Baby on Board, That's Your Problem

I hate when you're driving down the road and in front of you is some oaf driving in front of you with one of those sickly, obnoxious, yellow "Baby on Board" signs stuck to the rear windshield. Oh, I'm sure the kid is sound asleep in the back of the car as cute as a button. But, what I adamantly object to is the idea that because that jerk has posted a sign, that I'm going to drive any differently than my normal safe driving style?

To me it is a metaphor for what is wrong with our society. The idea that we can unburden our responsibility on to others just by posting a sign. So, now it is my responsibility to watch out for the brat in the car ahead because I was warned. You see signs like this all over. We all take it as friendly reminders but, we all know there is legal precedent at work here.

One cannot buy a cup of coffee in this country without the words "Caution, Contents may be Hot" on printed around the side. Why is that? Because some years ago, a lady bought a cup of coffee at a McDonald's Drive-Through, placed it between her legs as she drove and wound up spilling it on her lap. I'm sure it was a painful lesson, but what did she expect? I guess she expected a million dollars from McDonald's because they didn't caution her about her own stupidity and she found a jury that agreed. So today, at McDonald's and every other coffee selling outlet in this country now have caution labels on every cup. Personally, I would have sued if I ordered hot coffee and it was served cold, but that would be logical.

On a recent trip to Nantucket I noticed a T-Shirt which had a nautical design on it and provided the coordinates to Nantucket Island. Stuck to the shirt was a yellow sticker that said, "Manufacturer disclaims responsibility if teeshirt is used as a navigational aid and cannot be held liable for any damages..." I can't imagine someone mistaking the writings on a T-Shirt for the same technical markings one would expect on a map. But, I guess someone found a lawsuit there.

Think of it, in every bar is a sign warning pregnant women not to drink. On cigarette packs are warnings that smoking will kill you. Every Fall the AAA plasters the area with signs that proclaim, "School's Open, Drive Carefully." So, is it then OK to drive recklessly all Summer? My point is that people are not going to change their habits because a warning sign is posted. It just makes it easier for the lawyers to get the verdicts they want.

Caution: The previous material is nothing but the rantings and general opinions of the author. It is not intended to be used as legal advice nor is it intended to suggest that you ignore any warning signs or labels, especially ones that may seem logical. Use of any information within this blog or any others that I may or may not write in the future or in the past is purely at your own risk. Any similarities to the views and opinions of any person living, dead or undead are purely coincidental. Void where prohibited by law. So there.

Irony and the Long Island Railroad

Wow! Talk about all the irony these past few weeks on Long Island. First Long Islanders spent three days in a panic, spending tons of money over Hurricane Earl that never showed. Then yesterday in 15 minutes we had an intense storm with all the devastation but no warnings. I think Mother Nature is having a good laugh at our ability to predict weather.

But no where is the sense of irony as strong as with the LIRR. For yesterday another storm brought yet another failure. This on the same night that they held a hearing to discuss fare hikes. I really question their need to raise fares as I continue to look in bewilderment as they as talk with pride about new construction for Grand Central Station, the Old Post Office building next to Penn Station and additional subway lines. I come to the same question:
Why is the MTA spending money to build more lines of service when they can't even handle the current lines of service? When they in fact keep reducing current service and threaten even more cuts?

How is this fiscally responsible. Why not shut down these extra construction projects that will not realistically be completed in this decade and will surely cost more than budgeted, and put that money to keep our current services working. Adding a new station in Manhattan is not going to help anyone during the current economic crisis. Keeping the fares down, the trains clean and on time will retain ridership and keep money in people's pockets. Let's stop the unnecessary construction and maintain what we have.

Another ironic detail about yesterday's storm compared to the last LIRR outage just a couple of weeks ago. During the previous outage, all train lines were out for days with the exception of the Port Washington branch. Local news crews were out in Port Washington getting reactions from boastful residents about how smart they were that they live close to such a reliable branch. I had to laugh this morning when due to the aftermath of the storm, the Port Washington line was the only line to be suspended due to debris on the tracks. Is that irony or karma?


I'll leave you with one last bit of irony. The LIRR has been looking to move their Penn Station service across the street to the old Post Office building in Manhattan. Personally, I'd hate to see that. It's hard enough for commuters to rush from subway to railroad in the time allotted, I would not like to see that sprint turn into a marathon run. But, I was thinking in light of the LIRR's record of achievement during inclement weather, if they were to move into the old Post Office, they would need to change that famous inscription above the doors or face false advertising charges. You know the insription,
"Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds"

September 11, 2010

On this day of remembrance,

Let's never forget that day in 2001 when our lives changed.

Let's never forget the lives that were lost

and let's rededicate ourselves to moving forward

as a country united and free!

