Donald Sterling

First, let me say that I am not a fan of Donald Sterling. But, to be fair, I only know what bias media reports. Now, it has occurred to me that if the man is truly mentally incapacitated, why is he being treated the way he is being treated. He is 80 years old and reportedly suffers from dementia. His wife has stated that when she showed him the video that caused all the uproar, he didn’t remember saying what was on the tape. And she has stated that he has had problems for the past five years.

What is see is the NBA, acting as little gods, have proclaimed Sterling to be a racist and not fit to own a team. They have apparently forgotten his contributions and recognitions to the NAACP. Is this the way to treat an old man with mental problems? If he were running up and down the sidelines shouting racist terms or mistreating players because of color or creed, then there would be a need for immediate action.

Old people lived in a different time and will retain some thoughts and yes prejudice sometimes. Even if they have changed their thoughts and opinions, when the mind starts to go, the mind often reverts back to a time long gone.

I am not saying that he doesn't need to get out of the basketball business, but it appears shameful the way he is treated. The whole thing could have been handled a lot better.

Could it be that some folks are prejudice against old white guys?

PMO
©2014

Government Unions

Unions were created to combat unfair wages from competition. A simple example is if company A and company B both are in the same business and wages are low. Company A allows the workers to join a union and wages are raised, driving up the cost of the service or product. Company B workers see what has happened and have to decide if they want a union or are willing to work for less. In the competitive market place, the company with the best wages will usually get the best employees. Please explain to me where the competition is for government workers. Are there other governments that would take over a government service and pay more?

With all the talk about the VA and lack of service to our vets, little or nothing has been said about the union. What role are they playing in delaying service and are they contributing to the cost? Same thing applies to teacher unions, police unions, etc.

I have been a union steward in the private sector, so I know some of the good and bad about unions. There maybe a need for unions today in some areas, but the market place has changed dramatically. The bosses no longer beat the employees or want to. The need for skilled workers today is so much higher that individuals can pretty well standup for themselves.

Maybe government unions are the reason that government employees make more than their private sector counterparts. And, they get more time off.

Bet there is more than one Vet that wishes that wasn’t the way it is.

PMO
©2014

Don't Look

What if you lived in a country where you were not allowed to think or say anything that might upset even one person? And furthermore, what if everything that is wrong was right and right was wrong? Don’t look now, but you do.

I told you not to look.

PMO
©2014

Exercise

People hate to think about dying. How long has it been since you’ve had some friends and neighbors over for chips and dip to talk about who’s going to die next? Stop a stranger on the street and say, "I would like to talk to you about dying," and see what happens. Everyone wants to exercise so they will live forever. Surprise! It ain’t going to happen. That’s why I don’t exercise.

I believe that we are all born with a certain number of heart beats. When they’re up, that’s it. No matter how many doctors are standing by. Exercising makes your heart beat faster so you are using up your heart beats at a faster pace. You could cut years off your life by exercising because you went too fast.

I’m not taking any chances.

PMO
©2014

Sainthood

It has occurred to me that I am heading for sainthood. When you get old, you start to realize that you are going to die - maybe sooner than you think. And, there will be a funeral where a preacher will tell all in attendance what a saint you were - loving husband, father, grandfather, successful in business and a pillar of the community.

Mr. Mac, a dear old friend, used to tell a story of the town scoundrel that died. When it came time for the funeral, the preacher struggled to come up with something nice to say. Everyone in town knew that the man was everything but a saint. After, reading his date of birth and death, he simply said, "He was a good whistler."

Society dictates that one not say anything bad about the "dead." I’m not exactly sure why. I do hope that something good will be said about me. If all the bad comes up, it’s going to be a long funeral service.

And, I can’t whistle.

PMO
©2014

Mark Cuban

Well Mark Cuban now is apologizing himself silly, including to the family of Travon Martin, about a comment he made. What is wrong with him? Doesn’t he know you can’t say anything about hoodies?

Naturally he is right about everyone having fears and prejudice. Anyone that says they don’t have such feelings will lie to you about something else. We all stereotype others. And, not for race, but because we are conditioned to have fear and that’s a good thing. No fear can kill you.

Several years ago I went to a specialized school in Cleveland, Ohio. One of the guys decided he would take a group out to dinner at a place he had heard about. So, about six of them loaded up and away they went into a part of Cleveland that none of them knew anything about. They had no fear. They were just going out to dinner. After driving around for awhile, they spotted a police car and flagged him down to ask directions to the restaurant. The officer exploded, "What are you doing here?" Get out of this part of town now. I carry a gun and badge and I only come into this area when I have to." They left. To this day, they have stereotyped that area and the people there.

