Rise and Shine --- What you do

Good Morning and welcome to a whole new week!

There are a lot of people who don't like Mondays. It's back to work for most and that means the too short weekend was over too quickly.
Then, you look back and wonder where it all went. Why does time have to keep marching forward, especially when the sun is shining and temperature is rising.
Then, slam, comes Monday and it's back into the grind.
Now, I try to look at Monday as something different. It's a whole new week, so there are infinite possabilities. Right? Isn't that the way it's supposed to work.
Then, when you don't get enough sleep Sunday night, the fog takes a long time to lift and you are left wondering what more you could have done or how much more fun it would be to have 'just one more day off.'
So, let's take this Monday as it comes and hope the sun keeps shining.

Rise and Shine --- It's the test

Good Morning and here comes the weekend!

This is an actual conversation that happens almost daily:
'So, what did you do in school today?'
I dunno.
'Did you do anything except sit around?'
I dunno.
'Did you learn anything?'
I dunno.

Well, this week, anybody who has a student (or knows a student) in public schools knows exactly what is going on this week (and most of next week): The darned PSSA tests.
Not that the schools have any choice in the matter, but the stupid (and culturally biased) tests are given from third grade on supposedly to measure 'what the student has learned.'
In reality, they are learning how to take the test. The teachers are under pressure from the administration to make sure they teach only for the test. The students are put under pressure (more pressure?) by the teachers to do well on the test.
See, the government bases school funding on how the students do on these tests, not how happy they are or how much real stuff they've actually learned.
It's time to put an end to these things. There has to be a better way.
See, it all comes around in the end.

Rise and Shine --- Bags and money

Good Morning and welcome back to Thursday!

For the past couple of years, my mom has like the idea of Spirit Airlines and their $9 fares. 'You can't beat that deal,' she likes to say.
Well, yesterday, Spirit Airlines finally figured out a way to break the deal. They are now charging up to $45 for carry-on luggage.
It was one thing when airlines started charging for checked luggage. OK, they needed to make up some cash, that's the way of the world.
Now, that one airline is going to charge for carry-ons, well, that's one slippery slope we don't need to start down.
Like most things in the business world, once one company tries it (furloughs anybody?) the rest quickly jump on board. They let the original company take the heat, then say, 'Well, we had to do it.'
It's just another way to squeeze every last penny out of our pockets.
Yeah, that's good for the bottom line, but it makes travelers think twice.
Look, vacations cost enough money. Add another $100 bucks on the front and back ends, well, that sounds like a deal breaker.
At least it does to me.

Rise and Shine --- Driving

Good Morning and welcome to another fascinating day!

You know, I always joke with the children that they won't be getting a driver's license until they turn 21. Beyond the ramifications of teen drivers (on the wallet and the head), maybe I don't want them to grow up too fast. Maybe I see some of the ways they drive in video games (OK, I know, not the same thing), that shakes my confidence.
Then I ran across this story yesterday:
An Ohio man says his 8-year-old son was just trying to do him a favor and get gasoline when the boy drove the family's minivan and crashed it.
James Crouch says he didn't even realize his son, Jordan, was out of the house Friday morning until a Clermont County sheriff's deputy came to the family's home in Bethel and woke him up to let him know what happened.
The boy says he used keys that he found in his mother's purse and backed the car out of the driveway. He started going down the road at about 5 mph but could barely reach the pedals and lost control, crashing into a telephone pole. He wasn't hurt.
Crouch says Jordan was still in his pajamas and just wanted to do something nice. He says he's going to watch his son more closely now.

How this hasn't happened in our house yet is pretty much a miracle. The keys are there for all to see. There have even been jokes bandied about. 'Hey, go to the store and get me a pizza.' But I can't drive. 'There are the keys.'
Yeah, like somebody much smarter than me always says, 'Your jokes are not funny.'
Well, it is a funny story as long as it doesn't happen in your house.

Rise and Shine --- Hokey Pokey

Good Morning and welcome to another sunny day!

You know, really, we are all doing a living version of the old song.
You put your right foot in (to work), you take your right foot out (head home), you put your right foot in (step into home) and you shake it all about (what's going on here?).
When you hear a 5-year old girl singing it in the shower (and laughing all the way), though, it's just sweet.
Usually, little girls (and boys) like to take baths at night. They like the bubbles. They like to splash around. Sometimes, though, it's just quicker to put on the shower and get everybody clean.
So, the other day, the shower went on and the song started right away. Laughing, having fun, singing like it was The Met.
Sometimes, you don't need the radio to make the heart smile or to feel young at heart.

Rise and Shine -- Back into the fray

Good Morning and welcome to the start of a nice week!

Well, at least weather wise it's supposed to be nice. After spending a week away on vacation, it's tough to get back into the work mood.
Of course, it's not like you can slowly jump back into the void.
There's always something going on around here, but besides the start of a new Phillies season, we have Tiger Woods and Donovan McNabb to take our focus away.
So, for all those Eagles fans out there who wanted a change, well, you got it. McNabb was only the best quarterback the franchise has ever seen. He won more games and took the franchise to heights it never was before.
It really is amazing how Philadelphia fans like to get rid of some of the better players who come through. They've run out Charles Barkley, Scott Rolen, Curt Schilling, Allen Iverson, just to name a few. Heck, I can remember back when fans wanted Mike Schmidt out of town.
Oh, to be back on the island and listening to the water.

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Rise and Shine --- It's in the water

Good Morning and I'm still wondering why I was 'unfriended' on Facebook over health care issues!?!

So, there's a big stink coming out of Philadelphia about a proposed tax on soda. Many are up in arms the city would try to extract a few cents from those who like the taste of high fructose corn syrup.
Don't like the tax, drink water. It's better for you anyway.
There are more than enough studies that show how bad soda really is for your system.
Sure, it tastes good sometimes, but it's really just hollow calories posing as a drink.
Soda causes obesity, tooth decay, kidney decay and heart problems. Do a search. It's all out there.
Yes, there have been plenty of times where I enjoyed a cold Coca-Cola. Just think about it, though, do you really feel any better after drinking one?

Rise and Shine --- Fix schools now

Good Morning and break out those winter coats once again!

Now that we have some form of health care reform (those who like to yell, well, just deal with it), now's the time to move on to other things.
While jobs and the economy will recover over time (they always do), a more pressing issue is it's time to get rid of the ridiculous 'No Child Left Behind' mandate.
Sure, we want all children to learn, but when it's forced learning it's more like memorizing.
We are quickly coming up on another round of PSSA testing.
The school administrators will hold rallies. They will first talk to the students about relaxing while taking the test, then they will quickly say they all have to ace it.
After all, school funding is based on a general test scored by a computer. The computer doesn't know if the student broke his/her pencil during the question and was too scared to ask if it could be sharpened. It also doesn't know if the child had a headache or couldn't sleep the night before because they were inundated with mixed messages.
OK, we are on the road to fixing the health care mess (although the battle isn't over because those health care companies have deep pockets and hire loudmouths). Now, let's fix the school mess.
We'll finally be on the way to knocking that last president off the books (unless it's comic books).

Rise and Shine --- Getting it out

Good Morning and welcome to another Tuesday!

