Good Morning and welcome to the day before July 4th!

The celebration can begin tonight as Upper Darby hosts its fireworks display. Hey, Michael Chitwood gives us fireworks every day, what's so special about tonight?
Speaking of special, many teachers like to give gifts to students at the end of the school year. A Northern California elementary school teacher may have gone too far.
Read the story and decide for yourself.
Meanwhile, It appears we have this guy to thank for higher gas prices. Not only should he be fired, but he should personally go around and fill all our gas tanks.
On this holiday weekend, anybody who pays attention to this grand stage of stupidity should be forced to watch hot dogs being made.
Speaking of holidays, this is just silly:


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Good Morning and welcome to a holiday weekend!?!

It's kind of amazing how we are now able to stretch these holidays into a couple of days. It used to be we had July 4 and that was it. Now, it's July 3-July 5 and everyday you can find something to do. Heck, it started downtown last week.
Anyway, it wasn't too surprising to read the report earlier this week that people are traveling less these days. With gas prices still high (I know, not as high as last year) and more bills piling up, something has to go.
So, if you are staying home (maybe heading up to the roof to catch some fireworks), it's a good time for a July 4th movie festival.
Here are some ideas (a day early since there will be a run at the video stores when this is published):
Independence Day: Obvious choice. Although it does seem kind of dated now, there are not many movies where you can get ridiculous plot holes and the July 4th weekend rolled into one.
Yankee Doodle Dandy: James Cagney dancing, singing, tipping his top hat. Not only will your feet be tapping, but you won't even miss the fireworks.
John Adams: Yeah, it would probably take the whole weekend to watch this historical mini-series. What better way to connect to July 4th than to see a fictionalized dramatization of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Rocky: Sure, Sly Stallone has made a joke of the character with the many sequels, but the original is all about the Fourth-of-July. You have the down and out guy getting a chance to 'shock the world' on July 4th.
Rocky 4: OK, it's a joke of a movie, but if you want to feel all 'Red, White and Blue' watch Rocky win over the cold-war Russians.
Now, I'm sure there's more, but it's time to fire up the player.


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Good Morning and welcome to the middle of another summer week!

Really, summer should be about fun. We work hard all year long, if we can enjoy ourselves during some nice weather, we should take it.
One of those nice things for many people is taking their dogs for a walk. It's a good way to get the family outside and get a little exercise.
There are two dogs at our house, pugs. They are a source of joy for the children. They seem to be happy to see everybody, although they are sometimes dressed like princesses or clone troopers.
Out on a normal walk Tuesday morning, one of the dogs apparently ate something off somebody's lawn. It turned out to be some kind of industrial-strength rat poison.
Now, there are no rats around the neighborhood. There might be a few too many squirrels and a raccoon or two, but no rats. So, why anybody would need industrial-strength rat poison is beyond my brain.
Well, there is one reason: You are evil.
Now, I'm not happy when a dog relieves itself on the lawn then the owner doesn't pick it up. Most people curse for a second, clean it up and forget about it.
Apparently, that's not enough for some. No, they get so pissed off they put poison out on the lawn.
Now, to be that shortsighted is scary. To be that angry about dog doo-doo is stupid.
Luckily, the dog, after some touch-and-go moments yesterday, may pull through (don't know if I will after seeing the bill). We were lucky. Somebody else might not be.
Imagine, though, if a child had fallen on that lawn and somehow ingested the poison.
Is that much anger worth killing somebody?

Good Morning and welcome to another perfect summer day!

OK, when did water become such a needed commodity that some can't live without it for more than five minutes.
Here's an example: After gathering the group into the car this past weekend, we set off on the road to the movies.
Five minutes (maybe less) after pulling away from the house, the first plea came: "I'm thirsty."
Look, we were just at home. If you were so thirsty, why didn't you get a drink before we left.
"I'm thirsty. I want water."
We don't have any in the car. Maybe when we get to the movies, we can find the water fountain.
"Why don't we have any water?" came a second voice, this one from further back in the van. "I'm thirsty."
Should we just turn around and submerge everybody in a tub full of water?
Silence.
Made it to the movie without any dehydration problems.
One more example: Taking a walk on a nice summer day to pick up some tomatoes and apples (the store is about three blocks away) could be a fun time.
Then it came: "I need water. I can't make it. I'm so thirsty."
We just left the house 30 seconds ago.
"I------can't-----walk! I----need----water!"
Look, it's not like we are walking in the Sahara. We'll get a drink when we get back.
"What's the Sahara? I can't think, I'm too thirsty. They have water at the store. Can we get some water?"
No, just tomatoes. Deal. We'll be back in 10 minutes. You can have all the water you want.
"But, I'm thirsty now. If you want me to walk, you have to give me some water right now. RIGHT NOW!"
Well, maybe it will rain and you can just look up to the sky.
Magically, it didn't rain. To the store and back took 10 minutes. Everybody survived.
All the requests, though, make you thirsty for something other than water.