Even I stereotype people out of fear. For example, take the sweet little old ladies in tennis shoes in many churches. I can tell you that this applies in black and white congregations, because I have attended both. They will hurt you for real. Just try taking the seat they have sat in for years.

That’s real fear.

PMO
©2014

Remember

The flags are at half mast or they should be. Memorial day is a designated holiday to remember those that died defending this country. Do we really remember?

I am amazed how many flags are out in little commune.  It is encouraging to know that the American Spirit is alive.

My flag is at half mast and yes I salute when I raise and lower it. I like to think that somehow those that gave all know that we care.

PMO
©2014

Mke The Calls

In case you are unaware, the NSA, National Security Agency, has required all phone companies to provide them with all phone records for the past five years. They do not have to provide the content of the calls, just who the calls were made to and the time spent on each call. This means that if you call your girlfriend and talk for hours, they know about it. Just pray they don’t tell your wife.

Seriously, the government knows more about you that you want them to know and you help them with all the social media information you post everyday. Literally there is no individual privacy anymore.

So, I have a plan. I always have a plan. Since the NSA tracks phone calls and screens out "suspicious" calls, all we need is a few million people like me to spend about a week making phone calls - to gun shops. If one person makes about 500 calls it will pop up in their data base. If several million or more make 500 calls, it will drive them crazy.

At about two calls per minute, you can make 30 calls per hour or 240 in an eight hur day. Won’t take but a couple of days and they will explode.

My next plan is to have all the old people that live in our little commune to sunbathe in the nude.  That will take out all the drones.

Make the calls and watch them go.

PMO
©2014

Mental Health

One in 4 adults has a mental health disorder according to the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Mental Health, Statistics: Any Disorder Among Adults report of March 5, 2013. This should concern everyone. Except me.

I don’t have details on what kind of disorders were identified in the study, but I do know a lot of people that make me wonder. It’s like the old saying, "The lights are on, but there’s nobody home." We live in a world where full fledged insanity is common place. And, I’m not talking about just those that kill dozens or more. Don’t believe me, just take a few hours away from your iPhone and internet and really look at the world you live in. You may want to move.

What are the causes? I’ll let the doctors figure out that one. What are the cures? Maybe a world that is a little more sane and logical. It’s hard to cope with a world that forbids you to think on your own or say what you feel. Perhaps you don’t think that world exists. In that case, you are the one in four.

As for me, I’ve always been crazy and I know a lot of people that agree with that.

It keeps me from going insane.

PMO
©2014

An Exercise

As we approach Memorial Day, I have an exercise for you.  It should only take a few seconds.  Ready!  Set!  Go!

What are you willing to die for?

PMO
©2014

What Price?

Memorial Day is approaching quickly. And, there will be plenty of cookouts and gatherings. I’m wondering if many people know what the holiday really is. It is not Veterans Day, that is set aside for all those that served in the armed forces. Memorial Day is a day for remembering those men and women that died in service.

As usual, I have questions. Do you think that any of those that gave their lives wanted to die? Or, did they love this country and were willing to fight for freedom with the full knowledge they could die? I think you can figure out the answers.

What price are you willing to pay for freedom? Are you willing to suffer hardships? Are you prepared to die if necessary? Unfortunately, I’m afraid I know the answer to those questions for a lot of the people.  How about $1 and a few minutes? That’s what it takes to sit down and write a letter to your congressman/congresswoman and senator. Don’t think an email, text or tweet will do the job, because it won’t. Yes, you will have to look up their addresses and yes it will take longer than an email. But, letters do get attention.

Remember to remember those that gave everything so you are free to write a letter.

PMO
©2014

Who Wins?

In case you haven’t noticed, government spends trillions of dollars and countless hours trying to keep the nation divided. And, they do a good job. Political correctness has all but destroyed unity. What ever happened to Americans working together for the common good?

Can you imagine what happens when people revolt against each other? Just watch the news or read the papers about what is going on around the world. And, watch carefully who wins. I can give you a hint.

It’s not the people.

PMO
©2014

Movies

I really enjoy a good movie, but I don’t like to go to a theater. About every ten years or so, I will go to a theater if I find a movie that is worth the effort. A couple of examples: "Field of Dreams," "Saving Private Ryan," and "Secretariat." I subscribed to a movie service for awhile, but got tired of the really bad movies they offered. A few months ago, I signed up again with hopes that the selection had improved. I was wrong again.

First there are so few movies that I want to see. I am quite a critic and have some credentials to back up my opinions. Second, the movies that are available today are at best, something any middle school drama club could do a better job on.

My case in point today is a movie about was supposed to be about the last hours of the life of Hank Williams, the country music legend. Except for the horrible acting, the wrong props, the lack of a script and any factual information, the movie was still terrible. That’s why I don’t go to a theater.