Last week, our parent company held a two-day conference to talk about how we can adapt to the changing news environment.
Increasingly, people are getting all their news from the computer screen. Be it at work or home, good stories are pushed along through Facebook and Twitter (you can find the DelcoTimes on both).
Gone are the days when somebody would sit down and read a newspaper from cover to back. Now, the news comes from friends, who forward along links to good stories.
The transition has been quick, but, really, not unexpected.
Now, you can get everything forwarded to your phone, so there isn't even a need to wait until you get to the office.
Adapt we must and adapt we will. the company even has some of the best thinkers in the new business to tap for advise.
The bottom line is stories will still get written. Writers will still be able to tell stories.
As somebody much smarter than me said, 'As long as I can help people with my stories, it doesn't matter if it's on the Internet or paper.'
That's where we are and that's where we are going.

Rise and Shine --- Sunny day

Good Morning and welcome to a new world of hope!

Sure, the health care reform bill that passed the House late Sunday night doesn't go far enough, but at least it's a start.
Now, maybe we can get a handle on the ridiculous cost of health care in this country.
Look, nobody is doubting we have some of the best doctors in the world right here in the U.S. They are doing some things that seem to be right out of Star Trek.
Still, when millions of people can't afford to go to the doctors, let alone get any kind of insurance, the system is broken.
This version of the bill is dumbed down to placate to the loud yellers, but, once again, at least it's a start.
You can't take a step down the right road without moving your feet.
Sure, the public option should have never been a barginning chip and there are still too many loopholes, but it does the heart good to see something being done to help everybody, not just the upper echelon.
There are going to be critics (not the least of which is those on hate radio who are getting their pockets lined by the health care companies), but they can go pound sand.
Two years down the line when we have more affordable insurance and more people have the option to get healthy, maybe we'll see the light.
At least that's a hope.

Rise and Shine --- Bracketology

Good Morning and wasn't it nice to hear the birds singing this morning!

With all the running around this weekend (or, more specifically, sitting around at a conference), I didn't have a chance to fill out an NCAA Tournament bracket.
Usually, I am able to get around three done myself then have the children pick one and feel really bad by the end when they beat me.
This year, though, time just got away and, really, I forgot.
It's a good thing. I definitely would have picked Notre Dame, Georgetown and Marquette. When all three Big East teams lost (and Villanova nearly lost), my first thought was: 'At least I still have my five bucks!'
Seeing the weather report for the weekend made it even better. Now, when it hits 70 degrees, I won't feel the pull to put on a basketball game.
I might even try to play a basketball game, which will make my knees hate me even more.

Rise and Shine --- New World Order

Good Morning and welcome, again, the sun!

Everybody tells us the newspaper game is dying, dead, severely under the weather, a victim of H1N1, being attacked from within, being attacked from without, being fired upon by blogs, being taken out by Clone Troopers and going the way of the dinosaur.
Of course, it's all true. The newspaper as a single, paper entity is dying, dead, etc. We do much more now, which, if you are one of the dozens who read this, already know, so, there's no point in going into that.
Yesterday and today the Journal Register Company, our parent company, is holding a conference to discuss where we go from here. How do we survive?
Now, if you know the history of JRC, you might be saying: 'Good Riddence to bad business.'
There is a new management team in place, they've brought in some of the top minds in the country to help convert the company into a new entity, but it's hard.
The previous regime left the company bankrupt and so far behind the technological wheel we might as well be using a stone and chisel.
After moving out of the sports department into the news department several years ago, I contacted an old editor of mine.
We talked about the business, how to approach things, how the family was doing. Then, he asked, who owns the Delaware County Times. When I responded, Well, (pregnant pause), JRC.'
He first chuckled a bit then hummed the Darth Vader theme song.
Will we survive the great Internet upheaval? I, and many around here, think (hope?) we will. At least there's a plan now (just the fact I could write any of the above words without being pulled into the Publisher's office is a testamant to that).
Sure it will be a bumpy ride, but, hey, you only live once.
So, in honor of the former JRC management who probably can't believe employees actually have a voice, I give you this:

Rise and Shine --- The spin

Good Morning and here's hoping the Miccarelli family is doing OK today!

So, while flipping around the tube the other night, a commercial came on that was so off the wall it took a minute to comprehend the whole thing.
The visual looked innocent enough: A couple was sitting in a park enjoying a picnic. The woman then offered the man an ice pop. He declined, saying it was filled with high fructose corn syrup. She then went into the speech that was the point of the add, saying high fructose corn syrup wasn't bad for you.
Here's the original. Ironically, comments have been disabled on YouTube.
Now, all it takes is a simple Internet search to show how bad high fructose corn syrup really is for you.
Quickly:
Drinking high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), the main ingredient in most soft drinks throughout the world, increases your triglyceride levels and your LDL (bad) cholesterol.
HFCS has also been linked to: Diabetes and Obesity
It is also a factor in Metabolic Syndrome, which is characterized as Abdominal obesity (excessive fat tissue in and around the abdomen), Atherogenic dyslipidemia (blood fat disorders — high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol and high LDL cholesterol — that foster plaque buildups in artery walls); Elevated blood pressure; Insulin resistance or glucose intolerance (the body can’t properly use insulin or blood sugar); Prothrombotic state (e.g., high fibrinogen or plasminogen activator inhibitor–1 in the blood); and Proinflammatory state (e.g., elevated C-reactive protein in the blood)
So, you can believe the ads. You can keep putting an artificial corn based sweetener in your body, or you can stop. The less of this stuff we put in our bodies, the more healthy we become. It's just the way it is.
By the way, there are more than 100 parody ads to the original HFCS one, here are two good ones:

Rise and Shine --- Just shake your head

Good Morning and welcome to a brand-new week!

After monitoring online comments for a couple of years now, I am able to just shrug off most (even those that are posted just to spew hate). Sunday morning, I stumbled upon the following: "Let's stop the hyperbole! People die from illness, injury or age. They do NOT die from lack of health insurance. While the news media calls the current debate a debate over "health care", it's really about determining who should bear the cost of health care. Our current system would work fine with some changes - tort reform, increased funding for Medicaid, and funding for basic-care clinics that would prevent people with minor ailments from tying up expensive hospital emergency rooms. Instead, President Obama and the leaders in Congress want to remake one-sixth of our economy and pile more burden onto the taxpayers while cutting back-room deals that corrupt the whole process."
Right, let's stop the hyperbole. Yes, people die from illness, injury or age. That's about the only thing correct about this post.
They do in fact die from lack of health insurance. Let's just say you were working for a business owner who, because there wasn't a union there to fight it, didn't take the asbestos out of the office ceiling. Suddenly, you are fired and can't afford health insurance.
The doctors tell you have cancer (thanks for all that good air, boss), it is treatable, but the treatments will cost $1,000 each. Without insurance, you are expected to pay that out of pocket. When you can't pay that, you don't get the treatments. The cancer grows.
Now, lack of affordable insurance just killed you.
That's right, let's cut through the hyperbole.
The only 'backroom deals' being cut are by the insurance companies, funneling money into the likes of Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck and, yes, your favorite Congressman, to kill any kind of affordability.
Get the facts, then think about health care.

Protect Insurance Companies PSA from Will Ferrell

Rise and Shine --- Terrorists from where?

Good Morning and we're still wondering what is so wrong with everybody having affordable health care!

