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2011 — Birth of a New ChristmasTradition

I would like to say this was my original idea, but it was in an email forwarded to me.  Wonderful, wonderful idea no matter who thought of it.

As the holidays approach, the giant …Asian factories are kicking into high gear to provide Americans with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods –merchandise that has been mass produced at the expense of American labor.

This year will be different. This year Americans will give the gift of genuine concern for other Americans. There is no longer an excuse that, at gift giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by American hands.

Yes there is!

It’s time to think outside the box, people.

Who says a gift needs to fit in a shirt box, wrapped in Chinese produced wrapping paper?

Everyone — yes EVERYONE gets their hair cut.  How about gift certificates from your local American hair salon or barber?

Gym membership? It’s appropriate for all ages who are thinking about some health improvement.

Who wouldn’t appreciate getting their car detailed?  Small American Continue reading “2011 — Birth of a New ChristmasTradition”

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Ali Goes Home Early

Picture Tehran, Iran in the early 1970s.  The Shah was still in power.  The students had not yet taken 52 American citizens hostage at their own Embassy.  While there was tension between Iranians and foreigners, it had not yet gotten to the point where it was unsafe for them to be there.

My father worked for an aerospace company who had sold helicopters to the Shah’s Air Force.  He was assigned to set up a repair and maintenance program for those helicopters with the Iranian Air Force.   Since it was to be a long assignment, my mother and the 3 boys still at home went with my father to Iran.  In fact my middle brother, Mike, graduated high school there.  The graduation ceremony for his class was held at the American Embassy that was later to become the site of the prolonged diplomatic crisis.  Richard Helms, the former CIA Director, was Ambassador to Iran at that point and gave a speech to Mike’s graduating class.

As my brother Mike puts it living overseas was always a bit upside-down.  In America our family was middle class.  Go overseas with a good American salary, per diem and other perks for taking on such duties in countries such as Iran you are vaulted into a different social stratum.  While my parents and brothers were in Iran they lived  in North Tehran, the “rich” part of town.  The houses in this section of town were behind walls and gates. Continue reading “Ali Goes Home Early”

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Bang, Bang…

As I have mentioned before, I do not live in the best part of Memphis.  It is not awful, but it has issues.  When I first took this job they had a requirement that I live in the city limits.  I chose this location because it was close to the office and fulfilled that requirement.  I really did not have a lot of good choices, especially for a rent I was willing to pay. They have since relaxed the requirement to living within the county, which IMHO is still onerous and unreasonable.  But hey a job is a job and inertia keeps me for moving.

The other night not too far from the abode there was a shooting.  It was not the first by far, but at least this time no one died.  The gun play was by two gentlemen fighting over a lady.  To my way of thinking this is silly beyond measure.  Obviously, the lady left one gentleman for another.   I would think that “winning” the lady would be punishment enough without putting a bullet into him.  I would bet an unreasonable sum of money that if she ran around on the first man, she will run around on the second.   And if she was the type of girl I could get back by shooting someone, I would be even more scared.   I’ve yet to see a female worth going to jail for.

And that is my story and I am sticking to it.

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You Must Believe Me

After all the allegations of sexual improprieties and an affair Herman Cain’s presidential bid is in a bit of a pickle.  Herman Cain is flying back to Atlanta to have a “face to face” with wife.  The result of the discussion, he said, will help him to the decision to soldier on or call it a day.  For some reason during the meeting I just picture the song, You Must Believe Me, from Curtis Mayfield& The Impressions playing in the background.

You Must Believe Me Lyrics

You must believe me
No matter what the people might say
You must believe me
Darling it just didn’t happen that way
No, no it just didn’t happen that way
Continue reading “You Must Believe Me”

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Teachers’ newest online worry: cyberbaiting

As if teaching in today’s environment is not hard enough!  It seems that any technology humans come up with, someone finds a way to pervert it.  I do know that the school system where my significant other teaches has a policy prohibiting teachers from interacting with students on social sites.  Apparently, it is for some very good reasons.

Below is a link to an article about cyberbaiting (why does that sound so nasty) at eSchool News

Teachers’ newest online worry: cyberbaiting

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99% or 1%

Like trite old saying, if you have to ask…it is a good bet you are not a 1%.
This is a little tool found on the Wall Street Journal site.

“The calculator above shows where your income stands on the wide range of the 99%. An annual salary above $506,000 puts you in the top 1%, while you need to make less than $2,500 a year to be in the bottom 1%. Where do you stand?”

 What Percentage are you in?

It can be argued that household wealth would be a better gauge than household income, but this does give a sense.

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Just another day in Memphis

Memphis has rails to trails project named The Greenline.  It runs from Shelby Farms, a county park, to the area known as Midtown.  It has become very popular with bikers, joggers, walkers and the occasional rollerblader.   Part of route of The Greenline goes by the Shelby County prison.

When I go to jog or bicycle I actually park in a prison parking lot.  Interesting enough the County police recently placed a mobile surveillance unit in the lot.  You know, one of those contraptions that flashes blue constantly and has cameras up on a stalk.  I can only surmise that there had been some issues with vehicles in the parking lot as it is well used by patrons of The Greenline, and visitors and employees of the prison.   Is stupidity or chutzpah to commit crimes right at the prison’s front gate?

By the time I get off work this time of year it is already dark.  Nevertheless, many evenings I will get a run in.  This particular night due the cold and the wind I had on a wind shell with a hood pulled around my head.  I had just started on the path, and was doing some fast walking to warm up before I started jogging.   I heard someone yell to my left Continue reading “Just another day in Memphis”