Snow Blows!

Well, it was reported that 28.5 inches of snow fell at Philadelphia International Airport Friday evening through mid-Saturday afternoon (just under the record 30 inches that fell in January 1996). Actually, we were already scheduled to keep our grandkids on Saturday, even before news of the approaching snow storm traveling up the East Coast was reported. So, when news of the storm broke, our daughter suggested that we pick up the kids on Friday evening (before the storm hit) and we decided to keep them with us through Sunday. Even our church cancelled services for today so instead, we will be digging out the car so we can finally take the little ones back home. In spite of the weather, we had a great time indoors with them but all of this shoveling is no fun at all. Now, I'm hearing early reports that we may get even more snow on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. Next year, I think we'll just fly south for the winter-LOL!

Student Loan Relief

When I started college, I started with a scholarship (for track) and a grant. The money from these two combined got me through one semester. After that, my mother and I were informed through my college's financial aid office that we would have to take out a student loan. I'm sure this is something that every parent and perspective student goes through.

I was particularly struck by President Obama's State of the Union address last week when he said that a person shouldn't have to go broke just because he or she attempted to get an education. I finished school in 1981... my final student loan (I had three) wasn't completely paid off until 1989, right before I got married. My wife-to-be helped me pay it off. It would not have been a good look to go into a marriage in debt.

Paying off a student loan probably keeps a lot of people from moving ahead economically. Even the most conscientious people (of whom I was definitely not one of) will tend to fall behind in payments and this can effect your credit. Of course, if you were like me in my twenties, you probably wouldn't have cared. I owned nothing... no house, no car, nothing. In my thirties, it was different. I wanted to have a house and a car. Since my name was not Micheal and I didn't have four brothers that sang, those things were going to take credit being extended to me, which is why it was a good that, although I had some late and missed payments, I got those pesky student loans out of the way before I got started on my way into real adulthood.

A new program links payments on federal student loans to income and forgives balances after 25 years. Those working in public service could have their debts erased after 10 years. This sure would have helped me.

As graduates struggle to find jobs during this worst economic crisis of a lifetime, an adviser to the Secretary of Education expects a rise in the default rate on student loans, which cannot be easily renegotiated or discharged in bankruptcy, but a provision of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 that reduces monthly payments for hundreds of thousands of borrowers who qualify for the new Income-Based Repayment (IBR) plan took effect July 1, 2009.

Borrowers who work in certain public service jobs could also have the balance of their loan erased after making qualifying payments for 10 years. Supposedly, this costs the government nothing, since it will now change the way it subsidizes student-loan lenders. So, will your student loan be bailed out? In a word, maybe.

At the very least, the IBR plan will lower the monthly payments of people who accumulated significant federal student loan debt but don't have the income to make the payments on the standard 10-year repayment plan. This relief may reach as many as 1 million people, according to the Project on Student Debt. And, despite lower payments, the former students won't be paying off their loans indefinitely because any remaining balance will be forgiven after payments are made for 25 years. Wow! I had mine paid in eight years so it wouldn't have included me anyway but it would have been nice to know.

The news is even more promising for people working in public service jobs... government employees, teachers in public schools and universities, workers at public hospitals, and anyone working for a 501(c)(3) nonprofit would qualify. Anyone working in a qualifying job who borrowed from the Direct Loan Program is eligible for loan forgiveness after 10 years, down from 25. This definitely would have effected me since I work for a non-profit.

To qualify for forgiveness, borrowers who work in a public-interest position must either have an existing Direct Loan or consolidate a federal loan with a private lender into the Direct Loan Program and make 120 payments after Oct. 1, 2007. The payments, which do not have to be consecutive, can be made while at different eligible positions and must be made on the income-based or standard repayment plans.

At this point, the burden is on borrowers to document where they were working during their repayment period. The Department of Education is planning to develop a more definitive system to confirm eligibility, but right now borrowers should keep pay stubs and tax documents that verify their work history.

