Mornings, I like to watch the news while I have breakfast. Often I have to put up with switching stations because "they" think news includes who did what on American Idol or Dancing with the Stars.
Today was even worse than usual! Apparently someone in London was getting married and not only was it on my usual news channel, it was on almost every channel!
Finally, I found a local station with news and enjoyed it until "they" decided to keep checking in on the wedding in London as well!
Friday, April 29, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Time Reporting...
The best thing about reporting everything that I do and how long it takes me, is that it takes so long to report everything, that I always have so much to do!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Happy
I’m happy today.
But it won’t show through.
Like the Sun shrouded by the clouds.
I remain guarded because twice before we lost our joy.
Maybe this one can stay.
-KJC
But it won’t show through.
Like the Sun shrouded by the clouds.
I remain guarded because twice before we lost our joy.
Maybe this one can stay.
-KJC
Sad
I’m sad today.
My friend went away.
I saw him before he left.
I can still see him and hear his voice in my mind.
But he had to leave.
-KJC
My friend went away.
I saw him before he left.
I can still see him and hear his voice in my mind.
But he had to leave.
-KJC
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Happy "Egg Day!"
(Note* "egg day" may be a politically correct pseudonym for another holiday. You know like EASTER!)
Friday, April 22, 2011
"Cottonwood" is Made in America!
My novel, "Cottonwood" was written by an American, it is about Minnesota, and it is printed in Charleston, SC. Buy a copy by clicking HERE!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Spring in Minnesota
People who aren't from Minnesota wonder how we (i.e. Minnesotans) can "stand living where it is so cold?" On this snowy, April morning I ask... isn't it beautiful?
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
CJM
His wife is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. His daughter chats with me as I wait for my friend. The tiny dog crawls on me, wagging his stubby tail. Eventually my friend’s son arrives. They all talk about the book I brought. They liked the last one I had written.
After some minutes I am admitted to the back bedroom and greeted by my old friend. I’ve known him for slightly more than half of my life, but he is no longer the powerful and robust figure I worked with so long ago. His face is grey, like the ashes of a cooking fire. He is much thinner than I remember.
The pain medication and perhaps his condition has him on the verge of this world and another. As we talk, I see the image of my old friend and I am reassured that he is still here. Amidst the yellowed toxins that have built up I see that old mischievous smile. But the bellowing, drill sergeant voice of the past is buried beneath the blanket that covers him.
Finally the pain pills have clouded his mind, but not enough to keep him from asking me to mention him when I talk to “the man upstairs.” This request I granted as I drove across the darkened landscape. We cannot live forever, but when the body fails before we expect it to, the result leads to these thoughts I have; that reflect against the cloudy sky.
—Kevin J. Curtis —4/19/2011
After some minutes I am admitted to the back bedroom and greeted by my old friend. I’ve known him for slightly more than half of my life, but he is no longer the powerful and robust figure I worked with so long ago. His face is grey, like the ashes of a cooking fire. He is much thinner than I remember.
The pain medication and perhaps his condition has him on the verge of this world and another. As we talk, I see the image of my old friend and I am reassured that he is still here. Amidst the yellowed toxins that have built up I see that old mischievous smile. But the bellowing, drill sergeant voice of the past is buried beneath the blanket that covers him.
Finally the pain pills have clouded his mind, but not enough to keep him from asking me to mention him when I talk to “the man upstairs.” This request I granted as I drove across the darkened landscape. We cannot live forever, but when the body fails before we expect it to, the result leads to these thoughts I have; that reflect against the cloudy sky.
—Kevin J. Curtis —4/19/2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
Royal Wedding...
Somehow, the royal wedding does not interest me at all.
One time my friend Dave and I had free tickets to go to Hartford, CT to see Wrestlemania. Instead we went to Hartford and rented a car and drove around New England. This is probably what I would do if I had "free tickets" to the royal wedding. I would tour London and skip the wedding.
One time my friend Dave and I had free tickets to go to Hartford, CT to see Wrestlemania. Instead we went to Hartford and rented a car and drove around New England. This is probably what I would do if I had "free tickets" to the royal wedding. I would tour London and skip the wedding.
Book Orders
Thanks to those who have ordered my book "Cottonwood."
There will be a short time that it will be unavailable. If you are trying to order, please try again later.
Thanks, -KJC
There will be a short time that it will be unavailable. If you are trying to order, please try again later.