Meanwhile, having been to Pennsburg, it's kind of amazing it's the hot bed of terrorist activity.
Now, if there would have been stories about burning crosses and such, maybe it would be believable. There are probably more confederate flags gracing license plates in Pennsburg than Atlanta, but that's another story.
For all the bluster about terrorism coming out of the Middle East, maybe we are starting to see it comes from everywhere.
It's becoming more obvious there are terrorists all around us. That guy who was upset because the bread was a dollar more than he thought at the Giant might be a terrorist.
The person who has to drive right on top of your bumper, then hits the horn as soon as the light turns green, might be a terrorist.
Remember that lady at Starbucks who couldn't wait her turn in line? Yep, she might be a terrorist.
Tea party members might be terrorists, but they would probably only yell and scream about things they know nothing about.
There is a reason why your neighbor never cuts his grass. That's right, might be a terrorist.
If you believe everything Rush Limbaugh says ... well, your probably not a terrorist, but there are questions about your head.
So, there are terrorists all around us. Time to head to the bunker.

Rise and Shine -- Yes, it's sunny!

Good Morning and welcome to the middle of the week!

Ever since the first cold air blew into the area, I've gotten the same question over and over, 'Is it going to be sunny out?'
The question, from a precocious 5-year old, was meant to ask if it's warm out.
So, yes, I would say, it's sunny out today, but it's still cold.
'Awwww!' was always the response.
Sunday, it was with great pride I could finally say it was 'sunny out.'
It's really amazing how the mind works. Yes, it looks nice outside during the doldrums of winter, but it's not exactly inviting.
Bundle up, walk outside and the first thing you want to do is run back inside.
The last few days have been a welcome respite. Sure, there was still some melting snow around, but the hope of a warm day can make a lot of things look better. Well, at least for a little bit.
Hey, there were even a few flowers blossoming from the mud.
So, while the rain and chilly air is blowing back in for the next few days, we can finally look forward to sunny days. We all need a little bit of sunshine.

Rise and Shine --- Surprise!

Good Morning and welcome to a nice, warm Tuesday!

The oldest boy in the household has always been a little shy. He makes a lot of friends, but doesn't really talk about them.
Monday night, Garrettford Elementary school held it's annual Literacy Night. For a variety of reasons, we've never made it to this event, which is held every year.
It's basically to promote the reading of books, something that can become somewhat lost during these Internet times. While we make everybody in the house read a book once a day, I can understand how it can be pushed aside.
It's good the school was able to put together a fun night of reading with the students.
Well, anyway, when I talk to the boy about his friends it's usually a shrug of the shoulders or something like, 'We played.'
Little did I know he was a social animal.
We walked into the building and the principal took to the time out to pat him on the back and call him by name. Several teachers in the hallway did the same. Students walking past said hello. Those in the classroom looked up to to say 'Hi.'
Now, I like to goof around with him a lot. Most of the time he goofs right back. Sometimes, he's more serious.
I thought the serious side was always on during school hours.
It made me proud to see the other side.

Rise and Shine --- The air is new

Good Morning and welcome to (what feels like) spring!

Hope springs eternal, or so it's been said.
When it feels like spring, things change.
For the past few months, the early-morning requests were exactly the same: 'Can we watch TV? Can we play Wii? Can we play with the DS?'
It was cold outside. More often than not this winter, it was snowing. There are only so many times (even for children) that bundling up and heading out into the snow is fun.
With the temperatures ticking upward, though, the requests changed.
'Can we go outside? Can we go to the baseball field and practice? Can we go to the playground? Can we ride our bikes?'
That's what spring is all about. Rediscover the air. Rediscover what's important.
Sure, the heat of the summer will be upon us and the requests will change, but, now at least, there's a whole world out there to be discovered.

Rise and Shine --- Adventureland

Good Morning and welcome to another Friday in a long line of Fridays!

Sometimes, you need a little adventure to break up 'normal' life. It doesn't matter if that adventure will cost you sleep or even dinner, you just need one.
Thankfully, there is a major adventure seeker living in the house, so, when the call came Monday, it was something to jump upon.
'Il Barbiere di Siviglia is playing at the Met Thursday night. Let's go!'

Sounds great. Let's do it. Of course, being in the middle of the week there was childcare, but since Grandmom and Grandpop jump at any opportunity to take care of the little ones, that was easy.
The hard part (if that really what it is) would happen Thursday afternoon/evening.
So, Grandpop got to the house by 4 p.m. It was time to hop in the car, pick up the true adventurer and hit the road.
Now, it takes about three hours (give or take) to make it to New York City. Still, it's an easy ride up I-95, then over to the turnpikes.
One quick word on the PA Turnpike. We got off I-95 at Bristol, grabbed the pay ticket, then, less than a 100 yards on the road had to pay $1.30. Kind of ridiculous.
So, despite running through rush hour, the ride to New York was relatively smooth. Well, as smooth as it could be until you hit the exit for the Lincoln Tunnel. It took about a half hour to get into the tunnel, then came a laugh. There was a Mercedes with a Florida license plate driving in front of us. Now, that's probably not unusual, but this one had a bumper sticker that read 'I miss Reagan!' Now, how could you miss Reagan and why would you put a bumper sticker on a Mercedes. It takes all kinds.
If you've never been to Lincoln Center (the home of the Metropolitan Opera), I suggest you take a ride up. It's awe-inspiring.
The tickets were waiting and, with plenty of time to relax, we couldn't wait for the show to begin.
Now, not having really listened to any opera before two years ago, I can't be called a big fan. I've learned to appreciate it immensely (Thanks again, to the adventure-seeker).

The show was fantastic. It's really amazing how the voices and music can meld together to tell a story. It doesn't matter if it's all in Italian and you don't understand a word of Italian, it's easy to get caught up in the story.
About three-and-a-half hours later, it was time to make the return trip.
Sure, we were tired, hungry and bit cranky (hey, I'd been up for nearly 24 hours), but, sometimes, the adventure is worth it all.
Even after pulling into the driveway at 3:30 a.m. (the same time my alarm usually goes off every morning), it was worth everything. It was a fantastic night.
After a winter (and so far, 2010) of absolute darkness, it was a fantastic night.
Thanks, adventure-seeker.

Rise and Shine --- Whatever..

Good Morning and welcome to Thursday!

There have been a lot of cool snow creations this winter. We've seen snowpeople in the shapes of Flyers fans and football players. We've seen sculptures that would rival some in art museums. We've seen children building tunnels. We've seen some light up. We've seen many fall down.
Well, a family in New Jersey decided to create a snow Venus de Milo.
It was pretty well done, although not as good as others around the region.
Of course, since we can't do anything anymore without offending somebody, there was a complaint to the police.
The family was forced to dress the sculpture.
Next snow (hopefully not for another 10 years, but that's another story), we should all build naked snow people. Let's give everybody a run.

Rise and Shine --- Opinions are like...

Good Morning and wasn't it better to see the rain instead of the snow?

So, in today's Daily Times, columnist Gil Spencer talks to someone who will be trying to get Joe Sestak's old seat in the U.S. House.
Why Sestak is giving it up is another (head scratcher) opinion in itself, today we wonder about the opinion of one Jim Schneller.
Jim Schneller is one of those (birthers?) who claim Barack Obama is an illegal president because he is not a citizen of the U.S.
Uh. Uh. OK.
Well, even though it's been proven over and over and over again Obama is a legal citizen, well, opinions are like noses (or something like that).
So, let's just get to the bottom line.
The reason Barack Obama shouldn't be president of the United States is because he's really from the planet Zoltron. He came down here to steal the American presidency (because, obviously, if you can travel millions of miles to another planet the first thing you want to do is get the most high-profile job).
Apparently, he brought Jeff Goldblum and Jim Carrey to help facilitate the mission.
Those two, of course, were demoralized by Hollywood, so it was up to Obama to go it alone.
Now, he's going to crush us all by making health care more affordable and pull us out of the economic doldrums.
I say, get back on the space ship.

