It’s 6:40 p.m. on Friday. And I’m here late because I wanted to bounce some ideas of my readers.

Below are some of the possible names for the classless, body odor-filled bar I’d like to own someday. I thought up some slogans, too, with the hopes that the bar will gain a disgusting enough reputation to warrant selling T-shirts with bright decals and funny characters on them (I’m told it’s important to cross-market and develop value-added products).

Have a look-see:

Name: McScurvy’s
Slogan: “If you’re ugly, we’re open.”

Name: The Busted Grill
Slogan: “There’s no cover charge, but you have to let us knife you.”

Name: The Damp Sleeping Bag
Slogan: “Home of the first Little Debbie Urinal Cake”

Name: Butterfly Kisses
Slogan: “Don’t worry. If she hasn’t left you yet, she will.”

Name: Hotel Honduras
Slogan: “1st World time at 3rd world prices.”

Name: The Bill Collector
Slogan: “You’re only homeless when we’re closed.”

Name: Plywood Palace
Slogan: “Doors lock when pyrotechnics start.”

Name: Jail Bait
Slogan: “Technically you can’t date ‘em, but theoretically you can sure as hell fight over ‘em.”

Feel free to help me out if you come up with any of your own.

It’s that time of year again. Are you ready? January first is just a few days away, so I guess that means we have to decide what we want to change about ourselves or what bad habit we want to give up or what goals we want to achieve, and even if we’re not all that serious about them now, we better make those resolutions now.

If you can’t tell, I’m not a big fan of New Year’s resolutions. I’m not sure what it is about them, but every time I hear someone talk about them, I have to roll my eyes just a little and let out a louder than necessary sigh.
Now let me explain that I am all for making changes in order to be exactly what you want to be and in order to achieve exactly what you want to achieve, I just don’t like the idea of making a decision to do something on an arbitrary date, just because that’s what everyone else is going to be doing.

There are several things I want to accomplish this year. I want to be less stressed, more organized and less dependent on other people to accomplish the things I want to get done. I want to make more of an effort to be happy, and to always remember that I am the only one I can blame when I’m not, and I want to put my mind to every task I’m working on and give it my best. But I know that just because January first rolls around, that doesn’t mean I’m suddenly ready to organize my house, my office and my car and keep it that way for the next 365 days.

To me January first is just an arbitrary number, not unlike May 16 or July 8. It’s not the day that is important, it’s being ready to do what you want to do, and being dedicated to doing it.

I can say I want to lose 10 pounds, but unless I’m really ready to push myself to do it, I know it probably isn’t going to happen. So make your New Year’s resolutions if you want, but remember, if you aren’t willing to put in the work, you’re probably going to be making that same resolution in 2009.

“These Three Carts” (done to the tune of “We Three Kings”)

These three carts of P&C are
Wheel bearings un-greased they traverse afar.
Snow bank and fountain, Street corner and mountain,
Acting as make-shift cars

Chorus
O carts of wonder, carts of night,
Carts with foil antennas might,
Pick-up a TV station, no it’s fading,
Guide us to that case of Milwaukee’s Best Light.

Born as carts on P&C’s lot,
WD-40 I have to unfreeze them again,
Carts forever, rusting never
Still abandoned by all in shame.

O carts of wonder, carts of night,
Carts filled with garbage and gas create fire bright,
Portable oven, char-broiled chariot we’re lovin’
Guide us to that case of Milwaukee’s Best Light.

No Common Sense to offer have I.
Leave a perfectly good cart on the neighbor’s lawn to die.
Drunk and hazy really lazy,
Steal new cart and go get high.

O carts of wonder, carts of night,
Three carts on the front porch make it tight,
We’ll hang on lawn until they’re mysteriously gone
Guide us to that case of Milwaukee’s Best Light.

Carts not mine: It’s a bitter dispute
Though the store manager doesn’t shout of gathering gloom.
It’s the neighbors, haters, cops and writers,
That give me such an awful time.

O carts of wonder, carts of night,
We’ll take the carts back and make it right,
Squeaking, squirreling, leftward turning
Guide us to that case of Milwaukee’s Best Light.

Glorious now behold the zip ties,
worse for ware, but here the cart lies.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Sounds through the cart return area and skies.

O carts of wonder, carts of night,
The carts are home to reunite,
From store to car, they travel no more far
Guide us to that case of Milwaukee’s Best Light.

Pay it forward……

These three words can change lives..Come on, you have all seen or at least heard of the movie right? Well guess what people actually do this!

In FARGO, North Dakota a bank is gave their full-time employees $1,000 each and part-time employees $500 each to use it for people in need.
It was said each full-time employee will receive $1,000 and each part-time employee will receive $500, as part of a $502,000 “Pay it Forward” initiative.

I think that’s amazing! Imagine what a difference these employees can make to someone who could not celebrate the holidays at all, people who may not be able to buy their child a doll or a new game or the winter coat they need to stay warm.

