Obama goes to church

For probably political reasons, Obama went to church last week for the fourth time in 19 months. Not a sterling record but who am I to say anything? It’s four more times than I have been to church in a much larger time frame than that. I don’t think church is a necessity for the average person to lead a proper and honest life although it probably can’t hurt.

Churches are suffering an attendance problem, especially the Catholic Church. I grew up in the ‘50s as a non Catholic in a heavily Catholic neighborhood in the heavily Catholic city of Cincinnati. Our family lived three blocks from a large Catholic Church, St. Mary’s. It was an old neighborhood with street parking only and the cars of those attending the myriad of masses on a Sunday were parked all the way to our house.

The Catholic kids I knew were well trained and never missed an opportunity to tell me my Presbyterian Church was totally incorrect in its doctrine and that the Catholic Church was the only “true” religion. St. Mary’s was run by the Jesuits and they are great teachers and brainwashers. I heard a priest say once that if they could keep a kid until 15, his thinking would be irreversible. He was wrong; I knew several who left the church.

The remarks of those kids didn’t bother me as I wasn’t crazy about church anyway and I quit going as soon as I was old enough to pull it off. But, in those innocent days of the ‘50s when most kids did as they were told, Catholic Church attendance was high. A Gallup Poll from 60 years ago shows that 75% of Catholics went to Mass. Today it is 45%.

Currently, two out of three Catholics in the greater Cincinnati area don’t go to Mass anymore. It’s not just there that this is happening; Mass attendance has been declining for decades across the country as people find things they would rather do. Some cite busier schedules, changing cultures, and what I believe is the main reason: discontent with Catholic leaders.

The Church is against birth control and is firm about an all male priesthood. Also, the many clergy abuses with children have hurt the cause as has the mild punishment handed out.

In the past, the poor depended on the Church for a social life as they were shunned by society. Today, Catholics are as rich and educated as anyone else and don’t depend on the Church as much. Also, many are turned off by the churches liberal attitude based on more government control and higher taxes.

A few years ago, the Catholic Churches of Phoenix ran TV ads asking “Catholics to come home.” Whether they did or not, I don’t know but in 2004, Bishop Thomas O’Brien of Phoenix was discovered to have been harboring pedophile priests for 20 years. Shortly after that, he was arrested for a felony hit and run accident. Such activity by a church leader is inexcusable and didn’t help church attendance.

Is church attendance on the decline? Recent figures say “yes”, especially for the Catholic Church.

To leave a comment or to read 51 other comments, click "Jim's azcentral blog" in the right column under links. You will not receive a virus. Jim McAllister writes for the Arizona Republic

New Mexico and illegal immigrants

New Mexico, The Land of Enchantment


I found some interesting information this week about New Mexico’s attitude toward illegal immigration.

With longtime Democrat Bill Richardson as governor and a 2008 population of 895,000 Hispanics (45% of total residents), I figured The Land of Enchantment had to be sympathetic toward illegal immigration.

Also, with the availability of driver’s licenses for illegals and that Obama won New Mexico’s five electoral votes in 2008 by a 57% to 42% margin plus New Mexico’s voting record of going blue in four of the last five presidential elections, the state surely had to be a hotbed of welcome mats for those who arrive there illegally. Did I mention that Richardson is also of Hispanic descent? Yeah, he is.

It’s no wonder 100,000 illegal immigrants have hit the highway out of town in reaction to Arizona’s SB 1070 law. It looks like New Mexico is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Well, maybe not. According to a recent poll by the Albuquerque Journal, New Mexico voters strongly disapprove of illegal immigrants being allowed to acquire driver’s licenses in their state by a 72% to 20%margin. 6% had mixed feelings, 2% didn’t know.

Also, a majority gives its approval to Arizona’s new immigration law. 53% approve, 35% disapprove, 7% have mixed feelings and 5% don’t know. In the Hispanic community, Arizona’s law was favored by 39% with 48% disapproving. Most of the disapproval was based on the feeling of a general dislike for Hispanics.

Professor Gabriel Sanchez of the University of New Mexico said that while voters in the state are not as much in favor of SB 1070 as the rest of the country, they are becoming more disenchanted with illegal immigrants.

Hispanic voters agreed with the majority on the driver’s license policy as 67% opposed it. They also supported the city of Albuquerque’s policy of checking immigrant status of anyone who is arrested with 79% approving. That sounds like they are members of Secure Communities.

Who would have thought those numbers would appear in New Mexico? Gomer Pyle probably would have said his trademark, “Surprise, surprise, surprise!”

What happens now for the illegal population if New Mexico doesn’t welcome them? Oregon and Utah will issue driver’s licenses to non American citizens so I guess for illegal immigrants it time to pack up, head to those states, and hope for the best.

To leave a comment or to read 59 other comments, click "Jim's azcentral blogs" in the right column under links. You will not receive a virus. Jim McAliister writes for the Arizona Republic.

The Fox News blondes

Megyn Kelly of "America Live" weekdays on Fox News

Poor Kim Guilfoyle. Kim is a raven haired beauty, a successful lawyer, and gets good face time on Fox News. So, why would I refer to Ms Guilfoyle as “poor Kim”? It is because she is not a blonde and blondes are a specialty of Fox News.

I have no problem with the blonde invasion of Fox. If it was just a cosmetic fix to attract male viewers, it may get tiresome but the blondes on Fox are ladies who are intelligent and know how to gather and report the news without exhibiting a “come hither” demeanor to attract male viewers. There is nothing like the combination of beauty and brains for a television news network to get their message across and Fox has both.

I grew up in the era of Walter Cronkite, Huntley and Brinkley, and Harry Reasoner. They got the job done in the black and white TV era but today it’s the sizzle as much as the steak that viewers want. The Fox blondes have that sizzle but it is subtle and not overdone. It’s as though they are bland Peter Jennings reporting except they are gorgeous women.