Thanks, -KJC
Friday, April 15, 2011
High Fructose Corn Syrup
If High Fructose Corn Syrup is bad for us, why is it in so many different foods? Is there perchance, a Low Fructose Corn Syrup, or maybe a Medium Fructose Corn Sap? Our bodies were not created to metabolize large amounts of sugar and doing so can create health problems. Maybe this stuff is as bad as cigarettes and alcohol. If so, shouldn't it be regulated?
Thursday, April 14, 2011
My Absolute Favorite!
My absolute favorite thing, is when I do everything right to compensate for others who have no planning or management skills--and then the person(s) in charge make(s) it my fault when something goes wrong. I enjoy it even that much more when I was uninformed, and not even present when the problem occurred. Seriously, it doesn't get any better than that!
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
"Cottonwood" is in Paperback!
I heard you! Many people don't want to buy an eBook, so I have published my novel "Cottonwood" as a paperback. Click HERE to order a copy!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Cutris Abandons Breathing Tax
Cutris Abandons Breathing Tax
UnAssociated Press
April 12, 2011
Cutris has apparently decided to abandon his idea of collecting a Breathing Tax. According to sources, the tax was voted down by the Supreme Court by a five to four vote. The primary reason for the defeat of the tax was thought to be that Cutris did not have the legal authority to impose or collect the tax. Those who argued that Cutris did have the right to impose the tax, argued that he supports the Clean Air Act, which may indirectly give him the authority to tax breathing air. It should also be noted that these supporters were quick to point out that if someone were breathing something other than air, for example, if someone could breath water, or wine, or perhaps sawdust--that the tax on breathing air should not apply.
UnAssociated Press
April 12, 2011
Cutris has apparently decided to abandon his idea of collecting a Breathing Tax. According to sources, the tax was voted down by the Supreme Court by a five to four vote. The primary reason for the defeat of the tax was thought to be that Cutris did not have the legal authority to impose or collect the tax. Those who argued that Cutris did have the right to impose the tax, argued that he supports the Clean Air Act, which may indirectly give him the authority to tax breathing air. It should also be noted that these supporters were quick to point out that if someone were breathing something other than air, for example, if someone could breath water, or wine, or perhaps sawdust--that the tax on breathing air should not apply.
Protests Begin over Breathing Tax
Protests Begin over Breathing Tax
UnAssociated Press
April 12, 2011
Protesters carrying signs and chanting, "we won't pay!" marched this morning in protest against Cutris' new Breathing Tax. The protest, however, got off to a bad start when protesters clashed over where they would march to. Eventually, the protesters dispersed as they all wanted to go in different directions.
UnAssociated Press
April 12, 2011
Protesters carrying signs and chanting, "we won't pay!" marched this morning in protest against Cutris' new Breathing Tax. The protest, however, got off to a bad start when protesters clashed over where they would march to. Eventually, the protesters dispersed as they all wanted to go in different directions.
Cutris Taxes Breathing
Cutris Taxes Breathing
UnAssociated Press
April 12, 2011
Cutris announced this morning, a new tax he has imposed on anyone who breathes. This new Breathing Tax is, according to Cutris, simply a user fee that only applies to people who are actively breathing. Anyone who is not breathing, according to Cutris, will not be charged. In addition, anyone who decides not to breathe on any given day, will be credited for that day and their total tax will be pro-rated to reflect only the days that the individual was actually breathing. In addition, anyone who is breathing excessively, will be charged extra. The exact amount of the tax has not as of yet been determined, but Cutris believes that it will be approximately one dollar (US) per day, (payable to Cutris) for each person who breathes. More information about how to pay your breathing tax will come later.
UnAssociated Press
April 12, 2011
Cutris announced this morning, a new tax he has imposed on anyone who breathes. This new Breathing Tax is, according to Cutris, simply a user fee that only applies to people who are actively breathing. Anyone who is not breathing, according to Cutris, will not be charged. In addition, anyone who decides not to breathe on any given day, will be credited for that day and their total tax will be pro-rated to reflect only the days that the individual was actually breathing. In addition, anyone who is breathing excessively, will be charged extra. The exact amount of the tax has not as of yet been determined, but Cutris believes that it will be approximately one dollar (US) per day, (payable to Cutris) for each person who breathes. More information about how to pay your breathing tax will come later.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Trickle-Up Economics
By Kevin J. Curtis
Once upon a time, workers united and through collective bargaining, they were able to get a fair wage and benefits for their labor. Over the years when the economy was good, workers often got a cost-of-living raise each year. Over time, leaders such as Ronald Reagan decided that the best way to have an economy, was to ensure that the rich people became really rich, so that everyone else would live off of the "trickle-down" from the rich. Essentially, if the wealthy and powerful had an excess, it was argued that some of it would eventually get down to the less fortunate who did all of the work.