Rise and Shine --- Wonderment

Good Morning and welcome to the Tuesday before the storm!

So, while driving around last night, the tunes coming from the radio had three children (10, 7 and 5) listening intently.
They closed their eyes. They let the sounds invade their head. They smiled. They didn't argue (which, in itself is a miracle).
Most of the time, the radio, if on at all, is tuned to Jazz or something light so as not to get them too fired up.
Last night, it was opera.
For some, it would mean even more yelling. 'Put something else on,' they might say. 'We hate this. Put on real music.'
It does the heart good when that doesn't happen. Instead, they enjoyed the sounds. They even started picking out how some Mozart (who died in 1791) music has been 'stolen' by today's 'artists' and changed.
Hey, when a 10-year old says he wants the prelude to Carmen for a ring tone, well, maybe there's hope for the new generation.

Rise and Shine --- Comments

Good Morning and welcome to a new week (and a full moon)!

For the last couple of years, we here at delcotimes.com have allowed readers to post comments on stories.
When it started, every comment was reviewed before it was posted. It became a daunting job (nearly a full-time job in itself) to read all the comments. Then, we went to an unmoderated forum. Everything was posted immediately.
As you can imagine, that only made things worse. Finally, we settled on the way things work now. You have to register with a real e-mail address, then you can post.
While most of those in the community use the comments to spur good conversation, there are those out there who just want to spew hate.
Either they think their comments are somehow funny or they need to feel superior, well, we'll never know.
When a story becomes a hot-button issue, it brings out all kinds. There are well thought out arguments (on both sides) about everything from earthquakes to health care to, most recently, teen suicide.
Unfortunately, when there is a big issue it also brings out the hate. For the past week, we've received nearly 40 'report abuse' notifications a day.
Now, we take every comment seriously. We want the conversation to flow.
What we don't want or need is racist or hurtful comments. Those will be gone immediately and the poster will be banned.
If you don't like it, so be it

Rise and Shine --- Party, Hardly

Welcome to a new day that's best spent under the covers!

So, forgetting that stuff all over the place outside, there is some interesting controversy brewing in Canada.
Even though these Olympic Games look a lot like a souped-up version of the X-Games, some stodgy old types don't like what's happening.
Last week, U.S. snowboarder Scotty Lago was sent home after partying too hearty.
Then, last night, after the Canadian women won the gold medal in hockey, they had the audacity to drink Molson and smoke cigars on the ice.
Say it isn't so!
Athletes have fun after the pressure's off. What in the name of Tiger Woods is going on here?
Now, the International Olympic Committee is upset. The powers-that-be want an investigation.
Well, I'll save them the money (or they can send a check here): People drink. People have fun. People laugh.
If you don't like it, go back to the offices in Switzerland and watch the snow fall.
Never mind, just come here and do the same thing.

Rise and Shine --- Oh no, Snow!

Good Morning and is this winter becoming a joke, or what?

So, there's another storm hitting us today. Those who are hooked on the word 'warming' in Global Warming like to put out their half-thought out ideas every time it snows.
Now, if you can actually look out the window and say the climate is not changing in a major way, well, I'm happy for you.
When the Easter Bunny comes by for tea, tell him (or her) I said hello.
Look, no matter what the wackos want to say, there is a significant climate change going on across the earth. These huge storms that seem to hit us every few weeks are only part of it.
Hurricanes have been stronger (remember Katrina?), earthquakes have been more devastating (Haiti?) and tidal waves are knocking out whole communities (Thailand?). So, focus on the word 'warming' if you want and don't be surprised if the Easter Bunny brings his buddy the Tooth Fairy.

Rise and Shine --- Huh?

Good Morning and welcome to the calm before the storm!

Now, maybe it's just me, but I have to think there are more important things for the members of Congress to be doing right now than grilling the head of Toyota.
Yeah, they screwed up their cars, but it'll get fixed. The public will keep buying Toyotas (if we ever start buying new cars again) and Japan will survive.
Sounds more like some are trying to take the focus off more important issues.
Want one, how about health care.
Just look around people, we are being bankrupted by big health care companies. One company in California raised their rates 39 percent. Most of us will see at least a 15 percent price hike. Suddenly, you are paying a quarter of your earnings for insurance.
Sure, we need it, but anybody who says we don't need some kind of reform has their head in, well, the sand (I was going to say Rush Limbaugh, but, this is a family Web site, right?)
Now, Republican leaders are saying they are going to to everything to block any kind of health care reform.
So, as we grow sicker because we can't afford care, think about how some 'leaders' are getting their pockets lined.

Rise and Shine --- Now, that's funny

Good Morning and welcome to a wet Tuesday!

So, the first Superman comic book sold for $1 million yesterday.
This kind of thing is always a little strange. First of all, who saves a comic book? You buy it, read it, pass it around and maybe it comes back. Most of the time when it comes back, the pages are torn or cut out.
Somebody, though, saved this comic book since 1938 and apparently it's in perfect condition. It's probably not been in the air for years.
Not only is that strange, but somebody actually had $1 million sitting around and the best they could do was buy a comic book.
Strange days indeed.
I remember back in the day when my grandmother passed along some of my dad's old comic books. At the time, I was just happy to read them. I showed them to my friends. The covers got ripped off. They were drawn on.
Now, I'm thinking I should have taken the books, put them in zip lock bags and stored them in a temperature-controlled room.
Then again, it was more fun to look at them.

Rise and Shine --- Four years later...

Good Morning and welcome to the start of a new week!

Every four years when the Winter Olympics invade our living room, we get to see events we don't see any other time.
Take for instance, curling. Please, take it. Like take it away.
It appears the only real reason curling is part of the Olympics is for viewers to scratch their heads. What the heck is that?
What are they doing with that big thing (rock?) they are are sliding down the ice. If you watched the curling Saturday night, you more likely would be saying, 'What are those guys doing with those brooms?'
OK, there's a skill involved. You have to to sweep (?) the ice to keep the thing moving and try to get it into the circle. Players can also knock off opponent's stones.
Uh, Oh, that one was pushed too fast, it's going to leave the circle.
Whatever?
The only thought while watching the event (and this came from somebody who's never seen it before) is it's borderline obscene. Then again, they probably have a lot of fun at practice.

Rise and Shine --- Hi, it's Tiger...

Good Morning and welcome to end of the week!

So, does anybody really (I mean really beyond the spectacle of the thing) care about what Tiger Woods has to to say today?
By the way, you can watch it BY CLICKING HERE.
He's got a billions in the bank. He's lived a charmed life. He apparently really likes pancakes.
Sure, many will watch it this morning because, well, we like to see stars fall. We like to see those who thought they were somehow better than us scrape their knee (well, in the case of Tiger, something else).
It would probably be more interesting if he stood up today and said: 'Hi, it's Tiger. Uh, I'm available to tape voice mail messages. In fact, I'm going to give up golf to become a dating expert. I really liked that Will Smith movie and it appears to be a lot less stressful than golf. Don't take my number off your phone, in fact, here's the new 800 line."
Maybe he'll come out and say this: "Hi, it's Tiger. Uh, I'm going to become a reality TV star."
Or, he could go the pro wrestling route: "Yeah, I'm Tiger. I can beat you on the dating scene and the golf course. Deal with it."
Here's the music that could be played as he walks to the podium:

Rise and Shine --- What Games?

