Just a chime....or??

[Jerry Oz]

I'm not 100% sure about it, but I'm pretty certain the term "hillbilly" would be considered a pejorative phrase nowadays... Now, we call them "Appalachians".

[westgrandboulevard]

Well, I suppose the setting could be switched to New York, and the show titled 'The Big Appalachians'.....

[Jerry Oz]

You are good, my friend. You are good.

[moe]

What about "Amish Mafia?"

[Jerry Oz]

That looks soooo made up to me. Nothing about it seems right and to find out that the hoodlums were in the Amish community but never baptized or accepted as Amish [[as reported last week) just makes it seem faker.

[moe]

Guess you can say "Anything for a Buck."

[westgrandboulevard]

You could moe, you could, and just about anywhere......

[Jerry Oz]

Look at Miley Cyrus as an example. Trying so hard to position herself in a crowded pack of untalented wannabees, she is attempting to fashion herself as "sexy". Her differentiation strategy is bound to fail because nobody will take her seriously now and her voice [[and choice of music) is what makes you want to buy her records. Anything for a buck, but what a bad decision on her part.

[144man]

It doesn't say much for her advisers, though if it was her own idea they might have just not had the guts to disagree with her.

[Jerry Oz]

That is probably the case. It's too bad "empowerment" for youngsters like her and Justin Bieber means the freedom to make horrible decisions to assert that they are "adult".

[144man]

They'll either learn by their mistakes or ruin their careers in the process.

[westgrandboulevard]

Very true. In the unforgiving business called show, the very biggest stars can, with luck, make a mistake, minimise the effect, even turn it to their own advantage,and keep moving.

In contrast, the career of the lesser stars can suffer, at the least.

It should be apparent fairly swiftly if Miley Cyrus is big enough in the business to overcome what most appear to feel was a bad move.

[144man]

I don't think even Janet Jackson's career ever really overcame her "dress malfunction".

[moe]

How true this is!!!

They'll either learn by their mistakes or ruin their careers in the process.

[westgrandboulevard]

I'm inclined to feel that any activity or behaviour which appears alien to a star's established image is a sign of that star in decline.

It's interesting, and I don't quite know why it occurs, that those who are known for being wild, licentious people, but who then mellow and moderate their behaviour, are accepted far more readily than those who have a wholesome public image, but wish their public to know they would like to be a little more naughty.

As regards style,I can't understand who thought it would be a good idea for The Supremes of the 70s to be photographed wearing the 'swirl' gowns originally worn for TCB, but outdoors, in the full light of day, in what appears to be a sandpit.

[Jerry Oz]

I remember telling my wife that Christina Aguilera was going to have a very significant meltdown after she went from pop princess to trashy rock star for a couple of albums. She managed to pull out of that quite nicely, but you are 100% correct. She has a very powerful voice and somehow realized that her voice is what will sell songs, not her body. Cyrus, on the other hand is one of the many autotuned canned voices in the crowd and she still has the opportunity to work with a coach if that is what she wants. I don't think she does or will, though.

[westgrandboulevard]

Was Miley's daddy Billy Ray ever considered a big star in US - and, if so, still is?

[Jerry Oz]

He was [[and remains) a one-hit wonder for one of the most unlikely "hits" in American music history. He backs his daughter to the wall, regardless of what she does. Presumably because she's the bread winner now.

But that is just my opinion.

[westgrandboulevard]

That sounds a reasonable opinion to me, Jerry.

Does he happen to play any part in her management, I wonder.....

[Jerry Oz]

Only as her chief apologist. It seems like he abdicated the stern hand of fatherhood in favor of supporting his daughter, no matter what she does. He often looks embarrassed in his defence of her, whereas his wife is over the top with her support. I will not criticize someone for supporting their children, but there should always be clear eyes when doing so to protect them until they are mature.

[westgrandboulevard]

From recent evidence, Miley Cyrus certainly considers herself fully mature...

