My Thoughts on Today; FAT TUESDAY

First of all, HAPPY FAT TUESDAY!!

Some of us non-Catholics may not know what Fat Tuesday is. If I understand it correctly, before you know what Fat Tuesday is, you need to know what Ash Wednesday is. Ash Wednesday is when good Catholics go to their church and the priest puts an ash cross on their foreheads to signify that they are now in the annual Lent period.

If I understand Lent correctly, it is a time to give up something you like a whole lots. If you like chocolate candy bars with nuts in them, during the Lent period you give it up. If you love beer, then you give up beer. I’m sure people are expected to give up than beer and candy bars.

Back to Fat Tuesday. Today is also the day for Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans and other places. I suppose that is like the day it is on, Fat Tuesday – it is getting a good fill of what you crave most the day before you go into the Lent period. That makes sense why men hold up signs during the Madi Gras festival saying “Show me your tits!”

President Obama has recently been at odds with the Catholic Church. Now, is his chance to do damage control repair. He could take his presidential limousine to New Orleans today and cruise around with his hands holding a sign outside the dark-glass window saying, “SHOW ME YOUR TITS!”

HAPPY SUPERBOWL SUNDAY!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR'S EVE!

For a dozem or so years now it has been a New Years Eve dinner tradition to take my mother-in-law to a restaurant in Kennesaw ran by an extended family of Asians that specializes in deep fried seafood. They have the best jumbo shrimp with the batter just right - thier oysters are not bad either - or their crab, or thier cat fish (which I know is technically not seafood. Everything comes with french fries and coleslaw. Everything! I bet if you just ordered and order of cole slaw and french fries, you would get two orders of cole slaw and french fries.

I hope you a safe enjoyale New Years celebration.

Christmas Is...

I remember many years ago Rich’s Department Store advertising came out with the statement CHRISTMAS IS RICH’S* Or was it RICH’S IS CHRISTMAS?

Either way, it meant just about the same.

Jennie Tate Anderson** got up a campaign to end the slogan and I think she succeeded. Or, maybe it was too late to stop it for that year, but I don’t recall seeing the slogan the next Christmas season.

Now, it might be time to rethink the statement Rich’s is Christmas. Use Rich’s as a noun that describes wealthy people and not the department stores. And change ”is” to “get”. Now it might read something like “The Rich get Christmas.” That implies that the poor don’t, which is true.

I heard on the news lately that with this out of whack economy there is a bigger gap between the Have’s and Have Nots. The rich are getting richer and poor are getting poorer.

It reminds me once I heard a person who grew up in a poor family saY he thought he and his siblings were bad and his well-off school mates were good because Santa left them presents at Christmas. And of course it was common knowledge that Santa left presents only to the good little boys and girls.



Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.

*In a way, you can’t blame Rich’s for thinking they were Christmas, in the Atlanta area anyway. They started the Christmas season each year by the ceremoniously lighting of the famous Christmas tree that was always very tall and usually cut down in north Georgia. They documented the tree’s trip to Atlanta each year on the local news and interviewed the ones who owned it. Rich’s was two buildings on Forsyth Street. There was a multi-level bridge above Forsyth Street which connected the two Rich’s buildings. There were either four or five levels. During the famous lighting of the Christmas Tree every Thanksgiving night, different entertainers would sing or recite something from each level, at different times, of course. Then also, during the Christmas shopping season on top of one of the Rich’s buildings on Forsyth Street was the famous Pink Pig Railway. It was a little choo choo train with an engine that looked like a pink pig. Kids loved to go shopping with their parents to get to ride the Pink Pig.

The downtown Rich’s has been bulldozed away and Macy’s now owns the shopping centers Rich’s which now are, of course, Macy’s, and the Pink Pig is at one of them and so is the lighting of the Christmas Tree, but it just isn’t the same.

**Mrs. Anderson was very much a philanthropist locally. she and her husband helped the needy in Marietta in many ways. Once after I got out of the Navy I went to a presentation to save our landmarks in Cobb County. The speaker was Mrs. Anderson (I think she also ran the slide projector). Also, she was an office volunteer in the office at Marietta High School.

Kentucky Derby Traditions

Today is the day for the Annual Kentucky Derby.*

*Not to be confused with the Pinewood Derby for Webelo Cub Scouts, which also is an annual event.


One of the traditions of the Kentucky Derby is flowers. There are brightly covered flowers all over the place.

