when the children said they were hungry. (really??)

my point and i do have one, is....let’s be honest, shall we? girl scout cookies are a little like crack that is allowed to be legally distributed in offices by pre-adolescent dealers. once a year our friends and colleagues allow their darling little dealers, i mean daughters, to come around and take orders. everyone tends to buy at least one box, not just because we want to support the young ladies in their efforts to raise money, but because we know it will be a whole year before we will get to purchase the good stuff again. and everyone's order process is similar, you get one box of thin mints ('cause that's just a given, right?) and then you add at least one other variety (my preference, the yummy peanut butter).

so, when you break it down to the basics, girlfriend realized her thin mint stash was gone, so like any good crack/cookie head does, she went a little charlie sheen and beat down the person she thought stole it. how has it taken this long for this to happen?? what's your point?

a very un-"happy ending" (in so many ways)

2011-01-21T13:01:00.002-05:00

ahhh vegas, the city littered with so many broken hearts and dreams. think you have heard them all? let me introduce you to young hubert blackman, who has filed a $1.8 million lawsuit against an escort service in vegas because one of their girls didn't spend enough time making him happy.

according to the las vegas times, while on vacation, this new york college student hired an escort from exclusive personals to come to his hotel room for a "date." while he was apparently satisfied with the quality of this woman's work, the quantity quickly became a point of contention.

here are the undisputed facts: the woman performed a lap dance (for $155) and a sex act (for another $120). the issue became the length of her "performance." hubert claims while she was commissioned for a one-hour period, she left after just 30 minutes. dissatisfied, he called the escort service to demand his money back (he also supposedly told them he had been too drunk at the time of the services to make an informed agreement with the dancer). needless to say, they said no (i'm guessing they said no while laughing hysterically, but i digress.)

so what did he do next? hubert did whatever sane thinking person does when the prostitution service they paid for isn't up to snuff, he called the cops! the vegas police promptly informed him that prostitution is illegal and that he could be arrested. (fun fact: while prostitution is indeed illegal in sin city, certain counties have legalized it, hence places like the bunny ranch being able to offer legal brothel service - sharing is caring.)

now before you think this story is over, let me remind you that hubert is a new yorker and a couple of no's won't stop us from seeking justice so richly deserved! upon returning to new york, he promptly filed a suit in manhattan criminal court, claiming he needed medical treatment for the clearly traumatic event, stating: "an escort did an illegal sexual act on me during her paid service to me...i almost had gotten arrested...i would like the court to close the business. i also would like to get my $275 payment back and a $1.8 million verdict for the tragic event that happened."

my point, and i do have one is...wow, hubert, the "tragic event" that happened is that you have now become a national laughing stock! so young and so stupid...so sad. my wish for hubert is that he forgets manhattan criminal court and instead brings the case before judge judy or the people's court so the rest of us see this case through with him!

what’s your point?

update

2010-12-23T22:31:00.006-05:00

in a previous blog, i introduced you to peter and alisha arnold, the couple who wanted you to decide if they should keep or abort their pregnancy. since that post, they have confirmed the premise of the site was not real. according to a cnn article, they created the website as a way to "stimulate conversation about the politically charged subject" of abortion.

peter arnold claims he got the url birthornot.com before his wife got pregnant and this was actually something he had been mulling around for a while. in regards to the request for america to help choose the fate of their pregnancy, they said they "chose their words carefully because abortion was never [really] on the table."

in addition to the negative press and public outrage of their site, in a turn they didn't foresee (really?), alisha arnold lost her job due to all the brouhaha. according to kstp-tv, her bosses thought she was a threat to the company's reputation. they even asked employees to de-friend her on facebook.

my point, and i do have one is....in the tv special rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, we learned about the island of misfit toys, a sanctuary where defective and unwanted toys were sent. i think the time has come for an island of misfit parents, created specifically for those who use their children (or in this case unborn child) to help grab their 15-minutes of fame.

now, i'm not talking about your run-of-the-mill famous parents who are no doubt bad influences on their children like...say...courtney love or oj simpson. on my island of misfit parents, the arnolds would join residents such as dina and michael lohan, octomom, the parents of balloon boy and any maury guest who has been on more than two times (each time with two or more guys) to try and "figure out" who their baby-daddy is. ladies and gentlemen, meet your modern day mommie and daddy dearests. make no mistake about it, while they may not be beating their kids with wire hangers they are leaving marks on their children and society. when will the madness stop? what is your point?

Where's My Shiv?

2010-12-16T12:08:00.003-05:00

As one that has had his dog attacked twice by pitbulls on our very own street when I lived in LA...I'm calling for a ban on pitbull and pitbull mixes at dog parks. Controversial and not PC, I don't care. How many attacks have to happen against children and other animals?

Are you capable of taking a knife and stabbing a dog that is attacking yours? I think I am. I used to carry a stun gun with me on our walks. Nothing compares to seeing your dog attacked, especially my old senior citizen Bailey who could not fight back. Why should those people in the East Village or any place live in such fear they need to arm themselves to protect their beloved pets. I SAY BAN THE DOGS.

LOWER EAST SIDE, NY (WPIX) —

After a recent spate of pit bull attacks at an East Village dog run, fearful pet owners have begun to arm themselves.

Tompkins Square Park dog owners claim there have been five attacks by pit bulls on other dogs and humans at the dog run since September, and they fear for their pets.

"I mean when you see a pit bull latching on to another dog, there is no letting go," said Ellen Burton.

So owners are taking matters into their own hands, and several dog lovers are now reportedly packing knives, hammers and other weapons when they visit the dog run.

"In every dog run there is a fight -- it happens, it's like a playground with kids -- the only difference is, pit bulls finish fights," said one dog owner.

There is a sign at the entrance clearly stating that dog owners are always legally responsible for any damages their canines do, but that hasn't prevented the pit bull attacks.

"It's not necessarily (the case of) a bad owner, but if you know you have a dog that is aggressive you are a bad owner if you bring your dog to the park," said New York veterinary specialist E'lise Christensen.

Some dog owners blame the nearby Social Tee Animal Rescue, but founder Robert Shapiro thinks he's being targeted unfairly. "The minute a dog gets into a fight at the dog run my name is mentioned . . . I'm sure some have been from me, (but) my policy is no pit bulls at the dog run," Shapiro said.

The Parks Department says they've met with the NYPD and community groups on the issue and have installed undercover units to patrol the area.

voting for dummies....

2010-11-29T18:40:00.004-05:00

after suffering three miscarriages, minnesota couple alisha and peter arnold have not only found themselves pregnant again, but struggling with whether they are emotionally prepared to have a child. when faced with the decision to either move forward with the pregnancy or abort, they did what every normal couple does...they set up a website, birthornot.com, so america could help them decide! once on the site, visitors could not only vote, but monitor "wiggles'" progress (that's what they call him/her) and see ultrasound pictures.

while voting was supposed to be open until dec. 7 (two days before the arnolds could still legally get an abortion in their state), it was abruptly closed yesterday. with the number of votes jumping from 250,000 to over one million in a 30 hour period (including a large swing in opinion shifting from from 81/19 in favor of "give birth" to 42/58 for "have an abortion") the arnolds suspected voter fraud. here are two excerpts from their posts:

"if you think by having a computer auto-vote for us, that it is going to discount the votes of the hundreds of thousands of legitimate votes from real people who actually care in helping us make a decision: you are wrong. rest assured, whatever your opinion on this topic, and whatever you have voted one way or another, your vote is being heard."

"with 2,008,039 votes, we have decided to close the vote. we will be sending them off to a third party report wizard to have them analyzed and have the fraud removed."

the results currently shown on the page are 73.63% for "have an abortion" and 22.37% for "give birth." according to alisha: “we are using [the vote] to help determine our decision, but we will still make the final decision." (at the time of this post, no announcement had been made.)

needless to say, this site has sent many news websites and bloggers into a tizzy. a debate has even begun on whether its premise is legit or, if it's really just a hoax to start a national discussion on abortion? according to the arnolds, "while some see this as a game, we most certainly do not."

my point, and i do have one is...are we really surprised this is what it has come too? everyone seems to not just want, but crave their 15 minutes of fame. in my opinion this has led to the over-sharing of people's lives on public forums like facebook and twitter. go ahead, look at your facebook page and see how many of your friends talk about their relationships, jobs and personal issues.

why do people feel the need to purge every single thought they have and action they take for the masses? i just don't get it. but even those of us, who may not over-share but still condone and encourage it, need to accept some responsibility. while others may have the problem, we are their enablers. which brings us back to our couple who has put the fate of their pregnancy to a national vote, just like on american idol or dancing with the stars.

in my opinion, whether or not to go to term with a pregnancy is a very personal and private matter. while the moral implications can be debated, at the end of the day i think one thing is clear...if this couple needs america to vote on whether they should be parents, children's protective services better be on hand if they have the baby! if not we, america, may be co-parenting this child via votes on their next website. (don't laugh, you know that's coming next.) what's your point?

mo' controversy on the street

2010-10-26T21:02:00.004-04:00

for forty-years bert and ernie, have cohabited at 123 sesame street, leading many to ponder, what is the nature of their relationship? are they really just roommates? or, perhaps, they are more than "just friends?" (not that there would be anything wrong with that.)

this deep philosophical question, which has long been debated by both mensa members and stoned college kids alike, is back in the news thanks to a tweet from bert on sesame street's official twitter page.

while referencing his hair style, bert tweeted: "ever notice how similar my hair is to mr. t's? the only difference is mine is a little more 'mo,' a little less 'hawk." well, hawk-ish people may have read a little mo' into this tweet than originally intended.

since the word "mo" is used by some in the gay community as a shortened version of "homosexual," it didn't take long before bert's comment became the ambiguous tweet heard 'round the world.

not only were gay bloggers, activists and parents questioning whether this was finally a tip of the proverbial hat to those who have long speculated about bert and ernie's sexuality, but mainstream media also jumped on the bandwagon in an attempt to "break the story."

the la times posed the question: "is sesame street brought to you by the letters g-a-y?" (that's some pulitzer prize winning writing right there.). some media even referenced the fact that sesame street has been inviting more openly gay celebrity guests to the show, such as wanda sykes and neil patrick harris (who came on as the shoe fairy – i love it!) as additional "proof" of...ummm...something...i guess?

