Is Television your Friend?

Hello again everyone. This is my reallyreallife.

I am wondering about the television. When it initially became the medium that it has grown into today, television's purpose was to inform and educate. Nothing else, period. That was it's sole purpose. I liked television better in the old days, when it went off at a certain time. In those days people got 8 hours sleep and came to work refreshed and eager. Contrast those days with today's television watcher and it is no wonder it is hard to get good help.

Television does not really inform and educate anymore. It entertains. In America entertainment, successful entertainment, pays well. There is nothing more successful in the entertainment field like television, especially cable television. The medium is so successful that they can charge hundreds of millions of dollars to show a commercial lasting a few seconds. Even Oprah has a television network. The medium has a great deal of influence on a person whether one knows it or not.

Because it's purpose has changed from informer/educator, the question becomes, how should it be defined today? I have an answer to what it has become. It has become a friend. Yes, television is a friend to most people. The reason, I think these reality shows are so successful is because people are at home with their friend television and not out in real life with a real friend. Who really has real friends nowadays? Our friends are on facebook. They are not at our homes and we are not at their homes. We are at home with our new friend television. Better to watch others live and try to succeed than to do it ourselves.

Some will say Morris, why do you say this is true. There are approximately 300 million people in this country. If the top five shows in a particular time slot have a total of 40 to fifty million people watching at any given time, you can't be out and about with friends. Remember, we stay in touch with virtually, not in reality. I think we have this whole "reality" thing backwards. The reality show has now become our reality. These people have become our friends and we can't wait to see them next week. So, if 40 to 50 million are watching at any given time, let's assume the same number of people are at work. Well, were at work. Let's say now that the same number of people within the country are asleep and the soldiers are off to faraway places so we can continue to enjoy our "reality...just those numbers alone means a lot of unreal reality going on. Do you have real friends or "reality" friends?

I have real friends that I see and touch and hear and break bread with, I go visit them, they visit me. This is my definition of a friend. Any number of "friends", does not compare to "a friend"

I could go on...and on and on if I want to but, .....I was just wondering. This is after all my reallyreallife.

Peace.

Thank You

Hello everyone. I just want to take a moment and say thank you to those of you who regularly read about my reallyreallife. I am very appreciative that you find what I have to say of interest and I sincerely thank you for coming. I am always seeking to be better for myself as well as you.

You know I have to end with one of my favorite words. Peace.

Future topics:

Why Prince is the premiere entertainer today!

Why am I so misunderstodd.

The reasons I am so misunderstood

America: Recovering or in it's Demise?

What is so important about Jerusalem?

Prescriptions for some.....illegals for others: Why the Discrepancies?

Organic or formulated

Does anyone really like me?

Why free radio sucks!

How much does your vote cost?

I got a vault of blogs and, "I don't write em down".

Does anyone know where that quote is from?

No sponsors.....................................no prizes

What if There Were Tests?

Hello everyone, welcome to my reallyreallife. I am sitting here trying to control my laughter as I consider today's topic. The question of the day is, What if there were tests. I met a man at the supermarket recently and I have not been able to stop thinking about our conversation. It began with cordial acknowledgment and talk of 4th of July festivities.

At some point in the conversation he told of being with his grandchildren. I asked how many grandchildren he had and he said, after long thought, that he did not know. Lacking words, I asked how many children he had. He stumbled further and finally said "I always forget how many kids I have". Let me stop laughing. I again fumbled for words and said "Wow, that many?" He said in a soft voice, "it's not a lot, I just can never remember how many there are".

What if there were a test you had to take to become a parent? How many people would pass it? What if it were like the GED test, you know, "make up a few years in a few hours"? In your reallyreallife have you ever met someone and questioned their ability to parent? You know the one, mean in the supermarket, child out of control, you know what I'm talking about. So I began to compare it to a standard test an adult has to take, like for a driver's licenses for instance. You can obtain a drivers license and not be a driver per Se. In other words such a person can get in a vehicle like a BMW and drive it like they are afraid but, have a license.

My question again is "what if there were a test". How many people do you know who you think would fail or pass such a test? And, is there more on the pass or fail side? I was just thinking.

Peace.

Education and State Lotteries

Hello everyone, welcome again, this is my reallyreallife. So much in the news.........BP say's they worked with the government to establish the 29 billion dollar fund for the gulf.............didn't Obama call them to D>C> and say, this is the deal? Approximately 1 year ago Michael Jackson died but fans can take solace in the fact that they will be listening to his music for another generation after the deal Sony struck with the Jackson family. A new album this year and up to 12 more to come. I'd like to pay off some bills but, I don't want to die to do it. There's more but that is enough "in the news".