People will come from all over the world to be at the Kentucky Derby today. There are traditions upon traditions to be carried out today.

Why did some of the travel almost half –way around the globe to be there? One of the traditions is to be seen at the Kentucky Derby. There will be movie stars, politicians, and royalty there… far separated from the commoners of course. You are nobody if you are not seen at the Kentucky Derby.


Here is Hugh Hefner and some of his girl friends to prove he is still has it, money, that is.




How do you get to be seen at the Kentucky Derby? Wear a very loud hat. I’m sure there are hat-makers known for their hand-made bold brightly color one-of-a-kind hats and they probably have a waiting list years long.





Also, I think it would be a faux pas to be had been seen wearing the same hat two years in a row. That is where Fred’s Pimp-Haberdashery- On -Wheels can help you out.


The food and drink is also a tradition at Churchill Downs that day. Of course, there will be gallons of mint julep and Kentucky bourbon drank that day. Kentucky barbecue beef and pork will be daintily gobbled up. The Derby has its own special way of making hamburgers and barbecue chicken. And I bet there will be Kentucky Fried Chicken there too.

If you watch the events unfold on live TV you will hear some very heart warming stories. There will be some tragic stories with sad endings and some long-shot winning stories, with of course, happy endings.
Long-shot? That reminds, me there is another Kentucky Derby tradition. I forgot what it is. Wait! I got it!

They also have a horse race.

The Gods Have Spoken - Early Spring

Gen. Beauregard Lee, Georgia's official groundhog Spring forecaster for Georgia, did not see his shadow this morning, therefore, there will be an early spring, no question about it.

HAPPY PASSOVER!!

Check with your local butcher. They may have a special on lamb's blood today. You don't want to be the first on your block to be visited by the Angel of Death.

Super Bowl Saturday? Or How to get Promoted

Super Bowl Saturday?

The other day on TV on the Martha Stewart Show it was all about the Super Bowl. They were talking Super Bowl trivia and one of the guests was Matt Lauer. He said that based on the past history, one and half million people well call in sick the Monday after the Super Bowl.

Martha said she wished President Obama would do what he could to change The Super bowl to be on Saturday, then millions of dollars of man hours would be saved.

That is a thought.

But I was wondering, because the economy is so bad right now, will the million and half be a right prediction? Of that huge number a big chunk probably have already been laid off… and some, worried that their superiors are looking for an excuse to lay some off, might show up Monday with their hangovers and indigestions of too much finger foods.

It reminds me of a time the Super Bowl was to be played in New Orleans. At the Atlanta Post Office, based on history, a huge number or mail clerks and mail-handlers, was predicted to call in sick for the time of Super Bowl. The Atlanta Post Office works around the clock seven days a week.

Upper management asked one of my timekeeper co-workers to go to the Super Bowl at their expense and take names of Atlanta postal workers at the game, and when he got back they would bump his list against the list of people who called in. Lets call him Dricks.

Dricks wanted to see the Super Bowl as much as most people. He took them up and went and took names. It was no time until Dricks was promoted to our supervisor, and then a another short time until he was head of our time keeper and data collection department.

I know it isn't right for the people to call in sick to go to the Super Bowl, but I do not think it is right for a planted spy to gather information against the same pay-rate co-workers, unless is is a life or death situation, or something more serious. Of course, that is just my wild lowly blue-collar opinion.

Box Day*

Today in England it is Box Day.

Box Day is the first day after Christmas and the day the upper crust people give gifts to the people that work for them - the working class.

We don't celebrate Box Day in America. It is just too much politically incorrect.



* I have no idea why they call it Box Day.

Christmas Shopping Season is in the Air

The Christmas season officially started yesterday. Now, some claim that the Christmas season, officially started at the end of the Massey Parade Thanksgiving day when Santa came through waving. Locally, some claim that it started when the giant Christmas Tree at Massey’s in Atlanta was lit Thanksgiving night.

Wrong!

Anna got off at 4pm and will not be at work until after New Years day. Christmas started at 4pm yesterday.

To prove the point, last night we went out and did our first serious Christmas shopping this year. And last night was the first a Christmas special on TV knocked out my regular shows I watch. Saturday Night Live had a Christmas special.