everyone can speculate all they want but, according to long-standing statements made by sesame workshop, bert and ernie are just good friends. in 1993 they went on the record regarding the gay rumors and said: "bert and ernie...do not portray a gay couple and there are no plans for them to do so in the future. they are puppets, not humans...[they are] characters who help demonstrate to children that despite their differences, they can be good friends." sesame workshop president and ceo gary knell commented again in 2007, saying: "they are not gay, they are not straight, they are puppets...they don't exist below the waist."

my point and i do have one, is...while i would happily support the lifestyle choices of both bert and ernie, whatever they may be, i actually find it more interesting that bert tweeted.

sesame street is targeted to children ages five years and younger, so who exactly are the tweets on the official sesame street twitter page targeted to? are they suggesting it's the five-year olds in their audience? or, is it really the parents of these children, as well as long standing fans of the show? if in fact, as i suspect, it is the later, is it really such a leap to then believe that these same adults that follow sesame street, may read into the tweets posted, thinking there may be some hidden messages and double entendres?

either way, i think people have mo' time on their hands than they know what to do with. and besides, everyone knows that if bert and ernie did come out as gay, that would be about as news worthy as when clay akin, ricky martin and lance bass did. scandalous!

what's your point?

an open letter to anderson cooper

2010-09-30T21:53:00.006-04:00

dear anderson,
how you doing? long time no speak. so, i read today that you signed a deal to host a syndicated daytime talk show in 2011. now honey, you know how much i love you right? and you know i think you kill when you fill in for regis! but really? a daytime talk show?

i know you aren't leaving your gig at cnn and that you think the daytime show will provide an opportunity to expand your hard news background, showing a different side of you. your syndicator, warner brother's, is billing you as a replacement for oprah, saying your show will even be similar to hers, “an hour with a celebrity one day and an investigation of women’s rights around the world the next day" with a studio audience and that special mix of "feature pop culture, human interest stories, investigative reports and the occasional town hall meeting."

if i could, i would set the dvr right now to support your vision, because i love ya, you silver fox you! but, my darling anderson, my point, and i do have one...is, why didn't you call me before making this decision?

while i see the allure and appeal of daytime for many, i don't see why you would choose to make the jump. i know it's not for the money...you do quite well for yourself and, oh yeah, in case you forgot, you're a vanderbilt! i know you're not doing it to get some ass, 'cause your a hot commodity in both the gay and straight communities!

anderson, you are this generation's go-to-guy for news (you know, besides jon stewart). you're seeming accessible, you show empathy and compassion while informing and educating your audience. this daytime show will give you an opportunity to explore different stories? are you telling me that cnn won't give you a special if you asked? you are the rock of cnn! sure their ratings suck, but they have anderson cooper! but, ok if you can't do the stories you want there, what about your special correspondent gig on 60 minutes? not enough room to spread your wings?

now, in fairness, i felt the same way when george stephanopoulos went to gma. after the untimely death of tim russert, this inside the beltway, washington insider was the king of sunday morning with this week. and now? you can see him doing cooking segments in the 8:00 hour. really? (george, you can call me too the next time you're making a big decision.)

but, you never know, i could be way off base. this could be the start of an amazing show. i wish you all the luck in the world! i mean, even edward r. murrow did lighter fair with person to person. and, if you do get some of oprah's time slots, in a lot of cases you'll be the lead-in to local news, which is stronger than a mid-day slot against jerry springer.

anderson, i hope i am wrong...i really, really do! but i have just two words for you: the mole (how long did it take you to regain credibility after that?)...i'm just sayin'.
xoxo
robin

ps: what's your point?

tackling tenure

2010-09-29T10:57:00.003-04:00

the topic of teacher tenure has been in the news this week, in part due to nyc mayor michael bloomberg's announcement regarding changes he plans to make to the city's tenure program, as well as chatter about the upcoming movie waiting for superman. i don't need to tell anyone reading this blog that teacher tenure is a hot button issue for many. for the purposes of this blog, when referring to teacher tenure, know i am specifically discussing elementary, middle and high school public school teachers, not college professors. so where to begin? let’s start with the history of tenure.

back in the early 19th century, the purpose of tenure was to ensure that educators (at the time, mostly college educators) were free to teach without fear that their jobs would be in jeopardy due to factors other than education. this was particularly the case for female teachers who may have either married the wrong kind of person or did things that were deemed "inappropriate" (for a woman at that time, this potentially meant simply being out in the street past a certain hour). tenure also protected those who may chose to speak against the political leanings of their school or administration. tenure rallied against arbitrary firings and guaranteed that if a teacher were dismissed, it was based on clear violations of the educational system and nothing else.

currently, as we know, teacher tenure has expanded past the collegiate ranks and into the public school system. it has become a pillar of teach union's platform and something at the heart of many debates over the years. while the length of time it takes for an elementary, middle school or high school teacher to achieve tenure in a public school varies from state to state, it seems most are eligible for tenure review within two to three years. currently roughly 2.3 million public school teachers enjoy tenure.

according to the national education association (nea), "tenure is about due process — not about guaranteeing jobs for life. and it’s not about protecting “bad” teachers — it’s about protecting good teachers." they say tenure does not guarantee teachers a job, does not offer any lifetime employment security and, regardless of the implications, does not just happen after a “certain amount of time.” in comparison to jobs not in education, the nea said this about a teacher's probation period prior to tenor: " at most jobs outside the field of education, a newly hired employee may be considered probationary for six months, or even a year....[but,] when teachers are hired, it is common for them to serve as untenured, probationary employees for three or four years. at this point they can be — and often are — dismissed for any reason whatsoever. that time period also gives school administrators an extended opportunity to evaluate a teacher before determining whether or not the school district, at its discretion, should grant the teacher tenure." another point often made on this side of the debate is, teachers still fear retribution for political disagreements, whether with a supervisor, principal or administrator, hence needing tenure.

now, let me state upfront that i grew up in a family with several public school teachers. in particular, i have an uncle who, in my opinion was (and continues to be) the epitome of the teacher you want in your child's classroom. this is a man who knew he always wanted to be a math teacher. he loves math, he loves teaching it and always had fun doing it. when i would visit him at work when i was small, i witnessed a teacher who was both effective and liked by the students. he was a rock star! sure, he knew the cool music of the time (madonna, cyndi lauper and wham) and had a good report with the students, but he also demanded respect in his room and success from his students. in addition to our family teachers, my brother and i are beneficiaries of the new york city public school system. we had many amazing teachers who helped mold us into the people we are today.

ok, with that said, my point, and i do have one...is, i think teacher tenure should be eliminated. i firmly believe being a teacher is a noble and important profession, especially in the formative years. teachers help shape and influence our leaders of tomorrow. public school teachers should be revered, not made the butt of jokes and should be paid handsomely for doing a good job. but i don't understand why teachers deserve more protection than employees in other industries and professions? i think the basic premise of employment should be you work hard, you strive to always be better and, in turn, you get rewarded with monetary compensation that reflects your success.

in my 15+ years of working, i have not only had to do my job and do it well, but also play the politics necessary to ensure my success (i'm not saying that should be part of the gig, but lets be honest it's the truth). i would be lying if i didn't say that, since moving to the south, there have been numerous times this loud mouth, opinionated northerner has held her tongue so as not to potentially ruffle the political feathers of conservative higher-ups. i have lived my whole professional career knowing that being vocal on things that have nothing to do with the quality of my work could potentially put my job on the line. where is my tenure to ensure i can say what i want without penalty?

if i calculate all the six month probationary periods i have had at my various non-education jobs (as referenced by the nea), it would show i have worked nearly 4.5 years of probation and, to this day, i can be fired at will! where is my tenure to ensure this doesn't happen? (i am not even getting into summers off, spring breaks, my approx 235 work year vs. the approx.180 school year...oh and lets not forget snow days!)

what about all those people who worked at a job 20+ years and then, when the economy tanked, lost their jobs? many of those people are now in foreclosure and have lost their retirement money because they didn't have a guaranteed tenure or a pension. where is their tenure? and what about the teacher i knew in high school who flat out told me he doesn't like his job or the kids, is phoning it in and is only a teacher because he needed a way to stay out of vietnam? he is probably in a classroom right now, because he has tenure.

now, before you go thinking i am anti union, know, i am actually not. i think unions can be a good thing and should be there to protect basic rights of different groups. but over the years, i have seen what appears to be the all powerful teachers union (who reportedly gives more money to political campaigns than the nra) looking out for the protection of the teachers, often, in my opinion, at the determine of the children. (to be honest i fault the union leaders, not the teachers, for that perception.) look, whether fair or not, if the system was working, this would be on page 16 of the newspaper, not above the fold, but the system and our children are failing and i don't believe you can address improvements to the overall system without looking at teacher tenure.

in an effort to try and provide an alternate solution, i think a system should be set up to properly review teachers so that a full picture of their work can be established. some of the review points would include:

* test results - i think this is something to look at, but by far not the end all and be all. the school you are in and students you have will play a factor in this, so i believe a straight "results/reward" plan is faulty. additionally, when looking at scores its important to not just see pass/fail, but also increases/decreases vs. past performance.

* surprise peer reviews - i think that teachers who teach the same subject should peer review other teachers. this also gives teachers the chance to learn from other teaching methods.

* surprise supervisor reviews - just like in any job, the supervisor should do evaluations of the employee's work. not with a scheduled review, but one where the teacher has no time but to do what they planned for the day.

* student reviews - i think this is important too. i think there is good information to be had in reverse evaluations. i feel this way regarding corporate america as well. the "subordinates" (in this case the students) should have a voice to say what they think of the teacher and the teaching style. these should be done anonymously so the students don't feel they will be punished or rewarded for their thoughts and opinons.

* self review - this would give the teacher a chance to review and critique themselves as well as lay out any bumps they had in the road that year, concerns, successes and goals for the next year.

* principal review - i think it is important that the principal know the quality (good or bad) of the educators within his/her school.

