…About My Name

You know, spelling my last name is not really a "gimme."  I get that. It's spelled M-c-N-e-e-l-e-y. OK, yeah, it's got a bucketful of "E"s in it.  I get that the usual spelling has only two. M-c-N-e-e-l-y.  So when I first meet someone, I could see where they might make a mistake. Once.

I say "Once" because I am very clear on how to spell my name. As soon as someone starts to write it down, I am very clear and helpful. "That's M-c-N-e-e-l-e-y."  Now you have no excuse. I don't have some deep Southern drawl that makes it difficult to understand. I'm not generally one who mumbles. "M-c-N-e-e-l-e-y."  It's pretty easy really.

Through these many years, I have had some very interesting spellings from people who seemed at the time to be pretty intelligent. McNeely, MacNelly, McNealy, MacNealey… You see what I'm saying.  The favorite (not really) of all time: MacKnealy. Where the hell did you get that??!

I also get quite miffed when someone is just lazy. (On the phone) "OK, hold on while I ask Mr. Neely…"  Really?  REALLY?? "Mr. Neely"??  Are you too lazy to give me ALL of my name?  It makes me want to return the favor. "Why of course, Bar, I'll get it for you."  "Sure thing, Mr. Washin, here you go."

It's not just my last name, either. My first name is Paul. Do me a favor… say that aloud a time or two. Paul. Paul.  Does that sound like anything else to you? I surely hope not. Now I worked in radio for many years. I have done public speaking for many years. I have worked as the announcer for a college band program for many years. (Actually I am now in the 19th year!) So I know how to speak.    Now, you please tell me, how does "Paul" sound like anything else??  It doesn't. But I can't tell you how many times I get this:  "Hi, I'm Paul."   "Hi, Tom, nice to meet you."
WHISKEY-TANGO-FOXTROT, OVER?!
How the HELL did you get Tom from Paul? Geez, Louise. Please Pay Attention!

Now here comes the good part of that one. I saw a copy of a letter from one of those moments where the guy said he had spoken with… wait for it… TOM MCKINLEY. Holy shit!! (Sorry.) But… I digress.

I have, in the last two weeks, gotten emails at work from separate folks who, in the body of the  emails, type my name as M-c-N-e-e-l-y, but then send it to me with the spelling of M-c-N-e-e-l-e-y.  (In my best whiny voice) Whyyyy??

I have friends with out-of-the-ordinary last names. My buddy Nick's last name is Efstathiou. Try saying that one correctly!  But try to spell it without practice. Not easy. Lydia's last name is Mitrevski. Not an easy one. But you know what? I spell them correctly. You know why? Because it's important to me. I know how I feel when someone can't get mine right. I don't want to do that to someone else.

So the whole point to my rant is this simple thing: Pay attention to people. When you meet someone, look them in the eye and warmly repeat their name. "Hi, Paul, it's nice to meet you." Be careful to understand. If you don't understand, ask.  I would FAR rather someone ask me to repeat my name than call me Tom McKinley.  I promise you, no one who suffers this same aggravation would think less of you for asking.

Personally, I'd truly appreciate it!



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...About Social Stupidity

You know, I've been putting this off for a while now, but time is up.  I just can't stand it any longer. It is absolutely ridiculous how many people post one thing after another on social media sites, hoping it will garner large attention, with either HUGE mistakes or just plain STUPID thought. 

Being one of those who reads things for exactly what they say, I am constantly amazed by the lack of attention paid by people making public statements. With the worldwide popularity of Facebook, it just becomes easier and easier for people to be in the public vision. Most of them should not be. 

We begin our look at this foolishness with a post from Facebook. Let's look at several examples of stupid in one poster: 

A.) OK... I will let the artistic freedom flow and overlook that it is in all lowercase; 

B.) Sister Johanna would smack me wall-eyed if I ever spelled God with a lowercase "G." Artistic license or not; 

C.) Sister Damien (not as physically torturous as Sister Johanna) would very pointedly correct me if I spelled a personal pronoun reference to God with a lowercase "H;" 

D.) We are given a period in sentence 1, but not in sentence 2; 

E.) I don't suppose God would appreciate a 120 second deadline; and 

F.) I don't suppose He would consider any miracle a "fav."

Stupid people... Not just once, twice!!    

  

This next one is certifiable proof that my wife doesn't love me. It must be true... She didn't make this next poster her status. ☹

My dad is, obviously, the laziest, non-caring, most slacking mean jerk ever on the face of the planet - all because I didn't post this.  (My father is not on Facebook.) 

