Another Olympic Mental Moment, and wait for it, wait for it, a Mental Chick !

Wow it seems like the Olympics have not only been a test of physical stamina but also have been a drain on mental agility too. (Please see previous blog entry.) Sven Kramer skated to a victory in the Men's 10,000m Speed Skating event in Vancouver only to be disqualified for not making a lane change, in other words he zagged when he should have zigged. The part I don't get is that yes his coach did signal to him to switch lanes incorrectly, but he states that he knew in his heart something wasn't right and he didn't check himself!?! Hold it a second here, this is Sven Kramer, he is more machine than human as his endurance has shown in the past, he is the equivalent of a human computer, he has this down to a science he claims to be the best in what he does and he messes up and misses a lane change and lays the full blame on his coach even though he knows it is wrong? Come on, WAKE UP! This isn't the first time something like this has happened and it sure won't be the last time either. Yes the Men's 10,000m can be a bit a monotonous, after all it is 25 chest im/exploding laps on the big track with the skaters changing from outer to inner lanes on the back stretch each lap. How hard is it to keep track of inside/outside? Or as I am thinking was your mind on something else like how to spend all the extra endorsement money you were going to receive from wining another Gold Medal? This is another example of Not Counting Your Chickens Till They Hatch, coming back to bite your backside!

Wow, I never would have thought that I would actually write these next two words, 'The Bachelor'. But I did just write them didn't I? Having maybe seen a total of 5 minutes of this show I don't claim to be knowledgeable at all but apparently during each season of this ABC reality series they bring the girls together for a special 'Women Tell All' episode and re-hash and trash each other, (a good time is had by all! yeah right?) over the previous season. After watching the highlights here ('Monday's Recap' also includes a recap of "American Pickers
₁"), it is undeniable that Rozlyn's reality address is nowhere near this Universe. It is always a shame to see someone mind a waste and waste a mind. Ce la vie!

¹Click this link at your own discretion as I have been told that in certain areas of the world this site exploits certain browsers. Personally I have never had any problems with any A&E website, but be warned! I have not included any direct links to americanarcheology.com as doing so would get me major complaints from all my loyal fans. McAfee SiteAdvisor reports major site exploits and attempted virus loads from this site. Click here to read the report.

Olympics and Crazy Russians = A recipe for Mental Melt Down!

Wow! Does anyone else think that maybe it is time Evgeni Plushenko get fitted for a "Straight Jacket"? Just in case you haven't heard the latest from "Bizarro Boy Plushenko" he has now awarded himself the highly coveted and most prestigious award ever created for an Olympic Athlete, 'the Platinum Medal for Men's Figure Skating' in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics! Wow 'the Platinum Medal' for… wait a cotton pickin minute here, just wait, there is No Such Thing or is there? And can someone award themselves a medal? Just what is going on here? It seems Plushenko has gone around the bend, the corner, the deep end, crackers, nuts, oh heck he has lost it, (actually he would have had to have had it to lose it and he never had it did he?). Just what does Plushenko think he can do other than show the world he is delusional, crazy and is in serious need of medication? Here is a world class athlete (okay okay most Men's Figure Skaters are Cake Boys, Lite in the Loafers, Flamers…you know a Butt Pirate, but these guys are athletes they have to be to jump, spin and do what they do for 4 minutes on the ice, this is not easy as they also combine sheer strength with grace and agility) who cannot accept the fact that he lost the Gold to a better skater
Evan Lysacek. Since losing to Lysacek, Plushenko has gone on a rant and rave fest
making wild
accusations and bizarre claims. He has done everything short of declaring war on Lysacek and the USA (oh wait I think he did do that). What does this idiot/crazy/mental/fruit loop/nut job/psycho think he can accomplish other than prove he is all of the above? Well apparently he thinks that the IOC will overturn the judge's decision and award him the Gold Medal. The chances of that happening are slimmer than a Krispy Kreme lasting more than 2 seconds in front of Kristie Alley's face. Now today it seems Plushenko has had a total mental break with reality. Before the games had even begun Plushenko had been taunting Lysacek apparently in a mental gamesmanship contest to psyche out his opponent, but when that did not work and Lysacek won the Gold, Plushenko did not drop his attacks he continued them in a very unsportsman like manner! He now claims that he has been awarded the Platinum Medal (which he awarded to himself, and he claims was created just for him by the IOC). To actually have paid someone to produce the medal, then post it on his website is up there with 'Fatal Attraction', as it proves he is delusional and has suffered a complete mental break with reality! Clearly he needs serious mental help and some strong psychotropic drugs! The hard part in all this is not knowing what to do? Should we laugh, should we feel empathy, should we ignore him and hope he wonders off like any other smelly homeless person on the street or should there be a worldwide intervention? It is truly a sad thing to watch Plushenko go down in flames, knowing he isn't living in any reality. Oops hold it here a second, nope never mind I was going to say you could compare this to Perez Hilton but I am clearly wrong as Plushenko has actually accomplished something in his life and is an athlete whereas Hilton is just a lazy, obese hanger-on attempting to ride the back of anyone he can to fame! Hmm, I wonder how Perez will turn this into somehow being about himself or work his way into the plotline? Better yet maybe Plushenko and Hilton can hook up; those two are made for each other!