Watch Water, Water Every Hare in Animation  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

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Good Morning and welcome back to summer!

It starts innocently enough.
"OK, guys, why don't you go outside and play. It's a nice day."
Before the second sentence is halfway done, the door has been thrown open and the little feet are running down the steps.
Moments later, the basketballs are out. The bikes are being unlocked. The baseballs are thrown onto the lawn. The dirt is starting to stir.
Great. It's time to play. Forget cleaning the rooms, get to running around.
AHHH, summer.
The sounds of a lawn being cut. The smell of the air with a touch of humidity. The gentle songs of the birds. The screams and yells.
Screams and yells? It's not Halloween.
It doesn't take long before the basketballs are taken out and the bikes are unlocked before the first crisis hits.
"WAAAHHHH!!! He took my ball. WAAAHHH!!!"
OK, there are enough balls to go around and few words later, everything is calm.
Calm for about five minutes (if lucky).
"DAAAADDD! DAAAADDD! She threw a cup at me. It really hurts."
Now, some harsher words and a louder voice seems to calm the situation down.
Then, a few minutes later, it degenerates again.
"STOP IT! STOP IT!. DAAADDD, HE'S CHASING ME. SHE'S CALLING ME NAMES. I'VE FALLEN DOWN. WE'RE THIRSTY. WE'RE HUNGRY."
Forget reality TV, this is reality reality.
You like to keep the little ones busy throughout the summer, but you also want them to have some unscheduled fun. That's where we stand now.
Sorry, have to go, somebody did something to to somebody.


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Good Morning and welcome to the weekend!

You know, the death of anybody brings back a flood of memories. Where you were during different times in your life. What you were thinking years ago. Who were your friends.
It's like watching one of those old movie news reels that used to run in theaters (Believe it or not, this was how they used to get the news.). The difference, of course, is the reel runs in your head, not on the screen.
That happened to millions around the world Thursday when, first, it was leaked that Farrah Fawcett had died. Those news reels went into overdrive a few hours later with the announcement that Michael Jackson had died.
For more than a few, Fawcett and Jackson defined an era.
If you grew up in the 1970s, Farrah Fawcett was all over the place. She was on 'Charlies Angels.' She was on commercials. She was on bedroom walls. Heck, she was even married to the 'Six Million Dollar Man.' Only the other biggest star of the day.
Meanwhile, there was the Jackson 5, with Michael Jackson singing in front. Now, as a child, it was neat to see somebody your age performing on television. We watched the cartoon. We sang along. Of course, we didn't know about the behind-the-scenes abuse, but this wasn't the age of all-access.
Much like many quick shooting stars, by the mid-80s, Fawcett was a non-entity. There were other television stars. There were other posters.
That's about the time Michael Jackson broke out of the shadow of the Jackson 5. By the time the album 'Thriller' came out, Jackson was the biggest star in the world. As much as any other singer/group, the emergence of MTV brought Jackson closer to everybody.
I remember rushing home from school in 1983 because MTV was going to have the world debut of Jackson's 'Thriller' video. We watched it, then got on the phone and called our friends to talk about it. Yes, this was way before text messaging. While I didn't personally know anybody who had one of those red zipper jackets or walked around with one glove, Jackson's music still came out of the radio on a daily basis.
I look around now that these two have died and wonder if there are any more stars. A quick poll in our house didn't bring much recognition of Jackson. Forget even mentioning Farrah.


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Good Morning and welcome to the heat!

Yes, it looks like summer may finally be arriving. The temperatures are pushing into the 90s and the humidity is going up, up, up.
So, now what do you do? You want to enjoy the nice weather, but, when the heat is turned on, it makes it tough to spend a lot of time outside.
Staying inside? Did that all winter. Enough of looking at the walls and counting the number of stitches on the couch.
Besides, sitting around with the air conditioner running all day only makes PECO happy.
Here are some other ideas:
Go to the movies: Now, I know the prices are out of hand, but there are ways around it. Matinees are a great deal (if you can swing the time). Hit the dollar store before and bring your own snacks. Enjoy.
Go to the library: Once again, it's a great place to get lost. There are a lot of programs running in local libraries to keep the little ones busy. So, grab a new book, start reading and let everything fade away.
Head to the park: OK, now that doesn't necessarily clear up the heat idea. The key here is finding a park with a couple of trees and a playground. You can sit under the tree, sip some cold water and let everybody else get their energy out.
Window shop: Leave the wallet at home and hit the malls. It's always cool to check out new stuff. Walk around. Get some exercise. Enjoy somebody's air conditioning.
Play: Hey, it's hot. Deal with it. We've been looking forward to summer all year long. Get out and sweat. You can always take along some water.
Sleep: When all else fails, put the head down on a pillow. Then again, what's the chances of that?