Good Morning and welcome to another day without new snow!

So, the Winter Olympics are taking place in Vancouver. USA, USA, USA, or something like that.
Having only caught bits and pieces of the Olympics (that curling again is oh so exciting), I still don't get all the National Pride.
There are no 'bad' Russians any more to root against. It's not like Iran is sending a team of skiers to Canada. Even if they did, the story of their struggle to learn skiing in the desert would make them fan favorites.
Over the years, the hope is anyway, that we've evolved out of this 'Us vs. Them' mentality. You don't hope the German skier falls or the Korean skater hits the wall. You want to see some great competition, let the best win and we can all cheer.
We've advanced that far as a group of people, right? Right?
Oh, never mind:

Rise and Shine --- Healing power of music

Good Morning and welcome to a brand-new day!

Ever notice no matter how bad the day is going, you hear a song (whether it be on the radio, iPod or getting gas at Wawa) that turns the mood.
Sure, there are a lot of depressing songs out there, but sometimes all you need is a good tune to turn things around.
It might be a song you previously didn't like or maybe didn't pay much attention when it was playing.
Then, boom, the song touches your soul.
Maybe we all need a good soundtrack for life.

Rise and Shine -- Shopping?

Good Morning and who wasn't annoyed by that snow this morning?

When the first calls for big snow come around, the food stores get packed. Everybody fills up the pantry, just in case they can't get out for a week or so.
Most of the time, this is kind of funny. After all, most of our snows last a day, then everybody gets around. You don't really need all those frozen dinners.
Of course, the snow over the last couple of weeks made the run to the supermarket a good idea. We were snowed in. We needed something to eat, especially after shoveling the mess.
When the roads got cleared this past weekend, though, it appears the mall was was the place to be. Anybody who ventured out Sunday found out they weren't alone.
The malls were packed (if anybody was actually buying something, well, that's another story). There were no parking spots to be found. The little stores were wall-to-wall people.
After sitting in the house all those days, it seemed like a good idea. Head over the King of Prussia and move around a bit. If you have children, though, there's one store you need to hit. That's the Lego store.
Sunday, Valentine's Day, there were so many people in the Lego store you couldn't help but bump into somebody. Children couldn't even run around because there was no space. The line stretched out of the store.
All right, five minutes is up, let's move on.
A quick walk out and the promise of chocolate led to the Godiva store. Even though it was a big candy-buying day, Godiva was not nearly as crowded as Lego.
What does that mean? Maybe You Tube has something to do with it:

Rise and Shine --- Cabin Fever

Good Morning and wasn't it nice to not have to shovel this morning!

So, the biggest offshoot of all this snow is school closings.
You know, it's nice a couple of times a winter (once?), to get that extra snow day. It gives students a chance to regroup and just have some fun in the snow.
When we are stretching into a week off, well, it's way too much.
A Facebook from Lansdale says if there is another snow day tomorrow, she's taking her children and dropping them off on the doorstep of the superintendent.
Now, that might be going too far, but anybody who's been home with school-age children during this epic week, well, you can understand the sentiment.
There are only so many snowmen to be built. There are only so many times you can say 'Read a book' or 'Clean your room!' There are only so many indoor games of tag anybody can take.
It's time to get back to school!
If tonight's snowstorm turns out worse than expected (they are currently calling for about an inch), I forsee a band of parents shoveling a path to school.

Rise and Shine --- Take this snow and shovel it

Good Morning and welcome back to 'The Day After Tomorrow!'

Here are some huge high fives for those who made it to work, home from work and kept the roads plowed during this epic blizzard.
This morning, after digging out the car, the roads proved to be passable. Much more than around 5 p.m. Wednesday, when cars were getting stuck all over the place and life became very scary.

Now, what exactly do we do with all that snow.
The piles were gigantic before that second round hit yesterday. Heck, there was too much out there Tuesday night. Of course, it's all going to go somewhere, like our basements.
You know, even those who profess to 'love snow' have to be hating things right about now. That is, unless you are a student and are getting an extra-long break.
So, I announced last night, I guess we all hate snow right now.
'I love it,' said Liam.
You love it. How can you love this?
'It looks nice,' was the retort.
Sure, it looks great if you get off from school and don't have to shovel. Then, it looks like the seventh level of Armageddon.

Rise and Shine --- Making Winter Bearable

Good Morning and thanks again to the Cold Miser for giving us winter!

The sound started from the kitchen around 6:30 last night. The first snowflakes weren't falling, but, when the music starts playing, we know what's next.
Coming through the sounds of was the crinkle of a bag, then the sound of a measuring cup clipping the side of a metal bowl.
Pretty soon, the singing got louder and the you could hear a spoon mixing flour, baking powder, baking soda and other secret things together.

The 'ding' of the oven when the temperature was just right meant we were only minutes away from the only good thing about winter: Cookies fresh from the oven.
No matter what's going on in the world. No matter how much snow was going to be dumped on us. It didn't even matter that we had to drive to work in the mess the next morning.
No, the baking was starting. The treats were on the way.
The last time, the master baker did her thing, then took half and walked to work so those in the office could feel a bit of the warmth.
Thanks, Kathleen, you make it all better.

Rise and Shine --- On the Radio

Good Morning and it appears about time we all went South!

I used to listen to the radio all the time. Now, not so much.
I might flip around while driving to hear a song I like. If there's nothing on the music side, I'll hit the AM button and catch some talk radio.
That usually means the radio is close to being turned off.
Aside from the racist hate radio that fills the airwaves (Rush, Hannity, et al), sportstalk radio is continually heading into the dark range.
Spend any time around people and you know they like to talk. Some like to throw things out there to get a reaction. Some believe they know everything about everthing and need to let you know it too.
Now that the Super Bowl is over, sportstalk radio is filled with callers and hosts who want changes made to the Eagles. They want the coach fired. They want a new quarterback. They want new ownership.
OK, the Eagles haven't won a Super Bowl, but what would you rather have, the doldrums of the 1980s and 1990s or a chance to win every year? Fire the coach and end up with a Rich Kotite clone (remember how bad that was?). Get rid of the most successful quarterback in franchise history and end up with, what, Bobby Hoying?
Then we can venture into the Phillies. All the team has done is make the last two World Series, winning the first.
Now, they go out and get the best pitcher in the game, but nobody is happy. I actually heard somebody say they would never attend a game again after the deal that brought in Roy Halladay and got rid of Cliff Lee.
It almost makes you pine for the blither blather of Rush and his hatred of everything.
Then again, maybe it's time to pull out the CDs.

Rise and Shine --- Super ... Ouch

Good Morning and welcome to the greatest week Ben Gay ever had!

After a full day of sledding and shoveling, the Super Bowl seemed like it would be the perfect elixer to end the day.
Watching the Big Game (as they like to say when they don't want to pay the NFL) with four non-football fans makes it, well, kind of interesting.
The biggest question of the day wasn't, 'Who's going to win?' It was a tie between 'Is this over yet?' and 'Can we watch Spongebob instead?'
Hey, at least there were some entertaining commercial spots this year to fill in between the boring stuff.
After a couple of years of too much Budweiser, Geccos and talking Babies, there was some imagination out there this time around.
I thought the David Letterman/Oprah/Jay Leno spot and the Careerbuilder.com Casual Friday ad were funny. I also laughed out loud at the Betty White/Abe Vigoda snickers ad.
In highly scientific voting at the Super Bowl party, though, there were three clear winners. So, since the game wasn't as exciting, here you go with the top three:
3. Dorito's Tim's Locker: CLICK here to see it
2. Kia's Toys dream: CLICK HERE to see it
1. Google. CLICK HERE to see it
Now, the three worst (once again, highly scientific voting procedures)
3. Denny's
2. Emerald Nuts
1. Bridgestone
What do you think?

