Mark_Ockerbloom's Blog

You survived it...the worst week in the history of Wall Street. Not exactly something to celebrate, but we are still standing, the world hasn't come to an end...nor has the market...at least not yet. Across the country 401k's have been beaten to a pulp and stock portfolios have been dramatically deflated, so the big question is...what does this week hold? Who knows? Not even the best market prognosticators would dare venture a guess in this climate.

It's come down to this, last Thursday I was sitting at a light and actually began clapping when I heard over the radio the market was "up" 73 points! However, my euphoria was shortlived, because only minutes later the Dow was once again diving south on it's way to another whopping loss. Then Friday rolls around and I find myself cheering a 128 point "loss" like it was some kind of super gain? Baby steps...I guess that's the way we move forward...each day hoping things will turn around. History says it will and that's what I'm betting on...how 'bout you? What's gonna help you get through this economic crisis?   

Dr. Jack Kevorkian aka Dr. Death is shocking people once again. Not by assisting in a patient's suicide, but by painting some controversial images. Sixteen of his paintings are now on display at the Armenian Library and Museum of America in Watertown. In one of the works entitled "1915 Genocide to 1945", real human blood is mixed with paint to commemorate the extinction of 1.5 million Armenians at the hands of the Ottoman Turkish empire and 30-years later, the murder of 6 million Jews at the hands of the Nazis. Kevorkian didn't have to look far for his inspiration, the 80-year old former pathologist's parents were both Armenian genocide survivors. Kevorkian also painted "Very Still Life" in which an iris is seen blooming out from a skull and bones.

Many people are intrigued by his artwork...but plenty of others have a hard time accepting it for what it is. They can't see past his stance on physician assisted suicide after he participated in 130 of them before eventually going to jail. But he did his time and is stirring the pot once more with works of art that produce all kinds of thought, commentary, appreciation and even condemnation...and for an artist there is no higher compliment. Sounds intriguing to me and something worth checking out...you agree?

Halloween's on a Friday this year...except in the town of  Oxford where the Monster Mash has been delayed by a day. Selectmen there have voted to observe this year's Halloween on November 1st instead. Now, 24 hours might not seem like a big deal to you and me...but to kids who've had the date circled on their calendars for months, it can be an eternity! The powers that be based their decision on a study finding that the worst traffic time is 5-7 on Friday evenings. Hey I'm all for safety...but I think this is a little overboard. Let's face it, most people know to drive slower on Halloween, just as most trick or treaters know to be extra careful walking the streets in the dark. And I don't know about your neighborhood, but in mine the kids usually don't head out before 6:30 or 7 anyway. And keep in mind Daylight Saving Time ends November 2nd this year. Little ones will be with their parents and the bigger kids know better. By moving the holiday to Saturday, you've not only moved it to another day, but also another month, November 1st, All Saints Day. Ghosts, goblins, witches and saints? I say stick to October 31st, how 'bout you?

How upset are you about having to pay $2,000 to help clean up Wall Street's mess? Plenty I'm sure, especially when your 401Ks look more like 201Ks these days. Why should we have to pay for someone else's greed and poor judgment? They should be bailing all of us out! Granted we don't have to physically write out a check for two grand, but that's what it's expected to cost the average American in the end.

Hey, I'm all for getting Wall Street back on its feet and flushing out the bad apples and poor lending practices once, and hopefully for all, but it's a shame the American taxpayer has to foot the bill. Hopefully, we're taking one giant step back to move two huge steps forward...it's just unfortunate we have to backpedal at all. That's my take...what's yours?

Apparently, it's a legitimate question to ask Blackberry owners or users of other PDA's after a recent survey revealed that if forced to choose, 35% said they'd pick their PDA over their spouse! No wonder the divorce rate in this country is so high! The survey included 1,500 people and was conducted on behalf of Sheraton Hotels.

 

Other interesting findings:

• 87% of professionals bring their PDA (Personal Digital Accessory) to the bedroom.
• 85% say they check their PDA's in the middle of the night.
• 84% say they check their PDA's just before they go to bed and as soon as they wake up.
• 80% say they check their email before morning coffee.

Now, I don't own a PDA (at least not yet) but I know people who do (Maria) and I gotta say they're pretty crazy about 'em. This crazy? I hope not, but we may want to change the name to PAD or Personal Attachment Device!

