Sempre Americo

Americo was my father.

a good man. smart. loving.

he loved racing formula vee race cars, and was very good at it!

he loved his children, even when he didn't know how.

business was his toy, and he played with it with such skill.

he always believed in "gritting your teeth" and the better would come.

he was my best friend. and my most trusted advisor.

i will love him always (sempre), Americo.

my dad.

What War?

There are those who say there is a cultural war on Christmas, and there are those who laugh it off as nothing more than Chicken Little claiming the sky is falling.

Never the less, each year there are more signs to prove that the few voices that find Christmas offensive out weigh the rest who celebrate Christmas openly and proudly.

For example, this year Third graders in Madison, Wisconsin were not allowed to help raise money for the local Salvation Army. Each year the kids would take turns ringing bells and help raise money with those famous little red kettles.

But, ONE parent objected. Citing the over used “separation of church and state.” Because the kids were helping a religiously based organization, and the school had approved, the parent must have concluded that the school was endorsing religion.

When faced with the complaint, school Principal Howard Fried said the school administration quickly stood down.

Hey school admins, how about the rest of the kid’s parent’s who had no complaints and gladly let their kids help out a charity?!

Another example of Christmas complaints going to far have a McDonald’s customer complaining to corporate about a sign the store uses every year.

The McDonalds, located in Raleigh, North Carolina, would put up a sing reading, “Merry Christmas, Jesus is the reason for the season.

Some felt that came on too strong. Amanda Alpert added this, “It offends me because it specifically talks about Jesus, Merry Christmas,"

Well, duh. After all, what is Christmas supposed to be about?!

War? No War? You decide. But one thing is clear, companies and school officials need to realize they do not need to bend over backwards because one or two people find something offensive. As a matter of fact, it’s rather offensive to punish the majority for the comfort of a few nutty people.

"Hey Teach, F-YOU!"

England

In a bizarre move, school officials at a British secondary school have decided it's ok for students to use the F-word towards teachers.

What a F-ing fabulous idea. Students will be tracked on a blackboard and are only allowed to use the word five times in a day! If they go over, they get a talking to. No word on whether they can swear at the talking to.

The school hopes the move will help problems with behavior (yeah right). Parents, who were notified of the idea by letter, were quick to sound off at the looney idea. And good for them.

What students need is structure and discipline in the school setting, not more "freedoms" like swearing at teachers. Teachers have a hard enough time keeping classes in order. And people wonder why education seems to be getting harder and harder.

Hopefully parents and other school officials can nip this idea in the bud. Otherwise, it's going to be free reign on teachers and students will learn even less. And isn't that the point? Learning?

Why I Hope Hillary Runs

Here's two reason why I'd like to see Hillary Clinton run for President.

>First, I hope she resigns from the Senate to run.

In the time she has been a New York Senator, she's done nothing but show up for photo ops with the likes of Chuck Schumer and Ted Kennedy. Even though those shots are becoming more rare in her run to the political "middle", she was still one of the first in line to question whether or not John Roberts would be a good choice for the Supreme Court. Then she pulled a "Kerry" and flopped to support Roberts.

NY Governor Pataki has no chance if he runs for President, but he could take her vacant seat is she left the Senate.

>My second reason I hope she runs.

She'd lose.

She'd get a lot of the same people who voted for Kerry or Gore. I think the political map would still be a whole lotta red and even less blue. Someone like a Rick Santorum has a much more realistic chance at becoming the next President than she does.

Right after the 2004 Election, I heard a great quote. The person said, "What now? If this country can't elect a liberal male to the White House, we'll never get a liberal woman voted in."

And that's right.

My Take on Harry Potter "6"

Let me start by saying I've never read the books. I have seen the first movie.

With all of the buzz and hysteria surrounding last night's release of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, it got me thinking.

I do work for one of those large book retailers out there, so I see first hand all of the security involved in the sale of the books. Can't imagine how bookstores sell it early knowing you face serious fines. I also see the anticipation on fans faces as they wait, with ticket in hand, for the clock to strike 12:01am.

I think it's fun to see so many people enjoying the books. People were dressed up as characters, ghosts, witches, and just about anything else as it has become a sort of holiday. Stores were, and will be today, chaotic with customers waiting in long lines. I think our last customer paid at about 1:50am est.

You can buy it almost anywhere. Bookstores, grocery stores, online, and even in Canada they sell a "green" version. On 100% recycled paper.

Sure there are those that say it costs too much. There's also witch craft, and the stories are getting darker. But I look at it a little differently.

In an era where we have Playstation, X-Box, High Speed Internet, and hundreds of cable channels, isn't nice to see kids, and adults, rushing out to..... read a book?

I think it is.

You Don't Look Nice Today

John Soloski won't be complementing anyone anytime soon.

Soloski, the Dean of journalism at University of Georgia, has been found guilty of sexual harassment by the school's office of legal affairs. And just what did Mr. Soloski do or say that brought him under suspicion in the first place? He commented that a co-worker's outfit was "pretty" and showed concern, after a fund raising event, about the co-workers safety walking home alone.

Gasp!

Someone call the National Organization for Women (N.O.W.), 'cause this guy's a real pig.

Although Soloski admits to making the complement, he says he meant nothing sexual about what he said. In fact, she didn't seem bothered at the time. But it bothered someone.

And the concern for her safety? I have done this hundreds of times in my career. With both co-workers I have liked, and disliked, male and female. I feel it's the right thing to do. Because if something were to happen to them, I would never forget it.

Again, it's time for me to call on adults to start acting like adults. I'm pretty sure women don't get up early and style their hair, put on a nice business suit, and maybe a little make-up to go totally unnoticed. Perhaps it's because of whom the compliment came from...

So another career looks to be ruined in an effort to sterilize the nation and the nation's work place. And it's really too bad.

And no, you don't look nice today.

Happy Fourth!