The state of New York, my home state, is laying off 100,000 teachers. I thought they were already 100,000 short. Shameful, but the good news is that test scores are up. Let me get this straight, they are doing better on test scores with fewer teachers? This is amazing. Let's get those scores a little higher and release more teachers. New York may be on to something for other states to follow. I mean, all those decades of failing schools as well as scores and suddenly, after a reduction in the number of teachers, the scores go up significantly. However, It was recently noted that there have been school districts manipulating scores for various reasons so I am a pessimist on this this.

Here is the thing that I do not understand about New York and the other state's that have a lottery system. A little background....................every state that has a lottery system got it on the premise that the majority of the proceeds would go to education. Every one them. Yet, all lottery states have school systems that are struggling financially. My question is....if the state is financing through taxes the education system, why isn't the supplemental money from the lotteries picking up the slack? In hard times, more people play the lottery...so I've heard.

In the state of North Carolina in the late 90's into the early 00's, a camera system was put in place "for safety". To keep people from running red lights primarily. Running the red light would photograph your plate and send the offender a ticket. It came to be revealed that the vast majority of the proceeds went to the company operating the camera. However, there was a law in place that said a certain percentage of all proceeds were to go to the city/county. Needless to say, safety went out the window because the company that operated the cameras decided it's goal was profit, not safety. Rather than make less off the contract because the profit were to be inverted, the city/county getting the percentage the company had been receiving. Naturally the cameras were no longer operated and as far as I know there has never been another attempt to replace these "safety devices" As a matter of fact proceeds from alcohol sales go to the North Carolina education system...they have no money for teachers either. Is there a pattern here?

Could these state's be running a similar scam with the lottery in your state? Could this be one of the reasons your state is laying of teachers.....because or profit and greed? Duh, this is America. Everything is about money.I did not create the system, I just live within it.

Everyone should be aware of where the proceeds from lottery sales go, even if you do not play. Your representatives should give a full account of how much is made and where it is. We must hold the people charged with the oversight of our tax dollars to be more accountable and open with the finance books. There are thieves among us. Most of them, we voted for.

I live a full and reallyreallife.

Father's Day in the City of Chicago, Just Another Day

Hello everyone. 52 shot. 8 dead. 3 days. This was fathers day weekend in Chicago. This is so tragic. The victims are black as well as the perpetrators. My people, My people. I touched on this issue as it regards me personally in a previous post. No love, no peace in the black communities of Chicago. Today is Tuesday and I am just finding out about this. 52 shot in a 3 day period and it barely makes the nightly news. Land of the free? Home of the brave? Land of the armed! Home of the scared!

The sickening aspect of this situation is that these men are surely fathers. Each to more than 1 I am sure. The victims and perpetrators both. What are we doing? Where have we gone wrong.

If any of the so called "black leaders", Jesse, Al and them were any kinda of real leaders, they would have spent the past 3 decades or so leading, no developing catchy phrases to distract from their lack of substance. If black people had any "leadership" we would not find ourselves where we are in Chicago. Jesse is in Chicago, Obama, came from Chicago, Louis Farrakhan is from Chicago. Where is the leadership of these native born men of this city? Why are we still involved in this culture of death and destruction that has no end in sight with the current "leadership" we have now. As a matter of fact, I have yet to even hear a sound bite from any of them denouncing this behavior and condemning it in the strongest and clearest language possible. This is all they should be talking about, period.

There is nothing that I see as more important of the African American/Black agenda than a cessation of this violence in our communities and we need black men to step up and lead the fight. I realize pimping from the pulpit is popular in our communities but the time has come to rid ourselves of the pimps and the pushers and the thugs. Even the ho gotta go!

We have glorified thuggish behavior and whoreish behavior for too long now. It is time to let it go.

Look at all the money made from rap................let me back up a minute. Rap was about fun, jokes, laughing....no violence, no niggas, no ho's, no bitches, no fights, no guns, no death. Well less death. Hip hop came and brought these things to our communities and we act like they did us a favor by "keeping it real". Like Chris Rock said........"real dumb." Instead of placing our focus on our reading and our children's reading, we are teaching them to be cool and wear the latest thing with somebodies name on it. Our priorities need adjusting and we have to do it ourselves. We cannot and should not have been waiting for anyone to do it for us.

Here is a good example..............why beg ABC, CBS, Fox, etc to put on quality black programming that reflects positively on us when we do not even do it on our own BET network. We have some nerve. Now I guess Tyler Perry has to save black entertainment with his studio in Atlanta. another black "savior".