My favorite type of stupidity is next. Because we aren't given a comma for clarity, she is saying that "heat assists in reducing weight problems because it makes things expand." We certainly know that what she meant was, "Since heat makes things expand, I'm not heavy, I'm expanded." 

Now before we go any further, let me be very clear. I have the greatest mother, father, siblings, wife, friends, life, etc. in the world. I wish everyone could be as fortunate as I have been. I am also very cool with people posting their belief in and love for God. More and more of that can only be a good thing. I just choose not to post those types of things. It's a personal choice kinda thing. But… I digress! 

Having set the tone of what we're talking about, I will simply share a few more and let you enjoy the stupidity.

My Mmother would be appreciative. 

So much stupidity… so little time. 

I am not trying to be holier-than-thou, or smarter-than-thou, or anything-elser-than-thou. I just get aggravated at people who continually post things with such glaring, ridiculous mistakes. 

Up to this point, I have been complaining about this circumstance from a social media standpoint. Sadly, it is prevalent everywhere. Listen to the news, watch your favorite sitcom, go to church, listen to politicians speak. It's all over and, from what I can tell from many, many of my friends, it's making all of us want to run through the streets screaming, "PLEASE use a damn comma!"  "It's 'ME'… everyone was happy for him and ME!"  "You SAW him… you didn't SEEN him!"  

For many years, people in other countries have put down our country for the way we talk and the way our language works. "Why is there a difference between 'tear' and 'tear'?"  With the brutal way in which so many people butcher the language grammatically, both in speaking and in writing, it's no surprise anyone outside the country would be confused. Hell, obviously the people who were born and raised here are confused! 



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…About Threats, and Russia, and Fear

I am an American. I am a God-fearing proud American. My brother calls me a zealous patriot. I can handle that. I am a proud retiree from the Army National Guard of the United States of America with 30 years of service to the country I love. I bleed Red, White, and Blue. I get angry at protestors who desecrate my flag. I support their right to protest, not their right to burn my flag. I get fired up at stories of people who feel this country owes them something more than the absolute freedoms they already enjoy and take for granted. I put my hand over my heart during the Star Spangled Banner or the Pledge of Allegiance. I would gladly take nothing more than a 2X4 into defense of this country if I had nothing more. 

And I am scared.  

With the situation in Ukraine moving into a tense hotspot, the president of the United States has threatened Russia. "…there will be consequences…"  Now there are those who will say that statement can be referring to sanctions, or embargoes, or other non-conflict means. And maybe that is what is being implied - BUT - words are what they are… words. And the words used can be taken to mean different things to each person who hears them. And each person decides how they will hear them and how they will respond to them. 

Before I go any farther in this, let me be very clear on something. In this moment, while expressing my concern, I am not going to bash any party, or any individual. I do not like nor agree with many of the things going on in our country right now, but that is my opinion. As I've said before, opinions are like armpits - everybody has a couple and they all stink. I have friends, dear friends, with political views different from mine, and that's okay. It is not my intent to alienate anyone, nor start any argument. 

No matter a person's political preference, or even lack thereof, this type of threatening should shake you to your boots. How can any leader threaten such a massive powerhouse mere days after announcing that our military is going to be gutted. State's National Guard units will be slashed or shut down completely. Those very National Guard units that were originally formed in the 1600s to protect our own shores from invasion and attack. (Spring of 1636 for those who may be wondering.)  Active duty unit levels to be lower than pre-WWII. Hear that again - the military at a lower level of manpower than BEFORE WORLD WAR II.  

This scares the hell out of me. 

Did you watch the Olympics? Did you ever see anyone any scarier than Vladimir Putin? Even when smiling and golf-clapping his own athletes, he looked like a man ready to pull someone's head off their neck with his bare hands. Yes, it was well-reported and pontificated that Russia's Olympic Games were "all about Russia, and all about Putin." He was making a visual statement seen 'round the world. And it was. And it is scary. He has shown on numerous occasions that he is scared of no one, and will do whatever it takes for everyone to know HE is in charge and in control. 

He scares the hell out of me. 
 
I don't know what will happen next. I don't know all the political posturing that may be happening out of sight right now. I don't know how to feel about our chances if something does break out. I DO know that I will begin reading and absorbing more information about the comparisons between our country's power and Russia's power. And I also know that we, as Americans, must become concerned about where our country is going, no matter who is running it. And we must figure out how to save this country, or we will one day lose it. 

And that scares the hell out of me more than anything else.  




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