Oct. 31, 2009 - Happy Halloween

A Happy Halloween to all you Buckeye fans.

Oct. 30, 2009 - Halloween Costumes - BONUS PET PEEVE

I usually only post PET PEEVES on Mondays. But what is up with the PRE-PACKAGED HALLOWEEN COSTUMES?

On a recent trip to the store to purchase a costume for my pre-teen daughter, I was faced with the choices of a sexed-up cheerleader, a naughty Alice in Wonderland or a very “wicked’ witch. It’s like the only house in the costume designer’s neighborhood must be the Playboy Mansion.

"Halloween Booty" no longer refers to the your Trick or Treat candy accumulation.

This is where one of those “Well, when I was a kid we …” kind of stories is accurate and appropriate.

When I was a kid we made our own costumes. We searched the house, the shed, and yes, the roadside to find the materials to make our unique outfits. We were ghosts with old bed sheets. We became mummies wrapped in toilet paper. If you had enough aluminum foil, you were the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz.

There was a neighbor boy that liked to dress as a girl. It turns out it was an eerie indicator of things to come, but that is another story.

Nowadays, everyone has store bought outfits. There are pre-packaged super heroes, witches, and princesses. The only thing that scares you is the price, $29.99 each.

You are lucky if the costume lasts one night due to the poor quality. It would be nice if China could let the same kids that make my shoes produce the Halloween costumes.

As a youth attending Catholic School, we dressed up as our favorite Saint on November 1st. It’s known as “All Saint’s Day.” Try finding a John the Baptist costume at one of these stores. The only Biblical figures represented today would be Sodom and Gomorrah or Mary Magdalene, the early years.

This year, I’m dressing up as a disgruntled middle-aged man. Happy Halloween. ;-)

Oct. 26, 2009 - PPM - A Sign of The Times

This week’s PET PEEVE MONDAY (PPM) is how some of our tax dollars have being spent recently.

Highway signs have gone up everywhere touting the “Stimulus Package”. What a waste!!!

These signs cost $2.6 Million of our federal funds.

On October 26, the White House finally decided to put a large pink ribbon on the White House to acknowledge Breast Cancer Awareness month.


They put it up with only 5 days left in the month!!! How much did that cost? I’m sure the monies could have been more logically spent on what, let’s see.

Oh yeah, finding a cure for Breast Cancer!!!

Oct. 24, 2009 - Helping The Hungry

As a part-time Reverend and full-time community supporter, I attended an Inter Parish Ministry benefit concert at local high school tonight.

The headline performer was Steve Chapin, brother of the late Harry Chapin (at right). Steve was accompanied by Big John Wallace and Phil Forbes. The Turpin High School Mixed Choir also sang a few songs and provided backup vocals on several tunes.

The Inter Faith Ministry helps the hungry within the eastern Hamilton and Clermont counties. It is a coordinated effort of a network of churches, community, business and volunteer partners.

You can visit the Inter Parish Ministry website to learn more or to provide support.

Steve played all of Harry’s hits including “Cats in the Cradle”, “Taxi”, and “Circle”. Steve also played some of his own songs.

The funniest moment of the night was when Steve Chapin was awarded a Proclamation from the Ohio Senate thanking him for his years of charitable work with the hungry and homeless. Steve’s deadpan response was he thanked the State Senator for making tonight’s concert necessary.


Everyone should listen to, and read the lyrics from “All My Life’s A Circle.”

Oct. 23, 2009 - Friday Funny - USS Ted Kennedy

This week's Friday Funny comes from Jabberwocker Kim in Kentucky.

Is it too soon?

Oct. 22, 2009 - Jabberwocky Convention

I attended the fourth annual Jabberwocky Readers’ Convention tonight in Dayton Ohio.

I sat, I listened, I went to the bathroom, and then I sat and listened some more.
What I heard was that they love the postings, but I do not post often enough.

I explained that retirement hasn’t been easy with the golf vacations, the gambling junkets, and the baseball field trips.

At the end of the meeting, I apologized and stated it was “My Bad.”

I promise to post more often, starting tomorrow, or the next day.

Cheers.
JJ

Oct. 12, 2009 - PPM - Nobel Peace Prize

This week’s Pet Peeve Monday (PPM) has got to be President Obama receiving the Nobel Peace Prize.

Incredulously, Obama was nominated for the award after only 11 days in office last January. It’s like nominating me for “Father of the Year” while my child is still in utero.

The Nobel Prize was nothing more than a continued aberration from the Norway based group. They should have named the award, “I’m Not George Bush” after they awarded previous prizes to Al Gore (2007) and Jimmy Carter (2002).

Talk about your sore losers. The Nobel committee probably should have post-humorously awarded their fictitious prize to Ann Richards because she was also beat by Bush in 1994.

Obama’s most acknowledged peace result was getting two guys together for a beer after a well documented, local media concocted event, where Obama played the race card. It sounds like he should have been rewarded with Bud-Light’s “Real Man of Genius” award rather than a Nobel Peace Prize.

Maybe the Norwegians should stop drinking the Obama Kool-Aid and switch to Bud-Light. I know it makes me feel better.

Oct. 9, 2009 - Friday Funny - Priceless

This week's Friday Funny comes from MaryAnne.

Only in America …Recently Michelle Obama went to serve food to the homeless at a government soup kitchen.



Cost of a bowl of soup at homeless shelter - $0.00 Dollars

Having Michelle Obama serve your soup - $0.00 Dollars

A homeless person who is receiving government funded meals takes a picture of the first lady using his $300 Black Berry cell phone... Priceless

Oct. 6, 2009 - No You Can't

Someone owes me $22.

That is the money I spent in July for a Chicago 2016 shirt.

I guess ACORN couldn’t be used to influence the IOC votes last week. Don’t blame it on Rio.

I visited Atlanta before 1996 games and Sydney before the 2000 games. Anyone trying to traverse these cities was incredibly inconvenienced during the long construction phases leading up to games. Sure, the construction job boon and national pride are good for the host country.

But what else?

Oh yeah, the useless T-shirts.