R E S P E C T

RESPECT?  What exactly is it?  How do we show it?  Is it earned?  Is it expected? How do you earn it? Is it missing all to often?    All good questions and deserve answers.  Some respects are just expected.  Respect for Life.    Respect for Right.   Respect for your Parents.  Respect for the Law.  These are respects I feel should be expected.  Respect for your elders should be included but all to often it is lost because of what some adults do.  I think Respect is best when it is earned .It is earned by the way you treat people.  In short Earned Respect is given right back.  You get it when you give it.  Sometimes you give it without saying, just by the way you act.  Respect can be lost when you disrespect and then hard to get back. We need to show Respect for others until they give us a good reason not to.  We need to be patient & allow for some mistakes but not so much that we are crushed under all the disrespect.

As you can see Respect is needed for us to grow & live in a country where All Men Are Created Equal. Respect is missing.  Simple signs show me this every day.  People not letting someone into traffic,  People not returning their shopping carts.  People talking during a movie.  Kids NOT doing their homework.  People judging others by their look instead of their actions.  So much disrespect. Predjidice is a big example of disrespect.  Our world will be a better place when we all respect each other, pitch in, & look out for the other guy.

Bullying from Albany

 

It looks like the apparent Bi-Partisinship which has given us an on time State Budget has come with a price. Our Schools & Children come out losers as ,despite a slight increase in overall state aide, Major Cuts are ocurring which will impact students & schools in a very negative way. Once again they are being asked to do more with less and with more unfunded mandates. This is the 4th year in a row. Enough is Enough. I fear the biggest bullying problem we have is occuring from our leadership in Albany

Everyday we are seeing our Governor smiling & showing just how he is getting things done.  It appears he has both sides working together.  He has the Tax Cap in place he promised.  He has a Teacher Evaluation System in place which he promised.  He has a cheaper Pension Tier almost in place.  Now he has an on time budget.  But at what price?  Yes we needed to tighten our belts but every  day I hear of cuts in education which will destroy Public Education.  Larger Class Sizes will have such a negative impact.  Children today are being raised with so many distractions. To put them in a class with 27 to 30 especially at the younger grades will hurt their chances of developing & succeeding.  Taking away electives, Honor classes, Arts, Music, Careers classes, & Sports  will severely limit their opportunities to branch out, to think out of the box, & develope as well rounded individuals.  

I say to our leadership....At What Cost?    Stop running for the Presidency & Take Care Of New York.

Social Media Turning Up the Heat

The recent story of the young man who was shot in Florida by a Neighborhood Watch guy has spread like wild fire due to social media like Twitter & Facebook.  Each time people's extra opinions & "facts" have turned up the heat on the story.  It is to the point where I don't know what is fact & what is fiction.  A young 17 year old african american man is dead at the hands of a 28 year old hispanic -american man.   This is a fact.  Since the story broke the following "things"  have been added to the story.  The young man had just come from a convenient store where he bought skittles & an ice tea.  The neighborhood watch man had made a 911 call to the police, something he had done many times before, & had been told to drop the surveillance on the young man.  Both men involved had a police record.  The young man was unarmed while the shooter had a registered hand gun.  The young man was wearing a hoodie which now has made it a case of profiling by the neighborhood watch man.  I guess there was an eye witness who reports to have seen the young man on top of the neighborhood watch man beating him  before he was shot & killed, making it possibly a case of "self defense".

So why did this happen?  Why didn't the neighborhood watch man back off when told by the Police to?  What caused the young man to attack the neighborhood watch man?  In the end, a young man is dead.  That's all that should matter.  A life is lost & another life is ruined.

But the Bigger story may be how the Social media has taken an awful story & made it a national story & may have caused an uprising.  Some are making it a story about racial profiling.  Some are asking for the head of the neighborhood watch man.  Some are using this unfortunate story & loss of life for their own cause. Do we all really need to know what & why this happened?   If we do, why can't we wait untill ALL the facts are known?  Let's not make it something it isn't to further someone's cause. Let's remember a young man's life was lost.   Nothing will bring him back .  I hope to live in a world where we can all respect each other for who we are & not what we are. A world where we aren't judged by the clothes we wear, by the way we chose to live our lives, or the color of our skin but by the way we treat others. So wear that smile more often & let people ...all people, know you care.
And....think before you Post, Twitter, or join any cause.

Does a Two Party System Really work?

I used to think so.  I mean, one party keeping the other party in check seems reasonable.  Democrats & Republicans, each with it's own basic beliefs, policies, & platforms is a healthy thing....Right?  But somewhere along the way they became so adversarial that they both forgot who it is they are really working for.  They think they are working for themselves & what is best for themselves.  They don't allow free thinking amongst themselves.  You have to hold & vote for & on the Party Line no matter what.  Look where That's gotten us.