Whether you like it or not, it’s all about ratings in the broadcast business. How does Fox continually wallop their competition at the other cable news networks? They simply have better people running the place from the top down.

Roger Ailes runs Fox News and he knows what works. It’s not like he invented smart, beautiful blondes to do the news. It’s been done before with Lesley Stahl who is now 68 and Diane Sawyer who is 65. Both ladies were beautiful and intelligent in their day (still are!) but the networks never utilized them in a way to increase their audience share.

Now that the nightly network news is fading away with uninteresting ancho*rs like Katie Couric (she is a blonde too), and weak cable outlets like MSNBC and CNN, Fox has become dominant. They are the maverick who took a chance and it has worked. They remind me of the days when ABC News was always dragging a weak third in the ratings behind NBC and CBS. They tried three ancho*rs reporting from three cities but it didn’t work. Teaming Barbara Walters and Harry Reasoner was also a mistake as they complemented each other like oil and water. I always gave them an “E” for effort though since they at least tried.

Whether you are familiar with the Fox blondes or not, I would hate to be the one who tries to
dominate Megyn Kelly, Shannon Bream, Lis Wiehl, Juliet Huddy, or Gretchen Carlson. If you were looking for a really bloody nose, seek out Laura Ingraham!

Detractors like to call Fox News “Faux News”. I love it when I read that, every knock is a boost and envy is a terrible thing. That’s too bad for them.

To leave a comment or read 32 other comments, click "Jim's az central blog" in the right column under links. You will not receive a virus. Jim McAllister writes for the Arizona Republic.

Beer!!!

Schoenling "Little Kings", a staple of Cincinnati brewing.

Whether we call it suds, a cold one, a draw, a brewski, a dime draft, or whatever, most of us will admit that there is not a better beverage than beer. It’s the world’s most highly consumed alcoholic beverage and third overall behind water and tea. That’s not bad considering that technically it is illegal in most places to drink the foamy stuff if you are under the age of 21.

When I was growing up in the predominantly German city of Cincinnati, it was known as one of the great beer cities. Local brews dominated sales and when I worked in a local store, I was surprised if I sold more than a couple 6 packs of national brands Budweiser or Schlitz in a week. Everyone wanted the local stuff like Hudepohl, Burger, Schoenling, Weidemann, or Bavarian. Most of those brands are gone now as the national brands drove them under through their massive advertising and deals for suppliers.

I remember when Miller High Life was a premium beer and sold great in that clear bottle. It was called “The Champagne of Bottled Beers”. It died for a while but is coming back through some good TV ads. However, it is being promoted as a lower end product kind of like Keystone’s relationship to Coors. In other words, to me it looks like they are after the shot and a beer crowd.

Speaking of that foolish practice, my friends and I used to go to town on weekends in my Air Force days to get sloshed in a hurry as there were two reasons we were there: Find a good bar with a band and meet girls. Our standard procedure was to eat a few 15 cent McDonald’s burgers, drink a few shots and wash them down with some beers. My standard order was three or four bottles of Schlitz and a couple snorts of Southern Comfort. Needless to say it created a nice buzz and occasionally I would actually meet girls if I didn’t throw up first. I still wonder how many times I danced the Twist and the Limbo in those days.

Coors is an interesting beer. Brewed in Golden, Colorado, it was known as “Colorado Kool-Aid” by many because it was very light. For years it was not sold east of the Kansas-Missouri border which brought about some stories of how people back east got the stuff. That ended when Coors went national.

In an effort to fight off beer giant Anheuser-Busch, Coors and Miller merged in 2008 and so far seem to be doing all right. Anheuser-Busch sold out to a Belgium firm which was a shocker to me. I couldn’t believe them not being owned by the Busch family of St. Louis. But, in these uncertain times, nothing should surprise us although I shake my head when I see a bottle of Budweiser now.

Today, the small micro breweries seem to be doing well with all sorts of different tasting brews. Stop by The Yard House sometime and you’ll see what I mean. Desert Ghost, CJ, Kevin and I met there a few weeks ago and enjoyed the combo of great suds and classic rock.

Life is good!

To leave a comment or to read the other 52 comments, click "Jim's azcentral blog" in the right column under links. You will not receive a virus. Jim McAllister writes for the Arizona Republic.

Progress can't be stopped

The Kindle, is this the future of books?

I received an email the other day that mentioned some items that we took for granted in the past but are now disappearing before our eyes as “progress” keeps rearing its head. For example, personal checks: I have done my banking online since 2003 which has saved a lot of time and money. I pay all my bills online or through credit card. So far in 2010, I have written only 17 checks. I see a day when banks will drop paper personal checks as a cost saving measure.

Books may also be in trouble with new devices like Kindle available. Although I was happy to stop writing checks and stamping and mailing envelopes, I think I would miss holding books and turning real pages. Kindle sounds good and the pricing is attractive at half the price of a regular book. But, when do we decide that keeping something we love may outweigh the monetary savings of something more innovative? At the moment, I have access to an excellent library at no charge and can buy other books really cheap at the Cave Creek library. Kindle will have to wait for now.

Do you still have a land line telephone? I do, but I don’t know why other than I dislike cell phones (although I own one) and refuse to give up the tradition of having a real phone. Getting a new phone used to be a fun experience. The phone company guy would come by with a nice shiny new phone and install it. He would climb the telephone pole in our backyard in Kansas and call me from there to check if the phone was working properly.

It was REALLY a thrill when call waiting became available. Imagine having two calls on the same line simultaneously! It all sounds pretty ancient now. As far as texting, no way! I have to draw the line somewhere.

These items are just scratching the surface of the changes we can expect. We’ve already discussed the changes in the newspaper business as fewer and fewer young people read print papers anymore. Television is slipping as cable costs escalate and the number of irritating commercials keeps increasing and forcing more people to go to their computers for viewing.