* school review: this is a part of the review that takes into account the school’s student make-up, issues and successes when evaluating inherent issues a teacher in that school may face.

in my opinion it is important for the criteria to be laid out in advance, so there are no secret as to what a teacher has to do to succeed. those who excel year-to-year should be rewarded accordingly and those who don't, should be put on a probationary period and then, baring future improvements, kicked to the curb. there should also be some sort of review board that can swiftly and in a timely fashion hear issues that may arise. this board would not be made up of purely board of education administrators, but also teachers and principals.

i don't think anyone's job should ever be even close to guaranteed, especially a teachers. like all professionals, teachers should constantly be working to get better. if their own personal drive isn't enough to keep them motivated to create new and innovative ways to teach, let the fact that their job can be on the line be their motivator.

finally, for those who think this blog has been somehow critical of teachers, i ask you to read it again, because it has not. what it has done is critique the tenure system, a system that i believe is hurting the level of education in this country. overall, i think most teachers are good and want to help students learn and succeed, but there are always the bad apples and we should not make it hard or expensive to pick them out and remove them. teacher tenure is far from the only problem with today's educational system. there needs to be an overhaul of school funding, as well as an acknowledgment that we have an epidemic of parents who don't get involved in their children's education.

as i stated at the beginning, i think being a teacher is a noble and important profession, they should be revered and should be paid very well, i just don't think they should get tenure.

what is your point?

really...she is plus-size?

2010-09-13T14:39:00.006-04:00

at ny fashion week, uber designer zac posen cast plus-size model crystal renn (pictured here) for his zspoke show. needless to say, the idea of putting a plus-size model in a high fashion runway show during fashion week has caused quite a stir.

when renn started in modeling, at the age of 14, she was told to lose almost a third of her total body weight. she did, all so she could attain that model look that was requested and required. once she achieved her size zero, she became one of many unknown models out there looking for work. eventually, after having health scares due to her unhealthy obsession with food and weight (which led to anorexia), she made the bold decision to switch to plus-size modeling. since then she not only became the highest-paid plus-size model in the world, but a bonafided supermodel, gracing the covers of american vogue and harper's bazaar as well as appearing in dolce & gabbana ads. while renn's exact dress size is debated (most say this six-foot model is a size 10, though some say she could be as small as a six), what is not in debate is the fact that those in attendance at posen's show say renn's larger size was barely noticeable.

my point, and i do have one, is...to begin with, the official definition of "plus-sized" is a u.s. dress size of 14 or higher, therefore it's not even proper to consider renn plus-size (even by the standards set by the fashion world). that being said, i think that it is not only ridiculous, but irresponsible for the fashion industry to classify the woman pictured above as plus-size!

ok, before i get any further, lets address the big fat plus-size elephant in the room...with 28 percent of americans officially obese and the average woman in this country wearing a size 14, people may question if by applauding plus-size models we are indirectly promoting obesity and unhealthy living. i get it! as a woman who has battled her weight her whole life and who comes from a family with, lets just say many women of size, let me be clear, i would never encourage, endorse or celebrate unhealthy lifestyles or obesity! (for the purposes of this blog, know i am not speaking about the overly overweight and obese when discussing plus-size, i am talking about run of the mill, in my opinion "average" sized woman.) also, let me say that i am not a women who hates or dislikes "skinny" women, even those who are size zeros (i have many friends who are naturally size zeros that can eat me under the table!)...my problem is with a world that tells women that they need to be size zero thin to fit into society's warped sense of "average."

society not only celebrates but rewards women who are ultra thin (the majority of actresses, models and performers are sizes zero-two). airbrushed and unattainable images of super thin women are perpetuated, leading to a blanket acceptance of this look as the benchmark for beauty. this leaves the majority of women and young girls not only wondering what that says about their shape, but also with unhealthy body images (giving way to a world dominated by weight loss companies and dietary supplements).

society also tells men that this is what they should look for in a woman. a certain gentleman i know (who i love and adore) once famously said to me the following about the look he wants in a woman: "i'm not saying that i want her to have an eating disorder, but i wouldn't be mad if she looked like she did...you know the hungry look." i think he said a mouthful! while i wanted to slap the crap out of him, truth be told, he was just being honest and verbalizing a look that many (not all) men consider ideal.

recently, star of the tv series mad men, christina hendricks (who is very curvy and oozes of sexuality) found it nearly impossible to score a dress for the emmy awards. she told the daily record: "people have been saying some nice, wonderful things about me. yet not one designer in town will loan me a dress...they only lend out a size zero or two. so i'm still struggling for someone to give me a darn dress."

now, speaking for myself (a size 10/12 woman), it has taken me the better part of my life to sorta come to terms with the fact that i have hips, i have (a whole 'lotta) boobs and no matter how little i eat, no matter how much i diet and exercise, i will never come close to being a size zero or two (not that either size would work on my body frame). i have long said, regarding my shape, that on a good day i have an hour glass figure and on a bad day it's an hour and a half! yet, as self aware and knowledgeable as i am, every day i still struggle to try and achieve the unattainable, because at the end of the day, it is still what society says is beautiful and desired.

this is why is disturbs me so very much to see crystal renn called "plus-size" when in reality is she not "plus" at all, but actually quite normal. what's your point?

just 'cause your knocked-up, doesn't mean you can't be a knock-out!

2010-07-22T13:32:00.005-04:00

forever 21, a store known for their inexpensive and young trending clothes, recently announced they will be introducing a "love 21" maternity line.

while being launched in five states across the country, three of which (arizona, california and texas) have some of the highest pregnancy rates, the store reps say that's just a coinky-dink: "forever 21 did not create, design or distribute love 21 maternity to target, or appeal specifically to pregnant teens. any relationship between teen pregnancy rates and the locations of our stores is unintentional." needless to say, a maternity line in a store targeting tweens and teen, has raised an eyebrow or two. some question whether forever 21 is profiting from the glamorization of teen pregnancy?

my point, and i do have one, is...when forever 21 launched a clothing line called "faith 21," targeting the plus-sized girl, i don't remember seeing all this buzz about them glamorizing or profiting from obesity(i'm not saying that buzz shouldn't have existed, but it didn't.) we live in a capitalistic nation and i personally think this is a brilliant move for forever 21. in addition to opening themselves up to a new market of consumers, who happen to be teen mom's-to-be (or as sara libby from salon's broadstreet calls it the “temporarily plus-sized” girl"), the controversy is providing them with a lot of free press and chatter.

when a teen mom goes to babies r us to buy stuff she needs, aren't they profiting from that teen pregnancy? oh, and what about the magazines and newspapers who ran stories about bristol palin and jamie-lynn spears, didn't they profit from teen pregnancy? and if a teen girl walks into macy's or target and buys maternity clothes there, aren't they profiting?

look, i am not saying teen pregnancy is a good thing, not at all. and i don't think it should be glamorized. but if a girl goes and gets pregnant because the store she shops in now has maternity clothes...well we have a much bigger problem on our hands! (i can just hear a mom now: "just because all your friends are getting pregnant to wear forever 21's maternity line, doesn't mean you should!")

people spend so much time and effort looking for someone to protect "our" kids, when they already have supposed protectors, their parents. it is a parent's job to make sure their kids are eating healthy, staying safe and not getting themselves or someone else pregnant. but from the looks of things, too many parents either don't or can't do their job (and this is one job, even in today's bad economy, you can't get fired from). but hey, if you can't do your job effectively, don't be surprised when you are maternity shopping with your kid at forever 21.

what's your point?

A(AA) solution to an age old problem

2010-07-04T23:27:00.004-04:00

this fourth of july, aaa clubs across the country are doing their part to cut down on the number of people involved in drunk driving incidents with their "tow to go" and "tipsy tow" programs (depending on where in the country you live).

these programs provide free, confidential rides and tows home from any bar or restaurant to anyone who has had too much to drink, even those not aaa members. (program specifics vary in locations, but generally speaking, the ride is only for the driver, not additional passengers and is free up to five miles from the pick-up destination, cost beyond that may apply).

"i work the night shift and have provided more tows home for intoxicated drivers than i can count with nothing but good experiences because everyone is usually grateful for a free ride home," said dan simpson, florida service technician who has serviced tow to go calls for more than eight years for aaa auto club south. "what concerns me is the fact that the majority of people tell me they were going to drive home if tow to go wasn't an option and that's not good since many of these people can't even walk, let alone sit upright on a bar stool."

these programs provide assistance during heavily traveled holiday periods when drunk driving accidents are most common. the full list of events/observances includes: the pro bowl, super bowl, st. patrick's day, cinco de mayo, memorial day, independence day, labor day, halloween and thanksgiving through new year's day.

according to the most recent statistics on the mother's against drunk driving site, an estimated 11,773 people died in drunk driving crashes involving a driver, with these deaths constituting 31.6 percent of the 37,261 total traffic fatalities in 2008. the tow to go program of aaa south (which is regionally sponsored and underwritten by budweiser) has safely removed more than 11,400 drunk drivers off roadways since their program began in 1998. it goes without saying that these programs should be used as an emergency option after trying to get a cab or calling family members.

my point, and i do have one...is, i think these are great campaigns. these programs keep not only those towed safe, but also the innocent people who could potentially be in harms way by merely sharing the road. while many drunk people think they can still drive well beyond when they should and therefore may not call for these services, if bartenders, waiters/waitress and party hosts call, it could save many lives.

now, while i understand why only the car's driver is towed in these programs (they probably only have one other seat in the tow truck), when possible, i think it could be a benefit to have the tow include the driver, plus one, since most people go out with at least one other person and wouldn't want to leave them behind. additionally women may not want to go in a tow truck with a stranger while drunk.

that being said, in the big scheme of things, the good done by these programs outweighs the small potential improvement suggestion. i applaud aaa and their local sponsors for being part of the solution to the age old problem of drunk driving.

what's your point?

discrimination is thicker than water

2010-06-23T12:37:00.004-04:00

on friday, the federal advisory committee on blood safety and availability (which makes recommendations to the food and drug administration) voted nine to six against lifting the ban preventing gay men from donating blood in the u.s., putting them in a category with other banned groups like intravenous drug users and people who have been paid for sex.