September 11, 2010

Bread and Circuses

In the last days of the Roman Empire, in order to keep the masses under control and not question their government, the Roman Emperor and Senate provided what was called bread and circuses to the populace. The thought was that if they kept the people fed and entertained, they wouldn't look too closely at the crumbling government.

Here we are in the modern era and it scares me to think that our government is taking a page out of history and once again providing nothing more than bread and circuses to the people of the USA. For truly our nation is in the worst economic crisis of our time. Even though the term hasn't been used yet, I think that historians will look back at this time, the turn of the 21st Century as a time of depression. It's just that the politicians and economists of today don't want to say it, in fear that they would cause widespread panic. It's easy to see where this may be a good strategy however, their answer to this crisis so far has been nothing more than the modern day version of bread and circuses.

The bread is in the form of greenbacks. Bailouts to the banks, insurance companies and even the automobile manufacturers. We're told that they are "too big to fail." Many people disagree. No entity is too big to fail. That is what the free market system is about. If these companies had done the right thing, they wouldn't be in the position to require a handout. Many of these companies took the bailout and then used it to restructure themselves, jettisoned workers and raised fees to their customers in order to make themselves more profitable. To this day only a small amount of the money provided has been paid back.

Besides the big corporations money has been sent to the individual taxpayer as well. In the form of unemployment benefits, rebates, and tax breaks. Although instead of making real tax reform, the Congress would rather play political ping pong with these benefits in order to hold it out as a carrot for voters come November. They held out on the extension for unemployment benefits until the eleventh hour so that each political party could blame the other instead of putting party differences aside to resolve the issue. Even then, they left it so ambiguous that most unemployed Americans aren't sure of what their benefits are. Today, they still hold out on the "Bush Tax Breaks" because of politics. I wish both parties would put aside their differences for once and put together a plan to fix the economy. I wouldn't expect them to hold hands and sing "Cumbaya" but I do expect my elected officials to stop voting along party lines and to start speaking their individual conscious and then work out compromises.

So, that's where the bread comes in. What about the circuses? Have you looked at TV news these days? There is more stories from Hollywood or the ball field than hard hitting journalism. How is it that a starlet's sentence to rehab tops news from the war zone? Why do we care if some jocks took steroids? It's only a game and has no bearing on the world. While a celebrity's battle with drugs is surely a tragedy for them and their family, it hardly effects the average person.

I find it annoying and insulting when the Sports bleeds onto the front page of the newspaper. To me sports has it's place on the back page. Maybe I have an old fashioned view of things but I truly believe that sports is taken much too seriously in our society. Athletes are overpaid for what they do. They play a game. Do they risk injury? Yes. But so do police, fire fighters, rescue workers, military personnel everyday. The only difference is that the latter group truly lays their life on the line each time they go to work and they don't receive half the praise and rewards that Athletes do.

How can one justify that during the height of our current financial crisis our local governments find the money to build three new sports stadiums? Ar that months after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans that they were patting themselves on the back for completing the Super Dome while people in the area are still without homes to this very day?

Why does today's news read more like Entertainment Tonight? To me that's part of the plan, to distract us from the real news that's going on. Part of it is us, wishing to escape the bleak reality around us. Sure we would rather ponder the next American "Idle" (not misspelled) than think about our troops in Afghanistan. We would rather chart the odds that the Jets will make the super bowl than to calculate how long it will take us to pay back our national debt.

But, we need to face up to the hard facts and come up with some real solutions. Because if we don't, like the Roman Empire, we too may fade into history along with our bread and circuses.

What's Behind Labor Day?

When I think of Labor Day, I think about the end of Summer, Back to School, and the beginning of the holiday season. Lately however, I'm thinking about what Labor Day represents and while I agree that the men and women who are in the labor force and make our country run deserve a day to honor them. I also wonder why it is that our population has yet to advance from this industrial age mentality.

Even in the 21st Century we are training our people from the time they enter school to be industrial workers. We do not encourage them to think for themselves or to be pioneers or entrepreneurs. No, students are sent off to school where they are taught like Pavlov's dog to respond to a bell.

• Bell rings,,,Go to Homeroom
• Bell rings...Go to First Period...Begin Learning
• Bell rings...Go to Lunch...Eat Food
• Bell rings...Go to Recess...Commence Play
• Lunch Lady Blows Whistle...Stop Play
• Rinse and Repeat

It's no wonder that we are developing people with a lack of drive to succeed or to break out on their own and do something new and different. Our children are placed on the assembly line from the time they enter Kindergarten and never escape.

So what is wrong with this? Nothing I guess afterall we need people to manufacture our LCD TV's and other gadgets. But, much of that work gets farmed out to other countries. Because business owners begin to think of their employees as nothing more than an expense. Why is the US economy in trouble? Look how much work is being sent oversees. Try calling customer support for just about any major US company and you're sure to get someone from across the ocean.

