Rise and Shine --- Education, schmeducation

Good Morning and I'll make my birth certificate available online soon!!

So, yesterday the story broke the Philadelphia School District was going to eliminate more than 1,000 teachers. Last week, we heard how the William Penn School District may have to eliminate busing. The Chichester School District is looking to trim jobs and athletic teams.
Last night, Upper Darby announced there will be 47 job losses, the end of programs (gym?) and a major tax hike.
All of this is to deal with budget shortfalls thanks to the new state budget which cuts school funding.
Now, you can blame teacher unions. You can blame students. You can put the blame on whatever head you want, but it comes down to the bottom line: No matter how much is said, those in control don't really care about education.
They tie funding to ridiculous, culturally-biased testing. Then, they say there will be less teachers and support staff to get the students ready for the testing.
Some of the cuts Upper Darby is looking at includes the elimination of gym classes for high school students and getting rid of reading specialists.
Yeah, that's the way to go. Let's tell even more students they don't matter.
OK, I'm no financial wiz. Just look at the mountain of bills on my kitchen table, but there has to be another way.
We vote people into office. We expect them to look after our interests. Cutting on this level makes no sense.

Rise and Shine --- Wah, wah, wah

Good Morning and welcome back to the heat!

So, why do we first complain about the cold, then turn around and complain about the heat? Probably because we like to complain.
I mean, really, really complain. Walk into any place of business and you will hear people complaining. Heck, walk into the newsroom here at the Daily Times and you'll start complaining through osmosis.
We complain about the water. We complain about the computers. We complain when the air conditioners are on, we complain when the heat is on.
I'm sure it's not just a phenomenon here in the grand ol' US of A, but it sure seems like we like to complain, a lot.
I was in a store the other day and a couple of employees were complaining that there were only powdered doughnuts left. It wasn't just disappointment either. This was a full out complaint, the person even was threatening to quit over the disservice.
While working a few years ago in a department store, somebody actually complained when they had to help a customer. Wait a minute, isn't that your job?
Less you think I'm taking on just the workplace, I've heard a myriad of complaints about breakfast/lunch/dinner over the last few years. Now, come on, what's exactly wrong with tuna casserole?
Anyway, one complaint you won't hear is from me. Thanks for reading.

Rise and Shine --- Par for the course

Good Morning and here's hoping everybody is off that sugar high!

Maybe it's because they are getting older or maybe it's because not everything was open yet, but when we hit the Ocean City boardwalk late last week, the first request wasn't about going on rides.
This year the request (and it came as often as breathing) was for games of mini golf.
So, mixed in with too much junk food and a cold wind coming off the ocean, we spent hours hitting different colored balls through windmills, pirate ships, tiki gods and gorillas.
You know what, it might have been the best couple of days spend down the shore in years. We laughed, we danced, we jumped around. Sure, there were some minor arguments about who was going first and how many shots were actually taken, but they quickly faded.
There were holes-in-one and holes-in-10, but it didn't matter. The Masters had nothing on us.
Now, with school starting back up this week, maybe I can find a way to make homework this much fun.

Rise and Shine --- Pennies from the pocket

Good Morning and welcome back to the Internet!

You know, every time we head to a mall, there are two places that are must stops. One is the toy store and I have to practice the 'not right now' and 'no' part of the language.
The second is the fountain. Sometimes, depending on how we walk through, the fountain will come before the toy store.
So, I make sure to fill my pockets with pennies before heading out the door. After all, you can't make wishes without pennies.
With the rain coming down Saturday, it seemed like the perfect time to head to a mall. Oh yeah, by the way, everybody and their mother had the same idea.
Once we saw the fountain, the requests started: 'Can I have a penny? Can I have a penny? Can I have a penny? Can I have a penny?'
Of course, with each penny toss has to come a wish. About 100 (or so it seemed) wishes later, it was my turn to ask what was wished for.
"Can't tell you," said the 8-year old, "then it won't come true."
The 6-year old had no such restrictions: "I wished for everybody to be happy all the time."
So, I turned over to the 11-year old. "I just had one wish," he said.
At which time I braced myself for to hear about how he wished for the newest game system or a new TV or a new laptop.
"I wished the people of Japan will be able to rebuild their lives after the earthquake."

Rise and Shine --- Tax freebies

Good Morning and welcome to the calm after the storm!