that's right, according to current fda rules, if you are a man who has ever had sex with another man since 1977, you are banned from donating blood for life. this rule, which was put in place in the 80's, before hiv tests were available, is supposed to be a way to ward off potential hiv tainted blood. a study showed that if this ban was lifted, approximately 219,000 more pints of blood would be available each year.

the fda recognizes the policy defers many healthy donors but rejected the suggestion it’s discriminatory. the national gay and lesbian task force doesn't quite agree with that: "the committee's decision today not only leaves a discriminatory practice in place, it also puts lives at risk." additionally, the red cross expressed disappointment stating: "while the red cross is obligated by law to follow the guidelines set forth by the fda, we also strongly support the use of rational, scientifically-based deferral periods that are applied fairly and consistently among donors who engage in similar risk activities."

my point, and i do have one...is, these stories of blatant government upheld discrimination, make me ashamed to be american. first, this ruling implies that ONLY gay men have a potential risk of acquiring hiv, merely perpetuating outdated stereotypes that hiv is not just a gay disease, but a gay man's disease. in reality. studies have shown that heterosexual sex is the fastest-growing means of contracting hiv in the u.s. and and the most prevalent method worldwide. does this mean we should also include heterosexuals in the ban? if we do, we better line up a bunch of non iv drug-using lesbians who were never prostitutes, because they seem to be the only group still ok to donate! (also, i find it odd that someone who has been paid for sex is banned, but the person who paid them, not so much. what steps are we taking to protect society from the john who potentially gave the prostitute hiv? but i digress...)

here's another thought, you can't identify most gay man by sight (yes, i said most...come on now, you know i love each and every one of you over the top, make-up and boa wearing gay men, but lets be honest, some of you are a tiny bit easier to spot). is the federal advisory committee on blood safety and availability therefore keeping us all "safe" by assuming that no one will lie when asked about their sexual history? yeah, 'cause that never happens, right evangelist ted haggard, senator larry craig, representative bob allen or national chairman of the young republicans glenn murphy jr.?

look, while current hiv tests are highly accurate, no test can yet detect the virus 100 percent of the time. that being said, donated blood is put through a battery of sophisticated tests to determine whether it is safe and disease-free.

it wasn't too many years ago that blood from a black person wouldn't have been able to be donated and now, the government (run by a black man with blood that can donated blood), is blatantly and systematically blocking gay right (don't ask don't tell, gay-marriage and now blood donation). nahh, that's not discrimination. god bless america.

what is your point?

the (military) code has been cracked

2010-06-22T22:25:00.004-04:00

general stanley mcchrystal, president obama's hand-selected commander in afghanistan, along with his aides, made shocking comments to rolling stone. according to the washington post, they called the national security adviser a "clown," described the president as intimidated and disengaged, disparaged allies and top u.s. diplomats and converted vice president biden's surname to "bite me." the article, whose accuracy mcchrystal has not denied or challenged, has been called an "enormous mistake" by the white house. they also said mcchrystal showed "bad judgment."

at the time of this blogs posting, the president was awaiting mcchrystal's arrival at the white house. speculation has begun that he is prepared to give the president his letter of resignation.

my point, and i do have one...is, as a citizen of our country, we have a fundamental right to freedom of speech. i personally value and treasure this right. however, when you talk about the military, they live and die by a code of conduct and ethics. at its core it prides itself on honor, respect, order, chain of command and discipline. for any solider, let alone one as high ranking as mcchrystal, to outright and publicly criticize the commander in chief during a time of war goes against everything the military supposedly stands for. as a solider, it is not your job to agree with or even respect your commander in chief, it is however your job to respect his rank and carry out his orders. mcchrystal could have first retired or quit and then run his mouth, but he didn't. instead he made the conscious decision to do this interview while actively leading men into battle.

in my opinion mcchrystal's alleged resignation should be rejected so that the president can outright fire him. additionally, i think mcchrystal should be court-marshaled. according to article 88 of the u.s. uniform code of military justice, “any commissioned officer who uses contemptuous words against the president, the vice-president, congress...shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.”

at the end of the day the president needs to be able to trust his commander of u.s. forces in afghanistan. how is that possible any more? many are saying that it could do the operation more harm than good by replacing him. but if they don't, what message does that send to the rest of the military? if a general at mcchrystal's level can blatantly disrespect the commander in chief with no consequences, it sets a precedent that others, at every rank, can disrespect their commanding officer and expect no repercussions. i am not sure that is something i would be comfortable with.

general mcchrystal should feel ashamed that by granting an interview with rolling stone, he has smeared what, to this point, was a highly respected military career. (and if i can speak directly to the general for a sec... really? rolling stone? that is the publication that you choose to give the story that will haunt you the rest of your life? my friends and i have played the game, "if you are the lone survivor of a plane crash, who would you give your interview to?" i gotta tell you general, rolling stone never makes anyone's top ten. do you not have any media advisers around you at all? i'm just sayin'...)

what is your point?

taking a bite out of crime

2010-06-21T10:25:00.004-04:00

almost forty years ago, sonnet ehlers, a then 20-year old medical researcher, met a devastated rape victim who looked at her and said "if only I had teeth down there." ehlers promised that one day she would do something to help victims like her...and today she has made good on that promise: rape-aXe.

according to cnn.com, this female latex condom, which is inserted like a tampon and has jagged rows of teeth-like hooks inside to attach on to a man's penis during penetration, can only be removed by a doctor once it lodges on. ideally authorities will be on hand to make an arrest at that time. ehlers, who sold her house and car to launch the project, plans on distributing 30,000 free devices during the world cup in south africa. taking drastic measures to prevent rape is nothing new to women of south africa, which has one of the highest rape rates in the world. some women have gone so far as to insert razor blades wrapped in sponges in their private parts.

a man who finds himself on the receiving end of a rape-aXe (which was designed with the consultation of engineers, gynecologists and psychologists to make sure it was safe) will find himself in, what one can only assume will be, at the least, discomfort. according to ehlers: "it hurts, he cannot pee and walk when it's on...if he tries to remove it, it will clasp even tighter... however, it doesn't break the skin and there's no danger of fluid exposure."

ehler, a mother of two daughters, said blind dates and traveling in areas a women may not feel comfortable, are examples of times to wear the rape-aXe. she visited prisons to speak with convicted rapists who, according to her, said a device like rape-aXe may have made them rethink their actions. after the trial period at the world cup, rape-aXe will be available for about $2 a piece.

not everyone is sold on this product. some critics say it's not a "a long-term solution and makes women vulnerable to more violence from men trapped by the device." victoria kajja, from the centers for disease control and prevention in uganda, said it is a form of "enslavement" that reminds women of their vulnerability. "the fears surrounding the victim, the act of wearing the condom in anticipation of being assaulted all represent enslavement that no woman should be subjected to." she does say however that "it allows justice to be served."

my point, and i do have one...is, i don't think this device reminds a woman of their vulnerability anymore than when she puts mace in her pocketbook. sure, in an ideal world, people wouldn't need to worry about being sexually assaulted, however, we live in the real world, so if this is what some women need to feel safe and secure, more power to them. i wonder how long it will be before we see this item on law & order svu? what's your point?

good god...seriously?

2010-06-18T15:50:00.005-04:00

if you are redeeming yourself from a thieving past, have a potty mouth, a bad attitude and are catholic, today is your lucky day!

that's right, the movie the blues brothers was officially sanctioned by the catholic church this week, with the vatican's official newspaper calling it a "catholic classic" and recommending it for catholics everywhere.

the movie, which celebrates it's 30th anniversary this year, is about two blues performers (john belushi and dan ackroyd) from a catholic orphanage who grew up to a wild life of crime (the characters started as a skit on snl). throughout the film the lead characters repeatedly say that they are on a "mission from god" to save the orphanage. (for those keeping score, another notable religious reference from the movie includes: "jesus h. tap-dancing christ! i have seen the light!") the official vatican newspaper l'osservatore romano devoted no fewer than five articles to the blues brothers, anointing it as a film with a catholic message.

it is worth noting that the church did not always find this movie to be quite so pious. in a review of the movie 30 years ago by the united states conference of catholic bishops, they referred to it as having "rough language and crude situations" as well as saying that certain scenes were "spectacularly unfunny and uninvolving."

there are some in the church that take issue with this recent cinematic endorsement saying that by increasing their use of pop references, l'osservatore romano is trivializing the vatican. a web-columnist for the national catholic register says they should instead be "devoting its pages to more spiritual and lofty matters related to the faith."

the blues brothers now joins the ranks of other vatican-endorsed films such as the ten commandments, jesus of nazareth, and it's a wonderful life.

my point, and i do have one...is that the catholic church never ceases to amaze me! drinking, debauchery and violence is a "catholic message?" no wonder they are dragging their feet when it comes to abuse within the church! additionally, when did the vatican become the siskel and ebert of religion? ("i give this movie three crosses" or "the maker of this movie need to say ten hail marys and ask for forgiveness.") what's your point?

to tweet or not to tweet, that is the question

2010-06-12T21:44:00.007-04:00

phil corbett, the latest standards editor at the new york times, issued a memo to staff asking writers to abstain from using the word "tweet."

while acknowledging that new words are created all the time for our ever-growing technology, he noted that not everyone uses twitter and therefore may not be familiar with what a "tweet" is. he said it isn't standard english, "and standard english is what we should use in news articles." he went on to say that the new york times doesn't "want to seem paleolithic and favors established usage and ordinary words over the latest jargon or buzzwords." (ok - quick show of hands…how many of you reading my blog, excluding my mom, know what "tweet" means, but need to look up what paleolithic means? mom - we all know you know what they both mean :) click here for an article highlighting the top words nytimes.com readers looked up in the last year using the site's online dictionary tool).

but i digress, corbett went on to say that should the new york times choose to make an exception to the no "tweet' rule, it will be for special effect. he said: "we try to avoid colloquialisms, neologisms and jargon. and “tweet” — as a noun or a verb, referring to messages on twitter — is all three. yet it has appeared 18 times in articles in the past month, in a range of sections...but let's look for deft, english alternatives: use twitter, post to or on twitter, write on twitter, a twitter message, a twitter update. or, once you've established that twitter is the medium, simply use 'say' or 'write."

my point, and i do have one...is with this story being in the news, and the new york times being a newspaper, how are they going to be able to report that they have stopped using the word "tweet" without using the word "tweet?"(deep thoughts). what's your point?

i've thought this was (pea)nuts for years!

