The Real Memphis Mike (don't settle for imitations)

Tomorrow afternoon, I'll be going to the funeral home to pay my last respects to a former client; a most interesting guy, to be sure! I was lucky enough to know and work with this man for over a dozen years. He could be moody, a bully, a sweetheart, a clown...in short, he was a regular guy. He had his good and bad days just like everyone else. He also happened to have Downs Syndrome. His name was David. David was just a few years older than me and our birthdays were just weeks apart, so that gave us some similar points of reference. He had an infectious laugh and his own unique sense of humor and style. For a large man, he loved to dance! He would literally spin himself in time with the music and few people have ever enjoyed music quite the way he did. David's appetites in life were voracious. He loved food, he loved his friends and most of all, he loved his Super Powers. His "super powers" were large markers that he would occasionally talk to. While this may sound od...

It's time for more of my whacky numbers...numbers that you might not have given much thought to. The average member of the US House of Representatives & Senate "earns" an annual salary of $174,00. The Majority and Minority leaders "earn" $193,00. The Speaker of the House "earns" $223,500. Add up these numbers. Then there are pensions: Members of Congress are eligible for a pension at age 62 if they have completed at least five years of service. They are eligible for a pension at age 50 if they have completed 20 years of service, or at any age after completing 25 years of service. The amount of the pension depends on years of service and the average of the highest three years of salary. By law, the starting amount of a member’s retirement annuity may not exceed 80 percent of his or her final salary. As of October 1, 2000, the average annual pension for members of Congress who have retired is between $52,464, and $46,932. I haven't been able to a...

Nothing really new here...but sometimes we all need a reminder. One is only insignificent if one refuses to live the life they have been given. Change is as constant as time. One must be willing to make change. One must be willing to be effected by change. If life isn't going the way you want it to, change it. Hate your job? Go find a new one. If your environment disagrees with you, move. Let no one rule you but yourself and your own judgement. Don't accept second place. If you fail, assess the failure and fix what needs fixed. It's better to try and fail than to not even bother. The smallest stone can cause a ripple. A microscopic germ can wipe out a nation. Drops of water can erode a mountain. Smiles, like yawns, are contagious. Known when enough is enough. Stand up for something. Treat your enemies well. You created them. Do right because it IS right. There is humor to all things. Find it. More to come.....

I quit drinking alcohol 1 month ago and ya know what, I feel great! Sobriety seems to suit me well. Now a lot of you are probably wondering why I quit drinking. To answer those queries, no, I don't believe I have any kind of drinking problem. I don't crave alcohol. I don't think that it in any way really got in my way in life. Simply put, I just figured it was time. I was tired of losing a day recovering after a night out. Even if I only had a few beers, the next day I'd usually feel worn out, so it was no longer worth it. Also, I noticed that alcohol would intensify my emotions a good deal. The last 2 times I went out drinking, I almost hit people...not good. On NYE, some little dirtbag was trying to mooch cigs off of me...something that most days doesn't phase me...but for some reason, this guy just set me off and I was ready to brain him! As I prefer to be in complete control of my temper at all times, I knew I had to stop. I've noticed a few things with my n...

"JUST FOR AMERICA: Shame on you America: A country where we have homeless without shelter, children going to bed without eating, elderly going without needed meds, and mentally ill without treatment - yet we have a benefit for the people of Haiti on 12 TV stations. 99% of people won't have the guts to copy and repost this." is what a friend has as her FaceBook update and ya know, I bet she's right! Don't get me wrong, I'm not belittling the recent tragedies in Haiti. Far from it! But let's put things into perspective shall we? The networks saw a chance to boost their ratings. The performers saw a chance to boost their popularity. And the folks in Haiti are most likely going to be waiting a good while before they see any of that donated money. If you want to help, donate to the Red Cross. They've always been above reproach in my book. (unlike many fly-by-night "charitable" organizations) Yes, what happened in Haiti was horrible. Almost as horr...

Its a new year and life is good! That said, time for a few things that've been running in and out of my head... I decided to quit smoking & drinking & to try to go semi-vegetarian. Not drinking has been a breeze. I don't eat much meat anyway so going semi-vegetarian has also been a breeze. But the quitting smoking has not been going well. I was born addicted to nicotine (aaaaah that lovely month-long stay in the incubator...just like a chicken) and if I'd known when I puffed that 1st ciggie all those years ago just how much of a slave I'd become, I never woulda done it! But we live and learn and I'm too damned stubborn to quit quitting. Pets: ya gotta love them...even when they "F" you up! Case in point, my cat Day-Z likes to hang out on the edge of the tub when I take a bath. She will usually splash me with her tail and she acts like she has no fear of the water...until she comes into contact with it! Yesterday, I just barely saved "my junk...

I hadn't planned for my 1st blog of the year to be such a bummer...but sometimes life goes it's own way. Local newscaster/consumer reports editor Yvonne Zanos passed away this morning from ovarian cancer and I, for one, will miss her. She was an "email buddy" of mine. We would bounce ideas off of each other (usually me emailing her my latest schemes for political reform or consumer rights) and she was instrumental in my starting this blog. In life she was a wife, mother and grandmother, a former Miss Pennsylvania, an Emmy nominee and Gabriel Award and Patti Burns Award winner. She was committed to warning consumers about shams and recalls and was well known locally for her "Does It Really Do That?" segments on KDKA. Her family has asked that in lieu of flowers, for people to please make a donation to The KDKA Turkey Fund in care of The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. Yvonne, you were a good broad and I, as well as many others, will miss you.