By 1950 TV had made radio a second class citizen. Now, it is getting the same treatment. What about the post office? If people quit mailing bill payments, what will the P. O. do? They’re broke now! Will it disappear? FEDEX and UPS are a lot more efficient.

I will remain a dinosaur for a while I guess. When driving I still listen to news, sports, and financial stations, much of which is on AM radio. I can’t remember the last time I played a CD. Do they still make those?

To leave a comment or to read other comments, click "Jim's azcentral blogs" in the right column under links. You will not receive a virus. Jim McAllister writes for the Arizona Republic.

Too much racial sensitivity

Dr. Laura is out the door

After saying “nigg*er” eleven times on her radio talk show of August 10, 63 year old psychologist Laura Schlessinger has resigned. It may be a resignation to her but I think she was fired. I don’t know if it matters since after 30 years I hear her show was getting stale anyway. I never listened to it as I am not a fan of radio psychologists but I am interested in what readers think of the call that got her in trouble. It’s 6:40 long and I think you will find it interesting.

I think Dr. Laura makes some good points but in these days of overblown racial sensitivity, one is not supposed to say ANYTHING that might be the least bit sensitive. It’s sad that has happened as we used to be a loose, tolerant society that was not so thin skinned. Today, too many lack a sense of humor and take themselves way too serious and that is a shame.

Schlessinger says she is going to try to “regain her first amendment rights.” I don’t think she has lost those rights; she simply said some things that in this uptight liberal society we live in are considered inappropriate. Therefore, she no longer has a radio show.

Here is another example of the garbage we have to put up with today. The black candidate for the Republican Congressional seat in District 3 is former Paradise Valley Arizona Mayor Vernon Parker. He is opposed by Ben Quayle, son of former VP Dan Quayle. Because of Parker’s ethics issues, Quayle referred to him as the “National poster boy for the Democratic Party.” Parker is outraged at the use of the word “boy” and considers it racist. As silly as that sounds it gets even sillier when you consider that Parker brags about being endorsed by Sheriff Arpaio, a guy thought by many to be the biggest racist of them all.

How do you think the Prius driving, CFL bulb using, PC crowd would accept the following interaction from a 1938 Jack Benny radio show? Benny’s valet was a black man named Rochester who was played by the great Eddie Anderson. In one scene, Benny and Rochester are going west on a train. As the train stops in Santa Fe, Rochester thinks he is at the 125th Street station in Harlem. Benny tells him it’s Santa Fe and the people there are Indians.

Rochester says “Just the same, I saw a papoose eating a pork chop.” Benny says “What of it. He can be an Indian and still eat a pork chop.” Rochester says, “I know, but he had it between two slices of watermelon.”

That was funny stuff in 1938. In 2010, I don’t think Mr. Parker or many other blacks would laugh. Parker would be worrying too much about an insignificant non-racial comment calling him a “boy.” Meanwhile Charles Barkley is always making fun of white people and they laugh it off. Maybe we white guys should start being paranoid too.

To leave a comment or to read the 62 other comments, click "Jim's azcentral blog" in the right column under links. You will not receive a virus. Jim McAllister writers for the Arizona Republic.

Don't build the mosque

Common sense is an interesting subject and it applies to about everything. You wouldn’t wear white socks with a tuxedo, you wouldn’t wander into the rain without an umbrella, and you probably wouldn’t back into traffic. To do so would go against common sense.

I would define common sense as the ability to avoid doing things that make no sense. That is why I wonder why New York’s main Muslim, Imam Feisel Abdul Rauf, is intent on building a mosque in New York City located two blocks from where 3,000 innocent Americans died on 9-11.

Rauf has made comments like this referring to 9-11: “I wouldn’t say the United States deserved what happened. But the United States policies were an accessory to the crime that happened.” His wife, Daisy Khan, has referred to the building of the mosque as “no big deal.” That sounds like a dismissal of the fact that 3,000 people died as a result of Muslim terrorists two blocks away.

A last ditch effort through a lawsuit is being made to stop the project but it probably will not be won. The families of 9-11 victims along with some politicians and religious leaders are opposing it and plan a protest on 9-11. It’s a nice gesture but will also probably be ineffective.

Mayor Bloomberg of New York supports the mosque and legally not much can be done about it. Apparently the Constitution says it’s all right as the U. S. believes in freedom of religion. However, here is where that pesky common sense gets involved. After 9-11, a massive dislike over anything Muslim has evolved in the United States. Most people are still incensed over 9-11 and that feeling will never go away. Adding fuel to the fire are recent stories of Muslim fathers murdering their daughters for dating men who were not Muslim. Punishment for women under Sharia law frequently involves stoning them to death. That’s not in line with the values of most Americans.

The insistence of building a mosque so close to Ground Zero reeks as a gesture of “sticking it” to the United States. I’m sure bin Laden is having quite a laugh over it as our politicians meekly let it happen. That mosque could be built in many other places but near Ground Zero was picked. Did they really think this would not create a controversy?

It will be interesting to see if the place gets built. I don’t see American construction workers participating and the controversy will not be going away any time soon.

Jim Croce once sang that “You don’t tug on Superman’s cape, you don’t spit in the wind.” It’s only common sense and if you are Muslim, you don’t build a mosque next to Ground Zero regardless of the constitutionality.

To leave a comment or to read the other 67 comments, click "jim's azcentral blog" in the right column under links. You will not receive a virus. Jim McAllister writes for the Arizona Republic newspaper in Phoenix/Scottsdale.

The Chinese "paper sons"

Keye Luke of Charlie Chan fame may have been the second naturalized citizen from China in 1944.
A “paper son” was a young male Chinese immigrant who came to the United States between about 1910 and 1944. He would claim to be the son of a citizen when in actuality he was the son of that person on paper only.

