Summer Traveling

Summer means vacations and traveling. Retirement means one can travel anytime and anywhere. This summer, my lovely bride and I are taking advantage of this opportunity.

Consequently, my postings may be sporadic while I take this opportunity to enjoy life to the utmost.

Please, do the same.

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Usually the first to go . . . .

It's happening again, as it always does when funds get tight, and budgets get thin.

Who do the bean counters point at as being expendable?

Public Relations and Marketing, that's who.

Just this week, we've seen a couple of prestigious non-profit organizations in Grand Rapids terminate their 'promotion' staff. This also happens within for-profit organizations as well. It is like 'they' are saying . . . "Well, we don't need to communicate with anyone now, because no one is buying anyway." You know what, this will be TRUE, as no one will buy, because THEY FORGOT ABOUT YOU - because you aren't keeping your name or product out in front of them!


Now is the time you should be presenting your name, product or purpose to the public!

You should be stepping up your advertising and marketing programs - to survive. If you don't, kiss 'it' goodbye - you'll be gone, along with others who have closed their doors.

This is from an old "PR Guy" who has seen it before.

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Happy Father's Day to all Dads!

Enjoy your day, guys . . . you probably earned it. Being a father is an accomplishment, and being a father has its' risks and heartaches, as well as joys and moments of pride. So . . . hold your head up high, puff up your chest and appreciate the gift of children.

In my case, I have a lot to be thankful for, my daughter has made me nothing but proud. She is her own person, and knows what she wants out of life. I hope she gets the break she needs to accomplish that goal.

Thank you, Sarah, for being such a great "Kiddo!" (Her only downfall, is that she inherited my 'sense' of humor.)

Here is my Princess . . .


As we say to each other: LY&MY!

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Just Thinking . . .

Just a few thoughts of randomness which have passed through my mind recently:

Why is it that when there is road construction on the Interstate Highways, there are miles and miles of orange cones or barrels, but no construction work within sight; but yet traffic is reduced to one lane for that entire length?

I love driving in Chicago, it's like being in a real, live video game. I wonder what my score is as I've been doing it since 1968 with no crash and burn?

Why are there TWO chocolate shops in Chicago - across the street from each other.

Our roads are in such poor condition in Michigan compared to Chicago . . . oh, wait . . . they have Toll Roads. Hmmmm, maybe not such a bad idea!

I'm so glad it is dark in theaters . . . some of the productions I've seen recently have made me tear up, and I hate to have people see tears streaming down my face in public.

I enjoy using the Dollar coins to pay for things, it is interesting to see the expressions on cashier faces. It was even better when they were first issued . . . cashiers thought the coins were quarters, and wanted more money; or the time the coins weren't accepted because they were "fake."

Why is it that some of our 'older' senior citizens feel they have a "right" to go directly to the head of the line, or ignore other people already present, just to get their immediate needs met. (Just because you may be older than me, doesn't mean you can just push your way in - I'm sorry that I was here before you).

There must be two speed limits. One I observe posted along the highway, and the other for those who must be more important than I (as they whiz by me on the road).

The old . . . "When you need one, they are nowhere to be seen."

• Cops
• Sales clerks
• Wait staff
• Taxis
• Paper & pencil
• Tissues for sneezing
• Gas stations
• Padlock keys
• Power supplies / battery chargers.
• Restrooms
• Toilet paper or full paper towel dispensers in public restrooms
  

When you post something on CraigsList or in a classified ad . . . it never sells, or you don't get any response to your ad. Or when you call to respond to the ad, someone else already snatched it up.

Why is it when using electronic communication (texting, Facebook, Twitter), all the proper use of the English language, spelling, and punctuation is tossed aside by many?

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Class of 1964 Reunion - 45 Years!

It is hard to believe that 45 years have passed since I graduated from high school, specifically, Marmion Military Academy in Aurora, Illinois; a Junior ROTC school administered by the Benedictine Monks of Marmion Abbey.

This weekend we will be venturing back to my Alma Mater to see some of my old high school buddies. Somehow I don't believe that I will recognize any of them, we all will have changed over the decades. I wonder how many handicapped tags we'll see in the parking lot?

I have resisted attending these gatherings ever since the 10th reunion in 1974; it seemed as if the old cliques managed to come together again. I'm hoping that as we all matured, we've managed to become wiser as we got older. We shall see.

However, as we always do, my lovely bride and I will fit in some side trips to various sites in Chicagoland. Two for sure:

1. Lincoln Park Zoo. Never been here before, always visited Brookfield Zoo.
2. "Jersey Boys" Broadway Musical about Franki Valli and the Four Seasons.
   

We'll also take in several of the Windy City's fine eateries . . . there are sooo many.

The weather is expected to be just great.

"Chicago . . . Chicago; Chicago is . . . My Kind of Town!"