[Jerry Oz]

I am reminded of one of my favorite lines from the movies, in this case "Batman Begins". Bruce Wayne tries to explain to Rachel that he is really not the immature playing that he has displayed in public; that underneath, he is more. "Oh Bruce, it's not about who you are underneath. It's what you do that defines you." Ms. Cyrus certainly appears to prove that point.

[westgrandboulevard]

We shouldn't be so snippy, I guess. She's probably being paid a lot of money, just for doing what defines her

[Jerry Oz]

I am actually more concerned about the legion of young people who will believe it is appropriate to objectify women [[and young girls) as sex objects. It's bad enough seeing them dance around in the buff in videos, but parents have more to worry about now, with their little darlings expected to strip to their underwear and give boys lap dances at house parties to maintain their popularity.

[westgrandboulevard]

It's always going to be a tough struggle, as there are many from both sexes, not always young and impressionable, who relish the thought of being sex objects.

[Jerry Oz]

It's sad. I shudder to consider the parents who send their daughters to college in colleges far away knowing that they will be learning much more in bars on weekend nights than they'll learn in school. Nasty boys become nasty men and nasty men love it when women are drunk because there's that much less resistance and so much more reasonable doubt as to what a jury might consider to be consensual. They'll blame the victim if she got drunk and was date raped in a lot of cases. Women need to respect themselves much more and boys need to be raised to treat them with respect. Instead, they try to live their lives like they do on television where anything goes. In the end, we're not much better than animals and natural urges ultimately control most of what we do unless we aspire to be better.

[westgrandboulevard]

Without saying it was better in those days , but when TV was censored, and the content of books and magazines available to the general public was regulated, everyone was largely unaware and disinterested in what happened in certain sections of society. If it happened in one's locality, youngsters were warned off certain people as 'the sort it's best not to know', or areas where it was best not to go.

The seamier side of life [[or what some might say is the more exciting) is now much more apparent and available via TV and internet, to the point where it could almost be considered the 'norm', which is of concern. The more intelligent people are aware of it, accept it as part of today's society, deal with it and come to no harm.

As always, it's when people are or become vulnerable, and are not using good judgement for their own welfare, that it becomes of serious concern.

[Jerry Oz]

Societal norms change; it's inevitable. I'm old enough to remember when it was taboo to be pregnant before being married. Now, it's no big thing. Kim Kardashian had a baby and it was a big story, but not once was it mentioned that she was unmarried. I remember when my buddy Phil was caught smoking weed in the boys room in high school [[1979). I thought that he was going to be expelled but he was suspended for two days and returned without issue. I imagine he'd probably get only one day if it happened in 2013. I think that everybody has made his/her mind up as to what is appropriate and there's really nobody to tell them that they're wrong [[unless, of course, they break the law). I'm probably in the minority wherein I'd just like to know what the rules are. I actually like knowing that there are limits.

[westgrandboulevard]

I agree,but I've always liked to know what I may do, as well as what I may not.

If I wish to do what I've been told I may not, then it is my own conscious decision, and at my own risk.

And I've no problem with people telling me what, in their opinion, I've done wrong, as long as they spend as much [[if not more!) time telling me what I've done right.

It's important for people to feel comfortable with themselves, and to feel that there is someone who is generally on their side. It helps with their judgement on how to progress through each day.. If they can't talk about problems, it's not a good situation - even though there isn't always a rule book even for parents, as each situation is different.

I guess life is a journey of constant negotiation. To keep the momentum going, there are bound to be mistakes made.

[Jerry Oz]

Have you noticed that people are more likely to break the rules anymore and complain about getting caught by saying that the rules are wrong? If you do not like it, the time to change it is before you do it, not afterward. Take your medicine. Society is best run when people follow collective principles and tends to unravel when individuals buck the rules. If you are right, form the compelling argument and change it, but we simply cannot all have our way.

