On one of the New Year's Eve specials, they were asking members of Congress what their goals were for 2009.  I was very surprised with how few of them mentioned the economy in any fashion.  I think they need to work on fixing the economy first.  I think it is clearly the biggest issue facing our country right now, and that seems to be reflected in the vast majority of polls.  But Congress just doesn't seem to get it.

Unfortunately, with the many band-aid bailouts that were passed in 2008, Congress seemed unwilling to even consider the long-term effects of what they were doing.  They didn't provide adequate methods for oversight or regulation of how the bailout money was spent.  And since the money was handed out, there have been a lot of news stories about how some of that money was wasted.  It doesn't seem logical to me that wasting additional taxpayer money will create long-term growth for the economy.

Mitch McConnell, the Republican Minority Leader in the Senate, has been one of the few Congressional representatives who is talking about fixing the economy every chance he gets.  He is making two key points.  The first is that we don't waste any additional tax dollars.  The second point is that any economic stimulus/recovery plan needs to be well thought out.  I strongly agree with both of those points.  We need to make sure that any short-term fix doesn't have major negative long-term consequences.

One of the areas I am most concerned about is the power that President-elect Obama and the large Democratic majority in Congress will have to repay political favors.  Repaying those favors may come at the expense of truly fixing the economy.  For instance, labor unions spent well over $300 million to help elect Obama and strengthen the Democratic majority in Congress.  Now it seems the unions expect to get repaid for their support by having Congress quickly pass the Employee Free Choice Act, also known as the "Card Check" bill.

This bill would take away secret ballot elections in businesses where unions want to organize.  I have no problems with unions when the workers decide on their own to form one.  Especially in business sectors involving dangerous materials or processes, unions can serve a great purpose to protect worker safety.  But it doesn't seem to make any sense to take away the workers' right to decide whether to unionize in a secret ballot election.  Just as people were intimidated and coerced to vote certain ways in political elections in the early days of this country, the same thing would happen to workers who weren't able to keep their votes secret.  It would effectively stifle a lot of the debate because people with dissenting viewpoints would be opening themselves up to retaliation.

Plus, the fear of harassment could lead to "push-button" unions in a lot of businesses that really don't require them - like very small businesses.  Small businesses have always been the driving force of job growth and this bill could stifle them under excessive regulations.  And that would really hurt the long-term prospects for the economy.  I saw that the Friends of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is working to make sure everyone knows about the potential negative effects of this bill.  I encourage the other readers to sign their petition or directly contact their Congressional representative and ask them to protect worker privacy, fix the economy first, and fix the economy in the right way to ensure long-term growth.  Here's a link to the petition and some more information about the bill - http://friendsoftheuschamber.com/email/email4.cfm?id=1
78

Just wanted to say "HELLO" to everyone out there. This is my first post and hopefully not my last. I have a tendancy to stat these things, and then to die off. I need to find a kind sole that can hold me responsible in some way, so I will stick to this writing down of things ... so I am willing to finishing things through. Maybe this will be my starting point?

I see I have to select a catagory for this blog ... I have no idea, so if it ends up in the wrong place I truly apologize to you all. I am chosing news as I sure don't think this goes into any other catagory, although I don't think of this as news either.

Well, once again Hello to all.

Pat

We've all seen amazing stories about lawsuit abuse.  People suing businesses because they spilled a hot drink on themselves, or because they were overweight, or because they didn't exercise common sense when using the products made by the business.  But this week I heard about an example of lawsuit abuse that beats all the rest.  It is one of the most incredible stories I've seen all year.

A couple of Canada geese took up residence outside a small pool maintenance store in Maryland.  The owners of the store tried to get the geese to leave, but their options were limited because of the Migratory Species Act.  The Act makes it illegal to disturb migratory birds, even when they aren't migrating.  So, it was illegal for the store owners to disturb the geese.  And because they weren't being disturbed, the geese stuck around.  Eventually, one of the geese honked at a shopper entering a DIFFERENT store.  The shopper was startled and fell down.  She decided to sue the pool maintenance store for damages, claiming the geese were the responsibility of the store owners.  The lawsuit was for $750,000.

I can't believe that something like that was even accepted by an attorney, much less actually go to trial.  What an incredible waste of the justice system.  Not only did it hurt the pool maintenance store, it wasted everyone's time who had to be involved with the case.  I'm sure that a lot of other cases could have benefited from having a shorter wait for a trial or more access to legal professionals who had to spend their time on this case.  You can see the entire story about the geese here - http://www.friendsoftheuschamber.com/email/email4.cfm?
id=185 .  There's even a video where the owners of the pool maintenance store talk about their experiences.  It is such an incredible story, I don't feel like I've done it justice in words - check out the video to see it for yourself.