One of the places we went in was a Christian bookstore. Believe it or not, in the magazine rack of the Christian bookstore was a magazine called something like The Christian Outdoor Sportsman. On the cover was a guy holding up the head end of a dead deer. The cover said his name and said he was a super sports figure in Milwaukee and also said he bagged his first deer. I think “bagged” is a kinder word than saying “killed”.

It must be ok to kill for the sport of it… What is sport? A fun physical activity. So, is it correct in saying “It is ok to kill something for the fun of it?” And, would be ok if the deer, for the fun of it, killed the hunter before it killed him? Like buck him off the ledge of a cliff or gorge him with antlers?

No, of course not! That would be murder.

Merry Christmas shopping season!

Thanksgiving Traditions in Georgia

Note – the flag on the right looks dirty and dingy doesn’t it? You can’t tell, but it has 48 stars on it. It was produced back in the mid ‘40s,

This will be my Thanksgiving message for tomorrow. I will be busy being the go-for and host to put much thought it a blog – here goes tomorrow blog:

I love Thanksgiving. Well, love is a powerful word. Maybe it would be more accurate to say I like Thanksgiving… or more accurately, would be I enjoy Thanksgiving and all its many traditions.

In high school or right after our school years we enjoyed going hunting on Thanksgiving. We did that a time or two.

Watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade on TV with its high school bands, floats, huge helium filled characters, with Santa at the end officially bringing in the Christmas Season – that is nice to watch with the aroma of turkey cooking in the background.

Ever since I remember there has been on Thanksgiving night the lightening of what used to be the Rich’s Department Store Christmas Tree but now it is the Macy’s Christmas Tree… it unofficially officially opened the Christmas season in Georgia.

Rich’s Department Store on Forsyth Street was across the street from itself. On each side of the street was a Rich’s. If I remember correctly, on the east side was the clothing store and on the west side was the house furnishing section. Between both stores was a four level bridge with an interior and windows. The Christmas Tree was on top of the bridge and the night of the opening, on each level was a choir group or maybe a soloist signing… the lights would go off on one level and another level would light up and a church choir or whatever would sing something inspirationally Christmas from that level, and so on.

The two top department stores in Atlanta were Rich’s and Davison’s. Davison’s was owned by Macy’s – who finally after many years, changed the name to themselves. Then, in time Macy’s bought out Rich’s and their name was changed also. I was surprised the old timers around accepted the name changes – but just don’t mess with the lightening of the Christmas Tree on Thanksgiving night and the Pink Pig (a ride for children at Christmas time at Rich’s – now, Macy’s).

I think a few of our neighbors have beat Santa in the Macy’s Parade to the punch – the exterior of their houses are very well gaudy well lit in decorations.

The National Dog Show on TV after the parade is always nice to watch on Thanksgiving. And speaking of TV – there will be football games.

When I was growing up every year on Thanksgiving there would be a freshman game between UGA and Georgia Tech. The money collected for admission went to charities. For two years when I was in the Boy Scouts I had the experience of ushering that game… which was very interesting to watch the people – a good deal of them drunk.

I know a family that traditionally killed a hog on Thanksgiving. Providing it was cold enough. The family worked almost as a team, each knowing what to do in the right sequence. Once the hog was dead they moved in swiftly removing body parts to preserve and pack. They no longer do that. The head of the family that raised the hog died in his 90s. That is a traditional of the past. With subdivisions to have livestock you would have to get a special permit… then, the gutting of the hog would have all the neighbors fainting… it’s just isn’t work it… and it just does get cold enough on Thanksgiving anymore – global warming, tch tch.

Another tradition each year in Atlanta is the Hosea Williams Thanksgiving Dinner For the Poor and Homeless. More closer to home each year is MUST Ministries food line for the homeless… it is getting to be a social thing for the upper crust to serve food to the poor that day. Hosea died but the tradition Hosea started continues.

Of course some people on Thanksgiving actually give thanks. Can you believe that?

Of course, there are many traditions for the day, but the tradition mostly carried on is pigging out like there is no tomorrow.

Christians and Pumpkin Pie Ingredients.

This is a vague story about the ingredients of pumpkin pie. I am sorry I did not take notes when I listened to it on the car radio, but I got the jest of it and the punch line.

Columbus discovered the Americas while sailing to find new spices. It is unsure where he first landed on his first trip, but on his 2nd trip he landed on what would become Nassau in the Bahamas.

Other ships from England, France, Spain, and other European countries came because this was the land of the spices. One of the spices found was the perfect spice for Pumpkin Pie.