In a desperate attempt to find the person of their dreams, five men and five women in Australia are seeking help from a higher power... a billboard. It's a nationwide campaign created by Bea Obradovic, herself a single, who's been on a seemingly endless search for Mr. Right. "I decided it was time for some drastic action," she said. "I wanted to come up with an idea that was original, fun, and that would help me and other single people find a partner, but at the same time support people who are less fortunate than us." On one billboard, fellow singles Murray Scarce and Lauren George are seen sitting back-to-back, smiling, with their fingers crossed. Passersby, who want to give it a try with the bachelor or bachelorette pay $15 to contact them or $10 to send them a virtual gift with all the money going to The Cure Cancer Australia Foundation and Heartkids Australia.

Pretty interesting concept and one that could certainly be a win-win for all involved. Tens of thousands of people will see the billboards, it's likely hundreds will respond, but will there be one true love in the bunch? Who knows? But I say it's worth a shot, what do you think?

Imagine eating 23,000 Big Macs, Don Gorske doesn't have to imagine...he's done it! The 54- year-old Wisconsin man ate one Big Mac a day, every day since 1972 except on the day his mother died because that was her wish. Doubt it? Don't...he's got every receipt and box to prove it. I'm sure you're dying to know how many calories that is...we'll do the math for you...it's 12,420,000! It's enough to make you plop an Alka Seltzer or two in a glass of water and say "I can't believe I ate the whole thing!"

Hey, I love food, but I can't imagine eating 23,000 of anything can you?

I admit it, it's one of my guilty pleasures. I'm talking about fantasy football...and if you know anything about this national obsession that has hundreds of thousands of football fans mesmerized, then you know my life has been altered in a way that at times can be both exhilarating and painful. The latter describes week one for me...let's just say things didn't go exactly as planned. My tight end Ben Watson doesn't play, Laverneus Coles bags me a doughnut, Fred Taylor can muster only a point while Ben Utecht actually loses a point! Imagine how much more pain I'd be feeling today if I'd taken Tom Brady over Peyton Manning in my draft?

Hopefully, Brady will be back soon and hopefully my team can rebound from a woeful week one. That's the great thing about playing fantasy football, I've got a week now to try and improve my club and who knows, with a few shrewd moves along the way, I might just make it into the win column in week 2. The question is how much time will I have to spend on the computer trying to revamp my roster? A few minutes, a few hours, a few days? How 'bout you? How'd your team fare this week? Thoughts, suggestions they're all welcome and for those of you who stumbled out of the gate like me remember, misery loves company so feel free to spill your guts here.

How do you feel about the revelation that Sarah Palin's 17-year old daughter Bristol is pregnant? Do you think that makes her mom somehow less effective when it comes to possibly serving as this country's Vice President? Some have already blogged on this website that this flies in the face of her strong stance on family values...no argument here, and sure it creates some stress in the family...but last I checked, Governor Palin seems to do pretty well when it comes to multi-tasking. And as a parent there's only so much one can do when it comes to instilling family values...ultimately the child either acts on those values or acts out on their own.

Barack Obama, who said today his mother was only 18 when he was born, insists this a non-issue calling it a "private matter". It's a private matter that's gone public because Sarah Palin is a public figure...but in my opinion this does not make her any less effective when it comes to serving our country. What do you thnk?

Wow, crazy times in the political world. In a matter of hours we've all come to know a relative unknown in Sarah Palin. Whether or not you think she can do the job as John McCain's running mate, you have to agree she's caused quite a buzz and suddenly the Vice Presidential debate on October 2nd will have a captive audience. Sure, Palin has got to impress, but she'll also be viewed as the underdog and can go after Joe Biden. Though rich in experience when it comes to debates, Biden's got to be careful; his answers must be measured and well thought out. And Obama's right-hand man can't afford to pop off as he's been known to do or come off as a bully or somehow demeaning to women.

On another note, going second isn't working out well for the Republicans. Many people thought they'd have an advantage holding their convention second because it would allow them to attack the Dems and some of the positions they took at the DNC. Going second would also allow them to leave a lasting impression. However, Hurricane Gustav is wreaking havoc with the RNC's schedule. Late Sunday, it was announced Monday's schedule has been substantially scaled back and Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday will be addressed on a day-by-day basis. Hurricane Gustav is grabbing all the headlines and rightly so...making it a not so grand week for those in the Grand Old Party.