Sundays, NASCAR, Cimzia, and Olympic Records. Wow what a weekend!

Even the weekend started off cold, dreary, overcast and cool, it has still been a good weekend. This is week two of NASCAR and also week two of Danica Patrick's break into NASCAR via the Nationwide Series. I cannot wait to wade thru all the stories and add up the media hype that Ms. Patrick will generate after only her 2^nd Nationwide start. And after last week's Daytona 500 and Saturday's race in Fontana, CA my attitude is still positive. Wow! Let me explain. For the past couple of years I have set my expectations on pre-season reports and general media interest in this Great American Race and Series. For the past couple of years it has been a desert, and now thanks to Ms. Patrick and all the media hype she has drawn to the Series it seems that NASCAR is back. Not that it really went away mind you but it has slipped in overall attendance and popularity the past couple of years. NASCAR officials were stumped, and even had gone so far as to lay the blame on its Broadcast Partners (Fox & ABC/ESPN) for being too critical and too nitpicky about everything from the cars & drivers to the tracks, owners and even NASCAR itself. An article this past week highlighted the fact that NASCAR higher ups held meetings with its Broadcasters and other Media/Journalists and had pushed them to be positive and more upbeat, and less critical. Wait a minute here isn't it a basic mandate of any good journalist/reporter to be unbiased and open whenever reporting a story? Does the France family and NASCAR (Bill France Sr. started NASCAR in 1948 built Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega AL) think that they can control the media like they do the drivers, team owners and track owners? Yes NASCAR has had a couple of hits/slights the past couple of years, what with a driver testing positive for drug use (Jeremy Mayfield tested positive for Methamphetamines this past year) and overall attendance and profits down from earlier years (seems that when the economy is down along with jobs and disposable income, people cut back on perks like tickets to races and memorabilia) NASCAR is scared that this could be a sign of things to come. Come guys the fans are still there it's just that with the economy and all, things are tough all over for everyone, we all are taking it on the chin so to speak. Kind of makes me think that NASCAR is a bit greedy and cares more for itself than the America it represents to the public.

This is also a good week for me in that I took my 3^rd dose of Cimzia on 21 February 2010. This means I have completed 28 days of treatment with this medication. In all I feel a lot better than ever and am looking forward to being able to wean off of some other medications I am on! Mainly Prednisone. At present I am taking 60mg of Prednisone a day along with 9mg total of Entocort (a specialized type of corticosteroid). I have gained approximately 20 lbs of water weight and have a round/moon face going on. Prednisone also has some other side effects like moodiness, irritability, weird hair growth, bone lose/osteoporosis and numerous other side effects I will not repeat here. While it is true that a lot of medications have side-effects, sometimes it boils down to the lesser of two evils. I will take the side-effects of Cimzia over Prednisone any day. The only thing Prednisone has going for it is its price. Prednisone is relatively cheap especially when compared to the newer Biological Agents, and while most pharmacies do not stock Cimzia, you need to order it from either the Manufacturer or from a Specialty or Compounding Pharmacy. Luckily my insurance approved it, at a cost of $4995.50 for the first month. (Note: I have used Costco for the cost comparisons listed here. While it is true that Costco is for members only ANYONE can use their Pharmacy No Membership is required! The same holds true for Sam's Club.) Oh yes I almost forgot, even though #48 Jimmy Johnson did not win @ Daytona, that went to Jamie McMurray, Jimmy did win at Fontana! NASCAR is back for another season and so am I!

TGIF and Tiger’s press conference!?!?