IBR and public-loan forgiveness won't be the best options for every borrower. Some borrowers, those able to make higher monthly payments, would be better served by sticking with a traditional payment plan to avoid accruing years of additional interest. Graduates who financed their education with private loans are ineligible entirely. Bummer!

But, for an MBA grad who borrowed $150,000 while planning to be an investment banker but ended up in government service (i.e. mailman), the IBR will result in payments that are affordable on a civil servant salary.

And, that is certainly good news to know. When I came out of college in the 1980s, I had nothing good to know.

Keith's Favorite Quotes

ART: Oscar Wilde Caricature By Brendan O'Rourke

"A gentleman is one who never hurts anyone's feelings unintentionally."

Nicknames

Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd

One thing about your childhood and your adolescence... when it's over, it's over and, in essence, it should stay over. Michael Jackson never understood this and he spent the rest of his adult life trying to, in effect, "fix" what he felt was broken in his childhood. Most people don't do that, but they do carry past hurts and humiliations with them into their adult lives and they make everybody they meet pay for it... people who had nothing to do with it.

In my case (one case, anyhow), there was a nickname. One thing you should know about me is that I hate nicknames and I always have. I liked my name... the one my mother gave me that is on my birth certificate is just fine. It has five letters, it's easy to pronounce, and I never had a problem with it. I had relatives who found it necessary to add a "y" to it. While I couldn't do anything to my relatives, the quickest way to get into a fight with me then and now would be to call me "Keithy". I hated it.

My grandmother was from the south and she had a peculiar way of calling my name, which sounded like she was saying "Keith A.", A. being my middle initial (it's stands for Albert, just in case anyone was curious). To some of my cousins, I jokingly became "Keithay"... One cousin still calls me that to this day, in jest, but I don't mind it.

However, the one nickname that I hated the most was a name I was given in high school that lasted until I graduated. I will not reveal the nickname here but I hated it. It was given to me in the 10th grade during a snowball fight. I had on a cheap pair of gloves. The material was so cheap that the snow and ice were freezing my hands so there was really was no reason to have the gloves on. I would have been better off throwing the snow with my bare hands.

Well, this guy yells out the nickname that would follow me throughout high school and it was actually the name of a Chicago gangster (not Al Capone) who had long been dead. Everybody laughed, including me. I had no idea that this nickname would become synonomous with me... but it did and it stuck.

By the time I was a senior in high school, some of my teachers were referring to me by this nickname too. My mother always told me that you are the name that you answer to... so, I should have nipped that in the bud right there and refused to answer to it. Maybe, it just wouldn't have mattered at all. Sometimes a name catches on like wildfire and there is nothing you can do about it.

Bank robber, Charles "Pretty Boy " Floyd hated his nickname, which was given to him by a prostitute who was impressed with his looks and the impeccable way he dressed. When shot down by the FBI in 1934, agents ran up to him, leaned down, and asked him.. "Are you Pretty Boy Floyd?" He answered, "I am Charles Arthur Floyd" and then he died.

"Baby Face Nelson", whose real name was Lester Gillis, hated his nickname too and no one dared call him that to his face. It was a nickname cops gave to him because even at 26, He was short and looked like a little boy. He never liked it or answered to it. He prefferred to be called "Big George Nelson" , but nobody ever called him that either. The man killed three FBI agents in 1934 before he himself was gunned down. When asked who the body belonged to at the local morgue, his wife , who came to claim it, said "Lester Gillis." Nobody knew who she was talking about until a cop said, "That's Baby Face Nelson." Then, everybody knew.

The year I graduated, I won a few awards... the Coaches Award for Athletic Excellence and a few others. When my name was called, there was a hush amongst my classmates. They had been calling me by this nickname for three years and only a handfull of them actually knew my "government" name, as the young people say today.

When I left high school, that nickname was buried there. No one in college called me anything other than my real name. My wife doesn't even know about this nickname. I went through the Air Force known by my actual name and I left it at that.

You can imagine how mortified I was a few weeks ago when I was sitting in bar and restaraunt with two female co-workers enjoying some hot wings, a couple of cold beers, and catching the Sixers game, when two of my friends from that era (who, by the way, did not go to high school with me and only knew me by that name because they had heard someone else call me that)walked in and sat with us. They were a tad bit inebriated and very talkative... especially one of them.