At, home I just turn the Blu-Ray player off.

PMO
©2014

No blog today.  I am just too tired from 8 hours of driving and moving furniture.  Maybe tomorrow.

Right Again

I often quote comedian Ron White, "You can’t fix stupid." My high school friend, CP, knows nothing about computers. I understand that. But, and it’s a big but, he does not want an antivirus on his computer. And, he wonders why he has so many problems. Just this week I ran a malware software and found hundreds, yes hundreds, of malware and adware on his computer. There were trojans and worms and who knows what else. His solution is to for me to reformat the computer and start over again. I tried to explain that within a few days or maybe hours, all the junk would be back. He looks at me like I’m from outer space.

To put it in terms that I thought he would understand, I got a little crude. "If you go to a house of ill repute and catch a disease because you did not use protection and have to go to a doctor for medication, then it just doesn’t make sense to go back and do the same thing over again," I explained. His response, "Oh well."

White is right again.

PMO
©2014

Know Nothing

When I was young, old people told me that I didn’t know anything. Now that I am old, young people tell me that I don’t know anything.

They were both wrong.

PMO
©2014

Opinions

Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius (121-180 AD) said, "The opinion of ten thousand men is of no value if none of them know anything about the subject." I am going to have to go along with Marcus on this one. Yet, everyday we are bombarded by the media with celebrities spouting opinions about things they know nothing about. And, millions gasp and say, "Oh, that is so true."

For almost 30 years I worked in electrical energy efficiency and almost everyday, I hear or read opinions by people that have no idea what they are talking about. Please, if you have an opinion about something, do some research and analysis. By the time you put in the time, you may discover that you really didn’t know anything.

I think Marcus and I would have been Buds.

PMO
©2014

Communication

It has been my experience that there is 99% conversation and 1% communication in most of our talking to others. Case in point, we have to rent a trailer to haul some stuff. I called a rental company and got some details, including prices. I communicated the information to my financial controller and pointed out that the best deal seemed to be a 6 X 12 trailer. She asked, "That’s 6 feet wide and 12 feet long?"

I replied, "I sure hope so. If its 12 feet wide and 6 feet long, it is going to be a real challenge to pull it down the road."

One of these days, she is going to kill me.

PMO
©2014

Small World

Your world is about 3 feet in diameter. Well, there are some folks that require extra space, but the point is that if it doesn’t happen inside your little circle, then it doesn’t happen. That’s why people are like sheep in a herd. So long as there is food and drink and the perception of safety, the herd moves only where and when the shepherd leads. The shepherd, on the other hand, has a broader prospective. He or she can easily move the herd to where it best benefits the shepherd. Now you know why the term "sheeple" is tossed around in political circles.

Baa Baa

PMO
©2014

Mother's Day

Mother’s Day is the day when you are supposed to give special recognition to Mom for all that she has done and probably still does for you. Card companies and florist love Mother’s Day. I know I sprung for a card for my financial controller. She really isn’t impressed by flowers, which is a good thing for me.

We - including daughter, granddaughters and son-in-law - all went out to eat to treat the "moms." The Dairy Queen was really crowded.

We went inside since it was a special occcasion.

PMO
©2014

Tough Guy

Except for about 15 minutes of news, I watch very little television. And, I don’t walk around with a ‘smart phone’ stuck in my face or ear. This gives me an edge on the rest of society.

We have a channel that plays a lot of the old, really old, TV shows.  We usually watch Gunsmoke, an old western series during lunch. I don’t have to watch any given episode all the way through because I’ve seen them all before. My standing joke is to yell at my financial controller and tell her the show is on and she better hurry because marshal Dillon has been shot 50 times. He was always getting shot. Well in an episode this week, Doc Adams commented that Dillon had been shot 11 times in the 15 years he had been the marshal in town. Do the math on that. This is one tough dude. That’s almost once per year. And, this doesn’t count the other times that he was shot and old Doc didn’t treat him. Men were tough back in the old west.

I think I would have looked for another job after the first four or five times.

PMO
©2014

Ignorance Is Bliss?

"Most ignorance is vincible ignorance. We don't know because we don't want to know." Author Aldous Huxley (1894-1963).

I know a man that retired from the same company as I and declines invitations to update meetings about out retiree benefits. He thinks he has enough information. As long as you don’t know about it, it can’t affect you.  ?????????

Just don’t look be shocked when it does.

PMO
©2014

Crime Does Pay

Whomever said that crime doesn’t pay, is wrong. Not only does crime pay, it pays very well. We recently experienced credit card fraud. That’s where someone gets your credit card number and makes charges. You won’t know it happened until you get your monthly statement. Yes, you can protest the charge and the credit card company and the retailer where the card was used have to work out who loses what. That’s where the crime does pay part comes in.