2010-06-03T13:53:00.004-04:00

the department of transportation is considering a ban of all peanut products served on planes. the prevalence and the potentially deadly consequences of severe peanut allergies have prompted them to consider this under the agency’s disability rule.

peanut allergies can be more serious than many of us realize, especially for children. while not all peanut allergies are serious enough to keep a sufferer off airplanes, when airlines serve peanuts on board as an in-flight snack, severe allergy sufferers may not even have to eat the peanuts to have a reaction. for these travelers, including many children, just the presence of peanut particles in the air can bring on a life-threatening allergic reaction. the dot believes that a severe peanut allergy counts as a disability and federal law prohibits air carriers from discriminating against individuals with a disability, so they are left wondering whether it should require specific steps for handling severe peanut allergies and what those steps should be.

congress has given the dot mixed signals on this issue over the years. the air carrier access act prohibits discrimination against those with disabilities by u.s. and foreign air carriers and requires airlines to accommodate travelers with disabilities unless doing this would cause an “undue burden” or require the airline to “fundamentally alter its services”. but in 1999, when the dot informed airlines that this applied to peanut allergies, congress withdrew dot funding for any restrictions on airline peanut practices. this ban lasted only one year, congress hasn’t re-imposed it since.

so what options are the dot considering? here are three:

* an outright ban on airlines serving peanuts and peanut products
* banning service of peanuts and peanut products only on a flight where a passenger with a peanut allergy requests a peanut-free flight in advance
* requiring the airline to provide a peanut-free buffer zone around a passenger with a medically-documented severe peanut allergy if the passenger makes a request in advance

my thought, and i do have one...is how did it take so long for this to become an issue? i am sure that the peanut lobby is doing what they can to make sure they keep their spot on planes, but i have to tell you i think it's just nuts! people with peanut allergies can have quick, violent and sometimes deadly reactions when coming near a peanut, so much so that stores that serve food (like my folk's store) and restaurant menus have to indicate when peanuts or peanut remnants can be found in their food. now, i do think that people who have allergies have to take extra steps to ensure their own safety, but i have always thought it was silly to introduce a known, common allergen, like peanuts, into a confined space! you would think that the airlines would think so too, if for no no other reason than to cover themselves. what is your point?

shoplifter steals the heart of shopkeeper

2010-06-03T11:52:00.003-04:00

a curly-haired seven year-old was in the trendy williamsburg boutique catbird when he saw a locket in a candy dish he thought it would make a perfect mother's day gift, so he took it and brought it home. (happy mother's day!) when his family realized that the gift was as hot as it was heartfelt they made the boy bring it back, which he did along with a note:

"dear catbird people. sorry I took the locket. my sister said what is a good mother's day gift? that day i thought that the locket would be a great present, so i picked one and i didn't know they cost anything so i put it in my pocket."

staffers said the youngster handed over the $15 locket when he came in with his dad, who nudged him toward the sales counter where, standing three-feet tall and a little teary-eyed, he told the clerk "i have something for you." the store clerk said : "thank you for doing the right thing."

according to the store's blog (where they posted the apology letter) they won't be pressing charges. "sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. or, at least the cost of a $15 locket," they wrote. "have you seen anything sweeter?" the owner said that indeed the necklace was in a candy dish on a table and the kid could have mistaken for something free. additionally, he feels that this is a valuable experience the boy won't soon forget.

the neighborhood has had some recent issues of shoplifting and some co-workers at the boutique hope that their forgiving nature will not come back to haunt them. "we do have some shoplifting in here, but it's usually adults. it's not a major issue...but after people find out about this, every shoplifter in the city is going to come to the store because we are so lenient."

my point, and i do have one...is, i think that this scenario showed the best in all involved. the boy for wanting to do something nice for his mom, the parents for first identifying that the gift was stolen and then making him bring it back, the store owner for keeping it all in perspective and not pressing charges and then, hopefully in the end, the boy learning a valuable lesson. (that all being said, dude...you totally threw your sister under the bus in that note, like if she didn't make you think about what a good gift was you wouldn't have stolen it - ha!) what is your point?

criminally delicious

2010-05-27T13:51:00.005-04:00

there is nothing i like more than sanctioned competitions in prisons that involve knives!

that's right riker's island hosted a cook-off (a-la bravo's "top chef") between teams of incarcerated inmates between the ages of 16 and 21. (a separate evening program also teaches kitchen techniques to women over 21). the competition was an opportunity to showcase the cultivated culinary prowess acquired from a behind-the-bars cooking program called island academy. the 60 girls who attended have been locked up for drug offenses, according to department of education. mark sauerhoff, who has taught at island academy for the last 11 years, says its main goal is to "change these kids' lives -- not just to teach them cooking."

and what do our julia childs' of cell block c think of the experience? students said that the class has taught them invaluable lessons about patience and teamwork. nineteen-year old aisha (who is set for release tomorrow after an eight-month incarceration from what she says stemmed from a fistfight) told the new york post "[the program] changed my attitude and my perspective on life." her first order of business come monday? to get a state-issued id card and then on tuesday, enroll in a cooking program at manhattan's co-op tech. "when i went to court [for sentencing] they called me a 'menace to society...now if i went in, they wouldn't feel the same, because i'm not a bad person."

but what about the food? harlem restaurant owner and judge melba wilson praised the entrees of sautéed tilapia with lemon caper sauce versus barbecued salmon with ginger cole slaw. ultimately it was ruled a tie! (come on, would YOU want to tell a bunch of inmates they lost?)

my point, and i do have one is...i have no idea what the cost implications of this kind of a program is, but i think it is good to teach people who may have aggression issues to channel their energies into something positive. that being said, should these prisoners find their way down an even more violent path once they get out, their trained knife skills should make it easier to identify their work later on. what is your point?

how do i love the stupidity of some union contracts, let me count the ways....

2010-05-25T12:34:00.004-04:00

during a nyc mass transit authority committee meeting the other day, it was discussed that when a bus driver is assaulted they get an average of two months off to recover. on the surface this may seem reasonable, but it was also revealed that their contract defines an "assault" broadly enough to include...wait for it...getting spit on.

that's right, last year the 51 bus operators who reported they were spit on each got to take an average of 64 days off. it was suggested that, while some were genuinely traumatized, the mta thought perhaps, some may have been abusing the leave time policy. (ummmm, ya think?) the committee said they will be looking into changing the definition of "assault."

in fairness, it is worth noting that 1,500 drivers were assaulted last year in various ways, including being punched and some of those assault victims used no sick time at all. my point, and i do have one...is those who are legitimately assaulted should, of course take the time they need to recover, the others are just insulting their colleagues's pain and suffering. what's your point?

hello, my name is.....

2010-05-07T16:48:00.005-04:00

jacob and isabella topped the recently announced most popular baby names of the year list. in the 80's, many babies were named after soap operas characters (a shout out to all the kayla's out there). this year the twilight series holds that distinction, with the boy name cullen moving up 300 spots. but for all the isalbella's out there, there are also those parents who choose give their children names that are just not necessary, like: tiny hooker, fanny large and wanna towell (some of the names highlighted in the new book bad baby names, based on thousands of shocking names given to real people, as recorded by the u.s. census beauru).

the past decade also saw some odd name trends, including selling your baby's name to the highest bidder on e-bay and giving your baby a corporate trademarked name (nautica, lexus and armani have joined the ranks of america's top 1,000 names, and almost no popular brand seems off limits...at last count, four american boys sported the name espn).

this trend of horrible baby names goes well beyond the coastlines of the u.s.
the bbc recently published a list of the most unfortunate names in the uk - which included: barb dwyer, stan still, paige turner, carrie oakey and tim burr.

while the u.s. doesn't regulate baby names, other countries are starting to. a nine year old girl in new zealand was rescued by a judge who ordered a name change when her parents tried to name her talula does the hula from hawaii. that same judge also mentioned other cases in new zealand where children were named number 16 bus shelter, midnight chardonnay and two pairs of twins named benson and hedges, and fish and chips.

in germany, your baby name has to be approved by the german standesamt who maintain that the name must reflect the sex of the child, and not endanger the wellbeing of the child. in sweden, parents protested a new law requiring that all swedish baby names be approved by naming their baby brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116 (the name, which they pronounced as “albin” was rejected). denmark is quite conservative about baby names, with a list of about 7000 pre-approved names to choose from. if you want to deviate from the list, you need special approval.

my point, and i do have one...is i'm as much about creativity as much as the next person (if not more) but come on people - life is hard enough as it is, why put kids behind the eight ball right off the bat? what’s your point?

dead right? or dead wrong?

2010-05-01T13:20:00.006-04:00

his family said he was born to run, but is this really how he was meant to meet his maker? twenty-two year old david morales colon was murdered last week and to "honor" his passion of motorcycling, his family enlisted the help of san juan's marin funeral home to embalm colon's body, dressed in shades and blue jeans and prop him on his honda cbr600 for the duration of his three-day wake.

this isn't the marin funeral home's first foray into this unorthodox type of wake. in 2008, they embalmed the corpse of another young shooting victim, 24-year-old angel pantoja medina and displayed his body standing up for his multi-day wake in his mother's living room. medina's brother told a local newspaper that his brother had long said he wanted to be upright for his own wake: "he wanted to be happy, standing."

my point, and i do have one...is that everyone is entitled to be celebrated in death in their own way, but is this a celebration of their life or just plain creepy? why not go the extra mile, take the corpse to a taxidermist and have them propped up on a bike or in their mom's living room eternity? what is your point? i know you have one!

our "view" on stupid programming choices...