OK, you have to file taxes, one of the sure things in life. You may have done it in weeks ago or you may be waiting until today to get it all done.
Either way, there are plenty of chances to take advantage of some free stuff as businesses try to be your friend.
Cinnabon: From 6-8 p.m. today, you can get two free Cinnabon Bites. You can also enter to win a $100 Cinnebon gift card in a Twitter contest. Just Tweet how Cinnabon put frosting on a crazy or stressful day you've had after you follow @CinnabonInc. Hey, I guess anything is possible.
Chili’s Grill & Bar: Print out this coupon to get a free appetizer or dessert with an entree purchase.
P.F. Chang’s: Get 15% off your order. The closest P.F. Chang's is in Glen Mills.
Hooters: They are offering what's being called an instant rebate. If you buy 10 wings, you get 10 free. Quick aside, while driving past the Hooters in Concord the other week, an 8-year old I know asked what was Hooters. I told him it was a bar and restaurant. His reaction: 'Oh. I thought it was a doughnut store."
Tony Roni's Pizza: Need a slice after hitting the mailbox? The Drexel Hill pizza chain has a sign out front that says you can get plain slices for $1.
Maggie Moo's Ice Cream: Got the app at Chilies and now need dessert? You can get something called a mini crumb cake fundae from Maggie today from 3-6 p.m.
Let us know if you find more freebies, because there's nothing like free stuff.

Rise and Shine --- Meet the new boss...

Good Morning and welcome back to the sun!

So, we are back where we started in this whole federal budget mess. As usual, it comes down to special interests, something we here on the ground have no say.
The President wants to raise taxes on the rich. His opposition says that will kill jobs.
The killing jobs thing seems from here a silly position.
First of all, those who run those big companies have been killing jobs for years. Just ask anybody who is out of work. You can apply for jobs. You can go on interviews, but unless you are willing to take a minimum salary, you aren't getting the job.
It doesn't really matter if you raise taxes, lower taxes or even eliminate taxes. It all comes down to greed.
Here's an example to mull over. Craig Dubow is the CEO of Gannett, the publisher of USA Today, the Wilmington News Journal and other papers around the country.
Last year, Gannett laid off hundreds of workers and told those still around they had to take two weeks unpaid furlough during the year. There are rumors of more layoffs this year and the furloughs were heaped upon workers again.
For this, Dubow doubled his salary in 2010 and took home $9.4 million, including a $1.75 million bonus.
Those that have it want to get more, it doesn't matter if they are taxed or not.

Rise and Shine --- You never know

Good Morning and isn't it nice to not pull out the winter coat?!?

Just imagine the amount of tragedy that could be avoided if stiffer gun laws could be pushed through.
Just imagine the amount of heartache that could go away if we just took all guns off the streets.
Just imagine how much more the sun would shine if people thought before they pulled the trigger.
Just imagine how it would be to walk around without having the fear (whether it be in the front or back of your mind) that somebody may pull a gun.
Just imagine what it would be like if there was a way to show somebody what happens after the trigger is pulled before the trigger is pulled.
Just imagine how more aggressive law enforcement could be if they weren't afraid somebody was going to pull a gun.

Never mind, it might be too much to ask.

Rise and Shine --- Skipping along

Good Morning and is it really going to be 80 today?

"You hate commercials, don't you?" came the question from the couch the other day.
No, I don't hate commercials. I just figure when one comes on the television it's a good time to check out what else is happening.
Maybe I want to take a break from latest adventures of SpongeBob to see how the Phillies are doing. Maybe I'm trying to burn the idea of talking dogs out of my head by seeing if there's anything (ANYTHING) else on television.
So, at least I can justify grabbing the remote during commercials. Not to say there aren't entertaining commercials. Most are well done, but I don't need to know that taking prilosec could cause instant death despite the smiling people apparently using it.
By the way, if all these drugs have so drastic side effects, why would anybody even think about taking them? Oh yeah, drug companies have a lot of money and doctors need to pay insurance premiums and, well, never mind.
So, I'll continue to skip along unless, of course, I can come up with the next great invention.

Rise and Shine --- Do cows really jump?

Good Morning and welcome back to the Internet!

While staying up way too late last night, my mind was starting to wonder:

Why doesn't the freezer have a light? I mean, really, you don't have to turn on the kitchen light when you open the refrigerator. Try to get an ice cube to put in your water, though, and your arm goes into a black hole. By the way, I really didn't mean to put that burger in my drink last night.

What's the deal with Delaware County drivers and Stop signs? There is a pretty good reason why that red, octagonal thing has been put there. While waiting at a kindergartener's bus stop yesterday, I counted 10 of 11 cars that didn't even slow down when driving up to a stop sign. The 11th? She slowed down, but only because she was playing with her phone at the time.

Why do TV news people think it's OK to be giggling during a newscast? It's like they have some kind of super funny inside joke. We haven't been invited to the party. Just read the teleprompter. I don't need the weather person trying to keep a straight face while telling us it's going to rain again.

How could the Phillies lose a game? I mean, after all, they have the greatest pitching rotation ever assembled. Yet, they got bombed by the Mets Tuesday night. The nerve of them not going 162-0.

