morning Alisyn, Audra, and all…
competition is a part of life….you can’t protect someone from that…
gas….combine trips….don’t go to 10 dif. places 10 dif tomes….make a list list….combine trips

Morning Jimmy.

good morning alisyn and audra

the kids were cute protesting but is that what we want our kids doing and the piece after it really didnt make those kids any happier we all know kids need some play time

kids sports have gotten out of hand it is supposed to be fun times for them the parents have taken the fun out of it parents in my opinion should be banned from the games

have a good weekend we know you need the rest but will miss your smiling face until monday

pat new port richey fl

morning chas and jimmy

morning chas….good to see you here…

Competition is what makes the world go around - its the only way gas prices will drop.

Morning Pat. Good to see you also Jimmy.

morning pat

Good morning just before I have to leave for work.

When I looked for a job about a year ago….I could see gas prices going no where but UP. So I looked for the closest job I could find. We have a college nearby and that is where I went. That was a very very good decision.

I hope to be able to walk there when I get into a little better shape. It is only about 2 miles but I am afraid I may get there and then not be able to get home…lol.

We just stopped the Washington Post on Sundays…as that is all we got. There is a little savings also. I stopped getting the one magazine (quilting) as I can find things on the internet.

good morning Eileen

hey jimmy,

marshall, gini and elaine our in our spot if you are interested

k

Our family has not had cabel tv, going on 2 years. We get loacl tv, and rent a lot of movies. It has been great, no fighthing at bed time to watch a program, no fighting about who gets to pick the show, and the most important thing…. we have more family time!!! We are finding things to do as a family and we all love it. As a kid, I was outside from sun up till sun down, and had fun. It is amaizing what a stick can become with a little imagination. No complaints from my kids. Parents turn off the TV and enjoy the kiddies. Try it for a week and see what a difference it makes.

“ARen’t you gonna say hi to Eileen?”

Did better, kissed her on her way out the door. This is an off Friday.

Do you happen to see my post there someplace? I hate to think all the typing went for nothing….lol

chas

alisyn

that would be very nice of you to let us know in advance so we are not so disappointed LOL

but you deserve as much time off as you can get but the sunshine in the room just isnt there when you are not those expressive eyes of yours just lights up the room we will miss you but enjoy your day off

pat new port richey fl

Good Morning Alisyn
This is one of the reasons we need to drill, no cable No Fox News No way,
I bet ABC,CBS,NBC, are loving this story they are behind the high gas prices…lol
but all kidding aside we can cut down the driving we do, that can help, but the bottom line is we need to drill, lets drill thats the only Solutions we have right now.
Sal

I guess during the regular season, these teams play games and someone wins and someone loses. Isn’t that competition? You try to do your best, and the players should be recognized for it.

I only have to drive 5 miles each way to work, so I fill up about every 10 days. My wife and I take turns running errands on weekends to try to save. I hope the gas prices go down next summer because my nephew is graduating from West Point, and since I’m not crazy about flying, we’ll be driving. And I have to make sure we can make a side trip to New York city. Have a great weekend!!

Nothing Personal!!! Got you on the web!!! (I also watch the news at work shhhhhh)

Can you imagine in several years what these kids will be thinking? Better yet, imagine what they will demand.

I think the person who made the decision needs to be fired, and let them see what competition is all about.
I would bet, this guy even tells the kids they’ll be president some day too. (Now knowing the grooming, money, and connections they have got to have for such an adventure.)

Alisyn, I too was most always picked last, but hey, the reason was………..I was a lousy player.

Have a great day.

Competition is a part of life. It is learning to take the good with the bad and pulling up your boot straps and trying harder the next time. It’s not a new theory. The 12 year olds will encourage the 9 year olds to be better players as they grow. C’mon - the coach should be mainly responsible for setting this atmosphere with the team. The more positive you are with kids, the more confidence they will have - even if they lose. It’s been proven - at least in my family. As far as gas prices, I’ve stopped eating out as much.
Alisyn and Audra - have a great weekend. Thanks for having Dave on this morning. I really like him and Clayton on the weekends.

Alisyn,

YOU CAN PLAY ON MY TEAM ANYTIME YOU WANT!!!!!