It seems like there is more negative economic news every day.  In a recession like this, employers may cut jobs, consolidate offices, not give raises, or ask people to cut their hours/take a voluntary pay cut.  But I was recently reminded that other organizations are trying to use the economic conditions to their benefit.  Labor unions in particular are trying to strengthen their position now because they know that many people are just happy to have a job, so the individuals won't stand up to the unions.

For instance, I've been reading about the "Card Check" plan that some unions are proposing.  Basically, those unions want to take away workers' ability to choose whether or not to join a union through secret ballot elections.  In other words, the union can persuade the workers through unethical means to approve the union's wishes and they will know exactly who votes with them and who votes against them.  That just seems scary to me.  I think unions should be truly optional.  If workers decide that they want one, that's fine.  But if they decide they DON'T want one, that should be fine, too.  And the ballots should be filled out in private, with no way to identify individual votes.  Otherwise, I think workers would have to fear reprisals - like losing their job or harassment - if they don't vote the "right" way.

Unions are gathering a lot of signatures on a petition to get Congress to pass "Card Check".  Unfortunately, Congress seems so preoccupied that they appear to be passing everything, without regard to the long term effects.  I hope "Card Check" doesn't get put in the same category.  That would be disastrous.  Not only for the potential to make workers do what they don't want to do, but this could cause more unwanted unions to form in small businesses.  If that happens, any economic recovery will be slowed or stopped because the small businesses would have less flexibility to react to new opportunities because of restrictive union regulations.  If you are against the "Card Check" initiative like I am, make sure you let Congress know how you feel.  I found a petition online set up by the Friends of the United States Chamber of Commerce that we can sign.  You can go here to make your voice heard, too:
http://www.friendsoftheuschamber.com/takeaction/index.
cfm?ID=78

http://meninusvideos.blogspot.com/2008/11/sexo-gay-sexo
-entre-garotos-no.html

SEVERAL YEARS AGO A FAMILY MEMBER WAS AN INMATE IN THE NORFOLK CITY JAIL ON A DRIVING CHARGE,WHILE LOCKED UP IN NORFOLK ,HE HAD A COURT DATE IN ANOTHER CITY,THE MORNING OF THE COURT DATE IN THE OTHER CITY .THE JAIL WAS NOTIFYED OF THE OTHER COURT DATE.DEPUTYS  CAME BACK AND TOLD MY FAMILY MEMBER THE CASE WAS NOLLE PROCESS (DROPED),NOW SEVERAL YEARS LATER WE FIND OUT THAT HE IS LISTED AS A FUGITIVE IN THE OTHER CITY!MY FAMILY MEMBER HAS MOVED AWAY FROM THIS AREA SEVERAL YEARS AGO,HAS STAYED OUT OF TROUBLE SENCE.THIS IS A GROWING PROBLEM HERE IN THIS AREA FROM WHAT WAS TOLD TO MY FAMILY BY LOCAL ATTYS,THE COMMONWEALTH ATTYS OFFICE ARE FULLY  AWARE OF THIS ISSUE BUT DOES NOTHING ABOUT THIS .MY FAMILY HAS SPOKEN TO THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT IN WASHINGTON DC,AND THEY ARE NOW GOING TO INVESTAGATE THE ISSUE.THIS STORY WILL MAKE OUR LOCAL NEWS VERY SOON,WITH THE RECENT ARREST OF THE NORFOLK POLICE OFFICERS FOR LYEING IN COURT ON SEVERAL PEOPLE,WE WONDER HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN JAIL BECAUSE OF THESE SO CALLED PUBLIC SERVENTS LIES!! MR.COMMONWEALTH ATTY,WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR POLICE FORCE NOW.

This is an email sent to me from Tom McClellon, a Norfolk native, who now lives in India.

