2010 is Over, Hopefully 2011 is Better

2010 wasn't the best year so I'm ready to toss it out and move on to 2011.  Here are a few hopes for 2011:

• I hope more people see the area as an interconnected region and get away from the notion that there is Youngstown and then all the rest of the Mahoning Valley.
• I hope efforts to reshape and revitalize the city are successful.  From a new grocery store on the Southside to hiring downtown, it's well past time for some good news.
• I hope citizen's groups, the police and ordinary people can continue to work together to reduce crime.  It's time to take out the trash that is ruining a fine area.
• I hope all the area schools improve their academic rating.  Education is the key to economic success.  I've seen first hand what happens when people with the right education and experience find their way to the right position.
• I hope our area continues to pull together to help those in need and the organizations that support them.  Some of those fine organizations are the United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley, Hospice of the Valley, the Rescue Mission of Mahoning Valley and the Salvation Army.

Here's to a better year in 2011, everyone.

Fox News Readers Lose their Minds as Senate Repeals "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

I love the lunatics that read Foxnews.com.  Whenever a controversial news story pops up, I scroll through the comments and get a heaping helping of crazy.  In this case about 8,000 comments are predicting the apocalypse if the current gay members of the military serve openly.  Fox News readers are uncomfortable with lying unless it's about one's sexual orientation.  As if who you diddle has anything to do with how you shoot.

I've attached a little bit of the craziness so you can share in my enjoyment of the lunacy.

The Future is Now

I'm posting this by connecting my seven year old Sony laptop to the mobile hotspot created by a Palm Pre cell phone.  Technology is wonderful sometimes.

Also, my Apple loving friends cannot do this with their iPhones.  Hee hee.

An Observation about Sarah Palin

Former half term governor of Alaska Sarah Palin claims to have written two books since losing the vice-presidential bid in 2008.  I have to give her credit.  It's not everyone who can govern a state, appear as a paid personality on Fox News, film a reality TV show for TLC and raise children while finding the time to write two books.  How does she do it?