Let's just look at the head office of the President.  In order for a president to be effective & that means getting things done that impacts the majority of Americans in a Positive way, he or she needs the support of the legislature.  They have to agree to disagree at times or just see things the same way.  But wait......If the president gets things done that pleases people & looks good doing it, then he might just get re-elected or it might make his party look good which would result in the other party Not getting control of the White House which is their ultimate goal.  So instead they chose to make life difficult for the president by Not working with him to do what is best for Americans so that he looks bad so that their party can be the ones controlling the White House. Then it starts all over again.   Heaven forbid, the American People should come first . 

So what's the answer?  Unless both parties can agree to work together for the common good, I suggest a 6 year one term only President.  It won't solve all the issues our two party system has developed but at least the president won't be looking to be re-elected.  Sad that we even have to discuss a solution like this.  But if Politics has taught us anything it is that it is most certainly a Very Dirty Game.

What's up with the NFL? Peyton, Payton, & Tebow!!!!!!

Coaches, GM's, & players suspened for putting out "bounties" on opposing players.  As we approach the 100 year anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic,  is this just the tip of the iceberg?  An in depth study has found that the New Orleans defensive players from the years 2009 to 2011 were involved in receiving bounties for taking out certain players from the opposing teams.  As a result Coach Sean Payton has received a one year suspension, the GM an 8 game suspension, the defensive coach an indefinite suspension , and players' suspensions yet to be named.    It's all about the League's efforts to make the game even safer.  So while Peyton Manning gets richer playing for the Denver Broncos,  Sean Payton loses his $7.5 Million Dollar salary for this year.  The Rest of the NFL beware.  This is one STRONG message.  Can you say..." Zero Tollerance"?

I wouldn't be surprised if the NHL & MLB start looking closer at their games to see if that exists in their game.  We know Hockey has it's enforcers looking to take out certain players.  The next time you see a hard check will you wonder if it was intended to take that player out?  Or how bout a pitch that brushes back a batter  or hits that batter.  Was THAT intentional & intended to take that player out?  Are today's finding just the tip of an iceberg which could change the way all professional sports are played?

On another note:  What is going on with Tim Tebow?  Talk about a Media Mess.  They have created a Monster.  Yes, he won 7 out of 8 games with some dramatic comebacks and a playoff win against the might Steelers.  And yes he has done it from the Quarterback position in a very unconventional manner. And Yes he seems to be very religious & wholesome.  But the Media has made him a Wonder Boy & in the process helped to create animosity toward him from some factions jealous of his success & ATTENTION.  Now after the Peyton Manning Frenzy, we now have the Tim Tebow Frenzy with him landing in New York with the Jets.  The Jets just signed their QB Mark Sanchez to a 3 year extention.  Why sign Tebow?  As a Back Up?  To put pressure on Sanchez?  All it's done is create more controversy where you already have enough with Rex Ryan the coach.

Whatever you think....The NFL has given the Media Food for Fodder during a time when Football usually isn't the Head Line.........My Two...or rather Five Cents....

What Winter?

I guess today is the first day of spring.  It is March 20 and according to the calendar, spring starts today. What exactly does that mean?  Well usually it's just a day.  Usually there's still snow on the ground with temps maybe in the low 40's. Usually we are thinking about things we'll be doing in mid April when spring usually really gets here.  Heck in 1983 we had a huge snow storm in mid April.  The Winter of 2011-2012 was anything but a winter.  We had less then 24 inches of snow with the bulk of that coming in late October & the last day of February.  Temps were unseasonably warm.  Heck last week they were in the 60's and this week in the 70's and 80's.

Yesterday my wife & granddaughter raked.  I plan on getting the raking done in the next week or so & possibly roto-tilling my gardens in early April.  Maybe I'll be able to plant in April instead of the Memorial Day my Nonno ALWAYS said to wait till.  I just don't know.  Can we trust the weather?  It sure would be nice to be able to plant a full month earlier & extend our growing season.  Imagine fresh tomatoes and squash in early June . I'm thinking of all the projects I can get started earlier.   Do I dare?  Painting, cleaning, reorganizing, & all those things you wait til really warm days to do.

But wait, those aren't the only things you can do in warm weather!  I could go fishing.  I could go out golfing!!!!!!    How bout picnics & hiking & other such outings?  Let's not forget all the places that are seasonal like Ice Cream at Curry Freeze & Grilled Burgers and such at Jumping Jacks in Scotia.  You all must have places  like that, that open in the spring. 