 He has spent a lot of time at the Taj hotel that came under fire  when terrorists struck ten different locations in the heart of India’s financial district on Thanksgiving.  He watched international news and surfed various webpages- including www.wavy.com and www.myfoxhamptonroads.com during the chaos.  Tom also emailed me pictures of what those areas looked like before the bombing.  He has stayed there in the past and knows the building well. Tom’s text is in red.

this is really bad and still going on..  i’m watching cnn and bbc and txting frinds in mumbai constantly/  we txt alot here in india.  its how we communicate. all are worried re the lasting effects on internationals.  many international companies are already pulling out of emerging markets due to the economy.  india’s economy has suffered terribly this past year. if u want to ask any questions//  blog me/  also i know those buildings the taj and oberoi very well and the entire hood of ‘colaba’ (the real name for south mumby) is a stomping ground.  cafe leopold too//  . u might say they are a terrorist’s dream//  cafe leopold is completely open to the street and always packed..// the oberoi is built around one central atrium encircled by exposed hallways.. all room doors facing in.  the atrium is  the entire height of the hotel.


the taj is open throughout all the floors as well on the room floors from the 2nd floor (usa 3rd fl) to the 6th floor/ sort of like balconies inside/  but open from the center of all the interior hallways/  quite stunning ut when it was built it was compared to a prison (haha)/ the taj is absolutely massive.  the main tower in front is the grand staircase// i see lots of smoke coming from there from time to time.  it is completely open from ground floor to dome  whyich is known for its sea green ceiling and also for them changing the entire carpets on the staircase to reflect monsoon season or not/  also i used to live in one of those top rooms that burned.  we used to request them cuz they had balconies. now i always stay in room 236 because its near the street and has a small balcony and i can watch teh carriages and all the street mahem at night.  probs stayed there about 10 months total out of my life.   th e last time i was there i rode in the elevator with BLEEP jagger// trivial huh? ;)  buyt cant imagine that area being quiet// its so frenetic/always  also known for the seawall which is where the terrorist came in by small ‘dingy’ raft boats this was def directed at foreign nationals and i think had to do with thanksgiving / TV viewing.. a greater american audience and i worry re india as many times the terrorists attack multiple cities we’ve had more terror deaths here than in afghanistan so im staying out of shopping malls, hotels and airports for a while-low profile was out yesterday morning trying to scrape up a TG meal and there were a noticeably fewer xpats/ as we all frequent the same shops/ nice to hear from u keep in touch and pray x,  tom

What a pleasant surprise to walk through downtown Norfolk on the first day of December and see three guys dressed in Santa suits- playing music on their horns.

They say they are all locals who are doing this with the Downtown Norfolk Council.  What a great way to spread a little cheer and make the holidays a little brighter during this busy time.

http://www.downtownnorfolk.org/dnc/whoweare

With Thanksgiving over and Christmas less than a month away, how has the economy directly affected you this year?  What did you do differently and what are you planning on doing differently?

There seem to be a lot of news stories about consumers in general, but I'm interested in individual perspectives.  The news stories have suggested that holiday travel is down for the first time in years, that people are buying fewer gifts for their family, that they are giving gifts to fewer people, that people are not using credit cards to buy gifts, and that they are being more selective about which stores they shop at.  Are any of those things true for you?  Also, it seemed like the parking lots of the restaurants open Thanksgiving day were fairly empty and the crowds out shopping the day after Thanksgiving were quite a bit less than previous years.  Did anyone else notice similar things or were your experiences different?  What other changes have you noticed?

One of the things that got me thinking about this was the Friends of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce website.  They have a poll up about the holidays and they are asking for personal videos about the economic slowdown affecting holiday choices.  The videos will help them know where to focus their efforts.  If you'd like to get your voice heard too, you can vote in the poll on their website and submit your video story on the page page that comes up after you vote.  Here's the link - http://www.friendsoftheuschamber.com/email/email4.cfm?
id=175

So,  the local cities are getting all dolled up with their decorations and lights. Here’s a picture I snapped at Norfolk’s Grand Illumination Parade as it made its way down Granby Street downtown. But now, for many of us, the stress is starting to sink in. What are we going to give our loved ones for the holidays- especially now that the economy is so bad and money is really tight? Some families are drawing names so one person can get a really good gift.  Everyone doesn’t agree with that way of scaling back.  So what can we do?   As I get older,  I really appreciate gifts that represent my family history- articles, pictures or programs matted and framed.  Even some of my own mementos.  I have a lot of stuff in files that would be great in a scrapbook. I love getting pictures of my friends and their children. This is my best friend Stephanie with her son Jackson when they visited Santa a few years ago.  He’s growing so fast- I love looking back on pictures like this! And this is my sister-in-law and niece and nephew from  a Christmas past- too cute!