2010-04-21T13:59:00.013-04:00

cbs has announced that they are putting together a pilot to rival abc's "the view." who, you may ask, do they have lined up for their panel? host of big brother (and wife of cbs president - think that helped?) julie chen and star of "roseanne" and token lesbian-mom sara gilbert are on board and there is talk of other possible panelists like lisa rinna (think her lips get their own billing?) and pregnant "real housewives of nyc" cast member bethenny frankel (why would you pick someone who is marginally popular based on a show that is owned by nbc and will then be on maternity leave?).

now, it should be said that i do not think that creating a cookie cutter series based on a show on a competitor's network is smart programming. i personally think that networks should be counter-programming instead of copying (don't even get me started on how i think cbs should drop "the early show" and instead run "the price is right" in that slot - targeting older and college aged viewers...but i digress). this beyond to below average line up of "talent" that cbs has put together for their new show is so bad that my friend lance and i pondered we would select as our dream team to go up against the ladies of "the view." our point...and we do have one, is we think our list is better (take note networks)!

we started by identifying basic talk show-aimed-at-women casting criteria. you need a moderator who is opinionated but fair and seemingly liked by everyone, a republican to hold down the right side of the table or couch (the next time you watch "the view" notice that elizabeth is always on the right of your screen), people who can bring the funny, a healthy mix or races and wombs that have been used on the panel and a wacky matriarch who isn't on every episode, but comes on as needed and is all "been there, done that."

so who is on our list?
moderator:
connie chung (established news person people know and someone who has a sense of humor - her husband is the king of paternity tests!)
republican:
amy holmes (young, african-american conservative correspondent for cnn)
panelists:
kristin chenoweth (singer, musical theater, film and television actress, a self proclaimed liberal christian)
maria elena salinas (co-anchor of noticiero univision, the most watched newscast by american hispanics and considered one of the most recognized and influential female hispanic journalists in the united states)
matriarch:
joan rivers (legend, comedienne and out-spoken matriarchal figure, she won't be on all the time, but will add a special dose of energy when she is there)

what do you think of our picks? who would your picks be?

20 Year "Roommates"

2010-04-18T21:33:00.005-04:00

Clay and his partner of 20 years, Harold, lived in California. Clay and Harold made diligent efforts to protect their legal rights, and had their legal paperwork in place--wills, powers of attorney, and medical directives, all naming each other. Harold was 88 years old and in frail medical condition, but still living at home with Clay, 77, who was in good health.

One evening, Harold fell down the front steps of their home and was taken to the hospital. Based on their medical directives alone, Clay should have been consulted in Harold's care from the first moment. Tragically, county and health care workers instead refused to allow Clay to see Harold in the hospital. The county then ultimately went one step further by isolating the couple from each other, placing the men in separate nursing homes.

Ignoring Clay's significant role in Harold's life, the county continued to treat Harold like he had no family and went to court seeking the power to make financial decisions on his behalf. Outrageously, the county represented to the judge that Clay was merely Harold's "roommate." The court denied their efforts, but did grant the county limited access to one of Harold's bank accounts to pay for his care.

What happened next is even more chilling.

Without authority, without determining the value of Clay and Harold's possessions accumulated over the course of their 20 years together or making any effort to determine which items belonged to whom, the county took everything Harold and Clay owned and auctioned off all of their belongings. Adding further insult to grave injury, the county removed Clay from his home and confined him to a nursing home against his will. The county workers then terminated Clay and Harold's lease and surrendered the home they had shared for many years to the landlord.

Three months after he was hospitalized, Harold died in the nursing home. Because of the county's actions, Clay missed the final months he should have had with his partner of 20 years. Compounding this tragedy, Clay has literally nothing left of the home he had shared with Harold or the life he was living up until the day that Harold fell, because he has been unable to recover any of his property. The only memento Clay has is a photo album that Harold painstakingly put together for Clay during the last three months of his life.

With the help of a dedicated and persistent court-appointed attorney, Anne Dennis of Santa Rosa, Clay was finally released from the nursing home. Ms. Dennis, along with Stephen O'Neill and Margaret Flynn of Tarkington, O'Neill, Barrack & Chong, now represent Clay in a lawsuit against the county, the auction company, and the nursing home, with technical assistance from NCLR. A trial date has been set for July 16, 2010 in the Superior Court for the County of Sonoma.

My point and I do have one..as hard as it is to believe that this can even happen, it does all the time and is a reminder that we can't stop until we have equal rights to love and care for who we choose.

this just feels dirty....

2010-04-13T14:18:00.003-04:00

we’ve all seen those children's books, like "pat the bunny," where there's an image of a rabbit with a big cotton ball tail, or a turtle with a bumpy shell. well needless to say, those kind of books are less common in the adult sections...until now! canadian artist and braille expert lisa murphy is using thermoformic imaging to create pictures of nude figures in "tactile minds," the first ever nudie book (according to the author) designed for the blind.

though playboy printed copies in braille from 1970 and 1985, murphy takes a step further, with 17 softcore 3-d images along with racy text. as author of these handmade book that retail at over $200, murphy considers herself a bit of a pioneer, saying: "we're breaking new ground...the blind have been left out in a culture saturated with sexual images"

murphy's is not the first to recognize the special needs of the special needs. the website porn for the blind offers free transcriptions of adult videos in mp3 form, narrated by volunteers and in 2008, deaf bunny, a porn company for deaf people by deaf people, was launched, incorporating american sign language and subtitles into hardcore flicks like "naughty deaf roommates."

the u.s. supreme court once defined porn as "we'll know it when we see it," so my point, and i do have one...is, will this new influx of braille porn make for a touchy-feelier group of jurists? what is your point?

this is wrong, plane and simple!

2010-04-09T14:48:00.008-04:00

fresh on the heels of florida-based spirit airlines announcing it will now charge its customers $20 to $45 for items they place in the overhead bins, another budget airline is considering charging them for using the lavatory.

ryanair, an irish airline that bills itself as "europe's first and largest low fares airline," is mulling a plan that would require travelers to pay either 1 euro or 1 british pound (about $1.33 or $1.52) for using the bathroom on flights lasting one hour or less. the carrier said it is working with boeing to develop a coin-operated door release so that when nature calls, passengers would need to deposit the change before being able to use the facilities. the idea is to encourage people to use restrooms in airport terminals before boarding.

as part of the plan, the airline is also considering removing two of the three lavatories on some of its planes so it could squeeze in up to six extra seats. the move would help reduce fares by at least 5 percent.

how would it fly with passengers? one hint of how americans may feel comes from an informal poll posted on tripadvisor.com last summer in which one-fifth of the respondents said they would fly on an airline that charged a fee to access the bathroom; 78 percent said they would not. the idea may be less shocking to travelers in europe, where it's not unusual to pay a small fee to use a public restroom.

my point, and i do have one...is COME ON!!!
what is your point?

$130 ransom

2010-04-09T13:44:00.005-04:00

as we approach the end of spring break, i thought i would bring you some island news...staten island that is!

robert jemmott and his girlfriend, army reservist tamika atanda, a couple from staten island, abducted a friend's wife and held her for, believe it or not, $130 ransom. while the dollar amount of the ransom alone makes them special, these crackerjack kidnappers were caught when they stopped at a deli for food while leaving their bound and gagged victim in plain sight in the backseat of their car. that's when cops spotted them.

the couple are accused of embarking on their scheme tuesday night after jemmott grew infuriated that his friend, darryn berry, would not repay the $130 he had borrowed. jemmott and atanda, confronted berry and his wife, michelle rodriguez, outside a laundromat, where atanda allegedly punched berry in the face. jemmott then grabbed rodriguez and forced her into the backseat of his chevy lumina. as the couple sped off, jemmott called berry and threatened the hostage's safety, according to officials. "if i don't get the money by 10:30, i'm going to do something to your wife I don't want to do," jemmott warned. berry called 911 and provided a description of jemmott's car, leading cops to close in on the lumina outside the deli a short time later. jemmott was arrested as soon as he stepped outside the store.

a loaded .38-caliber handgun was found in the glove compartment and cops also discovered five zip bags of crack cocaine in atanda's purse. atanda's mother commented on the situation when she heard: "i can't believe this is happening!...it's not in her character, I don't understand this...tamika is on her own on this one!" atta girl mom!

staten island's bonnie and clyde were held without bail yesterday after they were arraigned on kidnapping, weapons and drug charges in staten island criminal court. my point, and i do have one is...just when you think that people can't get any stupider they prove us wrong. bravo!

now that's a hoot!

2010-04-05T14:38:00.003-04:00

ahhh hooters. a "family" eating establishment that is known for two things - boobs and wings. while chatting with a friend today, it occurred to me that hooters has missed out on a prime marketing opportunity by not making ribs the piece de resistance of their menu. why you may ask? well, my point, and i do have one...is if there was ever a place to highlight a good rack, this would be it! what’s your point? is there another establishment that you thinks may have missed a marketing opportunity?

an un-happy ending

2010-03-26T22:11:00.005-04:00

after reportedly getting fewer than 10 customers over the past three months, markus bestin, nevada's first licensed male prostitute, has reportedly decided to part ways with the shady lady (a bordello outside of vegas).

markus beat out 5,000 applicants to become the lone man among more than 1,000 working women in nevada. unlike the typical prostitute lineup at the 24 brothels throughout the state, markus had his own space out back, where he serviced his female only clientele. he was once quoted as saying the following about his now former work conditions: "it's like home & garden...it's really meant to be inviting, open and really comfortable."

but don't lose sleep over markus losing his job; he knows how to work a job market that is hard...very hard. that's right, this 25 year old prosti-dude, who once compared himself to rosa parks ("i’m breaking through sexual segregation") will be returning to the glamorous world of porn.

my point, and i do have one...is, if we can learn anything from markus, it's that mom was right, it is always good to have a skill to fall back on!

oh, ps: fear not desperate women who frequent the free clinic, in two short months a new gigolo will be featured at the shady lady. ask for him by his name: "y. not" (i wish i made that up, but i swear i didn't!)

Democracy isn't broken

2010-03-22T15:40:00.002-04:00

No matter what your take is on the recently passes health care reform bill, I think there are a few positive takeaways....

1) The first is that this is the first major legislation to be passed by congress in decades.

2) Gives us hope that our government can provide solutions.

3) And it reminds some of our government representatives who they work for. See the Michael Moore Newsletter below...

