Jury Duty Daze 2016

Jury Duty Daze 2016

Yes folks, I have been called to perform my civic duty and have been called for jury duty.  Much like I did 3 years, I will post on my experience.

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Who’s The Bigger A’hole?

Who’s The Bigger A’hole?

Over the years, I have made no secret about my love/hate relationship with folks at the local supermarket. Hate them because they can be such assholes. Love them because they can be such assholes, which is great fodder for this blog. Last Sunday’s visit to the ShopRite was no exception

It started in the parking lot, upon arrival. When I pulled into my spot, about 30 feet from the little cart holder, you know…where they ask you to return your cart to, there was a cart in the spot…30 feet away from where it should be. Asshole!

Then there’s the folks who think the most convenient spot to stop is by the door right when you get into the ShopRite, basically clogging up the whole entry way. Asshole!!

And no trip to the ShopRite is complete with the mother and/or father who think a supermarket is a big playground for the kids, and let them run amok like little chicks with their heads chopped off. Asshole!

But let’s get to the 2 biggest assholes of the day. First there’s this guy, in the 25 item express lane.

The picture is kind of small but how many items do you see there (and there was another 15 already bagged and in his cart)? I tell you exactly how many there were…40. 4o items in the 25 item lane. The total number of items is right there on the display, next to running price total. I don’t understand why they can’t program the express lanes registers to actually stop when the person gets to the maximum items on the lane. Believe me, you’d only to do it a couple of times before everyone got the picture. As for this guy…he’s an asshole!

And then there’s this guy.

Saw this just as I was leaving. I slowed down, looked at the guy – and he saw me looking at him – and watched him walk away. You know what? He’s an asshole?

But the question is, who’s the bigger asshole? Express lane dude or 2 space parking lot dude? I will leave it up to you decide. Hey, and the next time you go to the supermarket, please don’t be an asshole. The world is already filled with them.

But First Moments

But First Moments

There’s a really great episode of M*A*S*H from Season 1 entitled “The Army-Navy Game.” In this episode, everyone is glued to the radio listening to the big game, until a barrage of artillery leaves an unexploded bomb in the compound. Of course, anyone they call who can help them deactivate the bomb can’t be bothered because of the game. One naval officer goes so far as to tell them to call at half-time (or something along those lines).

Eventually, Hawkeye and Trapper take on the task of defusing the bomb, with Colonel Blake reading out the instructions. They have to un-tighten a screw, remove the cap and eventually get to the wires. At this point Colonel Blake reads out to them “and carefully cut the wires leading to the clockwork fuse at the head.” Trapper cuts the wire. Colonel Blake than continues “but first, remove the fuse.”

At this point, Colonel Blake looks perplexed, Hawkeye and Trapper exchange glances of dread, they try to get as away the bomb stops ticking and explodes, raining down a shower of CIA propaganda leaflets. A classic M*A*S*H moment.

I have been known to use the term “a but first moment” when the opportunity strikes. Recently, I had one recently. A few weeks back, I was working on an estimate for a client for some signage and display work outside his office.  I went and took pictures of his existing piece, measured it, sent specs out to vendors for production, installation and everything need to complete the job. Showed him one vendor’s ideas and he said “no.” Showed him another vendor’s ideas, again “no.” Presented him with a 3rd option and he didn’t say no. He just said “I don’t need all of this. I just need you to design the sign”. I have a guy who can handle production and installation.  At which point I say to him “but first…”

Here’s another classic but first moment. It’s actually a typo but it certainly qualifies as a “but first” moment, at least in my book.  Take a look at the image below, which is taken from Hemispheres – the United Airlines inflight magazine (click on it for better viewing).

 Can you spot the mistake. I will give you a clue (with kudos to my friend Matt for coining this one): Ready, Fire, Aim. You’d think with all the writers, editors, proofreaders, etc., who work on a publication of this nature, that there would be no typos but I guess they just missed this one.

For everyone who flies in an airplane, let’s hope this is only but first mistake any airline personnel ever makes.

The Congress Is In Recess…Again

Recess used to be such a happy word. Memories of my childhood, on the playground at Baker Hill Elementary School, playing ball or on the jungle gym, running around with my friends.  Ah sweet youth.

Now, recess is a dirty word. A word that only makes me think my tax dollars are being wasted on a bunch of political nincompoops who have nothing better to do than take an extended break from their jobs, just so they can try and keep their jobs, when they really don’t do anything at their jobs.

Forget about a complete lack of any new domestic policies that this bunch of senators and congressman has failed to discuss or debabe, let alone enact. Now, as the world seems on the brink of exploding in so many places, what’s our Congress decide to do? Extend their pre-election recess by an additional week.  Ladies and gentleman, Congress is now closed until November. Holy shit.

Did I mention that they just got back from their 6 week summer recess? Oh yes, Congress came back to work for a whole 8 daze and is now getting ready to walk away again. All this while the middle east is at war on multiple fronts, there are mass murders, very public beheadings, while our country is trying to build a coalition to fight this latest group of terrorists, and when big decisions need to be made on how to handle this latest crisis. Our elected officials do what they do best – put their heads up their asses and run away to hide in the comfort of their own districts all in the name of re-election.