Another girlfriend’s husband makes the best spice cake ever.  I always tell her to send me a cake for the holidays- that would be the perfect gift! Maybe we can all think of things we want or need that don’t require a lot of money and let our friends and families know it’s okay.   How about baking, house cleaning, painting, babysitting, car washing, clothing alterations, or repairs around the house.  We all have those skills we could jot down in a card and offer as a gift. Don’t rule out auction or selling sites such as Craigslist and Ebay or take your items to a local consignment store and make some extra cash.  If you have something you’re not using- list it… it could be a gem to someone else.  If you can’t afford to pay full price for something, search for it- you may be surprised at what you find. This is supposed to be a glorious time, not a stressful one.   Don’t fall victim to all of the hype.  The season of giving is supposed to be just that.  Do what you can. Please post your suggestions to my blog- I’d love to hear them! Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Hannukah, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa and Happy New Year!

Now that the elections are over the hard part is here-working together with those elected. In this Thanksgiving season one thing that I am truly thankful for is I can join with many and work for the betterment of America.It matters very litttle right now if we are Rebublican or Democrat-what matters right now is that we are all Americans. I am sure when the Mayflower set sail for America there were many who had their own views on how to run things. I am also very sure of the fact that there was one unifing thought among them: we are all on the same boat.There was little room for bickering or contention-they had to get to America in ONE piece!!!We in America  basically have the same choice- now -ether work together or tear the ship apart with contention and strife. I choose to work together We still live in the greatest free nation that ever graced God's green earth. I for one am really thankful of that.

PUBLIC NOTICE

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO ALL AFFECTED: 

WEIGHT LOSS FOREVER CLIENTS

On Tuesday, November 11, 2008 it was discovered that Weight Loss Forever had suddenly closed their doors and ceased operations.  In this time of financial difficulty our thoughts and prayers go out to all those clients and employees of Weight Loss Forever that have been adversely affected by this unfortunate event.

PHYSICIANS WEIGHT LOSS CENTERS OF AMERICA, INC. and its participating locations have agreed to accept all current and former clients of Weight Loss Forever*.  PHYSICIANS WEIGHT LOSS CENTERS OF AMERICA, INC. will honor the unexpired weight loss portion of your current program and provide assistance to those clients for whom their program has expired.  The Health Management Group and its affiliates have been providing weight management services for nearly 35 years.

Please Note: This philanthropic offer is being made to those former clients of Weight Loss Forever as a gesture of goodwill to those in our community who may have been adversely affected by this unfortunate event.  PHYSICIANS WEIGHT LOSS CENTERS OF AMERICA, INC. and THE HEALTH MANAGEMENT GROUP are not affiliated in any way with Weight Loss Forever its management or directors.

If you are a current or former client of Weight Loss Forever you are directed to contact:

 
1128 N. Battlefield Blvd., #103
Chesapeake, VA 23320
(757) 549-7952


*A Physician’s Exam Fee may apply

 

I did something last week that I have done many times without giving it a second thought.  Except this time it didn't go very well and it made me realize an unexpected danger that goes with this activity.    What scary thing did I do?     I ORDERED A LARGE THIN CRUST PIZZA FROM PIZZA HUT.

The pizza arrived over 30 minutes late, it was completely cold and the box was soaked with grease.   I spoke with a manager from the local store while the driver was still there.  He took $5 off the pizza because the delivery was late but informed me that all he could do with it being cold was to have the driver bring it back & they would make me another.  Other than that option I would have to call an 800 number to complain.  It was late, so I took the pizza & called the 800 number.   They told me that a Regional Manager would contact me within 72 hours concerning my complaint.    After three days had passed with no call, I called back and was informed that 72 hours really meant 3 business days.   I explained to the customer service rep. that I was really very angry and that it centered more on the complete lack of customer service from the local store & the call center than anything else.  If anyone had been proactive & offered me coupons (or really anything other than an 800 number) it would have settled the issue.    I was called back by the same customer service  rep. who said she would send me a certificate for two free pizzas and report to the local store manager how his employee had handled the situation.

So far, this was all just annoyance, nothing too serious.   But four hours later, I received 5 calls  from a private number.   I was screamed at, cursed at, threatened and asked if I wanted to suck various anatomical parts of the caller (who sounded like a teenage male).   They also wanted to know if I liked pizza.   Now I'm not saying that it was a Pizza Hut employee who called; but I don't believe in coincidences either.

This was a MAJOR ANNOYANCE.  But upon reflection I realized that it was more than that.    Any time you call anyone to make a delivery to your home you open yourself up to danger.    The hourly, minimum-wage employee on the other end of the phone has access to your name, your home phone number, your home address and even possibly your credit card number.   The possibilities and the inherent danger of this had never occurred to me until I received harassing calls in the middle of the night.   