How the People in My District Got Stupak to Change His Mind -- and Thus Saved the Health Care Bill ...a letter from Michael Moore

Friends,

Well, our full court press on my congressman, Bart Stupak worked! Hundreds of my neighbors here in his Michigan district spent the weekend organizing thousands of voters to get busy and save the health care bill. We called Stupak's congressional office non-stop and we got thousands of people up here to flood his email box.

And then a rare thing happened: An elected representative did what the people told him to do. It was nothing short of amazing.

Stupak, and his seven "right to life" Democrats who had said they would vote against the bill, reversed themselves after what Stupak said Sunday afternoon was a week of his staff having "really taken a pounding." Hey, all we did here in northern Michigan was let him know that we would be unceremoniously tossing him out of Congress in this August's Democratic primary. One of our group announced she would oppose him in the Dem primary. That seemed to register with him.

All of this made Stupak look pretty worn down at his press conference yesterday, pleading with people like us to stop calling his house and waking his wife "at two or three in the morning." Hey! That's not us. We never call during Carson Daly!

Obama needed 216 votes in the House last night -- and he barely got them (219 was the final number). Had Stupak not done a 180 in the last 24 hours, the health care bill would have gone down in flames. Thank you, to all of you here in northern Michigan who did what had to be done. You and you alone saved this bill in the final moments.

Stupak stood on the floor of the House last night and, in a surreal moment, spoke against the "Stupak Amendment"! Once he got through his medieval meanderings about where babies come from, he gave one helluva speech.

And, that's when Republican congressman Randy Neugebauer of Texas shouted out: "Baby killer!" Wow. I guess the fertilized egg police felt betrayed by Bart.

Those of us here in Michigan will now decide what to do about our misguided congressman. We're a forgiving lot, but maybe not this time. We shall see.

Bart, I'm glad you discovered you didn't have a uterus. And, like the scarecrow, I'm glad you found a bit of your brain.

A good night it was -- important little steps were taken to bring our country into the civilized world.

Now, we have some real work to do if we really want to say we have universal health care. The sharks who run the insurance companies have every intention of turning this lemon into some very profitable lemonade.

Yours,
Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com
MichaelMoore.com

P.S. Someday, the Hyde Amendment is going to have to go. No Democratic president should ever agree to anything that discriminates against women.

i wanna (schoolhouse) ROCK!!

2010-03-17T00:21:00.007-04:00

currently, the country awaits to hear whether the health care bill will pass. my point, and i do have one...is that it is important to know the process of how a bill becomes a law, so now more than ever i give you "i'm just a bill," the famous schoolhouse rock video. enjoy and share your points!

no sex for me

2010-03-16T13:54:00.003-04:00

norrie may-welby has been a man and a woman and is now the first person legally designated neither. the genderless 48-year-old was born male in scotland, moved to austraila at the age of seven, then 21 years later underwent a sex change. even as a woman though, the fulfillment and self-identification that was so badly sought just wasn’t found. so may-welby stopped drinking the female hormones to become a “neuter” (having undeveloped or imperfectly developed sexual organs). new south wales government officials recently amended the scottish australian's birth certificate to reflect "no specific sex" after doctors were unable to make a gender determination.

may-welby said the following on her…um…his…um…blog: "the concepts of man or woman don't fit me…the simplest solution is not to have any sex identification…there is no reason for still insisting that our legal identity must include a public statement about a very private matter, our sex… many people like the idea of being genderless."

while I am happy for may-welby for finding an identity that now fits, my point, and i do have one….is that while this may be happening across the pond, obviously the dialog has already started here. we live in a country that can’t yet figure out how to handle the rights of people who are already identified as a specific sex, so one can only imagine the controversy that will surround all elements of person who isn't clearly defined. what’s your point?

An Incendiary Indiscretion

2010-03-12T10:49:00.004-05:00

So I think Jessica Simpson is missing an opportunity here...

In case you haven't heard, a few weeks ago in Rolling Stone John Mayer described their relationship as "sexual napalm."

Now I like John Mayer's music a great deal, but apparently he's not heard of that maxim about how gentlemen aren't supposed to kiss and tell. So I think he's got some bad karma heading his way in the future...

Still, Jessica then went on Oprah and said "I don't want people to know how I am in bed." Her right, for sure, but I think she's missing a golden opportunity.

Given that you cannot buy this sort of publicity, I think she should trademark the "Sexual Napalm" phrase, and start a new line of clothing around it. On top of that, should John ever bring it up again, she could send the lawyers after him for misappropriating her trademark. The ultimate vindication, if you will...

So, gentle readers, if you were rumored to be an incredible lover, would you own it, or run away from it?

Keynes vs. Hayek Rap - AKA It's All About the Debt

2010-03-10T07:11:00.005-05:00

The above rap video is one of the best and most entertaining summaries I've ever seen comparing Keynesian economics to Austrian economics. Currently, the U.S. Federal Government is following Keynesian economics - particularly, we are engaged in hefty fiscal spending which is driving up the U.S. Debt outstanding, and the Federal Reserve is engaged in unprecedented monetary stimulus in the form of an extremely low federal funds rate target (e.g. 0 to .25%) PLUS the direct purchase of U.S. Treasuries and Agency Debt.

Despite the above intervention in the economy by the government and Federal Reserve, unemployment remains high, any "so-called" economic recovery is tepid at best, and total liabilities of the U.S. government, including the Public Debt and Medicare, Social Security, etc continue to sky higher to unsustainable and unservicable levels. Plus, the U.S. banking sector remains completely immobilized, seized up by bad loans and commercial real estate that continues to deteriorate. One only needs to look to Japan to question whether or not Keynesian actions have done anything to pull that great industrial nation out of the protracted deflation and anemic growth it has suffered for the past 20 years on the whole.

In essence, it is my Austrian argument that there is simply too much debt (especially as a ratio to U.S. GDP) in the system, and that trying to transfer some of that debt off of the private household/banking balance sheets onto liabilities of the Federal Government will ultimately fail, postponing and deepening as opposed to preventing the inevitable Depression. I would argue that a better approach from the onset would have been to clear the debt out of the system first, forcing massive bankruptcies, nationalizing key "to big to fail" banks/financial institutions while obliterating bank shareholders and giving their bondholders pennies on the dollar. This would have certainly resulted in even higher unemployment and plenty of short term pain for all sorts of individuals and businesses, but it would have wiped out the debt that those same individuals and businesses have no hope of servicing. Then, as the private debt was being cleared out of the system, I would have borrowed 5 to 6 trillion (through U.S. Treasury issuance) for the direct support/aid of families affected by the job losses via housing and food support, created a mini-U.S. focused New Marshall Plan, PLUS backstopped the FDIC so that depositors were made whole despite the widespread banking failures. Then, the nationalized banks and private banks who had strong enough balance sheets to survive the fallout could start lending again and private industry could resume, unchained from its debt shackles.

Anyway, that's my point ... what's yours?

how do you white a wrong?

2010-03-09T14:19:00.004-05:00

fans joined facebook pages to lobby for it, media outlets wrote stories willing for it to happen..and now it has! the amazing, talented and wonderful betty white has confirmed that she will appear on snl this season. the 88-year-old legend gained fame in the roles of sue ann nivens and rose nylund, played password alongside her late husband and has now seen a resurgence in her popularity, thanks in part, to her snickers super bowl ad. her appearance will no doubt set up snl and nbc for a ratings bonanza they haven't seen in years! i am as big of a fan as any of this bawdy and sharp tongued octogenarian, which is why the i find the second half of this snl story so bothersome....

white's appearance will be part of snl's "women of comedy" night...so who, you may ask, will be the other comedy geniuses and legends to grace the stage that night? snl vets tina fey, amy poehler and molly shannon. ....REALLY? molly shannon? amy poehler? (i happen to like tina fey, so while i am unsure she fits either, i am not as outraged by her). to me this is an insult to white and her contribution to entertainment. snl being as self serving as they are, clearly only reached out to their own alums for consideration...but even so, they couldn't have had a recruited a laraine newman, jane curtin or candice bergen? or god forbid reach beyond their own little inbred pool fathered by lorne michales to a carol burnett, lily tomlin, marlo thomas or tracey ullman....or think to reunite white with rue mcclanahan or mary tyler moore?

my point, and i do have one....is that i am so excited to see anything and everything that betty white does, but i am completely and utterly disgusted by snl. what’s your point?

We Maybe Broke But It's No Cussing Matter

2010-02-28T17:11:00.006-05:00

It's a bar of soap in the mouth for an entire state: California's lawmakers have approved a "Cuss-Free Week" to encourage Californians to watch their language.

The resolution can’t punish anyone for foul language, but the lawmaker who introduced the bill hopes Californians “act like you’re at your grandma’s house.”

The California resolution still has to be approved by the Senate, but if the chamber votes yes, “Cuss-Free Week” will start next Tuesday.

My point, and I do have one...California is in the middle of an historic budgetary crisis, people continue to lose their homes and has one the nations highest unemployment rates while the state assembly passes NO CUSSING week. %#*&^!

Governator couldn't be reached for comment because he is fighting childhood obesity this week.

Does our government even care anymore or is it our fault for not holding their feet to the first to solve REAL problems.

Excuse me while I go stick my head in the sand for awhile.

Digital Dumping

2010-02-24T08:30:00.004-05:00

I just read a Reuters article about breaking-up in the digital age. It seems that while breaking up with someone face to face still holds the majority (38%), digital dumping is on the rise. According to the article, 34% of those surveyed said they ended a relationship via e-mail; 13% changed their status on Facebook without telling their partners; 8% used the phone, 6% sent out a tweet; and 2% broke up via text message!

Now, of course this is just a silly 2,000 people survey, and it's obviously not even totally accurate (the numbers add up to 101%), but the point is clear - digital dumping will soon be the new normal. Anyone who know me knows that I'm an advocate for doing things in a new and different way, but I think this is just wrong...

If you have a real relationship with someone, where most of your interactions are in person, then breaking-up should also be done in person. You owe that to them. However, If it's a digital relationship, then you can break up digitally! Some things are just too important and personal to be left to tweets and text messages. Would you e-mail you're husband to let him know you're pregnant? Should your doctor Facebook you to let you know that you have cancer?