Hooray it's the weekend and TGIF! Oh just great it's the weekend and Tiger Woods is giving a press conference. Excuse me but why is it news worthy when a guy who is just like anyone else cheats on his spouse then gives a press conference? Oh right its Tiger Woods, I guess that makes it okay and newsworthy right? WRONG! First off Tiger is worth a lot of money, and by a lot I mean a lot of money, boat loads several dozen boat loads. Second Tiger is or was married to very pretty lady! Why would anyone consider shacking up and shagging a skank (seriously did you see the skank line-up of his conquests? Gruesome!) like the ones he purportedly did when he has a very very pretty wife at home? What comes to mind for me is this, Tiger apparently at the time believed he was a God and that he could get away with anything and everything. Too little too late he learned the hard way! He is not above the rest of us here on planet earth. It is never fun to see someone self-destruct and implode in front of you! Yet that is just what Tiger did, he done blow'd up and blow'd up good! Funny and ironic thing is he didn't really care until it started to affect his income and he started losing endorsements and sponsors which leads me to believe that his oh so contrite and humbling press conference is nothing more than a media stunt designed to keep his remaining endorsements and sponsors! (Can you smell the insincerity? If you prick his finger does his blood run "Mint Green"?)

Okay enough about Mr. Woods and on to more pressing matters. This just might be slanderous and libelous (heck what can they do to me?). My lovely wife, for those who don't know is/was a pre-school teacher, she taught for over ten years at what was a well respected local chain. Recently she was forced to leave/resign her position over what the school claims were failure to follow policy! When asked exactly what policy she had violated and not followed she was told it was not material and irrelevant and did not apply! Huh? Fired for not following policy yet just what policy she did not follow is not relevant and not important!?!? Huh? (Can you say 'estupido pendejo puta'?) For all intents and purposes this school cleaned house! Why? Well it seems that they think that by getting rid of anyone who has been there longer than 5 years is earning too much money and by cutting out these long-timers they can save money on their budget. Yes Fasha was earning well over $10.00 an hour, I would also add that she never had a bad review ever, all of her evaluations were perfect or near perfect! Now just how does this company propose to replace its experienced staff? By hiring college students with little to no experience and calling them 'interns' and giving them a small stipend and burning thru them every 6 months. This clearly endangers the children entrusted into their care! Okay I know you are asking "Wait, just wait, what school/company would do such a mean thing"? Okay I will tell you, it is Country Home Learning Center, owned by Sherri Ford. This school/learning center has been ranked as the best in San Antonio, Austin and even ranked in the top 5 state wide in Texas. What happened to my wife can also be laid at my feet as I also worked for Country Home Learning Center for a few years myself, and I was fairly vocal in some matters, meaning I voiced my concerns about certain issues. I started off driving a bus for CHLC and then fell into classroom work later on. (I was both a Summer Camp/After School Teacher and I also had a class B CDL w/'P' drivers license I was also in charge of vehicle safety and maintenance for my schools fleet of 3 buses and 3 vans. I was even starting to handle the entire company's fleet of vehicles. Why you ask did I leave? Easy answer is that I got tired real quick of a director who would say one thing and yet expect me to do something entirely different, who also expected me to read her mind. This same person also loved to micro-manage every little detail which I didn't really mind except the fact that she also attempted to micro-manage my personal life and went so far as to tell me what I should and should not do when off the clock and in my own home! Since Fasha has left Country Home Learning Center a lot of parents have pulled their children out of her class, and have made vocal their concerns, to the front office staff. Now follow along with me here, to avoid any appearance of looking like complete idiots and contradicting what they told Fasha was their reason for her termination when asked by parents as to why Fasha is no longer there they have said "Miss Fasha left CHLC for a better offer at another Learning Center. Miss Fasha did not even give us the benefit of a two week notice but instead walked in and said 'I quit' packed her personal items and promptly left. It is obvious by her actions that she has no regard for the children entrusted into her care and only is concerned with money." (Thanks to a couple of parents whom Fasha privately sits for and for a couple of teachers who Fasha is close with for this information.) It is obvious that Ms. Ford is more concerned with making more money than with providing quality care for the children they are entrusted with! In this time of economic distress you would think that Ms. Ford would attempt to keep the status quo and settle for a few million in profits but NO she wants more money. (It is estimated that gross profits exceed $20 Million plus per year, add to that the fact that she has zero debt on her 10 locations and this smacks of nothing more than greed!)

Since leaving CHLC I have noticed Fasha is now more relaxed and happier. Good for her! She has also found a better job with another learning center! Even better for her!

 

I believe in Karma and in the philosophy that what comes around goes around. Meaning that CHLC and Ms. Ford will undoubtedly reap what they have sown!

I also believe that the safety and security of the children are the number 1 priority and I urge any parent who has a child enrolled in any Country Home Learning Center to question the staff as too just how safe is my child in a class with an inexperienced 18 year old college intern making very little money and is more concerned about hang-over cures than the safety and security of 12 children in her class room!

[I believe in giving each side equal time. When contacted Country Home had no comment. So instead I am listing their URL/web address. http://www.countryhomelearningcenter.com/ Feel free to read and make your own judgment.]