With spring comes all these choices & decisions to make daily.  It's just happening earlier.  Are you ready to get into all this stuff?  Or do you need another month?   Wait a minute.  Is this for real?  Is it all in our imaginations?  Is it a dream?  Will we wake up one day to see Snow & Cold?  I guess we'll have to take a chance & see. 

On a side note, maybe this was God's way of giving all those adversely affected by last fall's rains & storms, a break.  They certainly deserved one.  Good luck to all those rebuilding their lives.

The BIG question for me is:  Is this just this year or is this the way it's going to be? Will our kids never see another winter like we lived through? Maybe Global Warming is for real.   I guess we'll have to wait & see.  For now, I'm not going to worry about winter and weather it will make a comeback.   I'm just going to enjoy SPRING.  I suggest you do too.  So see you out on the Golf Course.....in a park.....my a river or stream.........or in your house or yard "working". 

Who Really Runs the Team

Playing in New York is like the "Truman Story".  Your every move is put under a microscope.  Only certain players & coaches can survive that much scrutiny.  I guess The New York Knicks are seeing that first hand.  Four years ago they were a rock bottom. So enter Coach Mike D'Antoni coming off some very successful years in Phoenix. Next, after losing for two years inorder to make cap space for "The King" and then failing to land the Big Fish, they settled for Amare Stoudemire formally of the same successful Phoenix teams.  With some success but still lacking the guns, the Knicks unloaded half their future including my favorite "Italian", to land a Big Ego named "Melo".  Things improved enough for the Knicks to make the playoffs after a lengthy absense but they quickly exited versus the Celtics.  But there seemed hope.  Then came this year & the Knicks got off to an awful start until the arrival of twice canned & Harvard Grad, Jeremy Lin.  The Knicks seemed reseurected. They won like 7 out of 8 including victories over the Lakers & the defending champ Mavs.  And noticeably absent for those wins was that Big Ego , Melo.  Unfortunately, he returned & the Knicks stopped jelling.  They stopped moving the ball. He returned to his style of posting up even though in the coach's offense, he was to play outside creating room for movement.  With this inability to run offense came a serious lack of defensive effort & rebounding which spread to the whole team. Baron Davis at age 34 can't defend & has also become a detriment complaining of playing time.   These Knicks with Melo's return have taken on his aura of " Me First" and consequently have lost 8 out of 10 games.  What to do?  

Well, A coach's job is to create an atmosphere where his team can be successful.  To give them an offense & defense they feel comfy playing.  Unfortunately, Mike D'Antoni couldn't find either that ALL the Knicks could play.   Trading the problem wasn't going to happen.  New York is ALL about making the Big Splash.  They did that when they brough Melo in.  They knew what his game was.  Now they can't admit they are wrong.  So, Out goes the coach.  His contract was up soon anyway.    The question becomes  what kind of coach do they need who can Get it Done with What is There?  Mike Woodson will get his shot but who they really want is 11 time champ & former Knick, Phil Jackson.  But is this what Phil wants?   I'm betting he does.  When you've been to the mountain, you want to get back & what better way them in the Premier City in the world....New York.  Just my 2.5 Cents.......

Taking a Closer Look

The recent actions in Afghanistan have made me take a closer look at the US involvement there. We send 10's of thousands of young men and women to a foreign land with the goal of creating a better life for the people there. Many of these young men and women have no idea what they are doing there.  Remember Viet Nam?  Remember all the awful things that our soldiers did back then?   Are you surprised by the actions of some of our soldiers this time around?  I'm not sure if I am or not. But it sure does bother the Hell out of me.  Urinating on dead Afghans?  Burning their khorans?   and the worst yet,  a US soldier killing 16 Afghan civilians including 9 children. What do these actions of a few say about the character of our military ?  Can we use War is Hell and war as an excuse? 

For  our involvement to work, for it to mean anything, the young men and women we are sending there have to believe in what we are doing there.  And we need to do a better job of screening the men & women we are sending there. We need to learn from these actions and do our best to assure things like this don't happen.  Afterall, without the trust of those we are trying to help, we can not be effective in our efforts.  I can only hope & pray that the Afghan people can forgive these actions and continue to accept our help as we help them create a country they will feel safe living in and prosper.  If not and they find ways to retaliate. The question becomes:  What Are we doing over there?