Rise and Shine --- Craziness

Good Morning and welcome to the calm before the storm!

A couple of stories hit close to home yesterday.
First, was the one about the one about the St. Eugene student who took a knife to school.
The other was out of Florida, where a fourth grader was dragged to the principal's office when he was found playing with a Lego figure, which just happened to be carrying a toy gun.
Now, at first glance, these appear to be two different things. A child bringing an Army knife to school, then threatening fellow students (according to the report), is much more disturbing than somebody with an Army Lego man.
The problem, like in all these cases, is where do you draw the line. A threat of violence has to be dealt with to the full extent of the rules. Bring something to school that could hurt somebody else, pay the price.
Bring a one-inch toy to school to show off to your friends, well, that's completely different.
It's up to teachers to know the difference. You can take the toy, put it away and give it back at the end of the day. Even a fourth-grader knows not to bring it in again.
This happens all the time. Parents are now going to have to dump bookbags in the morning to make sure sneaky toys haven't jumped in.
There is a difference.

Rise and Shine --- Just Drive

Good Morning and welcome to a Winter Wonderland!

That snow out there this morning looks nice, but it's not causing many problems. The main streets are just wet.
The big debate out there is the use of cell phones in cars. The state wants to ban the use. You are not supposed to be able to drive and talk in New Jersey or Philadelphia (if you look, though, it doesn't appear anybody is paying attention to that ban).
I try not to use the phone in the car. On the rare exception it does ring, thank you, Caller ID inventor) I let it go through the voice mail.
Now, I know the cell phone has made our life a bit easier. If there is an accident or a problem, it's a lot easier than knocking on doors to make a call.
Driving and talking (or texting!), still doesn't seem right. I know people do it all the time, but we somehow survived all those years without being plugged in.
Then again, pretty soon Apple will no doubt have a phone and lap top right on our dashboard, so better get with the program.

Rise and Shine --- Singing, Dancing

Good Morning and welcome to Groundhog Day!

Like it really matters if Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow. We are still going to have a cold February and March.
While watching part of the Grammy Awards Sunday night (could only make it through the Pink performance), I got to thinking about music (OK, I had a little help).
Whatever time we are living in, we think we have either the best or worst music ever.
Those in the 1960s rebelled against the Beatles and Rolling Stones because they become 'too corporate.' Whatever that means.
During the 1970s, Disco became huge, then crashed and burned.
The 1980s brought, well, depending on you, some good stuff, some iconic stuff and, well, some forgettable stuff.
The 1990s, well, when Britany, the Backstreet Boys and Celine Dion dominate the charts, it's better left alone.
The last decade is just too early to judge. Although, that Grammy show didn't exactly capture the moment.
So, all these years later, at least the 1980s brought some interesting things to our ears.
Now, let me know, what is your favorite music from the 1980s.

Rise and Shine --- Gaming

Good Morning and welcome to a brand-new week!

A couple of years ago, a Nintendo DS entered our home. Liam's Christmas gift was fun and exciting. After all, we had been able to push off the video game generation a little longer.
Now, as a bit of an aside, we did have about 10 versions of different LeapFrog games, but they are more about learning than playing, something that was learned quickly by a child's mind.
So, loaded down with a couple of games, the Nintendo DS (for those not in the know, it's a hand-held video game) quickly became a reason to argue.
Everybody wanted to play it. Liam wasn't to happy, after all, it is his and his alone. Still, thanks to some parental input, the game became something to share.
So, Liam would play it, then Brendan would get a chance and finally Malena (and sometimes Dad). Soon, though, the amount of time everybody was using the game became an issue.
'He had it longer than me.' 'I never get a chance to play.' 'When is it my turn.'
That's when the timer comes in. Now, everybody has a chance to play for 15 minutes. When the alarm goes off, it's time to switch.
Of course, that comes with its own set of problems. Some of the games take longer than 15 minutes, which means you get to hear a lot of 'just one more minute' or 'I just want to finish this one thing.'
Of course, the arguments come and it's time to put it away. The next day, there's a repeat, so it's time to hide the whole thing.
Or, at least give me a chance to play.

Rise and Shine --- Spring is around the corner

Good Morning and welcome to a cold Friday!

That cold this morning is like a slap in the face. Feel a little tired? Step outside and let the wind do what coffee could never finish.
Still, the sun shining down yesterday did give a bit of a taste of spring. Maybe we can move out the grey winter quickly. Come on, Punxsutawney Phil, give us an early spring next week.
This year, 'Phil' will be giving a forecast via instant messaging and twitter. Who knew the groundhog had an iPhone in that hole?
It is kind of amazing, though, how it's so easy to talk about the weather. Somebody could walk up to you outside school, say hello, then say, 'Gee, it's cold (warm, rainy, snowy) out here today!'
You always have a quick answer for that. 'Well, it's going to get warmer (colder, wetter, icy) tomorrow.'
We all like talking about weather, probably because it's maybe the one thing we can't do anything about. It's not like we can look up to the sky and say, 'Get sunny!'
Well, I guess we can, but it won't do anthing.
See, this is what happens at the end of a long week, nonsensical rambling.
So, just listen:

Rise and Shine --- Gadgets

Good Morning and welcome to a new world!

Well, OK, it's the same old world where hate-mongers throw out misinformation about health care and expect the masses to pick up torches.
Talk about partisan politics. How about offering some solutions when trying to rebuff the president's speach? Nah, we'll just throw out unsubstantiated opinions and see what sticks.
Anyway, the bigger news yesterday seemed to be the new iPad from Apple. It really doesn't appear to be the 'kill-all' that everybody predicted, but, seeing what Apple has done to the cell phone, the next generatiion of iPad will do everything.
Think about the perfect strategy of this company. Create a demand, upgrade the hardware, leave everybody else in the dust.
Pretty soon, the iPad will be everything from an e-reader to a phone. It might even cook your dinner. What's been proven in the past decade is you can't count Steve Jobs out. Now, if the rest of the business world would follow this model.

Rise and Shine --- Not another one...

Good Morning and welcome to a Wednesday in a long line of Wednesdays!

Don't know if you've noticed or not, but we here at delcotimes.com have jumped into video. A few weeks ago, corporate decided we needed to add more video clips to our Web Site. They sent down four Flip video cameras and told us to get with it. (Acutual conversation: 'We are giving you four cameras to add video to your site. Reporters can shoot the video and you can edit it. You know how to edit video, right.' Uh, no not really. 'That's OK, it's not too hard.')
So, there was a learning curve, some backlash, some complaining and even more complaining (hey, it's a newsroom, the only time there's no complaining is around 4 a.m.).
Somehow, probably because most of us know we have to adapt the way we do things to survive. You want video, sure here's video.
Whatever, you have to adapt or die in this 24/7 newsgathering world.
Baby steps? Yeah, of course. We are nothing but slow changers.
So, the editing process isn't so hard. The cameras are easy to use.
Now, when do those Academy Award nominations come out?