And what do we do? We re-elect the same spineless, useless, recess mongers year after year. You and I should have it as good as these folks.

Back in 1980, when I voted in my first presidential election, I voted for a 3rd party candidate, John Anderson. I remember my mother telling me that was a wasted vote. If mom were alive today I would tell her that voting for one of the 2 major party candidates is actually the wasted vote.

So vote but don’t vote for the same old same old. Vote for a 3rd party candidate, pick a cause, pick an ideal, pick something other than what we’ve got right now. Pro life, pro choice, green party, legalize pot party, libertarian, communist, socialist, hell….start your own party. I’ve said it before and I will say it again. I’m all about common sense and would love to start that party.

And now I’m done. Time for recess.

The Accidental SU Alumni Club President

Today is July 1, 2014.  An ordinary day for most but slightly less ordinary for me. Today is the day that I start my 10th year as President of the Syracuse University Northern New Jersey Alumni Club. What started out as a 3 year term is evolving into what my board refers to as a “President for life” sentence. I often wonder if  I’m a victim of my own success or guilty of not following the first rule of presiding over this type of organization – make sure the first thing you do is find the next person to be President.

I never set out to be “Mr. Syracuse” to my friends, neighbors and fellow SU alums. All I really wanted were good seats for SU basketball games. On my way to front row seats at The Garden, my alma mater took over a big chunk of my life.

If anyone doesn’t know, I graduated from SU in 1982, Linda in 1983, Allie graduated in 2011 and Zach graduated this past May.

My life as an active alum started 11 or 12 years ago when I joined the SUNNJAC board.  In the fall of 2004, in the middle of his 3rd year as President, Brian Spector asked Linda and me to have lunch with him. It was there that he sprang his master plan upon us. He was moving up to the national alumni board and wanted me to take over as club president. Despite my pleas that I wanted no part of it, I was voted in by a 2 to 1 vote, with Linda and Brian voting in favor, and….well you can figure out how I voted. So, on July 1, 2005, the benign dictator assumed his role.

A few months before taking office, I attended my first meeting as President elect at Lubin House in NYC and met with other NY/NJ area alumni leaders. My first question was “how do I get really good seats for basketball games?” It didn’t take long for me to realize that being an SU alumni club president was not that high up on the Orange food chain and that I was pretty much on my own for basketball tickets.  Eventually I realized I was pretty much on my own period so I (along with Brian and the rest of the SUNNJAC board) decided to go our own merry way. Part of the reason why I’m now in my 10th year as president is by-laws, or lack thereof.  Here in North Jersey, we don’t need no stinking by-laws.

A year or two into the reign of terror, I became close with a few other club presidents who thought much like I did, and so was born the “axis of evil” (SU alumni style).  The NY to Philly alumni corridor and the 4 of us that ran the show – with major shout outs to Karen Auuuuuuu, Pam Mulligan and Andy Laver – became a model of cooperation (not to mention rearranging the seating at president weekend meetings).

3rd year in and I was not only an alum, I was an SU dad as Allie started her 4 years in OrangeLand. One of my all time favorite dad moments was Thursday night of club presidents weekend. Making my way to Faegens, I walked past all the scantily dressed young (and underage) coeds standing in line to get into Maggie’s when I recognized a few of Allie’s friends. Than came those magic words, “Hi daddy!” Allie, I know you will read this and you know that I love you but why oh why have you always been so in love with your cleavage? Oh well, my mother would be proud.

3 years later, I’m still president and now I have 2 at SU as Zach joins the Orange Clan. Now I start thinking, I’ll stay president until 2014 when Zach graduates. That would be a good time to hand over the reins.  But have I done that? Nooooooo, I’m still here.

But who am I kidding.  It’s been a fun ride. In my role as an alumni club leader, I have met so many great people and made so many friends.  If you had told me 10 years ago that a young couple from SU would invite us to their wedding, I would have laughed at you. But last Memorial Day Weekend, there we were at Holiday Valley Resort in Western NY attending the nuptials of Julie Walas and Binh Hunh, who have also joined us for graduation dinners in ’11 and ’14, and whom we make sure to spend time with whenever we are at SU.

And there are so many more people who have become a part of our extended Orange family. JoGo, Ste. Colleen, everyone at alumni relations, the wonderful folks at Falk and Engineering who helped us so much in our moment of need, Bridget who danced when she heard Allie got a job in LA and put her picture from the Hollywood Reporter on the door of her office, my friends in the Dome Box Office (love you guys!) and in the athletic department, all my fellow alumni leaders who put up with my ranting and raving once a year in person and more often via emails, and the list goes on and on and on.

Of course there’s the SUNNJAC board and our members. Thank you for the notes of support and becoming part of the North Jersey OrangeNation. And my little Orange family – Linda, Allie, Zach, Cosmo (so sad about your name sake) and Shay, the only Syracuse native in our crew.

Now someone get Jim Boeheim on the line so we can can figure out how we are going to win our next national championship with me sitting courtside!