In 1882, during the US presidency of Chester A. Arthur, the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed. Previously, Chinese immigrants were welcomed as they flowed to the gold fields of California where work was plentiful. When the gold played out and competition for jobs became more acute, an anti-Chinese sentiment evolved as they moved to cities like San Francisco to take jobs as low wage earners doing restaurant and laundry work. Sound familiar?

Initially the Act suspended Chinese immigration for ten years but as time passed, the law was renewed to make Chinese citizenship virtually impossible until 1944. Even then the quotas remained small. It wasn’t until 1965 with the passage of the Immigration Act that meaningful quantities of Chinese immigrants occurred.

That story seems quite tidy except for a natural disaster that changed the face of Chinese immigration into California. That disaster was the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. Coincidentally, the earthquake destroyed city hall and along with it, all the birth records of the city’s residents. Many savvy male Chinese immigrants seized this opportunity to claim false citizenship and the US government had no choice but to take them at their word since the records had been destroyed that may have proven otherwise.

With citizenship, these men could travel to China, spend a period of time, then return to claim a false marriage and/or the birth of one or more children still in that country. Since they were now considered citizens, their Chinese children were also considered citizens. The loophole was that many of the children were not actually kids of the “father” but were “paper sons”. The men would sell citizenship papers to young men in China and claim them as their kids to bring them to the States.

The US government knew of this practice so when the kids arrived at the Angel Island entry point in San Francisco, they were given extensive tests and interviews to prove they were who they claimed to be. This required hours of study and memorization in order to convince the immigration authorities they were legitimate.

Some rumors say that Keye Luke, who played Charlie Chan’s number one son in the 1930’s films, was the second naturalized citizen from China in 1944 after the Magnuson Act repealed the Exclusion Act. He would have been first but he was working on a film that day and a Chinese doctor from New York became number one.

It was a different form of illegal immigration compared to the hordes flowing across the southern border of Arizona today who feel they are entitled to be here regardless of citizenship.

A gourmet burger from Barney's of San Francisco.
According to the Arizona Food Industry Journal, sushi is one of the most popular foods of the last decade. Supermarkets have their own sushi chefs and devote decent space for sushi. I can eat the rolled up crab and shrimp sushi since it is cooked but raw fish? No way! I see people in restaurants eating the raw stuff and wonder how they can do it. I guess I’m just not “with it.”

Bacon is still a big seller which kind of surprises me with all the warnings about eating too much fat. I guess it is the yuppies who are avoiding it in their never ending quest to be thin and wear all the right clothes. I still love the stuff but try not to overdo it. Some of the best restaurant bacon is at The Good Egg restaurants in the Phoenix area. Just be sure to tell your server you want it “crispy” as that brings out the best flavor. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it. It’s time for a BLT!

Cupcakes have become a big deal. They are not that big in supermarkets but cupcake shops have sprung up with a lot of overpriced stuff. A few years ago a place called Sprinkles opened at Camelback and Scottsdale Roads and did a land office business. They were getting $36 a dozen but for the “in” crowd, they had to have them at any price. California strikes again! I’ll take two Hostess from Circle K.

Gourmet hamburgers are popular now. It seems every restaurant has one or a selection of many. I thought we were supposed to be eating less fat. Never mind, gourmet is in and they are expensive with all the goodies piled on especially if you have to have Kobe beef which is loaded with fat. I’ve eaten a lot of burgers in my life but none lately. I’m not sure if it is because my tastes have changed or that I found out that McDonald’s meat has so many preservatives in it that it can’t possibly spoil. I’ll take a ham on rye instead.

Sliders are now a big deal too although to me they are nothing new. They are nothing but small burgers, tuna, chicken, or whatever. In Cincinnati we used to go to the nearest White Castle hamburger joint after a night of too much drinking and scarf several of those 12 cent suckers down. Their slogan was “Buy ‘em by the sack” and they were really good at 3:00 in the morning. Greasy little burgers with greasy onions: Yum, life was good!

Coffee and tea have become big deals. I think a lot of people take these two items way too serious, especially coffee. You have to hand it to places like Starbucks and Tully’s for the prices they are able to get for a cup of joe. Somehow I can’t picture myself sitting in a Starbucks all morning working on a laptop computer drinking $4 cups of coffee that tastes about the same as private label store coffee. Circle K coffee is better and cheaper.

You have to hand it to Starbucks, though. They have convinced a lot of people that the Starbucks logo is something they can’t live without and at the same time have made a lot of money.

If you want to leave a comment or read other comments, go to "Jim's azcentral blogs" in the right column under links. You will not get a virus. Jim McAllister writes for The Arizona Republic.

Remembering past rockers

Duane Allman (1946-1971) of the Allman Brothers Band
When Bret Michaels of Poison recently suffered a brain hemorrhage, it made me think of the older rock stars that I enjoyed years ago and the premature demise of many. Fortunately, Michaels survived so he is one of the lucky ones but with their hard driving lifestyles, a lot of these guys go ten toes pointing up long before they need to. Too much booze, dope, and women can lead to a downfall but not necessarily in that order.

Keith Moon was the drummer for The Who but he left us in 1978 at age 32 after he OD on pills and choked to death on his own vomit. Jimi Hendrix also did the vomit choking thing in 1970 when he died in a London hospital at 27. Pills were the culprit there also. Janis Joplin died of heroin poisoning in 1970 sixteen days after Hendrix.

Those 60’s and 70’s rockers didn’t fool around when it came to drugs and booze. I remember Janis wailing away on stage while swilling from a bottle of Southern Comfort. Hendrix was known for some heavy drug use, especially LSD although when they did an autopsy on him, they found more red wine than anything besides an overdose of sleeping pills. The dosage on those pills was half a tablet but some sources say he took about nine of them that night. Moon was on medication that was supposed to handle withdrawal from alcoholism. Being a compulsive guy, he took 32 tablets in a short amount of time which was plenty to kill him.