The natives refused to let the Europeans have the spice. The Europeans got very brutal with the natives to take the spice by force, killing many…. After all, not knowing Jesus, they were only savages.

The punch line: It was a near-genocide, almost destroying a group of people just for a spice for pumpkin pie.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! And enjoy your turkey and pumpkin pie.

A Firm Handshake Could Mean a Lot

Did you know it was not until1867 that people used toilet paper? True. It was put on the market in 1867. My grandfather was born in 1879. My great grandfather lived a good portion of his life not knowing the pleasure of toilet paper.

Catalogs were not that plentiful before 1867 either. I wonder what they used? Leaves and corn cobs? I think I would think twice before shaking hands with someone.

And just think, in this modern society we whine if we have to open the restroom door from the inside without a paper towel to hold. Things could be worse.

The Parade of Politicians

In Marietta, every year as far back as I remember, there has been an 4th of July Parade.

If you have seen one you have seen them all, just about. There are marching high school bands, politicians, floats with Miss Cobb, and maybe Junior Miss Cobb, opened convertibles with someone who has some inflated self-worth waving at the crowds, civic organizations, people on horses, Little League teams, the Shriners is their wild little cars, motorcycles, clowns, and red convertible Mustangs… it is an enjoyable site to see.. just for the fun of watching people.

In my very early years I remember riding on a fire truck in the parade; with my Little League teem; and later with the my scout troop,

But now the fun is being taken out of it. The City Fathers decided to make rules then make exceptions, and also chose to overlook some things.

They made a rule that any group in the parade cannot handout paraphernalia such as candy and flags. FLAGS??? That was one of the biggies of the parade each year to hand out U.S. Flags.

I don’t see any good to banning small U.S. Flags. This is to celebrate the birthday of America – the U.S. red, white, and blue flag represents it all. I think it is wrong to rub people’s face in the flag if they don’t feel the same – some can be holier than thou thinking they are better than other people because they hold the flag sacred – but that is their problem because they are denying people the right of choice…. But, in general, if you don’t want to see flag waving you should stay away from the 4th of July Parade.

And to make matters worse was the method of the line-up of the parade. The official first thing is the big shiny red fire truck with its lights flashing and the sirens and horns blasting. That is OK, it sets the party mood.

But after the fire truck is the politicians. Some will be walking to shake hands and some will be in convertibles waving – all will be smiling like ‘possums (as my mother used to say). And the Veteran’s organization is on down in the line.

Wait! The Veteran groups, such as the VFW are the ones that traditionally handed out the little hand flags for people to wave. They also were the first behind the fire truck so they could hand out to the people so they could wave their flags as the parade marched by them.

But, if handing out flags have been outlawed, then it doesn’t much matter what position the veteran groups march in does it?

And now the favoritism and the turn-thy-head kicks in. Walking in front of the fire truck will be the Marietta Lions Club and they will be handing out flags.

The local head of the VFW asked why the Lions Club gets to hand out flags that have been banned this year. Here is the answer that was given in so many words:

The Marietta Lions Club is not a registered group to be in the parade. They are marching before the parade and what they do about handing out flags is their business, we can’t tell them what to do if they are registered to be in the parade.

How is that for good old political favoritism?

Also, the leader of the VFW wondered why they were not allowed directly behind the fire truck, because, if it wasn’t for them there may not be a Independence Day to celebrate.

The answer was, in so many words, was “the position of different groups were decided by priority.” Who’s priority? The politicians I bet.

Here is another thought on why the VFW got shoved on down in the lineup pecking order: The VFW is generally made up of working class people, the blue collar work force. And the Lion’s Club is made up of civic leaders that are usually officers of a company or maybe own their own business… members of that group are most likely to contribute to a politician campaign.

That is what I like about parades, they are so traditional. Granting favoritism to those with money is about as traditional as you can get.

Super Bowl - 2nd Most EatingTime in U.S.?

Here we are! Super Bowl Sunday!

This evening millions of people, mostly men, will hunker in front of the TV and do their “Go Go!” or “Hold’em back!” grunts. Tons of neat little finger foods and much beer will be consumed. I think I heard it is the second most feasting day of the year. It is a ritual.

Why?

Because it is there.

During the game you will see some humdinger innovative commercials and probably a fantastic half-time show…. Wardrobe malfunction or not.