Mish Mash Day

Thought I'd hit on a bunch of things today:

Are hardcopy newspapers going to be a thing of the past? I always have loved having my paper to read every morning.  I used to actually like seeing my carrier every week come to get paid.  Automation has eliminated the carrier's weekly visit , missed deliveries aren't made up, accounts are credited, & renewals are done online.  You never even see your carrier.  Some people are canceling their papers & reading them online. The papers themselves aren't always very appealing & full of the ads needed to keep them in print. Carriers have to have a drivers license these days.  Most carriers are people desperate for a job where in the past it was a kid looking to save some money for a new bike.  The way things are going.......the daily newspaper may soon join the dinosaur.

Cutting some of brightest & best teachers is going to hurt kids & kill our schools.  Seniority is used to determine cuts in schools.  Last in ...First out.  Being a former educator & facing this a few times in my career I totally understand it.  If not, schools could save money by replacing the salaries of veteran teachers with that of new teachers.  It doesn't seem fair.  Many of our younger teachers are the ones running clubs, coaching, & doing many of the extras.  So what is the answer?  You tell me.  Government needs to decide just how important education is & find a way to fund it that doesn't put the burden on the tax payers.  Class sizes will be going up & please don't tell me,"When I was in school I was in a class of 30"  Because today's kids with all their issues & disabilities need to be in smaller classes inorder to get the attention they need to learn. Also let's forget about all this stupid testing &  paperwork & get back to educating kids. And, let's forget the "one size fits all" mentality in government & reinstitute our BOCES  & Tech programs where kids can learn to fix cars, weld, do hair, & other useful skills.  Not every kid needs to go to college.  Wake up our 2012 version of "Boss Tweed" in Albany.

March Madness!!!!!!!!!   North Carolina, Kentucky, Syracuse, Kansas, Duke, Missouri?    Will one of these teams be crowned NCAA Men's Hoop Champ for 2012?   Will it be a dark horse:  Ohio State, Michigan, Michican State, Connecticut.  How will Murray State, Butler, or Georgetown do?  Winning 6 straight games in this tourney is tough.  The team that does...deserves to be the top dog.  But watch the game these days....Rough Stuff, unnecessary fouls, traveling, isolation plays, & bad attitudes are taking over where Team play, finese, skill, & positive attitudes used to be the rule.    It's still the best time of year for the true basketball fan.  So fill out your brackets & see who can guess right.

Friends are neat to have.  There are many kinds of friends.  Your brothers or sisters fit this category if you are lucky.  They knew you when. You grew up in the same house hopefully & have so much to share.  Stay Close!  Kids you went to school with are friends too. They walked the halls with you, shared secrets, played sports, & laughed with you.  Then on to college where you made some new friends & maybe you stay in touch.  The work place is the next place to make some friends.  You share the same grind & can complain or laugh & understand.  Neighbors & your kids friend's parents are friends you make during the times you're kids are growing up.  You share the same daily stuff.  You make friends many different ways & it takes work.  But when you get to the point when you can retire, you  realize just who really matters & who is a real friend & who are acquaintances.  Facebook and other social networks give us opportunities to reconnect & make new "friends"  some you actually will never meet or be in the same room with.  But it gives you peace of mind to have those connections.   So the moral of this story?   " Enjoy making friends"  ?" A man is deemed successful by the number & kinds of friends he acquires"    And .......Stay in Touch......   sign me, " Fran's Two Cents"....

Here's a Real Role Model

Guys like Peyton Manning are so rare in the world of professional sports these days. We look to professional athletes as Role Models for our kids and end up disappointed so many times. Story after story appear with pro athletes being arrested or charged or involved in some illegle or immoral activity. Yes there's always a story on the back page of some volunteer work being done but it's always the bad stuff that shows up on the front page. I've heard professional athletes like Charles Barkley state that "We are not nor should not be considered role models". I guess we could argue that point. But take a look at the millions being made by the sales of pro athlete clothing & equipment. Look at the jerseys warn by kids.

Then take a look at the way Peyton Manning handled his release today by the Colts after 14 years. He demonstrated the class he brings to the Professional Sports. He talked about how fortunate he has been to play for the Colts & all the people he has come to know,respect, & love. He thanked everyone from the equipment guys to the owner. It has never been about money with Peyton. He loves the game & loves playing... quarterback. The Colts decision to move forward without him is all about the team rebuilding around a young quarterback and allowing Peyton to go elsewhere to resume & end his career. I loved watching the way Peyton handled himself. He is a real gentleman with character. He demonstrates that character on & off the field. I wish him all the luck in moving forward but more importantly that he stay healthy & safe. I've been a Colts fan for years but for the last 14 years, it's been all about him.

The Perfect Role Model for Kids does exist. Yes Pro Atheletes...You Are Role Models.....Just follow Peyton Manning's Lead.

Why Shop Wal-Mart?