The quality of the pizza or the slow delivery is really not an issue.   But the fact that someone now has personal information on myself & my family gives me pause.    I gave a lot of thought to all of the ways that information could be used and didn't like the length of the list I came up with.  I've since been told that Pizza Hut (and other companies) sell this information to search engines.  Those search engines then are used by insurance agencies, government departments, creditors, debt collectors and anyone else willing to pay a fee to track you down.  It made me think a lot about the number of times I carelessly give personal information out.   It a mistake I make frequently and hope to correct in the future.

And in case your wondering, yes I did call Pizza Hut to report the harrassing calls.....and guess what?    The mythical Regional Manager of Store #726245 (who never called me concerning the original complaint) will get back to me about the threatening phone calls within three business days.   TALK ABOUT QUALITY CUSTOMER SERVICE!  It's made me very happy to go pick up my own food in the future.   But it's something I thought you might want to think about before you called Pizza Hut (or any delivery service)  for dinner tonight.   Instead you might consider taking your business to a Independent and locally owned restaurant as opposed to a national chain restaurant.   Because if you do have a problem with  a locally owned establishment....they're small enough to care!

Tuesday, November 4, 2008. What a night!   I took some pictures of WAVY/Fox 43 employees in the newsroom on the night of the big election.

I think most people are glad that the election is over and ready for the hard work to begin for all political parties to bring change in Washington- and ultimately our country.

For a lack of repeating what everyone else has said about it being historic, I wanted to share these photos I decided to take on this eventful night in a tv newsroom.

We were hitting the national and local elections from all angles- on the air and online.

Thank you for being a part of it!

Thanks to everyone who came out to our Shred-It event on Saturday, November 8, 2008.  It was a rainy gray day, but that didn't stop folks from bringing their bags, boxes and carloads of documents to be securely shredded.

http://www.wavy.com/dpp/community/comm_affairs/comm
unity_wavy_shred_it_november8_20081103

In return, most people brought non-perishable food for the Peninsula Foodbank.  

We really met some generous people.  One man stuck around and helped people lift their  items on the Shred-It trucks.  One woman brought an SUV full of cases of canned and boxed goods.  She told us she and her family are fortunate they don't have to worry about where their next meal is coming from and they want to help others.  Still others donated money to the foodbank.

The weather could've been better- but hey, at least it wasn't snow!! Thanks again to all who stopped by. Stay tuned to WAVY & Fox 43 tv- and online- to find out when the next Shred-It event will be.

Find more videos like this on Zipprrdown

Find more videos like this on Zipprrdown

Here's some information a dear family friend sent me about a group she thinks everyone in Hampton Roads should know about.

The 369th Veterans Association (South East District) is comprised of men and women who have served honorably in all branches of the military- including Merchant Marines- since World War II.  This includes the Korean, Vietnam, Desert Shield and Desert Storm wars.  The requirement for joining the organization:  you must have been honorably separated and discharged from an enlistment in the U.S. Armed Forces- having served not less than 180 days.  This also applies to active duty personnel.

The group was founded  in 199 to develop and preserve the spirit of fellowship among its memebers and memorialize the patriotic service of those memebers.   They support the ACTSO (Afro Academic Cultural-Technological and Scientific Olympics), the Tom Joyner scholarship fund, collection of clothing and sundries for members of the Armed Forces and an annual picnic for disabled and hospitalized patients at the Hampton Veterans Administration Hospital.  These are pictures from one of their picnics.

The man on the gurney, next to organizer Randy Laurel, must remain in that position- ALWAYS.  He is wheeled to the picnic every year.

They invite the community to participate in their quest to enhance the lives of those who have given so much to our country.   Contact Randy Laurel at (757) 482-9233 or by mail:

369th Veterans Association, Inc., Southeastern District

P.O. Box 15391

Chesapeake, VA 23328-5391

email:  369th-Veterans-SE@cox.net

http://www.va.gov/

I was fine until after I voted.;.I stood in a short line and waited for my turn.I went to my booth,and calmly marked my ballot.Then,as I walked out the door,it hit me-how momentous this vote actually was.Not since the year that I was going to vote for Bobby Kennedy(my first time) ,did I get this feeling.How marvelous our country is-Bobby would be proud of us.I burst into tears and was asked by an African-American young lady if I were ok.Oh yes,I smiled.I am definitely ok.And again,my love of my adopted country burgeoned,and I was filled with pride.

I keep hearing the question; why did John McCain lose? The answer is quite simply. John McCain lost because like the Reps before him he ran a campaign of fear. America is already afraid; afraid of terrorism, losing our homes and jobs, going to war with yet another country. We needed a leader that would deliver us from fear and into hope and the future.