When is being perfect in sports a bad thing? When you're a youth baseball team that's 8-0 and you have the best pitcher in the league. We're talking about a team in New Haven, Connecticut and 9-year old star pitcher Jericho Scott who's pitching is so fast (he's got a 40-mile per hour fastball) and accurate (he's never hit anyone) that he frightens the other players. The league actually told his coach not to pitch him anymore! So when he showed up to a game and took the mound, the opposing team forfeited. The league now says it will disband the team and redistribute the players to other squads but Jericho's parents and other team parents aren't playing ball and are protesting the move asking why Jericho is being punished for being too talented? "I think it's discouraging when you're telling a 9-year-old you're too good at something," said his mother, Nicole Scott. "The whole objective in life is to find something you're good at and stick with it. I'd rather he spend all his time on the baseball field than idolizing someone standing on the street corner."

Not surprisingly, the lawyers are squaring off now and all the while Jericho just wants to play ball and I say let him and let the kids who are scared of him learn how to conquer their fears.

ATVs and a safe ride are not always mentioned in the same sentence. That's why lawmakers are considering a bill that would require all riders wear a helmet and raise the legal age to drive all-terrain vehicles to 14. Right now kids 10-14 can drive ATVs with adult supervision. The bill would also require riders under 18 to complete a safety course and it would stiffen the penalties for those who don't follow the rules whether they're riding an ATV or a snowmobile.

(Check out Martin Morenz's report on this for more.)

At first glance, these changes sound like a good idea especially when kids and adults are being injured or worse yet killed at an alarming rate. Eight year old Sean Kearney of Plymouth and 14 year old James Anderson of Brockton lost their lives riding ATVs and according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, injuries to children riding ATVs have doubled since 1992. ATVSafety.gov reports 555 people were killed riding ATVs in 2006 and there were 146,600 trips to the emergency room. The number of deaths was lower than the three previous years, but still a big one.

Of course a large part of the problem is people not riding the vehicles properly and that can happen at any age which is why I'm not convinced raising the age is necessary, however I am sure that safety courses and wearing a helmet for all riders can only help prevent injuries when operating an open air vehicle that, unlike a car, offers little in the way of protection. How 'bout you?

Talk about disturbing video. A Burger King employee celebrates his birthday by taking a nude bubble bath in the restaurant sink! The sink where they clean the utensils! It took place at a BK in Dayton, Ohio and shows a guy appropriatley named Mr. Unstable showing off for a friend who captures the whole thing on camera. At one point the girl operating the camera goes and tells the manager about it and she says she doesn't want to know about it. Another employee suggests the mowhawk and tattoo clad Mr. Unstable streak around the building as the suds fall off all around him. Thankfully, that didn't happen and thankfully Mr. Unstable along with everyone else who worked at the restaurant has been fired after the Board of Health and Burger King's corporate offices were made aware of the vile video.

Hey, I'm all for "having it your way" at Burger King...but certainly not in this case. How 'bout you?

Great story out of Florida where a homeless man is homeless no more. After his company went bankrupt and he lost his job, Ronald Novack called the streets of Broward County home for the past 10 years. But after his mother died recently, the lawyer in charge of her estate began searching for Novack who was in line to inherit a large sum of money. A newspaper article soon followed and the lawyer himself even started handing out flyers with Novack's picture and information. No one could find him, then good fortune struck when the 61 year old went to a doctor's office and the staff there recognized him and called police. Novack and the lawyer, Richard Ansana, were brought together and Novack learned his mother had left him $100,000 as part of her Last Will and Testament!   

Novack says simply, "as bad as things get, things can happen and get better." His lawyer says he will make sure Novack gets some sound financial advice and lives a modest lifestyle going forward, so he doesn't end up back on the streets ever again. A happy ending. Too bad there weren't more like it.

JetBlue is charging $7 for a pillow and a blanket? Finally an idea whose time has come! I've ripped the airlines in this space in the past for charging stupid amounts of money for everything from snacks to beer to a second piece of luggage but here's one idea that actually makes sense. No more "recycled" blankets and pillows... you can now get an "eco-friendly" travel blanket and pillow as well as a $5 coupon to Bed Bath & Beyond. How can you lose? I mean how many times have you boarded a plane and they've got like 15 blankets and 20 pillows for 90-passengers? Answer, too many times. Another thing to keep in mind is the cleanliness of those "free" pillows and blankets. I worked at a station where our investigative unit took a black light to some of them and let's just say it sent chills up everyone's spine.

Hey, no one says you gotta buy the package... you can still bring your own pillow and blanket but at least this time you don't feel so fleeced. A new pillow, a new blanket and a $5 coupon to Bed Bath & Beyond all for 7 bucks? To me that adds up to a good night sleep in the air and on the ground. How about you?