Does anyone remember Bobby Darin? Bobby died in 1973 at age 37 from complications of open heart surgery. My greatest remembrance of him was his first big hit “Dream Lover” in 1959. It was a smash as it became an anthem for the drive-in movie and restaurant teen crowd. Bobby was more interested in sounding like Frank Sinatra though and followed with million seller “Mack the Knife” in 1960. He also did some acting roles in movies along with Las Vegas gigs until heart problems caught up with him much too early in life.

Most of us remember the big hit from 1979, “My Sharona” by The Knack. Lead singer and guitarist Doug Fieger died in February, 2010 of a brain tumor. “My Sharona” was another one of those anthem songs for a lot of kids who grew up in the 70s. I danced to it many times myself and was sad to see Fieger go at the young age of 57.

Alex Chilton was the lead singer for The Box Tops, a great little group from the 1960’s. In 1967 they released their biggest hit, “The Letter.” Barb and I danced to that song many times in my college days in Missouri in the late ‘60s. Chilton died at 59 of heart failure in May of 2010.

Every time I hear the old tunes, I can think of somewhere in the past I heard them and the good times that accompanied them. When I see these artists dying off, it is like losing part of my youth. Fortunately, they will always be with us in a sense through their recordings.

To leave a comment or read other comments, click "Jim's azcentral blog" in the right column under links. You will not receive a virus. Jim McAllister writes for The Arizona Republic.

The battle of the sexes

"Be sure to fill the gas tank, honey. Remember you ran out once 40 years ago."

As much as a man and woman may love each other, they will always have differences of opinion, especially about the "small stuff." Years ago, it was referred to as "The battle of the sexes." I don’t know what they call it today but I know it inspired the term "Yes, dear."

As an example, Barb and I decided to go to Queen Creek today and check out a place called the Olive Mill. We decided to go through Fountain Hills and use Gilbert Road to get to the Superstition to avoid the faster yet boring route of the101. The gas tank was a little below 1/4 and I was told to fill up before we reached the freeway. I mentioned that we had plenty of gas to get there and could fill up then. I was promptly told to fill up NOW and that I had run out of gas a few times in the past and she didn’t want to have it happen again. All right, maybe I did run out once or twice about 40 years ago, but....but...but. "Yes dear, is this Valero station O. K.?"

Last week Barb went to Denver to see a couple of her girlfriends. It was a three day trip but she prepared for it at least a week. I told her that when I was out in my sales territory for three days, it took me only about an hour to pack a couple suits, shirts, shaving kit, etc. I was told it is "different" with girls because they need to take things that we wouldn’t understand. Uh..... "Yes, dear."

I think men rule the road, especially when it comes to getting around. When a new road opens, the guys take advantage of it if it is an improvement of the way to get to a certain place. When women learn how to get from "A" to "B" they are usually welded to that route regardless of how many times you say, "But, if you take the 101 to the 202, you can get to the airport quicker." Usually, a guy will get the "No, I might get lost. I’m sticking with my old way." Yes, dear.

Then there is the "move the furniture around" routine that the girls like. How many times have you guys come home and found your Lazy Boy in a new location further from the beer box or the newspaper you left on the floor that morning? Archie Bunker was lucky; Edith knew better than to move his chair or even have the audacity to sit in it.

Regardless of the small stuff, the guys still love the girls. After all, those great meals don’t materialize out of thin air and it is nice to have someone to rub feet with on a cold winter night. It’s well worth a few "Yes, dears" now and then.

To leave a comment or to read any of the 64 other comments, click "Jim's azcentral blog" in the right column under links. You will not get a virus. Jim McAllister writes for The Arizona Republic.

1957 Chevrolet Bel-Air hardtop.
I was a car freak when I was a kid. There wasn’t a car on the road I didn’t know and they didn’t change much from year to year. Only kids like me and my friends could tell the difference between a ‘49 and ‘50 Ford and Mercury or a ‘47 and ‘48 Chevy. We loved those heaps and waited anxiously until we were 16 and could get our driver’s licenses.

Unlike now, in those days the new models came out usually at the very end of the previous year or in early January. It was in early January of 1955 when I took my annual bus ride to Queen City Chevrolet in downtown Cincinnati to see what kind of boxy model Chevy had to offer for that year. I was expecting another version of the ’54 with maybe new taillights or door handles when to my surprise, I saw the sleek new model for 1955. Was this really a Chevy with its old 6 banger? No way, Chevy had graduated to a V8 (6 was still available) and put it in a stylish new group of body styles.

Thus began the greatest triumvirate in auto history. The 1955, ‘56, and ‘57 Chevys were on their way to a grateful America. There was nothing quite like the sound of the new 1955 265 cube V8 running through the gears. It was a whine that I will never forget. It was advertised as “The Hot One” and other ads told us “Don’t argue with this baby!”

In 1956, several advances were made from the ’55 and they weren’t just cosmetic. $40million was spent on styling improvements while the V8 and 6 were given more power. It’s no wonder they said “The hot one is even hotter!” My brother had a 1956 Chevy convertible with a “power pack.” A power pack was basically a four barrel carburetor with dual exhaust and it really would move! Also available was a V8 with TWO four barrel carbs if you REALLY wanted to move.

The ’57 Chevy was advertised as “Sweet, smooth, and sassy.” With a new fuel injection system added to the line it certainly was sassy. It also received a styling facelift to give it a longer and lower look. I always like the abbreviated fins on the back fenders and the dual rocket hood ornaments.

The ‘57 was the last of the three years of classic Chevys and after vintage Corvettes, is the most sought after car by collectors. The most popular of the 57’s was the red convertible; every baby boomer of the 50s and 60s wanted that car.