Pat

ENERGY: In my never ending quest for possible alternative energy sources a thought occurred to me. What if some nondescript Average Joe likes to drink a whole lot of beer. Could the gaallons of beer byproduct be converted into fuel? I can see it now! A franchise sweeping the country. Joe’s Bar & Bio-fuel: You Pee and We Pump!

good morning,

local tv stations down south have more “paid programming” than network shows so cable or sat tv is our only option to see a program worth watching. i watch fox and friends every morning on the net while i work.

i have cut off my home internet, stopped all magazines, and bring lunch to work to cut expenses.
i save enough for a tank of gas each month.

Wait a minute! If you got rid of cable, wouldn’t you have to actually hire a real person to watch over these kids thus causing a diminishing return on your brutal budget cut?

Darling Alisyn, please don’t cut out your reading. Your gay boyfriend on Cape Cod is publishing a book next year and he’d be very upset if you stopped reading everything! Well, perhaps to save you money he’ll send you a free copy…

Looks like we need to get our picket signs ready for Monday! “Honk for Alisyn”

Just another sad chapter adding to the sense of entitlement of our youth. Where’s my trophy? Where’s my certificate of success? Aren’t all of the little leaguers gonna get a trophy anyway? Why did they even form a league in the first place if they aren’t gonna allow them to play? Lets just say bye bye to all sports. Now the soccer moms will have less time for shuttling to games and more time to read a novel.

Why is it that only the image of Jesus shows up in potato chips, grilled cheese and marble stone? Why not someone like Dr. Phil who thinks he is God?

Alisyn,

Speaking of being the kid that never got choosen for the team I can sympathize with you. But I am reminded of another such story about Ted Baxter (Ted Knight) on the old Mary Tyler Moore show. Remember, it all started in a 5000 Watt Radio station then his fabulos TV News anchor career took off and look where he is now! Am I to assume the same good fortune has been attached to you however you have gone even further, all the way to the the best morning cable news show, FOX AND FRIENDS?

Maybe you or one of the other bloggers can remember, but I would swear that when I was young and used to watch WRGB out of Albany, NY (I lived in Glens Falls) there was a newscaster on that station that was named Ted Knight. That old story Ted Baxter used to tell always reminded me of those times and it has always bugged me if that story, at least to some extent, wasn’t halfway true!

I think if you look back that Molly Lion used to work at WRGB along with a local announcer on WOAI here in San Antonio, Joe Pags (and I can’t remember how to spell his last name, even though he’s a good Italian like me). Joe used to work in NYC too and I have seen him several times on Fox usually on Julie Banderas’ show.

Gary T
San Antonio, TX (of course!)

What are we teaching our kids if we take such action. That is as bad as having a neighborhood ball game and the kid who plays the worst is the one who brought the ball. When things don’t go their way, they grab their ball and goes home. GREAT WAY OF TEACHING SPORTSMANSHIP. Who cares if some of the kids can’t play well, isn’t it all about having fun?!

As for gas and oil price increases-we should all be walking with signs protesting. These 2 girls protesting about losing their cable because their mom needs to pay for gas have alot more guts than anybody else I have seen. We can learn something from these kids.

Now these kids won’t know what talent they have because they are great at everything. If they don’t know how bad a player they are or what it takes to be a team and win, how will they function in society? In order to win big, you have to lose big. You can’t fix yourself, if you don’t know you have a problem. Why should I practice, i’m the best baseball player in the world.

you are hot today marshall keep them coming LOL

Hello F&F,

I have a lot of sympathy for the mother of the autistic child on the airplane. However, there may be another side to the story. I recently flew the Redeye from Phoenix to NYC. I booked a aisle seat for added comfort. The woman beside me had a small child that should have had its own seat and was very unruly. She kept telling those around us that she never purchased a seat for the child because the flight attendants always juggled folks around so the child would have its own seat. The plane was completely full so that was not an option. I gave up my seat to give her more room. Over the course of the flight, I was kicked, hit, and scratched. My watch crystal was even broken. The worst thing was the child cried and screamed virtually the whole way. No one on that full plane had any peace for the looooooooooong flight.

Dave

buy Kilmeade’s book “ITS HOW YOU PLAY THE GAME”.

I guess my post fell into the digital divide Ms. Alisyn.

Dang, I should have saved it until it showed up. Live and learn.

Have a great weekend.

chas

I think Alisyn has put me on her ignore list!