They began regaling these two women with tales from my "colorful" past... some of it complete fabrication and some of it was only partially true. Then, they began calling me by that name... that dreaded nickname. Naturally, these women were fascinated and here was a whole side of me that they didn't know. The thing was, I didn't know this side either... and neither did the storyteller. Since these guys and the women were drunk, talking out of their heads, and no one was getting the hint that not only was I embarrassed but they needed to shut up, I endured and it was high school all over again.

In high school though, I never told anybody to shut the hell up and I never said that I didn't prefer being called by that nickname. I still didn't tell anyone to shut up, but I made it clear to all involved that I prefer being called by my given name. This was news to them and one guy just couldn't let it go. He told the women that most women called me "Keith" and that the "brothas" called me by my gangsta nickname. I reiterated that everybody calls me Keith and that was what I preferred. He wasn't hearing it, but the other three kinda got the message and caught the vibe. The matter was dropped and I have dug up the ground and buried that name again. Hopefully, it will never to be revived.

I never said that, at times, I couldn't be petty. For some people, a name is all they have. There are thousands of people who can't stand their birth names and hide behind a middle name or hide behind a nickname... but, I am not one of them.

The Trouble With Toyotas

If you follow me on Facebook, you know that yesterday I wrote a humorous status update that said I was driving to work behind a Camry and in front of a Corolla. Both of these cars are manufactured by Japanese carmaker, Toyota. If you haven't been under a rock for the past few weeks you know that they have been having more than a little bit of a problem with the acceleration pedel on their most recent models.

Now, I drive a Japanese car myself (2008 Nissan Maxima) and who knows... they may not have a similar problem one day. The thing is, I was in traffic stuck between two Toyotas that looked like they were recently manufactured and well, you know how your mind gets to wandering and you get to thinking thoughts? The truth is stranger than fiction. While I may or may not have been in any danger, the way Toyota handled the problem is very, very scary. It began in August of last year...

The 911 call came at 6:35 p.m. on August 28, 2009 from a car that was speeding out of control on California Highway 125 near San Diego. The caller, a male voice, was panic-stricken: “We’re in a Lexus... we’re going north on 125 and our accelerator is stuck! We’re in trouble... there’s no brakes! We’re approaching the intersection! Hold on! Hold on and pray! Pray! Aggghhhhhhhhh...” and the call ended with the sound of a crash.

The Lexus ES 350 sedan, made by Toyota, had hit a sport utility vehicle, careened through a fence, rolled over, and burst into flames. All four people inside were killed: The driver, Mark Saylor, an off-duty California Highway Patrol officer; his wife, daughter, and brother-in-law. It was the tragedy that forced Toyota, which had received more than 2,000 complaints of unintended acceleration, to step up its own inquiry, after going through multiple government investigations since 2002.

Yet, only last week did the company finally appear to come to terms with the scope of the problem, after expanding a series of recalls to cover millions of vehicles around the world, incalculable damage to its once-stellar reputation for quality and calls for Congressional hearings. With prodding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Toyota halted production and sales of eight models, including its top-selling Camry sedan. And late last week, the government allowed the company to go ahead to try yet another new fix for its vehicles, which it is expected to be announced today.

At almost every step that led to its current predicament, Toyota underestimated the severity of the sudden-acceleration problem affecting its most popular cars. It went from discounting early reports of problems to overconfidently announcing diagnoses and insufficient fixes.

Toyota’s safety problems may prove to be a hard lesson for the N.H.T.S.A., as well. Six separate investigations were conducted by the agency into consumer complaints of unintended acceleration and none of them found defects in Toyotas other than unsecured floor mats. In at least three cases, the agency denied petitions for further investigative action because it did not see a pattern of defects and because of a “need to allocate and prioritize N.H.T.S.A.’s limited resources” elsewhere, according to agency documents.

