Good Morning and welcome to a whole new week!

Despite the complaints of three children, I was able to switch away from Cartoon Network Friday night to catch some of the Hope For Haiti telethon.
While the music was good, if not a bit melancholy, it was the stories being told between the performances that was moving.
Whenever there is a great tragedy, there are stories of survival that seem unbelievable. The only thing is, the survivor is sitting there telling the story.
One they showed Friday night was the rescue of a girl who had been trapped under a building for more than a week. Since, everything is on video these days, this is pretty powerful.
There were stories about people with nothing. People pulling others out of rubble with their bare hands.
There was a story this morning about a man who was able to survive thanks to a app on his iPhone. He was able to find out ways to stop bleeding and keep his head together.
There are plenty of cynical people out there who figure 'it's not America, why do we care?'
Well, we're all connected. We should all care. If you aren't moved by these stories, check your pulse.

Good Morning and welcome back to a new week!

While going through the Internet this morning, I found this headline on a Web site: House Health Bill is 'DOA' in Senate
While driving around this weekend, there were signs plastered on a couple of lawns 'demanding' health care reform to fail.
There are talking heads out there twisting the information to the point where it seems like any kind of reform is a bad thing.
Why?
Why is it wrong to find a better solution? Why is it wrong to make sure everybody can afford health care? Why do too many people think only of themselves instead of people as a whole?
Of course, none of those questions can be answered. If you ask one side, they shout you down. If you ask the other side, they have no answers.
Look, anybody who thinks health care bills are OK needs to see the whole picture. If a family needs to pay $520 a month on health care there is some kind of problem.
For many, the opinion is: 'Well, that's your choice.'
Really, though, it's not. Health care companies are running this debate. If you don't see that you are wearing blinders. The companies want to continue to make money on the backs of people. They lay off workers and up their prices. They make the co-pays higher and up their prices.
Something has to give somewhere.
We need to contact our Senators and tell them we are fed up. We need quality health care at an affordable price.
There can't be any wavering.

Protect Insurance Companies PSA from Will Ferrell

Good Morning and welcome to fall!

It's out of some kind of television show, maybe called 'What would you do?'
While walking the dogs on Sunday, mom and son saw some ruffians walking around a neighbor's house. They were looking in windows. They were keeping low. They were walking around the house, looking in other windows.
Now, in a time long ago, you might keep walking, figuring the home owners knew what was happening. We, unfortunately, don't live in that time any more.
You have to assume the worst. You have to assume people sneaking around a house are up to no good.
So, do you keep walking while ignoring everything? Do you stand there, letting them know you are watching? Do you confront them?
What is the right way?
Really, when you look at it, there is no choice. You have to help out. You have to at least say something and see the reaction.
So, Mom asked the people what was going on.
They reacted with some kind of excuse about how they knew the home owners and were playing a joke.
Mom told them to knock on the door.
They repeated they were playing a joke.
Mom said (paraphrasing since I wasn't there), OK, then, I'll call the police and see what they have to say.
At that, the people left the property.
Maybe they were just fooling around with a classmate. Maybe they were going to get a big laugh.
Still, we can't take that chance. We have to protect each other in these times. It's the only way we are going to make the world better.
We really are our brother's or sister's keeper. It's the best way to be.

GOOD MORNING, DELAWARE COUNTY!

Maybe it's just me, but who in the world is Shigeru Miyamoto?
Did this person come up with a miracle cure for cancer? Did he give away billions to help others? Did he come up with an alternative energy source so we don't have to fund the houses in the South of France for the CEOs of oil companies? I know, maybe Shigeru Miyamoto is personally bringing down the government of China and its questionable human rights stance?
How about this, Shigeru Miyamoto is a video game designer.
He was also named the No. 1 most influential person in a Time magazine poll.
Shigeru Miyamoto, the designer of such world changing things as Donkey Kong and the Legend of Zelda, narrowly beat out somebody named Rain for the top spot. Rain, by the way, is described as a 'Korean pop sensation' whatever that is.
Television comic Steven Colbert came in a distant third, followed quickly by Heidi Klum and Tyra Banks.
Here's the whole list
OK, now, I can only assume there was some serious ballot stuffing for this list. After all, if a guy can design Donkey Kong, he can probably bust into the online voting and give himself, say, a million votes.
Still, this is a little disturbing. How are any of these five people influential at all? Have they done anything to better our lives. The only Rain I know of will be falling later this afternoon. While it makes the grass grow and the flowers look pretty, I don't think it's very influential. It's certainly not influential when we have to pull out the lawnmower.
So, this can only lead to the next logical question: Who is the most influencial person in Delaware County?
Are there any? I'd be willing to bet if there was such a poll, the top spot would be going to somebody sitting in prison or something like that. Maybe that guy who used to walk around the Hook in his bare feet.
A vote like that would be scary. Hey, even Gil Spencer would probably break the top five.
We all need a break:


If you have any cool links or photos or want to vote for an influential person, send an e-mail to onlinedelco@gmail.com or leave a comment at the end.