Several weeks ago Alisyn told her followers that a new blog day would be dawning soon. There would be more interaction and the blog would get more attention on the AtSS. Now her faithful viewers are on an ignore list.

I’ll trust my instincts Alisyn. I’m sure you’re good!

Pat

Its how you play the game. Isn’t that a book? HA.

Good Morning Alisyn and Audra,

Regarding the kids’ all-star game issue, when are parents going to learn that competition is a part of life, and not allowing it for the sake of letting kids “feel good about themselves” is doing a huge disservice to kids! When those kids grow up and enter college and the working world, they will be surrounded by competition - isn’t it better to let them learn to handle it when they are young and the issues are not critical, as opposed to handling turn downs from colleges and prospective employers? Kids have to learn that disappointment is part of life - I think that’s why so many kids are messed up today. I’ve spent many hours sitting at my sons’ baseball, football, and lacrosse games, listening to whiny parents going on and on about their kids’ not getting enough playing time - well duh…….if they don’t play well, and the object of the game is to win, then what’s the problem? My kids spent many games sitting on the bench, but I think that they learned valuable lessons about hard work and playing as a team, and that if they wanted to play badly enough, they knew what they had to do.

On the subject of belt-tightening, I don’t go out to lunch any more at work. I either bring something to work and eat at my desk, or go home at lunch. I wonder what the CEO’s of the big oil companies are doing to tighten THEIR belts? My husband and I got into a huge “discussion” about this subject this morning, after which he called me a socialist, which I didn’t appreciate. But, when you watch 2 little girls carrying protest signs because their parents can’t afford to have cable, and you know that these guys are making $50 million a year, I can’t believe that they feel justified in accepting such huge compensation packages - it drives me crazy!!!

Have a great long weekend!

My apologies in advance, Ali, You completely missed the point about losing cable due to oil prices. These folks were not only upset over losing t.v., they now do not have the internet . The husband was trying to explain to all of you, but unfortunately you were on another issue all together, not the subject they were trying to get across! As you could see from just looking at both these girls, they were not in the group of children you all were discussing at all. Unfortunately you were talking about an entirely different subject than the folks you interviewed. You realy should get them back and find out what their opinions are, not what you think they should be. Although Fox News is the only news I watch and I trust the station to be very fair and balanced, the ball was dropped this time. Thank You for your time Katherine from new hampshire

Dear Alisyn…obviously the Asst. Rec Director in Florida experienced the same social injustice as you did growing up.

However, your experience as a child had a very positive result. If you had been picked FIRST in team sports as a child then you would have chosen professional sports as a life’s calling. As a result, we would have been denied the pleasure of your appearences on Fox News.

Sadly, we would not enjoy watching as much as we do…

Shalom Aleichem, Mark P.

You’re not alone, Marshall.

Alisyn ignores me too…..

What is this about the VFW telling veterns of Somolian conflict they are no eligible to be members of the organization because no AEFM was ever issued?

Canceling cable and internet in my area would only give you about $70 a month - not really going to help a whole lot with gas prices - especially since they looked poised to keep rising astronomically.

Plus, the kids are going to need internet for school projects. Those kids should be protesting stupid parents.

The parents should at least get internet access back in the house - and ask to work from home 1-2 days a week.

In fact, I don’t know why more companies aren’t helping their employees by offering telecommuting options.

It could also help the gas prices by reducing our national demand for oil.

Ali, If it was two hand touch football I’d want you on the other team!! Maybe you were picked last but I’m sure all the boys wanted to sit next to you in class.

Mark

The Democratic party dont get it, most Democratics dont want to vote for Obama, the Democratic party picked Obama not the American people,
and the people say No way we are going to vote for Obama,
a lot of Democrates will vote for McCain,
the safe choice for the American people to make in November,
McCain is doing something about the gas prices, he will get the economy going, create more jobs, he will not raise taxes on the American people and small business, and he will be tough on National Security, and the war on Terror,
John McCain for President the only choice for the American people.

Competition: Every one gets a trophy and there are no losers. This is why we have parents attacking coaches and suing because thier 5′6″, 135lb. child did not get a scholarship to Kansas to be the point guard. Just because you want your child to be good at something does NOT mean they will. The parents and the child need to learn that lesson. Coaches are no longer able to tell the parent that the child in question is not that good. Of course the person giving that kid lessons is telling them that they are going pro so they can continue to be paid thier fee. I did not get the first job or several others that I applied for. I did not quit applying, nor did I have my mommy call the company. Learn about disappointment early and how to handle it. That director in Florida might just have a 30 y/o child still living at home and wondering why that is.