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Noise Pollution on the Mall

Last night we were in downtown Grand Rapids to have a nice enjoyable and leisurely evening of food and pleasurable entertainment. A block away was Rosa Parks Circle, where it was the occasion of the year's first "Blues on the Mall" event. The music was attempting to drift towards the restaurant where we were eating our meal on the outdoor patio, except for the ROAR of several dozen packs of MOTORCYCLES, drowning out the music notes.

It was great seeing throngs of people coming downtown on a weekday night to enjoy the company of others, in our inviting metropolitan center, but whose idea was it to have a gathering of MOTORCYCLES concurrent with a blues concert?

Who will win this battle of audible stimulation?

The MOTORCYCLES did, with their din of revved engines and barely muffled exhausts.

Somebody was not thinking about how incompatible these two events are.

Fortunately, the bikers did manage to settle down as they may have realized there was a concert a few blocks away from their gathering, and some of them strolled down in the direction of the music.

It did turn out to be an enjoyable night on the town, but someone at City Hall should be checking calendars to see if scheduled events might CLASH!

More power to the West Michigan Blues Society for organizing this enjoyable venue for music lovers - KUDOS!

But I send Horseshoes and Boomerangs to City Event Schedulers for their lack of foresight for the blind approval of these permits of two audibly opposing events.

THINK, people, THINK!

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Digital TV Transition - Oooops!

Friday, June 12th is the 'Big Day' in television broadcasting, when the station engineers turn off the old analog transmitters with their extensive (and expensive) signal, and officially switch on the new digital transmitters with their energy-efficient, cost-saving and smaller coverage area signal.

Did you get all that? Smaller coverage area?

This basically affects only those viewers who are 'catching' a TV signal with an antenna, not those who are 'wired' up with cable or satellite (supposedly).

I'm certain that there are still people out there who will be affected by this changeover:

1. Those who cannot comprehend all the information that has been broadcast for over a year.
2. Those who say . . . "I'm NOT going to change, and you can't make me."
3. Those who say . . . "It's a government conspiracy to make me get new stuff."
4. Those who don't believe anything is going to happen.
5. Those who swallow all the information, believe it will work, and don't change anything.
6. Those who spend the bucks to get all the 'right' gear, and live outside the new signal area.

I'll be on the road and out of town when this takes place. It will be real interesting to see if my $$$$ hotel is ready for the changeover, as I will be wanting to watch the Red Wings clinch the Stanley Cup Friday night.

I would love to hear all the confused phone calls the TV stations will be getting Friday and for the following days. I'll bet that they will be hum-dingers. That is one job I would not want.

I wish the broadcasters well, and hopes it all works without a hitch . . . . but Murphy's Law will probably prevail in some instances. This will all go down in broadcast history as . . . .

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D-Day June 6, 1944

Let us remember the sacrifice made by these Heroes
of World War II.

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P.E.T.A.

P.E.T.A. = Pathetic Exasperated Tired Absurdities

What are these people thinking?

In today's Grand Rapids Press, it states this wacky organization (P.E.T.A.) has plans to 'protest' the mistreatment of FISH!

"Fish Are Friends, Not Food!" (tell that to sharks) according to P.E.T.A. How absurd is this? What was it that Jesus served to the crowd in the New Testament . . . . Loaves and . . . . Hamburgers?

Come on. I'm all for treating animals kindly. I'll swerve to avoid hitting a squirrel, and reluctantly kill bugs, but fish as "Sea Kittens?"

Give me a break!

I wish these folks would turn their efforts towards a more fruitful problem like saving our waterways from mussels or other invasive species; oh, wait, they are animals too.

I know, how about . . . . say, computer viruses?

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Happy Birthday, Sarah

It's my Daughter, Sarah's 24th Birthday today.

I wanted a Hummer . . . .

. . . But what kind of Hummer would be built by a Chinese company?

Would they paint it with lead paint?

And would the U.S. Armed Forces want to use a HumVee made by a communist company?

Plus, the company GM sold Hummer to, isn't even a car manufacturer!

Now, if this company is smart, they would use plants in the U.S., and have them assembled by U.S, citizens. Question is, would the U.A.W. be able to work under the direction of Chinese managers, with the Chinese Communist work ethics . . . "do it our way or be shot!"

I think I will stick with my Korean car, assembed by U.S workers, in the U.S.

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Auto Bankruptcy

It's finally happening. Two of the big three domestic automakers are bankrupt.

I, however, am optimistic that the outcome will be a better auto industry.

I do not think that GM or Chrysler would build better cars without this being forced upon them, I see more fuel-efficient and environmentally-friendly cars being manufactured as a result. I hope that I am not wrong.

We all must be patient while the shake-out occurs. It will be difficult for a while, but the end result has to be better than what we have now.

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