Vacationing is Overrated

Why do Americans vacation so much? Do we really think it will make us feel better to go somewhere else? Why do we invest so much time and effort into the process? We’re still the same people we are at home. The only thing that changes is the scenery. And then we always have to return back to our mundane lives afterwards. In my opinion, the entire procedure is highly overrated and a real letdown.

Besides, vacationing is exhausting, expensive and a helluva lot of work overall. You either have to get on a plane or drive in your car, usually going far away, which means you have to spend an inordinate amount of time and effort getting there.

Going to a destination is stressful because of the anticipation. And returning is stressful because of the depression. (Especially if you’re coming back from Las Vegas penniless, which has happened to me more than I care to recall.)

This is the tourist season here in San Francisco. People from all over the world converge on this place every summer. You can tell a tourist a mile away. They wear those silly t-shirts that say things like “I Was a Prisoner at Alcatraz” or “Take Me to Fisherman’s Wharf,” or even worse, they wear those really insipid Hard Rock Café shirts. They walk around with those cartoon maps of the city and ask locals questions like, “What do you people eat around here?” and/or “Is it always this windy?” And they take pictures of everything in sight. I saw a guy the other day taking a picture of a seagull. I guess they don’t have them in Missouri.

I like where I live. I have all my creature comforts right here. There’s my local bar, my favorite dry cleaners, clubs and restaurants. I have my dogs, my baseball cable package and the guy at the liquor store down the street sells me beer at a discount. If I want to go to Europe or Africa or some exotic location, I can always watch it on the Travel Network. I can live vicariously through the people on the show. It costs a lot less, I don’t have to fly and I can turn it off when it gets boring.

And besides, going on vacation usually means you have to spend a lot of time with family and relatives, many of whom you would never associate with if they weren’t related to you. When I walk around Fisherman’s Wharf or in Chinatown here in SF, I notice a lot of families fighting. The kids are annoying the parents, the parents are being heavy-handed with the kids, and grandma and grandpa are whacked out on Thorazine. They look miserable and probably wish they were back in Tulsa rather than stuck in an unfamiliar, very expensive place like San Francisco.

They were looking forward all year to a wonderful vacation, they did all this planning, they even bought new luggage and now they’re having a miserable time. Welcome to the American tradition called the vacation.

And with that diatribe out of system, I must leave you if only for a short while. Where am I going? You guessed it.

Do you Know What a Gel Pen Is?

When my niece said that she just HAD to have one of these new gel pens or that she would just die, I didn’t even know what a gel pen was. These youngsters today always have to have the coolest new things – the newest cell phones, iPods, clothes, music and even pens. So, after doing a little research, I found out that there are basically three types of pens – roller ball, fountain and gel. The gel pens are the most recent innovation in pen technology. Both Bic and Papermate make them and they’re growing in popularity all the time. Who knew?

With Koby Out, Can Chestnut Win?

The competitive world of eating is already gnawing on this morsel of tasty news: The hot dog eating champion isn’t feeling all that hot.

Takeru Kobayashi of Japan, the six-time champion of the annual Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, could possibly be sidelined for next week's event due to an arthritic jaw.Last year, the 165-pound Kobayashi won his sixth straight Yellow Mustard Belt at the Independence Day competition in Coney Island, N.Y., by devouring a then-world record 53 3/4 frankfurters in 12 minutes.

That mark was surpassed earlier this month by Joey Chestnut of San Jose, Calif., who gobbled up 59 1/2 hot dogs and buns at the Southwest Regional Hot Dog Eating Championship at the Arizona Mills Mall in suburban Tempe, Ariz., -- one of the qualifying events for Coney Island.Chestnut almost defeated Kobayashi last year, gobbling down 52 hot dogs and buns at the contest, which is sponsored by Nathan's Famous Inc.

Chestnut must feel the same way that NFL QB Steve Young felt when he learned that Joe Montana, the 49ers first-stringer, was injured, allowing Young to seize his moment in the sun. Chestnut has been eating in the shadow of Kobayashi for a long time, and he has to be ecstatic over the fact that now he will finally get a chance to assume his spot in the winner’s circle atop competitive eating’s center stage.

"Already I can't open my jaws more than just a little bit," Kobayashi wrote. "There's no pain only if I open my mouth about enough for one finger. More than that is painful and I can't open it."A specialist diagnosed him with arthritis of the jaw, he wrote."To tell the truth, I'm desperate about healing completely before the July 4 contest," he said, adding that he had begun receiving treatment at a hospital and from a chiropractor.

On Tuesday, his United Food Fighters Organization said on their Web site that Kobayashi has found a doctor he can trust and was "creating an environment in which he can dedicate himself to healing.""The contest is coming up soon, and we'd happy if everyone kept him in their thoughts," the group wrote.