If that doesn't frighten you, I don't know what will. From reading this, I guess you all understand why I was just a little bit concerned about driving in front of and behind two cars that could have been included in the recall. Actually, I kid... I wasn't really concerned. But, I can't in all honesty say that thoughts didn't come to my mind about the possibilities...

What I've Learned

1. The older you get, the more nostalgic you get.

2. I always said that I never wanted to have any regrets... I find now, that's just
impossible.

3. In my lifetime, I've found foolishness and meanness in all races... and I've also found
a lot of good and noble people in all races too!

4. My grandmother used to say... "I'm from Missouri, show me" everytime a politician got on television and made some outlandish promise. I thought she was just being overly cynical.
She used to tell me to live long enough and I would understand. I think I understand it
now.

5. My mother instilled in me that an honest days work, regardless of what it was, is always better than feeling sorry for yourself and doing nothing. This is probably why I've seldom been without money in my pockets since I was about 23 years old.

6. I still believe in America, its promise, and its potential in spite of everything I've seen to the contrary.

7. Never expect a thank you and never do anything to get a thank you... see how free you feel afterwords.

8. We are all confused by the fact that there is always a lack of time for this and a lack of time for that...

9. You always find yourself wishing at some point that you might have been a better example to your children, but that's just the cycle of life. Your parents probably felt the same way too.

10. Sitting on the boat of mediocrity makes you miss your opportunity. Get out that boat and swim!

Sometimes I Forget That I'm Black Too!

I was watching President Barack Obama's State of the Union speech the night before last and it hit me... This is the President of the United States. A guy my age, a guy I might have sat next to in school. This is amazing! So, when Chris Matthews of MSNBC nearly bordered on becoming a candidate for the "Foot In Mouth Club" minuts later, I understood perfectly.

Chris Matthews said he "forgot Obama was black tonight for an hour. I said, wait a minute... He's an African-American guy in front of a bunch of other white people." Matthews was analyzing President Obama's first State of the Union speech when he commented.

He said... "I was trying to think about who he was tonight. It's interesting. He is post-racial, by all appearances. I forgot he was black tonight for an hour. You know, he's gone a long way to become a leader of this country, and past so much history, in just a year or two. I mean, it's something we don't even think about. I was watching, I said, wait a minute, he's an African American guy in front of a bunch of other white people. And, here he is President of the United States and we've completely forgotten that tonight -- completely forgotten it."

Well, I certainly wasn't thinking about it... but, I know for a fact that some people in that very room were. I don't understand the controversy over what Chris Matthews said because I perfectly understand what he meant and I in no way take offense to it. Neither should anyone else. He merely stated what for him, a white man may have been the truth so, I'm good with it! He finally looked at Barack the way 33 million other African-Americans wish that white people would look at us. As human beings and not just as "Black", "African-American" , "Knee-Grows" or "Cullard". He saw him as a man who had accomplished much over a short period of time.

In a perfect world, maybe he and all of us... Latino, American Indian, Asian, etc. could just be viewed for our accomplishments and not our racial differences. I applaud Chris Matthews for admitting that he was able to do that, if only for that hour. This may surprise you but sometimes, I forget that I'm Black too! It's the strangest thing... and I do for days until I'm reminded by the good people of these United States.

Celebrities Help In Haiti Relief

The situation in Haiti still remains grave as I write this post. I would like to take the time to acknowledge and give big ups to some celebrities who are doing their part to help and are doing so in the right spirit and not trying to hype a new movie or project.

John Travolta has flown emergency supplies to Haiti. The "Grease" actor, who is a trained pilot, flew the specially-borrowed plane to the Caribbean nation's capital Port-au-Prince to help the 1.5 million people who are believed to be homeless in the capital following the earthquake.

Travolta flew in the Qantas Airline aircraft filled with ready-to-eat rations for survivors of the disaster with his wife Kelly Preston. Speaking on his return flight, the 55 year old actor said... "We have an ability and a responsibility to help make a difference." Last week, he said... "I have arranged for a plane to take down some volunteer ministers, supplies, and medics. I hope that inspires others as well. It's needed." Travolta is among a number of A-list celebrities to take action after the disaster struck.

