Thoughts of a Common Man

The New York Post is running an article this afternoon about a wedding that was busted up in Pakistan. The groom was 7 years old and the bride was 5. Talk about a death sentence. First of all, it's a horrible article for the simple reason that the parents of the children hooked them up in order to solve a long-running feud between the two families. The wedding would have went off too, but someone alerted the authorities and stopped the nuptials. Yet think of the horror! Can you imagine having been married at the age of 7? That's about at the peak of the "I hate girls period". We used to walk around with our thumbs up in the air. If your thumbs were down someone could touch you and say, "girls germs." I stopped playing that game about three years ago. Seriously, my boys are now in the middle of their "girls are weird" stage. I've tried to teach them to respect girls and women and to appreciate the fairer sex. When they argue with me I let them k...

Happy Halloween! I was never big on the Halloween issue, but today is different. It seems that the Springsteens always decorate their home in New Jersey to entertain friends and fans. Well the crowd around the house got so big last year that they had to not decorate the house this year. So, instead, Bruce released a song and posted it on his website with a video for all to enjoy. Guess what? I liked it! Yet it is the story of the Jersey Devil that is most intriguing. I heard the true explanation of the creature last year while I was watching a hockey game between the Sabres and the Devils. Legend has it that Mother Leeds had 12 children, and after giving birth to her 12th kid said that if she had another it would be the devil. On the night of labor Mother Leeds gave birth to child #13 who quickly changed form from a normal baby to a creature with hooves, a horses head, bat wings and a forked tail. I actually went to college with a few guys from New Jersey and I swear there was a guy na...

I've been waiting on pins and needles, praying that Exxon Mobil wasn't affected with the poor economy that has been plaguing the rest of the world. Imagine my joy when I opened up the paper today to see that they made $14.83 billion last quarter. Are you freaking kidding me? I guess I just don't understand. I guess that it is the same thing as me begrudging the mortgage broker his $414,000 seats at the Jets game. Or A-Rod making about a hundred grand per at-bat. I guess it all boils down to the fact that we are paid by who we entertain, or who we hold over the barrel. I guess that the system that forgets those at the bottom or those muddling along in middle class is the only system that truly works. Was this the grand plan? I don't believe that the wealth should be shared by those who are not willing to pull their own weight. There I said it - so much for my bleeding heart reputation. I don't believe in free lunches if you're capable of earning a living. Every t...

These twin bitches had a book signing at Barnes & Noble in NYC last night. Prior to signing book one they told their potential customers that there were rules to be followed: 1). No photos 2). Don't talk to either of the twins 3). Don't ask questions 4). They will not sign anything other than the book. As luck might have it - I had a book signing at Barnes & Noble this week too. Here was my rule: 1). Please stop and talk to me. Now I doubt my line was as long, but I guarantee you one thing - I got more out of my signing. As I showed up there was a woman waiting for me at the table. "I'll take all three of your books from this year," she said. "Do I know you?" I joked. "No, I just love your books," she said. We talked for a few minutes about each book. We discussed what was happening in her life, and I signed something witty in each copy, and shook her hand. I could have left right then and there. For the next two hours, I shook hands an...

Two of the last three nights I've been excused from watching the big television. The boys got the wrestling pay-per-view on Sunday night and last night Matt needed the big tv to watch the UB Bulls. I was relegated to my room - which ain't so bad, all things considered. Yet there were 57 channels with nothing on and I was just flipping through when I saw a documentary on the Hindenburg explosion. I didn't know all that much about it -so I watched. It was just 1937 and this massive thing was flying through the sky with a virtual dog and pony show to greet it as it landed. For those of you who know the story - it basically exploded. In this day and age, my mind was on how many people died. Unfortunately, it is the information by the minute society that we live in - 36 people lost their lives - not a big deal by today's standards. Yet what got me was the voice of the announcer who was charged with bringing the big ship in - I'm thinking Bob Costas or Al Michaels in this...

Some people buy season tickets to their favorite team and not being able to go to the game, give them to a relative or friend. I just read an article about David Findel, a Jets fan, who won an auction to buy the best seats in the house at the new Jets Stadium. Season tickets here in Buffalo will set you back about a grand - Findel will be paying $414,000 for his two tickets next year. He said that he probably won't sit in the seats though - he purchased them for his two kids who are 11 and 7. His kids will get a VIP Parking Pass, will have a full course meal served to them at a fancy restaurant, can walk the field before the game, and get to watch the Jets suffer through another crap year. Here's the kicker - what does Findel do for a living? He's a CEO for a mortgage broker firm. Ah, no wonder he has all that extra cash sitting around so his kids can be entertained. Isn't that what's wrong here? Do I begrudge this guy his wealth? Yeah, damn right I do. Should he sh...

--- All right I need to stop picking on the Bills. They've lost 2 of 3 and people are starting to blame me and my mindless predictions - so here's another one - they will win big against the Jets next week to reclaim first place. I'm thinking 28-17. I must say that I enjoyed the local radio talk this morning though - I love the people who are so passionate about it that they want to jump in front of a bus after a loss. Don't worry - they win next week. --- The World Series is entertaining to some, I imagine - insomniacs mostly - I had trouble year after year watching the Yanks in the playoffs - no chance I can do it now - I do keep the tv on so I know the score if I happen to wake up at 2 AM when the game is concluding. Why can't they start the games earlier? There is a whole generation of fans that have no idea what World Series ball is like after the third inning. --- They uncovered a plot to assassinate Obama - somehow you knew that was just a matter of time. Tod...