Wouldn’t it have been nice if those little girls instead of protesting had done something to help raise money to pay for the cable? A lemonaide stand? A dog walking service? A dog washing service? Doing some chores or errands for neighbors?
They aren’t too young to teach to light a candle rather than curse the darkness.

A certain irony too for a family that cut there cable ending up on a cable news show.

Alisyn,

Did you say you will be off Monday??? Gee I hope they find someone beautiful, funny, smart and charming to fill in. Is Patti Ann Browne available?? (Hint, Hint!)

I agree with most of the commentators. Competition is a fact of “real life” You cannot shield children from it and the expect them to be prepared to handle it as a young adult.

Did Clayton during the ASS actually say smart guys don’t need girls with brains because the guy is smart enough for both?
Well, that clears that up. Clayton is a dumb guy!
Hey Clayton if a guy really is smart, finding an intelligent woman is even more important for him. Smart women are sexy!
Hence another reason Alisyn is drop dead sexy!! (Gretchen ain’t nothing to sneeze at either.)

Morning Chas! Off to a late start this morning. I have the day off so I slept in a little.

I think it’s a great idea to have All-Star games. My daughter plays softball and they had two types of “All-Star” teams. One team that is a conglomerate of all the best players in the league and the other is made up of players that are voted by their team members and that team plays the best team in the league.

Why not teach the children that to be the best, you have to practice, and if your other teammates make an “All Star” team, be happy for them and cheer them on. It’s called good sportsmanship.

Let us vote for the Monday replacement!

how about Julie Banderas or Patti Ann?

When I was that age we didn’t have cable or internet! Hmmm…… no one had cable or internet when I was a kid. We were lucky if there was a good Sears catalog in the out house…..

Ah the good old days. I worked to have spending money and had to walk to school every day….. in the snow….. up hill…… both ways……

Not having the All Star team isn’t the worst thing in the world.

If the kids are really good athletes they will soon enough be raised to the level of demigods in school. They will be given special treatment and and many accolades for their athletic ability. They will be the “cool” kids and the “Big Man on Campus”, getting the attention and breaks for many, many years to come.
Meanwhile the smart kids will get tagged as “nerds” and “dorks”. Their achademic accomplishments getting little notice and taking a back seat to the jocks.

Let them wait a year or two more. They can stand being treated as just one of the team and not a star.

Don’t think we are a sports obsessed society that gives special treatment to athletes?
Last night was the NBA draft. Televised live and discussed this morning. When was the last time you say someone televising the hiring of the top students graduating college? When was that a topic of discussion?

The ability to hit a home run or a fade away jumper is nice, but does it really rank higher than someone that is a doctor that heals your sick child in the middle of the night? Or a teacher putting in the extra hours to tutor a child so they can understand a lesson? Or a chemist that might find the replacement for oil?

Sal - I like both of those. How about……

Jena Lee
Anna Gilligan
Jamie Colby
Kimberly G
Suzanne Sena
Domenica Davis
Martha MacCallum
Heather Nauert

Hey Marshall,

Me too. Not only did I not have cable, I only got 2 channels. Not even all 3 networks.
And the walking in the snow? Me too! And every year that snow gets higher and the walk longer. In a few year I figure that walk will be so long I only had time to change clothes before turning around to walk back to school. And the snow will be so high that I had to hold another child on my shoulders so they could see above the snow and we knew which direction to walk. LOL

Mike Malone—-that is really an excellent post. I think that many teachers deserve a standing ovation for just having the nerve to face a classroom in some of the areas in our country. It is almost so dangerous they may deserve combat pay.

Yeah, all that snow in the very deep south really slowed me down too! If we even got a flurry of snow the whole town would shut down and create a delayed population boom a few months later.

Very good choices Marshall.

Thanks Eileen.