Locally the words “pay it forward” came into play recently as well. The King family in New Berlin for years have donated time and money to ensure children and families of the area were taken care of for the holiday season. This year the tradition came to a close following their retirement.

I hope there are people who will take the “pay it forward” initiative and keep the tradition alive for the community of New Berlin. Times are not getting any easier and in years to come the needs of the less fortunate unfortunately will still be apparent in communities all over the country.

Few people would argue that young children are watching too little television. In fact, in the last few years the childhood obesity rate has skyrocketed, partially as a result of increased time spent watching television and playing video games instead of playing sports and enjoying outdoor activities.

With the staggering statistics on childhood obesity (the numbers have tripled since 1970) and television time (most kids watch an average of four hours of television a day) it doesn’t seem likely that children need any encouragement to watch more television, but that’s exactly what they are getting.

A couple of months ago, a satellite installer came to my house to set up my television. When he saw my one year old son, he immediately started telling me about the new television station they offered just for babies. Apparently there is an educational, commercial-free television station targeting children from six months to three years of age.

As if that wasn’t enough, video game makers are now targeting the same age group. The concept behind these things is to provide an opportunity for parents and children to interact while playing these games or watching the television, which is fine, but it seems to me that children get addicted to television and video games quickly enough on their own. Do we really need to spoon feed it to them before they have any interest in it at all?

Sitting kids in front of the television from the time they’re 6 months old is only going to teach them that that is an acceptable habit and something they should do all the time.

I guess if these programs are used as an alternative to traditional television and video games, this is definitely the better way to go, but wouldn’t it be even better to interact with your kids rather than letting the television do it for you?

Regarding my pro stance on the Town of Norwich and City of Norwich taking part in a joint consolidation study, one reader that doesn’t agree wrote: “Michael is pretty young and idealistic, which is to be expected and also is proper.”

I actually think I’m pretty cynical, and at 25, I feel like I’m 40 (too many late night’s at Millie’s Diner).

I see my position as being more pessimistic than anything else. It’s born from a lack of faith in local government.

A lack of faith that it will ever be proactive. A lack of faith that it will ever take risks. A lack of faith that it can ever look beyond the short term. A lack of faith that it can really get anything done on its own. A lack of faith that it can ever lead.

If anyone’s idealistic, it’s the people on the Norwich town board who think they live on an Island Kingdom beholden to no one.

Furthermore, if anyone’s idealistic, it’s people in local government who think Chenango County will get better if we stay the course.

Who knows, maybe if we do nothing the county will become a tourism hotspot?

“If you think Branson sucks, wait till you see Norwich!” A pamphlet might read.

I know local governments can rest on their laurels. I know local governments have excuses. I know local governments hate Albany. I know local governments can meet for two hours once a month. I know local governments can react after a situation reaches crisis mode.

What I don’t think local governments can do is develop a realistic vision of the future. They sure can develop a future based on a fantastic version of the past.

Having a deep appreciation for the arts I was somewhat disappointed to find that local middle school students are offered art only for 10 weeks every other day. Is it this way in all schools? I understand the bells are longer and students may be able to get some decent work accomplished however, is gym and music also only offered for 10 weeks? I am unsure.

I feel art is something just like any other “elective” (aka gym or music) that should be available throughout the entire year. Last year it was reported that no seventh graders got art at all. Maybe for people who have no interest in art it doesn’t matter but it does to me.

My children (ages 2, 4 and 6) are exposed to art every day in my home and I feel it is important to continue that while in school. Letting children explore the wonders of art and be creative is one way that children can express themselves and it’s FUN.

There is nothing I love more than to see my kids faces as they play with finger paints and watch them  cover themselves and my kitchen  with various colors. I bring home foam boards and they have a ball making their own creations. They are so proud of them they hang them in their rooms and show them off to the family.

Once children hit their teenage years their level of creativity tends to drop. If schools are not letting children explore art when they are young than what’s the point?

Art is a skill that adapts over time, it can also be expensive. Some children may not have the ability to do art work on their own and lean to schools to be given that opportunity. If a child is good at something then why not let them indulge in it.  If a child in middle school is a gifted artist  then why should they have to wait until high school to be able to take it full time or at least half of the year?

Through my travels with the evening sun I have met many people who focus on putting a focus on art in schools. Take Waldorf schools for example. These children learn through exploration and creativity before they learn to read and write. Johanna Sophia from New Berlin teaches her children  based on Waldorf principals, her children can read, write and do all the academic standards like public school children.  In addition, the children have played the Cello and Violin since they were very little and with their writing they are required to depict what they are writing through art.

The style of education focuses on very different methods than other systems and I respect for what she is doing. She said something the very first time I met her and to this day I have not forgotten it. She said something like this….Unlike other school systems that look at the child like an empty bag and fill them full of information, I see them as full bags and try to get them to enhance what they are already good at.

If a child wants to play an instrument at age 6 then why make them wait until they are 10, if a child wants to draw hand them a pencil.

I strongly believe in self expression and I wish local schools may realize that if children have an outlet for their feelings maybe they would express them constructivly.