Somewhere along the line, the government was being manipulated by the leaders who generally came from the ranks of the wealthy. These people used the workers to pay taxes to support things like wars to ensure that oil corporations had oil to sell to the workers so that they could buy cars from other wealthy corporations and drive to work to get the trickle-down to support their families. Eventually the greed of the wealthy and their banks and corporations ruined the economy, and the workers taxes were used to bailout the banks and corporations that were going broke from their own mismanagement. This allowed these corporate gangsters to pass their bad debt on to the workers. Since this kept the businesses alive, they raised their prices and the executives took home large bonuses--while the workers’ wages were cut or "frozen" to pay for it.
Along the way, the National Debt continued to rise at an alarming rate! So the Republican leadership began a campaign to lower workers wages in order to try to balance the budget. In the meantime, the government employees who tried to make sure the corrupt businesses didn't charge too much, lost their jobs and corporations like (for example) Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO's) took enormous profits that were supposed to be used to support healthcare for the people.
What the rich people didn't seem to know, or were unwilling to admit, was that after the workers were reduced to the poverty level, something else began to occur. Since there was no money left for the workers to pay taxes, or to pay the bailouts and support the greed of the wealthiest people, a sort of "trickle-up" situation occurred. It resembled building a house on stilts and then kicking the stilts out from under it one-by-one. Eventually the rich people who lived in the house up above, fell down too; where they were eaten by the hungry poor below.
Once upon a time, workers united and through collective bargaining, they were able to get a fair wage and benefits for their labor. Over the years when the economy was good, workers often got a cost-of-living raise each year. Over time, leaders such as Ronald Reagan decided that the best way to have an economy, was to ensure that the rich people became really rich, so that everyone else would live off of the "trickle-down" from the rich. Essentially, if the wealthy and powerful had an excess, it was argued that some of it would eventually get down to the less fortunate who did all of the work.
Somewhere along the line, the government was being manipulated by the leaders who generally came from the ranks of the wealthy. These people used the workers to pay taxes to support things like wars to ensure that oil corporations had oil to sell to the workers so that they could buy cars from other wealthy corporations and drive to work to get the trickle-down to support their families. Eventually the greed of the wealthy and their banks and corporations ruined the economy, and the workers taxes were used to bailout the banks and corporations that were going broke from their own mismanagement. This allowed these corporate gangsters to pass their bad debt on to the workers. Since this kept the businesses alive, they raised their prices and the executives took home large bonuses--while the workers’ wages were cut or "frozen" to pay for it.
Along the way, the National Debt continued to rise at an alarming rate! So the Republican leadership began a campaign to lower workers wages in order to try to balance the budget. In the meantime, the government employees who tried to make sure the corrupt businesses didn't charge too much, lost their jobs and corporations like (for example) Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO's) took enormous profits that were supposed to be used to support healthcare for the people.
What the rich people didn't seem to know, or were unwilling to admit, was that after the workers were reduced to the poverty level, something else began to occur. Since there was no money left for the workers to pay taxes, or to pay the bailouts and support the greed of the wealthiest people, a sort of "trickle-up" situation occurred. It resembled building a house on stilts and then kicking the stilts out from under it one-by-one. Eventually the rich people who lived in the house up above, fell down too; where they were eaten by the hungry poor below.
Friday, April 08, 2011
A Small Story of Large Proportions
By Kevin J. Curtis
Once upon a time, there was a small boy, who lived in a small house, with a small yard, in a small town. If fact, everything around was very small—except that this small boy had a very large dog. In fact, the dog was so large that it was sometimes difficult to control if he happened to get loose.
His dog had a mind-of-his-own, and did not always behave the way the boy would have liked him to. The boy, of course, wanted to keep his dog safe and not let him run around wildly. His dog, however, did not like to stay in small places, because he wanted to do big things. This sometimes led to conflict and misunderstandings between the small boy and his large dog.
Now two things that small boys and large dogs have in common, is that they like to explore all of the wonderful places that they find. This can sometimes cause problems, as not everyone in the big world has a large view of things, and some people have rather small minds with very short-sighted ideas.
Over the years, the small boy and his large dog lived through a series of misunderstandings and survived a few close-calls. As they both grew older, the small boy grew into a small man, who had some very big ideas. His large dog grew more obedient over time, especially when the small man gave him plenty of exercise.