Those were great cars and a credit to General Motors’s engineering of that era. In 1958 they were gone and replaced by a new design which included a 348 cube V8 in the new Impala. They were nice cars but not in the same league as the ’55,’56,and ’57.

I doubt if anyone will ever match those three years of Chevys and to those of us who remember those times, they are a fond memory.

To leave a comment or to read other comments, click "Jim's azcentral blog" in the right column under links. You won't get a virus. Jim McAllister writes for The Arizona Republic.

Moving to Arizona? Research it first!

above: Arizona in the winter north of Phoenix, 2005. Very unusual!
below: Arizona wildflowers in the Spring



I have never moved anywhere without researching the area. It’s only common sense that a person should want to know about an area before they invest in a home and a possible change in lifestyle.

In 1987, my wife and I decided to look into Arizona as a place to spend some time in the winter away from our home in Kansas City. We decided to buy a condo in north Scottsdale but before we did we looked carefully at the Scottsdale weather as we were not interested in spending time in a place with cold winters. If we wanted that, all we had to do was stay in Kansas City. By 1989, we liked it here so much that we made our move permanent. What was not to like about playing golf in average daytime temperatures of 65 during December and January?

Strangely enough, I have met people in Arizona who have moved here sight unseen and are not happy with the area. They say it is too hot in the summer and not warm enough in the winter. I asked one person from St. Louis who I met in November about 15 years ago how she liked our nice weather in that month. Her reply was she thought it would be nicer if it was warmer than the 72 degrees it had been that day. I felt like asking her if she would have preferred a St. Louis November day.

When someone makes the decision that Arizona will be their permanent home, they will probably have some questions about the area that will bring a laugh from Zonies who are used to the lifestyle here. I know this from experience as I had my share. For example: What is a swamp cooler? What is a load controller? Since rain is a rarity, why are there signs in the desert that say "Don’t cross road when flooded." I thought Arizona was a desert. Where are the sand dunes? (Try Yuma). What do you mean that every plant has a drip system? What’s that? Can you fry an egg on the sidewalk in June? (No, it just seems that hot!)

Now that I have logged 21 years in north Scottsdale and know the answers to the above questions, I still find humor with winter visitors who I see going to the pools during 55 degree January days in brightly colored swim suits with various pool paraphernalia under their arms. I guess if you have been wintering in Duluth, that 55degrees seems pretty inviting.

To leave a comment or read other comments, click "Jim's azcentral blog" in the right column under inks. You won't get a virus. Jim McAllister writes for The Arizona Republic.

FORBES most disliked sports people

Ben Roethlisberger, he's messing up big time.

Forbes magazine recently released its list of the ten most disliked people in sports. Eleven hundred people nationwide, age 13 and older, were asked their opinion on those currently active as a player, coach, manager, agent, owner, or broadcaster. A 10% minimum awareness level of those polled was also a prerequisite for being eligible to make the list.

Here are the results:

1. Michael Vick. Vick ran a dog fighting operation and was known to kill dogs through beatings and burnings. This is his second year in a row as number one on Forbes list and since I am an animal lover, that’s good enough for me. You just don’t mess with man’s best friend.

2. Al Davis. Al owns the Oakland Raiders and although I don’t dislike him, I think he is well past his prime and makes shaky decisions concerning his team. Most of the dislike of him may be from Oakland and Los Angeles, two cities he has moved his team to looking for a pot of gold.

3. Ben Roethlisberger. Ben is 28, and acts 18. The good: The recent charges of sexual misconduct by a 20 year old U. of Georgia co-ed were dropped. The bad: This is the second time this has happened. Are these girls being bought off? Ben is an embarrassment to his Pittsburgh Steeler teammates and is not a likable fellow. He would fit well in Oakland.

4. Tiger Woods. Do you dislike him because he fooled around on his wife? It doesn’t bother me; it just shows he is not too smart, not unlikable.

5. Jerry Jones. Jerry is owner of the Dallas Cowboys NFL team and thinks he is more important than the league. I’ll love it when a punter hits his billion dollar scoreboard.

6. Mark McGwire. Mark is a baseball cheater. He set the season home run record for major league baseball a few years ago but later it was found he was on drugs. Nice guy, just not smart.

7. Terrell Owens. Owens is another loud mouth, prima donna, unlikable wide receiver in the NFL who fortunately is just about washed up after being with four teams.

8. Alex Rodriguez. As 3rd baseman for the Yankees "A Rod" messed up a good thing. He showed too much greed with money, was caught using enhancement drugs, and left his wife to become a first class womanizer. At least a little restraint might have helped.

9. Allen Iverson. NBA player with Philadelphia 76ers who once told his coach he didn’t want to practice. He never turned down his big paychecks though

10. Gilbert Arenas. Former U of AZ player with the Washington Wizards of the NBA. I would list him in the "not smart" category. He came into his team’s locker room with a loaded gun. He may lose $80 million because of it.

If I was adding some honorable mentions, I may place former major league baseball player Albert Bell on the list although he may not make the 10% awareness list. How about Kobe Bryant, Barry Bonds, and Manny Ramirez? With the Suns set to flounder next year with the loss of Steve Kerr and Doug Griffin in the front office, and the probable loss of Amar’e Stoudemire from the team, maybe owner Robert Sarver should be added as an honorable mention. What do you think?

To leave a comment or read other comments, go to "Jim's azcentral blog" under links. You will not receive a virus. Jim McAllister writes for the Arizona Republic.

Expressions of the past, the Ford Model "T"

(Ford Museum)
The June, 2010 AARP Bulletin has a list of some interesting expressions from the past. These expressions were once applied universally to our lifestyles and the technology of the time but have become a bit out of date. For those of a certain age, you will understand them. For the younger crowd, maybe not. Either way I’ll give a short explanation on each.