How can the government be broke? For eight years, we were led to believe when our government needed money, all it had to do was print some more. Now, we're broke. How did all that cash disappear? OK, here's a solution, the government (state or federal) should charge Comcast $10 for every time they call a former customer trying to pitch their new promotion. Should make an easy billion right there.

Finally, maybe it's just me, but there's something very wrong about this:

Rise and Shine --- It's too late

Good Morning and welcome to the rain!

It's been said before, I know that, but starting these championship sports events so late on the East Coast is losing a whole generation of fans.
Last night's NCAA Men's Basketball final didn't start until close to 9:30 p.m. It wasn't over until nearly 11:30 p.m. Unless a student is approaching college, they probably wouldn't have watched.
Instead, they'll pull out the Playstation and use their fingers to 'relive' the experience.
We know it's all about money, but I'd be willing to wager a guess if the average 10 or 11-year old was able to watch the game, there may be a few more UConn shirts purchased today. If not that, suddenly that person may become a fan of the game.
World Series games aren't over until nearly midnight. The Super Bowl pushes 11 p.m. Forget about NBA or NHL playoff games, you're looking at least midnight for those finishes.
For the first time this year, my 11-year old son was interested in the NCAA Tournament. He was rooting for Butler, because the first game we watched was won in a last-second thriller.
Maybe next year, he'll want to watch more. That's up in the air. He would definitely been ready for the next one if he could have seen some of this one.

Rise and Shine --- It's too early

Good Morning and welcome back to a brand-new week!

So, it's a rare occurrence when my alarm doesn't go off in the morning. Usually, I have to set it seven days a week. It rings (well, sings or something) anywhere between 3:30 and 8 every morning.
After a long week, though, I decided not to set it Saturday morning. I told the little ones there was no reason to get up early. The first thing we had to do Saturday was make a drop-off at dance class, but that wasn't until 9:45.
We stayed up a little later Friday night and figured it would be a good day to get some extra rest.
It slipped my mind, though, there was a birthday party to attend. Tell a precocious 6-year old girl there's a party Saturday afternoon and, well, you can predict what happened.
"Daddy, Daddy," came the first shakes. "Is it time to get ready for the party?"
Um, not yet, it's only 5 a.m. How about we sleep for a little while longer.
"OK," she said. "But you have to make sure you wake me up in time."
Like hitting the snooze button on the alarm, about 30 minutes later I heard the door open.
"Is it time yet, Daddy?"
Knowing it was going to be a losing time battle, I came back with "Not for the party. But, how about we make some pancakes?"
"Yayyyy!"
There wasn't any extra sleep, but, even though the afternoon was spent cleaning the kitchen, it was OK to get up early this time.

Rise and Shine ---- Crazy cold

Good Morning and welcome to, what, spring?

You know, this is always a strange time of year here in Pennsylvania. There have been years where the opening week of baseball season was warm and nice.
Then there are years like 2011. I remember heading to one of those exhibition/preseason Phillies games a few years ago and bundling up more than if it was an Eagles game.
I also remember breaking out the shorts (yes, that should scare everybody out there) for the last week of March.
In like a Lion and out like a Lamb, indeed.
Anyway, it's a good thing the Phillies are getting out of Clearwater. Not only does it mean the new season is here, but we don't have to read any more about injuries and Joe Blanton.
The first weekend of baseball is always a cool time.
Speaking of cool times, we'll be out at Jimmy Mac's in Drexel Hill for a Phillies opening day party. Come out and say hello.

Rise and Shine --- Something different

Good Morning and welcome to a brand, spanking-new week!

Then again, to paraphrase The Who, meet the new week, same as the old week.
So, after playing about the 500th game of Angry Birds, I decided to check out a few of the other ways the iPhone can make life more interesting.
So, I started snapping photos, then found out I can edit them with a Photoshop app. Then found out I can put the photos into a slideshow on my television. Of course, I also found out that playing with the Fios app during an especially good episode of Scooby Doo can cause a lot of yelling.
I later found an App called Color. Apparently, it's some kind of social photo app. You take a photo of what you're doing at the time and then, through some kind of crazy, big-brother type thing, it shows you photos of everybody within 150 yards who are using Color. I took a photo in the newsroom and, shockingly, there were no other users around.
Finally, I started playing with something called 'qr codes.' For those not in the know, they are those little blocks at the bottom of some advertising. You download a reader and then take a photo of the block. It sends you to a website.
There's a lot of cool sounding reasons to check them out, but none better than this:

Rise and Shine --- One of those days...

Good Morning and welcome back to the only place you can find this!