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Good Morning and welcome to the middle of the week!

While watching (or at least reading) about all the turmoil in Iran these last couple of weeks, it makes you really step back and see how lucky we really are.
Beyond all the political rhetoric, we can at least voice our opinion without being shot in the street.
Interesting, somebody much smarter than me brought to my attention the role of women in the Iranian protests. That in itself is amazing in the Middle East. Consider that Saudi Arabia (a 'friend' of the U.S.) doesn't allow women to drive, vote, talk, eat or work.
Hey, we might not be the most enlightened people in the world, but at least we have some equality (at least some of us).
That's not to say it's our place (or any other nation in this world) to step in. This is not the time. This is not the place. Let the people of Iran do it themselves. After all, you can't always get help from outside sources.
So, all those hate-mongers out there who want to keep people down, take a look over the Persian Gulf and rethink your stand.


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Good Morning and welcome to another dry day!

You would think after all these years, you would have things figured out. You look back through time and remember things certain ways.
I look back and remember my early summers as being a time of freedom. We could do whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted.
Go outside and play all day. Run around. Ride bikes. No more cumbersome days of school. Hey, School's Out for Summer!
Well, now, as three pre-teens are running around tearing up the house (and yelling and fighting and yelling some more), I've come to realize that free-for-all needs to be scheduled.
I need to plan out more activities during the day. It's not quite like school, but there is a method to that madness.
Keep them busy. Keep them moving.
Now, here's hoping I can keep up.


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Good Morning and welcome to yet another week with rain in the forecast!

Is it just me, or when cookie dough is recalled because of an e-Coli outbreak is it time to start holding these companies accountable?
If you can't even make chocolate chip cookies without getting sick, something is wrong. Some apparently believe the government has already reached too far into private business. Well, if we are going to be continually inundated with over processed food that's going to make us sick, it's time for somebody to step up.
We really need to hold these companies accountable for shoddy products. Some of the things may taste good, but they are really just trying to get you hooked on their inferior products.
Or, better yet, just make your own cookie dough. It's actually easier than getting into the car, driving to the store and picking up a package of pre-made stuff. Tastes a lot better as well.
Speaking of cookies...


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Good Morning and welcome to the day before the day before the start of summer!

Yeah, summer as in, rain, rain, rain. I guess everybody who pays those outlandish fees for swim clubs are pretty happy about the late spring weather.
Meanwhile, talking about the land of stupid people, apparently people are standing in line outside of Apple stores around the country to purchase the newest iPhone.
Yay! It's here! It's here! Get out the umprellas, let's camp out in front of a store.
Look, I like toys as much as the next person. As we move into the next phase of the digital world, everybody is going to need something like the iPhone to stay connected.
To stand in line overnight to be the first to get the new one is just plain silly.
Then again...


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Good Morning and welcome to Seattle!

Took in a fantastic show Wednesday night.
The Lansdowne Library kicked off it's summer reading program with a very enjoyable performance from Segal Puppets.
Performing what was called the Silly Side Show Circus, the show kept young and old (me) in stitches. It was funny. It was poignant.
It also didn't cost a dime.
Even with all the digital media out there, the library is still a safe haven. Where else can you pick up today's best-seller and take in a puppet show at one place. OK, Borders may bring in puppets once in a while or hold story times, but you are inundated with "buy, buy, buy."
The unfortunate part of this is the libraries may not survive. Or at least may not survive in their current forms.
The current state budget proposal calls for massive cuts in the funding of libraries. Anywhere from $1 million to $8 million (depending on the GOP and Democratic proposals) will be lost.
That means no more puppet shows. No more summer programs for children.
Eventually, it could mean no more books.
Now, look, many of you may be saying 'So what. I don't need the library.' To which I say, 'Go check it out.' I guarantee you'll spend an hour finding something new.
Even if you don't have any interest in the library, you can still help out. Just send a letter to your local legislator. It only takes a minute to keep somebody smiling.


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