Let me be clear, I'm not objecting to any of these technologies. As a matter of fact, I love all the new ways that we can now communicate! I just feel that people are generally lazy and would find any way to avoid confrontation. I think that's cowardly! If you're going to break-up with someone, then have the balls to do it face to face. I would rather be told in person than sent a Dear John text... wouldn't you?

That's my point, and if you disagree, come tell me in person ;)

Try To Make Me Go To Rehab

2010-02-21T20:19:00.004-05:00

There once was a time when the only rehab that was on the radar was for alcohol or drug abuse. Something has shifted over the years. People go to rehab for everything from overeating to sex, but there's a new addiction on the horizon. This week Chynna Phillips announced that she's in rehab for anxiety. I know that panic attacks & severe stress can wreck havoc on a person's body, mind and spirit. The solution used to be taking a yoga class or learning to mediate. Or going on a long vacation or getting a new job to help relieve some of the stress. Is anxiety really a disease that requires rehab? Now I'm curious about what actually takes place in this kind of facility. "Hi. My name is Chynna and I'm a stress monger..."

I'm not trying to make light of Ms. Phillips situation. She could be dealing with something very serious like a nervous breakdown for all we know. I do feel like there's some key information missing from her story. I'm just wondering why in the good ole USA are there rehabs for just about anything that ails you? And are these afflictions truly classified as a disease? Is having 27 mistresses at once really an ailment or the result of a sense of entitlement & power?

Turn on your TV and there are drugs on the market for all kinds of conditions now referred to as a "disease." Take acid reflux and dry eye. I had tons of both when I was pregnant. It was the result of hormones, having a very big belly and eating too many cannolis. Both magically disappeared after I gave birth and dropped 40 pounds.

My point, and I do have one is that it seems to me that many Americans are looking for the easy way out. Label my condition a disease or an addiction and suddenly, it's not my fault and I do not have to truly take responsibility for it. I can take a drug or go to rehab and it will all just go away or at least ease the pain. Am I being too harsh on this subject matter? What's your take on this subject? Thanks Robin for letting me guest blog!

was kevin smith too fat to fly?

2010-02-15T14:53:00.007-05:00

this weekend actor/director kevin smith's flight from oakland to burbank hit turbulence. while booked on a late flight, smith wanted to see if he could get on an earlier one as a stand-by. sure enough a seat opened and he boarded and sat in his newly assigned seat, buckled up (without an extender) and was ready for his flight when according to smith: "a southwest attendant named suzanne told me captain leysath deemed me a 'safety risk." he was then escorted off. when he got off the plane he got right on twitter. (http://twitter.com/thatkevinsmith)

southwest airlines was inundated with people commenting on the situation prompting southwest to responded with the following blog (http://www.blogsouthwest.com/not-so-silent-bob.html?q=blog/not-so-silent-bob) where they stated: "our pilots are responsible for the safety and comfort of all customers on the aircraft and therefore, made the determination that mr. smith needed more than one seat to complete his flight. our employees explained why the decision was made, accommodated mr. smith on a later flight, and issued him a $100 southwest travel voucher for his inconvenience." southwest policy requires passengers whose girth makes them unable to fit into a seat with the armrests down, or whose bodies spill over into adjacent seats, to buy a second ticket. (for the record, smith said both the arm rests went down and the women on either side of him had no problem with him spilling over. additionally he said that he sat in just one seat, with no personal or airline problems on the flight he eventually flew back on).

today, smith threw down a challenge to southwest: “you bring that same row of seats to the daily show, and i’ll sit in ‘em for all to see on tv.” he said if he doesn’t fit, he’ll donate $10,000 to charity, but if he is able to get into the seats, he wants southwest to at “least re-train your staff to be a lot more human & a lot less corporate when they pull a poor girl off the plane & shame her.” southwest has rejected the challenge saying: “we most likely will be declining that request...obviously, whether or not he can fit into the seats is a matter of interpretation.”

my point, and i do have one...is that this has become a pr nightmare for southwest. they clearly didn't handle a situation with a high profile/social media savvy return customer well, and whether they are right or wrong, they the ones in the "thick" of it now. what is your point?

time for obama to go gangsta...

2010-02-11T12:51:00.007-05:00

cnn’s roland s. martin said it’s time for president obama to go gangsta! that’s right, he said: “when you're the top dog, you do what you have to do to govern.. channel your inner al capone and go gangsta against your foes.” sure obama could evoke the old school gangsta and go godfather on them, leaving horse heads for senators and congressmen, but since obama is reaching out to the youth of america, what if the white house went less capone and more 50 cent...i can see white house press secretary robert gibbs steppin’ to the mic in the press room to talk about health care: ”yo, O ain’t playin no mo’. what’s a brotha' gotta do to make you fools works together? bust a cap in yo’ ass? and if he did…would you have the green to pay for the medical? …didn’t think so.” whats your point on which gangsta approach would be more powerful? classic gangsta or modern gangsta?

to love, honor..and provide health care?

2010-02-10T12:53:00.010-05:00

terri carlson, a 45 year old divorced mom from california, wants to get married, but not for love...not even for money...for health insurance!

carlson's cobra runs out in may and due to an autoimmune disease, finding new insurance will be hard. so she took to the web and launched willmarryforhealthinsurance.com where she let the world know that, while she would love to find love, she needs the insurance even more! she says in her video: “i don’t care what you look like...what I do care about is how good your health insurance is...so attach your health care benefit information.” while it may seem ludicrous that carlson hopes to tie the knot to snag health insurance, over 1,000 proposals came in a one week period alone.

my point, and i do have one...is what does this say about america? while washignton argues over health care, the average person is left to do whatever they need to in order to literally survive. and while i know it is a side issue, what does this say about the "sanctity" of marriage? this woman has the right to enter into holy matrimony purely for health care, yet our gay friends can't, even for love. god bless america!

Good Deed or Oprah-entitlement

2010-02-09T20:10:00.005-05:00

Oprah Gets Two New Dogs for Her Birthday!

Oprah celebrated her 56th birthday on Jan. 29 with two new family members, 14-week-old springer spaniel siblings Sunny and Lauren!

Last year she got 2 cocker spaniels puppies, although one died from pravo. All the dogs came from the PAWS Chicago -- a no kill shelter. Hurray!!! Right?

She asked the shelter to find Springer Spaniel puppies and guess what? They came through.

Oprah said. "They could have been euthanized if they weren't adopted. Can you believe that? And now they're gonna go home with me."

OK, first of all as a dog lover and one that has been to many shelters, adoption fairs and pounds, these puppies would never have been put down. They would be adopted so quickly. So what point is she making. YES, call PAWS - they are a great organization but don't call looking for puppies, least of all purebred puppies. I looked at the Paws Chicago site and there wasn't a dog under 2 years old and most were mixed breeds.

If Oprah really wanted to change things, they would have brought out two middle aged mix breed dogs that people don't look twice at and turn out to be the best dogs in the end (that's for you my old girl Bailey)

you talkin' to me?

2010-02-06T22:54:00.015-05:00

it came to my attention today that a slow but deliberate assault has been occurring in the city of new york, and if the victim dies i will be among the many responsible for this tragedy.

according to an article in the ny post, the famed new york accent is dying. that's right, the days of “sawww-sage” and “cawww-fee” and phrases like “yoo tawwwhkin’ ta me?” are slowly becoming a thing of only mobster movies. sure, to the delicate ears of folks from outside the five boroughs the accent may seem harsh and jarring – but to them, so are the people from new york. while most new yorkers aren’t violent people, there's a part deep down in all of us that secretly likes knowing that sometimes, just the sound of our accent can make people think we can call vinny and get them knocked off.

now, i admit that somewhere in the 1990’s, when i thought perhaps i would be an on-camera reporter, i made a conscious effort to lose my accent (because i knew “reportin’ live from the white howse” wouldn’t fly). while my career took a different path, i did successfully manage to neutralize much of my accent. that being said, my point, and i do have one…is that you may be able to take the new york accent out of the girl, but you can never take out the new york pride. so as we approach valentine’s day i'd like to send a big freakin’ wet kiss and a “how you doin’” to the city of new york. accent or not i've always got your back! what’s your point on this topic?

what's your point?

2010-02-06T00:46:00.012-05:00

top stories in the news:

• toyota recalls
• former gov. sanford’s removal of “faithful” in his vows
• don’t ask, don’t tell
• controversial super bowl commercials
• palin’s campaign against the “r-word”
• health care
• china’s opposition to planned obama-dalai lama meeting

do you have something to say about these or other topics in the news?
post a comment and share your point of view.

thinking outside the (pizza) box

2010-02-05T23:23:00.014-05:00

at the 2010 people’s choice awards (where the winners are notified in advance) the show glee was honored with the award for best new tv comedy. while many award winners that night thanked their fans, glee went the extra mile and thanked them with pizza. that’s right, the cameras turned from the stage and toward the audience as 20+ "waiters" and "waitresses" marched down the aisles holding digiorno pizzas. here is a clip of the acceptance speech:

acceptance speeches with sponsors? really? my point, and i do have one...is that this is going too far!
what's your point?

if he walks like a playa, talks like a playa and says he's a play...chances are he's a playa!

2010-02-05T23:22:00.008-05:00

remember south carolina gov. mark sanford? the guy who told his wife he was going for a hike on the appalachian trail, but instead secretly ran off to argentina to be his mistress?

well his wife jenny says that when they got married, he refused to include the promise to be faithful in his wedding vows. at the time of their wedding, she said she found his honesty about his fears of not being able to remain faithful “brave and sweet.” she chalked it up to his having cold feet.

my point, and i do have one...is that when your significant other straight up tells you that "faithful" is not something they can or choose to be, and you continue in the relationship with that knowledge, you shouldn't be shocked when they ultimately live up to their promise of infidelity. (and my money says that this argentinian woman wasn't the first for sanford, she was just the first one he was caught with.) when you go into a relationship thinking that you will change something about your partner, chances are the only thing you will change is your relationship status from "in a relationship" to "single." what's your point on this topic?