Asleep at the switch. I still hear this occasionally as a description of someone who is not giving full attention to something. However, it originated from the days when railroads had humans doing a lot of work that is automated now. If a guy didn’t change the tracks for a train going to Chicago and it wound up in Cleveland, he definitely was asleep at the switch.

That and a nickel will get you a cup of coffee. Yes, there was a time when coffee was a nickel a cup. I saw a sign in a diner when I was a kid that read "cup of coffee, glass of water, and a toothpick: 7 cents." Throw a nickel on the counter at Starbucks and see what you get.

Came in over the transom. Does anyone remember transoms? They were those windows above the door that many old hotels had to allow for better ventilation.

Put through the wringer. If someone had difficulty or was working too hard, they may say they were put through the wringer. The wringer was used to squeeze the water out of washed clothes. Wringers were replaced long ago by the spin cycle in modern washing machines.

Best thing since sliced bread. Sliced bread was quite an invention at one time and anything that was also newly invented could be referred to being the best thing since sliced bread.

Film at 11. That was the tease for TV news in the days long before live reporting.

Beam me up Scotty. "Star Trek" technology from the 60s and an expression you may still hear occasionally.

Let’s get cranking. Popular in the days when cars had cranks to start them, no ignition switches and starters then.

Dial her up. This comes from the days when if you called a girl you liked, it would be on a rotary dial phone. No push buttons in those days.

Here is one of my favorites not on the AARP list. In the great crime film from 1931 "The Public Enemy", James Cagney is a wise guy crook driving a new stick shift fancy roadster. The stick shift (or synchromesh transmission) was a new item at that time and when a valet goes to park Cagney’s car, he grinds the gears. Cagney shouts, "Hey, stupid, be careful! That things got gears. That ain’t no Ford!"

Cagney was referring to the Model T Fords of that era which, as he said, didn’t have gears.

The Model "T" Ford was one of the most successful cars in history. Millions were sold from the early 20th century until 1928 when they were replaced by the Model "A" which had a 3 speed stick shift. A lot of customers didn't like the "A" and Ford had to dismantle many of the old "T's" to create a demand. Cagney was right, they didn't have gears, just three floor pedals. Above is a 1926 Model "T" tudor. (Ford Museum)

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Black history v. illegal immigrants

When slavery was abolished in the United States in the 1860's, it was a blessing to a multitude of black people who had previously been "owned" by wealthy Southern landowners. However, were those people really "free"? Freedom did not suddenly mean equality and respect even though most ex-slaves were United States citizens.

In Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), the U. S. Supreme Court reinforced the constitutionality of separate but equal accommodations for blacks and whites. Homer Plessy was 1/8 black and 7/8 white and easily passed for white in the society of the day. When he boarded the "white" car as a test on a train in Louisiana, he was quickly arrested for violating the separate but equal law. The Supreme Court, in a 7-1 vote (one abstaining) upheld separate but equal and Plessy was fined for his transgression.

The case of Plessy v. Ferguson remained the law in the United States until 1954 when it was abolished via the decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. During the 58 years from 1896 to 1954, accommodations of blacks and whites were anything but separate and equal. Public restrooms for whites were more like what you would see off the ballroom at the Phoenician while black restrooms were more like what would be in a downtown Greyhound bus station. If you were black and went to a movie theater, you sat in the balcony and entered and left by a separate entrance.

Black citizens also suffered indignities in show business playing mainly servant roles with names like "Snowflake" or as derisive characters who bowed to the white man and were considered fools. Willie Best and Stepin Fetchit were good examples of actors from those times. Remember, these people were United States citizens.

Fast forward to 2010. Black citizens must laugh when they see illegal immigrants marching in the streets demanding their "rights" while they receive free medical attention, free schooling, and various other benefits that cost tax paying Americans millions. In addition, nine privately owned immigration detention centers across the U. S. will soon start to receive government funding to give illegals continental breakfasts, bingo, and art classes. They will also have some nice carrot sticks to munch on along with free phone service, dancing lessons, and some hanging plants to make the facility a bit nicer. I wonder what Homer Plessy would think of this. Read about it here.

The comedian Yakov Smirnoff was right when he looked at the U. S. and declared, "What a country!"

To read the other 90 comments or add your comment, click "Jim's azcentral blog" in the right column under links. You will not get a virus. Jim McAllister is a columnist for the Scottsdale Republic in Arizona.

The business of love

It seems so romantic. Boy meets girl, they are young and fall in love, and they decide to get married. They figure this will be forever, after all, neither one could ever love anyone else, right? Never mind that she has $5 million and he has $500. They both proclaim that "The money doesn’t matter."

In a previous era that couple would tie the knot and hopefully live happily forever. In today’s "lawyered up" world, after the couple decides under a beautiful Arizona moon that they are in love, it is time to start the car and head for each person’s lawyer to get financial arrangements made in the form of a prenuptial agreement.

In the case of a couple with no significant assets, a prenup usually isn’t necessary. If they break up they can split the gas station free dishes, the Denny’s gift certificate, or whatever else they have of little value. In a prenup, both parties have a lawyer at about $2,000 each which means the legal costs would probably be more than the value of their assets.

What about if there are a LOT of assets, especially when most of them come from one party? About 40% of marriages fail so doesn’t it make sense to plan for such a contingency? To me the answer is yes and no. I’m still a romantic in the sense that when I fell in love with my future wife, the last thing on my mind was how we would split the estate if we got divorced. Of course, when your estate is about $800 as ours was, such things aren’t a factor. On the other hand, if I had $5 million, I might have wanted a legal document proclaiming how it would be split. However, in 1967 such things weren’t really considered.

Because of the cost of lawyers and the lack of assets of most young couples, most prenups involve baby boomers in the 40 to 60 age group who have had time to accumulate assets. They total 3% to 5% of total married couples.