Can you tell I, like the always lovely Alisyn, wasn’t one of the jocks? LOL

Hi Alisyn, As a Ohio resident and mother of two, I am outraged by what Beachwood is doing with these children.All children need to learn the agony of defeat & the joy of winning, however alot of the residents there are a bunch of whiners,Uppity type, so it really doesnt surprise me that theyre doing this. What about all the practice’s the kids had, and the excitement for “the big game”? They are depriving the kids of some great life lessons.And to the family who have cut the cable, It is so sad that this is what we’ve come to but you have to do what’s best for all concerned. The girls seemed happy, I just hope they get there cable back when winter roars her ugly head. Have a great weekend. We will miss you on Monday.

Good morning, all,

As I was listening to this piece on the gas/children/cable I thought “these kids are now doing the same things I did as a child. And all the “child experts” say too much TV is bad. Seems like this cloud has a silver lining after all.

First of Alexis Glick ain’t got nothing on Alisyn!!

It’s ridiculous to think you can/should stop kids from competing. Sometimes it is about winning. The earlier kids learn that the better. Look at the really successful people in the world and you will find they built confidence in themselves early in life. We should be striving for that, not protecting our kids from it.

We’ve really gone to much smaller cars and more motorcycles in my home to combat oil prices.

Would you like the skinny on Unity N.H.? This lovely area is just 10 min. away,almost everyone you are now seeing on T.V. in Unity do not live there.The population of townsfolk are small, but incredibley hard working.The bulk of the population lives at either the County Elderly Home,or the County Correctional Farm. The people you are watching are coming in from the surrounding cities. Most everyone who lives in Unity is at work. Thank You for your time.

Maybe I missed something this morning, (it happens) but I don’t think they said they were stopping all competition between the kids. They are still going to play baseball games and compete that way. They are only cancelling the “All-Star” game that singles out the top players for extra notice.

What is wrong with teaching the kids that it is team work that is important and not being a showboat and not being the star player?
What about teaching them to enjoy the game and play for the fun, not for the special attention you get for being the “star”?

Look at sports today and you see too much focus on everyone trying to be the flashy, ego driven, star and not enough of players willing to do what is best for the team instead of their stats.
We need more “team players” not more “all stars”.

Hi all,

The comments about doing away with an all-star game is a sad commentary regarding the direction our nation is currently taking. Sorry, we’re not all the same and the sooner a young person realizes they need to find and hone their capabilities, the more chance he has to become a successful adult. I coached youth through HS athletics (Football, baseball, softball) for 30 years, and agree that all team members should have a chance to compete and perform during the regular season. However, just as life in a free society decrees, excellence should provide a reward. This is a great teaching tool for parents. They can point out that outstanding performance brings benefits and though their child may not be able to be the top performer in a baseball game they can in math, music, etc. and enjoy their efforts success. Having spent time in the USSR in the 80’s I know what a “one size fits all society” looks like. It ain’t pertty.

Hey Marshall - you left E.D. Hill off the list.

She probably isn’t doing much since she lost her show……

Nathania,

$70 a month does mean something to a lot of people. That is a tank of gas so they can get to work. That is the extra cost of groceries.

It is harsh and rude to call the parents stupid because they are having to tighten their belts to make their budget work.

Not everyone has a job where they can telecommute. Construction workers can’t call it in from home. They have to show up on the site to do work. Nurses can’t call it in from home. They have to be at the Dr’s office or the hospital to take care of the patients. Retail sales clerks can’t call it in from home. They have to be at the store to make the sale.
Many jobs are not possible to do by telecommuting.

That you have a job where you can telecommute and that you make enough money that $70 doesn’t mean anything to you is nice, but it doesn’t mean you have all the answers on how to run someone else’s life or the right to insult them.

I was thinkin E.D has been there, done that as far as F&Fs goes, but she could definitely go on my list. In fact, they could do a reunion show with E.D. and Page.

Where have all the young girls gone
Long time passing
Where have all the young girls gone
Long time ago
Where have all the young girls gone
Gone for ratings, every one
Oh, when will they ever learn
Oh, when will they ever learn

Anyone else happy it is FRIDAY? That gives us over two full days to get ready to biotch about Monday!!!!!!

sources tell me that Hillary has been offered Supreme Court position by Obama which may come up in the next 4 years

(I know this had nothing to do with blog but I couldnt fiqure out how to sand email

secondly ask John Stossel if he has ever heard of “kiting” that is what the speculators are doing
firm A buys at 130 Firm B buys from firm A at 132, Firm B then buys back from firm A at 135 always retaining per centage of lower purchase futures from other firms. When they have kited the price to where they want it they sell the previously purchased product