So in the end, the small man who had once been a small boy, with a very large dog, learned that it was best to keep his large dog on a long leash and give him large amounts of exercise. This was probably a big reason that the small man and his large dog were able to live large in the big world.
Once upon a time, there was a small boy, who lived in a small house, with a small yard, in a small town. If fact, everything around was very small—except that this small boy had a very large dog. In fact, the dog was so large that it was sometimes difficult to control if he happened to get loose.
His dog had a mind-of-his-own, and did not always behave the way the boy would have liked him to. The boy, of course, wanted to keep his dog safe and not let him run around wildly. His dog, however, did not like to stay in small places, because he wanted to do big things. This sometimes led to conflict and misunderstandings between the small boy and his large dog.
Now two things that small boys and large dogs have in common, is that they like to explore all of the wonderful places that they find. This can sometimes cause problems, as not everyone in the big world has a large view of things, and some people have rather small minds with very short-sighted ideas.
Over the years, the small boy and his large dog lived through a series of misunderstandings and survived a few close-calls. As they both grew older, the small boy grew into a small man, who had some very big ideas. His large dog grew more obedient over time, especially when the small man gave him plenty of exercise.
So in the end, the small man who had once been a small boy, with a very large dog, learned that it was best to keep his large dog on a long leash and give him large amounts of exercise. This was probably a big reason that the small man and his large dog were able to live large in the big world.
Thursday, April 07, 2011
Cutris Paddles His Dinghy
Cutris Paddles His Dinghy
UnAssociated Press
April 7, 2011
Cutris was seen paddling his dinghy today. No further information about Cutris or his dinghy is available at this time.
Click photo to enlarge.
UnAssociated Press
April 7, 2011
Cutris was seen paddling his dinghy today. No further information about Cutris or his dinghy is available at this time.
Click photo to enlarge.
Wednesday, April 06, 2011
Planning???
Do you ever find yourself rushing to take care of things that other people didn't bother to tell you about ahead of time?
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
Cutris Refuses to be Charlie Sheen's Intern
Cutris Refuses to be Charlie Sheen's Intern
UnAssociated Press
April 5, 2011
Sources say that Cutris has refused an offer to become Charlie Sheen's new intern. When asked about it, Cutris replied that, "Only tigers have tiger's blood."
UnAssociated Press
April 5, 2011
Sources say that Cutris has refused an offer to become Charlie Sheen's new intern. When asked about it, Cutris replied that, "Only tigers have tiger's blood."
Yesterday's Labor Rally
My wife and I marched to the Minnesota State Capitol yesterday. The date, April 4th, is the anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.--and is appropriate since the rights of labor are under attack by the Republican Party in the USA. One of the key points for me at yesterday's rally, was the call for the truth. While the Republicans want to "balance the budget" by reducing wages and benefits to public employees, the real issues of why the budget is broken are not being addressed--and middle class labor is being coerced into paying for the problems created by corporate greed, unscrupulous bank lending practices, and spending much of "our" budget on military campaigns. The USA recently fired 123 Cruise Missiles at Libya for about a million dollars apiece. How many teachers could America pay for $123,000,000?
Not too long ago, it was widely thought that teachers were not highly paid. Suddenly, there is a right-wing political movement that says all public employees are making too much money! So when the middle-class is pushed (backwards a century or so) into poverty, who is going to pay (the taxes) to support the government that has bailed-out the banks and corporations? Hard-working Americans are not looking for a bail-out, they just want fair wages and benefits to support their families. If the middle-class is taken down, the whole country is going to follow.
Here is my view as I approached the state capitol.
On a lighter note, here is a good reminder to be conscious of how you hold your sign--so as not to change the meaning...
Not too long ago, it was widely thought that teachers were not highly paid. Suddenly, there is a right-wing political movement that says all public employees are making too much money! So when the middle-class is pushed (backwards a century or so) into poverty, who is going to pay (the taxes) to support the government that has bailed-out the banks and corporations? Hard-working Americans are not looking for a bail-out, they just want fair wages and benefits to support their families. If the middle-class is taken down, the whole country is going to follow.
Here is my view as I approached the state capitol.
On a lighter note, here is a good reminder to be conscious of how you hold your sign--so as not to change the meaning...
Monday, April 04, 2011
Saturday, April 02, 2011
Is it Spring yet?
Today is sunny and 50 degrees Fahrenheit here in the Twin Cities. By Monday we could get rain or even snow. This has been kind of a long winter; even though it is spring...