The recent burgluries in Rotterdam, "A Nice Place to Live", has brought up the question , " Why?" One response to this question is the Wal-Mart located in the east end of town. People say that due to Wal-Mart's cheap prices, the kinds of people that do most of their shopping their might be the kinds that wouldn't think twice about breaking the law to get what they want.

About 6 years ago, we in the west end of the town fought to keep Wal-Mart out knowing full well the issues a Wal-Mart brings with it. Neighbor Scotia-Glenville has see its crime go up by 4 times since Wal-Mart came to town with most of the increase directly involving the store.

My biggest objection to Wal-Mart comes from the fact that most of their cheaper pricing is due to their items being manufactured outside of the USA. When Wal-Mart first came to this country I believe they sold us on the idea that they would sell mostly USA produced goods. Instead they have slowly but surely helped cause many USA produced goods to be made overseas cheaper so they could sell them in their stores. They have helped to shut down many Made in USA products.

So everytime those, who are complaining about the kinds of people that move into an area where a Wal-Mart exists, shop in that Wal-Mart they are promoting the exact kinds of behaviors they object to. I'm not saying everyone who shops at or lives near a Wal-Mart is someone who might break the law. But it does give us something to think about the next time we go shopping. We do need to bring those manufacturing jobs back to the US & one way of doing that is to try hard not to support products made elsewhere. Just My TwoCents on it.

A Nose for a Nose?

Will someone tell the so-called Sports Writers that today's Laker/Heat Game is about Two teams playing basketball and Not about Andrew Bynum getting back at Dwane Wade for Kobe Bryant's broken nose in the all-star game. I sware they sometimes create a situation where there isn't one. LOL Dwane was doing something you don't see in any all-star game. Playing Defense. As they say...." Shit Happens'.

Let's Watch them beat another dead horse with the newly named "Bountygate" story they've created. Did they forget that Football is a Contact Sport? Of course I'm not saying I'm in favor of one player deliberately trying to hurt another player but defensive players jobs are to make hits & tackle & sometimes players get hurt. Sorry I digress. This is a whole other blog.

When a sports reporter used to write about an upcoming game they used to write about how each team was playing or how individuals were playing. Nowadays they have to find an angle to write about. Someone's personal life issue or words that were spoken or specualations made about a trade or someone's job security, or as in the Kobe/Dwane situation, a possible retaliation for a hit.

I do understand the need to create interest in a game or a story. Also they are all competing with each other for top line. They should be allowed some creative space to write. I'm just saying that they need to be more cognicent of their writing and where it may go. Their writing will affect public opinion and may lead to certain conclusions being made. In the Kobe/Dwane situation, Dwane accidently broke Kobe's nose while reaching on defense. For reporters to speculate whether Andrew Bynum would retaliate against Dwane as a sign of his support of his team mate is irresponsible writing. These are two great players and two great teams. There has to be more to write about.

Sells Tickets I Guess

It's all about selling tickets I Guess. New Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine decided it was quiet enough & thought he'd stir the pot. Like the Yankees & Red Sox needed it. The Bronx Bombers & BoSox have a storied history & rivalry so it doesn't take much. The Yankees had their 27 flags while the Sox after winning the first World Series in 1903 & five of the first fifteen World Series went 86 years before their next Championship in 2004 & again in 2007. The 2004 Championship is especially tasty to Sox fans after their 7 game come from behind victory over those rival Yankees in the division chamionships. Over the past 4 years the two teams have both been in the hunt with the Yankees winning their 27th championship in 2009 and the Sox collapse in 2011 highliting those years.

But their rivalry & anything connected to it will continue to be fodder for any sports reporter. So when new Sox Manager Bobby Valentine commented on Jason Varitek's retirement by mentioning how he "beat up" A-Rod in a 2004 confrontation or how the famous"flip"to home relay that Derek Jeter made in the 2001 playoffs was unnecessary its going to give those sports reporters something to run with & run they did. Those comments were then followed by comments by A-Rod & Jeter with A-Rod totally downplaying it & Jeter c0mmenting that Bobby must be bored & why did he have to say that. It made front page sports news.

It was nothing, but it proves my point that today's "Sports" reporting is more about things happening off the field & comments & behaviors of athletes & others involved with the sport then the actual Games themselves. It's what sells tickets. How else can you explain people paying exhorbitant prices to attend these sporting events when we are cutting in our schools and people are starving all over. This kind of stuff sells tickets & fills the sport's pages & sport's casts.

Then again, you know it's spring training time when you start hearing about the Yankees & the Red Sox. What about my Mets? Just My Two Cents. About what the Mets spent on Free Agents this winter.