Organized labor is not the answer because they just add more cost and bureaucracy to the equation. If anything they add to the problem. They allow bad employees to keep their jobs and and remove the incentive for good employees to exceed. I have experienced this first hand as an employee and as a manager. Featherbedding and time-stretching still goes on today and costs us millions at retail stores as well as in taxes. Unions also discourage workers from seeking promotion. Afterall, once a worker is promoted to Manager, the union looses a dues-paying member. So, it is in the union's best interest to keep the workers down.

So what are the alternatives? Maybe we need to look at our education system and make it more collaborative. More encouraging for students to come up with new ideas and to allow for the free flow of them without the need for competition. Leave the competition to the free marketplace. I admit I don't have specifics as to how to do this. Although, by thinking it through I'm sure there are better alternatives.

For example I have found an alternative to working in the corporate world. I have found a way that by collaborating together with friends and family that you can create a successful company and be profitable. I have found a place where I work with people of integrity, who mentor me and genuinely want to help me to succeed. If this idea intrigues you, click the social networking ad at the bottom of this page to find out more or click here.

Restaurant Recommendations - Part 2

Thanks to the great feedback the last time I did some restaurant reviews, I thought it was time to do a few more. Today I'm going to look at two of my local favorites.

Fatty Fish Restaurant
2 Glen Street, Glen Cove, NY
516-676-1823
Web: http://www.fattyfish.com

I've always liked sushi since my college days. In fact the first time I tried it was in a Japanese restaurant in Glen Cove that is long since gone. So, I was very happy when Fatty Fish opened in Glen Cove about three years ago and brought quality sushi and Japanese Cuisine back to my hometown.

Fatty Fish has an inviting, modern decor. The staff is very friendly and helpful even when they are overwhelmingly busy as this local restaurant is very popular with locals as well as the occasional tourist. The restaurant is located at the corner of Glen and School Streets, in the heart of downtown Glen Cove, just across the street from Glen Cove City Hall.

For those who love sushi, you will find the sushi chef at Fatty Fish very skilled in creating dishes that are as pleasing to the eye as they are to taste. The fish is always served fresh and skilfully crafted and they are always happy to explain what they are making while you sit at the sushi bar. My wife and I enjoy sharing the Sushi Deluxe dish which consists of about 15 pieces of sushi and a Tuna Roll. We also enjoy some of their specialty sushi rolls including the Long Island Roll. This roll is served on an extra long plate of a 16 piece roll of lobster salad, cucumber and spicy tuna topped with two different  tangy sauces which are really delicious.

For those not inclined to sushi, don't worry there is plenty of great cooked food here as well. The Bento Boxes, a traditional Japanese meal is sort of like a Gourmet TV Dinner. It is served in a special plate which is divided into sections. The box includes the main dish (your choice of beef, chicken or salmin terriyaki), shrimp tempura, soup, salad and appetizer. It also includes a small sushi roll which can be a California Roll (which is made with fresh vegetables instead of raw fish) if you prefer.

My other favorite meal at Fatty Fish is the Nabeyaki Udon. This is a large soup dish which is loaded with vegetables, fish cake, egg, chicken, tofu, and large Japanese egg noodles. If that's not enough, Shrimp Tempura is served on the side and comes with your choice of a soup or salad (I recommend choosing the salad since the main dish is a soup).

Fatty Fish is definitely worth the drive for those out of the area as it is great for local Glen Cove residents. If you're planning to dine during the weekend or Friday night, it's best to call for reservations because this restaurant fills up fast!

Sal's Pizza
137 Glen Street, Glen Cove, NY
516-676-5444

I think everyone who has ever lived on Long Island must have their favorite pizza place. We're spoiled living here it seems most of the USA lives on Dominoes or Pizza Hut. There's really nothing wrong with those restaurants and I have had a slice or two from them, but nothing beats real pizzeria pizza.

When I first came to Glen Cove in 1978, I first met Sal as he opened the store on Glen Street and from the first taste, I was hooked. For a time, when I lived in Queens I would travel back out to Glen Cove for a taste. The quality of the pizza at Sal's has never wavered and is as tasty today as it was back then.

Of course since the late 70's Sal's Pizza has expanded, adding more seating as well as new options on the menu. For me, I am a traditionalist. I love regular pizza with just sauce and cheese. My wife loves toppings and thinks I'm crazy. What can I say? Give me a regular slice and I'll add a little oregano and some Parmesan cheese and I'm happy. For a change of pace I'll have a square slice as I'll crave the thick crust.

Sal's also makes a large assortment of the usual Italian dishes like Chicken Parmesan, Meatball Heroes,Garlic Knots as well as excellent Mozzarella Sticks. They have ample seating and do offer free delivery within the area. So, next time you're in the Glen Cove area and looking for a bite to eat, check out Sal's you will be happy you did.