[westgrandboulevard]

Yes, I have noticed, and I'm often reminded of something I once read : " You can take whatever you want from life,but you'll have to pay for it"

There are many [[and probably always has been, but perhaps it's because I'm older now, and notice it more?) who, if challenged, will exclaim that they already have this or that going on in their lives, so don't need any more problems, as if that is some justification for whatever it is that they now have done wrong.

I presume you have must have speed cameras all over the US, as we have in UK? The furore that people make over the penalties for speeding, and arguing that the cameras are cash cows, and are immoral. It has to be assumed that they have incurred a penalty charge simply because they were driving in excess of the speed limit on that particular road.

Many of these drivers will argue that it's all wrong, quite wrong - but the answer does seem so blindingly obvious.

[Jerry Oz]

We have red light cameras here and the same argument is being made. At each intersection, large signs are posted alerting the drivers as to the cameras and still, people run the red lights and get angry. There have been cases where the person actually was in the intersection on yellow, but to my understanding, those are easily proven with the photos and the person is inconvenienced for time and patience. Grandstanding state representatives are now pushing legislation in Ohio to ban these cameras, even though in most cases they have been very effective.

[moe]

We had photo radar when I lived in Phoenix back in the late 80's. They're all over my section of Ohio.. Jerry, you have a point. There's one intersection where they tell you don't make a right turn on red until after 4pm, and yes, there are cameras. People still do it.

[westgrandboulevard]

Over here in UK, a lot of the cameras have been switched off. People argue that they are ineffective, don't save lives, and are just situated there to make money.

All I can say is that I get passed by drivers on the dual carriageways who, when they spot the cameras, suddenly brake to the correct speed, then accelerate away.

In my opinion, anything which regulates traffic flow and prevents excessive speeding should certainly be considered as an effective measure. It surely must be true that being hit by another car travelling at 60mph or more, when the speed limit on that road is 30 or 40mph [[some now as low as 20), is likely to cause even more serious injury than a collision at the lower speed.

And the most direct way to effectively regulate unruly drivers is through their pocket.

And yes moe, in our crowded island, in the middle of busy towns [[mine included) there are many 'no right turn' or 'no left turn' signs, which are frequently ignored, often by taxi drivers. So they stop in that lane, with their indicators flashing, waiting to make an illegal turn, while the traffic builds up behind them....

Am I right in thinking that many people are only as honest and law-abiding as they can get away with?

[Jerry Oz]

Some laws are for everybody else, I guess. People don't understand that the reason for traffic laws is to give people the same general understanding of what the other driver is supposed to do.

For example, you drive on the right side of the road [[or left in England) so that someone won't have to worry about having to get out of the way of someone coming the other direction. Common sense, right? You stop at a red light so that traffic can flow. That sounds about right. You travel no more than a common speed limit because if some drive 30 and others drive 80, there are bound to be fatal crashes. That's sensible to me... Oh, and since many can't even walk a straight line while inebriated, it's pretty much assured that driving in such a state is a recipe for disaster.

And yet, you still have people who make their own rules. That tips the order of things and that is what causes accidents nearly 100% of the time. Like them or not, traffic laws are based upon fundamental principals of safe operation and violating them is probably a bad idea for somebody [[the driver or his victim). If you don't like the law, please change it before making your own. I'm just sayin'...

[westgrandboulevard]

I believe you're talking about the sort of person who says' rules were made to be broken', Jerry....

And did I read that people in Iowa [[and other places) who have problems with vision are being issued with firearm licences?

[Jerry Oz]

Yes. The people in charge of administering the permits don't want to run afoul of the Americans with Disabilities Act, so essentially anyone who applies for a permit is receiving it. It's official: The world is insane. You have to have a vision test to be given a driver's license, but the gun lobby is so influential that you don't have the right to refuse a blind man a gun permit without bringing on a firestorm of contention.

[westgrandboulevard]

Well, isn't that just great.