Ms. Right is Wrong This Time

Elizabeth Edwards pleaded Tuesday with journalist Ann Coulter to "stop the personal attacks," a day after the conservative commentator remarked that she wished Edwards' husband, Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, had been killed by terrorists.

Ann Coulter is a guard dog for the Republicans. Whenever they want to get at someone, they just say “Sic ‘em Annie,” and like a dutiful little mutt with a bad case of rabies, she growls and barks in their direction. Her vicious remarks aren’t just mean, but they’re also destructive, and in many cases, baseless as well.

Coulter’s snarky comments are getting old. Time and again, she gets away with saying really nasty things, supposedly all part of the never-ending battle called partisan politics.

It used to be kind of cute and amusing. It was like, “Wow, look at this tough, assertive woman who pulls no punches.” But, when she starts spewing hate -- like saying someone should have been killed by terrorists – well, that’s going way too far, in my opinion.

Ann Coulter needs to be gaited a bit. She needs to slow down. Maybe she should take up a hobby that will mellow her out a little. Like gardening or hot air ballooning. A lot of folks are doing this scrap booking thing. She might like that.

I am one of the first people (me and Larry Flynt) to defend Freedom of the Press. But, name-calling and labeling is not responsible journalism. And the terrorist remark wasn’t even hers. She stole it from Bill Maher. So, she’s not even original!

Elizabeth Edwards said she did not consult her husband before confronting Coulter on the air, adding that she felt the pundit's remarks were "a dialogue on hatefulness and ugliness."
“The things she has said over the years, not just about John but about other candidates, lowers the political dialogue at precisely the time we need to raise it," Edwards said by phone on MSNBC's "Hardball" program, where Coulter was a guest.

"It debases political dialogue," Edwards said. "It drives people away from the process. We can't have a debate about issues if you're using this kind of language."Coulter responded with a laugh and charged that Edwards was calling on her to stop speaking altogether. She questioned why

Elizabeth Edwards was making a phone call on behalf of her husband, and she criticized John Edwards for "stealing doctors' money" during his successful career as a trial lawyer."I don't think I need to be told to stop writing by Elizabeth Edwards, thank you," Coulter said.

On ABC's "Good Morning America" on Monday, Coulter was asked about a March speech in which she used a gay slur to refer to Edwards."If I'm going to say anything about John Edwards in the future, I'll just wish he had been killed in a terrorist assassination plot," Coulter said Monday, picking up on remarks made by HBO's Bill Maher. Maher suggested in March that "people wouldn't be dying needlessly" if Vice President Dick Cheney had been killed in an insurgent attack in Afghanistan.

(Some portions of this article were taken from aol.com.)

Quality Blinds Can Make a Room

At Blinds Chalet they carry the finest quality window treatments at discount prices. These folks will never sacrifice quality just to offer a low-quality blind. Every one of their window blinds and shades must measure up to their high standards before they will ever sell them online. You will not find a better quality window covering for the price anywhere. With over 25 years of experience in the window coverings industry, they know that their customers will always be happy with their decision to choose Blinds Chalet. Good blinds can completely change and dramatically upgrade the look of a room. Give these guys a try.

A Rehab Miracle

If you’ve got a substance abuse problem, there’s a drug rehab center in Malibu where they can really help you. I had a fraternity brother who was badly hooked on drugs. I won’t go into detail, but he was on his way to an early grave. He went to this place called Cliffside Malibu and kicked his habit. The best thing about it is that he hasn’t relapsed. He’s been able to change his life and really turn things around. It’s a miracle, because he was pretty much lost to us before going into rehab. And now he’s back – for good!

Should Barry Bonds Play in the All-Star Game?

With the All-Star game at AT&T Park only two weeks away, the debate over whether or not Barry Bonds belongs on the field for the Midsummer Classic is gaining momentum. People in this town are buying into the all-star hype. There hasn’t been this much baseball-related excitement around here since the 1989 Bay Bridge World Series between the Giants and the A’s.

As Barry nears the record for career home runs, the local media is pushing for fans to vote for Bonds. But, it doesn’t look good. The voting closes on Thursday and Bonds is currently in fourth place among NL outfielders, trailing Alfonso Soriano of the Chicago Cubs by more than 120,000 votes. It would take a ballot stuffing frenzy of Jeb Bush-like proportions to get Bonds elected now.

So, the question at hand is – should he be selected by the NL manager (Tony LaRussa) to be on the squad? How can MLB keep the greatest hitter of the last 50 years out of a game being played in his own stadium? Doesn’t Barry deserve to be there based solely on his career stats?