Myths, Legends, and Reality TV!

It seems like more and more reality shows are airing on Network and Cable Television. With such a high demand for the genre scandals and scams were bound to show up. Case in point, 'The Biggest Loser' which airs on NBC. The show which offers overweight unhealthy people a last chance to get healthy has had several, everything from allegations of the trainers giving drugs to contestants, to staged camera shots of former contestants crossing marathon finish lines early even marriage and marital scandals. The producers argue that the show not helps the contestants but it inspires viewers to get shape themselves. No small feat when a big chunk of the population is overweight if not obese (CDC). I recently caught a rerun on cable from a previous season (either 4 or 5) and noticed that the Cable Network had enlarged and slowed down the warning that is only briefly displayed on NBC. Hmmm, let me get this straight, NBC shows this same warning yet the font is really small, and it only flashes on screen for maybe 15-20 seconds, the same warning on Cable is triple the font size and appears for at least 30 seconds. What it basically says is that the results displayed on the program are not typical and before starting any weight lose program and or exercise regime you should consult a physician! If NBC is so concerned with the health of America why would they use stealth mode to hide a potential risk to those they are trying to help? I guess when it comes down to it, they only care about large ratings and heavy profits!

The lesser of 3% evils

Wow I just cannot believe my eyes how does he do it? How can expect it to work? Is this a magic trick, sleight of hand or just plain old look you in the eye and lie for all he's worth? I am talking about Obama's budget! In case you have not noticed Obama's budget is 3% more than the last US budget, it is roughly $3.8 Trillion dollars. That my friend is a lot! But did you notice that during his 'State of the Union' address that he really got fancy with his Rigmarole? I am referring to 3 items he expounded on, 1.) He wants to increase jobs. 2.) He wants to cut taxes. 3.) He wants to increase spending. Hmmm hey dude, get a clue those are all mutually exclusive to each other! It won't, will not and never work! How can you cut/lower taxes yet increase spending without cutting existing programs and services? I guess this is another example of new math or what I like to call the 'True and Real Voodoo Economics'! Remember when Reagan was accused of practicing this type of voodoo. Reagan's version actually worked, Obama's version is all smoke and mirrors! Also let me gripe hear a moment please, Obama has been in office for over a year now, it is high time to quit blaming your administrations failures on the previous administration! Dude wake! You cannot continue to blame Bush for your failures. Get over it and admit that what you promised is nothing more than that a promise, and it failed. My advice is to get a new plan, or get new advisors, not the silly yes men you have but good honest men and women who have to live in reality. People who have to make choices about whether to buy food or medicine. Real people living in the 'Real America'. Not in some concocted reality of made up numbers. I will even volunteer myself to help. I am speaking from experience, as I am disabled and am also a returning college student, (I have a dream of completing my degree and going back to work, trust me no one wants to live on disability forever! My only concern is Medicare coverage as I will be hard pressed to find any health insurance company willing to cover me for a reasonable premium!) and my wife was recently let go from her position, (she had been there for over 10 yrs, and was making a decent salary, yet her former employer found that they can staff the company with college interns and pay them half as much and call it a stipend and get 2 interns for the price of one employee and burn thru them every 6 months). Trust me, we have to make choices each and every day, and some days those choices are made for us! One thing is for sure, we are Americans and we will get thru this. The true die hard American Spirit lives in the honest, hard working, men and women who each day face real choices and real life challenges! God bless us each and every one who works for a living! May your choices and challenges be easy and few!

Money Waste Remix 2010

Do my eyes deceive me or is this a repeat of last year's deception? I am referring to insurance giant AIG and its financial fiasco from last year. Seems that AIG got itself it a bind and had to rely on a handout/bailout from good old Unky Sam to stay afloat, and how did they spend the money they got from us the basic American Taxpayer, did they use it to pay the bills or settle claims or shore up their company? They blew it on parties and bonuses for their employees! What? They didn't? They sure did! After the story broke and after much public apologizing for squandering our money promised to not do anything like this again. Well guess what folks they did again! They are again getting ready to pay out over $100 Million in bonuses to employees both former and current in their struggling Financial Products Division. This is the same area of the company that is dragging down the rest of AIG and the same division that they had agreed to either sell off or shutdown, yet here it is 1 year later and they are still at it. Hmmm, if this division is so unproductive and is bleeding money then how can they justify paying bonuses on losses. Must be that tricky new math! To read more click here. I don't know about you but shouldn't we be asking them for a handout instead of them begging from us, or heck maybe they can show us how to panhandle and live off the government! As a policy holder I am cancelling my coverage with them and going to someone else!