Last week, George Clooney fronted a TV telethon to raise money for the Haiti relief effort, with celebrities including Wyclef John, Beyonce, Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, Mary J. Blige, Jay -Z, Sting, U2, Reese Witherspoon, Justin Timberlake, Madonna and Cameron Diaz performing and taking phone donations totalling $58 million from the public.

Meanwhile, a charity single is being organized by music mogul Simon Cowell, of American Idol fame, with a host of singers including Rod Stewart, Cheryl Cole, Mariah Carey, Kylie Minogue, and Robbie Williams recording REM's "Everybody Hurts".

A lot of times, media people and bloggers malign celebrities and make fun of their travails and personal failings... failings that we all have mind you, but aren't spotlighted in the news because most of us are not celebrities. I wanted to take this time to point out something positive that is being done by these same celebrities.

I can't speak for the people of Haiti, but as a human being and an inhabitant of this planet, let me personally say "thank you" to everybody that used your fame in a positive way to bring about aid to those people on that island in this time of need.

An Early Candidate for Foot in Mouth Competition

What is it about South Carolina politicians? You've got a governor who vanishes for a weekend.. we find out that he didn't just go for a run in the woods... he's ran to Argentina to be with another woman... you've got a state senator who yells out "You Lie!" at a nationally televised Presidential State of the Union meeting last year... and now, just when you think these elected officials can't embarrass themselves and their state anymore, you have this...

When things looked their darkest for Gov. Mark Sanford (when he was in danger of being impeached for running off to Argentina to see his mistress), his best insurance policy may well have been South Carolina's Lieutenant Governor, Andre Bauer.

Lawmakers knew if they removed Sanford, they would end up with Bauer, a fiercely ambitious Republican with a reputation for reckless and immature behavior. Now, Bauer has folks shaking their heads again after he likened government assistance to the poor to feeding stray animals. At a town hall meeting on Thursday, Bauer, who is running for governor in his own right now that Sanford is term-limited, said... "My grandmother was not a highly educated woman (and as it turns out, neither is he), but she told me as a small child to quit feeding stray animals. You know why? Because they breed! You're facilitating the problem if you give an animal or a person ample food supply. They will reproduce, especially ones that don't think too much further than that." Democrats and others railed at him.

"I am disgusted by these comments. They show an unbelievable lack of compassion toward the unemployed workers in our state who are hurting during these hard times," said state Sen. Vincent Sheheenen, a Democrat who is also running for governor. "His comments were immoral and out of line." South Carolina schools Superintendent Jim Rex, another Democratic candidate for governor, called Bauer's comments "reprehensible" and said he should apologize.

Bauer said Monday that he regrets his choice of words but that government should expect welfare recipients to try to better themselves. He wants to require them to take drug tests and attend parent-teacher conferences if they have children in school. And, there's nothing wrong with that but, he didn't say that. He could have and without the animal references, I wouldn't be writing this.

As a child of divorce who benefited from "free lunches" himself, Bauer insisted he wasn't bad-mouthing people who are laid-off from work in the recession or advocating taking food from children... but rather, emphasizing the need to break the cycle of dependency. Again, he could have said that without the metaphors, but he didn't.

"Do I wish I'd used a different metaphor? Of course I do," the 40 year old said. "I didn't intend to offend anyone." I'm sure you do wish you'd used a different metaphor... NOW, of course. Let's not pretend that his grandmother was not talking about African-Americans. She was. You know it and I know it. She lived in a time when saying something like that would not cause the uproar it does now. She lived in a time when a Black president was unthinkable. Well, thhat time is not now.

Don't get me wrong..I have nothing against the great state of South Carolina. I love Myrtle Beach... I even spent some time there when I was in the Air Force and I spent some great times in Columbia, SC. (And, in theory, I don't completely disagree with what his grandmother said... in theory. But, I know that when she said it, she wasn't talking about stray animals or white folk who happened to be on welfare.) But, I sure am perplexed with the officials people from this state elect to represent them and the things they do and say.