If Unstable Mabel doesn't shoot you down, then Eyes-Off-The Target Margaret, will.....

[moe]

Love that political correctness

[Jerry Oz]

"Well, I might be blind but I see well enough to see when somebody's breaking in mah house in the dark. So I shot that boy!"
"It's broad daylight, sir. And that was the mail man that you shot."

[westgrandboulevard]

In itself, that's very funny...and I'm also reminded of Audrey Hepburn's predicament in 'Wait Until Dark'.

On reflection, if it's within the law for a partially sighted or blind person to own a gun, I wonder where the law stands on a blind person actually shooting someone with it.

I suppose it is possible for a blind person to fire a warning shot in the air...but then that would probably bring down the ceiling.....

[Jerry Oz]

Here in Ohio, it's legal to purchase all manner of fireworks and it's big business every Independence Day and New Years. It is, however, quite illegal to discharge fireworks in the state of Ohio. I never figured that one out...

[westgrandboulevard]

On the face of it, neither can I.

[Jerry Oz]

Things that make you go "hmmm?"... Speaking of which, Arsenio Hall is back on the box after a long hiatus.

[moe]

Here in Ohio, it's legal to purchase all manner of fireworks and it's big business every Independence Day and New Years. It is, however, quite illegal to discharge fireworks in the state of Ohio. I never figured that one out...

And neither have I, Jerry!!!!

[144man]

Does everyone go out of state to discharge them, or is it just that it's an old law that's never enforced?

[westgrandboulevard]

I'm not quite sure how the law stands here in the UK, but I've long thought that fireworks are far more effective and much safer when restricted to organised events.

And to think we had indoor fireworks when I was very young......

[moe]

Neighbors, 144man. On holidays. All day & all night. BOOM!!!!!!
Jerry & I live within 2 hours of each other. I completely understand what he's saying.

[westgrandboulevard]

Go on, then. What are the real plus and minus points about living in Ohio?

[Jerry Oz]

I like the people of Columbus. I moved to Memphis for a year and although the people there are wonderful, they deferred so much to authority that I couldn't engage them in any substantive debate. I like to poke folks to find out their convictions, it makes me a more effective manager if I know them intimately. In Columbus, even a high school drop out will talk to you about his politics or favorite team and stand firm if you have a difference of opinion. In Memphis, it was simply "I guess you're right" when I knew they had fire somewhere inside. I felt like they kept them uneducated, underpaid, and unable to relocate for the economic betterment of the region.

I also like the weather. We get a little bit of the worst in the summer, a little bit of the worst in the winter, but overall, it's better than being somewhere that is too hot or too cold for half the year. I love the Columbus Metropolitan Library, which I think is the best thing to sell the city on young parents. Also, there are so many great colleges here, anybody that wants to move beyond high school has no excuse other than poor transcripts not to be able to do so.

With that being said, Columbus Public Schools are horrible. The school systems in the surrounding suburbs are much better, however. Also on the minus side, there is much more to worry about with violence these days. You can minimize your risk of encountering it by not going where the guns are, however [[and they really aren't hard to avoid). Society is just shifting to where some are hopeless and couldn't care less whether they end your life and ruin their own; I'll never understand the mindset.

Finally, more on the plus side: Columbus is the most diverse city that you can imagine. Black, white, Asian, African, Hispanic, straight, gay, or all of the above [[somehow), you will find a community here. Nobody gets picked on or bashed because of it, either. There may be a few knuckleheads, but they are outliers and not the norm. Columbus also has a fantastic arts scene. One of the regrets of my existence currently is the fact that I don't go to clubs and see live music as much as I would like to. My wife and I do 95% of everything together and she's not as into it as I am. With that said, there is soooo much live music that most of what you'll encounter is fantastic because there's competition to get the stage. Film, stage, music, and art are very well endowed here.

Without going too much further overboard, that's my hometown. Most here don't appreciate it as much as I do. But if you leave for a year, you find out about everything that you took for granted.