A Cleveland icon passes.

Cleveland sports has lost an icon. Gib Shanley, sportscaster for the Browns and Indians passed away at the age of 76. Gib was best remembered as an announcer that told it like it was and never pulled punches when it came to calling the game good or bad. He was also remembered for the burning of the Iranian flag on a news broadcast in 1979. Good bye Gib and God Bless.

Today's Rant & Rave

Sometimes I ask myself, "why the hell do you watch the news?" My answer is morbid curiosity. like rubbernecking a car accident. Ya just gotta look! Our 3 choices for the presidency were at it again. Promises, promises. Hillary is saving the state of Indiana's jobs. "I will fight for you", she says with a gleam in her eye or is that the hollow look of someone who hasn't had a decent nights sleep since they found the famous blue dress. Barak is filling the hearts and minds of the people of Pennsylvania with new hope of a much better life after "W". John McCain released his first political ad and his people sure know how to prey on the sympathies of a nation. In this ad POW McCain is lying on a cot being asked questions from a N. Vietnamese soldier. This is supposed to prove he will be a good president of a country mired in an unwinnable war. All I see is a man with his finger on the button taking out 6 years of frustrating incarceration at the Hanoi Hilton. Many of my colleagues have said that in order to send or forces to war, the president should have served in the armed forces. I'm not too sure I agree with that. Anyway....Bear with me as I learn the ins and outs of this great world of blogging. One of my good friends will teach me the correct way of posting so these ramblings will be a little more interesting.

Crabby's Apple

I love this city. The Big Apple, Gotham, The "City", or whatever you call it. From South Street Seaport to the Upper West Side, this is the greatest city in the world. I just can't get enough of her sophistication, trendiness and sights. I really think the rudeness of Manhattenites is the best. I hate to be rude. I was brought up to be kind to people. But in the City I can be just as rude as the rest of them and nobody cares. Greenwich Village has a fabulous street fair on Saturday. You can browse through a multitude of goods and foods. I bought a pair of "knock-off" crocs that are as good as the real pair I purchased later. They are bright yellow and when I wore them that day, No one cared. Try wearing them in downtown Cleveland and see how far you get. I bought an original oil painting from a woman who never quite got over Woodstock. I spent a grand total of $10.00 on the oil and had it framed and hung it on the "NYC" wall in the loft. You can't see NYC from a cab or a bus. You need to feel the pulse of the city through the soles of your feet.

The trendy shops and boutiques of SoHo just beg you to enter and leave your hard earned cash. Chinatown on the other hand is a fascinating world of it's own. From the moment you enter, you are bombarded by little oriental women asking you if you would like to by a knock-off purse, sunglasses, watch or a DVD. The fish markets are everywhere and the restaurants are to die for. I had a concoction called Bubble Tea which is a cold tea flavored drink with black pearl tapioca the size of fish eyes on the bottom. Absolutely fantastic on a warn June afternoon. As I said in the prior post, I a colleague of mine is going to teach me the ins and outs of the blogging business so I will be able to link to what I'm writing about. More on "The City" at another time.

Who's Next!!?

My God, it's great to be an American. And unlike Mrs. Obama, I have always been proud of being an American. We have choices. We can pick and choose who we would like to have represent us at any level of government. Don't like the guy or gal running the show now, vote for the other guy or gal. Just that simple, or is it? I have religiously voted since 1972. I always knew in my mind and heart who I thought would be the best at their position. Not this time. Let me say this, I think this run for the presidency started way too soon. I'm tired of it and all the lies and deception from all of the candidates. Everyone has a "plan"or a "vision" for America. So do I! My thinking unfortunately is honesty. If I had a plan I would not only tell you what I have in mind but hand you a hard copy and be held accountable for it. These 3 just give you a taste but will never give you the whole dinner, except for Sen. McCain's "bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb bomb Iran." He's just another "W" only inverted "M" and quite frankly he scares me. He is too quick on the draw and seems in a constant state of anger. Not a good choice for CinC the way the world is functioning today. Sen. Obama scares me also. I know this is like beating a dead horse but come on, he attends a church with a radical preacher who denounces the USA and he still refers to him as an old uncle. Yes Obama did say that the words used were unacceptable, but he did not distance himself from this man. Is America really ready for a black president? I'm color blind so I go by what he claims he can do to better the USA. But you know as well as I that there is a certain class of American that seems to think that "these people" should still be dancing, picking cotton and shining shoes. Those kind of people make my stomach turn but in the "land of the free" they have every right to believe what they want just like Obama's pastor. Now to Sen.. Clinton. She seems to have 2 or maybe more personalities. One is the strong independent woman who would send you to hell with a smile on her face, and then get weepy because of the struggles she's had on the campaign trail. Her asset is Bill. He is well respected by every government worldwide. having him as an "ambassador" TO the world would certainly not be a hindrance. All in all, everyone of the candidates is going to lower taxes, fix social security, handle the illegal immigrant situation, end the war (delete Sen. McCain), and fill the coffers with tons and tons of money. Hand me a hard copy senators, sign it, have it notarized and be held accountable if your plans fail as they ultimatly will.

The Times They Need Some Changin'

We have been on this slow decline for some time now. Not a very steep one, but a slow one so no one would notice until it's too late. Well here we are, gasoline over $3.20 a gallon, your average family car over $25,000 and college costs astronomical. And what are we doing about it? NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING! When gas was $1.00 a gallon we bitched but got over it. Now we think we got a deal when we pay $3.07. A friend of mine is a realtor. I was told that a customer said he just got through paying his college loans off and now he's paying for his sons loans. Guess what?? He didn't qualify for the house he wanted. don't worry, the colleges will raise tuition again because now a bachelors degree is equal to the high school diploma of the 60's and 70's. You need a masters to get a decent job. The presidential candidates keep saying they will lower this and lower that and make it easier on the middle-class but nothing will change until we start fighting back. How? I have a lot of ideas. Some good and some hare-brained but ideas none the less. How is it that we of the 60's generation could protest hard enough to end the war in Vietnam but no one seems to give a crap about this insane war. You hear people say, and it is true, that not as many service men and women have died compared to the Vietnam war but the fact remains that the big buck corporations are getting rich on our soldiers, sailors and airmens blood. This war is been going on for 5 years now. Vietnam was 10. Something has to give. Where is this generations Abby Hoffman. If your out there, get these kids motivated. NOW!