When discovered on our card, we immediately call the card company and they gave us the retailer name. The retailer would give us no information - none, nada, zip. The card company closed the account and we notified the police. The sheriff’s deputy explained a detective would call us. Two weeks later he did. He wanted to know if we had any further information. ??? I thought he was supposed to be investigating.

The long story short is that according to the detective, police don’t investigate fraud unless it’s on a local level and even then, maybe not. Apparently he could not get information from the retailer either, if he called them. He explained that a lot of states won’t cooperate with investigations and some companies refuse to take the time.

The bottom line is that someone is out almost $1000 and nobody is looking for the thief. Not a bad days work. And, when you multiply $1000 by who knows how many crooks and victims and occurrences, it gets to be big money. Oh well, just add it to the cost of doing business. I guess it’s like government expenditures. If the crime rate ever equals government spending, we will be broke for real.

Here’s a tip. Don’t use credit cards on-line, at restaurants, or if you are alone or with somebody.

PMO
©2014

Squirrel Launcher

A few days ago I got an email with a video attachment. The video was short and showed a squirrel eating something on a modified skeet launcher. Someone had apparently had enough of the trouble the little tree rats can cause. Before you get all bent out of shape, I like squirrels, but don’t like the damage they cause. All a squirrel is, is a rat with good press.

On with the story. As the squirrel was eating, an unidentified person pulled the launch rope and away went Mr. squirrel. For some reason (the mean side of me), I found this to be very funny. Now I want a launcher for my back yard. There are about 2 million squirrels around here. I don’t want to kill them. I just want to send them on a trip to the vacant lot behind my house. Hey, they fall from trees all the time and walk away.

Just imagine what would go through a squirrels mind when you pull that launch rope.

PMO
©2014

Banned

Ben Affleck has been banned from the Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas for being "too good at blackjack." Translated, that means he is accused of "counting cards." Counting cards is not technically illegal, but will get you thrown out. Casinos view this as cheating. Ha ha ha.

One report states that Affleck won $800,000 back in 2001. There was no mention of how much he has lost over the years.

Casinos don’t ban people for losing too much.

PMO
©2014

Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo isn’t a Mexican holiday. It was created by Latinos in California during the Civil War, and celebrates the Mexican victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. So, don’t take a trip down south looking for a big celebration. And, don’t wear an American flag on your tee shirt. It may offend some in California - especially at schools.

Don’t try your high school Spanish to native speakers, either. They will only laugh or look at you in disgust. The only thing I can say is, "Taco Bueno."

I don’t know how to say Dairy Queen in Spanish.

PMO
©2014

Not Pregnant

Does anyone ever watch the commercials on TV? I don’t if I don’t have to. The primary reason is that it is so rare there is anything that I would have any interest in buying. So, I record the programs I want to watch and fast forward through the commercials. The next reason I don’t like commercials is that for the most part, they are stupid. And, the medical advertisements have to be the worse.

There is a particular one that is directed to women for post menopausal osteoporosis. Women have a greater risk for osteoporosis than men do. The woman in the commercial is obviously a "senior" senior citizen and has concerns. That’s great, except when they start listing all the side effects and warnings of the drug they want you to buy. The one that caught my attention says, "Don’t take this product if you are pregnant."

You may want to think about that one.

PMO
©2014

Non-Theist

A theist is one that believes in God. An atheist is one that does not believe in God. This week I met a non-theist. That is the politically correct term for atheist.

It’s hyphenated and that’s important in America.

PMO
©2014

Teenager Again

George Burns recorded a song about being 18 again. An old man wishing he was 18 remembered the things he did back then. Well, I don’t want to be 18, but I would like to be 16 or 17. Then I would know everything and not have to ask anybody anything.

Well, you do have to ask old folks to get you out of the messes you get into.

PMO
©2014

What Does It Matter?

The Benghazi cover up is in the news, on the talk shows and may even have some citizens asking questions. Documents that did not exist, now have appeared.

"It is disturbing and perhaps criminal that these documents, that documents like these were hidden by the Obama administration," said Republican Rep. Darrell Issa of California, who chairs a House committee charged with overseeing and auditing the White House.

"The American people have learned that you cannot believe what the White House says, you cannot believe what the spokespeople say, and you cannot believe what the president says," Issa said.

Raise your hand if that statement surprises you. As Hillary Clinton said, "What does it matter now?" Maybe she was referring to the election at the time going the way it was supposed to. Or maybe she was just looking to the next time. Either way, Americans will forget and believe them the next time.

They always do.

PMO
©2014