Thursday, November 29, 2012

Rise and Shine --- Huh?

Good Morning and I wish I had the $2 back!

So, this video is the most-watched clip in the history of YouTube.



This is the most downloaded tune on Spotify



Here's one I never heard until two days ago (despite it being like 30 years old)


Having heard all three, I fear I can never go back.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Rise and Shine --- Give snow a break

For the last two days, we've been hearing about this 'WINTER STORM' that is supposed to be around the area today.
"Watch out," we were warned from the talking heads, "this is going to get nasty. Winds. Rain. SNOW."
This morning, I woke up and looked out the window. Nothing on the streets. Nothing on the car. Nothing on the lawn.
OK, I thought, maybe it's just a little late.
Got into the office and turned on the morning news programs.
I was hit over the head with "Team Coverage" of the winter storm. One guy was standing on the street talking about how it was so dry out there.
Now, I don't blame these people. They are just doing the bidding of some higher power.
It's to the higher power I am pleading.
Please stop this dumb storm coverage stuff. To say you have "Team Coverage" on something that might just leave a coating on the ground makes your whole staff look stupid.
It's not like we don't overblow some things, but, come on, to have your reporter ask an official if they expect any delays when it's no more than a little mist, well, one can only laugh.
Or cry.

Monday, November 26, 2012

Rise and Shine --- Lights, camera, action

Good Morning and did you hear the news stations using that 4-letter word this morning?

Maybe I'm in the minority (and a look around the neighborhood says I am), but I can't pull out the Christmas decorations until December.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's nice to see the lights on houses. It's cool to see some of the new decorations people have purchased. I just can't do it.
I can't go into the back of the garage and pull those boxes out. Heck, I just finally put away the rest of the Halloween stuff.
The Christmas stuff? We are looking at this weekend or next (that's right, next!).
It's not that I don't like decorating. Someday, I want to be motivated enough to have a Griswald house. I want people driving past to slow down and take a look. I want the neighbors to knock on the door and say, "Wow, you really got me into the Christmas spirit!"
No matter when Thanksgiving falls, though, it won't happen until December.
Then I start thinking of the electric bill and, well, maybe it won't happen until mid-December.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Rise and Shine --- Sales? No such thing

Good Morning and wouldn't it be nice if we could one day get away from the political debate?

So, while watching TV last night, I saw several commercials talking about Black Friday sales. One, I think it was for Macy's, said Black Friday was already here. All right, I'm hopping in the car right now to get some overpriced perfume.
I worked for Macy's over the holidays for a few years. I met some amazing people who have a great work ethic. I met some people who were more interested in texting than working.
Whatever. That happens everywhere.
What I started to notice, though, was there was no such thing as a sale. The prices for the clothes and kitchen stuff pretty much stayed the same throughout the season.
Sure, if you wanted to sign up for a Macy's credit card, you could get it a little cheaper. For the most part, though, it was what it was.
If you wanted to pay more, you could find high-priced items. If you wanted something reasonable, it was there as well.
So, when you head out next Friday (or Thursday night I now see), just know there is no rush.


Monday, November 12, 2012

Rise and Shine --- Survival

Good Morning and here we are again.
So, late last week I was fortunate enough to check out the new Titanic exhibit at the Franklin Institute.
There are plenty of the usual things you expect, like pieces of the ship, jewelry, clothes, plates and other items picked up on the ocean floor.
What struck me, though, where a couple things, one visual and one thoughtful.
Those who put the exhibit together recreated parts of the ship that actually can make you feel like you are climbing aboard an ocean liner. The grand staircase made famous by the movie is there (they even had a fake ship captain and passenger walking down the steps). There is a first-class room and a third-class room. You can see the differences between having money and not were just as far apart 100 years ago as today.
There is one area where you are walking down a recreation of one of the ship's hallways. It's fascinating and eerie at the same time.
While I was driving home, though, something hit me. All these material things survived at the bottom of the ocean for nearly 100 years. There were postcards that actually look like they might have been purchased yesterday. There are full men's suits and more bottles than at a bottle shop.
If the Titanic went down today, I guess in 100 years they'd find a bunch of dead iPhones or laptops sinking into the sand. We wouldn't get the photos or the writings.
Blogs don't survive in salty water.
Will we be a lost society because of it? Will future archaeologists just joke about the cloud just floating away?
Something to think about.

Monday, November 5, 2012

Rise and Shine --- Oh, those commercials

Good Morning and, man, I'm glad tomorrow is election day!
Seriously, the next time I see Tom Smith's mother, she better be starring in the Estelle Getty role of a 'Golden Girls' remake. By the way, Tom, you are the single most annoying candidate in about 100 years and there is no 'w' in 'Bob.'
One more time I hear Mitt Romney say he's going to personally create 12 million jobs I might just crack. I don't care what Colin Powell thinks. I certainly don't have any interest in Bucks County or New Jersey.
Is it just me or have these political ads just been about the worst ever? There's no break either. It's one after the other after the other.
I just saw Bill Clinton campaigning for Kathleen Kane, followed by the Mittster telling me about jobs. By the way, Mitt, if the White House is going to create 12 million new jobs, isn't the government going to get a helluva lot bigger?
They are all just bad and annoying. I didn't think I could get any more annoyed until I saw the Pennsylvania Lottery commercial with the guy going around giving scratch-off tickets to his friends as Christmas (sorry, Holiday) gifts.
"Hey what a great gift ... you cheap bastard!"
I think I'm going to DVR all my shows until the end of the year.