Rise and Shine --- Veg Out

Good Morning and welcome to a (hopefully) dry day!

I certainly don't watch as much television as in the past. Part of it has to do with the time my alarm goes off every morning (3:30 a.m.). Part of it is, with three young children, there's not much time to just sit in front of the television.
Well, at least as much time to watch prime time shows. Now, when the television is on, it's usually tuned into Cartoon Network. I know more about 'Star Wars: The Clone Wars' and 'Ben 10' than I really ever hoped to know.
I still do try to veg out once in a while, but following any kind of show is a little harder.
I do make time to watch '24' and, starting next Tuesday, 'Lost.'
Now, that's escapism (at least to me).
So, the last couple of weeks I was able to catch the beginning of the new season of '24.' Now, if anybody has watched the show through it's eight years on the air, you know the plot. Keifer Sutherland will have 'the worst day ever' then save the world. Already through the first five hours this year, Jack Bauer's been tasered, beaten while tied to a chair, crashed a car and saved two 'bad guys' so he could get the information.
Just one day, though, it would be interesting to see him eat a meal or take a nap. Then again, the world wouldn't be saved.

Rise and Shine --- Amazing

Good Morning and welcome to a whole new week!

Despite the complaints of three children, I was able to switch away from Cartoon Network Friday night to catch some of the Hope For Haiti telethon.
While the music was good, if not a bit melancholy, it was the stories being told between the performances that was moving.
Whenever there is a great tragedy, there are stories of survival that seem unbelievable. The only thing is, the survivor is sitting there telling the story.
One they showed Friday night was the rescue of a girl who had been trapped under a building for more than a week. Since, everything is on video these days, this is pretty powerful.
There were stories about people with nothing. People pulling others out of rubble with their bare hands.
There was a story this morning about a man who was able to survive thanks to a app on his iPhone. He was able to find out ways to stop bleeding and keep his head together.
There are plenty of cynical people out there who figure 'it's not America, why do we care?'
Well, we're all connected. We should all care. If you aren't moved by these stories, check your pulse.

Rise and Shine --- Building a Car

Good Morning and welcome to Friday!

I don't remember exactly how they all came together. All I remember is every year during Cub Scouts I had a pinewood derby car. One car was basically a block of wood with a King Kong figure glued to the top.
I don't remember winning any races. I don't remember much about the cars (with the exception of the King Kong). I do remember having fun, though. Well, as much fun as a pre-teen can have while losing every race.
This is the fourth year I've helped build a car with a boy that age. The first year, we didn't get through the first round. The second year, we actually won the first race before bowing out in the second round. Last year, well, let's forget about it.
Each car was built by Liam (with the exception of using the power saw to cut the wood). He designed it. He painted it. He put the wheels on. He got upset when it didn't take first (although we have three trophies for the most colorful car).
This year, he wanted a car that was shaped like a carrot. Well, not having the right tools (or any tools really), we set out to shape the square piece of wood into a circle.
Long story short, he now has something that looks like a carrot if it was run over by a monster truck.
He adapted. Painted it with every color in the rainbow. Glued on a driver. It might not be a carrot, but it looks like a race car.
Now, it's pretty obvious every year which parents are more 'involved' in the building of the cars. Some look like something that came right out a Detroit line. Others, look like perfect toys. They are perfectly balanced. They are perfectly painted. They are impressive.
Liam probably won't win the championship this year. Still, though, he will always know it was his hands that did everything.
That's just as impressive.

Rise and Shine --- Absolutely giddy

Good Morning and welcome back to the Internet!

So, in what many are calling an epic upset, a Republican won a Senate seat in Massachusetts.
That, of course, gave all the hate radio hosts plenty to squawk about yesterday.
In reality, all it really means to the rest of us is more of the same. All these politicians are made from the same cut of slime. They do what's best for them first, their friends second and, only if there's time left, for the rest of us.
Sure, some might have more time on the back end than others, but when you look around and see more people out of work, more people without healthcare and more people struggling to make ends meet, well, there's something broken.
Until everybody works together, well, it's not going to get better.
Or something like that.

Rise and Shine --- Bubble Trouble

Good Morning and welcome to the only place in the world where trucks get stuck under bridges every day!

You know, the request comes every night at about 7, 'Can we take a bubble bath? Can we take a bubble bath? Can we take a bubble bath?'
Most nights, the answer is, 'Well, how about just a quick wash.'
Not that there's anything wrong with a bubble bath. After all, no matter how old (or young), who doesn't like a bubble bath? Really, there's something relaxing and a bit fun about the whole deal.
Bubble baths for a 5-year old, though, is almost better than spending the whole day at a playground. Sure, she gets clean, but so does the whole bathroom.
The bubbles always end up being thrown around the room, get into the hallway and, somehow, even in the kitchen (OK, not really, but it feels that way).
The pure joy of seeing the bubbles grow as the water pours into the tub is something to see. The smile stretches wider than when those chocolate chip cookies come out of the oven.
So, those nights when the bubble bath comes, the reckless abandon begins. Plop into the tub and the laughter starts. Anybody who walks into the room is subject to a bubble attack. Hey, at least the floor is getting clean.
It doesn't matter how cold the water gets, if there's one bubble left, it's too early to get out.
Finally, like two hours later (not really), the bath is done. Sure, she looks like a grape and the shivers start, but the question still comes quickly, 'Can we do that again tomorrow?'
We'll see. We'll see.

Rise and Shine --- Fun in the sun

Good Morning and welcome to an icy window kind of day!

You know, with the cold air and the early sunsets during the winter, there tends to be a case of melancholy. The air is too cold to breath in deeply. The heat turns on way too often. The cabin fever sets in quickly.
Then, out of nowhere, we get a break like this past weekend.
After a slow rise Saturday, the sun shining down made it a perfect day to get outside.
So, we threw the ball around. Played some tag and then pulled out the bikes. Now, nothing says warm weather like bike riding. Sure, you can do it in the cold, but when it's just warm enough to not have layers and layers of clothes on, well, it just goes a little smoother.
Then came the glory of a day yesterday. With everybody off from school, the cries to visit a playground started before breakfast. After another quick bike ride (well, as quick as it can be with a 5 and 7-year old), the decision was made.
Let the fun begin. Hey, you know it's been a long winter if Mom and Dad are climbing to the top and going down the twisty slide (they would pay for it later, but so what?).
Now, if we can only get another week of this...

Rise and Shine --- Stupid is as stupid does

Good Morning and welcome to Friday!

Can't top this amount of stupidity if you tried:

WASHINGTON - The White House is firing back at Rush Limbaugh after the conservative talk-radio host urged people not to donate to relief efforts in Haiti.
Spokesman Robert Gibbs says there are always people who say "really stupid things" during a crisis. He says it's sad that Limbaugh would use the power of his pulpit to convince people not to assist those in need.

Limbaugh said on his radio show yesterday that he wouldn't trust that money donated to Haiti through the White House Web site would actually go to the relief efforts. He said Americans don't need to contribute to earthquake relief because they already donate to Haiti through their income taxes.

And Limbaugh's the voice of the people

Rise and Shine --- Helping out

Good Morning and welcome back to the Internet!

