Tony Brewer

My sister asked me to help teach her son, Jason, to drive.  I can’t say that I blame her because her hubby is a terrible back seat driver, and my sister is a big chicken!  I have to say that in a way I’m flattered that they asked me to help out with this rite of passage for Jason.  Of course my first step in this endeavor is to get Jason a DMV study guide and review all of the driving information that I think he is going to need before we even hit the road together.

Once I’m sure that he’s read and understood the study guides, then I’ll take him out to Mom’s place in the country and let him practice driving in the fields behind her house.  That’s where I first learned to drive a car – and I have to say that it built up a lot of confidence and helped me to understand exactly how the car handled before I ever took it on the road.  My father had a Saab that he let me use to learn to drive – it had a feature in it that he called “free-wheeling” that let the driver learn how to drive a standard transmission without grinding the gears.  I wish I had that old car; it was perfect for teaching someone how to drive a standard transmission!  I like the idea that everyone should learn how to drive a standard.  It’s too bad that every kid doesn’t have a standard transmission and a big field or parking lot that they can practice on!

I have to admit that I was one of the first people that I know that jumped on the bandwagon to buy the new CFL bulbs for our house. I can’t think of a single light bulb in our house now that is NOT a CFL! But I have to say that I am very frustrated that so many of these CFL bulbs are supposed to last for such a long time, but they actually burn out at a quicker rate than the regular incandescent bulbs do! And it is a pain in the neck to dispose of the burnt out bulbs! I’m all for lowering our electric bill, and saving the planet, but I resent having to pay so much money for a light bulb that won’t last as long as it is supposed to last!

I like bulletin boards.  They are really handy to have around to tack up reminder notes and appointment cards.

I can remember as a kid helping to decorate the bulletin boards in the middle school hallways.  I always thought it was a lot of fun, but I was always disappointed a few days later to see how much damage had been done to the displays by disrespectful students.  I think that the school should have provided enclosed bulletin boards for our displays – they would have stayed nice looking much longer.

At work, we use enclosed cork bulletin boards for notices about labor laws and things that the company wants posted.  They keep a lock on it so that employees can’t add or remove anything from it. I think that’s a sad, but smart thing to do.  I’d like to see a “community” bulletin board in the employee lounge, but I don’t think that’s ever going to happen.

At home Teri has put a couple of enclosed fabric bulletin boards that she made herself from shadow box frames on the walls of the den.  They are nicer looking than the cork ones, and I like how it keeps the posts dust free and contained if one should fall off.

I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears the other week when I saw a commercial for Taco Bell announcing their newest creation, the Shrimp Taco. I’m sorry but that just sounds wrong. I love shrimp, it is one of my favorite foods that I get to enjoy as much as I possibly can. I also enjoy trying new foods, but I can honestly say that these new taco product will not be one that I will be trying no matter what.

It doesn’t even look appetizing.

Most of us are not seeing any improvement, what-so-ever in the economic crisis that has so many of us in a world of trouble in so many ways. Most of the hiring freezes are still holding strong, making it extremely difficult for folks to find gainful employment in the fields that they have become accustomed to, went to school for and enjoyed for most of our lives. People are turning to furthering their education, spending what little money that they have to pay for this education that we have been told is necessary to get the jobs that we’ve been told are available for those that are qualified for. Only to find that all that time and money was wasted because they still can’t find employment for what they just went back to school for. I would be plenty ticked off if that were to happen to me, I can tell you that.

There are positions available, I’ve been told, in many of the nonprofit jobs. I remember when I thought that non profit jobs meant that you worked and you didn’t make a profit from it, only the company! It sounds silly, I know, but it’s true just the same. I just didn’t understand why they labeled these nonprofit career opportunities the way that they did.