In spite of their growing popularity, a prenup can still cause disharmony between a couple with responses like "You don’t love me!" One adviser says that both partners need to realize that it is only a piece of paper and is a "routine part of the business of getting married." The BUSINESS of getting married? Gee, doesn’t that sound romantic?

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Rock oldsters still popular

I enjoy alternative rock music. I’m glad because it means there is at least some newer music around these days that I like. I look at someone like Lady Gaga and all I see is a reincarnation of Madonna only with a lot more make up. She better have some good songs or she will go the way of the Spice Girls. That kid Adam somebody, who kissed his male keyboard player on TV, makes me want to regurgitate. As for most of the other pop singers, they may be OK but I see a lot of stations still playing the great artists and groups of the past. Stations like KDKB must get decent ratings from it or they would change their format.

Why do you suppose all five of the Grammy nominees this year for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance were in the over 50 age group? They were Bob Dylan (69), John Fogerty (65), Prince (52), Neil Young (64), and Bruce Springsteen (60). They were nominated because, regardless of their age, they are still some of the best and are able to retain their appeal.

AARP reports that Tina Turner (age 70) was mobbed by paparazzi in Paris this year asking if she is planning a tour. She gave them a definite "maybe." Meanwhile Elton John (65), Billy Joel (60), U2, and even AC/DC (Bong! Bong!), who has been around since 1973, were top grossing acts on North American tours in 2009. Carole King (68) and James Taylor (62) are set to tour North America, New Zealand, Australia, and Japan in 2010.

Neil Young has recovered from a brain aneurysm in 2005 and is bitching as usual against the establishment and David Bowie at age 63 is recording his 42nd album after having heart surgery six years ago. The Who with Roger Daltrey (66) and Pete Townshend (65) were a hit at the Super Bowl halftime show.

These guys are from my generation and I still enjoy them. As a kid in the late 50s and early 60s, there were a lot of great songs but most of the artists were what we called "one hit wonders." They had one huge hit and no staying power to do it again (Has anyone heard from Diane Renay, Sue Thompson, or Linda Scott lately?). That changed with the late 60s and beyond as the above paragraphs attest.

Two years ago (4-22-08) I did a blog about the resurgent success of the older stars and groups like Van Halen and The Police. Apparently two years later the success continues. Lady Gaga better keep her eye on the rear view mirror as she is about to get run over by a bunch of old timers.

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AZ law more strict than Feds?

Obama has complained that the AZ immigration law could be "applied in a discriminatory fashion." To respond, Megyn Kelly, an attorney and Fox News Channel anchor, took about an hour and read the law in its entirety; something many of the leading Democrats haven’t done.

She also studied Supreme Court history and case law and came up with the following: "My legal opinion is that this (SB 1070) is a little like the existing federal law, but it’s actually less problematic. The Supreme Court has already ruled that, under federal law, cops can pull you over for no reason and demand your immigration papers. Under Arizona’s law, they need reasonable suspicion."

If this is correct, and I believe Kelly, I’m reminded of the classic Wendy’s commercial in which Clara Peller asked, "Where’s the beef?" My beef is that our law has been blown out of proportion with all the Chicken Little's like Mayor Gordon, Felipe Calderon, and Al Sharpton crying "The sky’s falling" when in reality it isn’t. According to Mark Spencer of the local police union, they have been enforcing laws like ours for the last two years. His prediction? In July, when the law goes into effect, no one will even notice.

As far as the California boycott of AZ, John Phillips, a radio talk show host in L. A., took a moment on Bill O’Reilly’s show of May 20 to blast his own city’s leaders: "Our city council and mayor want to be talking about anything other than the fact they have bankrupted the city and that the only school system on the planet that’s worse than L. A. United is possibly the Taliban bomb making school. They’ve ruined everything we have so of course they want to talk about something they have no control over."

If Janet Hance and some guy named Reyes are typical examples of L. A. council members, I think Phillips makes a good point.

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San Diego slobbering for "zonies"

San Diego: In today’s (5-19) Republic, Dawn Gilbertson writes that San Diego is concerned about the possible loss of the "zonie" business this year and wants to make it clear that they never said THEY were boycotting Arizona. They were only ASKING Governor Brewer to repeal the immigration law.

They were ready to let Arizonans know via an open letter that "Hey, we love you guys. Come on over and spend your dough with us." This was after they received a lot of emails from vacationers in our state saying they weren’t coming over this year. In other words, San Diego backtracked and said yeah, we feel sorry for illegal aliens but screw ‘em if they cost us those AZ dollars.

The open letter thing has been canceled probably for the embarrassment of having to eat crow and the Convention And Visitors Bureau wants to make it clear they think it is fine for Arizonans to come over and help San Diego’s economy regardless of how they feel about illegal immigration. What a bunch of hypocrites. What happened to all the garbage about human rights?

Bills of the past vs. today: I was looking through an old checkbook from 1970 today and thought I would compare my bills from April of that year to April of 2010. The amounts from 1970 are Kansas City based.

In April 1970 my gas bill was $6.22 vs. $36 in 2010. My car payment in 1970 was $88. My last car payment here was $435. My electric bill was $5.53 vs. $76.37. My telephone bill $8.28 vs. $24.50 now.

When Barb and I got married in 1967, we decided we should have health insurance. We called Blue Cross and they sold us a policy over the phone for $15 a month. We didn’t need a physical or to show proof of any health conditions. The few times we used it, everything was covered. Costs to see a doctor then were a lot less. I had a doctor while I was in college in1968 whose regular office call was $5. He only charged me $3 because I was a starving student.

On our first grocery trip in ‘67 we had three grocery carts full as we were setting up house. Total cost? $54. I still have the receipt. You could buy a 6 pack of Budweiser for $1.00. Today we spend $54 at the grocery store when we stop by just "to pick up a few things."

It’s a good thing prices were lower then. We felt rich making $14,000 between us.

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