There are political differences, there are economic differences, there are religious differences, but it is kind of amazing how people find a way to band together.
Take the devastaing earthquake in Haiti. It didn't take long before the world community put aside many of their differences and tried to figure a way to help out.
Whether it is trying to get on an airplane to help sort through the rubble or getting the information out there, most people felt the pain. Looking at the photos coming out of there, well, there was no way you couldn't hurt a bit as well.
Most of us want to do more, but know the best we can do is send good thoughts down there and hope more and more poeple will be found alive.
Sure, there are those detractors who find the negative in everything. I actually heard somebody make a statement on hate radio yesterday that it was the Obama administration's fault. Whatever. Those people would be miserable if they they were living in the Garden of Eden.
The rest of us normal thinking people, though, want to help anyway we can.
Maybe there's hope for us yet.

Rise and Shine --- Gone Crazy

Good Morning and welcome to another Wednesday!

Ever notice how some things just happen.
For months now, a 10-year old boy I know has been asking to for a cell phone.
When asked why he needs one, the answer was always the same: 'Everybody else in my class has one' or 'Because.'
Obviously, those aren't the right answers. So, since he rarely has to walk home from school, isn't left at home alone nor does he stay late after school, there was no real need to 'add a line.'
This week, though, maybe because the stars were alligned in such a way or the moon was sending radiation, but he ended up with a cell phone.
How? It's still a blur, but we needed to replace a broken one. Since the actual upgrade date was a couple of months away, the only way to get a new phone (without paying full price) was to add another line to the plan.
Somehow, with the new phone and another line, the bill doesn't go up very much, so that's a plus.
Meanwhile, the 10-year old's line is just a phone. No fancy gadgets. No Internet access.
All I have to say is he better ace that spelling test this week.

Rise and Shine --- 'Roid Rage

Good Morning and welcome to a steroid-free zone!

OK, most of us aren't trying to make millions of dollors playing professional sports, so we don't really know if we would touch steroids to help get that next record or next big contract.
To say you absolutely wouldn't, well, don't fool yourself too much.
Anyway, when former Home Run King Mark McGwire finally came clean about his steroid use Monday, it was greeted in this corner of the world by a big, 'So what?'
Everybody knew McGwire, like Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds and every other slugger of the era, was using steroids. The size of the arms didn't come naturally. There was no way around it.
McGwire went from looking like Shane Victorino to Hulk Hogan virtually overnight. It was obvious he was getting help.
Then again, nobody cared when he was hitting the ball a mile. Nobody cared when he and Sosa were going back-and-forth for the home run record in 1998. Nobody cared if his career was over a few years later when steriods broke down his muscles.
It was fun to watch at the time despite the 'wink, wink, special vitamins' they were using.
You have to remember how the 1990s went for baseball. The Phillies stunk, there was a nasty strike that wiped out the World Series and the games were boring.
McGwire, Bonds, Sosa, Brady Anderson, Rafael Palmerio and the like at least made the games fun to watch. Baseball sold it and we bought it.
Sure, looking back now it was probably no more than pro wrestling in uniforms, but, hey, at least they didn't use metal chairs on each other.

Rise and Shine --- Ridiculous

Good Morning and welcome to a brand new week!

This cold just has to go away. I know, it's winter in Pennsylvania, but we usually get a couple of above-temperature days throughout the winter to make it at least bearable. This year, so far at last, it's just dark and cold. Maybe there's some hope at the end of the week.
Speaking of Hope, that's the key word that helped Barack Obama get elected as president. Now, there's a Broadway-type play making a splash in Germany that is, well, just a bit ridiculous.
While waiting for a balmy day, warm yourself up with some dancing (or something like that).

Rise and Shine --- OOH, My Stomach

Good Morning and welcome back to a winter wonderland!

It all started Sunday night. After getting through the holidays virtually healthy (as healthy as can be with this ridiculous cold), the stomach bug invaded the house.
It's like the unwanted guest who won't leave.
First the oldest got the bug, taking out his bed and the bathroom in the process. OK, that happens, just try to sleep. It's the best way to get better.
After a day break, the younger boy's stomach started growling. Another bed gone, another late night of cleanup.
A day later, the princess was hammered. It's like our little den of disease.
The way these things work, though, is you just have to let it run its course. There's no quick cure, or any cure at all really.
Just pump in the fluids and keep everybody as comfortable as possible.
Tonight, we hold an exorcism to cast out the demon.
Or so I hope.
Meanwhile, today's is Elvis' birthday. So, here you go:

Rise and Shine --- Oh, shoot

Good Morning and welcome back to the cold shoulder!

It's interesting the way society has changed. Back in the day, it was't odd for children to dress up like cowboys and have 'shoot outs' in the street with cap guns. Then came B.B. guns, then came air guns. Now we have marshmellow shooters, water cannons and the like.
The unfortunate part of this business, is it desensitizes us (to an extent) to the real damage of firearms.
When I was in high school (again back in the day), a social studies teacher used to always say the biggest threat to our country from an outside force wouldn't be from Russia or China. There were enough people in those countries who know the horrors of war and killings. No, he said, a threat would always come from those who never knew war, but saw it glamorized on the movie (or television) screen.
It's the same with this. Those who carry a gun feel powerful. They see themselves as some kind of modern day gangster. 'Everybody get out of my way.'
Now, you want to brandish a gun, I guess it's your right. Anytime there is an attempt to regulate gun purchases or gun ownership, a group rises up to yell it down.
Sometimes, though, there's nothing wrong with the alternative.

Rise and Shine --- Lawyers, Guns and Money

Good Morning and welcome to Blue Wednesday!

To all those who so kindly threw their guns (so to speak) into the ring yesterday, read this: "A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."
It's the Second Amendment to the Constitution. It's been cited here, there and everywhere as the reason why we need to have an arsenal of guns in every home.
Well, I'm not part of a state militia. I don't know of one in Delaware County or the rest of the state for that matter.
We are not under attack by outside forces. We are in a 'Free State' and nobody is trying to take that freedom away.
So, once again, the only thing guns are good for is killing. Use a gun on somebody else, you are a killer. Just realize that and we can move on.

Rise and Shine ---- What's that argument for guns?

Good Morning and welcome to another warm day on the Internet!

So, a story broke over the weekend that two players on the NBA's Washington Wizards pulled guns on each other in the lockerroom following an argument over a gambling debt.
Last year, New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress was arrested after he shot himself in the leg at a nightclub. He's in jail right now, his career pretty much over.
A Philadelphia cop was fired after shooting what he thought was an armed suspect.
Robberies involving guns keep going up. Shootings appear to happen daily around here.
Still, if you check out some of the comments on delcotimes.com or you listen to the hate radio, people (at least those with big mouths) seem to want more people to have guns. What was that old joke about guns and feelings of inadequacy? Can't remember it.
Anyway, I don't see the need for more guns in our society. If anything, we should be talking guns away from everybody except for law enforcement.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, the gun nuts will go on about how guns don't kill people. But, if there were less guns on the street, less people would get killed.
Here's an idea, take them all away, melt them down and use the metal to create some art.

Rise and Shine --- Back to the grind

Good Morning and welcome to the worst day of the year!

OK now, the holidays are done. The parties are over. The trees are coming down. The lights are going back into the box.
What do we have to look forward to except the cold, dark winter? That's what makes this Monday the worst day of the year.
It's back to work and to school full force. One day, you're running around with a jolly step, the next, bang, right back to the reality of the usual grind.
Then again, there is enough to be thankful for, so maybe the cold won't feel so bitter. Maybe the dark will have a bit of light.
Hey, yeah. Let's just continue the fun. Don't get bogged down in the mundane of every day.
Then again, that wind is pretty bad again out there this morning.