Once when I was a time keeper at the Atlanta Post Office the upper management asked one of my co-workers would he go to the Super Bowl with a free ticket and all he had to do was to take names of fellow Postal co-workers that were also at the game. I think it was in New Orleans that year. When he returned his list the names were compared to who had advance approved leave and who called in on sick leave.

In a short time he was promoted to the head of our department. It pays to kiss ass and tell on your peers.

The First Baptist Church of Marietta will televise the game on a big screen TV. I guess there is a message there.

A couple of years ago a lady I used to know, who my family lived next door to, died. I grew up with their many children. When I went to the funeral home to pay my respects the lady’s children were there, even the one with Alzheimer’s disease, but I was the only visitor that wasn’t a family member.

She was an very active member of her church. It was the same church I went to as a child, Crestview Baptist Church. I was hoping to see some of my old church member friends to renew our acquaintances. Then one of the children told me that “T.W.”* ( a deacon) said anybody that wished could drop by his house and have a little fellowship and watch the Super Bowl. Then, I knew why no other visitors were there.





*T.W. has been a deacon since I went to Crestview Baptist Church about 60 years ago. I bet he has changed – I probably would not recognize him. Within the pat 6 months I found out T.W. is a distant Tyson relative of mine. Not through the local Tyson family, but the Tysons that settled in Washington County, Georgia, in the mid 1800s. I am probably more closer related to you, whoever you are.

A Short-Lived Thanksgiving Tradition

For a two or three years in a row, when I was in the Boy Scouts, Troop 132, on Thanksgiving Day we ushered the Freshman University of Georgia and Georgia Tech game in Atlanta.

Mostly we would stand watching the line and if we saw someone with a good camera we were to report it to the authorities. It was more or less a free ride to get in the game and see all the excitement of college football.

Getting there each year we went through Fraternity Row and I remember amazed that these students could be so free… holding signs out their windows saying “The Hell With Georgia” or “The Hell with UGA”. And students actually standing out front of their frat houses opening drinking beer!

Also, all the Tech Freshman at that time had to wear a little yellow Georgia Tech hat with the Tech “T” on it and the bill turned up which also said the famous “The Hell With Georgia.”

Our Thanksgiving dinner those years was a famous Hot Dog at the Varsity Drive-In (World’s Largest) that we would get after the game when our scout master would take us there. I think one year we may have went to the famous Yellow Jacket Drive-In.

The Yellow Jacket finally went out business. I remember there was a black curb hop there famous for citing all the flavors of ice cream they offered. He could cite it frontward or backwards. That was the thing with the black car hops, the better they entertained, the better the tips. That could be demeaning.

Thanksgiving Week

This is the first day of Thanksgiving week. Or on some calendars yesterday was the first day of this week. It is your choice.

This week will be the most traveled week in the U.S. for the year. Everybody wants to find themselves home among relatives and memories; And of course food; And of course football games. Whoever heard of family Thanksgiving day with family gathered around if the TV isn't on playing football? It is the American way.

Also, it is the week that officially ushers in the Christmas season. Proof of that will be at the tail end of the NYC Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade Thursday morning when Saint Nick himself will officially open the joyful season. Ho Ho.

Retailers have jumped the gun. Already I notice in discount department Christmas music being played and Christmas decorations here and there. And most importantly, the cash registers singing jingle bells.

This year the larger stores, like Wal-Mart are tossing aside political correctness for sales correctness. They were somewhat boycotted last year because they tried to avoid using the word Christmas or Christ and tried out "Holiday Season". It didn't work.

The Christians are a little greedy - they want the whole season of 30 days plus to be taken in the honor of the birth of their belief.... and it is just tough if you don't share the same belief - what right do you have to believe otherwise anyway?

It is also the week many households will decorate their homes in Christmas decorations. We are planning our moves now. I will bring Christmas decorations up from the basement. Also we will get to try out a new artificial tree that already has it lights on it. When we bought it last year after Christmas (it was marked down) the cashier told us to just bring it back if it didn't work. Since then the place have went out of business. We hope we will have our decorations up by Sunday.

The family at the end of the street – the lady always seems a little hyper to me - strives every year to have her decorations up first. One night last week I noticed Christmas lights on the outside of their house beaming electric happiness.

Across the street, Bob and his family never took down their outside lights, from the time they put them up several years ago. I almost wish that they turned their lights on weeks ago to beat the hyper lady.

Happy Thanksgiving week!