Speaking of a savior, why are we still looking for some one person to lead us? Why can't we regulate ourselves without a leader/spokesperson? I realize we are the only ones to not come to this country voluntarily, I realize we are the only ones who were not allowed to keep our language, our culture, our heritage, our dignity or most importantly, our freedom. Everyone else came to this country with their culture, language, heritage and everything intact. We were completely broken off to the point where it is not uncommon for an African American says he hates Africans. We have lost our minds.

We need to stop blaming others for our problems by recognizing what they are and taking the appropriate steps to alleviate them. If white people shot 52 black folk in 3 days there would be riots in the streets. Why are we silent now.

This is my reallyreallife............full of controversy. The truth hurts but it will set you free!

Peace.

I am on the verge of inviting my family to the blog. This could cause a lot of time to be spent responding to the blab/blog responses. It will be fun of course but will I be able to put in the required time. This thing may become time consuming and I don't mind I will just have to better manage my time to respond and still write quality posts. I need an assistant already!

What do I do? I want them to read my stuff but adding them will be a task for me. I guess over the next several days as word gets out it is gonna be fun here at myreallyreallife.

It is time to open the door and let the people in. I just made that up............I think.

The American Work Force

Hello everyone, welcome again to my really real life. The American work force is in very bad shape. They are overworked, highly stressed and woefully under appreciated. There used to be a time when the attendant said, "thanks for coming, have a great day." Now it is on a sign as you leave. Too busy to say thanks for spending your hard earned money with us. Used to be a time when the employees were eager to assist in any way they could. Now they talk on the phone while you feel it impolite to interrupt them. I interrupt.



What happened? Could it be all those layoffs that resulted in some many employees doing the work of two or three people? Could it be that ancient law that most states employ, the one that says you can be fired for any reason.............. including no reason at all? That sounds to me like a law with a purpose. What is the purpose you ask? To keep order. To prevent organizing. To prevent workers for advocating for their rights. To insure that any "troublemakers" could be swiftly removed while affording no sufficient recourse. And, as if all that was not enough, it's number 1 purpose is to intimidate or threaten. If I hear another person tell me "I don't want to lose my job", if they think for themselves I will................................I don't know, something. It won't be pretty!



Here is a an example of people refusing to think for themselves. I go into the gas station to pay for gas because I was getting a cigar, I give the lady my credit card and she asks for ID. I did not have my wallet. Just my keys and the credit card. All I need. Remember what I said,.....all I need. I tell the girl I do not have my wallet and she says I cannot make the purchase. I begin to tell her she is in error and she quickly interrupts to advise me this is what her manager said. I told her, just because your manager said something does not mean he knows what he is talking about or makes anything he says legal.



Here are the facts: She tried to tell me it was the law..well if that were the case every merchant would do it. It does not say on the card issued that I must present ID. It says it is not valid unless signed, nothing else. If there were to be a problem, that would then be between the card issuer and the store. And of course my favorite one which was that I can go outside, slide this card in the gas machine and fill my tank up, no ID required. Parents give their children credit cards all the time to shop with and trust me I have not seen anyone get tasked for ID. That it is a selective process is my ultimate point. I am known for occasionally coming out for quick stops with no wallet, however, I know my driver license number, my library card number, all my credit card numbers and expiration dates. If I get pulled over for speeding for example, all I have to do is give the officer my license number and he can pull me up and I can verify everything in his records. Actually,I am slipping on the credit numbers due to lack of use.



After asking for the manager, who, not surprisingly, was not there, I went to the station across the street and did the exact transaction I went into the previous station to do with no problems. I love America!



I do not even think the girl was understanding what I said in regard to using the card at the pump. I guess she said that new work saying..........."whatever."



How does the American worker come to work? tired, drunk, hungover, high, lazy, with personal problems, with emotional problems, with attitude-especially in the service industries, fed up, lackadaisical, lackluster, nervous, fearful, uncaring, complaining, wishing it were Friday. No wonder the service we get lacks any resemblance to service. Just give me your money, here is your change, whatever.



You know what I hate though? When you are in a business and the employee should know you need help but unless there is a commission involved, they act like they do not see you. They might have to do something and what worker wants to do something? Most want to do nothing. They want a no show job. Get paid, don't even show up. Or show up and do as little as possible. Or just enough to stay on the payroll. I hate lazy!



I can't blame them though. Doing the work of more than one with no significant pay raise or bonus in years. A pay raise is supposed to change your standard of living. Pennies an hour pay increases change nothing but the attitude of the worker. It causes them to say, "whatever" and truthfully, I cannot be mad at them.