The arguments are strong from both sides. From the opposition’s point of view, Bonds isn’t having the kind of season that warrants a spot on the team. Cbssportsline.com has him rated as the 10th best right fielder in the National League. He hasn’t fielded well, his batting average is less than spectacular and he’s playing for a last place team. If you also take into account that the guy is strongly disliked by many non-SF fans and part of the whole steroid controversy, it makes sense to keep him off the team.

Bonds supporters are saying that he needs to be an all-star because he’s a baseball legend, regardless of what he’s doing this year. In addition, they’re asking this question -- who else on the SF Giants deserves to be on the team if not Bonds? It’s a good point.

Every team has to be represented in the game. It’s a rule. Even Tampa Bay gets one representative. So, the next question is -- who is more qualified than Bonds to be the Giants’ lone all-star? Barry Zito surely doesn’t belong there. The only other player worthy enough to merit consideration might be starting pitcher Matt Morris (7-4, 3.38 ERA).

There’s little doubt that Bonds is by far the best player on a bad team. He’s played in 69 of the Giants’ 75 games and has made some decent defensive plays on occasion; including a great catch up against the wall recently against the Oakland A’s in interleague play. He also leads the league in intentional walks, which shows that he’s still one of the most feared batters in baseball.

I think the people of San Francisco deserve to see Bonds in the all-star lineup on July 10. Let him enter the game after the third inning and pinch hit. It will be the man’s final moment in the spotlight. With all the controversy and bad karma that surrounds Barry Bonds, he’s still entitled to be there when The City by the Bay is watched by the entire professional baseball world. It’s just the right thing to do.

Why Younger Women Should Date Older Men

I've been writing for a very funny blog called The 15-Minute Dating Blog. They just published my second piece entitled, "The Top 50 Reasons Why Younger Women Should Date Older Men." It's the new thing -- young hotties going for guys who are over 50. I'm engaged, so it's not a big part of my life. But, I can't say I'm opposed to it!

Yes, It's True. I'm Excited About Yard Markers!

The creativity and variety you’ll find in the wonderfully amazing, spectacular and ever-evolving world of yard markers is a truly something to behold. Not only do they allow you to distinguish your yard from your neighbors’, but they also tell people who you are and what your attitude about life is. If you want to be sophisticated, there’s a wide range of yard markers for you. If you want to show folks that you’re fun and have a great sense of humor, there are also some great yard markers for you to choose from. I know some of you might think I’ve gone crazy gushing about yard markers, but it’s true. I love them and I really don’t care who knows it!

It's a Monster Problem Called Monster Park

After a recent series of meetings between the NFL and San Francisco 49er officials, it looks like wherever the Niners finally decide to move, it’s going to be at least a decade before a new stadium is a reality. Whether it’s in Santa Clara or at Hunters Point, the team’s fans are going to have to be satisfied with clunky, unappealing Monster Park for a long, long time.

The whole affair is a travesty and a disgrace. Monster Park is old and should be put out of its misery. The bathrooms stink with flooding toilets, the seats are uncomfortable and the entire place looks like a mall from the '70s. They should put a dome over it and make it into a prison. The Giants were smart and got out of there a long time ago. They've been playing better ever since.

San Francisco is the only city in the NFL with a sub-par facility. Ten years ago, former 49er owner Eddie DeBartolo and General Manager Carmen Policy had a very workable plan for a new stadium. Then, DeBartolo got caught up in a Louisiana gambling scandal and was forced to sell his share in the team. Policy saw the writing on the wall and fled to Cleveland to become part owner of the Browns.

Everything has gone downhill for the Niners since then. Eddie DeBartolo won a ton of Super Bowls and built a legendary dynasty. He ran a first-class operation and his players loved playing for him. Now the team is owned by Eddie’s sister Denise and run by her husband, John York.

The Niners have spent the last decade being less than mediocre and the fans are getting antsy. With a new coach and a young promising quarterback, last season was a positive one for the team and the future looks fairly bright -- except for the stadium situation, which is looking bleaker all the time.

The major dilemma here is that it’s basically impossible to get public money for a sports facility in California. We have 15 professional teams in this state and not one of them plays in a stadium or arena that was built using state money. California can’t even build proper roads, so how the heck is it going to come up with the cash to build a stadium?

Cities aren’t any better. After three unsuccessful ballot measures, the SF Giants finally built a park with their own money. AT&T Park is the only new stadium in the Bay Areas since the Oakland Coliseum opened in 1966.

So, it’s pretty evident that any new stadium for the 49ers is going to have to be funded with private money. Anyone who knows Denise DeBartolo and John York is convinced that they’re way too cheap to kick down.

So, until the planets line up perfectly, the fans will have to sit in the cold and wind – stuck with a stadium that is outdated and unacceptable by NFL standards.

It’s a monster problem and it’s called Monster Park.