These people make them look like idiots. I'm going to tell you something my grandmother told me as a child... She said that "people usually get the type of leaders they deserve". So, what does that say? Just something to think on...

What The Hell?

This is the second installment of my new recurring post. I started this post just for things that make you scratch your head. I didn't make this up. I'm a pretty imaginative writer, as those of you who read my other blog, Escapades, probably know... but, I'm not this imaginative.

A 59-year-old dairy farmer in upstate New York has killed 51 cows in his Copake barn with a rifle and then shot himself dead. Dean Pierson was found dead by a neighboring farmer, who then called 911. A trooper who responded and came to the scene found the victim and 51 cows dead inside their milking stalls.

Only milking cows were killed. There were heifers (no smart remarks, please) and calves in the barn that were not shot. Investigators of the bizarre case have yet to determine the reason for the suicide and mass cow killing. Neighbors of Pierson later dug a large trench near the barn and buried the dead cows there. They did not want to comment on the incident, saying they leave it to the suicide victim's widow and the police to do the talking.

Yes, and if she can come up with a logical reason for this, I'd like to hear it. I'm still scratching my head!

Where Is The Tooth Fairy When You Need Her?

Yesterday morning, we got up, got our showers, got dressed, and I told my wife that I was going to go make a run for some coffee and pastries. I had been telling her about this awesome place called Pantera's out in Wynnewood for some time. I told her how good their fresh bread (cooked on the premises) was, along with their other pastries.

On this morning, I drove out to Panteras and got a bearclaw, cherry danish, and croissant with butter. I also got an english muffin with ham, egg, and cheese for my wife, a large tumbler of coffee, and some orange juice. The plan was, we were going to eat a light weight continental breakfast, listen to some John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins while vaccuming, wiping down the baseboards, and doing the laundry.

There's a joke that goes... "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans" and it still holds true. I was munching and sipping coffee, when I felt something foreign in my mouth that could have been a walnut from my bearclaw (or not) so, I spit it out into my hand. It was my tooth... one of the reconstructed teeth from the back of my mouth that was put there after my last root canal in 2006.

I called the emergency unit of the hospital that I use according to my health insurance plan. They told me that they didn't have a dentist on duty (it being Sunday and all) but I should come down anyway and be seen. They told me to make sure that I brought my photo ID, my insurance card, and a list of any and all medications I was taking. Good Deal.

So, I'm in the emergency room and I have to say, I was waited on faster than I thought I would be with this being Philadelphia and I being a "knee-grow". I was told upfront that I had to pay a $50.00 co-pay and that my provider would pay the rest. The rest? What rest? They hadn't done anything yet! After I paid, my blood pressure and temperature were taken and both were a little high. (I guess so... you just took $50.00 bucks from me!)

The doctor was nice so I didn't go off, the way I had planned to. She informed me that there was no dentist on-site and that I would have to go to the dental facility that did the original work tomorrow. Her assistant took an x-ray of my mouth, gave me something to wash my mouth out, and gave me a prescription for some penicilian to keep my mouth from getting infected any futher. My parking at the hospital was validated so my final cost was $5.00. The cost to get the penicillin prescription filled was also $5.00.

Today, I'm going to my dentist, who is right down the street from where I work, and I'll have to give them a $20.00 co-pay to see me. By the time you read this, the health care industry will have gotten a total of $80.00 from me already and they will not have done a thing for me yet! Do you see where I'm going with this? I'm insured! What would happen to some poor bastard without insurance? They'd be SOL! Several people have profited from me without a thing being done. Do you want to bet that I'm going to be hit with yet another partial payment after the reconstructive work is done?

Do you mean to tell me that any of you can read this and still not think that we've got a shell game going on as far as health care is concerned? This is a joke... a straight rip-off and these guys are no more than gangsters with suits on. Tony Soprano has more honor and integrity than the people in the health care game. At least, you know up front that he's a gangster!

TO: My Grandson...

He is 4 years old today!
Love, Pop-Pop