So, back in the day, one of the first albums I purchased (yes, before iPods and MP3s, you need to actually go to a star to pick up an album) was a recording of Rodney Dangerfield's stand-up routine.
Now, I don't remember the exact words, but one of the portions went like this:
"I reached over to turn off the alarm this morning and the bell fell off. I tried to open the door to my bedroom and the door knob fell off. I picked up my briefcase and the handle fell off. I'm afraid to use the bathroom."
Well, it got a good laugh on the album. Guess you had to be there.
Anyway, it's those kind of mornings everybody dreads. You feel like you got enough sleep, but, somehow, you are still behind the eight ball.
Hit the snooze button too many times? Check.
Forget to turn the timer on the coffee machine? Check.
Make it halfway to work and realize you forgot something? Check.
Repeat above? Check.
Sure, it would be easier to get back into bed, but, without that option, it's time to push on through the day.
Now, where did I put my glasses?

Rise and Shine --- Burning the brackets

Good Morning and welcome to another one of those yucky days!

You know, the first day of spring brings hopes of picnics and playgrounds. Then we get one of these gray, rainy days to, well, put a damper on it all.
Speaking of dampers, how about that NCAA Tournament? I don't know about you, but I was able to perform a ritual burning of my picks by Friday afternoon.
That was OK, though, because for the first time I was able to enjoy the excitement of the games with my sons.
In year's past, when I said this weekend was "basketball weekend," I got the immediate complaints.
"We want to watch cartoons. This is boring. I hate basketball. BOOOORRRRINNNG."
This year, though, I had a tough time pulling the boys away from the games. It helped that almost every one went down to the wire, but they were even fascinated by the blowouts.
This year, the questions were basketball related.
"How do you know if it's a 3-pointer? Why was that an offensive foul? Why does Pitt choke every year?"
OK, that last one was mine, but you get the idea.
We'll be ready Thursday night when the games start up again.

Rise and Shine --- Cutting too close

Good Morning and welcome to the only place on the Internet you can find this!

So, new Gov. Tom Corbett is expected to announce a whole bunch of cuts as he presents his state budget today.
Now, obviously, states, much like the rest of us, have to get spending in line. There is a lot of money being put out there and the checks can't cover it.
Still, some of the rumored cuts have to do with education and helping the less fortunate.
Is that really the way to go? Is it really a good idea to cut even more from school districts who are barely hanging on as it is? Is it really a solution to cut from programs that aim to keep people healthy?
This is the typical party politics I thought we were voting away. The Republicans come in and start slashing programs to help children and the poor. The Democrats go after the aged. The Tea Party, well, OK, they're just wacko.
When you start talking about education cuts the first thing some do is bring up teacher salaries.
Well, in the last year I've seen class size increase from 25 to 30 children (in some cases). Try controlling a group like that some day, then come back and tell me teacher's make too much money.
This is all just too shortsighted. Sure, there are cuts that can be made, but let's check them all out before taking out the knife.

Rise and Shine --- Money, money, money

Good Morning and make sure you have your galoshes this morning!

As I watch the protests continuing in Wisconsin (CLICK HERE to check out what's happening on the ground) and see all the stuff that's happening in Libya, I can't help but figure it all comes down to the dollar sign.
Those that have money (and there is a small contingent of people who control most of the bucks) want to make sure those "below" them continue to struggle.
According to a rally speech given by filmmaker Michael Moore Saturday in Wisconsin, 400 Americans have more money than half of all Americans combined. In other words, there is a small group that can control who gets elected, what laws are enacted and how many jobs will open up.
Somehow, that seems just wrong. For all the talk about the Founding Fathers in the last election, I don't think those back in the 1700s envisioned a place where so few would control so much.
I don't think anybody out there begrudges the rich because they are rich. Most of us are just hard-working people who want to do the best for their children.
Reaganomics started this mess and it's only gotten worse. It's time we started to stand up for ourselves.

Rise and Shine --- Too many cameras

Good Morning and here we are again!

Is it a good thing everybody has a camera these days?
Consider:

Rise and Shine --- Pizza with mice?

Good Morning and welcome back to the insider space!

So, I'm wondering this morning how it's possible to go to bed early, sleep through the night and still be exhausted the next morning. Man, that coffee can't brew quick enough.
You know, ever since moving to Delaware County, I've always wondered about the number of pizza places. There are pizza joints right next to each other on some blocks. Others are across the street from each other.
The competition is, obviously, crazy. Just think about how many of those pizza menus are left at your door each week.
With that much dough being tossed around (do they still do that?), it's obvious each pizza shop needs to distinguish itself from the rest.
Still, taking mice into a rival's shop is going a bit overboard.
How about trying something different in you shop? How about branching out and changing the menu around? How about making it a fun place to come?
No, this joker decided to do it the easy way and try to sabotage his neighbor.
Maybe it tells you all you need to know about pizza shop owners.

Rise and Shine Extra --- A word on corporate America

- American Workforce Makeover