Monthly Archive for September, 2011

Colts Struggling Without Manning

By: ann.taylor, September 26, 2011 in News and Sports. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

As the daughter of an Indiana native, I was born and raised on Indiana basketball, Notre Dame football and Peyton Manning for president. As a St. Louis native, my love for the Colts and all things Manning (yes, that includes Eli too), have often led me to find myself in a bind when the Rams take on the Colts, but those days may be over.

Get well soon #18!

After Manning’s latest neck surgery, an anterior cervical fusion procedure on September 8th, Colts fans worry that his recurring nerve problem still won’t be fixed, or worse yet, the Colts might cut or trade him. Manning has been in the league for 13 seasons, meaning that I cannot remember a time without him, and had never missed a start from his first day in the NFL in 1998 through that horribly epic loss in the playoffs against the Jets on January 8, 2011.

While fans should be rejoicing over the 227 consecutive games that Manning has strung together for them, it is just too hard to imagine an NFL with only one Manning brother, and even harder to imagine what will happen to the Oreo’s commercials! Manning is to the Colts and Indianapolis what Jordan was to the Bulls and Chicago, you just can’t imagine one without the other, but unlike Jordan, Manning might not to be able to bow out on his own accord.

Oh, and while we’re at it, why not add one more blow to the Colts’ franchise? Manning’s replacement, Kerry Collins, who was brought out of retirement to fill his shoes, suffered an injury in Sunday night’s game against the Steelers. Hopefully third-string quarterback Curtis Painter can hold down the fort for now, but things are looking bleak in Indy.

290-pound Man is Too Fat for Seating at White Castle

By: ann.taylor, September 21, 2011 in Food and News. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

All Martin Kessman wants to do is enjoy his White Castle burgers in the comfort of a booth at the fast-food joint. The 64-year-old stockbroker from Nanuet, NY is devoted to his White Castle burgers, but has become increasingly mad at the fast-food chain for repeatedly ignoring his complaints about the seating arrangements that don’t seem to support a person of his stature. Weighing in at 290-pounds, Kessman doesn’t think of himself as an exceptionally large man, and claims he hasn’t had any problems finding comfortable seating in other fast-food chains, but White Castle burgers are what his heart desires.

Martin Kessman

No White Castle for you!

Kessman’s first complaint against the company came in April 2009 when he hit his knee against a table’s metal support. This prompted him to write a letter to White Castle’s headquarters to make it known that there weren’t tables and chairs to accommodate a person of his size. White Castle responded to three of Kessman’s letters, each enclosed with coupons for free hamburgers and a promise to expand the seating.

Apparently enough was enough for Kessman, who is now claiming that the uncomfortable booths that have yet to be fixed are a violation of the civil rights of fat people. Not to be confused with the Civil Rights Act of 1964. So, who is in the right? Should Kessman and others of his size be allowed to use the judicial system to acquire larger booths at fast-food chains, furthering their waistlines? Or, should fast-food chains own up to the fact that it’s their food that is contributing to the ever-growing waistlines of their devoted customers? Either way, White Castle should have at least thrown in a few coupons for hamburgers with cheese.

USPS Looking for Bailout

By: ann.taylor, September 6, 2011 in Government and News. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Is a life without mail any life at all? This is a question you may have to ask yourself after the USPS announced that given the rate of declining first-class mail volume it will be broke by early next year. According to the NY Times, since mail volume has dropped 22% from five years ago, the Postal Service is lobbying Congress for multiple cuts and program changes; among these is the approval to discontinue Saturday mail delivery. The USPS once had pride in their service and adopted the phrase, “neither snow, nor rain, not heat, nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds”, originally coined by Herodotus, to describe their commitment to delivery. However, these days it seems that a little bit of snow and ice can stop delivery, and mail was once delivered twice a day, or a dozen times a week, back before the 1950s.

The Postal Service’s current fiscal year ends on September 30, so unless Congress enacts legislation this month to eliminate programs to save the USPS $5.5 billion annually and allow them to cut back on deliveries, then a world without your friendly neighborhood mailman is fast approaching.

So, what does this really mean? These days most packages are being delivered by UPS or FedEx, and many people are receiving their bills online. Does the idea of the USPS going under really raise concerns with a large number of people, or are people more concerned with the ease in which companies and organizations are asking the government for a bailout?

It might be time to say 'adios' to your neighborhood mailman